Week 88:
OK, so let me get something straight, I'm not a writer, I'm a cook. Blogging is definitely not my forte, but I have been cooking every week since my last post. I really need to be more consistent. Alright week 88 of 104... Today I made a Spicy shrimp noodle bowl with a cucumber salad. The noodle bowl consisted of rice stick noodles, shrimp, sauteed vegetables, all severed in a fish broth that I made. The fish broth wasn't completely "from scratch" but I didn't just buy a fish stock. I started of with chicken broth, added water and clam juice then topped it all off with the shells from the shrimp and some slices of ginger. I boiled it down and it made a really yummy broth. Then I sauteed some garlic, onion, and bell pepper, added the broth, snap peas, some chili flakes, the shrimp and the noodles, cooked it all down to deliciousness and TAH-DAH!!!! A really yummy soup type dish. I served it with some lime wedges as well as some salad consisting of cucumber, radishes, green onion, and a light dressing. My family really enjoyed it (9/10) and it only to me about 30 minutes to make.
See you next time internet! Love, Alexa :)
So as some of you may know, I brought back a ton of produce from my friend's house, including pears. This recipe has a great kick to it and the scones were gone with in a day (and I made a double recipe). This recipe makes 8 scones and they're great for breakfast.
6.75 oz all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
2.4 oz whole wheat flour (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground cardamom (if you're feeling ambitious, add a touch more)
3 tbsp cold butter
10 tbsp buttermilk
1 tsp lemon rind
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup chopped pear
2 tsp all-purpose flour
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine 6.75 oz all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and the cardamom in a large bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut the butter in, breaking it into small pieces first. Keep working the butter in until the mix looks like coarse meal. Combine the buttermilk, lemon rind, vanilla extract, and egg in a medium bowl. Stir in the pear. Add the buttermilk mix to the flour mixture stirring until just moist (don't overmix). Turn out the dough on a lightly floured surface. Dust the top with the remaining 2 tsp of flour. Pat the dough into an 8-inch circle onto a greased baking sheet. Cut the dough into 8 wedges, not all the way, but about 2/3 of the way into the dough. Brush the egg white over the dough. Bake it for about 25 minutes and it's ready to eat almost immediately!
See you next time internet! Love, Alexa :)
We were up at our friend's house and they live in the best climate for apples, grapes, cherries, and many other fruits. We returned 3 days later with bags of apples and peaches as well as a box of plums, some pears, carrots, and 150 tomatoes. This recipe is a great way to use peaches and it is absolutely delicious!
Dough
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp white sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup vegetable shortening
1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp ice water
Filling
2 1/2 lbs peaches; peeled, pitted, and sliced
1/2 to 3/4 cup plus 2 tsp sugar, divided
3 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp almond extract (optional)
1/8 tsp salt
2 to 3 tbsp butter
Milk or cream
OK! So start off by making the dough. This dough recipe will make just enough dough for one covered pie, so it's perfect! First, you'll wanna stir the flour, 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp salt together in a large bowl. Then, using a pastry blender, and in the shortening, breaking it into chunks as you go.. Cut in the shortening until the mixture looks like cornmeal or bread crumbs. Drizzle the water over the mix and stir it together until it starts to come together. If the dough will not come together and an extra 1 or 2 tbsp of ice water. When your dough is starting to come together, divide the dough in half, press each portion into a circle, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes before rolling
After it's chilled (preferably for a couple hours) roll out your dough. One portion should be rolled out to about a 13-inch diameter, the other half should be rolled out to about a 12-inch diameter. Place the 13-inch circle into a 9-inch pie tin. Refrigerate the dough while you make the filling.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Measure out 5 cups of the peaches and combine with 1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, almond extract (is using), and 1/8 tsp salt. Let the filling stand for 15 minutes. Remove the pie crust from the fridge. Pour the filling into the bottom crust and dot the top with the butter. Cover the top of the pie (if you'd like, you can make a lattice). If you're completely covering the pie, cut steam vents in the top. Light brush the top of the pie with the milk or cream and sprinkle the remaining 2 tsp of sugar on the top. Bake the pie for 30 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degree Fahrenheit and cook it for 25 to 35 minutes more. Let the pie cool then you can slice the pie and enjoy!
See you next time internet! Love, Alexa :)
Week 75:
I'm not making dinner today because I'm going to a concert so I made breakfast instead. The pancakes weren't my favorite. I used the wrong type of oats so the texture was really wrong. On top of that, they didn't really taste like anything. I don't know, I wasn't a fan. I think I'll just stick to my normal pancakes. They got a 6/10.
See you next time internet! Love, Alexa :)
Week 74:
I really need to make this blogging thing more consistent. I've been at cooking camp for this last week. Cooking camp ended yesterday so I am back to cook on my own. I made these chicken thighs and they were amazing. I had to take the skin off and the bone out because the boneless ones came in packs of 6 and the bone in ones came in packs of 4. I needed 8, so I got the thighs with the bone in. The spice mix was really good. Garlic powder, chili powder, salt, cumin, paprika, and pepper.I brushed honey and vinegar during the cooking process.They kind of reminded me of the chicken wings. It was not as spicy as I though it was gonna be but it was delicious. The quinoa salad was nice, but I preferred the chicken.
The cake was really nice. The filling was whipped cream and a cherry filling. The filling wasn't too sweet, that cake was chocolatey, and the overall cake was amazing. Both dishes got 9.6/10. I think I'll make both dishes again.
See you next time internet! Love, Alexa :)
I haven't done one of these in a while! It's kind of a shame since I really like baking and it's something I enjoy doing. Anyway, these cupcakes were really delicious and they have a cool take on a traditional topping!
Cupcake
1 1/2 cups (225 g) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp apple cinnamon tea (or any other tea you like, the original recipe called for chai)
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup (125 g) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup (100 g) firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
Meringue
3 large egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/3 cup sugar
Alright! Starting off with the cupcake, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners (I used silicone, paper works just the same). So for the tea I simply cut open some tea bags and sifted the tea because there were some large chunks that would have been unpleasant to eat. I used 3 tea bags, it might be different for you. Get creative, try different teas! Combine the flour, baking powder, tea, and salt in a small bowl. Beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla together in a medium bowl until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. With your mixer on low and half of your flour mix, then half the milk, then the remaining flour, and the rest of the milk. Put the batter into the liners, pop the pan in the oven and cook it for 20-25 min (if they aren't fully cooked don't worry, we'll put it back in the oven at a higher heat, they should be mostly done though). When the cupcakes come out, boost up the oven temp to 450 degrees F.
For the meringue, beat your egg whites and cream of tartar together until you get soft peaks. Then add in the sugar and beat like crazy until you get stiff peaks. Using a star tip, pipe your meringue onto your cupcakes and bake them for 5 minutes at 450 degrees F. Then... they're done! Experiment, enjoy!
See you next time internet! Love, Alexa :)
Note: My meringue didn't get quite as stiff as I had hoped and that's why its all over the place. The burning on the top was almost instant, that was not from overcooking.
Week 66:
I haven't blogged in a while but I've been cooking. I made casserole, quesadillas, and etc... So today I made soup. It was corn chowder with some squash, celery, and green onions. They didn't have the type of squash I wanted to use at the store so I used spaghetti squash. Because of the squash texture the soup was a little chunky and stringy. Other than that, it was a little bland, however, it was tasty.
I loved the bruschetta, I just kept eating it. It was ok, but it was really addictive. My family gave the dishes an 8/10.
See you next time internet! Love, Alexa :)
