Chocolate Irish Whiskey Cake (adapted from CookbookAficionado)

St. Patty’s Day is this Saturday, so there’s no better time to use Jameson in a recipe! Woot woot! (I don’t drink all that much, but unbeknownst to me, I am apparently using alcohol in all of my food - my housemate has labeled me an “alcoholic chef”)

Original recipe calls for coffee; no has coffee, so I use coffee liquor (kahlua) instead. Whoops. Original recipe calls for cocoa powder in the cake; melt chocolate chips instead! Or 2 tablespoons of whiskey in the ganache? Please. It’s St. Patty’s Day (soon), so 4 shots. (I also don’t do the vegan thing, so real milk = yum.) This is why I don’t like baking as much: not a fan of precise measurements or having to use specific ingredients. That said, the cocoa powder def would have been better because the chocolate didn’t distribute as well throughout the cake. Oh wells. Still pretty nomtastic.

Cake Ingredients

• 1 1/4 C milk
• 2/3 C oil
• 1/2 C Irish whiskey
• 1/3 C kahlua
• 1 C white sugar
• 3/4 C brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2/3 C chocolate chips, melted
• 3 C flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 T baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/4 C milk
• 4 shots Irish whiskey
• 1/2 C semi-sweet chocolate
• A few squirts of maple syrup
• Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 325F. Mix milk, whiskey, kahlua, oil, sugars, vanilla, and melted chocolate until even. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Slowly stir in the contents of the wet bowl into the dry bowl until smooth. Pour batter into a greased 9” baking pan and bake for 60 minutes.

Toward the end of baking time, boil the milk and whiskey in a small pot on the stove. Bring the pot to a low simmer and add the chocolate and maple syrup. Stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Add powdered sugar little by little to thicken it up. Let the ganache cool for a bit. Apply liberally.

Bake an Egg in an Avocado!

So this was flying around the Interwebs, and I figured “what the heck, why not?” The concept is definitely very easy to do (and very quick too). After a little trial-and-error (unless you have really small eggs or gigantic pits, you have to drain some of the egg white into a separate container or you’ll have major spillage), I got it to work just fine. However, avocados have a very mild flavor, so unless you season them like crazy, this is one of those dishes that looks/sounds much better than it tastes. I decided to go for the multicultural touch, so there are four cuisines represented: American (Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce), Mexican (Cholula hot sauce, queso blanco, cilantro, and sour cream), Italian (marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, Italian seasoning), and Israeli (hummus, lemon juice, paprika).

Ingredients

• Avocados
• Eggs
• Whatever the heck you want to put on them

Preheat oven to 425F. Slice avocados and pit them. Crack an egg in the hole (sounds dirty?) Decorate with whatever fixins you like. Bake time is really determined by how cooked you want your eggs (10 minutes was just past a runny yolk). Nom.

Lasagna bolognese (adapted from smitten kitchen)

Lasagna is at once both a simple dish and a complex dish. Tomato sauce, ricotta cheese, and ground beef (unless vegetarian) slapped between layers of wide flat pasta. Boil the pasta, open a jar of sauce, use a spoon (or a finger) to smooth each layer, bake for half an hour to 45 minutes in the oven. Nothing so difficult that a poor college student couldn’t manage - besides, assembly is fun! But lasagna, more than most dishes, lends a sort of blank canvas appeal that can undergird a swath of possible final masterpieces. Sauce? Pick a sauce - marinara, bolognese, puttanesca, etc. Plus a bechamel sauce? Sure, why not. Spinach, maybe, if for vegetarians. Sans ricotta cheese? Sure. And pretty much any kind of meat could nestle its way in between the layers of noodle. Everyone’s got their own go-to recipe. And depending on the members of the peanut gallery: a soft gooey lawn of melted mozzarella on top; or perhaps they like a crunchy lid; and one could always add a few sprinkles of bread crumbs.

Bolognese sauce

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• Olive oil
• Salt
and pepper
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 2 cans tomato paste (I think 6 oz. each?)
• 3 C red wine (I used a $12 cabernet sauvignon, but take your pick)
• Water as needed
• 3 bay leaves
• A boatload of Italian seasoning
• 15 leaves fresh basil, chopped

Béchamel sauce

• 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups whole milk
• Salt
 and pepper
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 tsp nutmeg

To assemble

• 1 box lasagna noodles
• 1 2/3 cups grated Parmesan cheese

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in large (5-quart+) pot. Blend the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic until you get a mixture that looks like rabbit food/finely chopped. Add the rabbit food mixture to the pot and season with a bunch (more than you think) of salt and pepper. Allow the vegetables to brown REAL GOOD, about 15 minutes, while stirring occasionally.

Add the ground beef, add more salt and pepper, and brown the beef. Brown it REAL GOOD, ‘cause this is also where the flavor gets developed. Add the two cans of tomato paste and mix well, Let the mixture go for a few minutes, then deglaze with the red wine. When the wine has reduced by about half, cover with water, add the seasonings, and stir. Let the sauce simmer for about 4 hours, adding a cup of water and stirring periodically to keep things going.

Boil a large pot of water and cook the lasagna noodles.

For the bechamel sauce, melt the butter in a medium pot. Add in the flour and stir. Drizzle in milk little by little into the butter and flour mixture over the course of a few minutes. Then add the garlic, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Simmer for about 10 minutes while stirring frequently.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a 9×13-inch or equivalent rectangular baking dish, drizzle a little bit of olive oil. Add your first layer of cooked noodles. Ladle 1 cup bolognese sauce over the noodles, spreading it evenly. Drizzle 1/2 cup béchamel over the bolognese, but evenness isn’t as important with the bechamel Sprinkle the layer with 1/3 cup parmesan cheese. Repeat this process — pasta + 1 cup bolognese + 1/2 cup béchamel + 1/3 cup parmesan — three more times, then add one more layer of pasta. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Top with bruschetta, just for kicks (the flavors complement oh-so-nicely).

Tortellini with Marsala/White Wine Mushroom Cream Sauce

Ah, pasta and pasta sauce, the staple of many a college diet. I hear people bemoaning their basic pasta dinner all the time, but it’s really fairly easy to do it up a bit. Sure, the cream and butter make for a slightly less healthy option, but given the choice between a good red sauce and a good white sauce, I’d pick white every time. Especially when it’s a wonderfully wine-y mushroom cream sauce. Mmm nomtastic.

Ingredients:

• 1 package of tortellini

• 10 or so mushrooms (button or cremini), sliced

• ½ C marsala

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• ½ medium onion, diced

• 2 T unsalted butter

• ½ C dry white wine

• 1 C heavy whipping cream

• 10 leaves fresh basil, chopped

• ½ tsp oregano

• Salt and pepper

• Parsley

• Parmesan cheese

Dry saute the mushrooms until they begin to release their moisture and are slightly browned. Deglaze with marsala and boil down to a glaze, scraping up any browned bits. Add the garlic and onions with butter and saute for a few minutes. Deglaze again, this time with white wine, and scrape up any browned bits.

Stir in the half of the cream and let the sauce reduce for about 5 minutes. Add basil and oregano and stir in the rest of the cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over pasta and sprinkle in parmesan and parsley.

Creamy Chipotle Roasted Red Pepper Soup (adapted from Sea Salt With Food)

Though it’s been relatively mild for this time of year here in New England, a nice warm bowl of soup is always a sure ticket to happiness. And let’s face it, I’m a soup guy; soup is just a nice platform for solubilizing a multitude of flavors. I’m always on the lookout for new soup ideas, especially ones involving blended vegetables, that I can spice up. For example, roasted red pepper soup is good, but making it creamy and adding the smoky essence of chipotle? Killer. 

Ingredients:

• 6 red peppers, whole

• Olive oil

• Sugar

• 2 medium yellow onions, peeled and diced

• 2 garlic cloves, chopped

• 2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, diced

• 3 C chicken stock

• 2 C heavy whipping cream

• Butter

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1 T ground chipotle pepper

• Cilantro, chopped

• Parmesan cheese

Place the whole peppers on the foil and brush lightly with olive oil. Broil on high until blackened on all sides. Peel off the skins, remove the top, membranes, and seeds, and coarsely chop the peppers.

In a large pot, cook the garlic and onions with olive oil and a pinch of sugar for about a minute. Then add the potatoes and roasted peppers and continue to cook for about 2 to 3 minutes. 



Add chicken stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Then simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Puree the soup in a blender, working in batches if necessary. Return the soup to the pot on low heat and stir in the heavy whipping cream. Melt in a small bit of butter, and add the salt, pepper and chipotle powder. Serve warm topped with cilantro and parmesan cheese.

Mapo Tofu (adapted from RasaMalaysia)

A favorite dish from my time in Sichuan Province two summers ago, Mapo Tofu is, in its most traditional form, is downright frighteningly spicy, conjuring up notions of swollen lips and big gulps of water. But home is far away from Sichuan and I felt compelled to change things up a bit (variety is the spice of life - see what I did there?) I know carrots, butter lettuce, and a lack of Sichuan peppercorns ain’t all that authentic. But cooking for the family (including wimpy little siblings) means I had to make it somewhat less than flammable - and fun, to boot.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 blocks silken tofu
• 2 carrots, julienned
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 3 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 2 gloves garlic (chopped)
• 4 tablespoons fermented black beans (rinsed and pounded)
• 4 tablespoons chili paste
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 stalks of leeks or scallions (chopped)
• Butter lettuce

Directions:

Cut the tofu into small pieces, drain the water from the tofu and set aside. Julienne the carrots, cover with water, nuke for 5 minutes (microwaving only for the sake of speed!), and set aside. Heat up the cooking oil and sesame oil in a wok until sizzling. Add the ginger, garlic, black beans, and chili paste and stir-fry and stir-fry until aromatic, about 1 minute. Then add the ground turkey, chili powder, soy sauce, and stir-fry until the turkey is mostly cooked  Add in the tofu and water; stir gently to blend the tofu (don’t break them) well with the sauce. Lower the heat, add the sugar, and simmer for about 3-5 mins or until the sauce thickens. Gently stir in the carrots and blend well. Spoon into leaves of butter lettuce and sprinkle with chopped scallions. Dish out and serve hot with rice.

Yellow Thai Curry

Four new Thai curries and a lot of fresh basil —> curry week! Another one of my new purchases, this time I decided to go with some yellow curry. Of course, just as bomb as the green, the red, and the penang curries. And I’m getting better at it. First time was good, second was good plus…and now I think I’ve got it down.

And I ran out of meat…so 4 straight vegetarian dinners. Unheard of. But feel free to put some protein in.

• 3 T yellow curry paste
• 1 can coconut milk
• Several splashes of fish sauce
• 1/2 green bell pepper
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• Broccoli
• About 10 leaves basil
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• A dash or two of sugar
• Olive oil

Fry up the garlic, onions and curry paste in oil in a pot until nice and aromatic. Add basil and broccoli (or it’s easier if you precook the broccoli) and cook until things start to sizzle. Dump in the coconut milk and stir to break up the chunky stuff. Let the curry simmer for a few minutes. Splash in the fish sauce and dash in the sugar (just a teensy bit!). Depending on how much crunch you want in your bell peppers, add them earlier or later to get the desired texture. Serve with a bowl of rice and diggggg innnnnn.

Green Curry Pizza

I came to the realization recently (why it didn’t happen sooner, I don’t know) that I much prefer Thai curries to Indian curries. Don’t hate on me brownfolk, but you gotta love the nuance and versatility of Thai curries. To this end, I got some Thai curry pastes the other day, and let me tell you: a whole world of culinary possibilities opened up.

Including pizza. Again, looking for something quick and dirty after a long afternoon in the lab, I turned to pizza. But of course, since we don’t do no duplicates around this joint, I went in a different direction and spiced this pizza up - literally. Kind of weird, but still delicioso.

• Pizza dough
• Cheeseeeeeeeee
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 1/2 can coconut milk
• A few tablespoons of green curry paste
• A couple pinches of flour
• 10 basil leaves, chopped
• Olive oil
• 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

Saute the garlic and onions in olive oil in a small pot. Add in the curry paste and let the aroma fill the kitchen. Stir in the coconut milk. Drop in the basil and a few pinches of flour (to thicken up the curry).

Preheat the oven to 450F. Roll out/toss pizza dough and coat with flour. Place on pizza stone (grr need to get one) or just a cookie sheet with a bit of flour. Spread sauce over the surface and sprinkle on the cheese and bell peppers. Bake for about 20-25 minutes.

Ahi Poke

More ono Hawaiian grinds, this time with tuna instead of salmon. There are a bajillion types of ahi poke, but not all of them can be done in faraway Boston. So here’s my take, combining a bunch of different recipes online. Can’t say that it’s super authentic, but rarely are two batches of poke the same. Still nomtastic anyway.

• 1/2 lb. fresh tuna
• 1/4 C shoyu
• 1/4 C green onion, minced
• 1/4 C yellow onion, minced
• 1 T sesame oil
• 1 T sesame seeds
• A pinch or two of Hawaiian sea salt
• A pinch or two of crushed red pepper flakes
• A dash of brown sugar

Literally just throw everything in a bowl and put it in the fridge for 2 hours. Gotta let it chill, brah! Eat.