“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.”
       -C.S. Lewis


       I don't really know what normal people get in their Christmas stockings, but I got a bottle of ground cardamon. The only gift that produced more joy was the Beyonce CD my sister gifted me (although, I have to say, not really feelin it as much as I thought I would...).  Let's just say the cardamon has seen more action recently than the Queen Bee. Haters can hate. Here are two of the recipes that have utilized this delicious spice. 

Chai Coconut Rice Pudding

     Sometimes you just want a lil tropical treat, amirite? Warm rice pudding is especially nice when it's cold and snowy. This rice pudding has a very similar cooking process to that of risotto. First, bring the water to a boil and add the rice and the butter. Once the water has been absorbed, bring the temperature to low and add the sugar and coconut milk. Cook for 30 minutes while constantly stirring until the rice is creamy and tender. Add the vanilla, salt, cardamon, cinnamon, and ginger. I added toasted coconut as a garnish. Serve hot or cold. I also added a splash of coconut rum to ours, but you do you.

Serene Green Chai Smoothie

    

    
     To make this smoothie, blend the applesauce with the banana, spinach, almond milk, honey, cinnamon, ginger, cardamon, a splash of vanilla, and an optional scoop of vanilla protein powder. Blend until smooth.

Recipes
Rice Pudding (adapted from the blog "The Sugar Hit")
 1 1/4 c water
3/4 c jasmine rice
1 tbsp butter
2 c coconut milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cardamon
1 tsp powdered ginger
1 tsp vanilla 
pinch of salt

Smoothie
1/2 c applesauce
1/2 medium banana
2 c baby spinach
1/2 c vanilla unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 scoop of vanilla protein powder (optional)
a pinch of the following: cardamon, cinnamon, powdered ginger

 

      A falta de pan, tortillas...

     In college, Taco Tuesday was a big deal. We normally had a good selection and on occasion went all out with plantains, horchata, and Mexican ballads. Since I've been home, Taco Tuesday has not been as popular...until today! This big ol' snow storm made it near impossible to go to the store. This was a serious issue because I really was hankerin for some tacos,but we lacked the little round disks on which to build said tacos. Then my mom made a glorious suggestion that we make our own tortillas. I have no idea why I reacted so violently to this thought. "Homemade tortillas, are you mad?!". Once I calmed down I realized, why, it's just bread. Flat, flat bread. This was TT's only chance, and I was about to fight with everything I had.

Tortillas with Beer Battered Halibut 

     Okay, the first step in this process is to make some tortilla dough. To do this, combine the flour with the salt, baking powder, and shortening. Once the dough resembles course sand, add the warm water and work the mixture until a ball begins to form. Take the dough out of its bowl and knead for 5 minutes on a floured surface. Let the dough rest, covered, on the counter for half an hour.

     Divide the dough into 16 even portions and roll each ball out into a tortilla shape. Some things to note: I'm used to smaller tortillas, so you can certainly make 32 tortillas, but you might hate yourself for it by #24. Also, do not worry about making a perfect circle, tortillas were meant to be roughly hewn, just like people. Once the tortillas are formed, slap them on a hot non-stick or cast iron pan (at a medium-high temp.) and let them toast on both sides for about 30 seconds each. Keep them warm in an oven covered with a moist paper towel so they don't dry out.

     Time for fish, no? First thing's first, get to making that batter. To do this, combine the flour with the salt, onion powder, and black pepper. Once these are mixed, add the beer and mix thoroughly. Let this sit for at least half an hour. In the meantime, cut your fish into either thin strips or cubes. 

     To fry the fish, heat a pan with two cups of neutral oil to 375 F on medium heat. Dredge the fish that has been seasoned with salt and pepper in flour that has also had salt and pepper added to it. Them, dip the fish pieces into the beer batter and carefully lower them into the oil. Let them cook, depending on the thickness, for 3-4 minutes on each side. Salt them immediately upon exiting the oil. 

     I topped mine with sour cream, some shredded queso, chopped tomatoes, and a pickled corn and onion salsa. To make the salsa, take two cups of fresh or frozen corn and add to it 1/4 of thinly sliced red onion. Season with 1 tsp each of cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder. Add one Tbsp of vinegar and the juice of half a lime or lemon. Season with salt and pepper. Cabbage would also be a big hit here.

There you have it. Don't ever let a snow storm dull your taco sparkle. Live the dream everyday. Also, it never hurts to end the day with peanut butter blossoms. 

Recipes

Tortillas (adapted from the blog :I Wash...You Dry")

4 c flour

1 tsp salt 

2 tsp baking powder

3 Tbsp shortening

1 1/2 c warm water

Beer-batter Halibut

4 6-oz fillets of halibut

1/2 cup flour 

2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp salt

pepper

1 oz pale ale

flour for dredging

salt and pepper, to taste

Shake it up, baby, twist and shout

     Making soft pretzels has been on my agenda since last September. Why it took my eons to make still eludes me. The process is very similar to that of making bagels, except...you only have to proof once! Glory day. I dabbled with the idea of making a few different variations i.e. I'm fat and wanted all the carbs, but in the end decided to stick with a traditional recipe for the first round. Understand, there will be victory rounds, right after I buy more yeast.


Soft Pretzels with Sea Salt

     Now that's some hangry yeast. To get it this mad, add the yeast and tsp of sugar to the 1 1/4 cup of water that has been heated to 110 F. It's good to note that colder water may not "wake up" the yeast and water that is too hot may actually kill the little critters. Let this mixture sit for ten minutes.

     In the meantime, combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl and mix to combine. Make a well in the middle and add the oil, immediately followed by the yeast mixture and give that dough a good what for.

After you've kneaded the dough for 7-8 minutes, transfer the mass to an oiled bowl and cover with a moist tea towel. Store the dough in a warm place for an hour. The dough should have doubled in size. Look at that monster.

This recipe specified that 12 pretzels should be made with this amount of dough. If you're exceptionally skilled at math like I am, you'll have already figured out how to karate chop this dough into 12 lil twists of joy.

*DISCLAIMER* I may have struggled more with this division than I should have.

Now the fun part. After you roll the portioned dough into ropes you can either cut them into nuggets or shape them traditionally. Prior to this process, you want to bring four cups of water to a boil for the pretzels to take a dunk in.

When the last pretzel is shaped, add the baking soda to the water and give each pretzel a bath. After each pretzel gets some spa time (30-60 sec.), place them back onto the baking sheet and add a bit of an egg wash to the top. This recipe did not call for one, but I was feeling bold and fresh. To make an egg wash, simply scramble an egg with a few tablespoons of water. Use a brush to reach every last twist. Add a coarse salt to the pretzels before they go into the oven.

These definitely poofed a lot more than I thought they would; for this reason, I would probably roll my ropes thinner next time. These pretzels should be enjoyed with mustard, cold beer, and good friends. 

Recipe

(adapted from the blog "Chocolate, Chocolate, and More")

450 F 8-10 min

• 4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F.)
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 4 cups hot water
• 1/4 cup sea salt
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 
  

    Through amber waves of...quinoa?

      Once upon a time my mom made quinoa when it was just becoming known, and I hated it. This wasn't a mild case. I went into college thinking that this wretched seed(?) was going to become the new poster child for nutrition in the 21st century. Not on my watch. I went around telling any biddy that would listen that quinoa was just a fad and wasn't worth their time. I was an out of control quinoa vigilante. 

     Fortunately, this all changed my junior year of college. One of my roommates who does not eat gluten was preparing those creepy lil squiggles and I immediately jumped for my anti-quinoa pamphlets, but was stopped. My roommate held me down with a dull vegetable peeler and demanded that I taste the pearls of doom. Boom! My opinion of quinoa was changed forever.

      When I confronted my mom about her batch, we decided that the offending qualities simply came from over-compensation. The trendy quinoa pioneers had tried to win over our hearts by creating recipes that totally covered up what makes quinoa great. When cooked with just a little bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper, quinoa is delightfully nutty and chewy and can be added into almost any dish. 

     Discovering that quinoa was in fact a tasty alternative to wheat pleased me. Don't get me wrong, I worship wheat, but having options is always preferable. Here are two basic recipes for a wheat/meat free meal.

Mediterranean Spiced Quinoa

     Prepare 1/4 cup of dry quinoa as directed. Peel and dice 1/2 cup of carrots and add to a small pan with 1/2 cup of water. Cook the carrots on high until all the water has evaporated. The carrots should be tender at this point. If the carrots are not soft enough, you can add a few more tablespoons of water and continue to cook. Add the quinoa to the pan and season with salt, pepper, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp powdered ginger, 1 tsp garlic powder, and 1 tsp of honey. Heat until the quinoa has dried out a bit. Lastly, add a cup of fresh spinach that has been chopped or sliced. This will serve two or one mildly hungry bear.

Salmon Teriyaki Fried Rice

     Woahhhh, leftover city, over here. Combine 1 cup of steamed green beans with 1 1/2 cups of cooked, brown rice, and four ounces of cooked salmon. Heat over a medium flame and season with 2 tsps of soy sauce, 1 tsp teriyaki sauce, 1 tsp each of onion and garlic powder, 1 tbsp of light brown sugar, and a healthy pinch of pepper. Now turn that sucker up to high and scramble some eggs in a bowl. Make a well in the middle of the pan for the eggs and add a tsp of vegetable oil. Pour dem eggs in and stir just to combine. Now let the rice sit for a good 30 seconds and then stir again. Who doesn't like big chunks of egg in their fried rice? You can add extra soy sauce at this point if you like it salty. I do. This makes about 3 servings.

O0o0o0o0o0o0, homemade pickles? You want recipe? Leave a message.

     Take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne

     New Year's Resolutions:

     Write a post at least once a week (hibernation is almost over).
     Attempt to learn Italian and polar bear.
     Make Yonce brunch.

     Let's be serious, I only really need the last one to happen, but I guess I'll shoot for the first two as well. 

     I've recently been eating a lot more than I've been baking, annnnnd I can't really say I apologize, except for the extra lbs. One of the scrummy things I made over the holidays was a riff on ginger bourbon cookies. I added coffee and cardamom and made Dirty Chai cookies. They may or may not have won a cookie contest. As the cookies were consumed by a hoard of 20-something females, I do not have pictures, but will include the recipe. I did take the time to document my take on Sticky Date Pudding. You simply cannot have a proper happy Christmas without it. Ask Tiny Tim.

Sticky Date Pudding

Do not be fooled, you Yanks, this here ain't no milk pudding. It's a moist cake soaked in syrup. To get started, add the finely chopped dates to the water and drop in the cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil and then simmer for five minutes. Take off the heat and add the baking soda.

Next, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about four minutes. Add the vanilla and the eggs, one by one. Add the flour and dates and mix just to combine. Pour into a lined 8 in baking dish and throw that sucker into the hot box. 

While it's baking, you should probably make the toffee sauce. So simple. Start by heating the brown sugar, butter, and molasses in a small pot. After this mixture has simmered for a few minutes, take off the heat and add the cream. I also added some sea salt at this point. Great choices. 

When you take the finished cake out of the oven, pour some of the sauce over top. Use the rest to garnish with or eat with a spoon.

---

Sloppy or Delicious? Hard to say.

Extra-Dirty Chai Cookies

Start by combining all the dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. In a larger bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Then add the vanilla and eggs, one at a time. 

Now for the crazy bit. I took 1/2 cup of coffee, 1/4 cup of sugar, and two tablespoons of cornstarch and combined them in a small pan. I added a bit of the coffee to the cornstarch before adding it to the pan to make sure it wasn't lumpy. After adding the cornstarch slurry back into the pan, I simmered the mixture until it thickened enough to coat my spoon. I then added this to the cookie mix. Lastly, I mixed the flour in until well combined. Let this mixture sit for at least a day in the fridge, if not longer. 

After the flavors have had a day to get to know each other, take the dough out of the fridge and roll them into 1 1/2 in balls. Roll these balls into the cardamom sugar mixture and place onto a cookie sheet. Lightly press on the cookies with your palm to flatten them slightly. Bake and eat. Or gift. 

Recipes

Sticky Date Pudding (adapted from the blog "Don't Forget Delicious!")

350 F 30-35 min

Cake:

• 6 oz dates, pitted and finely chopped
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup crystallized ginger (optional)
• 2 cinnamon sticks (optional)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sauce:

• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup Steen’s Pure Cane Syrup (or honey or molasses)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Extra-Dirty Chai Cookies (adapted from the blog "The Busty Baker")

350 F 8-10 min

2 ¼ cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground ginger

¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tsp cardamon 

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

½ cup packed light brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1/2 c coffee

2 tsp cornstarch

1/4 c sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon bourbon (dark or spiced rum also works well)

¼ cup molasses

¼ cup granulated sugar, for rolling

2 tsp cardamon