Chocolate Ganache Frosting

Chocolate Ganache Frosting 

1 bag chocolate chips 

1 1/2 cups heaving whipping cream (8 oz.)

1 tsp vanilla 

Microwave chocolate chips for one minute. Remove. 

Microwave cream until it begins to boil, about 90 seconds.

Pour cream over chocolate chips and let set for one minute. 

Whisk vigorously for several minutes. Add vanilla or other flavoring. 

Let sit for ten minutes. Pour over cake and let rest until set. 

Happy Birthday Grace!

Hummingbird Cake

Spring break seemed like a wonderful time to experiment with cake decorating. I decided to make Hummingbird Cake (banana-pineapple-walnut cake) and it turned out wonderfully! You can find the recipe by following the link above. I did not make many alterations but I'm curious to try it again with carrots.  The recipe also includes excellent decoration tips. Enjoy!

Do-It-Yourself Stromboli

For the dough, use a sweet bread or pizza dough recipe. If you do not have a favorite, try this recipe for New York Style pizza dough. 

Preheat oven to 375° and prepare a greased cookie sheet. Separate dough in several pieces and roll out into 9X11 rectangles, about 1/2 inch thick. Spread toppings across dough leaving a border to seal the stromboli. Apply a light egg wash and roll into a cylinder. Seal edges firmly.  Place the stromboli on baking sheet and let rise for 20-30 minutes. Cover in an egg wash and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. 

Cool slightly and serve with marinara sauce and parmesan cheese. This is a perfect snack for parties. Prepare dough beforehand and set out fillings before guests arrive. 

Topping Ideas

Cheese 

Black olives

Green peppers

Mushrooms

Onions

Tomato

Spinach

Pepperoni 

Sausage (cooked)

Peach-Mango Lassi

2 mangoes 1 large peach 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt 1/3 cup honey 1 tsp nutmeg juice from one lime Blend together and serve frozen or slightly chilled Supes delish!

Garden Inspirations

Bruschetta

Top water crackers or thin-sliced baguette with mozzarella, tomatoes diced with basil, and pesto. Broil for 3-5 minutes.

Pesto

2 cups fresh basil leaves

1/3 cup pine nuts

3 tbsp oil

2 garlic cloves

salt

pepper

1/2 cup grated parmesan 

Combine basil, pine nuts, oil, and garlic in a food processor. 

Stir in salt, pepper, and parmesan. Store in fridge.

Spaghetti with Swiss Chard

Sauté swiss chard, onions, and garlic in a frying pan. 

Add cooked spaghetti and fry with olive oil. Serve warm or cooled.

Green tea with mint

Boil loose-leaf Green Tea of China, sugar, and fresh mint sprigs.

Blackberry Layered Cake with Lime

My friend recommended this recipe from Baked Perfection. Although the recipe is for cupcakes, she adapted it for a layered cake. As she suggested, I alternated blackberry filling and blackberry frosting layers. The recipes below include my adaptations but use the link above for the original recipe.

1 cup salted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 tbsp fresh lime juice
zest from 2 limes (use more if desired!)
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt 
2 cups sour cream

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, vanilla, and lime. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to mixture alternating with the sour cream. Pour batter into three round greased cake pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 350° or until golden brown and edges begin to pull away from the side. Cool completely before frosting. Decorate with fresh fruit, homemade blackberry syrup, or chocolate sauce.

Blackberry Filling

16 oz. frozen blackberries

8 oz. frozen raspberries

1-2 tsp lemon juice concentrate

3 tbsp cornstarch

Heat berries and lemon juice in a saucepan until they form a liquid substance. Add cornstarch, mix well. Bring to a boil and stir until mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat and cool completely. 

Blackberry Frosting

1 cup butter, softened (I used light butter, salted)

1 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

1/3 cup blackberry filling

6 cups powdered sugar

Cream butter until smooth. Add vanilla, salt, and blackberry filling. Gradually add powdered sugar until frosting reaches a desired consistency. Keep in refrigerator until ready to use. 

Un Séjour au Sénégal

This summer I spent three month studying abroad in Senegal. In addition to studying history, culture, and language, I spent a large amount of time researching Senegalese cuisine for my independent project. I wanted to include a few of the recipes that I collected during this research. My favorite dish was Yasse (pronounced yah-sah), an onion sauce with chicken or fish, served on white rice. It is one of the easiest dishes to prepare but tastes delicious! Cebbu Jën is the national dish of Senegal and although it is a bit more complicated that Yasse, it is the most common dish to prepare for lunch. 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yasse 
5-6 onions 
5 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup mustard
Chicken, fish, or other meat

Cut onions in long pieces or dices. Marinade onions and meat with garlic, salt, pepper, vinegar, and mustard. Remove meat or fish. Heat the onion marinade in a large frying pan until onions become tender and brown. Use water to steam while onions are cooking but make sure to cook off most of the water.  Cook meat or fish separately with a frying pan or grill. Serve together over white rice. 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cebbu Jën
4 onions, diced
5 garlic cloves, chopped 
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
2 bouillon cubes
1/4 cup tomato concentrate mixed with water
1-2 cups oil 
Vegetables (1-2 of each: carrot, cabbage, potato, manioc, eggplant)
Fish*

*Fish can be substituted for chicken or other meat if desired. Jën is Wolof for "fish" so by substituting meat, the dish becomes Cebbu yap ("meat") or Cebbu guinnar ("chicken").


Note: measurements are approximate - cooking in Senegal depends on experience and tasting to achieve the desired proportions. Feel free to add seasoning or other ingredients as needed.