Pina Colada Cake

Rainbow Unicorn Grilled Cheese

Rice Ball Grilled Cheese and Kitty Kawaii Soup

Ostrich Egg

Minecraft Cake

Bangers and Mash

Hippo Sandwiches

Giant Pancake

Seahawks Sandwich Roll

Carrot Christmas Pudding

hedgehog cookies

Tteokbokki

Panda Bread

I Am Bread Tutorial

How to make a Taco Bell cake

Frozen Lemon Souffle

I am a mushroom. That's right; I am a pale Washingtonian mushroom that does not fair well with heat. Anything above 75 degrees and I start to get uncomfortable. Once it reaches 90 and above, I am a shriveled little pile of...well...dehydrated mushroom. So considering that our weather is already reaching 80 degrees and it's only the month of May, I'm pretty sure I am doomed to be a big pile of "nope" come August.

But I have a secret weapon.

On those hot summer days when I am marinating in the inescapable heat, sweat tickling down my limbs as I feel my energy evaporating from my body, I turn to my secret weapon. It's my sweet, refreshing chill of hope that gives me just enough of a boost to survive the heat a little bit longer. I am talking about none other than the delicious savior of summer: frozen lemon souffle.

 Now, if you've never made a souffle before and are feeling completely intimidated at the very mention of one, don't worry. This isn't a traditional souffle. Although it may sound fancy, this dessert is quite easy to make. Top it off with some fresh berries and you'll have yourself a hit dessert at your next BBQ!

So if you feel like you are melting in the rising temperature, melt into this dessert and see if it doesn't give you reason to survive the heat.

Frozen Lemon Souffle

Ingredients:
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest plus 3/4 cup lemon juice (from about 3 lemons)
8 large eggs, whites and yolks separated
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup cold heavy cream
berries for topping (optional)

Wrap the outside of a 3 1/2 cup souffle mold or four 6oz ramekins with parchment, extending 2 to 3 inches above the rim (it should fit snugly). Secure with tape, set aside.

In a medium saucepan, whisk together granulated sugar, lemon zest and juice, egg yolks, and salt over medium-high heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and small bubbles form around the edge of the pan, about 5 minutes (do NOT boil). Immediately remove from the heat while continuing to whisk. Pour into a heatproof bowl.

Place plastic wrap directly against the surface of the curd and refrigerate until cool, about 30 minutes (or overnight).

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat egg whites on high until stiff peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into cooled lemon curd. In the same large bowl, beat cream on high until stiff peaks form. Gently fold whipped cream into lemon curd mixture. Pour into the prepared mold and freeze until firm, 6 hours (or over night). To serve, remove parchment and top with berries.

Grilled Chicken Gyros

When I first heard of tzatziki sauce, I was horribly confused. A yogurt sauce that had dill in it?...You mean, like a pickle? I thought yogurt was supposed to be sweet. My mom laughed at me. "It's for putting on gyros." she explained.

"...g..gyro?...What the heck is that?"

"It's sorta like a sandwich made with pita bread."

Pita bread? It was all Greek to me. [insert laugh track here] Little did I know what amazingly fresh flavors awaited. After my first bite of a chicken gyro, my love affair with Greek food began. For a summer in high school, I practically lived off of gyros and Greek fries, hitting up the little hole-in-the-wall Greek restaurant that sat right across the way from the movie theater. I was the epitome of summer laziness: lounging around in the summer sun, tzatziki sauce smudged in the corner of my mouth as I devoured a plump gyro, a plate full of Greek fries in my lap, and an Italian soda to wash it all down.

....man, I miss summer break!

Anyway, as we creep closer to the summer season, I can't help but find myself gravitating towards gyros and all the sloppy, juicy, savory, refreshing deliciousness they have to offer. So after years of indulging in store-bought gyros, I finally decided to learn how to make them myself. The result was dangerous. Why? Because it was ridiculously easy to make and so delicious; now I have the ability to make gyros whenever my heart desires! 

Good bye dear waistline! Mama's gonna get fat on gyros this summer! ;)

Pita Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup water

2 tsp dry active yeast
3 cups all-purpose flour
2½ tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
drizzle of olive oil

In a small bowl, warm the water to about 100 degrees Fahrenheit (just above body temperature). Add the yeast to the water and let sit for about 5 minutes.

Pour the yeast and water into the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached. Slowly add the flour, salt, and olive oil while kneading the dough. The dough should be tacky, so you may not need 3 full cups of flour. It's better to have too little flour than too much (you can always add more later). Knead the dough in the mixer until it is smooth, about 5 minutes. Brush a little olive oil over the dough, cover with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel. Let rise for an hour or until it has doubled in size.

Turn the dough out onto a floured working surface. Cut the dough into 6-8 pieces. Using a rolling pin, flatten each piece into a circle about ¼ inch thick. Add more flour if the dough is too sticky.
Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle a little olive oil into the skillet before adding the disks of dough. Cook the pita for about 30 seconds or until bubbles start to form. Flip the dough over and cook for about a minute, until lightly browned. Flip the dough back over and cook for another minute, until the pita puffs up. Remove from heat and cover with a clean dish towel. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough.

Tzatziki Sauce

Ingredients:
1/2 cucumber, peeled and diced
2 cups plain Greek yogurt

4 teaspoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons dried dill

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1 1/2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl, cover, and refrigerated until ready to use.

Grilled Chicken Gyros

pita bread

tzatziki sauce

red bell pepper, sliced

purple onion

cucumber, sliced

lettuce, shredded

seasoned grilled chicken

fresh tomato, sliced

feta cheese

Smear a layer of tzatziki sauce on the pita bread. Layer all other ingredients into the pita, using as much as you would like. Top off with an extra drizzle of tzatziki, fold over, and serve. Enjoy!

Japanese-Style Drumsticks

I am feeling rather lazy tonight. So this recipe comes with no story, cute anecdote, or convincing persuasion on why you should give this recipe a try. The beginning and end of it is: this chicken is damn delicious so you should make it. Simple as that.

Japanese-Style Drumsticks

Ingredients:
4 chicken drumsticks, skin on
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 garlic clove, peeled and bruised
2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce
1 tablespoon green onion, diced

Place water, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and Sriracha sauce in a deep skillet. Briefly whisk together before adding garlic and chicken to the pan. Bring contents to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, spooning off surface scum as needed, for about 20 minutes.

Increase the heat, turning the drumsticks frequently, and cook until the liquid has reduced to a sticky glaze, about 10 minutes longer. Be sure to scrape the skillet with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon as you go so as not to burn any of the glaze.

Arrange chicken on a serving platter, remove the garlic clove from the liquid, then spoon the remaining glaze over the chicken. Sprinkle on green onion and serve immediately.

Okonomiyaki (Japanese-style pizza)

Okonomiyaki might be hard to say, but it is far from hard to make. It's basically like making a large pancake out of coleslaw. Confused yet? Well keep reading! The process of making okonomiyaki is very similar to making pancakes. You make a batter, pour some on a hot oiled pan, cook it, flip it, and viola! It's done!

So if it's like a pancake, why is it called a "Japanese-style pizza"? That's because the fun of okonomiyaki comes with its ability to be completely customized like a pizza. You can add whatever toppings and sauce you desire to make a dish that is unique and tailored to your own personal flavor profile. Personally I think bacon is a must to toss onto your okonomiyaki. And when served with a mix of chipotle aioli and okonomiyaki sauce, topped with fresh avocado, it is amazing!

The other reason I like this dish is because it is a great way for me to sneak more vegetables into my kids' dinner without them even knowing it! They gobble this stuff up every time and, little do they know how many veggies I just crammed in their full little bellies. It's a new family favorite in my household and I hope it will soon be in yours!

Okonomiyaki

Ingredients:
1/2 pound cabbage, shredded
2 medium/large carrots, shredded
1/2 green onion, diced
2 tablespoons milk
3/4 cup dashi (about 1 teaspoon dashi granules in 3/4 cup hot water)
1 cup flour
2 eggs
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Okonomiyaki sauce or Worcestershire sauce
3 strips of bacon, diced
*Extra mayo for seasoning
*Additional "toppings" such as: leeks, mushrooms, bell pepper, avocado, etc.
*Other sauces such as: ketchup, chipotle aioli, Sriracha, etc.

*optional

Cut the cabbage and carrots into thin strips (or use a food processor if you want to speed things up). Combine dashi, flour, eggs, milk, baking powder, mayonnaise, butter, and vegetables in a large bowl. Stir well.

Heat vegetable oil in a pan on medium-high heat and add in about a 1/2 cup (or more depending on how big you want to make it) of the vegetable batter mix. Sprinkle a few uncooked bacon pieces on the top side of the "pizza". Now is also the time you would add any other additional toppings you want (except for any fresh toppings you may want such as tomato or avocado). When the "pizza" looks slightly firm around the edges, flip the "pizza" over to cook the bacon side.--Cook it as if you're making a large pancake.

When both sides are thoroughly cooked, remove the "pizza" from the pan and drizzle with Okonomiyaki sauce (or Worcestershire sauce) and serve. You can also make any variations you would like such as adding chipotle aioli sauce and fresh avocado, Sriracha and a fried egg, or a Japanese classic: mayonnaise!

Serve hot.

Fish Sticks with Lemon Ginger Dipping Sauce

If you are a Whovian, you might consider making these "fish fingers" to serve up with a side of custard.

If you are a South Park fan, you might be giggling to yourself thinking of what the South Park kids deemed as the best joke ever: "do you like fish dicks [said like fish sticks]? What are you, a gay fish?"

Or if you are like 99% of American children out there, it's likely you have dined on the classic freezer dinner of fish sticks and french fries (our own version of fish and chips).

Whatever the reason is that you have gravitated to this recipe, you will not be disappointed. I was surprised at how easy this recipe really is to execute (although watch out for popping grease because it will get ya!) and the best part is, you can totally make this on a day you have some free time and freeze it for later consumption. That's right; you can make your own freezer meal ahead of time without all the added filler and other unknown crap other companies might put in your food. Sure it takes more effort than just going to the store and buying pre-made fish sticks. But if you make them yourself, it's not only healthier, you totally get bragging rights that come with making it yourself.

Feel free to snap a selfie with you and your homemade fish sticks followed with a hashtag of #imadethisshit

The other great thing about this recipe is the dipping sauce. You really should try it with the lemon ginger dipping sauce! I didn't think something deep-fried could taste so light and refreshing, however; with the light flakiness of the white fish (I used turbo) and the zesty refreshing taste of the lemon ginger dipping sauce, I was pleasantly surprised with the fresh summer taste this dish had to offer.

In summary: go make some fish sticks!

Fish Sticks

Ingredients:
7 oz white fish (halibut, turbo, or cod for example) cut into 1/2-inch strips
Sea salt & pepper to taste
3 1/2 oz cornstarch
1 egg, lightly beaten
5 oz panko breadcrumbs
2 1/2 cups canola oil

Season the fish pieces with salt and pepper. Put the cornstarch, beaten egg, and panko in three separate bowls. Dip the fish pieces into the cornstarch first, then the egg, and then coat in the panko breadcrumbs.

Place a wok over med-high heat and add the canola oil. Heat the oil to about 350 degrees F, or until a piece of panko dropped in turns golden brown in about 15 seconds and floats to the surface. Fry the breaded fish pieces in the oil for 3-4 minutes, making sure to flip them about halfway through, until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Lemon Ginger Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:
1 tbsp of peeled and grated fresh ginger
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp rice wine
7 tbsps cold vegetable stock
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1/2 tbs water

Heat a small saucepan over medium head and add 1 tbsp canola oil. Add the ginger and fry for a few seconds, then add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Cook for 1 minute or until the sauce has thickened slightly. Remove from head and serve warm.