Recipes

  1. Dinner Challenge

    May 22, 2013 by The Squishy Monster

    Who doesn’t like to save money?  For me, it’s all about having more money to buy more food.  Seriously, that’s my personal logic behind it all ;)

    I decided this week that I would take on a challenge to see if I could whip up dinner for 4 for under $10.  Results?  A grand total of $7.49 with dessert to polish off after a meal of roasted chicken and kale salad.

    Break down:

    • Chicken portions < chicken breast: I got 4 pieces for $5.35 and had leftover bits/juices for gravy later on.  (Here’s a video on how to roast an entire chicken)
    • Kale: $.64 though a full pound would still have only cost me $.99 (the video includes kale 2 ways but here’s my favorite way to eat kale in my kale/blueberry smoothie)!
    • Garlic: $.30
    • Peanut butter/chocolate spread: $1.00
    • Egg: $.20

    {More money saving tips}

    Dinner under Challenge

    5.0 from 7 reviews

    Dinner for less than $10
     
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    Ingredients
    Roasted chicken
    • 4 chicken quarters
    • oil
    • salt and pepper
    Kale salad
    • 1 lb of kale
    • 3 cloves sliced garlic
    • oil
    • salt and pepper
    Alternate Kale Salad
    • 1 lb kale
    • 3 tb soy sauce
    • 2 ts sesame oil
    • 1 ts rice vinegar
    • 1 ts minced garlic
    • 2 tb brown sugar
    • garnish with toasted sesame seeds/nuts
    Chocolate peanut butter cookies
    • 1 c chocolate peanut butter spread
    • 1 egg
    • 1 c flour

    Instructions
    1. Oil your room temperature chicken and massage with salt and pepper. Bake at 350 for about 2 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 180.
    2. Sautee your garlic in the oil until it softens and toss in your kale. Salt and pepper to taste.
    3. Cream together your chocolate peanut butter spread and egg.
    4. Slowly sprinkle in your flour and mix until combined.
    5. Roll out dough balls and flatten with your palm (or the back of a cup) and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. Bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes.

    Cheers to saving money!

    Love,

    Your Squishy Monster ^.~

     

    Categories: Comfort Foods Comfort Foods Meats Meats Videos | 35 Comments

  2. May 18, 2013 by The Squishy Monster

    Wanna know a secret?  A crazy one at that?  I used to not be such a big fan of chocolate.  I liked it ok but didn’t get what all the who-ha was all about but as I’ve gotten older, the craving has evolved into something fierce with a life all of its own.  Case in point, I have absentmindedly been licking off homemade fudge by the spoonful all day today.  I meant to reserve it for a bucket of pistachio-pistachio ice cream but it sat there on the counter, ever so not innocently and that was my mistake.  Now I’m making jokes about being air-lifted out of my house on Facebook (but seriously, I kid.  If you want something, I’m a firm believer that you should go after it.  However, it should be good to point out that moderation is key, a word that I know nothing about obviously).

    That being said, won’t you indulge in a bit of chocolate fun with me?  It has less calories that way (I hear) ;)

    How to Make Chocolate Crème Brûlée

    5.0 from 5 reviews

    Chocolate Crème Brûlée
     
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    Ingredients
    • 2 room temperature egg yolks
    • 1 tb sugar
    • ¾ c room temperature heavy cream
    • 1 tb sugar
    • ¼ c chopped bittersweet chocolate (or chips)
    • 2 ts kahlua (or vanilla)
    • ¼ ts fine salt
    • Sugar for sprinkling (I like using raw sugar but regular granulated works)

    Instructions
    1. In a bowl, whisk together your yolks and 1 tb of sugar.
    2. In a pot over medium-low, heat your cream, 1 tb sugar, and chocolate. Whisk until the chocolate melts and sugar dissolves.
    3. Splash in your kahlua or vanilla and sprinkle in your salt.
    4. Slowly scrape in your yolk mixture and continue to whisk until slightly thickened.
    5. Strain through a mesh sieve and pour evenly into ramekins set in a larger dish and slowly pour hot water half way up the sides.
    6. Bake at 350 for 25-35 minutes. Cool for about 30 minutes and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours.
    7. Before serving, liberally sprinkle with sugar and caramelize the tops with a hand/blow torch (or use the broiler in your oven)

     

    Categories: Chocolate Chocolate Sweets Sweets Videos | 40 Comments

  3. A Very Sweet Mother’s Day

    May 8, 2013 by The Squishy Monster

    I will eternally be grateful to my mother for her unconditional love and support, not to mention all the lessons she taught me along the way.  I am the woman I am because of her and honestly, I feel like everyday should be mother’s day!  It is from her that I watched and learned how to work hard, persevere, and never give up on what’s important to you.  My mama would work 12-14 hour days while taking care of 2 tots, breast feeding one or the other, and making sure there was a hot dinner on the table every night, never once making us feel neglected or unloved.  She also had the strength to smear on her lipstick and don on her sunday best to sing in the church choir *whew!*  Just thinking about it all makes me dizzy!  Not to mention, mama’s are constantly doing things behind-the-scenes that children are never keen to be it your favorite box of cereal that magically appeared in the pantry, rips and tears that were quietly sewn, or kisses that were gently pressed into the faces of sleeping children.  That’s just what mama’s do.  So whether you’re a mama, have a mama, or know a mama, show them some love!  {and you might be able to start with these incredibly decadent panna cotta} ;)

    Mother’s Day Recipe Panna Cotta

    5.0 from 7 reviews

    Panna Cotta
     
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    Ingredients
    • 1 c whole milk
    • 4 ts unflavored gelatin
    • 1½ c heavy cream
    • ½ c sugar
    • 2 ts pure vanilla extract
    • ¼ ts fine salt
    • ½ c pureed berries*

    Instructions
    1. Over medium-low heat, stir together your milk and gelatin. You don’t want this to boil.
    2. Stir in everything else until the sugar dissolves.
    3. Remove from the heat and cool for about 10-15 minutes.
    4. Ladle into serving glasses and refrigerate for up to 6 hours.
    5. Garnish with fresh berries (or chocolate curls, candied fruit, etc) and serve cool.

    Notes
    *you could also use the same amount of an infused tea, citrus, coffee, chocolate, etc.

    Last years Mother’s Day treat.

    Happy {early} Mother’s Day!

    Love,

    Your Squishy Monster ^.~

    I love you very, very much, Mama Squishy!!!!!

     

    Categories: Holidays Holidays Sweets Sweets Videos | 42 Comments

  4. Cinco de Mayo!

    May 4, 2013 by The Squishy Monster

    I’ve begun my festivities early as I’ll be spending Sunday with the family watching traditional Korean fan dances, (true story). I took these over to a get together yesterday and they were a hit so my test panel agrees that you should totally try these ;)

    Cinco de Mayo Recipe Strawberry Margarita Cupcakes

    5.0 from 6 reviews

    Strawberry Margarita Cupcakes
     
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    Serves: 1 dozen

    Ingredients
    • 1 c unbleached flour
    • 1½ ts baking powder (not soda)
    • ¼ ts fine salt
    • 6 tb melted unsalted butter
    • ¾ c sugar
    • 3 room temperature egg whites
    • ½ c room temperature whole buttermilk*
    • Zest/juice of one lime
    • 1½ tb tequila**
    • ¼ c strawberry puree**
    • 1 c unsalted room temperature butter
    • 2 c- 2½ c sifted powdered sugar
    • 1-2 tb heavy cream
    • 2 tb tequila
    • Zest of 1 lime
    • Coarse salt/limes for garnish

    Instructions
    1. In a bowl, sift together your flour, powder, and salt. Set aside.
    2. In a separate bowl, cream together your butter and sugar.
    3. Add in your whites one at a time.
    4. Slowly pour in your buttermilk then zest/juice your lime.
    5. Splash in your tequila.
    6. Add your puree.
    7. In 3 separate additions, begin sprinkling in your “dry bowl” to your “wet bowl.” Just mix to combine (do not over mix).
    8. Bake at 350 for 17-19 minutes.
    9. Meanwhile, whip up your frosting.
    10. Break up your butter and slowly add your powdered sugar.
    11. Splash in a bit of cream and tequila and keep checking the consistency.
    12. Add in your zest and more powdered sugar as needed.
    13. When your cakes are cooled, frost (I used a 2D Wilton tip) and sprinkle with a bit of coarse salt and add a lime wedge.

    Notes
    *You may also sub with almond/coconut milk. **You can omit the tequila altogether, just replace with 2 ts vanilla extract ***You can also omit the strawberries with other berries.

    Wishing everyone a happy and safe Cinco de Mayo!

    Love.

    Your Squishy Monster ^.~

    Categories: Cakes/Cupcakes Holidays Sweets Videos | 30 Comments

  5. April 19, 2013 by The Squishy Monster

    Chicken?  Check.  Veggies?  Check.  Rice cakes?  Check.  Delicious sweet and spicy sauce?  Check.

    If the above sounds appealing to you at all, you’ll be in love with this Korean marinated chicken dish that offers a little bit of everything.  It totes a variety of flavors and textures and comes together as a complete meal under an hour and you probably already have everything, save the rice cakes so why not give this one a try?

    How to Make Korean Chicken DakGalbi 닭갈비

    5.0 from 5 reviews

    Korean Stir Fried Chicken 닭갈비
     
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    Ingredients
    • 1½ lbs chicken
    • 4 tb Korean red pepper paste
    • 2 tb Korean red pepper flakes
    • 2 tb soy sauce
    • 1 tb sesame oil
    • ½ tb curry powder
    • 1 tb minced garlic
    • 1 ts minced ginger
    • 2 tb honey
    • Optional: 2 tb sake
    • Sesame oil
    • 2 c veggies of your choice (I used zucchini, onions, bell peppers, Korean peppers, cabbage, carrots and scallions but sweet potatoes and sesame leaves are nice too).
    • 1½ c rice cakes (or plain ramen noodles if you can’t find rice cakes)
    • ½ c chicken stock or water
    • Salt and pepper

    Instructions
    1. In a large bowl, combine your chicken, paste, flakes, soy, sesame, curry, garlic, ginger, honey, and sake (if using) and massage everything together.
    2. In a separate bowl, steep your rice cakes in water. Set both bowls aside for 30 minutes.
    3. Begin stir frying your veggies in sesame oil, seasoning with salt and pepper. You only want to begin to soften them.
    4. Lay your marinated chicken on top of your veggies along with your drained rice cakes. Give everything a toss with the stock/water and cook until the rice cakes are tender and the chicken is cooked through.

    Wishing everyone a very happy weekend…

    Love,

    Your Squishy Monster ^.~

     

    Categories: Korean Food Korean Food Meats Meats Spicy Spicy Videos | 41 Comments

  6. Honey Giveaway

    April 10, 2013 by The Squishy Monster

    When I was a kid, we’d smash together 2 pieces of white bread with a thick smear of honey and stuff it all with sliced bananas.  Now as an “adult,” I tend to gravitate towards more responsible whole grains but this bread just gives me plenty of reason to reminisce and happily nosh on one of my favorite childhood treats (not to mention, it makes a killer breakfast with or without a generous helping of nutella)!

    Honey Banana Bread + Giveaway!

    5.0 from 6 reviews

    Honey Banana Bread
     
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    Ingredients
    • 3 brown-ish bananas
    • ½ c pure honey
    • 1 ts pumpkin spice
    • 2 c unbleached flour
    • 1 ts baking soda
    • ½ ts fine salt
    • 1 ts flax seed powder
    • 2 room temperature eggs
    • ¾ c sugar (brown works well here too)
    • ½ c veggie or canola oil
    • ½ c whole plain yogurt
    • 2 ts pure vanilla
    • Optional: toasted walnuts

    Instructions
    1. In a small bowl, roughly mash your bananas with your honey and spice.
    2. In bowl number one, sift together your flour, soda, salt, and flax.
    3. In bowl number two, beat together your eggs and sugar.
    4. Add in your oil and yogurt then your vanilla.
    5. Lastly, add in your bananas.
    6. Slowly combine bowls one and two in 3 separate additions, taking care not to over beat.
    7. Grease/line a loaf pan and bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes.

    {Homemade Pumpkin Spice}

    To enter a chance to win some delicious golden honey from Skinny J Farms, just be subscribed to my cooking channel and like them on Facebook.

    Love ya, honey!

    Your Squishy Monster ^.~

    Categories: Breakfast Breakfast Cakes/Cupcakes Cakes/Cupcakes Sweets Sweets Videos | 45 Comments

  7. *Burgushi!*

    March 22, 2013 by The Squishy Monster

    I’m all about some fusion.  Korean bbq pizza anyone?  How about some gochujang shrimp tacos?  Kimchi & bulgogi quesadillas?

    Whichever the case may be, I find that with food, spreading the love is the best case scenario.  Take what you love and attach it to another and remember to share with your loved ones and you’re guaranteed one delicious, helluva time!

    How to Make Cheeseburger Sushi

    5.0 from 3 reviews

    Cheeseburger Sushi
     
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    Ingredients
    • Sheets of nori/dried seaweed paper
    • 3 c cooked sticky rice
    • 6 slices of cooked bacon
    • 1 lb hamburger
    • 2 c shredded cheese
    • Toasted sesame oil

    Instructions
    1. On the bottom portion of your nori, spread out your rice in a thin layer.
    2. Begin layering on your bacon, meat, and cheese.
    3. Starting from the bottom, roll upwards, tightly and securely (a sushi mat helps with this). Smear a bit of rice on the top to help seal everything together.
    4. Rub your entire roll down with a bit of toasted sesame oil.
    5. Serve with sriracha aioli/ketchup/soy.

    Wishing everyone a most fun and delicious weekend!

    Love,

    Your Squishy Monster ^.~

     

    Categories: Fusion Fusion Korean Food Korean Food Meats Meats Rice Rice Videos | 33 Comments

  8. March 15, 2013 by The Squishy Monster

    When I think of green, I think of that fun time I had eating green eggs and ham on Dr. Seuss day in grade school, the green movement that’s all the rage, and emeralds.  Green is good (apparently) so I decided that for St. Patrick’s day, I’d start off the weekend right with these Irish creme infused crêpes.  If you can work a blender and have the patience to wait while they chill, there’s absolutely no reason you can’t make these!

    How to Make St. Patrick’s Day Crêpes

    5.0 from 3 reviews

    Crêpes
     
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    Ingredients
    • ½ c water
    • ½ c whole milk
    • 2 tb melted butter
    • ¼ ts fine salt
    • 1 ts vanilla
    • 2 tb Irish creme
    • Green food color
    • 2 eggs
    • 1 c sifted unbleached all purpose flour
    Filling
    • 8 oz softened cream/mascarpone cheese
    • 2 tb softened butter
    • ½-1 c sifted powdered sugar
    • 1 tb Irish creme
    • Optional:
    • Mint extract
    • Chocolate
    • Powdered sugar for dusting

    Instructions
    1. In a blender/food processor (additionally, you can also whisk by hand), tip in your water, milk, butter, salt, and vanilla. Mix.
    2. This second step is optional where you add your Irish creme and green color. Mix.
    3. Lastly, sprinkle in your flour. Mix.
    4. Allow your batter to chill for 35-45 minutes.
    5. In a non stick pan greased with butter, dribble just a bit of your batter to the pan and swirl to spread out evenly into a thin sheet. When it dries and you see bubbles, flip once and cook for another few minutes on the other side.
    6. For the filling, blend everything together.
    7. To assemble, take your cooled crêpe, and spread your filling on on side, fold over, drizzle with chocolate and dust with powdered sugar.

     

    Categories: Breakfast Breakfast Holidays Holidays Sweets Sweets Videos | 32 Comments

  9. March 12, 2013 by The Squishy Monster

    When I was little, Easter would often times find me with chocolate stains on my pastel dress, ribbons untied and loose on my crazy hair, and madly stomping around in pretty pink shoes, scuffed from the sugar high that an Easter basket always induced.  Down on the bottom, underneath the curly grass and plastic egg shells, I’d always discover these chocolate eggs, always patiently awaiting the moment to be greedily snatched and devoured.  Now as a “grown up,” I realize  how futile it would be to expect an Easter basket to recreate memories past so I decided to take matters into my own hands.  So today, I bring to you, Cadbury creme eggs, the homemade version.

    How to Make Cadbury Creme Eggs

    5.0 from 7 reviews

    Cadbury Creme Eggs
     
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    Ingredients
    • 1 c golden/corn syrup
    • 12 tb room temperature unsalted butter
    • 1 ts fine salt
    • 1 ts vanilla
    • 6 c sifted powdered sugar
    • Yellow food color
    • 24 oz chopped bittersweet chocolate

    Instructions
    1. Cream together your syrup, butter, and salt.
    2. Tip in your vanilla.
    3. Slowly add in a cup of powdered sugar at a time.
    4. In a separate bowl, spoon in about ⅓ of your mixture and tint this to the shade of yellow you need for the “yolk.”
    5. Freeze both bowls for 20 minutes.
    6. Roll out about ½ ts scoops of your yellow mixture and pop back into the freezer while you work with the white mixture.
    7. Take 1 tb scoops of your whites and flatten out into a rough disk. Make an indentation with your thumb and wrap your “yolk” around it. Work in batches and freeze your “eggs” as you go.
    8. While your “eggs” are freezing, temper your chocolate.
    9. In a double boiler, slowly melt your chopped chocolate. Take each “egg” out individually and carefully immerse each one into the pool of chocolate. Tap off any excess and allow to firm up on wax/parchment.

    Love, candy, and Easter bunnies y’all!

    Your Squishy Monster ^.~

    Categories: Chocolate Chocolate Holidays Holidays Sweets Sweets Videos | 52 Comments

  10. Eat Your Greens!

    March 6, 2013 by The Squishy Monster

    Remember that’s what mama said but today, I’m sharing a recipe with you that not only pacifies this request, it makes it a pleasure to consume your greens.  Bursting with fresh spinach and basil, there’s nutty “butteriness” from the toasted walnuts and parmigiano-reggiano with a bit of zing from garlic and lemon to really brighten everything up.  It truly is a fresh and vibrant pasta dish that will be a perfect accompaniment to any Spring picnic.

    How to Make Pesto & Goat Cheese Pasta

    5.0 from 3 reviews

    Eat Your Greens!
     
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    Ingredients
    • 4 c fresh spinach (or arugula)
    • 2 c fresh basil
    • ¼ c toasted walnuts
    • 2 cloves garlic
    • ½ c freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano
    • Salt and pepper to taste
    • Juice of half a lemon
    • ½ c *extra-virgin* olive oil
    • 1 lb pasta of any shape
    • 4-6 oz goat cheese
    • Few tablespoons of reserved pasta water

    Instructions
    1. In a food processor, blitz together your greens, nuts, garlic, cheese, salt, pepper, lemon, and oil. Blend until smooth (or chunky).
    2. To your hot pasta, add your pesto, goat cheese, and dribble in enough pasta water to thin it out a bit.
    3. Serve warm with crusty buttered bread.

    Make your very own homemade goat cheese!

    {A very big thank you to Stilphen for guest editing}

    For the love of veggies,

    Your Squishy Monster ^.~

    Categories: Pasta Pasta Veggies or Vegan Veggies or Vegan Videos | 30 Comments

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    Welcome to The Squishy Monster!

    Here, I'll share the stories of my on going love affair with food as well as step-by-step tutorials/cooking videos featuring original recipes. I'm a firm believer that despite our differences, our one commonality as humans? Food.
    I'm 100% Southern & 100% Korean. My name is Angela and my friends call me The Squishy Monster.

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