Apologies!

Sorry I have been out of town and will be up and posting again shortly! Keep on the lookout, I have some yummy recipes coming soon!

<3,

The Happy Muffin

Vegetarian: Risotto Primavera

I'll admit, I was stumped for awhile on what to make as my second dish in this series. I had originally planned a completely different dish but as I was buying ingredients for the recipe, I realized the tab would've easily been over $120 - no thank you! Instead of diligently researching an alternative dish, I sat in front of my TV instead and started watching the Barefoot Contessa (my newest addiction). For one of her episodes, she created this amazing risotto full of fresh spring vegetables, lemon zest, and creamy Parmesan. I had never made a risotto before, so I figured this was a good opportunity to learn. I switched the chicken stock in the original recipe for vegetable stock to make this dish completely vegetarian. I've only eaten risotto once, so I'm probably not the best judge of what makes a good risotto. However, I can tell you that mine was creamy, tender but firm (al dente), and delicious!

This was my first time to work with leeks - they're gorgeous!

The finished product

Texture close-up!

Risotto Primavera
(source: Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa)

6 to 8 servings

• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)
• 1 cup chopped fennel
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
• 2/3 cup dry white wine
• 4 to 5 cups vegetable stock
• 1 pound thin asparagus
• 10 ounces frozen peas, defrosted (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese, preferably Italian
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh chives, plus extra for serving

ONE: Prep an ice bath by filling a large bowl with cold water and plenty of ice. Set aside. Cut the asparagus diagonally in 1 1/2-inch lengths and discard the tough ends. Blanch in boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes, until just barely tender and bright green in color. Drain and place immediately in the ice bath to stop the cooking process. Set aside.

TWO: Heat the vegetable stock in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Keep at a continuous low simmer.

THREE: Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and fennel and saute until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the rice and stir for a minute to coat with the vegetables, oil, and butter. Add the white wine and simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until most of the wine has been absorbed. Add the vegetable stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring almost constantly and waiting for the stock to be absorbed before adding more.

FOUR: When the risotto has been cooking for 15 minutes, drain the asparagus and add it to the risotto along with the peas, lemon zest, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Continue cooking and adding stock, stirring almost constantly, until the rice is tender but still firm. The entire process should take about 25 to 30 minutes.

FIVE: Whisk the lemon juice and mascarpone together in a small bowl. When the risotto is done, turn off the heat and stir in the mascarpone mixture plus the Parmesan cheese and chives. Serve topped with additional Parmesan and chives.

Printable Version!

Vegetarian: Sweet Potato Enchiladas

In 2008, I attended one of my first graduate school classes at the University of Texas. Choosing your seat is always the toughest part on the first day, and I finally settled on a seat that was close enough to the front to see, but not too close - no need to let everyone know I was a nerd on the first day. I had no idea just how pivotal that decision was because those four strangers on my row ended up being my favorite group of friends. Kate is one of those friends. Kate is beautiful, energetic, and enthusiastic about everything. She dives into life head-first with such passion that you cannot help but be inspired by her. Therefore, it is fitting that Kate is the inspiration for this week's theme :)

Kate has been a vegetarian for several years. Although she loves eating out, she is also quite the creative cook (and she makes a mean plate of migas, but more on that later). I invited her over to my apartment last week for a test-cooking/brainstorming session. She made one dish that particularly intrigued me - sweet potato enchiladas. I love sweet potatoes, but only when they're used in savory dishes like this one. The satisfying starch in the sweet potatoes acts as a great natural substitute for meat in this dish, and the creamy texture and wonderful spices will blow you away. You have to try this at home - I guarantee it will change your mind about vegetarian food. Enjoy!

Assembling!

There isn't any parsley in this dish, but I had some on hand and I needed a garnish :)

Sweet Potato Enchiladas

(as adapted from Allrecipes.com)

6 servings

• 5 sweet potatoes
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil for frying
• 12 (7-inch) corn tortillas
• 1 (19-ounce) can enchilada sauce
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

ONE: Put the sweet potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and boil until potatoes are fork-tender, about 30 minutes. Cool and peel the sweet potatoes.

TWO: Place the sweet potatoes in a bowl, and mash them with the cream cheese, cilantro, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper until well mixed.

THREE:  Preheat oven to 350 F and grease a 13 x 9 inch baking dish.

FOUR: Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and quick-fry the tortillas, one at a time, for about 10 seconds per side. Remove the tortillas with tongs and drain on paper towels. The goal here is to get pliable corn tortillas that will be easy to roll, so if they're turning out more like tortilla chips, fry them for a shorter amount of time or turn down the heat.

FIVE: Place about 1/3 cup of sweet potato filling down the center of each tortilla, roll it up, and place filled tortillas seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Pour enchilada sauce over the tortillas, and sprinkle with Monterey Jack cheese.

SIX: Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until the enchiladas are bubbling and the cheese is beginning to brown. Serve with salsa.

Printable Version!

Comfort Foods: Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

Anthony is half Italian, half Chinese, and we've always joked that I'm part Italian as well because when I first started cooking that's all I made. I've since branched out, but I still stock five different types of pasta in our pantry and I still have a big crush on Giada De Laurentiis. Naturally, when I think of comfort foods, I think of a heaping plate of spaghetti and meat sauce. I love that everyone has their own way of making spaghetti - cooking should be personal! Today I'm presenting my recipe. I should mention that my recipe changes slightly each time I make this, depending on my mood. However, this recipe is always the foundation that I begin with, before I add any variations. Using hot Italian sausage instead of ground beef adds a ton of flavor, and using crushed red pepper adds a nice amount of heat. Mangia bene! 

Well isn't that a fancy shmancy plate of spaghetti? (I got a little carried away.)

Spaghetti and Meat Sauce
(source: Tiffany Trinh, The Happy Muffin)

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound hot (spicy) Italian sausage, casings removed
• 2 (28-ounce) jars of your favorite homemade or store-bought marinara sauce (I use Prego Fresh Mushroom)
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/8 plus 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• Pinch of sugar
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped   
• Grated Parmesan

ONE: Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and saute until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Add the sausage (casings removed) and brown, breaking apart the meat as it cooks. Add 1/8 teaspoon of the crushed red pepper and saute until fragrant, about a minute.

TWO: Carefully add the marinara sauce and reduce the heat to medium-low. Add Italian seasoning, remaining 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper, pinch of sugar, bay leaves, and salt and pepper to taste. Remember to taste frequently during this stage to ensure it's perfectly seasoned. In my opinion, you're going to want the sauce to taste a bit more savory because you're going to be ladling it over a lot of pasta - just keep that in mind. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cover. Simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

THREE: Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the spaghetti noodles and cook according to package instructions. Drain well.

FOUR: Just before serving, remove the bay leaves and stir the parsley into the meat sauce. Ladle the sauce over individual bowls of pasta and serve with Parmesan. Enjoy!

Printable version!

Comfort Foods: Mashed Potatoes

Potatoes are the star ingredient for a multitude of amazing dishes. Scalloped potatoes, twice-baked potatoes, homemade steak fries...all great comfort foods in their own right. However, today I wanted to showcase my boyfriend Anthony's favorite potato dish of all time - mashed potatoes. This recipe from Tyler Florence is a keeper, and it really doesn't get more simple than this. Anthony loved it just as it was written, but this recipe is also a great blank canvas for a multitude of variations. I purchased an OXO food mill to prepare the recipe, and it really was worth it. I used the medium food disk to create the melt-in-your-mouth texture of these potatoes. I've already packaged it into several small containers to share with friends and family - this is too good to keep all to myself!

Mashed Potatoes
(Recipe courtesy of Tyler Florence)

6 to 8 servings

• 4 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
• 1 bay leaf
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives

ONE:  Put the potatoes in a large pot, add the bay leaf, 2 tablespoons salt, and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 20 minutes. Drain them well and remove the bay leaf.

TWO: Meanwhile, heat the cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Put the potatoes through a food mill (or a ricer) into a bowl. Stir in the hot cream and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the chives.

Printable version!

Comfort Foods: Mac and Cheese

It's finally here - the pilot post of The Happy Muffin! I promise you I haven't been sitting idle. In the past few weeks I've brainstormed ideas with family and friends,  scoured bookstores looking for great recipes, and spent more than a few nights in my kitchen. I decided to kick-off the first week with good old-fashioned comfort foods.

Comfort foods are dishes that have a sense of familiarity, like Mom's chicken and broccoli casserole, and lots of warmth, like a hearty beef stew with fluffy biscuits. Although these are unique to each person's experiences and memories, there are a few select dishes that are universally considered classic comfort food.

For example, macaroni and cheese is considered, hands down, one of the best comfort foods. After all, who could resist all that warm, gooey cheese and delicious elbow macaroni? I found this recipe while watching Barefoot Contessa, and I had to try it. The best part of this recipe is that you can substitute whichever cheeses you prefer and it still comes out beautifully. I served this for a group of friends and everyone raved about how delicious it was. The crust of tomatoes and homemade breadcrumbs is a "gratin languedocien", which adds color, texture, and a bit of rustic French flair to this dish . Bon appetit!

The tomatoes make it healthy, right?

Plated by Nathan Trinh. Yummy!

Mac and Cheese
(as adapted from: 2002, Barefoot Contessa Family Style)

 6 to 8 servings

• Kosher salt
• 1 pound cavatappi (or elbow macaroni)
• 1 quart whole milk
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 12 ounces Gruyere, grated (4 cups)
• 8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (2 cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 small fresh tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups fresh white breadcrumbs (5 slices, crusts removed)

ONE: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

TWO: Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the macaroni and cook one minute less than the directions on the package. Drain well.

THREE: Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, pepper, nutmetg, and 1 tablespoon salt. Add the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour into a 3-quart baking dish.

FOUR: Thinly slice the tomatoes and arrange on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh breadcrumbs, and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on top.

Printable version!