Crockpot Beer Chicken

Crockpot Beer Chicken - made June 7, 2014 from LaaLoosh

I've discovered it's hard to take an appetizing picture of anything I make in a crockpot. It's always so soupy and I'm not artistically inclined enough to make my food pose and look fabulous. Nope, you're just going to have to see it as I do - chicken swimming in liquidy, watery....water?

Actually that's beer. I'm still working on the 6-pack of Heineken I bought for the Slow Cooker French Dip. This is bottle #3. I truly don't like the taste or smell of beer but fortunately, the alcohol cooked off in the hours the chicken was in the slow cooker. Unfortunately, there seems to be very little flavor in this. Perhaps a dark beer would have imparted more flavor; I don't know. The chicken breasts came out tender which was good but since I didn't want to use the sauce, which is mostly beer, with rice or noodles which is what I normally do with soupy slow cooker dishes, I ended up eating just the chicken. And it was just chicken. Not my finest moment with a crock pot.

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 bottle or can of your favorite beer
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1. Place all ingredients in the crock pot and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-8 hours until chicken is tender. 
2. If you want "prettier" chicken, sear the chicken breasts in a frying pan to give them a little more color before placing in slow cooker.

Restaurant Review: Kenny's Cafe

Kenny's Cafe - lunch on June 4, 2014, 4.5 stars on yelp based on 51 reviews

You know what I love about yelp? I can search for the most random lunch places and it'll always kick out options I want to try. Usually places I've never heard of before, would never notice if I was driving by and/or wouldn't know whether I should go in or not. Yelp helps take all the guesswork out even just by bringing to my attention that the place exists.

Which is a good thing as I don't know that I would've gone into Kenny's Cafe without checking them out first. Not that there's anything bad about them from the outside but they're in a location I normally don't go to even though it's technically not far from my office. They're located in a very mini strip mall near the airport and it would be all too easy to just keep on driving by. But they got good reviews and I was able to talk one of my coworkers into trying them out with me.

Similar to Big Ed's Buzzard BBQ, Kenny's Cafe is more like a casual eatery than a restaurant. It's bigger than Big Ed's though and offers a lot more choices. They also have a variety of different cuisines so you can either think they have something of an identity crisis or you can enjoy a wide range of options to choose from: Japanese to Korean to Thai to American, whatever suits your fancy. I went with a French Dip for no other reason than I wanted fries and my coworker went with originally what she thought was bibimbap (Korean).  But her order took so long to come out that we suspect she either got someone else's order for a chicken bowl or the kitchen prepared the wrong dish.

That may not sound like an auspicious introduction to Kenny's Cafe but I thought it was a decent place for lunch. Single entrees were mostly under $10 and a combo meal with a side and a drink were in the $11-$12 range. You order your food at the counter, seat yourself at one of the tables in the large open room and someone brings out your food. If you order a drink, you can choose it yourself from the refrigerated cases of soft drinks, bottled water and juices. It isn't fancy but it's simple, good food and, as always, another way to support a local small business.

Korean (Ground) Beef

Korean Beef - made June 7, 2014 from Berry Morin Bits and Tips

I'm in the midst of training for my half marathon but got sidelined the past couple of weeks with shin splints. Exercise is a normal part of my day but now that I'm supposed to be resting to heal the splints, I found myself with some unexpected free time last weekend. Normally I do my long runs on Saturdays. I was up to 9 miles for my long runs and from driving time to the gym (yes, I run all miles on the treadmill, don't judge) to running to showering and heading back out, that usually sucked up most of my Saturday mornings. Not being able to do that last weekend meant I ran out of I-don't-have-time excuses to cook real food.

Being me, I opted for the easiest recipe I could find and this one fit the bill nicely. The ingredients were familiar and easy to get and I even felt smugly virtuous that I did a proper mise en place to have everything ready before I turned on the stove: ginger was peeled and minced, garlic was minced, green onions were washed and sliced, and everything else measured out. That was more of a survival tactic than anything since it was still hot and I didn't want to be over a burner any longer than necessary. I liked how this turned out. Although I'm normally a bland eater, this had some nice heat/spice from the ginger that I enjoyed. I like ginger in moderation and this one flavored the ground beef very well. Thumbs up for a quick, tasty meal even an inexperienced cook can make.

1 pound lean ground beef 
1/4 - 1/2 cup brown sugar (I used 1/3 cup)
1/4 cup soy sauce 
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced (I used a little more because I like ginger)
1/2 - 1 teaspoon crushed red peppers (to desired spiciness)
salt and pepper 
1 bunch green onions, diced

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and brown hamburger with garlic in the sesame oil. 
2. Drain most of the fat and add brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, salt and pepper and red peppers. Simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors. Serve over steamed rice and top with green onions.

See's Copycat Fudge

See's Copycat Fudge - made June 6, 2014 from The Girl Who Ate Everything

I mentioned how hot it's been lately, right? My operating temperature range is 50-75ish degrees F. Anything into the 80s and I start turning on my electric fan, break out the shorts and tank tops and ice myself down with cold drinks; once it hits the 90s, my spoiled-weather-princess whining goes into full force. You don't even want to see - or hear - me when we hit triple digits.

One of the reasons I get cranky in hot weather is it impedes my baking because it's too hot to turn my oven on. Yes, I could turn on the air conditioner and the oven but that seems like a waste of energy just to keep my spoiled-weather-princess standing. Although rest assured I'm tempted often enough. So in hot weather, in the interest of energy conservation and to keep my utility bills low (cuz I'm also cheap), I turn to no-oven options. Such as fudge. We already know about my spotted history with fudge, from the Fudge Failure That Shall Not Be Named to the I Surprised Myself success. I usually reserve fudge making for the Christmas season but it'll also do in a pinch when it's too hot to bake.

This is supposed to be a copycat version of the fudge from See's Candy. If you live east of the Mississippi, you might not be familiar with See's. They started in San Francisco and are predominant in the West. I have a sentimental fondness for See's. Their fudge is just a little too sweet for me nowadays and they put walnuts in theirs but it used to be my favorite See's Candy treat when I was a teen. I don't know if I could say this is really like their fudge but it's still good fudge. I also find this a bit too sweet (look at the ingredient list and you'll know why) but it helps to add the toasted almonds to cut some of the sugar. The butter did have a tendency to separate out when I spread this in the pan so you may need to blot with a paper towel before it cools completely. This had a nice creamy texture once it had cooled and set. You can chill it or freeze it for later (this makes a lot of fudge) but let it come to just a trifle cooler than room temperature before cutting and serving. Always keep fudge well wrapped so it doesn't dry out. And cut these babies small - trust me.

3 (12 ounce) packages semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (7 ounce) container marshmallow cream 
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened, cut into tablespoons
2 tablespoons vanilla extract 
2 cups pecans or walnuts, chopped
4 1/2 cups white sugar
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
2 cups whole toasted almonds, optional but recommended

1. Line a 9x13 baking dish with foil or parchment paper. 
2. Place chocolate chips, marshmallow cream, butter, vanilla, and nuts in large bowl. Set aside.
3. Pour sugar and evaporated milk in a very large pot. Bring mixture to a boil and boil briskly for 7 minutes, stirring continuously. Remove from heat and pour into the bowl containing the first mixture. Mix until incorporated completely. Add almonds if using. Pour into prepared pan, smooth top and refrigerate until set.
4. Slice into squares and serve. You can prepare this ahead of time and freeze if desired.

Easy Chocolate Ice Cream

Easy Chocolate Ice Cream - made June 1, 2014 from Chocolate, Chocolate and More

Is it getting too hot to turn your oven on but you need something sweet? More importantly, are you running out of ice cream? I myself have an ice cream machine but I could probably count on the fingers of both hands how many times I've actually used it. I bought it during my more acquisitive phase of "stuff" and, at the time, I was totally enamored with the idea of making my own ice cream. A couple of things I forgot though: 1) cleaning the ice cream machine is a pain and 2) I don't actually love ice cream enough to want to deal with cleaning said machine on a regular basis.

Top view of the Ben & Jerry's Karamel Sutra Core

It's not that I don't like ice cream. I do. I'll eat it gladly when it's in front of me. I recently discovered Ben & Jerry's "core" flavors where they have a core of caramel or hazelnut fudge running through the middle of a pint of ice cream and have enjoyed that on occasion. One pint lasts me over a month, if I remember to eat it. But I rarely (never) crave ice cream and I can take it or leave it. It's only imperative when I need it to pair with something else (hello, molten chocolate cake and warm apple cobbler) and then it's only vanilla ice cream. But standalone ice cream isn't often on my dessert list, especially if it requires effort.

So it was a good thing when this recipe from Chocolate, Chocolate and More crossed my pinterest-roving eye. Billed as "easy" ice cream that could be made without an ice cream machine, it practically shrieked "try me!". And I listen when recipes shriek at me. There was truth in advertising as this recipe really was easy. The hardest thing (which isn't hard) is making sure you whip the heavy cream enough without overbeating it. Stiff peaks means when you lift the whisk attachment from the bowl, the peaks that form in the whipped cream should remain upright. If it falls over, you're only at soft peak. But if you overbeat it, the cream will break and curdle. Err on the side of underbeating if you think you're at risk of overbeating. If you do overbeat, try adding a little more cream and whipping it back into shape.

I froze this overnight. Okay, I actually froze it for 2 days before I remembered I had made it and should try it. The first spoonful was a pleasant confirmation that this tasted like "real" ice cream. It was smooth and creamy and very chocolaty. Whaddaya know, I just made ice cream. But two spoonfuls later and it got a little too rich for me. I think that was partly because I used a rich cocoa (Pernigotti) and partly because cream and sweetened condensed milk are rich. Plus, I've trained myself over the years to like the slow-churned, lighter ice cream as opposed to the super premium stuff, my experimenting with Ben & Jerry's Core ice cream notwithstanding. So the rich versions seem super rich to me. As with all sweets, a little goes a long way and this should be eaten in moderation. To cut some of the richness, try adding toasted nuts into the custard and/or as topping for the ice cream when you serve it.

2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Stir together sweetened condensed milk, cocoa powder and vanilla in a medium bowl. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form; do not overbeat.
3. Fold sweetened milk mixture into whipped cream. Pour into a 2-quart container, cover and freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Chocolate Tarts

Chocolate Tarts - made May 30, 2014, adapted from S'more Pie from Deep Dark Chocolate by Sara Perry

I don't actually own the book this recipe came from but I saw it in the digital library that my local library is affiliated with so I couldn't resist checking it out. I didn't have as much time as I would've liked during the loan period to peruse all of the recipes so I settled for this one to try out.

The original recipe was for a S'More Pie and called for making the crust into a single pie pan, filling it with the chocolate cream filling then topping it with marshmallows that you then toast to get the classic S'more experience. I left most of the original directions below in case there are s'more fans out there but since we know how I feel about marshmallows, I took some liberties with the recipe and turned them into mini chocolate tarts with my own toppings instead.

One recipe for the graham cracker crust fit into 4 individual-size tart pans as did the filling recipe. I used a high quality bittersweet chocolate for the filling since that was a major component of the tart. This really couldn't have been easier to make. Once you bake off the shells, let them cool then make the filling which is essentially just a ganache: boil the milk and butter, pour the hot liquid mixture over the chocolate and whisk until smooth.

The filling is pretty liquid when you first make it and even after it's cooled, it doesn't set into a firm fudge texture but was more like a soft cream filling. After I filled the tart shells, I chilled them first to let the filling set then sprinkled one tart with toffee bits and another with toasted almonds. You can leave them plain or add your own toppings. I like texture contrasts so besides the toffee and almonds, I would have also sprinkled a different one with toasted coconut. You can have fun experimenting with the toppings of your choice.

I have to admit, this isn't my usual kind of dessert since I'm not much for cream or custard-type desserts or ganache but once it was chilled, I liked it better than I thought I would. The crust is crisp and provides a nice contrast to the creamy filling as does the toffee topping. To suit it to my sweeter taste buds, I think next time I would make it with milk chocolate instead of semisweet and/or blend in some nutella instead of going with the original bittersweet chocolate ganache.

Topped with toffee bits, still a bit soft

Topped with almonds, chilled until set

Crust

1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup granulated sugar

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling

5 ounces premium dark chocolate, chopped

½ cup whole milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Pinch of salt

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Topping

18 large, fresh marshmallows or Midnight Milky Ways, chopped or toffee bits

1.    Crust: Preheat oven to 350⁰F. In a medium bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter until well blended and crumbly. Transfer the mixture to a 9-inch freezer-to-oven pie pan and lightly press onto the bottom of the pan. Bake until set and fragrant, 12 to 15 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature.

2.    Filling: Place the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl.  In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the milk and butter until the butter is melted and small bubbles form around the edge of the pan.  Stir to combine.  Pour the hot milk mixture over the chocolate.  Let stand for several minutes, then stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in the salt and vanilla until blended.  Let cool completely.  Pour into the crust and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight.

3.    Topping: Heat  the oven broiler to low.  Cut each marshmallow in half crosswise and arrange the halves, cut side down, to cover the top of the pie. Place the pie on the lowest rack of the oven until the marshmallows toast.  Watch carefully, once they start to brown, they toast quickly.  Serve while the marshmallows are still warm.

Mini Nutella Cookie Cups

Mini Nutella Cookie Cups - made dough May 12, 2014 from Daisy Chubb

I'm a fan of mini cookie cups. They're like little cupcakes but in cookie form with a filling. If you need to bring cookies for an event or to give away, they're a little different than the norm and can look fancy but be very simple to make. In the case of these, you simply make the dough, portion into dough balls then drop into mini muffin tins. Don't worry about shaping them into "cups" until after they're baked. As soon as they come out of the oven, make an indent in the center. I used a tart tamper so it took only seconds to turn the puffy, muffin-shaped "cookies" into cookie cups. If you don't have a tart tamper, just use the rounded side of a teaspoon to press an indent in the center. Then you drop a dollop of nutella in the indents. You can top with the topping of your choice like mini chocolate chips, chopped toasted almonds or, like I did, with toffee bits.

When the cookie cups have cooled slightly and aren't so fragile, take them gently out of the muffin tins and let them cool completely. Don't let them cool all the way in the mini muffin tins or they'll be harder to take out as they will adhere more tightly to the muffin tin. Also, the moisture will absorb back into the cookie shells as they cool and make them soggy. These won't be crisp but will be chewy yet they shouldn't be wet/soggy.

I loved these because the cookie shell was a brown sugar cookie base (think of it like a chocolate chip cookie without the chocolate chips) and it went perfectly with creamy, melt-y Nutella. The toffee added some nice crunch on top for a texture contrast. The only drawback, of course, is you can't stack these cookies or mail them without making a mess of the filling so I don't recommend doing either.

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Nutella

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease mini muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Cream butter and both sugars in bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla until incorporated. 
3. Gradually add dry ingredients until combined.
4. Roll dough into balls 1.5" thick.
5. Place in mini muffin tin and bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown.
6. Remove from oven and let sit for about 2 minutes. Make wells in the center for the nutella with the back of a teaspoon or tablespoon (I used a tart shaper). Add 1 tablespoon of nutella to each cup. Let cool 15 - 20 minutes.

Restaurant Review: Big Ed's Buzzard BBQ

Big Ed's Buzzard BBQ - lunch on June 3, 2014

 I've been slacking on trying out new mom-and-pop restaurants lately, partly because I haven't had socializing time and partly because when I have gone out, I've fallen back to places I've gone to before. But I decided to make more of an effort to try something new and, as always, turned to yelp for suggestions. I chose Big Ed's Buzzard BBQ, not just because of the 4.5-star rating on yelp but, once I read their story on their website and confirmed they were a small, family-owned and operated business, that was a no-brainer for the kind of place I want to support and try out.

I'm not quite sure what I expected when I went in but it was a little surprising. They're in a business park, towards the back so they're not very visible from the street and I had a little trouble finding it. It's not a setting that really says "restaurant". It's more like "eatery". The inside is bisected with a few tables in each section and a counter where you place your order. The woman who took our order was very nice and when we asked for recommendations because it was our first time, she suggested the trio of sliders: beef brisket, tri-tip and pulled pork. It comes with a side order and the total was $10.82 so it was decently cheap. At each red-checkered-covered table was a plastic cylinder of barbecue sauce as the sliders and sandwiches come out plain, just the meat and the bread. That works just fine for me since I don't like a lot of "stuff" in my food and I'm a very plain eater.

My coworker thought it was all a bit dry, hence the need for adding as much barbecue sauce as you wish. I thought the meats were decently good although each of them could've used a little more flavor, even marinade, instead of relying just on the barbecue sauce. Of the trio, the brisket was the best one to me and the lady behind the counter said that's what they're most known for. In hindsight, I think it would've been better to have gotten just the brisket or the brisket sandwich. The bread to meat ratio with the sliders leaned too heavily towards the bread and there wasn't enough meat but as we were leaving, I saw someone else with a brisket order and their full-size sandwich was overflowing with brisket.

As always, I'm glad I tried it so now I know. As a lunch place, it's somewhere you go for the food or for cheap eats rather than the ambiance or the location. I don't know if I would've rated it as highly as the yelp reviewers but to be really fair, I probably need to try more than 1 order. Next time, I'll focus on the brisket.

Chewy Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Chewy Chocolate Chunk Cookies - made dough May 25, 2014 from Sally's Baking Addiction

This is an easy-to-make, straightforward chocolate chip cookie recipe, ideal for novice bakers. You don't need a fancy mixer or special ingredients, just a bowl and a wooden spoon. Because you melt the butter, you also don't have to worry about softening it or having it be too cold or too soft. Just let it cool slightly after you melt it so it's not hot enough to cook the eggs when you mix it. The dough was a little soft after I mixed it and didn't hold a ball shape very well so I did chill it briefly first, just long enough for the dough to be firm enough to hold its shape before I portioned it into dough balls and put them in the freezer for baking later.

I had a slip of the tongue when I told my coworker, Queen of Cheap Eats, "it's really simple, you can make it". Oops, that came out wrong. But it is really easy.

This doesn't spread very much so you get nice, thick cookies. Bake just long enough for the edges to get golden and the middle/top doesn't look raw. It's okay if they seem a bit underdone. Once they cool completely, they'll have a nice chewy texture. If you get a "cakey" texture, they're overbaked. I used milk chocolate chips just because I prefer milk chocolate but feel free to use semisweet or dark chocolate if you wish.

2 1/4 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup (150 grams) light brown sugar, loosely packed
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup (180 grams) chocolate chips or chunks

1. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt in a large bowl; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until no brown sugar lumps remain. Whisk in the egg then the egg yolk. Whisk in vanilla.
3. Combine wet ingredients with dry ingredients and mix together with a large wooden spoon or rubber spatula. The dough will be very soft, yet thick. Fold in the chocolate chips. Cover the dough and chill for 2 hours or up to 3 days. Alternatively, you can chill just until the dough is firm enough to portion into dough balls (3 tablespoons each) then chill or freeze the dough balls.
4. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place 8 balls of cookie dough onto each baking sheet. Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes. If desired, press more chocolate chunks or chips on top of newly baked cookies while still warm. Allow to cool completely.

Beer Brownies

Beer Brownies - made May 26, 2014 from Texans United

It's June. Why is it June already???  2014 just started a few weeks ago; I'm sure of it. But suddenly it's June. Oy.

Remember my clueless adventure in buying beer for the French Dip recipe? I neglected to mention that I had to buy a 6-pack since they didn't sell single bottles (darn). So now I have 5 bottles of Heineken to get rid of. Well, make that 4 bottles now since I did use up one for this recipe. You gotta love pinterest because I just did a search of Beer Brownies and this one popped up immediately. It looked so moist and fudgy that I had to try it.

What's intriguing about this recipe is you melt the chocolate chips into the batter, including the white chocolate chips. I'm not sure of the purpose of that because there's absolutely no taste of white chocolate in these but I'm a good baking sheeple and followed the directions faithfully. The beer is added last and right before I added it, the batter smelled so good, very divinely chocolaty. Then I added the beer and cringed. It smelled beer-y and I wondered if I had just ruined a good batch of brownies. But I was banking on the alcohol burning off in baking so I trusted the recipe and went with it. Not to mention it was too late to do anything else anyway.

These actually turned out pretty well. I loved the texture because it was as moist and fudgy as any good brownie should be. I assume that was helped by the beer. I did taste the beer slightly but it was very muted and possibly also because I knew it was in there. If I hadn't known, I might not have given it a second thought. If you don't like the taste of beer, use a very dark cocoa like Pernigotti (Hershey's won't cut it) as well as dark chocolate for the bittersweet and semisweet. If you do like the taste of beer, use a dark beer and more of a mild cocoa. I was happy enough to taste very little beer in the brownie.

1 cup flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
4 ounces semisweet chocolate
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
4 eggs, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups beer at room temperature, no foam
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Line a 9 x 13" pan with foil and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cocoa and salt until combined.
4. In a double boiler over low heat, melt butter, bittersweet and semisweet chocolates and white chocolate chips, stirring frequently until completely melted and smooth.
5. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Temper the egg mixture with a little of the chocolate mixture and stir to combine. Then pour all of the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and beat until combined.
6. Add the flour mixture slowly into the egg-chocolate mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in the beer, followed by the semisweet chocolate chips and mix until combined.
7. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool completely before slicing and serving.