Sasha's Kitchen: Lowfat Raspberry Marzipan Swirl Cheesecake

Here's another great cheesecake recipe I made from the Magnolia Bakery  cookbook, but this one I adapted to make it low fat.  And you know what? It still tasted fantastic!  Last August, I canned some raspberry jam from local Farmer's Market raspberries.  It came out great for my first time making jam and made four jars which I have been enjoying since.  I used some of those fabulous raspberry preserves that I made myself for the swirl on this cheesecake that you can feel good about eating.  Oh, and before you leave, check out my latest post on Potluck, the ShopRite blog panel for some delicious cookies!

Lowfat Raspberry Marzipan Cheesecake (adapted from The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook)
Crust
6 tablesppons melted butter
1 1/2 cup Nilla wafter crumbs
1/2 cup finely toasted almonds, pulverized into crumbs
Filling
2 eight ounce packages lowfat cream cheese
8 oz almond paste, crumbled
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups fat free sour cream
Topping
5-6 T raspberry preserves
1 tsp lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 325.  To make the crust, combine the butter with the Nilla wafer crumbs and almond crumbs.  Press into the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan and bake for 10 minutes.  Allow to cool.

To make the filling, in a stand mixer beat the cream cheese and almond paste for several minutes until smooth.  Gradually beat in the sugar and add the eggs one at a time and beat until the batter is lump-free.  Stir in the vanilla and sour cream, scraping down the sides of the mixer to combine the ingredients well.  To make the topping, mix the raspberry preserves and the lemon juice and set aside.

Pour the batter into the springform pan on top of the crust.  Drop the raspberry mix on top by the spoonful and swirl  into a decorative pattern using the tip of a sharp knife.  Bake for about 80 minutes  until the edges are set and the center jiggles slightly when the pan is shaken.  At the end of the baking time, turn off the heat and prop the oven door with a wooden spoon and keep the cheesecake in the oven for an hour.  Then remove and refrigerate for twelve hours before eating.  This was delicious!

Sasha's Kitchen: Lowfat Raspberry Marzipan Swirl Cheesecake

Sasha's Kitchen: Asian-Style Shirataki Noodles with Chiles and Cashews

My husband is a type 1 juvenile onset diabetic, so I try to cook with minimal sugar when I am making savory meals (as opposed to baked goods).  I've really been enjoying Top Chef Sam Talbot's cookbook, The Sweet Life, which caters to those needs and has some delicious and fun recipes.  One thing I've been doing more of lately is using agave nectar in savory meals instead of sugar where I can.  This recipe uses shirataki noodles, a light tofu based noodle that looks a bit like lo mein noodles.  They're healthy - no carbs, gluten free, vegan, sugar free you name it - plain good for you! From there you can go and make a whole slew of creative dishes.  For my first time using shirataki noodles I made a recipe from Talbot's cookbook for Asian-style shirataki noodles with chile and cashews.  I used one jalapeno instead of two to make a little less spicy.  Be careful with those jalapenos.  Wash your hands and don't touch your lips, face or eyes before doing so - it can burn!

Shirataki Noodles with Cashews and Chiles (adapted from Sam Talbot's The Sweet Life)
2 packages (16 oz total) shirataki noodles (no need to cook)
3 T toasted sesame oil
1 large red onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 T finely chopped fresh ginger
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
2 T sesame seeds, toasted in a skillet
2 T rice vinegar
2 T agave nectar
1 tsp sambal oelek chile paste
1 cup low sodium chicken stock
1/4 cup cashews, whole or chopped
1/3 cup hand torn cilantro
2 T low sodium soy sauce

Rinse the noodles in cold water and drain well.  Mix with two tablespoons of the sesame oil to keep them from sticking together.  In a large skillet heat the  remaining two tablespoons of sesame oil over medium high heat.  Add the onion, garlic, ginger, jalapeno and sesame seeds and cook until the onions are translucent and the mixture is aromatic, about three minutes.  Add the vinegar, agave nectar and chile paste and mix well.  Add the broth, cashews, cilantro and soy sauce and cook another two minutes to mix the flavors.  Pour the sauce / broth over the noodles and let rest a few minutes before serving.

Sasha's Kitchen: Asian-Style Shirataki Noodles with Chiles and Cashews

Sasha's Kitchen: Green Tea Cupcakes with Violets

I have a great book of vegan cupcake recipes that are sans-butter, and hence much healthier.  I had been meaning to try the green tea cupcakes for a long time because I like anything with matcha powder.  My husband Brad and I got married at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, so my first thought was to make little cherry blossoms out of marzipan to put on top of the green tea glaze.  However, I have two pink gels and with the one I used, the marzipan came out more purple instead of pink, so I made violets instead.  These cupcakes are cute little Japanese style cakes, flavored just like green tea.  The glaze is just perfect - much lighter than frosting, but still quite satisfying.  These dainty little cupcakes, remind me of a delicate little violet, or spring at the Cherry Blossom Festival at the BBG just the same.  This is a great book even for a non-vegan like me and I can't wait to make more recipes from it soon.

Green Tea Cupcakes (adapted from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World)
1/2 cup soy yogurt
2/3 cup soy milk (recipe called for rice milk but I used soy instead)
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
3 tsp matcha powder (there is no substitute)
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar

Green Tea Glaze
2 T margarine
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/8 to 1/4 tsp matcha powder
1 T soy milk (I used soy instead of rice milk)
1/4 tsp almond extract
drop of vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 and line a cupcake tray with liners.  In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, soy milk, vanilla, oil and almond extract.  Combine the sugar, matcha powder, flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder in a separate bowl.  Combine the two bowls together and beat until smooth, to break up any lumps and combine.  Fill cupcake liners 2/3 to 3/4 full and bake for about 25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.  Allow to cool completely.

To make the glaze, I used a mixer.  I beat the margarine in the mixer until fluffy.  Then beat in the confectioners' sugar to form a crumbly mixture and add a tablespoon or two of soy milk along with the almond extract.  I used a spatula to spread the glaze on each cupcake.

To make cherry blossoms or violets, dye a little marzipan purple or pink and form little flower petals.  I used a little yellow dyed marzipan for the center of each violet. Pretty!

Sasha's Kitchen: Green Tea Cupcakes with Violets

Sasha's Kitchen: Coconut and Lemongrass Soup

My mom recently got my husband a cookbook.  This cookbook has some great techniques for preparing healthy and type 1 friendly foods that we both have really enjoyed so far from New York Chef Sam Talbot (of Top Chef fame), who is a juvenile onset diabetic.  I do like to cook plenty of sweet stuff as well, but it's good to have some balance.  I've enjoyed each of the meals I have made from Sam's cookbook so far and plan to try one of his noodle recipes soon.  The first recipe I made was for this delicious coconut lemongrass soup, which uses agave nectar to sweeten slightly, naturally, rather than sugar or honey.

Coconut & Lemongrass Soup (recipe adapted from Sam Talbot's The Sweet Life)
3 T extra virgin olive oil (instead of using my own roasted garlic olive oil, as the recipe called for)
1 small red onion, sliced thinly
1/4 cup chopped lemongrass
1/4 cup chopped fresh ginger
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced (original recipe calls for two)
3 garlic cloves, smashed and finely chopped
2 cups low sodium chicken stock
2 cups light coconut milk
2 T agave nectar
1 cup bean sprouts
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
juice of two limes

In a medium soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat and add the onion, lemongrass, ginger, jalapenos and garlic.  Cook until the onion is translucent and the ginger and garlic have softened, about two minutes.  Mix in the stock, coconut milk and agave nectar.  Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for about thirty minutes.  All the flavors of the ginger, lemongrass etc. will absorb into the broth.  Strain the soup if you prefer (as we did and reserved the flavorful broth).  Mix in the bean sprouts, cilantro and lime juice and serve.  This was a flavorful and healthy dinner!

Sasha's Kitchen: Coconut and Lemongrass Soup

Sasha's Kitchen: Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake

Last week, my mom and I made this delicious cheesecake together when my husband and I were visiting my family in Rochester, NY.  Like a number of my recent baking recipes, this one comes from the Magnolia Bakery cookbook, of the famous New York bakery, since I've been on a bit of a Magnolia cook lately, working my way through the cookbook.  This cheesecake was delicious.  It had just enough chocolate to give some flavor and flair to the cheesecake but was not overpowering.  It was like a regular vanilla cheesecake with a tad of chocolate  in the swirls.  This was a recipe that was enjoyed by the whole family.  I know cheesecake has like a million calories, but I did use lowfat cream cheese, so there!

Here's my latest baking post on the ShopRite blog panel, as well, some new cupcakes for the winter season.

Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake (recipe adapted from Jennifer Appel & Alyssa Torrey)
Crust
5 T melted butter
2 cups chocolate wafer cookie crumbs

Filling
4 eight ounce packages of cream cheese
1 1/4 cups sugar
5 large eggs at room temperature
2 T heavy cream
1 T vanilla extract

Topping
3 T heavy cream
4 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 325.  To make the crust, combine the wafter crumbs with the melted butter and press in a prepared 10 inch springform pan.  Bake for ten minutes and remove from the oven and cool on a rack.

To make the filling, this time I used a hand mixer rather than a stand mixer like I ordinarily do since that's what my mom had.  It's a little tricky to control it and not splatter the walls, but fun baking with my mom, who I am very close with.  Beat the cream cheese until smooth and slowly beat in the sugar, gradually.  Add the eggs one at a time, stopping the mixer several times to scrape down the sides.  Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla.

Pour the batter into the springform pan on top of the crust.  Then prepare the swirl topping.  In the saucepan, bring the three tablespoons of heavy cream to a simmer.  Add the chocolate, turning the heat to low and stir constantly until the chocolate is melted.  Remove from the heat and cool slightly.  Drop this mixture by the teaspoonful on top of the cheesecake batter.  Using the top of a sharp knife, swirl in into the batter, forming a pretty decorative pattern.

The trickiest part about cheesecake is knowing when it is done.  Bake at 325 until the edges are set and the center jiggles slightly when the pan is shaken, about one hour.  I let it go a little longer because I thought it needed it.  It was totally delicious tasting, but it did crack, which is something I need to work on to perfect with my technique.  At the end of the baking time, turn off the heat and use a wooden spoon to keep the oven door slightly ajar.  Cool the cheesecake in the oven for one hour after you turn the oven off before removing.  Cover and refrigerate for at least twelve hours.

Sasha's Kitchen: Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake

Sasha's Kitchen: Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken cacciatore is one of my favorite chicken dishes.  Recently, I made this classic dish for my husband and it was a huge success.  I love the mushroom, onion and tomato topping to the dish, and the moist, delicious chicken.  This is a great family dinner recipe that I am sure we will be making again soon.

Chicken Cacciatore (recipe adopted from Bon Appetit)
1 1/2 lbs plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped (about four cups)
8 oz crimini (baby bella) mushrooms, sliced
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
5 T olive oil
2 T sherry vinegar
1 4 lb medium sized chicken, cut into eight pieces
1 1/2 T chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes in juice
1 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth (I used a bit more than the recipe called for)
1/3 cup thinly sliced basil

Preheat the oven to 400.  Combine the plum tomatoes, mushrooms and red onion in a large bowl.  Add 3 T of the oil and the vinegar, and toss to blend.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and spread on a baking sheet. Roast for about fifty minutes until tender.  Remove from oven and set aside.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350.  Season the chicken with salt, pepper and rosemary (reserving a half tablespoon).  Heat the remaining oil in a skillet or dutch oven and add the chicken and saute until golden brown, about five minutes per side.  Transfer chicken to bowl, and add wine to skillet and boil until reduced by half, about one minute, scraping up the brown bits.  Add the canned tomatoes and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Return the chicken into the sauce and place in the oven, uncovered for about 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and stir in the roasted vegetables, remaining 1/2 T rosemary and half the basil.  Simmer until vegetables are heated through and serve hot, topping with remaining basil.

Sasha's Kitchen: Chicken Cacciatore

Sasha's Kitchen: Greek Pizzettes with Haloumi and Fig

We recently visited my mom and stepdad in Rochester, NY (great time of year to go somewhere that cold, I know).  I always enjoy cooking with my mom when we visit each other, and this trip was no exception.  We made a couple of great new recipes together, including this pizzette recipe, and plenty of dumplings and a chocolate swirl cheesecake.  My mom shared this great pizzette recipe for little Greek pizzas made on pitas.  They were delicious and make a great appetizer or main course.

Mom's Greek Pizzettes (makes 4)

4 pocketless pitas

juice of one lemon

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 cup fig jam

salt to taste

pepper to taste

1 1/2 lbs haloumi cheese, thinly sliced

8 dried figs, chopped

2 cups baby arugula

Preheat the oven to 350.  Brush olive oil on both sides of the pocketless pitas.  Toast in the oven for about ten minutes until the pitas are lightly browned.  Spread the fig jam on the pitas on one side.  We used a delicious onion-fig jam from Wegmans, the best grocery store on the planet. Top each pizzette with the haloumi cheese and broil for about 3-5 minutes just briefly to melt the halumi.  Take the rest of the olive oil and mix with the lemon juice, oregano and arugula.  Top the pizzettes with the arugula and chopped figs and serve.  Yum!

Sasha's Kitchen: Greek Pizzettes with Haloumi and Fig

Sasha's Kitchen: Chewy Ginger Cookies

I love gingerbread and ginger cookies.  This is part one of a two part gingerbread cookie baking extravaganza that I got into this season (the second part being gingerbread men).  I made these gingerbread cookies that were nice and chewy using the recipe from the Magnolia Bakery cookbook.  I love to bake.  I don't just love it, but I find it relaxing and calming, and it is one of my favorite things to do.  I always want to bake more than I have people to feed all the baked goods to, so I have to contain it.  It's a bit of a problem!  At any rate, recently, I received a whole box of baking supplies from ShopRite and used some of the supplies to make these cookies, which were absolutely fabulous and addictive.  The original recipe recommends icing the  cookies as well, but I didn't think they needed it.

Chewy Ginger Cookies (recipe adapted from Jennifer Appel)
2 cups ShopRite all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp ShopRite cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup canola oil
1 cup ShopRite sugar plus 1 T for sprinkling
1 large egg
1/4 cup unsulphured molasses

Preheat the oven to 350.  In a small bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.  Using your stand mixer, beat the oil and sugar on high speed for three minutes, then beat in the egg and molasses.  Unsulphured molasses stinks in my opinion, but don't worry, your cookies won't as it changes it scent when baked.  Add the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.  Drop  rounded teaspoonfuls spaced apart  on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper and sprinkle lightly with sugar.  Bake each sheet of cookies, one at a time for 12 minutes.  They'll be soft when they come out but cook more when removed from the oven.  Allow to cool and remove from the sheets.  Enjoy!

Sasha's Kitchen: Chewy Ginger Cookies

Sasha's Kitchen: Banana Pudding

Magnolia Bakery is one of my favorite bakeries in New York.  Even though I am an avid cupcake baker myself, I still enjoy their famous cupcakes, and of course their banana pudding.  Recently, I picked up the Magnolia Bakery cookbook and have been making some of their recipes (soon I'll post the fabulous apple cake with caramel cream cheese frosting that I made for New Years Eve).  Their banana pudding is so simple and easy to make, but it is just the best.  I was a little skeptical given how easy the recipe was, but the end result made a huge amount of that famous banana pudding that they serve at the bakery.  My husband absolutely loved it.

Magnolia's Banana Pudding (from the Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook)
1 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups ice water
1 3.4 oz instant vanilla pudding (use Jello brand)
3 cups heavy cream
1 12 oz box Nilla wafers
4 cups sliced ripe bananas

In a small bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the sweetened condensed milk and water for a minute until well-combined.  Add the pudding mix an d beat for two minutes more.  Refrigerate for 3-4 hours before proceeding, which is important to allow the pudding to set completely.

In the mixer, using the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream on high for about three minutes until stiff peaks form.  Gently fold in the pudding mixture and blend completely in the mixer.

To assemble the dessert, use a large glass bowl with a 4-5 quart capacity.  Arrange 1/3 of the nilla wafers on the nottom and then 1/2 of the bananas and 1/3 of the pudding and repeat the layering twice more.  Cover and chill for at least four hours and no more than eight hours before serving.  This dessert serves 12-15 people and is perfect in my opinion for family gatherings!

Sasha's Kitchen: Banana Pudding

Sasha's Kitchen: Veal Kimchi Dumplings

I've been on a dumpling kick recently.  I just can't get enough dumplings! Recently, I made some veal-kimchi dumplings that were spicy and delicious and we just couldn't get enough of them.  This recipe can also be made with chicken if you prefer.  The combination of kimchi and sriracha sauce lends a nice flavor.    I even made dumplings for New Years Eve for our cook at home dinner tradition, but I made my beef dumplings with Napa cabbage.  Happy and healthy new year to all my readers.  I have high personal hopes for the New Year and some important goals in mind.  I hope the new year brings everything you hope for.

Sasha's Kimchi Dumplings
1 lb ground veal (or ground chicken)
1 T sriracha sauce
4 T low sodium soy sauce
1 T sesame oil
10 oz diced kimchi
1 T diced ginger
1 T diced garlic
1 bunch of chives, diced
3 scallions, diced
2 T black of balsamic vinegar


Mix all of the ingredients for the dumplings together in a bowl.  Don't be afraid to use your hands.  You are going to need to do so to work everything together.  Be sure to chop of the ingredients finely.  Use circular dumpling wrappers and gold the dumplings as you prefer.  I usually made them with pleats, but I was lazy when I made these and simply made half moon shapes.  Use a bit of water to seal them together.  After you fold each dumpling, allow them to rest on parchment paper while you prepare the rest.  Its amazing how many of these a person can eat.  They are just so addictive!

To pan fry the dumplings, the following website provides a great primer on how to pan fry.  Line the finished dumplings on parchment paper before cooking so they don't stick.  Coat the bottom of a non stick pan with a couple tablespoons of canola oil.  Line the dumplings in the pan, crowded, smooth side down and cook over heat for two to three minutes.  Add about a half inch of water, cover with a lid and allow to cook for four to five minutes until the water is gone.  Then, remove the lid and flip the dumplings and cook another three minutes until nicely browned. 


Prepare a dumpling sauce of 2:1 soy sauce to balsamic vinegar and add a tablespoon each of sesame oil, garlic and ginger as well as plenty of sriracha sauce to add some heat if you prefer.  Dip the dumplings in the sauce and enjoy.

Sasha's Kitchen: Veal Kimchi Dumplings

Sasha's Kitchen: Magnolia Bakery's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Magnolia Bakery is one of New York's most famous bakeries and also one of my favorites.  Recently, I stopped by and picked up a copy of the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook, which I am so excited to explore.  So far I have made two recipes - I made Magnolia's chocolate chip cookies and I made their famous banana pudding, both of which were delicious.  I plan to make their apple walnut cake with cream cheese caramel frosting for New Years and explore some new baking recipes, including cupcakes, in January.  As I mentioned in a recent post, I received a whole box of baking supplies from ShopRite, which is right up my sleeve since I LOVE TO BAKE!  I figured chocolate chip cookies were another perfect recipe for using all of these goodies.  These were the best chocolate chip cookies I've made yet - chewy and chocolate-ey just like I like them.  The combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar is the trick that makes the cookie what it is.  Be sure to bake the cookies only the time allotted, even if they seem soft when they come out of the oven. They continue cooking after they come out of the oven and will be just perfect after 12 minutes or so in the oven, once they cool.  I used the brown sugar, sugar, vanilla, chocolate chips and flour that ShopRite sent me in this recipe.

Magnolia Bakery's Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350.  In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.  In your stand mixer, cream the butter and the sugars for three minutes until smooth.  Beat in the egg and vanilla and mix well.  Add in the flour mixture and mix thoroughly, and then stir in the chocolate chips.  Drop well rounded, heaping teaspoonfuls of cookie dough onto cookies sheets lined with parchment paper, leaving space for expansion.  Bake 10-12 minutes, one sheet at a time, in the center of your oven until lightly golden brown.

Sasha's Kitchen: Magnolia Bakery's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sasha's Kitchen: Chipotle Rubbed Flank Steak with Corn-Avocado Salsa

I made this delicious steak recently, on Christmas Eve for our stay at home boring Jewish Christmas.  The meal was surprisingly easy and delicious.  The one thing I didn't anticipate was how smoky grilling a chipotle rubbed steak is - it made the kitchen very smoky! The resulting flavor was a little but on the spicy side, but very flavorful and went nicely with the corn and avocado salsa.  This would be a great summertime dish made on an outdoor grill as well, although I obviously made it indoors in a grill pan.

Sasha's Chipotle Rubbed Flank Steak with Corn-Avocado Salsa
One 1/2 lb flank steak
2/3 cup orange juice
3 canned chipotle peppers in adobo
2 diced cloves of garlic
2 T olive oil
1 cup corn
2 avocados, peeled and chopped
1 T lime juice
1/2 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
1/4 cup minced red onion

In a blender, combine the chipotle peppers, orange juice, olive oil and garlic and puree.  Marinate the steak for ten minutes.  Remove the steak from the marinade and let the excess drip off but don't wash off the marinade.  Grill as desired in your grill pan or outdoor grill on both sides.

In a separate bowl, combine the corn, avocado, lime juice, jalapeno and red onion and serve on top of the flank steak as salsa.

Sasha's Kitchen: Chipotle Rubbed Flank Steak with Corn-Avocado Salsa

Sasha's Kitchen: Chocolate Coconut Snowman Cupcakes

As you know, I love to bake and can never resist a new baking project.  I received a box full of wonderful baking supplies from ShopRite for use in some holiday baking, as my December installment of goodies for the ShopRite Potluck blog panel. Yay for sugar, flour, coconut, vanilla, nuts, and oodles of chocolate! For the first project using the new box of baking supplies, I made some chocolate coconut cupcakes, because the coconut from ShopRite seemed a perfect surrogate for snow, which is always in my thought this time of year.  Last year, at this time, of course, New York was paralyzed by the big blizzard!  At any rate, I created some lovely chocolate coconut cupcakes that were deliccious, using a vanilla buttercream under the top layer of coconut.  And for a seasonal twist, I added fondant snowmen to some of the cupcakes for decoration. What coudl be cute?  Happy Holidays!

Sasha's Chocolate Coconut Cupcakes
1 1/4 cups ShopRite's all purpose flour
1/2 cup ShopRite's unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup ShopRite's granulated sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tsp ShopRite's vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk

Frosting
1 stick unsalted butter
3 cups ShopRite's confectioner's sugar
1 tsp ShopRite's vanilla extract
2 T heavy cream
Dip in ShopRite's sweetened shredded coconut
Fondant snowman, created using fondant and gel food colors to dye the fondant.

Combine the dry ingredients for the cupcakes in a bowl.  Beat the egg and oilve oil with the sugar and vanilla.  Altnerate adding the dry ingredients and the milk until combined.  Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full in a silicon cupcake tray and bake at 350 for 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Beat the butter until smooth for three minutes in a stand mixer.  Beat in the vanilla and confectioenr's sugar until it forms a smooth frosting and slowly add in the heavy cream.  Frost the cupcake with a spatula and dip in shredded coconut.  Top with a fondant created snowman and serve.  Happy holidays and here's for some pretty white snow.

Sasha's Kitchen: Chocolate Coconut Snowman Cupcakes

Sasha's Kitchen: Ricotta, Pomegranate & Honey Dessert Eggrolls

I made these delicious dessert eggrolls after making a similar recipe in my recent Chinese dumpling class.  They are really good as long as you learn how to roll the eggroll wrappers, which os actually quite easy.  The only problem is that the recipe makes a whole batch of them so they're really better for a dinner party when you have  large group to serve so the extras don't go to waste, since they don't hold up.  This is a fun take on a chinese eggroll and you can vary up the chocolate and fruit in the filling to make your own creation.

Sasha's Dessert Eggrolls
15 oz ricotta cheese
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
eggroll wrappers
1/2 cup fo confectioner's sugar

Mix the ingredients for the filling (the ricotta, pomegranate, chocolate chips and honey).  Place a large dollop in the center of an eggroll wrapper.  With the corner facing you, roll on a diagonal, folding in the sides to make an eggroll.  At the end of the rolling process, seal the tip with a couple drops of water. Then pan fry the eggrolls until brown in canola oil.  Using a strainer, dust with the confectioner's sugar before serving warm.

Sasha's Kitchen: Ricotta, Pomegranate & Honey Dessert Eggrolls

Sasha's Kitchen: Mario Batali's Mint Love Letters (Ravioli)

Mario Batali's Babbo is one of my favorite Italian restaurants in New York.  Once when I was there about five years ago, we were seated a table away from U2 Frontman Bono and his entourage, which was pretty cool.  The food there is amazing.  One of my favorite dishes on the menu is a dish called mint love letters, which is a triangular shaped ravioli filled with a cheese, mint and sweet pea filling, served with a lamb ragu pasta sauce.  I've been wanting to make a regular ravioli version of this dish for awhile, since I make my own ravioli at home (such a rewarding process!).  I made the mint love letters square shaped, rather than triangular because it was easier to use my ravioli press.  This turned out to be one of my husband's favorite dinners and it's been requested again for next week since we already ate the two dozen raviolis I made in the original batch (yay for leftovers).  Making your own ravioli at home is fun and rewarding, although it does require a little bit of work.  This was one of my best ones yet.  Sorry the only pictures I have are of the final product and none of the lovely filling.

These were made last weekend, not last night, as yesterday my husband and I went out to a fondue restaurant in the East Village (The Bourgeois Pig) for my birthday!

Mario Batali's Mint Love Letter Ravioli (adapted from this recipe)

Filling
kosher salt

1 cup shelled sweet peas (I used frozen ones)

2 cups mint leaves
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup heavy cream
fresh pepper

Ravioli dough (my perfected formula)
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
5 eggs
1/2 tsp salt

Sauce
1 spanish onion, diced
2 28 oz cans peeled whole tomatoes, or tomato puree
1/2 of a peeled carrot
thyme
pepper
oregano
1 lb spicy lamb sausage

First, prepare the ravioli dough.  Beat the eggs, and then add the flour and salt all at once and beat into a dough.  You may have to bring the dough together with your hands to form four balls.  Wrap each ball in plastic wrap and allow to rest for half an hour either in your refrigerator or at room temperature.

Prepare the filling by first bringing three quarts of water to boil and adding a teaspoon salt.  Submerge the peas and cook for 1-2 minutes until tender yet still bright green.  Remove using a slotted spoon or hand strainer, saving the boiling water.  Set the peas aside and blanch the mint in the hot water for 30 seconds, before removing. Once removed transfer the peas and mint to an ice bath.  Drain well.  Then puree the peas and mint in your blender (we just got a new one after ours broke, sadly).  Add the parmesan cheese and heavy cream and pulse to form a paste.

Roll out the pasta dough to the desired thickness using your pasta machine.  You can make squqare shapes using a ravioli press like I did, or you can cut out squares in a knife and fold into triangular dumplings, like the mint love letters recipe suggests. Allow to dry on a drying rack, and then freeze.

Prepare a basic pasta sauce, like mine above, or like Mario Baltali's basic pasta sauce, and bring to a simmer.  Cook the lamb sausage in small pieces using canola oil, and add to the sauce.  Serve the mint love letters with the lamb sausage pasta sauce.

Sasha's Kitchen: Mario Batali's Mint Love Letters (Ravioli)

Sasha's Kitchen: Beef Dumplings with Napa Cabbage

In my last post, I wrote about my Chinese dumpling class.  The recipe below is a variation on the beef dumplings we made in the class to my specifications.  I was able to replicate the nicely pleated fold to make the dumplings and taught my husband Brad how to do it as well.  He had fun joining me making dumplings last weekend.  This was a great meal - the filling was absolutely delicious and packed with flavor in every bite.  We pan fried the dumplings and they came out perfectly.  I'm so glad I have this new cuisine to add to my repertoire.  I think I'll be making dumplings quite frequently.  Next up, I plan on making veal/kimchi dumplings next weekend.

Sasha's Beef Dumplings
1 package circular dumpling wrappers
1 lb lean ground beef
3 cups diced napa cabbage
4 T low sodium soy sauce
2 T black vinegar
1 T sesame oil
4 scallions, diced
1 T diced garlic
1 T diced ginger

Mix all of the ingredients below for the filling with your hands, until well combined.  Put a small amount in each dumpling wrapper and fold dumplings. I can't really explain how to fold a dumpling in writing, so I guess you just have to already know how do do that.

To pan fry the dumplings, the following website provides a great primer on how to pan fry.  Line the finished dumplings on parchment paper before cooking so they don't stick.  Coat the bottom of a non stick pan with a couple tablespoons of canola oil.  Line the dumplings in the pan, crowded, smooth side down and cook over heat for two to three minutes.  Add about a half inch of water, cover with a lid and allow to cook for four to five minutes until the water is gone.  Then, remove the lid and flip the dumplings and cook another three minutes until nicely browned.

Sasha's Kitchen: Beef Dumplings with Napa Cabbage