Recipe #30: Milkshakes by hand

Since coming back from vacation I have hardly spent any time outside. With the record highs being well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit I think we have all had to be really careful spending too much time in the heat. Although it was only a few weeks ago we were saying how up and down the weather had been with a few cold mornings and rain.

Even though there were heavy thunderstorms last night it was still pretty hot out today. And when it is this hot out I personally do not have much of an appetite. I snack throughout the day and I primarily want lighter meals. So instead of making dinner for Ian and myself, I made milkshakes for dinner. I was actually surprised by Ian because he brought home two pints of ice cream for us to enjoy tonight.

Of course, I still do not own a darn blender! (Our 4 year anniversary is coming up though and maybe Ian will buy me one then.) I'm having a lot of fun though mixing my ingredients by hand. I feel like I'm doing things in an old fashioned manner. In reality, I'm really just strengthening my right arm but now I just feel lopsided. Anyhow, this recipe did not require very much effort at all and these milkshakes can be made by anybody without breaking a sweat!

Ingredients:

* 2 Pints of Ice Cream (your flavor of choice)
* 3 cups of milk (for a thicker shake)





Cooking Directions:

In a large bowl mix together both of the ingredients until smooth. We used cookie dough and caramel crunch ice cream so we did not require any additional toppings. But you can always add whatever you'd like after adding the milk.

Pour into individual glasses and serve right away.

Recipe #29: Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Today I could not think of anything I wanted to make for this blog and even though Ian and I both had today off we actually spent half of the day sleeping. This past week I worked at 7AM and did not get a lot of sleep because instead of going to bed at a decent hour I would wait for Ian to come home from work, which was around 10PM. I would wait to cook when he got home so that I could spend a couple of hours with him before not seeing him again the next day. (The saga continued this entire week...)

So naturally I was exhausted by yesterday evening; not only did we go to bed early last night but we did not wake up until noon today! Well anyway, we had plans to eat dinner with a couple of friends we had not seen in a couple of months. Since all we had for breakfast at lunchtime was coffee I was left to find something for dessert.

Well, one of our friends is pregnant and while organizing our dinner plans for tonight we were eager to find what she was craving so we knew what restaurant to look for/stray from. Her husband informed us that lately she had been craving ding dongs and peanut butter. Unfortunately, neither Ian nor myself were interested in eating either of those items for dinner but we were willing to explore those options for dessert.

I decided to make our friends some homemade chocolate peanut butter bars, which I found the recipe from here: http://sweetpeaskitchen.com/2011/04/18/peanut-butter-cup-bars/.  I did consider making homemade ding dongs but I did not have a lot of time otherwise I probably would have made the attempt. Even though we were all very full from dinner I think these peanut butter bars should have at least somewhat satisfied part of her cravings!

Ingredients:

* 3/4 cups of Butter, divided
* 1 3/4 cups of Powdered Sugar
* 3/4 cups of Smooth Peanut Butter
* 1/4 cup of Crunchy Peanut Butter
* 3/4 cups of Graham Cracker Crumbs
* 1 cup of Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips









Cooking Directions:

In an 8x8 square baking dish spray with Canola Oil. Then take a long piece of wax paper and place inside of the dish so that it hangs about 2 inches over the sides. Then spray the wax paper.

In a medium sauce pan slowly melt 1/2 cup of butter on low heat.

Once melted, add the powdered sugar until mixture is smooth.

Stir in the smooth and crunchy peanut butter as well as the graham cracker crumbs. (I had whole graham crackers so I had to place a few crackers in a Ziploc bag before physically grinding them.)

Pour the peanut butter mixture into the baking dish.

In the now empty sauce pan add the remainder of the butter and the chocolate chips. When the mix is almost completely melted remove from the heat and mix until smooth.

Pour over the top of the peanut and spread so that it covers the entire top.

Place the baking dish in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before using the extra wax paper in the baking dish to remove the chocolate peanut butter block.

Place chocolate peanut butter block, that is on the wax paper, onto a cutting board and slice into 16 pieces.

Recipe #28: Parmesan Bok Choy with Walnuts

When I was in middle school my Mom and I were invited to a friend's Tea Party. I remember being a little confused because I had never been to a "real" tea party before and both she and I were not sure what exactly to expect. The theme of this tea party was basically an open house where we gathered at our friend's new home to tour the inside of their house. The father had actually designed the entire home himself and both the architecture and the interior of the house were very stylish and modern.

What is funny about all of this is that while I remember distinctly the shape of their house and their extremely lavish winding staircase I don't particularly remember what the furniture looked like. I don't remember a single painting and the color scheme has left me completely. But what I do remember is a specific appetizer in their catering menu.

I know for a fact that the appetizer was comprised of shorter pieces of romaine lettuce leaves, which had been ripped from the stem and left whole. At the bottom of the romaine leaf (towards the stem end) there was a generous dollop of creamy yet chunky blue cheese. Sprinkled lightly on top of the cheese were pine nuts. I thought these were so fabulous and so delicious that I still think of them today.

I attempted to find all of these ingredients at the grocery store thinking it would not be a challenge. Yet I found that Kroger only offers the very full and long heads of romaine lettuce and I was not sure how to trim it down without cutting the entire bottom part of the leaf. Then I could only find crumbly blue cheese, which would have tasted great but would not have had the creamy consistency I needed. And lastly, I found the pine nuts but they were so expensive that I could not justify the purchase. So I took a leap of faith and tried completely different ingredients and you know what? It was terrific (and SO much less expensive!)


Ingredients:

* 2 heads of Shanghai Bok Choy (shorter version of regular Bok Choy)
* 1 container of Aged Parmesan Peppercorn Dip
* Small Handful of Shaved Walnuts










Cooking Directions:

First, wash the bok choy under cold water and shake off well.

Remove each leaf by plucking them from the stem.

Lay each leaf down with the inside facing up (should appear like a soup ladle)

Then Scoop about 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of the Aged Parmesan Peppercorn Dip into the groove of each leaf.

Take the shaved walnuts and sprinkle a small amount over the top of the cheese.

Serve immediately and eat with your hands!

Recipe #27: Cuban Sandwich

The idea that sparked the inspiration to make this sandwich is kind of strange and random but also relevant to my life. I used to have a friend who was from Cuba and he had some of the best zest for life. It always inspired me to shake things up and not take life too seriously.

One great characteristic about my friend was that he was a really awesome cook. Being Cuban he always had some kind of traditional Cuban dish he would execute perfectly. All of the recipes he made were pretty complicated though. Because I was thinking of his Cuban heritage and culture I thought I'd attempt to make a Cuban Sandwich.

Since I got teased by him for never making Cuban food or visiting Cuba I thought this would be one of those Americanized dishes that is easy to prepare and tasty to eat. And now all I need to do is visit Cuba to completely cross this off my bucket list.

Ingredients:

* 1 loaf of Fresh Sourdough Bread
* 1 package of Ham
* 2 Tbsp of Thousand Island Yogurt
* 1 slice of 2% Swiss Cheese
* 1 Pickle








Cooking Directions:

First, preheat the George Foreman on medium heat.

Cut two thick slices of bread.

Take the Thousand Island Yogurt and spread onto one piece of bread.

Place about 8 slices of Ham onto the piece of bread with the yogurt spread.

Then place the slice of swiss cheese onto the naked piece of bread.

Fold the sandwich together and then place onto the George Foreman and cook for roughly 3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and there are grill marks on the bread.

Slice in half and serve immediately with a pickle.

Recipe #26: Beer Colby Cheese Dip

It is always pretty amusing when Ian and myself find that we are on the same page about dinner: Little Caesars $5.00 Pizza. Yes, we love fine dining and spending half of our paychecks on good wine and decadent meals. But when we want some cheap pizza Little Caesar's will always fill that junk food void.

So I thought, "What kind of salad should I make?" Now I love salads. I think I eat a salad at almost every dinner. So I figured that since we were eating greasy, cheap pizza we should go big or go home. (Since we were already at home) I thought we needed to go big and make cheese dip for the pizza.

After deciding to go with my gut (in both senses of the word) I found a great recipe that I will definitely make again for anything that needs a creamy, light, cheesy, accent. I found this recipe: http://www.theslowroasteditalian.blogspot.com/2012/06/smoky-beer-cheddar-cheese-sauce.html. I used a different cheese and a different beer than the recipe called for but with the other ingredients this dip can really be modified a lot.

Ingredients:

* 1/4 cup of Butter
* 1/4 cup of Flour
* 1 tsp of Garlic Powder
* 1 tsp of Cayenne Powder
* 1/2 tsp of Paprika
* Just a pinch of Sea Salt
* 1/4 tsp of Red Pepper Flakes
* 1/2 cup of New Castle
* 1/2 cup of Chicken Broth
* 8 oz. of Shredded Colby Jack Cheese
*  3/4 cup of Half & Half
* 1 tsp of Worcestershire Sauce




 Cooking Directions:

On medium low heat, melt the butter.

Whisk the flour into the butter.

Whisk the garlic powder, cayenne powder, paprika, sea salt, and red pepper flakes into the dough.

Slowly add the New Castle and the chicken broth. Whisk until all of the dough is completely dissolved.

Add the shredded cheese and stir until the mixture is completely melted and smooth.

Add the worcestershire sauce and the half and half. Then stir until well mixed.

To serve immediately, bring the cheese dip to a boil and then reduce heat right away to low. This will thicken the sauce much more quickly.

Yeah buddy

Recipe #25: Mango Avocado Salsa

I know everyone else hates Mondays because they usually symbolize the first day of the week but I always look forward to them for one reason: Manager's Specials. I always find the best deals for meats, vegetables, fruits, cheese and other dairy products on this day. The hardest part to my Mondays are waiting for my shift to be over so that I can get to the grocery store before all of the good sales have been purchased.

So speaking of good deals on a Monday, I found my ingredients for my salsa at hardly any cost at all. The mango and the avocados were only $1.00 each. Additionally, I had to buy a pound of onions, which only cost me $2.00. The most expensive item was my tiny amount of fresh cilantro, which ended up costing me $2.00. Plus I already had lemon juice and freshly ground pepper at home, which I got both on sale on a Monday previous to this recipe!

I found this recipe idea from here: http://princessmisia.com/blog/?p=2886. I altered the recipe since I could not find coriander at the grocery store so I bought the cilantro instead. Also, I already had lemon juice so the lime juice was an unnecessary purchase. For not adding any salt to this dish whatsoever it could have fooled me had I not been the one who had made this recipe. The fusion of all of these ingredients created a creamy, sweet, salty, and savory appetizer/snack/poultry or fish topping. I highly recommend this salsa to everybody this summer!

Ingredients:

* 1 Ripe Mango
* 2 Ripe Avocados
* 1 White Onion
* 1 package/0.66 oz of Cilantro
* 1 Tbsp of Lemon Juice
* 1/2 tsp of freshly ground pepper
* Unsalted Kettle Tortilla Chips







Cooking Directions:

First, with a very sharp pairing knife, peel the skin off of the mango on a cutting board.

Cut large slices off of the mango all the way down to the core. Then take the slices and make about 1/2 inch chopped pieces. Place the chopped pieces into a large bowl.

Next, place the two avocados on the chopping board. With a large chopping knife, cut the avocados in half long-ways.

The pit will be exposed only on one half of the avocado once it is pulled apart.

Take the chopping knife and very carefully chop into the avocado seed to remove it from the avocado.

Be very careful removing the avocado seed from the knife since the seed will be very slippery and it is very easy to cut yourself. (It works best for me to lightly bang the seed against the inside of the sink and it usually falls right off.)

If the avocados are ripe enough then taking a large spoon and removing the avocado from the skin should be very easy.

Chop the avocados into about 1/2 inch pieces as well. Place them in the bowl with the mango pieces.

On the chopping board dice the onion and then add the pieces to the bowl.

Mince the cilantro leaves and add them to the bowl as well.

Add the lemon juice as well as the ground pepper to the bowl. Then mix until the salsa is evenly coated.

Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator for roughly 2 hours to let chill.

Then serve with the tortilla chips! Yum!

Recipe #24: Chicken and Waffles

Have you ever driven past a Maxine's Chicken and Waffles sign and/or restaurant and find yourself really contemplating whether or not you should go? I find myself in this predicament every time! And in the 4 years of being with Ian, I have done my absolute best to convince him that a trip needs to be made.

Well unfortunately (and fortunately), our travels have just never taken us to the East side of Indianapolis (yet) for longer than a drive by. Even when we lived on the West side of Indianapolis we ate at just about every "ethnic" restaurant available but there was not a chicken and waffles place that we saw.

Well now we live on the North side of Indianapolis and let's just say the culture is much different from the East and West sides of Indy. But to be fair, the culture in Carmel is different from most cities in the state of Indiana. But like I said, I have been dying to try chicken and waffles and since no one has expressed the same curiosity I decided to take matters into my own hands.

Instead of having the typical fried chicken wings laying on top of the waffles I decided to hide them inside of the waffles. I think I surprised Ian quite sufficiently. He got a kick out of the leftover chicken from the Panko Breaded Chicken with Udon Recipe being completely hidden inside of the Belgian Waffles. I may not be a Southern Bell but I am a Southern Korean and I'd say this recipe is not a bad way to wake up on a Sunday.

Ingredients:

* 2 pieces of Fried Boneless Chicken Breasts (store bought or homemade)
* 1 and 1/4 cup of Belgian Waffle mix
* 1 Egg
* 3 Tbsp of Vegetable Oil
* 1 cup of Water
* Maple Syrup








Cooking Directions:

First, preheat your waffle iron.

Dice the chicken breasts into small pieces on a cutting board.

Mix together the Belgian Waffle mix, the egg, the Vegetable Oil, and the cup of Water until well blended.

Add the fried chicken pieces into the mix and stir until all the pieces are fully coated into the batter.

Take just less than 2/3 cup of the batter and pour into the waffle iron.

Close the top of the waffle iron and let cook for roughly 3 minutes, until the waffle is golden brown.

Remove from the waffle maker and repeat these steps to use all of the chicken batter.

Serve right away with a healthy portion of maple syrup.

Recipe #23: Mini Bacon and Mushroom Souffles

Usually I only partake in eating a souffle when it is a special occasion like Christmas or Easter. Traditionally, my mom would prep the souffle the night before and then wake up very early in the morning to bake the dish. Since it is neither Christmas or Easter I felt a little strange making this recipe in the middle of summer but it was well worth it!

When cooked in a large baking dish it usually takes quite a long time for a souffle to cook. Because of this I decided to divide the mix into individual muffin tins so they would cook much faster. I did tell you in my Bacon and Egg Muffins post that I would definitely be using the muffin pan again. And conveniently, I also had leftover bacon from that recipe as well. These tasted wonderful and I strongly encourage you to try them as a breakfast or as a brunch idea.

I got the inspiration from this recipe: http://casaveneracion.com/omelet-cupcakes/. I thought the omelet cupcake idea was so cute and delicious however the ingredients were not exactly agreeable or appetizing to me. Perhaps another time I will try the sardines and spinach combination but today my stomach could only handle what I'm used to: bacon and eggs.

Ingredients:


* 6 Eggs
* 1 package of bacon
* 8 oz package of fresh mushrooms
* 1 large white onion
* 1 Tbsp of Red Pepper Flakes

Cooking Directions:


First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

On medium heat cook the bacon until medium rare. Remove from heat and drain on paper towels. (The bacon will continue to cook thoroughly in the oven.)

Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl.

Dice the onion and mushrooms. Add these ingredients to the eggs.

Then add the red pepper flakes and mix all of the ingredients until well blended.

Spray the muffin pan generously with canola oil.

With a ladle, pour the egg mix into the muffin pans.

Place the pan in the oven and cook for roughly 30-40 minutes or until eggs are fluffy.

Recipe #22: Grilled Romaine

Since coming back on vacation, I have been actively trying to use up a lot of the perishables in my refrigerator. This has had to be the biggest disappointment to my entire vacation as some of the items have actually gone bad. However I would take that as being the worst part over anything else I think!

In any case, the romaine lettuce was just sitting in my vegetable drawer and since I have always been curious about putting it on the grill I thought this would be a great opportunity to experiment. Luckily it was very easy to make and it tasted fantastic. The texture was very similar to cabbage but the flavor was much more mild and almost buttery. I'll be certain to make this again as a side to just about any meal.

Ingredients:


* 2 Heads of Romaine Lettuce
* Extra Virgin Olive Oil
* Red Pepper Flakes
* Sea Salt
* Parmesan Cheese





Cooking Directions:

First, wash the 2 heads of Romaine Lettuce. Place on a cutting board and cut the bottoms off. Then slice the 2 heads in half.

Place on a George Foreman grill and drizzle with Olive Oil, Sea Salt, and Red Pepper Flakes.

Cook for roughly 1 minute, or until the lettuce has darkened grill marks.

Remove from heat and place on a plate. Then shake the Parmesan Cheese onto the lettuce.