happyinthebelly

[happyinthebelly]

Simple Crying Tiger Steak Tips

Source recipe: https://christieathome.com/blog/crying-tiger-beef/#recipe

This plus chopped lemon grass and indian chili powder. Eaten with steak tips. Finish with smoked salt.

#steak #asian flavors

[happyinthebelly]

Tahini Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (106g) light brown sugar

3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

10 tablespoons (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons, or 143g) unsalted butter, cubed

2 tablespoons tahini

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

4 ounces (113g) dark chocolate, chopped

3 ounces (85g) halvah, crumbled

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Line an 8 x 8-inch (20 x 20cm) square baking pan with parchment paper.

Scatter the chocolate pieces on top of the shortbread. Turn off the heat and return the pan to the oven for 1 to 2 minutes to soften the chocolate. Using an offset spatula, spread the softened chocolate into an even layer over the shortbread. Sprinkle with the crumbled halvah and allow to cool to room temperature in the pan before cutting.

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, and salt just to combine. Add the butter, tahini, and vanilla. Pulse together until a crumbly dough forms.

Press the dough into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Use a fork to poke holes the dough. Bake until the top is light golden brown, 25 to 35 minutes.

#tahini #shortbread #cookie

[happyinthebelly]

Indian Cabbage

#Indian #cabbage #vegetable #side dish

[happyinthebelly]

Porchetta (frozen from Waverly Market, market instructions)

Dry skin out overnight

Cut hatch marks into skin

Cooking instructions

Place roast (skin side up) in pan with approximately 1/2 inch water

Bake covered @ 350 degrees for

2 hours = 2-4 lb roast

3 hours = 4-6 lb roast

4 hours = 6-8 lb roast

5 hours = 9+ lb roast

If roast is frozen, add 1 hour to cooking time

To brown roast, uncover and bake @ 475 degrees, basting until golden brown.

#porchetta #meat #holidays

[happyinthebelly]

Alicia's Coquito

Coquito (v.1)

2 cans cream of coconut

2 cans coconut milk

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1-2 tsp of cinnamon

white rum preferably Don Q

1. Open the cans of cream of coconut and before pouring in blender remove the fat solid part

that's on the top and set aside in a cup or small bowl.

2. Add the 2 cans of coconut milk to the blender.

3. Pour in half of the the sweetened condensed milk can

4. Add 1 tsp of vanilla extract

5. Add 1 tsp of cinnamon

6. Add 1 cup of white rum

7. Blend all ingredients

8. After well mixed taste the mixture if it seems like it needs to be sweeter add any of the

remaining sweetened condensed milk.

9. If after tasting you want it more cinnamon-y add no more than an extra tsp of cinnamon. If

you want the mixture more coconut-y add a tsp of the coconut fat from the cream of coconut you

removed in the beginning.

10. Once you've settled on the base add more rum if you want it stronger.

Notes:

--- I remove the fat from the cream of coconut and coconut milk if there is alot because when it

chills the coquito will get too thick and develop a fat top in the bottle.

--- I use just coconut milk in place of the typical one can evaporated milk one can coconut milk

combo

--- you can add more vanilla or cinnamon but it ends up losing all the coconut flavor so you don't

want to be heavy handed with those ingredients

---lately I've been using the organic coconut milk and coconut cream cans from Trader Joe's.

Most people use Coco Lopez coconut cream but it's super sweet so if you go that route you

might want to use less sweetened condensed milk.

**Adjust to your liking since you're drinking it !!

#coquito #alcohol #holidays

[happyinthebelly]

Movie Theater Popcorn

O.25 cup popcorn kernals

1.5 tablespoons butter flavored coconut oil

0.5 teaspoon flavacol

1 tablespoon melted butter for topping

Add garlic powder at the end and add more flaborcol to taste

#popcorn

[happyinthebelly]

Sushi Rice

Sushi Rice recipe:

4 x cups of sushi rice

4 x cups of water

1 x cups of rice wine vinegar

4 x tablespoons of sugar

1/2 x tsp of salt

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ja6ujA0qF4M&feature=youtu.be

#sushi rice #rice #asian flavor #Youtube

[happyinthebelly]

Red Lentil Soup

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 large onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon fenugreek

1 tablespoon ottoman spice

¼ teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus more to taste

¼ teaspoon black pepper

Pinch of chili powder or ground cayenne, plus more to taste

2 bay leaves

1 box vegetable broth

1 small can diced tomatoes

1 cup red lentils, rinsed

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

lemon juice (to taste)

cilantro (garnish)

Recipe

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium high until hot and shimmering. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until golden.

Stir in tomato paste and spices, and sauté for about 2 minutes.

Add bay leaves, broth, lentils and carrot. 

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to let simmer at medium-low, while only keeping the pot partly covered. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 20 minutes. 

Remove from heat and let cool for 3 minutes. Blend smooth with an immersion blender.

Reheat soup.

Add salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste.

Garnish with olive oil and cilantro. Serve hot.

Recipe source:  (1) https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016062-red-lentil-soup (2) https://www.themediterraneandish.com/red-lentil-soup-recipe/ (3) The Turkish Cookbook by Ghillie Basan

#red lentils #soup

[happyinthebelly]

Scallop-style mushrooms with paparedlle

Variations:

Deglaze plan with cooking sake

Only 1/2 lemon juice

Compound butter

Chicken broth

Recipe source:

#mushroom #mushrooms #pasta #vegan

[happyinthebelly]

Ramen Night 2023 (Spicy Miso Edition)

Miso Tare

(about 7 or 8 servings) 

250ml Sake

250g red miso (shinshu)

250g white miso (shinshu)

50g Saikyo miso

50g Hatcho miso

25g light brown sugar

15g iri-goma sesame seeds

Directions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fynu0NHY6dE&t=2s Used combo red and white miso instead of separate. 

Dashi Stock

2 sheets of kombu

1 pack of bonito (about 5-6 grams)

1 quart of water

Assembly 

For sapparo style put aroma oil (see ramen night 2023) in wok then stir fry with fresh garlic, sliced thin carrot and sliced thin onions until softened. Note 4-6 servings can be done in a wok at once.

Add in paitan stock (see ramen night 2023) with dashi stock. Ratio 1 part dashi stock to 4 parts paitan stock

Once soup is heated up add miso tare - 1 heap tbsp per cup 

Dissolve in pan as you stir and add more tare as needed. 

Add in a 1/4 teaspoon torgashi per cup of broth used and a pinch of msg if desired. 

Add in a tablespoon of butter per bowl of soup

Add toubanjan/ pixen bean paste, 1/2 teaspoon per cup of soup

Soup is done. Just keep hot. 

Make noodles. 

Put in bowl and pour hot soup on top. 

Add any other desired toppings. Source way of ramen

Things not used but noted in recipe: After stir frying vegetables add and cook ground pork 30g per cup of soup. In lieu of aroma oil the recipe calls out for lard thats been cooked off.

Notes: 

Needs lots of butter added. I did about 4 tablespoons for the 4 bowls because I didn’t have lard.

Cook the corn in butter, some tamari, and a splash of mirin

Splash of rayu per bowl

Rayu Recipe:

4 tablespoons canola oil

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons ichimi togarashi (Japanese chili powder) (or Korean or Thai chili powder)

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon paprika powder

Process:

Place canola oil and a bay leaf in a small pan and add low heat.

Cook until small bubbles are coming up, and the bay leaf is just about changing colour. Then turn off the heat.

Use a spoon, and sprinkle some chili powder over the heated oil. Check that it’s not burning the powder. If it’s burning (turning a brownish colour), wait for a little bit before adding the rest of the chili powder. Use a spoon and combine the mix. Make sure the spoon is clean and is not wet.

Allow the mix to cool down. It takes about ten minutes. Once its cooled down, combine with sesame oil and paprika powder.

https://www.miklia.com/rayu-chili-oil/

Soup assembly recipe source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fynu0NHY6dE&t=2s

#ramen #miso #asian flavors

[happyinthebelly]

Ramen Night 2023

Stock/Base Broth

Two turkey carcasses (one smoked, one no smoke, with necks)

1.5 pound duck feet 

2 pound smoked turkey neck bone 

3 pounds pork neck bone

1/2 bulb of garlic

Thumbs of ginger

2 dried chili peppers

4 bundles of scallions

Soak for an hour with water and a bit of white vinegar (pork and poultry separate) Dump water. Fill pot up again and put everything in. Bring to boil for 10 minutes. Dump water. Fill up again and layer meat then aromatics. Fill with water and boil for 6-8 hours removing scum tor the first 10-20 minutes

Include 3 pounds of chicken drum sticks

Shio Tare /Dashi Recipe (doubled the batch) Recipe source: https://www.namajapan.tv/ramenblog/shio-tare-recipe?fbclid=IwAR354l_n0SJxRsKO9rXQS7-zt3qFcioSeBXN-G49S6zb1H_mFUKnqPhyMl0

Scallion-Garlic Aroma oil

1.5 cups of veg oil 

5-6 scallions chopped thin

5 small garlic cloves

Piece of chicken skin from drum stick from ramen boil

Assembly Notes

Add 5 cranks of salt per cup

1 teaspoon of aroma oil per cup

2.5 tablespoons of shio tare/dashi per cup

Incorporate salt into broth while on boil. 7 people at 1.5 cups each is 10.5 cups so around 50 cranks. Which appears to about a teaspoon of salt.

2 teaspoon of aroma oil per boil 3.75-4 tablespoons of tare/dashi 1.5 cups of broth

The tare/dashi was not as potent as i would have liked and required additional salt. Should just do separate tare and dashi next time to get more flexibility on adjusting salt levels

#ramen #asian flavors #noodles #soup

[happyinthebelly]

Crispy Eggplant Katsu

Ingredients

17.5 oz Chinese eggplants or American eggplants or other eggplant Neutral oil for frying or spraying

Batter 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (or other flour of choice like buckwheat, GF, etc.) 1 1/2 tbsp corn starch 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp room temp. water , additional 1-2 tbsp more if needed

Coating

2 cups bread crumbs or more if needed (I used Japanese breadcrumbs)

For Serving Japanese curry or other curry of choice (S&B Golden Curry, medium hot) Steamed short grain rice

Recipe

Slice the eggplants into 3/4 to 1” thick pieces. If using Chinese eggplants,  at an angle.

Mix all the batter ingredients together in a bowl until you have a smooth pancake batter thickness consistency. In another shallow bowl, place the breadcrumbs.

Dip each piece of eggplant into the batter and then coat in the bread crumbs. 

Repeat for the rest until all the eggplants are coated.

Heat a large frying pan or wok over medium high heat. Add enough oil to submerge the eggplants. Allow the oil to heat up to 350 degrees F.

Fry the eggplants for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Flip to cook the other side.

Once golden brown throughout, remove the eggplant from the oil and place on plate lined with paper towels or cooling rack to drain out excess oil. 

Serve and enjoy the eggplant with with some Japanese curry and steamed short grain rice.

Recipe source: https://thefoodietakesflight.com/crispy-eggplant-katsu/?fbclid=IwAR3Rlx2yBeue-E2tZxr8QM0zW9xYpBY87ZKmsDjBKxJ8ELtpkmMrSHg3-jA

#eggplant #katsu #Asian Flavors

[happyinthebelly]

Banana Nutella Stuffed French Toast

Ingredients

3 eggs 1/2 cup whole milk 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tbsp sugar 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 1/8 tsp nutmeg 1/8 tsp salt

Square challah loaf (day old at least), sliced to 3/4″ to 1″

Nutella Banana, sliced

Powdered sugar (garnish)

Recipe

Combine custard ingredients and place in shallow dish

Best with day(s) old challah bread. If still “fresh” dry out for a few minutes in a 275 degree oven.

Heat up electric skillet (approx 325/350 degrees)

Stir and perhaps microwave for 20 sec the Nutella

Like making a sandwich, add Nutella to each slice of challah, top with banana, and close up sandwich

Butter electric skillet

Dip each sandwich in custard and arrange on hot skillet

Cook until golden brown, approximately 2-3 minutes each side

Top with powdered sugar. Serve immediately

#french toast #nutella #breakfast #sweet

[happyinthebelly]

Candy Cane Cookies

Ingredients

2 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon cornstarch 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1 large egg, at room temperature 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract (optional) 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract red liquid or gel food coloring * Gel food coloring is much stronger than liquid food coloring. So you would need less food coloring if using gel and more if using liquid. It’s best to just eyeball it, but I usually end up needing about a 1/4 teaspoon when using gel or 1 teaspoon when using liquid. But that can change depending on the quality of the food coloring. 

Recipe

In a medium bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine butter and sugar. Using an electric mixer fitted with the beater attachment or with a wooden spoon by hand, cream together the butter and sugar until well combined and slightly pale in color. It should take about 2 minutes on medium speed with a mixer or 5 minutes by hand.

Add the egg, and peppermint and vanilla extracts to the butter mixture. Mix together until combined. Add in your dry ingredients and mix until your dough starts to stick together.

Portion out half of the dough, and wrap in plastic wrap. Set aside. Dye the remaining half of dough red (start with about 1/4 a teaspoon of gel food coloring or 1 teaspoon liquid, and gradually add more if needed, until you reach a bright and vibrant shade of red). Wrap the red dough in plastic wrap as well. Chill both halves of the dough in your fridge for 2 hours, or until firmed up.

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.

Take your 2 doughs out of the fridge, and unwrap. Pinch off a piece of white dough and a piece of red dough (about 1 tablespoon each). Roll each color dough into a 5 inch rope. Twist the two colored ropes of dough to create a spiral, and curve the top to create a hook. 

Transfer the shaped candy cane cookies to your parchment lined baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining dough. Make sure to leave about 1 inch of space between each cookie to allow for expansion in the oven.

You'll need to bake these cookies in 2 or 3 batches (depending on the size of your baking sheet), so keep any unused dough stored in the fridge. If baking your batches on the same baking sheet, then allow the pan to cool completely to room temperature before adding your next round of cookies onto it.

Bake your cookies in the center of a preheated 350°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly browned along the edges and bottoms. Cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet, and then transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature.

Recipe Source: https://eatsdelightful.com/candy-cane-cookies/

#cookies #candy cane #peppermint #christmas cookies

[happyinthebelly]

Crispy Smashed Potatoes

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash small fingerling potatoes. Boil water and add potatoes, boiling for approximately 10 minutes or until fork tender. Drain potatoes and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Prepare baking sheet with foil and nonstick spray. Place potatoes on tray and smash each potato to about 2/3-inch thickness with the bottom of a glass. Drizzle with nice olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes. Flip potatoes. Maybe add a little more olive oil. Bake for another 15-ish minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley and grated parmesan. Serve warm. 

Recipe source: https://www.cookingclassy.com/smashed-potatoes/

#potato #side dish

[happyinthebelly]

Nonni Giancarli's Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup Crisco shortening 1 cup granulated sugar

1 egg 1/2 cup milk 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 3 cups flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 teaspoons baking powder

Recipe:

Cream shortening and sugar together

Mix in egg

Mix in milk and vanilla

Mix dry ingredients together in a separate bowl first to incorporate it better. Then add dry ingredients into wet slowly while mixing

Chill dough overnight in freezer

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

On floured surface, roll out dough 1/4 inch thick

Cut with floured cookie cutters

Sprinkle with colored sugar

Arrange on cookie sheet and bake for 9 minutes. The cookies will be very light in color. Do not brown.

#Christmas cookie #cookies #sugar cookies #family recipe

[happyinthebelly]

Paella for 18-20 in 26” Pan

3 lb boneless chicken thighs with skin  2 bags mussels (approx. 4lb) (rinsed) olive oil 1 bag shrimp (2lb) Chopped garlic 2 pkg chorizo (sliced ¼”) Chopped parsley 6 large plum tomatoes saffron 1 huge Spanish onion smoked paprika 1½ lb green beans (trimmed) kosher salt & pepper 6 cups paella rice (Bomba is best) 3 quarts chicken stock 

lemon garlic aioli: 1½ cups white wine 2 egg yolk ¼ lb butter 1 ts Dijon mustard

4 large red peppers 1-2 TB lemon juice 4 cups frozen peas, defrosted 1+ tsp chopped garlic 3 lemons (cut in wedges) 1½ cups olive oil zest from one lemon salt & parsley to taste

CHICKEN:

Trim any cartilage

Generously sprinkle both sides with kosher salt, pepper, smoked paprika and chopped garlic, drizzle olive oil over chicken – rub marinade into each piece with your hands, refrigerate for 3+ hours

SHRIMP:

Defrost and rinse

Sprinkle with 1 generous pinch of saffron, garlic & olive oil, stir with hands until saffron begins to release, refrigerate for 2+ hours

SOFRITO:

Grate the tomatoes on a box grater into a large bowl, discard skins

Grate the whole onion into the bowl

Stir in about ½ cup chopped garlic, a handful of parsley, plenty of salt & pepper

PEPPERS & GREEN BEANS:

Fire roast peppers, peel and seed, cut into long nice strips

Toss green beans in olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper & lemon zest

MUSSELS:

Heat white wine, butter and chopped garlic in a large pot, steam mussels open

Drain and reserve liquid, throw out any empty shells and set mussels aside

Use this pot make your stock

STOCK:

Toast 3 big pinches of saffron in the dry pot for 1-2 minutes, until you smell it

Add chicken stock, and the reserved liquid from the mussels, bring to simmer, and add a few cups of water to make about 15-16 cups of stock, salt well

Can be done ahead:

Heat ½ cup olive oil in pan

Fry chicken pieces, first skin side down, until crispy and brown

Pour any marinade left from the chicken into the pan

Remove skin, and flip and fry new side until lightly brown

Cut into smaller pieces, set aside (save any juices)

Fry the shrimp next, again adding any marinade to the pan

Remove when just done, and set aside and save juices

Fry green beans next, pretty high heat until brown and toasty, leave them in the pan

Add the sofrito, stirring until all the water is cooked off, and it start to darken (5 minutes or so)

Next, add the chorizo, and cook until the fat start to render (4-5 min)

Taste for salt

1/2 hour before serving:

Heat sofrito to sizzling, add the rice, stir and shake pan to distribute

Cook rice until it’s translucent (keep stirring – about 2 min)

Add all but a few cups of stock, so it covers the rice well, and add any pan juices or drippings from the chicken and shrimp

Drop in the chicken pieces equally around the pan

Shake pan to make rice even – DON’T STIR- EVER – bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer

Lay red pepper strips in star pattern around paella, and distribute the peas

Keep shaking and moving pan to heat evenly, taste after about 15 minutes, and add more stock if necessary

When the stock is absorbed, lay shrimp and garnish with mussels

Turn up heat a little, and keep moving and shaking, you’ll hear a crackle, do this for 3-4 minutes to create the soccorat

Garnish with lemon wedges, sprinkle with parsley, serve with aioli

Recipe source: Dave’s Fresh Pasta cooking class with Chef Jason

#paella #seafood #spanish flavors #cooking class