Cake & Table

Wishing you all a fabulous Memorial Day weekend!

This weekend, I am back in my hometown for the Holiday with a full agenda. I cannot wait to get behind the grill for our big cookout. As such, I came up with a list of my favorite tips & tricks. Enjoy the holiday & be safe!

Ok, so this was totally an accident.

Oh, but it was an accident I so openly welcomed.

I had some leftover pizza dough that I was dying to use up. I wasn’t about to bake another pizza but needed to give this dough a proper fixin’. Suddenly, a angel/devil scenario played out in my head… make these garlicy bad boys or don’t. After little contemplation, the choice was clear: life’s short, make the garlic knots.

The knots turned out perfectly & are so simple to make if you already have the dough. And for those who purchase store dough PLEASE reconsider. Last week, a Bon Appetit magazine panel unanimously decided homemade pizza dough was worth the extra effort. Not only does it taste infinitely better – it’s cheaper. :)

At any rate, no matter how you get to the end result, these garlic knots are absolutely delicious and addictive. As such, I will be postponing my weight watchers meeting this week for fear of scale retribution!

Garlic Knots

Prep time: 1 hour

Cook time: 15 minutes

Yield: 36 knots

Ingredients:

For the dough:

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 package (2 1/2 tsp.) of quick-rise yeast
• 1 3/4 cups warm water
• 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

For the garlic coating:

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• Parmesan cheese for dusting

Directions:

1. In a stand mixer, combine flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. With the motor running on low, add the water and olive oil in a steady stream and let dough come together in a rough ball about 15 seconds. Let dough rest for 5-10 minutes. Mix on low again for 30 seconds until dough is tacky to the touch but not sticky. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and form into a smooth ball. Place the dough in a large oiled bowl, turn to coat with oil and cover with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in a large bowl about 1 hour. Once proofed, place in fridge to chill.
2. Preheat oven to 400ºF and prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. On a floured surface, work dough out to a rectangle measuring about 12″x4″. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut dough into 1″x5″ strips.
4. Next, oil up your fingers with some olive oil. This will ease the knot tying process. Knot the dough (yes, over under through!) and set on baking sheet. Once all are ready to go, place in oven and bake for 15 minutes until golden.
5. While baking, in a medium saucepan over low heat melt butter. When melted, stir in olive oil, garlic, and parsley. Do NOT let get to hot or else garlic will burn.
6. Remove knots from oven and toss a few at a time with garlic mixture. Transfer to dish, sprinkle with parmesan, and serve while still warm.

Brownies are the only dessert I’ll prepare from a box mix. Why? I feel it’s not worth the time  and money to make from scratch when there are really good boxed options.

However, even though the dessert is awesome, when I pull it out of the oven it looks so… plain. Well fear no more, this rocky road topping is the perfect accompainment to your naked brownies. Next time you bake a batch for family or co-workers they’ll be amazed at your invention! Trust me.

Rocky Road Brownies

Prep time: 10 minutes

Bake time: 45 minutes

Yield: 12 brownies

Ingredients:

• 1 box brownie mix
• 1 egg (or amount described on brownie mix box)
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil (or amount described on brownie mix box)
• 1/4 cup water (or amount described on brownie mix box)
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds
• 1 1/2 cups mini marshmellows
• 2 oz. chocolate, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325º. In a large mixing bowl, combine brownie mix and necessary ingredients (egg, vegetable oil, and water) to make batter. Add in 1/2 cup of mini marshmallows to batter.
2. Pour into a 8″x8″ glass dish and place in oven. Bake for 40-42 minutes until brownies are cooked through. Use a fork to test the middle. If the fork comes out clean, your brownies are done!
3. Top the brownies with the remaining marshmallows and almonds. Using a spatchula, press down marshmallows gently to stick to brownies. Place back in the oven for 3-5 minutes until mash mellows begin to melt on top of batter.
4. Remove from oven and let cool. Drizzle melted chocolate over brownies before serving.

Got a sweet tooth but don’t wanna be weighed down? Chocolate & sweets are my favorite but trying to find that right amount of “moderation” is my downfall. Luckily this whipped oreo pie is both tasty & light. Oh and the best part is that it requires NO oven! Feel free to use different flavors of Oreos to mix things up, perhaps mint or birthday cake would delight?

Whipped Oreo Pie

Prep time: 10 minutes

Yield: 12 servings

Adapted loosely from Weight Watchers

Ingredients:

• 1 sleeve oreo cookies
• 5 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tbsp. milk
• 3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, shaved (optional)

Directions:

1. Split apart oreos and scrape the inside filling and place in a seperate bowl. Once Oreo cookies halves are scraped, place in bowl of food processor. Process cookies to crumbs.
2. In a small bowl, combine crumbs with melted butter until wet. Press into the bottom of a baking dish and place in refrigerator.
3. Add in 2 tbsp. milk to the bowl with oreo filling. Use a whisk to mix & liquify oreo filling.
4. In a mixing bowl, beat the whipping cream on high until stiff peaks form. Continuing on medium speed, gradually pour in filling mixture until well combined. Spoon whipped cream over prepared crust and decorate with chocolate shavings. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour prior to serving.

I often take recipe suggestions from my friends & family. Most recently, a good friend of mine suggested that I do some posts dedicated to on-the-go lunches. My friend Sara is in law school & goes from 8am-6pm without stopping. She needs lunch options that are easy to make, require no reheating, and keep well.

Luckily, I was up to the challenge and found this dish to be PERFECT! It’s been a great guiltless accompaniment for me at work. See, chicken salad doesn’t have to be creamy!

Honey Roasted Chicken Salad

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes, plus time for chicken to cool

Ingredients:

For the chicken:

• 2 large chicken breasts, with skin
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup apple juice

For the salad:

• 1 small can mandarin oranges, drained
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 small red onion, diced
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp. lemon zest
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 tbsp. honey
• Arugula, to serve with

Directions:

1. Stir honey, soy sauce, and apple juice together in a large bowl. Once mixed, add in chicken breasts. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours and up to one day. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 375ºF. Pour bowl with chicken and marinade into a baking dish. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes until juices from chicken run clear. Cool chicken completely.
2. Once cooled, shred chicken into bite-sized pieces and place into large mixing bowl. Add in mandarin oranges, chopped nuts, dried cranberries, red onion, salt, pepper, lemon zest, lemon juice, and honey. Mix until combined. Refrigerate until well chilled. When ready to serve (or pack up) add some arugula to serve with! It adds an extra spice & crunch.

 

• 1 cup sugar
• Zest of 2 lemons
• 1/4 cup unsweetened dried coconut
• 1/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• Rounded 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 5 large eggs
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• Fresh, mixed berries for topping

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Place flour and salt in a mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed piece by piece add in shortening followed by butter. Mix for 30-45 seconds until mixture is size of small peas. Next add in water 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough is moistened and begins to hold together.
2. Remove from bowl and divide dough in half. Chill one round for immediate use and freeze the other for future use! Once chilled, roll out dough to 1/4″ on a floured surface. Using a large 4″ cookie cutter, cut circles into dough.
3. Place dough circles in a well greased muffin pan and using your fingers, flatten and shape dough into muffin mold. Bake mini-pies for 15 minutes until crisp. Remove from oven and let cool.
4. For the custard feeling, bring water to a boil over medium heat, stirring in sugar and lemon zest. Without stirring, let boil about 5 minutes. Next, stir in cream and salt, then cook until steamy.
5. Whisk eggs in a large bowl and add in hot cream mixture slowly, whisking constantly. Next, stir in lemon juice.
6. Strain custard through a fine sieve into another bowl. Using a spoon, pour custard into each tart shell.
7. Reduce oven temperature to 325° F. Bake 20-25 minutes until filling is set. Cool completely. When ready for serving, top with fresh berries.

As per usual, rainy day meals are all about comfort. In most most recent case, it was all about cheesy and peppery comfort.

Recently, a specialty cheese and wine shop opened up in my neighborhood. (Thank you to the powers that be.) I’ve been frequently stopping in and picking up some unique cheese and charcuterie selections. On one of my most recent trips, I found a block of habanero cheddar.

Now I am a fan of spicy things, but only when it’s balanced out with other flavors. So if you’re worried these biscuits might not be for you, I used equal parts habanero cheddar and sharp cheddar. The biscuits hit you with a little spice but are perfectly savory,  just like a biscuit should be. If you can’t find habanero and ole pepper jack will do fine.

Habanero Cheddar Biscuits

Prep time: 10 minutes

Bake time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour + more for kneading
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 sticks unstalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup habanero cheddar
• 1/2 cup extra sharp cheddar
• 1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 º F.
2. Place flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl or stand mixer. Using a mixer on low speed, add in the butter piece by piece and mix until the butter is pea-sized.
3. Continuing on low speed,  add the buttermilk and egg and mix only until moistened. Next, add in the cheese and mix until roughly combined.
4. Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead lightly. Roll the dough out to a 10″x5″ rectangle. With a sharp knife, cut dough lengthwise in half and then across in quarters. This will make 8 rough rectangles.
5. Transfer to a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, until  biscuits are golden brown. Remove from oven and serve hot!

My quest for awesome & healthy side dishes continues! Today’s installment is a rather simple upgrade of brussel sprouts and bacon. I incorporated some apple cider vinegar & dijon mustard prior to roasting and the results we’re fantastic.

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh brussel sprouts, halved
• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 5 slices bacon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
2. In a skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp. Remove from heat and let cool. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, mix Dijon, vinegar, and olive oil until combined. Add in brussel sprouts and toss with Dijon mixture until well coated.
4. Pour brussel sprouts onto a baking sheet and sprinkle bacon evenly on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned.

Starting Cake & Table was an attempt to find my outlet. I wanted to learn more about food, share my recipes with others, and document my culinary journeys.

After getting the hang of WordPress, Photoshop, SEO, and basic food photography, I started to compare myself to other food bloggers. I thought to myself, “Wow, they do recipes every single day! My blog stinks compared to them. I’m not consistent enough or as dedicated”.

Now to be completely fair, I do have a full-time job at a large consulting firm. On most weekends, I travel to see my boyfriend who lives 2 hours away. In addition, I’ve been teaching myself programming and Adobe CS skills on the side.

With my time constraint, I could do uninspired + unchallenging recipes in order to post every day. But I don’t want to do that. Everything I make is important to my diet, my family, or my life. Everything I share has a story or purpose.

In the coming weeks and months, I will be challenging and redefining my blog & brand. I’d love to hear your thoughts, opinions, or experiences in developing yours. Stay tuned!

My family sure has it share of picky eaters. During family gatherings we usually have 2 types of desserts to feed different tastes. But one pie that always pleases the whole crowd is coconut cream pie. Light, fluffy, and full of toasted coconut – it’s hard to pass up!

We always pick it up from a local restaurant but after tackling this pie in my tiny apartment kitchen, I’m confident any baker can make this. One positive, is that the pudding filling can be made up to 2 days in advance of assembling the pie. Perfect for making ahead of time & serving when guests arrive.

Coconut Cream Pie

Prep time: 30 minutes + time for refrigerating

Bake time: 20 minutes for pie shell

Adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients:

For the filling:

• 1 – 12″ pie shell, blind baked & cooled
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon coconut extract

For the topping:

• 2/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted
• 1 cups chilled whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon coconut extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Roll out & place pie shell in a 9″ pie dish. Bake pie shell for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from heat and cool completely.
2. In a saucepan on medium heat, warm milk and coconut until steamy. In a separate bowl, whisk sugar, eggs, and flour in medium bowl. Once heated, gradually add egg mixture into milk mixture while whisking. Stirring constantly, continue on medium heat until pastry cream thickens and boils about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in vanilla and coconut extracts. Transfer pastry cream to medium bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours and up to 2 days in refrigerator.
3. Toast coconut in small skillet over medium heat until lightly browned about 2-3 minutes. Cool completely.
4. Using an electric or stand mixer, beat cream, sugar, and coconut extract in medium bowl until peaks form. (Can be made up to 12 hours ahead of time.)
5. To assemble pie, transfer coconut filling to pie shell use the back of a spoon to smooth filling. Spoon whipped cream on top of filling and sprinkle with toasted coconut flakes.
6. Serve & enjoy!

Toasted coconut to finish off the whipped cream topping

Even Izzy is a fan!