Fluffy Pancakes

On weekend mornings, when Dr. Sweetpea isn't working, I love whipping up a big batch of pancakes and having breakfast in bed. I've tried many recipes so far, and one of my favorites is already on my blog. Then I came across this recipe and it was love at first bite when I made these over the weekend. Definitely a keeper for us and I'll be making this more often.

Light and Fluffy Pancakes

(Source: Serious Eats)

Basic Dry Pancake Mix:

10 ounces (about 2 cups) all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon sugar

For Each Batch of Pancakes

2 large eggs, separated

1 1/2 cups (about 12 ounces) buttermilk

1 cup (about 8 ounces) sour cream (see note above)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for serving

Warm maple syrup

For the Dry Pancake Mix: Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl and whisk until homogenous. Transfer to an airtight container. The mix will stay good for 3 months. (See note above.)

For each Batch of Pancakes: Place one batch of dry mix in a large bowl. In a medium clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks, buttermilk, and sour cream until homogenous. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter while whisking. Carefully fold in the egg whites with a rubber spatula until just combined. Pour the mixture over the dry mix and fold until just combined (there should still be plenty of lumps).

Heat a large heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes (or use an electric griddle). Add a small amount of butter or oil to the griddle and spread with a paper towel until no visible butter or oil remains. Use a 1⁄4-cup dry measure to place 4 pancakes in the skillet and cook until bubbles start to appear on top and the bottoms are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Carefully flip the pancakes and cook on the second side until golden brown and completely set, about 2 minutes longer. Serve the pancakes immediately, or keep warm on a wire rack set on a rimmed baking sheet in a warm oven while you cook the remaining 3 batches. Serve with warm maple syrup and butter.

I'm baaaack

I'm finally back to cooking up delicious meals at home since we finally got our belongings delivered. Moving across the country is hard, but dealing with an awful moving company made it soooo much harder. I really think I have PTSD because of our awful moving company, and it's sadly not over yet. I rarely rarely rarely say negative comments about anything, but this moving company is an exception.

Anyway, I made this skillet cooked pork recipe for dinner. It's fast, flavorful, and tender. Dr. Sweetpea kept raving about how good the pork was while he was eating dinner.

Pan Fried Pork Chops

(Source: Cooks Country)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup all­-purpose flour

4 bone-­in rib or center­-cut pork chops . about 3/4 inch thick

3 slices bacon, chopped

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Coat chops: Combine garlic powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and cayenne in bowl. Place flour in shallow dish. Pat chops dry with paper towels. Cut 2 slits about 2 inches apart through fat on edges of each chop. Season both sides of chops with spice mixture, then dredge chops lightly in flour (do not discard flour). Transfer to plate and let rest 10 minutes.

Render bacon: Meanwhile, cook bacon in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until fat renders and bacon is crisp, about 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel­lined plate and reserve for another use. Do not wipe out pan.

Fry chops: Add oil to fat in pan and heat over medium­high heat until just smoking. Return chops to flour dish and turn to coat. Cook chops until well browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Serve.

Steak Fajitas

After we moved to Houston, we jumped on the BBQ and Tex-Mex bandwagon. There are SOOOO many Tex Mex restaurants that serve wonderful Fajitas and they're absolutely addicting. So, I decided to try making them at home ourselves and they turned out AMAZING. The Fajitas were restaurant quality good. Definitely a keeper for us. I'm not posting any pictures with this recipe again because our stuff haven't been delivered to our new home yet. Yes, we're eating off paper plates for the time being.

Steak Fajitas

(Source: Serious Eats)

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup lime juice from 6 to 8 limes

1/2 cup canola oil

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cumin seed

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon chili powder

3 medium cloves garlic, finely minced (about 1 tablespoon)

2 pounds trimmed skirt steak

1 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips

1 large yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips

1 large green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips

1 white or yellow onion, cut into 1/2-inch slices

12 to 16 fresh flour or corn tortillas, hot

Sour cream, shredded cheese, and salsa, for serving, if desired

Combine soy sauce, lime juice, canola oil, brown sugar, cumin, black pepper, chili powder, and garlic in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Transfer 1/2 cup of marinade to a large bowl and set aside. Place steaks in a gallon-sized zipper-lock bag and add remaining marinade. Seal bag, squeezing out as much air as possible. Massage bag until meat is fully coated in marinade. Lay flat in the refrigerator, turning every couple of hours for at least 3 hours and up to 10.

While steak marinates, toss peppers and onions in bowl with reserved 1/2 cup marinade. Refrigerate until ready to use.

When ready to cook, remove steaks from marinade, wipe off excess, and transfer to a large plate. Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and arrange the coals on one side of the charcoal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate.

Place a large cast iron skillet over cooler side of grill. Transfer steaks to hot side of grill. Cover and cook for 1 minute. Flip steaks, cover and cook for another minute. Continue cooking in this manner—flipping and covering—until steaks are well-charred and an instant-read thermometer inserted into their center registers 115 to 120°F for medium-rare or 125 to 130°F for medium. Transfer steaks to a large plate, tent with foil, and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, transfer cast iron skillet to hot side of grill and allow to preheat for 2 minutes. Add pepper and onion mix and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to char in spots, about 10 minutes. When vegetables are cooked, transfer steaks to a cutting board and pour any accumulated juices from the plate into the skillet with the vegetables. Toss to coat.

Transfer vegetables to a warm serving platter. Thinly slice meat against the grain and transfer to platter with vegetables. Serve immediately with hot tortillas, guacamole, pico de gallo, and other condiments as desired.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hello from Houston!! We have finally moved to Houston for Dr. Sweetpea's job! To celebrate our new life, I baked up a fresh batch of Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies for Dr. Sweetpea. No pictures this time but these were so delicious and chewy that I'll be making these again in the next few days.

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

(Source: America's Test Kitchen)

1 3/4 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon table salt

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 ounces milk chocolate, melted and cooled

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped

Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place 1 cup oats in food processor or blender and process until well ground, about 30 seconds. Transfer to large bowl and stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

With electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar together on medium-high speed until well blended and lumps are gone, about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add egg and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds. Add melted chocolate and beat until incorporated, about 20 seconds. Add flour mixture and beat on low speed until just incorporated, about 15 seconds. Add remaining 3/4 cup oats, chocolate chips, and nuts and beat on low speed until evenly distributed, about 10 seconds.

Roll 2 tablespoons of dough into balls and space 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake, rotating and switching position of pans halfway through baking time, until cookies are cracked and set on top but look moist within cracks, 14 to 18 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheets on wire racks for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. (Cookies can be stored in airtight container for up to 5 days.)

Crunchy Oven-Fried Fish

Dr. Sweetpea loves deep fried fish, but I'm not a fan of them because they're always greasy and super unhealthy. I've been searching for an oven-fried fish recipe for a while so he can eat fish with a crispy coating that isn't deep fried. I recently came across this Crunchy Oven-Fried Fish recipe on America's Test Kitchen's website and immediately knew that this would be a hit! It only took one bite for Dr. Sweetpea to be blown away by how good the oven fried fish turned out! 

Crunchy Oven-Fried Fish

(Source: America's Test Kitchen)

4 large slices white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Salt and ground black pepper

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)

1/4 cup plus 5 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons prepared horseradish (optional)

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1 1/4 pounds skinless cod fillet, or haddock fillet, or other thick white fish fillet (1 to 1 1/2 inches thick), cut into 4 pieces

Lemon wedges

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Pulse bread, melted butter, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in food processor until bread is coarsely ground, eight 1-second pulses (you should have about 3 1/2 cups crumbs). Transfer to rimmed baking sheet and bake until deep golden brown and dry, about 15 minutes, stirring twice during baking time. Cool crumbs to room temperature, about 10 minutes. Transfer crumbs to pie plate; toss with parsley and shallot. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees.

Place 1/4 cup flour in second pie plate. In third pie plate, whisk eggs, horseradish (if using), mayonnaise, paprika, cayenne pepper (if using), and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper until combined; whisk in remaining 5 tablespoons flour until smooth.

Spray wire rack with nonstick cooking spray and place in rimmed baking sheet. Dry fish thoroughly with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Dredge 1 fillet in flour; shake off excess. Using hands, coat with egg mixture. Coat all sides of fillet with bread crumb mixture, pressing gently so that thick layer of crumbs adheres to fish. Transfer breaded fish to wire rack. Repeat with remaining 3 fillets.

Bake fish until instant-read thermometer inserted into centers of fillets registers 140 degrees, 18 to 25 minutes. Using thin spatula, transfer fillets to individual plates and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Comeback Sauce

(Source: America's Test Kitchen/Cooks Country)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup chopped onion

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons chili sauce

1 tablespoon ketchup

2 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 1/2 teaspoons hot sauce

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 garlic clove, minced

3/4 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon paprika

Process all ingredients in blender until smooth, about 30 seconds. Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Ultimate Cinnamon Rolls

I've always been hesitant to make Cinnamon Rolls because it's very time consuming. That said, I've been told by many people that it's totally worth the time to make them at home. Since I'm not working for the time being, I decided to try my hand at making America's Test Kitchen's recipe and I was BLOWN away by how good my Cinnamon Rolls turned out for my first attempt. Dr. Sweetpea kept telling me that they are better than what you would get at the grocery store or Cinnabon. I'll definitely be making these again during the holidays or when we have guests over for brunch.

Ultimate Cinnamon Rolls

(Source: America's Test Kitchen/ Cook's Country)

Dough

3/4 cup whole milk, heated to 110 degrees

1 envelope (2 1/4 teaspoons) instant or rapid-rise yeast

3 large eggs, room temperature

4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened

Filling

1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Glaze

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

For the dough: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. When oven reaches 200 degrees, shut off. Line 13- by 9-inch baking pan with foil, allowing excess foil to hang over pan edges. Grease foil and medium bowl.

Whisk milk and yeast in liquid measuring cup until yeast dissolves, then whisk in eggs. In bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook, mix flour, cornstarch, sugar, and salt until combined. With mixer on low, add warm milk mixture in steady stream and mix until dough comes together, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium and add butter, one piece at a time, until incorporated. Continue to mix until dough is smooth and comes away from sides of bowl, about 10 minutes. Turn dough out onto clean surface and knead to form a smooth, round ball. Transfer dough to prepared bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in warm oven. Let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

For the filling: Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in small bowl. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Following photos 1 and 2 in the related step-by-step, roll dough into 18-inch square, spread with butter, and sprinkle evenly with filling. Starting with the edge nearest you, roll dough into tight cylinder, pinch lightly to seal seam, and, following photo 3, cut into 8 pieces. Transfer pieces, cut-side up, to prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

For the glaze and to bake: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk cream cheese, milk, vanilla, and confectioners’ sugar in medium bowl until smooth. Discard plastic wrap and bake buns until deep golden brown and filling is melted, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and top buns with ½ cup glaze; cool 30 minutes. Using foil overhang, lift buns from pan and top with remaining glaze. Serve.

Make Ahead: After transferring pieces to prepared pan in step 3, buns can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for 24 hours. When ready to bake, let sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Remove plastic wrap and continue with step 4 as directed.

Sloppy Joe

Whenever I think of Sloppy Joes, it makes me think of the ones that were served in the school cafeteria. I never liked them as a kid, and never had any cravings for them either as an adult. That said, we had some ground beef and some condiments that needed to be used, so I decided to give Sloppy Joe's a whirl from scratch. They turned out really good, and even Dr. Sweetpea said he'll eat them again too. 

Sloppy Joes

(Source: Cooks Country)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped fine

1/2 teaspoon table salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1 pound 85 percent lean ground beef

Ground black pepper

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 cup tomato puree

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup water

1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

4 hamburger buns

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and salt and stir until coated with oil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 10 minutes (if onion begins to burn after 5 minutes, reduce heat to low). Add garlic and chili powder and cook, uncovered, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add beef and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until just pink, about 3 minutes. Add 1/4 teaspoon pepper, brown sugar, tomato puree, ketchup, water, and hot sauce. Simmer until Sloppy Joe sauce is slightly thicker than ketchup, 8 to 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings. Spoon meat mixture onto hamburger buns and serve.

Baked Spaghetti

Since we're moving to Houston, we haven't really grocery shopped and we've been trying to eat whatever we have in our kitchen so nothing is wasted. I had a few cans of diced tomatoes and tomato sauce in one of our cupboards, so I decided to use them to make Baked Spaghetti with ground beef. I found this recipe in a Facebook group that I'm in, and it's absolutely delicious!!! Unfortunately, no picture for this recipe :o(

Baked Spaghetti

(Source: Facebook Group)

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

1 cup finely chopped onions

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes

1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce

1 (4 oz) can mushrooms, drained

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon dried basil flakes

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano flakes

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook and drain 8 - 10 ounces of spaghetti noodles (I used a 12 oz pack of noodles). In a large stock pot, heat up a few tablespoons of vegetable oil and saute chopped onions. Add in the chopped garlic and saute for another 1 - 2 minutes before adding ground beef into the mixture. Cook until the ground beef is browned. Then add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, mushrooms, sugar, basil flakes, oregano, salt, and Parmesan cheese into the pot with the ground beef and onions. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer for 20 - 25 minutes, uncovered. Once the sauce is done cooking, mix the cooked noodles with the sauce. Place of the noodle/sauce mixture in 9x13 inch baking pan. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese on top and bake at 375 for 30 minutes.  

Pork and Chive Dumplings

Dr. Sweetpea has been asking me to make dumplings for months. I've always been too lazy to make them because they are time consuming, and there would be too much for the two of us. Then I caved in to his request when I came across this Pork and Chive dumpling recipe. It uses a lot of chives as an ingredient and since we had a TON of chives growing in our balcony garden, I decided to make these dumplings with the chives we grew. This all goes back to trying to use everything before we move. Anyway, these dumplings were absolutely delicious, even though I didn't use the Chinese chives called for in the recipe. Dr. Sweetpea kept saying how these were the best dumplings he has had, ever.

Pork and Chive Dumplings

(Source: New York Magazine - Good Fork Restaurant Recipe)

2 tbsp. canola oil, plus more for frying dumplings

1 cup diced onion

3 tbsp. minced garlic

2 tbsp. minced ginger

1 cup chopped garlic (or Chinese) chives

1 1/2 lbs. ground pork

1 (8 ounce) package firm tofu

3 tbsp. hoisin sauce

1 (16 ouce) package dumpling wrappers

1 egg, beaten and reserved in a small bowl

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pan, heat the canola oil over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, ginger, and garlic chives and cook for 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and let cool. In a large bowl, combine pork, tofu, and hoisin sauce with the chive mixture. Test-fry a small portion of the pork mixture and adjust seasoning. (1) Holding dumpling wrapper flour side down, place a teaspoonful of pork mixture onto the middle of the wrapper. (2) Dip your index finger into the beaten egg and rub it over half of the outer edge of the dumpling. (3) Fold dumpling in half, crimping it in the middle and sealing along the egg-moistened edge, taking care not to leave any air pockets. Repeat procedure and pan-fry the dumplings until crisp and brown on both sides. Serve with a combination of soy sauce and rice-wine vinegar to dip. Note: makes about four dozen dumplings; extras will keep in the freezer for two weeks or so.

**Instead of pan-frying the dumplings, I deep fried them in a fryer set at 350 degrees. I fried the dumplings until they were crispy and the wrappers were golden brown. 

Chocolate Mousse Cake Roll

If you know Dr. Sweetpea or me in real life, than you know we're preparing for a huge cross country move. We're extremely excited but also extremely busy because of it. Additionally, we're trying to use a lot of the pantry items before we move. I had a little bit of cocoa powder left and searched for recipes where I can use it. Then I came across this Chocolate Mousse Cake Roll recipe from Hershey's. As soon as I saw that the filling was made out of Mousse, I was sold. This cake wasn't hard to make, and it was absolutely delicious. Dr. Sweetpea took one bite of this dessert and said it was absolutely amazing. This is definitely a keeper for us.

Chocolate Mousse Cake Roll

(Source: Hershey's)

Chocolate Cake

1/4 cup powdered sugar

4 eggs, separated

1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup granulated sugar, divided

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup water

1 teaspoon Additional powdered sugar

Prepare chocolate mousse filling (recipe below). Chill 6 to 8 hours or overnight.

Heat oven to 375°F. Line 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1 inch jelly-roll pan with foil; generously grease foil. Sprinkle linen or thin cotton towel with 1/4 cup powdered sugar. Beat egg whites in large bowl until soft peaks form; gradually add 1/2 cup granulated sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Beat egg yolks and vanilla in medium bowl on medium speed of mixer 3 minutes. Gradually add remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar; continue beating 2 additional minutes. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to egg yolk mixture alternately with water, beating on low speed just until batter is smooth. Gradually fold chocolate mixture into beaten egg whites until well blended. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly in center. Immediately loosen cake from edges of pan; invert onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off foil. Immediately roll cake and towel together starting from narrow end; place on wire rack to cool completely. Carefully unroll cake; remove towel. Gently stir filling until of spreading consistency. Spread cake with filling; reroll cake. Refrigerate several hours. Sift powdered sugar over top just before serving. Cover; refrigerate leftover cake roll. Makes 18 servings.

Chocolate Mousse Filling

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

1/2 cup milk

1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup (1/2 pt.) cold whipping cream

Stir together sugar and gelatin in small saucepan; stir in milk. Let stand 2 minutes to soften gelatin. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture just begins to boil. Remove from heat. Immediately add chocolate chips; stir until melted. Stir in vanilla; cool to room temperature. Beat whipping cream in small bowl until stiff. Gradually add chocolate mixture, folding gently just until blended. Cover; refrigerate until ready to use. About 3 cups filling.

Marinade for Vietnamese Banh Mi

I love love love Banh Mi, so when my mom told me she has the best marinade to for Banh Mi meat, I had to try it! It's absolutely delicious! It's the perfect blend of sweet, salty, tart, spicy and and very addictive.

Vietnamese Banh Mi Marinade

(Source: My Mom)

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup lime juice

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tablespoon garlic, minced

1/2 - 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 medium onion, cut into large dices

Cilantro (optional)

1/2 tablespoon fish sauce

Mix all the ingredients together. Use half of the sauce to marinade 1 pound of meat. As you grill the meat, brush more marinade on to the meat as it cooks. 

Fresh Strawberry Mousse

Now that it's Spring and we're approaching summer, I have cravings for anything that has Strawberry or Watermelon as an ingredient. I was browsing online looking for a decadent dessert and came across a Strawberry Mousse recipe. I've never made mousse before, so I was a bit skeptical at first, but still gave it a shot since Dr. Sweetpea loves mousse. The end result? Absolute deliciousness! It did take a little more effort than I thought, it was all worth it! Dr. Sweetpea kept raving about how this is the best Strawberry Mousse he has ever eaten, period! This is definitely a dessert I'll continue to make for us as the weather heats up and it's too hot to turn on the oven.

Fresh Strawberry Mousse

(Source: America's Test Kitchen)

2 pounds strawberries, hulled (6 1/2 cups)

1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) sugar

Pinch salt

1 3/4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin

4 ounces cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces and softened

1/2 cup heavy cream, chilled

Cut enough strawberries into 1/4-inch dice to measure 1 cup; refrigerate until ready to garnish. Pulse remaining strawberries in food processor in 2 batches until most pieces are 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick (some larger pieces are fine), 6 to 10 pulses. Transfer strawberries to bowl and toss with 1/4 cup sugar and salt. (Do not clean processor.) Cover bowl and let strawberries stand for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Strain processed strawberries through fine-mesh strainer into bowl (you should have about 2/3 cup juice). Measure out 3 tablespoons juice into small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over juice, and let sit until gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Place remaining juice in small saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until reduced to 3 tablespoons, about 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat, add softened gelatin mixture, and stir until gelatin has dissolved. Add cream cheese and whisk until smooth. Transfer mixture to large bowl.

While juice is reducing, return strawberries to now-empty processor and process until smooth, 15 to 20 seconds. Strain puree through fine-mesh strainer into medium bowl, pressing on solids to remove seeds and pulp (you should have about 1 2/3 cups puree). Discard any solids in strainer. Add strawberry puree to juice-gelatin mixture and whisk until incorporated.

Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip cream on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar and whip until stiff peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk whipped cream into strawberry mixture until no white streaks remain. Portion into dessert dishes and chill for at least 4 hours or up to 48 hours. (If chilled longer than 6 hours, let mousse sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.) Serve, garnishing with reserved diced strawberries.

Spicy Jalapeno Cornbread

I'm always collecting cornbread recipes since Dr. Sweetpea loves cornbread. I already have a few posted here and they are all delicious, but this one is the best. I'm talking super moist, perfectly sweet, and spicy. Dr. Sweetpea kept moaning while eating the cornbread with his dinner and said it's just perfect. Definitely a favorite for us right now.

Jalapeno Cornbread

(Source: LA Times - Brothers Restaurant)

3/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup cake flour

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup cornmeal

2 tablespoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

2/3 cup milk

1/3 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup corn oil (I used vegetable oil)

2 tablespoons sour cream

3 tablespoons butter, melted (I used 4 tablespoons)

1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper

1-2 jalapeños, diced fine, seeds and veins removed

Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter or spray a 13-by-9-inch pan. Place the all-purpose flour, cake flour, sugar, cornmeal, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and stir to combine. In another large bowl, combine the eggs, milk, buttermilk, oil, sour cream, butter, bell pepper and jalapeño and stir to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix thoroughly. Pour the batter into the pan and bake until firm in the center and golden on top, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

**I used a 9 X 5 inch loaf pan and baked the cornbread for 40 minutes.**

Golumpki (Polish Cabbage Rolls)

Dr. Sweetpea's birthday was a few days ago and I made his favorite Polish meal for his birthday dinner. It's definitely a little time consuming but well worth it! Plus, this recipe is his grandmother's and these gems are just amazing. He kept telling me that every bite brought him back to his grandmother's kitchen. I'm so glad these turned out so tasty and will be in our regular rotation going forward.

Source: Dr. Sweetpea's Babcia

2 pounds lean ground beef (I used 93% lean)

1 large onion, finely diced

3 - 4 cloves garlic, finely diced

2 cups parboiled rice***

1 egg

2 large cabbages

Salt

Pepper

Sauce:

2 cans Campbell's Condensed Tomato Soup

2 can-fulls of water

Salt 

Pepper

1/2 - 1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 heaping tablespoon sour cream (optional)

In a large skillet, saute the diced onion in a few tablespoons of vegetable oil until the mixture is translucent. Add in the diced garlic into the onion mixture and cook for 2 - 3 minutes. Set aside, and let cool. 

Meanwhile, bring a big pot of water to boil. Remove the entire core of the cabbages with a paring knife. Immerse the entire cabbage into the boiling water for a few minutes. The cabbage will start to soften and it'll be easier to peel off the leaves since they will be flexible. As you peel off each leaf from the cabbage, set it aside on a plate.

To make the filling: In a large bowl, combine the ground beef with the cooked onion mixture, parboiled rice, egg, salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix thoroughly until mixture is combined.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To make the cabbage rolls: Lay a soft cabbage leaf flat on a hard surface. Place 1/4 cup of filling near the rib edge of the leaf and roll up toward the outer edge, tucking in the sides as you roll. Place the rolls in a 9x13 inch baking pan, seam side down. Repeat with remaining leaves and meat mixture.

To make the sauce: In a small saucepan, combine the condensed tomato soup with water and bring to a simmer. Add paprika and smoked paprika to taste. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let mixture simmer for another 1 - 2 minutes.

After the sauce is done, pour over the baking pan with cabbage rolls. Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 - 15 minutes before serving. Pour some of the sauce over the rolls to serve.

Rao's Meatballs

Dr. Sweetpea loves Italian meatballs. If he could eat it everyday, he totally would. I came across this Rao's recipe online and decided to give it a try. It is by far the bast Italian Meatballs that I've ever made at home. Definitely a keeper for us.

Rao's Italian Meatballs

(Source: Today Show)

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1/4 pound ground pork

1/4 pound ground veal

3 cloves minced garlic

1 1/2 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

2 eggs

1/2 cup water

1 1/4 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs

2 cups vegetable oil for frying (optional)

In a large bowl, combine the three ground meats. Mince clove garlic and add to meat mixture, spreading the meat in bowl as if you're making a well. Then add the parsley, salt, pepper and eggs followed by the water. Begin to sprinkle the cheese on top of the water as if covering it, and then sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the cheese. After all ingredients are added, mix from the outside of the bowl towards the middle, rotating the bowl as you mix until well combined. When finished, shape mixture into the desired size that you prefer.The meatballs can then be baked or fried.

Baking: Place the meatballs on a cookie sheet and bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes. Take off of pan and add into marinara sauce and simmer over low heat.

Frying: In a medium sauté pan, add the oil over medium high heat. When the oil is hot add the meatballs into the pan and cook till golden brown on both sides for approximately 6 to 7 minutes each side. Take out of pan and add into marinara sauce and simmer over low heat.

When finished, plate and top with more marinara sauce. Serve.