Cinnamon Squares

 This cake is super delicious.  A perfect breakfast, tea, snack, brunch, dessert, you name it! The coffee flavor with the cinnamon and chocolate creates this delicious taste that you wouldn't want to miss!

Recipe adapted from traceysculinaryadventures

 Ingredients

Cake
1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
3/4 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped, or 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Frosting
 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
 2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan and line the bottom with parchment or wax paper. Place the pan on a baking sheet.

To Make the Cake: Stir 2 tablespoons of the sugar, 2 1/2 teaspoons of the cinnamon and the espresso together in a small bowl.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, the remaining 1 1/4 cups sugar, the baking powder, salt and the remaining 1 tablespoon cinnamon. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs and vanilla. Pour the liquid ingredients over the flour mixture and gently whisk until you have a homogenous batter. Now, using the whisk or a rubber spatula, fold in the butter with a light touch, just until the butter is absorbed. You'll have a smooth, shiny batter.

Scrape half of the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle the chocolate over the batter and dust with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Cover with the rest of the batter and smooth the top again.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the cake is puffed and beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan; a thin knife inserted into the center will come out clean. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and let it rest for 15 minutes before unmolding it onto another rack. Peel off the paper, invert it onto the first rack, and cool to room temperature right side up.

To Make the Frosting: 
Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and fit the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Cook, stirring gently and often, just until they melt. Be careful not to overheat the mixture so much that it thins out; the chocolate should be smooth, very shiny, thick and spreadable. (If it thins, leave the frosting at room temperature for a bit, until it thickens a little.)

Using an offset metal icing spatula or a table knife, spread the frosting in generous sweeps and swirls over the top of the cake. Allow the frosting to set at room temperature, then cut the cake into 9 squares, each about 2 1/2 inches on a side.

ENJOY!

Avocado and Mango Salad

This is a quick tropical salad that can be make anytime as a side dish, or even a snack.  It has this sweet and sour taste that you will get addicted to.  Trust me, you must try it! You can play around with the quantity of the ingredients, some might add more pine nuts, others more avocado, it depends, just the way you like it.  You are the boss here! :D

 

Ingredients

Lettuce - chopped - around 6 cups

1 Mango cut in small cubes

1 avocado cut in small cubes

1/3 cup of roasted pine nuts

1/3 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese

4 tbsp of olive oil

3 tbsp of balsamic vinegar

Salt

Method

Mix everything together.

ENJOY!

Roasted Vegetables Lasagna

We like lasagna at home soooooo much I cannot even describe it.  We usually eat the bolognese one, and my mom makes the chicken one but it seems so complicated I just don't bother.. and then pops up this recipe from this amazing website and what a great way to have a meatless day! It gets boring to have or chicken, beef, fish, too boring... so here is a break!

Ingredients

1 Lasagna box (I use the one that doesn't need to be cooked)

2 red pepped cut in medium squares

1 small red onion, sliced thinly

5 garlic with peel on

4 carrots diced

1 medium eggplant diced

2 zucchinis, sliced
2 cups of sliced fresh mushrooms.  You can use canned ones too.

Olive oil

Dried oregano

Dried basil

Salt

Mozzarella Cheese 

Method

Mix everything together (everything but the lasagna and Mozzarella), and place in oven to roast for around 20-30min.

If the lasagna you are using needs to be cooked, please follow directions in the package.

For the Bechamel sauce:

1 L of milk

3 tbsp of butter

3 tbsp of flour

Salt

Ground nutmeg

Method

Heat and melt butter, pour flour and mix quickly, add milk, do not stop whisking.  Add salt and nutmeg.  You can add cream for extra flavor - sometimes I do.  

Bring to boil and until thick.  Turn off and keep aside.

Also it is great with the ricotta mix, but I just didn't have in hand.

For the red sauce, I had a ready made marinara sauce, half of the bottle though, so it was a great thing to use it up.

Setting up the lasagna:

Pour a little of the bechamel sauce at the bottom and start putting layers of lasagna (I used lasagna that doesn't need to be cooked) then set up layers of roasted veggies, marinara sauce, bechamel, and so on, and cover up with mozzarella cheese and bake until cooked.

ENJOY!!

Chicken Strogonoff

 I have posted before a delicious recipe for Brazilian beef strogonoff.  Which is basically a delicious traditional plate in Brazil.  It contains cream as its main ingredients but what makes the taste super delicious is that it has mustard and ketchup in the mix!  The only difference with between the beef version and this chicken one is the main ingredient which is using chicken here and also something else is that we use here tomato paste whereas in the beef one we use tomato.  To check the beef version please go here

Now onto the recipe! :)

 

Ingredients

 

4 tablespoons butter
1 kg chicken fillet into thin strips
2 onions, chopped
half spoon (soup) salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
200 g of canned sliced ​​mushrooms
3 tablespoons tomato puree
1 tablespoon mustard
2 tablespoons ketchup
400 grams of cream for cooking

Method

In a large skillet, melt three tablespoons (soup) of butter and brown the chicken slowly over high heat. Remove meat and place the remaining butter. Brown onion, add the chicken, season with salt and pepper. Add the mushrooms, cover the pan and leave for a few minutes. Add the tomato puree, mustard and ketchup, mix well. Lower the fire, allow to stand for 5 minutes. Enter Milk Cream gently and remove from heat before boiling. Serve with white rice.

ENJOY!

Mashed Potatoes

Easy, super quick recipe served as a side dish specially with beef and poultry, seafood, you name it.  I do not use in my recipe liquid milk, I use powdered one because at home we like the mashed potatoes a little thick, its consistency is nice.  You can add to it mashed roasted garlic, and other condiment you like to.

Ingredients

Potatoes - boiled and mashed

Butter

Salt

Pepper

A few tablespoons of powdered milk

Method

Mix everything together roughly and as per taste add as needed.  I don't have specific amount for each, I taste and dont use much butter, so that is when I add a little milk to avoid more butter - but dont use liquid milk to replace the powdered one.

You can mix in it cheese, corn, anything you want.

ENJOY!

Easy Apple Turnovers

 I love apple turnovers with their flaky, buttery crusts & soft apple center. Using puff pastry sheets from the store & sauteed apples make this version come together so quickly, they make for an easy weeknight treat. Its delicious with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream next to it, and even super easy to make when someone suddenly pops in for a visit!

 Easy Apple Turnovers

• 1 cup of chopped apples (that’s about 2 medium apples worth)
• 1/4 cup of brown sugar, packed
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon of allspice
• 1 teaspoon of cornstarch
• 3 tablespoon of water
• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed (that’s half of a standard package)
• 1 egg + 2 T. milk, beaten together well (optional)

-Preheat your oven to 180 degrees.

-In a medium skillet, heat the butter over medium-high heat. Add the apples and sautée for a couple minutes.

-Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice to the apples and stir well to coat. Continue to sautée for another minute.

-While the apples are cooking, dissolve the cornstarch into the 3 T. of water in a small bowl. Add this mixture to the apples and stir.

-Continue cooking for another minute, and then lower the heat to medium-low. Continue to stir and cook until the cornstarch has dissolved (until the juice isn’t cloudy and the mixture has thickened up). Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.

-While the apples cool, prepare the puff pastry sheet by placing it on a lightly floured surface and cutting it into 4 equal squares with a sharp knife.

-Spoon some of the apple mixture (a scant quarter cup) into the center of each square. Pick up one corner of each square and fold it over to the opposite corner, sealing the edges by pressing down with your finger. It should be in the shape of a triangle and sealed together on the two open edges.

-If you want a nice shine on the turnovers when they bake, brush the egg-milk mixture over the top of each turnover with a pastry brush.

-Place the turnovers onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, until they have puffed up high and are golden brown in color.

-Remove to a cooling rack to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Makes 4 turnovers.

 

ENJOY!

Umm Ali (Egyptian Bread Pudding)

Umm Ali (the dish) dates back to Ottoman era Egypt, when legend has it the sultan stopped in a poor village looking for something to eat and the village's best cook, named Umm Ali, made something akin to this dish. There are other legends too, about a British nurse named O'Malley who may have invented the recipe.

History aside, do not be off-put by the "bread pudding" label, I almost never like bread pudding since many versions are eggy and rich and about the weight of small livestock. But this is just the opposite- light fluffy pastry bathed in sweet milk, sprinkled with tangy dried fruits and nuts. This desert is delicious specially in winter since its served hot/warm.

Umm Ali (Egyptian Bread Pudding)

You can choose to stuff the pudding full of dried fruit, nuts, and coconut, or you can have a more simple version with just a slight scattering of fruit and nuts. I prefer the latter, but many people prefer the former. You could also use 3 cups half-and-half in place of the milk/cream.

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
1/3 cup mixed fruits and nuts (such as raisins, dried cherries, chopped dried apricots, pistachios or pine nuts)
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup sugar
slivered almonds for serving

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Spread pastry on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes until puffed and golden. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile, heat milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla in a saucepan until small bubbles form around the edge of the pan. Turn off heat and let sit while you proceed with the next step.

3. Raise oven heat to 475F. Grease a baking dish, crumble/tear apart the pastry and scatter in the baking dish. Scatter the dried fruit and nuts over the dish. Pour the milk/cream mixture over the dish. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden on top and set. Let cool somewhat before serving.

4. Lightly toast almonds and scatter over top before serving.

Chicken + Mushroom Penne Casserole Recipe

Chicken mushroom penne casserole is a very simple and delicious dish. This recipe consists of ingredients such as chicked (breast) , mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, garlic and mushroom (fresh or canned); with a combination like this you cannot go wrong. If you are looking for a quick dinner this is an excellent choice because this casserole only takes about 40 minutes to prepare including the cooking time. A good alternative to mozzarella cheese would be Italian cheese blend. This goes great served with garlic bread. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
3 cups uncooked penne pasta
2 eggs
½ cup half-and-half cream
4 tablespoons butter (melted)
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 garlic cloves (minced)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1lb chicken breasts grilled
1 cup of mushroom

Cooking Instructions:Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook penne pasta according to package directions. In a small bowl combine eggs, half-and-half, and butter (melted); set aside. Drain the pasta and place it into a large bowl. Add parmesan cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, garlic, salt, pepper, and reserved egg mixture; toss to coat. Stir in chicken and mushroom.
Step 2: Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish. Pour the chicken and penne mixture into the baking dish and top with left over mozzarella cheese.
Step 3: Place into the oven and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes the cheese has melted.

(Makes 6 Servings)