chocolate cherry cake

 this was tasty, from here.

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup (240 ml) hot water or coffee
• ⅓ cup (30g) cocoa powder
• 1 ¼ cup (150g) all-purpose flour, sifted will try with whole wheat flour
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar  recipe called for 1 cup but just 1/3 was fine. 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup vegetable/canola oil**
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups (230g/8 oz) fresh cherries, pitted and halved (for other options, see notes)***
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• ½ cup  chocolate chips or chunks 

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C and grease an 8×8-inch square pan or 9-inch round.  I used parchment paper. 

2. In a small bowl, whisk together hot water (or coffee) and cocoa powder until smooth. Set aside to let cool slightly until warm.

3. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

4. In another medium bowl, mix together eggs, oil, vanilla extract, and liquid-cocoa mixture. Add egg mixture into flour mixture and mix with a rubber spatula just until combined. Do not overmix—the less you mix, the lighter the cake will be. It will be a slightly runny batter.

5. In a small bowl, toss cherries with 2 teaspoons flour in order to prevent cherries from sinking during baking. Add cherries and chocolate chips to cake batter and stir just until combined.

6. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean (repeat testing if your toothpick runs into a cherry). The internal temperature of the cake should be 205℉ / 96℃ if using an internal thermometer. Allow cake to cool completely on a wire rack.

7. Dust the top with powdered sugar or top with chocolate ganache.

8. Serve at room temperature. Cake can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Recipe Notes

*To make a bigger cake, multiply the recipe by 1.5 and use a 13×9-inch pan. You may need to bake the cake a few minutes longer.

**I used oil to keep the cake moist for longer, but you can replace half of it with 50g melted butter for flavor if you prefer. This would no longer make it a dairy-free cake. However, this cake is already so flavorful that I don’t find it necessary.

***Fresh sour cherries are my favorite option, but you can use any type of fresh cherries you like as well as frozen or canned. If using frozen, use them straight from the freezer, without thawing, mixing them with some flour and then immediately folding them into the batter. Canned cherries can also be used as long as you make sure to drain them well and dry them with paper towels, or else the juices will seep into the cake and affect its texture and taste.

 

leftover cornbread casserole

 I seem to often have a lot of leftover sourdough cornbread, which I freeze.  So in interests of emptying the freezer, I decided to make something with it.  Got a few ideas from online, but I wanted it more about vegetables and less about eggs/breakfast.  I"ll edit depending on how it turns out. 

Ingredients:

• about 4 cups of cornbread, preferably day old and dried up, cut into about 1" cubes/crumbled
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2# hot Italian sausage
• peppers (i used jalapeno peppers and a can of green chiles)  
• 4 eggs
• 2 cup milk
• salt & pepper
• garlic powder
• vegetables (I used green beans today but other things would be good)
• 1 cup shredded cheese 

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  If cornbread isn't dried up, but it in the oven for about 10 minutes to try to dry it more.  

Heat skillet and saute onions and sausage until done.  Add vegetables including peppers and stir up.   

Whisk together eggs, milk, and spices.  Set aside.  Shred cheese, set aside.

Put half the cornbread in bottom of pan (I used a 9x13, just in case a smaller pan would be too small).  Put half the sausage/vegetable mix on top, then half the cheese.  Repeat cornbread and sausage layers, then pour egg mixture over the top, and then the cheese.  Bake about 35 minutes. 

baked tofu cubes

 I like to eat this just right hot from the oven, and to add to other dishes such as squash curry for some protein and textures.

From Budget Bytes.  (Tbh, most recipes from there fall flat for me, but this was ok.)

 Take one tub of extra firm tofu and press it for 30-60 minutes in a tofu press or in towels under heavy object.  Slice into cubes about 3/4".  Pat dry. 

Mix together a sauce of:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp approximately of black pepper 

Add tofu cubes and stir until seasoned.

Then sprinkle with 1 Tbsp corn starch and stir again until on each piece.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, flipping over halfway.   

 

kimchi burrito

 I've had some kimchi burritos that I quite liked though I always wanted more kimchi in them, so time to make my own.  Wildbrine kimchi was on sale so I got it, and ... I'll try the other jars there next time.  Or start making my own. I put cheese in it because that sounded good, and it is.  When isn't cheese good?  But it's not really necessary.  I tossed in some leftover black barley and that gives nice texture.  When I made the first burritos yesterday, I put in too much beans so there wasn't enough left really for today when I made up all the rest to eat this week and to freeze, but that's ok.  Also, I keep thinking that I need two burritos to not be hungry anymore, but one is fine.  Live and learn.  This is less a recipe than just reminding myself what I did the next time I get a kimchi craving.  

Ingredients

• whole wheat tortillas, burrito size
• 1 cup adzuki beans (dry)
• gochujang paste (or sriracha or whatever other flavoring seems good) 
• 1 jar of kimchi, chopped 
• accoutrements as found in fridge: leftover grains and/or vegetables, cheese, eggs etc. 

Soak adzuki beans overnight in plenty of water, then cook for about an hour until preferred texture. Eyeball or weigh and divide to match the amount to number of burritos.  

Heat the tortillas one by one in a pan.  As they start to puff, remove and fill with beans, kimchi, and whatever else is going in.   Roll and set aside.  If freezing, once fully cool, lay out on a cookie sheet in the freezer until frozen, then put into container.  I usually defrost in microwave for a couple of minutes and then heat to cook for a minute or so, but they could be thawed and baked or reheated on the stovetop.  

 

 

chickpea coconut curry

 Taken from a popular NY Times recipe.  It's very tasty and quite decadent with all that coconut milk.  I couldn't get the chickpeas to crispen up and that would have been good, will try again.  I used kale and while it took longer to cook, it was nice to have that texture.  I forgot the mint, that would have been good.  It says 4-6 servings but it cooks down to maybe three; I'll try freezing it to see how well that works.  

Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

• ¼ cup olive oil, plus more for serving
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 (2-inch) piece ginger, finely chopped
• salt and black pepper
• 1½ teaspoons ground turmeric, plus more for serving
• 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving
• 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 (15-ounce) cans coconut milk (recipe says needs to be full fat but I don't know about that).  
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, kale or collard greens, stems removed, torn into bite-size pieces
• 1 cup mint leaves, for serving
• Yogurt, for serving (optional)
• Toasted pita, lavash or other flatbread, for serving (optional)

 

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Heat ¼ cup oil in a large pot over medium. Add garlic, onion and ginger. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally until onion is translucent and starts to brown a little at the edges, 3 to 5 minutes.

2. Step 2

   Add 1½ teaspoons turmeric, 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, and the chickpeas, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, so the chickpeas sizzle and fry a bit in the spices and oil, until they’ve started to break down and get a little browned and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove about a cup of chickpeas and set aside for garnish.

3. Step 3

   Using a wooden spoon or spatula, further crush the remaining chickpeas slightly to release their starchy insides. (This will help thicken the stew.) Add coconut milk and stock, and season with salt and pepper.

4. Step 4

   Bring to a simmer, scraping up any bits that have formed on the bottom of the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until stew has thickened, 30 to 35 minutes. (Taste a chickpea or two, not just the liquid, to make sure they have simmered long enough to be as delicious as possible.) If after 30 to 35 minutes, you want the stew a bit thicker, keep simmering until you've reached your desired consistency. Determining perfect stew thickness is a personal journey!

5. Step 5

   Add greens and stir, making sure they’re submerged in the liquid. Cook until they wilt and soften, 3 to 7 minutes, depending on what you’re using. (Swiss chard and spinach will wilt and soften much faster than kale or collard greens.) Season again with salt and pepper.

6. Step 6

   Divide among bowls and top with mint, reserved chickpeas, a sprinkle of red-pepper flakes and a good drizzle of olive oil. Serve alongside yogurt and toasted pita if using; dust the yogurt with turmeric if you'd like.

 

tofu broccoli

 This tofu broccoli was good but also too much.  I don't usually fry things in my kitchen because I don't like the mess or the smell, but I tried this and it wasn't bad.  The tofu cooking technique was nice - I made the blocks a bit larger than 1" and I liked the texture - a little crispy on the outside, soft inside.  It wasn't too burdensome to flip each block every couple of minutes with tongs.  The broccoli was good and crunchy - I went the full six minutes or more.  My beef is how salty it is.  I used low sodium soy sauce but it is still just too much.  One issue is that I ate it without rice, so that might be the problem.  It's good without it.  But next time I'll maybe cut the soy sauce in half and maybe use amino acids instead.  Oh, I see water is in the procedure below but i missed that - ok, maybe that would make a difference.  I will definitely make it again.  

Ingredients

Yield:2 to 4 servings

• ¼ cup light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar (I mostly omitted, just added a dash of sugar and it wasn't necessary at all)
• 1/2 cup water  
• 1 teaspoon plus ¼ cup cornstarch, divided
• 1 (14-ounce) block firm tofu, drained
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• Kosher salt 
• 2 medium broccoli crowns, cut into florets  
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 (½-inch) piece fresh ginger, finely chopped (about 2 teaspoons)
• 3 scallions, finely chopped
• Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
• Rice, for serving

 

Preparation

Step 1

In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cornstarch and ½ cup water. Set aside.

Step 2

Cut the tofu into 1-inch cubes, spread the cubes onto a few layers of paper towels and pat them dry. In a medium bowl, toss the cubes with the remaining ¼ cup of cornstarch and fully coat the tofu.

Step 3

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot and shimmery, add the tofu and cook until all sides are golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the tofu onto a plate and season with salt. 

Step 4

In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium heat, add the broccoli and cook, undisturbed, until broccoli is lightly charred on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. (Do not be tempted to move them!) Toss and cook until the other sides of the broccoli are darkened in spots, another 2 to 3 minutes.

Step 5

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, the garlic, ginger and scallions to the same skillet and stir until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Adjust the heat to low, add the tofu back to the skillet, and stir in the reserved soy sauce mixture. Bring to a simmer, tossing frequently, until the broccoli and tofu are evenly glazed, 30 seconds to 1 minute. 

Step 6

Serve the tofu and broccoli topped with toasted sesame seeds, with rice alongside.

fava bean pesto

 Fava bean pesto, from here.  This worked well with favas I'd frozen after shelling and peeling. 

Ingredients

• 2 lb fava beans with pods , (900 grams) or 250 grams shelled with skin on or 180 grams skin peeled (1 cup)
• ½ cup Pecorino cheese , 50 grams
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil , 110 grams
• 5-8 mint leaves
• 1 garlic clove

Instructions

• Remove beans from the pod. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Drop fava beans in a pot with boiling water and boil for 1 minute.

  Transfer immediately to a bowl with ice water.
• Remove the skin from each bean. Help yourself with the tip of a small knife, squeeze, and the bean will pop out.
• In a food processor blend mint leaves, pecorino cheese, and garlic clove cut into small pieces.

  Add fava beans and oil. Blend until combined.