Sweet Potato Fries

I've tried making sweet potato fries many different ways, including baked, fried with cornstarch, and simply fried plain. I found that the easiest way to achieve a crunchy exterior and soft sweet interior was to do it the way restaurants do: blanching the fries first, and then frying them over high heat until they are nice and crispy. Granted, this is not the healthiest recipe, but it makes fries the way they were meant to be made (will post an oven-baked recipe later). The same method can be used using regular potatoes to make french fries, so this is a pretty versatile and simple recipe. (The set pictured above was made with help from my sous chef Brian.)

Ingredients:
     2 sweet potatoes/yams
     Vegetable oil for frying
     1/2 tsp salt
     1/4 tsp coarse ground black pepper
     1/2 tsp garlic powder
     1/4 tsp paprika

Peel and slice the sweet potatoes into even matchsticks: the thinner they are, the crunchier they will be. Submerge the matchsticks in a bowl of cool water, and put the oil to heat over medium fire. Test the oil with a wooden spoon: if the oil starts to bubble around the spoon when you place the tip on the bottom of the pan, it is ready. Shake off as much water as possible from the sweet potato sticks and place them in the water. Keep the heat on medium/low and allow the fries to blanch for 2-3 minutes (they begin  to soften and turn limp). Dip them out onto a paper towel-lined plate. Allow them to cool for 4-5 minutes, and then put the oil on high. When the oil is very hot, drop the blanched fries in and fry until golden brown and crispy (1-2 minutes). Mix together the seasonings and sprinkle it on the fries as soon as they are taken out of the oil and placed on a paper towel-lined plate.

Brazilian Brigadeiro

Growing up I had a lot of Brazilian friends, and one of the perks was that I was introduced to so much of their delicious food! Brigadeiro is a delicious Brazilian treat that tastes like chocolate caramel. It is pretty simple to make; the hardest part is knowing when to stop cooking the caramel. It takes some patience, but it is definitely worth it. This is definitely one of my favorite treats!

Ingredients:

     1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

     1 tbsp butter 

     2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

     chocolate sprinkles

Empty the condensed milk into a small saucepan and place over low heat. Add the butter and cocoa powder, stir constantly to prevent the milk from burning. Cook until the caramel has thickened enough that when you stir you can see the bottom of the pan. If it is cooked too little, the balls will not hold their shape. If too much, the caramel will begin to solidify and make lumps in the pot. (It took me two tries to get this right.) Grease a shallow container with some butter and pour the cooked caramel into it. Allow it to cool for an hour or so. 

Pour out the chocolate sprinkles in a small bowl. Take a spoon and dip some of the cooled caramel, place it in your hand, and roll into a ball. If it is too sticky, try greasing your hands with some butter first. Place the ball into the sprinkles and roll it around to cover. (If you use too much butter on your hands, the balls will be too greasy and the sprinkles will not adhere as well.) You can use small candy cups to place them in if you like. Continue with the rest of the caramel. 

Try not to eat them all yourself!

BBQ Chicken Flatbread Pizza

I came across pre-made flatbread in the supermarket one day and decided to take a shot at pizza-making. My favorite pizzas are thin crust pizzas, and flatbread is a quick and easy option for making pizza at home. If you're really in a rush you can buy pizza sauce in a jar from the supermarket, but I've included my recipe for pizza sauce below. This is my version of a classic BBQ chicken pizza on flatbread. Enjoy!

Sauce:
Ingredients:
     1 can (15 oz) crushed tomatoes
     4 tbsp tomato paste
     1 tbsp dried oregano
     1 tbsp dried basil
     1/2 tbsp fennel seeds
     1 tsp garlic powder
     1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
     1/2 tsp brown sugar
     1/2 tsp salt
Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste to a small saucepan over low heat. Add the rest of the ingredients, and allow the sauce to simmer for 30 minutes. Cool before using on pizza.

Pizza:
     2 pre-baked flatbreads
     1 large chicken breast, cooked and sliced
     1/2 red onion, sliced
     1 cup pizza sauce
     1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
     1/2 cup barbecue sauce
     3 tbsp orange or pineapple juice
     1 tbsp honey
Preheat the oven to 425F. Lay out the two flatbreads on a baking sheet. Spread the pizza sauce out evenly on top of each flatbread. Add the chicken slices, and then sprinkle the cheese evenly over both pizzas. Break apart the red onion and top the pizza with the individual onion pieces. Next, mix together the barbecue sauce, juice, and honey in a small bowl using a whisk or a fork. Drizzle each pizza with the barbecue sauce, then place them in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Slice and serve.
   
 
   

Teacup Brownie

During exam week when I'm too busy studying and it all gets stressful, I tend to crave chocolate sweets. With no time to actually bake something, this is a quick fix for my sweet tooth. I've tried so many different recipes for microwave cookies and cakes in a mug, and I haven't yet found one that I really like. Cooking them in the microwave gives them a different texture, which doesn't work so well for cakes and cookies. However, the microwave does make a very fudgy brownie, which is what I like. This recipe makes a single serving so you don't have to bake a whole pan of brownies, and it cooks in just a minute!

(Side note: I do still prefer my oven-baked brownies when I have the time to make them...will post that recipe later!) 

Ingredients:
1 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
1 tbsp butter
1 egg (you will only use half of it)
2 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
Put the butter and chocolate chips in a microwave-safe teacup or coffee mug. Place the cup in the microwave for 30 seconds, or until the butter has melted. Take the it out and stir with a small whisk or fork until the chocolate has completely melted into the butter. Crack an egg in a separate bowl or cup and beat it lightly. Add half of it to the chocolate and butter, along with the sugar and the flour. Stir until just combined (don't over-mix!). Place the mug with the brownie batter back into the microwave for one minute. Allow it to cool slightly, and enjoy while warm.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

So I came to Grenada with a huge tub of peanut butter, and the only way I thought it was possible to finish it (or most of it, at least) was to bake with it. I got tired of baking peanut butter cookies, which for some reason never turned out right over here, so I went searching for something different. I came across a recipe for peanut butter bars and adjusted the ingredients to my taste and to what I had available to me at that time. It turned out delicious, almost like a peanut butter blondie. If you are a peanut butter lover, you are sure to enjoy this one!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

3/4 cup of peanut butter

3/4 cup of light brown sugar

1 stick (1/2 cup) of margarine

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup strawberry jam

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line an 8x8 baking pan with foil, and grease with some butter. Mix together the dry ingredients and set aside. In another bowl, mix the peanut butter, sugar, and butter and beat until smooth (a blender would be useful here, but I had to use my hands). Mix in the egg and vanilla, then add the dry ingredients a little at a time until it is all incorporated. 

Take about 1/4 of the dough and place it in the freezer for a couple of minutes while you put the rest of it together. Add the remaining dough to the pan, and press down so that it evenly covers the bottom of the pan. Spread the strawberry jam evenly on top of the dough. Next, remove the dough from the freezer and crumble it over the jam layer. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Allow it to cool first, and then cut it into squares. 

Guyanese Vermicelli Cake

My family came from Guyana, where the cuisine is influenced by Indian, Caribbean, Chinese, and African cultures. This dish is the Guyanese version of a traditional Indian dessert known as seviya kheer. The taste is similar to that of rice pudding, and it's great either warm or chilled.

Ingredients:
     12 oz (1 pack) vermicelli noodles
     12 oz (1 can) evaporated milk
     4 cups of regular milk
     1/2 stick butter
     1/2 cup of sugar 
     1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
     1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
     1 tsp almond essence
     1/2 cup of golden raisins
     Handful of maraschino cherries, chopped
Add the butter to a large pot on low heat. Once it has melted, break up the vermicelli noodles and add them to the butter. Stir frequently, allow the noodles to turn golden brown (this is called "parching"). Once most of the noodles are golden brown, add the evaporated milk, regular milk, sugar, almond essence, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Allow the noodles to simmer in the milk until they begin to soften. Add the raisins and cherries, and allow the milk to reduce. Once the noodles begin to stick together and most of the liquid is absorbed (it becomes like a thick pudding), remove the vermicelli from the heat and pour into a casserole dish. You can choose the dish size according to how thick you want the cake to be (usually about 1 1/2 inches). Allow the vermicelli to cool about 15-20 minutes, then place it in the refrigerator to set. Once it is set, cut into squares and serve.

White Rose Cupcakes

This is your basic chocolate cupcake with vanilla frosting, decorated with a pretty rose frosting design. Cupcakes bake and cool much quicker than regular pan cakes, so they were nice to do during a quick study break. The presentation is also much nicer for sharing than sliced cake.

Chocolate cupcakes:
Ingredients:
     1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
     2 cups of white sugar
     3/4 cup of cocoa powder
     1 1/2 tsp baking powder
     1 1/2 tsp baking soda
     2 eggs
     pinch of salt
     1 cup of buttermilk
     1/2 cup of vegetable oil
     2 tsp vanilla extract
     1 cup of boiling water
Preheat the oven to 350F and set aside a muffin pan with cupcake liners. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture a little at a time to allow them to mix well. Add the cup of boiling water and whisk together. Pour the batter into each of the muffin cups, filling them about 3/4 of the way. (This recipe makes about 20 cupcakes.) Bake for about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool before frosting.

Vanilla Frosting:
Ingredients:
     2 cups powdered sugar
     2 tbsp softened butter
     2 tbsp milk
     1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Mix all of the ingredients together and beat until it is light and fluffy.

Decorating the cupcakes:
Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, fill a piping bag with the vanilla frosting. Using a star tip (I used the Wilton 2F tip), pipe a swirl on the cupcake starting at the center and swirling around to the edges.