Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake

While I don't drink coffee, save the occasional light caramel frapp with whip on a hot day, I am a big fan of the Starbucks low fat cinnamon swirl coffee cake.  They're $1.95 a pop and if you go in there often enough, it starts to add up.  The cost, coupled with the sneaking suspicion that I could make it better than they could, led me to search for a way to make this myself.  Thanks to my epicurious app, I found this recipe.

This is probably the fifth time that I'm making this award winning recipe (I won second prize in a bake-off at work).  It gets easier every time. I mean hey, I had time to make dinner while putting this together.  I've copied the recipe below with VERY MINOR changes.

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole milk

Directions

Butter 10-inch-diameter by 4-inch-deep angel food cake pan; dust with flour. Mix 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon and cocoa in small bowl.

 Sift flour, baking powder and salt into medium bowl.

Beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Gradually beat in remaining 1 1/4 cups sugar. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients in 3 additions alternately with milk in 2 additions. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

 Spoon 1/3 of batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of walnut mixture. Top with half of remaining batter, then remaining walnut mixture and remaining batter. Using knife, cut through batter to swirl cinnamon mixture.  Run the knife from the outside of the pan to the inside back and forth until you get a pretty swirl like this.

Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack. Cut around pan sides and center tube to loosen cake. Turn cake out; transfer cake, rounded side up, to plate.

Cut yourself a slice and en-joy!

Easy Jollof

Jollof Rice is one of the most delicious and easy to make West African dishes.  Some say it originated in Ghana, but I gotta tell you Nigerians throw down when it comes to jollof.  This very very easy recipe is a short cut and does not taste quite as genuine as the real thing, but it's easy to make and tastes good enough!

So here's what you need:

4 -5 pieces chicken parts (I usually use thighs and drumsticks)

approx 1/2 cup vegetable oil

salt & pepper to taste

red chili pepper

crushed red pepper

1/2 jar pasta sauce (Francesco Rinalidi Fra Diavolo is the best IMHO)

5 cups cooked rice

First, start by heating up 1/4 cup oil in a wide skillet.  Add chicken pieces and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Turn over after a few minutes and add salt and pepper to that side too. Turn to medium heat, cover frying pan.  Keep an eye on the chicken and turn over every few minutes.  They should be cooked in about 20 minutes.  

10 minutes before the chicken is done, heat up the other 1/4 cup oil in a pot.  Then add the pasta sauce.  At this point you get to make decisions about how spicy you want this to be.  You can add as much, or as little pepper as you want.  Turn to medium heat then cover the pot for about 7 - 10 minutes while the sauce cooks.  Then add t eh chicken and let it cook for another 5 minutes.  Lastly, add the rice.  Need to turn over the rice until it is well coated in the sauce.  Cover and let simmer for 5 minutes.  There you go, easy jollof (and of course plantain on the side).

Tasty Tapas

After spending hours in Bloomingdale's assisting Mr. G as he bought a few new suits, I had worked up quite the appetite (and attitude).  Mr. G and I went to Cafe Ronda for what turned out to be a very enjoyable dining experience.

We were quite hungry when we arrived for our 9pm reservation so we quickly ordered several tapas.  It didn't take long for them to start arriving.  Rather than the order they arrived, I'll present them best to worst.

By far the most delicious, the Gambas al Ajillo.  Sauteed shrimp, EVOO, shaved garlic & red pepper flakes.  I was shocked that it was tomato based.  I expected it to be garlic and oil.  The shrimp was fresh and the sauce was spicy.  Even after the shrimp was gone, I dipped the bread in the sauce.

Next up, the chicken empanadas.  I have never eaten such a flaky, soft and tasty crust in my life.  Seriously.  Usually empanadas, to me, are about the filing.  Don't get me wrong, the filling was spectacular.  Spicy chicken, tomato based sauce, and possibly some potatoes.

Speaking of potatoes, dish number three was Bravas, spiced rough-cut potatoes.  Bravas were fantastic.  There was something dripped on top of them.  I thought it was cheese, but Mr. G observed that it could have been a spicy mayonnaise.  Whatever it was, it was fantastic!

The Gulas (magic whitefish threads of airy angel's air in sizzling olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes.  It was okay.  Not the best thing I've ever eaten, and I probably wouldn't order it again.  It tasted fine, but I feel like if I was eating brains, this would be the consistency.  Hey, I'm just sayin.

Last and definitely least was the most disgusting thing I've eaten in a long time...Mejillones Rellenos (crispy stuffed creamy mussels).  Simply put, they were gross.  Deep fried top, bottom was mussel shell, middle was mixed creamy crap.  How can you serve something that's both hot and cold? YUCKY.  I could barely even take a bite.

Dessert doesn't count on the list.  Panqueques de Dulce de Leche (milk caramel crepe with vanilla ice cream).  It was amazingly delicious.  The waiter told us this was their most popular dessert, and I definitely can see why.  I'm not a big crepe fan, but it went well with the hot delicious caramel and the cold tasty ice cream. We'll definitely be going back, but there are plenty of tapas places to try so it may be a while before we make it back.

Back to solids!

To celebrate my return to solid foods, Mr. G and I ventured to our fav thai spot.  We started off with calamari.

And this time I ordered the right entree, Tropical Snapper with chinese broccoli and tamarind sauce.  Not quite as good as the whole fish, but also quite delicious.  Too much broccoli for my liking.

And we even ordered dessert! Warm molten chocolate cake with green tea ice cream.

Sandwich heaven

Feeling better today but still reluctant to have breakfast.  Maybe it was the eggs that started this whole thing.  For lunch I had the best sandwich I EVER had.  That's right, I went to Lenny's.  I ordered the spicy grilled chicken sandwich on a roll.  Grilled chicken, fresh mozzarella, grilled onions, hot peppers and tabasco.   Also had some sun chips too.

Yup, think I'm finally feeling better.