Today I am Craving..

Cheesecake Factory!
I am being terrible at keeping up with posting. I make food, take pictures of it, then forget about it. I promise I will do better! Last week I had to go to Ontario for a training class to prepare for the PTCB exam, so I took Tyler with me so we could spend the day up there after my class! We did the regular routine of Ontario Mills and Victoria Gardens and we had to fill our Cheesecake quota up for the month!

I had a Cesar salad and a roasted vegetable and goat cheese pizza,

and Tyler got the Louisiana pasta I think?

Tyler's pasta was a little on the spicy side, but really good and full of flavor!

We ordered so well that the people next to us asked their waiter what we were having! I always take that as a compliment :]]

Why can't they build a Cheesecake in Murrieta?? I think I would go every day!

Mini muffin pancakes, 2.0!

Bought some chocolate chips to make mini muffin pancakes even better.

They were delicious!

The Greatest Wontons on Earth

First off, hope you had a good Earth Day! I attended a global warming debate at MSJC for extra credit in my Biodiversity class, and my teacher bought us In n' Out on the way back. Awesome! This is what I wore to show my Earth love:

Cute right? Anyways, onto WONTONS!!

This has to be my favorite recipe in the world. My mom has been making these my whole life, and I've never found a better wonton! Of course I might be a little bias, but everyone I've fed them too seem to agree! Since this is an ancient Chinese recipe (kidding, just a family one), there aren't any real measurements to the ingredients. It depends on how much beef you have, how much filling you want, how many wontons you want to make, etc.

What makes these so good are these two ingredients:

Dried shittake mushrooms (must be dried!) and Mr.Yoshida's Original Gourmet Marinade and Cooking sauce. The shittake mushrooms can be found at any regular grocery store, but the Yoshida sauce is more elusive. It's definitely at Costco, but your not going to want a gigantic bottle of who-knows-what sauce! I think you can find a smaller bottle at Stater Bros.


My suggestions with this recipe:
-These are very addicting! You should make a ton because they will be gone before you know it!
- I usually make the triangle-shaped type, but you can make what ever shape you want! There's coin purses

rectangles

mini egg rolls

or Tyler's favorite, Pope hats!

Be creative!
-You need someone to help you assemble these! I'll usually recruit Jordie because she wants me to hurry up and make them, but if you're all by yourself you'll be sitting there all night!
-Uncooked wontons can be saved in the refrigerator for a few days, as long as there kept in an airtight container.


Ingredients

-Dried shittake mushrooms (approx. 6)

-Mr. Yoshida sauce (approx. 1/2 cup)

-Ground beef (how ever much you want! 1/2lb?)

-1 to 2 packages of wonton wrappers

-1 egg white

-Vegetable oil for frying

Filling:

1. Soak mushrooms in hot water for 10-15 minutes, until soft. Dice into small pieces.

2. Brown meat in medium pan over medium-high heat. Drain fat from the pan.

3. Add mushrooms and Yoshida sauce, heat through until meat and mushrooms have soaked up the majority of the sauce. They should become dark brown, the color of the sauce.

Wonton assembly

1. Add around 1 teaspoonful to the center of one wonton wrapper.

2. Use your fingers to wet two adjacent sides of wrapper, fold opposite (dry) sides of wrapper over to create triangle.

3. Gently press any air bubbles out of wrapper, seal edges tightly. Set wontons aside under a damp towel to keep from drying out.

4. Heat enough oil in a deep pan to cover the bottom, about a 1/4 inch. Fry wontons in hot oil, 30 seconds-1 minute on each side, until they become crisp and a light golden brown. Dry on paper towels. Serve warm.

Tyler and I got creative and made some nutella wontons! So good!

These do take some time, but are easy to make and so good. You will not be disappointed!

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

As an Environmental Studies major, the duty falls upon me to wish you a

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

In order to introduce a way to help the world in a food-related issue, I give you http://www.freerice.com.

This is a great website for when your bored. It asks a series of vocabulary questions and for every right answer, they will donate 10 grains of rice to the World Food Program! 10 questions= 100 grains! It doesn't sound like much, but if everyone donated 10 grains...world hunger solved! Check it out today, donate a few grains, recycle a water bottle, just do something for the earth today

It loves you!

PS The most amazing wontons in the world are coming up next!

Rice Fritters

Have I told you I love Panko bread crumbs yet? I LOVE Panko bread crumbs!

They are super crunchy and are a great way to add a crispy element to a dish. I always get the crunch roll when I get sushi, because its shrimp tempura and crab rolled in a pile of super crunchy panko deliciousness*drool*. Anyways, I was excited when I saw this recipe because I love Panko, rice, and mozzarella, so they must be great altogether right? Well I got this recipe from http://www.janetishungry.blogspot.com/, and I am sad to say that I was disappointed! Janet, the blogger, says that these are amazing and her family loves them, so I think it might of been me. I used plain rice that was slightly overcooked, and since I didn't have cubed mozzarella so I balled up some shredded cheese, but I don't think I used enough.

My suggestions with this recipe:

-There are no measurements with this recipe, because it depends on the amount of rice you have. Original blogger said to start with one egg and 1/2 cup of panko and to go from there.

-Used the the cubed mozzarella, or just a lot of shredded, just don't be stingy!

-These need...something. It needs for flavor somewhere, but I cant put my finger on it. Maybe some cayenne in the panko? Or herbed rice? You tell me!


Rice Fritters (from www.janetishungry.blogspot.com)
Ingredients:
Leftover rice
Panko crumbs
Eggs
Mozzarella Cheese
Dipping Sauce (Marinara Style)

1. Shape the rice into balls that are, in diameter, precisely halfway in between a walnut and a golf ball... just kidding! Just make your balls "yay big".

2. Cut some mozzarella into little cubes (about 1 cm square).

3. Make a depression with your finger in each rice ball and press in a mozzarella cube. Close the rice back up to completely enclose the ooey-gooey mozzarella goodness.

4. Roll the rice balls around in beaten egg, and then in panko crumbs until well coated.

5. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes or so, to set coating.

6. Preheat oven to 400F (use convection if you have it). Place the rice balls on a baking sheet that you've sprayed with cooking spray. Spray more cooking spray on top of the rice balls. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Turn them around and give them another squirt of cooking spray halfway through. (FYI - the original recipe called for these to be deep fried, but I don't like to deep fry at home).

7. Serve with your favorite marinara-type dipping sauce (I used canned pizza sauce).

Doesn't that look good? I'm determined to find a way to make it taste just as good! Little sis Jordie liked them, so not all is lost!

P.S. Speaking of Jordie, Sunday for dinner my mom made chili and cornbread for dinner. The chili was good, but Jordie got to the cornbread before I did:

Can you guess which piece was hers?

Mini Pancake Muffins

I am on a mini muffin pan kick! This recipe came from a blog called Live.Love.Eat. http://www.stephscafe.blogspot.com/. My favorite type of recipe is one that's quick easy, and with ingredients that I already have on hand. This took me about a nanosecond to put together, and it only takes 10 minutes to bake!

I never have buttermilk on hand, so I substituted with milk and lemon juice. It 's a 1 cup milk to 1 tblsp ratio, mix and let it sit for 5 minutes, and your ready to go! Also the recipe calls for 1/2 cup of chocolate chips or blueberries, but I didn't have either on hand, so I didn't use any!

My suggestions with this recipe:
-Add the chocolate chips or blueberries! These are fine without them, but aren't blueberry and chocolate pancakes better than plain ones?? I need to go buy some and make these again!
-The blogger that I got this from suggests to use a little less chocolate chips than 1/2 cup, because they were a little overpowering.

I know these are good because I turned around and someone ate them all!

MINIATURE PANCAKE MUFFINS

1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tblsp sugar
2/3 cup buttermilk or substitute *
1 egg
2 tblsp pure maple syrup
2 tblsp melted butter
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips or blueberries


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 24 mini muffin pan with liners. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt & sugar in a medium bowl. Sift together with a wire whisk. In another bowl, stir buttermilk, egg, maple syrup & melted butter until just combined.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients & stir with a spoon until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour 2/3 full into each cup. Bake for 9-11 minutes. Serve with syrup.

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs

This was another quick and simple recipe that came out great! I got the recipe from http://www.noblepig.com/, a great food/wine blog that has a million recipes that I'm dying to try! This recipe came at the perfect time, because I had a bunch of mozzarella and pepperoni left over from my "Make Your Own Pizza" Easter dinner. These little bites are great for someone like me who doesn't like a lot of pizza sauce, because there's no sauce in them! Just cheese, pepperoni, and crust, then dip them in sauce. I had to dig deep in my kitchen cabinets for my mini muffin pans, but I found them and was all set to go!

My suggestions with this recipe:
-Every oven is different, but I would put these on the top rack for the full 25 minutes. They cook all the way through easily, but you want these to get really brown and bubbly on top.

-I didn't have fresh basil, only dried, same difference. I just used less because dried herbs always have a stronger flavor. About a teaspoonful verses a tablespoon.
-Serve ASAP, they're best straight out of the oven piping hot.
That's it! These are so easy and quick and good!

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs
Adapted from Everyday

3/4 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup whole milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
4 ounces pepperoni, cut into small cubes (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup pizza sauce
2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil

Preheat oven to 375o. Grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder; whisk in the milk and egg. Stir in the mozzarella and pepperoni; let stand for 10 minutes.

Stir the batter and divide among the mini-muffin cups.

Bake until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

Microwave the pizza sauce until warmed through, then stir in 1 Tablespoon basil. Sprinkle the puffs with the remaining 1 Tablespoon basil. Serve the puffs with the pizza sauce for dipping

Strawberry and Cream cheese Muffins

I found this recipe on one of the blogs that I follow, http://www.lululuathome.com/. If you can't tell by my pictures, these were amazing! They were really easy to make, and lasted about 10 seconds on the kitchen counter before the first batch was gone! Jordie swears she only ate 4, but I don't believe that for a second! It was difficult to take pictures of it with her behind me going "HURRY UP! COME ON! I WANT ONE! UGHHHHHH!!" I particularly enjoy these with a cold glass of Silk mmmm... :]

My suggestions with this recipe:
-I felt like there weren't enough strawberries inside the actual muffin, so instead of sprinkling a few in the middle, I added about 1/3 of the strawberries into the batter when I added the wet ingredients, then 1/3 in the middle, then 1/3 on top. The more strawberries the better!
-The recipe says to cook 25minutes or until golden brown on top, but mine never got very brown. S'ok, they were delicious anyways!
My family can't get enough of these and yours wont either!

Strawberry and Cream Cheese Muffins
(makes 12 regular size muffins)
Ingredients:
2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature and lightly beaten
1 cup fresh strawberries, chopped into very small pieces


For Cream Cheese Mixture
4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract


Directions:

Preheat over to 350F. Grease muffin tin or line with muffin liners.

In a small bowl, mix together with a spoon the cream cheese mixture ingredients until smooth. Set aside.

In a big bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together milk, melted butter, vanilla extract and egg until incorporated.

Use a spatula, mix the milk mixture into the flour mixture. Fold together until combined. Do not overmix.

Spoon the batter into the prepared tins, filling them no more than 1/2 full.

Scatter a few pieces of strawberry on top of each one.

Top it with a tsp of cream cheese mixture, a tbsp of muffin batter, and finally a few more pieces of strawberry.

Bake the muffins for about 25 mins, until they're light golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 mins.

Tyler loves them too!

I Thought I Loved Top Chef...

until I saw Top Chef Masters!

I absolutely love this show! For those of you that live in a culinary hole, Top Chef Masters is a show that world renowned chefs can compete in to win money for charities they support and "the title of Top Chef Master!" I am so obsessed with this show. I get to watch the most amazing and accomplished chefs in the country create dishes on the spot. Last season, one of my most favorite chefs ever, Rick Bayless, won the whole thing!

I was so proud of him he creates amazing food! The new season just started up, and I'm salivating over what dishes these amazing chefs will make next. I was particularly excited to see Govind Armstrong compete, because he is the owner and executive chef of the 8oz Burger Bar!

Remember this delicious piece of heaven?

Yah, he made that. Unfortunately he lost in the first heat, I think its because he didn't make them my burger. This Wednesday is the round where some chefs that lost last season get to try again. I'm curious to see how they will redeem themselves. Can't wait!

Today I am Craving..

Thee's Continental Pastries! Thee's is one of many shops in the Farmer's Market outside The Grove in Los Angeles. Tyler and I almost always make a point of stopping there when we go to LA because it is so good!

I always get the custard ecliair. Not cream, custard. It's the best!

P.S. Guess who won't leave me alone when I'm cooking or eating?

This Fatty. "Go away Baloo" does not mean "Put your face on my chair Baloo"

Cooking tip!

Don't you hate when you're cooking bacon and the grease splatters out at you? All you want is delicious bacon and its trying to hurt you! Not good. I've always been taught the method of pouring the grease out into a cup or bowl, but then your bacon falls all over the place! Not good either. I recently found a great tip on http://www.foodwishes.blogspot.com/ from the fabulous Chef John that solves the problem!

You turn the pan up so the grease falls to the bottom like so

Then take a paper towel with your tongs and wipe it up!

No mess, no splatters, no grease burns! I used my pain-free bacon technique to make these babies:

Mmm I guess you could call them breakfast crostini? whatever it was, it was delicious!

Shoutout to my Dad for getting up from the couch to hold the pan for me when I realized I didn't have three hands!

"Dad, can you hold this for me"

"(watches me)...Is this for school?"

"No, Dad, its for my blog!"

"Haha ok...."

Thanks Dad!