Olive Oil Cake

So this day the child wanted cake. Sadly I didn't have regular oil or enough butter for cake and frosting, and who wants cake without frosting?!? Not anyone in my house. So I decided to come up with something on my own. in this test kitchen of mine I pull all the stops.

Ingredients 
1C AP flour
3/4C sugar
2tsp baking powder
1/4tsp salt
1 egg
1/2c buttermilk or (1tbsp buttermilk powder and 1/2c water)
1/3c greek yogurt or sour cream
3tbsp olive oil
2tsp vanilla

Recipe for buttercream 

Method
Preheat oven to 350° Spray with baking spray or grease a 8x8 baking pan.

Whisk together all of the dry ingredients



Whisk together wet ingredients

 

Add wet to the dry until combined



Pour batter into prepared pan.



Bake 30 min until knife or toothpick comes out clean



Cool Frost Eat

Tortillas

I have always wanted to make tortillas. One day I had so many yumii things, homemade refried beans, sharp cheddar, sour cream and guacamole. All the grounds for really real homemade burritos, or tostada torta yummy flat burritos, whatever it was we ate was amazing. The tortillas were easy to make and way better then store bought. 

Ingredients 

1 1/2C flour

1C bread flour 

2 1/2 tsp sea salt 

1/2C butter

1C hot water 

Method

Mix the dry ingredients together. 

Mix in butter until you get coarse crumbly crumbs 

 

Add hot water 

Stir together until you form a firm ball

 

Knead 3-5 Minutes till ball holds shape and dough is less sticky 

Cover and let rest for 1 hour. Divide into 14-16 balls 

Cover and let rest another 30 min. 

Flatten and roll out balls into a thin round circle

 

Heat hot skillet/ cast iron pan to med/high heat. Cook each side of tortilla for 30 sec 

 

Bubbles are nice 

Fill and enjoy!

Blueberry Biscoff Cheesecake

I was challenged by my daughter, she said she didn't like cheesecake, whaaaat!?! So I made one and she liked it. I changed stuff around from a basic no bake so she would inevitably love my creamy concoction. I live to experiment with cookies and crusts so I tried Biscoff cookies. Mmmmm perfect balance. I will try my goat cheese cake on her next because that is truly the messiah of all cheesecakes. 

Ingredients

1 8oz package of Biscoff cookies finely ground

2tbsp sugar

6tbsp butter

16oz cream cheese

1tsp almond extract

1c powdered sugar 

1/2c sour cream

3/4c heavy cream

Blueberry compote 

8oz blueberries 

2tbsp sugar

1tbsp water

1tsp lemon juice

Method

Melt butter in 9" pie pan 350° heat

Mix together 2 tbsp sugar and cookie crumbs

Press around pan to form crust, bake for 10 min. 

Cool completely 

Using a mixer mix cream cheese, powdered sugar, almond extract, sour cream, and whipped cream until mixed and creamy. When the crust has completely cooled top with creamed mixture

For blueberry compote on stove with small saucepan cook blueberries sugar water and lemon until thick 

Top cheesecake when cooled

Chill in fridge for 4-6 hours. 

Red Curry Potatoes an Lentils

What a great vegetarian dish. It's a one pot dish easy to make and clean up and it's delicious. I love my Dutch oven, it's great for this kind of hearty dish. I cooked this for my daughter who is a vegetarian and she loved it, the dish has layers of Indian and Thai flavors, two cuisines she adores...so I call it a Thai Indian fusion dish. 

Ingredients

2tbsp olive oil

1/2 onion minced

1tsp fresh cilantro minced

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

2tbsp red curry paste

6C broth

1 large potato or sweet potato diced

2 fresh diced tomatoes 

1 1/2C lentils

1 can coconut milk

Salt & Pepper to taste

Dash of cardamom 

Method

In a large Dutch oven heat olive oil on medium heat. Sauté onions, garlic and cilantro until onions are soft. 

Add red curry paste and cook for a couple min till fragrant. 

Add broth and simmer 

Add lentils

Potatoes

And tomatoes

Bring to a simmer. Add salt, pepper and small dash of cardamom. Reduce heat to low.

And cook until lentils and potatoes are soft. These dishes are great the longer they cook the flavors really marry well. 

Finally when everything is soft add in coconut milk and cook on low for 10more min or so. I cooked it longer for more flavor but it's ready whenever you are! Enjoy

Chicken Piccata

My first job was in an Italian Restaurant called Pastas. There were two owners, one from Sicily, one from Rome, Two regions of great Italian Cuisine. I have traveled around the states and I have had a difficult time finding an Italian Restaurant that I love. So I make at it at home to get that old time Italian cooked meal. My husband really loves most dishes that I cook with wine. So I tried this one on him and it was a winner. This dish traditionally has capers, I omitted them because I didn't want to spring too much culture on him.

Ingredients
2 Chicken breasts tenderized
2tbsp butter
4-6tbsp flour
Salt & Pepper
1clove garlic minced
2tbsp fresh parsley
2tbsp olive oil
1/3C dry white wine
1 lemon squeezed
1C chicken broth
1/4C capers

With Pasta Optional
2 servings of Linguine pasta
1/3C heavy cream

Method
On medium heat melt butter in skillet,



tenderize and season chicken. On a plate mix flour, salt and pepper coat the chicken in flour.



Fry the chicken in skillet 2 min on each side until golden brown and crispy

 

Add lemon juice and capers, and garlic, cook chicken until not pink.



Remove chicken, add chicken stock,



Cook down to a gravy. Add wine.

 

Simmer to thicken. add chicken back in, simmer in sauce. Thats a wrap. Now took out the chicken and I added about 1/3C of cream to saucy up the pasta. I took the cooked pasta and I simmered it in the sauce

Mango Lassi

I love Indian food. It can be spicy. A mango lassi is the perfect treat to calm your pallet alongside tikka masala....

Ingredients

1c mango

4tbsp sugar or honey

1/2c yogurt

1/2c milk

1/4tsp cardamom 

4 strands saffron

Method 

In a blender blend all ingredients.