Invurtle

This little treat was born of a desire to stuff some sort of dessert in a Wonton shell. My first thought was about what shape to make it, and when I thought about shaping it with the four corners poking out, I imagined them as little feet, and then... a Turtle! And what better way to make a turtle than the classic Pecan - Caramel - Chocolate combo? And a little Vanilla Bean Ice Cream never goes unwanted.

Caramel:
3/4 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
3/4 Cup Heavy Cream
3 Tbsp Dark Corn Syrup
3 Tbsp Butter
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 tsp Salt

Chocolate Ganache
1 Bar Bittersweet Chocolate
1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
1 1/2 Tbsp Dark Corn Syrup
3/4 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/8 tsp Salt

Next Addition: Habaneros - Snapping Turtles!

Sweet Potato and Broccoli Soup

This is one of those spur of the moment 'hey, what's left in the fridge' sort of dishes. So let's get right to it:

1 Sweet Potato, Cubed
1/2 Red Onion, Chopped
1 Head of Broccoli, stems chopped off completely
3 Cups Water
3 Chicken Bouillon Cubes
1 tsp thyme leaves
1/2 cup chopped chives
3 slices of bacon

Cook the onions in a little oil (I actually just used the grease from the bacon), toss the potatoes in until their coated, then add the next four ingredients and cook until the potatoes are soft. Toss in the herbs, and it it with an immersion blender until it gets to a consistency you like. Top with more chives and bacon.

Mojito Grilled Chicken

A friend gave me a magazine that had a section devoted to dishes that prominently feature herbs. When I saw a recipe that made heavy use of mint, I had to jump right in. I can't get enough of it.

The chicken was fairly straight forward, you just make shoddy mojitos and marinate the chicken in fluids, then grill them. I'll probably add more salt to break up the protein next time around.

I put a lot more work into the black beans, with which I was very satisfied.

1 Cup Black Beans
2 1/2 cups water
1 sprig fresh oregano
1 bay leaf
1/2 red onion
3 cloves garlic
cumin
juice of 1/2 a large orange

I know I put other stuff in it, but sadly, I cannot remember what. I really should write these entries when I make the food.

First Quiche Ever

I made it wrong.



But it was still tasty.

Pirate Ships!

I came up with this idea while trying to think up some entries for a cooking competition. I ended up not submitting my stuff, as I felt it got to be a little over the top for our criteria, but it was still delicious and fun to make!



Get yourself started with some ingredients, for starters.



Turn up the heat on the allspice, cumin and coriander seeds until they develop that wonderful toasty aroma



The last few pieces of Canadian Bacon make a good starting place for this dish



A day has never come that these two have let me down.



Get the goodies in there, make 'em sweat.



Those spices need to be much smaller.



Much, much smaller.



A little rum, chicken broth, and two bay leaves later, and you're well on your way to something delicious. get it boiling.



When the beans are nice and soft, strain the liquid into a small saucepan and reduce it, then recombine them.



Hit it with a wedge of orange juice for that little something special



You'll need something over which to serve all this lucious dark goodness. Coconut rice will do the trick. Boil equal parts Coconut Milk, Water, and Rice.



These ships aren't going to anywhere without sails, and the sails aren't going anywhere without masts.



Get those masts firmed up with a little bath in hot butter.



Dropping the onion sails in there will make them similarly delicious, but can get a little messy.



And here we have the the complete ship, ready to set sail for the burning sea in your stomach.



And a smaller ship, for shorter trips.

Pizza Week: Day 2 and Day 5

I'm sure all of you are incensed at my lack of updates over the previous days, seeing as so many of you readers SURELY check for updates EVERY DAY. Oh well, that's still no excuse. Anyway, time is short, so let's make it quick:

Tuesday's Pizza was made with Pepperoni and Caramelized Onions:

And on Friday, a pizza party took place in which the guests selected the toppings for the pizzas. In the morning I began the process by making the doughs and letting them slowrise in the fridge. Here, they can be seen with their respective ingredients behind them.

Suggestion: Don't ever use 'light' flour for pizza dough. It's not pretty.

The first pizza of the evening was a Margherita Pizza, requested by a friend that wanted to reproduce an experience from her trip to Italy. I imagine it could be more accurate, but it seemed to be a hit.

Next up, the wheat crust with a selection of tomatoes and peppers that some fans of spice brought forth

Finally, the White Lilly crust nearly falls apart time after time while I attempt to shape it into this Canadian Bacon, Pineapple and Olive pizza that used up the rest of some ingredients I had waiting.

Overall, the Pizza Party was a success, as was Pizza Week itself. Now, forward to a cooking challenge that cannot be revealed until after my dishes have been submitted. Now, I actually have a reason to not write for a week. Fancy that, eh? See you next week.