josie's kitchen

josie's adventures: (snaps from my weekend) GoogaMooga

josieskitchen2 — Wed, 23 May 2012 07:30:57 -0400

This past Saturday we went to the GoogaMooga festival in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Here are some snaps from the day:

the crowds at GoogaMooga:

Thai Sausages:

More crowds around restaurant stalls:

Cookin’ with Coolio stall:

Coolio’s Soul Rolls:

Ginger Iced Tea:

GoogaCake:

Beer!

Hamageddon:

BBQ and Bacon Land:

Porchetta Sandwich:

BLT:

GoogaMooga:

Sweet Circus:

Milkshake!

Did you go to GoogaMooga? How was it for you?

secret recipe club: mini grilled cheese sandwiches!

josieskitchen2 — Mon, 21 May 2012 12:59:17 -0400

It is secret recipe club time again!! Yes friends, it is again the third Monday of the month when i get to post a recipe recreated from another blog. This month, i was assigned Chellie’s blog: art from my table! Fun fact: Chellie was assigned my blog last month and did my recipe for cheesy and gooey eggplant. How awesome is that?!

So now it is my honor to recreate one of her recipes. I chose her mini grilled cheese sandwiches! I love grilled cheese and these were delicious! She adapted them from Real Simple Magazine.

INGREDIENTS:
12 slices white sandwich bread (I used whole wheat tho)
12 oz cheese – Fontina or Gruyere (I used Gruyere)
1 cup fruit chutney, cranberry, fig, mango (I used a cranberry/strawberry)
1 tablespoon of butter

INSTRUCTIONS:

Start by slicing the cheese. I sliced it into strips hehe. Spread the chutney onto each side of the bread and place the cheese in between.

Melt the butter in a heavy skillet.

Cook the grilled cheese on the butter turning to toast both sides. Cook until the cheese is melted/bread toasted. Cut into quarters before serving.

These were really yummy. The chutney added a nice grown up touch to them. I ate these with some tomato soup for a nice lunch.

They make about 24 delicious sandwiches, perfect as party appetizers/snacks.

Check out Chellie’s blog for more awesome recipes!

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a great week!

Hasta Luego,

josie's adventures: Wine Enthusiast's 'Toast of the Town' NYC 2012

josieskitchen2 — Wed, 09 May 2012 06:31:42 -0400

This past Thursday night, Jully and I got to attend the Wine Enthusiast’s ‘Toast of the Town’ annual gala. We arrived at 7pm at the Oscar Hammerstein Ballroom and were greeted by many food and wine enthusiasts like ourselves, thrilled to be at the event.

There were SO many people!!

The gala welcomed over 500 wines, spirits and beers for the tasting. In addition, there were 35 of New York City’s best restaurants preparing food for us. While at first it was a bit daunting and crowded, we quickly found our rhythm amongst the many guests.

We ate, drank and chatted with loads of wonderful people while listening to fantastic music from the Jonny Hirsch Band.

Penne with Peas and Prosciutto.

Tequila Shrimp Ceviche with Plantain Chips.

Meatballs.

Lasagna Bolognese with Bechamel and Mozzarella.

Cappuccino shooters.

And of course, we drank wine.
So. Much. Wine.
All. Sorts. Of. Wine.

We tasted wines from all over the world and chatted with folks who helped create them.

Mike DeSimone & Jeff Jenssen, the authors of the Fire Island Cookbook and Wines of the Southern Hemisphere!

Jully and Rob from The Wine Sisterhood!

Taking a little break form walking around :)

Jully and I had a fantastic time (she declared it, the best event I’ve taken her to so far hahahaha!). We are both so grateful to Ingrid at Zonin USA for inviting us to attend.

Hope you are having a great week. Thanks for stopping by the blog!

Hasta luego,

This is what’s going on in the kitchen right now. J

josieskitchen2 — Wed, 02 May 2012 00:25:16 -0400

This is what’s going on in the kitchen right now.

secret recipe club: sausage, peppers and onions quiche!!

josieskitchen2 — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:19:00 -0400

I am so excited to bring you this post. This month I got assigned Jennifer’s blog: mother thyme! Jennifer is a mother of twins in Buffalo, NY and she has a gorgeous blog. Her recipes look so amazing, i had a tough time picking just one to feature.

I think I’ve mentioned before, my favorite part of the secret recipe club is the chance to get to know other blogs that I may not otherwise had never heard of. It is awesome (do you want to join? Here is how!).

although a difficult task, I did manage to choose a dish to feature on this installment of the secret recipe club. I chose Jennifer’ sausage, peppers and onion quiche!

INGREDIENTS:
1 9” inch pie shell, ready made or homemade
1 7oz box of precooked sausage links, cooked and diced (lite, turkey or regular)
1/2 cup red pepper, diced
1/4 cup green pepper, diced
1/3 cup white onion, diced
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
5 eggs
3/4 cup half and half
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:
start by slicing and cooking the sausage links.

While the sausage cooks, chop up the peppers and onion.

Whisk together the eggs, salt and pepper and half and half.

Mix together the peppers, onion and sausage.

Spread the sausage and peppers onto the piecrust covered pan.

Sprinkle with cheese.

Cover with the egg mixture.

Bake for 35 minutes at 275ºF. Take out of the oven once the crust has browned and the egg has set completely.

Let it rest for 3 minutes before serving.

This is such a great dish and perfect for brunch. My mouth is watering just writing about it.

I hope you enjoyed this installment of the secret recipe club. Check out Jennifer’s blog!

Have a great week!

Hasta luego,

baked salmon pockets (...or is it envelopes?)!

josieskitchen2 — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 06:29:00 -0400

this is a companion recipe to friday’s post of sauteed bok choy. i made this salmon to go with the bok choy because i wanted something light and healthy. the salmon fulfilled all these requirements and more. it made for an amazing dinner that i will definitely cook again!

i cooked the salmon inside parchment paper “pockets” or “envelopes”. the main reason i did this was because i wanted an easy clean up process but it ended up being a) easy to clean and b)delicious! the salmon was sort of steamed inside the parchment paper using the marinade as the liquid and infused the salmon with a ton of flavor. check out the recipe below, i hope you like it.

here is my recipe for baked salmon pockets (…or is it envelopes?)!

INGREDIENTS:
2 salmon pieces - about an inch thick
2tbs soy sauce - i used low sodium
2tbs balsamic vinegar
1 1/2tbs honey
salt & pepper
2 lemons
1 garlic clove - cut into thin slices
1/2 tsp dry oregano
1/4-1/2 tsp siracha
parchment paper

INSTRUCTIONS:
pre-heat your oven to 350º F. wash and pat dry the salmon.

whisk together the juice of 1 lemon, soy sauce, salt, pepper, siracha, oregano, garlic, balsamic vinegar and honey.

cut two large pieces of parchment paper. they should be large enough to wrap around the salmon.

place the clean salmon on top of each parchment piece.

brush the soy sauce mixture onto the salmon.

wrap the parchment around the salmon to make little pockets. make sure all the liquid is inside the pocket.

bake at 350º F for about 15-20 minutes.

sprinkle with lemon juice and serve with a salad or some bok choy!

i hope you try making these. this whole dinner took less than 30 minutes to make (i made the bok choy while the salmon was in the oven) and it was packed with flavor.

thank you for stopping by the blog. i hope you have a fantastic week!

hasta luego,

sautéed bok choy!!

josieskitchen2 — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 06:30:00 -0400

Bok choy is a type of Chinese cabbage chock-full of vitamins A and C and absolutely delicious. I first cooked bok choy about a month ago. I was in the supermarket when I saw the bok choy in the produce aisle and figured, “hey, I can cook this!” (Yes, apparently I am getting very confident about my cooking abilities). So I picked up a bunch, went home and cooked it – and loved it. I have cooked it a few times since and it is now I share with you how I made it.

Here is my sautéed bok choy recipe:

INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch of bok choy
1 garlic clove - sliced
1tbs olive oil
1tbs cream sherry
1tbs soy sauce – preferably low sodium
1/2tbs balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:
Wash and cut the bok choy into 1 inch pieces. Set it aside.
Heat up the olive oil and cook the garlic slices.

Add the bok choy once the garlic starts to brown a bit – after one minute.

Cook the bok choy for 30 seconds and add the sherry, soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. Make sure to turn the bok choy so it cooks evenly. Cook the bok choy for about another 2 minutes and turn off the pot. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

The bok choy should be bright green and still crunchy. It is so delicious on its own, but also a great complement to fish or chicken.

I hope you try making this at home.

Thanks for stopping by. Hasta luego!

steamed mussels with pesto & chorizo!

josieskitchen2 — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 06:30:00 -0400

It is time for mussels again! I think you know how much I enjoy mussels, I am always posting a recipe for them. They are just so easy and delicious to make that I cannot help myself.

For this recipe I used pesto and chorizo. At first you wouldn’t think they’d go together well, but oh… they do. Yes friends, pesto and chorizo with some white wine makes for some delicious mussels. the least i could do is share the recipe with you. so here it is: mussels with pesto & chorizo!!

INGREDIENTS:
1 2.5lbs pkg of mussels
1.5tbs olive oil
2 garlic cloves – sliced
1 cup of peeled and crumbled chorizo
1 cup of pesto with basil if possible
1 bunch of parsley - chopped
1 cup of white wine – I used pinot grigio
½ cup of parmesan cheese
2 lemons
2tbs lemon peel
pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:
Start by washing the mussels. Throw out any opened or broken mussels because they are no good. I use a brush to scrub them well and get rid of the gunk.

Next, heat up the olive oil and toast the garlic.

Cook the garlic for 30 seconds. Add the lemon peel, chorizo and pesto and move them around a bit so they get acquainted with one another.

Add the mussels and white wine. Cook covered for 3 minutes. Uncover and add the parsley and juice of one lemon. Cook covered for another 3-4 minutes.

Season with pepper and top with the remaining parsley and parmesan cheese. Serve once all the mussels have opened up. Discard any closed shells.

Sprinkle with with remaining lemon juice and enjoy!

I hope you try making these at home because they are totally rad!

Thanks for stopping by the blog, hasta luego!

IACPNYC!

josieskitchen2 — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 13:14:02 -0400

Last weekend, my friend Nelly and her husband came to new york to attend the IACP conference. As you may recall Nelly is the fantastic chef and writer behind the blog cooking with books. I met Nelly online, as today’s friendships come about. I emailed her after I found her blog on a directory and we have been in contact ever since. We met in person last October at the martha’s vineyard food and wine festival. You can check out that post, here.

I got to attend a few of the events at the conference with Nelly. We went to the opening party where we ate delicious food and mingled with everyone.

I met many fellow bloggers and it was nice finally putting a face to the url or twitter name.

the food was all delicious and a great way to discover new restaurants. they are all on my list of “must try”.

**Here are just SOME of the delicious dishes:

Warm Pork Belly with Corn Crème, Pickled Ramp and Crispy Pork Skin by @ediandthewolf
Spring Onion Biscuit with Spicy Lamb Gravy by Commerce using @FANofLAMB
Diver Scallop Crudo, Pineapple, Pickled Ramps, Chili & Lime by Market Table
Cod Poached in Carrot Butter w/ Chickpeas by The Beagle
Beef Ribs with Sesame Coleslaw by @BlueSmokeNYC
Soft Boiled Eggs with Roe and Goat Butter @JimmysNo43
Lentil Salad Summer Roll w/ Pomegranate Molasses Dressing by @PUBLIC_NYC
Raw Tasmanian Sea Trout w/ Piccalilli & Shichimi by @PUBLIC_NYC
Grilled Lamb Breast, Creamy Lentils & Cauliflower by @SeamusMullen of @Tertulia_NYC
Long Island Black Bass Crudo, Roasted Red Pepper, Lemon & Rosemary by Marco Canora
Pasticcio di Coniglio - Rabbit Crostini w/ Parmigiano & Juniper Oil by @OsteriaMorini
Brisket with Jalapeños by @DinosaurBarBQue
Sticky Toffee Cake, Dried Mango Biscotti, Dark Rum Crème Anglaise by @DeliNYC
Pulled Pork Slider by Back Forty West #IACPNYC
Filipino Surf & Turf - Chicharron Manok w/ Kilawin & Paddlefish Roe by @MaharlikaNYC
Tacos de Puerco: Mexican Chocolate Braised Pork, Chipotle Cabbage Slaw by @ChefMedinaNYC

**totally stole this from nelly’s post!

Although, we were all very busy, i managed to steal them away a few times as well to have dinner outside of the conference.

On Sunday, before they went back, we went to the food expo and the food and blog. This was a great event were we, again, met with many bloggers and had delicious food (are you seeing a trend here?).

This event was also where we realized just how popular Nelly is, earning her the nickname of ROCKSTAR! She did all of the social media for the event and was constantly meeting people, taking photos, tweeting, instagraming and eating throughout. I have never seen such multitasking.

Because I had to work and Nelly and her hubby were busy with the conference we didn’t get a chance to do a lot of touristy stuff. I am trying to convince them to come back so I can show them how great new york city is.

Please check out Nelly’s post on the IACPNYC!

Hope you have a great week, thanks for stopping by!

Hasta luego,

cheesy & gooey eggplant bake!

josieskitchen2 — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 14:12:00 -0400

i made this eggplant bake for dinner a few weeks ago. i started cooking this how i usually start most dishes: with no clear plan of how to make it. a lot of my cooking is an adventure where half of the time i have no idea if it will work out of not. hahahaha! i usually do have an idea of how i want things to taste, in this case: cheesy, creamy and eggplant-y. so i went to work with these words in mind and the result was a delicious and gooey eggplant bake. it was perfect on it’s own but also a great side dish for any meal.

here is the recipe for my cheesy & gooey eggplant bake!

INGREDIENTS:
1 medium eggplant
1 garlic clove - crushed and diced
1 medium white onion - diced
1 1/2 cups of heavy cream
1 tbs dry oregano
1 tsp nutmeg
3 tbs butter - separated
salt & pepper to taste
shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese

INSTRUCTIONS:
start by peeling and cutting the eggplant into chunks. season with salt and pepper.

melt 1 tbs of butter and cook the eggplant on medium heat.

cook the eggplant covered for 15 minutes turning them occasionally to make sure they cook on all sides. you can add a little water if they are sticking to the pan/burning too much.

meanwhile, melt another tablespoon of butter and cook the garlic and onion. once the onions become transparent add the heavy cream and cook uncovered on low heat.

grease a baking dish with the remaining butter.

and add the eggplant.

add the oregano and nutmeg to the cream.

cook on medium heat until just about it starts to boil. remove from the stove.

sprinkle the eggplant with a few tablespoons of cheese.

and add the cream. cover with cheese and place in a pre-heated oven for 20 minutes at 300º F.

take the eggplant out of the oven and let them rest for a few minutes.

this is what the bake looked like after it rested and was ready to go:

if you want, you can add more cheese before you serve. the end result is gooey and creamy and cheesy and delicious! hahaha!

and it tasted even better the next day (leftovers FTW!).

thank you for stopping by the blog. i hope you have a fantastic week ahead!

hasta luego,

secret recipe club: peanut noodles!!!

josieskitchen2 — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 12:00:00 -0400

it is secret recipe club time once again!! i love the secret recipe club and all the awesome blogs i’ve discovered thanks to it. i eagerly await my assignment email each week so that i know who’s blog i got. this month i got india-leigh’s blog: a vegan obsession. she has recipes and articles on all things vegan. i was thrilled to look around her blog and pick a recipe.

i chose her peanut noodles because of their versatility and how colorful they looked.

these noodles were so easy to make and had a nice kick thanks to the sweet chili sauce. another success thanks to the secret recipe club!

here are india-leigh’s peanut noodles!!

INGREDIENTS:
**brown rice noodles or soba noodles (i couldn’t find either so i used lo-mein noodles)
**2 cups of bean sprouts (there were none in my market :( - sadness)
1 cup baby corn
1 cup snow or sugar peas
1 red pepper, julienned
1 tbs sesame seeds
2 tbs fresh cilantro
1 tbs fresh mint

for the dressing:
1/3 cup of peanut butter
1 tbs of agave or honey
1 tbs sesame oil
2 tbs sweet chili dressing such as siracha (she has a great recipe for it too: sriracha sauce recipe)
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs fresh lime juice
1 tbs garlic powder
**1 tbs peanuts

INSTRUCTIONS:
start by boiling some water. while you wait for the water to boil get started with the dressing. whisk together the peanut butter, sesame oil, lime juice, garlic powder, sweet chili dressing, soy sauce and honey.

set the dressing aside.

at this point the water should have boiled. cover the noodles with the boiling water and let them sit for 2-3 minutes.

while the noodles are hanging out with the hot water cut the red pepper, chop the cilantro and mint and wash the corn and peas. drain the water from the noodles after about 3 minutes have passed (or until the noodles have softened and cooked). toss the noodles with the vegetables and dressing.

you can stop and serve them this way of you can heat them up in a skillet with sesame oil. which is what i did.

cook the noodles for about 2 minutes. this will also melt the peanut butter and make for a smoother dressing. serve and top with peanuts.

this were yummy! the sweet chili dressing added a wonderful spiciness that went really well with the peanuts.

the fact that the vegetables were mostly raw and crunchy was a nice texture when paired with the soft noodles. all in all, a great meal!!

i hope you try making this at home, and go check out india-leigh’s awesome blog!

thanks for stopping by, have a great week!

hasta luego,

seafood stew... inspired by my friend mark!

josieskitchen2 — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 08:56:00 -0500

happy friday!! i hope you had a fabulous week and an even better weekend!! check out this recipe to get your weekend started. i made this on wednesday after chatting with my friend mark and he described this recipe to me. it sounded so delicious, i had to make it. i had to make it that same night.

mark only used clams for his, but i decided to add some mussels and shrimp to it as well as some cream and lemon peel. just for a little personalizing.

when describing it, mark told me to serve it over linguine or with some crusty french or italian bread (or maybe some buttered muffins) to soak up the broth.

here it is… seafood stew

INSTRUCTIONS:
1 tbs olive oil
3 garlic cloves - sliced
a pinch of red pepper flakes
1 cup of white wine - i used sauvignon blanc
lemon peel
1 lb mussels
1 lb little neck or other small clams
1/2 lb shrimp
dash of heavy cream - about 1/8 cup
2 lemons
2 tbs bread crumbs

INSTRUCTIONS:
heat up the olive oil and toss in the sliced garlic, lemon peel and pepper flakes. cook them lightly for a minute or so and add 1/4 cup of wine.

add the clams and mussels. make sure t scrub them before you toss them in.

add the heavy cream.

add another 1/4 cup of wine and cover. cook them for 7-10 minutes, until they just start to open up.

chop up the parsley while they cook.

add the shrimp and the juice of one lemon.

cover and cook for 5 minutes. add the parsley and cook covered for another 3 minutes; until the shrimp are fully pink.

sprinkle the juice of the other lemon and the bread crumbs and serve with some delicious bread.

this stew was amazing!! i am so glad mark told me about it. the irishman and i enjoyed this so much. we at all of it in one sitting.

the bread came in really handy to soak up the broth!!

i truly hope you try making this at home.

at nelly’s urging, i am including this post in this year’s SoupaPalooza! this is the second SoupaPalooza where bloggers from all over link up their recipes for stews, soups, chili and chowder. it is pretty rad!

come join SoupaPalooza at TidyMom and Dine and Dish sponsored by KitchenAid, Red Star Yeast and Le Creuset”. go check out their blogs to discover many awesome soups and maybe even add your own.

that’s all from my end. have a wonderful weekend. see you back here next week.

hasta luego,

happy dominican independence day!

josieskitchen2 — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 09:22:31 -0500

today, february 27th is dominican independence day. on february 27th 1844, a group of men gained independence for the dominican people. back home there are usually parades and celebrations. this is also the time for the dominican carnaval, celebrated all through the month of february and it culminates on independence day. during carnaval there are parades and competitions. each town puts their own twist on carnaval making each parade different.

here is a video i found on youtube with pictures from carnaval celebrations all over the country:

and to celebrate here in new york i will be making the dominican national dish: la bandera, for dinner tonight.

i hope you have a great week. thanks for stopping by the blog!

hasta luego,

crab-meat stuffed sole!!

josieskitchen2 — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 06:30:00 -0500

how has your week going? mine has been great! lot’s of work, but fantastic. i am grateful that i have had time this week to share this recipe with you. it is for crab stuffed sole. if you keep keep lent this is a perfect recipe for it. it is made up of nice sole fillets stuffed with fresh crab-meat.

i made this recipe last week. i used this recipe as a guide. it was so easy to make. i made a crab meat stuffing and took off from there. here is the recipe for crab-meat stuffed sole!!

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of panko bread crumbs
3/4 cup of crab-meat
1/2 white onion
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon of salt
dash of cayenne pepper
pinch of sugar
1 tablespoon of chopped parsley
2 sole fillets
2 tablespoons of melted butter, separated
1 1/2 teaspoons of all-purpose flour
1/4 cup chicken broth
grated parmesan cheese
sliced almonds

INSTRUCTIONS:
mix together the crab-meat, cayenne pepper, onions, bread crumbs, parsley, egg, sugar and salt.

stuff the fillets with the crab-meat mixture. secure the fillets with toothpicks.

melt half of the butter.

and drizzle the melted butter over the fillets.

bake them at 350º F for 30 minutes.

while they are baking, melt the rest of the butter.

whisk in the flour until smooth.

gradually add the chicken broth until you have a uniform sauce.

take the fish out of the oven.

pour the butter sauce over the fillets and sprinkle with sliced almonds and cheese.

bake them for 5 minutes, or until the almonds are toasted.

let the fish rest for 5 minutes and serve.

the crab-meat stuffing was delicious. it went perfectly with the fillet of sole. i really enjoyed the hints of cayenne pepper in it. it was a nice surprise.

this made for a wonderful dinner. i served it with a salad because it felt like a meal on its own.

i hope you try making this at home. it was delicious!!

thank you for stopping by the blog. i hope you have a fabulous weekend!

hasta luego,

dark chocolate mousse with raspberry liqueur!

josieskitchen2 — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:11:00 -0500

i made these delicious mousses last week to celebrate valentine’s day with the irishman and i simply had to share this recipe with you. making mousse can be a scary task to take on, but as you will see below, anyone can do it. this rich dark chocolate mousse was a lovely treat!

here is how the story goes: over christmas, i got my first set of le creuset dishes from the irishman’s sister and brother in law (had to make sure to include him too!). i have always wanted some le creuset and was thrilled to get these super cute dishes as a present from them.

aren’t they cute!!

inside the top box there was a recipe for a dark chocolate mousse that i just knew i had to make for valentine’s day. i was a bit daunted by it, because i had never made mousse before but that did not stop me. i figured i would at least try and if i failed i had the pictures to prove i gave it my best effort. ha! i also really, really wanted to try out my new le creuset ramekins!

and so, i went on and made these cute and delicious mousses. thankfully i did not fail and had a delicious result. here is the recipe for dark chocolate mousse with raspberry liqueur!!

INGREDIENTS:
base:
3 sponge fingers
2 tbs raspberry liqueur
6 fresh raspberries

mousse:
2 1/2 oz good quality dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa)
1 egg - separated
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tbs granulated sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
pinch of salt

glazed raspberry topping:
1 tbs sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbs raspberry liqueur
1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbs cold water
2 oz raspberries

INSTRUCTIONS:
break the sponge fingers in half.

place 3 halves in the base of each dish.

pour a tablespoon of liqueur unto each dish and allow to soak.

after a minute of them soaking, press the lady fingers down with your fingers to squish them into the bottom of the dish. top them with 3 raspberries and set aside.

now, let’s get started on the mousse.

separate your egg if you haven’t already.

we need to melt the chocolate.

but we can’t just melt it in the microwave (that would be way too easy). create a double boiler by simmering some water in a sauce pan.

place a heat safe bowl over and add the chocolate. the bowl should never touch the water and the water should never boil.

while the chocolate is melting, whisk together the egg yolk, vanilla extract and sugar.

at this point the chocolate should be melted.

remove from the heat and let it cool slightly. stir in one tablespoon of the heavy cream.

whisk the egg yolk mixture into the chocolate bit by bit.

in a separate bowl, whisk the remaining cream until think but not stiff. stir that into the chocolate.

let me tell you, at this point my arm was hurtin’ from all that whisking!

so this is what the mousse looked like after stirring in the cream and egg yolk.

whisk the egg white with a tiny pinch of salt until stiff peaks start to form.

gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture.

make sure to do this gently.

divide the mousse mixture between your two dishes and cover them.

place in the fridge for at least 2 hours to allow them to set.

after about 2 hours have passed, it is time to glaze the raspberries.

gently heat the sugar, lemon juice, raspberry liqueur, cornstarch and water.

heat slowly until the mixture has thickened.

stir in the raspberries and continue to cook for a few more seconds.

place them in a small bowl and send them to fridge for at least 15 minutes.

top the mouse with the glazed strawberries and serve.

i was very happy with this mousse. it was fluffy and had just the right amount of sweetness.

the raspberry liqueur did not overpower the mousse but complemented the chocolate very well.

this dessert is a definite stunner, look at it:

it was as delicious as it was pretty.

well, that’s it for now. thank you for stopping by the blog. i hope you are having a great week!

hasta luego,

secret recipe club: cheddar & scallions biscuits!

josieskitchen2 — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 12:00:00 -0500

it is secret recipe club time again! this time i got assigned kim’s blog: liv life too! kim is a mother of two in california. her love of cooking started years ago when her husband bought her a cookbook as a present and it has not stopped since. her blog is full of recipes and tales of her travels. cute pictures of her kids and two seriously adorable maltese puppy abound. i am so glad she was my assigned blog for this installment of the SRC.

this is my favorite thing about SRC, the fact that we are introduced to other bloggers out there who we may never had found out about otherwise.

i have to be honest, had a hard time choosing just one of kim’s recipes to replicate in my kitchen. she has some pretty radical looking recipes that i will be sure to try for us here in new york. i went with the cheddar & scallions biscuits because i was still on a baking spree. besides, i had never made biscuits before and decided it was about time i tried.

here are kim’s cheddar & scallions biscuits!!

INGREDIENTS:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
6 tbs (3/4 stick) cold, unsalted butter - cut into cubes
3 oz (3/4 cups) cheddar cheese
4 scallions, finely chopped
1 cup well shaken buttermilk
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

INSTRUCTIONS:
whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

add in the butter, blending it in with your hands.

this is what the flour looked like after the butter was mixed in.

mix in the cheese and scallions.

make sure everything is blended equally.

add in the buttermilk and mix until well combined.

this is what the dough looked like right after i mixed in the buttermilk. this making biscuits business is really simple so far.

place equal mounds of dough onto a well greased baking sheet.

bake the biscuits in a pre-heated over at 450º F for 17-20 minutes. the biscuits should be golden brown.

these are a great alternative to dinner rolls and the addition of cheese and scallions only makes them better.

as you saw from these pictures, these are really easy to make. they can easily be whipped out for dinner in no time. they took me about 35 minutes from start to finish, even with taking time to take pictures.

another successful SRC entry on my part. make sure to visit kim’s blog to find more of her awesome recipes.

if you would like to become a SRC member, check out the website for instructions and tips.

thank you for stopping by the blog, i hope you have a fantastic week!!

hasta luego,

check out more secret recipe club members below:

happy valentine's day: champagne and chocolate covered strawberries cupcakes!

josieskitchen2 — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 09:46:00 -0500

happy valentine’s day everyone!! i hope you have a wonderful day filled with sweets and the people you love. i am doing my part by bringing these cupcakes to my coworkers this morning. i wanted to make cupcakes that screamed valentine’s day! and what is more valentine-y than champagne, chocolate and strawberries?! when researching cupcake recipes i came across jenna’s blog: not just a cupcake. she had the exact recipe i wanted to make so i was in luck. i made the cupcakes as per her instructions (with some tiny changes) and the results are delicious!

here is the recipe for champagne and chocolate covered strawberries cupcakes!

INGREDIENTS:

for the cupcakes:
1 cup of diced fresh strawberries
1 cup of rose champagne
2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick of unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups of sugar
2 eggs
2 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean
1 1/4 cup whole milk

for the frosting:
2 sticks of butter at room temp
3-4 cups of powdered sugar
1 bag of bittersweet chocolate chips
splash of pink champagne

for the decoration:
chocolate covered strawberries

INSTRUCTIONS:
start by dicing the strawberries. i used a whole cup instead of the 1/2 cup suggested by jenna. i got distracted and cut too many and decided to use them all. ha!

cover the strawberries with 1 cup of champagne and let them soak.

sift the flour, baking powder and salt. a good tip to know is that if you want your cakes/cupcakes to be extra fluffy, sift the flour twice. i don’t know why it works, all i know is that it works.

beat together the sugar and butter on medium speed until they become one.

add the eggs to the sugar and butter mixture. add the eggs one at a time. meanwhile, in a bowl combine the milk, vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds.

i had never worked with vanilla bean before. i had seen it in pictures but did not know what to expect ‘in person’. it was easier to cut through than i expected and the seeds do not smell (or taste, yes i tried them) too vanilla-y.

anyway… add the milk and flour into the sugar and eggs mixture. add them in batches, while beating the mixture at medium speed. do not add the next batch until the previous one has been incorporated. it should be: milk-flour-milk-flour-milk.

mix everything for a minute.

fold in the champagne soaked strawberries into the dough.

i also added some of the champagne liquid for an extra champagne-y taste (using a lot -y words today - sorry about that).

scoop the batter onto a baking cup lined cupcake baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes at 350º F. bake them until a toothpick comes out clean.

let the cupcakes cool completely before decorating them.

to make the frosting, melt the chocolate chips by using a double boiler. this is where you use a heat safe bowl on top of a pot with simmering water to melt the chocolate. make sure the bowl does not touch the water and that the water never boils.

whip the butter while the chocolate melts. once the chocolate melts, give it a few turns with a spatula to make sure there are no random whole chips anywhere.

add the chocolate to the butter slowly and mix until fully combined.

add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time. when you have 1/2 cup of sugar left, add a splash of champagne. keep mixing and add the last bit of sugar. keep mixing until you reach your preferred consistency.

top the cupcakes with the frosting using a piping bag. the frosting will be a sort of glue to hold the strawberries.

prop the strawberries on top of the cupcakes and enjoy.

these are really yummy and surprisingly light. i hope my coworkers will like them.

they are a bit time consuming but definitely worth the effort. i am so glad i found these and jenna’s blog!

i hope you have a wonderful valentine’s day and a fantastic week!

thank you for stopping by the blog,

butternut squash, peanut and curry soup!!

josieskitchen2 — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 06:30:00 -0500

woah! it is cold! like really cold. like “it seems like winter is here to stay” cold. in my, very humble, opinion the best thing to do when it is this cold is to have some soup. if you are looking for a soup recipe to warm you up, look no further than here. this soup has a lot of flavors going on: squash, curry, peanut and some red pepper and ginger undertones. thankfully they each complement each other so well that they don’t become chaos in your mouth. they actually work so well together that your taste buds will be very happy!

here is the recipe for a delicious butternut squash, peanut and curry soup!!

INGREDIENTS:
1 large butternut squash
1/2 large white onion
1 tbs butter
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 cup of heavy cream
a 1inch stub of ginger
a pinch of red pepper flakes
1 cup of vegetable stock
1 cup of water
a dollop of peanut butter
black pepper and salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:
first, we need to chop everything up. start with the onion.

peel and take out the seeds of the squash before you it into squares.

mince the ginger.

melt the butter and cook the onions on medium heat for about a minute. once the onions start to wilt add the ginger and red pepper flakes and cook them for another 2 minutes.

add the squash and pepper to taste. turn them around to mix things up and cook them covered for 5 minutes.

add the vegetable stock and water to the squash. cook them covered.

don’t forget to add the curry!

cook the squash until they are more than fork tender. squash them with a wooden spoon on the side of the pot.

pour the butternut into a blender and add the heavy cream.

blend until all the butternut chunks have liquefied.

pour half of the soup back onto the pot and add the peanut butter. i only used a dollop because i did not want the peanut to overpower the soup but you can add as much or as little as you’d like.

mix in the peanut butter until it has been completely incorporated into the soup.

add the remaining soup, mixing well to combine. season with salt and pepper and serve.

i hope you try making this soup. all these flavors blend together in such a beautiful and tasty way.

this soup will warm you up on any cold night.

i hope you have a fantastic week!

thank you so much for stopping by :)

hasta luego,

hot toddy & irish coffee!

josieskitchen2 — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:30:00 -0500

the air is getting colder, it seems that winter has finally arrived. whenever the temperatures drop i like to relax at home with a nice warm beverage. sometimes it is a hot cocoa with a spoonful of nutella melted in (try it! i dare you to have regular cocoa again!). but there are other times when i just want something stronger, and that is when i whip out one of these two drinks.

hot toddys and irish coffees are pretty popular drinks during the winter. as you will see they are really easy and quick to make which means, you will not waste time and enjoy them right away ;)

here are the recipes for hot toddy & irish coffee!

INGREDIENTS:

for the hot toddy:
2oz of whiskey
about 3/4 cup of hot water
seedless orange slices
cloves
sugar to taste

for the irish coffee:
2oz of whiskey
about 3/4 cup of freshly brewed coffee
1/4 cup heavy cream
sugar to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

for the hot toddy:

start by pouring the whiskey onto a heat safe mug or glass.

cut the orange in half. slice each half down the middle making sure not to slice all the way through.

lay the orange halves on the flat side and cut slices opposite the seam.

grab a few cloves. choose whole cloves to allow for better insertion onto the oranges.

stick the cloves onto the orange halves. stick as many as you can for a spiced hot toddy.

add the hot water to the whiskey, sweeten it with sugar to your liking and drop the orange slice into it.

and now, for the irish coffee:

start by brewing some coffee. you will need roughly 3 times the amount of whiskey; so about 6oz of coffee.

whip the cream while the coffee brews.

you want to end up with a thick cream that is not fully whipped. we are just adding air to the cream to make it lighter than the coffee, this way it can stay on top. the cream should still be in liquid form.

pour the whiskey onto a heat safe mug or glass.

and pour the coffee - sweeten with sugar to your taste and layer the cream on top. it should sit on top of the coffee easily. don’t worry if it starts to fall to the bottom, the irish coffee will taste delicious either way.

that is it. easy peachy. these are perfect to enjoy on a chilly winter night.

thank you for stopping by the blog. i hope ou had a great week and an even better weekend!

hasta luego,

tofu sandwich with a guinness/bbq/steak sauce/peppercorn marinade!

josieskitchen2 — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 06:30:00 -0500

i’ve eaten tofu before but i’ve never actually cooked it myself. well, that was until three nights ago when i decided it was time and finally cooked tofu. on my own. at home.

the result was actually pretty amazing (i know, i am surprised too!). tofu sometimes gets a bad rep. i am not going to lie, i was one of those people who thought tofu was soggy and bland. i have since crossed over and embraced the goodness that is tofu. i made a guinness, steak sauce and bbq sauce marinade for it which turned out pretty delicious. and went really well with the gouda cheese.

and now, here is the recipe for tofu sandwich with a guinness/bbq/steak sauce/peppercorn marinade!

INGREDIENTS:
1 14oz package of extra firm tofu
1 small tomato, sliced
a few slices of gouda cheese
whole wheat pita
a handful arugula
1/2 pint of guinness
2 tbs steak sauce
2 tbs bbq sauce (preferably sweet baby ray’s)
8-10 whole black peppercorns
1 tsp olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS:
so… tofu…

i was a bit daunted by the prospect of cooking tofu. i had this package of tofu in our fridge for about a week before i decided to cook it.

in case you have never cooked tofu, it usually comes in a container with some liquid in it.

it is important to drain the water and squeeze as much liquid from the tofu as possible. to achieve this i placed a clean kitchen towel on a cutting board.

i cut the tofu in half, lengthwise, and placed each half on top on of the kitchen towel.

i folded the towel over the tofu and covered it with a place setting and a heavy bowl. i left the tofu like this for an hour to drain as much liquid as possible.

after about an hour it is time to start with the marinade/sauce.

whisk together the beer, steak sauce, bbq sauce and peppercorn.

continue whisking until the mixture starts to boil.

let it boil for about a minute.

and then turn off the heat and let it rest. the sauce will thicken as it cools.

now, let’s look at the tofu.

slice each half in half, lengthwise.

and then cut each half’s half into half (got half of that?).

coat and marinate the tofu in half of the guinness sauce (we are using a lot of halves today) for at least an hour.

after an hour has passed, it is FINALLY time to cook and eat. heat up the oven to 350º F.

heat up the olive oil in a cast iron or oven safe skillet and add the tofu. cook the tofu on the stove-top for 3 minutes on each side and move to the oven.

bake until the tofu pieces until they are crispy. it took me about 30 minutes.

cut the pita bread in half and warm them up in the oven for about 5 minutes. open up the pita and stuff them with the arugula, sliced tomatoes, gouda slices and tofu. drizzle with the remaining guinness sauce and enjoy warm.

well friends, i am happy to inform you that i have successfully cooked tofu.

i really enjoyed this dinner. the crispy outside of the tofu was a very nice surprise/treat. no soggy tofu in this house!

and that’s it. that’s how i cooked tofu. it took be a little while but i think it was worth it. now that i know i can actually cook tofu, i will be making more of it often.

anyway, i hope you had a fantastic week and an even better weekend!

are you watching the superbowl? GIANTS or PATRIOTS? let me know in the comments :)

hasta luego,