The Good Life: May 2013

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Black and White Cheesecake Squares

I had to try Myung In dumplings after I saw Anthony Bourdain's koreatown show. We met up with some friends and chowed down!

Spending lazy afternoons doing puzzles and riding the scooter around the neighborhood. Now we just need to teach her how to ride a bike.

We also went to Balboa Island to walk around on Sunday.

balboa bar with toffee almond

I ripped this page out of a Martha Stewart magazine long, long time ago (I think an '09 issue) but never got around to make it. It got great reviews from everyone who tried it.

Martha Stewart Living

Yield Makes 24

ingredients

Vegetable oil, cooking spray
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 ounces (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

cheescake mixture

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Line dish with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on both long sides, then spray parchment.
Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Cream butter and granulated sugar with a mixer until smooth. Add 2 eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla, and beat until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture. Increase speed to medium; beat until incorporated.
Reserve 1 cup of dough; cover, and refrigerate. Press remaining dough into bottom of prepared dish. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Bake until base is set and edges are puffed, about 25 minutes. Let cool in dish on a wire rack.
Mix cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and remaining egg and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in a medium bowl. Spread over cooled base; crumble reserved dough on top. Bake until filling is set, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in dish on wire rack, then lift out using overhang. Cut into 24 squares.

*I did not fridge the dough for 30 minutes. I just threw it in the oven.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Fire Chicken!

Who doesn't love donuts?!

I made kimbap for dinner one night

ready to be planted outside

A started piano lessons this week

kimchi quesadilla for snack

Mother's Day brunch at Blu Jam Cafe

Last night I tried to make bool dak (korean spicy fire chicken) for dinner

cabbage, onions, perilla leaves, korean peppers, carrots, and korean sweet potatoes

It was quite spicy,I also added rice ovalettes to the mix.

Next time I will add more sugar, ginger & perilla leaves.

sauce

2 T gochujang

1 T sesame oil

1 T sugar

1 1/2 T red korean pepper flakes

2 T mirin

1 T soysauce

1/2 t ginger grated

6 garlic cloves minced

1 pound of chicken (thighs)

1 1/2 cup cabbage

1 medium onion sliced

1 small korean sweet potato sliced

1 small carrot sliced

3 green onions cut

1 bunch of perilla leaves cut

1 cup rice ovalettes

Make the sauce in one bowl. Chop the chicken into cubes or slices and put it into another bowl. Add a spoon of the sauce and mix in with the chicken. Set aside.

Start chopping all the veggies. Set aside.

Add 2 T of oil to a pan (big enough to cook all the veggies and chicken in) and add the chicken. After a few minutes, add all the veggies, rice ovalettes and the rest of the sauce. Cook until the chicken is done and you can poke a fork smoothly through the sweet potato.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Is it only Thursday?!

It's been a long week in my house. A has a stomach bug again. She's been home all week. My new best friend has become the washing machine. A is in a much better mood today which I am so thankful for.

Some things that happened before the stomach bug hit my house. Made french toast from ATK book. They were ok. The flavor was good, but the bread didn't soak up the liquid enough. Possibly because of the flour the recipe called for? Guess they weren't too bad since they disappeared before I could take a picture of the final product.