Minestrone Soup

3 T olive oil

1/2 medium onion, diced

2 medium carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 large peeled potato, chopped

1/2 head of cabbage, chopped

2 zucchini, chopped

1/2 c dry white wine

6-8 cups chicken broth

2 3/4 c crushed tomatoes (or more)

1 can mixed bean medly (or white beans)

1½ tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried fennel

1/4 tsp chilli flakes

2 c ditalini pasta

Herb No Knead Bread

350 grams all purpose flour

100 grams whole wheat flour

2 t rapid rise yeast

2 t kosher salt

2 t Italian seasoning 

1/2 t garlic powder

1 1/2 c hot tap water 

Combine the dry ingredients.  Add the water using the handle of a wooden spoon.  The dough should be too loose to knead (not that we will), so add more water if necessary.  The dough should be shaggy.  Cover with plastic wrap and let proof for 2 hours.  You can refrigerate after this overnight or prepare to bake immediately.

Place dutch oven (with the lid on) in an oven set to 450 for 30 minutes to Preheat.  Sprinkle the work surface lightly with flour, dump the dough onto the surface and lightly sprinkle the dough with more flour.  Using a bench scraper fold one edge of the dough into the middle.  Do this 5 more times.  Place 1/2 sheet of parchment next to the dough and gently roll the dough onto the parchment paper.  Sprinkle lightly with flour and cover with the plastic wrap while the duth oven is preheating.  

When ready, carefully lift the parchment and dough into the Dutch oven.  Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes.  

This a great recipe for bread to be used for stuffing.  For white bread, use 450 grams of all purpose flour and omit the Italian seasoning and garlic powder.

Chippie Ho

On November 11, 2021 Coyote Mexican Cantina served its last Chippie Ho.  Wish we could have been there.  This infamous blue margarita went down way too easy at Coyote Mexican Cantina, Lockhart Road in Wan Chai - ahhh, good times, great memories!

This is a working file to try to recreate this margarita that we consumed by the pitcher-full.

1.5 oz Cuervo Silver

.5 oz Triple Sec

.5 oz Blue Curaçao

3 oz Passion fruit juice

2 oz Pineapple juice

(Might need some lime)

Strawberry Margarita Cake

1/4 cup lime juice

1 tablespoon lime zest

2 cups milk whole milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup strawberry margarita 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cup granulated sugar

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Pink food coloring 

- - -

1 c butter, slightly softened

3 c powdered sugar

1 1/2 t lime zest

1 T strawberry margarita

1/2 t salt

• ▢
• 3 cups confectcup unsalted butter room temperatureIn a large bowl, mix together lime juice, lime zest, milk, oil, strawberry margarita, vanilla, and sugaIn a small bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Add the dry ingredients to the mixture and stir until just combined.  Add pink food coloring.

In a large bowl, mix together lime juice, lime zest, milk, oil, tequila, vanilla, and sugar.

In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the lime mixture and stir until just combined.

Divide evenly among 18 cupcake liners.

Bake at 350 F for 20-24 minutes, until a tester comes out clean and the cupcakes spring back when lightly pressed.

Frosting Instructions

Beat butter on high speed with an electric mixer for about three minutes until light and airy.

Mix in powdered sugar a little bit at a time.

Add lime zest, strawberry margarita, and salt and continue to beat for another minute.

Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

Cran-Apple Mold

 2 3 oz pkg cherry jello

1 c boiling water

16 oz can whole cranberry sauce

16 oz can apple sauce

Dissolve jello in boiling water.  Stir in cranberry and apple sauce. Pour into 5 cup mold. 

Sleepy Time Cocktail

2 oz whiskey 

2 oz cranberry juice

4 oz ginger beer

Shake gently with ice in a wide mouth canning jar 

Sweet Potato Maple Crumble Muffins

This recipe is from Baking With The Good Hair https://www.bakingwiththegoodhair.com/home/2020/9/19/sweet-potato-muffins-with-maple-crumble

- with edits for weight measurements. This one is a favorite that I often double and freeze (see instructions below). 

Makes about 1 dozen muffins

Ingredients:

Muffins:

• 200 g all purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 300 g - 1 ½ cups mashed or pureed sweet potato, cooled (about 1 large sweet potato)
• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
• 73 g brown sugar
• 66 g granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 t vanilla
• 2 tablespoons milk (whole or 2%)

Crumble:

• 60 g all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons cubed unsalted butter, cold
• 2 ½ tablespoons maple syrup

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F and line a muffin tin with liners. Lightly grease the liners with nonstick spray.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together until combined and no clumps of flour or baking powder remain.
3. In a large mixing bowl, mix sweet potato and melted butter together until combined. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar and mix until combined. Add egg and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
4. Add half of the flour mixture to the batter and mix until almost combined, about 10 seconds at a medium speed. Add in milk and mix until almost combined. Add in final half of the flour mixture and mix until combined, be careful to not overmix. Cover batter and set aside
5. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk all purpose flour, granulated sugar and cinnamon together. Add in cubed butter and work into the flour mixture with your hands until the butter is broken down to pea-sized pieces. Add maple syrup and mix in with a fork until combined and the mixture is crumbly but sticks together when squeezed.
6. Scoop batter into the prepared muffin tin until each cup is about ⅘ths full. Add 2 teaspoons of crumble on top of each muffins and press gently into the batter.
7. Bake muffins for 18 to 20 minutes, or until muffins are set and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Allow muffins to cool partially in their muffin tin before transferring to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.

My instructions to double the recipe and easy prep instructions - makes 24 muffins ...

Bake 2-3 sweet potatoes at 375 for one hour and cool.  Bring eggs and milk to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 400.  

Measure dry ingredients into 2 bowls - (ex. 200 g flour in each bowl)

• 200 g all purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt

Combine ingredients with a whisk.

Measure sugars into small bowls as above...

• 73 g brown sugar
• 66 g granulated sugar

Measure all crumble ingredients into one medium bowl

• 120 g all purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 4 teaspoons cinnamon
• 6 tablespoons cubed unsalted butter, cold
• 5 tablespoons maple syrup

Mix together with fingers before adding syrup.  Then mix in syrup with fork and pop in the refrigerator to keep cold.  

* Put 300 g - 1 ½ cups sweet potato and 1 stick of melted butter in the food processor and puree.  

Add 

• 73 g brown sugar
• 66 g granulated sugar

and combine for a few seconds

Add egg and1 t of vanilla and blend.

Add 1/2 of one of the bowls of dry ingredients. Blend in short spurts till mostly mixed, add 2 T of milk and blend again.  Then add last of the dry ingredients and pulse.  

Scoop into 12 silicone muffin liners (lightly spritzed with spray).  Top with half of the refrigerated crumble and bake for 18 to 20 minutes.

Cool muffins for 10 minutes and remove from liners.  Clean liners to repeat the process with 2nd batch (from *)