Bombones Caseros

I took a chocolatería class this morning at Casa Suiza and came home with these! The fillings I chose include dulce de leche, coconut, ganache with ginger, ganache with coffee, maroque (peanut butter cream), rum soaked raisins and almonds.  Here's the inside of one with almond and dulce de leche.

After three and a half hours, I left with 24 bombones and a ton of Spanish practice. I've also taken the Argentine Art History class at Casa Suiza and I happily recommend both classes and hope to take more!

Lemon Meringue Pie Cupcakes

These are my favorite cupcakes, and making them miniature leaves you with perfect proportions. The inspiration for these came from Junior MasterChef Australia - a show based on mini chefs (ages 8-12) that had me so hooked I watched an episode or two every day until I'd finished both seasons. I can't explain why I love it so much, except that they're all so nice and wonderful to each other. They give encouragement and hugs...awww...something you never see from professional chef competitions. Anyway, I thought it was darling and I learned a few things too. Like how to make lemon meringue pie cupcakes. Thank you, Isabella.

Lemon Cupcakes (makes about 15-16 miniature cupcakes)
from Bella Lately

• 1/2 cup + 2 heaping Tablespoons (equivalent of 1/8 cup) flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup + 1 heaping Tablespoon sugar
• 1 large egg
• Few drops of lemon extract - optional

Whisk together flour, baking powder, lemon zest and salt in a bowl. Beat butter and sugar in a separate bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Beat in egg and extract until just combined. Spoon into cupcake liners but do not overfill. Bake at 375F/190C for 20-25 minutes - test with a toothpick. Remove from oven and let cool.

This batter is quite butter-heavy, so experiment with your favorite lemon cupcake recipes. This one is actually from a lemon poppyseed cake that is divine.

Once cooled, use a knife to cut a small cone out of the top of the muffin (about half way down the cupcake) to make room for the curd.

Lemon Curd

adapted from Smitten Kitchen

• 4 egg yolks
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 Tablespoon (14 grams) butter, cut into pieces
• 1 1/2 lemons (smaller sized or one big one), grated and juiced

Combine all ingredients in a double boiler over boiling water. Cook and stir until mixture begins to gel or thicken ever so slightly (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and immediately press through a strainer. Allow to cool. Chill in the refrigerator to thicken. Keeps for one week in the fridge. Can be frozen. This recipe makes enough for 2 batches of mini cupcakes ~30.

Once chilled, pipe it to fill the holes in the cupcakes. 

Meringue Frosting

half-recipe from Smitten Kitchen

• 2.5 Tablespoons water
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tarter
• 1/2 cup + 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 large egg white at room temperature
• 1/2 Tablespoon light corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Whisk first 5 ingredients together in a stainless steel bowl. Set the bowl in a wide, deep skillet with about an inch of simmering water. Be sure the water level is at least as high as the depth of the egg whites in the bowl. Beat egg white mixture on low speak until it reaches 140F/60C. Do no stop beating while the bowl is in the skillet. Beat on high speed for exactly five minutes. Remove bowl from skillet and add vanilla, beating on high speed for two to three more minutes to cool. Use frosting the day it is made.

Pipe the frosting on top of the filled cupcakes. You can use a kitchen torch to brown it a bit if you like. I'm not as fancy as some 12-year-old cooking prodigies. 

Roasted Beet Malfatti & Creamy Roquefort Sauce

I'm so happy to be doing another group post with Argentine flavor! The last time, we tackled a national specialty - the alfajor. This challenge is no easier and is just as emblematic. We're cooking gnocchi! Maybe gnocchi doesn't sound very Argentine to you, but this dish is actually so Argentine that it has its own day of the month. Each time the 29th rolls around you're sure to see restaurants full of diners with plates of gnocchi (or ñoquis, as they're known here). Why? Because it's Dia de los Ñoquis, or Gnocchi Day. Just as with the US, Argentina is a country of immigrants and this dish is strong reminder of European influence.

"Ñoqui" is also a slang word (from lunfardo) that is used to refer to someone who expects to get paid without actually doing any work. Think immigration office. (Ha! I probably shouldn't say that since I'm still waiting for my DNI to arrive.)

So, however you want to look at it,  happy pasta day or happy lazy day. Let's all forget work and eat pasta!

Here's what my fellow bloggers are making for Gnocchi Day:

• Aledys of From Argentina to the Netherlands for Love -- Gnocchi all a romana
• Katie of Seashells and Sunflowers -- Butternut squash and ricotta gnocchi, two ways
• Rebecca of From Argentina With Love -- Ricotta and potato gnocchi
• Paula of Bee My Chef -- Spinach gnocchi
• Ana of Ana Travels -- Arugula gnocchi with tomato sauce a la Ana

I really did attempt to make gnocchi but, as usual, I just don't have the patience for this dish and I ended up with malfatti (bigger gnocchi). Beet is not a traditional gnocchi flavor but I had to try something different -- and pink, apparently.

Roasted Beet Malfatti

Recipe seems to originally be from Bon Appetit. Also see Eat a Beet and The Fifth Tine

• 3 small beets (of which you will use 3/4 cup, grated)
• 450 grams (1lb) ricotta
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup parmesan cheese, finely shredded
• ~3/4 teaspoon salt (original recipe calls for 1 teaspoon)
• Pepper to taste (a few twists for me)
• 1 1/2 cups flour, divided + crap loads more for rolling

Wrap beets in tinfoil and roast at 200C/400F until tender 45-55 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes and peel skins off. Coarsely shred and measure out 3/4 cup and place in a large bowl. Stir in ricotta, egg, cheese, salt and pepper. Add 1 cup of flour -- it will look like that big pink blob, pictured above. At this point you're suppose to either lightly shape and roll into a log (which would be super long if you tried to do the whole thing) or roll each individual gnocchi in the remaining 1/2 cup of flour. My dough soaked up all the flour on the counter and then asked for more. In total, I probably incorporated 1 1/2 cups into the dough and used another 1/2 cup just for rolling into logs, which I did in a few batches. This lead to malfatti. 

Anyway, cut one-inch pieces of the dough log to form each gnocchi. You're suppose to roll along a gnocchi board or fork to get those classic indentations, but this dough was too wet to roll so I just pressed it with a floured fork. I noticed that one of the other recipes just left the pieces as balls. Anyway, get it to whatever shape you can and then line them up on a baking sheet. I then popped them into the refrigerator for about 15 minutes and they came out easier to handle.

Creamy Roquefort Sauce

•  Drizzle of olive oil
• 1 big clove garlic, minced
• 28g (2T) butter
• 2 T flour
• 1 cup milk 
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• Pinch nutmeg & dried thyme
• 120 grams Roquefort or blue cheese, crumbled

Saute garlic in oil for one minute, add butter and melt. Add flour constantly whisking to create a roux and cook for 2 minutes. Add milk slowly while whisking to keep lumps from forming. (This never works for me in a pan that's not non-stick, so I add part of the liquid until it's warm and then remove to a bowl and whisk like crazy until dissolved, then return to the pan and continue adding liquid.) Stir in sour cream until melted. Once sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, add nutmeg, herbs and cheese and stir until melted. Taste and season with salt, if desired. (I went with a roux-based sauce instead of cream because of all the cheese in this recipe, but it would probably be amazing too.)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and drop in gnocchi in batches so that the pot doesn't get too crowded. Cook for 4 minutes - or until they float to the surface plus an additional minute. Remove from the water into the sauce. 

Don't stir it around too much or your sauce will turn pink. Whoops! Garnish with a handful of toasted walnuts and additional cheese. This recipe is quite rich so I used reduced-fat ricotta and sour cream. I'm not sure the ricotta was the best idea, as it was quite grainy - you may want to go with full-fat. Also, many ricotta gnocchi recipes suggest draining the ricotta and I would try that for this recipe too - perhaps it wouldn't require so much flour.

In the end, it was quite heavy but Guille loved it. He said it reminded him of when his mom would make gnocchi when he was younger. And she only makes it every 5 years. Smart lady. Gnocchi is exhausting...and now I'm going off to act like a ñoqui.

Lentil and Tofu Curry

Lentil and Tofu Curry
adapted from appetite for china

• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1-2 T olive oil
• 1/2 cup lentils, rinsed and drained
• 3 cups water (or use part veggie stock)
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
• 1/2 block of tofu (about 250 grams)
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• dash of cayenne pepper, optional
• ~1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
• chopped cilantro to garnish, optional
• brown rice and plain yogurt to serve

Saute onion and garlic with a pinch of salt in a swirl of olive oil over medium heat until golden, about 2 minutes, add ginger and stir. Add lentils and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until lentils are soft, about 20 minutes. 

Meanwhile, cut tofu into cubes and gently press between paper towels to remove excess moisture. In a wok or skillet, heat a Tablespoon of oil over medium heat and gentle stir fry (after adding tofu, don't touch it for about 2 minutes to allow it to slightly brown, then stir). Add curry, cumin, cayenne (to your preference) and salt - cook for another 1 to 2 minutes then stir in spinach and allow to wilt, about 1 minute. Add mixture to the lentils and simmer for 5 minutes to meld flavors. Add more spices, as needed. Serve with brown rice and plain yogurt. 

Heads Up! The "natural" flavor of the La Serenisima brand of Greek yogurt, Griego, is not actually plain, it's sweetened. So don't put it on this dish! Also, it's not actually Greek yogurt as it is thickened with cream instead of just being extra-strained like real Greek yogurt. Man! Why do we have to get the fake versions of everything?! Also, the Danone (aka Dannon) logo is also on this yogurt, so don't go blaming Argentine industry alone. If you're trying to eat healthy and wholesome, GOOD LUCK! Also, if you think that the US is alone in it's struggle with obesity, read this post by Katie at Seashells & Sunflowers. 

Macaroni & Cauliflower & Cheese

I had every intention of making a healthy mac and cheese, and I do think this is a pretty acceptable version, but I wouldn't insult you by saying it's good for you. It started, innocently enough, with this Eat Yourself Skinny recipe. But here's where I went wrong: there was no wheat pasta to be found (only the vegetable kind, which I'm not sure is any better and it didn't come in the right shape anyway) and we certainly don't have Smart Taste or whatever, and I didn't use reduced-fat cheese or fat-free half-and-half - because what the crap is that?? We may have a few reduced-fat cheese options but they're the shredded, processed kind that include additives. Fat-free half-and-half does not exist here and it's silly to think that it's an actual thing - it's full of corn syrup and artificial ingredients. So, I thought it best to use real cheese and milk. What this recipe does have going for it is cauliflower to replace some of the volume of pasta - so it is healthier compared to most versions. But let's be honest, the only way this is healthy is if you eat a small portion - like, smaller than the salad you'll serve next to it:

Mac & Cauliflower & Cheese

• 325 grams elbow macaroni (about 12 oz?)
• 1/2 large head cauliflower, chopped into florets
• 1/3 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
• ~ handful of parsley, chopped
• 4 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese, finely shredded
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 115 grams/4 oz. Finlandia Light (reduced-fat cream cheese)
• 1 1/2 cups cheddar, gouda, or similar cheese, shredded (I used half gouda, half Tynbo)
• 1/2 cup 2% milk
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus a bit more
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• Few leaves of fresh basil, chopped
• Butter to coat pan

Butter a casserole dish and preheat oven to 375F/190C. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente - adding cauliflower for the last 5 minutes of cooking. Reserve ~1 cup pasta water and drain. In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, parsley, 1 Tablespoon Parmesan cheese and a shake of salt and pepper, set aside. Sauté onion in oil and 1/2 teaspoon of salt until soft, about 3-5 minutes. Mix in Finlandia, cheeses, the remaining 3 Tablespoons of Parmesan, milk, mustard, pepper, basil, macaroni and cauliflower, stirring until creamy and combined (about 1 minute), adding reserved pasta water as necessary - I added about 3/4 cup. Pour into prepared casserole dish and sprinkle with the bread crumb mixture. Bake for about 20 minutes. Note that the crumbs won't brown because there's no oil or butter in the topping. If desired, mist the crumbs with olive oil.

Roasted Vegetable Sandwich & Curry Fries

Roasted Vegetable Sandwich

This doesn't really require a recipe - just slice up some summer veggies and toss in a bowl with a good drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh herbs. For this one, I used eggplant and zucchini cut into 1/4 inch thick slices, red pepper cut into strips 1/4 inch thick, and carrots sliced even thinner. After coating veggies with oil and seasoning, roast in a hot oven (450F/230C) for 20-25 minutes - flipping them over after 10 minutes. 

I found multigrain flat bread "buns" at the grocery store and I heart them. Stuff like this isn't so easy to find around here so if you're looking for it, the brand is Oroweat and they're called Flats. I found them at Coto.

Serve veggies on a bun with hummus or Dijon mustard. Add a slice of cheese if you're feeling it.  

Curry Fries
(adapted from Post Punk Kitchen)

• 2 large Russet potatoes
• 1 teaspoon mild curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large clove garlic, finely diced
• Drizzle of olive oil to coat

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and preheat oven to 425F/220C. Slice potatoes about 1/4 inch thick and boil for 3 minutes. Immediately remove to an ice bath. When cool, lay out on a towel in a single layer to dry and blot the tops with a paper towel - a little moisture is okay. Combine potatoes, curry powder, salt, garlic and a drizzle of oil in a bowl and toss until coated. Place fries in a single layer on a non-stick or greased baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes on each side until golden brown.

If you're baking the veggies and the fries at the same time, you may need to add a few minutes to the cooking times.

Vegetarian Biscuits & Gravy

This dish should not be confused with all of the healthy recipes I've been posting lately. There's a time and place for healthy food and a time and place for the stuff that makes life worth living. This was for a special occasion: Valentine's brunch. That said, it isn't so bad as this recipe uses veggie patties instead of sausage and I swapped out some white flour for wheat flour in the biscuits - although, I did add cheese. ;)

Biscuits & Veggie Gravy

Parmesan Biscuits (adapted from Alton Brown):

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup wheat flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoons (28 grams) butter, cold
• 2 Tablespoons (28 grams) vegetable shortening, cold
• 1 cup buttermilk, cold
• 1/3 cup shredded cheese (I used parmesan)

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Using cool fingertips or a pastry blender, blend butter and shortening into dry ingredients until mixture looks like crumbs. Make a well in the center and pour in buttermilk. Stir just until dough comes together - it will be sticky. Turn out onto floured surface, dust top with flour and fold dough over on itself 5 to 6 times. Press into a 1-inch thick round and cut out biscuits with a biscuit cutter or a glass. Reform scrap dough, working it as little as possible, and cut out the rest of the biscuits. You should have about 12 biscuits. You can lay them out on a baking sheet so that they just touch or you can space them out a little. I pressed my dough out a bit thinner and stacked 2 biscuits tall so that they would split easily. Bake at 450F/230C for 15-20 minutes.

Vegetarian Gravy:

• 2 veggie burgers (or veggie sausage)
• Olive oil, as needed
• 1 Tablespoon (14 grams) butter
• 1/4 cup (or 2 heaping soup spoons) flour
• 2 cups buttermilk (or 2% milk will work) plus extra for thinning, at room temperature
• Veggie powder, salt and pepper to taste
• 1 sprig fresh thyme, stripped
• Handful of fresh parsley, chopped

Cook burgers in a drizzle of oil over medium heat, squishing and flattening them a bit until they start to break up and get crispy on the bottom. Flip them over and repeat - start breaking them down into crumbles. Once thoroughly cooked, remove the crumbles from the pan with a spatula - it's okay to leave some in the pan, and try to leave all of the oil. (Since I didn't use a non-stick pan, I went ahead and added enough water to cover the bottom of the pan, let it warm up and started scrapping out the bits that were stuck - you should probably do this with oil or butter but it seemed excessive.) Add butter and melt, swirling around the pan. Whisk in flour for about one minute. (Alternatively, you could whisk milk and flour together before adding it to the pan.) Add buttermilk, veggie powder, a pinch of salt, thyme, and crack in some pepper. Whisk constantly for a few minutes, making sure there are no lumps of flour. Stir in a handful of fresh parsley. Either let it simmer until it's at a thick enough consistency or whisk in more milk, depending on the consistency you'd like. Add more salt and pepper, if necessary (I think heaps of pepper are necessary). Stir the crumbles into the gravy. After I'd removed the crumbles, it took me about 10 minutes to make the gravy.

Parmesan Heart: 
Now, if it's Valentine's Day (or if you're just really nice) you could make a heart-shaped Parmesan crisp by using a Tablespoon of shredded cheese for each heart and shaping it on a non-stick baking sheet. Bake at about 350F/180C for 7-10 minutes, checking frequently. Then, you can just turn off the oven and let them set in there, getting all crispy for another 10 minutes while you're finishing the gravy. While they're still warm, but not gooey, carefully remove them from the pan.

Serve alone or with other brunch dishes, like scrambled eggs with basil.