Frozen Brazo de Mercedes

Ingredients:

Meringue

• 4 large egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar

Crust

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Custard Filling
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup condensed milk
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon, rind
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1 pint vanilla ice cream
• 8 inch square container

Directions:

MERINGUE

1. Preheat oven to 250 F. Grease and line the bottom of a 9- inch square pan. Grease and flour the paper again then spread the meringue on the pan.
2. Beat the egg whites with cream of tartar in a bowl of an electric mixer on high until fine bubbles form. Then gradually add the sugar. Whip to stiff peaks but not dry. Using an offset spatula, spread the meringue over the prepared pan making sure to fill even the edges. Use a cake comb to create texture on the meringue.
3. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes. Dust with confectioner’s sugar and allow to cool until ready to use.

CRUST

1. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar in a bowl. Mix well. Place the graham cracker crumbs in an 8-inch square (freezer-safe) container and evenly spread on the bottom of the pan.

CUSTARD FILLING

1. In a double broiler or heavy-bottomed saucepan, mix the eggs, condensed milk and lemon rind. Stir for about 30 minutes or until thick but still pour-able in consistency. Add butter a little at a time until melted and blended in. Cook longer to make it thicker. Pour over the graham crust and allow to cool to room temp.

FROZEN LAYER: 

1. Leave ice cream at room temperature for about 15 minutes or until softened. Mix until consistency of soft serve ice cream. Place over the custard layer.

Finish the layer by putting the meringue on top of the ice cream layer. My meringue shrunk a little after I took it out of the pan so it just fit right in the container. Place in the freezer for at least 4 hours before serving.

Source: http://www.foodista.com/recipe/FF828WTM/frozen-brazo-de-mercedes

Sticky Sesame Chicken Wings

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds chicken wingettes or chicken wings 
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon coarse or kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons mild honey 
• 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
• Pinch of cayenne or dash of Sriracha
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds, lightly toasted
• 1 scallion, finely chopped

Directions: 

1. Heat oven to 425°F. Line a large shallow baking pan with foil and lightly oil it. 
2. Stir wings together with garlic, salt, soy, hoisin, honey, sesame oil and cayenne or Sriracha until coated. 
3. Spread wings and any sauce that fell to the bottom of the bowl out on the prepared baking pan in one layer. 
4. Roast, turning over once, until cooked through, about 35 minutes. Transfer wingettes to a large serving bowl* and toss with sesame seeds and scallion.

Source: http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2014/07/sticky-sesame-chicken-wings/

Shawarma Rice

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 1/2 cups long-grain or Basmati rice

Directions: 

1. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large Dutch oven. 
2. Add the turmeric and cumin and cook until fragrant but not browned, about 1 minute. 
3. Add the rice and stir to coat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the rice is lightly toasted, about 4 minutes. 
4. Add the chicken broth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
5. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes without disturbing. Remove from the heat and allow to rest until the water is completely absorbed and the rice is tender, about 15 minutes.

Source:  http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/12/serious-eats-halal-cart-style-chicken-and-rice-white-sauce-recipe.html

Chicken Shawarma Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (2 large breasts)
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (4 large thighs)
• 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp allspice
• 3/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• Pinch of cayenne
• Salt and black pepper
• Nonstick cooking oil spray

Directions:

1. Slice the chicken breasts into 5-6 pieces each and the thighs into 3-4 pieces each. Place them in a marinating dish or large plastic zipper bag.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil, the spices, 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper (if you're salt sensitive, use 1/2 tsp of salt). Pour the spice marinade over the chicken pieces. Stir with a spoon till all the chicken pieces are evenly coated in the marinade.
3. Cover the marinating dish with plastic wrap, or close the zipper bag. Place chicken in the refrigerator and let it marinate at least 1 hour, up to overnight.
4. Spray the grill with nonstick cooking oil and preheat to medium heat. Thread the marinated chicken pieces onto wooden skewers. 
5. Cook the chicken for about 20 minutes, giving a quarter turn every 5 minutes, till cooked through (slice into the thickest piece of meat to check for doneness).
6. Let the chicken cool slightly, then remove it from the skewers. Use a sharp knife to slice the meat into small, thin shawarma-like pieces.
7. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a skillet on the stovetop over medium. Pour half of the chicken into the skillet and saute for 3-4 minutes till the smallest pieces of chicken turn brown and crisp. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste, if desired.
8. Remove the cooked chicken from the skillet. Heat another 1 tbsp of oil and saute the remaining chicken in the same way. Serve warm.

Source: http://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/2012/08/chicken-shawarma/

The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe {Ever}

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by spraying with baking spray or buttering and lightly flouring.
2. Add flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk through to combine or, using your paddle attachment, stir through flour mixture until combined well.
3. Add milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla to flour mixture and mix together on medium speed until well combined. Reduce speed and carefully add boiling water to the cake batter. Beat on high speed for about 1 minute to add air to the batter.
4. Distribute cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes, remove from the pan and cool completely.
6. Frost cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.

Source: http://addapinch.com/cooking/the-best-chocolate-cake-recipe-ever/

Chinese Slow Cook Ribs with Soy Bean

Ingredients:

• 500g Pork Spare Ribs / Beef Ribs
• 1 large Carrot
• 1 whole Garlic Bulb
• 2 tablespoon Fermented Soy Bean (Tau Cheo)
• 2 tablespoon Tomato Sauce
• 1 tablespoon Chili Sauce (I love the spicy kick) – Optional
• 1 teaspoon Corn Starch
• 1 teaspoon Sugar

Directions:

1. Mince the garlic and cut carrots into bit size cubes
2. Put all ingredients in a big bowl and mix well.
3. Pour into the slow cooker and cook on High for 3-4 hours (or Low for 6-7 hours)
4. If using beef ribs, there will be a layer of oil on top, separated with the gravy. Do not be horrified. Just take out out the oil by skimming the top with a spoon and throw it away in a small bag. Don’t throw it into the sink unless you want a stuck sink later on.

Source: http://www.justasdelish.com/ribs-in-slow-cooker/