Posts Tagged ‘appetizers’

  1. Superbowl Eats

    February 1, 2013 by The Squishy Monster

    Superbowl is synonymous with food for me versus football.  It’s an entire day encouraging you to be a fattie, what’s not to like about that? ;)

    Here’s a round up of a few of my faves:

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    Bacon Cheese Fritters

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    Frito Pie

    1Fried Pickles

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    Honey Sriracha Wings

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    Poutine

    and then, there are some unconventional but delicious alternatives:

    Squid Jerky, which pairs fabulously with alcohol!

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    Korean BBQ Pizza

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    Korean Shrimp Tacos

    I’m out for girls night.  I hope everyone has a happy and delicious weekend!

    Love always,

    Your Squishy Monster ^.~

    Categories: Life | 29 Comments

  2. How to Make Homemade Goat Cheese {Chèvre}

    November 1, 2012 by The Squishy Monster

    So, it’s fast approaching 3:30 am, and what am I doing?  Sitting in bed, attracting ants (probably) with a considerable bread crumb trail that would make the lost Hansel and Gretal found again.  How fitting, considering a few hours before, it was Halloween.  I could really go for a gingerbread house right about now.  I’m sure glad a stranger didn’t try to lure me away with Candy when I was little, it would’ve been instant disaster!…ah, but I digress.  My insomnia means good things for y’all.  I have another video to share.

    How to Make Homemade Goat Cheese

    Crostini with Balsamic Onions & Chèvre
     
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    Ingredients
    Goat Cheese
    • 1 liter full fat Goat Milk
    • ⅓ c Lemon or Vinegar
    • Salt (how much is up to you)
    Balsamic Glaze
    • 1 Vidalia Onion
    • ¼ c Balsamic Vinegar
    • 2 tb Brown Sugar
    Crusty Bread

    Instructions
    1. In a heavy bottomed pot, gently and slowly heat your Goat Milk. When it reaches 180-185, turn off the heat. Stir occasionally.
    2. Stir in your Lemon or Vinegar. Set aside for 20 minutes.
    3. In a colander, triple lined with thick paper towels/cheesecloth or a clean dish towel, slowly pour in your Milk mixture. Allow this to drain for 2 hours. You can occasionally (gently) squeeze out any excess moisture.
    4. When it’s firm, sprinkle with Salt and roll into a log and cover with plastic. Refrigerate while you prepare your Onions/Bread.
    5. Heat your pan and coat your Onions with a bit of oil. Salt and pepper.
    6. After a few minutes, add in your Balsamic Vinegar and Sugar. Cook until your Onions have darkened and the Vinegar has reduced and thickened.
    7. Grill your slices of Bread, top with your Onions and Goat Cheese.

    Don’t hate me if you find your fingers thick with this creamy, heavenly delight.  You might be up in bed into the wee late hours of the night getting your munch on too!

    This is quite possibly one of my favorite apps.  If I happen to have any left over, I like adding clumps of it to a green Salad with Cranberries and toasted Pecans, or hot in Spinach and Goat Cheese Flat Breads, or lovingly smooshed (sure, it’s a real word), in with fresh Pesto, toasted Walnuts, grilled Chicken, and Penne.  Oh, and don’t even get me started on how amazing it is hot, bubbly and broiled over a hot pink Steak.  Goodness, now I’m wondering if I should creep downstairs to make a Steak….

    No, no.  I think I’ll go to bed now. I must.  Get sleep.  No more food!

    I hope y’all had a great Halloween and ate lots of Candy for me.  I think a portion of tomorrow will be dedicated to perusing through the Candy clearance section.

    Crunch Crunch Crunch

    Creamy Creamy Creamy

    Love,

    Your (half delirious) Squishy Monster ^.~

     

    p.s., I finally broke down and got a Facebook for The Squishy Monster.  It would be much appreciate if you visited & liked (it’s embarrassingly bare at the moment but will be worked on soon) =)

     

    Categories: Appetizers Appetizers Videos | 64 Comments

  3. Cheesy, Meaty, Crunchy, Gooey

    May 3, 2012 by The Squishy Monster

    Bacon-Cheese-Fritters.  With all things considered, it’s hard to think you need much more beyond that.  Of course, I say this facetiously, but I don’t imagine that I’m too far off.

    This idea sprung on me one morning as I sat eating a late Breakfast of heavy, streaky slices of Bacon, topped with melted, broiled Cheese, on crunchy, golden Toast.  These Bacon Cheese Fritters are exactly what I had for Dinner that night…an echo of an earlier meal but made even more delicious with the magical properties of hot, bubbling oil.

    This is even further accessible for the fact that a). they’re super easy and b). when a generous portion of Bacon is fried off and Cheese is grated earlier in the day, half your assembling work for dinner is completed.

    Here’s how to do it:

    Bacon & Cheese Fritters

    Bacon Cheese Fritters
     
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    Ingredients
    • 2 c Shredded Mozzarella (Smoked is very nice)
    • 8 slices of crisped Bacon
    • ½ c Italian Bread Crumbs + healthy grating of Parmigiano-Reggiano (if you have any)
    • 2 beaten Eggs
    Egg Wash
    • 2 beaten Eggs + 2 tb Cream (or full fat Milk)
    • 2 c Panko Bread Crumbs

    Instructions
    1. Combine your ingredients together in a bowl
    2. Roll a spoonful or so of your mixture into a ball
    3. Dip your ball into your Egg-wash and roll into your Panko
    4. Chill all your prepared Fritters in the Fridge for at least 30 min
    5. Fry in batches (the oil should be at 360 or so–a fry thermometer helps)
    6. Retrieve your Fritters when they’ve reached a deep, golden brown. Remember not to overcrowd the oil and to leave at least 2 inches or so on top in your heavy bottomed pan.

    Notes
    If you’d like a flavored oil, plunge a stalk of fresh Rosemary into your Oil first for a few minutes. Great “frying oils” are ones with high smoke points= Safflower, Peanut, Canola, Veggie, etc. Remember that Extra Virgin Olive Oil should never be used for frying.

     

    Wishing everyone a delicious and Cheesy day!

    XOXO

    Your Squishy Monster =D

    Categories: Appetizers Appetizers Comfort Foods Comfort Foods Fried Fried Videos | 25 Comments

  4. Deep Fried South

    April 13, 2012 by The Squishy Monster

    If there’s danger in leaving me to my own devices and coloring everything Pink, there’s an equal probability that I want to deep fry it all too =D

    As a Kid, I actually abhorred anything deep fried (except French Fries because French Fries are awesome like that).  I remember going to a Seafood Joint with my “White” Cousins and hearing them whisper “Yea, I guess Koreans don’t like Fried Batter,” as I busily disrobed my baby Shrimp of its outer crispy clothing.  Quite the contrary, folks!  If ever in Korea, I hope that you have the pleasure of perusing through any busy street corner and frequenting the variety of Street Vendors there.  You can have Ddukbokki on a Stick (hell, anything on a Stick) and everything is served piping hot in a New York Minute.  There’s this great exhilarating rush that’s present in Korea that echoes that high energy and spontaneity of New York.  I believe that Koreans have their Frying down to an Art.  Virtually anything can be artfully cushioned in a light and crispy shell that delivers a most satisfying crunch.  Goguma (Korean Sweet Potatoes), Squid, and boy is Korean Fried Chicken delish…the possibilities are only narrowed by one’s own creativity and imagination!!  So it wasn’t far fetched for me to identify Fried Pickles as something potentially genius.  Here in town, everyone takes Fried Pickles as seriously as when the “Hot” Krispy Kreme sign lights up.  Best served extra crunchy, straight out of its bubbling oil bath with a serious dish of cool and creamy Ranch to dunk them in, they should have a firm bite from its oh-so-crispy shell, still warm in the center, and dripping with lots of the creamy, flecked white stuff =D

    How to Make Fried Pickles

    Fried Pickles
     
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    Ingredients
    • 1 jar of Dill Chips
    • 1 c cold, whole Buttermilk+ dash of Hot Sauce
    • ½ c Flour + ½ c Cornstarch + ¼ ts Cayenne, ¼ ts Smoked Paprika, ½ ts Garlic Powder, ½ ts Onion Powder + lots of cracked Black Pepper
    • 2 Eggs
    • 2 c Cornmeal, Breadcrumbs or Flour

    Instructions
    1. Soak your Chips into your cold Buttermilk mixture for at least 15 minutes in the Fridge.
    2. Drain and dredge your Chips individually in your dry Flour/Starch mixture
    3. Shake off excess and dip your Chips individually in your Egg
    4. Coat your wet Chips into your Cornmeal, Breadcrumbs or Flour
    5. Lay in a single layer and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes before frying.
    6. Fry until golden brown (and floating to the top) in oil that has reached 350.
    7. Try not to overcrowd the pan and work in batches. Serve immediately with Ranch.

    Notes
    Ranch •1/2 c Sour Cream •1/4 c whole Buttermilk •1 ts dried Dill •2 ts fresh chopped Chives •1 ts Garlic Powder •1/2 ts Onion Powder •S & P

    Armed with an arsenal of all the good stuff to eat, I’m sure I’ll have lots of fun and yummies for the weekend–it’s what I hope for y’all too!

    XOXO
    Your Squishy Monster ^.^

    Categories: Appetizers Appetizers Comfort Foods Comfort Foods Fried Fried Veggies or Vegan Veggies or Vegan Videos | No Comments

  5. Let them Eat Cake!

    March 28, 2012 by The Squishy Monster

    Or so Marie Antoinette famously did (or did not) say =D

    I always feel like Cheesecake.  You know how your friends will ask, “whatdya feel like eating?”  That’s an easy one: Cheesecake.  I love its pillowy bite, the way it softly crumbles when your fork slides through, the way it lays like velvet on your tongue and only ever so slowly melts away.  I’m convinced there’s nothing like it.  These cutie pie Strawberry Cheesecake Bites come in a close second.  It’s great for those days you don’t feel like all the hoo-haa of a real Cheesecake.  You can pop these portable baby bites right in your mouth and a). they’re “healthier” (though that becomes a blurred concept when you’ve eaten like 35) b). it takes mere minutes! c). theses are perfect for Kids, Parties, and take-alongs to virtually anywhere.

    How to Make Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

     

    Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries
     
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    Ingredients
    • Strawberries
    • ½ block (4 oz) Cream Cheese
    • Powdered Sugar
    • Zest of ½ Lemon
    • 1 ts Vanilla Extract
    • Melted Chocolate or Crushed Graham Crackers (optional).

    Instructions
    1. Wash & Prep. your Berries. Take a sharp paring knife to the tops and rotate the Berry to “core or gut” it. Often, you’ll find the centers pretty hollow anyways. Cut a teeny bit of the pointed end so that your Berries will sit on their own.
    2. In a separate bowl, cream together your softened, room temperature Cream Cheese (it’s very important that it’s been naturally softened, the finished product will be much smoother, not clumpy), Powdered Sugar, and Vanilla. You can either achieve this by mashing it with the tines of a Fork or taking a Mixer to it. (Again, your finished product will be silkier if you take the take to sift your Powdered Sugar but it’s not absolutely necessary–also, try to always use fine, quality Vanilla Extract).
    3. Drizzle with melted Chocolate or roll in crushed Crackers.

    Notes
    I’m a big believer that how much Sugar you add should depend on how sweet you want it.

    Cheesecake stuffed Strawberries = *drool*

    Loving/Hating Pinterest, lol
    XOXO
    Your Squishy Monster

    Categories: Sweets Sweets Videos | 10 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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