Kalua Pork

The Fishers used to have us over each year for their amazing annual luau. It's one of the things I miss the most about our old neighborhood in Cedar Hills. Kulani and Cindy go all out and usually cook a pig in the ground for the event. They have cooked at many ward parties as well and have often made their kalua pork. One time I asked Cindy how to make it and I was shocked at the simplicity of the recipe. It's a favorite of mine now and I often make it when I have to feed a huge crowd and put 2 or 3 roasts in a big roasting oven. But sometimes, like today, my family asks for it out of the blue and I just use my crock pot. I love to use the leftover pork for BBQ pork sandwiches later in the week.

Kalua Pork

1 lg. pork butt or shoulder roast, bone in

2-3 T. liquid smoke

1-2 T. kosher salt

Prick the roast all over with a large meat fork. Pour liquid smoke all over the roast (I usually use about 1/4 of the bottle for one roast). Cover the roast in salt and cook on low overnight. The next morning I usually take all the meat out and separate the bone and fat out. Then I drain the drippings and take most of the fat off. I shred the meat and put back into the crock pot, with the drippings. I like mine very moist, so I usually add about a cup of water. Let it continue to simmer on low until you need it. Serve with rice.

Pink Polka-Dot Cake

I don't have a lot of time for Pinterest. But, it is fun to "pin" a few good ideas to use later.

Last year I created a pink rainbow cake for one of my best friends in the office, Emily Bennion. It was just so cute and she loved it. I had to come up with a great idea this year. I had seen a Polka-Dot cake pinned some time ago, so I thought I'd try it in different shades of pink.

It was a very busy week, so I admit I didn't do as well as I should've, especially on the outside frosting since I decorated it on a desk at work! But, it was a fun experience to try something new.

Pink Polka-Dot Cake

To create this cake, you must have a "Cake Pop" pan. I got mine on clearance last week at Target, but they are at Bed, Bath and Beyond, as well as other kitchen stores. I made a white cake mix and adjusted it by adding a small package of vanilla pudding mix, used milk instead of water, and decreased it by half, and used an extra egg. I divided my batter into two bowls and added pink gel food coloring, making one a light pink and the other dark pink. I do love the multi colored circles created in the original blog.

I sprayed the pan with Pam Cooking Spray and dusted with flour. Then I filled the bottom half of the pan, to the top, with the two kinds of batter. I put the top of the pan on and secured it. I baked them at 350 degrees for only 11 minutes. (I had baked them for as long as the blog post said and they were way over done.) The nice thing about the pan is that if it is overfilled at all, the extra batter comes out of the holes on top. When you take it out of the oven, you simply knock them off with a spoon. I turned the pan upside-down and let them cool for about 5 minutes. Then, unlatched the pan and took out the cake balls. They do have an edge in the center, but you simply take some kitchen scissors and trip them so they are perfect circles.

One batch of cake mix was enough to do about 3 batches of balls. Enough to mess up on one batch and have kids sneak a few of the other batches and still have enough for the cakes.

I mixed up 2 additional white cake mixes, using normal package directions with egg whites so the cake was as white as possible. When the cake balls were completely cooled, I put about a cup of batter in the bottom of three 9" pans, and then placed six of the balls around, one in the middle and others around the sides. {Note: I ended up putting a ball in the middle of each of the three layers of cake. I would make sure I only did one or two next time, but not all three as it doesn't look as cool after it's cut into.} 

I baked the layers according to the package directions. Once I looked in at the cake, it looked terrible and I thought for sure it would be a "flop" of a cake. I did end up taking them out once they were light brown on the top, which was about 5 minutes less than the package directions. The top of the cakes didn't look normal at all, so I was very worried.

After the three layers of cake cooled, I wrapped them in plastic and put in the freezer until the day of Emily's birthday. I made frosting early in the morning and used the same coloring that I used for the cake balls, although I think it must have been too dark because it turned out totally hot pink. I did a "crumb layer" before leaving the house and then put another layer of frosting on it at the office. Although it was a little too thin and didn't look great. I intended to put some cute white polka-dots on it, but couldn't find any in enough time.

I was so worried that the cakes were going to be a huge failure, that the balls would be too overdone, or the white cake would have baked un-even or something. By the time I cut it open (in front of a crowd of 25 people), I was so nervous because I didn't have a back-up plan if it was terrible.

But, as I cut it, I discovered it worked out great; it looked adorable with different colored pink circles in every slice, and tasted completely normal. I didn't think the large cake was all that cute, but the slices were so perfect. I really was happy how they turned out and the best part is that Emily loved it!

French Macarons

I love everything about macarons and have from the moment I read about them a few years ago. I've been dying to learn how to make them, but the recipes all seemed a little daunting and I'm not a great baker-no patience for detail. I occasionally purchase them in French bakeries (expensive) and read the millions of blogs about making them, but never had the guts to try them out myself. I was recently invited to join a monthly dessert group. I really don't have much time to socialize, but I'm starting to really miss my old life, so I said I'd join-even though desserts aren't really my speciality. This first month the theme was to try something new. With that in consideration, and Valentine's Day right around the corner, French macarons were the only thing I could think of making.

Many recipes on the internet are based upon weight and I'm not a good enough baker to invest in a scale, so I kept looking until I found one that had real measurements. I also read a lot about the Italian macaron version that requires you to boil sugar and water to add to the meringue. People say that it is an easier method for a beginner, as it works more consistently. But, I feel I had perfected the French method in about 3 batches and didn't want to try another.

Once I started baking and I was instantly in love. I made a lot of batches until I was satisfied with the look of my finished product.

The website I got the basic recipe from was YumSugar.com. The first batch I made was a basic vanilla recipe with a vanilla buttercream filling. Next I tried a "red velvet" version by adding some cocoa powder and pink gel food coloring, filling it with chocolate ganache. And, for the last batch I really had fun experimenting and they finally turned out perfect. I added hazelnut extract, vanilla bean and a little cocoa powder to the cookies, dusted them with cocoa powder before baking and topped with some chopped hazenuts before baking. For the filling, I used the leftover chocolate ganache and mixed it with Nutella. They were our favorites! Once the basic recipe is perfected, the possibilities are endless, which allows you to be so creative!

The key to making the batter perfect is not mixing it too much, but at the same time, making sure to mix it enough. The first two batches I didn't mix enough, which made the cookie shells thick and bumpy. This is a great video I watched in-between batches that helped me perfect the mixing process (I still used the other recipe). The third one I mixed just until I thought it might be too much and it was perfect! The others were too thick when I piped them onto the parchment paper. The first batch I sifted the flour and powdered sugar, but it was so time consuming that I gave it up for the other batches and they seemed to be just fine. I did use the Red Mill almond flour, which is already very fine. I purchased it at Whole Foods and it was very expensive (but you don't use a lot). Many recipes say to leave your egg whites out at room temperature for 24 hours. I have no patience for things like that and used them right out of the fridge, but warmed them slightly over the flame of my burner until they were room temperature.

These were the first flavored ones I made; they were chocolate hazelnut.
I added hazelnut flavoring and a little bit of cocoa powder to the shells,
filled with a mixture of chocolate ganache and Nutella, and topped w/hazelnuts.

Basic French Macron Recipe

2/3 c. almond flour (sometimes called meal)
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
3 egg whites
5 T. granulated sugar
1 t. vanilla extract

Heat oven to 280 degrees and place the racks on the two lowest positions. Cut pieces of parchment paper to fit two cookie sheets perfectly and then make 1-inch circles all over the papers, leaving at least 1/2-inch of space in between circles (I found something in my drawer that looked like an inch and traced it).

Whisk the almond flour and powdered sugar together and set aside.

Place egg whites in the bowl of a mixer and start to mix on med-high. When they start to get frothy, add sugar, 1 T. at a time. Continue to beat until glossy, stiff peaks appear. To test it, pick up the whisk and if the egg whites peak and the top doesn't fall, they are ready. If it falls down, keep mixing. Make sure you don't over mix (it will become clumpy).

Transfer egg whites to a large bowl. Add half of the dry mixture and fold it about a dozen times until just mixed. Fold with a spatula, going up the sides, pushing down the center. Finish mixing the rest of the dry ingredients, being careful to fold and not stir. When you lift your spatula, the mixture should pour off like thick molten lava. If it's not flowing when you lift the spatula, it is too thick and needs more mixing.

Use a piping bag (ziplock bag with the tip cut does not work) with a large round tip. Place it in a large cup and fold over the sides. Pour in half of the mixture and twist the top. Start piping the batter into the circles. The best way to do it is hold just over the pan (not touching) and let the batter come out until the circle is perfectly filled. Then quickly turn your wrist as you lift the tip to try and not leave a tail. Once the first pan is filled, hold the pan with both hands and tap hard on the counter 3 times. Turn the pan so your hands are on the opposite ends and tap again 3 times (helps get any air pockets out and flattens the cookies). Continue until both pans are filled and the rest of the batter is used up. Let them sit on the counter for at least 15 minutes, or until the tops are no longer wet when you touch them.

Place the cookie sheets on the two bottom oven racks. You will have to experiment with the cooking times, but this is what worked for me. Set the timer for 2 minutes and when it rings, open the door to let any humidity escape. Then set the timer for 6 minutes. Once the time is up, change the pans so that the top one is now on the bottom, as well as turn around so the back of the pan is now in the front. Bake for 7 more minutes. To test the doneness, carefully lift the cookie off the sheet. If it comes off the parchment easily, they are done. If the cookie separates in half, bake one more minute, and so on. Cool the macaroons completely before filling.

Use any jam, jelly, buttercream, frosting, chocolate ganache, etc. to fill the middles of the macarons (see below for some recipes I have loved). Try to match up sizes and shapes (easier when your cookies are all symmetrical) as you go. Once they are filled, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days and freeze for up to a month. They are best in the fridge for at least a couple of hours so the filling chills and they meld together a bit. Let them come back to room temperature before serving. If they are frozen, let them thaw completely in their original covered containers to avoid condensation from forming.

These were from my first two batches where the batter was not mixed quite long enough.
They tasted great but were not smooth and round.

Basic Buttercream

7 T. unsalted butter, softened

2 egg yolks

1/4 c. granulated sugar

3 1/2 T. milk

1 t. vanilla extract

Cut butter into pieces and mash with a spatula until the consistency resembles mayonnaise. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks, then add the granulated sugar and whisk until the mixture lightens to an off-white and you can no longer see the granules of sugar. Add the milk, and whisk to combine. Pour the egg mixture into a small saucepan and heat over low, whisking frequently to ensure that the mixture does not curdle or scorch. Cook until the mixture becomes thick and custardy, like pudding. Pour the egg mixture back into its bowl and whisk constantly until it returns to room temperature. Whisk in the butter in three batches, add the vanilla, and stir until smooth and all ingredients are fully combined. Pipe or spread onto one macaron half and sandwich between the other. This basic recipe can be flavored and colored however you'd like.

Ryan's Salsa

We miss the McCoy family for so many reasons, one of them being Ryan's salsa. It was served at every party/get-together and we always devoured it. Ryan has shared his recipe with me and we have made it a few times, but it never is quite as good as his. I think it's because Kara isn't sitting next to me while I eat it. Rick's only request for Super Bowl food was Ryan's salsa. I guess it makes us feel like our best friends are still in Virginia! 

2 lg. cans whole tomatoes (drained)

3 jalapeno peppers - diced (Ryan uses the already diced and canned ones)

1 t. dried oregano

1 t. salt

3 T. veg oil

1 T. of vinegar

1/2 t. pepper

2 or 3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 bunch of green onions (white parts only)

Ryan puts everything but the tomatoes in a food processor, get everything all diced up nicely, then adds the tomatoes and pulses until he reaches the desired consistency. 

Korean Beef

My friend, Amy McAllister, told me about this great recipe she's been trying lately. It's from a darling little blog called lizzy writes. I tried it last night, and it was amazing! She used hamburger, but since I was taking dinner to a friend in the hospital, and it was Sunday dinner, I decided to use flank steak. I got a huge steak at Wegman's, which I thought would be plenty to feed the 7 of us, plus take dinner to two others, but I underestimated how much my family would love it! We ended up eating all of it in one sitting, without saving some to take to our friends. I had to act quickly and I cut up some chicken breasts. I added some red peppers to the chicken as it sautéed, and it turned out amazing. Essentially, this is a really good teriyaki sauce, or a stir fry sauce. It's just the kind of sauce Rick loves-with garlic, ginger and very sweet. I've adjusted the recipe slightly from Lizzy's by adding a little corn starch to thicken it and I used a little less brown sugar  than she does.

2 lbs. flank steak, lean ground beef or chicken
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. soy sauce mixed
2 T. corn starch
1 T. sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t. fresh ginger, minced
1/2 t. crushed red peppers
salt & pepper
1 bunch green onions, diced

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and brown meat with garlic in the sesame oil. Whisk corn starch into soy sauce and add to meat along with the brown sugar, ginger, salt and pepper and red peppers. Add any other vegetables at this point (peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, etc.) and cook until tender-crisp. Simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors and thicken. Serve over steamed rice and top with green onions.

BBQ Sandwiches

This recipe is another that is almost embarrassing to post, but I assure you it is amazing! I even fed it to a US Senator and his staff this past Sunday! It's something my mom used to make all the time with left over roast beef and it's one of Rick's favorite meals. You can use either beef or pork. If there is time, I like to make homemade rolls to serve it on, but the kaiser rolls at the bakery will do just fine on a busy day!

1 medium roast
1 lg. bottle of ketchup
3 T. yellow mustard
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. dried onion

If you are cooking a roast for this recipe, cook it for a couple hours in a crockpot, with salt and pepper, just until it's cooked through. Take the roast out and drain it and slice it up (it's usually not tender yet). If you are using a left over roast, slice it up and continue from this point on.

Put the roast in the crockpot (which should be empty of liquid) and add the ketchup, mustard, brown sugar and onion. Cook for another couple of hours until it is falling apart. This is a recipe that really has no measurements. Just keep adding things until you get the perfect taste. It is such a yummy, mild, BBQ sauce.

When you are ready to eat, slice rolls in half, spread with butter and broil until toasted. Spread the BBQ beef onto the rolls and serve!

English Toffee

My mom used to make this yummy English toffee growing up, and now my sisters love to make it. Just like the tea rings, now that I am living so far from home, I now am forced to make my own Christmas treats. I can no longer rely on my sisters to deliver whatever goodies I crave during the holidays.

I made this recipe last night and brought the majority of it to work today. It was gone by 11:30 a.m.! It really is a great treat-especially at Christmastime. The original recipe has you grate a chocolate bar over the top of the hot toffee, but my sister Elaine uses chocolate chips which saves a lot of time (and a mess). She also puts her nuts into a blender until they are blended until they are almost a powder.

1 lb. butter
2 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. light corn syrup
3 oz. slivered almonds

Generously grease a large cookie sheet with butter. In a large heavy pan, combine the ingredients and cook mixture on medium-high heat until hard crack stage. A candy thermometer is not necessary, but you have to watch closely and stir constantly. The mixture will become a dark carmel color and start pulling away from the pan. It takes a very long time (15 minutes or so), and you may think it is starting to burn. To test, have a cup of ice water next to the stove top and keep dropping the hot mixture into the ice water and taste it to test it's consistency. It should be very crunchy; if it sticks to your teeth at all, it is not done yet. As soon as it gets to the hard crack stage, take off heat immediately and pour into the pan.

2 pkg. milk chocolate chips
1 c. walnuts or pecans, chopped very fine

Spread chocolate chips over the toffee and continue to spread as it melts. Top with the chopped nuts and press into the chocolate with a spatula. Cool in fridge until the chocolate has set. Pull up one corner, turn over and chop into small pieces with a butter knife.