cupcakes abroad!

photo copied blatantly from the nytimes

a friend sent me this article about cupcakes and sex & the city. two of my favorite things, so i had to share.

dairy-free corn chowder

when i first saw this recipe (in a better homes and gardens no less…! i have adapted it a bit here) it sounded right up my alley, but when i read it through, i have to say i was skeptical.

start with four ears of corn, 32 oz of chicken broth and 2 lbs of chicken. i used the thin-cut breasts. then here comes the weird part:

put WHOLE corn, WHOLE chicken breasts and broth (plus some shakes of worchestershire and a bay leaf) in a pot and cook it all together. bring to a boil for about 8 minutes, or until your chicken is cooked.

then they want you to take the corn and chicken OUT. whoa!

it does sound odd, but cooking the chicken and the corn in the broth demonstrably makes them moist (in the case of the chicken) and flavorful.

next, cut the corn off the cob

and shred the chicken.

add both back to the broth (not whole anymore!) with half a small chopped green pepper

plus 1 and 1/4 cups instant mashed potatoes (sorry, mom!) and 1 cup water.

reheat, add salt and pepper to taste, and serve!

with sweet corn and crunchy, slightly bitter green pepper, over all, this is an easy, filling and flavorful soup that came together in less than 30 minutes (rachael would be so proud!).

and it’s creamy, too, from the potato flakes, but healthy since there is no milk, cream, butter or flour. also great for your lactose intolerant friends who may miss being able to eat chowder!

german potato salad

my name may be hungarian, but there is plenty of german blood in my veins. perhaps that’s why i can’t get enough of my grandmother’s warm german potato salad. it’s tangy and sweet and fresh and earthy all at the same time. perfect served with chicken sausages, browned onions and salad.

grandma’s warm german potato salad

4 medium potatoes
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley

cook potatoes in jackets (her words!) and cut into bite-sized/potato-salad-sized pieces.

heat butter in a frying pan, add onion and cook until soft but not brown. mix in flour, sugar, salt and pepper. then add water and vinegar. cook, stirring until thick.

pour sauce over potatoes and serve warm. (the original recipe calls for crumbled bacon over the top, but i substitute fresh parsley. up to you!)

thanks, g’ma!

mississippi mud cake

today’s guest blogger has been telling me about this recipe for a while and i was SO excited when she promised to bring some to share. let me tell you – it does NOT disappoint! make sure you eat your veggies first, because this dessert is full-on chocolaty goodness!

non-chocoholics need not apply.

coming from a long line of bakers and chocoholics, i’ve always loved making desserts for people. some of my earliest and fondest memories are of helping my mom bake her signature brownies or my grandma bake apple pies, licking many a batter bowl and cracking dozens of eggs. so when i was asked to be an ICF guest blogger, i jumped at the chance.

having spent my elementary school years in georgia before moving to virginia, i’ve always had a soft spot for all things southern. this surprisingly easy mississippi mud cake is no exception.

i started by mixing unsweetened cocoa with eggs, butter, vanilla, and sugar. i then mixed in flour and pecans.

once the cake was completely baked, i added mini marshmallows on top, baking until they were golden brown.

while the cake was baking, i made my simple chocolate frosting again using unsweetened cocoa powder. i then added the frosting to the still warm cake after it was pulled from the oven.

the secret is to put the cake in the refrigerator once it has cooled to let everything solidify. this rich cake is a close cousin to fudge and tastes great for days. i hear a slice and a tall glass of cold milk calling my name…

me too!

prep bowls

boy, do you feel like a professional when you use prep bowls.

mis en place is the official (read: french – “meez an plass”) term for getting all your ingredients ready before you start cooking, and it ideally includes lots of these little bowls. unfortunately, i’m such a dump-and-guesser that i’m generally not that prepared.

but even if you don’t set a perfect “mis,” prep bowls come in handy all the time for minced garlic, pre-measured spices, chopped herbs, a separated egg, olive oil, portion-controlled ice cream at midnight, etc etc etc.

a very small – but worthwhile – investment. look for packs of six at the container store, bb&b or your other favorite home-goods store.

curried acorn squash and tomato soup

so you must have heard i had this acorn squash that i didn’t know what do with. i took suggestions from the audience, and i also did a little bit of research. the standard refrain was some variation on “slice it, brown sugar + butter + maple syrup, bake it” or “add enough cream to make a bisque.”

now, although i do have a sweet tooth, i do not have a vegetable sweet tooth (even the idea of sweet potato pie with marshmallows makes me ill) and i’m just not into adding half-and-half to veggies, either. (whoa, i lie! unless they are smashed yukon gold smashed potatoes, of course.)

so i decided to build off a suggestion from miss lynn (thank you!) and strike out on my own.

therefore, i now present to you (drum roll, please):

curried acorn squash and tomato soup.

start with about 3 cups of peeled, seeded and small-cubed acorn squash (one good-sized squash), 2 cloves of garlic and one medium-sized tomato, seeded (i used a dark-red heirloom). toss in a bowl with 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon curry powder and salt and pepper. (note! this recipe made about one and a half servings, so double or triple it if you need to.)

then pile everything on a baking sheet (lined with parchment, if you have it, for easier clean up) and roast in a 375-degree oven for about 30 minutes, or until the squash is nice and soft. (it will depend on the size of your cubes, of course.)

dump everything into a blender or food processor or mini-chopper or in a pan if you use an immersion blender. (can we just detour a moment to talk photography? the picture above was literally taken 2 seconds before the picture below. nothing changed except my use of the flash. crazy, huh? look at the colors!)

blend until very smooth. (if you like your soup a little chunkier, don’t blend as much.)

you’re going to need about 8.5 ounces of chicken broth total for the soup, so if you need to use a little in the mini-chopper to help it work, feel free. i used about half.

next, dump your mush in a soup pot over low-medium heat with the rest of the chicken broth. (i’m sure you could use veggie broth if you’re a veggie.) stir to combine. this actually takes a couple minutes – be gentle! while you’re stirring, add a few shakes of worchestershire and 1/2 teaspoon of red wine or cider vinegar (if you have them) and adjust your salt and pepper to taste. if you like spicy curried acorn squash and tomato soup, now would be the time to add red pepper flakes, too.

turns out, i’m a fan of the strong – but not sweet – flavor of this soup, and would love to have served it with a few cubes of avocado on top!

never fear the acorn squash again.

portland, me

(photo credit to the times)

there’s a shout out to the restaurants in one of my favorite cities (and some SERIOUS food porn) in today’s new york times.

acorn squash

help wanted: acorn squash

this “winter squash with distinctive longitudinal ridges and sweet, yellow-orange flesh” is a “good source of dietary fiber and potassium.” (thanks, wiki!)

but i don’t know what to do with it!! it came in my green grocer box this week, and i’m stumped. it’s something my mother never EVER cooked (never mind let in the house…), so i need some help from you, dear reader.

email me or leave a comment (the wilder, the better. acorn squash ice cream, anyone? but keep in mind i only have ONE)  i’ll pick a suggestion, cook it up and blog about it. thank you!

red cabbage slaw (in a pillow case)

in a small kitchen, i don’t have enough room for tons of gadgets. (i’ve also not had a bridal shower or a wedding, so i’m at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to kitchen gadgets. although i do have a kitchen aid mixer. so there.) without tons of gadgets, though, sometimes you have to be resourceful.

for example, i don’t have a salad spinner. (you know – to get your leafy vegetables dry after you wash them. there’s nothing worse than a wet salad, am i right?)

besides drying lettuce, a salad spinner would be helpful when making cabbage slaw. for the best slaw, slice your cabbage, put it in a strainer, salt it HEAVILY and let it sit for about an hour to drain. i know this sounds annoying and goes against one of our main principles here at icf (quick), but believe me, it’s an important step for crispy, flavorful slaw.

then you want to rinse the salt off and make sure your cabbage is very dry before dressing it. this is where a salad spinner would definitely come in handy, but you can always substitute a clean cotton pillow case.

yes, that’s right. a clean cotton pillow case.

fill it with your cabbage (or lettuce, etc), go out on your balcony, or your back porch, or… your bathroom, i guess? and whip that pillow case around and around until all the liquid flies out or gets absorbed by the cotton.

now you’re ready to dress the slaw. i used black and white sesame seeds (don’t forget to ALWAYS toast your sesame seeds before you use them for best flavor. put in a dry frying pan and watch them closely!)

plus salt, pepper and seasoned rice wine vinegar.

or you can use a classic mayo dressing. but at least you started with dry, crispy cabbage!

serve with the best steaks ever.

kdub’s individual potato casseroles

kdub and i certainly had some adventures in kitchen 805! she has taught me a lot and continues to impress me with her culinary creations. her cake lollipops are a particular favorite of mine, she’s a master of the slow cooker, and she throws a wicked dinner party. look forward to her being a recurring guest here at icf.

i am so honored to be icf’s guest blogger! i’ve known icf for years and i’m glad she’s finally blogging about her kitchen escapades.  this girl is one whiz in the kitchen and i will always cherish the super-secret family recipe passed down through generations (could be!) that she taught me how to make so many moons ago.  while you might think that’s what i’m going to share here today, sadly, you are mistaken. it wouldn’t be super-secret then, would it?? (more on that in my next post.)

“kdub’s individual potato casseroles” are what i made this weekend and take no time at all. i just had a birthday and was lucky enough to get what i’ve always wanted: a mandolin! it cuts foods super thin and in a variety of shapes. i used mine to slice a potato in 1/8” thick slices but you can easily use a knife it you’re careful.

see? easy, and i left the skin on.

next salt and pepper the potato slices and season with a bit of garlic powder. layer the slices in a ramekin with chopped red onion, sliced mushrooms, and some broccoli florets (or pretty much any vegetable you have laying around.)

continue to layer until you reach the top. scramble one raw egg in a bowl and pour over everything in the ramekin. it will drip down during the cooking process.

sprinkle (generously) cheese on top. i used a combo of cheddar and mozzarella. any will do.

bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until the cheese in bubbling. enjoy right away!

editor’s note: shout out to her iphone for taking such great pictures!