Apple Muffins

More muffins! I’ve been eating them every morning before taking the T to get to the gym at work so I need something as ‘mini breakfast’, ‘pre breakfast’ or ‘breakfast part 1’ whatever you want to call it, otherwise I’m starving at the gym.

Recipe from here.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sugar + more for the top
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon + more for the top
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted, cooled
• 2 cups apples, grated (I used 3 granny smith apples)

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 400F.

2) In a large bowl whisk the sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and flour.

3) In a medium bowl, whisk the egg, milk and butter.

4) Mix the wet into the dry. It will be quite dry now.

5) Add the  apple in and mix.

6) Add the batter to the muffin pan, sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on top.

7) Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

8) Allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Carrot Pumpkin Muffins

I had 1/2 cup of pumpkin left and I wanted to find a way to use it up. I also have tons of carrots, so…

Recipe taken from here, but changed a bit.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup pumpkin
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 TBSP oil
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup carrots (1 medium carrot)
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350F.

2) Beat the pumpkin, brown sugar, oil and egg.

3) Add the carrots and mix.

4) Add the flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon and mix.

5) Add to a muffin pan (no need to butter).

6) Bake for 15 minutes.

I found them best heated with butter on top.

Brown Butter, Carrot and Orange Muffins

I guess you can say these are amazing, because they disappeared via my new roommates. I guess ‘try one’ means ‘eat all but 2’. I’ll be taking all baked goods to my room now…One helped me, because none of them have baked before. Still. The next day I was asked to spend the night showing them how to bake more. No thanks, I have other plans.

Recipe from here.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of unsalted butter
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ginger
• 4 eggs at room temp
• 1 cup sugar
• the zest of one orange
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup grated carrots
• more sugar and salt

Directions:

1) Melt the butter in a pan over medium high heat. Be careful that it does not burn, but just that the foam rises to the top and the butter is golden brown, about 3 minutes after it melts.

2) Allow to cool.

3) Preheat the oven to 375F/175C.

4) Mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and ginger together.

5) In a large bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, orange zest, vanilla and salt until there is a ribbon texture, in that the batter follows the spoon.

6) Add the carrots and then the dry mixture and fold in.

7) Add the brown butter and mix.

8) Butter the muffin pan.

9) Add the batter to the muffin pan.

10) Pinch sugar and salt on top.

11) Bake for about 18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cheesecake Brownies

I wanted chocolate. I still want chocolate. Hmmmm…Recipe taken from here.

Ingredients:

• 10 TBSP unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 cup + 2 TBSP flour
• 1/4 cup coca powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 8 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
• 4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 eggs

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350F/175C.

2) Rub butter in an 8 inch pan.

3) Line the bottom and 2 sides with baking paper.

4) Rub again with butter.

5) In a small bowl, mix flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.

6) Melt and mix the (8 oz) butter and chocolate in a double broiler, or bowl over a pot of boiling water.

7) Remove from the heat.

8) Add 1 cup of the sugar and mix.

9) Add 3 of the eggs and mix.

10) Add the flour mixture and mix until moist.

11) Mix the cream cheese and 2 oz butter until smooth.

12) Add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, egg, and flour.

13) Spoon the chocolate mixture and cream cheese mixture alternately into the pan.

14) Swirl with a knife.

15) Bake 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. The cream cheese on top should be golden.

16) Cool for 30 minutes in the pan.

Pumpkin Muffins

These tasted like pumpkin bread and were gone quick. I made mini ones so it was 2 or 3 bites and gone.

Recipe taken from here.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups + 3 TBSP flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 + 1/8 cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• pinch allspice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup + 2 tsp sugar
• 1/4 cup + 3 TBSP canola oil
• 3/4 cup + 2 TBSP pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup + 2 1/2 TBSP eggs (2)
• 1/2 cups + 1/2 TBSP golden raisins

Directions:

1) Mix the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice and salt together in a large bowl.

2) Mix the sugar and oil until combined.

3) Add the pumpkin and mix until smooth.

4) Add the eggs, in 2 additions.

5) Add the dry ingredients to the wet in 2 additions, scraping the sides.

6) Fold in the raisins.

7) Place in a container that you can cover for 8-26 hours.

8) Preheat the oven to 435F.

9) Spray the muffin pan with cooking oil.

10) Add the batter to the pan.

11) Add the muffins to the oven.

12) Lower the temperature to 325F.

13) Bake for 45 minutes, or until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

Blueberry Cheesecake Pancakes

Delicious. I’d double the amount below. Recipe taken from here.

Ingredients:

• Pancakes

1. 4 oz cream cheese, cut into pieces and freeze overnight
2. 1 cup flour
3. 1 tsp baking powder
4. 1/2 tsp baking soda
5. 1/4 tsp salt
6. 2 TBSP sugar
7. 1 cup milk
8. 1 egg, beaten
9. 2 TBSP butter, melted

• Syrup

1. 1 cup blueberries
2. 1/4 cup water
3. 1/2 cup sugar
4. 1 TBSP water
5. 2 tsp cornstarch
6. 1 TBSP lemon juice, or the juice of 1/2 of a lemon

Directions:

1) Cut the cream cheese into small pieces.

2) Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large bowl.

3) Mix the milk, egg and butter in a small bowl.

4) Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

5) Mix in the cream cheese.

6) Heat a pan over medium heat and melt a bit of butter in it.

7) Pour 1/4 cup of the mixture into the pan and cook until it bubbles, then flip it.

8) Cook though, about 2 minutes.

9) Repeat with the rest of the batter.

10) Bring the blueberries, water, sugar to a boil.

11) Reduce and simmer for 5 minutes.

12) Mix the water and cornstarch in a small bowl.

13) Add the cornstarch mixture to the blueberry sauce and cook until it thickens.

14) Pour sauce over pancakes.

Son In Law Eggs

I picked to make these based on the name. The owner didn’t know the reason behind the name which I think is quite silly.

You have two choices: (1) A son in law made this for his mother in law when his wife was gone with what was leftover in the kitchen and she loved it; (2) A mother in law found out her future son in law was mistreating her daughter and made these to say ‘this is what will happen to your balls if you keep this up’. It depends on my mood which story I prefer to believe.

This dish is used as a sweet-ish thing to calm the spiciness of the usual Thai food, however it is NOT a desert.

Ingredients:

• 1 TBSP palm sugar
• 2 TBSP fish sauce
• 3 TBSP tamarind juice
• oil for frying
• 4 shallots, finely sliced
• 1 dried red chili finely sliced
• 2 hard boiled eggs, shelled
• coriander to garnish

Directions:

1) Combine the palm sugar, fish sauce and tamarind juice in a small pan and boil.

2) Lower to a simmer for 5 minutes.

3) Taste and see if you want to add more of any of the ingredients.

4) Heat the oil in two pans.

5) To the smaller one, add the shallots, chilies until they are golden brown. Allow to cool. (You could do this and then step 6, using the same pan.)

6) Fry the eggs, turning as needed to brown it. We left the egg whole but I think it would be good to slice it so there is more surface area to fry AND you’re not frying something that is round-ish.

7) Drain.

8) Cut the eggs in half (if left whole), pour the sauce over, and top with the fried shallots and chilies.

Stir Fried Glass Noodles

From Classic Home Cooking in Chang Mai.

Ingredients:

• 50 grams of glass noodles (soaked in water for about 5 minutes)
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1/2 carrot, sliced
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tomato, sliced
• 2 TBSP light soy sauce
• 1 TBSP oyster sauce or mushroom sauce
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 egg, beaten
• 20 grams of ear mushrooms, chopped
• 2 rice straw mushrooms or button mushrooms
• 2 pieces of baby corn, sliced
• 1 other vegetable, chopped
• 1 tsp ground white pepper

Directions:

1) Put the oil in a wok on low heat.

2) Add the garlic and fry until fragrant.

3) Turn up to medium heat and add the egg until it is scrambled and dry.

4) Add the vegetables and stir well.

5) Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, glass noodles and parsley and mix well.

6) Add the white pepper and remove from the heat.

Stuffed Lemongrass

‘This delicious dish is definitely best eaten with fingers. Cutlery just won’t let you enjoy the juicy lemongrass flavor which permeates the filling. Try using different meats, and consider using the filling for stuffing zucchini/courgettes and their flowers, eggplants, bamboo shoots or any other vegetable you fancy. Experiment with the balance of flavors to suit the availability of ingredients and your palate. Mashed potato and tofu are possible vegetarian options, with some roasted rice powder for texture.’–From Tamarino in Luang Prabang

Ingredients:

• 5 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 4-5 medium spring onions, roughly chopped
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup coriander, roughly chopped
• 1 kaffir lime leaf, finely sliced (be sure to take out the stem)
• 1 heaped spoonful of salt
• 200 grams of potatoes
• a bit of rice powder
• 10-12 stalks of lemongrass, leaves removed so it is just one circle at the bottom.
• 2 eggs, beaten with salt
• 1 cup oil for frying

Directions:

1) Pound garlic, spring onions, coriander, kaffir lime leaf and salt in a mortar.

2) Add the potato and rice powder and mix.

3) Starting about 1 cm from the base of the lemongrass, cut all the way though the stalk for 4-5 cm. Do this again 1/4  to the right/left.

4) Make many thin cuts all around (these do not need to go all the way though, just to the cut in the middle).

5) Use your thumbs to open the lemongrass ‘cage’ and make a basket.

6) Add the filling with your hands or spoon.

7) Dip the lemongrass stuffed part in egg.

8) Heat oil in the wok to medium heat and fry the stalks until it is brown on the outside.

9) Drain on absorbent paper and serve.

Me and the lemongrass ‘cage’

The frying process

Pad Thai Sai Kai

My blog works again!

I was traveling for 6 weeks, and then moved back to American and couldn’t log in so I gave up for a bit (2 weeks or so) until my friend told me how to log in from another country than the one you started the account. I’m back!

The first place I had a cooking class in Southeast Asia was Thailand. I ended up taking 2 in 4 weeks, but this recipe is from the first one, Silom Cooking School in Bangkok.

Ingredients:

• 100 grams dried rice noodle, pre soak in warm water until soft, drain
• 5 medium sized prawns, peeled and deveined
• 2 TBSP vegetable oil
• 1/8 cup green onion
• 1 TBSP palm sugar or honey
• 2 tsp fish sauce
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup raw bean sprouts
• 1 TBSP garlic (minced)
• 1/3 cup tofu cut into 1 cm strips
• 1 TBSP tamarind paste or white vinegar
• 1 TBSP pickled white radish, finely chopped
• 1 TBSP ground roasted peanut
• 1/2 tsp ground dried red chili powder

Directions:

1) Heat the oil over low heat.

2) Add garlic and fry until fragrant. Do not flip or move the pan like ‘stir fry’, stir it

3) Add prawns, tofu, bean sprouts, chives and stir until the prawns are cooked (45 seconds).

3) Crack the egg straight into the wok and stir quick until it is scrambled and dried

4) Add noodles and season with fish sauce, palm sugar, ground roasted peanut, ground dried red chilies powder, tamarind paste and pickled white radish.

6) When the noodles are soft turn off the heat

7) Serve with ground peanut and ground dried chili powder