Croque Madame with Spinach and Smoked Salmon

Since I started blogging, I've started actually reading some of the entries by food bloggers instead of just scrolling down in a hurry to read the recipes. Some of them are truly very creative and inspirational cooks, some of them I feel like I could be best friends with, but others I have found repeat recipes they have encountered elsewhere on Internet without citing the original source. I was honestly flabbergasted when I read an entry by a blogger that I thought was great, but did exactly that. "I found this recipe on all recipes and it had over 3000 likes. I tried it and it was amazing"... And this is followed by a recipe titled "My Chocolate Chip Cookies". That's extremely selfish… And that's plagiarism! 

I have made a point on the blog to site the original source even if I slightly modified a recipe. That person should get the credit! And it really irks me that someone would take credit for something that is not theirs. What does it hurt to give that person a pat on the back and say, great job! I recognize you and you inspired me ! Definitely the fourth-grade teacher in me talking, lol. It's one of those lessons that I work really hard to instill in my students and then of course when I see it in the adult world it makes me kind of crazy. 

So, here's a recipe that I definitely found on the Internet and I definitely followed step-by-step. Their picture is a way more glamorous than mine, so kudos to you blogger! It's a very simple, traditional French sandwich, basically a super fancy and impressive grilled cheese. As you can see from the background of this picture, I really didn't have a ton of time to be cooking and staging a photo so this was the perfect quick and delicious meal. I've been overwhelmed lately with Christmas preparations! 

Anyway, follow the link below to make this unbelievably delicious sandwich. And maybe while you're at it, leave a comment for the author telling them how amazing they are :-)

http://drizzleanddip.com/2015/08/14/croque-madame-with-spinach-and-smoked-salmon

Cranberry Orange Cupcakes with Candied Orange Peel

The Happy Friday!! I can't believe I've made it to Christmas break. Much needed rest, relaxation, and simply hanging out! Perks of being a teacher!

I'm in a really good place right now. I've settled nicely into my new job and really, really like the people I work with. Good people, you know what I mean? The kids are great and we have fun learning everyday. I am happy in my new home with my other half and our canine other half. Just lots of love all around. Not to mention my love for Ugly Sweater Day at work, which was the perfect excuse to wear my favorite purchase from China.

And what better to celebrate love with than cupcakes?! At school this week, as part of a holiday celebration, people bring goodies each day. For my day, I knew I needed to seize the opportunity to BAKE. There were two cupcakes that had been working on my mind lately (this is what I think about WAY MORE THAN ANYONE SHOULD) and it was awesome to finally have the excuse to bring them to fruition.

The first was the well realized cranberry orange cupcake. It really turned out to be quite an elegant cupcake and I was definitely feeling proud of myself. The second was a new technique I have not tried yet, a chocolate peanut butter cupcake dipped in chocolate. I'll need to buy a new piping tip for this one before I unveil it, as they were not as pretty as my perfectionist self would have liked. Very very tasty however!

My apologies for the strange amounts - I needed to make smaller batches so I could be overly ambitious and make different  cupcakes on the same night... Not to mention complete them in time to go to the Bulls game!

Cranberry Orange Cupcake with Swiss  Merengue Buttercream

Makes 10 cupcakes

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup cake flour

1/3 tbsp Baking soda

1/3 tsp Salt

5 1/2 tbsp butter

1/2 and 2 tbsp Sugar

1 egg and 1 egg white

1 tsp Vanilla

1/3 + 1 tbsp Milk

1 cup cranberries, quartered

Zest of 1 orange

For the Swiss Merengue:

2 egg whites 

1/2 cup sugar

1 stick butter (room temperature)

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 (and more depending on your taste) of the Cranberry Orange Compote

Cranberry Orange Compote 

2 cups cranberries

1 tsp basalmic vinegar

Juice of 2 oranges

1/4 cup sugar 

Preheat the oven to 375°F. 

Line 10 cupcakes tins with liners.

First, combine 3 cups of cranberries, the juice of 2 oranges ( zest this orange and use for it in the batter) basalmic vinegar, and 1/4 cup sugar. Cook down until fruit has broken and is really cooked down. about 20 minutes. 

In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until fully incorporated, light and fluffy, about two minutes. At the eggs one at a time and a corporate fully, about four more minutes. Add vanilla.Add the dry ingredients, alternating with the wet. Add in the grated zest of 1 Orange

Fold in the fresh cranberries. Fill cupcake liners about two thirds of the way full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare the Swiss meringue buttercream. Heat the egg white  and sugar in a double boiler our hot water, whisking. This make sure he needs to reach about 160°F, or just before it begins to boil.

Transfer the mixture once it reaches the correct temperature into a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Beat on high for at least 10 minutes. After the mixer has cooled, continue beating on low as you add the butter tablespoon by tablespoon. Once the butter is fully incorporated, add in the cranberry orange compote and vanilla. Whisk to combine. Frost your cakes, top with candied orange peel (below), and voilà!

Candied Orange Peel

Serves 10

One orange (I took the peel from one of the oranges that I later juiced for the compote above)

3 cups sugar

1 cup water

First, cut the peel off the orange. Cut into thin 1/8 inch slices.

Combine 1 cup of the sugar and one cup of water into a sauce pan. Heat over medium heat until simmering. Reduce heat to low and add in the orange peel. Simmer on low for 45 to 60 minutes or until the orange peel is translucent. I did mine for the full 60 minutes.

Drain from the syrup and toss in a bowl of sugar. Make sure each piece has separated from the next and is covered in sugar. Let sit for about 15 minutes. Save that syrup to make your own orange soda!

Turkish Pide

Let me just preface this post by saying that what you are about to see is RIDICULOUSLY delicious!! Unless you are well versed in your Eastern Europe/ southwestern Asian cuisine, you might not have heard of pide. Instead of pitying you, I will show you the following picture and guide you to enlightenment.

It's basically a lamb flatbread, but with the right veggies and seasonings is simply fabulous. For me, it brings back memories of Istanbul, drinking raki on a rooftop bar in Taksim, enjoying time with my students in Sirinevler, or scouring the Egyptian Bazaar for fascinating finds. Istanbul was such a fun stint in my teaching-English days, and the wonderful thing about making this dish is that it brings back all the memories. 

This is a traditional food, found pretty much on every corner in Turkey. I used the dough recipie below. I rolled it out thin to make 4 long boat shaped pide. 

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/20171/quick-and-easy-pizza-crust/

Turkish Pide

Serves 4

1 lb ground lamb

1 small yellow onion

1 can diced tomatoes 

3 cloves garlic, diced

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 tbsp basalmic vinegar 

2 tbsp of chopped parsley

2 tbsp of chopped mint

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 tsp cayenne

Salt and pepper

Parmesan (if desired)

First, finely chop the onion. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add a tbsp of olive oil to the pan with the onions and sauté for about 5-7 minutes. Add in the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Drain the can of tomatoes of the juices and add to the pan, along with the wine and basalmic vinegar. Cook these down until all liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat about allow to cool. 

Meanwhile. Prepare the dough recipe above.

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Prepare the rest of the filling. Combine the ground lamb, herbs, and spices. When cooled, add in the tomatoe mixture. Layer the filling over the dough and fold in the edges. Brush sides with olive oil. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. 

Top with Parmesan (if desired) and enjoy!