Bitch in the Kitch

I'm 27 and newly dairy-free; I'm looking for ways to satisfy my eternal craving for chili cheese fries.

[bitchindakitch]

Overdue: Restaurant Week Reviews

Hi Friends.

It’s only been 10 months since my last post which makes me cringe a little when I think about. To be honest, it makes me sad because the only reason I haven’t been blogging is because I haven’t been cooking. Believe me when I say there definitely could have been time, but work was crazy and who wants to cook a meal at 8pm after a 12-hour workday when all you want to do is scarf something right. that. minute.? If your answer is yes, I applaud you. My answer was no and I ate a lot of sushi takeout. Sidenote: If you’re in the DC/Arlington area I’m urging you to go to Sushi Rock immediately and have four a “Light My Fire” rolls. (seriously I have a problem). 

I digress. 

So what I really wanted to share with you (until I remembered Sushi Rock) was my Restaurant week experience. If you aren’t familiar with Restaurant week, it’s basically a week (and for some places two) where restaurants specialize menus for lunch and dinner for a “discounted price” (note: I say “discounted” because not every restaurant gives you a good deal; if you’re thinking you want to try a restaurant, look at their regular menu and do a little comparison) and aim to give you the best of what they have. RW is an opportunity to try restaurants you may not have otherwise visited due to cost, reservation availability, reason to, etc. Lunch is around $22 and dinner is around $35 - some are more and offer I’d been to restaurant weeks before but nothing like this. This year I tried out four (yes four) restaurants I’d never (disclaimer: I had been to one before, whoops) been to before. 

How did we choose which restaurants to go to, you may be asking yourself? Well, for one, I scoured the blogs that did reviews on the entire RW selection each year to get a sense of the restaurants I could not miss based on bang for your buck, menu, drinks, and all around experience. I also talked to friends about which restaurants they really enjoyed and which to skip out on. I then took on the task of going through each of the available menus to see which I would like to try, and offered my boyfriend the final list of 5 or 6 from him to help choose 3. It was a process, but if you’re like me then you find solace in reading through menus. I don’t care that that’s a weird hobby; let me be.

The four restaurants I visited were Fogo de Chão, Co Co Sala, Brasserie Beck, and Ambar. Below I’ll let you know what I ate, how it was, and if you should even bother going.

Fogo de Chão

1101 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20004 | Website

This is the one restaurant I had been to before (many times might I add) but my boyfriend (also my trusty sidekick in this particular food adventure) had never been and I thought what better time than now to introduce him to what I affectionately call “the meats”. Fogo restaurant week is almost exactly the same as any other dinner at Fogo, but two distinct items are missing: the filet mignon and anything lamb. This is a little disappointing because I could probably eat six pounds of the filet mignon alone, but there are, like, 10 other meats to choose from AND a salad bar. Make sure you go hungry because you’re going to have unlimited meats and sides to choose from and you want to make sure you get your money’s worth.  What I ate: Everything but the salad (you shouldn’t be surprised if you know me) Picanha (prime part of the top sirloin) Beef Ancho (rib eye) Alcatra (top sirloin) Fraldinha (bottom sirloin) Frango (chicken) Lombo (parmesan crusted pork loin) Linguiça (pork sausage) Garlic Mashed Potatoes Caramelized Bananas Polenta Pão de Queijo (cheese bread) What I drank: Caipirinhas (obviously) Cost: $35 and ~$13/ drink a la carte Should You Go?: At least once in your life, but definitely during RW because why not pay $35 for a regularly priced $60+ meal full of the meats?

Co Co Sala

929 F St NW, Washington, DC 20004 | Website

So this restaurant’s claim to fame is “chocolate everywhere”, which I could certainly get down with. My roommates and I (there are four of us) decided to have a girls’ date here since it was a chocolate restaurant. The only thing I have to say about this restaurant is that the seating is kind of weird. Some people were sitting on these low stool-like things that were smaller at the bottom than at the top; we witnessed a girl in a skirt fall off of one, which was hilarious but also had me thinking to myself “she is all of us”.  What I ate:  Chicken Caesar Salad (parmesan crusted crispy chicken / baby romaine / parmigiano reggiano / flatbread croutons) Organic Black Pearl Salmon (whole grain mustard glaze / crispy kale / warm marble potatoes & leeks / dill maple dijon vinaigrette) Shrimp Mac n Cheese (mini penne / jack & cheddar / garlic shrimp / jalapenos) Chocolate Onyx (dark chocolate mousse / vanilla crème brulee / salted caramel / crispy chocolate pearls / brownie / chocolate sorbet / cinnamon toffee bon bon+) Everything was incredible. What I drank: Fetish  (Fresh Strawberries / Chocolate-Infused Vodka / Strawberry Foam / Chocolate Dipped Berry) Cost: $35 for dinner, $8/drink Should You Go?: Yes!!! Everything I ate was fabulous. I don’t know if these dishes are available on the regular menu but if you’re looking for a RW venue, this is it. Go with your girlfriends, eat everything, and have a few drinks!

Brasserie Beck

1101 K St NW, Washington, DC 20005 | Website

If you’re familiar with Arlington and DC fare you will recognize the company that owns this one; they also own Mussel Bar. Brasserie Beck is described as a “contemporary European style brasserie”, which to me means nothing. This was probably the restaurant I was least impressed with. Service was weird, the menu wasn’t very expansive and our drinks were pretty expensive. I think this was one we were looking forward to, too, so that was kind of a bummer. I chose them because their menu included mussels and steak; a definite yes for me. What I ate:  Mussels (roasted garlic / parsley / cream) NY Strip Steak Frites (grilled angus beef / watercress / belgian frites, bordelaise and béarnaise sauces) Crème Brulée (speculous cookie / chantilly cream) What I drank: Albarino wine and a ginger beer cocktail Cost: $35 for dinner, $9-14/drink  Should You Go?: Honestly I was not impressed. The mussels were delcious, but the steak was chewy (the sauces kind of saved it), and the creme brulee was soft; normally you have a nice crack to the caramelized sugar on top but that was missing. The speculous cookie was a nice touch. I wouldn’t recommend this restaurant for RW, at least.

Ambar

523 8th St SE, Washington, DC 20003 | Website

Ok y’all, this one is gonna be long. For one, we ate everything, and when I say everything I mean we actually had everything on their RW menu.This was my absolute favorite place and we vowed to go back many, many times because it was THAT. GOOD. Not only was the food incredible, they had the best deal of the week: instead of the run of the mill $35 prix fixe menu and a la carte drinks, they had an all inclusive deal for $49 which was unlimited plates and bottomless drinks. Bottomless drinks? Shut up and take my money (and they did). But seriously guys, this restaurant is considered “Balkan Cuisine” and is “small plates”. I don’t know what Balkan cuisine is but I think it’s my new favorite and I laugh when they say “small plates” because there was enough for both of us to eat on one plate. You’re going to be flabbergasted at the amount we ate at this restaurant. We told the waitress it was our first time there, and that it would probably best if she just started bringing us out what she thought we should eat based on what was best on the menu. The whole damn menu is what is best on the menu. After ordering drinks (listed below), we consumed the following..... and I’m 100% I’m missing something we ate - I just legitimately ate so much I forgot everything I ate... I’ll also star my favorites since there were SO. MANY. OPTIONS. What I ate:  *Cheese Pie (crispy phyllo / cucumber yogurt / roasted red pepper sauce) *Tartare Steak (pork “cracklins” / sundried tomato butter / pickled vegetables) Pork Flatbread (slow cooked pork / baked egg / pickled onion) Grilled Asparagus (veloute / crispy proscuitto / pumpkin / quail egg) *Brussel Sprouts with Bacon (lemon & garlic yogurt) Leek Croquette (ajvar emulsion / panko crust) Cold Octopus Salad (garlic beans / sliced cucumber) *Bacon & Peanut Pork Tenderloin (miso-mustard tarragon / mashed potatoes) Spicy Pork Sausage (green peas / root vegetable stew) *Drunken Mussels (rakija / garlic / capers / lemon / somun / cream) Grilled Calamari w/ Gremolata (fresh herbs / diced pepper / lemon) *Sesame Crusted Salmon (horseradish sauce / spicy eggplant / arugula) Capri (fresh raspberries / vanilla pudding / dolcela hit icing / almond crumble / passionfrut espuma / raspberry sorbet) What I drank:  Pomegranate Collins (vodka / pomegranate / lemon / soda) Pear Daisy (pear rakia / triple sec / lemon / pear & cardamom puree) Cost: $49 (a deal that is still available. You can go today and literally eat all this for $49) Should You Go?: YES. YES. YES. If you go anywhere in this city (at anytime) go here. This is so far my favorite restaurant in DC and trust me, I’ve been to many restaurants in DC. WHEN you do go, GET THE STEAK TARTARE. One of the best things I’ve eaten in a long time and I didn’t even know I liked tartare.

So there you have it. It was a busy two weeks for me as I was busy eating (and drinking) literally everything. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out! I’m more than happy to talk to you about DC or Arlington restaurants or food here in general :) 

Happy Eating!

-BitK

[bitchindakitch]

Portobello Burgers from the Red Meat Enthusiast

To be honest, I've pretty much despised shied away from mushrooms almost my entire life. The taste, texture, smell and straight look of mushrooms absolutely grosses me out. Usually my mom did not care if I didn't like a food, if she cooked it it was going on my plate; but she knew better than to get anywhere near me with mushrooms. It wasn't until I received a From the Farmer basket with cremini mushrooms that I even dared to incorporate them into my dishes. At first, I hid them in a bolognese sauce, simmering them in tomato sauce and meat to try to mask the taste and texture. Next, my roommate requested Chicken Marsala, which I had never even heard of before. To my surprise, the main ingredient (aside from Marsala) was mushrooms. Blech. But I made it and ate it and was a good sport about it since the mushrooms were doused in sauce and the chicken added a different texture.

This week, though, From the Farmer sent me not one, but TWO bags of portobello mushrooms to try and incorporate into my meals. So this is it, y'all, I'm diving into mushrooms head first with portobello burgers. SURE there are ingredients like onions and cheese and avocados and marinade to cover up the taste, but I bit into an entire mushroom and it was the star of the dinner. ME. The mushroom hater. The one who threw a fit (and I didn't throw many fits when I was a kid) whenever there was a mushroom near me.

I have to admit to y'all: it was so good. I didn't even miss the beef on this burger (apologies to all my fellow red meat enthusiasts). The marinade is the perfect combination with and complement to the rest of the toppings on the burger. If my story doesn't convince you then I'm not really sure what will.

One thing I did differently than (I'm assuming) what is considered normal is I roasted the portobellos instead of grilling them. For one, I don't yet own a girl (getting ready to bank on the winter grill sales happening around here) and two, it snowed like 4 or 5 inches today in DC, so even if I did have a grill lord knows my ass would not have been outside grilling, especially if it wasn't for actual meat. It takes less time to roast them then grill them anyways, so I'm counting this as a win.

How to make Caramelized Onion Stuffed Portobello Burgers

Ingredients: - 1 large white onion - 1 t white granulated sugar - 1 T butter - 3 T EVOO (2 for the onions and 1 for the marinade) - 4 Portobello Mushrooms - 1 t chopped fresh rosemary - 2 T balsamic vinegar - 1 T Soy Sauce - 1 T Montreal Steak Seasoning (Grillmates has a good one) - S&P - Buns - Burger Toppings (cheese, avocado, tomato, condiments, etc.)

Equipment: - Skillet - Tongs - Mixing Bowl - Baking Sheet - Foil & Saran Wrap

1. Slice your onion and throw it into a pan with the sugar, butter, and oil over medium-low heat. Caramelizing onions can be tricky, so the key for the whole endeavor is to watch them like a hawk and move them around a lot!

2. Combine the rosemary, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, EVOO, Montreal steak seasoning and pepper in a mixing bow. Set aside for now.

3. Prep your mushrooms by getting rid of the hard stem in the middle. The flappy things that look like crab lungs or the inside of a jet engine can stay.

4. Marinate the mushrooms in the sauce you just made, covering the bowl in saran wrap, for half an hour on your kitchen counter. Make a solid effort at getting the  mushrooms completely coated. The insides may be hard to get; I used a spoon to pour and rub the marinade in.

**Somewhere between this step and the next step you need to preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. I don't know how long it takes your oven, so use your best judgement**

5. Finish caramelizing the onions (and I mean this word in the sense of onions that are the least caramelized before they can't be classified as caramelized because I'm impatient and this was good enough for me... the true sense of the word means the onions have reached the "end of august beach tan" brown.. here's what Google thinks), they should be soft, brownish, a lot smaller than when you started and fragrant. We're almost there in the picture below.

6. Lay the marinated mushrooms on a foil lined baking sheet once the onions are almost done. Your oven should be at 400 degrees F.

(For someone who hates mushrooms I find this shot oddly attractive. Is this considered #mushroomporn)

7. Top the mushrooms with your freshly "caramelized" onions and bake them in the oven for just about 10 minutes. You can prep all your toppings while the mushrooms are baking!

8. Take the mushrooms out of the oven after about 10 minutes (they should look like this!) and assemble the burgers! 

So the awesome thing about this recipe is now you know how to caramelize onions. You can seriously put caramelized onions on anything (I do...), so let your imagination run wild!

I hope you can have your mushroom awakening the same way I did, with these portobello burgers. I'm here to tell y'all they were so good I took one for lunch! This coming from a girl who thinks not eating red meat is the same thing as a death sentence. There you have it folks, the tastiest veggie (are mushrooms considered veggies???) burger yet!

Happy Eating!

-BitK

[bitchindakitch]

Shiitake Edamame Soba Bowl

If you know me, you know my aversion to ethnic food. I'm not an adventurous eater, even though I probably should be an exploratory eater based on my love of food. Unfortunately, I know what I like and know what I don't like. I'm going to plug From the Farmer (again) because they never cease to amaze me with the recipes and veggies they include in their baskets every week. I'm starting to open my mind to vegetables and recipes outside of my comfort zone and for that I am extremely grateful.

This all relates because of the experiment (exaggeration) I performed tonight by making *gasp* a soba noodle bowl! From the Farmer sent a delicious looking soba bowl recipe and I dared to expand my cooking skills to stir fry and Asian sauce making. Let me tell you, it ruled.

The ingredients are the perfect balance for each other. The crunchy cabbage, carrots and onions paired with creamy edamame and soft mushrooms are delightful and the sauce is a great mix of sweet, salty and sour, and spicy with the brown sugar, sesame oil and sriracha. I know sriracha is at the top of a lot of people's lists when it comes to condiments, so if you are one of those people you need to try this sauce/dish.

It was extremely easy to make this dish, which is always something that I am impressed by. I don't have hours to spend in the kitchen (although I wish I did - maybe that's why I hardly bake) so dinner recipes that take less than an hour are always on my faves list. The sauce is as simple as putting all the ingredients in a bowl, mixing and letting the flavors meld together. The stir fry is as easy as putting the veggies in a hot pan and heating them up. This is an easy, healthy (as long as there are veggies in the recipe it is healthy to me) and pretty quick. 

Without further ado!

How to make Shiitake Edamame Soba Noodle Bowls:

Ingredients: Soba Noodle Sauce - 1/3 C Water - 3 T Soy Sauce - 2 T Sriracha (note: if you don't like spicy, only use 1 Tablespoon, or even only a few teaspoons)  - 1 t Brown Sugar - 2 t Vegetable Bullion - 2 t Sesame Oil - 1 Clove Minced Garlic - 1 t Minced Fresh Ginger* 

*this was my first time working with ginger. You should have seen me trying to figure out what to do with it; I was glad to have been alone in this journey and make a fool of myself in the comfort of my own kitchen. Note: peel the ginger with a veggie peeler first. Like what is the skin on these things? Another note: why do they measure ginger in inches in recipes? It don't make no damn sense. So here, I just used teaspoon equivalents. So now you know so you don't have to look like a fool handling ginger for the first time. Whoops.

Soba Noodle Bowl - 2 t Minced Fresh Ginger - 4 Cloves Minced Garlic - 1 Package Shiitake Mushrooms or any mushrooms really - 2 C Cabbage, sliced - 1 C Red Onion, sliced - 1 package Soba Noodles - 2 Shredded Carrots - 2 C Edamame

Equipment: - Large Skillet or Wok

1. Mix all sauce ingredients in a bowl and leave in the fridge for the ingredients to marry.

2. Chop all the veggies 

3. Heat veggie or canola oil in your skillet or wok and add the garlic and ginger until aromatic. At this time, put on a pot of water for the soba noodles

4. Add soba noodles to the boiling water and the rest of the veggies to the pan or wok with the garlic/ginger

5. Pour half the sauce into the veggies and mix until all the veggies are coated. Leave the veggies in the pan until soft.

6. Strain the water from soba noodles and transfer the noodles to the bowl. Add the edamame to the noodles and then add the rest of the sauce.

7. Plate the noodles and serve the veggies on the top. Feel free to add an over easy egg and some chopped cashews or peanuts as a garnish (I did!)

This recipe is super easy once you get all the veggies chopped and prepped. You could probably do all this before hand and freeze/leave in the fridge until you're ready to cook. 

If you end up making this, send me the pic of your dish! I love to see pics of other peoples' food :)

As always, enjoy! -BitK

[bitchindakitch]

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

So yesterday, I was on a roll. I got home with a ton of energy and instead of running a million miles in prep for the half marathon I'm running in a few weekends (LOL), I made a bunch of food. I made homemade kale, basil and almond pesto - thanks to the local farmers market and their generous portion sizes for kale - mason jar salads for lunch for the rest of the week, and these baked beauties!

I don't know about you, but I absolutely hate ripe bananas. If their skin isn't greenish and the banana isn't hard, I want no part of it. I also don't know about you, but I can never finish an entire bunch of bananas in a week. This leaves me with an almost infinite number of ripe bananas, so what's a girl to do? 

This girl makes chocolate chip banana muffins. I've experimented with plenty of different recipes and variations (bread vs muffins, chocolate chocolate vs plain, Greek yogurt vs sour cream vs oil) and I believe I've finally reached the mecca of muffins. 

The key to this recipe: baby chocolate chips, sour cream AND oil AND eggs, and changing the temperature halfway through the bake (I hate when recipes ask me to do this, it is just another added step, but honestly they're on to something).

Without further ado!

How to make Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins:

Ingredients:  - 2 Cups Flour - 1/2 t salt - 1 1/2 t Baking Powder - 1/2 t Baking Soda 2 Eggs - 3 Ripe Banana (Mashed) - 1/4 C Canola/Veggie Oil - 1/3 C White Granulated Sugar - 1/3 C Brown Sugar - 2/3 C Sour Cream - 2 T Milk - 1 t Vanilla Extract - 1 C Mini Chocolate Chips

Equipment:  - Muffin/Cupcake Tin - Two Mixing Bowls - Measuring Cups & Spoons - Electric Hand Mixer/Stand Mixer/Whisk

*Pre-heat oven to 425 Degrees*

1. Mix flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl

2. Mix all other ingredients in another bowl in the order they're listed

3. Slowly add dry ingredients into the wet mixture. I normally do a third at a time. Make sure to incorporate but don't over-mix!

4. Fill muffin tray 2/3 of the way full for each muffin well. You can use cupcake liners or just spray Pam/non-stick spray (I just use Pam)

5. Bake at 425 for 9 minutes then turn the oven down to 350 and continue baking for 6-10 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Take them out when this happens

6. Let the muffins cool in the tray for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack or plate; whatever you have on hand is perfect.

7. ENJOY!

Do you have a muffin recipe you love? If so, I'd love to try it!

Happy Eating! -BitK

[bitchindakitch]

Mother's Day Brunch: Crab Cakes Benedict

So if my last post wasn't apologetic enough, please let me apologize again for being MIA. I will, however, promise to put the bitch back in the kitch and start whipping up some incredible food. I've been trying to be healthy lately (says the girl that ate Z-burger and fries for dinner last night) so expect some great (healthier) things to come out of this blog. I fully intend on utilizing the veggies I receive from - you guessed it - From the Farmer as it is now summer and there are some rockin' veggies that are in season now. Exciting news that will impact the blog: I'm moving into a house in August! 3 girlfriends and I will be starting a new chapter in a new house (and a new kitchen) which means more food! Sorry for this incredibly long intro that has nothing to do with the food I made... On to the business now.

So two months ago (still laughing that it has taken me this long to post...) it was mother's day and my mother requested I cook for her. We originally had plans to go to brunch but I then suggested to kill two birds with one stone: I'll make brunch for everyone to celebrate Mom's day... and this could double as part of her gift. 

If you know my mom, you know that anything with crab in it is a sure thing. I had been wanting to tackle hollandaise sauce for a long time as well, so I settled on Crab Cakes Benedict (also known as Maryland Benedict if you're from around here). Needless to say she was thrilled and as the day approached and I was preparing the recipes for all the components (there are a lot of different parts to this one!) I was starting to doubt my ability to spend hours in the kitchen to yield these three servings of a delectable breakfast dish. After shopping for the ingredients and consulting with my father about how long I would need the kitchen (surprise! he loves to cook too and had his own component of brunch to prepare) I started on my merry way.

I mostly felt overwhelmed because of the other components of brunch as well (fruit salad, home fries, mimosas), but for the most part, timing on this recipe is KEY. You want to do the crab cakes first - let them rest in the fridge for 15 minutes - then start frying them. Keep them in a warm place while you poach the eggs and make the hollandaise last. You want to make sure to assemble everything quickly so the poached eggs are still runny and warm when you serve. It's a whirlwind, but TOTALLY WORTH IT.

A few side notes before we get started: 1. There are no eggs in the crab cake. I know what you're thinking: how will these cakes stay together when pan fried? Crab is magic and it just does. Plus, setting them in the fridge helps. 2. There are no English muffins. Again, you're thinking: how is this anything Benedict without the muffins? I love crab and the less bread that takes away from the flavor the better. I promise it is worth it to stray from the norm here. 

Now, without further ado...

How to make Crab Cakes Benedict:

Ingredients Crab Cakes - 1 lb Jumbo Lump Crab Meat (you can buy it from the fish man at the grocery store or use fresh canned - which is what I did... just make sure it is REAL) - 2 Green Onions, green & white parts thinly sliced - 1/2 C Mayo - 2 T Dijon Mustard - 1/4 C Plain Bread Crumbs - 1 T Freshly Squeeze Lemon Juice - S&P - 1/4 t Cayenne Powder (you can omit if you want)

Hollandaise Sauce - 3 Egg Yolks - 1 T Cold Water - 4 oz Hot Melted Butter (half a stick) - Juice of 1/2 Lemon - 1 t Old Bay (I ended up adding to taste after the first teaspoon)

Poached Eggs - 1 Egg per Crab Cake - Rice Wine Vinegar

Equipment: - Large Bowl - Plate - Frying Pan - Spatula - Large Pot - Slotted Spoon - Blender

1. Make the crab cakes by whisking together the mayo, mustard, lemon juice & cayenne pepper. Season mixture with S&P. Fold in the crab and green onions until they're coated in the mixture. Add plain bread crumbs until the mixture is formable (its a word... I swear). 

2. Form the cakes by grabbing a small handful of the mixture, rolling it into a ball and flattening it out. Pour some extra bread crumbs on a plate and coat the cake in the crumbs. Put them on a plate in the fridge and leave for 15-20 minutes.

3. Poach the eggs by putting a large pot of water on the stove. Bring the water to almost a rolling boil. Meanwhile, crack an egg into a ramekin or a small bowl. Once the water is almost boiling, add a couple teaspoons of rice wine vinegar to the water. Swirl the water in a circular motion with the slotted spoon to create a whirlpool.

Get the ramekin close to the surface of the water over the center of the whirlpool and drop the egg in. The swirling water wraps the yolk around the egg. Let it continue to poach for 5-6 minutes and remove with a slotted spoon. Repeat for as many eggs as you need (I made six, two for each plate)

4. Fry the cakes using some canola oil in the frying pan on medium heat. Flip the cakes when they're browned and crispy on one side. Transfer to a plate for serving.

5. Blend the Hollandaise in the blender. Place the egg yolks, water, lemon juice and old bay in the blender and blend until the mixture is frothy. While the blender is on, pour the melted butter in slowly. Blend until the mixture is fully combined. This was so much easier than I had heard it would be - apparently hollandaise is a hard sauce to master? We can definitely do it.

6. Assemble the Benedict. Place two crab cakes on a plate and add a poached egg on each. Top the poached eggs with your fresh hollandaise sauce and sprinkle some old bay on top!

See how easy that was? Pair the Benedict with with a fruit salad, some home fries and a few mimosas (actually, let's make them bottomless) and you have a homemade brunch!

Happy Eating! -BitK

[bitchindakitch]

Potato and Broccoli Raab Naan Pizza

So sorry I've been off the map lately! I started an incredible new job that honestly doesn't allow me to cook often! I am, again, going to rave about From the Farmer and their incredible ability to deliver fresh, delicious, adventurous veggies to my doorstep. I got Broccoli Raab (rabe or rapini) in my basket a few weeks back and was searching for a new, inventive recipe to feature it. Potatoes and broccoli raab together you say? Absolutely. The egg on top is such a savory treat. I will put a yolky egg on anything so this wasn't even a question.

Why Naan bread, though? Well, I wasn't aware that Harris Teeter sold fresh pizza dough so for the past (almost) year I've been making homemade pizzas on Naan bread. It's honestly probably an upgrade. I know there's no replacement for fresh, fluffy, crispy pizza crust, but Naan is a great flatbread alternative.If you don't have or know where to get naan bread, pizza crust is absolutely fine. You can make it from scratch or use those boboli (maybe?) premade and cooked crusts.

Where's the sauce? No sauce. It doesn't need sauce - the egg yolk is just enough for this pizza. The Raab also adds a wetness (how? I dont know...) to the pizza that doesn't make you miss sauce.

The only thing here is: if you're looking for a traditional pizza you should run far away from this. It will blow your mind if you try to classify it in the same group as tomato saucy, cheesy pizza. It is delicious, though. My roommate and I actually inhaled these.

Without futher ado:

How to make potato and broccoli raab naan pizza:

Ingredients: - 1 Broccoli Raab - 1 C Baby Potatoes, sliced very thinly - 3 T Dried Rosemary - 2 Garlic Cloves - EVOO - S&P - 1/2 t Crushed Red Pepper Flakes - 2 C Grated Gruyere (Swiss is a good alternative if you cant find Gruyere) - 1 C Grated Parmesan - 2 eggs - 2 Flat Naan Breads (or pizza crust if you can't find naan)

Equipment: - Baking Sheet - Mandolin or really sharp knife

*Preheat oven to 375 degrees*

1. Prep the Toppings: use the mandolin (or knife) to slice your washed potatoes into thin slices-like if you were going to make potato chips. Once they're sliced, toss them in EVOO and S&P and spread them out on the baking sheet. Roast the potatoes for 10-15 minutes, flipping or shaking them around the sheet halfway through. When the potatoes are done, increase the oven heat to 425 degrees.

Cut or rip the broccoli raab into pieces and submerge it into boiling water for about 30 seconds and then transfer it to an icebath (ice and water in a bowl) to stop it from cooking any more.

Add your garlic and crushed red peppers to a skillet on medium heat with oil and saute until garlic is fragrant. Add the broccoli raab to the skillet and saute for a few minutes, until the raab is incorporated and heated.

2. Assemble the Pizza: Brush or drizzle the naan with a bit of EVOO then sprinkle half of both cheese between the two naan breads. Put the breads in the oven (I don't use a stone or a baking sheet, I just put them on the racks) to melt the cheese. Once the cheese is melted, take the breads out of the oven and add the potatoes, then the broccoli raab mixture. Add the remaining cheese between the two breads and pop it back in the oven until the cheese looks melted.

3. Add the Egg: This is my favorite part. Crack an egg in a small ramekin or bowl, then pull the pizza out of the oven a bit, slide the egg on top of the pizza and switch the oven to broil. Do this for about 5 minutes. BE CAREFUL not to overcook the egg or it turns into rubber and the yolk won't be runny - thus you will be lacking a sauce.

Allow to cool and enjoy! Make sure you crack the oozy yolk before you dig in!

-BitK 

[bitchindakitch]

Chipotle Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Lime Cream Sauce

I'm visiting my parents this weekend for Mother's Day (watch out for the Mother's Day Brunch feature coming soon) and offered to make them dinner because 1. I started a new job this week and honestly have been exhausted and not in the mood to cook and 2. I haven't cooked for them in a while and after every post on Bitch in the Kitch my mom calls me and asks me why I didn't send her the recipe. Hint: it's on the blog you're reading, ma ;) I read them a list of recipes I had on hand, many involving quinoa (the bane of my father's food existence... funny story on that another time) but both of their ears perked up (I'm sure our dog, Bailey's, did too) at shrimp tacos.

This is definitely one of the go-to recipes in my repertoire. It's delicious, fresh and pretty easy to make - not to mention it's technically Mexican food, which is the best kind of food. It's versatile; you can grill the shrimp on either a grill (obviously) or grill pan, or you can cook it in a pan (I had to resort to this last night because my dad refused to let me fire up the grill for a few shrimp) and you can add whatever extras you like - your homemade salsa, queso fresco, etc.

The cilantro lime sauce is probably one of the best components of the dish; it is so fresh and cools down the spice factor from the chipotle peppers in the shrimp marinade and balances out the bite from the cabbage. You could also use the extra as a dip for tortilla chips. The theme here seems to be versatility...

I added some black beans (cooked them according to the package, found in the international aisle at the grocery store) and Mexican rice (I'll add the recipe below) per my mom's request but you could eat these tacos by themselves and still be satisfied. My dad ended up eating 4 of these things, taking my third taco off my plate for his fourth - they were that good.

I'm not going to make y'all wait any longer drooling over the pic, so here we go!

How to make Shrimp Tacos w/ Cilantro Lime Cream Sauce:

Ingredients: Marinade - 1-2 pounds of shrimp - whatever kind works. I prefer the shrimp that are already peeled, but they're usually cooked. I used fresh domestic shrimp - frozen is fine too. - 2 mashed chipotle peepers in adobo sauce - 5 garlic cloves, minced or smashed - 1/4 C fresh lime juice - 4 green onions, green & white parts chopped - 1 C EVOO - S&P

Cilantro Lime Cream Sauce - 2 C cilantro, packed - 1/4 C fresh lime juice - 2 t chipotle sauce from the peppers - 2 C sour cream - S&P

Rice - 1 C long grain white rice - 1 Chicken bullion cube - 5 C water - 1/2 C tomato sauce - 2-3 T EVOO - 2 Cloves garlic, minced

Tacos - Small flour tortillas - Savoy cabbage, cut into thin strips - Monterrey Jack Cheese or Queso Fresco - Mango Salsa

Equipment - Gallon Ziploc bag - Skillet pan - Shallow sauce pan - Tongs - Food processor/blender

1. Prep the Marinade: Add the chipotle peppers, garlic, lime juice, onions, EVOO, salt & pepper to the Ziploc bag and mix up. Add the shrimp to the bag, put in the fridge, and let chill there for at least 30 minutes. You can leave the shrimp in there up to 24 hours.

2. Start the Rice: In the shallow sauce pan, add the EVOO and heat it up on medium heat. Add the rice and toast until the rice looks a little brown, but not burnt! While the rice is browning, add the bullion cube to the 5 cups of water and microwave for 4 minutes, or until the cube dissolves. Once the rice is browned, add the water, tomato sauce and garlic to the rice pan and reduce the heat to a simmer. Let it simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Prep the Cilantro Lime Cream Sauce: Add all the ingredients to a food processor or blender and pulse until incorporated. Taste it to see if it is to your liking - you may need to add more S&P or lime juice. The final taste is up to you! Place it in the fridge until you're ready to assemble.

4. Cook the Shrimp: Once 30 minutes have passed, take the shrimp out of the fridge and heat the skillet pan on the stove at medium. Use the tongs to remove the shrimp from the marinade. It's great if you grab some of the components of the marinade (chipotle peppers, green onions) and add them to the pan too. Heat the shrimp until they turn pink and place them in a bowl when you're done.

6. Assemble! Layer your soft tacos with savoy cabbage, shrimp, cilantro lime cream sauce, cheese then mango salsa! Add beans and rice to the plate and they're ready to eat!

We ate these outside on the deck with a side of Landshark Lager, but I'm sure any type of Margarita would go great as well :)

Happy Cooking!

- BitK

[bitchindakitch]

All About Kale: Lemon & Goat Cheese Pasta with Kale

As I stated in the last post, I'm loving my CSA! From the Farmer allows me to try new foods, making sure they're the best quality. Also as I stated last time, try From the Farmer with a $20 discount by using my name (Amanda Fitzgerald) when you sign up!

Once I got my kale I scoured pinterest for recipes that weren't like collard greens or a standard salad (though I did end up making a kale salad....) and looked good. Pinterest is always my starting point when looking for recipe ideas and from there I just peruse the blogs until I find something along the lines of what I'm looking for.

To be up front, I've had a mixed relationship with goat cheese and I really think it depends on the day. It is a weird taste, smell and texture but I think paired with the right ingredients it can be as delicious as feta or cheddar (who am I kidding, nothing is better than cheddar)

I was attracted to the ease and number of ingredients in this recipe and it only took a little longer to make than the kale chips which is incredible! It was also surprisingly refreshing and I attribute that to both lemon zest and lemon juice used in the base. Without further ado, here's the recipe!

How to make Lemon & Goat Cheese Pasta with Kale:

Ingredients: - Farfalle Pasta - 1 Tablespoon EVOO - 1 Medium Shallot, diced - 2 Cloves Garlic, minced - Zest of 1 Large Lemon - Juice of 1 Large Lemon - 1 Small Bunch Kale, coarsely chopped, stems removed - 4 ounces goat cheese - S&P

Equipment: - Saute Pan - Medium Saucepan (pot)

1. Boil Pasta: Bring a pot of water to a boil and generously salt (as I always say: salt water after its boiling because salt makes water dense and it takes longer to boil). Cook the pasta according to the package.

2. Prep the Kale: In your pan on medium-high heat, add the oil, shallot and garlic let cook until tender. Once tender, add the kale, lemon zest and lemon juice and cook down until wilted.

3. Prep the Pasta: Drain the pasta and return it to the empty pot. Add the goat cheese and stir until goat cheese is melted.

4. Assemble!: Add the kale mixture to the pasta pot and stir until combined. Serve up in bowls or on a plate, whichever you prefer! Add some S&P to finish it off and enjoy a simple, delicious pasta dish.

Happy cooking!

- BitK

[bitchindakitch]

All About Kale: Kale Chips

So I am part of a modern CSA (community supported agriculture) group, From the Farmer, that delivers fresh fruits, veggies & miscellaneous (we got popcorn one week and apple cider this past week) every week. This week, we got two huge bundles of kale, which I was equally excited and nervous about. Never having eaten kale, I didn't know if I would like it and what was I going to do with two huge bundles that I wasn't going to eat?

*Side note about this CSA* The good thing about being part of From the Farmer is that it forces me and my roommates to try new things. If you aren't part of it or haven't even heard of it, I would encourage you to look into joining. Unlike other CSAs, From the Farmer allows you to 1. opt in or out depending on your schedule and 2. pay only for what you get. Usually, you have to pay $400-$700 up front for a whole season, regardless of whether you can pick up your veggies or not. From the Farmer eliminates these two issues, and possibly giving you the absolute best quality produce. If you want to sign up and want a discount, use my name (Amanda Fitzgerald) when you sign up and you get $20 off your first basket! I order the half bushel for my roommate and I.

I digress. I just really have come to love From the Farmer. 

Anyways, on to the food. Kale chips. Hipsters have been touting the glory of this crispy snack for years - they're hipsters, they knew about kale chips before kale chips were cool. Now kale chips (and kale) are mainstream so we will wait for them to find the next food fad we can latch on to. These are extremely easy to make and crisp up in a flash so keep an eye on em! 

How to make Kale Chips:

Ingredients: - Kale - 2 Tablespoons EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) - Garlic Salt

Equipment: - Baking Sheet

*Preheat oven to 425 degrees*

1. Rip up the Kale: Rip the kale off the hard white stem and into chip sized pieces. About 2 square inches but like I said before, I'm not a carpenter and I don't know measurements, so use your best judgement. Lay the ripped up kale on a baking sheet.

2. Season the Kale: drizzle EVOO over the kale and sprinkle with garlic salt. I seasoned to my liking (heavily) but you can use as little or as much as you like. Side note here: you can use literally any seasoning - I'm thinking about crushed red pepper or greek seasoning next time. Toss the kale with your hands to make sure they're completely covered with oil and garlic salt

3. Bake these suckers: Put the baking sheet in the oven for about 4 minutes, then move the kale around to make sure it doesn't burn or stick. Put the kale back in the oven for another 6-7 minutes. Keep an eye on these guys because they will burn quickly!

4. Let cool: Take the baking sheet out of the oven and let cool then put them in either a bowl or a zip lock bag!

Have you made Kale Chips before? What seasoning did you use?

Happy Snacking!

- BitK

[bitchindakitch]

A New Twist on an Old Favorite: Tomato Soup

So up until about six months ago, I had hated tomato soup. I don't know what it was about tomato soup when I was a kid (maybe the fact that I hated tomatoes - and all veggies - and wasn't keen on the idea of a liquid version of them) but since then I just did not care for it. I always requested chicken noodle, or just went without until snack time. Needless to say, I now not only like tomato soup, but I opt for it whenever possible. When I stumbled upon a recipe for creamy tomato soup, I immediately put in on my list for dinner and added a twist that merged the idea of a soup with a pasta, making it more filling. It is certainly time consuming but incredibly low maintenance - there's a lot of waiting around for these tomatoes to reach perfection - but it is more than worth the wait. It was perfect for a rainy, cold day, which is what we've been experiencing lately, so hopefully it brings you the same comfort!

How to make tomato soup with cheesy orzo:

Ingredients: - 1 ½ lbs Roma Tomatoes, sliced lengthwise - 3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) - 2 Tablespoons Butter - 1 medium Yellow Onion, diced - 4 Garlic Cloves, minced - 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme, minced - 1 (28 ounce) Can Crushed Tomatoes - 2 C Basil Leaves, roughly chopped - 2 Tablespoons Dried Basil - 1 Tablespoon Sugar - 2 C Low Sodium Chicken Broth - 2/3 C Heavy Cream -1/2 C Orzo - 1/4 Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Equipment: - Baking Sheet - Log Saucepan (pot) - Wooden Spoon

*Preheat oven to 375 Degrees*

1. Prep the tomatoes: place the sliced tomatoes on the baking sheet and coat them with EVOO. Salt (generously) and pepper them and using your hands toss the tomatoes around the sheet to make sure they're fully coated. Pop them into the oven for about an hour.

*Wait half an hour to start the next step*

2. Onions & Garlic & Spices, oh my: Melt your butter in the saucepan on medium-high heat and add the minced onion - saute for about 5 minutes or until they start to become translucent. Add your minced garlic and saute for another 5 minutes. Add your sugar, basils and can of crushed tomatoes. Stir until everything looks combined.

3. Simmer & Wait: turn down (for what) the heat to medium and simmer for another 10 minutes.

4. Everybody in the pool: Once the tomatoes are done roasting, throw them in the pan. Add the chicken broth at this time, too and continue to simmer on medium heat for another 30 minutes. Remember to stir occasionally.

5. Start boiling water: Put on a pot of water for the orzo once the 30 minutes of simmering are up for the soup. 

6. Blend the soup: Once 30 minutes has passed, carefully pour the soup into a blender or food processor. I had to do 2 batches in my food processor. Once you're done blending, return the soup to its pot & continue simmering.

7. Cook Orzo: Before adding the orzo to the boiling water, salt the water generously (reason for adding it after it boils rather than before: salt makes the water denser, thus it takes longer for it to boil). After the salt, add the orzo. It took around 10 minutes for my orzo to cook fully.

8. Add the cream: Add the cream to the pot of tomato soup (not the orzo) and stir until fully incorporated. Turn the heat down to low and let it warm until the orzo is done.

9. Cheese the Orzo: Once the orzo is tender, drain it and add it to a separate bowl. Add the cheddar cheese to the orzo and stir until melted and incorporated.

10. Assemble!: Carefully serve the tomato soup into a bowl and add half the orzo to the middle of the soup (see picture above). I garnished with grated parmesan and fresh basil, but I've seen goat cheese and basil be used as well.

Happy Cooking!

- BitK

[bitchindakitch]

Chicken & Dumplings

So as the wanna-be southern girl that I am, I have always been intrigued by chicken & dumplings. Obviously having never eaten them, my vision was of Chinese dumplings plopped in a savory chicken broth mixed with pieces of roasted chicken. Well I was half right. After scouring the food blogs looking for recipes to go off of, I found that southern dumplings are essentially biscuits, but rather than bake them, you boil them. This was certainly an interesting technique and I honestly wasn't quite sure how they would turn out, but obviously it worked somehow since southerners have been reveling in its delicious creaminess for some time now. So without further ado: my chicken & dumplings experience!

How to Make Chicken & Dumplings

Ingredients: - 2 C Flour - A Pinch of Salt - 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder - 2 Tablespoons Butter - 2 Quarts (32 oz or 2 Cartons) Chicken Broth - 3 C Chicken (I used a rotisserie and just shredded it) - Salt & Pepper

Equipment: - Fork - Mixing Bowl - Rolling Pin (or a coffee mug...) - Butter Knife or Pizza Cutter - Large Pot

1. Mix dumpling dough: Add flour, salt & BP in a mixing bowl. Add butter to the mix and "cut" it into the flour - Basically smash it with a fork into the flour until it is in a bunch of little pieces. Add milk and stir until combined.

*Before you roll out the dough, put the 2 quarts of chicken broth on the stove and heat it to a boil*

2. Roll out dough: On a heavily floured surface, use a rolling pin (or in my case, a travel coffee mug since I don't have a rolling pin) to roll out the dough. You want the dough to be flat but not paper thin. I'm not going to pretend like I know what 1/8" looks like so I'm not about to tell you that's the best thickness.

my dough looks like a state - guesses as to which one are welcome

3. Cut dumplings: Use a butter knife (or if you're fancy, you can use a pizza cutter) to cut the dough into squares. I think I cut them into square inches, but again, I'm not going to sit here and act like I can eyeball inches... Add the dumpling squares to a plate as you cut them and flour them as you stack them so they don't stick!

close up, they look like little beignets! yum!

4. Boil the dumplings: Add the dumplings to the boiling chicken broth for 15-20 minutes or until they're not doughy anymore (use your best judgement here)

5. Add the chicken to the broth and boil for another 5-10 minutes, or however much time you have - this recipe is really easy going!

Just add some salt and pepper to the served product and you're ready to chow down! I have so much left over, but I'm excited to have it for lunch tomorrow. 

Happy Cooking!

Sincerely, BitK

[bitchindakitch]

Garlicky Spaghetti Squash with Broccoli

So two things with this recipe: One, I really don’t like a lot of vegetables, so incorporating them into my meals has been difficult now that I cook for myself. Two, as an amateur in the kitchen, spaghetti squash has been a looming dish I’ve been avoiding due to the assumed difficulty of executing it. Now that I’ve made it, I feel ridiculously sill for being afraid of this vegetable (technically I think it is a fruit, but whatever…). It was probably the easiest meal I’ve made in a long time, which is good for me right now because work is (surprisingly) busy. Honestly though, after making it I was definitely feeling good about myself because of how “clean” this meal was and the fact that it was all vegetables (little wins here, guys).

Because this was so easy, I’m going to share with you how to prepare spaghetti squash so you can make this delicious meal as well!

How to make Garlicky Spaghetti Squash with Broccoli:

Ingredients: - 1 Spaghetti Squash (it is labeled at the store - I feared my inexperience in the kitchen would hinder me from knowing the particulars of squash) - Olive Oil - Salt - 4 Cloves of Garlic (cloves, not heads - my roommate almost made this mistake when cooking thinking she needed 5 heads of garlic aka 3000 cloves) - A couple heads of broccoli (you decide how much you will want to eat based on how many people you’re feeding - I had 3 small heads) - Chicken Stock or broth (whatever is on hand or cheapest) - Parmesan or Cheddar Cheese (or whatever cheese you prefer, honestly) Equipment: - Baking Sheet - Large Knife - Sauté Pan - A fork and a spoon

*Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees*

1. Cut the spaghetti squash: cut it long ways (hot dog style, for you kindergarteners) and scoop out the innards with a spoon. It is exactly what it feels like: the beginnings of carving a pumpkin - October has come early.

Ignore my feet……………….

2. Prep for roasting: Douse the squash in olive oil and salt. Make sure it is lathered up real nice for its oven session, there isn’t really a measurement here so use your best judgement - anyone who has ever actively tried to tan at any body of water should know what I’m talking about

3. Roast the squash: Put it in the oven for 40 minutes or until it is fork tender (fork tender = you can stick a fork in it and it comes out easily)

Meanwhile………………………

1. Mince your garlic: Mince = chop up really tiny. Once you’ve done that, throw them in the pan and sauté it in a couple Tablespoons of olive oil for about a minute on medium heat

2. Chop the broccoli: Cut the florets (green tops) off the heads into a little bit bigger than bite size and add to the sauteing garlic and oil on medium heat

3. Add the chicken stock: Add 1C of chicken stock/broth to the broccoli and let chill on the stove on medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until broccoli is al dente (fancy way for saying not mushy but not hard - still comfortably crunchy)

Back to the squash……………………………….

4. Fork the squash: sounds more fun than it actually is (sorry guys, no actual forking happening here tonight), but once the squash has cooled enough to handle start scraping the fork across the inside of the squash into a bowl. It is awesomely easy and the strands come out looking like spaghetti (lol, imagine that). Scrape as much as possible out of each side and then set aside for now

5. Combine broccoli into squash: Before removing from the pan, add salt and pepper to the pan. I used tongs to pick the broccoli out of the pan because there was so much liquid and I didn’t want to lose the garlic, but you can definitely strain it if you end up with a lot of liquid left in the pan. Put the broccoli in the bowl with the spaghetti squash and mix up with the tongs. You shouldn’t have to add salt or pepper since you salted the squash incredibly well and you just salt and peppered the broccoli, but to each his own.

6. The best step: Add 1C of your favorite cheese (I used parmesan) and mix it up. Serve it in a bowl, on a plate or eat it directly out of your mixing bowl (which I started doing until my roommate walked in…)

Hopefully these steps are as easy for you as they were for me! This kind of tasted like lo mein (I wasn’t mad about it, healthy chinese???)

Happy Cooking!

[bitchindakitch]

Pão de Queijo

If you’ve been to Fogo de Chao (which I’m finding recently is almost no one… a shame really) you’re familiar with the cheese bread that they serve as a form of crack before the parade of meats begins. I traveled to Brazil last winter and ate these puffy cheese clouds almost every day - I’m now realizing why I may have gained a few pounds during that trip…

Anyways! Last night I thought I would try my hand at making these heavenly little puffs from scratch since I have been having great success recently with my cooking/baking endeavors - if you follow me on any form of social media you know that I literally don’t have any hobby other than cooking. I ended up executing these things perfectly and was amazed with my success, so I’m happy to share the recipe with those who have asked! 

How to Make Pão de Queijo:

Ingredients 1 Cup Milk 1/2 Cup Vegetable or Canola Oil 1 Teaspoon Salt 2 Cups Tapioca Flour (this is important) - I used Bob’s Red Mill brand and have seen it in multiple grocery stores - I found mine at Harris Teeter 2 Eggs 1.5 Cups Grated Parmesan Cheese (fresh is best)

Equipment Sauce Pan Standing Mixer w/Paddle Attachment OR A Bowl, Whisk & Muscles (my choice) Baking Sheet

*Pre-heat your oven to 450 Degrees*

1. Heat the Milk & Oil: Combine 1C milk, 1/2C oil & 1t salt in saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. It goes really quickly, so make sure to measure out your flour before you start the boiling process because you don’t want to over boil the milk. Remove the pan from heat when you see big bubbles.

2. Whisk in Flour: This is the start of the arm workout. This is the first time I’ve worked with tapioca flour and it is no joke. Add the 2 cups of tapioca flour directly to the sauce pan and stir until there is no more dry flour. It will be stiff, gelatinous and grainy, but that’s how it is supposed to be!

3. Cool the Dough: Transfer the dough to the mixing apparatus of your choice - either your stand mixer or a bowl. Beat at medium speed or whisk the dough for a few minutes until smooth(er) and cool to touch. It doesn’t have to be cold, but you don’t want the dough hot or it will cook the eggs in the next step and as much as I like scrambled eggs, I prefer them with bacon, not this particular recipe.

4. Beat in Eggs: Now that your dough is cool, you can add in the first egg and mix until smooth. Add the second egg once the first has been fully incorporated.

5. Add the Cheese: The dough should be pretty sticky and stretchy now but do your best to incorporate the cheese if you’re mixing by hand. Make sure everything is combined.

6. Prep for Baking: Grease your baking sheet and make sure your oven has hit 450 Degrees.

7. Form the Puffs: You can use an ice cream scoop, a tablespoon measuring spoon, a dinner spoon or your hands for this. I decided to use my hands. The dough is extremely sticky, so I found that putting some oil on my hands before handling the dough was helpful. Portion out the dough and place them on the baking sheet. The dough doesn’t spread much, so don’t worry about putting them really close together. I fit 15 big puffs on my sheet.

8. Bake!: Put the puffs in the oven and immediately turn the oven down to 350 Degrees. Bake for 25 minutes until the outside of the puffs begins to turn golden, but not brown and they have lost most of their gloss. They’re ready to eat as soon as they come out of the oven! I did burn my tongue a bit because I absolutely could not wait to chow down on these pieces of heaven!

Hopefully you find the same success I did because now I don’t have to make a special trip to Fogo to get my Brazilian cheese bread fix! Let me know how they turned out for you!

Adapted from theKitchn