my kitchen: SUPER EASY YOGURT FLATBREAD

 

 

 

Hands down, this has been my favorite recipe for a fast and easy snack or flatbread that goes with everything- hummus, olive oil, butter or even as a pizza base. I first saw it on thedeliciouslife 's instagram and I had to try it. 

It's too good not to share- it doesn't need yeast or a long resting time and it's easily adaptable - lately I've been adding cheese, Italian seasoning and thinking of different ways to try it! I'm usually have my hands full of flour to take better photos, but you get the idea! Had to put it on the blog to share so now I have a link to send to friends I've been telling about this.

SUPER EASY YOGURT FLATBREAD

1 cup flour

1/2 cup plain or greek yogurt 

1.5 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt 

RECIPE

1. Stir together dry ingredients (1 cup flour, 1.5 tsp baking powder and 1 tsp salt) and then fold together with yogurt until it comes together. Make into a ball and cover and rest for 20 minutes. Depending on what kind of yogurt you use, if the dough is too sticky, then add a little flour so it's not too hard to ball up and roll out. 

2. Cut the ball into 4 balls and then roll out on floured surface, into circles or oval shapes. 

3. Oil the pan and griddle a few mintues until there are bubbles or browned on one side then flip. The thicker the flatbread, the longer it will take to cook through, so ideally roll it out thinner. 

NOTES

Lately, I've been adding garlic salt instead of regular salt or even adding some Italian seasoning. I've also tried it where I quartered the ball into 4 balls and then cooked one right away without resting. It's not as fluffy, it's more dense, but it's still tasty. I've also mixed in parmesan cheese or whatever cheese you have on hand and it's so good! Double the recipe if you have more people! 

TheDeliciousLife has a more detailed recipe and notes and lots of other great recipes- check her blog if you need more!

my kitchen: i strongly recommend FLOUR BAKERY BANANA BREAD

Today I made pizza dough from scratch for the first time (thank you Mark Bittman). I don’t know why but for some reason I had been afraid of baking recipes that called for yeast and when I finally made my own focaccia last week I realized that instant yeast is my friend. 

So today after making pizza, the oven was still hot, I had a few very ripe bananas on the counter and coincidentally had creme fraiche in my fridge. So I’m glad I tried this popular banana bread recipe from my favorite Flour Bakery in Boston because it is AMAZING. Moist, caramelized crust and not too dense from whipping the eggs and sugar together first. Definitely worth the effort, though I moved the directions around a bit so that you can just use 1 mixing bowl.

Thank You Joanne Chang!!! I miss Flour Bakery, I want to try to make their breakfast sandwich next!! 

FLOUR BAKERY BANANA BREAD

Ingredients

• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• *1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar *(I reduced to 3/4 cup, I might use 1/2 cup next time)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup oil
• *3 1/2 bananas, very ripe, mashed *(I used 4)
•  2 tablespoons creme fraiche or sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• *2/3 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped *(I used whole pecans on top) 
• *added a handful of chocolate chips)
• *(I also added 1 teaspoon baking powder to get the top to rise higher)

Directions

Set oven to 350 degrees F (180C). Line the loaf pan with parchment paper.or butter generously 

Beat sugar and 2 eggs with a whisk until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup oil. Add mashed bananas, 2 tablespoons creme fraiche, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. 

Sift together the 1 2/3 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 tsp salt. Fold in dry ingredients and nuts. Pour into a lined loaf pan and *stir in a handful of chocolate chips atop. Bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until middle is set and top is golden

My kitchen: EASY BANANA BREAD WITH YOGURT

I had the best mini loaf of banana bread from Tamed Fox a few weeks ago and since then I’ve been craving it. I actually went back a few times but they didn’t have it or ran out and sometimes you just can’t wait. I had some ripe bananas but only had two, so I adjusted this Recipe that used 2 bananas and I had some walnuts on hand, but pecans would work too. I also need to find some whole wheat flour since I really loved it in Tamed Fox’s version and it makes it slightly healthier. Putting this down for the next time I need it. 

Easy Banana bread with yogurt

(This recipe made 12 muffins) 

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar 
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (I used salted butter so I omitted)
• 1/2 cup yogurt 
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips 
• 2 medium bananas, mashed 

1- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). 

2- In a large bowl, stir together 1/2 cup melted butter and 1/2 cup sugar. 

3- Add 2 eggs and 1 tsp vanilla, mix well. 
4- Add 1.5 cup flour and 1 tsp baking soda, stir into the liquid mixture until smooth. Then, fold in the 1/2 cup yogurt, and 2 mashed bananas. 

5- Finally add walnuts and chocolate chips with some to sprinkle on top. 

6- Spoon into muffin tin so it’s 80 percent full.

7- Bake at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and top is browned. 

This is the previous recipe I used- http://hungryintaipei.blogspot.com/2015/01/my-kitchen-easy-banana-bread-muffins.html?m=1

my kitchen: Thanksgiving leftovers turkey soup

I looked up a bunch of recipes on how to make turkey soup with my thanksgiving leftovers and everyone single one described the first step being that you make stock from the bones. I was too impatient to simmer for hours and make a stock and then make the soup, so I just made it one pot soup, adding carrots, onions, garlic, tomatoes, broccoli, green beans, potatoes, salt, pepper to the turkey carcass and water, then some pasta, alternated boiling and simmering, and it was ready in an hour. The secret is adding one can of tomato paste to give it that depth quickly. I also cooked some quinoa separately and added that in whenever I made a bowl for myself. Winter has finally hit Taipei this week, so this is the perfect meal.

One pot thanksgiving soup

Scooped in the quinoa before stirring it in 

My kitchen: KRISPY KREME FRENCH TOAST

Ever have stale #krispykremes left over? I decided to try making #frenchtoast with them this morning. The sugar perfectly caramelized, the egg and milk softened the insides and you get hot #dessertforbreakfast, like creme brulee #donuts. Ah! Such an evil revelation!! #hungryintaipei_mykitchen #whatdiet #eeeeeats #meltinyourmouth #breakfast #brunch #breakfastrecipes #breakfastofchampions

#krispykremefrenchtoast 

Whisk 1 egg, 1/4 cup milk with a dash of vanilla and cinnamon. Cut two or three donuts in half and dip cut side into egg milk mixture. Pan fry on low to medium heat with a pat of butter. Flip over to fry both sides until golden brown. Serve hot with a glass of milk.

my kitchen: easy banana bread muffins

Even though I love banana bread, I had never made it myself. I just relied on the good fortune of friends who knew how to make it and would share their baking results. So when I found some overripe bananas in my kitchen recently, I finally picked one recipe to give a try (and there are SO many banana bread recipes out there!) and it turned out really great!  I like this recipe because it's a one bowl recipe and there's no fuss of mixing dry and wet ingredients separately. I used a muffin tin instead of making a loaf and it comes out just about a dozen muffins unless you fill the cups even more so you get the overflowing muffin tops.

The second time I used this recipe, I used 3/4 cup cake flour and 3/4 cup bread flour and lowered the butter and sugar to 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup sugar. My bananas were also not as overripe and I didn't add the ingredients in the order of the recipe. It turned out less cupcake like and more muffin/bready if that makes sense. It was more brown and beige, not as golden yellow and pretty as the first time, and not as sweet overall. It was still good, but definitely tasted more healthy. That's why baking is so interesting-- can you get the same results all the time or will each time always be different?

Anyone have killer banana bread recipes to share?

EASY BANANA BREAD RECIPE
(adapted from Simply Recipes)

Ingredients (I starred the ingredients with a  * for the ones I added to or changed from the original recipe)

• 3 very ripe bananas, peeled
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• *1/2 cup sugar (I used half brown and half white. The original recipe uses 1 cup, but says you can use less)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• *Pinch of salt (I only had salted butter on hand so I used that and omitted the extra pinch of salt)
• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
• *1 Tablespoon cinnamon (I love the extra layer that cinnamon gives plus it smells so good, but you can add less if you don't want it to be as strong)
• *1/2 cup chocolate chips 

Method

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

In a mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until smooth. 

Mix the melted butter into the mashed bananas.

Stir in the baking soda and salt. Mix in the sugar, beaten egg, cinnamon and vanilla extract. 

Fold in the flour. Do not over mix, best to mix by hand once the egg is in.

Top with chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into your prepared muffin tin. Bake for 30 minutes (check at 20 minutes) at 350°F (175°C), or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean and the top is a nice golden brown.

Remove from oven and cool. Or taste test one hot out of the oven is what I usually like to do!  

my kitchen: homemade rice krispy treats

Craving fulfilled!

my kitchen: pesto, avocado toast with grape tomatoes and truffle cheese

Simple has never tasted so good. No recipe needed. Just slather a spoonful of pesto, then spread a slice of ripe avocado atop your choice of toasted bread. What kind of bread? I am currently obsessed with the torta bread from La Brea Bakery, available at Costco (where I also bought the pesto and avocados), which I've also gotten all my friends addicted to. Definitely don't try it if you want to avoid carbs. 

I ate this three days in a row. For breakfast. Damn you, torta bread!

Creamy, crispy, cheesy and awesome. Variations can include adding arugula, bacon, prosciutto, poached egg, salami or cheese- in my case, truffle cheese from Trader Joes that I brought back from LA. (You can also buy truffle cheese in Taipei from Goodwells or Breeze Supermarket for a small fortune) The grape tomatoes add a layer of sweetness and extra juice. And please don't try using Taiwan avocados for this (shudder!!). It won't be the same.

Call it an open faced sandwich. Tartine. Toast. It doesn't matter what you call it, just don't blame me when you are obsessed too.

my kitchen: baked eggs in toast cups

I'd spied this recipe a long time ago in a magazine, probably Rachael Ray or Food Magazine when I still had a subscription. It looked easy to do, but for some reason I never found the motivation to do it. Finally this past Sunday, I was craving quiche and used this as a substitute for the craving. It's pretty quick and you could make your own combination of flavors for the eggs or just enjoy the simplicity of the baked egg. The possibilities are seriously endless!

I made two versions, one with just plain eggs scrambled, and the other was was more custard-like, like a creamy crustless quiche. The toast works a quick crust, for those of us too lazy busy to work up a pie dough.

BAKED EGGS IN TOAST CUPS

- Egg
- Slice of toast with edges cut off
- Cheese
- Salt and pepper
- Butter

Additional ingredients for crustless egg quiche
- Milk
- Ham
- Mushrooms
- Pesto
- Bacon or Proscuitto
- Flour

Ingredients for baked french toast cups

- Eggs
- Bread crusts
- Milk
- Sugar
- Cinnamon

1. Cut off crusts off of the slice of bread. Butter the muffin pan and press bread into the muffin pan.

2. Crack egg directly into muffin pan, or scramble in a bowl. Stir in cheese and put some atop. I used grated cheddar, but you could use anything. Next time I might try goat cheese or colby jack. Gruyere or mozzarella would be great too. If you have any bacon on hand, you could swirl it atop as well.

3. For a custard type egg, add milk to scramble egg. I also added chopped mushrooms and ham and a spoonful of pesto for 2-3 eggs. Other options could be tomatoes, red pepper, broccoli, anything you'd toss into a quiche. I added a little bit of flour as well, since I ran out of toast and didn't have a crust for these.

4. Bake at 180C/35F degrees for 15-20 minutes, depending on how well done you like your eggs.

5. You can also chop up the bread crusts to put in the muffin pan and add sugar and cinnamon to the milk and eggs and pour atop for a baked french toast custard cup. I had poured some leftover milk, egg and cheese mixture on the bread crusts and it was surprisingly tasty as a savory casserole, but next time I'm going to make it sweet to go with the egg dish.

my kitchen: peanut butter smores cookies & hello kitty version

Peanut butter smores cookies! With all the goodies lying around my kitchen and a cookie craving, I had to experiment.

I used salted chocolate caramels and marshmallows from Costco and threw in some Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal instead of graham crackers. Tossed in a few eggs and tablespoons of oil and sugar into a bowl with a bag of Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Cookie mix from Carrefour (just follow the directions).

I tried making the cookies three ways- (1) stuffing the smores in the center for fat cookies, (2) stuffing the smores in the center and then stuffing in a Hello Kitty silicone mold, (3) chopping up the caramels and marshmallows and mixing them for regular sized cookies.

Experiment with half or quarter sized marshmallows and chocolates- or dice it up more finely to spread the love.

With detailed molds like this, I use a ball of dough to push into the grooves first and then fill up the rest.

I LOVE this Hello Kitty silicone mold! I'll have to do a post about all the different experiments I've tried with this mold- for Hello Kitty shaped ice cubes, biscuits with nutella, cornbread, chocolates, even pineapple cakes!

The Hello Kitty cookies turned out kind of like muffin cookies, with the dough spilling over the top, but when you flip them over you get a surprise. The bottom parts were softer and more cake-like.

It's best to let the cookies cool down considerably before trying to take it out. Otherwise, you'll get the picture below- this is what happened when I tried to take it out straight out of the oven. I can never wait and always have to sample first. I love it when its all gooey and hot and sticky.

Out of the three versions I made, I liked the chopped up version the best taste-wise... it tasted the most like smores with the marshmallows getting all toasty and salted chocolate caramels melting even further for a very chewy cookie.

I had to share so that I didn't end up eating them all myself. But I find it amusing that my Taiwanese friends offer up compliments like "It's really good, it's not too sweet" when I think the cookie is ridiculously sweet with three times the sugar of a normal cookie (marshmallows + chocolate + caramels). I think the peanut butter and salted caramel plays well with the smores and makes the flavors more layered and more palatable than regular chocolate chip or oatmeal chocolate chip. And as you guys know, it's tough to find a good chewy cookie in Taipei. If you're looking, try We Love Cookies or Subway. Have you found them anywhere else I should try?

my kitchen: super moist red velvet mayo cake

Have you ever bought the tub of mayonnaise from Costco? It's HUGE- 64 ounces and there's no way that I could eat enough tuna sandwiches or egg salad for all the mayo. So I was trying to figure out how to use it up and ended up finding a recipe for it in cake. YES, cake!

guess the secret ingredient!

It makes sense, after all, mayo is made from eggs, oil and vinegar. I remember spotting vinegar in the recipe for Auntie Em's red velvet cupcakes (my favorite red velvet in LA) a long time ago, which I thought was curious at the time, but made me think this would work even more since their cupcakes are also very moist. And google showed quite a few people vouching for it, saying that it was their grandma's recipe from WWII when mayo was creatively subbed for eggs or butter. I checked the label for the Kirkland brand which also had a touch of salt, lemon and paprika, which I thought would be fine. I used box mix, though you can also make it from scratch.

It was fun to frost the cake and faster than frosting 24 cupcakes, though the cake was so heavy at the end. I definitely recommend buying a springform pan too so you can just get a perfectly round cake without too much hassle. I did have to cut off the top of the cake to get a smooth surface, and ended up using those using those pieces to taste test.

The end result- I was super happy with. Don't know if you can see how moist the cake is. For red velvet, it would also be good dusted with some powdered sugar too or fresh cream cheese frosting.

Speaking of cakes, does anyone know where to get cute cake stands in Taipei?

SUPER-MOIST RED VELVET MAYO CAKE
(adapted from Hellmann's recipe)

1 box (18 oz.) cake mix
1 cup American style Mayonnaise
1 cup water
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F or 180°C.
Beat cake mix, mayonnaise, water, eggs and cinnamon in large bowl with electric mixer or by hand. Pour batter into prepared pan(s), springform pan recommended.
Bake 30-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes on wire rack; remove from pans and cool completely. Sprinkle, if desired, with confectioners sugar or fill and frost.

my kitchen: pesto, edamame & goat cheese meatballs

I made meatballs for the first time this year (spurred on by cravings watching America's Next Great Restaurant) and was surprised to find out how freakin easy it is! Maximum flavor for a little elbow grease. And the meatballs can be eaten as a side dish, with spaghetti or  for a meatball sub.

EASY PESTO, EDAMAME and GOAT CHEESE MEATBALLS RECIPE
-500 grams or 1 pound of ground beef
-1/3 cup of bread crumbs
-1 egg
-pinch of salt and pepper
-1 tbsp italian seasoning

Mix elements by hand, form little balls. Can make original flavor and then some with add-in ingredients. If stuffing with cheese, then cut cheese into cubes to form the meatball around the cheese.

I made some with just pesto, some with pesto and edamame, and some with pesto and goat cheese. I like to make mini meatballs too, but if you make different size meatballs, it's best to put them on different trays since the mini ones will cook faster.

Cook in oven for about 20-25 minutes at 180C (or 350F) or until browned and cooked through.

OPTIONAL ADD INs
-pesto
-goat cheese
-edamame
-olives
-parmesan cheese
-mushrooms

Use leftover meatballs the next day for meatball sub. SO GOOD. I just spooned some tomato pasta sauce onto the meatballs and brushed ciabatta roll with pesto sauce, added some provolone cheese (thanks to my friend M) and threw it in the toaster oven. Decadent and delicious. You cannot find a good meatball sandwich in Taipei, and no Subway doesn't count- for some reason Taipei's Subway meatballs are too processed.

my kitchen: hello kitty cornbread

When I was growing up, my mom and dad somehow did a good job instilling the holiday spirit in us, so much so that I have to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas even though sometimes it seems non-existent in Taipei. One thing I'll always remember is that they would put their own little Chinese touches, like stuffing the turkey with sticky rice instead of making stuffing, and it made the holiday that much more memorable.

So even though this year I had my turkey and fixings at a restaurant with friends, if I were making turkey and sides at home, I'd make it a little more fun by making these Hello Kitty cornbreads that I made earlier this year.

I bring my cornbread mix from LA (by the boxful) and picked up this Hello Kitty silicone mold earlier this year when I went on a mini spree at my local Sanrio. Best purchase ever!

Grease the mold beforehand with butter or oil, then fill the mold about half way full. After getting them gently out of the mold, you can brown them face up in the oven a little longer to get the contrast for the faces.

I've also tried biscuits and cake mix in this mold, but cornbread seems to have the best texture and firmness for seeing the Hello Kitty face. You could also use a larger Hello Kitty Cake Pan if you didn't want to keep making little cornbread cakes or can't find this silicone mold.

my kitchen: baby shower cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

When I made cinnamon rolls for the first time a few months ago, I made cream cheese frosting for the first time and fell in love. Cream cheese frosting from scratch definitely tastes so much better than the canned variety, as it's not as artificially sweet and you can adjust the cream cheese amount to taste. 

So when we were having a baby shower for my friend, I wanted to make some carrot cake cupcakes and of course with that flavor, you gotta have cream cheese frosting.

I kept it simple, frosting half of them in white and using a blue Wilton gel to write on top, and the other half I dipped in blue sanding sugar and piped more white frosting on top from a ziploc bag with a tiny hole cut out. I've seen a few recipes using less butter and adding honey, so I'm going to have to give that a try next time! Congrats again to my friends J and M!

EASY CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup of butter (1 stick), room temperature     (I used 1/3 cup)
8 oz of Philly cream cheese (1 package)
2-3 cups of powdered sugar                               (I used 2 cups)
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
pinch of salt

METHOD
1. With an electric mixer, mix the butter and cream cheese together, about 3 minutes on medium speed until very smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing. (I actually forgot to do this first and just dumped everything together. It was still ok. I also mashed/chopped up the cream cheese a bit to make it easier to stir and warmed up the butter in the microwave. I also eyeballed the butter since I didn't have it by the "stick" in Taipei, and I think I had less than 1 stick, so I'm guessing 1/3 cup. Many recipes call for the whole stick, but I like the cream cheese flavor over the butter flavor.)

2 Add the vanilla extract and mix. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Keep adding until you get to desired sweetness and thickness. (I added 1 cup and it definitely wasn't sweet enough. I thought with 2 cups it was good. Some might add another 1/2-1 cup of powdered sugar if you prefer it sweeter)

3 Either spread on with a blunt knife or spatula, or spoon into a piping bag to decorate your cake or cupcake. (And enjoy!)

my kitchen: banana nutella cornbread waffles

I've been addicted to making my waffles with Trader Joe's Cornbread mix lately after discovering it makes the perfect crispy waffle. So today I decided to warm up some nutella in the microwave to drizzle on top with sliced bananas and it was decadent. It's surprising what you can put in the waffle maker- blueberry muffin mix, chocolate chip cookie mix- it makes all the sides nice and crispy for those of us who like eating the muffin tops- and cooks up a lot faster too!

And after making a few waffles, there's enough batter to put in the oven for cornbread.

Or add in some regular waffle batter to extend the cornmeal and put in the fridge for another morning.

I'm sure any cornbread mix would work, but I love the sweetness and texture of Trader Joes enough to bring boxes back. Haven't spotted cornbread mix of any brand in Taipei- has anyone found it in Taipei?

my kitchen/snapshot: almost cobb salad

I love cobb salad, but it's seems like a tough salad to find done right in Taipei. I had good luck at Gordon Biersch with their seafood version, but this week I had many of the ingredients on hand to make one at home- tomatoes, ham, cucumbers, avocado, hard boiled egg, cheese, romaine.

Almost all the ingredients- next time I need to buy and crumble up some bacon and blue cheese.

my kitchen: hello kitty sugar cookies

Ever since I bought the trio of pink Hello Kitty baking supplies, I've been experimenting and every cookie, cake, biscuit and even cornbread has been kitty-fied.

This past weekend, I made sugar cookies from a Pillsbury Funfetti Cookie Mix that my sister got for me. I liked how the dough stayed relatively firm compared to the recipes that I've tried in the past in which the dough seemed to become soft and sticky very quickly and not stay firm enough to peel off the cut shapes. It helped to flour the surface generously and work quickly.

This cookie cutter is actually meant for toast so it's quite large and makes a cookie bigger than my palm. The cutter is in two pieces, so it helps to push firmly on the outline and not so hard on the inside one (with eyes ears and bowtie) otherwise the bowtie and right ear are perforated from the rest of the head. I've also seen cookie cutters that have the whole Hello Kitty body and has legs that you can use to "prop" up the cookie and make the Hello Kitty stand.

I decorated the cookies before baking them with Wilton Pink, Red and Blue Sparkle Gels. I found out that the gels don't dry and stay in place the way typical cookie icing, or royal icing, does. I found out the hard way when I decorated cookies and everything smeared during the transport. But it was an accident that I decorated my christmas cookies a few years ago before baking them and found out the gel hardened like a candied texture so that I could bag up the cookies for giving away.

Want to see my other Hello Kitty creations?