Raspberry Marshmallows

Raspberry Marshmallows... Fluffy, soft, pink marshmallows...I have always wanted to make homemade marshmallows, and recently came upon quite a few recipes online. Marshmallows have 3 major components ...SUGAR,water and unflavored gelatin. Many of the recipes asked for 4 envelopes of gelatin. I looked in my pantry to find that I only had 3. What to do?... I ended up searching some more, and came upon Ina Garten's Toasted Coconut Marshmallow recipe. Was happy to see her recipe required only 3 envelopes of gelatin.Yay:)! Now, I like Ina Garten's recipes a lot. So, I decided to look no further.

I LOVE coconut and originally had planned on doing the coconut ones. But, to my dismay, I looked in my pantry to find that I had finished the last batch of my coconut in my granola bar recipe. So, I thought I would do a tinted marshmallow... I decided to make them pink. The only problem was that I didn't want to use any dyes. I knew I had some frozen raspberries ...and lo and behold I came up with my PINK raspberry flavored marshmallows.

The raspberry marshmallows were more of a trial and error, since I didn't know how much of the raspberries I should add. I really didn't know if adding the raspberries would eventually ruin the recipe... but at the last minute I decided to add the raspberries:). I am glad I did, as they came out wonderful!

The transformation of these ingredients into fluffy marshmallows is really quite fun to see. I know they are SWEEET, but making them was fun and you can make all sorts of cute things with them. You can give them away as gifts attached with some nice cocoa mix, dip them in chocolate, make raspberry flavored smores...you get the idea. Hope you enjoy...

Ingredients: adpated from Ina Garten

3 packages unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

*** if you want to make them raspberry flavored, use about 1 cup of frozen raspberries heated in a sauce pan for about 2-3 minutes on med heat. Mash the raspberries with a fork. They will reduce to about 1/3 cup of raspberry puree. Let cool.

Directions:

1. Combine the gelatin and 1/2 cup of cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and allow to sit while you make the syrup
 
2. Meanwhile, combine the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
3. Raise the heat to high and cook until the syrup reaches 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer.

4. Remove from the heat. It is at this point that you can add the raspberry puree to the gelatin.
5. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the sugar syrup into the dissolved gelatin. I poured the syrup slowly unto the side of the mixer bowl. After I had poured it all, I then put the mixer on high speed and whipped until the mixture was very thick, about 15 minutes.

6. Add the vanilla and mix thoroughly.
7. Sprinkle confectioner's sugar in an 9 by 13-inch nonmetal pan that has been lined in plastic wrap.I wanted to make sure the marshmallow batter would not stick. 

8. Pour in the marshmallow batter and smooth the top of the mixture with damp hands.

9. Allow to dry uncovered at room temperature overnight. (I didn't have patience and left it for a few hours...the top was dry and it was spongy...I thought it was ready and I cut into it!)
10. Remove the marshmallows from the pan and cut into squares.

I put some confectioner's sugar unto a towel and inverted the pan.
11. Roll the sides of each piece carefully in confectioners' sugar.
12.Store uncovered at room temperature.
 
~remember you can make your own flavor and be creative..., try them rolled in toasted coconut, your favorite nut, use sprinkles if you like, make a double batch and make them bi-colored(pink and white) etc.

Beef Kabobs

Beef Kabobs... Sometimes, during the winter months, I like to bring a bit of summer to our meals. Making kabobs always makes me think of summer .... I vary the cuts of meat according to what I have on hand. For beef, I like to use tri-tip, new-york , and rib-eye. They are a more tender and flavorful cut of meat.

I oftentimes use chicken breast, fish(salmon, halibut or another firm fish) as well. Of course, ideally it would be good to use lamb for this... But for this post, I used a piece of tri-tip steak. Hope you enjoy...

You will need:

Meat

1 lb of beef(or so)

salt and pepper to taste

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

a drizzle or two of olive oil

any other seasoning you may like( e.g. onion powder, paprika, thyme, mint, rosemary...)

Directions:

1. Cut up beef into chunks( 1 -2 inch). Place beef in a bowl.
2. Add garlic and seasoning. Mix to coat all pieces.
3. Drizzle some oil to just coat the beef pieces. Marinate for an hour in the fridge or overnight.

Vegetables

1-2 large bell peppers ( I like to use a variety of colors)

1/2 large onion( I prefer walla walla)

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp rosemary, dried

Directions:

1. Take out beef pieces from the fridge.

2. Cut up vegetables in chunk size...about the same size as the meat pieces. I like to flavor the vegetables a bit so I season them with salt and pepper and some rosemary. I then drizzle some olive oil.

3. Skewer beef pieces alternately with the vegetables.

4. Preheat the grill to high. Lower heat to med-low and grill kabobs for 2-3 minutes on each side and turning them every so often until done.

5. Serve with rice, Greek salad and tzatziki sauce.

English Crumpets

English Crumpets... Crumpets...mmmm...On our recent trip to London, my husband and I had the opportunity to eat some delicious crumpets. So very English and just yummy! I have since then thought about them and have gone on a search for a great crumpet recipe. I wanted them to have those holes that absorb the butter so well... making them ever so delicious!

I came across a blog that showed pictures as well and decided to try the recipe based on the picture. The original recipe is from The Bread Book by Linda Collister & Anthony Blake. I did change it a bit ...using instant yeast instead of the active dry yeast or fresh that it called for in the recipe. I also adjusted the salt amount. Overall, I like the way they came out. The sponginess was there ...the holes were there... but, not as pronounced as I wanted them to be...so, I helped them along by using a toothpick when the dough was almost set to ensure there would be plenty of holes:).

They definitely were great with butter and jam. I enjoyed making heart shaped crumpets and smaller sized crumpets as well. Hope you enjoy...

Tip:I noticed that if you have more than 4 crumpet rings you can easily speed up the time by using 2 pans to cook them.~I also used a heart shaped cookie cutter and noticed it worked just as well as the rings~

Ingredients:(makes about 18)

2 cups (230g) unbleached white bread flour

1 2/3 cups (230g) unbleached all purpose flour

¾ teaspoon cream of tartar

2 1/4 tsp instant yeast*

1/2 tsp sugar

2 ¼ cups (510ml) lukewarm water

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

2/3 cup (140ml) lukewarm milk

a griddle or cast-iron, frying pan

4 crumpet rings, about 3 ½ inches diameter, greased.

* If using dry yeast, mix the granules and the sugar with ¾ cup lukewarm water and let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining lukewarm water. Mix the yeast mixture into the flour to make a very thick, but smooth batter....

Instructions:

1. Sift together the flours and cream of tartar into a large bowl ( you want it to be a large bowl as the dough can easily spill as it rises.
2. Add instant yeast and sugar and mix to incorporate.
3. Mix in the lukewarm water to make a thick but smooth batter. ...beating vigorously with your hand or a wooden spoon for two minutes.

4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm spot until the batter rises and then falls, about 1 hour.

5. Add the salt and beat the batter for about 1 minute. Then cover the bowl and let stand in a warm spot for 15 to 20 minutes, so the batter can “rest”. It is at this point that you can get your griddle/frying pan ready and grease the crumpet rings.

6. Dissolve the baking soda in the lukewarm milk. Then gently stir it into the batter. The batter should not be too stiff or your crumpets will be “blind” -- without holes – so it is best to test one before cooking the whole batch.

The batter should have bubbles throughout.

7. Heat a greased ,very clean griddle or frying pan over moderately low heat for about 3 minutes until very hot.
8. Put a well-greased crumpet ring on the griddle.
9.Spoon or pour 1/3 cup of the batter into the ring. The amount of batter will depend on the size of your crumpet ring. As soon as the batter is poured into the ring, it should begin to form holes. If holes do not form, add a little more lukewarm water(or milk), a tablespoon at a time, to the batter in the bowl and try again. If the batter is too thin and runs out under the ring(this can also happen if your crumpet ring is not laying flat on the surface of the pan), gently work in a little more all-purpose flour and try again. I didn't need to do that I actually added some more milk about 3-4 TBS. Just make sure not to over mix it...gently stir it. 10. Once the batter is the proper consistency, continue with the remaining batter, cooking the crumpets in batches, three or four at a time.

11. As soon as they are ready( you will notice that the batter is no longer wet) remove the ring with a towel or tongs, then turn the crumpet carefully.

12. The top, cooked side should be nice golden brown.

13. Cook the second, holey side of the crumpet for 2 to 3 minutes, or until pale golden. The crumpet should be about ¾ inch thick.
14. Remove the crumpet from the griddle. Grease the crumpet rings well after each use.

Olive Penguin Appetizers

Olive Penguin Appetizers... I recently stumbled upon this cute idea on foodgawker and instantly tried to duplicate it. It was very easy to do...and I loved the way they came out. Too cute! You don't need a lot of ingredients. I used just extra large olives.... though I think the recipe called for jumbo(body) and small(head) olives. You can make the penguins as skinny or fat as you like by varying the amounts of cream cheese filling. Hope you enjoy...

You will need:

• olives
• baby carrots
• cream cheese
• toothpicks

Directions:

1. Cut a slit in olive.

2. Cut a wedge from a slice of baby carrot

3. Cut small strips of carrot for the nose

4. Fill olive with cream cheese, place "nose" in second olive and assemble using the toothpick to hold the penguin together.

Beef Stir Fry... with vegetables

Beef Stir Fry...Sometimes I crave a good beef stir-fry. Making it at home ensures that I can choose my own cut of meat and use any ingredient that I want. I have found that tri-tip works very well. It is tender and tasty. I like to freeze my cut of meat for a few minutes so that I can cut it thinly.

After watching many chefs prepare Chinese dishes , I realize that the trick to good Chinese food is cooking the ingredients in batches. The meat is cooked on it own and set aside. Then the vegetables are quickly stir fried on their own. Finally, the two( meat and vegetables) are combined in the last stage. This eliminates overcooking and making the dish mushy.

I made this recipe with ingredients I readily have on hand. I am sure you can substitute any vegetables you like and use your own sauce at the end. But, this is my version I came up with ...spur of the moment:). Hope you enjoy...

You will need:

1 lb. tri-tip, thinly sliced

2 tsps ginger, minced
2 tsps corn starch

1 TBS rice vinegar

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

salt /pepper to taste(you can use soy sauce if you prefer)

1/4 - 1/3 cup oil for stir frying

Directions:
1. Slice the beef thinly... mince garlic and then add the rest of the ingredients. Mix to combine.

2. Let marinate for 20 minutes or so.

Vegetables: * you can use any stir-fry sauce you like in the final stage as well

1 carrot, julienned

2 green onions, strips

1/4 bell pepper, julienned

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

3-4 garlic cloves, sliced

sesame seeds(optional)

1. Prep vegetables.

2. In a skillet stir fry the mushrooms in a tsp of oil... until most of the water is evaporated and the mushrooms are mostly dry. Season with salt. Remove and set aside.

3. Clean skillet, heat on med high and add oil. Add beef to hot oil in batches. You don't want to steam the meat but want to "fry" them until nicely golden brown... so don't overcrowd.

4. Stir often so as not to burn.

5. Take meat out and set aside on a plate.

6. Drain all oil except 1 tsp. Stir fry all the julienned vegetables in about 1 tsp oil for a minute or so. You don't want to overcook the vegetables. You still want them to have a "bite" to them.

7. Add sliced garlic and stir fry for a few seconds. Add the reserved meat and mushrooms.

8. Stir fry for an additional 30 seconds. It is at this point that you can taste for seasoning and add stir fry sauce if you like.

9. Serve over steamed rice. Sprinkle with sesame seeds or peanuts if you like.

Chocolate Ice Cream Bon Bons

Chocolate Ice Cream Bon Bons... I recently came upon an almost empty box of vanilla ice cream in my freezer...and thought what can I absolutely do with this?! ~I didn't have enough ice cream to make a full ice cream sundae and yet there was just enough to make something special out of it. Why not ice cream bon bons?!~ I did have some chocolate somewhere in my cupboard....so here is what I immediately set out to make....bon bons. Hope you enjoy...

You will need:

Ice cream (any flavor)

chocolate

melon ball scooper (or a tsp measurement)

some parchment paper

toothpicks

patience!

Directions:

1. Chill a parchment paper lined plate in the freezer. Scoop out balls of ice cream.

2. Place ice cream balls on cold plate and stick a toothpick in each ( to help you later).

3. Freeze for an hour or so or until completely firm.

4. Melt chocolate. Let chocolate cool slightly...here is the trick...you don't want your chocolate to be too hot, as it will slide off the ice cream ball. You want it to be close to 85 degs....just barely warm.

5. Dip each ice cream ball into the chocolate( you may need to use a spoon to help you spoon chocolate over the entire surface to cover it).

6. Set on cold plate and remove the toothpick. Do the rest.

7. Drizzle with remaining chocolate if you like( it can camouflage some imperfections:). Freeze. Serve in a pretty glass.