College Life

The past two recipes were luxurious now that I am back at school eating cafeteria food.  Those were made at home when I visited one weekend, but now all I have is my rice cooker, so looks like I'm going to show you one of my favorite comfort foods!

When I was a kid and got sick my mom would always steam Chinese sausages over rice for me and it has ever since then become a comfort food.  When I went to college, she of course supplied me with a rice cooker for whenever I get sick of cafeteria food..which is practically everyday.  My grandparents live in the City, so when I visit them, they stock my refrigerator up with things I can steam in my cooker.

I came home from a weekend getaway tonight feeling under the weather so I cooked up sausages and rice.  Needless to say, it made me feel so much better.  The Chinese sausages I use are made of pork and chicken and they're a little bit salty, but with Jasmin rice, it completely balances it out.  Read the rest for directions!

What you'll need: Rice cooker, Jasmin rice, and Chinese sausages (Lap Cheong)

I was only feeding myself, so I used a small cup of rice.  Pour water in the cooker, just enough to cover the rice.

My rice cooker comes with a steamer, so I put the sausages on top.  If you don't have a steamer, you can just put the sausages or whatever you're steaming right on top of the rice it would probably give the rice some flavor!

Turn the cooker on, the lever will pop up once it's done.  Put it all in a bowl and enjoy!

The Best Chocolate Cake

Everytime I come home my mom begs me to make chocolate cake.  Since we me and my brothers were little, we've been eating chocolate cake from our favorite bakery on our birthdays.  It was our favorite cake, until everyone tasted this cake.  Now they're putting out orders for me to bake it for them.


This recipe is from Ina Garten and it is so simple.  This is seriously the best chocolate cake I've ever had and anyone who has ever tasted it will vouch for me.  This recipe calls for a cup of coffee and instant coffee in the frosting as well which brings out the chocolate flavor. 


I know a lot of people are afraid of baking, but try it out!


Cake:

flour, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, 2 eggs, buttermilk, salt, baking powder/soda, canola oil

sift together all the dry ingredients into the bowl of an electric mixer

In another bowl, whisk together all the wet ingredients

Slowly incorporate the wet into the dry with the mixer speed on low.  Then add a cup of coffee

Evenly distribute mixture into 2 floured 9-inch cake pans

Frosting:

Ingredients (not pictured, sorry!):  semisweet chocolate, butter, 1 egg yolk, vanilla extract, confectioner's sugar, instant coffee powder

Start by melting the chocolate in a double boiler

in your electric mixer, toss in the room temperature butter and beat it until it turns light yellow and becomes fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).  Then, add in the sifted confectioners sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract.  In a separate bowl, mix together a tablespoon of instant coffee powder with 2 teaspoons of hot water and add it to the mixture.  Add in the melted chocolate and mix well

It should smell AMAZING now.

Once the cakes are out of the oven, you MUST let them cool completely before frosting the cake, otherwise the frosting is going to soften and it won't be evenly spread on the cake.  Believe me, I've had to learn this the hard way so now I just let my cakes sit overnight

On your cake stand or whatever you're putting the cake on, arrange 3 strips of wax paper around it so the frosting doesn't get everywhere.  Place the first cake on the stand and spread frosting evenly on top.  Then put on the second cake and use the rest of the frosting to get the top and sides of the cake.

Voila!

Here's the first slice/only slice my mom let me eat :)  It's so incredibly moist and definitely satisfies my chocolate cravings.  Enjoy!

Beatty's Chocolate Cake by Ina Garten

Cake:

Butter

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans

2 cups sugar

3/4 cups good cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 extra-large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 2 9-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

Frosting:

6 oz semisweet chocolate

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

1 tablespoon instant coffee powder

Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of hot water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don't whip! Spread immediately on the cooled cake.

Bacon Potato Salad

Every summer my family has a reunion where we all get together at a different park and have basically what is called "The Morales Olympics".  They play games like basketball, volleyball, and a 3 legged race.  Since I'm super shy, I always hated participating in these contests and so the only thing that kept me from not going was the delicious food that they would always bring.

My aunt has this potato salad that she always makes and I've seen her make it before and it's so simple but I could never get it down.  Last year, I found this recipe and sorry Auntie, but I think this salad will give you a run for your money.

This potato salad is so simple and you really don't need too many ingredients!  It has so much flavor mostly because of the bacon grease that's added to the dressing :)  I never said I was trying to stay healthy!

First off is the ingredients:

apple cider vinegar, mayonaise, Dijon mustard, thyme, parsley, green onions, bacon, golden potatoes, S&P

Start off by boiling the potatoes.  Keep the skin on for texture!

Meanwhile, start cooking some bacon.  And one of the best things about this recipe, save the bacon grease for later :)

Whisk together the dressing: Dijon, mayo, vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste

Once the potatoes have cooled, chop them into bite sized pieces, mix it together with the bacon, herbs, and bacon grease

Finally add the dressing. MMMMMM!

And serve!  There definitely won't be any leftovers.

Bacon Potato Salad

Servings: 4 to 6


1 pound Yukon gold potatoes
3 strips bacon, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, or more to taste
1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard, or more to taste
1 heaping tablespoon cider vinegar, or more to taste
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1. In a medium saucepan, add the potatoes and enough water to cover the potatoes by 1 inch. Bring the pan to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain the potatoes and set aside until cool enough to handle.
2. While the potatoes are cooking, fry the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and drain the bacon onto a paper towel-lined plate. Save 1 tablespoon bacon grease and set aside in a warm place (discard the rest, or save for another use).
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, cider vinegar, smoked salt, kosher salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the dressing as desired. Set aside.
4. Dice the potatoes into half-inch cubes and place in a large bowl. Stir in the warm bacon fat until combined. Fold in the dressing, bacon, green onions, thyme and parsley. Taste the salad and adjust the seasoning if desired. Cover and chill the potato salad before serving.