Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

*Plan ahead... needs to marinate

Marinade:
1 c. plain yogurt
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. salt

Chicken:
3 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts

Sauce:
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, de-seeded and finely chopped
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. Garam Masala
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp. salt (or to taste)
1/4 tsp. chili powder
8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 c. heavy cream
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. water
2 drops red food coloring
2 drops yellow food coloring

Basmati rice, cooked

Combine marinade ingredients and chicken in a gallon Ziploc bag. Knead with hands until thoroughly mixed. Refrigerate to marinate overnight.

The next day, preheat the oven to 450° F.

Line a baking sheet (with raised edges) with parchment paper.

Remove chicken from marinade, shaking off and discarding the excess marinade.

Arrange chicken breasts on baking sheet, and bake at 450° for 10 minutes. (Chicken will be not fully cooked.)

Plug in crock pot, and set to low heat. Add melted butter, garlic, and jalapeño, covering the bottom of the pot.

Cut chicken into 1" cubes and add to crock pot. Do not stir.

In a small mixing bowl, combine paprika, cumin, garam masala, sugar, salt, chili powder, tomato sauce and heavy cream. Stir to combine, then pour mixture over the chicken.

Place lid on crock pot and leave at low for 3 hours.

After 3 hours are up, combine corn starch, water, and food coloring in a small bowl. Vigorously mix and add to crock pot, stirring everything together before the corn starch can settle out of the water.

Set crock pot to high, then re-cover and cook for 20 more minutes.

Serve hot over basmati rice.

 
 

Mini Sloppy Joes

1 lb. ground beef
half of a large onion, chopped
8 oz. tomato sauce
1/3 c. ketchup
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. dry mustard
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp. vinegar
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 baguette, cut into about 25 slices
Parmesan, shredded
Provolone, grated

Preheat oven to Broil.

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, combine the beef and onion. Cook until meat is mostly browned, then drain well.

In a small bowl, whisk together the tomato sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, dry mustard, salt and pepper, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce.

Pour the sauce ingredients over the drained beef, then stir to coat evenly. Cover and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Line your baguette slices onto one or two baking sheets. Put about a Tbsp or two of the beef sauce onto the top of each bread slice. Sprinkle each slice with Parmesan, then cover the top in Provolone.

Broil for 2 minutes.

Let cool a minute or two before enjoying.

Coconut Rice with Chicken and Zucchini

1 Tbsp. oil
3-4 chicken breasts, cut into large chunks
salt and pepper to taste
1 garlic clove, minced
coriander
cumin
onion powder
3/4 c. rice
8 oz. coconut milk
3/4 c. water
2 small zucchini, diced
1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice

In a deep frying pan over medium heat, add the oil and chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brown on both sides, about 8 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan. Keep about 1 Tbsp of fat in the pan.

Bring the heat down to low. Cook the garlic for 1 minute.

Add in the rice and seasonings, and more salt and pepper if you want.

Stir in the milk and water. Add in the chicken. Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over medium low heat, stirring once or twice, for about 20 minutes.

When the rice is cooked, add in the zucchini. Cover and cook about 7-10 more minutes.

Stir in the lemon juice.

Serve hot.

Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies with Lemon Icing

1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. unsalted butter, softened
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
3 c. old fashioned oats
1 c. blueberries
1 c. powdered sugar
juice of one lemon

Preheat oven to 350 F. Make sure your oven rack is set in the middle position.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl, and set aside.

Cream together the butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy.

Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then mix in the vanilla.

Stir in the flour mixture, then stir in the oats. Next fold in the blueberries, making sure to be very gentle.

Using 2 heaping tablespoons per cookie, roll dough into balls and place them onto the prepared cookie sheet, spacing them at least 2 inches apart.

Bake 12-14 minutes, or until the edges are just turning golden brown but the middles are still quite pale.

Cool the cookies for several minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack.

Once the cookies are cool, mix the powdered sugar and lemon juice together. Drizzle the glaze on top of the cookies and let sit until glaze has hardened.

Store in an airtight container.

These cookies were way better after they sat and cooled and set all night. Delicious. I'm already planning on making another batch.

Here's a link to the recipe I used: http://ahappyfooddance.com/blueberry-oatmeal-cookies/

Funfetti Cake

Cake:
1 c. milk, room temperature
6 egg whites, room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 c. cake flour
1 3/4 c. sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 c. butter, cool room temperature
1/2 c. confetti sprinkles

Icing: 
2 c. butter, room temperature
6 c. confectioners sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 tsp. whipping cream
pink food coloring (or whichever color you want)
1/4 - 1/2 c. sprinkles

To make the cake:Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Butter and flour 8 inch round cake pans (2). Then line with parchment.

In a medium bowl, mix together milk, whites, and vanilla. Set aside.
Sift the flour into a large bowl. Add sugar and powder, and mix on low speed. Add in the butter. Continue mixing on low until crumbly.

Pour in all but 1/2 cup of the milk mixture into the flour mixture. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add in the remaining milk. Beat for another minute.

Fold in the sprinkles.

Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans. Bake 27-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Allow to cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

To make the icing: In a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy.

Add in the sugar, and beat on low speed. Mix until well blended. Change to medium speed, and beat for 2 minutes.


Add vanilla.

Add the cream in 1 tsp. at a time.

Add in the food coloring. Mix, then stir in the sprinkles.

To assemble to cake: When the cakes are completely cool, use a serrated knife, and slice the top of each cake layer off to make it even and flat.

Put cake number 1 on the plate you're going to serve it on. Add a level layer of icing to the top of the cake.

Place cake number 2 on top of the icing.

Add a very thin and even layer of icing all over the cake (this is called your crumb coat). Chill for 30 minutes.

When the cake is done chilling, finish frosting the cake how you want it to look. Pipe a border around the base if you like, just make sure you use a large enough tip otherwise the sprinkles can get stuck.

I served this cake the day I made it, and it was good. I had some the following day, and it was even better. So if you can plan ahead, this cake is best the second day. Just make sure to cover it so it doesn't dry out. I put a few toothpicks in the top of the cake to keep plastic wrap from touching the icing.

Making this cake is definitely a time consuming process, but it's a great cake. Fun for a party!

Here's a link to the recipe I used: http://bestfriendsforfrosting.com/2013/11/double-layer-confetti-cake/

Sweet Potato Curry

1 Tbsp. coconut oil
1/2 an onion, chopped
1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ginger, peeled and minced
1 can coconut milk
1 c. chicken stock
curry powder
turmeric
coriander
white pepper
salt
dash of garam masala
dash of red pepper flakes
4-5 drops lime juice
1 tsp. brown sugar
1/2 c. red bell pepper, deveined and chopped
1/2 c. frozen peas
1 c. fresh spinach leaves
hot cooked rice

In a large pot, add the coconut oil and onion. Cook over medium heat for about 4 minutes.

Add the sweet potato to the onion. Cook for another 4 minutes.

Add the garlic, ginger to the pot. Cook for one minute.

Add in the coconut milk, chicken stock, seasonings (to taste), lime juice, and brown sugar. Mix. I added a lot of curry powder, turmeric, and coriander. I added a little less white pepper and salt. But adjust to what tastes good to you.

Add in the bell peppers and peas. Bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and let simmer for 10 minutes. Make sure you taste test as it simmers to see if you need to add more seasonings.

Remove from heat. Add in the spinach and stir.

Serve over hot cooked rice.

Here's a link to the recipe I adapted: https://www.fitnessblender.com/articles/yellow-curry-soup-with-black-rice

Honey Sweetened Raisin Rolls

Plan ahead... needs to chill...

7 oz. wheat flour
4.5 oz. flour, plus more for kneading
1/2 Tbsp. yeast
4 oz. raisins
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. honey, warmed
1 oz. butter, melted
7.4 oz. milk, room temperature
half an egg
oil for greasing
cooking spray

2 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 Tbsp. honey

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, add flours, yeast, raisins, and salt. Mix with a spoon.

In a separate bowl, add the 1/4 cup honey and 1 ounce butter, and milk. Whisk.

Add in the half egg. Whisk again.

Pour wet ingredients into dry. Mix.

Knead on a lightly floured surface about 2-3 minutes. This dough is sticky. Do not add more flour. Make sure you have floured hands while kneading. It gets a little frustrating, but just keep dusting your hands with flour and knead as best you can. You want the dough sticky.

Coat the inside of a bowl with oil. Add the dough. Sprinkle with a bit of flour. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

After an hour, turn dough out onto floured surface. Split into 8 pieces. Form into rounds.

Place the rounds on the prepared baking sheet.

Spray the baking sheet and dough rounds lightly with cooking spray.  Drape plastic wrap over the dough. Lightly tuck the wrap under the baking sheet. Chill overnight in the fridge.

The next day, remove the baking sheet from the fridge and set on the counter for about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Combine the 2 Tbsp. melted butter and honey together.

Bake the raisin rounds for 10-15 minutes until lightly golden.

When they are done baking, remove from oven and brush with the honey butter mixture. Allow to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.

So delicious. 

Here is a link to the recipe I adapted: http://www.mygreekdish.com/recipe/raisin-bread-perfect-healthy-snack-stafidopsomo/

Pasteli

1 c. sesame seeds
1/3 c. pistachios, chopped
1/2 c. honey
1 inch lemon peel slice
1 tsp. lemon juice
dash or two of sugar

Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

Brush olive oil onto a spatula. Set aside.

Add the sesame seeds to a small pan, and cook over low heat until lightly golden. Takes about 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove from heat. Set aside.

Add honey, lemon peel, juice, and sugar to a pot. Heat over medium heat until simmering. Then stir continuously for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and carefully remove the lemon peel. Discard the peel.

Immediately add sesames and pistachios to the honey mixture. Mix well. Empty onto prepared baking pan.

Flatten the mixture with the prepared spatula.

Cool at room temperature about 20 minutes until semi hard. Cut into bars. Wrap each bar in wax paper. Store in an airtight container.

Makes about 10-12 bars

The recipe I adapted is from lemonandolives.com.

Aussie Bites

1 3/4 c. rolled oats
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. dried apricots
1/4 c. raisins
1/4 c. ground flaxseed
1/4 c. sunflower seeds, unsalted
1/4 c. unsweetened coconut, shredded
1/4 c. quinoa, cooked or uncooked*
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. butter, melted
1/4 c. canola oil
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Lightly grease a 24 count mini muffin tin.

Pour one cup of oats into a food processor. Process until the oats are basically oat flour.

Add in the remaining oats, sugar, apricots, raisins, seeds, coconut, quinoa, and baking soda. Pulse until apricots and raisins are in small bits.

Pour in the honey, butter, oil, and vanilla. Pulse until just combined.

Divide batter among the prepared tin.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the tops are turning golden.

Let cool in the tin on a cooling rack until completely cooled.

Remove from tin and store in an airtight container. Enjoy!

*Cooked quinoa gives a softer texture, but if you don't want to cook any, uncooked works too! I've made it both ways. Not gonna lie, cooked quinoa is better.

*Now that I've made this recipe 5-6 times, I think my favorite way is with quinoa that was cooked a day or two ago instead of with warm freshly cooked quinoa. But feel free to experiment with this yourself.

Here's a link to the recipe I used: http://thestayathomechef.com/homemade-aussie-bites/

Pound Cake

1 lb. butter, softened but cold, plus more for greasing
1 lb. sugar
1 lb. eggs (approximately 8), room temperature
2 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 lb. cake flour, sifted
1/2 Tbsp. salt

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Grease two loaf pans with butter and line with parchment paper, leaving enough parchment overhang to be able to pull the loaves out of the pans after baking.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar, and beat on high for about 10 minutes, stopping frequently to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. The mixture will become light and fluffy, almost completely white in color.

Add the eggs one at a time to the batter, mixing well on high speed between additions.

Add in the vanilla. Beat the mixture on high until completely smooth and evenly mixed.

Add the dry ingredients, and finish mixing the batter by hand, stopping as soon as the batter is smooth. You don't want to over mix it.

Divide the batter into the loaf pans. Bake for approximately 1 hour, rotating the pans at 15, 30, and 45 minutes. Rotate the pans carefully and slowly; try not to disturb the cakes.

Ice cream pound cake

Test with a toothpick after an hour, it should come out clean.

Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing them from the pans. Cool the cakes on a cooling rack. Cool completely before serving.

This recipe is easy to halve if you only want one pound cake. I've served this pound cake plain, with fruit, with ice cream, and I've used it to make an ice cream cake. It's delicious and versatile.

Here's a link to the recipe I used: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/02/easy-vanilla-bean-pound-cake-recipe.html

Fleischkuechles

Dough:
3 c. flour
1/4 c. butter, softened
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. milk
1 tsp. sugar 

 

Meat: 

1 lb. ground beef

1 lb. ground pork sausage (seasoned is fine)
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. ground pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 c. bread crumbs
Dash MSG

A few Tbsp of beef broth

Lard or vegetable oil, for frying

To make the dough: Mix ingredients and knead until soft, smooth dough forms, adding flour as necessary. Set in mixing bowl covered with a towel for at least 30 minutes. It should be resting/rising in a warm place. I usually turn my oven onto the lowest setting and set the bowl on top of the stove.

 

To make the meat: Mix everything but the broth and lard/oil, then add small amounts of broth until meat is wetter but still sticks together well.  (Fry a small amount of meat in a frying pan to test seasoning, adjusting if desired).

Tear off golf-ball sized pieces of dough, rolling on a pastry cloth or lightly floured surface to make 4" circles. Cover half the circle with meat, and fold the dough closed over the meat, pinching and rolling the edges to seal and forming a roughly calzone shape.  Be sure to squeeze the air out before sealing.  Press the fleischkuechle gently to flatten it slightly.

Heat 1/2" deep of lard or vegetable oil to 325 F, fry fleischkuechle several minutes on each side until deep golden brown and/or meat inside is fully cooked.  

Freezes well, reheat in the oven at 350 F, for about 20 minutes, flipping them over once halfway through.
 
Here are links to recipes I was inspired from: https://cookpad.com/us/recipes/412970-fleischkuechle and https://library.ndsu.edu/grhc/https://library.ndsu.edu/grhc/foods/recipe/fleischk.html.

Greek Chicken

Plan ahead... needs to marinate...

1 lb. chicken, diced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 Tbsp oregano
2 1/2 Tbsp. Greek yogurt
salt and pepper
Hot cooked rice

Combine everything except the cooked rice into a large ziplock bag. Make sure the chicken gets coated in the marinade. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours.

Remove the chicken from the bag into a skillet. Throw away the rest of the marinade.

Cook the chicken over medium heat until cooked through. Serve over the hot rice. We'll definitely be making this again.

Chana Aloo Masala

1 lb. russet potato, peeled and diced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
ground ginger, to taste
coriander, to taste
1 Tbsp. garam masala
28 oz. canned diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
15 oz. garbanzo beans, drained
1/2 c. frozen peas
Cooked rice
Greek yogurt, optional

Boil the potatoes for 5-7 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Saute the onion in olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet until they are soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add in the garlic and spices, and saute one more minute.

Add the tomatoes and tomato paste to the skillet. Stir in the paste until it dissolves. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Add in the garbanzos and peas. Cook another 3-5 minutes, or until heated through.

Serve over cooked rice.

If you want, you can add a dollop of yogurt on top or just eat it as it. Both ways are delicious.

Here's a link to the recipe I adapted: https://www.budgetbytes.com/2016/02/chana-aloo-masala-chickpea-and-potato-masala/

Mac's Pub Brown Soda Bread

1 c. flour
3 c. whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp. wheat germ
1 Tbsp. oat bran
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
1 egg
4 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 1/2 - 1 3/4 c. buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Butter and flour a 9x5x3 loaf pan.

In a large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center. With a wooden spoon, stir in the egg, melted butter, and 3/4 cup of the buttermilk. Mix well, and gradually add enough of the remaining buttermilk to form a soft dough.

Spoon the dough into the prepared pan, smooth the top with a spatula as best you can.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn the bread out onto the rack and let cool for about an hour.

Store in an airtight container.

Recipe from The Irish Pub Cookbook

Homemade Croutons

1-2 Tbsp. bacon grease
1-2 Tbsp. butter
4 slices white bread, crusts removed, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

Preheat the oven to 250 F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and bacon grease.

Add the bread cubes, tossing to coat in the butter. Cook 5-8 minutes, or until crisp.

Transfer the croutons to the prepared baking sheet and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve. The croutons will continue to harden in the oven.

Serve on salad (or however it is you eat croutons). This was super easy and they were delicious. A good way to use up old bread.

Recipe from The Irish Pub Cookbook

Bolognese Sauce

1 Tbsp. butter

Bacon & Onion

2 oz. bacon, cut into small pieces
1/2 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, finely diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
1 lb. ground beef
salt and pepper, to taste
1/3 tsp. nutmeg
15 oz. canned diced tomatoes
3/4 c. dry red wine (I used Gnarly Head Authentic Red)
1 c. beef stock, with a possibility of more later
1/8 c. milk
thyme and oregano, to taste
1/3 c. Parmesan
cooked spaghetti

Veggies

In a pot over medium heat, melt the butter and add in the bacon. Cook the bacon until almost crispy.

Add in the onion. After a few minutes, add in the garlic, carrot, and celery. Stir to combine. Cook until the onion is soft and begins to carmelize. Stir often. This takes about 15 minutes.

Almost Ready

Add in the ground beef, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Cook until the beef is browned.

Then add in the tomatoes, wine, stock, milk, thyme, and oregano. Stir to combine it all.

Cover and bring to a slow simmer.

Simmer for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. If your sauce is simmering too much, you may need to add more stock. After 2 hours, I added about 1/2 c. more stock.

Dinner is Served

After 3 hours, the liquid should be almost all gone, and the meat sauce should be thick. And delicious. Add in the parmesan. Stir to combine.

Serve over your cooked spaghetti (or whatever kind of pasta you want to use).

Here's a link to the recipe I adapted: http://www.rockrecipes.com/best-bolognese-sauce/

Kielbasa and Cabbage

16 oz. polska kielbasa, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small head of cabbage, coarsely chopped (I use a serrated knife)
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. sugar
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp. dry mustard
coriander, to taste
2 tsp. rice wine vinegar


Heat olive oil in a large nonstick sauté pan over medium-high and add kielbasa. Cook, without stirring for 1 minute. Then stir occasionally for about 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon.

In the same pan, add the cabbage, onion, garlic, sugar, salt, pepper, coriander, and mustard. Stir to combine and cook for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Mix in the vinegar; add the kielbasa back to the pan and cook for another 2-4 minutes to heat through. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.

Serve immediately. It went very well with mashed potatoes.

Here's a link to the recipe I adapted: http://bellyfull.net/2014/03/11/kielbasa-and-cabbage-skillet/

Japchae

This takes a while as everything is individually prepared and cooked, but it's worth it.

3.5 oz. rib eye fillet
3.5 oz. shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
water, for boiling
3.9 oz. baby spinach, rinsed
8.8 oz. Korean sweet potato noodles

Prepping

1 egg, egg white and yolk separated
Cooking oil
1/2 large yellow onion, sliced thinly
pinch of salt
4.2 oz. carrots, peeled and julienned
1/4 of a red bell pepper, deveined and julienned

Beef Marinade:
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. rice wine (mirin)
1/2 tsp. garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. sesame oil

Noodles & Mushroom Marinade:
4 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. brown sugar

Spinach

1 Tbsp. sesame oil
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

Spinach Seasoning:
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic, minced
1 tsp. sesame oil

Finishing Touch:
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds
1 Tbsp. sesame oil

Prepare the rib eye and beef marinade: Remove the blood from the rib eye with a paper towel. Thinly slice the beef. Put the beef in a bowl. Add all the ingredients for the beef marinade. Stir gently to coat the beef. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Set aside.

Prepare the noodles & mushroom marinade: In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients.

Egg cooked and sliced

Put the sliced mushrooms in a medium bowl. Add 1 Tbsp. of the noodles and mushroom marinade. Stir well. Set aside.

In a medium pot, boil some water. Once it starts to boil, add the spinach for about 10 seconds, then scoop it out with a strainer (or drain the water out). Run cold water over the spinach to cool it down. Squeeze the spinach to remove excess water. It will just be a little ball of spinach. Put it into a small mixing bowl and add the spinach seasoning ingredients. Mix lightly, then remove everything to a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

Boil more water in a large pot.When the water starts to boil, add the noodles, and boil for 7 minutes. Drain the water, then rinse the noodles in cold water for 1-2 minutes. Cut the noodles with kitchen shears; the length should be about 6-8 inches. Put the noodles in a mixing bowl, and add the remainder of the noodles and mushroom marinade. Set aside.

Veg

Beat the egg white in a small bowl. Add a bit of cooking oil. Spread it well. Add the egg white to a large skillet, cook both sides on low heat. Remove to a clean cutting board.

Beat the yolk, add in a bit of cooking oil. Spread it well. Pour into the skillet, cook both sides on low heat. Remove to a clean cutting board.

Add some cooking oil to the skillet. Add in the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat 2-3 minutes. Remove to the large mixing bowl the spinach is in.

Veg and Beef

In the same skillet, add in the carrots, a bit of oil, and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat 1-2 minutes. Remove to the large mixing bowl.

Over medium heat, cook the bell pepper, a bit of oil, and a pinch of salt for about 2 minutes. Remove to the large mixing bowl.

In the same skillet, add some cooking oil, the mushrooms with the marinade, and stir fry until cooked. About 2-3 minutes. Remove to the large mixing bowl.

Add some cooking oil, pour in the meat and marinade. Stir fry until cooked. About 2-3 minutes. Remove to the large mixing bowl.

In the same skillet, add some cooking oil and the marinated noodles. Stir fry until cooked, about 3 minutes. Remove to the large mixing bowl.

Dinner is ready!

Thinly slice the egg white and egg yolk like match sticks. Add them to the mixing bowl.

Add the finishing touch ingredients to the mixing bowl. Mix everything with large tongs or your hands, but be careful as some things could still be hot.

Serve and enjoy.

Here's a link to the recipe I used. It also includes a video, which I found extremely helpful: https://mykoreankitchen.com/korean-glass-noodle-stir-fry-japchae/.

Lemon Curd Cookies

2 1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. confectioners sugar, plus extra for decorating
1/2 c. canola oil
1 egg
1/2 tsp. lemon extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 c. lemon curd, store bought or homemade

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy.

Beat in the oil, egg, and extracts.

Add flour mixture to creamed mixture. Stir until combined.

Drop one tablespoon of dough (I used a tartlet scoop) on a greased baking sheet (or two). Bake for 8 minutes.

Remove from the oven and, using the end of a wooden spoon handle, make an indentation in the center of each cookie. Fill with about a teaspoon of lemon curd. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 4-5 minutes, or until cookies are firm and lightly browning on the sides.

Remove to wire racks to cool.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar if you want.

Here's a link to the recipe I used: http://www.barbarabakes.com/lemon-bar-cookie-cups/

Poop Emoji Meringues

2 Tbsp. meringue powder
pinch of salt
1/4 c. water
2/3 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 drops brown food coloring (optional)
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
candy eyeballs
white frosting (I used canned)

Take either a #2A pastry tip or bottle cap (I used a lid from my bottle of Baileys), and on a sheet of parchment paper that is cut to fit whatever baking sheet you are using, draw circles using the tip or cap all over the paper. Leave about 1/2 an inch or so between the circles. The meringues don't expand much during baking, but they should have a bit of room. Then place the parchment paper pen or pencil side down on the baking sheet. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 200 F.

In a large metal or glass bowl (not plastic), mix together the meringue powder, salt, and water until foamy.

While you're still mixing, slowly add in the vanilla. Then slowly add in the sugar. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form.

Add the drops of food coloring (if you want it), then add in the cocoa powder. Mix together on the slowest speed until mixed completely.

Using a pastry bag, add the #12 pastry tip. A helpful way to fill the bag is after the tip is ready, put the bag in a tall glass and fold over the top of the bag. Fill the bag with the meringue mixture. Tie off the top of the bag. Pipe right away as meringues are sensitive to heat.

Using the prepared baking sheet, put a tiny dot of meringue mixture on the bottom corners of the parchment paper to hold it down to the baking sheet while you're piping.

Starting in the middle of each circle, pipe to the outside edge, go around the circle once, then go up a layer, then one more layer before letting go. Continue until you've made poops on all the drawn circles.

Put the meringues in the oven and bake for 1 hour. At the end of the hour, turn the oven off, but leave the meringues in the oven another 30 minutes. Let the meringues come to room temperature before decorating.

They may crackle a little after you've taken them out of the oven.

To prepare the faces for the poops, you will need a #1 tip in a pastry bag filled with frosting, and you will need to separate out eyeballs for each poop. If you don't care if the pupils are similar in size, then you can skip the sorting.

I tried being efficient, so I took 4 poops, drew the smiles on like the emoji, then made two dots of frosting above the smile. Then I took the eyeballs and secured them to the dots of frosting on each poop. And this process continued for quite a while until the poops were all done.

Store in an airtight container.

These meringues take quite a while from start to finish, but it was so fun. We loved eating the poops!

Here's a link to the video recipe I used: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0iv1YFaoxQ.