Green Chile Corn Pudding

There's not a lot that I associate with New Mexico. Maybe turquoise, Santa Fe, and Neil Patrick Harris. Apparently New Mexico is also known for something else... green chile! Roasted green chile from the state is delicious. It's smokey and spicy, but never overpowering. Luckily for me, a friend happened to be in New Mexico a few months ago and brought me back a huge bag of green chile, which I am pretty thankful for.

However, once I had this green chile, I didn't know what to make with it. So it sat in my freezer for months until I stumbled across this recipe for corn pudding. I'll admit, I know close to nothing about southwestern food and have never made anything similar to this, but I was willing to give it a shot. Besides, corn and green chile sound like a winning combination to me. 

The recipe, adapted from Martha Stewart (I halved her recipe):

2 cups corn kernels

3/4 cup roasted green chile (drained)

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 cup grated cheese (I used a mix of cheddar and Monterey Jack)

2 heaping tablespoons honey (optional)

2 tablespoons melted butter

Pre-heat the oven to 350° and put the butter into an 8x8 baking dish, and stick it in the oven to melt, then set aside. This only takes a few minutes.

Puree 1.5 cups of the corn in a food processor until smooth (reserve the rest) and pour into a large mixing bowl. Then add the flour, salt, green chile, honey, and half of the cheese, and set aside.

Pureed corn

Corn mixture with flour, salt, honey, and green chile

In a separate bowl, mix the eggs and heavy cream until just combined, then pour into the corn mixture and stir to combine all the ingredients. Finally, stir in the reserved corn.

Egg and cream mixture added to the corn

Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and top with the rest of the cheese. Place the baking dish onto a rimmed baking sheet, just in case it boils over, and bake until the pudding has puffed up and is golden brown on top, about 40-50 minutes.

in hindsight, I would've added more cheese on top

Sweet + spicy = delicious!

The end result is slightly sweet, with a little kick from the chile, and is absolutely delicious on its own or as a side dish. Personally, I am more than satisfied cutting a big piece and eating it on its own, while looking up other things to make with green chile.

Cream of Zucchini soup

Whenever the weather gets cold, I inevitably crave soup. To me, there's not much that tops a bowl of thick, creamy soup with toasty bread when it's cold out and I'm having a lazy day at home with Tipsy. For inspiration, I turned to the most comprehensive Italian cookbook I've ever seen, The Silver Spoon. No joke, the book is thicker than most college textbooks I had from back in the day. In any case, the book lists everything from clear broth soups, to bread based ones. I decided to settle in the middle and pick a cream soup. The reason I chose zucchini from a bunch of other possibilities is because that's what looked the best at the supermarket. Had artichokes been in season, I might have gone that route. However, cream of zucchini turned out to be delicious so it's staying in my repertoire. 

My inspiration!

The following recipe is adapted from the one found in The Silver Spoon:

9 medium sized zucchinis

3 cloves of garlic, smashed

1 yellow onion

1 Russet potato

1 3/4 cups chicken stock

3/4 cup water

1 1/2 cups whole milk

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

salt and pepper to taste

First up, the prep work. I personally halved all the zucchinis lengthwise, then sliced them so they looked like little half moons. Next, I diced the onion, smashed the garlic, and peeled and cut up the potato, which I set aside in a separate bowl. 

In a large pot, combine the olive oil, butter, zucchini, onion, thyme, garlic, and salt and pepper, and cook over low-medium heat until the onions are translucent and the zucchini are cooked through. It doesn't take a long time (about 15 minutes), but make sure to keep an eye out in case the zucchini burns. Once the vegetables are cooked through, I put in the potatoes, and covered everything with the chicken stock and water, and let it simmer until the potatoes are cooked through, which takes an additional 15 minutes or so.

Zucchini, onion, garlic, and thyme

Added potato, water, and chicken stock

 While the soup is simmering, I decided to bust out the stick blender again. It's just so much easier to use than a traditional countertop blender. Once the potatoes are soft, it's time to blend! Personally, I don't like it when soups are totally smooth. I like to have little pieces of vegetables that aren't blended, just to lend the soup some texture. The stick blender is perfect for this because it will leave some pieces whole. After blending, I put in the milk and brought it back up to a simmer. Once that happens, it's ready to eat! Just ladle into a bowl and serve with some toasted bread, and it's perfection on a cold and rainy day.

After blending, add milk and bring back to a simmer

Lunch is ready

A few notes: the original recipe didn't call for a potato or thyme, but I chose to add them for a few reasons. First, I used the potato as a thickening agent. I didn't want to use as much as milk as the recipe called for, which is why I put in the potato. It gives thickness without adding more richness. Secondly, I like herbs in my soups, and thyme lends a light, almost lemon-like flavor to the soup. However, if I wanted a more earthy flavor the next time I make the soup, I'll probably use oregano instead. 

Easy Mug Cake

Just like French toast in a cup, mug cakes are for days where time (and energy) is limited. Since having Tipsy in my house, all the walking up and down hills, running around in parks, and playing endless hours of fetch have made my sweet tooth go on permanent overdrive. However, after all that playing, last thing I feel like doing is spending a few hours baking delicious cupcakes and meticulously frosting them. Thankfully, there's always mug cake in times of desperation.

It's ridiculously easy to make, and one full recipe can be split into two mugs (or one very large mug). The ingredients are as follows:

4 Tablespoons flour

4 Tablespoons sugar

2 Tablespoons cocoa powder (don't skimp here; use the good, pure stuff)

3 Tablespoons vegetable oil

3 Tablespoons milk

1 egg

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

splash of vanilla extract

pinch of salt

I use Guittard chocolate, but any good quality cocoa powder will do

Basically whisk all those ingredients together and divide between two mugs. However, after a few tries, I've found that there is a technique to it. It's pretty hard to mix everything evenly (meaning without lumps) when just dumping everything into a bowl and going at it. The best way I've found is to first mix the sugar, salt, egg, and liquids together until everything is evenly mixed. Then add half the flour and cocoa powder, and all the baking powder, and mix until no lumps are visible, then add the other half, and again, mix until there are no lumps. Once divided into two mugs, I usually add some chocolate chips on top, because no one ever complained about too much chocolate.

Egg, sugar, and liquid mixture

Cocoa powder and flour whisked into egg mixture 

All that's left is to pop the mug into the microwave. The first time I started with one minute, and nuked it for an additional 15 seconds each time. After making the mug cakes four times, I've discovered that 1 minute, 30 seconds is the amount it takes to cook. 

All finished! Time to eat.

Mug cake certainly will not compare to a real cake, but it is good for days where I want cake but do not want to buy one or take hours to make one. It's also a pretty good way to end a long and tiring day. If I'm feeling extra fancy (or tired), a glass of red wine would go nicely with the cake. Just sayin'.

Kinda Sorta Italian

Over the past week, I've seen the movie 'Under the Tuscan Sun' one too many times. Probably at least five times. Thanks a lot, Oxygen Network. While the scenery is gorgeous, all I really cared about were the food scenes. I love Italian food, and not just the pastas. I love everything from pasta to pizza, polenta to tiramisu, and everything in between. I love all the dairy-based foods from the north, to the spicy tomato-based dishes in the south. No joke, one of my life goals is to make enough money, go to Italy, and eat my way through the country. I have to do that at least once in my lifetime.

In any case, after watching the movie that many times, it was time to make some Italian food. However, with Tipsy eating my door frames, I don't have the time to make a big pot of bolognese sauce. It was time to go kinda sorta Italian. When I'm craving Italian food but am short on time, this is my go-to recipe (if it even qualifies as one).

This is a simple and quick sauce. Minimal prep and cooking are required. The basic ingredients are as follows: garlic, tomatoes (any kind is fine - Roma, heirloom, cherry, etc.), baby portobello mushrooms, basil, olive oil, white wine vinegar, and salt and pepper. Before I even prep any of the ingredients, I put a pot of water on the stove and cook the pasta. This way, the sauce can marinate as the pasta cooks. All I do is crush and mince the garlic, chop up the tomatoes, slice the mushrooms, shred the basil, and toss with the olive oil and vinegar, and set it aside. The flavors will combine while the pasta cooks. 

Ingredients for the sauce

Tomato mixture hanging out while pasta cooks

Once the pasta is cooked, I dump the tomato mixture into the hot pasta, stir until it's evenly distributed, then put the pot back on the stove, with the lid on, for a few minutes. The tomatoes cook down a little, the garlic softens and sweetens, and all the flavors combine. Then, for a little decadence, I top the pasta with burrata cheese, because, why not? Burrata is amazing. For those not in the know, burrata cheese is a mixture of mozzarella cheese and cream inside a shell of solid mozzarella cheese. Whoever created this is an absolute genius.

Burrata makes everything better

This isn't 'authentic' Italian food by any means, but it satisfies my cravings and it is pretty dang tasty. I especially like this recipe because I can add anything I want to it. This is simply the foundation. Sometimes I add lemon zest and sun dried tomatoes, other times I add capers and olives. Anything is possible. If and when I have more time, I'll definitely try more complex foods. Until then, this is just fine. I'll just avoid watching that dang movie in the mean time.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Continuing my breakfast foods theme from last week, today I decided to make lemon ricotta pancakes for lunch (because like I said, I never actually eat breakfast during breakfast hours). I had some reservations about these particular pancakes because I thought the ricotta cheese might make them dense, but I was happily mistaken.  These were some of the best, fluffiest, pancakes I've had in a long time.

The ingredients for these pancakes are as follows: eggs, ricotta cheese, lemon zest, flour, and a little sugar. That's it. No milk, no leavening ingredients, not even butter! How does something without leavening agents become light and fluffy? Well, it's all in the technique. To make these pancakes, the eggs are separated. The yolks are combined with the rest of the ingredients, and set aside. The whites are beaten until they can hold stiff peaks, meaning that when the beaters are lifted out of them, the peaks don't fold over.

Egg yolk mixture

Egg whites holding stiff peaks

Once both are whisked and beaten, they need to be combined. This is where patience really becomes a virtue, and a gentle hand really is the best. Can't rush this part at all. The trick is to blend the whites into the yolk mixture without deflating the egg whites. If they become deflated, the pancakes will come out flat and dense, which isn't a good look. The way I've always been taught was to take 1/4 of the whites and whisk it into the yolks to lighten it a tad. Then fold the rest of the whites into the yolk mixture with a rubber spatula. This is where the process slows to a crawl. This takes time, patience, and a very gentle touch. The extra time is worth it in the end though.

Whites folded into the yolk mixture

Once your mixture looks combined, it's time to cook! I don't have a griddle, so I used a nonstick pan instead. I poured about a half cup worth of batter into the pan, which led to a mini-disaster. This particular batter spreads, so it became a lot larger than I anticipated. In addition, I am terrible at flipping pancakes. They tend to come out a little screwy looking, and this time is no exception. My first two tries were too large, my spatula too small, and they ripped in half. However, third time is the charm and it came out perfectly round and golden brown.

Don't attempt to flip until little bubbles appear on the surface of the pancake!

Now, for the blueberry syrup. It was pretty simple to make. Combine the berries, maple syrup, honey, and lemon juice in a pot, and simmer until the fruit starts to break down a little and the honey melts. Here's the fun part... I had the choice of either digging out the traditional blender from the pantry to finish the syrup, or take the lazy way and use a stick blender. No big surprise, I chose the stick blender. Now, a word of caution. Stick blenders cause a lot of splatter. Having hot syrup splatter on me was not my definition of fun. Perhaps next time I won't be lazy and use a traditional blender and save myself some pain.

Blueberries, syrup, honey, and lemon juice simmering

All that's left is putting the pancakes on a plate and smother with the syrup, and it is divine. The lemon zest gives the pancakes a nice citrus flavor, while the ricotta cheese adds a nice, smooth texture. The blueberry syrup is sweet, but not overly so, which is what I prefer. The only thing that I would change next time is to let the syrup reduce. It was a little too thin for my preference, but other than that, these pancakes are a winner.

The finished product!

Lazy French Toast

In my humble opinion, the main difference between French toast and bread pudding is the cooking technique.  All the basic ingredients are the same - bread, milk, eggs, cinnamon, etc. Everything else is elective, such as fruit, chocolate, other spices, and so on. French toast should have a crust that's formed when cooked on a griddle, or in a pan. It's that crisp texture that I love the most, especially when it contrasts nicely with the soft center of the toast. In terms of bread pudding, I feel like it shouldn't have that crisp texture. All the ones I've ever had were almost custard-like. And this is the problem with French toast in a cup.  It felt more like bread pudding.

I think almond extract would also work here

Being as this is 'lazy' French toast, the whole thing only took 5 minutes to make, including cooking time. I used Panettone bread instead of regular bread, cut it up into 1.5 inch cubes, and stuffed it into a microwave-safe mug. Then I whisked together some milk, an egg, cinnamon, and a bit of vanilla extract and poured it over the bread and let it soak for a minute or two. Next, popped it into the microwave and nuked it for a total of 2 minutes, starting with one minute and adding 15 seconds every time until it was cooked.

Cubes of Panettone soaked with egg mixture before microwaving

Not going to lie, while it was cooking, the bread and custard mix started to rise and puff up over the edge of the mug, then shrink back down when I opened the microwave to check on it. It almost felt like when Godzilla terrorized the streets of Tokyo or something. One problem I encountered when cooking the French toast in the microwave was determining when it was finished cooking. The top was fine, but I couldn't see the bottom of the mug to check if the egg mixture was still runny. I decided to be on the safe side and nuke it an extra 20 seconds to ensure that the toast was all the way cooked. No stomach aches for me, thanks.

The end result

The verdict? Well, when craving French toast at nearly midnight (or some other random hour), this is enough to satisfy. However, if someone is looking for the good stuff, might as well take the time to make it correctly (meaning take more than 5 minutes). There's no way the microwave can replicate the texture that a pan or griddle will give your toast. Another problem with the microwave is the tendency for the toast to become dense when it cools down, and it'll shrink back inside the cup. Not quite appetizing at that point. There was nothing toast-like about it, except for the flavor and the act of pouring maple syrup over the top. Instead, it felt like a hastily thrown together bread pudding. 

Sweet Nothings

Grocery shopping while hungry is almost always a bad idea. I mean ridiculously bad. My basket always becomes full with food that inevitably will go uneaten or frozen until I figure out what to do with it.  In an effort to curb that problem, I will only use a basket to shop with, not a cart, so I can't fit as many things in it. Somehow, I still manage to buy a ton of stuff. My basket becomes like a real-life Tetris game. How can I use my precious basket space in the most efficient way, so I can cram as much crap in there as possible?

Today's basket can definitely be filed under 'emotional eating - sweets edition.' Somehow I managed to come away with gelato, a mini cheesecake, panettone, ricotta cheese, and blueberries. What could I possibly do with that?? Oh I know... Panettone French toast in a mug, and lemon ricotta pancakes with blueberry syrup! 

I realize both of those options are breakfast foods, but let's be real here. I never get up early enough for breakfast. My typical breakfast is a glass of water and a big cup of coffee, followed by a latte of some sort (either vanilla or hazelnut). It's a treat if I eat some granola in the morning.  In order to make up for eating a real breakfast, I generally eat breakfast foods late at night. I mean, if it's consumed after midnight, technically it is in the morning. Just sayin'.

My initial plan for this evening was to attempt to make either the French toast or the pancakes. However, Tipsy has once again foiled my baking plans. I bought her a dried cow ear for her to chew on, figuring that it would last a few days and would keep her occupied for the time being.  Boy, was I ever wrong. So instead of making some breakfast for dinner, I spent the majority of the night bouncing a tennis ball off a concrete wall and letting her chase it, hoping she'd tire herself out. 

I'll settle for gelato tonight...

I am not tipsy

As I'm writing this, Tipsy has her head plopped on my leg, staring at my keyboard with acute jealousy.  Yep, Tipsy is my dog. I am not writing this tipsy, trust me. The days for tipsy or buzzed writing are long gone, forever banished to ridiculous memories of UCSB. 

Why, then, did I name this blog 'Teaspoon of Tipsy'? Simply because I feel that's representative of where my life currently is.  I love to bake everything under the sun. Whether it's cakes, cupcakes, pies, brownies, cookies, etc., I'll attempt them all and I am constantly looking for different and unique flavor combinations.  I wanted a place where I could sort through all my different ideas and this is what I came up with.  However, because of my lovely shepherd mutt, my baking schedule has taken a serious hit.  I can't bake in the kitchen for long periods of time without dashing out to check where she is, what she's potentially eaten, or if she's done anything terrible. It's taken some creativity to be able to bake like I want and take care of her at the same time.

My goal with this blog is to chronicle my adventures with her and the kitchen, and baseball (when the season starts in April). I mostly attempt desserts, but will occasionally try cooking different things as well. That's all I really need... my dog, desserts, and the San Francisco Giants.

And without further ado...

I present Tipsy!