Happy Chinese New Year (Year of the Dragon)!

Happy Year of the Dragon! I'm sitting here bloated and full after celebrating Chinese New Year with some Kung Pao Chicken, white rice, and fresh salad. I've had an affinity for Chinese culture ever since kindergarten when I met one of my best friends--Sophie. She spent part of her child in France, the United States (where I met her), and returned to her roots in China. We spent the next 15 years writing letters and emails to keep in touch. After 12 years, we finally had a reunion (talk about a lasting friendship). She introduced me to Chinese food in 2nd grade (couldn't get enough of those fried doughnuts) and taught me how to wield chop sticks (as well as play it on the piano). Someday, I plan to take a tour of China with her. In the meantime, I'll have to deal with an Americanized recipe of Kung Pao Chicken. Sometime, I'll get her to give me her famous dumpling recipe (a dish every good Chinese person should know). 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of chicken
• 2 tablespoon of cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon of sesame oil (plus some)
• 3 tablespoons of chopped green onions
• 3 minced garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
• 4 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 4 teaspoons sugar
• 1/3 cup honey roasted planters peanuts and cashews
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped
• 1 medium squash, chopped
• 2 cups white rice
• butter
• 3 cups water

Directions:

(The rice takes approximately 20 minutes to make. You may want to start it before you start your chicken because the chicken doesn't take long.)

In case you've never made rice before...

• I use butoni rice. Measure about 2 cups of rice into a large pot. Add 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil for about 30 seconds. Then turn on low heat and cover (it is important you cover the rice, the steam plays a major role in cooking the rice completely). Let simmer for 20 minutes. Once the rice is done, I melt 2 tablespoons of butter and mix it into the rice.

1. Cut chicken into 1 inch pieces.
2. Place in bowl and mix with cornstarch. (Make sure the chicken is thoroughly covered).
3. Heat sesame oil on medium heat in a wok. It's important that you have enough sesame oil to cover the bottom of the wok. (You want your wok, or skillet, to be big enough to fit the amount of chicken, but not too big. If it's too big, the oil will be spread thinly over the surface of the wok and you won't get the fried texture. This happened to me, but it tastes wonderful either way. So don't stress if it does occur.)
4. Add chicken to the wok and fry until cooked all the way through.
5. While the chicken is frying, mix a small bowl with the green onions, garlic, pepper, and ginger. Then add these to the chicken. Let simmer for 15 seconds. Keep stirring, so it doesn't get stuck to the bottom.
6. Mix rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar in a small bowl. 
7. Cover the chicken with the sauce. Mix well.
8. Add peanuts. 
9. Add zucchini and squash slices. Cook on low heat for about 10 minutes.
10. Let simmer on low heat (stirring occasionally) until rice is complete.

Enjoy the Year of the Dragon with this recipe!

-Cara

Death by Chocolate

By now you've noted that I have a small (or huge) obsession with chocolate. I hear it's a common affliction, and one that will hopefully never be cured. I find justification in my guilty pleasure with studies that purport the antioxidants in dark chocolate have health benefits (benefits that I'm fairly sure would be null considering the rest of the ingredients). This is a recipe for chocolate soup that I pinterested. If your reaction is one of disgust and horror, then I'm not surprised. Either you are under the misconception that I added some carrots, peas, and zucchini to this chocolate mixture OR you are more health conscious than yours truly. I will admit that this isn't something I would ever make on a regular basis. It's incredibly rich but I console myself with the knowledge that I ran a good 30 minutes on the treadmill (while watching Martha Stewart...what can I say? Alyssa and I are ADDICTED). Without further ado, here's the recipe for chocolate soup.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of skim milk
• 1/3 cup of sweetened and condensed milk (buy the 5 oz can...not the 14 oz)
• 1 cup of half and half
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 cup of Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips (60%)
• 2 tbsp cornstarch (plus a little extra)
• 2 tbsp cold water
• Breyers ice cream
• Heath bar

Directions:

1. Heat skim milk, condensed milk, half and half, and vanilla in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Heat until almost boiling.
2. Decrease heat to low and add chocolate pieces. Whisk until the chocolate has completely melted. 5-6 minutes.
3. Mix together cornstarch and water in small bowl until it forms a sludgy consistency. Slowly pour into saucepan, while whisking.
4. Whisk well until it thickens. 7-9 minutes.
5. Pour into mugs or bowls.
6. Add one scoop of ice cream into each mug and crumble heath bar on top.
7. YUM! 

Word to the wise, the ice cream makes all the difference. It helps balance the intensity of the chocolate!
Enjoy!

-Cara

Crescent Rolls Are Your Best Friend

It's about time you discover the magic of the pillsbury crescent roll. I use these religiously (see Middle Eastern Meat Pies and Pain Au Chocolat). Today, I was confronted with making (yet another) sandwich for lunch (enter women jokes here). Instead, I mixed it up by making a variety of stuffed crescent rolls--mozzarella and chicken, ham/turkey/cheese, and a mexican roll. It doesn't consume much more time than making a sandwich and gives a nice twist to boring lunches.

Ingredients:

• Crescent rolls

Italian rolls

• mozzarella cheese
• shredded rotisserie chicken
• Prego pizza/spaghetti sauce

American rolls

• American cheese
• lunch meats (ham/turkey)

Mexican rolls

• Queso 
• Salsa
• shredded rotisserie chicken

Directions

1. Set oven to temperature directed by crescent roll package. Grease a baking sheet.
2. Unroll crescent rolls.
3. Place desired amount of ingredients on crescent rolls (be careful not to overdo it, or they won't roll and/or the contents will spill out)
4. Roll the dough.
5. Bake for 10 minutes
6. And Enjoy!

-Cara

Very Berry Smoothie

Smoothies, y'all. It's a summer thing.

Very Berry Smoothie

Ingredients:

2 containers Activia strawberry yogurt

1 cup frozen strawberries

1 cup frozen blueberries

3/4 cup milk

Directions:

1. Blend, stirring occasionally.

I've found that the easiest, most thorough blending comes from the following layering technique (yogurt, strawberries, blueberries, milk). 

-- Alyssa

Grilled Mozzarella Sliders

Cozy winter days inside with Handsome Boyfriend are the best. They are even better when you have warm and yummy cheesy goodness to share.

Viola, grilled mozzarella sliders. This recipe was born recently when I had sudden, simultaneous cravings for fried bread, cheese and thyme. Thankfully I also had some day-old homemade French bread on hand, and these wonderful sliders were the result.

I have also posted my incredibly easy French bread recipe below. 

Best Grilled Mozzarella Sandwich Sliders

Ingredients:

2 slices whole wheat bread or day-old French bread, halved

2 large eggs

½ cup heavy cream

½ teaspoon ground thyme

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Grated mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1.       Beat eggs, heavy cream, thyme, salt and nutmeg in a small bowl.

2.      Melt ½ tablespoon butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil.

3.      Dip one halved piece of bread in egg and cream mixture. Cook both sides of bread in butter and oil until crispy and light brown. Add remaining butter and olive oil to pan and repeat with remaining slices of bread.

4.      Remove bread slices to plate. Add desired amount of mozzarella cheese between bread slices. Return sandwich to pan and cook until cheese melts, turning occasionally to prevent overbrowning. 

And for the overachievers like me who aspire to make their own bread:

French Bread

Ingredients:

1 package active dry yeast

2 cups lukewarm water

1 tablespoon salt

6 cups flour

Directions:

1.       Combine yeast and water. Stir and let sit for 10 minutes.

2.      Stir in salt and flour, one cup at a time. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic.

3.      Shape into a ball and cover in a greased bowl. Leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, or 2-3 hours.

4.      Transfer to a greased pan and shape into two loaves. Let rise for five minutes.

5.      Score the tops in several places with a very sharp knife. Brush with water.

6.      Place in a cold oven. Set a pan of boiling water on the bottom of the oven and set the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

7.      Bake for forty minutes or until golden brown. 

Post-lunch photo op with Handsome Boyfriend.

Happy eating!

-- Alyssa

A Chocolate Lover's Brownie

There really is nothing as satisfying as a melt-in-your-mouth chocolate dessert. If you glance at my Pinterest board, you'll be overwhelmed with recipes for a chocolate heart attack. In the world of internet recipes, there are hundreds of brownie recipes from which you can choose. I recommend the Hershey's Ultimate Brownie, with a teensy adjustment (Ghiradelli cocoa!) Yes, that is probably cheating. But who cares?

Ingredients: 

• 3/4 cup of Ghiradelli's Cocoa (or Hershey's)
• 2/3 cup of margarine melted and divided
• 2 cups of sugar
• 1 1/3 cups of all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 cup of boiling water (important, don't skip)
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate (if you so desire)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350. Grease a 13x9 or two 8x8s. (Honestly, I think you can just use an 8x8 if you like thick brownies! Which I do.)
2. Stir cocoa and baking soda in large bowl.
3. Add 1/3 cup of melted butter.
4. Add boiling water. Stir until mixture thickens.
5. Stir in sugar, eggs, and remaining butter. Stir until smooth.
6. Add flour, vanilla, and salt. Blend completely.
7. Stir in chocolate chips.
8. Pour into prepared pan.
9. Bake 35-40 minutes for rectangular pan or 30-35 for square pans.
10. Voilà! And enjoy. You can also serve with buttercream frosting.

ONE-BOWL BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
2-2/3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup Ghiradelli Cocoa
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat butter in medium bowl. Add powdered sugar and cocoa alternately with milk,
beating to spreading consistency (additional milk may be needed). Stir in vanilla.
About 2 cups frosting.

-Cara

The Opposite of Hospital Food, Part 4 : Butterfinger Blondies

Uh, yes. You did read that correctly.

This recipe was my first delve into the world of vegetable shortening; my mother has always had the tendency to flee at the sight of it due to its infamous artery-clogging capabilities. I cut the amount of shortening in this recipe from the original in order to make it a little more health-conscious. After all, we don’t want to be going back to hospital food…

Jeepers.

Warm, gooey blonde deliciousness.

Butterfinger Blondies

Ingredients:

Blondie Batter:

1 cup butter

1 cup light brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 eggs

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups coarsely chopped Butterfinger bars (approximately 12 fun-size bars)

Butterfinger Buttercream:

½ cup softened butter

½ cup vegetable shortening

2 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar

½ cup coarsely chopped Butterfinger bars (approximately 4 fun-size bars)

Directions:

1.       Cream butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl. Add the vanilla and eggs and mix until incorporated. Add flour, salt and baking soda until combined and stir in chopped Butterfingers.

2.      Spread in a 9x13 inch baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

3.      Remove from oven and cool completely.

4.      Cream the butter and shortening together. Add confectioner’s sugar on low speed and stir in chopped Butterfingers. Spread over cooled blondies. 

— Alyssa

Spicy BBQ Chicken Pizza

Matt and I have a penchant for spicy. I'm also famous for my penchant for BBQ pizza. This spicy BBQ pizza is one of my all-time favorite recipes.

If you don't have as much of a penchant for spicy food as we do, I would recommend cutting the spice rub to 1/4 the recipe's amount.

Spicy Barbeque Pizza

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts

2 cups Mozzarella cheese

Spice Rub:

2 tablespoons paprika

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

½ teaspoon mustard powder

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

½ tablespoon Old Bay garlic & herb seasoning

Barbecue Sauce:

½ cup dark brown sugar

¾ cup ketchup

¼ cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup water

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

½ teaspoon ground mustard

1 teaspoon paprika

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon ground pepper

Pizza Crust:

¼ cup warm water

½ envelope instant yeast

¾ cups room temperature water

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups bread flour

¾ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

1.       Mix together dry rub ingredients in a large Ziploc bag. Cube three chicken breasts and place in Ziploc bag with dry rub.

2.      Mix barbecue sauce ingredients together over low heat. Add ½ cup of sauce to Ziploc bag with chicken and dry rub and marinate in refrigerator overnight. Reserve remaining sauce.

3.      In a large bowl, let warm water and yeast sit in a bowl for five to ten minutes. Add oil, room temperature water and salt. Mix well.

4.      Using dough hooks, slowly add in bread flour. Mix until dough is smooth and elastic.

5.      Brush a second large bowl with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Knead dough into a ball and place in oiled bowl. Cover and let sit for 1 ½ hours.

6.      Heat oven to 450 degrees for at least thirty minutes. Heat a pizza stone in the bottom third of the oven.

7.      Knead dough once more and let sit for fifteen minutes.

8.     Sautee marinated chicken in olive oil until thoroughly cooked.

9.      Knead dough on warmed pizza stone into desired shape. Brush on remaining barbeque sauce, add mozzarella cheese, and add cooked chicken. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown. 

-- Alyssa

Une enfance française: Pain au Chocolat, The Quintessential Parisian Snack

As the second half to Les Mademoiselles Miam, I can also testify to the healing powers of food. My family’s small farm on Lovelaceville has been beset by sickness and subsequently turned into a hospital for humans and pets. My puppy recovered from bladder surgery with some of his favorite table scraps—roast beef, rotisserie chicken, and ground beef. After a couple cuisine-less days wrecked by stomach flu nausea for the humans, I started the road to recovery with my own simple rendition of a common parisian snack—pain au chocolat. Chocolate, naps, and Charles Boyer seem to be a recipe for recovery.

Ingredients:

pillsbury crescent rolls

semi-sweet chocolate chips

powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Set oven to temperature for crescent rolls.

2. Unroll crescent rolls and place on greased baking sheet.

3. Place desired quantity of chocolate chips in the middle (This can be as many or as few as you want. But I usually do as many as I can fit…)

4. Roll the edges of the dough around chocolate chips. Chocolate should be completely enclosed by the dough.

5. Bake for 10 minutes.

6. Sprinkle powdered on the tops.

Enjoy while hot!

I apologize for the less than satisfactory picture. I really couldn’t restrain myself long enough to get a picture of the insides. I ate them much too quickly!

-Cara

The Opposite of Hospital Food, Part Three : Teriyaki Chicken And Rice

I’m on an Asian kick these days, and no one in my house has been complaining. Tonight the Asian kick appeared as a yummy, light teriyaki chicken and rice dish that won over everyone’s taste buds.

When it’s going over chicken, I like my teriyaki sauce to be light and not too thick. 

Some astute skeptics may be protesting, “But that looks EXACTLY like your Asian Honey Chicken with Rice!” This may be true, ladies and gentlemen of the Internet; but I propose the following counterarguments: first, a similar appearance does not dictate a similar sensory experience, and, second, there are really only so many ways to present Asian Chicken With Rice.

Teriyaki Chicken And Rice

Ingredients:

Two chicken breasts

1 cup extra long grain rice

1.5 tablespoons rice vinegar

1/8 cup white cooking wine

1/8 cup light soy sauce

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon assorted ground peppercorns

Splash of sesame oil

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Directions: 

1.       Cube chicken. Marinate in rice vinegar, white cooking wine, soy sauce, light brown sugar, grated ginger, onion powder and ground peppercorns for 20 minutes.

2.      Heat the olive oil in a large, shallow frying pan. Transfer the chicken pieces to the pan and sauté until well cooked.

3.      Pour the marinade over the chicken. Reduce heat. Allow chicken and marinade to simmer for 5-10 minutes.

4.      Serve over rice.

— Alyssa

The Opposite of Hospital Food, Part Two : Creamy Chicken Piccata Pasta

Rainy winter days make me antsy for a cheesy, meaty pasta dish. Yesterday, however, the infectious “new-hip” spirit permeating our house entered me with its spirit of novelty, and I decided to switch up “cheesy and meaty” for… lemon.

Lemon?!

I stared at this recipe for a few weeks with fear in my bones before accepting the idea of a lemony chicken pasta dish. Lemon and pasta seemed like a somewhat dissonant combination. However, as my fellow choir-geeks know well, sometimes a little dissonance can add up to a lot of gold. (I’m looking at you, Eric Whitacre.)

Chicken Piccata Pasta

Ingredients:

2 boneless chicken breasts, Penne pasta

Chicken Marinade:

3 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon assorted black peppercorns

½ teaspoon ground basil

Pasta Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoons minced garlic

½ cup heavy cream

1 ½ teaspoons dried basil

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1.       Cube chicken. Marinate in refrigerator for at least twenty minutes; preferably overnight.

2.      Sautee chicken in marinade until well cooked.

3.      Cook pasta according to instructions and drain. Mix pasta sauce ingredients over medium heat until bubbly and well mixed.

4.      Mix pasta, sauce and chicken over low heat. 

— Alyssa

The Opposite of Hospital Food, Part One : Asian Honey Chicken

Ladies and gentlemen of the Internet, let me assure you that there are few things more comforting than coming home from a week-long hospital stay to a stocked refrigerator and an invitingly clean oven. After a week at Parkridge Medical Center in downtown Chattanooga nursing my lovely mother and her brand new left hip, I arrived home this Monday feeling stir-crazy and ready to cook. 

Hence, we at Mademoiselles Miam shall present a mini-series entitled The Opposite of Hospital Food. This segment will feature foods that are, in essence, the antitheses of Turkey With Mystery Sauce, Chicken Marinated In Olive Oil And One Herb, and Rice Pudding With Splenda And Mysterious Orange Flecks. 

First on the agenda is my Asian Honey Chicken With Rice. This dish tastes extraordinarily like PF Chang’s crispy honey chicken, but it skips the hassle and health risk of breading and frying.

I like my honey chicken mixed with my rice so that the ooey saucy goodness saturates the rice. Mom likes hers cleanly segregated into protein and carb.

 Asian Honey Chicken

Ingredients:

Two boneless chicken breasts

1 cup long-grain rice

Chicken Marinade:

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Sauce:

¼ cup honey

1.5 tablespoons light soy sauce

3.5 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/3 cup rice vinegar

slurry of 1/8 cup cornstarch and 1/8 cup water

Directions:

1. Slice two chicken breasts into cubes. Coat chicken cubes well in chicken marinade and refrigerate for twenty minutes.

2. Cook marinated chicken in a medium saucepan over medium heat until thoroughly cooked.

3. Combine all sauce ingredients except the cornstarch slurry. Cook in a small pan over medium heat for several minutes. Slowly pour in cornstarch slurry. Let the sauce cook for several minutes until bubbly. The sauce should be the consistency of loose honey.

4. Pour sauce over cooked chicken and mix. Warm for one minute.

5. Serve over rice.

— Alyssa

Happy New Year, Yall! Part Deux

Ohhhh, but there’s more.

I fell in love with Nutella several summers ago at a bed-and-breakfast in Munich. This bed-and-breakfast served Nutella in individual butter-sized containers, which made them very convenient to hide in my pocket and ingest at regular intervals throughout the day. There is no telling how many hazelnuts passed through my body that summer. 

I have since incorporated Nutella into heaven-knows-how-many cookies, cakes and banana sandwiches. This is my best invention yet.

BEHOLD!

Yes. Nutella puppy chow.

Perhaps subliminally I incorporated the bag into the picture as a buffering device. I could truly eat the entire bag myself. In fact, as I am posting about Nutella puppy chow, I am wiping the powdered sugar from my fingers.

If you begin to eat this, you will not be able to stop.

Nutella Puppy Chow

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1 cup Nutella

1/2 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

1 cup white chocolate chips

1 cup hazelnuts

1 12oz box hearty Chex cereal

2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roast hazelnuts until fragrant, or about 8 minutes.

2. Grind the hazelnuts finely in a food processor.

3. Over medium-low heat, melt butter, chocolate and white chocolate, stirring constantly. When all is melted, remove from heat and pour into a large bowl. Add Nutella and stir until smooth. 

4. Add the hazelnuts and stir until well-mixed.

5. Slowly pour the cereal into the gooey mixture, using your hands to coat the Chex mix. (No worries if the cereal breaks — it will clump with the topping and morph into deliciousness.)

6. Pour half the cereal into a gallon-sized baggie along with 1 cup of powdered sugar. Shake the baggie until the cereal is coated. Repeat with the other half of the cereal and the second cup of powdered sugar.

(Optional step seven: enjoy with Welch’s sparkling grape juice. There’s a reason the bottle is empty…)

— Alyssa