Culinary Goods

So, John loves yellow cake and I’ve been promising him I would make him one. So, the secret to getting yellow cake to taste like the boxed kind is butter extract. The cake itself was great, but really sweet. As to texture, I think the best yellow cake I’ve ever made is the one I blogged from melskitchencafe.com a few years back. I would probably just use that one as a basis and then add the butter extract. However, this is totally worth making. I’m sure John would give it a 9. Classic Yellow Cake with Chocolate Buttercream For the Cake 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature 1/3 cup olive oil 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups granulated sugar I used 1 1/2 cups 5 whole eggs, room temperature 2 eggs yolks, room temperature 3 cups, plus 3 tablespoons cake flour This was a total of 396 grams (1/3 cup cornstarch, the flour to 396 grams) 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 cup sour cream, room temperature 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract I doubled this 1 teaspoon butter extract For

This was amazing! It was seriously so good. John said he followed it nearly exactly, and it was outstanding. This gets nearly a 9, which is rare at our house for savory food. The recipe came from carlsbadcravngs.com Stir Fry 1 pound flank steak cut across the grain into thin slices then cut into 2” length pieces sesame oil 8 oz. Korean sweet potato starch noodles (dangmyeon) see notes 1 yellow onion thinly sliced, then cut into 1” lengths 3.5 oz. shiitake mushrooms sliced 1 cup carrots, cut into matchsticks from about 3 medium carrots 1 red bell pepper sliced 2 cups baby spinach about 2 oz. Marinade/Sauce 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce 3 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons rice wine (NOT VINEGAR) may substitute dry sherry (see notes) 2 tablespoons Gochujang or more if desired* 1/2 teaspoon pepper 3 garlic cloves minced 1 tablespoon freshly ground ginger (may substitute 1 teaspoon ground) 1 tablespoon cornstarch Add later: 1 1/2 teaspoons beef bouillon Ga

Sorry that I don’t have a picture of this, but I lost it somewhere. I called this a Lassi Smoothie because it’s a combination of a mango lassi and a green smoothie. This is surprisingly good. I kind of threw it together one day trying to replicate something I had at Stef’s house, and it turned out better than I had thought it would. Blend: 1-2 cups of Califia Farms brand coconut almond milk 1 cup frozen mango 1/4 frozen banana 2 cups spinach

So, this was awesome. If you like cheesecake. It would probably get a 9. I used the recipe below as a basis, and then changed it up. Gingerbread Cheesecake CHEESECAKE FILLING 24 ounces (678g) cream cheese, softened 1 cup (225g) packed brown sugar I did 2/3 cup 3 tbsp (25g) all purpose flour 3/4 cup (173g) sour cream 1/4 cup (60ml) molasses 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 tsp ground ginger I was generous with this 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon I was generous with this 1 tsp ground nutmeg 1/2 tsp ground cloves 4 eggs I did 3 eggs https://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/gingerbread-cheesecake/ You bake this at 300 for 80 minutes. Basically, I did a gingerbread crust, then the filling, then I made a caramel mousse, then topped it with cream and ground coffee. Caramel Mousse 75% of the caramel sauce recipe that I always make 1 brick of cream cheese dash salt 2 Tbs. milk 1 tsp. vanilla 1 1/2 cups cream Basically you combine everything and then stream in the cream. D

These were great. We couldn’t find the round potsticker wrappers, so we used won ton wrappers instead. I got a recipe from damndelicious.net and then I altered it a bit. Vegetable Potstickers 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided 1 cup diced shiitake mushrooms I used baby bella mushrooms 2 shallots, minced I used green onions instead, 1 bunch 3 cups shredded green cabbage 2 carrots, peeled and grated 1/2 cup diced water chestnuts I left this out 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves 1 large egg 3 cloves garlic, minced I did about 5 plus 1/4 tsp. garlic powder 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger I was generous with this 1 1/2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce I did an extra Tbs. 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar 2 teaspoons sesame oil Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 32 (3-inch) round wonton wrappers https://damndelicious.net/2018/07/24/vegetable-potstickers/ So, essentially I shredded the cabbage (Squeeze water down after you sh

This had so much fantastic flavor that it didn't even taste like fish! I added about twice as much cilantro as it called for and used half the amount of fish, and it tasted lovely. I normally don't like fish, but tilapia is pretty mild, and the sauce gave it a yummy Asian taste. I topped it with green onions, and it was delish. This is a melskitchencafe.com recipe and it gets an 8.  4-6 tilapia fillets (about 2 pounds)  I used 1 pound  1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped   4 garlic cloves   2 tablespoons grated ginger (from about a 2-inch piece that has been peeled)   4 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce   1/3 cup white wine or fish stock or chicken broth  I used white wine  2 teaspoons sesame oil   2/3 cup chopped cilantro   Chopped green onions for garnish   Extra cilantro for garnish Here's the link: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/baked-tilapia-with-ginger-and-cilantro/

This was a fun spin on chicken cordon bleu, and the dijon mustard sauce was awesome on it. As you can se from the picture, I obviously had thick breasts (which no one's ever accused me of having before), so they took a lot longer to cook than the recommended time. Definitely use a good thermometer to test for doneness. I would give it a 7.5. The recipe came from cooking classy.com. Ingredients 3/4   cup   low-sodium chicken broth 2   tsp   cornstarch 1/4   cup   heavy cream 1   Tbsp   dijon mustard 4   (5 - 6 oz) chicken breasts, pounded to an even thickness (about 1/2-inch) 1/4   cup   all-purpose flour Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 1/2   Tbsp   olive oil 4   thin slices smoked deli ham   (I used Boars Head Black Forest) 4   slices   swiss cheese 3/4   cup   garlic butter croutons   , finely crushed* I didn't add this 2   Tbsp   chopped fresh parsley Here's the link:  https://www.cookingclassy.com/skillet-chicken-cordon-bleu-creamy-dijon

These were good. So good that my dumbass dog ate half of the pan when I was out of the room, but I was able to salvage the other half that he didn't get to. Idiot. Anyway, the browned butter really made these fantastic and I'll definitely make them again. They get a 7, and it came from melskitchencafe.com. BANANA BARS:  4 tablespoons butter, softened or even melted and cooled   1/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar   1/2 cup granulated sugar   1/2 cup sour cream   1 large egg   1 teaspoon vanilla extract   2/3 - 1 cup mashed, ripe bananas (about 2 large bananas)   1 cup all-purpose flour   1/2 teaspoon baking soda   1/4 teaspoon salt  BROWNED BUTTER FROSTING:  4 tablespoons butter   2 cups powdered sugar  I used 1 3/4 C., and 1 1/2 C. would be just right   1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract   1-2 tablespoons milk or cream (see note) Here's the link:  https://www.melskitchencafe.com/banana-bars-with-browned-butter-frosting/

I love me a good Instant Pot recipe, and this one was nice because it had good flavor. I added 2 TBS butter and honestly couldn't taste it, so I don't know if it's worth adding. The recipe came from melskitchencafe.com and gets a 7.  1 tablespoon olive oil or ghee   1/2 cup diced white, red or yellow onions   3-4 medium cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press (for about 2 teaspoons)   1/2 tablespoon grated fresh ginger or ginger paste (see note)   2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (see note if using chicken thighs), cut into about 1-inch pieces   2 cups peeled, chopped russet, yellow or red potatoes (about 10 ounces)   2 teaspoons ground coriander   2 teaspoons garam masala   2 teaspoons turmeric   1 teaspoon salt (I use coarse, kosher salt)   1/2 teaspoon paprika   2 cans (15-ounces each) canned tomato sauce   1 can (15-ounces) reduced fat coconut milk   1 to 2 tablespoons butter, optional (but delicious)   Hot, cooked

This recipe came from Fine Cooking Magazine. So, this was good, but I learned a few things that would make it way better next time. First, you cannot double this for a 10 inch skillet and hope that it will be ok. It won’t. It was too thick in the middle. Secondly, you cannot cut the sugar down too much. I did this. Finally, you need to eat this hot from the oven, not 30 minutes after. Lessons learned. Chocolate Dutch Baby with Raspberries and Whipped Cream By Erin McDowell April/May 2019 Issue 3 large eggs 2-1/4 oz. (1/2 cup) all-purpose flour 1/3 cup granulated sugar I did a scant 2 Tbs of sugar for a double batch, it’s not enough. I would do 2 full Tbs. per batch, and make it brown sugar 1 oz. (1/4 cup) Dutch-process cocoa powder 1/2 cup whole milk 1/4 cup heavy cream I just did milk 1-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 2 oz. (4 Tbs.) unsalted butter I cut this down to 1 Tbs. per batch https://www.finecooking.com/recipe/chocolate-dutch-ba

So, this was fun and tasty. It was a nice change from pancakes and waffles. I got this recipe from halfbakedharvest.com. This essentially is a puffed German pancake type of food. Apple Dutch Baby 1 honeycrisp apple, thinly sliced We used gala 1 tablespoon brown sugar I did 1 tsp. 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted I did a generous Tbs.   4 eggs 2/3 cups whole milk 2/3 cup all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon I didn’t add this to the batter, but I would next time (divided between the apple and the batter) 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt whipped cream, for serving https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/cinnamon-apple-puffed-pancake/ So, essentially I used a 8 inch skillet, but a 10 would work even better probably. I melted the butter, and then threw in the apples to cook them for a minute. The skillet needs to be hot before you put your batter in. I coated the apples in the sugar, cinnamon, some nutmeg, cloves, and a dash of ginger. After these

This was good, but not amazing. It gets an 8. It’s not crazy fancy, but it’s a solid dessert. I got this from the book “Baked” by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. The brownie based was really great, and then the buttercream recipe they provided totally failed, and the glazed was beautiful but too buttery. So, I made my own peppermint mousse, which was awesome, and next time I would put on a plain ganache. Here is the recipe: Brownies base: 3/4 cup flour 1/2 tsp. salt 1 Tbs. cocoa 5 oz. chocolate 1/2 cup butter 3/4 cup sugar (I did a scant 2/3) 1/4 cup brown sugar 3 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla You melt the chocolate and butter, add sugar, add eggs and whisk just until combined. Add vanilla, and then dry ingredients, w hich you fold in until just barely combined. You bake it at 325 for about 12-15 minutes, and this goes in a 9x13 pan. The toothpick will have some crumbs on it. Peppermint Mousse Cream cheese 1/3 cup sugar pinch salt 1 Tbs. milk 1 and 1/4 tsp. peppermint

So, this was great. I forgot to get a picture, but here is what I did: scant 1 cup cream 2 1/2 cups half and half 1/3 cup sugar 6 eggs yolks pinch salt 2 tsp. vanilla 1 tsp. peppermint extra Thin Mint cookies You heat the half and half sugar, and salt. Dump it into the eggs, then dump back and cook to 160. Strain it into a bowl with the cream and then add the extracts.

Once upon a time there was a restaurant that John and I loved and we happened to know someone who worked there, and he snagged us this recipe. It is a good hummus. Not as amazing as UVU’s, but still good. Hummus 4 garlic cloves, mince and then mashed I doubled this and next time I will roast it 30 oz. of drained garbanzo beans 1/2 cup tahini 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice 1/2 cup water 1/4 cup olive oil 1/2 tsp. salt I doubled this So, this was good, BUT, I think there are better versions out there. Here is the one I think I will try next: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/seriously-smooth-roasted-garlic-parmesan-hummus/

So, I liked these a lot. They are rich and decadent and tasty. I mean, they are probably a 9 simply because it’s chocolate. That is melted. And you get to eat it with ice cream. I originally was going to make the following recipe: Molten Spiced Chocolate Cabernet Cakes Presented by McCormick https://www.finecooking.com/recipe/molten-spiced-chocolate-cabernet-cakes However, I decided to just use the idea from that recipe and incorporate it into one that looked better. Chocolate Lava Cakes 6 ounces (170g) high quality semi-sweet chocolate 1 1/2 cup (115g; 1 stick) unsalted butter 1/4 cup (31g) all-purpose flour ( spoon & leveled ) 1/2 cup (60g) confectioners' sugar I cut this in half and you could not tell at all 1/8 teaspoon salt 2 large eggs 2 large egg yolks 2 optional for topping: ice cream, raspberries, and/or chocolate syrup To this, I added the 1 tsp. of vanilla, 1 Tbs. of red wine, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp. ginger that the other recipe c

So, this was great, if you like orange. This tasted like a chocolate orange. It was more orange-y than chocolate-y. However, it was a big hit. I just kind of threw this together, so here is what I did: Chocolate Cake 3 9-inch chocolate cake layers (I use the cake recipe I’ve blogged her about 100 times—search any chocolate layer cake and you will find it). I added 1 tsp. of orange extract to the cake. If I did this again, I would back this down to 1/2 tsp. Orange Mousse Layers Brick of cream cheese 1/4 cup sugar dash salt 1/2 tsp. vanilla 1/4 tsp. orange extra zest of one orange 1 1/2 cups heavy cream You mix everything together but the cream and then stream it in until it thickens. Don’t overwhip Ganache I did 75% of this recipe and it covered my 9 inch cakes with a bit leftover. Also, this takes almost an hour to get to the right consistency to spread, so make this in advance. 1 lb. dark chocolate 2 cups cream 2 Tbs. butter pinch of salt 1 tsp. vanilla This pr

This recipe came from Rebecca, and it was an easy and tasty weeknight meal. I would give t his a 7.5. We served it with garlic naan. Essentially, I altered the recipe and put the following in the pressure cooker (this is off of memory on the measurements, so it might have been totally different because I didn’t write them down): 2 cups of brown basmati rice 1 can of coconut milk (I was supposed to double this) 1 cup water 1 tsp. salt 3/4 tsp. red pepper flakes 1 tsp. curry 1 tsp. turmeric 2 tsp. fresh ginger garam masala 1 tsp. coriander 1 tsp. cumin or cumin seed 1 tsp. I would do 2 tsp. of the seed fresh garlic 4-8 cloves Once this is finished, you add the stir fry vegetables to the rice. The recipe said you could add the following, and we did onion, red pepper, and zucchini. It would be good with additional vegetables. We also added a can of garbanzo beans. Saute: onions red pepper zucchini broccoli tomatoes

So, these were awesome (for beans, of course). I would say this is my keeper recipe. It came from melskitchencafe.com, and it’s super easy. The picture is missing but they look like barf or dog food, as all refried beans do. You’re welcome for that image. Refried Beans (Pressure Cooker) 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 jalapeño, cored, seeded and finely chopped 1 small onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup) 3-4 cloves garlic, finely minced I added a few more cloves than this 1 1/2 pounds dry pinto beans, rinsed I did 3 cups 8 cups water 4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth 2 teaspoons salt I also added 1/2 tsp. cumin and 1/2 tsp. chili powder 2 tablespoons white vinegar Recipe and instructions can be found at link below: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/pressure-cooker-refried-beans/ So, you use the saute function on the pressure cooker to cook the onions, garlic, and jalapeno. Then, you add the rest of the stuff and pressure cook for about 35 minutes (mine needed longer)

This is probably our family’s favorite rice, and I am sad I didn’t get a picture, but it went so far. It looks like rice but it’s green and fun. My dad used to make this, so it’s a Goodsell classic. I have been making it in the pressure cooker, and it works great (you saute the rice first with the fat and the onion). You put the other stuff in the blender and then pour it over. I also double the recipe. This came from Fine Cooking Magazine originally: Arroz Verde (Green Rice) By James Peyton Fine Cooking Issue 35 1/2 cup tightly packed fresh cilantro sprigs (about 1/2 oz.) 1 cup tightly packed fresh stemmed spinach leaves (about 1-1/2 oz.) I pack this crazy tight and it’s always heaping 1-1/4 cups homemade or low-salt chicken broth 1-1/4 cups milk 1 tsp. kosher salt 1 Tbs. olive oil 3 Tbs. unsalted butter 1-1/2 cups long-grain rice 1/4 cup finely minced onion We increase this 1 clove garlic, minced We increase this Recipe retrieved from: https://www.fin

I pinned this years ago and just got around to making it last week. This was really good, and you could make this healthier by using half and half or milk instead of the cream. It gets a 7.5, and the recipe came from willcookforsmiles.com. 9   oz   three cheese tortellini 1/2   small yellow onion  thinly  sliced 3/4   cup   peas   1   cup   chopped asparagus 2   large garlic cloves 1   cup   heavy whipping cream I used half and half  1/2   cup   shaved Parmesan cheese I used 1/4 C. Salt Fresh cracked black pepper .25   lb   crispy slices of bacon   (5-6 slices) Oil for cooking Here's the link:  https://www.willcookforsmiles.com/creamy-spring-tortellini-with-peas-asparagus-and-bacon