Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Red Lobster is one of my favorite restaurants and anyone who goes there knows they have those amazing, buttery, and mouth watering biscuits that they serve before you order your food. So when I found this copycat recipe of those biscuits on Pinterest I HAD to give it a try. The results were far from disappointing! They are fluffy, cheesy and full of savory aroma. These are so easy to make, you just mix all the ingredients together and just scoop them onto the baking sheets. 

For the recipe, click here!

Apple Pie Cupcakes

First dessert of Fall 2016! What's fall without apples, cinnamon, and nutmeg infused desserts! It's been a while since I've baked any desserts so I wanted to try something different. This recipe caught my eye since it was a mix between an apple pie and cupcake. 

These cupcakes are filled with diced apples (like the filings of apple pies) in the middle as well as fresh apples in the cake mix and topped with spiced cream cheese frosting. The original recipe doesn't use spiced cream cheese frosting but rather used a buttercream frosting instead. I personally like cream cheese frosting more so I opted for that. I found a different way to prepare cream cheese frosting in the comment section from that same recipe that added cinnamon and nutmeg to tie in all the flavor! For the recipe click here! 

Breakfast Muffins

These breakfast/anytime muffins are a tasty alternative breakfast/snack choices to have around. They are savory and cheesy and a bit smoky from the hot dogs in them. As always, I add more cheese then required in the recipe because again why not! (I added 2 kinds of cheese, shredded mozzarella and cheddar) I know these turned out well because my husband who isn't a cheese fanatic like I am couldn't resist them. I did omit some items from the recipe since I didn't have them on hand but the nice thing about this recipe is that it is really easy to play around and isn't like baking desserts which require exact measurements.

For the recipe please click here!

Hot Dog Cheddar Muffins

"This has my name written all over it!" was what I said to my husband when these precious little muffins came out of the oven. I also substituted hot dogs for bacon in the recipe. These muffins have a slight sweetness in them along with the smokiness of the hot dogs and the mild taste of cheddar. I added shredded mozzarella in them because why not! They taste delicious as a fast breakfast alternative when heated in the microwave or oven.

For the recipe, click here!

Aniseed (يانسون) Cookies

I have been postponing this recipe for so long! The hubby has been asking me to make Aniseed cookies ever since we came to the States (It's been 2 years... ops). Anyway, the day has come and he finally had some and announced that this should be a weekly thing! It is an easy recipe that can practically be a weekly fun activity! 

Enjoy!

For the recipe and the related video click here!

Aniseed (يانسون) Cookies Recipe

I took this recipe from the following site and tweaked it a little bit :) The video is in Arabic so below is the English version of it:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
• 2 tablespoon Aniseed (اليانسون) (adjust to your liking)
• 1 1/2 tablespoon Black Cumin (حبة البركة)
• 1 1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds 
• 3 cups of flour
• 1 cup of water (if you want a strong Aniseed taste, boil 1 cup of water and add 2 teaspoon of Aniseed and let it brew for couple of minutes, then remove the seeds and let it cool for a bit before adding it to the mix)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degree Fahrenheit = 204 degree Celsius. 
• Mix everything together with a spatula.
• Shape them to your heart's desire, circular or stick like etc... 
• Bake them on cookie pans at the above mentioned temperature for around 15 minutes depending on your oven. 
• Remove and let them cool. 

Mini Eclairs

The first time I was introduced to this delicious, mouth watering dessert was when my cousin ordered it in a restaurant 16 years ago. This has been my go to dessert ever since! The thing that hooked me into this dessert was the pastry cream. This cream is so versatile, you can pipe it into donuts which tastes amazing! You can use it as a filling for cakes or have them with fruits (I think they go well with berries). 

Eclairs might be an intimidating French dessert to begin with, but it is actually not that difficult. The "dough" which is called 'pate a choux' is so easy to make because there is an obvious sign that happens (mentioned in the recipe) which lets you know when the dough is ready for the next step and there aren't a lot of steps. When it comes to cooking the pastry cream it can get tricky if you wander off. You have to pay attention to it at all times so you don't burn the cream and little bits of brown parts ruin that beautiful pale yellow cream (been there, done that!).

For the recipe, click here! 

Tuna Stir Fried Rice

A classic Chinese dish, so versatile and easy to make. Just bring out left over rice (or make new ones if you don't have left overs), vegetables (broccoli, peas, beans, corn, baby corn, carrots), your choice of protein, eggs with some soy sauce and sesame oil then mix everything together!

For a detailed recipe, keep reading :)

Ingredients:
-Cooked rice (2 cups)
-Small onion (chopped)
-Mix of vegetables (around 1 cup of each depending on how much you are making)
-Your choice of protein (chicken, beef, tuna)
-2 eggs
-Soy Sauce
-Sesame oil
-Salt
-Pepper
-Stir fry sauce (optional)

Directions:
-Heat up a skillet or wok on medium.
-Add some sesame oil or vegetable oil and add chopped onions.
-Add vegetables, season and cook until tender.
-Cook protein if it needs cooking.
-Remove cooked vegetables onto a plate and scramble the eggs in the same skillet, when done, add in the vegetables and protein mix.
- Add in cooked rice.
-Add soy sauce, sesame oil and stir fry sauce and mix well.
-For something extra add a bit of 5 spices or Sriracha (hot sauce)

Bon Appetite!

Strawberry Cupcakes

What prompted me to make these cupcakes? Left over strawberries! I'm loving this flavor and it is somehow different from others I've made. It kind of tastes like strawberry shakes so yay! I've paired this cake with cream cheese frosting but for next time I would just add a nice strawberry on top! I started with a cake pan then used a cupcake pan for the rest of the batter. For the cake, it took me 20 minutes more in the oven than the time specified, but for the cupcakes,the timing was right. 

For the recipe click here! :) 

Homemade Spinach Fatayer

Spinach fatayer is one of the food that got me through all the lectures and exams during my undergraduate years. When it was lunchtime, my friend and I would run to the cafeteria and get ourselves each one big hot spinach fatayer (imagine the ones in the picture but 5 times bigger). Fatayer is a Middle Eastern cuisine that can be stuffed with meat, cheese or spinach and are usually found in many if not all traditional restaurants in Lebanon. It is fun making these and you don't need to wait too long for them to be baked in the oven. Whenever I make these there never seems to be any left for the next day so that is the only downside to this :) 

For the recipe click here!

Spinach Fatayer Recipe

Spinach Fatayer

For the dough:

• 425 g. flour (approx 3 cups) 
• 3/4 cup  warm milk (not too hot or else the yeast won't function) 
• 1/2 tsp sugar

• 1 tsp dry active yeast
• 1/4 cup canola or extra virgin olive oil

For the filling:

• 500 g spinach, finely chopped
• 2 medium onions, finely diced
• juice of 2-3 lemons, or more to taste
• 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• salt and black pepper, to taste

Putting them together: 

1. Add the yeast to the warm milk with the half teaspoon of sugar. Set aside and covered for 5-10 minutes.
2. Prepare the dough: mix the oil with the flour and gently mix in the yeast/milk mixture. Add salt and knead until the dough is soft and elastic (10-15 minutes)
3. Divide the dough into small individual balls and cover with a damp towel while you prepare the filling.
4. Dice the onions then add salt and pepper. In a separate bowl add salt to the spinach and rub the leaves until they begin to wilt (the salt helps the spinach release its water).
5. Squeeze out as much water from the spinach as you can. Then mix with the seasoned onion. Add lemon juice and adjust seasoning to taste. (If you leave the mix over night, I suggest adding additional lemon when you are ready to use the filling)
6. Form the fatayer by flattening out each piece of dough. If the dough starts to contract too much, let it rest more.
7. Add a spoonful of the spinach mixture to the center of the rolled dough. Make sure to keep the sides of the dough clear of oil or filling. This step will help you seal it easier. 
8. Pinch the dough into a triangular shape and set on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
9. Brush the fatayer with milk or a light egg wash and bake in a 450 degree F oven (232 degrees C or Gas Mark 8) for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
10. Enjoy hot or in room temperature! 

Castella Cake

For the last couple of weeks, I have been yearning to have foods from my childhood. The Japanese Castella cake was one of the many delicious desserts I've had as a little girl. This cake brings back so many memories of going to the bakery with my parents and drooling over all the delicious and freshly baked goodies!

This delicate cake is especially spongy, bouncy and moist. The only downside to this cake is that once you take it out of the oven you have to immediately wrap it and place it in the fridge while it is hot for a minimum of 12 hours! This procedure helps the cake to have a fine and moist texture. Another ingredient that makes this cake extra special is the kind of flour you use. The elasticity in this cake is brought on by using bread flour that all purpose flour can't achieve. I recommend making it in the evening and having a slice the next day. It is definitely worth the wait. You can taste the honey in every bite and it is so easy to make, perfect for any occasion!

For the recipe click here

Turkey Stuffed Dumplings

Dumplings... I can never have enough dumplings!

I got ready made dumpling skin and the stuffing consisted of: ground turkey, cabbage and bean thread (optional). Check below for instructions:
-Mix them together and add some soy sauce, salt, pepper and some sesame oil.
-Put around 1 teaspoon of the mixture in the center of the dumpling skin.
-Wet the outer rim with a bit of water so the skin can stick to each other when you fold them together.
-In a non-stick pan, on medium heat, add some vegetable oil. Then add the dumplings.
-Add water in the non-stick pan so it covers half of the dumplings.
-Add some vinegar. Vinegar helps produce a golden layer underneath the dumplings and prevents from sticking.
-Cover and let the dumplings steam and remove the lid when most of the water is evaporated.
-Continue cooking until all liquid is gone and you can see the golden layer underneath the dumplings.
-Remove from heat.
-Sauce: soy sauce and chopped garlic. Enjoy!

So today was my husband's birthday and the cake was the star of the show! This is the first time I've completely frosted a cake inside and out with delicious homemade whipping cream. I don't usually bake cakes (I'm more of a cupcake girl) but after finding this recipe, things are going to change! The cake is a delicious pure vanilla sponge cake, which reminds me of the cakes I've eaten in Taiwan. This cake is so light and fluffy, thanks to the meringue and cake flour. This cake is simple in its ingredients, yet the trick in this recipe is the making of the meringue. If you over beat those egg whites, then its too late and you have to start again. Everything in this cake is homemade except for the fruits :P I've added peaches between the cakes and pineapple, peaches and papaya on the top. The next step for me is to improve my decorating skills and experiment with difference decorating styles. While I'm writing this, there is only a quarter piece left, so I'll take that as a success! :D

-- For the cake recipe click here
-- For the stabilized whipping cream recipe click here (stabilized so it can hold its shape and last for couple of days and won't just melt quickly like those found in the cans)
                                                                                              

Bookworm in the Kitchen!

What's better than collecting books? Collecting cooking books!

I mean look how cute this book is! 

Can't wait to go through all of them and get inspired!!!

                                                                                                  

Quote of the Day...

"No one is born a great cook, one learns by doing"--- Julia Child 

Moist Chocolate Cupcakes

 Ok, so let's get one thing straight, I'm not a big fan of chocolate, I don't go crazy about it and I can live my life without it, having said that, these cupcakes blew me away! The reason I knew I might like these cupcakes even before making them is because of two ingredients: unsweetened cocoa powder and coffee. I would not skip making the cream cheese frosting because First: its cream cheese frosting! Second: it complements the cupcake so beautifully because the cupcake itself isn't too sweet so the frosting provides enough sweetness. You can spread the frosting using a spoon or pipe it using a piping bag (what I went for), whatever your heart desires!

It is an easy recipe to follow and the result will surely be delightful!  

For recipe, click here!

Meal of the Week: Rashta (Laiyan's Version)

Ok, so this particular dish has a back story to it. 

For the past couple of months, I've been making this dish frequently ever since I got the recipe from my husband thinking that it was the original Lebanese dish "Rashta". Well, it turns out that I haven't been making the original dish but rather making my version of it and I think this is even better! Before knowing the truth, I've always wondered why haven't I had this back in Lebanon and now I know why! This has become one of our staple weekly meals and we prefer this to the original version so thats a BIG WIN!

It's such an amazing meal because it consists of ingredients that are normally found in your pantry and the end result produces an array of prominent flavors. The sour from the lemon juice and the sweetness from the fried onions is just beautiful! I hope you try and enjoy this dish as much as we did! 

For the recipe, please click here!   

Recipe: Rashta (Laiyan's Version)

Ingredients:

1. half box of pasta (you can use any shape but I usually use the "Bowtie" shapes)
2. 200 grams or around 1  1/2 cups of lentils
3. 2-3 medium to large onions (it may seem a lot but once you fry them they shrink) you can fry more if you like more onions.
4. 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
5. freshly squeezed lemon juice (2-3 lemons)
6. salt
7. vegetable oil for frying
8. garnish: chopped cilantro (if you're feeling fancy!)

Directions: 

1. Wash the lentils and boil them adding salt till they become soft. Keep the water. 
2. While lentils are cooking, slice onions into halves, then slice each half vertically. 
3. Fry onions in vegetable oil (don't let the onions get covered completely with oil), when done, remove onto plate with paper towel to soak excess oil.
4. Boil pasta according to package instructions and drain. 
5. Once the lentils are done, add drained pasta with lentil (with its water) and bring to a soft boil. 
6. Add chopped garlic, some of the fried onions, salt and some of the lemon juice and mix well so everything is incorporated. 
7. Let it boil to reduce some of the liquid (the fried onions will transfer some of its color and make the dish brownish and a bit of the starch from the boiled pasta will make the entire dish hold together).
8. Once some of the liquid reduces remove from heat. 
9. Serve and sprinkle remaining fried onions on top. Add additional lemon juice and salt if you need. Add chopped cilantro if you are feeling fancy but its totally ok to skip this and serve! 

Communicate

Life happens and problems arise.
I always try to remind myself to communicate and express myself with friends, family and loved ones. Don't keep quiet and expect the other person to know what you want or how you feel because they are not a mind reader (even though we usually assume or wish they are). It can be hard at first, but if the other person truly cares about you, the process will become easier and in return your relationship will flourish and grow even stronger.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

These have been my absolute go to cupcakes nowadays. The texture of the cake is so light and fluffy, thanks to the "cake flour" in it, that you could easily lose count of how many you've had! On top of this, the cream cheese frosting is the only thing to make this amazing cupcake even better! What's amazing with this frosting is the fact that you have both a savory taste from the cream cheese and the sweetness from the powder sugar, so the result is a mixture of yumminess on top of more yumminess!  You can't go wrong with this classic recipe!

As for the recipe that will be linked below, I've omitted the decorative stuff and stuck with the essentials!
For recipe click here!

Recipe: Tomato & Egg Drop Soup

Tomato & Egg Drop Soup

Ingredients:

• 2-3 stalks of green onion
• 2-3 medium sized tomatoes 
• Couple stems of Cilantro (depending on personal taste)
• Salt
• White pepper
• 2 eggs
• pinch of sugar
• sesame oil
• 1-2 teaspoon corn starch
• vegetable oil or olive oil
• 2-3 cups of water (more if needed)

Directions: 

1. Chop green onions and tomatoes into small pieces. 
2. Stir fry onions in vegetable or olive oil until fragrant then add tomatoes and fry till its water completely comes out and season with salt. 
3. Add water and bring to a boil (preferably hot water).
4. In a separate small bowl, mix corn starch and some cold water well and add this new mixture to the boiling water. Stir well so the soup becomes thicker. 
5. Mix eggs separately and pour into the boiling water while stirring to ensure the eggs spread evenly. 
6. Season with additional salt, a bit of sugar, sesame oil and white pepper according to personal taste.
7. Add additional green onion and cilantro and serve! 

Apple Pie (from Land O'Lakes)

What's a better way to prepare for the chilly fall weather than some fresh from the oven, home baked apple pie while the rich cinnamon and nutmeg warms up the entire room (it's probably the oven, but we are trying to be fancy here :P)

Recipe can be found here!

Soup of the Week: Chinese Tomato & Egg Drop Soup

When a fresh coat of snow covers the city, you know you need a freshly prepared, hot and light on the stomach soup that will surely warm your day away... Fresh simple pantry ingredients and you can whip up this fast soup in no time!

For recipe click here!

How I ended up behind an apron...

 

 I'm pretty sure I was looking for something other than studying for that Psychology exam I had the next day. Soon after, baking became an activity that helped curb the stress while allowing me to learn something new every time! What makes it such a great diversion is that it still allowed me to focus and concentrate on my tasks (whisking, measuring etc...) but on a subject completely different than what I was "running" away from. It was a refreshing break for me and the payoff at the end was sweet ;)

 Since then, it has become a part of me and something I identified with. Having had the basic cooking and baking skill surely paid off well when I got married and had to feed not 1 but 2 growling stomachs.

 Cupcakes were my first baking experiments, vanilla cupcakes with chocolate chunks to be exact. I mean who doesn't love cupcakes! They are cute, tiny and adorable and don't get me started with all those fun and colorful cupcake liners! The size aspect attracted me at first since I'm not fond of a lot of sweet desserts *gasp* so the smaller the size the better! I bake for the sake of baking and enjoy the end result and then give the rest to friends and family :)

 Cooking and baking has brought me a raw kind of happiness in my life, part of it has to do with seeing the smiles people have when they first take a bite into the food and the other is about how the method of combining and mixing raw ingredients plays a huge role in determining how the end result turns out, its basically yummy science :P

 I intend to put into writing my journey in the kitchen and share the ups as well as the downs. By sharing the whole process I believe it'll be a genuine and fun experience.

So Let's Get Cracking!