CMP : chocolate, marshmallow & peanuts ice cream

CMP -CMP -

in our Real Life
it’s no secret that
woodberry kitchen is dw’s favorite restaurant.
i like it just fine,
(ahem. fine enough that we had our wedding there…)
but dw really likes wk.

they have this dessert
that is simply put:
amazing.
so good that it made it on
The Best Thing I Ever Ate
so delicious that
we requested it for our wedding.
the recipe changes every so often:
i’ve had it with chocolate mint sorbet,
in the video malt ice cream is used,
it’s whatever ice cream flavor they have
and for me,
i can request it made dairy free
and that, friends,
is why i usually have one all to myself.
and then i stare longingly at dw’s too.

we made this version in preparation
of Ice Cream For Breakfast Day.
the marshmallow fluff recipe made an assload amount,
so that’ll be coming with us to the party
the ice cream base is vegan
and as such, we upped the chocolate flavor.
and the wet peanuts:
well. we used a combo of honey+water
though the first time we attempted it
it was all just honey and it solidified.
oops.

CMP -

super chocolate ice cream – vegan
*note: i made the ice cream base less sweet than usual, because i knew it was being consumed with sweetened nuts and fluff. if eaten alone, i’d up the sugar amount to maybe 1/2 cup or even 2/3 cup.
**note: we used king arthur’s marshmallow fluff recipe, using honey instead of corn syrup, without the vanilla, and used organic, cage free, free range eggs
***note: the wet peanuts was just raw peanuts that were coarsely chopped, roasted in a dry frying pan and then doused in some water and smidge of honey

2 cans of full fat coconut milk
1/3 cup sugar
2 generous TBL cocoa powder, we used Scharffen Berger
1 cup semi-sweet vegan chocolate chips, we used enjoy life
2 tsps pure chocolate extract, we used Nielsen-Massey
1/2 TBL cornstarch

in a saucepan, heat the sugar with 1 1/2 cans of the coconut milk. don’t scald the liquid, you want it to be just warmed through and the sugar to dissolve and be fully incorporated.

mix in the cocoa powder, stir for a minute or two, just until the coconut milk is a lovely shade of brown. next add in the chocolate chips. you want the chips to melt and to be fully mixed in. it’s going to look all fleck-y as the chips melt, just keep a consistent stir. add in the extract.

with the remaining coconut milk stir in the cornstarch, then add to the hot liquid. mix thoroughly.

pour into bowl and allow to cool completely befor covering with plastic wrap. store in fridge over night.

when ready, pour into ice cream maker and churn according to machine’s directions.

to assemble, layer the wet peanuts and ice cream and top with marshmallow fluff. if you’re feeling fancy, you can make sugar shards and/or torch the fluff.

BAM!

lan-devin-eng-00798photo courtesy of luke eshelman

other ice cream concoctions:
coffee chocolate chip ice cream – lactose free
peppermint chocolate chip ice cream – lactose free
spiced coconut pecan ice cream – dairy free, gluten free
strawberry ice cream + almond waffle cones – gluten free, dairy free

brinjal pickle hummus

Brinjal Pickle HummusBrinjal Pickle Hummus

things i don’t like right now:
the cold
my hair length, it’s that in-between thing
doing dishes
bad internet connection
coffee creamer saying it’s non-dairy
but closer look at the ingredients list lists milk.
WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?!
the ravens not making the superbowl

things i like right now:
not having cable
watching mpt/pbs/bbc
burt’s bee’s skincare line
blooming cyclamens
this taytay mashup
smothering my superbowl disappointment with dip two dips
one dip is usually fine,
but two makes it all the more bearable

Brinjal Pickle Hummus

brinjal pickle hummus – vegan & gluten free
brinjal pickle adapted from the Splendid Table
basic hummus adapted from Ottenlenghi’s Jerusalem
, click on link for full ingredients or purchase the book for instructions. Or, use your own fave hummus recipe, but for the love of gawd, don’t add olive oil!

note about the brinjal: original recipe calls to store in jars in dark corner and ignore for a month before consuming. that’s not happening, we’ll likely finish this batch in a week. it also says can be ignored, unopened for MONTHS and once opened can be kept in fridge for at least 2-3 months. we might test that. in the meantime, we’ll add it to our hummus or eat as a side along with rice.

brinjal pickle:
2 lbs indian eggplants, trimmed & cubed
2 TBL salt
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 cinnamon stick
2 tsp brown mustard seeds
2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 cup sunflower oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 1/2″ knob of fresh ginger, minced
2 red peppers, seeded and diced
1 generous TBL tamarind paste
1 cup vinegar
5 generous TBL light brown sugar

place cubed eggplant into colander in sink and sprinkle with salt. ignore for an hour as the eggplants supposedly releases its bitter juices.

toast cumin, coriander, fenugreek, and fennel seeds in dry frying pan. when warmed through and fragrant, grind in mortar & pestle (or as dw would’ve preferred, in a spice grinder). when finely ground, add in the cinnamon stick, ground tumeric and mustard seed, ignore until needed.

rinse eggplant and pat dry. or like me, ignore for awhile until sufficiently dry.

in batches (i did it in two) fry up eggplant cubes in oil, add more oil as needed. brown and soften.

when done, remove eggplant and set aside. heat remaining oil and saute onion, garlic, ginger and red pepper over medium high heat, until soft. add in ground spices, mix through, then add in the tamarind paste and brown sugar. finally put the eggplant back into pan and mix it thoroughly. last, pour the vinegar over the mixture and simmer gently for 30 minutes, or until very tender. some pieces will be mush, don’t be alarmed.

taste for seasoning. cool completely before storing in clean jars.

to assemble the dip, take the hummus out of the fridge for at least 30 minutes, to soften.

in a food processor ladle two generous scoops of the brinjal pickle and pulse. i like a chunky texture but i wanted to break down the brinjal a little.

the point is to add these two dips together. dw likes it all mixed together, i like some division, it’s up to you. serve with pita chips, veg sticks, or as a spread.

BAM!

Brinjal Pickle Hummus

other dippy dips and appetizers:
za’atar socca + middle eastern smashed avocado – vegan & gluten free
mango pomegranate guacamole – vegan & gluten free
homemade lactose free ricotta cheese
green tomato & mint chutney – vegan and gluten free
roasted bone marrow

african chicken stew

African Chicken Stew - outtake
African Chicken Stew

we’ve been working,
like it’s a regular work week.
which isn’t out of the ordinary.
i mean,
there are no holidays this week.
but you see,
there was supposed to be a blizzard
of epic proportions.
friends.
we were misinformed.

the one thing the meteorologists
got correct though:
freezing temps.
on sunday, after making our
weekly soup,
experimenting with egg tarts,
and other chinese new year prep work
i had it in my head to make
another pot of soup
because
i figured a snow day week
warranted comfort in a bowl.
we didn’t get the former,
but the latter was just fine.

African Chicken Stew

african chicken stew
loosely adapted from simply recipes
makes 6 servings

4 drumsticks, about 1.25 lbs.
olive oil
1/2 large onion, sliced or diced, either way
3″ piece of ginger, peeled and minced
4 garlic cloves, chopped roughly
4 carrots, rough chopped into chunks
2 parsnips, rough chopped into chunks
1 15-ounce can of fire roasted diced tomatoes, we use muir glen
4 cups chicken stock (i used the last of my bullion cubes + water to equal 4 cups)
2-3 generous TBL peanut butter, honestly, i don’t remember but that seems about right
1/2 cup roasted peanuts
1 TBL coriander seeds, roasted and then ground
1 tsp cayenne, or to taste
Salt and black pepper

season chicken drumsticks. brown in a bit of olive oil in a large pot. set aside.

in same pot, add more olive oil if you need to, add in the onions and saute for a few minutes. your goal is to brown the onions and pick up the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. season with salt & pepper. add in the garlic and ginger, as well as the ground coriander and cayenne, mix through.

add in the broth, crushed tomatoes, peanut butter and peanuts. stir until the peanut butter is thoroughly incorporated. last, return the chicken drumsticks to the pot, nestle them in. cover & simmer on low for about an hour.

after an hour, remove the drumsticks. add in the carrots and parsnips. cover and simmer. when the drumsticks are cool enough to handle, remove all the meat off the bones, shred and return back to the pot. stir and simmer till the vegs are tender, but not mushy. adjust seasoning if needed.

serve with rice, or as is, which is how we ate it.

BAM!

African Chicken Stew

other soups & stews:
autumn harvest soup
3 bean chili
vietnamese beef stew
caribbean oxtail stew
miso ramen bowl
chicken pho
portuguese chicken + chorizo curry
chickpea & sausage stew
beef, squash & white bean chili

Carne Rustida de Navidad

Carne Rustida de Navidad

i had this meal
the first time in barcelona
4 years ago.
it was a trip that almost didn’t happen
due to snow in england,
i shed more tears that day
than when i tended to
my disappointed heart that year.

we have tentative plans
for a spain trip soonish
there’s also talk of
taking spanish classes.
in the meantime,
we have this to tide us over.

this was our first supper
in 2015.
to many more sweet, delicious
meals this year.

Carne Rustida de Navidad

Carne Rustida de Navidad
adapted from nuria’s aunt trini

*note: like most recipes handed down by family or people who don’t typically follow/write recipes, what i received was not very detailed (but, did have at least measurements). i’ve made this dish a handful of times, each time differently depending on pantry items and what was in season. what i’ve listed below is what i made this time around and what you see in the pictures in this post.

2 lb chicken, chopped into 6 pieces
10 sundried tomatoes that were packed in olive oil, or 2 big tomatoes, rough chopped
1 big onion, rough chopped
6-7 pickled garlic cloves, homemade, or fresh is fine
1 generous tsp tomato paste, homemade
1/3 cup of brandy (white wine or cognac would work too)
1/2 bag of dried prunes
very generous handful of pine nuts
2 TBL bacon fat, or coconut oil or olive oil

in a heavy bottom pot, on medium-high, heat up bacon fat or whatever fat oil using. add in the sundried tomatoes, along with any oil it was packed in. (the original recipe called for 1/2 cup of olive oil, i did not use that much oil). mix in the garlic and onions and sautee, for at least 5 minutes. spoon everything out into a bowl, leaving behind the oil/fat.

in the left behind oil/fat, brown the chicken pieces. do this in batches, do not crowd the pot, you’ll just end up steaming the meat. you’re aiming for a golden hue on either side. when all the meat has been browned, lay them all in the pot as close together as possible. put the sauteed onion/tomato/garlic mixture back into the pot, fill in the nooks & crannies, smothering the meat on top.

lower heat to low-medium. add in the tomato paste and brandy (or wine or cognac), and water (or stock) until the entire thing is submerged. allow to simmer until half the liquid has evaporated (about 45 minutes – 1 hour) at that point, add in the prunes and pine nuts. raise temp to medium and allow to simmer until most of the liquid is gone, about another 20 minutes.

serve with rice or crusty bread. excellent the next day.

BAM!

Carne Rustida de Navidad

other chicken stews/soups:
phở gà – vietnamese chicken noodle soup
Portuguese Chicken Curry with Chorizo + Olives

flan – dairy free

Flan

over the holiday season
we had a phamily reunion of sorts,
laughing and judging and
talking in loud voices that sound
like we’re arguing but what we
were really doing was
just talking loudly and normally.
we had flan for dessert,
which i always call Flan for Lan
because it’s all about me
because it just rhymes with my name.

Flan recipe

flan for Lan
18 individual ramekins

*note: to invert the flan onto plate, run a knife along the rim of the ramekin to loosen it. this recipe can easily be halved.

4 cups coconut creamer (i used So Delicious)
1 1/2 cup sugar, divided
juice of one clementine
8 eggs

1. heat oven to 350°. melt ½ cup sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. cook until sugar is a golden brown, 12–13 minutes. DO NOT STIR.
gently pour caramel into individual serving size oven safe ramekins; place inside a roasting pan.

2. whisk remaining 1 cup sugar with eggs in a bowl until thick. add creamer and​ ​clementine juice; whisk into a smooth custard. ladle custard into ramekins; transfer roasting pan to oven. pour hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up ramekins. bake until custard is set but still slightly loose in the center, about 1 hour. carefully transfer ramekins to a wire rack; let cool. chill at least 2 hours or up to overnight. invert flan onto serving plates.

BAM!

Flan