Garlic Mashed Potatoes

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Hi! I love potatoes, as you guys know from my past posts… This recipe is super good; nothing better than butter and garlic with potatoes! These mashed potatoes are the ones that appeared in the honey glazed thighs recipe yesterday. Hope you guys enjoy this recipe as much as my husband did. He just couldn’t get enough! : )

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons of kosher salt

4 large russet potatoes

8 tablespoons of unsalted butter

4 garlic cloves minced

½ cup of milk

½ cup of heavy cream

Procedure:

Put a large pot of water to boil and add the two teaspoons of kosher salt. 

Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1 inch cubes. When you see the water boil add the potatoes and cook until tender. (From 10 to 15 minutes.)

While you are boiling the potatoes heat the butter in a medium skillet. 

 

When the butter is melted add the minced garlic. (I prefer a garlic press for this.) Cook over low heat until the garlic starts changing color. Be careful not to let burn the butter. Take the pan off the heat and let it rest.

Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Mash the potatoes. 

Gradually add the milk and cream (I put both in one big bowl and add them as one) while mashing the potatoes. 

Stir in the garlic mixture and add the remaining teaspoon of salt. 

Make sure to mix well.

Enjoy!

Mac and Cheese

I've never made mac and cheese from scratch, so I decided to try it today. I've being thinking about what I'd to cook for my children when my husband and I start having them. Naturally, at least for me, I want them to eat healthy with meals made from scratch at home. So we can say this blog is a prelude for things to come in the future. The macaroni were amazing, extremely tasty. I will definitely be playing with different cheeses and flavors to make new recipes. Hope you guys enjoy them too! 

Ingredients:

½ pound of elbow macaroni

4 Tablespoons of butter

2 eggs

6 ounces of evaporated milk

1 teaspoon of kosher salt

Fresh black pepper to taste

10 ounces of sharp cheddar cheese

Procedure:

In a large pot put water and salt to taste. Wait until the water is boiling and then add the elbow macaroni.

Once cooked drain and put the pasta back in the pot with the butter.

Whisk the eggs, milk salt and pepper.

Add them to the pasta.

Add the cheese and stir on low heat for 3 minutes or until creamy.

Enjoy!

Sweet Dinner Rolls

 

There is no better day than today to make this awesome recipe, sweet dinner rolls! It may seem like it's a difficult recipe because it takes a little bit of time while you wait for the bread to rise. But let me tell you it's totally worth it once you take a bite out of your homemade bread. There is nothing better than a nice cup of coffee with a homemade, fresh baked dinner roll. Hope you guys enjoy this recipe as much as me and my husband. He couldn't wait to get his hands on this dinner rolls!

You may have noticed a little something extra on the plate. Look for that later this week. ;)

Ingredients:

3 cups of bread flour

2 teaspoons of active yeast

1 1/4 teaspoons of kosher salt

3 tablespoons of sugar

¼ cup of Klim milk (powdered milk)

4 Tablespoons of unsalted butter

1 1/8 cups of hot water (110 - 120 degrees)

2 teaspoons of olive oil

Procedure:

1)   Put half the flour, along with the salt and yeast, into the mixing bowl. Set the mixer to stir with the hook attachment for two minutes.

2)   Meanwhile heat the water to a boil in a pot then remove from heat and add the butter. Stir until it has fully melted into the water.

3)   Add the sugar and powdered milk to the mixing bowl.

4)   Add the butter/water mixture into the mixing bowl. Continue mixing on low speed (setting 2 or 3) while scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Remember to scrap the bowl

5)   Once that has fully combined raise the mixing speed to medium (setting 4) and add the remaining flour slowly. Preferably use a small spoon to scoop the flour in bit by bit. You may not need to add all of the remaining flour. As you add the flour, gently press your fingertips against the mixture. If the mixture sticks to your fingers keep adding flour.

   6)   Allow the mixture to combine well (about 5 minutes). You’ll know it’s mixed completely because the machine will loudly “kick” as the batter has coalesced onto the hook and begins to bang against the sides of the bowl without sticking. During this mixing period you may add spices or seasonings to the batter.

7)   Use the same rubber spatula to scrape the batter from the sides of the bowl, and the hook. Remove the batter from the bowl and pour part of the olive oil into the empty bowl making sure to coat the bottom and sides of the bowl with the oil. Put the batter back in the bowl and pour the remaining olive oil over the batter so as to also coat it.

8)   Cover the bowl with aluminum foil and let it rest in a warm spot. During this time (approximately 1 hour) the batter will make its first rising and should double in size.

9)   Once the batter has risen line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.

      10)  Put the batter on a wooden board (you won’t need to grease or flour the board because the batter already has oil). Shape the batter into a long straight line, like a baguette. Cut the batter into small rolls (about a dozen). Take each roll and shape them into balls then place them onto the baking sheet. Make sure to leave 1 ½ to 2 inches between the balls.

 11)  Lightly drizzle some additional olive oil over each of the balls and sprinkle them with a little kosher salt.

12)   Let them rest in a warm spot for 15 minutes for the second rising.

13)   Put them into the oven for 15 minutes or until they are golden brown.

14)   Enjoy!

Alton Brown’s Pound Cake!

Courtesy of google images

I love my husband, but I must admit that I love and admire Alton Brown. I used to watch his program late at night after getting home from college. He is exceptional! The way he writes the recipe and explains everything about it, it’s awesome! I love my husband even more because last year for Christmas he bought me Alton’s latest trilogy, and it’s like having an encyclopedia of food. So in honor of him and to please my hubby and his craving, the first recipe I made was his pound cake. I must admit I don’t eat pound cake, it’s not my type of cake but it was really good and my husband loved it so he devoured it!  I used two loaf pans to make this recipe.  It’s a recipe I’ve made more than once and every time I make it the results are amazing! 

The pound cake recipe appears at his Good Eats: The Later Years 3. Alton Brown's website

Courtesy of google images

My pound cake!!

Ingredients:

    16 ounces unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened, plus 1 tablespoon

    16 ounces cake flour, plus 2 tablespoons

    16 ounces sugar

    9 large eggs, room temperature

    1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Procedure:

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350 degrees F.

Coat a 10-inch aluminum tube pan or 2 (9 by 5-inch) loaf pans with 1 tablespoon of butter and dust with 2 tablespoons of the flour.

Cream together the remaining 16 ounces of butter and the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer for 5 minutes on medium speed, using the paddle attachment. Stop once to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. With the mixer running at the lowest speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, making sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. Again, stopping once to scrape down the sides of the bowl. This will take approximately 3 minutes and the mixture may look curdled. Add the vanilla and salt and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds.

With the mixer on the lowest speed, add the flour in 3 installments, making sure each portion is fully incorporated before adding the next. After the final addition, scrape down the sides of the bowl and then beat for 30 seconds on medium speed until almost smooth.

Scoop the batter into the prepared pan(s), dividing evenly if using 2 pans. Bake for 1 hour or until the internal temperature reaches 210 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. The crust will be golden brown and will spring back when pressed, but the crack around the center will appear moist.

Remove the cake from the oven to a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan(s) and cool on the rack. Store the cake on the rack covered with a tea towel for up to 3 days.

Alton Brown's pound cake episode! Enjoy!!