Posts Tagged ‘cream cheese’

To make a Sushi roll, you need to start with Sushi Rice. Regular white rice won’t work, so please, use the Sushi Rice. You’ll also need a bamboo rolling mat and some Nori (seaweed). Beyond that, its kinda of up to you! Get creative.

A couple of tips when choosing Nori. It is generally said that the darker the color the milder the flavor. So if you’re not really into the seaweed flavor – go as dark as you can. You can also get Nori that is toasted or roasted – again, its a little different flavor. You may want to try several kinds and see what you like. I used a Yaki Nori that was toasted. My local oriental store sold it in packages containing 10 or 50 sheets. You’ve got options!

Next… the mat. Obviously the bamboo mat and the sushi rice may not always get along well. So, unless you want to clean sticky rice from the slants on your mat… you may want to follow some advice I received and cover your mat with plastic wrap before you work. You’ll need to use a cling wrap that adheres to itself well, and you’ll want to cover the entire mat (all the way around). One long piece should do, just make sure it overlaps itself as it comes back around. Note: a bamboo mat is pictured above underneath the trays.

Lastly, sushi is traditionally eaten whole and inserted into the mouth with the thumb and index finger. It is not considered appropriate to bite pieces from the sushi either – you should eat each piece whole. And I’m pretty sure its just an American thing to use chopsticks to eat sushi (correct me if I’m wrong). They were photographed above for aesthetic purposes.

Now that we’ve covered the basics…

Let’s talk California Roll.

California Roll

-Sushi Rice
-Nori
-Cucumber
-Imitation Crab, in sticks
-Avocado (optional, but common/recommended)
-Cream Cheese (optional)
-Sesame Seeds, toasted

Begin with your (plastic wrap covered) bamboo mat placed on the table or counter in front of you with the bamboo slats aligned horizontally with your body, so you’ll be able to roll the sushi away from you.

Get a sheet of Nori and carefully fold it in half creasing on the seam. It should break easily. Place the half sheet on the bamboo mat so the long side aligned horizontally to your body. In other words the the long side of the Nori should be parallel to the slants on the bamboo mat. The shiny side should be against the mat.

Get a small handful of the sushi rice and gently press it on to the Nori until you’ve covered the entire surface. It need only be about 1/4″ thick. Remember, press gently – no need to smash the life out of the rice.

Now, since California Roll has the rice on the outside, carefully turn over the rice-covered Nori.

Cut your Cucumber, Avacado, and Crab into long strips. Place one strip of each lengthwise across the center of the Nori.

If you are using cream cheese, get a small amount in your fingertips and gently shape into into a long strip, and place it in the center with the other items.

Don’t overfill. You have to be able to roll it up.

Carefully lift the edge of the bamboo mat closest to you until the sushi begins to roll on top of itself – roll away from you. Use a lift, roll, and release motion to complete your roll. Press gently on the mat as you go to seal it all together. Again, don’t squeeze.

When your roll is nicely sealed, carefully lift it from the bamboo mat and roll in toasted sesame seeds.

Transfer to a cutting board and use a REALLY SHARP knife to slice it. (Note: There are actual ‘sushi knives’ available)

Enjoy with wasabi, ginger, soy sauce, or just as they are.

The other roll pictured above is a variation of a Dunwell Roll. It has deep-fried, breaded shrimp, jalapeño, and cream cheese. This roll has the Nori on the outside (so don’t flip over your rice-covered Nori this time, just place the ingredients on the rice), and typically includes a spicy sauce.

We skipped the spicy sauce this time, but if you want to make some its a simple combination of mayonnaise and chili paste. 4 parts mayo to 1 part chili paste.

Once you have the basics of rolling Sushi, you can really fill them as desired. Go crazy.

Bon Appetit!

Lately I’ve been thinking about this super yummy Spinach-Artichoke Dip I make. I think maybe it stems from having gone to Chili’s with my husband last week… we got a spinach artichoke dip as an appetizer. It was good, but I think its starting to fade from my system. -grin- I’m pretty sure I’ll either need to make some or go order some soon.

Doesn’t it just look delicious?? Its not the most healthy thing you could eat, but it sure is appetizing. And addicting.

I’ve been guilty of nearly consuming the entire platter before.

Anyway…

This recipe is a variation of one I found online awhile back. I don’t remember the original source though. Sorry.

Spinach-Artichoke Dip

1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 stick butter
1 pkg. frozen spinach, thawed
8 oz. Philly cream cheese
8 oz. sour cream
3/4 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
1 jar marinated artichokes, chopped
red pepper flakes to taste
8 oz. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 Roma tomato, diced
1 green onion, chopped.

Sauté onions in butter.

Add other ingredients one at a time, while mixing, and blend well after each addition. Add ingredients in this order: Spinach, Cream Cheese, Sour Cream, Parmesan Cheese, Artichoke Hearts, Crushed Red Pepper Flakes.

Remove from heat and put in crocks or microwave dish.

Pour mixture onto a plate or platter. Top with Monterey Jack Cheese, tomatoes and green onion. Melt.

Serve hot with chips or bread.

This recipe makes quite a bit. Enough to fill 2 decent-sized platters. Good news is that it freezes well! Just spoon the unused portion into a freezer safe container or freezer bag. When you are ready to eat it: defrost, heat, and top with cheese, green onion, and tomato.

Disclaimer: I am craving this dip because I went to Chili’s, but I make no claim that this recipe is a copy-cat of theirs. But it is dang good.

Speaking of Chili’s… I do intend to try and duplicate a couple of their other recipes (appetizers). Watch for those soon!

I had my first ever experience using fondant the other day. I wanted to make a cake for my husband’s birthday that looked like the logo for the Dharma Initiative (nevermind what that is, unless you are a LOST fan). The point is, I needed fondant. I’d heard horror stories about the yucky taste of the Wilton fondant and how hard it is to work with. I’d also heard that homemade fondant tastes better, but most of the recipes I’d found used ingredients like glucose or glycerin. Being new at this, I was feeling just a bit intimidated.

But then I came across the blog of a friend of mine. She makes cakes and had a recipe posted for a Marshmallow Fondant. I talked to her about it and she mentioned that it was pretty easy and reassured me that I could make this without too much trouble.

So I took the plunge.

Her recipe noted that chocolate (dark, milk, or white) could be added to make a chocolate fondant. That seemed interesting, but I was making a Carrot Cake, so I was wondering if I could add a cream cheese flavoring to the fondant. My google searches came up empty. But I risked it anyway (figuring marshmallows are cheap if I screw up).

So I modified her recipe to include a small amount of cream cheese.

The resulting flavor was very subtle, but it worked well with the cake. The fondant was also a bit stickier, but adding a bit more powdered sugar worked well.

So, first is the original recipe from Camille’s Cakes (slightly reworded). Then, my modification, Cream Cheese Fondant.

Marshmallow Fondant
8 oz. mini marshmallows
1 Tbsp. water
1 1/2 – 1 3/4 c powdered sugar
Crisco

Place marshmallows in a microwave safe bowl and add the water. Microwave in 20 seconds increments until they “puff up.” Go slowly. Stir in with a spoon until it’s all “soupy.” Add the powdered sugar. Knead it with the spoon until it’s all mixed well. Then you can knead it on a lightly greased (with Crisco) surface.

If you want to add color or flavoring to the fondant do so at the “soupy” stage.

Keep covered in an air-tight container so it doesn’t dry out. If it’s too hard to work with, stick it in the microwave for a few seconds (ten or so) and it softens right up, like playdough!

Variations:

Chocolate:
add 1 oz. melted chocolate
1 t. cocoa powder to basic recipe

White Chocolate:
add 1 oz. (maybe 1 1/4 oz.) good quality white chocolate, melted to basic recipe.

And this is my modification:

Cream Cheese Fondant
8 oz. mini marshmallows
1 Tbsp. water
1 oz. cream cheese
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups (approx.) powdered sugar
Crisco

Place marshmallows, vanilla, and cream cheese in a microwave safe bowl and add the water. Microwave in 20 seconds increments until they “puff up.” Go slowly. Stir in with a spoon until it’s all “soupy.” Slowly add the powdered sugar. Knead it with the spoon until it’s all mixed well and no longer sticky. Then knead it on a lightly greased (with Crisco) surface until smooth.

*Note: The cream cheese seems to make this recipe a bit more sticky, thus the need for additional powdered sugar.

Store extra fondant in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature, microwaving a few seconds at a time as needed, before use.

Please note, I do not claim to be any type of fondant authority. This is just what worked for me.

On the Carrot Cake I made, I first frosted it with traditional cream cheese frosting, and then covered it with the cream cheese fondant. It taste of the fondant was sweet and a bit sugary and it blended well with the frosting layer beneath it. I don’t think that it would hold up as a cream cheese flavored topping on its own, but it didn’t detract from the carrot cake/cream cheese frosting flavor.

Also note: In the images above I used a chocolate fondant for the decal on the cake. I didn’t like the chocolate flavor with the cream cheese/carrot cake, so we ended up pulling off those pieces when we ate it. In retrospect I think I should have simply colored the cream cheese fondant. Next time.

Last but not least, I imagine at some point in my future I will try other types of fondant recipes just so I have something to compare, but in the meantime I think this is a great recipe worth trying and using. Thanks again Camille.

(I also came across a website with a similar – though slightly more complex – recipe. But they also have some good tips on covering the cake with the finished fondant.)

A few years ago I found a recipe for Carrot Cake that I LOVE! It’s pretty easy to make and very moist and yummy. I think that the addition of crushed pineapple is especially fabulous. The original recipe came from AllRecipies.com (Marc Boyer). I only changed a couple of things to suit my liking… pecans instead of walnuts, use of a different pan size — the cake really doesn’t need modifying. Its super delicious as it is.

Thanks Marc, for the fabulous cake!

My Favorite Carrot Cake

2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 cups grated carrots
1 cup flaked coconut
1 (15 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup chopped pecans (original recipe called for walnuts)
1/2 cup butter
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners’ sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour pan(s) — 9×13 inch or (2) inch pans. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk.

Stir in carrots, coconut, vanilla, and pineapple. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; gently stir into carrot mixture.

Stir in chopped nuts. Spread batter into prepared pan(s).

Bake for 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.

Cool completely before frosting.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

In a medium mixing bowl, combine butter or margarine, cream cheese, vanilla, and confectioners sugar.

Blend until creamy.

Cake can be removed from pan, or frosted while still in the pan as desired.

Here’s another from my mom’s file.

Gourmet French Toast, or “Glorified” French Toast (as mom called it), is fabulously delicious – and entirely bad for you! And really, really easy!

Gourmet French Toast

Note: All quantities are approximate and can be fudged. Feel free to modify and experiment.

10 slices of bread, cut in half
4 oz. (half package) of cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. Apricot-pineapple Jam (marmalade or thick flavored syrup will also work)
5 eggs
Splash of milk
Powdered sugar

Beat eggs and milk in a bowl, set aside

Combine cream cheese and jam until few lumps remain.

Spread the cream cheese mixture on one half-slice of bread and top with another half-slice (like a sandwich). Dip the completed sandwich in the egg mixture, coating both sides. Place on greased pan or griddle. Flip over, cooking both sides until the egg is cooked and slightly brown.

Serve warm with sprinkled powdered sugar.

Yield: 10 half-sandwich portions.

This is probably one of my favorite breakfast items. Its pretty sweet, but not overly rich. And when I think about the “bad for you” aspect, I can’t help but wondering if its not better than the classic butter and syrup alternative.

I served mine with blackberries last time (for effect)… too bad I didn’t have any mint leaves lying around. 🙂

Let me know if you try these and what you think!