For the 2nd Philadelphia food bloggers meet-up, we made dessert kebabs. We didn’t intend for them to look as gaudy as they did (for evidence of absurdity, visit this picture of one on Foodaphilia — Mark is a super model). In fact, we envisioned them much smaller, and, um, subtler. In fact, though we’d definitely remake dessert kebabs in some form again, I doubt that we’d use this version unless the event called for extravagance.

It’s kind of silly to post a recipe for dessert kebabs, since you could really add anything you like. We chose chocolate-dipped rice crispy treats (from the crispy-treat recipe on the side of the box), chocolate-covered strawberries (self-explanatory), brownie cakes baked into mini-muffin tins and star fruit. For the brownie cakes, we used a recipe from Cooks Illustrated that I will not post, since I do not recommend it. In fact, they were supposed to just be brownies, but we had to call them brownie cakes when they turned out less fudgy than expected.

Our only main instruction is to skewer the chocolate-dipped items immediately after dipping to prevent cracking. Also, star fruit are delicious, and you can swipe your extra pieces through chocolate as well for some pre-kebab snack.

From my father, I inherited a love for leftovers. When I’m home, I still watch with amazement as he piles everything left on the table after dinner into a tupperware container to bring for lunch the next day. Paella is kind of like that — except fresh. According to Wikipedia and legend, paella originated when Moorish Kings ordered that servants combine leftovers from royal banquets to send home with guests. It’s a believable tale. When researching paella recipes, we discovered that they exist with pretty much any ingredient imaginable. We picked a classic-seeming version, borrowed a beautiful paella pan from a kindly neighbor, and embarked on a crazily intense cooking experience.

Paella isn’t difficult to make, but it moves quickly and there are a lot of steps. If we hadn’t prepared all of the ingredients in advance, and if we didn’t have two sets of hands plus extra helpers, the dish would definitely have not been as successful as it was. It was, however, an enormous success. I attribute the deliciousness to a unique and smoky spice combination, marked especially by the inclusion of a Spanish paprika. The dish was flavorful and beautiful, and though the pan was filled to the brim, it was gone the next day (a significant portion of it in my dad’s tupperware.)

Though this was our first attempt at paella, I doubt that we will ever stray from the recipe that we used, even though we made a few minor substitutions. It’s from a cookbook entitled Paella!, which we borrowed from the same kindly neighbor who lent us the pan. What’s posted below is our version.

Highlight: The squid came with its head on, and Alex dissected it. We saw the ink pouch. If you get the queasies, buy your calamari pre-cleaned.

Ingredients:
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp parsley, minced
1/4 tsp crumbled thread saffron
kosher salt
1 small chicken, cut into its parts (legs, wings, breasts, etc.)
1 squid, cleaned, cut into 1/2-inch rings
1 lb. shimp, shelled
6 chicken sausages, cut into 1/4-inch slices
6 cups chicken broth
5 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 roma tomatos, chopped
2 tsp paprika (preferably Spanish smoked)
3 cups Arborio short-grain rice
2 dozen small mussles, cleaned
1 cup frozen peas
lemon wedges (for garnish)

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 400. With a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic, parsley, saffron and 1/8 tsp salt together into a paste. Heat the olive oil in a paella pan (17-18 inches at it’s widest point). Saute the chicken until browned but not fully cooked (2-3 minutes per side), remove and set aside. Briefly sear the shrimp for about a minute, and set aside as well. Add the squid, saute for a minute, and remove. Add the onion and bell pepper, cook until softened. Stir in the tomato, cook 1-2 minutes, then stir in paprika and rice. Pour the broth into the pan and bring to a boil. Add the saffron paste and continue to boil for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the peas, sausage and squid, and continue to boil for an additional three minutes, until the rice is no longer soupy, but enough liquid remains to cook it. Arrange the chicken, shrimp and mussels over the rice and transfer it to the oven. Cook, uncovered for about 12-15 minutes, or until the rice is almost al dente and the liquid is almost entirely evaporated. Also, the chicken should be cooked. Remove to a warm spot and cover with foil, let sit for 5-10 minutes until the rice is cooked to taste. Garnish with lemon and serve.

(garlic, parsley, saffron and salt paste in the mortar and pestle)

Oops — Two days ago, we completed our 100th post and we didn’t even notice or bake ourselves something to celebrate! We originally planned to do a cake for the occasion, and though we forgot, we did coincidentally make some amazing carrot cake muffins, complete with a delectable cream cheese frosting.

As we’ve become something of muffin experts over the past few months (at the very least, we’re obsessed and deluded amateurs), we can officially write that these are the best muffins in existence. Perhaps this is because we followed our recipe perfectly, but we’d like to think that our ever-improving baking skills had something to do with it, too. The frosting, after all, was our own. Adding apple to the batter along with coconut and carrots ensures an unbelievably moist and soft texture. They are perfect without frosting, but if added, they become sublime.

The recipe is from the Joy of Baking, and since it’s so good that even people who are too lazy to click a link deserve to try it, I’m re-writing the instructions below. Happy 101st post anniversary to us! Please, celebrate with a muffin.

Ingredients:
(muffins)
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, toasted and coarsely shopped
2 cups raw carrot, grated
1 large apple, peeled and grated
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup coconut
3 eggs
3/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
(frosting)
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup crushed walnuts (for topping)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350. Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in nuts and coconuts, and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, oil and vanilla. Fold wet ingredients, apples and carrots into the flour mixture. Stir until just moistened. Spoon batter into muffin cups and bake 20-25 minutes, until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool. Meanwhile, make the frosting by combining the butter, sugar, cream cheese and vanilla in a bowl, and mixing them together (preferably with a mixer) until smooth. Once the cupcakes are cool, frost and sprinkle the crushed walnuts on top. Serve, or if not serving immediately, refrigerate.

Since we’ve only existed since July, this is our official opportunity for blogolutions (and really, self-evaulation in any form). We hope that posting these does not mean that someone will actually hold us to them. In fact, if anyone tries, we’ll just take down this post and deny that it ever existed. Yes, we’d go there.

1. Invent more recipes
2. Use recipes from the approx 20 cookbooks we received from the holidays
3. Pay attention to details that make the food prettier (aka, food style)
4. Learn how to use heat correctly
5. Make our own stocks

Tonight’s citrus salad meets two of our goals, 1 & 3. Woot! My mom showed us a nifty way to halve the oranges, and there is great color contrast between the avocados and oranges. The dressing is unbelievable with the flavors in the salad — simple, tangy, enhancing. Definitely make this for guests, or if you’d like to impress. This salad is seriously good-looking, and just as lovely to taste.

Ingredients (makes 6):
3 large navel oranges
2 avocados, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup cashews
1 bunch scallions, finely chopped

(dressing — these are estimates, so adjust to taste)
1 tsp sesame oil
1/4 olive oil
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
4 tbsp juice of orange
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:
Slice the orange by placing it on the table with the navel facing forward. Insert a knife into the center of the orange on the diagonal, and proceed to make similar inserts in a zig-zag formation around the fruit. Separate the halves. Running a thumb between the orange sections and the peel, carefully peel the fruit out of its peel. Divide the sections, and cut them in half again. Place in a bowl. Add the avocados and scallions, and add dressing (make by whisking all ingredients together until it tastes good) until the salad is very lightly covered. Add the cashews, and spoon the salad back into the empty orange halves. Serve.

Sometimes, when I have the most exciting things to write, like now, writer’s block strikes. Not to mention, I have the critical eyes of two of my best friends (since elementary school, for life) peering over my shoulder. They joined us for dinner in lovely, 70-degree Bethesda, MD. I digress. Excitement: We are back from our blogging hiatus! Also, blogolutions to announce. And finally, food.

So as mentioned, we feasted tonight in Bethesda. Alex is here visiting, and we’ve ousted my parents from the kitchen for two nights in a row (thanks, and also sorry for yesterday’s falafel mishap). Tonight, we cooked up some delicious Asian dishes, complemented beautifully by some homemade sushi brought by my friend, Whitney. She’s convinced us to attempt it solo when we return to school, so stay tuned. For our contributions, we made chicken satay with a peanut sauce and a superb orange and avocado salad, inspired by an amazing ceviche dish at Genji in Philly. Because we are just so thrilled about our return to the blogosphere, we’re posting it all tonight. The blogolutions are coming in a post or two.

Firstly, the satay. We were a bit surprised at how well this came out (maybe because after the great falafel disaster of yesterday, we thought our skills had disappeared). The chicken was tender and well-flavored, and the sauce was so great that we kept sneaking it on to everything. Whit and Emma agree that it was peanuty, but not too peanuty, just the right amount, “like Goldilocks.” We compiled our recipes from across the internet and the brain of Alex’s father; we’re pretty into them.

Ingredients (chicken/marinade):
6 chicken breasts
1/4 cup minced lemongrass
1 small onion, quartered
1 thumb-sized piece ginger
1/2 tsp dried tumeric
2 tbsp ground corriander
2 tsp cumin
3 tbsp soy sauce
5 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs lime juice
skewers (about 30)

Ingredients (dipping sauce):
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup coconut milk
6 tbsp lime juice
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp water
1 tbsp red curry paste
1 tbsp grated ginger
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Instructions:
To make the marinade for the chicken, combine all of the ingredients (minus the chicken and skewers), and process them in a food processor until combined. Cut the chicken breasts into thin strips. Pour the marinade over the chicken, and let it rest for 1 hour to 10 hours. Meanwhile, soak the skewers in water. When you are ready, preheat the grill. Skewer the chicken onto to the sticks, and grill for 5-6 minutes on each side over medium heat, until cooked. To make the dipping sauce, mix together the peanut butter and coconut milk. Then add the other ingredients, and stir until combined. Serve the chicken with the dipping sauce.

We couldn’t not start off the year with a post — though admittedly Alex is in Belize and this is something that we made several weeks ago and procrastinated writing about. Part of me would like to wax poetic about all of the wonderful things that we anticipate about 2008 — graduation, getting our act together to start cooking things like paella and cake with fresh strawberry frosting, Batman: The Dark Knight — but one of my resolutions was to stop making decisions too far in advance, so perhaps I should just say that we’re extremely excited to keep blogging this year (starting again in a week or so!). Please keep reading! Happy New Year!

Though we made it before Christmas, roasted vegetable lasagna is actually a perfect dish to celebrate the new year. It’s an old classic with a slightly innovative twist, healthy, satisfying, pretty. You can pretty much roast any vegetable that you like, and we chose our favorites. Also, you should feel free to experiment with other fillings as well, though pesto ricotta certainly works extremely well.

Ingredients:
2 zucchini, sliced thinly (1 yellow, 1 green)
1 tomato, sliced thinly
2 portabello mushrooms, sliced thinly
2 peppers, sliced
1 onion, sliced thinly
1 eggplant, sliced thinly
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
1 jar tomato sauce
1/3 cup pesto
2 1/2 cups mozzarella, shredded
2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup parmesan, grated
1 box whole wheat lasagna pasta

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Toss the vegetables in the oil and vinegar, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and spread them onto the baking sheets. Roast for about 30 minutes, until they are carmelized. Meanwhile, cook the pasta until it is just barely done. Also, mix the pesto and ricotta together in a bowl. In another bowl, combine the mozarella and parmesean. When the vegetables are done, prepare to assemble the lasagna by turning the oven to 325 and finding a large 9×15 inch baking sheet. Layer the lasagna by adding sauce to the bottom, then 3 noodles. Next add 1/3 of the pesto ricotta cheese, 1/3 of the vegetables, then 1/4 of the parmesean/mozarella mixture. Repeat twice, then the remaining parmesean/mozarella, and any leftover vegetables or sauce to the top of the lasagna. Bake for 40 minutes uncovered, and let sit for about 10 minutes before serving.