Rabbit Organs in Garlic Cream with Sauteed Root Veggies and Pancetta

As Rabbits come with organs, usually, at least they have them, as most living beings, you have to figure out how to cook them. Of course, you could throw them out, but honestly, rabbit liver is the best I’ve ever had. In any case, if you’re feeling adventurous, go ahead and give this recipe a try if you’ve got some rabbit organs, and don’t know what to do with them. Use it up quickly, do not refreeze them!

This recipe is for one.

This will use up 1 liver, 2 kidneys, and 1 heart that comes with the rabbit. Although, I found a lung with my rabbit, I discarded that because I remember my grandmother telling me that (for some reason) lungs are not clean to eat.

I have to say, although I’m not a 100% liver fan, but I enjoy the occasional chicken liver pate, this liver was amazing. It’s not the same taste and about the same texture. Only silkier, smoother, much milder. Perfect over pasta, although I opted for veggies and potatoes. In total, this was enough to feed only 1 person, if you want to feed two I recommend you cut the liver in half and add it to pasta, with pancetta, or another salty meat, and carrots, peas, or lima beans to be more filling.

Rabbit Organs in Garlic Cream with Sauteed Veggies 

• 1 rabbit heart, 1 rabbit liver, and 2 rabbit kidneys (fresh, make sure they are no more than 3 days old out of packaging)
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp heavy cream
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 baby potatoes quartered
• 4 baby carrots, cut into thirds
• 1/2 a celery stalk, cut in half, and into thirds
• salt and pepper
• 2 oz chopped pancetta (my butcher had pancetta so I was lucky enough to ask for 1/4 inch thick slice- if you’re this lucky I used half of a slice, cubbed)
• Parsley, for garnish

Add oil to pan and heat. Add potatoes, carrots, and celery, season with salt and pepper and any other seasonings you would like. Cayanne works really well with Rabbit liver. Add in pancetta and brown, about 6 minutes. Add 1/3 cup of water to hot pan and cover. This will steam the veggies and ensure they cook faster.

I added some cayanne, although that wasn’t part of the original plan when I first started cooking, and the spice paired nicely with the cream sauce, and the silky liver.

To another pan, add garlic and melt on medium-low heat. Add in the organs and season with salt and pepper. Brown for 3 minutes a side. Add garlic to the oil and allow to golden, swish the oil around the pan to make sure the garlic pieces and the,now, garlic infused oils are coating the meat.

Lower heat and cook for 2 more minutes. When potatoes are done (check with a fork or knife to your liking), place on plate and add the meat. Put meat pan back on heat, and turn it up to high. Add in the heavy cream with a pinch of salt. Allow to simmer for 30 seconds, just enough time to pick up some garlic, meat bits, and thicken. Pour over meat.

you can add a splosh of red wine right before you simmer the meat for 2 minutes (as shown here) for added flavor.

Rip bits of parsley over the dish as garnish.

This is a very filling but light dish. There is maybe 3 oz or so of meat, so you’re eating basically veggies with butter and cream fat. Especially when eating celery and carrots, it’s important to add fat to your diet, to ensure that the nutrients are properly absorbed. I read that in women’s health- and it’s always stuck with me. I think it’s because it justifies me dipping my baby carrots into ranch whenever I “feel like being healthy”. Don’t judge.

This dish came to a total of about 327 calories, perfect for dinner for one. Enjoy!

The Crisis

Okay, so this was my day.

I got off work and ran some errands (and in the process got a killer new split-end leave-in treatment), then went home and discovered my doctor’s appt was not covered under insurance so I stayed on the phone with Aetna for 35 minutes fixing that mistake. Afterwards, I worked out, and made some nice jalepeno popper chicken (recipe tomorrow), and decided to be really awesome and clean my fish tank. A simple water change. Cause I’m so wonderful.

No!

I’m not wonderful. Somehow in the process of doing a simple 30% water change I introduced a deadly and swift enemy. This enemy is still unknown, and sadly there were four casualties. My lovely and sweet cardinal tetras (photo below is not aquarium… cause sadly I barely have any fish in there) died. Within 30 minutes of the water change. At least the death was quick and painless (I hope).

I digress. Luckily, my ottos survived and the water is more or less clean. I went to my local sea/fresh water pet store and they double checked my water levels… and it was all good. All clear. I just have to say, I’ve never felt so helpless than being away from my ottos in those 45 minutes I was away. Simply awful.

When I got home I had a bunch of solutions to my problem, even one that was on the back burner for a while (my plants), and advice on how to proceed. I decided to share with you all, all those fishie lovers out there, that if this happens to you- don’t panic, and follow these rules, if the following applies to you.

Comments if I’m wrong on anything, etc are welcome. I want to know if I’m wrong so I never kill another fish again. Thanks

Here are my aquarium specs, before the tragedy happened:

• 5.5 gal freshwater
• 3 ottos
• 4 cardinals
• live plants
• gravel, not sand
• 3 years old
• heater, filter, and aerator in operation

1. I cleaned and moved around the gravel and noticed when the fish died that little white worms were in the water- and I thought “on no! they got my fish! Bastaaaards”.
2. Don’t think #1
3. The wormy things are planeria, and are harmless. If anything they break down the gravel bacteria. (see, it’s still a mystery of what killed my fish).
4. Check your water for nitrite, nitrate, and ammonia.
5. Check the pH level.
6. Check if your temp is too high or too low (the shock of the change usually kills all fish unless the tank is over 30 gal- then the change is less noticeable and is mildly irritating to fishies).
7. Add a poly-filter to your filter medium (this will help remove ANY additional toxins, irritants, bacteria that’s not good,etc in ONE week).

Cut this baby to size to fit into your filter.

1. Toss poly-filter in a week and note it’s color. whatever the color that’s what the problem was.
2. Add in SeaChem Stability (or similar) every other day in half doses for about 3-4 days for the good bacteria in it.
3. Feed fish every other day
4. Don’t MESS with the tank anymore for AT LEAST a week
5. DON’T ADD ANY NEW FISH, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, just don’t.

BONUS:

I have live plans in my aquarium, and for a while they flourished. So did my algae. That’s why I got the ottos. Then, they started to die out, like the leaves would slowly disintegrate, one by one. I used Excel 3 times a week (to regulate the algae problem).

Apparently, my water was too clean (oddly, cause I do water changes about once every 3 months) and therefore the plants were starving. How strange! But basically, I had no nutrients in the water; in order for photosynthesis to occur in a tank, the plants need potassium, iron, and small traces of phosphate and nitrate (according to the aquarium dude- he’s worked there for like 8 years). And I had none!

I quickly picked up SeaChem Flourish which has all the different chemicals in varying levels to support plant growth.

So lessons learned. Several of them. And although I’m going to miss my three year old carindals I’m excited at the prospect of maybe getting some new fish, aside from tetras (should my tank survive this mystery attack).

Thanks for hanging in there in this “lesson of the day” sort of post. But seriously, I was bawling, I take fish seriously. This was traumatic, and now I’ve got a plan. And when there’s a plan there’s bound to be success.

Wish me luck!

Tortellini Soup and Garlic Bread

Earlier this week I made the best tortellini soup. I’ve tried to make tomato and tortellini soup in the past, and I’ve got to say, it never worked out. The Tortellini need to be eaten day of otherwise they absorb the liquid as they’re in the fridge and turn into a mushy pasta. Not the case with this recipe.

I adapted the soup from The Eccentric Cook

1 package of cheese tortellini (in the pasta isle, not the fresh ones)

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 carrots, grated

1 onion, finely cohpped

about a cup of chopped/ sliced mushrooms

5 large sausages – cut into pieces ( I used boarhead)

1 can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes (the 14.5 oz)

1 can tomato sauce (about 14.5 oz)

about 5 cups chicken or vegetable broth

dried oregano

dried basil

garlic powder

onion powder

salt and pepper to taste

paprika, to taste

chili powder, to taste

2 dashes soy sauce

1 tbsp brown sugar

parmesan cheese

In a large pot, heat the oil and add the sausages, onion and carrots. Saute them until they get soft. Season with salt and pepper. After 7 minutes, add in the mushrooms. Stir occasionally. Sprinkle them generously with the oregano and basil, garlic and onion powders, and paprika and chili powder (if using). Cook for another 5-7 minutes.

Pour the broth and tomato cans on them. Bring the soup to a boil. Add more seasonings.

When it comes to a boil add in the brown sugar.

When the soup is simmering, add the beans and tortellini to the soup. Cook as long as the package indicates. Add soy sauce and stir until desired consistency is reached.

Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top and garlic bread

The garlic bread recipe I followed exactly, except I used more garlic, of course. The recipe was taken from Drizzle and Dip and is by far my favorite quick and easy garlic bread recipe.

• 1 loaf of ciabatta bread or a large baguette (2 small)
•  2 large tbsp butter softened to room temperature
• 1 tbsp of kosher salt
• a small handful of coriander leaves finely chopped (about 2 T), or dried oregano
• 5 cloves of garlic crushed
• 2 cups of finely grated Parmesan cheese (an d a bit extra to sprinkle over the loaf)
• (a squeeze of lemon juice if desired)

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Mix all of the above ingredients thoroughly to combine. Slice the bread loaf into desired slices, ensuring that you don’t cut all the way through. I like fairly thick slices. Spread the butter mix fairly generously between all the cut slices, without overdoing it, you don’t want to land up with dripping oil-soaked bread. Sprinkle the extra Parmesan over the bread and wrap in foil. Bake for 20 minutes and then open the foil and bake for a further 5 minutes to brown the loaf.

It was an amazing meal!

Walnut & Pear Jam Cookies and What I Did With My January

Hello All!

It’s been a very, very long time. As my friend pointed out earlier today, it’s been about a month since I’ve lasted attempted at making anything delicious (well, I have, like ribs, but sadly I haven’t really attempted to chronicle the occasion).

Today was the day. I’m procrastinating pretty hard today when it comes to homework. I’ve been cleaning, baking (obviously), and working out. Doing anything I can not to think about the hours of work that’s ahead of me. I’m even going to be a perfect, model student and meet with a classmate to work together and study. That’s right, about 7 hours worth of study and ABA terminology for my Saturday. How fun.

Mostly, I’m excited to get work over with, and just sleep in past 7 am.

In the meantime, I get to enjoy these lovely cookies. They were adapted from Home Cooking Adventure and I couldn’t be happier with the way they smell, and taste.

The only thing that I changed really, was that I didn’t add walnuts on top of my cookies (and that was explained below) and I used pear jam I got from a trip to Yuciapa for apple picking. I know, funny how I got pear jam when I went apple picking. But I got enough apples that I thought I’d be making my own (secretly).

It turned out amazing, and since I’m trying to be healthier overall, I did a little calorie count for y’all: these cookies are a smooth 90 calories each! Which means I get to enjoy them as I’m typing this up AND when I’m done working out. Win win, indeed.

Walnut and Pear Jam Cookies

• 1 stick butter
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup pear jam
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped
• walnuts for top (I omitted this, as I prefer to have more walnuts IN my cookies than ON TOP of them)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until well mixed. Beat in the egg.

Add apricot jam, almond extract and vanilla extract and stir well to incorporate. Stir dry ingredients together,  flour and baking powder and add into butter mixture.

Fold in the chopped walnuts.

Using a tablespoon or your ice cream scoop take small balls and place on prepared baking sheets with distance between them. Top with chopped walnuts and bake 15-17 minutes in the preheated oven or until golden brown. Remove from sheet to a cooling rack. Cool completely.

 

 

Now that I’ve got you hooked on the cookies, I can discuss where the rest of my January went.

I’ve been eagerly (and frighteningly) preparing for my first ever visit to Cal ABA. For those of you that don’t know. Cal ABA is a California based conference for professions and students (and affiliates and parents and everyone) that discusses future and current research in Applied Behavior Analysis. My company will be going there, as well as my University program. Not to mention a few of my classmates will be presenting their research there– I couldn’t be more excited.

In other news… I accomplished one of my 2013 goals already! If you all remember, I wanted to purchase an item from Agent Provocateur , just for myself, not for anything special, or for a birthday (or Valentine’s Day). So basically, instead of that store, I chose another, based out of New York, Called Journelle.

As soon as I got this pretty package in the mail I knew I’d be happy.

In my humble opinion, I think that Journelle is a lot better (price wise for the same quality) and it’s more versatile  I can wear it for a romantic night out, or under work clothing (and not feel filthy).

I purchased about 5 different styles (bras with undies to match), and they all fit perfectly, true to size and quality to boot! Absolutely wonderful! Aaaand free shipping~

I know that January is a long month, but that’s basically all I’ve been doing with it.

2013 Has A lot to Answer For

Happy New Year one and all!

I must say that I’m excited to say goodbye to 2012. It started off great and held a lot of promise, what with a promotion, getting into (and starting) grad school, getting straight A’s (yup, I’m a smarty pants), and getting to go apple picking, however there were a few major dark days that I couldn’t overlook and turned the overall 2012 into a nightmare.

However, I had friends and loved one carry me through it, and I couldn’t be happier for my current support system.

In any case, 2013 has a lot to answer for. I’m expecting great things, and although I wont’ make resolutions I guess my new mantra will have to be “be better, be your best, and don’t be lazy”.

So far I’ve made myself dinner for the next few days and planned out a menu for the next few weekends when I’ll be feeding not only myself but Boyfriend as well. 2013 has started off with a great anniversary (HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US!) and a lovely dinner at The Melthing Pot, a fancy-shmancy fondue restaurant. Not to mention a gorgeous kitty necklace. It’s gold and shiny and just the right length and I’ll never take it off. Never.

I’ve already named it Daphne. That’s right, the cat pendant is Daphne. Say “Hello”, everyone.

But I digress. Going back to the expectations I have for the new year: I expect myself to be disciplined enough to save up for at least three vacation trips, regardless of the season, where I have to stay overnight. I expect myself to not be lazy (as stated above) when it comes to working out, and cooking; I do love to cook but sometimes I just feel like getting Taco Bell instead, and that’s something that’s gotta stop. Seriously.

In terms of fancy, I expect myself to save up enough money that I can buy a set of undies and a bra from Agent Provocateur.  Best lingerie in the world, in my opinion and in a few other peoples.

So far, my lust is this set:

lovely #1

lovely #2

It’s not so much the fancy factor that is played to my liking here, although that certainly helps, but it’s a way of self indulgence that I think everyone is entitled to, at least once a year, regardless of it’s it a pair of $500 shoes, or a pair of lingerie that costs half your rent.

Personally I don’t have room for shoes at the moment, so the latter will have to do. And it does, beautifully.

So far, 2013 has been good and considering it’s only the second day of the year, I’m ever hopeful.

Good night!

Mushroom Soup and a Long Week Behind Me

This past week has been a little too crazy for my liking. I had to prepare my entire apartment for the bug people coming (I do not have bugs, however the new owners of the building insisted on putting everyone out, having them loose a day of work, and making everyone very angry on a weekday), and then put it all back together. On. A. Weekday.

Apparently, last time this happened it occurred Saturday morning and they had three guys for the whole building, not one. I survived the ordeal, and overall it was a little bit worth it. I was able to toss out a bunch of kitchen items that I didn’t need, and I was able to re organize my spices.

Not to mention, during the cleaning process I found a few sets of China I completely forgot I owned!

Prior to this nonsense, on Tuesday I had made the greatest mushroom soup. It’s my first, and only mushroom soup really, but the statement still stands.  I got the idea from this recipe, but when first reading over it it seemed a little too complex, what with the coring and peeling of an apple and the use of an immersion blender (I knew what was in store for me later that week so I was in no mood to do extra work, not even for food).

My version, if I do say so myself, it quite better!

Aside from the soup I was able to accomplish a bit of decorating for the holidays. Sadly, I couldn’t get a good image of my nutcracker, however, the rest of the rooms are coming along nicely. I’m not sure if’ll I be hosting any parties because of my busy and tiring schedule in December, but in any case there’s no harm in decorating just for oneself.

 

Those pine cones there are the same ones I picked about a week ago with Boyfriend out in… NATURE! I baked them for about 23 minutes in 200 degree oven. The sap got a lovely sheen and gave the pine cones an almost lacquered effect.

Lastly, my crochet project (Boyfriend’s mom’s Christmas present) is moving along nicely. I’m at a steady pace today, and I’m hoping (with determination), to get through half of it.

 

Now, without delay, the recipe for amazing soup. ENJOY

Mushroom and Garlic Soup

• 1 large onion, chopped finely
• 2 heads of garlic mashed, chopped, or otherwise pulverized (to your liking)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 lb mushrooms (I used baby bellas, but button work, too), thinly sliced
• 1 can of chicken stock (roughly 2 cups)
• 1 can of coconut milk, shaken in can before opening (to get it all mixed well)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 sprig of rosemary, fresh if possible
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tsp of nutmeg
• 1 tsp of ground cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp bourbon sea salt (I found this at Williams Sonoma- if you don’t have it, course sea salt is good as well)
• 3 fresh sprigs of dill

In a large pot, heat the oil and butter. Add the onions and garlic. Salt a bit so the juices are released. Cover and let cook about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally on low heat; careful not to burn the onions or garlic.

Add the mushrooms and saute for 3 minutes. Add more salt (not the flavored salt), pepper, spices, rosemary stock, chicken stock, and coconut milk. Stir, and raise the temperature to medium-high. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.

 

Make sure it’s not bubbling too much, and after 10 minutes uncover, and let cook on medium heat (bubbling away) for 20 minutes. Add the bourbon salt and half the dill (I didn’t chop it up, just ripped it up with my hands).  Take out the sprig of rosemary, and slowly stir for about 3 more minutes to thicken the soup a bit.

Add more dill when serving soup.

Train Rides and Nutella Muffins

This weekend was pretty darn close to perfect. I went on a vintage train with Boyfriend and we got lots of time to do homework together, do errands together, and even pretty up my apartment… together! We did everything together and I must say it was a great and lovely time.

Fillmore and Western Railway Train

Inside the amazing and old train

we were on a “scenic” weekend tour… it was a lot of farm land and trailer parks

LOOSE CABOOSE mini chicken farm

This fan is probably older than my grandfather!

 

I even looked after a friend’s doggies this weekend. My first time pet sitting for someone that isn’t my mom and Miss Kitty Cat. I’m excited to say that they are very healthy, well fed, and happy. I hope my friend doesn’t mind me showing off her pooches, they were really adorable. And a little insane cause of the lack of attention. Nonetheless, you can see they were still fun.

 

 

As a result of this very fruitful and amazing weekend I decided to clean and bake for the first time in about two-three weeks. The fact that I’ve been too busy to bake has been astonishing for me, the person that would sometimes bake cookies or muffins and a cake in the same day to have “variety” for the rest of the week.

I’ve had a small sweet tooth for warmth lately. I don’t even know if that makes sense, but that’s what I’ve been craving: cinnamon, apples, brown sugar, caramel, all those amazing things.

I’ve had this recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction pinned on google chrome for a while now. And the last time I baked something I used one of her recipes, so I figured now is as good at time as any to get on the nutella train, knowing what I’d make would be delicious.

 

 

Nutella Stuffed Cinnamon Sugar Muffins

makes 8-9 muffins

• 1/3 cup (5 Tbsp) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup milk (I used almond milk, but regular is fine)
• 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (or all-purpose flour)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 8 tsp Nutella

Cinnamon-Sugar Topping

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 425F.  Spray muffin pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl of an electric or stand mixer, cream butter and sugar together on medium speed.  Mix in the egg, vanilla extract, and milk. Gently stir in flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.  DO NOT overmix – stir until *just* combined.

Spoon 1 heaping Tablespoon of batter into muffin cavity.  Layer with 1 tsp Nutella in the center and spoon another heaping Tablespoon of batter on top.  If the muffin tins are completely full, that is ok.  They will not overflow.  Repeat layering batter + Nutella into each muffin tin.  I got exactly 8 muffins.

Bake at 425F for 5 minutes.  Reduce oven to 350F and bake for an additional 13-17 minutes until batter is set. Allow muffins to cool for about 5 minutes.

While the muffins are cooling, make the cinnamon-sugar topping.  Melt the butter for about 30 seconds in the microwave.  Stir and stick back in microwave if not fully melted.  In a separate small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon.  Dip the top of each muffin into the melted butter and dip into the cinnamon-sugar mixture.  Swirl them around in the cinnamon-sugar a bit to make sure you get a thick coating. Set upright on cooling rack.  Enjoy!*

 

 

*I didn’t make the streusal topping because I added a bit more nutella and I didn’t want them so sweet that I wouldn’t eat them, so I sprinkled some raw sugar over the top instead.

Fall Starts Now with Cinnamon Pumpkin Balls

I’ve had quite a week this past week. I started off with a terrible score on my reading quiz online. Only to be pushed almost to the edge of excitement by my decent fluency vocab quiz. It was a win/lose sort of moment for me. However, yesterday’s class was so demanding that I’m at a total loss of what to do.

My iPhone has not been working properly, either. Everyone I know never trades in their iPhones, they’re like children, once you have them, you have them for life. And I have to say, of all the phones to go down, it just had to be mine. The battery just wasn’t performing adaquately. To further show my point (and express that I’m not one of those people that uses their phone for four hours and then wonders why they have 54% battery life left), I checked my total usage since last full charge- total time: 2 hours 58 minutes, Battery left- 29%. That’s a bit extreme.

I’m rambling, but I’m just trying to explain my thought process here.

So I get home today, and I have update my iTunes (that took a good hour), and back up my bad iPhone, and restore to my new iPhone. Then rearrange all the apps to the way I had them before because I’m just OCD that way. After that was done I had sore feet, sweaty palms, nerves coming out of every pore, and hunger!

I wanted something with tea. Hot tea. And something sweet.

Nothing quick seemed to fit the description till I went on foodgawker and saw this lovely recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiciton

Wherever and whoever you are, Sally, THANK YOU FOR THIS EASY PUMPKIN LOVELY!

The whole process took about 38 minutes. I timed it.  Including making the batter, opening the eggs and can of pumpkin, cleaning the kitchen afterwards, and baking and decorating. With that said, the whole process was so fast, and I was so needy that I didn’t take any photos, aside from the ones shown of the finished goodness. Apologies, readers.

 

makes 20-24 mini muffins

• 1 and 3/4 cup white-whole wheat flour (or all-purpose flour)
• 1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpking pie filling)
• 1/2 cup milk

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 Tbsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350F.  Spray mini muffin tin with nonstick spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and nutmeg.  Set aside.  In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar.  Add the egg and stir for about 1 minute.  Add the egg yolk, vanilla, pumpkin puree, and milk.  Slowly pour wet ingredients into the dry.  Stir together until just combined – do NOT overmix.

Using a small spoon, spoon the batter into the muffin tins, about 2/3 way full.  For ease, I used a small spoon sprayed with nonstick spray so that the batter easily fell off the spoon into the tin without using my fingers.

Bake for 12-13 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  While the muffins are cooling, make the coating.  Combine the sugar and cinnamon a small dish.  In a separate small dish, melt the butter. Once the muffins are relatively cool, dip into the melted butter and then into the cinnamon sugar.

Tarte Fine Aux Pommes (Apple-Puff Pastry Galette)

I haven’t baked anything in such a long time. Dare I say, in over a month! I’ve got to stop being so neglectful of my oven, and skills, if I say so myself. Today I got the itch. Between the laundry and the homework, I gave in, and made this lovely apple galette.

Although  it’s not really a galette, Nigella refers to it by it’s French term, and as I know nothing of French language or food (officially anyway), I’ll describe as she does. Regardless of the name it’s called, this lovely pastry is the most amazing thing I’ve tasted all month. Well, last month, as this is September after all.

But I digress, this recipe speaks for itself.

 

* (edit) Side note: This would be great with some honey drizzled over it once it’s still warm and out of the oven. Apples, honey, this sounding familiar to anyone? It’s the traditional dessert for Rosh Hashanah. It’s an idea that my friend gave me, which  I thought I’d share with you in case some readers out there were wondering what to make next weekend*

 

Taken from Nigella Express

•  2 Large Granny Smith apples, or 3 smaller Fugi apples
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 (1 sheet) of a 17.2 oz package all-butter puff pastry, measuring 9 1/2 by 9 1/2 inches
• 2 tablespoons sugar, separated
• 1 tablespoon butter

Preheat over to 425 degrees.

Core the apples, cut them in half. Pour lemon juice into a wide shallow dish and fill it with some cold water. Immerse the apple halves in the lemony water; this will stop them turning brown.

Lay the sheet of puff pastry onto a large baking sheet, and either using the back of a large carving knife, or a steel ruler, mark a 1/2 inch border all the way around the edge of the pastry. You need to score the lines on the pastry rather than cutting all the way down and through it. This will allow the frame to rise above the apple filling.

Pat the apples dry and cut each half into quarters, then slice each as thinly as you can muster.

Sprinkle 1 tbsp of sugar over the base. Working from the inside edge, place the apple slices closely overlapping within the border of the frame. Create neat lines of apple slices until the pastry is covered.

Heat the butter with the remaining tablespoon of sugar in a small pan, and let both bubble for a few minutes, until a light caramel color appears. Dribble and drizzle this syrup over the apples and put tart in the oven.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, by which time the puff pastry should have risen with a nice border, and the fruit will be soft and slightly colored. If the apples have given off a juice, go ahead and let the pastry sit for 5 minutes.

Serves about 6-8

Peanut Butter & Banana Tiramisu

I was walking around the kitchen today and I noticed some very sad looking bananas. You know the type, all brown, sloppy looking, with a very ripe smell that suggests “mash me”.  I’ve made pudding with bananas before, bread and muffins as well, and I wanted to try something different. Also, I wanted to finish the jar of peanut butter that’s been looking at me from the corner.

So I decided to attempt this concoction. And it was amazing!

• 2 very ripe bananas
• 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup peanut butter
• amaretti cookies, roughly 12
• 3 tbsp amaretto liquor
• instant espresso (not coffee make sure it’s espresso), 2-3 tbsp, to taste
• 1/4 cup hot water
• cocoa powder, for dusting

Add the bananas to the bowl of a stand mixer. Add in the peanut butter and heavy cream, and whip up till stiff, about 3 minutes on medium speed.

To make the espresso necessary, simply add the amount of instant espresso that’s to your taste, the stronger the better, here, and pour hot water over. You don’t need a lot here, just about 3 tbsp.

Crumble two cookies per each bowl/ serving (I used a pint jar, 3 total).  Pour a tablespoon of amaretto liquor into each jar, over the cookies. It’s okay if it doesn’t soak in perfectly, or if it’s sitting on the bottom, that doesn’t matter. Add a layer of banana-peanut butter-cream, crumble 1 1/2 -2 cookies on top of that per serving.

Pour a tablespoon of espresso over the latest layer of cookie. Follow by the final layer of cream. Sprinkle cocoa powder on top and chill for up to 3 hours.

I covered mine up with the jar lids to compress everything together.