Valentine Sugar Cookie Heart

Before I get into my Valentine’s Day treats, I wanted to share a couple things with you. If you’ve been following me since the beginning, you know that a couple years ago, I catered lunch for Nate and his little film crew while he filmed a short film he wrote, directed, and acted in. It took a long time to finish editing, but I can finally share it with you. It’s equal parts suspenseful and amusing, and I hope you enjoy it :)

Lost Keys from Nathaniel Carota on Vimeo.

(You can also see the video he made for our wedding here.)

The second thing I want to share with you is another doggy painting I completed. I’m really trying to build up a pet portrait side business (see the “Pet Portrait” tab on my page menu). I really want to expand to animals other than dogs, but so far that’s all I’ve done. This one was done in memory of Charlie, who passed away recently from cancer :(

Custom Pet Portrait Yellow Lab

Custom Pet Portrait Yellow Lab

Now onto the recipe…

I know a lot of people aren’t fans of Valentine’s Day. While it’s true that it’s not as exciting of a holiday if you’re unattached, it’s a perfect excuse to eat chocolate no matter what your relationship status :)

There are a couple cookie recipes I’ve been meaning to share. I’ll share one today and one in a few days. The first is a semi-homemade cookie that I found years ago and often use it for beautiful Christmas Cookies. It’s a cut-out sugar cookie, but because it’s an upgrade to a powdered mix, you can spend more time decorating and less time measuring out ingredients! Also, the texture is such that you don’t even need to refrigerate before rolling out.

Valentine Sugar Cookie Heart

I usually use it with regular royal icing and decorate pretty snowflakes and santas for Christmas. This time, however, I used a super easy marbling technique I found on this site. It’s so easy and sooo impressive looking!

Since I won’t get to be with Nate this Valentine’s Day, I sent him these in a little care package with some toffee blondies. The blondies were a recipe I made for the first time and they were SO good, but I didn’t photograph them, so I’ll have to make them again sometime soon for you.

Make these cookies for someone you love today!

Semi-Homemade Roll Out Sugar Cookies

From Sandra Lee

Print this recipe

makes 4 dozen small cookies or 2 dozen larger

17.5-ounce package dry sugar cookie mix
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or other flavoring
1 cup all-purpose flour

royal icing (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cookie mix with the cream cheese until crumbly. Mix in the eggs and flavoring until well combined. Add enough flour to make a firm dough that can be rolled out. Refrigerate briefly if too sticky.

Roll dough out on lightly floured board to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out hearts or other desired shapes.

Place on ungreased baking sheet and bake for about 8-10 minutes.

Make royal icing. When cookies are cool, ice cookies by following marble technique found here and here.

Royal Icing

from Annie’s Eats

this might yield slightly more than you need, but it’s better to have too much so you don’t have to match the color when you make more.

Ingredients:
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 tbsp. meringue powder
5 tbsp. water

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Whisk until the sheen has disappeared and the icing has a matte appearance (or use a stand mixer.

Transfer the contents of the mixing bowl to an air-tight container. This will be the stiffest consistency of the icing, and at this point it is still too stiff to use for decorating.  Add water a very small amount at a time and stir by hand until fully incorporated.  Continue until the icing has reached a consistency appropriate for piping.  (Remember, if you are having any difficulty piping, it is still too thick.  Add a little more liquid and try again.)

Using a pastry bag, pipe around the edges of each cookie.  Let stand so the icing will set.  Make sure to keep the leftover icing covered at all times when not in use so that it does not begin to harden.

Once all the cookies have been edged, transfer some of the remaining icing to a separate air-tight container.  Thin out by incorporating a small amount of water at a time, until the icing drips off the spoon easily when lifted and then smooths in with that still in the bowl.  If you go too far and the icing is too thin, add more sifted powdered sugar to thicken it again.  Once the icing has reached the desired consistency, transfer it to a squeeze bottle (or a plastic bag with a hole in one corner), and flood the area surrounded by the piping on each cookie.  If it does not completely spread to the edges, use a toothpick to help it along.  Pipe on dots in a contrasting color and use a toothpick to drag into hearts. Allow to set.

Indian Cauliflower and PotatoSorry to barrage you all with cauliflower recipes, but as you know, I have a limited time period during which I can make them. I actually made this recipe once before but never got around to posting it. I’m kinda mad about that because I know I added something else last time that made it even tastier, but oh well. This was still really delicious.

In addition to my love of cauliflower, I have a love for Indian spiced dishes. Add a little Garam Masala and Tumeric, and I’m a happy girl.

Indian Cauliflower and Potato

I had some leftover potatoes laying around and knew I wanted to make something with cauliflower, so this recipe came to mind. I had every intention of using a higher cauliflower to potato ratio, but alas the stupid NYC supermarket I went to only had the most tiny cauliflowers you have ever seen…and to make matters worse, they were $5.99 each! How absurd is that?! I would have just gotten two of them, but not at that price.

Indian Cauliflower and Potato

I also wanted to use up these potatoes I had laying around, so unfortunately there was more potato to cauliflower which, had I followed the original recipe, would have ended up being really dry. This was the main reason I edited the recipe. Also, I like things a little more moist and acidic, so I threw in some diced canned tomatoes and yogurt.

This dish was perfectly spicy and satisfying. Although i suppose you could eat it as a side dish, I put a hefty dallop of greek yogurt on top rounding out a great dinner for one.

Indian Cauliflower and Potato

Indian-Spiced Cauliflower and Potatoes

adapted from Spicie Foodie

Print this recipe!

Serves 4-6

1 cauliflower head, cut into large florets
4 small potatoes, peeled and cut into large pieces
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
small piece of fresh ginger, ginger and finely chopped
1 tsp-1 Tbsp chile garlic sauce (depending on how spicy you like it)
11/2 tbsp. garam masala
1 tsp. ground turmeric
salt to taste
1- 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup greek 2% yogurt, plus 1+ cup more for garnish
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped, plus more for garnish

Boil the cauliflower and potatoes until tender. Drain and set aside.

Heat the oil and cook the onion until soft and translucent. Add the ginger, garlic and chile sauce and saute for another 3 minutes.

Place the boiled cauliflower and potatoes into the pan. Add the spices to the pan. Use a potato masher and mash until the vegetables have broken up into a thick mash, leaving chunky. Stir well and cook for another 10 minutes.

Add tomatoes, 1/4 cup yogurt, 1/2 cup cilantro and salt to taste. Stir to combine all ingredients well, and cook another minute or two.

Serve with a large dallop of yogurt and a handful of chopped cilantro.

cauliflower soup

Sorry for my absence. I was sick with some stomach virus and then a cold, and then I was in California for the long weekend. Being sick totally sucked, especially since I lost my appetite. I had poor Nate ordering pizza for dinner while I slept.

California, on the other hand, was so much fun. I got to spend time with my family and one of my closest friends, all of whom live in L.A. The weather was totally gorgeous. We went on a beautiful hike (and I realized how out of shape I truly am), and just spent a lot of time relaxing and eating yummy food. Thank goodness my appetite fully returned.

IMG_7220sm

I came back on Monday, while Nate is staying there for a month or so doing some job-searching. Since Nate’s gone, this is my perfect opportunity to cook all the foods I love that Nate doesn’t…starting with cauliflower!

The inspiration for this soup is another one of our honeymoon meals. Everyone told us we had to get a meal from one of the many food trucks while we were in Portland. Nate is kind of a picky eater, despite his claims otherwise, so the only food truck that seemed ok was a soup truck called Savor Soup House. Plus, it was a cold, rainy day and i love soup. We decided to get a 3 soup sampler- we ended up going with a basic tomato soup, a chicken tortilla and I think black bean with ham. They were all pretty awesome.

cauliflower soup

It was hard to decide between all the yummy choices, but I knew the cauliflower soup on their menu wasn’t an option since Nate says he detests caulflower. I guess the truck owner heard my lament about the fact that I couldn’t order the cauliflower soup, and so he gave me a little taste. It was seriously amazing.

The soup was so simple but so flavorful. I asked what was in it, and he told me it was just cauliflower, vegetable broth, salt, pepper and a little olive oil. I knew immediately that I’d have to find a way to make it myself.

cauliflower soup

In addition, I’ve been dying to use one of our wedding presents- an immersion blender! I made sure to keep my fingers away from the blade after this horrific article Nate sent me last week. Although, those people sound like idiots.

The soup came out great, but I honestly can’t remember if it was as good as the one in Portland. I wasn’t in the mood for plain cauliflower soup, so I added a drizzle of buffalo sauce and a sprinkle of blue cheese to take it up a notch. Seriously yummy.

cauliflower soup

Simple Cauliflower Soup

Print this recipe!

Serves 5-7

1 head cauliflower
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil + more for garnish
salt and pepper to taste

Cut end and core out of cauliflower. Cut into chunks and put in large pot. Add the stock, cover and bring to a boil.

Simmer covered for 15 minutes or until cauliflower is tender.

Using an immersion blender, puree cauliflower and broth until smooth.* Alternatively, add soup and cauliflower in batches to a blender. Make sure not to fill blender more than half full because hot liquids expand.

Add olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of pepper. (or for something different, do what I did and drizzle with buffalo sauce and sprinkle with blue cheese- so good!)

Roasted Vegetable and candied bacon salad

One day on our honeymoon, we had been hiking all day in the cold, pouring rain and after visiting several of the orchards on the Fruit Loop, petting some very cute alpacas and checking out a glass-blowing shop, we had nothing left to do that day before dinner.

Roasted Vegetable and candied bacon salad

The cabins we were staying at were a long and treacherous drive away and since I was the designated driver, I didn’t want to deal with driving back to the cabins for an hour or two and then back into town. You see, we were staying in Washington and dinner was in Oregon, and so we had to go over this really really really really scary little metal bridge to get from one to the other. The bridge probably wouldn’t be so scary in broad daylight on a nice clear day, but we had neither weather or sun in our favor on this occasion.

And so Nate and I headed early to dinner and played Letterpress (a highly addicting word game) against each other in the car for an hour while we waited for it to be late enough for us to legitimately arrive for our dinner reservation. We had plans to eat at this delicious restaurant in the Hood River Valley called Nora’s Table, as per Nate’s father’s recommendation.

Roasted Vegetable and candied bacon salad

The restaurant is small and cozy and I believe they vary their menu based on the season. On that particular day, there was something on the menu that was cold roasted veggies in a balsamic dressing on top of arugula, with candied bacon. I can’t remember the exact combo of veggies but I know there was definitely butternut squash and beets…and i remember there being some other squash or root veggie.

I had meant to recreate this recipe because the candied bacon was the most delicious thing either Nate or I had ever eaten….but I just never got around to it. Then a couple weeks ago, Shannon posted a recipe for bacon candy, and I knew it was a sign from the food blog gods that I really needed to get on this recipe recreation, STAT. It was also because after telling Shannon about said meal, she threatened my life if I didn’t begged me to immediately make this recipe and share it with her.

Roasted Vegetable and candied bacon salad

And so I took this threat request very seriously. Plus I now had a recipe for the most delicious part of the recipe (bacon candy!), courtesy of her. So I came up with a little something that I think gives Nora’s Table a run for their money. I hope you enjoy it.

*Just a note/warning: I tried using yellow beets for this recipe to maintain a yellow/orange color theme. However, I unfortunately learned that yellow beets oxidize to an ugly blackish color when left in the fridge overnight. Since these veggies need to be made the day before (or earlier in the day to cool to room temp), I recommend using red beets. If you were going to make the veggies same-day and serve room temp, then yellow would probably work.

Roasted Vegetable and candied bacon salad

Roasted Balsamic Squash & Root Vegetable Salad with Candied Bacon

Print this recipe!

Serves 4-6 large servings

1 bunch red beets* (see note above recipe)
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1″ cubes
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1″ chunks
olive oil
5 oz. arugula
Dressing:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp dijon mustard
salt and pepper

Candied Bacon (recipe to follow)

*It’s best to roast the vegetables the day before you want to eat this so you can serve them cold, or room temperature

Preheat oven to 400

Thoroughly wash beets, trim off greens leaving 1 inch (you can saute the greens for a yummy side dish!). Wrap beets individually with a bit of olive oil in a piece of foil and wrap tightly. Put on a baking sheet in case of leaking. Roast for an hour or until beets are easily pierced with a knife. Let cool until easy to handle and rub skin off under running water. Pat dry and cut into 1″ thick slices.

Toss squash and carrots with 1-2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt and some pepper. Spread on a foil-lined baking sheet. Add to oven after beets have been cooking for 15 min. Roast for 45 min total or until slightly browned, tossing halfway through.

Cool veggies to room temp or refrigerate over night.

When ready to serve, combine dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss all veggies with about half of dressing, or however much you like.

Toss arugula with more dressing. There will probably be a little extra, depending on how much you like.

Put arugula on plate, top with mound of veggies and a couple slices of the halved candied bacon.

Candied Bacon
adapted from Shannon’s blog

1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 teaspoons chili powder
6 slices thick-cut bacon

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Line a lipped baking sheet with heavy duty foil, completely covering.

In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and chile powder with a fork until evenly distributed and all brown sugar lumps are out. Press bacon into brown sugar mixture, heavily coating both sides.

Spoon excess brown sugar mixture onto the bacon.

While your bacon is baking, get out a metal cooling rack, overtop some paper towels.

Bake in the oven for 18-22 minutes, checking at the 15-minute mark and watching like a hawk from that point on. Watch for your bacon to turn a deep red color towards the center and darker at the edges. Take it out when it is almost crisp and the sugar is caramelized. DO NOT BURN.

Remove the bacon from the oven and transfer the pieces to the wire rack using tongs. Be careful as it will be VERY hot. Allow to cool, as it will and crisp up. Cut each piece in half.

tteok rice cakes

I’m so excited, Santa gave me a Lowell Ego Light Set for Christmas!! Now I can finally take good pictures at night, since that’s the only time I have to take my food photos. I’m definitely jealous of food bloggers who have time to cook and photograph during the day!

tteok rice cakes

Unfortunately, Nate will be in California for most of January looking for a full-time job, and he said he’s taking his camera with him. I’ll be left with my crappy point-and-shoot, which I honestly have no idea where it is. But at least the lights might help a bit? I’m so mad because my parents got me a new lens for chanukah and it’s great for food photos!!! Maybe I can convince Nate to leave his camera with me for safe keeping ;)

Anyway, I got the opportunity to use my new lights last weekend when I invited a friend over for dinner! The lights + my new lens were as amazing a team as I’d imagined.

tteok rice cakes

I’m not sure if you’re familar with these korean rice cakes (tteok/dduk). They’re not the puffed rice cakes you’re probably thinking of that we eat in america. Instead, tteok are made of glutinous rice flour and when cooked, they become chewy and delicious. They come in many shapes this particular type is sliced into little flat disks.

IMG_7203

I had only had them before in korean soups, where they act kind of like noodles or dumplings. Recently, however, I came across this recipe in which they’re stir-fried and they become slightly puffy and crispy on the outside, and I was intrigued! *You can find them in the freezer section of your local asian grocery store.

tteok rice cakes

I don’t think this dish is authentically from any asian cuisine in particular- more of a mix of korean and chinese. It was super quick to make and really delicious! I added some mushrooms to bulk it up a bit more in the veggie department.

tteok rice cakes

Stir-fried Spicy Rice Cakes with Pork and Mushrooms

Slightly adapted from Cooking LIght

Print this recipe!

Serves 4

2 tablespoons dark sesame oil, divided
4 cups sliced rice cakes (rice ovalettes), divided
1 bunch green onions, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
12 ounces lean ground pork
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 cups no-salt-added chicken stock (such as Swanson)
3 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste)
4 lime wedges

Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add 2 cups rice cakes, separating the stuck-together ones as best as you can (otherwise they won’t cook as well); stir-fry 3 minutes or until blistered, turning to brown on both sides. Remove rice cakes from pan; place in a large bowl. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil; swirl to coat. Add remaining 2 cups rice cakes; stir-fry 2 minutes. Add green onions to pan, and stir-fry for 1 minute or until rice cakes are blistered, turning to brown on both sides. Remove rice cake mixture from pan; add to cooked rice cakes.

Add pork to pan; sauté for 2 minutes, stirring to crumble. Add mushrooms and saute 2 more min or until brown.

Stir in chopped onion, and salt; sauté 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in cornstarch. Gradually add stock; bring to a boil. Stir in soy sauce and sambal; cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Divide rice cake mixture evenly among 4 shallow bowls; top each serving with 3/4 cup pork mixture. Serve with lime wedges.