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Amy vs. Baked Alaska – The Showdown

Posted on June 9, 2010 by amydeline

A tumbleweed rolls across my kitchen floor. A strange man sits at the table, whistling ominously on a stout brown jug. I step into the room, spurs glimmering. A pair of wooden saloon doors swing closed behind me with a screech. (Funny…I don’t remember installing those doors.) I tip my hat and glare at my adversary.

**Flashback twenty or so years.** A gawky teenager, dressed in leggings with slouch socks and gleaming white faux-Keds, moves easily about the kitchen. Her side-pony sways with every movement. A well worn Better Homes and Gardens Dessert cookbook, circa 1973, sits open on the counter. Bolstered with confidence after the roaring success of the previous week’s Lemon Meringue Pie, she is busy preparing Baked Alaska, never pausing for a moment to consider what lie ahead.

My adversary stands before me, dressed in gleaming white. It snickers, taunting me. I stick my tongue out and make a sour face. My weapon is drawn.

Cyndi Lauder blares in the background as the eager teen approaches the open oven, her fluffy, white creation in hand. She pops it in the oven and dances awkwardly about the kitchen for a few minutes.  The timer beeps. She bounces over to the oven, opens the door, and shrieks. Her siblings come running into the kitchen.

I belt out my battle cry and approach the snickering adversary. I take it in my hands and approach the piping hot oven. Not this time!  Not this time! I place it in the oven and close the door.

The teen and her siblings stare in horror at the tray of melted ice cream. It looks nothing like the picture in the cookbook. A single tear falls from the teen’s hazel eyes.

After five eternal minutes, I open the oven and…

My Baked Alaska

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Baked Alaska

Here’s how it’s done…

The Cake

You can use just about any flavor or type of cake for the base of the Baked Alaska. A giant cookie or brownie base would probably work nicely too!  I went searching for a dark chocolate cake recipe for my Baked Alaska. I landed upon a truly fantastic recipe from Hershey’s for Deep Dark Chocolate Cake.  This is probably the best chocolate cake I’ve ever tasted. I will definitely be using this cake recipe for future birthday cakes! I made one 9 inch round cake for my base and several cupcakes for the kids to make their own mini Baked Alaskas.

Mise en place - Everything in its place

Hershey's Deep Dark Chocolate Cake

Chocolatey Cake and Cupcakes

The Ice Cream

You can use any flavor(s) of ice cream in your Baked Alaska.  To prepare the ice cream, spray the inside of a bowl with Pam or lightly coat with vegetable oil. Then, line the bowl with plastic wrap.  This step will make it easier to remove the ice cream dome. Allow the ice cream to soften slightly.  Then, spread the ice cream in an even layer on the bottom of the bowl, being certain to fill all gaps.  Place the bowl in the freezer until the ice cream has refrozen. If using more than one flavor, freeze each layer before adding the next flavor. I layered dark chocolate ice cream with fresh raspberries, raspberry sorbet, and milk chocolate ice cream.

Raspberry Sorbet Layer

Waiting for the ice cream

The Meringue

Meringue is a mixture of egg whites and sugar, beaten until thick and glossy. Cream of tartar is frequently added as a stabilizer, but is not absolutely necessary. Egg whites should be beaten to soft peaks before incorporating the sugar.

A few tips for a successful meringue:

  • Bowl and whisk should be pristinely clean as even the slightest bit of residual fat can prevent the whites from developing.
  • Stainless steel, glass, or ceramic bowls will all work well.
  • Make sure that no trace of yolk enters the mix. Crack each egg into a ramekin or small bowl first, so if a yolk breaks, you won’t waste the whole batch.
  • Allow the egg whites to come to room temperature before beating.
  • Before beating, add 1/8 tsp of Cream of Tartar per egg white to help stabilize the whipped whites.
  • Beat the egg whites until soft peaks begin to form.
  • Use about (but no less than) 2 Tbsp of sugar per egg white.
  • If possible, use superfine sugar as it will dissolve more easily into the egg whites.
  • Gradually add sugar a spoonful at a time, until stiff peaks form. Stiff peaks will hold their shape. The meringue should be smooth and glossy.

Soft Peaks

Stiff Peaks

** I used 8 whites, 1 tsp cream of tartar, and 16 Tbsp sugar, which made enough meringue to thoroughly cover my large Baked Alaska and two of the kids’ Baked Alaska cupcakes.

The Assembly

Once the cake is baked and the ice cream is thoroughly frozen, carefully turn the bowl over and lower the ice cream dome on top of the cake. I scooped out a shallow bed for the ice cream dome to sit in, in the hopes that it would provide a better insulating seal for the meringue. This step may not be necessary, but it worked! Once the ice cream cake is assembled, allow it to freeze until very firm. I left mine in the freezer overnight. Once frozen, preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Prepare the meringue.  Working quickly, coat the ice cream and the cake thoroughly in meringue, being careful to spread the meringue to every edge. You can use a knife or the back of a spoon to create decorative designs in your meringue.

Cake with a shallow bed for the ice cream

Cake with Ice Cream

The Final Baking

Bake on the lower rack of a 450 degree oven for 5-6 minutes until the exterior begins to brown.

Serve immediately or freeze until ready to serve. It holds well in the freezer.

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Baked Alaska with Raspberry Coulis

A few other notes and tips…

  • Make sure your meringue thoroughly coats the ice cream and cake.  This is the most important part (and probably the aspect which caused my failure so many years ago). The meringue is what insulates the ice cream from the heat.
  • Make your ice cream dome with a smaller diameter than your cake.  Most recipes don’t mention this, but I think it helps to prevent melting.
  • Inspired by this link, shared by a friend, my kids made their own mini Baked Alaskas.  I used extra batter from the cake to make a few cupcakes.  Then, we scooped out the center and filled it with softened Raspberry Sorbet.  They coated their Alaskas with the extra meringue.  Then, I put them in the oven for 5 minutes at 450 degrees.  Worked out great, just make sure you help your kids thoroughly cover the entire cupcake.
  • I served my Baked Alaska with a Raspberry Coulis.  A coulis, (pronounced koo-LEE) is simply a sauce made by pureeing fruit or vegetables and straining.  For my sauce, I pureed a handful of raspberries with a Tbps of sugar. Then, I strained the puree and discarded the seeds.

Don't mess with this cowboy!

So, did anyone else try your own Baked Alaska??  I know at least one of you did and with grand success! Anyone else?  Tell us how it went!

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Posted in Baking, Cakes, Chocolate, Cooking with Kids, Culinary Techniques, Desserts, Food, Fruit, General Rambling and Such, Ice Cream, Recipes and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Fresh-squeezed Ginger Lemonade

Posted on June 8, 2010 by amydeline

As I was out for my run last weekend, my route brought me past a garage sale. Not so unusual on a Saturday afternoon. But, the thing which caught my attention was the young girl, sitting at the foot of the driveway, selling lemonade. It brought me back to my childhood, sitting with my sisters by the side of the road, selling our wares. We sold just about anything we could think of…painted rocks, watercolor “art”, baked goods (usually cookies from a tube), and of course, lemonade. My sister assures me that there was minimal interest in our painted rocks and that we forced to lower our prices to meet the demand, which inevitably left us standing at the foot of our yard yelling, Rocks!  Get your free rocks here!! Ok, so maybe the rocks didn’t sell so well, but we did sell a glass or two of lemonade. We made our lemonade fresh from a bulk-size tub of powdered Country Time Lemonade (which, incidentally, does not list lemons amongst its ingredients).  We probably shouldn’t have advertised it as “fresh”. But, people would stop as they drove past and buy our lemonade (and get a free rock). Good people. Good memories. I need to remember to keep a quarter in my shoe when I run, in case I pass another lemonade stand.

So, I’ve had lemonade on my mind. But no more tubs of powdered sugar and ‘Yellow 5 Lake’ coloring  for me. Today, we’re making lemonade, fresh squeezed from a bowl full of lemons.  And, I can’t resist the urge to infuse it with a bit of ginger root. (I’ve got a tiny, little addiction to ginger tea.) This recipe is refreshing and not too sweet.  Perfect for a picnic on a hot day!

Fresh-squeezed Ginger Lemonade

Ingredients

  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 inch piece of ginger root
  • 1 cup of lemon juice (juice of about 8-10 lemons)
  • 5 cups of cold water

Directions

Peel and thinly slice the ginger root. In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup of water with sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar.  Add the slices of ginger root. Bring to a boil. Simmer for a minute or so. Remove the pan from the heat.  Allow the ginger to steep in the liquid for about an hour.  Strain the mixture. In a pitcher, combine the ginger syrup with the lemon juice and cold water. Refrigerate and enjoy!

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It’s Smoothie Time

Posted on June 4, 2010 by amydeline

The sun is shining. The pools are open. The farmstands are brimming with fruit.

It’s smoothie time!!


I’ve got two tasty smoothies for you today. The first, my personal favorite, is a Mango Creamsicle Smoothie. It tastes like a creamsicle bar, with the added punch of sweet, fresh mango. The second is a smoothie I like to make for the kids because it’s made with nothing more than fresh fruit and milk. Rather than using ice in my smoothies, I use frozen fruit, which makes a thick smoothie without watering down the flavor. You can purchase bags of chopped, frozen fruit, with no added sugar or syrup.  Or chop and freeze your own fruit!

Mango Creamsicle Smoothie

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Vanilla Frozen Yogurt
  • 1/2 cup Orange Juice
  • 1/2 cup Frozen Mango Chunks

Directions

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Alternately, combine ingredients in a bowl or large measuring cup and blend with an immersion blender. (Makes 1 Smoothie)

Fresh Fruit and Milk Smoothie

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of Frozen Fruit, sliced or chopped
  • 1/2 Banana
  • 1/2 cup Milk

Directions

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Alternately, combine ingredients in a bowl or large measuring cup and blend with an immersion blender. Add more or less milk, as necessary, to achieve your desired consistency.

A delicious frosty treat!

Speaking of frosty treats… There’s still time to get in on the Baked Alaska fun!!! I’ve got my flavors picked out!  Anyone else want to join in the adventure?? Just make any version of a Baked Alaska before next Wednesday and let me know how it goes!

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German Soft-Pretzel Sandwiches

Posted on May 27, 2010 by amydeline

My best friends from college joke about how they’d vocalize a craving and within moments, I’d have found everything necessary and be halfway done making it. To be honest, I can’t actually think of one example of doing this. But, it sounds like something I’d do. Nowadays, my husband holds the magic lamp which makes all of his food cravings appear. Most of the time he just waits to see what I put in front of him. But every so often, he gets a hankering for something and I do what I can to bring it to fruition.

Such was the case last night, as my husband was scrolling through his iPhone and ran across a New York Times article entitled, Making Soft Pretzels the Old-Fashioned Way. You see, my husband has got a tiny, little obsession with pretzels; doughy, salty Bavarian pretzels. It all began just after our college graduation. We lived in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany for the summer and worked at an American-owned hotel.  I was a waitress and bartender in the hotel’s main restaurant.  My husband worked in housekeeping. We spent most of our evenings at German beer festivals drinking huge glasses of Bavarian Hefeweissen and eating pretzels. On days off, we’d huff and puff our way up the Kramer Mountain (with little old German ladies swiftly biking past us) to our favorite biergarten, informally known as the Halfway House, perched halfway up the mountain, overlooking all of Garmisch.  A couple of beers and a pretzel later and we’d hike back down. What a summer! It’s really no wonder that a pretzel obsession developed.

Here in the states, good German beer is readily available. There is a wide selection of imported Hefeweissen, Dunkel Bock and Pilsners right at my local grocery store. But, pretzels are a different story. Good Bavarian-style soft pretzels are not as easy to find. Over the years, my husband has been on an endless search for good pretzels.  He buys a pretzel whenever he has the opportunity, whether it be at a baseball game, the mall, or from a street vendor. So far, the closest we’ve found to an authentic Bavarian pretzel is at the Hofbrauhaus in Las Vegas. Without fail, the very best part of every Vegas trip is our evening at the Hofbrauhaus, singing along with the live German music while consuming as much German beer, pretzels, and food as we can before taking turns rolling each other back to the hotel.

But, Vegas is far away and there are no Germany trips in our near future. And so, this morning, while my husband was busy at work, I decided to try my hand at pretzel making. I poked around online for a bit looking for an authentic soft pretzel recipe. Turns out that the key to making really good soft pretzels is dipping the dough into a lye bath just prior to baking.  Lye is a highly caustic substance, the use of which necessitates safety measures, such as gloves and masks, to prevent chemical burns. Lye is used in the curing processes of numerous foods.  It is also used in drain cleaners and soap. I’m all for adventurous cooking, but something about using a product in my food, which can be found next to the Drano, just sits funny with me.  Not to mention that I’m not wild about using something which can cause chemical burns, in proximity of my ever-present children. Either way, it doesn’t appear that lye is commonly available anymore.  One online pretzel recipe linked to Amazon.com as a source for food-grade lye, but the lye I found on there was listed in the Automotive section.  Yeah, that’s not really going to work for me. So, I did a little more searching around and found a number of recipes which use a baking soda bath, prior to baking, to achieve that pretzelrific exterior browning, including a recipe from Alton Brown.  Alton Brown knows his stuff! I trust his expertise completely. That, and 234 positive reviews of the recipe convinced me that it was worth a try. I followed his recipe exactly, only substituting coarse-ground sea salt for the pretzel salt. I made a few pretzels and several rolls to use for sandwiches.

Waiting for the dough to rise

Expert pretzel roller

Egg wash

Basket o' pretzels

Pretzel Roll with Smoked Gouda, Black Forest Ham, Thinly Sliced Pear, and German Mustard

Pretzel sandwiches would be outstanding with any number of fillings.  I chose to use Black Forest Ham, Smoked Gouda, thinly sliced pear, and German-style mustard. My husband is in for a real treat when he gets home for lunch!

Enjoy with your favorite German brew.

Prost!

Prost!!

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Posted in Breads, Cheese, Food, Fruit, Main Course, Pork, Recipes, Sandwiches, Things I Love and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Cinnamon Apple and Brie Quesadillas with a Side Salad of Spring Greens with Prosciutto, Figs, and Walnuts

Posted on May 24, 2010 by amydeline

So, if you’ve been following this blog for the past few weeks, you may have started to notice some trends.

  • I love cheese.
  • I love to cook foods that I can eat with my hands.
  • I like to keep things pretty simple.

Don’t get me wrong…I love nothing more than to spend the day in the kitchen cooking up elaborate meals on special occasions, for dinner guests, or anytime I’ve got someone else to watch the kids. But, most of the time, I like to keep things simple. Just a few fresh ingredients, a little mixing and heating, and voila!  A delicious meal! (We’ll just save the boeuf bourguignon for Christmas!)

I’ve been thinking a lot about this adorable little bistro we visited during our stay in Clearwater Beach.  It was a small place with wine-lined walls. There was a long bar for wine tasting, a few indoor tables, and a large outdoor patio. The menu was simple but interesting; mostly salads, sandwiches, and pizzas, prepared behind the long bar. On Friday nights, they featured live music.  We even walked by a doggie happy hour (a yappy hour, if you will), taking place on the patio one night. I’m pretty sure that if I ever had the good fortune to open a little place of my own, I’d want a place just like that. Simple, but elegant menu in a casual, inviting atmosphere.  I’d feature fresh baked artisan breads and cheese from local farms, seasonal produce, and wines from the Finger Lakes region. I’d personally welcome each guest and offer complimentary wine tasting. And, I almost forgot… it would be spring all year long and I’d wear pretty skirts every day. Wouldn’t that be lovely??

But, I digress. Tonight’s dinner is inspired by one of the menu items at that adorable Clearwater Beach bistro. I love, love, love brie! Hands down, it’s one of my most favorite cheeses. I especially love brie when it’s paired with something fruity, like fig preserves or dried apricots. So, when I spotted the Cinnamon Apple and Brie Quesadillas on the menu, I stopped reading and just ordered. They’ve been on my mind lately, so I decided to whip up my own version.  On the side, I’m serving Spring Greens with Prosciutto, Figs, and Walnuts in Balsamic. Though I was hoping to find fresh figs at my grocery store, they’re not in season until later in the summer/early fall.  So, I picked up a bag of dried organic Calimyrna figs.  Dried Black Mission figs would do the trick too.

Enjoy with a glass (or two) of your favorite wine!

Cinnamon Apple and Brie Quesadillas

Cinnamon Apple and Brie Quesadillas

Ingredients

  • 8 soft taco-sized Flour Tortillas
  • 1 wedge Brie, about 8 ounces
  • 2 Granny Smith Apples
  • 1 Tbsp Butter
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • Honey

Directions

Peel the apples, remove the core and finely dice. In a saucepan, melt butter.  Add apples and cook over medium heat, for about 4-5 minutes, until apples are slightly softened. Add cinnamon, stir and cook for another minute. To compose the quesadillas, sprinkle cinnamon apples onto a flour tortilla.  Top with very thin slices of brie.  Cover with another tortilla. Bake in a 350 degrees oven for 5-7 minutes, until cheese is melted and tortilla is slightly crispy.  Use a pizza cutter to divide the quesadilla into 4 parts. Drizzle with honey. Serves 4

Not too much to say about the salad…  Chop up some prosciutto and thinly slice some figs. Toss some mixed spring greens in a little balsamic or balsamic vinaigrette. Top with the prosciutto, figs, and some walnuts.  This salad is fantastic with crumbled goat cheese or gorgonzola!

Cinnamon Apple and Brie Quesadillas with Spring Greens, Prosciutto, Figs, and Walnuts in Balsamic

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Cooking with Kids: Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Posted on May 20, 2010 by amydeline

First and foremost, this is a blog about food. But, being a mom is inseparable from the rest of me. It’s at the core of my being. It’s part of almost everything I do, including cooking. And it just so happens that I believe that cooking with kids is one of the most fantastic ways to develop early-learning skills. Prior to my life as a stay-at-home mom, I was a teacher. Though I am no longer a teacher by trade, I will always be an educator. As an educator, a mom, and a culinary fanatic, I feel passionately about the many ways that cooking with kids can be learning-rich experiences.

Just a few of the many skills that are developed through cooking:

  • Vocabulary Development – names of foods, cooking terms, procedural language
  • Following Directions – single and multi-step directions
  • Sequencing Skills – following the steps in the directions, retelling the sequence of steps
  • Fine Motor Skill Development – stirring, pouring, mashing, cutting soft objects
  • Hand-Eye Coordination
  • Social Emotional Development – feeling pride and sense of accomplishment, following directions, turn-taking, participation
  • Science Knowledge – change of state from liquid to solid, heating and cooling, dissolving
  • Math Knowledge – measuring, counting
  • Willingness to experiment with new foods – kids may be more open to trying something they had a hand in making

A few tips to help make your cooking experience enjoyable for everyone:

  • Give yourself extra time.
  • Be prepared for a little extra mess.
  • Select tasks which are age-appropriate for your child.  (Kids are expert mixers, pourers, and banana-mashers!) Give them tasks to keep them occupied between steps.
  • Prepare, prepare, prepare! In the culinary field, one often hears the French phrase, “mise en place”. Essentially, this translates to “everything in its place”. It simply involves the practice of gathering, measuring, and preparing all ingredients prior to beginning the cooking process.  This practice is useful for all cooking, but is especially helpful when you’re working with young kids, with short attention spans.
  • Don’t forget to model good sanitary practices, such washing hands and using clean utensils.  (Keep a few extra spoons nearby so you can quickly replace spoons used for tasting!)

Children learn best when they are engaged in meaningful, hands-on activities. So, next time you’re in the kitchen, grab your kid (or borrow someone else’s) and get cooking!

A few pictures of today’s banana chocolate chip muffin-making event…

Adding the salt

Pouring the oil

Expert banana mashers

Using a fork to loosen the banana

Feeling proud of his work

Taste test

Anxiously waiting and watching

And now the recipe.  Children welcome, but not required to make!

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins


Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cup flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
  • 3/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. To prepare your muffin pan, use muffin liners, grease and flour, or spray with Baker’s Joy (or a similar product). Pour the batter into prepared muffins tins. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Makes about 12-15 muffins.

**This recipe was adapted from a recipe for Banana Bread, found here.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

My Quality Control Team Leader

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Posted in Baking, Breakfast, Chocolate, Cooking with Kids, Desserts, Food, Fruit, General Rambling and Such, Recipes and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

A Spicy Chocolate Cake

Posted on May 14, 2010 by amydeline

Like chocolate cake? Like spicy food?

Then, I’ve got the recipe for you!

I can take no credit for this one, other than following the recipe and taking a picture of the result.  But, it was so delicious, I wanted to share the recipe with you. I made this cake a couple months ago for some dinner guests.  My husband was apprehensive, thinking I’d been saying ‘Chocolate Chili Cake’. I guess the idea of ground meat and kidney beans in his chocolate cake wasn’t appealing. But, rest assured.  There are no meat or beans in this cake…just dense, chocolatey goodness with just a little bit of heat.  Trust me, it works!

Flourless Chocolate-Chile Cake by Daisy Martinez

Flourless Chocolate-Chile Cake with Chocolate Ganache and Raspeberries

I added a chocolate ganache glaze and fresh raspberries to give the cake a little finish. To make a basic ganache, put 4 ounces of semisweet chocolate in a bowl. Bring 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp of heavy cream to a boil and immediately pour over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate completely melts.  Spread over the cake.

Sneaky babies...they're everywhere!!

Takeout for dinner tonight.  Tomorrow I will run my first 5k ever, for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure!  Think Pink!!

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Tropical Fish Tacos with Spicy Mango Salsa and Coconut Rice

Posted on May 12, 2010 by amydeline

A few weeks ago, I was flipping through the channels and happened to come across a wonderful show I hadn’t heard of before. Food Tech, which airs on the History Channel, is hosted by chef Bobby Bognar. The show follows its host as he travels the country deconstructing some of America’s favorite meals. My attention was immediately rapt by the Pancakes & Bacon (Yummy, BACON!) episode and I stayed tuned for the Mexican episode that followed, in which Bobby fishes for Mahi Mahi in Hawaii, harvests agave for tequila in Mexico, and ripens the perfect avocado. Well, this got my belly rumbling and the gears in my brain turning. The next day, I picked up a package of frozen Mahi Mahi fillets. Initially I’d been planning to prepare fish tacos with tomato salsa and probably a little guacamole.  But, then I remembered the Spicy Mango Salsa I used to make and a new idea took shape. So, tonight I offer you Tropical Fish Tacos with a Spicy Mango Salsa and Coconut Rice.

Tropical Fish Tacos with Spicy Mango Salsa in Homemade Flour Tortillas

The Flour Tortilla Experience

For me, one of the exciting things about this blog is that it motivates me to broaden my culinary horizons; to try things I haven’t tried before and to “perfect” the things I’m experienced with.  When I initially thought through this meal, I planned on using store-bought tortillas.  In fact, I didn’t give it much of a thought.  Just bought the tortillas and considered that part taken care of.  Then, this morning, on a whim, I decided to run an online search for flour tortilla recipes.  The recipes looked basic enough and I had all the necessary ingredients.  So, I decided to go for it. I would try my hand at flour tortillas with the help of my two little assistants. I figured I had nothing to lose.  If they worked out, I’d have homemade tortillas and a recipe to share with you.  If they were a total flop, I’d laugh with you about the experience and use the store-bought tortillas from my fridge.

Well…they worked! And, aside from my kitchen and two little boys being covered in flour, they were a piece of cake to make. Now, I’m not saying that I have any intention of  making homemade tortillas every time I need them or suggesting that there’s anything wrong with using store-bought tortillas. But, if you have the desire and a little extra time to make your own, it’s a totally reasonable task and the result is delicious!

Now, you may remember me saying how I rarely follow a recipe exactly as it’s written.  But, this is an exception.  There’s a chemistry to baking that makes precise measurements important. Some may argue that tortillas aren’t exactly “baked” per se, but considering you’re working with a dough, it counts as baking in my book.  Since I followed the recipe exactly as it was written, I am not going to republish it in this blog, but you can find it here.

The dough came together easily and was very manageable to work with.  Keeping your hands, rolling pin, table, and the dough dusted with flour helps prevent it from sticking. My 3 year old had the best description of the rolling process.  To paraphrase him, “You start with a golf ball, make it a cookie, roll it into a pancake, and then you have a tortilla!” It’s a pretty accurate description. My little assistants loved measuring the ingredients and keeping the table well dusted with flour. Hands down, the best way to cook with little kids running around is to engage them in the process!

And for your viewing pleasure, a few pics…

One of my eager assistants

Master Chef

Who wants to play ball?

Ready to cook tortilla

Homemade Flour Tortillas

And, now for the recipe you came here looking for:

Tropical Fish Tacos with Spicy Mango Salsa and Coconut Rice

Ingredients

Flour tortillas (homemade or store-bought)

For the Fish:

  • 2 Mahi Mahi fillets, about 6 ounces each (or other white flaky fish)
  • Juice of 1 Lime (Approx. 2 Tbsp)
  • 1/4 cup Canola Oil
  • 1 tsp Chile Power
  • 1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
  • Salt and Pepper

For the Salsa

  • 1 large, ripe Mango, diced (See my guide for dicing mangoes, here.)
  • 1-2 Jalapenos, seeds removed, finely diced
  • 3-4 Green onions, thinly sliced
  • Juice of 1 Lime (Approx. 2 Tbsp)
  • Salt and Pepper

For the Rice

  • 1 cup Basmati Rice
  • 1.5 cups (12 ounces) coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup (4 ounces) water

Directions

For the Salsa: Combine all ingredients.  Season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.  (Like your salsa extra spicy?  Add a second jalapeno!) Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Letting it sit in the fridge for a while gives the flavors a chance to mix and mingle and get to know each other better. **If sharing this meal with kids, you may want to put aside some diced mango before adding the jalapeno or onions, depending on their tastes.

Spicy Mango Salsa

For the Rice: Combine rice, coconut milk, and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Stir once to prevent rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Turn heat down to low, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and gently simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

For the Fish: Combine oil, lime juice, chile powder and garlic.  Pour over the  fish and allow to marinate in the fridge for about 15 minutes. Fire up your grill or heat up a grill pan.  Remove fish from the marinade and season with salt and pepper. Grill over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes on one side.  Then flip and grill on the other side for another 5 minutes or so, until cooked through and flaky. **As an alternative to grilling, cook the fish on a baking sheet in a 450 degrees oven until cooked through.  It should be opaque and flaky; 15 minutes ought to do it.

To assemble the meal: Wrap tortillas in foil and heat in a 325 degrees oven until warm. Fold the warm tortillas in half and fill with grilled Mahi-Mahi and mango salsa.  Enjoy with a scoop of coconut rice on the side! (Serves about 4)

Tropical Fish Taco

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Posted in Baking, Cooking with Kids, Food, Fruit, Main Course, Recipes, Rice, Seafood and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Steak Salad ala Amy

Posted on May 10, 2010 by amydeline

Since we’re just getting to know each other here, I thought I should make you one of my classic meals, a “signature dish”, if you will. It’s my Steak Salad with Poached Pears, Gorgonzola, and Glazed Walnuts in a Balsamic Vinaigrette. This is one of those dishes that friends and family request to have when they come over my house and it always hits the spot. It’s a delicious blend of sweet and savory flavors and the glazed walnuts add the perfect crunch. The best part is that it’s a cinch to put together!

I’m going to apologize to you in advance. Writing recipes is not one of my strengths.  I rarely follow a recipe as written and I hardly ever measure when I cook. I kind of go on automatic in the kitchen; mixing, stirring, adding ingredients, and tasting until it seems “right”. Every time I make something, it’s a little different than the time before. But, that’s the beautiful thing about home cooking…it doesn’t have to be the same each time!   I’ve tried to be as precise as I could be about quantities and cooking times,  but if you decide to make this recipe, I strongly encourage you to customize for your own tastes. (And, I promise I’ll try to work on my recipe writing skills for you.)

Ingredients

(Serves about 4 people)

  • Mixed Spring Greens
  • Gorgonzola Crumbles

For the Steak:

  • Flank Steak (about 1 pound)
  • Salt and Pepper

For the Poached Pears:

  • 2 Ripe, Firm Pears (Anjou, Bosc, Bartlett…)
  • 4 cups Poaching Liquid (water, white wine, champagne, apple juice…)
  • 1 Vanilla Bean (optional)
  • 1 Cinnamon Stick (optional)

For the Glazed Walnuts:

  • 1 cup Shelled Walnut Halves
  • 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
  • 1 Tbsp Butter
  • 1 Tbsp+ Water
  • Pinch of Cinnamon
  • Pinch of Cayenne
  • Pinch of Salt

For the Dressing:

  • 1/3 cup Balsamic Vinegar
  • 2/3 cup Olive Oil
  • 1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Poaching Liquid, reserved from the pears (optional)

Directions

For the pears: Peel pears, cut off tops and bottoms, and cut in half lengthwise.  Remove the core, using a melon baller or knife. Bring your poaching liquid to a simmer. Any combination of water, white wine, champagne, juice, etc. would be delicious.  I make mine a little differently each time depending on what I have in the house. Today I used 2 cups of chardonnay, 1 cup water, and 1 cup apple juice. Add a little lemon juice (about a tablespoon) for flavor and to help prevent the pears from browning.  If desired, throw in a cinnamon stick and/or a vanilla bean. Add pears to the simmering liquid and cook until tender, about 20 minutes.  Remove from cooking liquid and allow to cool.  Once cool, cut the pears into thin slices and refrigerate until ready to use. **You may want to reserve a little of the poaching liquid for the dressing.

For the Walnuts: Heat walnuts in a pan over medium heat for about 3 minutes, until they begin to toast.  Add 1 Tbsp of butter and cook for an additional minute.  Add brown sugar, spices, and about 1 Tbsp water to the pan.  Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly until the nuts are glazed. **You may need to add small quantities of additional water to achieve a glaze. (Adapted from Emeril Lagasse’s recipe for Spiced Nuts)

For the Steak: Preheat broiler. Season steak with salt and pepper.  Place directly under broiler and cook for about 15 minutes, for medium.


For the dressing: Combine vinegar, olive oil, and dijon mustard. If desired, add a little of the reserved poaching liquid. Season with a little salt and pepper. Using a fork, whisk vigorously to blend. **The dijon mustard adds flavor and acts as an emulsifier to hold the oil and vinegar together.

Before serving, toss the mixed greens in a small amount of dressing.  Top with the sliced steak, gorgonzola crumbles, poached pear slices and glazed walnuts.

All components can be prepared ahead of time, which makes it a really great meal for entertaining!  And I’ll tell you a little secret…if you’re short on time, pick up some canned pear halves, a bag of Emerald Glazed Walnuts, and a bottle of balsamic vinaigrette.  You’ll have to cook the steak, but you’ll save a lot of time and it’s still a delicious meal!

Serve with a warm French baguette and enjoy!!

Now that I’ve told you how to make it yourself, will you still come over to eat??

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Posted in Beef, Cheese, Food, Fruit, Main Course, Recipes, Salads, Vegetable. Bookmark the permalink.
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The Gourmand Mom

Good food, seasoned with a dash of life