Fuselli with Slow-Roasted Tomato Sauce and Edamame

 

When I first envisioned this post, I had an image in my head of a sexy pasta dish with photo appeal worthy of Bon Appetit or the like.  What I ended up with looks like it would be more at home on the cover of a Dr. Seuss book, but...

I thought this pasta tasted great
As I ate it off my plate.
Red and green and twisty too,
I enjoyed it, so will you!  

Fuselli with Slow-Roasted Tomato Sauce and Edamame

10 Roma tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
Olive oil
Sea salt
1/8 cup red wine (optional)
1/4 tsp. fresh-cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
8 oz. (half box) fuselli pasta
3/4 cup edamame, pre-cooked
1/2 cup fresh basil

Rinse and dry your tomatoes before quartering.

Cover a cookie sheet with foil and place the tomato quarters on it in a single layer.

Drizzle the quarters with olive oil and roast at 300 degrees for 30 minutes. 

After those 30 minutes, sprinkle with sea salt and continue to roast for an additional 45-60 minutes.

Once done, place the roasted tomatoes in a blender or food processor with the red wine, black pepper, and garlic powder.  Blend until smooth.

In a large pot, prepare fuselli according to box directions.  Drain and rinse with hot water.

Place the cooked fuselli back in the pot.  Add in the tomato sauce, edamame, and fresh basil.  Mix together well.

Cook dish over low until heated through.

Sprinkle with your favorite parmesan and enjoy.

NOTES

The longer you cook the tomatoes, and more shriveled they become, the more intense the flavor will be.

The first time I had slow-roasted tomatoes, they were served on crackers with spreadable cheese, like brie or goat cheese.  They are a great ingredient for creative appetizers.

Strawberry Mint Tea Ice Cream

 

Since in theory it's spring, though we in NC are still waiting for Mother Nature to put that into practice, I thought I'd do something seasonal and nothing says spring like the sweet taste of strawberries. 

Wanted to try out something new so dusted off the old ice cream maker and whipped up this frozen treat for you to try.  It's light and fruity and refreshing too.

Strawberry Mint Tea Ice Cream

3 cups heavy cream
1 cup half & half
3-4 mint tea bags
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups chopped strawberries

Mix heavy cream and half & half together in a pitcher.  Add 3-4 mint tea bags, cover and steep in refrigerator for 4-5 hours, depending on how minty you want your cream to be.

Once it's ready, remove and strain tea bags.  Add vanilla and sugar and mix until sugar is dissolved.

Using an ice cream maker, start the machine as instructed and pour in mixture.  Allow to spin for 10-15 minutes.

In a small bowl, crush the strawberry pieces into a chunky paste.  If necessary, add sugar to sweet the berries (but only if they aren't already). 

 

 

Pour the strawberries into the machine and spin until ice cream forms.

If your ice cream doesn't set all the way, remove to freezer.  I would recommend pouring it into a metal cake pan for maximum efficient freezing.

Once it hardens up, it is ready to serve with your favorite toppings or pop into a cone and enjoy!

Chocolate-covered P'nut Butter Ritzes

 

Hello readers.  I don't know about you, but it's been a long year.  I'm looking forward to a little break from the folderol of the work week and so will be treating myself to a little off time.  This will be my last post for 2013, but I will be back fresh and brimming with new ideas in January 2014.  Before I sign off for this year though I wanted to leave you one more parting recipe. 

This is a variation of a treat that my friend Michell brought into the office as part of her holiday baking share-with-the-office treats extravaganza.  They are a salty sweet addictive treat.  Just ask my pants that don't fit any more.

I say variation because while she and her mom take the time to carefully double-dip them in a concoction made from hand-shaved chocolate.  I am too lazy to do that, so here is K2's CCPBRs, the knock-off version.

Apologies for the lack of photos for this post.  Between being sick the better part of the month and trying to get ready for a holiday break, I didn't have the time.  But because this is apparently a very popular treat, I am providing a link to images of the same (and multiple varieties) for your viewing pleasure.

CHOCOLATE-COVERED P'NUT BUTTER RITZES

Ritz crackers (full-sized or snowflake-shaped or mini)
creamy peanut butter
white chocolate candy bark, melted

Spread your peanut butter on a cracker and cover with a second cracker.  Do not squoosh them together because you don't want your peanut butter oozing out the sides.

Melt your chocolate and then carefully dip the cracker sandwiches into it, coating it on all sides.

Set them on a sheet of parchment paper so the chocolate can harden.  If the coating is too thin, dip the cracker a second time.

Stuff into face.  Repeat.  Enjoy.

NOTES

Trying to spread peanut butter with a knife can get a bit messy, so my recommendation is to put your peanut butter in a pastry bag (or a zip lock with a corner tip nipped off to be used as a pastry bag) and squish the PB on the crackers.  Less muss, less fuss.

Looking through the photos on the link, I saw there were actually a number of things you can do with this treat.  F'rinstance:

-- use Nutella instead of peanut butter
-- use dark or milk chocolate instead of white chocolate and then drizzle with white chocolate
-- decorate with sprinkles or colored sugar or candies
-- use white chocolate, but tint it a color to match your party/gifting décor

So use your imagination and have a little fun with them.

Happy Happy Holidays to you all.  Safe travels, full bellies, good times!  Looking forward to a happy new fun-eating year!  Hasta 2014!

K2

Chocolate Caramel Apples with Albino Spiders

 

Inspired by a trip to the NC State Fair this weekend, the impending arrival of my all-time favorite holiday, and continuing with my recent All Apples All the Time posting, I bring you a twist on an old favorite...chocolate caramel apples with albino spiders! Okay, the spiders are white chocolate but that doesn't sound nearly as cool.

Chocolate Caramel Apples with Albino Spiders

apples
6 small red delicious apples
1 (14 oz.) package microwaveable caramel
8-10 oz. chocolate candy melts, CandiQuik or candy coating
6 skewers (8") or candy/caramel apple sticks

albino spiders
2-4 oz. white candy melts, CandiQuik or candy coating
small disposable piping bag or small baggie

PRE-PREP

Here's a great way to get your caramel to stick better to the apple.  Boil a small pot of water.  Do a quick dip and rinse with your apples, then dry them off with a paper towel.

 

The hot rinse will help remove any shiny wax on the skin of the fruit and give it more of a matte finish.  This will help your caramel stick better. A shout out to my friend, Kathy, for that very helpful and effective hint.

APPLE DIPPIN' TIME

Skewer your apples. I  recommend using a more heavy duty stick because the combined weight of the apple + caramel + chocolate is going to required something more than the little popsicle sticks provided in the caramel apple kit.

I went with a microwaveable caramel coating

because it took less time than making caramel

from scratch and was much less messy too.

Heat your caramel according to package directions.  Coat your apples with the caramel.  Place them on a lightly greased cookie sheet or sheet of wax paper.  Place in the fridge to set while you melt the chocolate.

Melt the chocolate candy coating until smooth.

this is actually a full 16 oz. pack of chocolate, discovered

that I did not need all of it for this project, but you'll

see what I did with the leftover chocolate in an upcoming post

 

Remove the apples from the fridge.  Fold the excess caramel that's pooled under the apple back onto the apple.  Caramel should be malleable to fold and press without sticking to your hands or falling off the apple.

With the help of a spatula or spoon, coat the caramel-coated apple with the candy coating.  Gently shake off any excess and place on a sheet of wax paper on a cookie sheet (or in my case, on a wood cutting board).

Place the chocolate-coated apples back in the fridge to allow the chocolate to set.

SPIDERS (Optional)

Melt the white candy coating.

Fill a disposable piping bag, or small baggie with a small hole cut in the corner, with the melted chocolate.  Pipe the chocolate onto a sheet of wax paper.

To create the spiders you can draw four long lines that cross in the middle and then pipe a big blob in the middle -- voila! Albino Spider!  You want to make sure the "legs" aren't too thin or they'll break when you try to remove them.  Should only take a minute or two for the spiders to set.

To attach the spiders to your chocolate caramel apples, dip a butter knife or small pastry knife in a hot mug of water. 

 

 

Shake off excess water and while the knife is still warm, melt a small spot on the top of the apple and on the back of the spider, then press them together.  Should immediately attach.

 

And done!

Not-a-Food Recipe: Homemade Play Dough

 

Since everyone already knows you can use flour for baking, I thought it would be fun to dough something else instead. Hee hee hee.  So here you go, a little something that you and the kids (kids of any size, mind you) can make at home for hours of creative fun.

Homemade Play Dough (aka "K-Dough")
requires stovetop cooking
NOT for eating, but shouldn't kill you if you do

1 cup flour
1/4 cup salt
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 cup warm water
1 tsp. veggie oil
food coloring for tinting

In a saucepan, mix together flour, salt and cream of tartar, breaking up any large lumps that form.

 

Slowly whisk in warm water and oil.
 

 

Cook mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly as it thickens and starts to come together. 
 

 

Remove from pan and turn out on a rolling mat.  Let it sit a minute or two to cool off a bit then knead until smooth.

I cut mine in half to make two colors.  I added a couple of drops of food color and kneaded it in until the color was evenly spread. (3 drops blue = light blue, 2 drops red = pink, 2 drops yellow = yellow, 3 drops green = bright green)

 

 

Remember, it’s going to be hot so even if the outside feels cool-ish, the inside may still be hot.  Let it completely cool to room temp before you let the kiddoes play with it.

Store it in an airtight container.  Should be good for up to 3 months.

 

NOTES

I made two batches to get four colors.  I used empty frosting containers for storage.

Making this would be a fun activity to do with kids, basic intro to (non-edible) cooking and a great way to get them started on the color wheel (blue + yellow = green, yellow + red = orange, red + blue = purple).

Happeep Easter!

 

I owe you one more March Meatloaf Madness recipe...and I've got it ready...but I want to interrupt this regularly scheduled post to bring you a short feature on an iconic Easter classic.  You know what I'm talking about...Peeps!

PEEPS

People love 'em, hate 'em, eat 'em, and even play with 'em.  Over the years they've achieved quite a cult following and through the miracle of internet are now easily available year round. There are Peep Eating competition and Peep Art contests all over the country.  My favorite is the Washington Post Peeps Diorama competition.  No Easter basket seems complete without a brightly colored pack of Peeps in it.

But how did this all happen?

Marshmallow chicks did exist before they became the cult phenonmena they are today.  In the mid-20th century, the Rodda Candy Company in Lancaster, PA was well-known for two things -- it's jelly beans and its handpiped marshmallow chicks.  In 1953, they were acquired by a company called Just Born from Bethlehem, PA.

Just Born was started in 1910 by a Russian immigrant name Sam Born.  Just Born had an innovative way with candy technology.  They were the company responsible for making Jimmies, those yummy chocolate sprinkles, and for the hard chocolate candy coating for ice cream bars.  In 1916 they invented a machine that mechanically inserted sticks in lollipops.

When they took over Rodda, Bob Born developed a process that made it possible to mass-produce the yellow marshmallow chicks and it's took off from there.  It wasn't until the 1980s that pink Peep bunnies hit the scene.  Peeps were only available in yellow, pink and white until 1995 when purple was introduced to the Peeps palette, followed by blue in 1998.

In the late 1990s, flavored Peeps were offered to the public.  First vanilla, then strawberry and in 2002 chocolate peeps were introduced.  This year, in honor of their 60th anniversary, Just Born offered white speckled vanilla creme Peeps.  MmmMmm!

So PeepPeep Hooray for these sugar-coated marshmallow puffs of sweet goodness!  We look forward to the next anniversary celebration.

And Happy Easter everyone!  Hope you are enjoying a wonderful day with family and friends sharing in the joy of this holiday.

Bat Bake

 

Ghouled Evening and Happy Halloween!!!

Got any easy one for you because I know you'll be busy fending off mini monsters and fairy princesses with gobs of goodies this evening.  Halloween-inspired nachos, what could be better?!?  The test name for this recipe was Count Nacholar, but Bat Bake had better alliteration.

Bat Bake

Black bean salsa moosh
Blue corn tortilla chips
Shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Black olive slices

black bean salsa moosh

1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup hot salsa
1/8 cup fresh lime juice
2 tsp minced garlic

Mix moosh according to directions (see link).  Set aside.

Fill the bottom of a baking dish or pan with foil and cover with a layer of tortilla chips.  Sprinkle some shredded cheddar over them, then add another layer of chips on top.

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes until cheese is melted and clinging to chips.

Transer to a plate, and dollop with sour cream, and cover dollops with a spoonful of moosh.

Insert two chip "wings", add olive "eyes", and you are ready to dig into some crunchy, tasty home baked-bat!  It's bat-astic!

Creature from the Black Bean Soup

I was going to save this for Halloween, but figured in case anyone wanted to make it for that special day, I would give you the recipe now.  Plus, I was really craving black bean soup...which is kind of crazy cuz I don't think I've ever had black bean soup before.  Gotta say, I love it when my experiments comes together.  Two words for you, monstrously delicious!

Creature from the Black Bean Soup

1 (10 oz) can tomato soup
2 (15 oz) cans black beans
3/4 cup veggie stock
1-1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
sour cream and green olives, to make eye garnish

Puree one can of black beans and mix in a pot with the tomato soup.  Whisk together and cook over medium-high heat.

Drain, but don't rinse, the second can of black beans.  In a skillet, over medium heat, cook beans with garlic, chili powder and cumin until the liquid from the beans is cooked out.  Add beans to soup pot.

Simmer for 20-30 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

NOTES

Depending on how thick you want your soup to be, you can reserve the bean juice from the drained can and use it to thin out the soup.

If you want it a little kickier, add up to another 1/2 tsp each of the spices.

Serve up in a bowl, put dollops of sour cream next to each other and use the olives to make eyes.

I ate mine with some shredded cheddar and some blue corn chips on the side.  Happy happy belly. 

Pumpkin Flurf

What?!?!  More pumpkin?  Of course, because you can never have enough pumpkin.  Here's a quick-n-easy party dip you can make.  It goes great with gingersnaps, fresh apples, Pepperidge Farm gingermen, or just glopped on your finger. I think it would make a nice topping for some molassessy gingerbread too!

Pumpkin Flurf

2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened to room temp
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp allspice

Blend all together in a  mixing bowl.  Note, the cream cheese doesn't complete blend in, if there are small "lumps" that's okay.

Chill for 2 hours before serving.

Charlie's Upsidedown Pineapple Pancakes

Happy 4th of July!  Hope everyone is revving up for a fun day of food, friends and fireworks. 

At Casa K2 we started out our day with a new recipe from my friend Charlie.  Love pancakes, but have never thought to upsidedown them this way.  The fresh pineapple is awesome and the brown sugar subtle, topped with your favorite syrup, it's a refreshing way to enjoy breakfast.

Disclaimer:  Despite my many culinary accomplishments, there are three simple items I have not yet mastered the art of "perfect" for -- meatloaf, coffee, and pancakes.  Perfectly round and golden brown pancakes are a rare and exotic occurrence in my kitchen so if you look at photo and think, wow, so not pretty, there's a reason for it. 

Charlie's Upsidedown Pineapple Pancakes

1 cup buttermilk pancake mix
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp pineapple juice
1 thick slice fresh pineapple (or the pre-cut equivalent), chopped
3-4 tsp brown sugar

Chop your pineapple and place on a paper towel to drain any excess liquid.  Let sit.

In a medium bowl, mix pancake mix, water and pineapple juice.  Will be fairly thick.

In a small bowl, toss pineapple pieces with brown sugar to coat.

Fold pineapple into pancake batter.

On a medium-hot griddle or in a pre-heated saute pan, drop 3-4 tbsp of batter.  Once they start to bubble, flip until other side is golden brown.

Serve up with syrup, a dollop of whipped cream and top with a maraschino cherry.  NOM!

Makes about half a dozen 5" pancakes.

NOTES

Was thinking that if you wanted to adult this up for an evening brunch or turn it into a fancy dessert course, you could replace 1 tbsp of pineapple juice with 1 tsbp of rum, garnish with toasted coconut, add some spiced rum to your syrup and take it in a pina colada route instead.