Recipe Redo

Ever since I made the granola bars a few weeks ago I've been wanting to make them again but this time with the rolled oats and a slightly different flavor. So since I didn't have too much time today to cook I decided that I could remake them and write about what I changed. These are also nice to have around so I can take one with my on my way to work, especially on saturdays and sundays when I work early in the morning. 

Revised Granola Bars 

1 cup dried figs 

1/2 cup peanut butter 

1/4 cup honey 

2 cups rolled oats 

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips 

1/2 cup slivered almonds 

This time around I ended up using dried figs because I wanted to try to use dates but I couldn't find any, so I got dried figs and I soaked them in water for 10 minutes so that they would become a little sticky and more plumped. Meanwhile I heated the peanut butter and honey so that it would melt a little and become more runny. After the figs had soaked I blended them in the food processor and added a few teaspoons of the water they were soaking in to make it easier to mix into the oats. In a small bowl I mixed all the ingredients together and then spread the oat mixture into a wax paper lined 8 inch square pan. Then I put them in the freezer for two hours, cut them into rectangles and stored them in an air tight container in the refrigerator. 

This time around I think that the granola bars came out better. They have a stronger peanut butter flavor with goes well with the chocolate chips and the rolled oats give it a nicer texture. Today and tomorrow I am working from 2 to 10 so recipes like these that I can make in the morning and eat on my way to work are the easiest to make and write about. Since I'm working in the afternoon I might try to make a breakfast recipe tomorrow if I can think of something fun to make. So till next time, 

Keep Cooking Brooklyn! 

Goat Cheese and Caramelized Onion Crostini

After a long weekend of working and catching up with family friends I didn't really feel up to making a big meal or an elaborate dish. So I thought I would switch things up and make another hors d'oeuvre to add to the summer party checklist. Onions are one of my favorite foods, my roommate dared me to eat a raw pearl onion one day in class and I didn't even have to think twice about, but caramelized onions are definitely my favorite, and this afternoon that is what I was craving. So I thought that goat cheese
and caramelized onions on crostini would be a nice combination.

Goat Cheese and Caramelized Onion Crostini

1 Baguette
1 garlic clove
1 sweet Vidalia onion - thinly sliced
1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons brown sugar
Goat cheese
Thyme leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

I started by sautéing the onion in a pan with a little bit of oil just until they softened and started to become translucent. Then I stirred in the broth, vinegar and sugar and let that simmer for about 20 - 25 minutes, or just enough time for the liquid to reduce and become a thick coating on the onions. While the onions cooked, I sliced the baguette into enough thin slices for my family and toasted the slices in a 425 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Once the bread was toasted I rubbed each crostini with the garlic clove. Then I spread a small spoonful of goat cheese on each crostini and topped it with another small spoonful of the onions. Then to finish I just sprinkled the thyme leaves over the crostini.

I have two more days of work this week and as tiring and long the days are, I enjoy being able to do what I love all day and gain the experience. This summer didn't start out exactly as I had imagined, this blog for instance was not something I ever thought I would do, but it all seems to be working out for the best in the end. So till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Stir Fry of Leftovers

After making the summer rolls the other day I had some leftover cooking noodles and some shrimp that I had sautéed but didn't have anything to use it in. So i decided I would make a noodle stir fry. So here is a quick lunch idea and a great way to use different leftover vegetables, rice or meats that you may have in your fridge. For this recipe I didn't measure anything, I just used what I had leftover and added things based on what I thought looked right, this is more of an idea to go off of rather than an actual step by step recipe.

Stir fry

1 cup vermicelli rice noodles
1/2 cup medium shrimp - sautéed
1/2 cup of broccoli
Soy sauce
Sesame oil
Vegetable oil
Garlic
Shallots

I started by sautéing the garlic and shallots in a small amount of oil. Then I added the brocolli that I had cut into small florets. Then I added enough soy sauce to create a garlic flavored stir fry sauce and added a few dashes of sesame oil. I covered the pan and let the brocoli cook until tender. Ince the brocoli was cooked I added the leftover noodles and shrimp and mixed them in the suave and let them warm through.

Stir frys are a great way to make a quick meal and I think that people usually think that it is a lot more difficult than it is but it can be even more simplified by using extra vegetables and leftovers that you already have. So til next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Red Pepper Hummus

Today I was looking for a quick snack-like recipe to make that would be healthy and something that I haven't made before. So I decided that I would try to make a homemade hummus, but since tahini was expensive and I didn't want to buy something that that I wouldn't use ever again, so I thought I would try to make a tannin free hummus. 

Red Pepper hummus

1/2 red bell pepper 

1 - 15 ounce can of chickpeas 

1 large garlic clove 

1 lemon 

2 tablespoons of olive oil 

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 

salt and pepper to taste 

In a 450 degree oven roast the red pepper for about 15 - 20 minutes until the pepper is tender . While the pepper is roasting, blend all the other ingredients in a food processor . Once the pepper is roasted add to the food processor and pulse until the pepper is incorporated. This hummus is great with pita chips, carrots, or as a spread in a wrap with turkey and different vegetables. 

My brother and I are big fans of hummus, its a healthy snack that our mom approved of and the different flavors that it comes in are really good, so i thought that making my own would be fun and something that my brother would enjoy as well. This weekend I am working a lot an and I don't have a lot of ideas planned for the blog, so there may be a few drink recipes or leftover recipes for lunch on the blog for the next couple of days, so till then,

Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Apricot Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Squares

Today I made another recipe for my mom and her co workers for a potluck lunch that they have tomorrow. This time around she wanted something that was a little healthier than muffins or other bread like baked goods, so I thought that oatmeal bars would be a good alternative. My mom requested chocolate chips to be included so I decided to use some apricot jam that I had in the fridge as the fruit component and add chocolate chips to the base of the bars to create a nice balance between fruit and chocolate. 

Apricot Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Squares 

1 cup light brown sugar 

1 1/2 stick butter - softened 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1 egg 

1/4 cup milk 

1 cup flour 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

2 cups rolled oats 

1 cup mini chocolate chips 

1/2 cup apricot preserves 

In a stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy in texture. Then add vanilla, egg and milk and mix till combined. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, baking powder and salt, then add flour mixture to the sugar mixture in small increments. Once combined gently, fold in oats and chocolate chips with a spatula. In an 8 inch square pan lined with parchment paper, spread out half of the oat mixture. Then add a thin layer of the apricot jam, and top with the remaining oat mixture. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes, and let cool. Once cooled cut into small squares. 

I wasn't able to cut the squares out before I went to meet up with friends for dinner, so the picture above is of before they were cut. I have made oatmeal bars similar to these before but I think that adding the chocolate chips and apricot give it a more unique flavor. Baking recipes like these are always nice to have because you can easily change the flavor profiles to fit different occasions. Tomorrow I have my second driving lesson and I am quite excited. I liked my first lesson and it's exciting to be working towards getting my drivers license. I am already a very independent person and I think that getting my drivers license, and hopefully getting my own car eventually, is going to help me grow even more, and this way maybe my friends will have one less city kid habit of mine to make fun of. So till next time, 

Keeping Cooking Brooklyn!

Vietnamese Summer Rolls

In seventh grade when most people were hanging out at Starbucks and ice cream shops, my friends and I went for bubble tea and summer rolls at a small vietnamese sandwich shop a block away from our school. Ever since the bubble tea and summer rolls has been one of my favorite foods, it's almost always the first place I go when I come home during school breaks. With these summer rolls on my mind I decided that I would try to recreate them in my own kitchen. 

Vietnamese Summer Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce 

Rice Paper Wrappers (1 per roll) 

Medium sized shrimp (2 per roll) 

Red Leaf Lettuce 

Vermicelli Noodles  (small handful per roll) 

Cucumbers - cut into 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch by 2 inch sticks 

Mint leaves 

2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter 

2 tablespoons soy sauce 

1 tablespoon sesame oil 

1 tablespoon sugar 

1-2 teaspoons water 

After peeling and cleaning the shrimp, I sautéed them in a small amount of olive oil for about 1-2 minutes a side, until the shrimp were opaque. While the shrimp was cooking I cooking the noodles in boiling water and let them cook for 3 minutes, then drained them. To assemble rolls start by soaking a rice paper wrapper in warm water for 30 seconds or until it it flexible. Then take two shrimp and cut the in half, and line the four pieces of shrimp down the middle of the wrapper. Then place a piece of lettuce  on top of the shrimp, then a small handful of noodles and two cucumber sticks. Then add a couple mint leaves and begin to fold the rolls. To fold them start by folding in the top and bottom of the wrapper and then roll the rest of the rice paper around the filling like you are rolling a burrito. Once you have rolled as many rolls as you are making, mix together the peanut sauce ingredients and add just enough water to achieve desired consistency. 

These rolls were pretty comparable to the ones that I love from my favorite bubble tea shop. The only thing that could have made these better would be a peach bubble tea to go along with it. I have a bunch of left over ingredients for this recipe so I am sure that there will be a post later on in the week featuring some of them, maybe a leftover stir fry or something, but till next time, 

Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Today my mom asked me to make muffins or something for her bring in to work for a potluck lunch she had, so since we had some left over blueberries I decided to go to an old recipe for lemon blueberry muffins from the New York Cookbook that has been a go to recipe for years. This recipe used yogurt to lighten it up a bit and uses lemon zest to add a nice bright flavor. 

Lemon Blueberry Muffins 

yield: 12 muffins 

1/2 cup butter - melted 

1 cup sugar 

1/2 cup plain yogurt 

2 eggs 

2 cups flour 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

1 teaspoon salt 

zest of 1 lemon 

1 cup of blueberries - dusted with flour 

In a large bowl mix together the butter, sugar and yogurt. Once combined add in the eggs one at a time. In a separate smaller bowl combine flour salt baking soda and lemon zest. Then add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in small increments until all the flour is added. Then gently fold in the blueberries, trying to avoid breaking them up. Fill muffin cups 3/4 of the way full and bake in a 375 degree oven for about 25 minutes. 

After I finished making these I had to quickly get ready and make my way to work, so I didn't get to try them but I have made these many times before and I love the lemon with the flavor of the blueberries. I am already thinking about what I want to make tomorrow for the blog and I am thinking of trying something completely new, but I guess we will all just have to wait to find out exactly what that means. So till next time, 

Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Blueberry Margaritas

After talking to one of my best friends about what drinks I could experiment with and write about for the blog, I finally got the chance to try out one of the ideas he gave me when blueberries were finally at our farmers market. Blueberry Margaritas. I know a lot of people don't like flavored margaritas and choose to just stick to the classic lime margarita, but with the inspiration coming from my best friend and his summer in Maine, I decided to give this one a try.

Blueberry Margaritas

1/2 cup frozen blueberries
2 ounces tequila
1 ounce cointreau
1 cup of ice
1 spoonful frozen limeade concentrate
1 tablespoon honey

Like most drink recipes this one is very simple. Just add all the ingredients to a blender and blend till you reach the desired consistency. You may need to adjust the amount of ice so start by adding a little bit and you can always add more.

One of my favorite parts of summer has always been the two weeks my family spends in Maine. It's cooler than the city, we are right next to the beach, and it means two weeks of lobster. I'm truly jealous that one of my best friends gets to spend his whole summer there, even if it means working all the time. He's helped me so much survive my first year of college and he's always there for me, even when I'm complaining about dumb things. He is also the person who keeps me on track with my blog and encourages me with his ideas and sometimes sarcastic suggestions. So this post is for him and all the summers I've had in Maine. So till next time,
Keeping Cooking Brooklyn!

The Perfect Pairing for Lamb

This weekend my dad decided that he would try grilling a butterflied leg of lamb on the grill. We don't have lamb that often, it tends to be one of those proteins that we forget about, it's also on of the more expensive meats and so is more of a treat. So after a few margaritas in front of the USA vs. Portugal soccer game, the lamb started cooking and the smell filled the backyard in minutes. Once I heard that we were having lamb the first thing that came to mind was greek food, so to contribute to the meal after a long shift at my first day of my new job I decided to make a tzatziki sauce.

Tzatziki Sauce

1 cup plain greek yogurt
1 garlic clove - minced
2 small cucumbers - peeled, deseeded and finely diced
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
salt and pepper - to taste

This recipe is super simple. After chopping everything just mix together in a bowl and let sit in the refrigerator for an hour so that all the flavors can blend together. I personally like this sauce when the cucumbers are diced but I have seen some people blend the sauce in a food processor or blender and serve it that way, it is truly just up to whichever way you prefer.

As I mentioned before today was my first day of my new job. While it took me a while to actually get this job, and it ended up only being a part time position, it was definitely worth the wait, because working today strengthened the idea in my mind of what I want to do in my career. The environment of my work and the pace of the job was just what I was looking for and is definitely going to be a good way to strengthen my skills and build my confidence in professional kitchens, while strengthening my resume as well. Overall today has been a very busy but rewarding day. So till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Banana Muffins

Everybody finds themselves at some point in their lives with a bowl filled with bananas that are a little too ripe to eat on their own but not ripe enough to justify just throwing away. So faced with this predicament myself, I went for a classic solution. Originally I thought that banana bread was the perfect solution, but with not enough time in my day to bake a who loaf of banana bread, and with a household filled with people who don't always have the time to stop and cut a piece for themselves before rushing out of the house, banana muffins seemed like the more portable and less time consuming solution.

Banana Muffins
yield: 12 muffins

3 ripe bananas
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 stick of butter - softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Begin by mashing the ripe bananas until there are no large chunks, then mix with milk and cinnamon and set aside. Then in a stand mixer cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Then add the eggs one at a time, mixing in between each addition. Add the banana mixture until combined. Then slowly mix in the flour mixture until everything is incorporated. Spoon into muffin tins lined with muffin cups and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.

The day after I made these my mom was going to an early morning sunrise yoga class and these proved to be the perfect breakfast to eat on the go. They are moist and have a nice sweetness that is not too overpowering for breakfast. When I was in high school I did a lot more baking than I did anything else. When I told people I was going to culinary school many of them assumed that I would be in the baking program because that is what I was known for. And while I do still enjoy baking, it is a very different atmosphere, and I am definitely happy that I decided on culinary arts instead of baking and pastry. So with that useless bit of information now shared with who ever is reading this, till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

To My Best Friend - An Update Post

Today's post will be a little different. Unfortunately I had no time today to write this post properly, I finally saw the fault in our stars this afternoon and then spent the rest of the day baking cupcakes with my best friend, just like we used to. From there I went straight to babysitting, where I am now. And while the kids are sleeping I thought I would write something for the day. So this post is for my best friend and while it doesn't feature a recipe or a picture, it does include the thought process that she had in coming up with this afternoons concoction.

The last time we baked something we made brown butter oatmeal cookies with caramels and peanut butter. So with some leftover caramels in the cabinet she thought that they may as well be used up. So we began searching for vanilla cupcake recipes. She thought that if we made vanilla cupcakes, we could put a caramel inside each cupcake to add flavor and texture. For the frosting she thought of a brown butter frosting. As you can tell brown butter tends to be a theme in most of the things we make. To add a salty contrast and a crunch she crushed up some cashews and pretzels and decorated the top. It's these creative and unique creations that make my best friend who she is, and why I think her ideas for the next greatest Brooklyn cupcake shop could actually work in the future, even if I call them crazy sometimes.

So while this post isn't the norm. I thought it would be nice to shine a light on some of the baking adventures that I experience with my best friend leading the way. Who knows, maybe this post could lead to more feature posts of some of the other crazy, but very important people in my life. So til next time,
Keep Cooking (and creating) Brooklyn!

Summer Arugula Salad

The other night I was craving watermelon. It's one of those things that just tastes better in the summer. So to go with the baked salmon that I was making for dinner I decided that a simple arugula and watermelon salad was the answer.

Summer Arugula Salad

Baby Arugula
Fresh Watermelon - Cubed
Red onion - thinly sliced
Feta cheese
Balsamic vinaigrette:
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 ounce balsamic vinegar
2 ounces olive oil
salt and pepper - to taste

Whisk together the ingredients for the vinaigrette. Then in a salad bowl toss the arugula, watermelon, and red onion. Crumble the feta cheese over the salad and drizzle enough vinaigrette to coat the arugula.

This salad is perfect for barbecues and picnics. It's refreshing and a perfect summer recipe that uses fresh flavors and no heat. Days like this when I post late tend to have shorter recipes, the reality is that some days its hard to motivate myself to post, but thats why I have friends and family to keep me on track. So sorry for the short post, but till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Refreshing Frozen Watermelon Limeade

As summer slowly continues, the weather has taken a sharp turn from sunny, breezy spring days to hot and humid summer nights. So with no desire to cook with heat, and with the yoga studio being set up again in my living room, I have a drink recipe to share instead of a dinner dish.

Frozen Watermelon Limeade

3/4 cup watermelon puree
1/4 of a can of frozen limeade
1 lime
2 cups of ice

I began by blending watermelon chunks until it was fully pureed. Then I just added the frozen limeade, ice and the juice of 1 lime and blended till it reached a slushy texture.

Sometimes it's hard to be motivated to write these posts. Whether it's because the weather is too hot to be in the kitchen or it's hard to come up with something creative to write about, it's not always easy. But I've decided that no matter what, I need to finish this project. It's something to focus on and to distract me from stress and it makes the 78 days left of summer go by faster. So till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

More Pasta Maker Fun!

Since my first experiment with the pasta maker last week I've been thinking about what else I would want to make with our new toy. And with a large container of fresh ricotta in the refrigerator I decided to experiment with ravioli. So here is how I went about making homemade spinach and ricotta ravioli.

Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli

2 cups baby spinach
1 clove of garlic - minced
1/4 cup of ricotta
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese - shredded
Fresh pasta sheets (See egg pasta blog post)

After making the pasta dough and rolling it out I sautéed the spinach with garlic and a small amount of olive oil. Once sautéed I chopped up the spinach just to make sure that there weren't any large pieces so it would make a better filling. Then I just mixed the spinach with the rest of the filling ingredients and placed small dollops of filling on the pasta sheets, folded the pasta dough over and sealed the dough around each dollop with just little bit of water.

After cooking the ravioli in boiling water for a few minutes I topped it with a homemade red sauce and enjoyed this simple meal in front of a Law and Order SVU marathon. While my summer isn't going completely as planned, at least I have this blog to keep me on track with my skills and to keep me busy. So till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Father's Day Pulled Pork Sandwich

This year my present to my dad for fathers day was a sunday off from cooking and a meal made by me with help from my mom. My dad requested pulled pork sandwiches, so I searched the internet for recipes and finally decided on a Tyler Florence recipe that didn't look too complicated and didn't need a crockpot to make. I ended up editing the barbecue sauce recipe to fit my personal taste, but the rub and how I cooked the pork is all the same from the original recipes. So heres my edited sauce recipe and a link the the original recipe from the Food Network.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Dry Rub:
3 tablespoons kosher salt
3 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 (4-5 pound) pork roast (boston butt or shoulder)

Barbecue Sauce:
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1 cup mustard
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 garlic cloves - minced
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper - to taste

Overall this recipe will basically take all day to complete. It begins with all the dry rub ingredients being mixed together and then rubbed onto the pork roast. This rub should sit on the roast for at least 1 hour but can marinate for as long as 24 hours. For cooking the roast, I cooked it in a 300 degree oven and used the general rule that it would take about 1 hour per pound of meat. My roast was about 4 1/2 pounds and it took about 5 hours for the roast to reach 190 degrees, which is about the point where the meat is falling apart and able to pull apart. Right before shredding the pork I mixed together the sauce ingredients and heated them together until the sauce had formed and was warm. Then my dad shredded the meat with two forks and we put the meat in a bowl and poured about half the sauce into the bowl. We served the pork on brioche rolls with cole slaw on top.


Original recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/pulled-pork-barbecue-recipe.html


Overall the meal came out really good. The pork was just what we were all craving and we spent the night eating outside on the deck and drinking frozen margaritas as a family. It may seem like an odd way to bond with your family, but it's definitely the Jackson-Rose family way. So till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

The Talde Experience

As I've previously mentioned last night my family and I went to Talde in Park Slope to celebrate my little cousins eighth grade graduation. For those who don't know what Talde is, I'll explain. Talde is Dale Talde's park slope family style restaurant that features Asian-American Cuisine. Now Dale Talde, for those who don't know, is most known for being a competitor on Top Chef. Because of my love for Top Chef and asian food I was quite excited for this meal. Everything on the menu looked amazing and all the things we had definitely lived up to those standards.

The style of the restaurant was family style, which basically means that all the dishes ordered are shared, which gives guests a chance to try many things and adds to the overall dining experience. While some things seemed a little awkward to share table-side

, like the wonton soup, which was amazing but a little difficult to split between seven people, the idea of a family style dining experience is different and overall enjoyable.

My family ordered numerous items, enough that I can't quite remember all of them, but I can definitely point out a few stand out dishes. For appetizers we were all intrigued by the Pretzel Pork and Chive Dumplings. They were served with a traditional spicy mustard and they were definitely a hit. The pretzel style wrapper was an interesting representation of a recent trend in the culinary world.

Another was the Wonton Noodle Soup. While it would have been easier not to serve it family style, the flavor of the broth definitely made up for struggling of serving. The broth had a rich pork flavor but it wasn't too heavy as to overpower the flavor of the wontons.

One of the last things we ordered, but definitely one of my favorites was the Whole Roasted Branzino. The fish is roasted in a banana leaf and presented to the table with small pancakes so that guests can create their own mini fish tacos. The flavors of the fish were refreshing and light and it was the perfect pairing to the rest of the menu.

Overall the experience at Talde was amazing. The service was quick and because you are served dishes as they are ready you don't have a lot of wasted time of waiting for food. Talde's menu is filled with influences from Chef Talde's filipino heritage and is a perfect fit for Brooklyn's Park Slope neighborhood.

So till next time,
Keep Cooking (and eating) Brooklyn!

Apricot and Almond Cinnamon Rolls

I'm not the biggest fan of cinnamon rolls. I think its mainly because I can't stand the smell of the cinnamon roll stands that are in malls and airports, but in our baking and pastry class we made pastries one day that were similar french elephant ears, and I decided that I wanted to try to recreate them at home. Of course I don't really have the time or energy to make laminated dough so I decided to take the flavors of the pastry and turn them into cinnamon rolls instead.

Apricot and Almond Cinnamon Rolls

1 tube of crescent roll dough
Apricot preserves
Chopped Almonds
Cinnamon
Sugar

Begin by rolling out the tube of crescent roll dough, be careful to not tear along the perforated lines. Roll out the dough to make slightly thinner. Begin by spreading a thin layer of apricot preserves onto dough. If there are chunks of apricot in the jam than you may need to blend the preserves quickly in a food processor to get rid of chunks so the rolls are easier to cut later. Sprinkle a layer of chopped almonds evenly onto the preserves. Next combine 4 parts sugar with 1 part of cinnamon  to make cinnamon sugar (I did 4 tablespoons of sugar and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon and had left over cinnamon sugar to use at another time), then sprinkle over the almond layer. You can roll the dough however you would like, I chose to imitate the elephant ears and rolled both sides up till the met each other in the middle. Once rolled cut them into pieces about 1/2 inches in width, then bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

These were kind of an experiment but they worked out pretty well, and I got them baked in time to write this post and still be able to get ready for my cousins celebratory graduation dinner tonight. My next two posts should be pretty interesting because tomorrow I'm going to be writing about my dinner at Talde tonight and then Monday will be a post about what my mom and I make for my dad tomorrow night for fathers day.
So till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Mango Lime Sorbet - Without an Ice Cream Maker

For the past week there has been a mango sitting on our kitchen counter just waiting to be used. It was perfectly ripe and yet nothing could cross my mind about what to do with it. I had already used mango in a salsa and a quinoa salad so any recipe like that just seemed repetitive and boring. I finally thought of a sorbet, but with no ice cream maker it turner into quite a process. So here's a late post paired with a relatively time consuming recipe. This mango lime sorbet starts off simple with just three ingredients but the freezing process that goes along with it can be a little annoying.

Mango Lime Sorbet

2 ripe mangoes
1 tablespoon of honey
1 lime

I began by cutting up my mango and putting the pieces into a container in the freezer and let them freeze for about two hours. Luckily I had some frozen mango chunks that I had gotten from Trader Joes this week that I added to the sorbet mix to make up for only having one fresh mango at hand. Once the mango was frozen I pureed it in a food processor until smooth and creamy. Then I added about a tablespoon of honey. Of course the amount of honey depends on how sweet your mango is so it is best to add a little bit at a time as you may need more or less. Finally I added the zest of 1 lime and the juice of half of the lime. Then I put it in a tuperware container to left it in the freezer for about 3-4 hours. The trick with the freezing process is to check on the mixture every 30 minutes and stir it so that the texture ends up smooth and ice crystals don't form in the mixture.

After about two hours of the freezing process I had to leave to go see my little cousin graduate from eighth grade. The graduation was interesting, definitely different from my middle school graduation but special all the same. Tomorrow we are going out to Dale Talde's restaurant to celebrate with everyone so I think Sundays post may be a little different, possibly an post about the experience and the food that we eat. So till next time,

Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Simple Guacamole

In the summer there is nothing better than fresh guacamole with some chips and salsa. So here is a my go to recipe for a basic guacamole.

Guacamole

2 ripe avocados
2 cloves of garlic - minced
1/2 of a red onion - finely diced
2 tablespoons cilantro - chopped
1/2 of a lime
salt and pepper

In a bowl mash the avocado with a fork and begin to add in the garlic, onion, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper and finish with the juice of 1/2 of a lime.

Another short recipes paired with a shirt post, but definitely a family favorite. The weather here hasn't been the greatest the past few days so being inspired by the weather hasn't really been happening. But hopefully the weather will turn around and the inspiration to come up with some more exciting recipes will return. So till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Banana Ice Cream

Craving another sweet treat that wouldn't be too unhealthy I starting figuring out if there was a way to make sorbet or sherbert without and ice cream maker. Instead I came across a new trend that I thought I would try. Making ice cream with just one ingredient, frozen bananas. I added a few additional ingredients for added flavor.

Banana Ice Cream

2 bananas
1/3 cup of peanut butter
A handful of chocolate chunks

Cut the bananas into small coins and freeze for 2 - 3 hours. Blend the bananas until creamy and soft serve like texture. Add in the peanut butter and mix till thoroughly combined. Then fold in the chocolate chunks. Ice cream should be the texture of soft serve, it can be eaten at this state or put back in the freezer until ice cream freezes to more desired texture.

This short recipe is paired with a short post. It's the week of graduations and celebrations of the end of the school year and with that comes a few nights of babysitting followed by a few nights of celebrating my cousins middle school graduation. But these short recipes are sometimes perfect for weeks like this. So till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Vegetarian Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

I thought it would be interesting to mix things up a little and make a protein packed meal that was still vegetarian. During my first three years of high school I was a pescatarian, which basically meant that the only meat I ate was fish, mainly because I couldn't give up the Maine lobster every summer. It started as a bet with my brother, he didn't think that I could go a year without eating meat, so the day after my eighth grade graduation I stopped eating meat. And for a while I just never went back to it. I spent three years eating a lot of fish and a lot of pasta. It wasn't the most healthy thing I ever did, but I did it, I won the bet and I continued even after it, until I settled on going to culinary school and I figured  I would need to start eating meat again. Back then I wasn't the most creative with what I would make for dinner, I was a full time high school student and I didn't have the time or the money to make any grand meal for dinner on the weekdays. But after a year of culinary school and a lot more time on my hands I have finally come up with a few easy vegetarian recipes that I definitely could have used a few years ago.

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

1/2 cup of uncooked quinoa
2 cloves of garlic - minced
1/2 red onion - diced
2 cups fresh baby spinach
1 medium tomato - diced
2 ounces feta cheese - crumbled
2 bell peppers - tops cut off and hollowed out

Bring 1 cup of water and 1/2 cup of quinoa to a boil then turn it down to a simmer and cover for 15 minutes till water is absorbed. Meanwhile, sauté onions and garlic in a little bit of olive oil till onion is soft, then add the spinach and sauté till spinach is wilted. In a bowl mix together the quinoa, spinach mixture, tomato and crumbled feta cheese. Season to taste and fill hollowed out peppers and bake in a 375 degree oven for about 25-30 minutes or until peppers are tender.

So for any vegetarians out there who are looking for a new easy dinner recipe, here it is. The things that you can mix in with the quinoa are endless and can be adjusted for different vegetables that are in season. These stuffed peppers are definitely going to be something that I experiment more with over the summer. Now I'm going to finish cleaning up and continue to binge watch Orange is the New Black. So till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Trying Out the New Pasta Maker

While I was in school two things happened. In school I made fresh homemade pasta for the first time, and back at home my dad got a new pasta attachment for my KitchenAide that I had received for my high school graduation. So with the combination of these two things, and the rainy weather, it just felt like the perfect night for homemade pasta with a simple tomato sauce. The sauce recipe is pretty much the same recipe as my bolognase, just without the meat, and I add some left over grilled eggplant to make things a little interesting. The pasta however is a simple egg pasta recipe that I learned at school. The measurements aren't exact because with pasta its more about the feeling of the dough than the exact measurements but here are the general measurements for the ingredients.

Egg Pasta:

1 3/4 cup Flour
3 eggs
1-3 teaspoons water
A pinch of salt

In a food processor combine flour salt and egg till it creates crumbles. Add water a teaspoon at a time just to let dough combine without becoming too wet. Knead dough for a few minutes and then let rest for 30 minutes. roll out dough, either with a pasta machine or by hand. Cut into desired sizes and shapes.

The pasta came out pretty well, I ended up making a pappardelle-like noodle, but the end result was pretty good. Next I want to try making ravioli and lasagna, especially because we have some really good ricotta left from making the bruschetta. Everyday this blog because more and more of a real thing for me, and while I still struggle to focus long enough to sit down and write a new post everyday, I'm starting to realize and starting to be told that this extra work I've given myself for the summer is going to be worth it in the end, some way or another. And maybe if I actually make it the next 87 days continuing to post, I can look back on it and see that I actually accomplished something. So till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Eggplant and Ricotta Bruschetta

Looking for something new to post, I began to think about a project I did for my dining room class. The assignment was to imagine a restaurant and create a menu that exemplifies a well rounded theme. Because of my semester in Italy and my love for Italian food, and because I knew my friend John, who is very Italian, could help me, I decided to make the menu Italian and feature dishes that encompassed connections with my semester abroad. One of the appetizers was a trio of bruschetta which featured an eggplant bruschetta. So I decided that I would try and create this menu item, not that I had every really put much thought into what would go in it, but I guess now was the time to figure that out. 

Eggplant and Ricotta Bruschetta 

1/2 Baguette 

1 Eggplant 

Olive oil 

Salt 

Pepper 

Juice of half a lemon 

Ricotta 

Mint leaves - chopped

1 clove of garlic

Begin by slicing the baguette into 1/2 - 1/4 inch slices, brush one side with olive oil and toast in a 400 degree oven till lightly brown around the edges and crispy. While those toast cut the eggplant lengthwise into planks and season them with oil, salt and pepper and grill till tender, about 4-5 minutes a side. Dice up the grilled eggplant and toss with a little more salt and pepper and juice from half of a lemon. When bread is finished toasting rub each piece with the garlic clove to add a little garlic flavor. Then begin assembling by spreading the ricotta over the crostini and then topping with a spoonful of the eggplant and finishing it by sprinkling over some chopped mint. 

Being able to bring one of the theoretical menu items to life is an exciting and interesting task. It almost brings the idea of the restaurant to life with it and makes me think that maybe it wouldn't be that bad owning my own restaurant after all. Of course working in a restaurant is much different from cooking these dishes at home, but the overall concept of the restaurant I created in my project is looking like something I may actually enjoy after all. So as I begin to rethink what I want to do with my culinary degree I continue to countdown the days till school, only 88 days to go and a whole lot of recipes left to come up with and create. So till next time, 

Keep Cooking Brooklyn! 

Summertime Drinks

As the beginning of summer comes closer for non college students across the country, the weather is getting better and outdoor dinners and barbecues are becoming more frequent. So to mix things up I have two quick summertime drink recipes that are perfect for barbecues, picnics, or the Belmont Stakes viewing like we did tonight. First is my moms preferred margarita recipe that is a perfect summer go-to, and also for a kid friendly summer treat, a sparkling mint lemonade. 

Margarita

1 1/2 ounces tequila 

1/2 ounce cointreau 

1 ounce fresh squeezed lime juice 

Add all the ingredients together in a shaker half filled with ice. Shake drink and serve either on the rocks or straight up. 

Sparkling Mint Lemonade

2 1/4 cup of water

1/4 cup sugar 

10 - 12 mint leaves 

3/4 cup lemon juice 

1 1/2 cups seltzer 

Begin by heating 1/4 cup of water with sugar and create a simple syrup by bringing to a boil and then simmering till sugar dissolves. In a pitcher muddle the mint leaves with the simple syrup to infuse mint flavor. Add the lemon juice, remaining water and seltzer and stir lightly. Serve over ice. 

Tonight my parents and I are enjoying these summer drinks with fish tacos and black bean and corn salad. They are refreshing, delicious and the perfect way to start the summer season. So till next time, 

Keep Cooking (and drinking) Brooklyn!

Homemade Fig Newtons

After some very interesting adventures wandering around soho with one of my friends I came home exhausted and ready for a nap, but knowing I had a blog post to write and needed to make something that I could write about I looked for inspiration in my cupboards, to see what I could make out of just what I had lying around. I found half a container of figs that I had bought at trader joes earlier in the week for the granola bars and decided that I was more in the mood to bake than to cook anything savory. So I decided that I could figure out a quick fig newton recipe that would satisfy my craving for something sweet but without being wildly unhealthy or overly sugary. 

The steps are a little hard to explain as far as how to fill and fold the dough but these cookies are actually very easy to make because they are just a very simple fig filling and an enriched shortbread cookie dough. They would also be very good made with whole wheat flour because it would not only add to the taste but also the color of the cookie.

Fig Newtons  

1 cup black figs 

1 tablespoon honey 

6 tablespoons softened butter 

1/2 cup granulated sugar 

1 egg 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1 3/4 cup flour (whole wheat flour would work great in this recipe if you have it) 

For the filling start by soaking the figs in warm water for about ten minutes, this will soften the figs and result in the desired sticky consistency for the filling. Then process them in a food processor with the honey and about a tablespoon of the liquid that they were being soaked in. For the dough start by creaming together the butter and sugar in a stand mixer. Then add the egg and vanilla. Once incorprated slowly begin adding the flour. Then divide the dough in two and roll out each half into a thin rectangle about 4 inches in width. Then spread the filling evenly on one half of each rectangle so that the filling runs lengthwise. Fold the dough in half lengths wise and press the edges together so the filling does not peak out. Cut the folded dough into about 10 pieces for each rectangle. Then bake in a 350 degree oven for about 18-20 minutes. 

As summer keeps on slowly progressing I am trying to pass time by staying busy with this blog and coming up with things to keep my mind busy. I never realized how hard it was going to be to go back home and be away from my college friends all summer. And with everyone scattered around the east coast and working on different schedules its going to make it a long summer trying to stay in touch with everyone without being able to hang out. But we are now only about 90 days away from moving back for sophomore year and hopefully this summer will start to speed up as I begin working, but tilll next time, 

Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

What Do You Do With Left Over Pesto?

One of my favorite quick meals that I used to make for me and my brother was homemade pizza. I would go to a local pizzeria and buy dough and make personal pizzas with different toppings. So with a craving for homemade pizza and a container of leftover pesto in the fridge, I decided to put it together for a weekday meal. This time around I decided to try out a new Trader Joes product that I saw the other day. They now sell pre-made dough that you can bake to use for pizzas, breadsticks or calzones. This post is less of a recipe and more of a test run for how this pre-made dough turns out and just an idea of what you can do with left overs that you may want to use up.

Pesto Pizzas
1 pre-made pizza dough
left over pesto
shredded mozzarella cheese
sliced tomatoes

I chose to use the garlic and herb pizza dough to changes things up and to compliment the pesto. Them I just rolled out the pizza dough, spread a thin layer of pesto and topped it with mozzarella cheese and a few slices of tomato. I baked the pizza for about 12-14 minutes in a 425 degree oven. The dough was fully cooked and the cheese was melted and slightly brown around the edges. Overall I think that the dough worked out pretty well. I think that grilling the dough instead of baking it may work better to get a crispier crust but overall the dough is convenient and is definitely a go to weekday meal.

 I started working today so I'm looking forward to making some more quick meals after a long day at work and at the gym. I'm excited to finally be getting started at work and taking a first step into the feild that I want to work in for the rest of my life. I'm hoping that this new job and the creation of this blog will help make my summer a beneficial use of my time and that it will help me grow both as a person and in my career, so I am going to continue to write and cook and see what I can do. So till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Quick and Creamy Pesto

Looking for a quick dinner to make on busy days , I landed on an old favorite that is simple to make from scratch, pesto. To improve the health  factor I served it on brown rice and quinoa pasta that I picked up from Trader Joes. The brown rice pasta brought out the nutty flavors of the pesto and enhanced its overall flavor quite a bit, although this easy pesto would be just as good on regular pastas. 

Creamy Pesto

2 cups of basil 

2 cloves of garlic 

3 tablespoons of pine nuts 

1/4 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese 

3/4 cup of olive oil 

Put all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend till finely chopped. Slowly drizzle in olive oil and blend until olive oil is fully incorporated. The pesto can be used immediately or stored for a few days for later use. 

I finally get to start work tomorrow, and with this comes a complication in this whole blog thing. After finally posting my blog on Facebook it's like I have actually committed to this whole idea, now I have to actually keep up with it for more than just myself and my friend who was pushing me to continue this whole time. So as my days become busier I'm sure there will be more quick and easy weekday recipes and even a couple days of posts with no recipes at all, but I am going to try to continue this project as best as I can. So till next time, 

Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Quick Granola Bars

After a week of regularly working out and eating healthy I'm down 3 pounds and feeling better than ever. So to go along with my new healthy lifestyle I started looking for healthy post workout snacks I could make to refuel. So I came across a recipe on the minimalist baker blog and tried it out. Of course I tweaked it a little to reflect my taste and adapt to the ingredients I had. 

5 Ingredient Granola Bars 

1 cup of figs 

1/2 cup of peanut butter 

1/2 cup honey 

1 1/2 cups oats (I used steel cut but rolled oats would probably be a better texture) 

2/3 cup of chocolate chunks 

Put the figs in a food processor and process until they form a ball. Heat the peanut butter and honey in a small sauce pot and heat for a minute or two. Combine figs, peanut butter mixture and oats in a bowl till all ingredients are incorporated. Fold in chocolate chunks. Line an 8x8 pan with plastic wrap and spread the mixture into an even layer. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator or freezer for 30 minutes. Cut into 10 even bars. They can be stored either in the refrigerator or left out. 

The ones I made came out with a very rough texture because of the steel cut oats but the rolled oats bars should have a smoother and softer texture. These bars are going to be a great mid morning or afternoon snack and the flavors or add ins can be adjusted to fit anybodies preferences. Hopefully this snack will help me stay on track with my plan for a healthy summer. So till next time, 

Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Lost but now found

We all have those days when we just don't have the energy or mental focus to cook or do anything that we are supposed to do. So after waking up and deciding that this was the day I needed to finally unpack my things from freshman year, I went to the gym as I have been doing everyday all week and I was hit with the sudden feeling of not wanting to accomplish anything today. So as I lay in bed listening to today hits on pandora and looking at the daunting pile of suitcases and boxes that I've been ignoring all week, I realize that I don't even feel like cooking. So I search my brain for something I can post for today, and after being told by my friend that I can't skip a day of blogging I realize that there was a recipe from last week that I never posted, and so this is the recipe that was lost somewhere in my phone amongst the selfies and screenshots that is now being posted as a lazy day filler. 

This recipe is another culinary school inspiration. Because quinoa is suddenly trendy and is now more well known, we made a lot of quinoa in our freshman year nutrition class. This dish in particular can be used as a base for many flavor profiles and simply changing a few ingredients can make it a completely different dish. 

Black Rice and Quinoa Salad 

1 cup uncooked quinoa 

1/2 cup uncooked black rice 

1 mango - diced 

1/2 red onion - diced 

1 red bell pepper - diced 

1 cup corn 

3 roma tomatoes - diced

1 jalapeño - finely minced 

2 oranges - juiced 

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon parsley 

Cook quinoa and black rice according to instructions on box. In a 400 degree oven, roast mango, onion, pepper, and corn until roasted slightly and fragrant. Whisk together the orange juice and olive oil. Toss roasted vegetables, quinoa, black rice, tomatoes, jalapeños and parley with orange juice and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and either serve warm or chill to serve salad cold. 

So as I continue to muster up the energy to unpack I feel relief that I finally posted this recipe and managed to avoid missing a day of blogging, and it's all thanks to the best friend who continues to push me and catch me as I fall. So till next time, 

Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Greek Orzo Salad

It has come to the point where I wake up and the first thing I am asked is what I am making for dinner, it's not that I am complaining, don't get me wrong I love to cook and I love to be in the kitchen, but Sunday dinners is one of those things that I will never take on, or at least not for a long time. While my family isn't religious in any way, Sunday dinner is still the one night a week that you can pretty much guarantee everyones attendance. So I let my dad do this one, like he usually does, but I did contribute with an easy summer orzo salad that I could make ahead of time after going to the gym but before I relax in front of an all day SVU marathon. 

Orzo salad: 

1 1/2 cups uncooked orzo

1 14-ounce can of artichoke hearts - chopped

1/2 of a red onion - diced 

1 large tomato - diced

1/4 cup black olives - roughly chopped

2 tablespoons parsley - chopped 

1/4 cup olive oil 

1/4 cup lemon juice 

black pepper to taste 

3/4 cup feta cheese - crumbled 

To begin, cook orzo till al dente, this should take about ten minutes. Once cooked toss with a little but of olive oil just to prevent sticking. Whisk together oil and lemon juice and season with pepper. Add all the vegetables into the orzo and toss with the oil and lemon juice mixture. Let chill for at least an hour in the refrigerator. Before serving toss salad and add feta cheese. 

This side is perfect for summer barbecues, pot lucks or any get together where you need a simple side salad with lots of flavor. I'm hoping to use this recipe a lot this summer for get togethers with friends or family. So as the weekend comes to an end I am bracing myself for what is to come, as I prepare to start my new job and still keep up with my new workout regime and keep up with the blog, so till next time, 

Keep Cooking Brooklyn!