Month: October 2018

pumpkin custards with cardamom crumble

Lauren2 Comments

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My brainstorming ideas for what kinds of recipes to post for Thanksgiving have been all over the darn place. I thought about trying to re-create the first Thanksgiving feast, but then I read the meal predominantly consisted of seafood and vegetables, and that there was no green bean casserole, or any kind of potatoes, or butter (no butter! I can’t even!). I mean, can you imagine Thanksgiving without all the carbs? I don’t think it counts as Thanksgiving if you don’t go into a full-on post-meal sleep-induced food coma.

Then I thought, what about Thanksgiving foods from eras, like the 60s, 70s, or 80s, but that’s when I discovered lots, and I mean lots, of Jello and aspic. Don’t get me wrong, I get Jello deserts, but aspic? Think savory gelatin with chunks of meat, egg, or seafood. I’ve never tasted it, but if my stomach’s reaction to the description is any indication, I am good. Certain foods, especially ones that aren’t sweet, just shouldn’t jiggle. Maybe I should look into joining a non-jiggly food therapy group, but I digress…

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Anyhoo, this year, I thought I’d keep it simple by making a bunch of unique pumpkin-based desserts (much to Justin’s delight!). There’s nothing wrong with classic pumpkin pie, but why not change it up this year like trying these cute little pumpkin custards with cardamom crumble?  While these still taste like pumpkin pie, the custard is denser and creamier than normal pumpkin pie. The cardamom adds an almost gingerbread-like flavor to the crunchy crumble. To say these are good is an understatement. I made eight of these like the recipe calls for thinking I’d take some to work… and Justin and I unapologetically ate them all instead. And after we finished the custards, we licked the ramekins, the spoons, and then the ramekins again just to be sure there was nothing left.

This recipe does require a roasting pan, and trust me when I say a regular baking pan does not work. This is because you have to have boiling water half way up the ramekins to properly bake the custard. I think it’s easier to add the boiling water to the roasting pan once the pan is set on the oven rack, but you must pull it out enough so you can pour the water into the pan. Be very careful when adding the boiling water as it can splatter and being that close to the hot oven is a worry as well. I wore oven mitts and still got splattered, so please heed my oops! Lastly, and just as important, is that this recipe has to set a couple hours so please plan accordingly. Bon Appetit! Continue reading “pumpkin custards with cardamom crumble” →

justin’s slow cooker chili

Lauren2 Comments

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Y’all are in for a treat! I didn’t have to be the cook this week since Justin decided the weather had gotten cool enough for chili. Since this has become a staple of cool/cold weather in our house, I asked him to take pictures and document what he was doing (we really work on measuring and not over seasoning over here!).

A few weeks back, a discussion was started on a favored social media site about chili versus stew, what the difference is, and, of course, the usual banter about the “right” way to do it. One of Justin’s friends at work, Scott Bibbee, makes some fantastic worldly meals, regularly posts photos of his creations (we already have our favorites), and he is one of those people who can tell what the ingredients of something are just by tasting it (so jealous!). I asked if he would write something up about the different ways chili is made around the U.S. Here’s what he said,

Many folks, mostly Yankees, believe strongly that they can add whatever they want to a chili and still call it “chili”. Never mind that “chili” is short for “chili con carne”, that it originated in San Antonio, TX more than 150 years ago, and certainly did not contain frijoles or any other additions when it was invented. The addition of anything other than meat, chiles, and spices is a culinary appropriation of a regional specialty with a long, well documented, and distinct history. Here’s the simple fact – all chili is stew, but not all stew is chili.

There are many reasons that people debase, taint, and dilute this dish. The most reasonable explanation Continue reading “justin’s slow cooker chili” →

slow cooker barbacoa tacos (or nachos)

Lauren1 Comment

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Up until recently, I just assumed everyone loved leftovers. I mean, it’s already prepared food you just have to reheat or assemble. It saves so much time and prep especially on weeknights when you’re tired from the day and don’t feel like cooking. I know some people don’t want to eat the same food two meals or days in a row. Other people think that leftovers aren’t as good the second day, and for a lot of foods like salads with dressing, I wholeheartedly agree. The lettuce becomes soggy and it affects the integrity of the salad. But there are other foods like pasta that I believe are better the second day because the flavors have had time to sit and coalesce.

In fact, liking leftovers is one of the first things that first attracted me to Justin. We were on an early date at a cocktail bar that served artisan pizza, and while trying to decide whether we should split a pizza or I should get one of my own, Justin said, “Why don’t you get your own so you have leftovers?” And I thought, Hey, this might work out!

These barbacoa tacos are easy, tasty, and make for great leftovers! The original recipe called for the roast to be cooked in an instant pot, which we don’t have, so we repurposed the recipe for the crock pot to great results. We literally dropped all ingredients up through the bay leaves into the crock pot and let it cook for 6 hours on high. The chipotle chile in adobe gives the barbacoa a spicy and smoky flavor, which is awesome! We added salsa and pico de gallo, as well as the cotija cheese, which is tangy! It makes for one delicious taco!

Update: The second night, we tried the the barbacoa on nachos, and we actually liked it even better than the tacos. We liked the crispy, salty chips with the spicy barbacoa. Give it a try!

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Continue reading “slow cooker barbacoa tacos (or nachos)” →

ugandian ginger tea

Lauren1 Comment

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One of the fiction stories I’m writing takes place in Uganda. I decided to check out Ugandan recipes, and that is how I stumbled upon this delightful tea recipe. The ginger is what makes this tea amazing. It is a soothing tea with the creamy milk. You can make it with fresh ginger or with powdered ginger. For the black tea, I used loose leaf English breakfast, but you can use any kind of black tea you’d like. Now that it’s FINALLY  getting cold outside, this tea will help warm you up! Enjoy!

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hatch green chile corn casserole

Lauren1 Comment

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Every year, my department has a hatch green chile competition in September. Contestants are allowed to make anything as long as it has hatch chiles in it. Most of us go to Whole Foods and pick up already roasted hatch chiles. For my entry, I made hatch chile macaroni and cheese. It was good, but honestly it didn’t even come close to this year’s winner: the hatch green chile corn casserole. Not only was it voted best dish by the judges, but it also won the popular vote. It may not look like much, but this little unassuming dish packs a punch and is full of flavor.  This corn casserole is spicy, creamy, and delicious! This dish is, of course, better with freshly roasted hatch chiles, but you can also use canned green chiles, which is what I used since Whole Foods is a bit of a drive for me. And it’s an easy dish to make: you literally add all the ingredients together in a bowl,  pour them into a baking pan, and put the pan in the oven for 45 minutes. This would be a good Thanksgiving side dish! Happy eating!

Continue reading “hatch green chile corn casserole” →