Steamed Dumpings

Categories Recipes9 Comments on Steamed Dumpings

During this time of quarantine we need to find things to keep us positive and busy. I have decided to use this time to try out some new recipes and techniques that I may be avoiding. I got a bamboo steamer as a Christmas gift so I decided to break it out and make some dumplings. I crafted my own recipe for the filling, but the dumpling dough recipe comes from Kannamma Cooks!

Ingredients

For the dough:

  • 1 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
  • 1/2-3/4 cup VERY hot water
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1 and 1/2 tsp Vegetable oil

For the Filling *** this again was me having fun in my kitchen so the amounts are all guesstimates

  • 1 Chicken Breast, cut into small pieces
  • 1/4 cup Red Onion
  • 2 tsp Garlic
  • 1/4 cup Shredded Carrots
  • 1 tsp Ginger
  • Salt + Pepper
  • 1/3-1/2 cup Soy Sauce

Lets Get Cooking

Add flour + salt + 1 tsp vegetable oil + hot water and mix well. Knead the dough for about 3-4 min until soft. Once fully mixed add 1/2 tsp oil onto the dough to keep it from drying out. Let rest in the refrigerator. It is recommended that the dough is left over night, however, I let mine sit about 4-5 hours and it worked perfectly.

Cut the chicken breast into small cubes, if you have a food processor, use this to get a ground chicken consistency.

Dice up the red onion and shred the carrots.

In a small bowl combine chicken + red onion + carrots + garlic + ginger + salt + pepper.

Add soy sauce and let it marinate in the fridge for 1-2 hours.

After the meat and dough have rested cut the dough out into small circles.

Using a kitchen spoon, add the filling into the dough and pull up the sides to encase the filling.

Line the bamboo steamer with cabbage if you have it, I didn’t so I used spinach instead & it still worked!

Set up the steamer and steam for about 12 minutes.

Carefully remove, serve with soy sauce & enjoy!

I was super nervous about using the steamer for the first time, but everything cooked through and they were so delicious! I could not stop eating them and they were incredibly easy to make. So don’t think just because you are using a new kitchen tool that it has to be scary. Now I can’t wait to see what I can make next using my steamer. If you try out this recipe please let me know, I would love to hear what you think!

Made with Love,

Hannah

Cleveland Wing Crawl

Categories Travel3 Comments on Cleveland Wing Crawl

Never have I ever participated in any type of bar crawl. I am a bad day drinker, if I start to get sleepy it’s all over. NOW a food crawl is my type of scene! This weekend, I participated in Cleveland’s Wing Crawl with a few friends after a night out for her birthday. 4 bars in the Ohio City area took part in this and let me just say if they ever do this again I will be attending because I could eat chicken wings for days.

Touch Supper Club

Our first stop, the super cozy Touch Supper Club. The atmosphere was so chill it was the perfect place to start. Here they offered 3 types of wings, however, the majority of us decided to go with the Korean BBQ. IT WAS DELICIOUS. Super sticky and smoky, it had great flavor. We rated a 6/10

The Old Angle Tavern

The next stop, they had the perfect set up. You walked right up to a window and they provided you with their sampler of wings! They had TV’s on, good music, and good conversation. They offered a buffalo basil [the crowd fav], a bbq, and a house dry rub. Overall, it was pretty great! We rated 7/10

Nano Brew

The final stop: Nano Brew. Now at this point we are a few drinks in, 12 wings in and we are ready to go. Nano also offered a few options, including Cajun-Ranch Dry Rub, Bourbon Orange Teriyaki, MGB Prosperity BBQ, Spicy Tai Chili [THE ABSOLUTE BEST]. We stayed so long because we had to order another round of the Spicy Tai Chili. Seriously, go there and try these wings. We rated 8/10

Market Garden Brewery

Our last stop, we were unable to make it due to the fact that we got too comfortable at Nano Brew. So I cannot comment on the wings, but in passing by, they looked delicious!

So these Pub Crawls are featured in all sorts of different cities. They are put on by We Love Pub Crawls so go check their website to see if they are coming to a city near you!

Made with Love,

Hannah

Cleveland’s Little Italy Go-Tos

Categories Reviews6 Comments on Cleveland’s Little Italy Go-Tos

Every major city has their own version of Little Italy. The one I know best is Cleveland’s, a strip of Mayfield road dedicated to some of the best Italian restaurants in the area. I have not been to every restaurant on the strip (it is a goal of mine) but I am going to share with you a few of my favorites.

La Dolce Vita

This may be one of my favorite places on this list. The food has always been amazing. The tomato cream sauce is a meal I would die for, you can’t help but eat every bite. I highly recommend their appetizer trio as well, it gives you an amazing sample of their stuffed peppers, eggplant parm, and meatballs. There is nothing on this menu that tastes bad.

Trattoria on the Hill

Another one of my favorites would be this classic. The menu is long, the service is excellent and everything is amazing. I’ve had the Veal Scallopini and the Gnocci al Burro and good lord I could eat it non-stop. It’s food made with love and you can tell.

Mama Santa’s

Mama Santa’s is the first restaurant I went to in Little Italy and it will always have a place in my heart. They have an extensive menu, so everyone, even the pickiest eater, can find something that they like!

Corbo’s Bakery

If you go to Little Italy, after dinner you have to go to Corbo’s. My mother introduced me to this place and explained just how good this place is. They have all sorts of baked treats, which is exactly the thing you need after eating a massive plate of pasta.

So if you are in the Cleveland area go check out the Little Italy area, not only do they have excellent restaurants but cute shops as well [I highly recommend the thrift shop Moonstruck]. It’s a great place to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Made with Love,

Hannah

The Perfect Bagel & Lox

Categories Recipes3 Comments on The Perfect Bagel & Lox

This combination is a classic. It’s hard to mess up. Now I am sure you don’t need a post from me explaining how to pair these ingredients together, but I am going to give you my version anyway!

Ingredients

  • Bagels
  • Tomato
  • Red Onion
  • Cream Cheese
  • Capers
  • Smoked Salmon

Let’s Get Cooking

Start out by cutting the tomato into slices and the red onion rings.

While you are cutting, toast up the bagel.

Spread the cream cheese onto the bagel and evenly distribute the capers on top.

Follow with, salmon + red onion + tomato to top it off.

Everyone layers the ingredients differently, but I feel this way gives you the best bite (even though I am sure it really does not matter lol)!

Enjoy this meal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner; and I mean who doesn’t feel fancy eating smoked salmon and capers?!

Made with Love,

Hannah

Macaroons

Categories Recipes7 Comments on Macaroons

I have been wanting to make macaroons for a long time. However, people have mentioned to me how difficult they can be to make, so I strayed away. My pinterest feed recently has betrayed me, bringing up all sorts of different macaroon recipes. I decided to finally cave, despite the warnings people gave me, and attempt to make my own macaroons. I went with another internet recipe from Delish. I am so happy with the way they came out. With the success of these and my croissants last Sunday, I think I might just quit my job and open a bakery.

Ingredients

  • Parchment paper
  • 1 3/4 Powdered Sugar, spooned
  • 1 cup Super-fine Almond Flour, spooned
  • 3 Large Egg Whites, room temperature
  • 1/4 tsp. Cream of Tartar
  • Pinch of Kosher Salt
  • 1/4 Cup Superfine Sugar
  • 8 Drops Pink Food Coloring

Butter Cream

  • 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, room temp
  • 3/4 Cup Powder Sugar, spooned
  • 1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

Let’s Get Cooking

Set a sieve over a bowl and sift powder sugar + almond flour. Press through until only solids remain.

Separate egg white and add into a mixing bowl. Add cream of tartar + salt to the egg whites. Beat the egg whites until frothy (it starts forming bubbles). Increase the speed to medium high & add the sugar. Beat until egg whites are stiff & glossy about 2-3 minutes.

Beat in the food coloring to make whatever color you desire. I went with pink like the recipe called for because I think they look so cute!

Carefully fold the dry ingredients into the whipped egg whites. Fill a pastry bag with the mixture.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Pipe the batter into about 1 inch circles. Mine were not all exactly 1 inch circles so don’t stress about the measurements, I mean really who has time for that.

Tap the baking sheet on the counter a few times to release air bubbles, let sit for 45 minutes.

When your 45 minutes has passed, preheat the oven to 300F. Bake for 13 minutes, and turn the pan halfway through.

While you are waiting for your cookies to cool, make the buttercream!

When I made the buttercream I added a bit more vanilla and powdered sugar to the recipe, so you might have to adjust to your personal taste.

Place butter + powdered sugar + vanilla in a mixing bowl and whip until fluffy.

Spread icing on the cookie + top with remaining half.

Once you’re done don’t forget to share your cute & colorful little french cookies with the world. You will feel like a real baking pro after completing this, trust me!

Made with Love,

Hannah

P.S it’s all about how you whip the egg whites

Homemade Beef & Broccoli

Categories Recipes2 Comments on Homemade Beef & Broccoli

I am all for creating new recipes with just the items laying around in the kitchen, it’s like my own personal game of Chopped. Instead of caving to my cravings of Chinese take-away I decided to make my own. My creation is as follows!

Ingredients

  • Flank Steak
  • 1 Cup Broccoli
  • 1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
  • 1 TBSP Rice Wine Vinegar
  • 1 tsp Honey
  • 1 tsp Hot Sauce
  • 1/4 tsp Ginger
  • 1/4 tsp Garlic
  • 2 Packages of Ramen Noodles – I used Lotus Foods Rice Ramen
  • 1 TBSP Flour + Water

Let’s Get Cooking

Cut the flank steak into strips, against the grain.

Combine Soy Sauce + Rice Wine Vinegar + Honey + Hot Sauce + Ginger + Garlic

Pour over the flank steak and marinate for an hour.

After marinating cook the steak into a hot pan with the marinade. Once fully cooked stir in the roux (water + flour)

While the steak is cooking, cook the ramen noodles according to the package, do not use the spice packet that is included.

Add broccoli to the steak and stir.

Time to Plate

Once the broccoli has fully incorporated and softened, pour the mixture over the rice noodles and enjoy!

Made with Love,

Hannah

Antoni’s Queso Recipe

Categories Recipes3 Comments on Antoni’s Queso Recipe

Am I doing another recipe from Antoni’s Cookbook, yes. Am I mad about it, no.

I made this recipe for the Superbowl and it was a hit. I am the one who mostly ate it all, but I still consider that as a success. This recipe is incredibly easy to make and perfect for any party. If you love this recipe, please go buy Antoni’s cookbook, every recipe is amazing! Also, Antoni states that this recipe is Jonathan’s favorite, so just another reason to love it.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb of White American Cheese
  • 1 cup Whole Milk
  • 2 TBSP unsalted Butter
  • 1/2 tsp ground Cumin
  • 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 4.5 oz can chopped green chiles, drained
  • 6 oz fresh Chorizo with the casings removed (if you’re like me and couldn’t find chorizo in the grocery store, I used andouille sausage instead and the recipe still came out amazing!)
  • Tortilla Chips

Let’s Get Cooking

Mix together Cheese + Milk + Butter + Cumin + Garlic powder in a large heatproof bowl.

Fill a saucepan with 2 inches of water & bring to a simmer. Place the bowl with the cheese mixture over top of the saucepan. Stir the cheese mixture frequently until melted and slightly bubbling. Stir in the green chilis.

Remove the casing from the chorizo [or andouille sausage] and cook in a skillet on medium heat. While cooking, break up the chorizo into small pieces.

Place the queso into a serving bowl, and using a slotted spoon, add in the cooked chorizo.

Serve with tortilla chips & dig in!

Made with Love,

Hannah

Croissants You Don’t Want To Drop

Categories Recipes11 Comments on Croissants You Don’t Want To Drop

We have all seen the food videos on Facebook. They always look so delicious, we repost them to our page, but do we ever follow through and make them? This time, after watching a video for Chocolate Croissants, I finally decided to follow the recipe from Tasty. If you decide to follow through after reading and make this recipe, be sure to have a full day open to make them.

Ingredients

  • 4 Cups of Flour
  • 1/2 Cup of Water
  • 1/2 Cup of Milk
  • 1/4 Cup of Sugar
  • 2 tsp. Salt
  • 1 packet of Dry Instant Yeast
  • 3 TBSP unsalted Butter
  • 1 1/4 cup cold unsalted Butter
  • 1 Egg
  • 2 bars sweetened Chocolate

Let’s Get Cooking

Mix together Flour + Water + Milk + Sugar + Salt + Yeast + 3 TBSP Butter in a large bowl. Once the dough starts to mold together, turn it onto a clean counter and lightly knead to form a ball. Refrigerate the dough for an hour.

Cut the cold butter into thirds and place it on parchment paper. Put another piece of paper over the butter and pound out to 1/2 inch. Place the butter sheet into the refrigerator.

Flour the counter and roll out the dough into a square. Put the butter layer on the rolled out dough and fold over the sides of the dough to enclose the butter.

Roll out the dough length wise. Place on a baking sheet and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Flour the surface and roll out the dough length wise. Book-fold [ fold the top half to the middle, fold the bottom half over the top fold] the dough and turn clockwise. Cover and refrigerate for an hour.

Roll the dough and fold 2 more times. After the final turn refrigerate over night.

WHEN IT’S FINALLY THE NEXT MORNING…

Cut the dough in half and roll out the dough, trim off the edges, and cut into rectangles.

Place chocolate on the edge and roll to enclose the chocolate.

Brush the croissants with a beaten egg.

YOU THOUGHT IT WAS TIME TO BAKE?! NOT YET

Let the dough proof for about an hour. Preheat the oven to 400F

Brush with egg one more time & finally BAKE for 15 min.

Time to Plate

Now after all this exhausting work (trust me you gotta have some arms to roll out cold butter) your house will now smell like a bakery. Take those bad boys out and enjoy immediately, after taking many pictures to brag to your friends on social media. I genuinely had a good time making these and I will again, just make sure you don’t forget how many turns you completed, like I did.

Please enjoy and don’t get scared while carrying your croissant.

Made with Love,

Hannah

From Scratch: Spaghetti & Meatballs

Categories Recipes2 Comments on From Scratch: Spaghetti & Meatballs

I love noodles, so simple and comforting. As a kid I could eat noodles for every meal, but the sauce always had to be on the side. As my self-taught, home kitchen culinary skills grew, making pasta was on my list to make. With a new kitchen aid, and attachments, I was able to scratch off homemade pasta.

I was expecting the process of pasta making to be drawn out and difficult. I soon realized my assumption was far from the truth. The pasta included 4 ingredients, Semolina flour + eggs + water + oil.

The directions on the semolina bag were easy to follow. A well was made in the flour and the remaining ingredients were added. The dough is then kneaded until there are no cracks. The dough is left to sit for about 30 minutes, wrapped in a towel.

After the dough has taken a break, it is finally time for the best part! I had never used a pasta roller or cutter before so this was a very exciting time for me. The dough was put through the roller, then folded over, repeating this step until the desired thickness. The dough is then put through the pasta cutter, I used the spaghetti cutter for my first try.

The pasta is then cooked in boiling water for about 2-3 minutes. Be sure to watch carefully as it cooks super fast! This was some of the most fun I had cooking in awhile! If I could I would make homemade pasta for every occasion.

Made with Love,

Hannah

Cuban-Style Black Beans

Categories Recipes8 Comments on Cuban-Style Black Beans

My trip to Cuba introduced me to the best black beans I have ever eaten. Don’t get me wrong, I like black beans, I use them in quesadillas and salads but I never expected them to have so much potential.

I attempted to recreate these amazing black beans, with the reference of another recipe by Latina Mom Meals. Latina Mom Meals recipe included a way to make the recipe with an Instant Pot. I tried the recipe using this method, but she also includes how to make the beans without an instant pot! After looking through many different recipes they always seems to start off with the essentials, black beans, onions, green peppers, and spices. I did not have all ingredients listed so I edited the recipe to use what I had in the pantry. If you want the exact recipe please check out her page! This has become a new favorite for lunch! It makes a lot so be ready for left overs!

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Dry Black Beans
  • 4 Cups of Water
  • 1/2 Cup of Olive Oil
  • 1 White Onion
  • 1 Green Bell Pepper
  • 4 Garlic Cloves
  • 1/2 tsp Cumin
  • 1/2 tsp Chili Powder
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • 4 tsp Salt + additional for taste
  • 1/2 tsp of Ground Black Pepper
  • 1/4 Cup of Beef Broth
  • 2 TBSP White Wine
  • 2 TBSP White Vinegar

Let’s Get Cooking

Using the Instant Pot, add water + black beans and set it on HIGH for 35 minutes

While the beans are cooking, dice the onion and pepper, crush and dice the garlic.

While the pressure is releasing, add the olive oil into a frying pan. Once warm, add onion + garlic + pepper + cumin + bay leaves + chili powder + salt + pepper. Cook until onions have become slightly translucent. Remove the bay leaves.

Add a cup of cooked black beans and add to the onions and peppers. Smash the beans into the mixture and add back to the instant pot.

Put the instant pot on sauté mode for 20 min. While sautéing add beef broth + wine + vinegar.

Time to Plate

Along with the beans, plate up with some rice of your choosing!

I am very excited that I was able to recreate this recipe! I cannot wait to keep tweaking and working on it to make it my own. Please check out Latina Mom Meals as well for more amazing recipes!

Made with Love,

Hannah