Frosting Rugelach

Do not be misled by my title.  You don't frost Rugelach, you egg wash it.  A flaky Jewish strudel composed of yummy fillings and a cream cheese dough, Rugelach is my favorite pastry!  You see a girl simply cannot be born and raised in Brooklyn without acquiring a measure of affection for Jewish food.  Potato latkes, lox and bagels, matzo; your average Brooklyn girl loves it all.

The other day I found myself craving Rugelach and reluctant to pay $10.00/lb for it at my local bakery.  I had no cream cheese in my fridge and Rugelach requires either cream cheese or sour cream.  I was dismayed until inspiration struck.

I think most bakers eventually come down with cupcake fatigue.  The dainty delectables are such a fixture at parties and showers, the average baker frosts thousands in a lifetime.

Last week I went to a friends annual pig roast and brought what else, cupcakes. After the first dozen I found I'd tired of forming frosting spirals atop the petite treats.  So I wound up with a bowl of surplus frosting in my fridge.

Normally excess frosting just goes to waste. However the ingredients in frosting are the same components that make Rugelach so irresistible;  cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Combining 1 1/2 cups of frosting with 2 cups all-purpose flour I kneaded the mixture into a smooth dough. I rolled the dough on a floured surface and topped it with crushed pecans & melted chocolate.

Traditional rugelach is cut into triangles.  I used strips which I then rolled up into the crescent shaped delights i was craving.

I cook. I do not craft.

As I type these words my mother is probably embroidering handkerchiefs and professing her love of "handwork."  Alas, I am not my mother.

Crafting requires patience and manual dexterity, virtues i possess in very small measure.  Sure I've re-upholstered chairs and watercolored invitations, with varying degrees of success, but I am mostly a fan of insta-projects.  As in 1, 2, 3 done with minimal time or effort invested.  My latest fast craft:  Chalkboard Jars!

My Crate & Barrel chalkboard canisters were the first things I purchased for my new kitchen.  I love anything that injects character and storage into a space.

It occurred to me the other day that while i had a place to stow my sugar, flour, coffee and rice there was one neglected staple in my cabinet, popcorn.  You see at my house dinner often looks like this:

All you need is a lidded glass jar, chalkboard paint, tape, scissors and a medium bristle brush.

Tape off the area you intend to paint.  Cover with a smooth coat of chalkboard paint.  Allow the paint to dry for one hour and apply another coat.  Let dry over night.  Oila.  Storage with a handy writing surface!

xx

dani

Southwestern Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

My ideal meal is more fueling than filling; a mix of lean protein and antioxidant rich seasonal veggies.

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

1 red pepper, halved

1 cup quinoa

1/4 cup black beans

1/8 cup sweet corn

2 tbsp diced red onion

1/8 cup diced tomatoes

1/8 cup white cheddar

Combine ingredients.  Stuff peppers and bake for 15 mins at 350 degrees.

What's for Dinner?

For many of us the answer to that question is determined by whatever ingredients you have on hand. It's noon and i'm chomping on arugula sans dressing.  Friends call what i usually consume "not even a salad really,  more of a vegetable medley" and I'm cool with that.  Drowning greens in mayonnaise does not a salad make.

Back to dinner..."What's for dinner?" I asked myself and nothing came to mind.  There's nothing in my fridge, as per usual.  I mean there's like 6 varieties of cheese, organic zucchini, red pepper....zucchini, red pepper...GREEN CURRY!  One of my favorite things in life.  I have basil too.  Nothing like having the right array of almost nothing to make something truly divine.

Thai Green Curry

1/2 cup white cooking wine
1 cup coconut milk
2 chicken breasts
1 zucchini
1/2 a red pepper
1 tsp minced ginger
1tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp canola oil
1/8 cup green curry powder
1 tbsp flour

Sautee ginger and garlic in oil until garlic is lightly browned.  Cut chicken into strips and pan fry over medium heat until cooked through, about 6 mins.

Add coconut milk, cooking wine, vegetables and green curry powder.  Sift flour into pan stirring slowly to avoid clumps.  Simmer over medium heat until thickened.

Quinoa Risotto with Portabella Mushrooms

I really need to stop sabotaging perfectly healthy food with things like cream and cheese and chicken stock.  Next time I promise i'll do normal vegan quinoa.  For an even heartier dish add chicken sausage.

Quinoa Risotto with Portabella Mushrooms

4 tbsp olive oil
2 portabella mushrooms, cleaned & sliced thin
3 cups quinoa
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1/3 cup white wine
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 shallot diced
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp thyme
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Saute mushrooms, garlic and shallots until browned.  Add quinoa and stir about 3 minutes until lightly toasted.

Bring broth and water to a simmer over medium heat.  Transfer liquid 1/2 cup at a time to quinoa mixture.  Allow quinoa to fully absorb liquid before adding more.

Continue adding liquid for about 20 minutes until quinoa is tender and fluffy.  Stir in cheese and cream.  Cover and let stand for about 2 minutes on low heat.

enjoy!

xx

dani

Saffron and Sea Bass

"Don't crowd the mushrooms, they won't brown." The string of pearls adorning Julia Child's neck never overshadowed the far more precious pearls of wisdom the legend dispensed on her iconic television show.

I am a bit of a fungi enthusiast.  Shitake, portabella, crimini...i love them all.  Mushrooms are one of the few staples my nearly barren refrigerator is never without and nicely browned mushrooms are a key component of today's dish.

Food funds were really limited this week, as evidenced by my emergence from Whole Foods grasping a solitary shallot and a slender vial of saffron.  And yet this evening's dinner was surprisingly elegant for a meal dictated by the limited contents of my fridge.

Friends caught me a large black sea bass on a recent deep sea fishing expedition off the coast of Hyannis.  I prefer black sea bass to the chilean variety.  Chilean sea bass is really just a euphemism for tooth fish (behold...scary isn't it?)

enjoy!

xx


Pan Seared Sea Bass with Saffron Sauce

1 tbsp shallots, finely chopped
1 tsp garlic
1 large crimini mushroom, sliced thin
a pinch of saffron
a pinch of salt
1/3 tsp tomato powder
1/3 tsp dried parsely
1/3 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup half and half
1 tbsp olive oil
2 medium sea bass filets

Brown mushrooms in olive oil over medium heat.  Add shallots and garlic.  Add liquid when shallots are caramelized.  Add saffron and whisk until the sauce takes on a vivid color.  Add spices and simmer.

Cook sea bass filets in olive oil pan searing over medium heat for 2-3 minutes on each side.  Serve with saffron sauce over wilted spinach.  

Red Velvet Cupcakes

My sister bakes the moistest most delectable red velvet cake on the planet.  I am not a cake lover but it is arguably the perfect cake and has the fan base to prove it.  

When someone in my circle perfects a dish I rarely attempt to duplicate it.  Why toil in vain for a poor imitation?  However, the results of this recent experiment were so gratifying that I may alter my view of replicas.  These cupcakes are the diminutive cousins to the perfect cake.

Red Velvet Cupcakes 

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups canola oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons red food coloring (1 ounce)
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup crushed pecans

Cream Cheese Frosting

8oz softened cream cheese
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 cup unsalted butter 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil and flour two cupcake tins.  

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda and cocoa powder. In another large bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar and vanilla.

Combine the dry and wet batter ingredients until smooth.  Combine frosting ingredients and refrigerate while cake is baking.  

Divide the cake batter evenly.  Bake for approximately 20 minutes.  Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool.  Frost and garnish with crushed pecans.

xx
dani