Macaron Notes

- Upper (smaller) oven seems to heat them too fast so they stick to pan.
- Lower oven seems to be fine at 300. I think I found the sweet spot. Lower oven with silicon baking mats for 15 minutes.
- It seems my initial tendency is to slightly under macaronage, so they would be pretty tall and have nipples. Mixing slightly more seemed to eliminate this problem without introducing new problems..


Variations:
- 2015: Almond with almond buttercream
- 2106: Cinnamon cookie with cream cheese filling "Cinnamon Roll"
- 2017: Lemon and Raspberry with curd centers and cream cheese frosting.
- 2018: Milk chocolate. I experimented with putting cocoa into the shells. I subbed 1 oz of cocoa instead of powdered sugar (in a doubled recipe). They didn't look quite as tidy as the regular shells but were very delicious. And they took an extra minute or so to bake. On the next batch I just did regular shells with brown coloring and dusted with cocoa powder before they set.

- 2019: Mexican chocolate, pistachio raspberry white chocolate, vanilla

- 2020: chocolate caramel

- 2021: cherry chocolate ganache (sauteed frozen cherries with a little butter and sugar, once liquid reduced, blend with cream, and pour over chopped chocolate)


Notes on fillings:
- Curds: Used these recipes for lemon and raspberry. One batch of curd is more than enough to fill the centers of two batches of macarons.


Raspberry: I used two extra egg yolks to make it thicker
12 ounces frozen raspberries, completely thawed
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3/4 evaporated cane juice (or granulated sugar)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed grapefruit juice (or lemon juice)
6 large egg yolks
pinch of salt

In a medium, heavy bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the berries and any juices, sugar, grapefruit juice, egg yolks and salt.  Cook over medium, stirring frequently and mashing the berries, until thickened, about 5-10 minutes. Strain through a sieve into a bowl, mashing the berries with a spoon. Discard the seeds and other solids.  Give the curd in the bowl a stir, let cool slightly and press plastic wrap onto the surface. Cover and refrigerate until completely cooled.

Lemon

3 lemons
1 1/2 cups sugar (I only used 1 cup)
1/4 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
4 extra-large eggs
1/2 cup lemon juice (3 to 4 lemons)
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Using a carrot peeler, remove the zest of 3 lemons, being careful to avoid the white pith. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the sugar and pulse until the zest is very finely minced into the sugar.

Cream the butter and beat in the sugar and lemon mixture. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lemon juice and salt. Mix until combined.

Pour the mixture into a 2 quart saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly. The lemon curd will thicken at about 170 degrees F, or just below simmer. Remove from the heat and cool or refrigerate. I also strained it through sieve to remove pulp.


- Cream cheese frosting: I found this new recipe with heavy cream which I like better than the butter and powdered sugar variety. Very smooth and very sturdy to pipe (to keep fillings inside). One batch is about perfect for two batches of macarons.

3 1/2 ounces sugar (about 1/2 cup; 100g)
5 ounces heavy cream (shy 2/3 cup; 140g)
1 teaspoon (5g) vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use about half as much by volume
8 ounces plain, full-fat cream cheese, cold (one 8-ounce brick; 225g)

1.  With kitchen temperatures above 74°F (23°C), start by refrigerating the mixing bowl and sugar until they have cooled to 70°F (21°C). At elevated temperatures, these ingredients and equipment can act as a heat source to the cream, preventing full aeration.
2.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or using a hand mixer, combine sugar, cream, vanilla, and salt. Mix at medium-low speed until sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Increase speed to high and continue beating until cream is about as thick as Greek yogurt, about 2 minutes longer. Begin adding cream cheese 2 tablespoons at a time; this should take about 30 seconds all together. Once it is incorporated, shut off the mixer. The frosting will look a bit curdled, like cottage cheese; this is the result of incomplete mixing rather than over-whipping, so don’t be alarmed.
3.  Thoroughly scrape bowl and whisk, then continue whipping on high until frosting is smooth and light, with only a few small flecks of cream cheese (they will disappear into the frosting over time). This may take 2 to 3 minutes with a stand mixer, or more if using a hand mixer. After whipping, the frosting should be about 60°F (16°C). Use immediately or refrigerate until needed.

Ground Beef Taco Casserole

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for the baking dish
1 pound ground beef
1 medium white or yellow onion, diced
1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
15 ounces tomato salsa
1 1/2 cups shredded mild cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, divided
1 cup chopped romaine lettuce
1 medium tomato, diced
Greek yogurt or sour cream, for serving


Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350℉. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with oil; set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large, high-sided skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a plate, then drain any fat from the skillet.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, and heat until shimmering. Add the onion, pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5 minutes. Return the beef to the pan and stir in the beans. Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, and tomato paste, and stir to combine. Cook for 2 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the salsa and 3/4 cup of the cheese. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle with the remaining 3/4 cup cheese.

Bake until the cheese is melted and casserole is heated through, about 20 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Top with lettuce and tomato, and serve with Greek yogurt or sour cream.

Creamy Strawberry Feta Pasta Salad

Pasta Salad

1 pound dry pasta (elbow, bow tie, rotini, etc)
1 lb - 1.5 lbs strawberries, sliced
2 avocados, diced
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
3/4 cup (85g) slivered or sliced almonds
5 cups romaine lettuce (optional)

Poppy Seed Dressing

2/3 cup (160g) Greek yogurt
1/4 cup (60ml) apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup (80g) honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground dry mustard (or 1 teaspoon dijon mustard)
1 Tablespoon poppy seeds

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and cool for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk all of the poppy seed dressing ingredients together.
Stir the remaining pasta salad ingredients in with the pasta. Toss with dressing. Add a little more feta and almonds if you wish.

Huge Yummy Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/4 cups (10 ounces, 280 grams or 2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups (240 grams) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (225 grams) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse or kosher salt
3 1/2 cups plus 2 teaspoons (yes, really) (445 grams) all-purpose flour
1 1/4 pounds (565 grams) bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60%
Sea salt

With a hand or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars together until light, fluffy and then some, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix to combine. Add vanilla, mix, then scrape down bowl. Sprinkle baking soda, baking powder and salt over dough and mix it until fully combined. Add flour all at once and mix it in short bursts until it almost completely disappears, but no longer. You don’t want to overmix it. Add chocolate pieces in and try to incorporate them without breaking them. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill in fridge for a minimum of 24 hours and up to 72 hours.

Heat oven to 350 degrees and line a couple large baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats. Form dough into 3 1/2-ounce (100 gram) balls, which will seem completely absurd (they’re larger than golf balls, closer to skeeballs) but don’t fight it. If any chocolate pieces are right across the tops or sides of the balls of dough, try to bury them back in it. I find pockets of chocolate superior to exposed puddles of them. Arrange balls of dough very far apart on sheets (these cookies will be up to 5 inches wide once baked) and sprinkle the tops of each with a few flecks of sea salt.

Bake cookies for 12 to 17 minutes, until golden all over. This is a large range because I find that they range in how much they spread thus checking in at the early on on your first batch is safest.

Cool cookies on trays for 10 minutes, then transfer them to racks.

Sheet Pan Teriyaki Salmon and Veggies

4 (5-ounce) salmon fillets
16 ounces green beans, trimmed
2 carrots, peeled and cut diagonally in 1/4-inch slices
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce, homemade or store-bought
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds

TERIYAKI SAUCE
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons honey

In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 1/4 cup water; set aside.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, add soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic powder, honey and 1 cup water; bring to a simmer. Stir in cornstarch mixture until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 2 minutes; let cool to room temperature.

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray.
Place salmon, green beans and carrots in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet.
Spoon teriyaki sauce over the salmon.
Drizzle green beans and carrots with olive oil; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Place into oven and cook until the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 16-18 minutes.*
Serve immediately, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.

Instant Pot Pot Roast

INGREDIENTS
USDA Choice Grade chuck roast/ Canada AAA Grade blade roast - 2 inches (5 cm) thick (can use 1 pound to 3 pounds)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 small onions, sliced
1 cup (250 ml) unsalted homemade chicken stock
1 tablespoon (15 ml) light soy sauce
1 tablespoon (15 ml) fish sauce
1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
1 pinch of dried rosemary
1 pinch of thyme
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons (30 ml) red wine or balsamic vinegar to deglaze
Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
8 white mushrooms, sliced
2 carrots, chopped
2 - 4 potatoes, quartered
1 ½ tablespoon (12 g) cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) water

Prepare the Pressure Cooker: Heat up your pressure cooker (Instant Pot: press Sauté button and click the adjust button to go to Sauté More function). Make sure your pot is as hot as it can be when you place the chuck roast into the pot (Instant Pot: wait until the indicator says HOT). This will promote Maillard reaction and prevent excessive moisture loss.
Prepare the Chuck Roast: Pat dry with a paper towel. When the pressure cooker is hot, season the chuck roast with generous amount of kosher salt and ground black pepper.
Brown the Chuck Roast: Add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil into the pot. Ensure to coat the oil over the whole bottom of the pot. Add the seasoned chuck roast into the pot, then let it brown for exactly 10 minutes on each side (don’t need to keep flipping). Remove and set aside.
Sauté the Onion and Garlic: Reduce the heat to medium (Instant pot: press cancel button, then press sauté button). Add in the sliced onions and stir. Add a pinch of kosher salt and ground black pepper to season if you like. Cook the onions for roughly 1 minute until soften. Then, add garlic and stir for 30 seconds until fragrance. Add in the mushroom and season with another pinch of kosher salt if you like. Stir and cook for another 2 minutes.
Deglaze: Pour in a dash of red wine or balsamic vinegar and deglaze the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
Deglaze and Taste: Add 1 cup (250 ml) of chicken stock, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of fish sauce, 1 pinch of dried rosemary, 1 pinch of thyme, and 2 bay leaves into the pressure cooker. Taste the seasoning and add more salt and pepper if desired.
Pressure Cook the Chuck Roast: Place the chuck roast back with all its meat juice into the pot. Close lid and pressure cook at High Pressure for:
Electric Pressure Cooker: 45 minutes
Stovetop Pressure Cooker: 36 minutes

Turn off the heat. Do not touch and let it fully Natural Release for 25 minutes. Open the lid carefully.
Pressure Cook the Vegetables: Remove the chuck roast and set aside. Cover the chuck roast with aluminum foil and let it rest while pressure cooking the vegetables. Emerge the quartered potatoes into the sauce and stack the chopped carrots on top of the potatoes. Close lid and pressure cook at High Pressure for 4 minutes (Electric or Stovetop). Cover the vent with a towel and do a Quick Release. Open the lid carefully.
Make the Gravy: Taste the sauce one final time and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Mix 1 ½ tablespoon (12 g) of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons (30 ml)of water and mix it into the sauce one third at a time until desired thickness.
Serve: Slice the meat against the grain. High five your family. Serve with the gravy, potatoes & carrots. Immediately enjoy this umami filled dish you have just created!

Instant Pot Cafe Rio Sweet Pork

Ingredients
6 to 8 pound pork roast
2 cups of Coca Cola
1 cup of brown sugar
1 (16 oz) container of taco sauce (I used McCormick taco seasoning powder)

Instructions
Place your roast in an Instant Pot and pour on the Coca Cola. Next dump on your brown sugar followed by your taco sauce.
Put on the lid and push the meat button. Cook on high pressure for 90 minutes. Then do a quick release.
When it is finished cooking, take the pork roast out of the slow cooker and shred. Then add back into the juices in the Instant Pot.
Using a slotted spoon, serve on tortillas with your favorite toppings. I like black beans, onions, tomatoes, guacamole, and cheese. You could also serve it on lettuce and make a delicious salad.


DRESSING:

1 package Hidden Valley Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Mix (dry)
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup mayo (I used reduced fat)
⅓ cup water
2 medium-sized tomatillos, husked and chopped
½ cup packed cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
1½ teaspoons minced garlic
1 small jalapeño, seeded and finely diced
1½ teaspoons lime juice

One-Pot Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, or 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more for seasoning
1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 3/4 cups whole or 2% milk
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided

Melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 8 minutes.

Add the rice and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until they smell toasty, about 1 minute. Add the broth, milk, and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and season with pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally so that the rice doesn't stick to the pot. Add the chicken, stir to combine, and bring back to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 15 minutes. (Add water as needed if the rice absorbs it all before tender. If you'd like a browned top on the casserole, heat the broiler to high now.)

Remove from the heat. Stir in the peas and 1 cup of the cheese. Taste and season with more salt as needed. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese, then cover again and let sit for the cheese to melt and the rice to steam, about 5 minutes. (For a browned top, place under the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese turns golden-brown in spots.) Serve immediately.

Chicken tortilla soup

1-2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
1 medium red or green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
8 ounce can tomato sauce
15-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 to 2 pounds (about 3 medium) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed into 1-inch pieces
3 to 4 corn tortillas, chopped (see note above)
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Sour cream, shredded cheese, cilantro, lime wedges, avocados, crispy tortilla strips or chips, and other desired toppings, for serving (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Pressure cooker: Using the saute function, heat the olive oil and saute the onion, garlic, jalapeño and bell pepper for 2-3 minutes until the onion starts to soften.

Add the salt, pepper, chicken broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, black beans, chili powder, oregano, and cumin, chicken, and chopped tortillas. Stir.

Secure the lid and cook on high pressure for 7 minutes.

Let the pressure naturally release for 10-15 minutes before using quick release for the remaining pressure.

Stir in the corn and lime juice. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve with desired toppings.