Blueberry Sweet Rolls with Mascarpone Lemon Glaze

I’ve been slacking a lot in updating my blog lately. I hope there are still people dropping by my blog. A lot of things happened for the past 2-3 months and it kind of took priority of my time. I too cut down a lot on my baking and cooking so hopefully I can get my blogging mojo back and continue to share my recipes here regularly. Anyway, I baked these rolls a few months ago and finally get to sit down to type out the recipe today.

I still have a lot of frozen blueberry in my freezer so I am trying to finish them up so I can get some fresh ones during this summer so decided to use some to make some rolls. These decadent buns turns out soft, fluffy, bursting with juicy blueberries and covered in sweet mascarpone lemon glaze. It was so great to have it for breakfast with a cup of coffee.

Baked Pasta in Creamy Pumpkin Sauce

Is fall season and there were all kinds of pumpkins around and they were really cheap too. There are only two kinds of pumpkins that I like. One of it is Kabocha and the other one is butternut squash. I don’t buy them too often as Carlos is not a fan of it so if I cook it I will be the only one eating it. Pumpkin is not only good for pies or dessert but they can be used for savory dishes too.

 I am a bit under the weather because of the intense heat here in Northern CA and I am craving for some creamy and comforting food like pasta but not too keen of adding too much cream or tons of fat in it. So pumpkin comes to the rescue. Pumpkin puree make great base for pasta sauce as it’s naturally creamy so it gives you an alfredo like texture without any heavy cream in it. I like penne pasta so I used it in this dish but you can use any type of pasta of your choice. As for the pumpkin try to use fresh pumpkin instead of the one from the can as I think fresh one taste so much better.

Fried Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

I look forward to these delicate each summer. In fact I have two zucchini plants at my backyard and they gave me quite a few flowers every 2 days but mostly male flowers. I wish there gave me more female flowers though as I would like to have some zucchini too. So far I saw only 4 zucchini out of the 2 plants.

Anyway I collected quite a few of it and stuffed some of them up. I am not too keen on stuffing it with cheese as it oozed out while I was frying it and it was a mess. Oil spatters everywhere. This time I stuffed it with some meat and dipped it in light batter and deep fried them. The batter coats the flowers so lightly but it still gives a satisfying crunch when you bite into the savory center. We like this version so much better.

Lemon Ricotta Cake

I don’t buy ricotta cheese often as I just use it for making lasagna. I still have half a tub leftover from the last lasagna I made and I need to finish it before I go on my vacation. I am trying to clear up any perishable in the fridge as I know Carlos won’t be doing any cooking when I am away. I wanted to make ricotta cheese cake but I don’t have enough of it so I decided to just put it into this cake. Since I still have a lot of lemons on the tree I decided to pick a few and used it in this cake. This cake had a dark exterior; almost like a crust but the inside was moist, tender, tangy and great buttery crumb. It can be served as it is or pair it with fruits or with some whipped cream.

Mini Fruit Tartlets with Mascarpone Cheese Filling

Holiday season is just around the corner and I am sure some of you are planning on what to cook and bake. I just baked some fruit cakes over the weekend and now it is aging in the fridge and I will douse it with a bit of brandy every now and then. I will be giving it away just before Christmas. Hope it will be ready to eat during Christmas.

I am a bit compulsive when come to buying fruits especially when I see nice and plump blackberries or raspberries even though I have no plan to bake anything. Then it will be sitting in the fridge for a few days and then I have to crack my head on what to do with it before it goes bad. So I made some mini tartlets with it. I think these dainty little tartlets are ideal for entertaining; and you can garnish it with any fruits you like. I gave some to my neighbor and she told me that she ate 8 pieces at one go and I told her it is not as bad as they were very tiny ha ha..

New York Style Cheesecake with Blueberry Compote

I finally used up the last batch of frozen blueberries in my freezer to make some compote to go with this cheesecake. Baked cheesecake is such a treat and often well received by your family and guests. I served this to a friend of mine who came to visit me before our move and she really likes it. The creamy taste of the cheesecake went so well with the juicy sweetness of the blueberries and paired perfectly with a strong cup of coffee. I baked this in 2 small 6” spring form pan and gave one to my friend to take home.

For the Crust:

1/4 cup melted butter
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

Cheesy Orzo Frittata

I have this habit of buy all shapes pasta to keep in my pantry. It is not that we are big pasta eater but I like to keep them handy when I needed them. One of them is Orzo Pasta. Orzo pasta is a type of pasta which is made in the shape of a grain of rice. This pasta is very versatile, and it can be use in soup, salad, casserole or you can even substitute orzo for the rice. The word orzo is Italian for “barley,” and a reference to the size and shape of the pasta. The small size can make orzo fun pasta to work and cook with.

I found this Chicken and Orzo Frittata by Giada De Laurentiis from Food Network.com. I change the recipe a bit with some leftovers from my fridge. I replaced the chicken with some leftover ham, the roasted peppers with sundried tomatoes and added some olives since Carlos is a huge fan of it. Her recipe also calls for crème fraiche, which I don’t usually have on hand so I substituted it with half and half. This is an easy dish to prepare and we enjoyed it with some salad.

This is my version of the frittata but you can check out the original recipe here .

Cappuccino Cheesecake

Who doesn’t like cheesecake? Cheesecake may just be the perfect food. It is certainly one of the oldest on record. It is believed that cheesecake was served to the Olympic athletes during the first Olympic Games in 776 B.C. Any food with that kind of staying power just has to have something to it, right?

Anyway, since I bought quite a bit of cream cheese when they went on sale not too long ago, I decided to bake something out of it. Chocolate and coffee is such a great combination. It is a marriage made in heaven. If you are a fan of chocolate, cheesecake and coffee, this is for you. The delicate smooth coffee flavor is complemented by the richness of cheese really well.

Mushroom, Tomato and Camembert Tarts

Marcus of Ile De France sent me a sample of Camembert to try out. This mild soft and creamy cheese which has a wonderful aromatic mushrooms and nutty undertones is crafted in Normandy from local RBST free pasteurized cow milk. The herds spend most of their time outside, grazing in the fields of Normandy; known for its temperate climate and rich soil.

I made these wonderful tarts with the mushroom and tomato and pair it with the camembert. The combination of flavors is just great and this one is a real winner. Why not try this out for your coming Thanksgiving gathering or Christmas party. I am pretty sure it will be a crowd pleaser.

Ingredients for pastry

2 cups all-purpose flour
10 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 tsp of salt
6 tbsp ice water (more or less)

Raspberry Cheesecake Slice

It's already August and soon summer will come to an end. I try to enjoy all the locally grown fruits as much as possible. Each trip to the produce place I will haul back way too much fruit for the 2 of us but everything just look so fresh and good and I just can't resist it. We like to eat them fresh but fruit like berries doesn’t last too long. They will dries up pretty fast in the fridge so I tried to put it in dessert and baking. For this cheesecake you can use any type of summer fruits like blueberries, strawberries, cherries, blackberries etc.

Crust:

150 gram Oreo cookies – crushed
50 grm melted butter

Spinach Loaf

This is something very similar to my Blueberry Cream Cheese Loaf but instead of sweet I made it into savory loaf. For the filling I just used whatever I can find in my fridge. As usual I used the Pillsbury bread stick dough. I tell you, this bread dough is really handy if you want to bake something quick.

Ingredients:

1 tube of Pillsbury bread sticks dough
4 oz of frozen chopped spinach – thawed and squeeze out the water
4 slices of ham – cut into cubes
2 tbsp of light mayo
3 tbsp of light cream cheese
1 tomato – cut into small cubes
1 shallot – slice thinly
1 egg yolk
½ cup of shredded cheese – any kind
Salt and pepper to taste

Egg wash

1 egg white – beaten

1. Preheat over to 350 degree F. In a bowl combined spinach, ham, cream cheese, mayo, tomato, shallot, egg yolk, salt and pepper. Mix really well and set it aside.
2. Remove breadstick dough from the tube, unroll it and separate the dough and you will have two rectangles. Join the dough up by placing both dough rectangles horizontally on a lightly greased baking sheet. Press the steam together (refer to pix 1)
3. Spread the filling onto the centre of the dough. Sprinkle some shredded cheese on top of the filling (pix 2) Separate the dough perforations up to the cheese mixture (You might need a scissors for this) slightly pull and stretch the dough strips.
4) Start from the top and bring and braid dough strip to cover the filling. Make sure to tuck and seal both ends of the loaf (pix 3)
5) Beat the egg white and brush it all over the loaf. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese on top. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

(pix 1)

(pix 2)

(pix 3)

Hummingbird Cake

The Hummingbird cake is a true Southern cake and it is beautifully moist and delicious. This is one of my favorite cakes as it kind of reminds me of carrot cake which has all my favorite ingredients like bananas, pineapple and nuts in it. The cream cheese frosting gives an extra tangy sweetness to it. It is still a bit of mystery on where its usual name came from. But there are many theories about the origin of this cakes name.

Some say this cake earned its name because people will hum with delight while eating this cake. Another theory is that it's as sweet as the sugared water used to attract the Hummingbird. Whatever it may be, I do know one thing for sure is that the cake is so good and if you are looking for a cake to bake this would be the one.

Ingredients:

1 ¾ cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
3 large eggs
¾ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
1 ½ cups mashed bananas
½ cup crushed pineapple
1/4 cup pineapple juice
2/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 cup icing sugar
3 tbsp butter
80 grm cream cheese
1 tbsp lemon juice

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degree F. Grease and line an 8” square or round baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Sift all the dry ingredients and set it aside. In another mixing bowl, combined eggs, brown sugar, oil, bananas, pineapple juice and crushed pineapple. Stir all the ingredients together until well mix.
3. Add in the sifted ingredients into the eggs mixture. Mix until combined and lastly add in the nuts. Pour the mixture into prepare baking pan and bake in the oven for an hour or until golden brown and the skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
4. Remove the cake from the oven; let the cake cool completely on a wire rack before spreading on the cheese frosting.
5. For the cream cheese frosting, put all the ingredients in a mixer and beat until smooth and creamy. Spread it on the cake.

Strawberry Bull’s eye Cheesecake

Nancy invted us over for dinner on Easter. As usual she asked me not to cook anything except to bring a dessert over. So I made this cheesecake for the occasion. They were delightful to make. The pink layers were flavored with strawberry jam and essence. Overall, this cheesecake isn’t too sweet. The crust is a perfect balance to the richness of the cheesecake. I made some strawberry and blueberry compote to go with the cheesecake too.

Ingredients for the crust:

2 cups of graham cracker crumbs
¾ stick/6 tbsp of melted butter
2 tbsp of sugar

Ingredients for the filling:

2 block of 8 oz cream cheese (I used 1/3 fat free cream cheese)
1 can of 14 oz condensed milk
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
3 eggs
2 tbsp of flour
4 tbsp of sour cream
4 tbsp of strawberry jam
½ tsp of strawberry essence
A few drop of pink coloring

1. Line ann greased an 8” spring form pan with parchment paper. Wrap the outside of the baking pan with some aluminum foil. This is to prevent water from seeping in while baking. Pre-heat the oven to 325 degree F.
2. In a mixing bowl, mix the crumbs, sugar and melted butter together. Press it firmly into the bottom of the baking pan and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove and set it aside. Begin to boil a large pot of water for the water bath.
3. Meanwhile, cream the cheese and condensed milk until well mixed. Add in eggs one at a time. Mix until incorporated and scrape down the bowl occasionally. Add in the flour, sour and mix well.
4. Add in the lemon zest and lemon juice. Mix well. Take ½ of the cheesecake batter and place it in another mixing bowl. Stir in the strawberry jam, strawberry essence and a few drop of the pink coloring. Mix until well combined.
5. Drop about 4 tbsp of the white batter to the middle of the baking pan. Follow by the pink color mixture on top of each other. Proceed to do the same to the rest of the batter. Do not stir, swirl or shake the pan. The batter will spread on it own.
6. Place the baking pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until the center is set. Do not over bake.
7. Turn off the heat and leave the cake in the oven with the door ajar for 45 min. Remove the cake from oven and chill for 4 hours or overnight before serving.

Spaghetti Alla Carbonara

There are so many varieties of carbonara that it is hard to sort them out. Typically carbonara is made with pancetta (Italian bacon), egg yolks, and parmesan cheese mixed in spaghetti. In the US, sometimes cream is used in this pasta recipe, but this is not typical in Italy. I like to make this pasta dish when I ran out of idea of what to prepare for dinner. All you need is just a few ingredients to pull off this rich, cheesy and satisfying meal.

Ingredients:

½ packet of Spaghetti or pasta of your choice
4 slices of pancetta (you can substitute it with bacon) – cute into cubes
2 cloves garlic – smashed
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
2 egg yolks
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat a bit of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat; cook the pancetta along with the garlic until the pancetta is brown and crispy. Discard the garlic and add in the black pepper and stirring occasionally until fragrant.
2. Transfer the pancetta mixture into a big bowl and let it cool down a bit. Stir in the cheese and egg yolks. Mix until well combined and set it aside.
3. Meanwhile bring a pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta until al-dente. Reserve about ½ cup of pasta water.
4. Drain the pasta and toss it right into the eggs mixture. Toss till combined adding the pasta water a bit at a time to create a creamy sauce. Taste for seasonings.
5. Serve immediately.

Note: I didn’t add any salt to this dish as with the pancetta and parmesan cheese the pasta is salty enough. Since I have some roasted tomatoes I garnished the pasta with it.

Baked Pasta Casserole

I was cleaning up my pantry the other day and notice that there are so many different types of leftover pasta (a handful of each) and the boxes are taking too much space in my pantry. I have to find ways to use it all up. Since I am into one dish meal nowadays I decided to make this pasta casserole with whatever I have in my pantry and fridge. Baked pasta is a great dish for any buffet party or a lunch and dinner at home. It is always good to serve it with a fresh salad.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound of small dry pasta – I used ziti, penne and small shell pasta
1 can of tuna – packed in water
2 tomatoes – cut into 1/2” cubes
8 oz artichoke hearts – drain water and halve
1 onion – cut small
3 cloves garlic – chopped
1 1/2 cup of grated cheese – any type
1 tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups of milk
2 eggs – beaten
Some chili flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; set aside.
2. In a large skillet, add in 2 tbsp of olive oil, sauté the onions and garlic until fragrant and lightly brown. Add in the flour. Stir well for 30 second and add in the milk. Continue to stir until the milk thickens and comes up to a boil.
3. Add in one cup of the grated cheese, chili flakes, salt and pepper. Once the cheese melted turn off the heat. Add in the tomato, artichoke hearts, tuna, cooked pasta and eggs. Stir gently to combine.
4. Spoon the mixture into a casserole dish, sprinkle the balance grated cheese on top and bake in a pre-heated 375 degree F oven for 30 minutes or until the casserole is bubbly and the top brown. Serve warm.

Note: If you can’t find artichoke hearts you can always replace it with green peas, blanched vegetables like asparagus or broccoli.

Baked Cheesy Chicken Rice

During winter I like making meals using the oven as this way I am able to warm up the kitchen at the same time. This baked rice is a great one dish meal as it is fuss free and with very few ingredients which I have it in my fridge and pantry all the time. Nothing is more comforting than digging into this cheesy baked rice in our cold winter weather

Ingredients:

3 cups of cooked rice
4 tbsp cream of mushroom soup
¾ cup of water
2 shallots or ½ onions – sliced thinly
3 cloves of garlic – chopped
1 chicken breast – cut into small cubes and marinate with some salt and pepper
1 cup of broccoli florets
1 cup of small cube carrots
¾ cup of green peas
½ cup cubes cheddar
½ cup grated Swiss cheese
A few slices of mozzarella cheese
Some chili flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a medium saucepan bring some water to boil. Blanch carrots and broccoli florets for 20 second. Drain and set it aside. In a bowl mix the mushroom soup with 3/4 cup of water and set it aside.
2. In a deep frying pan heat up about 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add in shallots and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant and lightly brown. Add in the chicken and stir-fry until it changes color.
3. Add in the mushroom soup mixture and bring it up to boil. Turn off the heat and add in cheddar and stir until melted. Add in chili flakes, salt and pepper.
4. Next add in blanched broccoli, carrots and green peas. Stir well. Lastly put in the rice and stir until well mixed. Check seasonings.
5. Put the rice mixture into a casserole dish. Top it with Swiss cheese and lastly mozzarella cheese.
6. Baked in a pre-heated 400 degree F oven for 30 minutes or until bubbly and the cheese topping brown. Serve warm.

Homemade Cheese Crackers

I love cheese crackers especially Cheez-It I can eat it just like that or even put it in my soup. Why bake my own cheese crackers when I can just buy a box of it? Well, I simply like the idea that I am able to bake something I like to eat and also it’s much healthier without all the preservatives. These homemade cheese crackers are the most tender, rich, buttery, cheesy crackers you have ever eaten. It involves very little fuss. Just put everything in the food processor, roll out the dough, cut it and then bake it.

Ingredients:

1 stick butter (113 grm) – at room temperature
1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups Flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp of black pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper (less if you prefer less spicy)
1 tsp of paprika
2 tbsp of cold water (more or less)

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degree F. Line a baking sheet with some parchment paper.
2. Put all the above ingredients except water in a food processor. Pulse until it resembles coarse bread crumbs. Slowly add in one tbsp of cold water or a bit more until the mixture comes together into a ball.
3. Take out the dough and lightly floured work surface, give the dough a few knead and let it rest for half an hour.
4. Roll the dough out thinly about 1/8" thick. Cut out into desired shapes
5. Bake for 15 minutes or until the crackers start to get just golden on the edges
Remove the baking pan from the oven, and transfer the browned crackers to a cooling rack.

Soft Cotton Cheesecake

This cheesecake really lives up to its name. It is super light and soft as cotton. My neighbor Nancy said this is the best cheesecake she ever had and as for Carlos he said it’s a bit too light and spongy for him. Nevertheless, he still eats it. To me it’s really good and it’s not as heavy as the normal cheesecake. I will definitely bake this again.

Ingredients
(A)
250g cream cheese
110ml fresh milk
100g butter

(B)
100g plain flour, sifted
20g corn flour, sifted
60g sugar
6 egg yolks
1 orange, zest and juice

(C)
6 egg white
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
60g sugar

1. Prepare a 9" baking pan, line the bottom with parchement paper, and greased the side with some butter.
2. Put (A) ingredients in a double boiler. Double boil till until cream cheese and butter melted. Remove from heat and let it cool
3. When it's cool add in all the ingredients (B). Stir until its smooth. Set aside.
4. Whisk (C) till thick and glossy (soft peaks form), fold into cream cheese mixture till well combined
5. Put baking tin into a large roasting pan half filled with hot water and steam bake at 350 degree F for an hour or till golden brown and cooked.
6. Remove cake from the oven, invert the cake onto a cake rack and leave to cool completely before cutting it.

Note: The cake will fall a little after cooling.

Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars

I will be away for a few weeks so I am trying to clear up most of my perishable stuff in my fridge these past weeks. I still have 2 block of the low fat cream cheese in there and decided to make this luscious, smooth and creamy Strawberry Cheesecake.

Ingredients :

1 ¼ cups graham crumbs
¼ cup butter, melted
2 packet (8 oz each) I used low fat cream cheese, softened at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp flour
3 tbsp of lemon juice
2 eggs
1/3 cup strawberry jam

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF. Grease and line an 8” x 8” square baking with parchment paper with leaving an overhang on both side (for easy removing you slices later)
2. Mix crumbs and butter together and press firmly into bottom of the pan. Set it aside.
3. Beat cream cheese, sugar, flour and lemon juice in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition, just until blended. Pour over crust.
4. Heat up strawberry jam slightly in the microwave. Gently drop jam by small spoonfuls over top of batter. Cut through batter several times with knife for marble effect.
5. Bake 40 min. or until centre is set. Cool. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight before cutting it.