M&M Cookies

Been busy with Thanksgiving preparations. I'm also simultaneously jump-starting my holiday baking. With all the stuff scheduled in December, I'm trying to bake as many cookies this week as I can.


I love these cookies 1) for all the fun colors in them and 2) because I can make them with my son. He's really good at dumping ingredients into the bowl. And he loves topping the cookies with more candy. Usually, some m&ms magically find their way into his mouth. (Sorry about the blurry phone picture.)



M&M® Cookies
adapted from squidoo.com


1 cup of soft butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
2 c M&Ms


Preheat oven to 350°F . Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or silpat mats.

In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and the vanilla.

In another bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix. Stir in the M&Ms.

Using a spoon or a scoop, drop cookies of about 1 heaping tablspoon onto your cookie sheets, making them about two inches apart. If you have extra candies, push them into the tops of the cookie mounds. Bake for between 10 and 13 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Eat To The Beat: "If I Had A Million Dollars" Mac and Cheese

Elly Says Opa is celebrating her 5 year blogiversary by bringing back the Eat To The Beat event. Congratulations, Elly! The concept is simple: create a dish inspired by a song. Or a singer. Or a band. Love it! The marriage of two of my passions: music and food. Is there a song that inspires a food idea in you? Come join in the fun!


For this event, I made Moroccan Spiced Macaroni and Cheese in honor of one of my favorite bands, Barenaked Ladies. When I was young(er), foolish(er) and had more free time, I would follow the band around for part of their tour - usually for 3 or 4 shows at a time. I made signs on posterboard to hold up at the concerts. I even flew to Scotland and caught a few shows there. Yeah, I geeked out majorly for them.


One of their most enduring songs is "If I Had A Million Dollars." It was one of the first songs they wrote (back in the late 80's), and they sing it at every. single. performance. There's a line that goes, "If I had a million dollars...we wouldn't have to eat Kraft dinner..." Kraft dinner = Canadian for Kraft Mac and Cheese. Fans used to throw boxes of mac and cheese onto the stage. Sometimes the boxes were open, and dried pasta and orange powder would rain down onto the band. Other times the boxes were closed, and the band members had to dodge flying missiles with sharp corners. They now have fans donate the boxes of mac and cheese to a local food bank.


While this version of mac and cheese may not be million-dollar worthy - no lobster, or truffle, or other high end ingredients - it is certainly an improvement from the stuff in a box. We have dubbed this recipe, "crack mac," because it is so addictive. Pecorino romano cheese is pretty salty, which I why I don't season the dish until after adding the cheese. And the mac tastes even better leftover - that is, if you can control yourself enough to have some leftover. (I usually can't.)


Moroccan Spiced Macaroni and Chese
adapted from Macaroni & Cheese
by Marlena Spieler


5 green onions, white and light green parts thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Tbs paprika
2 tsp ancho chile powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp fresh lemon zest, chopped
2 Tbs finely chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbs finely chopped fresh mint
3 Tbs finely chopped fresh cilantro
6 Tbs unsalted butter, room temperature

16 oz small tubular pasta, such as elbow or ditalini
6 oz pecorino romano cheese, shredded
Salt and pepper to taste


Combine green onions, garlic, paprika, ancho chile powder, cumin, coriander, lemon zest, parsley, mint, and cilantro in a medium bowl. Mash together with butter, forming a paste. Set aside. Can be made a few hours ahead of time, and stored in the refrigerator.

Cook pasta until al dente. Drain, saving about ¼ c of cooking water. Toss the hot pasta with the cooking water and herbed butter. Sprinkle about half the cheese on the pasta and toss. Season with salt and pepper. Serve and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Friday Food Truck Photo, November 18th

This is a turkey-bacon-cheddar crepe with chipotle ranch sauce from The Crepe Company. They have both savory and sweet crepes, so next time I'll have to have a sweet one - maybe one with nutella?


I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to be able to post a Friday FTP. With the sun setting so early, it's difficult to get good pictures of the food. A lot of places are open for lunch, but getting to them from work is a challenge. Hopefully, more places will be open during daylight hours in the next coming months.

Sweet Potato Whoopie Pies

I haven't done too many preparations for Thanksgiving yet. Here's how we celebrate: we typically stay in town, because that week kicks off all of our holiday gigs. Three days before the Thanksgiving, we have super late, after-hours rehearsals at Epcot for the Candlelight Processional. The three days following Thanksgiving, we have holiday performances. This means there are a lot of musicians who don't get to travel and see family on this holiday.


We often had Thanksgiving dinner at someone's house who played host to "homeless" musicians. This year, we are having dinner at our place with just a few friends. Although knowing my husband, who loves inviting people over, that number will probably increase in the next few days. Not that I mind - the more people eating turkey, the less we have for leftovers!


You have probably already fleshed out your Thanksgiving menu, but if you're looking for something to add, I highly recommend these whoopie pies. They're like a sweet potato casserole in cookie form. You could serve them as an appetizer. Or how about as a non-traditional side dish? And of course, there's always dessert. The marshmallow filling holds its shape, so there's no messy oozing when you bite into the whoopie pie. And using the kitchen torch equals a good day of cooking in my book.


Sweet Potato Whoopie Pies
adapted from Cuisine at Home
December 2010


*note to make sweet potato puree, process cooked, skinned sweet potatoes in a food processor for about 30 seconds. 1 large baked sweet potato=about 1 c puree.


2 c all purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp table salt
1 stick (8Tbs) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 c packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 c cooked sweet potato puree*
1 tsp vanilla
½ c plus 1 Tbs buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar with a hand mixer. Beat in the egg. Add sweet potato puree and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add half the flour mixture and beat on low until just combined. Add the buttermilk and beat until just combined. Finish off with remaining flour and beat until just combined.

Scoop batter onto prepared baking sheets in about 3 Tbs amounts, spacing about 1 inch apart. Bake until cookies are just set and spring back when touched, about 14-16 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.


Marshmallow Filling
Adapted from Cupcakes!
By Elinor Klivans


2 egg whites
½ c sugar
2 ½ Tbs water
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
½ tsp vanilla extract


Place egg whites, sugar, water, and cream of tartar in the top of a double boiler (or a medium heatproof bowl.) Beat with a hand mixer on high until opaque, white, and foamy. Put the bowl over a pot of simmering water. Make sure the container sits firmly over the pan. Beat on high until the frosting forms stiff peaks that stand up straight when you stop the beaters and lift them out of the frosting. This should take about 7 minutes. Remove bowl from the pan and add the vanilla extract. Continue beating on high for another two minutes to thicken the frosting. Use immediately.


To finish the whoopie pies, fill a pastry bag fitted with a tip and pipe onto the bottom side of half the cookies. Use a kitchen torch to toast the filling. Top with remaining cookies.

Mozart Balls for Amy's Virtual Baby Shower

Mozart what? His...huh? This does not seem like the most appropriately-named food for a baby shower. Let me explain.....


Amy of Sing For Your Supper is having a baby in a few months! I know her from various online social forums, and though we've never met in person, I wanted to do something to celebrate. Kelsey is hosting a virtual baby shower for her, and we decided to all make sweets for Amy's sweet baby girl who is due in January. Check out all the other shower participants on Amy's and Kelsey's blog.


This was my first virtual event. What to make? Two things I already knew about Amy: 1) she sings opera. Earlier this year she sang in the chorus for the Fort Worth Opera production of The Mikado. She got to wear this cute costume. 2) She loves the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Good taste! His music speaks to the soul. It's no wonder that a Mozart aria was used in this movie scene.


Onto the Mozart Balls (Mozart Kugeln.)....These are well-packed chocolates. There are layers of hazelnut, pistachio, and almond, all rolled up. Then the balls are dipped in milk chocolate, followed by dark chocolate. I first encountered them in Salzburg (a.k.a. "city of Mozart"), and ate a ton of them during my visit. I thought these would be perfect to make for Amy's shower.


The homemade marzipan was pretty easy to make. I adapted one recipe for the different layers in the chocolates. The almond marzipan turned out perfectly - great flavor and perfect consistency. The pistachio marzipan was difficult to work with. The mixture formed a paste with a beautiful green color, but it very quickly started to dry out. Next time, I'll use the pistachio as the first layer, to make the assembly easier. Then I coated the candies in tempered milk chocolate and dark chocolate. Since these treats travel well, I'm sending some to Amy, so she can enjoy them for herself. Congratulations, Amy! I can't wait to say hello to your baby.



Almond Marzipan
adapted from About.com


½ c blanched, slivered almonds
1 c powdered sugar
2 tbsp corn syrup
½ tsp vegetable oil


Place almonds in a food processor and process until they begin to form a paste. The almonds will first become fine crumbs. Stop the processor and scrape down the sides a few times. Add powdered sugar and process until well mixed. Add the corn syrup and vegetable oil and pulse until it starts to come together. The marzipan will look crumbly, but will hold together and smooth out when you press it together.

For pistachio variation: substitute ½ c shelled, unsalted, roasted pistachios for the almonds.

For chocolate hazelnut variation: substitute ½ c peeled, roasted hazelnuts for the almonds. Add 2 tsp. cocoa powder along with the powdered sugar.


To assemble the chocolates, roll chocolate hazelnut mixture into small balls (3-4 grams.) Cover with a layer of pistachio marzipan (7 grams) and roll to smooth the surface. Then cover the balls with a layer of almond marzipan (10-11 grams) and roll to smooth the surface. I'm adding the weight measurements because you don't want the finished chocolates to end up too big. Dip balls in tempered milk chocolate and let set. Then dip them in tempered dark chocolate and let set.

Salmon Pho

Whenever I feel a little run down, I crave pho. There's something about the combination of noodles and that magical broth that is so comforting. There was this one time when I had a performance on a Saturday night (typical.) I had been feeling run down all day, and went to grab dinner before the concert. After eating a bowl of beef pho, I felt instantly better. Well enough to get through a playing a two hour concert.


I was happy to find a recipe that duplicates pho broth and cooks in less than an hour. I had never thought to use salmon in Vietnamese noodle soup, but I really liked the combination. If you want an extra kick, add a few squirts of sriracha to the soup.



Salmon Pho
adapted from Cuisine At Home
June 2011


Broth:
3 Tbs vegetable oil
1 large onion, sliced
2 Tbs minced fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
4 c water
4 c low sodium chicken broth
3 Tbs fish sauce
1 Tbs sugar
2 Tbs plus 1 tsp low sodium soy sauce
10 whole cloves
1 bunch fresh cilantro stems
2 tsp Chinese five spice powder

2 6-oz. salmon fillets
Salt and pepper
1 c sliced shitake mushroom caps
1 c matchstick carrots
¼ c thinly sliced white onion
12 oz. rice-stick noodles, cooked

Garnish:
Bean sprouts
Chopped green onion, white and light green parts
Fresh mint leaves
Fresh basil leaves (Thai basil if available)
Fresh cilantro leaves
Sliced jalapeno
Lime wedges


Heat vegetable oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Saute onion, ginger, and garlic in the stockpot until softened, about 3 minutes. Add water, broth, fish sauce, sugar, soy sauce, cloves, cilantro stems, and five spice powder. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Using a large slotted spoon, pull solids out of the broth; discard. Turn heat back up to medium-high and bring broth back to a boil.

Season salmon fillets with salt and pepper. Thinly slice crosswise (against the grain.) Set aside.
Add shitake mushroom caps, carrots, and the ¼ c of sliced onions to the broth. Divide salmon and noodles evenly into four large soup bowls. Pour into the bowl, making sure to cover the salmon. The fish will cook in the hot broth. Garnish with bean sprouts, green onion, mint, basil, cilantro, jalapeno, and lime wedges.

Friday Food Truck Photo, November 11

Happy Veterans Day! Both my father and sister were in the military. Thank you to all the men and women who are serving and have served. The FFTP of the day is cupcakes from the Yum Yum Truck! I know, I've featured their cupcakes before, but I feel that the pictures did not do the cupcakes justice. Pictured in front are last month's bananatella Versace cupcake (left), and this month's cookies got creamed cupcake (right). Hiding behind them are a chocolate mint and a vanilla cupcake.

Dan Dan Noodles

Before this recipe, the only dan dan noodles that I had were from Pei Wei. They were good, but I had a teeny suspicion that they weren't quite the same as the real thing. Then one day, Hubs made a version that claimed to be more authentic. I instantly loved them. We have them at least once a month. The key is the Sichuan (Szechuan) peppercorns. They have a very different flavor than black peppercorns - more herbal, spicy but with a mellower heat. We found them here. We now have a one-pound bag of peppercorns. Not to worry, they will get eaten up.

I adapted the original recipe two ways - the way Hubs makes it, and a version with less obscure ingredients. If you aren't able to find black vinegar, dark soy sauce, or fresh Chinese noodles, the substitutions are in parenthesis. You can also make a vegetarian version using crumbled tofu in place of the ground pork. The cucumber and bean sprouts are an homage to the Pei Wei version, and a way for me to sneak some veggies into the dish.


Dan Dan Noodles
adapted from Land of Plenty
by Fuschia Dunlop


1½ Tbs soy sauce
½ Tbs dark soy sauce (or substitute another ½ Tbs regular soy sauce)
1 Tbs chili oil, or to taste (use less for less spice)
1½ tsp black vinegar (1 tsp rice vinegar and ½ tsp brown sugar)
1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, toasted and ground
1 Tbs peanut oil
4 oz ground pork (vegetarian option: firm tofu, crumbled)
1 tsp rice wine (dry sherry)
2 tsp soy sauce

12 oz fresh Chinese noodles, cooked (spaghetti)
3 scallions, green parts only, sliced
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
Handful of fresh bean sprouts


Mix together the 1½ Tbs soy sauce, dark soy sauce, chili oil, black vinegar, and Sichuan peppercorns. Set aside.

Heat 1 Tbs peanut oil in a wok over high heat. Add ground pork, rice wine, and 2 tsp of soy sauce. Stir-fry until pork is just cooked through, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Reduce heat to medium. Add the noodles, and stir to combine. Pour sauce over the noodles and toss. Top with sliced scallions, chopped cucumber, and bean sprouts.

Sticky Five Spice Short Ribs

Feeding a toddler is an exercise in patience. My kid is way pickier now than when he started solid food. He'll eat something one day, and not like it the next. Makes menu planning a little difficult. However, I found one thing that he consistently likes: tender, slow cooked meat. Anytime I make short ribs, he gobbles one down in record time. These were no exception. The adults in the household loved them as well. I especially liked how this recipe cooks down the liquid to make the sticky sauce - very convenient!



Sticky Five-Spice Short Ribs
by Aida Mollenkamp
as seen on Food Network


1 1/2 cups rice wine or dry sherry
1/2 cup oyster sauce
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 1/2 pounds short ribs, English cut
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons five-spice powder
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 medium garlic cloves, smashed
1-inch piece ginger, sliced
1 small jalapeno pepper, halved, seeded, and thickly sliced


Heat the oven to 350 F.
Mix together sherry, oyster sauce, and brown sugar until evenly combined; set aside. Pat ribs dry with a paper towel and season well with salt and five-spice powder.

Place a 3-quart Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed, shallow pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat and add oil. When oil starts to smoke, add ribs and sear until well browned, about 2 minutes per side. Remove ribs to a plate and set aside. Discard all but 1 tablespoon drippings, return pan to stove, and add garlic, ginger, and jalapeno and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in reserved sherry mixture and bring to a simmer.

Return ribs to pan and bring to a simmer. Cover and transfer to oven to cook, turning occasionally, until meat is knife tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Increase oven to 400 degrees F and cook, covered, until ribs are sticky, about 20 more minutes.

Friday Food Truck Photo, November 4

Black and blue from C&S Brisket Bus. I don't like to post pictures with bite marks in it, but it really was the best way to show off the components of the sandwich. Brisket, lettuce, tomato, roasted garlic and blue cheese aioli, and blackened seasoning on the bun. This sandwich was epic.