Classic Rice Pudding

11 Friday May 2012

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There is something about TV show spinoffs and movie remakes that really irk me. Why do people feel the need to take something with such success and attempt to make it better? (ie. Saved by the Bell the College Years, and the Sex and the City movies).

On a recent drive to work, I started brainstorming ways to make the most unique rice pudding to ever hit the web! I toyed with the idea of coconut, or pistachio flavoring; but after long deliberation, I came to the conclusion that you can’t alter a classic.

Sure, I enjoy taking recipes and putting my own unique twist on them…but when it comes to dishes that make me feel nonstalgic, I prefer them classic.

I’m a rice pudding junkie and love the fact that most cultures have their own version! My preference: simple, not too thick, and topped with tons of cinnamon.

I whipped up a very generic, not so original, version of the sweet rice goodness! Check it out below!

Classic Rice Pudding

On the stove, bring 1 1/2 cup 2% milk and 1 1/2 cup basmati rice to a boil. Stir occasionally so the rice does not stick to bottom of the pan. Once brought to a boil, lower heat and add an additional 1 and 1/4 cup of milk.

In a seperate bowl, mix 1/4 cup of sugar and 1 egg together.

Pour about 1/8 cup of your hot rice milk mixture into your egg mixture while continuously mixing. Once mixed together, repeat by adding another 1/8 cup into your egg mixture. *This will prepare your egg mixture so when you transfer it to your rice milk mixture it will not get ”shocked” and turn into a clumpy, scrambled, mess.

Next, pour the egg mixture into your rice milk mixture on the stove. Let this cook for about 20 minutes. Your rice pudidng will become creamier.

Add cinnamon and remove from heat.

Transfer your rice pudding into a bowl and let chill in the fridge for a few hours.

Thats my favorite classic recipe. Now, what’s yours?

Easy Israeli Couscous Strawberry Salad

04 Friday May 2012

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Happy Friday Readers!

It was a long week of working inside a gray cubicle. As hard as I tried, I couldn’t avoid the sporadic daydreams of travel and reminiscing of past vacations. Not long ago, I flew half way around the world to visit my friend, Morlene, in the Holy Land. What started out as a somewhat playful conversation of:

Morlene: Hey Brooke, you should come visit me in Israel.

Me:         That sounds fun, I will look into it.

Turned into a $1,500 dollar plane ticket later.

I suffer from impulse shopping traveling. It’s a blessing and a curse (for the bank account) at the same time.

Reflecting back, my Israel trip couldn’t have went any smoother. Even the 16 hours plane ride was a breeze. Perhaps it was the free wine coupons I scored?

Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, the Dead Sea, Palestine Territories, and random cities in between… I got to see it all! Not to mention, I had some of the best food in my life. Homemade shakshouka, delicious shawarma, and to-die-for falafel. On occasion, I still find myself craving Aroma Coffee. I’m sorry America, you just can’t compare to the coffee in other countries.

As a tribute to my friend Morlene (who I miss on a daily basis), I whipped up an Israeli inspired couscous salad. This salad requires few ingredients which means it is budget and time friendly.

Easy Israeli Couscous Strawberry Salad

Start with sautéing 1 and 1/3 cup of Israeli couscous (you can find this couscous at Trader Joes or Whole Foods) in a little bit of olive oil.

After a few minutes of sautéing, add 1 and 1/3 cup water and let boil for about 5 minutes.  Lower heat and steam until the couscous is fluffed and cooked (no longer has a hard texture). If your couscous looks dry while steaming you may need to add more water.

Transfer to bowl and let chill.

Chop up 1 cup of strawberries, 1/2 cup of goat cheese and toss into bowl of couscous.

Drizzle very lightly with olive oil and fold in the ingredients.

There ya have it- Toda Roba!

Sophisticated Geek

03 Thursday May 2012

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Teavana has been my obsession for years. With every sip of their Maharaja Chai Oolong tea I fantasize about having a classic tea party. I picture a lush garden, gorgeous table settings, silver utensils, antique tea pots, petite sandwiches, and English biscuits. Let’s not to forget the the timeless vintage dresses and extremely large, dramatic, hats.

But then I see awesome things such as this (a robot tea diffuser):

And the image of my sophisticated tea party fades away and my geek side emerges.

Hi. My name is Brooke and I am a sophisticated geek.

Split Pea Honey Ham Soup

02 Wednesday May 2012

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Summer is approaching and my calendar is already booking up! This past weekend one my best friends tied the knot in the lovely Bay Area. The ceremony was just as beautiful as the scenery driving up.  My boyfriend and I opted against the convenient short airplane ride since the view while driving Highway 1 is breathtaking. We made a stop 1/2 way up the coast to camp in Big Sur before the wedding festivities began. Typically, I am the one who wears the chefs pants in the relationship but since camping is in his realm, my boyfriend decided to surprise me with the perfect campsite dinner.

Homemade Split Pea and Honey Ham Soup!

My main squeeze started cooking the soup via crock pot the night before. He followed this recipe as a guideline but made a few alterations.  When asking what he did differently, he mentioned that chopped ham just didn’t cut it. Instead, he purchased a honey baked ham from, who would have thought, the Honeybaked Ham store and even threw the bone into the crockpot to add the extra flavor (so proud!). The recipe calls for 2 garlic cloves but he added in extra.  Also, this recipe does not call for enough liquid so he ended up adding chicken stock a few hours after starting the crockpot.

Once  done, he packed up the soup in a cooler and all we had to do was heat it up!

The soup turned out fantastic and I was beyond impressed with his cooking skills. He even made sure to bring my favorite bottle of wine (Lions Peak, Peak Rouge) to accompany the dinner. Dessert included hot cocoa heated up by a backcountry boiler.  I must admit, I am pretty spoiled. Usually, I’m not one to rough it but if camping includes being cooked a gourmet dinner, then I might be open to more trips in the future.

I leave you now with some pictures from the beautiful wedding! Enjoy.

Mexican Chicken Pot Pie

21 Saturday Apr 2012

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With Cinco de Mayo approaching, I’ve got Mexican food on the brain. Isn’t it convenient how summer is the season of swimsuits and beach outings as well as calorie ridden tacos and Coronas?  I can’t complain too much since my summers just wouldn’t be the same without an occasional beer and fabulous Mexican dishes from time to time. Back in college, my roommates and I would venture off to find the best Mexican food in town. Not so surprising, the most delicious restaurant happened to be a sketchy little corner shop that most would not step into.

Tonight, I decided to create a Mexican chicken pot pie. This dish is easy to make and definitely a crowd pleaser. What makes this dish different than your typical chicken pot pie is the seasoning and filling. Instead of using the usual potatoes, peas and carrots, you will be using black beans, beer, cheese, amongst other fillings. What really tops this dish (no pun intended), is the sweet corn bread crust. Check out the recipe below!

Mexican Chicken Pot Pie:

Start by filling a 8×8 pan with one and 1/2 cans of cream of chicken soup.

I also added about 1/2 cup of beer (I used Blue Moon).

Keep in mind that the more beer you add the better it will taste. However, beer will water down the mixture. If you prefer a more creamy inside of your pot pie omit the beer.

Next, add:

Pieces of cooked chicken

3/4 cup of black beans

3/4 cup of sweet corn

A handful of diced tomatoes

3/4 cup of cheddar cheese

Season with chili powder, coriander, garlic salt, cilantro, and cumin (or you can buy the convenient pre-made enchilada seasoning pack)

Be sure not to fill your pan over 3/4 way full since you will need to make room for the crust.

For the corn bread crust:

Use your favorite recipe or buy a box of corn bread mix and follow the directions accordingly.

Pour the cornbread mixture on top of the chicken mixture.

Cook at 375 degrees until the corn bread is cooked and golden brown.

Pascha- The Feast of all Feasts

15 Sunday Apr 2012

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Christos Anesti! For those that are unaware, Pascha or “Greek Easter” falls on today’s date. Those that celebrate are probably very familiar with the common question:

“Why does your Easter fall on a different day than American Easter?”

You see, in the Greek Orthodox religion, we always celebrate the first Sunday after the full moon following the equinox. This means that Easter is always celebrated after Passover.

While most Americans are dipping eggs in multicolor dyes and waiting for the Easter Bunny, Greeks are celebrating a little bit different. Greek Easter entails: lighting candles, red colored eggs, and a huge lamb feast instead of the traditional American ham dinner.

My Pascha started out with church followed by a huge Agape (love) Feast. I must say that Pascha is the largest and most delicious feast of the year. My mother use to throw a mean Pascha party and cook for more than 50 people each year. Even those who were not Greek were excited to join in on the celebration.

Below is a picture my delicious Easter lunch:

Please note, it is never too early to drink wine. If you politely decline a glass, someone will fill it up anyways.

This lunch was followed by endless Greek pastries and cookies. Below is a picture of some of my favorites. Going clockwise: Koulourakia, Melomakarona, and Baklava.

Cracking red eggs are also a Pascha tradition. Two people will hold their eggs and tap them against each other. Those that crack their partner’s egg without cracking their own will have good luck for the entire year!

Tsoureki or “Easter Bread” is also abundant this time of year. This bread has a sweet flavor and the dough is braided and shaped in a circle. It is then topped with a red dyed egg in the center.

Although I enjoy cooking Greek food and baking baklava, I have yet to make this delicious bread myself. It is often gifted to my family each year by family friends! I plan on giving a tsoureki recipe a few trial runs soon in order to be prepared next year.

There is nothing better than spending time with friends/family, tasty food, and Greek dancing!

Happy Easter to all!

“Foodie” or Not?

12 Thursday Apr 2012

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Those that follow my blog may notice I use the term “foodie” quite often. It has been brought to my attention by another “foodie” that the term may be offensive to others. Who would have thought that a food term (that I was always proud to be called) would displease others? When asked what they disliked so much about the word, they claimed it did not give the culinary arts enough justice. To me, being a foodie is as though you are a member of an elite social group. Of course, just like every social group, there are levels of “foodie”. There are those that simply enjoy dining out and trying new foods; but then, there are those that dream about food and zone out while develping new recipes… mentally. Regardless to your level of ”foodie”, I immediately want to be your friend once I am aware that we share a similar passion for food.  Socializing with other “foodies” about new recipes, restaurants, Food Network and famous chefs has always been some of my favorite topics to discuss. While I may be fond of the word, I am no bigot! Therefore, I sit here brainstorming possible “foodie” replacements. Here is what I have thus far:

Culinary Enthusiast

Food Fanatic

Dish Devotee

Recipe Admirer

Chow Activist

Menu Maniac

Restaurant Appreciator

So many terms but one main concept. Pick your self title and I will pick mine…foodie. :)

Quiche Sushi

07 Saturday Apr 2012

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Anybody else notice how one good sushi experience can get you hooked for the rest of the week? This past week I have eaten sushi three times. Apparently, I still have sushi on the mind because this morning I decided to cook quiche in the form of the addicting cuisine.

These little guys started out in ice-cream cones! Which is another great way to present them. The ice-cream cup makes for a great holder for your guests.

Start by creating your quiche mix. I used 3 whole eggs and 2 eggs whites with a 1/4 cup of milk. I then mixed in parmesan and cheddar cheese, garlic salt, a small handful of leeks, and broccoli. If you aren’t counting calories, I highly suggest bacon.

Next, pour your mixture in the ice-cream cones. Make sure to pick cones that do not look cracked. Place in a cupcake pan and cook at 375 degrees for about 20-25 mins.

Warning: Be sure to wrap the bottom of the ice-cream cones in foil prior to putting them in the oven. This will prevent the cones from a.) tipping over and b.) leaking. 

Trust me, the foil trick is something you do not want to skip!

Once cooked, let cool for a moment and cut the top portion of the cone off. The best knife for the job is a bread knife with serrated edges. This cuts through without smashing the quiche or cone.

Present on a plate and pair with your favorite sauce or salsa. I used my favorite mango salsa. It has the perfect sweet/spicy balance.

This dish isn’t limited to just breakfast. It makes for a delicious appetizer as well!

Bachelorette Goodies

07 Saturday Apr 2012

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Last week I attended my good friend’s bachelorette party in beautiful Santa Barbara, Ca. Jess and I first met freshman year of college. We were lucky enough to avoid the cliche horror stories you hear about college roommates and create a lasting friendship. It feels like just yesterday I was moving into the dorm and watching her hang up the many pictures of her highschool sweetheart, Garrett.

I felt compelled to share these adorably cute cookies that my friend, Shantal, made from Shakar Bakery.

Not too naughty but definitely fitting for the theme of the party. I am so lucky to have found such an amazing go-to baker.

Another bridesmaid also picked up these adorable cupcakes from Sprinkles for the occasion. I’d be lying if I said I only consumed demolished one of these.

Recently, I have been in a phase of buying or creating themed goodies. There is nothing better than showing up to a party and surprising someone with a custom cake. Professional bakers for weddings and special occasions must have one of the most rewarding careers!

Egg Over Easy Cookies

30 Friday Mar 2012

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My boyfriend tells me I make too many sweets. He says I should cook more protein. This is what I have to say about it:

Look closely and you will notice those aren’t just ordinary eggs… Those, my friends, are sugar cookies.

To make the “yoke”, I used vanilla wafers. I started by melting white chocolate chips in a mug using the water bath method. Using a microwave to melt the chocolate also works just fine. I then dyed the chocolate yellow. Next, dip the wafers and place them on parchment paper to dry.  Don’t have parchment paper? Placing the cookies on foil will also prevent them from sticking.

Using your favorite sugar cookie recipe, roll out the dough and cut the shape of your cookie. I cut my shapes out by hand instead of using a round cookie cutter to avoid make a perfect round circle. This made the “egg” shape look more realistic.

My landlord recently purchased us a new oven so this was the first time using it! I ended up burning my first set of cookies. It took a little playing around with the temperature to make the perfect batch.

Once the cookies cool, cover with white frosting and place the vanilla wafer “yoke” on top.

Perhaps, this will teach him a lesson. :)

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