Kitchen Goddess: Good Friends, Good Food, and Shakshuka

Hello November! Thanksgiving will be here faster than we can imagine. Through the month, I'll bring you more cooking posts than ever before so you, my lovely readers, can have the best Thanksgiving meal possible.
There's always been something about sharing good food with good friends. One thing I love about my lady is that whoever we meet, if we get along, our first instinct is to invite them over for dinner. Lauren made a friend through one of her classes, and we invited her over for some Shakshuka. I also invited over one of my best friends to share! Now this dish probably looks familiar from those fancy cooking shows, but I promise, it's not as complicated as it appears. Shakshuka is simply a baked egg dish that is incredibly versatile. It originated in North Africa, and like many traditional foods from that region, made it over to Israel where it makes for a spicy start to the day as a breakfast food.
The composition is simple, and you can add/subtract as many different items and flavors as there are under the sun. It begins with a tomato sauce base that comes together easily in a pan. You crack eggs into the sauce and simmer, then the whole thing is moved into the oven. Simple enough, right? Let's get started.

Shakshuka

Enough Olive Oil to grease a skillet

One Large Onion (I used two small onions. Same thing, right?)

One Yellow Bell Pepper - Sliced

About 3 Garlic Cloves

Smoked Paprika

Chipotle Chile Pepper

Cayenne Pepper

Turmeric

1 28 oz can Chopped Tomatoes - With Juice

2 tbs Tomato Paste

One Package Feta Cheese

Salt 

Pepper

6-8 Large Eggs

Cilantro for garnish

1. Begin by sautéing the onions and the yellow bell pepper in the olive oil until they become browned and tender. Add a shake of paprika, chipotle chile pepper, turmeric, and cayenne pepper to the onions so that they really absorb the flavor and transfer it to the rest of the dish. 

2. Add the salt, pepper, chopped tomatoes and tomato paste. Combine and let simmer. Stir in the feta cheese and combine.

3. Crack eggs directly into the pan, atop the tomato base you have prepared. Let cook for a few minutes on the stove before popping the whole pan in the oven. 350 degrees for roughly 15-20 minutes for firm eggs.

4. Garnish with Cilantro, a touch of salt and a touch of pepper. Serve with a traditional loaf of toasted bread for dipping. Enjoy!

As a Thanksgiving dish, this would certainly be interesting. I wouldn't rule it out, especially if you want to add some spice to the traditional layout of the meal. I would certainly love the person who would break this out for their guests! Lauren whipped up a little salad of her own to accompany this meal. You can find the link here for the warm Spinach salad with Sweet Potato and Smoky Pecans! 

Until next time,
-Ali 

Treat Yo-Self Tuesday: Rose Shaped Apple Pie

Happy July, everyone! For the first reinstatement of Treat-yo-self Tuesday, I decided to switch it up a bit. I've seen these gorgeous rose petal pies all over websites like pinterest and tumblr, but always thought "I so do not have the patience to make one of those" but as summer started to set in, I began to miss all of my favorite winter foods; pie being one of them. Though nothing is more "fourth of July" than Apple pie, I hate eating anything that is overly bread-like during the summer, and crust on crust definitely falls into that category. This pie takes half the crust out of the equation, thus making it more tart like (and y'all know how much I love tarts).  I pictured this as a lighter version of the pie I wanted to revisit from the winter months.
If I were to make this pie again, I think I would use a mix of apples and pears for the petals. I wanted to make this a bit more savory with the spices I used (see below), but I think the pears would help achieve that perfect flavor goal. Not to mention the contrast of colors would be gorgeous, even after baking.

The Crust

1 Cup All Purpose Flour

1/3 Cup Butter

1 tsp Salt

2 tbs Cold Water

Isn't this the cutest baking dish? It's vintage with a full apple pie recipe on the inside! 

1. I used a very simple crust so not to overshadow the flavor of the baked apples. Start by combining the flour and the salt.

2. Soften the butter and work into the flour mixture with a fork. 

3. Add the cold water and mix until an even ball of dough is formed. 

4. Dust a flat surface with flour (and your rolling pin too, for that matter) and roll the dough until it is 1/8th inch thick. I have heard this thickness compared to that of a banana peel. If this helps you judge depth, more power to you. 

5. Roll the dough into a hotdog to transport it to your baking dish (which I forgot grease- it turned out fine, actually.) Unroll and lightly press into place. Trim the sides and perforate with a fork for even baking. I had some crust left over so I decided to make a mini version of this pie in a ramekin! 

The Filling

7-8 Apples

1/3 cup Granulated Sugar

2 tbs Cinnamon

1 tsp Garam Masala

1 Pinch Nutmeg

1 tsp pure Vanilla Extract

1. Cut the apples into thin slices using either a vegetable peeler, a mandoline, or your trusty knife. 

2. Place them in a medium sized bowl and coat them in the sugar, cinnamon, garam masala, nutmeg, and vanilla extract. 

3. Let them sit until they become slightly more pliable. 

The Rose

1. Place six pats of butter scattered around the inside of the unbaked pie crust. Scatter another few table spoons of sugar and cinnamon overtop the butter. 

2. When you can bend the apples easily, pick one that is especially easily maneuvered and roll that as tight as you can. This will be the center of your rose. From there, build outward until your rose is about the size of your palm. Place this in the center of the pie crust. I find it easier to use the stronger pieces to shape the general structure of the rose (post placing it into the crust), and then fill in with the more bendable pieces. In the end you should get something looking like the photograph below. 

3. Bake on 400 for 20-25 minutes until golden all the way through, and slightly bubbling between the petals. 

Family Dinner Friday: Goat Cheese and Walnut Hors D'oeuvres & Spring Quinoa Salad

Good morning, everyone. Have you had a good week? Not so much? Well I've got the perfect thing to start your weekend off right, a simple dinner that is healthy, light, and flavorful. I got the salad recipe from here, though I decided to take out the olives because this salad really does not need them. That and I absolutely hate olives. This salad has so many complex and delicious flavors, the saltiness of the olives would definitely detract, in my opinion. The hors d'oeuvres are an original recipe that is the product of my girlfriend experimenting in the kitchen. She first tried them with a drizzle of honey, but since this particular brand of goat-cheese already had honey in it, that was a no-go. 

I realized after I had taken the pictures of the salad that I had forgotten to add the chickpeas! Silly me, but luckily it just took a quick stir and they were fully incorporated. 

Walnut H'ors D'ovures:

Roasted Vegetable Ritz Crackers

Honey Goat Cheese

Walnuts

1. Smear as much or as little goat cheese on a Ritz Cracker as you would like

2. Stick a walnut on top

3. Enjoy - these are delicious, easy, with priceless presentation value

Quinoa Salad:

1 1/3 Cup Uncooked Quinoa

2 2/3 Cup Water

1/4 Cup Red Onion

1 Cucumber

3 Medium Tomatoes

1 Can Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas)

Feta

2 Ripe Avocados

For the Dressing:

1 Lemon

Olive Oil

2 Cloves Garlic

Salt/Pepper

Oregano

1. Wash the quinoa, and boil it in the water until cooked

2. Chop the cucumber, tomato, and red onion

3. Combine with the Garbanzo beans and Feta

4. Stir in the cooked quinoa

5. Add the juice of one lemon to a separate bowl. Add an equal amount of Olive Oil to the juice. Press the garlic into the same bowl, add a dash of salt, a crack of pepper, and a few shakes of Oregano. Whisk until fully combined.

6. Drizzle over the entire salad and stir to combine. 

7. Cut up the avocado whichever way you see fit, I find it easiest to make a grid pattern across the avocado with a knife, and scoop out the rectangles with a spoon.

8. Disperse the avocado around the bowl, or incorporate it with the rest of the salad.   

Treat Yo-Self Tuesday: Breakfast in Bed Muffins

My girlfriend came up with this recipe one morning in February. She likes to call them "Aunt Jemima and Haphazard Decisions Muffins" because these were made originally out of everything in the kitchen we needed to use up! Milk about to expire? This recipe uses a full cup! Have extra walnuts from that salad you never ate? Toss 'em in! Have those golden raisins been sitting in your fridge for longer than you would like to admit? Well thankfully, those get thrown into the mix too. Surprisingly, this mix of strange ingredients comes out to make a delicious muffin. 

Breakfast in Bed Muffins:

1 Cup Aunt Jemima Pancake Mix

1 Cup Flour

1/3 Cup Sugar

2 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Ground Cinnamon

1 Cup Milk

1/3 Cup Oil

1 Egg

1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

1 Apple

Walnuts

Golden Raisins

Maple Syrup 

(Use as much as you see fit of the above three ingredients)

1. Set oven to 400 degrees

2. Combine all dry ingredients (pancake mix, flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon)

3. Whisk together wet ingredients (milk, oil, egg, vanilla)

4. Chop apples into small, but chunky bits. Combine with walnuts (I used the jumbo pieces and crushed them in my hand before putting them into the mix), and raisins. 

5. Mix all of it together, and put in a lined muffin tin.

6. Sprinkle with sugar (I used Sugar in the Raw) and bake for 14 minutes, or until cooked throughout.

Do any of you all have breakfast in bed traditions? Comment below and share! 

Treat Yo-Self Tuesday: Bunny Cake

Easter is almost here already! How?! It seems like February just ended and, wow, it's almost time to start dying eggs! My roommate's birthday was on the 7th of April and I made her this cute, coconut-cream cake shaped like a bunny. Shaping the cake like a rabbit was the least of my worries, how to make coconut cream pie (her favorite) into cake form was my main challenge. Luckily, pinterest came to my rescue and I found this recipe. Like always, I didn't follow it completely. I attempted it to the letter, especially after reading the comments. One claimed this cake saved her marriage! However, the filling it asked me to make turned out absolutely abysmal. It was yellow, lumpy, and downright gross looking. I didn't even want to taste it to see. Instead, I made my own filling to compensate and I think it turned out much better. 

The Cake

3 1/2 cups Flour (All Purpose)

2 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

2 1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

1 lb Butter

2 1/2 cups granulated sugar

7 large egg yolks

7 large egg whites

1 3/4 cup coconut milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 and butter two circular cake pans

2. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together and set aside.

3. Beat the butter on medium speed until fluffy using a hand mixer. Add 2 1/2 cups of sugar and the seven egg yolks, (one at a time, y'all). 

4. Add one tablespoon of vanilla and beat until the mixture is fluffy. 

5. Mix half of the dry ingredients in, add the milk, and then mix in the remaining dry ingredients.

6. In a separate bowl, whip the 7 egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the whites to the batter, folding in gently to avoid breaking them down. 

7. Divide the batter into separate pans and bake until cooked all the way through. 

The Filling

1/3 cup Greek Yogurt

1/3 cup Cream Cheese

1/3 cup Butter

1/2 tsp Almond Extract

5 tsp Cornstarch

1/2 cup Granulated Sugar

1/2 cup Toasted Coconut

1/3 cup Coconut Milk

1. When I did this, I added things on the fly and these might not be exact measurements. Combine the greek yogurt, cream cheese and butter with a hand mixer. 

2. Add the granulated sugar, almond extract, and cornstarch- throughly combine

3. Mix in the coconut milk and toasted coconut. 

4. Let chill for at least an hour before spreading between the layers of the cake.

This will create a slightly runny, but delicious filling. 

Even out the layers of the cake so that they are flat on both the top and the bottom. Spread the filing liberally and stick the layers together.

The Frosting 

1 stick Unsalted Butter

4 ounces Cream Cheese

3 cups Confectioners' Sugar

3 tbs Heavy Whipping Cream

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Pinch of Salt

1. Beat together the butter and the cream cheese until fully incorporated and fluffy.

2. Slowly add in the confectioners' sugar, until thick

3. Add the whipping cream, vanilla extract and the salt

4. Beat until combined 

Bunny Construction

1. Cut the finished layered cake a bit more than one half, but less than two thirds of the way across. This will be the body of your bunny. 

2. With the remaining cake, sculpt a head and one foot. The head will utilize the two layers still stuck together with the filling. 

3. Separate the two layers of cake from the one foot you sculpted and stick them to either side of the body. Your cake should look like my unfrosted construction above. 

I did not use anything to stick the layers together other than the filling. My body leaned one way, but with a few trimmings from what I had already cut off the the cakes to even them out, I was able to create a cake-shim of sorts to even them back out.  

4. Frost the entire thing. Frosting can be forgiving, so if your construction is not perfect, simply layer on the frosting! 

5. Bunnies have fur, so cover liberally with coconut shavings! 

6. Cut index cards into ear shapes that best fit your bunny and either color the inside pink strip with markers or paint with acrylic paints.

7. Stick the index cards into some cake or excess frosting

8. Add two black beans for eyes

9. Optional: Decorate with easter grass, peeps, chocolate eggs, or whatever tickles your fancy!

My roommate loved the cake, not just cause it was a bunny, but because it turned out being very delicious and it captured her dreams of coconut cream pie. I hope you all enjoy and have a lovely Easter! Take Care! 

Treat Yo-Self Tuesday: Earl Grey Cupcakes

Before I go gaga over these cupcakes, I must let you know this is not an original recipe. I got the recipe for these cupcakes here, but have copied it below for your convenience. The pictures, however, are still mine. Now that that's out of the way, tea lovers can rejoice! You can now have your cake and drink it too! Or, er, you can now have your tea and eat it too! These delicacies are just the thing to chase away that lingering bit of winter chill.

Earl Grey Cupcakes

1/2 cup 2% Milk (room temp)

4 Earl Grey tea-bags

8 tbs Unsalted Butter (room temp)

1 cup + 2 tbs Granulated Sugar

1/2 tsp Almond Extract

2 large eggs (organic, please)

3/4 cup + 2 tbs Self Rising Flour

3/4 cup + 1tbs All Purpose Flour

1. Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat until just beginning to boil. Add the tea-bags, cover, and let steep for 30 minutes. 

2. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and the sugar. This took a long time for me, or maybe it felt like a long time because I was trying to keep my hand-mixer quiet so my roommate could sleep. Long story, but I was baking at 6 am on a Saturday. The recipe says it should take about 3-5 minutes, until it becomes pale and smooth. Add the almond extract and the eggs one at a time, mixing throughly between each addition. 

3. Sift the two flours together and slowly add both the flour and the infused milk to the creamed butter, sugar, and eggs. Beat well after every small addition. The recipe suggests you should do this in thirds. (1/3 flour, 1/3 milk and so on until both are incorporated) 

I beat the mixture just until my ingredients came together. It was smooth and the color looked somewhat like white cupcakes that had already been baked. 

4. Spoon the mixture into baking cups (or silicone tea-cups) and bake for 20 minutes until slightly raised and golden brown. The original recipe suggests 25 minutes for baking, but mine were very done after 20. I used a clean knife to test that they were baked all the way through. 

For the icing:

Vanilla Buttercream 

8 tbs Unsalted Butter (room temp)

1tsp Vanilla Extract

1/4 cup 2% milk (room temp)

4 1/4 cups Confectioners Sugar

Beat together the butter, milk, and vanilla extract. Sift the confectioners sugar and add to the mixture little by little, making sure the last addition of sugar is fully incorporated each time. I used two drops of blue food coloring and one drop of red to color my icing a pastel lilac color. 

This recipe makes A LOT of cupcakes. I put these four tea-cup baking cups on the blog, but I still had enough batter for a full dozen cupcakes! The icing makes more than enough to frost each cupcake to the nines. After frosting all 16 cupcakes, I had enough left over to ice 12 sugar cookies which I made just to use up the icing! 

Next time I make these, I am going to use less sugar in the icing. It's just not pleasing to my tastebuds to have an abundance of sugar! If you're the same way, I would suggest maybe 3 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar. My batch started to thicken quite nicely at that amount! 

I hope you have a lovely Tuesday! What treats would you like to see in March?