Fried Chicken, Caribbean Inspired.

As you can see, this is my very first recipe post. YAY! I'm really excited about it, lol. Anyways, I've been looking for Fried chicken recipes that are similar to KFC or Popeyes.  I love chicken, fried and crispy. I finally came around a caribbean inspired recipe but I tweaked it a little bit and at this weekend I was craving caribbean spices, badly. I hope you enjoy!
What you'll need..
For seasoning the chicken:
5-6 LBS chicken pieces (I used legs and thighs)
4 teaspoon peppersauce (hot sauce – use as much as you can tolerate)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ginger (powder or as I did – fresh grated)
2 teaspoon green seasoning (see notes below if you don’t have green seasoning)
1 lime / lemon or 3 tablespoons of vinegar to wash the chicken pieces before seasoning.
 3 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the dusting:
1-2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Oil for frying (I shallow fried, I used about 2-3 cups of vegetable oil.)
3 large eggs

**NOTE: Green Seasoning is one of those spice mixtures that is unique to the Caribbean and differs slightly from island to island. It is used in a huge number of Trinidadian dishes and in Trinidad, it's distinguished by the use of shado beni (Mexican cilantro).




I used a bottled Green seasoning from the Trinidad brand, Chief. You can find Green seasoning in Carribean specialty stores. I easily found mine in Ocean's Fresh Food Market store here in Brampton, Ontario.



Start off by trimming the fat and excess skin. Then I poured the lime or lemon juice over it. Rinse with water and dry with paper towel. Then off to our seasoning. In a large bowl, use the ingredients mentioned above to season the chicken. Make sure to stir well, cover and allow to marinate in the fridge for 2 hours at least. For best results, marinate overnight.





In a heavy pan, heat the oil on medium to high heat. (In this case, I used a large pot since me and my 12 yr. old brother broke the pan last week making Swiss Rösti, lol.)
1. Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk. Then dip chicken in egg mixture. Try to get the entire chicken coated.
2. Combine the flour, paprika and black pepper in a separate bown and mix well.





3. Dust the pieces of chicken into the flour mixture. Be sure to cover all pieces and shake off any excess flour before placing into the hot oil.

I fried 4 pieces at a time because I didn’t want to crowd the pan.. pot in my case. Crowding the pan will reduce in the oil’s temperature, resulting soggy chicken. Depending on the size of chicken pieces, the cooking time will vary between 15 and 20 minutes. In my case it took about 17 minutes and I flipped each piece every 4-5 minutes, since I was shallow frying. If you find that the outside of the chicken is browning too fast, it’s an indication that your oil may be too hot. Adjust accordingly.



Now, remember you`re working with hot oil. Always be careful! Have a wire tray or a plate lined with paper towel ready for the cooked pieces to help drain excess oil. Continue doing this in batches. Let the chicken rest for a couple of minutes before serving.

Give this a try and I guarantee you`ll be amazed how tasty it is. My family and boyfriend were all my guinea pigs and they all loved it! It was a boost of confidence to see all that was left in their plates were bones and hearing complaints of having "itis". I was very pleased with myself!

I'd really appreciate if you leave a comment! thank you.

The Best Chocolate Chips Ever!

OMFG! I am not over exagerating when I say that these are the BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies ever! I've been meticulously using the same old recipe I got from my High School cooking class in 2005. I've tried different recipes too but nothing pleased me as much as my HS recipe. Today, I decided to try this new recipe and OMFG! I could not stop eating the batter right out of the mixer's flat beater. I couldn't wait for it to be done! The batter produces cookies that are crispy on the edges and so chewy in the middle. And that my friend is exactly how I love to have my cookies. Pair this with a cup of fresh milk and voila! Heaven.

I'm going to stop ranting now. I strongly suggest for everybody to try this recipe. It is a MUST.
A GUARANTEED LOVE AT FIRST BITE. 

This recipe makes about 4 dozen cookies.

What you'll need..
1 cup butter, softened.
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cups lightly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. table salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips

**NOTE: I used unsalted butter, this way I can control the salt. I also used Milk chocolate chips simply because I prefer it over semi-sweet. However, semi-sweet contains more flavanols than milk chocolate. Entirely up to your preference.

Directions..Start off by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter, sugar and brown sugar until very creamy. If you're using an stand or electric mixer, beat for 3 minutes on medium speed.

Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until very creamy, about 2 minutes. In a separate bowl, mix baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour. Gradually add the flour mixture. The cookie batter should be somewhat thick. finally, add the chocolate chips and mix well.


You can also refrigerate the dough for half an hour to harden it a little to make it easier to work with. Drop about 2 tablespoons of dough two inches apart onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, or lightly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the edges are golden brown.
Transfer the cookies into a wire rack. Let it cool for 5 minutes before serving.

..I didn't wait. I love cookies right out of the oven! lol. I just can't help it. Feel me?

Enjoy!

Tiramisu Mousse Cheesecake Cups

Tiramisu and Cheesecake are one of my absolute favourite desserts. They are just so delicious, indulgent and very irresistable. My mouth tends to water at the sight of it, everytime. Like I said in my earlier post, this was a request from my kid brother. I decided to make cheesecake cups rather than the standard 9 inch round pies. I thought it would be more fun. Most of all they were manageable servings and fairly proportioned for each member of my family. This was my first time making cheesecake and it turned out great! Very simple to make. My brother Keanu was once again accompanying me in the kitchen and being the best guinea pig I could ever ask for. (He also makes a good dishwasher!) Anyhow, I was in a rush so I didn't get a chance to garnish these babies.

Tiramisu Mousse Cheesecake Cups
(Recipe adapted from KraftCanada)

What you'll need..
1-1/3 cups Graham Crumbs
3 Tbsp. Butter, melted
4 pckg. (250 g each) Brick Cream Cheese, softened, divided
6 Tbsp. brewed strong Dark Roast Coffee, cooled, divided
3 Large Eggs
1/3 cup Milk
1 pkg. (4-serving seize/96 g) Vanilla Instant Pudding
2 cups thawed Whipped Topping, Divided
1/2 square Semi-Sweet Chocolate, coarsely grated

Directions..
PREHEAT the oven to 325ºF. Line your muffin pan with paper muffin cups. Mix the Graham crumbs and melted butter. PRESS the crumbs into an even layer over the bottom of the cups. Do the same if you choose to use a 13x9-inch pan or a 9 inch springform pan. Set aside and prepare filling while maintaining the oven temperature.



BEAT 3 packages of cream cheese, sugar and 1 Tbsp. of coffee in large bowl with mixer until it's well blended. Add the eggs, one at a time while mixing on low speed just until blended. Pour over crust.

BAKE for 28 minutes or until the center is almost set. Let it cool completely. BEAT remaining cream cheese in medium bowl with mixer until creamy. Add milk and remaining coffee; mix well. Add dry pudding mix; beat for 2 minutes. Stir in 1-1/2 cups Whipped topping. Spread over cheesecake; sprinkle with chocolate. Garnish with fresh raspberries and remaining whipped topping.



The recipe says to REFRIGERATE for 4 hours. I personally find that C-R-A-Z-Y! How can you make a delicious cheesecake and not eat it right away?! The cups cooled quickly within half an hour since I placed them in the fridge after baking. Then I spread the topping; sprinkled with chocolate and voila! My brother couldn't stop eating. This is a good twist to your regular plain ol' cheesecake. I love coffee and cheese. This recipe is literally the best of both worlds.

xoxo,
Trina

Easy to make Crêpes

(Crêpes with Pecans and drizzled with Maple Butter Syrup.)

Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays are my days off. I had a sudden urge to make Crêpes today. Crêpes are very thin cooked pancakes that can be used for both sweet and savory dishes. The common ingredients include flour, milk, eggs, butter and a pinch of salt. Crêpes originated from Brittany, a region in the northwest of France. They are served with variety of fillings from the most simple with only sugar to flambéed Crêpes Suzette or elaborate savoury fillings.

**Beurre Suzette is a sauce of caramelized sugar and butter, orange/tangerine juice, zest, and Grand Marnier on top. Served Flambé.

I remember when I was a kid and lived in the Phillipines, there was this lady going around our area selling these pancakes otherwise known as "hotcakes" with butter spread and sugar. I absolutely loved it. I know it isn't just a regular pancake, I'm still hunting down the recipe. However, Crêpes are the only thing that comes close. Besides, they are really simple to make. I dressed mine with Maple butter syrup with toasted pecans or you can opt for the simple powdered sugar.

Recipe from Le Cordon Bleu at Home. (Crêpes au Sucre)

What you'll need..
¾ cup all-purpose flour
Pinch salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons (1½ ounces) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

SIFT the flour, salt, and sugar into a bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Break the eggs into the well and add one-third of the milk. Gradually whisk the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until very smooth. Then whisk in the vanilla, butter, and the remaining milk. Let the batter rest 30 minutes at room temperature.

Heat a non-stick pan over moderate heat until hot. Rub some butter over the pan. Pour 2-3 tablespoons of batter into the pan and tilt the pan so that the batter runs around to make a circle. Don’t put too much batter in or the crêpe will be too thick. Let the batter set. After about 1 minute, check the color of the bottom of the crêpe to see if it’s a light golden color. Flip the crêpe. Cook for about 20-30 seconds. It takes a few crêpes to get the heat of the pan right and the amount of batter you need for each crêpe, so your first crêpe or two are for the chef, not your guests! ha.

**TIPS: If you love to cook and bake, I suggest buying wholesale eggs. I go through almost a dozen of eggs in less than a week. My mom and I went to Costco today and I was in heaven, lol. Two and a half dozen of eggs was only under $6.00!

TASTY NOTES;
You can make the crêpes in advance and sandwich them with wax paper and cover with plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out. Reheat as needed. You can also freeze them for later use.

Crêpes in any form are delicious. I love them on their own, butter and sugar spread, wrapped around ice cream, or served as an entrée. The batter for this sweet crêpe was perfect. I think it would be fun to experiment by adding poppy seeds or different liqueurs in place of the vanilla. Definitely a keeper!

Enjoy!