Friday Doughnuts

After seeing one of my favorite bloggers make homemade doughnuts with her sunbeam doughnut maker , I knew I had to get one.  So I finally went to Target and found the exact same one, and I couldn't wait to start making fresh homemade doughnuts.  I found this recipe for homemade blueberry doughnuts with an orange glaze, and I knew this had to be the first recipe I would test out.  I promised myself that if I bought this doughnut maker, I would only bake it to share with others and only try to eat one (maybe two).  So I woke up early this morning before work to start baking.  The ingredients are pretty simple and prep time doesn't take long either.  The only thing that you have to wait for is the doughnuts baking because there are only 5 doughnut spaces and it take about 6-7 minutes per batch to bake, and this recipe yields about 4 batches.  Overall the doughnuts were pretty good and tasted very fresh and light.  I can't wait to experiment with different flavors and decorations.  Happy Friday!

-A

Infinitely Adaptable Spanish Tortilla

Too lazy to run to the grocery store? Bare essentials staring you in the face when you open the fridge? Craving breakfast for dinner? Fear not! Spanish tortilla [the Spanish version of a frittata] may be what you need.  Back in college, I was fortunate enough to study abroad in Madrid. While I enjoyed shopping at the Zara there more than the cuisine, I came back with a couple of recipes [okay, maybe just one] under my belt…thanks to my house mom, Maria! Tortilla [not to be confused with the Mexican corn tortilla] is an egg and potato dish that is, oddly enough, eaten for lunch or dinner. Maria would serve it for dinner alongside a hot bowl of veggie soup—something that really hit the spot, particularly when one is homesick for the U.S. [don’t judge me!] I should make this more often but I actually haven’t gotten a hold of flipping an “egg cake” over a hot stove. There have been disasters, yes, and there have been triumphs. The good news is you can tailor this recipe however you like. The traditional calls for onions and potatoes but there is definitely room to be creative. This past weekend I made a version with Vidalia onions [sooo “in” right now] and garnet yams.

Spanish Tortilla

Olive oil [in this instance, I used coconut oil because that was all I had--it works though!]

2 tsp. minced garlic

2 medium Vidalia onions, sliced

2 garnet yams, baked in the microwave and sliced. [ok so traditionally the potatoes are cooked in the pan with olive oil, but this takes wayyy too long and makes the dish heavier. I just pop them in the microwave at 6 min/potato]

6 eggs beaten

Salt to taste

In a frying pan, heat some olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and garlic and sauté until they begin to brown just a bit. Meanwhile, beat eggs in separate bowl along with some salt [I want to say 1 tsp. but as Rachel Ray says… just eyeball it]. When the onions are done, pour the egg mixture in. Move the pan around so that every nook and cranny has some egg in it. Cook until the bottom, middle and sides are firm. The top should still be runny. Turn off the heat and run a spatula along the sides of the pan to loosen the cake.  Put a regular plate on top, holding it firmly, and flip the pan. The cake should have popped onto the plate [expect some gooey egg to land on your countertop].  Heat the pan again and add some more oil. Slide the cake back onto the pan so that the runny part is now on the bottom. Cook for another 5-10 minutes…and flip it back onto the plate. I like to eat this with a simple green salad, but again, it’s really up to you! 

 --T

Homemade Iced Chai Latte

I love me some Starbucks especially on weekends.  But sometimes going to Starbucks every week can leave your wallet a bit empty with their 4 dollar drinks (and that's for the tall size).  I read some reviews on Chai Latte Concentrates and I decided to give it a try.  I went to my local wholefoods and they had to brands, Oregon Chai Latte Concentrate and Tazo Chai Tea Latte Concentrate.  I decided to try the Oregon brand because they had one that was "slightly sweet" with only 7 grams of sugar per serving.  The directions say to put equal parts of the concentrate and milk, so I did 1/2 cup of each and then poured over a cup of ice.  The result was pretty delicious.  It wasn't totally the same as what you would buy at Starbucks, but it was pretty darn close.  Next time I think I would add a little bit more concentrate and less milk to give it a stronger Chai flavor.  Wishing everyone a great Memorial Day weekend!

-A

Spring is Here=Eat More Lamb!

I’m trying to spend less time and less money on food. I am at (or give myself reasons to go) the grocery store almost every day. I need to tone down my illusions of grandeur when it comes to my weeknight meals. Recently, I’ve been make big pot meals to sustain my weekly eating: one pot for lunch and one for dinner. Pasta usually does the trick, particularly pasta + a meat-based sauce —I had leftovers for the entire week and some! I recently made this lamb penne dish which came out oh.so.good. and comforting and satisfying. The cinnamon works well with the lamb so don’t be put off by adding less than 2 tspns! I also suggest really browning the onions and parsnips (crunchy, raw parsnips are no bueno). I was rather ambitious that night, so I made some healthy-ish banana bread to bring into work. Some of this may sound too rich to be eating during the spring but it’s just right for these fluctuating temps!

--T

Taco Night

Most of the time I am too lazy to cook during the weekdays let alone weekends.  But I have been trying to be good and to cook at least 1-2 times a week.  I try to pick really easy meals and that are some what healthy.  I love Mexican food and I always make fajitas, quesadillas, and tacos.  Last night I made ground turkey tacos (somewhat healthier version), and I just followed the recipe on the back of the taco seasoning from Trader Joe's. The taco seasoning is really good, and its not like the other taco packet seasoning that you will find in grocery stores.  I served the tacos with all the condiments, black beans, and Spanish rice.  And no Mexican meal will be complete without an ice cold Jarritos mandarin soda.  Happy Friday!

                                                                                -A

Thanksgiving in March?

Ever wonder what to do with that random can of pumpkin that’s stuck in the back of your pantry? Bon Appetit [my fave food mag] did a piece last fall where they featured recipes [none of which were pumpkin pie!] from chefs across the country on how they would use the canned gourd. I have been meaning to make this pumpkin shrimp curry for a while now, even with the rising temps outside. I made a few modifications, substituting pan-cooked chicken for the shrimp, cooking the cilantro w/ the stew and serving it with quinoa. The recipe also calls for 1 cup of cooked, diced butternut squash, but doesn’t include steps for prep. An easy route would be to cook the diced squash in 2 tblspn of olive oil for 25 min @ 425 F.

I found the curry to be full of flavor and I can’t wait to try this w/ shrimp! However, be forewarned… using a can of pumpkin doesn’t mean cutting the cooking time in half. The entire process took longer than I had anticipated but it was well worth it. In terms of the spice factor, the only real heat I experienced were the waves from a hot oven and several sizzling pans—meaning a nice big squirt of sriracha on top! GIVE THANKS!!

--T

Dinner and a Movie*

Friday nights are critical for the typical 40+ hour/week DC gal. You really can do anything depending on how your work week went. For example, happy hour for the socially deprived girl which turns into an all-night bender, obvi, date night for the QT deprived girl (with your boo or your closest friends—it’s still considered a date OK!) or opting to stay in and turn into the couch potato you were always destined to be for the sleep deprived girl. I chose option C. I had a hankering for pizza so I made a post-work trip to the grocery store (AKA the geriatric Giant) for my ingrediencess (Thanks Tre!). My new pizza obsession is now the white pie, especially “The Slam” from Comet Ping Pong , so going that route was a no-brainer.

Adaptable, Semi-White Pizza

Olive Oil

1 roll of Pillsbury thin crust pizza dough (that’s all the store had and it’s completely fine)

1 small eggplant, thinly sliced

I small red onion, thinly sliced

Part skim ricotta

Part skim shredded mozzarella

Spinach leaves, roughly chopped

• Preheat your broiled. Spray some layered aluminum with oil. Place eggplant slices on top and drizzle w/ olive oil. I added some cumin, salt and pepper, but you can spice it anyway you like. Pop them in the broiler for 5 min or until they are lightly browned on top.
  
  
• After eggplant is done, place sliced onions in the broiler for 5 min.
  
  
• Roll out your dough on oiled pan. Pillsbury calls for baking their dough for 5 minutes before adding the toppings.
  
  
• I had some marinara sauce, as in 2 tablespoons worth, so I spread that first--hence the semi-white. Add your dollops of ricotta (as much as you want), then top with the mozzarella. Add your cooked eggplant, red onion and spinach. Bake in the oven for 10-15 min…AND EAT!

*My dinner and a movie was really just pizza and my usual Friday dates with Joshua Jackson (Fringe) and Dave Giuntuli (Grimm). Don’t judge.

--T

Hi everyone, T here! A lil backstory about me—I call DC my home but I am a Jersey girl at heart. Recently, I took a trip up to spend time with the fam for my dad’s birthday. I know a lot of people assume that going home means being spoiled by your parents for 72 hours, but in my case, not so much… my mom has mandated that I make dinner at least one night. I generally use this time to my advantage, testing out various recipes on the guinea pigs…err…family members. I was fortunate enough to make dinner on my dad’s birthday, so instead of attempting something crazy like a cassoulet, I chose to make a couple of family favorites…

I have been making this roasted acorn squash and gorgonzola pizza since my days in college. It is super easy to make but will definitely impress your diners. The sweetness and spiciness of the squash really plays well with the saltiness of the cheese and the freshness of the arugula. But reader, do be aware that if you are blue cheese adverse, this pizza is not for you. I have made this on several occasions and the blue cheese haters either loathed it or adoried it. Regardless, I LOVE and so does the fam. To accompany the pizza, I made some French onion soup ala Julia Child. This is a good and satisfying recipe if you are on a budget or low on ingredients…you basically need onion, beef stock , white wine, bread and cheese…et voila! Also, the end product is really pretty, who doesn't like pretty food? In the recipe, it says to stir onions for 30-40 min to caramelize. I really recommend that you do not skip this step. I know it’s long and tedious, and has taken me longer than 40 min to get the desired colored, but it’s absolutely necessary. Also…don’t nix the wine...because I said so.

-T

Ain't it purrrty