Apologizing with good news

Ok... so it's been a LONG time since my last post, I do apologize to all [3]of you who actually read my yacking.... I've been busy with life, work and cakes, and so, I haven't actually cooked, this WHOLE time... Trust me, I'm hanging my head in shame...

But today, I have great news to share... I've won a spot in the The Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook!!! This is very exciting for me, because that means I will own a cook book with one of my recipes in it!!!! MINE!!!! Woo!!!! So let's take a moment and go back in time to when I made this Mango Avocado Ice cream, and say to me: "Tramie, one day, this recipe will be in a book, we believe in you!"
 
I'm hoping that by writing this post tonight, I'm kicking myself in the bum and urging myself back in the kitchen to cook things that aren't just sweet, so once again, thank you for taking your time to read my blog, I will not disappoint!

Have a great weekend!

Fluffy quick pancakes for rainy days

I love summer. I really do. It's a genuine love. But in every great love, there is usually a twist... and this love of mine involves sudden pouring rain and thunder attacking me from nowhere, with no warning.

Feeling betrayed and shock, not to mention cold and wet, I needed something comforting for my tummy. ASAP. Something warm, fluffy and sweet.

Ah yes, pancakes for dinner! Pancakes with love (short for maple syrup)

I usually make the Jamie Oliver recipe, which calls for whipping the egg whites then folding it into the batter. Not today. No sir, I can't make that commitment today. I need something quick.

Pancakes, recipe from Mochachocolata-Rita who adapted it from Allrecipe

In a mixing bowl, put together:

• 1 C all purpose flour
• 3 Tbsp sugar (I only used 1)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• a couple dashes of ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt

then add:

• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 C milk (I used whole milk)
• 1-2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil

and mix with a whisk til well blended.

Heat pan over medium heat. If using non-stick pan, you won't need to add oil before cooking. Ladle batter and cook until one side starts to bubble, flip and continue cooking the other side. Makes about 10 medium (It depends what you consider medium is...)

Have I mentioned they're fluffy? Really, REALLY fluffy... Plain, simple, unpretentious fluffy pancakes with deliciously sweet maple syrup and a dot of semi-salted butter.

I ate everything. The whole stack. That has never happened before.



Just look at that blob of butter sliding right off of the warm pancakes... You want some, don't you? Go ahead and make them! You'll see... you're going to eat them all up before they even get to the table...

Simple salad

It's going to be a short and sweet post today. Right to the point. What you see is what you get.
It's healthy. It's yummy. It's quick to make. It requires no cooking. And did I mention that it's yummy?

It's a salad packed with good-for you things.

• 1 can of beans of your choice (I used a mix) rinsed under cold water.
• 1 ear of corn, cooked, shaved
• 2 stalks of celery, cubed
• 10-15 cherry tomatoes, washed and halved
• a handful of sliced olives, black or green
• a handful of pickled pearl onions, halved
• a bunch of parsley (curly) washed and chopped
• a few splashes of olive oil
• 1 lemon, zest and juiced
• a couple pinches of sea salt 

Mix everything together and let sit for about 30 minutes. Ta-da!

Serve with some grilled chicken on top, or with a sandwich if you like. I was content eating it as is. Simply happy food :)

A somewhat healthier pumpkin pie

It's spring!!! The season of sun (supposedly...) flowers, yummy fruits and veggies. It's the season of the birds and the bees (understand that however you want to...) This is when we tend to lean toward the fresh, light tasting dishes, unlike in fall and winter where we need our dose of comfort food and cozy blankies. But because every season is a season to make someone happy, I made a pumpkin pie smack dab in the middle of spring.

Thank goodness for the canned stuff!

Now, most pies are things of fall and winter. Pies make us think of Christmas and Thanksgiving. They make us think of that warm, spicy and comfy feeling in our tummy after the first bite. But THIS pie is LIGHT! It's really not too sweet and dare I say, healthy-ER than most pies (Yes, i said it! *gasp*) Obviously, there is the crust to be considered in the equation, but who's checking?!

I got this recipe from Cast Sugar who got it from Chicago Tribune and the only reason for why mine is a tad lighter is due to the fat-free evaporated milk.

Crust:

• 9 inch pie shell, baked according to recipe or package. Cooled.

Filling:

• 2 eggs
• 1 can 15-oz pureed pumpkin
• 1 can 12-oz evaporated milk (I used fat-free)
• 1 tsp. brandy (I used rum, and a couple tsp more...)
• 3/4 C packed brown sugar (I thought it was perfect but you might prefer it to be sweeter)
• 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 C sweetened toasted pecans (I made mine with maple syrup) optional

Heat oven to 425F.

Combine eggs, pumpkin, evaporated milk and rum in a pot over medium low heat; cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, 5-7 minutes.

Put brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg in a mixing bowl and add the pumpkin mixture. Pour everything into the crust and bake for 10 minutes.

Lower heat to 350F and bake another 35-45 minutes, or until set. Arrange pecans around rim then let stand until cooled, about 1 hour. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Maple cinnamon pecans

• 1/2 C pecan, toasted in a pan over medium heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes
• 1 tsp maple syrup 
• 1/4 tsp brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

Toss everything together until pecans are well toasted. Spread on a small baking sheet lined with parchment paper. While pie is baking, stick the sheet in the oven on the lower rack for 5 minutes or so. Let cool then decorate when pie is done.

Now, this pie might taste even better if you listen to this song while eating it... It's about a merchant who has the best pumpkin pie recipe ever and wouldn't give it away to a corporate guy... And then you should really hear the part at the end when the credit rolls.

Enjoy a slice and the song, pumpkins!

Too-tired-to-think oven baked trout

Has it ever happened to you, being so tired, you couldn't think of what to make for dinner, so you eat oatmeal instead?

Yes, me too... *sigh*....

Functioning on half a brain lately due to my love for making these babies, I haven't had much time to do the other thing I like so much: cooking. Shame...

So a couple of days ago, when a bunch of lovely trout filets caught my eyes, I knew I couldn't resist and that no matter what happened that night, I was going to cook.

Here comes the best part: the quick marinade of, seriously, random things I picked out from the fridge that made sense at the time...  And it turned out great!!!!!! So here is how it all went down:

Too-tired-to-think oven baked trout:

Oven at 400*F. Line a baking pan with foil, then parchment paper, so you have no cleaning up to do afterward.

Pull out the big mixing bowl, and toss in there:

• About 1 to 2 Tbsp of olive oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar.
• A couple of splashes of balsamic reduction
• A chunk of wasabi
• A squeeze of oyster sauce
• A few splashes of lemon juice
• A few grinds of black pepper
• A pinch of turmeric powder (because it is good for your health, read here!)
• Sea salt to taste
• A few cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped.

Whisk it all together. Drench the filets of trout in the mix, and be generous! Place them in the baking pan. pour the rest of the marinade on top, and bake for about 20 minutes or so. Ta-da, done!

Look at that yummy flesh... Hmm... it was delicious! And the yellow spots? That's the turmeric doing its healthy things for ya! ;)

Eat! Relax for half an hour or so. Now go do the other things that you have to get done. Good luck!!! :)

Lactose-free *KBAM!* fruit mix gelato

There are many happy moments in life. From big moments like becoming a home owner, to medium moments like getting a discount on a great pair of shoes, to little moments like eating ice cream on a sunny day, or any day for that matter (I'm easily amuse, what can I say...)

Then there are sad moments...  From losing someone you love, to seeing a baby bird with a clipped wing, to hearing someone say: "Oh... no ice cream for me, I'm lactose intolerant..."

In those lactose related moments, I always feel a little bad that I'd be enjoying my cone of ice cream in the person's face. So the other day, while pondering about such matters, I wondered why they don't make lactose-free ice cream, or at least gelato, since gelato is made with milk and there is definitely lactose-free milk. Maybe the demand isn't high enough?

Whatever the reason may be, I've got a recipe for you if you are in a rut with milk... KBAM! Actually, that  just stands for Kiwi, Banana, Avocado, Mango and the ! is really just my excitement expressed in writing. LOL!!!

Lactose-free *KBAM!* fruit gelato

(makes about 3-4 cups) 
 
Fruit mixture

• 1 Ataulfo mango, ripe, chopped
  
• 5 kiwis, chopped (3 for the blending and 2 for added chunks)
  
• 1 avocado, ripe, chopped
  
• 1 medium banana, ripe, chopped
  
• a splash of lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1-3 tbsp milk (to make the blending easier on your machine, lactose-free in this case)

Blend everything except for 2 kiwis, in a blender. Place in fridge to cool for a few hours. Put the rest of the chopped kiwi in the freezer.

Custard

• 2 eggs, whole
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/3 - 1/2 cups sugar (depend on how sweet u like it)
• 1 cup milk 2% (lactose-free in this case)

Whisk eggs and sugar together until blended. Add milk and stir well. Put mixture into a pot over low heat, cook and stir constantly until mixture is a custard (check that it coats the back of the spoon) Remove and cool completely.

Mix custard and fruit thoroughly, then cool again in the fridge for at least a couple of hours or over night. Then churn in ice cream maker as according to manufacturer's  instruction.  At the last 5 minutes of churning, throw in the frozen kiwi chunks.

Freeze your ice cream until ready to enjoy.

The result is a creamy, fruity, satisfying concoction that won't be stomach-stabbing. The best part for me in all this is to hear: "I was perfectly fine after eating it!!!!"

I will be trying out other flavors soon, so keep an eye out! Let's get together to save lactose intolerant people, one spoon of gelato at a time ;)

P.S: Here is a peek into my latest cakes :D You may also check them out on my Flickr page here!!!!