Banana-Brownie Pie

I've been mastering pie crust. But was running low on pie fillings/current seasonal fruits in Korea are not entirely pie friendly.

And I wanted a brownie.

And bananas.

And fresh whipped cream.

So, I threw a pie shell into a dish, pricked it with a fork, baked for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, I whipped up a box of brownie mix. Dumped the batter in the pre-baked pie crust, baked according to the package directions. When it was time to serve up the dish, I simply sliced a banana onto the brownie/pie and scooped a spoon or two of cream on top.

It was delicious.

Every single bite.

Butter Beer!

There is absolutely no reason one should avoid trying out this fabulous beverage! Even while living in South Korea where Cream Soda does not exist, we took action, made our own cream soda and I would do it again, and again, and again...because this. was. phenomenal.

Thanks to Pinterest, I came across this recipe which supported my own creation of Butterbeer.

Ingredients/Directions:

In a saucepan melt together 1 cup of Brown Sugar and 2 Tbsp. of Water (if you have a candy thermometer it should be at 240 F -- otherwise, bring it to a boil and hope for the best). Stir in 6 Tbsp. of Butter, 1/2 tsp. Salt, 1/2 tsp. Cider Vinegar,  and 1/4 c. Heavy Cream, let set and reach room temperature...or not. In a bowl or tall measuring cup mix 1/2 c. Heavy Cream and 2 Tbsp. of the Brown Sugar mixture until not quite whipped cream. Split the rest of the Brown Sugar mixture between 4 glasses (or however many servings worth you desire - we did 10 small cups), fill with a bit of cream soda (nearly to the top) and spoon some whip topping onto the top before sitting down to watch Harry Potter #7 pt. 1 in anticipation for pt. 2! You'll definitely come back for more!

Pumpkin Kid and Almond Alfredo Noodles

I thought I was grabbing a cucumber. Turns out it's a Pumpkin Kid (direct translation from Korean to English). It's essentially a summer squash, although I don't know the specifics. Either way, it served it's purpose well in this relatively low-prep dish.

Ingredients/Directions:

Prepare spaghetti noodle or other noodle of choice. Dice one Pumpkin Kid, Onion and mince 2 cloves of Garlic, saute in olive oil until tender. Place frying pan ingredients into a food processor, add a handful of almonds and pulse. Add a touch of moisture with some heavy cream and pulse again until reaching desired consistency. Move back into pan, heat up the mixture and add more heavy cream and mozzarella (or other cheese) until reaching perfect noodle clinging consistency. Add noodles, mix and serve alongside home-made bread if you so choose ^.^

Enchilada Suizas Soup and a Re-Make

Occasionally, (or quite often) when it comes to cooking I want something homemade, delicious and quick. I recognize, that sometimes, a meal that takes some time and effort to put together is worth the effort and so often phenomenal in a way quick and easy can't be. Nonetheless, I'm a sucker for easy. And what is easier than taking what appears to be a delicious recipe and tweaking it so that it's a soup. Nothing! Nothing is easier than soup! So, I found a bomb-A recipe for Enchiladas Suizas, decided I was lacking energy and motivation to do the whole saucing, filling, rolling, baking work of enchiladas and opted instead to soupify (in a non-liquefying way) this recipe for enchiladas suizas.

Ingredients/Directions:

Roast some chilies to ensure a bowl full of spicy flavor-ful-ness. Melt a bit of butter and saute a diced onion in a sauce pan. Season buttery onions with minced garlic, cumin and salt, add a bit of flour to thicken and create a roux-like concept. Add 2-3 cups Chicken Broth and simmer for a bit. Add unto the mixture, 2 cups of cooked/shredded chicken and chopped, roasted green chilies. Simmer a bit longer until things smell phenomenal. You are encouraged to add any additional soup ingredients you desire such as: potatoes, tomatoes, etc. Just before serving, add about one cup of heavy cream, some shredded cheese and stir until incorporated. Ladle into a bowl, top with crushed tortilla chips, cheese and sour cream if you are so luck to have it readily available and enjoy my friends, enjoy! (Please note, these are potentially the least accurate measurments and directions I've ever posted, so take caution and don't fear changing things up a bit).

As for the remake...

Reheat left over soup liquid on the stove - just strain it off a bit. Dip tortillas in a thickened liquid (thickend with flour, heating, etc.) Brown up some potatoes, shredd some cheese, use the none liquid part of the soup and begin filling enchiladas or creating an enchilada casserole by layering. Simple. Easy. Delicious!