Brownie-Chunk-Vanilla-Mint Ice Cream

At work we always have these extra brownie scraps that we either sample or end up throwing out.  For months now I've been wanting to make this ice cream using the scraps, but by the time I get home it seems that all of my friends or family have eaten all of them.  I have to admit I am to blame for a small portion that manages to "disappear".  This time I vowed to use the scraps for ice cream that I wanted to make by adapting this recipe by David Lebovitz.

Makes about 1 Quart 

Ingredients:

2 cups (80 grams) fresh mint leaves (washed)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 cups heavy whipping cream

2 cups whole milk

1 vanilla bean pod

pinch of salt

5 egg yolks

1 1/2 cups soft brownie chunks (SLIGHTLY under-baked is better)

1) In a large saucepan combine the mint leaves, sugar, 1 cup of the cream, milk, vanilla bean pod (first slice it down the middle and scrape the seeds.  Add the emptied pod along with the beans) and the pinch of salt. 

2) Bring the mixture to a boil then immediately remove from the heat, cover with a lid, and allow it to steep for an hour.  This is when I watched Game of Thrones ;-)

3) Strain out the mint leaves and vanilla bean pod into a bowl and make sure to squeeze out all the liquid before discarding them.  Return the mixture to the saucepan and warm it up.  Meanwhile put the egg yolks into a medium bowl.

4) Temper the yolks by adding some of the hot liquid to it while constantly stirring.  Then add the yolks to the saucepan and whisk constantly until it begins to thicken.  Strain (to make sure no scrambled eggs are in it) into a bowl containing the last cup of cream and place in an ice bath.  Stir constantly to cool.  Allow to cool completely.  I chilled mine overnight before spinning in the machine because this created a creamier ice cream.  

5) Spin in the machine according the the manufacturers directions.  

6) Put some brownie chunks into the container you are going to store the ice cream in then add some ice cream and then add more chunks.  Keep doing this until all of the ice cream is in the container and the brownies are throughout the mixture. Serve immediately or store in the freezer (duh) until ready to consume!  Enjoy!

Kimchi Pancake

Kimchi has become extremely popular recently and has been appearing on restaurant menus in very interesting ways ranging from kimchi tacos to kimchi on hot dogs.  So what is kimchi?  It's a Korean dish consisting of fermented cabbage or other fermented vegetables.  Sounds yummy right ;-)  It's actually really delicious and can be used to make this amazing dish I first tried while in China.  It's a Kimchi pancake!!  This makes a great spicy, salty, crunchy appetizer.

Serves 5 people as an appetizer
Ingredients:
1 cup Kimchi cut into thin strips
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup kimchi liquid (from the jar of kimchi)
pinch salt
1 egg

1) Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix until everything is well incorporated.
2) Heat a large skillet with a 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil.  Add the kimchi mixture and spread it out evenly into one giant pancake.  Cook over medium heat and flip after 3-4 minutes (when it begins to brown).  Cook another 3-4 minutes or until both sides are browned and the center is cooked.  You may have to lower to heat to ensure the inside cooks but the outside doesn't burn.
3) Remove from heat, cut slices and serve immediately.

Steak Sandwich and a Reflection on Leftovers

When I came home from work yesterday, I opened the door and suddenly the unmistakable scent of burning charcoal came drifting towards me.  I followed the scent and found my parents in the front yard grilling up some some steaks and vegetables for dinner.  After a hearty meal complete with some delicious red wine, there was still some steak that remained uneaten. Leftovers are an opportunity to make a completely different dish the next day and still enjoy the deliciousness from the day before.  I love leftovers, and today I decided to make a steak sandwich.  After throwing this into the oven at work for 10 minutes it'll be delicious, crunchy, gooey, chewy goodness.  Really you can make whatever sandwich you want with as much of each ingredient as you want, but this is what I made.

Pan-fried Quinoa Balls

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is an ancient grain that is amazingly versatile and very delicious.  It is gluten-free and rich with protein and also has a fair amount of the essential amino acids.  You can eat it hot or cold, and it can be mixed with just about anything.  Make sure you always rinse your quinoa before cooking otherwise it was have a very bitter taste to it (due to a coating of bitter saponins). Tonight I decided to make it into balls stuffed with cheese and pan-fried.  The result was delicious and also healthy.

Vanilla-Lemongrass Infused Simple Syrup

Basic simple syrup is one of the easiest things in the world to make.   It is a combination of sugar and water (usually in a 1:1 ratio) that allows you to sweeten things without having to worry about trying to dissolve the sugar.   It is a great way to add flavor to drinks especially if you infuse it with other flavors.  Today I decided to make Vanilla-Lemongrass simple syrup.  It has a fruity/floral scent that adds that extra pop of flavor to whatever you choose to use it on.  

Roasted Beet Salad

This salad is quick and actually very pretty.   I don't think there are many things more beautiful than the inside of a roasted beet.  Seriously, take a moment to appreciate it the next time you find yourself roasting a beet.  That's reason enough for me to make this dish again.

Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
2 large beets, washed to remove any dirt
1 cup red wine vinegar
olive oil, salt and pepper
1 red onion, sliced
1/3 cup feta cheese plus more for crumbling on top
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
1 Tablespoon torn mint
more red wine vinegar (to taste)

1) Preheat your oven to 375 F.  Place the washed beets into a loaf pan and drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper, and then add the red wine vinegar so that there is about an inch of liquid in the pan.  Cover and seal with aluminum foil and put it in the oven for 40-50 minutes or until the beets are easily pierced with a paring knife.
2) Remove the beets from the oven and allow to cool completely or enough for you to handle them.  Meanwhile, place the red onions in some red wine vinegar or lemon juice for 15 minutes to remove the bitterness from them and then rinse them off.   If you want to save vinegar you can just soak them in ice water instead, but the vinegar gives the onions a nice flavor.
3) Wearing gloves, take some paper towels and rub the skin off of the beets.  Then cut them into cubes and place in a large bowl.
4) Add the torn mint, pine nuts, a drizzle of olive oil, crumbled feta, some of the cooking liquid, fresh red wine vinegar (to taste) salt and pepper.

5) Put into serving bowls and top with some more crumbled feta and mint.  Enjoy!

*I used mentuccia which is a wild mint plant because it grows in our yard but you can just use fresh mint leaves.

Flourless Molten Chocolate Cake (Good for Passover)

I wanted to make a Passover dessert that wouldn't taste like cardboard.  After looking through a lot of molten chocolate cake recipes, I came up with this one.  It is so so so easy to make and a definite crowd pleaser.