Brownie Pudding

An underdone brownie.  Words cannot describe.

If you secretly take your brownies out a weee-bit early every time just so that oops you need a spoon to eat the center piece, then we are soul mates.

And as your soul mate, I share with you today… Brownie Pudding.

Brownie Pudding, when baked properly, has a brownie top with gooey bottom.  That’s right, we can bring our dark-closet secret of intentionally under-cooking brownies out into the glorious, mainstream light with a brownie that is supposed to be so gooey you can’t even cut it.  It’s supposed to be eaten with a spoon.  It’s supposed to be baking in your oven right now.

This recipe came from one of my favorite Chefs Ina Garten. When I watched an episode of Barefoot Contessa...I couldn't stop salivating.

Ingredients:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus extra for buttering the dish
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup good cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean
1 tablespoon Bailey's Liquor, optional

Directions:

Preheat the oven to  325° . Lightly butter a 2-quart (9 by 12 by 2-inch) oval baking dish. Melt the 1/2 pound of butter and set aside to cool.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed for 5 to 10 minutes, until very thick and light yellow. Meanwhile, sift the cocoa powder and flour together and set aside.

When the egg and sugar mixture is ready, reduce the speed to low and add the vanilla seeds, Bailey's, if using, and the cocoa powder and flour mixture. Mix only until combined. With mixer still on low, slowly pour in the cooled butter and mix again just until combined.

Pour the brownie mixture into the prepared dish and place it in a larger baking pan. Add enough of the hottest tap water to the pan to come halfway up the side of the dish and bake for exactly 1 hour. A cake tester inserted 2 inches from the side will come out 3/4 clean. The center will appear very under-baked; this dessert is between a brownie and a pudding.

Allow to cool and serve with vanilla ice cream.

 

 

 

 

 

 

{Get Your Chocolate Fix On}

Gooey-Chocolatey-Warm-Goodness!

 

Enjoy!

 

Happy Eating!

Parmesan Garlic Bread

Let’s face it: there are some things in life that just make life better.

Like that new movie you've been waiting to come out, a fresh glass of lemonade, pumpkin spice lattes (my personal favorite) or the sound of baby’s laugh.

Is spaghetti with meat sauce really spaghetti without some tasty garlic bread?  Is chowder truly enjoyable without a slice or two of crunchy garlic bread to help sop up the sauce?

Not in my book, it isn’t.

 You can probably imagine we eat a lot of garlic bread in our home.  ‘Cuz we eat a lot of everything in our home — and garlic bread just makes it better.

 

Plus, delicious, homemade garlic bread is incredibly easy to make.  Trust me, I’ve made my fair share of the stuff.   This recipe makes golden and crunchy garlic bread with a slightly chewy and delicate center.  Oh — and the combination of the garlic, parmesan, butter and parsley is so yummy.

 

Use this homemade garlic bread to compliment your next meal, whether it’s pasta, salad, chowder, soup or even to use as the bread for a sandwich. (totally delicious)  You can also cut it up and make into croutons.  So many options!

Homemade Garlic Bread

6 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 loaf fresh bread (ciabatta, french, baguette, sourdough), cut lengthwise
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated (plus more to sprinkle on top if desired)

Directions

Preheat your oven broiler on the Low setting.

In a small mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients except for the bread to make a paste/spread (you can also use a food processor if you’d prefer).  Using a flat knife or spoon, spread the butter mixture evenly over the non-crusted portion of the bread. Sprinkle with additional grated parmesan if desired.

Set both sides of the bread, spread-side up, on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and place in the center of the oven under the broiler until the butter is melted and the top starts to becomes golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. Take care to pay attention to the bread so it does not burn — it can cook quickly under the broiler.

Once golden, remove from the broiler and set on a cutting board. Allow to cool for 2-3 minutes in order to handle. Using a serrated bread knife, cut the bread into portions and serve.

Glazed Meatloaf

Meatloaf is classic American comfort food that is enjoying a revival. When I ask people whether they like meatloaf I get mixed reactions. Some people nod and smile, some scowl and make faces. So far, everyone has loved this modern version. It’s not your mother’s meatloaf. I wanted an updated version of what my mom made.  That’s how this recipe came to be. It’s a moist, modern meatloaf that works for dinner one night, then sandwiches the next day.

Ingredients:
1 lb 93 % Lean Ground Beef, Room Temperature
1 lb of Ground Pork, Room Temperature
1 Packet of Beefy Onion Soup Mix
1/3 Cup of Ketchup
2 Eggs, Beaten
1/4-1/2 Cup of Panko Bread Crumbs
Glaze:
1 Cup of Ketchup
1/4 Cup of Brown Sugar
1/8 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
1 Teaspoon of Parsley

Mashed Potatoes:
1 Pound of Yukon Golds
1 Stick of Butter, Sliced
1 Teaspoon of Parsley
1/2 Cup of Heavy Cream
1/2 Cup of Half & Half
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Preheat the oven to 350°

In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef & ground pork. Add the remaining ingredients, mix well. Shape into loaf and place in a shallow baking pan. Bake for 1 hour. Allow to cool 10 minutes before slicing.

For the Potatoes- Place potatoes into a large pot. Add water until potatoes are covered. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, 8-12 minutes, or until done - a fork can easily be poked through them.

Warm cream and half & half, either in microwave or in a pot on the stove. Drain water from potatoes. Add the cream mixture and butter. Use potato masher or wisk to whip/mash potatoes until desired consistency.  Add more cream/half & half to thin out your potatoes. {If Desired} (Do not over-beat or your potatoes will get gluey.) Salt and pepper to taste.

 

Sticky Sweet Glaze, Juice Moist Meatloaf, and Fluffy Buttery Potatoes!

The Perfect Leftover {Yum!}

Enjoy!

Happy Eating!

 

Pho Tai - Vietnamese Soup

It was a miserably cold and windy day in Baltimore when I experienced my first bowl of pho. My husband and I were shopping for furniture when he saw a sign for Pho. I love Thai, Chinese and Japanese so I was game. I was hoping to eat something that would warm my bones. Entering into the restaurant I noticed that almost every table was full and more than half had ordered the soup. I sat down and looked that the menu only to decide that I also was going to try the soup. I finished it and discovered a new love. Pho and I were going to be friends forever!

If you've never had Pho, it’s a wonderfully delicate Vietnamese noodle soup, made from beef bones, ginger, onions and lots of aromatic spices. It’s nothing short of soup perfection. The way all the spices and flavors come together is incredible and the best part? You can customize; it’s encouraged that you add any and all the condiments you desire to make it your own.

The word for soup in Vietnamese is pho and there are many different varieties but the more popular was pho tai. It is a beef soup that is served with thinly sliced pieces of beef. Most restaurants serve it with the beef actually rare. The soup is very hot so once the rare meat is stirred in it cooks the beef. There are many garnishes that come alongside the pho. Along with the beef and rice noodles are bean sprouts, Thai basil, cilantro, lime wedges, Hoisin, and Sriracha.

Making your own fabulous bowl of Vietnamese pho soup at home is not hard, all you need is a straightforward recipe, a few secrets and a nice big stockpot.

We make this at least once a month, always making sure there is leftover broth to freeze for another day. While it takes a bit of time, most of that is hands-off, so let’s get going towards amazing pho at home, shall we?

Ingredients:

For the Broth

4 Pounds of Oxtails

2-3 Pounds of Beef Shank Bones

2 Medium Onions, quartered
4-in Piece of Fresh Ginger, halved lengthwise
2 Cinnamon Sticks
1 Tablespoon Coriander Seeds
1 Tablespoon Fennel Seeds
6 Star Anise

10 Whole Cloves
1 Cardamom Pod
1 Tablespoon of Kosher Salt

1/4 Cup of Fish Sauce

2 Tablespoons of Brown Sugar

To Serve
7 oz. Pho noodles re-hydrated in warm water (for 2-3 people)
1 Semi-Frozen Filet Mignon
Bean Sprouts
Cilantro, chopped

Green Onions, Thinly Sliced

Sweet Onions, Shaved
Jalapeno, Thinly Sliced

Thai basil
Lime Wedges
Hoisin
Sriracha

Directions:

Parboil Bones: Add beef bones to a large pot that will hold at least 10 quarts. Then, cover bones with cold water. Place pot onto high heat and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 to 5 minutes. During this time, impurities and foam (or scum) will be released and rise to the top.
Drain bones, discarding the water. Then, rinse bones with warm water and scrub stockpot to remove any residue that has stuck to the sides. Add the bones back to the stockpot and cover with 6 quarts of cold water.
Char Onion and Ginger: Move an oven rack to a high position then turn broiler to high. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Place quartered onions and halved ginger onto baking sheet then broil for 10 to 15 minutes, turning onions and ginger occasionally so that they become charred or browned on all sides.
Toast Spices: Add cinnamon sticks, cardamom seeds, fennel seeds, star anise, cloves and the black cardamom pod to a dry frying pan. Place onto low heat and cook, stirring occasionally until fragrant. About 5 minutes.
Place toasted spices into a cotton muslin bag/herb sachet or cheesecloth then tie with butchers twine to seal.
Simmer Broth: Bring stockpot with parboiled bones and water to a boil then lower to a gentle simmer. Add charred onion, ginger, the bag or sachet of toasted spices, salt, fish sauce and the brown sugar.
Continue to simmer broth for 3-5 hours. If at any time foam or scum rises to the surface, use a spoon to remove it.
Strain Broth: Use tongs or a wide mesh spoon to remove bones, onion and ginger from broth then strain broth through a fine mesh strainer.
Skim Fat: The broth will have a layer of fat at the the top. There are two ways to remove this. First, if you plan to enjoy the broth now, skim the fat from the top of the broth using a spoon. If you do not mind waiting, you can also pour broth into containers then refrigerate overnight. As the broth cools, the fat will solidify, making it very easy to remove.

Assembling Pho Soup Bowls

Heat Broth: Bring the broth to a boil.
Noodles: If you are using dried noodles follow package directions, set aside. Bring a medium saucepan filled with water to a boil. Place noodles into boiling water and cook for about 2 minutes. . Drain noodles then divide between bowls. (We like to fill each bowl by 1/3 with noodles).
Meat: The secret to cutting meat is to cut across the grain. You want your beef slices as thin as possible, and I always throw the whole chunk of meat in the freezer for 15 minutes to make it easier to slice thinly.

Fill Bowls: Now, arrange slices of raw meat into bowl. Then top with hot broth. Finish broth with onion slices and cilantro.

Simply Delish!

Happy Eating!