Brazilian Cheese Rolls

Ok, so this is officially my new favorite recipe. So I'd have to say one of my favorite foods is cheese, I LOVE it. Melted cheese in particular. So we end up eating pizza quite a bit around here, but sometimes it's a hassle either going out to get it or finding room to store it in our fridge/freezer. This recipe is perfect for cheesy cravings! I've been wanting to try it ever since I found it and even bought all the ingredients for it. But I didn't have a mini-muffin tin. So everything's been waiting patiently in the fridge for me to get one. We finally got one and made 2 batches in 2 days and I pretty much downed the 2nd batch all on my own. Yikes, right?

If you've ever been to a Tucanos (Brazilian style)  restaurant I'm pretty sure you've had them. They're the little cheesy bites they have over by the fried banana. Last time we went I was totally considering finding out how much it would be to get a side of them to take home. Anyways, this recipe is super super quick and easy to make. Original recipe is here. And I guess depending on your pan and oven you'll have different baking times. I found that for us to get the look she had on hers we baked at 375 for about 11 minutes. Our muffin pan is shallower than hers and I think a little darker. And I think our oven may run about 25 degrees hotter, so it's kind of a trial and error type thing. Seriously though, even when we overcooked our first batch it was still delicious! The only thing different was texture wasn't quite as chewy as our next batch. Anyways, here it is! Oh, and the only harder ingredient to find is the tapioca flour, which we got at our Winco over in the bulk foods from a bin. Over on the original Our Best Bites blog she goes into a little more detail about maybe where to find some. And sorry, once again no pictures, we finished them too quickly, ha! Would definitely recommend heading over there and looking at the pictures for it just to get an idea of what your final product should look like...

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 cup tapioca flour (sometimes labeled tapioca starch)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup *fine* grated cheddar cheese (preferably medium or sharp - we did this with sharp cheese and you can use a little more if you want. Also on the original recipe she says you can try different types of cheeses instead of the cheddar here)
• 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese (I would say not to use the powdered kind, we got a small container of the parmesan shards, for some reason I couldn't find the whole stuff, but definitely if you can get the stuff you can grate fresh)
• OPTIONAL: Extra cheese to sprinkle on top and or any extra herbs or flavorings you'd like to add. On our 2nd run we added about an 1/8 of a tsp. of garlic powder while blending and it was quite good. Blog recommends rosemary, which it turned out we didn't have, so haven't tired it that way yet....  

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Blend all ingredients minus cheese in blender until smooth
3. Add cheeses and pulse a couple of times
4. Immediately pour batter into mini muffin tins (spray pan if it isn't non-stick) filling each cup 3/4 of the way full. Can make anywhere between 16-24 rolls. (We made 24 each time, but once again that could be because our muffin pan is a little wider and shallower...she got 16-18 on hers. Also, pouring takes some practice, on the first try we had to go back with a spoon to even out how much was in each cup). 
5. Sprinkle any additional toppings, such as more cheese on top
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes until puffed and golden. Cool for a few minutes and serve warm!

Brownies

So this is a recipe I originally found on allrecipes.com and it is perfect for when you are craving just a little something and you really don't want to make a big batch. They are super quick to whip up and they are perfect for baking up in a toaster oven which is what I usually do. I love that I can just heat up something small instead of a large oven - it makes me feel like I'm cooking in a little Easy-Bake-Oven, ha! Also, when I went searching for Brownie recipes a lot of them called for actual baking chocolate you had to melt down first, which I never have on hand. For this recipe all you need is cocoa powder for the chocolatey flavor, which I always have, so it really is perfect and easy to do. The original recipe calls for a frosting/topping you can do, but I usually just leave them without, they really don't need anything extra. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking powder. 

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour an 8" square pan. 
2. In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Beat in cocoa, flour, salt and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes. Do not overcook. 

Chinese Soy Sauce Chicken

So when we were first out in Portland and stocking a new pantry we ended up with a lot of frozen chicken thighs. We discovered chicken on the bone doesn't tend to work out as well as just regular chicken breast when thawing out for recipes. At least the skin on it isn't really good anymore for baked chicken etc. We had it in the back of our freezer for the longest time until we came across this recipe and finally made use of it. It's a really simple recipe, just put everything in a pot and let it simmer. It may be an acquired taste for some but, we both like as we've had a lot of experience with Chinese food. :0) And of course it holds special memories for me being a Chinese recipe and all! Enjoy! Original recipe can be found here.


Oh, and a small note, the hardest thing for us to find for some reason was the star anise. We used whole cloves the first time around because we couldn't find it and it was ok. The smell was right but the flavor was weaker. It was on ok substitute. We ended up finding whole star anise though at a World Market/Cost plus for a really reasonable price and the taste was much better. To make a stronger sauce as well we ended up cutting down the liquid a little to concentrate the flavor of everything else.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup soy sauce
• 3 cups water
• 2 to 2 1/2 lbs chicken wings, drummettes and wings separated
• 1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 pieces star anise
• 1 scallion, shredded or chopped

*Maintain 1 part soy sauce to 3 parts water ratio so liquid covers at least 3/4 of the chicken

PREPARATION:

1. In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat the chicken, soy sauce, water over medium flame. Bring the liquid to a simmer. Reduce heat to very low and cover the pot. Make sure heat is as low as can be without turning off; simmering soy sauce can easily become rapidly boiling soy sauce, which can easily become a big mess to clean up.
2. Add the ginger, garlic, sugar, cinnamon, star anise, and sugar. Allow the chicken to simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, or up to an hour if you want falling-off-the-bone tenderness. Ladle the chicken and sauce into a deep platter. Garnish with scallions and prepare to enjoy some savory, succulent chicken.

Serves 4 to 6...or 2 with leftovers for next time :0)

Lola's Kopanisti Spread

So during the summer we spent in Portland we took a few days (due to a wonderful gift from some great friends) and spent sometime in downtown Seattle. One of the things we enjoyed the most was lunch we had at this Greek restaurant, Lola. It was sooooo great! Everything was wonderful, and we had a really great appetizer. Of course, I scoured the internet and hunted down a recipe for the Kopanisti dip we had. (I of course copied it here for convenience and in case for whatever reason it disappears from the site I originally found it - which happens much more often than I'd like.) Apparently this isn't a traditional Kopanisti style dip but this, at least ingredient wise is the closest to what we had! Can't wait to make it! Wonderful memories, and if you ever find yourself in the area-check Lola out. It's fantastic! You'll probably need to make reservations... ;)

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 oz (224 grm). traditional Greek feta cheese
• 2 oz (56 grm). bleu cheese
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/8 cup (2 Tbsp or 30 ml) fresh mint leaves
• 1/4 tsp (1 ml) red pepper flakes
• 3 Tbsp (45 ml) good quality olive oil
• chopped pistachios
• fresh mint infused oil (optional)
• a splash of Mavrodaphne (Greek dessert wine)*We're planning on substituting this with a fruit syrup, probably a blackberry one like marionberry 
• warm crostini or chunks of french bread or wedges of pita

PREPARATION:

• Put first 4 ingredients into a food processor.
• Slowly add olive oil until you've reached desired consistency - you want it to be creamy and smooth.
• Top with chopped pistachio nuts and fresh mint infused oil and the splash of Mavrodaphne.
• Serve with the breadstuff of your choice.

SERVES/MAKES: 1 1/2 cups approx.

Granola Bars!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 cup flour
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 egg - beaten
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

OPTIONAL MIX-INS:

• 3/4 cup raisins or 1/2 cup craisins
• 1/3 cup coconut
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 pan. Mix oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, cinnamon, flour, mix-ins and salt. Make well in center and pour in honey, egg, oil and vanilla. Mix well and pat into pan. Bake 30-35 min. Cool for 5 min. Cut into bars and serve.

Char's Hot Fudge Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cube of butter
• 1 cup of sugar
• 3-4 heaping tablespoons of unsweetened powder cocoa
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 can or 1 small can of evaporated milk
• 1 tsp of vanilla

PREPARATION:

Melt first 2 ingredients together, mix thoroughly. Add next three ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer until mixture reaches soft ball stage. Test in a glass of ice water. After fudge reaches soft ball stage remove from heat and add vanilla. Keeps in fridge for a couple weeks.

Peeeeea Soooooup!

Ok, so quite awhile back went to Mimi's Cafe for lunch and got the soup that came with my meal. Usually I'll try and get a cream based soup, as Clam Chowder is my *favorite,* but for whatever reason I was feeling kinda adventurous so decided to get their pea soup. Growing up I did not like it at all, looked horrible and clumpy and just can't ever remember it being all that appetizing. However this time, it was amazing! Loved it! Was sooooo good and definitely hit the spot. 

Since then I looked around for various pea soup recipes to find one that I could easily make at home that didn't require that much effort. And the reason I'm posting is ... SUCCESS! I've found one that I really enjoy and has been really easy to make. By now I've already made it 3 times or so now, so I'm at the point where I can share how I've made it etc. It's essentially Alton Brown's recipe that I've tweaked just a little to get the results I like. And this is great with some toasted croutons (herb breads taste the best!) and fresh parmesan sprinkled on top. Sooooooo good! It's now coming up on warmer weather so not as weather appropriate, but on those days where it's cooler and you just want a little something something to warm you up this is perfect! Oh, and one more thing, this gets better and better after it sits, so leftovers taste great!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Tbsp butter (Alton's calls for unsalted, but I've never had that on hand so I just use salted)
• 1 med-large size onion depending on how much onion you like-the flavor doesn't come off really strong so if you can use a lot if you like
• 4 cloves fresh garlic minced
• 1 lb bag of dried green split peas
• 6 cups chicken broth (use either canned or bullion, tried it both ways, haven't noticed a change in taste)
• 2 Tbsp curry paste (the original recipes calls for powder, I've only ever used paste because that's what I generally use in my cooking-I imagine either way is just fine)
• 1 cup - 1.5 cups of cubed ham-best if you use ham off the bone instead of processed
• Salt and Pepper to taste

PREPARATION (Copied directly from Alton Brown's Recipe):

Place the butter into a large (4 to 6-quart) saucepan over medium-low heat. Once melted, add the onion and a generous pinch of salt and sweat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to sweat for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, making certain not to allow onions or garlic to brown.

Add the peas, chicken broth and curry powder. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook at a simmer until the peas are tender and not holding their shape any longer, approximately 45 to 50 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Using care and a stick blender, puree the soup until the desired consistency. Watch out for hot splatters.

Note: I generally let it simmer for a full hour so I don't end up with any hard pieces in the peas. And because I don't have an immersion blender I ladle out 2/3 to 3/4 of the peas/onion into a blender and blend it up and then pour it back in.  I've done it where I've actually blended up all of it, and while it works, it just ends up being goopy without any shape, so it's better if you leave some of it unblended-though if you do it this way, you may want to do a finer chop of your onion at the beginning.

I have noticed on occasion too that it can get more soupy than thick, so you can just add some cornstarch to a couple Tbsp of cold water and add in after the blending bit and bring it back up to a boil. I imagine if you wanted the soup to stretch farther if you've got guests etc. you could add more water/chicken stock at the beginning and than to thicken it up use the same method.

As well, as the original recipe didn't call for any ham, I just add it in at the end to the pot after adding back in the blended portion. You can simmer it for an additional 5 min or so just to get the ham up to temp. Serve with croutons and cheese on top!