Apple Pie Soufflé

We had four apples that were looking pretty sad and needed to be used ASAP.

They look ok here, but were starting to get mushy.

I found this cool recipe in the paper a few months ago for a carrot soufflé, which turned out awesome. At the time, I thought it would pretty much work with any flavoring in place of the carrot; the recipe simply calls for pureeing cooked carrots to give it the carrot flavor. I think asparagus, cheese, roasted peppers, artichokes or corn would all be good substitutes for the carrot. So today, as I was brainstorming how to use up those sad apples, I thought of the souffle recipe. Enter: apple pie soufflé.

I started by peeling two of the apples, then chopping into pieces.

Then I pureed them in my mini food processor with a bit of milk to make them a soft puree texture.

Then I just followed the recipe, of course with my own additions here and there.

Here's the recipe (which is cut in half from the original):

1 cup cooked carrots (or whatever flavor you're going for)

1.5 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 cup + 1/8 cup  milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon honey

2 eggs, beaten

1/8 cup butter, melted

So obviously I used the pureed apples in place of the carrots here. I also added some pumpkin pie spice, molasses in place of the honey, cinnamon and cardamom.

Then I baked the whole thing at 400 in a greased casserole dish for about 45 minutes, until a knife inserted in the middle came out clean.

Et voila! Apple pie soufflé! Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Cinco de Mayo

I made a lovely, delectable feast for Cinco de Mayo. 'Cuz, you know, we white people take any excuse to celebrate a holiday involving foreign cuisine and traditions. Ole!
It included taco salads: sauteed vegetables and pinto beans over romaine lettuce, topped with salsa, avocado and sour cream for me. With a tortilla on the side, it was really delicious. Unfortunately, I have two pictures of the cuisine prepared that night. The first may explain to you why this occurred:

After *cough, cough, ahem* three of these, the only picture I remembered to take was the flan after coming out of the oven--here it is cooling before I inverted it.
This was my first venture at making homemade flan, and I gotta say, it turned out awesome. The recipe was really simple; it was mostly inactive time.

This flan kicked burro. I certainly did not eat almost half of this container. Nope. That is not something I would do after three margaritas.
*burp*

Here is the recipe, in case anyone's still reading. I don't even think my mom reads anymore. But just in case, Hi Mom!

Caramel Flan
Recipe courtesy of Eagle Brand
3/4 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 3/4 cups water
1 14 oz. can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (mine actually came from Mexico!)
1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350°. In heavy skillet over medium-low heat, cook sugar, stirring constantly until melted and caramel colored. Pour into 9-inch round dish or baking pan, tilting to coat bottom thoroughly (you want to do this quickly, as the sugar starts to harden right away).
In a medium bowl, beat eggs; stir in water, condensed milk, vanilla and salt. Pour over caramelized sugar. Set dish in larger cooking vessel and fill larger pan with 1 inch of water. (This is what's known as a water bath. I know you're thrilled by this knowledge. We here at ChezVCK are here to inform.)
Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until center is just set (mixture will still jiggle). (I found this took more like 70 minutes.) Move smaller dish to wire rack, cool for one hour. (You better believe I stuck this in the freezer to cool so I could eat it sooner.)
To unmold, run a knife around edge and invert onto serving platter. Proclaim Ole!

Creme Brulee

I didn't have much experience with creme brulee until I visited Peohe's in Coronado (across the bay from San Diego) with my grandmother this summer. In fact, I don't recall ever tasting creme brulee until she ordered one for the table. (This is my soon-to-be 86-year-old grandmother who is diabetic. She has to have "a bite" of everything that's on the table. Apparently this is a genetic trait. I am the exact same way, as is my mother. I just want a taste of whatever's around.)

Anyhoo, Gramma ordered the macadamia nut creme brulee, and I promptly fell in love with this simple yet incredibly tasty dessert. I've been craving it ever since, and though I've had it at restaurants, I have read that it is incredibly easy to make at home. It is a bit time-consuming, but it's not hard.

I got the recipe from my classic cookbook, Better Homes and Gardens, 75th Anniversary Addition. Yes, I used a recipe for this. It's not something you can wily-nilly throw together.

I don't have small ramekins, so I used my two individual ceramic baking dishes. They worked just fine.

Here is the cream after being cooked. I refrigerated overnight to make sure it was chilled enough to go under the broiler.


Can you spot the flecks of real vanilla bean?

Close-up after going under the broiler for about 8-10 minutes. Some of the sugar got a little blackened, but that's ok. Most of it turned out hard and caramelized, the way creme brulee topping is supposed to be.


And the finished product! I was worried the custard would melt under the broiler, but it did beautifully. I moved my oven rack to the very top position, so they would be directly under the broiler. Then I cracked the oven door and literally watched the sugar until it was done. As you can see, it is a very thin margin of time between golden and beautiful and scrumptious, and blackened and burned and bitterly yucky.



This was my first shot at this dessert, and it turned out great! I'll definitely be doing it again, but next time attempting chocolate!

Here is the recipe:
2 cups half-and-half or light cream (I used whipping cream)
5 slightly beaten egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla (I used a whole vanilla bean)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 sugar

In a small heavy saucepan, heat cream over medium-low heat just until bubbly. Remove from heat; set aside.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine egg yolks, the 1/3 cup sugar, vanilla and salt. Beat with a wire whisk until just combined. Temper the egg mixture by slowly beating a small amount of cream into egg mixture. Continue until all cream has been incorporated.

Place into ramekins or ceramic vessels, diving custard mixture evenly among them, into a cookied sheet or baking dish. Place dish onto oven rack. Pour enough boiling water into dish to reach halfway up the sides of cooking vessels. Bake in a 325 oven for 30 to 40 mintues or until a knife near the center of each custard comes out clean. Remove dishes from water; coll on a wire rack. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour or for up to 8 hours. (I chilled overnight.)

Here is where I deviated from the main recipe. It says to carmelize the sugar in a saucepan, the pour over custards. This is the boring method. Instead I sprinked sugar over the entire top of the custards, making a thin layer. Then I did the aforementioned broiler step, watching those suckers the whole time.

This was a freakin' awesome dessert, albeit one made rarely. Don't be afraid; go for it!

Egg and Proscuitto sandwich

I live close enough to work that I can come home on my lunch breaks when I have hour-long lunches. Here is something I whipped up for a simple, quick yet utterly scrumptious lunch. I tried to get some protein in since I don't always get enough, and these are the ingredients we had on-hand.


I lightly toasted some artisan bread from Trader Joe's and spread mashed avocado on each side. Then I put a layer of baby spinach leaves over that. Meanwhile, I was sauteeing a few mushrooms in a pan, and then I crisped up a slice of proscuitto. Normally I don't really do the cured meats thing because the texture of the chewy fat grinding against my teeth makes me want to retch. Blech! But when you put the proscuitto in a hot pan for about 2 minutes, it shrivels up (which is really cool to watch! Ok, ok, I know. I am not normal. Oh well) and gets crunchy, thereby removing the nasty-fat-teeth-grinding-retching equation and instead contributing a lovely, crispy light meat flavor to my sandwich. To go on top, I cooked up an egg to over-medium, since I love cutting into the egg and having the yolk run all over everything. I like to sop it up with the bread.

This lunch was awesome!

Hmm, I use that adjective a lot. Perhaps I should branch out. Here are some options: magical, stupendous, marvelous, incomprehensible, inconceivable, incredible, unbelievable, unimaginable, unthinkable; extraordinary, phenomenal, rare, sensational, spectacular; singular, uncommon, unique, unusual, unwonted; conspicuous, notable, noticeable, outstanding, remarkable; impressive, striking; animating, energizing, enlightening, enlivening, exciting, galvanizing, invigorating, stimulating; alluring, attracting, attractive, beguiling, bewitching, captivating, charming, enchanting, entertaining, enthralling, fascinating, interesting

I think I'm set for a while.

VcMuffin

So here we have a VCK version of a McMuffin--a VcMuffin, if you will. And you should. Because McDonald's is evil. Really, I haven't eaten there in a very, very long time. Like, years. Since I don't eat meat, none of the burgers appeal to me. I didn't even really like the French fries, since I worked at Dairy Queen for two years, and DQ's fries were far superior. Plus, oftentimes they were free. Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating for one fast food joint over another.* It's just that I was in the kitchen at the DQ and knew, at least, where my frozen French fries had been before I ate them.

I'm not a proponent of any fast food. I think it's a once-in-a-while indulgence (I mean, I get a mean Taco Bell craving when I'm...how shall we say?...inebriated). But I think a lot of Americans look to fast food as a quick-fix to the "I'm hungry" scenario and never really think about what's going into their bodies. There's really nothing wrong with a beef hamburger with a nice, thick slice of (real) cheese on top on a whole wheat bun every once in a while. But when there's a day's worth of sodium, cholesterol, trans fat, sugar (really? In a burger?) and other countless bad things in a single item of food, well, I don't care who you are, you know it's bad for you.

That's why I try to make homemade meals for me and Cookie Monster every day. I think the body is so important and so many people take it for granted. Am I perfect? God no! Do I try to give my body the things it needs to thrive for years and years to come? Yes.

So anyway, this long and drawn-out tirade is simply a way to introduce the breakfast sandwich I made for Cookie Monster a few days ago. I used a sort of Egg in the Hole recipe, which basically entails cutting a hole in a piece of bread, toasting it in a pan, and then cooking an egg in the hole while the other side toasts. Simple.

I used a mini whole wheat bagel as my bread vessel (which, conveniently already has a hole in the middle! Thank you, inventor of bagels, you lovely, wonderful Polish Jews!). I toasted one side of the bagel in a skillet with a little Earth Balance. Then I cracked the egg and put it in the middle of the other side of the bagel. I melted some white cheddar cheese on top of the cooking egg, and then got really excited when I remembered we had some proscuitto in the fridge. Yes, I am amused and titillated by small things. So sue me.

Now, since I'm a half-assed vegetarian, proscuitto oftentimes turns me off. The fat develops a chewiness that I absolutely loathe about meat. But, when you put proscuitto in a hot pan for about 10 seconds, it makes a great sizzling noise, shrinks down to half its size and, best of all, gets crunchy, like bacon, thereby taking the yucky fatty chewiness out of the equation. So, that's what I did. Nevermind that I was making this VcMuffin for Cookie Monster, not me. Oh well. Sometimes I project my food weirdness onto him. He didn't mind. He got a warm breakfast.



So, the moral of the story is, after one of my longest posts to date about a freakin' breakfast sandwich: Well, I'm not quite sure. I guess it's: Don't eat fast food. It's really, really bad for you. And have breakfast. It doesn't have to be anything fancy (but it can't be a Krispy Kreme either). And read ChezVCK regularly.

*Ok, so the one fast food restaurant I will defend is the best fast food chain in the world: In 'N Out Burger. I will defend them for this reason: there is nothing that comes out of the freezer in this restaurant. Everything is fresh and made on the premises. You don't see any Sysco trucks delivering anything at this place. I mean, you can watch the employees stick a whole potato into a device, and then, magically, you have the makings for French fries! I defy any McDonald's, Burger King, Jack in the Crack or any such ilk to do the same! And I'm advocating for a fast food joint, and I don't even eat their meat! I eat their grilled cheese, which is the burger with everything except the burger! Yes, I'm aware that I'm strange. Let's move on. Sadly, I do not live anywhere near an In 'N Out, so I have to drool at their website occasionally. There's no shame in having pity on me. I'll let you.

Frittata/Tortilla

This is a frittata that's reminiscent of a Spanish tortilla. There is a layer of thinly sliced potatoes on the bottom, which I cooked whole in the microwave first, then sliced. I added them to crisp up in the skillet with olive oil, onions and garlic (and of course, S&P). I then added roasted red peppers and chopped artichoke hearts, as well as some goat cheese. I beat up 5 eggs and dumped it into the pan until it was just set. I finished it in a 400 degree oven at until the middle was no longer runny. I served it with steamed whole artichokes, which, along with steamed gren beans, are my favorite vegetable. I love artichokes!


This was pretty low-maintenance and was really tasty! Cookie Monster gave it two thumbs up.


Chez VCK's Spanish Tortilla-Inspired Frittata

Wash one medium red potato, poke holes and microwave 'til almost done, about 2 minutes. Slice potato into discs, then saute in pan with olive oil, onions, garlic and S&P. When onions are soft, arrange potatoes into a single layer on the bottom of the pan. Add chopped roasted red peppers, chopped artichoke hearts and goat cheese to the pan. Cover all vegetables with 5-6 beaten eggs. Cook over medium heat 'til just set. Finish in a 400 degree oven 'til middle is no longer runny, about 10 minutes or so.
Devour. Exclaim what a great cook you are. Ask dining companion for confirmation of this fact.