Chocolate Angel Food Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Speckled Buttercream

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I may be be called cute at times, but one thing I’m not is cutesy. Nor am I follower of fads. That’s why the whole cupcake craze just never appealed to me much. I will have one now and then, but I am not obsessed . Although I admit there are those that have taken the cupcake to pure art form. I wrote about the whole craze here. Give me a multi tiered cake to bring out the artist in me. However when it comes to a portable dessert to break my dry spell of not baking , the cupcake comes to the rescue. The small parcels of sweet goodness are just  the right thing to tote to work to satisfy  the few people that had been missing my sweets.

The security guard and customer service representative were beginning to wonder what was going on with me. They got spoiled over the holidays.  But with New Years and personal vows to get my health and weight  in check before things got out of control, baking was sidelined. Then Certain Someone, decided to remodel, which I am grateful, but it takes time with our schedules and figuring out what to do with all my stuff. So my kitchen just isn’t in the state I would like it to be for things to flow. I moved things around and lost my Mojo. The other day I moved my Kitchen Aid back to its original place and I got the urge back . With egg whites in the freezer and visions of lightness, I decided on Angel Food. Chocolaty Angel Food, cause that what’s I am. Then topped with an Italian Meringue Butter cream speckled with vanilla bean paste. Light and rich. Certain Someone is not one for sweets but that didn’t stop him from asking for his “Honig to bring me another bite of cake. Ein Bisschen”.

I exaggerate, but that’s the gist. At work , those managed to partake scarfed them down in a bite. They are that light, but with a rich decadent topping. I choose Rose Levy  Beranbaum’s Chocolate Lovers Angel Food Cake from the Cake Bible as my guide. The recipe is designed for a cake,but it made 24 cupcakes plus one 6 inch plain cake.
You can find the recipe here for the cake.
I used my recipe from from the French Pasty School. Here you can find an classic Italian Meringue with a tutorial that’s based on a Rose Levy Beranbaum  recipe.

Some quick tips:

  • Make your own cake flour by substitute by sifting  together 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour with 1/4 cup cornstarch.
  • Make sure the egg whites hit the stiff beak stage. To test hold up whisk attachment and see it the beaks hold their shape.The recipe has 3 stages, frothy, soft, and stiff.
  • Don’t be deterred if your Italian Meringue curdles. It’s one of those things that has looks really bad before it shapes up and comes to life. Just keep beating on. It will come together , promise.
  • I used Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Bean paste which is a great alternative to actual vanilla beans.Just add to butter cream  to achieve speckled effect.
  • If making cupcakes , fill liners 2/3 of the way. Tap pan to settle batter.



Spicy Cauliflower Pate for Meatless Mondays

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In our household its spring cleaning time. We are literally tearing down and cleaning up, to make  and transform my condo into a joint expression of us. It’s hard to let go of some things, and fun to transform and refurbish others. It’s a long process with our joint schedules , but we are getting there, gradually. The Main room which houses the kitchen, living , and and dining room is now painted completely. Next task is to move all the furniture back, and declutter. I am actually selling some stuff on Ebay, so its fun to make a little cash while cleaning up.One thing I will not let go are my books! So while moving the large bookcases  and bookstore paint the final long wall, I found an cookbook I have been looking for for two years!I’s that bad.Certain Someone says I collect, and don’t read books. I read them all.He’s just not here to see me do so most of the time, and when he is here I don’t have time to read.The cookbooks are endless source of reference for me. The long lost book was a bargain basement find of which I have never seen anything else like  it.Terrines and Pates from the Brockhampton Healthy Home Cooking series. Filled with lots of old world type beautiful terrines in Aspic, it also has  many ideas for light vegetable pates and terrines and desserts. Spicy Cauliflower Pate was a recipe I found I could manage without a trip to the store. I still lacked some ingredients, so I made some twists and variations for delicious dish. We ate this as starters for a normal  Sunday dinner with meat (Lamb breast with the Rhubarb Onion Sauce from the previous post). However on Meatless Monday , it will be my lunch. I served it with some frozen whole wheat pizza dough I had, which I grilled in some oil,( seasoned with dried onion, herbs, and salt),to replicate a Naan style of bread. Again, using what I had with little fuss.Enjoy this flavorful starter. The ginger gives it a zesty bite.

Spicy Cauliflower Pate
inspired and adapted from Terrines and Pates
Brockhampton Healthy Home Cooking Series
* I changed some ingredients and proportions.
1 tablespoon Grape seed or Vegetable Oil
1/2 onion , diced
7 sun dried tomato pieces( in oil)
2 plum tomatoes  chopped
4 garlic cloves chopped
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp paprika
2 tablespoons dried minced onion
1/4 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp salt
1  cauliflower broken into small florets
1 inch ginger minced
Heat oil in a skillet on high. Add chopped onion, reduce heat to medium, and saute for 1 minute. Add chopped tomatoes, garlic, cumin, turmeric, chili powder, paprika , and garam masala ,dried minced onion, and salt.Continue to cook the mixture on medium until the tomatoes soften  for the next five minutes.At this point the cauliflower florets and cover pan. Cook on medium low until softened for 15-20 minutes. You may need to add a bit of water so it doesn’t stick. Add minced ginger at the last few minutes of cooking.
Puree the cooled mixture wither in a food processor or use and immersion blender until a smooth paste ios formed. Transfer to serving dish and place in the refrigerator for 15  minutes. Serve at room temp ( allow to to come to). Garnish with Paprika. Serve with crackers, Naan, or Pita.
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Lamb Burgers with Rhubarb Onion SauceL

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The past few weeks I have been in discussion with the 61st Street Farmers Market. At first we were discussing the possibility of me being a vendor of some kind, but after long thought and putting together a business plan, I had to pass. An offer was then made to volunteer this summer and perhaps do a few cooking demos. I naturally jumped on the chance. The 61st Street Farmers market is located in  a food desert behind the University Of Chicago. Their mission is to make great , healthy locally sourced food available to people that have little means otherwise of obtaining this. To help this , they are local participants of the Wholesome Wave Program, which enables the Farmers Markets to accept Link Cards( a public aid) and provide great programs such as Double Value Coupons. All in all a fantastic organization in which I’m proud to volunteer for.
61st Street between Dorchester and Blackstone
Every Saturday from May 15 to October 30, from 9am to 2pm
Rain or Shine
LINK Accepted
Double Value LINK Program –  Double LINK purchases up to $25 per cardholder, per market day
fruit, vegetables, chicken, beef, lamb, pork, cheese, eggs, baked goods, prepared food, etc.
Chef Demos, Market School and Music every week!

My first cooking demo will be Saturday May 22. In my excitement I’m brainstorming with what I can do that uses the great local products available and will be seasonal. At this time of year we are starting to see a lot rhubarb. So I was thinking Lamb Sliders with Rhubarb Onion Chutney as its easy for most home cooks, and accessible/affordable.I love Rhubarb  myself, but its a tough sell to family and Certain Someone. I want to find ways to use it  in savory applications , as opposed to a traditional Strawberry Rhubarb dessert. I had envisioned a chutney to go over a childhood favorite of mine, lamb burgers. However the Chutney morphed more into a sauce which was delicious, but not the original plan. Nevertheless its worth a post as I can see this on not only burgers, but chicken, pork , salmon or any other fatty type protein.

Lamb Burgers with Rhubarb Onion Sauce
3/4 to 1 lb Rhubarb
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 cup Brown Sugar
1 Cinnamon Stick
3 cloves
3/4 cup water

1 lb Ground Lamb
1tsp Cumin
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a saucepan heat the vegetable oil. Add the chopped onion. Turn down heat to medium and cook till translucent. and golden with minced garlic, Cinnamon stick, and cloves.Chop Rhubarb into small pieces and add . Add sugar and water and vinegar. Cook down on med/high heat until Rhubarb breaks down and mixture starts to bubble. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat.
This can be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed jar for 2 weeks or so.

Mix Cumin, salt and pepper with ground Lamb and form patties. In a hot skillet cook until med  done.Serve with sauce on a bun.


Crab Shrimp and Asparagus Soup

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I have hundreds of cookbooks. One cookbook that’s has been sitting on my shelf , but I have never really cooked out off is Martin Yan’s, Quick And Easy. I grew up watching Yan Can Cook on PBS and it was he, in his thick accent, and comical nature, that taught me some basics of Asian Cooking and that I cold do it at home. So naturally the other day when craving an Asian Style coup, I reached for this long forgotten copy. I altered Martin’s recipe a bit as I did not have fresh Crab. I had a can  of crab that I had purchased form Aldi. I’m really into the lower priced value chain of Aldi right now and how found some great Fresh produce, dairy , and cheeses.Its a revelation to a picky shopper like me and I’m loving their expansion here in the US. Don’t be a snob, check it out for some surprising finds. I also stock up on other items there to use for my lunches , and canned crab has always been a thing I like throw into a quick pasta salad for some flavor. Its great in a pinch.  I also had some dried shrimp form the Asian Market. These dried ,salted tiny shrimps can be grounded into a powder , or soaked whole and are used in soups and other dishes by not Asians, but Latin , and Africans. When you want some great flavor , toss a few of these into your next rice dish or soup.
 So taking Martin Yan’s Crab and Asparagus Soup, inspired by the French ingredients in Vietnamese cooking, I changed it to Crab , Shrimp, and Asparagus  Soup using pantry items, and this gorgeous Asparagus in my Organic Box. Martin uses both white and Green Asparagus, but I doubled my green asparagus. This is really  a quick and easy soup that’s perfect for a light Spring Lunch.I found myself eating two bowls of it, its that good.

Crab , Shrimp, and Asparagus Soup
adapted from Martin Yan Quick and Easy
1 1/2 lbs of fresh asparagus
1/2 cup dried shrimp( found in Asian/ Latin markets ) soaked in boiling water and drained
1 tbs of vegetable oil
2 green onions
1 tsp minced ginger
5 cups chicken stock
1 can crab meat or 1/2 pound fresh crab meat
3 tbs soy sauce
1/8 tsp white pepper
1 tbs cornstarch
2 tbs water to dissolve cornstarch in
1 egg lightly beaten
 2 tbs chopped fresh cilantro

Soak the dried shrimp in boiling water ( until covered) for 209 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Remove the tough ends of asparagus stalks and chop asparagus into 1/2 inch pieces. 
Blanch the asparagus in rapidly boiling water for a few minutes until tender. Remove, drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside and pick some tips to reserve for garnish.
In the same pot used to boil asparagus, heat the oil on medium high. Add green onions and ginger and stir while cooking for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add Chicken stock, asparagus,dried shrimp, crab meat, soy sauce,and pepper and bring to boil. Add cornstarch dissolved in water, mix in , and wait until it reached boil again, and thickens slightly.This will take about 1 minute.Remove from heat and gently add in beaten egg, and stir into soup to make egg flowers.
Serve with cilantro and asparagus tip garnish.

Curried Chickpeas and Onions with Roti , Fresh Juices…Meatless Monday Ideas

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 I’m in love my juicer again and having a ball. What’s propelling me ,among  good health, is an opportunity I’m exploring involving a portable juice stand this summer on Saturdays at a Farmers Market in the area. It’s not set yet, but I’m thinking about it hard. When my Mother had cancer she loved a nice simple glass of carrot juice.  For some reason I shied away from it, preferring to use my juicer for apples, and citrus. I’ve been missing out! One of my favorite go to morning drinks  to sip on at work is a chilled carrot and apple juice. It’s so delicious and surprisingly filling.
Apple Juice helps aides Obesity, Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, kidneys,liver, gallstones, colitis, gout and dysentery. 
Carrot Juice improves vision, aides recovery after physical or mental stress to body. Fights cancer, anemia, and tuberculosis. Its also increases appetite and strengthens immunity.
  The fun is playing around with your own proportions and mixes. The key to great  tasting juice is allowing it to chill but consume within a that day.
If you cant find or afford Organic Produce try this recipe I found on Tipnut.
Homemade Vegetable Wash
1 cup water
1 cup vinegar
2 TBS baking soda
2 TBS lemon juice 
Mix ingredients then pour in clean spray bottle. Spray fresh vegetables & fruit generously. Sit for 5 minutes then rinse off well.

Note: Make sure to first mix ingredients in deep container since there will be some fizzing from the baking soda & vinegar.

Carrot Apple Juice
4 small- medium organic apples
4  organic Carrots
I don’t bother peeling the apples but I do skin the carrots.
Cut into manageable pieces and extract in juicer.
Carrot and Sweet Lime Juice
I found these sweet limes in the Latin Market. Popular in India, they are more sweeter, and less acidic than limes. They are known to help upset stomachs and used as throat remedies.The taste reminds me of a mild sweeter grapefruit .
3 sweet limes either pressed in citrus juicer or peeled and cut into wedges to extract juice
4  small to medium carrots.

 
As you know if you read this blog Certain Someone is a Carnivore. I find myself using the times he’s away on business or working late , to indulge in lighter , meat free recipes. He does loves curry as a spice however. Maybe acquired from eating the fabulous curry wursts in Germany growing up. So when he flew in late on Meatless Monday  night and wanted to know what the good  scent was that filled the hallways of the condo. I said it was my dinner and he probably would not like it ,as it had no meat. I save some leftover and served it to him later on in the week as a side dish. He totally liked it. You can eat this a side or just an main course. I used frozen Roti, an Indian pan fried flat bread which is unleavened as compared to Naan. Either or can be used, but this is a good option for those searching for unleavened  foods. I found in the Asian stores. But check your local grocer ad these items are showing up in  more mainstream markets.
* Note: You can add the shredded carrot puree from juicer to this dish as well.
Curried Chickpeas and Onions  with Roti
serves 2
 1 can or jar of Chickpeas/ Garbanzo beans rinsed. 
( I will always advocate for fresh/dried but these will work in a pinch for time)
1/2 yellow onion thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tbs vegtable oil
1 tbs curry powder
1 tsp Fenugreek powder ( optional)
1 tsp Tumeric
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp white pepper
1/8 tsp sugar
salt to taste
1/2 cup water
Rinse and drain chickpeas. Set aside.
In a skillet heat vegetable oil and add  curry, fenugreek ,chili,turmeric, white peeper . Stir around until fragrant and add onions. Reduce heat to medium and saute until softened, about a few minutes. Add chickpeas, and saute until coated in spice and oil mixture. Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for  5 minutes .Taste and adjust with sugar and salt.
Prepare Roti according to package instructions and serve with curried Chickpeas. I use two Roti’s per person.