Alexia Parmesan Lemon Waffle Fries with Turkish Carrot Dip

 

 I enjoy fries. In fact I enjoy fries a little too much. I was the kid in middle school that wouldn't eat anything on her lunch tray except the fries. The fries would save me from having to succumb to the yucky lunch ladies attempt at Stir-Fry. Fries were always a choice and well, I'm glad--they saved my life. While it's been eons since then--well it feels lie eons anyway--I'm still a youngin'. Fries have held a special place in my heart stomach, hahaha.

Alexia sent me a variety of samples to try and I was once again taken by 1) the quality of all the products--seriously texture is amazing! 2) the variety of products they carry. I've noticed that they have unique combinations of seasonings for their fries that come in all sorts of cuts and with quality ingredients AND they're fries that you must bake. Yea, you bake'em not fry them. These fries are magical. I've tried fries from near and far away lands and no, no magic from those. Now that finals are approaching you know what I'll be eating: Alexia fries!!

 Take a look at their selection and you'll know. So these Parmesan Lemon fries were very good looking (if you ever heard of such thing), yes Alexia fries are also 'attractive' in my opinion anyway, but that's why I've got tons of pix for you. I decided to make a dip since I didn't think it was fair (for the fries) to be eaten just with ketchup, although they are ultimately delicious just with ketchup. For the dip I chose something veggie since the fries had cheese and lemon, so I wanted something soft, softer than my first Alexia product. So I chose to make a Turkish carrot dip, which was yum with the fries.

And if you want to try these better hurry because they are LIMITED EDITION

These are ready...to be eaten!!

I put them in the oven at 400F for 20 minutes and they were just right in crispiness.

If you're wondering if I put any cooking spray or whatnot on my baking sheet, no, I just grabbed a clean cookie sheet and adorned it with fries.

Yuuumm. After I took them out of the oven, the Parmesan-y scent filled my kitchen it was great. You can definitely taste and feel the Parmesan on the fries, the lemon leaves this barely there tangy-ness that compliment the Parmesan cheese.

Carrots for carrot dip, I felt like I grated carrots forever, but soo worth it.

Turkish Carrot Dip

Ingredients

• 4 medium sized carrot, peeled and finely grated
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
• A squeeze of lemon juice
• A sprinkling of  paprika 

Direction

After you've peeled and grated your carrots, in a large skillet, cook the carrot with the oil and some salt until they are cooked through. Set aside to cool down. I let them cool down all the way.

Mix the carrot with the yogurt, and garlic. Add lemon juice if needed and also taste for salt too. I only used 1 teaspoon though.Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle with paprika.

From my hand to my mouth.

I did a close up so it's easier to see the texture and prettiness. I love it!

Alexia Parmesan Lemon Waffle Fries with Turkish Carrot Dip

They were popular for the lunch I made for my family and some friends that came over.

Turkish carrot dip was a good call because it didn't take away from the fries' flavor. I feel it actually made the flavors pop even more.

Chicken, aguacate (avocado), side salad, rice (not pictured), and Alexia Parmesan Lemon Waffle Cut Fries.

Caramel Ricotta Cookies

I broke. I broke and took a day off. I took a day off and made these delish cookies, watched a little netflix, and watched Grey's Anatomy. I can't wait to watch season 8 in its entirety because whoa I watched, I don't know what episode, but next thing I know Cristina is throwing a cereal bowl (milk&cereal included) at Owen. So am intrigued, so come that one week in summer when I have no classes I shall watch :) But for now I must focus on these last few weeks of classes, 3 weeks to be exact. Yay!

Also I have a couple recipes, that I had to put back due to the case of the missing flashdrive--which contained all recipes and pictures, boo. Luckily I found it inside my bag...that is at the very, very bottom of said bag.

Since the last time I posted my sister got married And this was her cake.

The top was almond cake and the bottom was a very pineappl-y cake, the were both very soft and delish.

I there was a band of tornadoes that unleashed hail and fear all over town. No picture of that I stayed home safe and sound, lucky for me classes were cancelled.

April seems like THE month for ricotta! I've seen so many recipes withe ricotta cheese it's no doubt the 'hot' item. These cookies are very moist, I really enjoyed the lemon-y taste that was barely there. Mixed in with the sugar that lemon-y taste was almost heavenly! I wanted to do something different than the usual lemon-zest filled frosting that is typical for these cookies. So I made some caramel sauce, it was a little difficult, and it came out a bit heavy, but only because I left it in the heat for too long and didn't stir fast enough. So lesson learned: stir and remove from heat as soon as you can.

Caramel Ricotta Cookies

(makes 2 dozen)

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 stick unslated butter, room temperature
• 2 large eggs
•  1 cup fresh ricotta , drained
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt into and set aside. In a separate mixing bowl cream the sugar and butter in a mixer on high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed to medium, and gradually add in the eggs one at a time, beating well between additions. Then add in the ricotta, vanilla, and lemon extract, and mix well. Add the flour mix, and beat on low until just combined, but do no overmix.

 Scoop the dough, I used 2 tablespoon scoop, onto the baking sheets. Place in oven, and bake for 20 to 22 minutes. Remove from oven, and cool on wire racks.

 

Caramel Sauce 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup milk 

Directions:


In a saucepan pour water and sugar, set at medium heat. Let it boil until the sugar begins to turn a brownish-red color, then remove from heat and add butter and milk. Let it cool. 

Bake with lots of love!

Hot Cross Buns

I'd like to make a confession. I absolutely love all sorts of buns (take this as you will), hot buns, cold buns--heck anything that resembles a bun--like a biscuit or roll. Rolls are buns, right? Basically bread, yup pretty much---bread. 

So today is Good Friday which is THE hot cross bun day, and Easter approaches...wow I swear every year Easter arrives earlier and earlier than expected. For some reason I thought Easter was always on April 25, I haven't even bought any Easter eggs, or basket. But come this time next year I shall have all the time in the world (hopefully I'll be employed or something so I can keep buying flour--lol), I cannot wait until this semester is over that is all I am saying, one more month of school: am ready for the final push. Anyways I have delicious buns to introduce!!

I love me some hot cross buns, they are in my tops favorite breads list!! 

* Ingredients in blue are the ones I added to Martha's recipe!

Hot Cross Buns

adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for bowl and baking sheet
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
• 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons plus one pinch salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (otherwise known as mace)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder (yes bare with me here) 
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 1/3 cups currants
•  1 cup candied lemon
• 1 cup candied pineapple
• 1 cup candied cherries
• 1/4 cup orange peel
• 1 tablespoon lemon emulsion
• 1 large egg white
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 

Directions

1. Generously butter a large bowl.
2. In a small saucepan set over medium heat, heat 1 cup milk until it is warm to the touch.
3. Pour warm milk into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook. With mixer on low, add yeast, sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, melted butter, cinnamon, mace, garlic powder, cardamom, lemon emulsion and beaten eggs.
4. With mixer on low, add flour, 1 cup at a time, until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms around the dough hook, about 3 minutes. Continue kneading, scraping down hook and sides of bowl as necessary until smooth, about 4 minutes longer. Add currants, candied lemon, pineapple, cherries, orange peel and knead until combined.
5. Turn dough out onto a heavily floured surface. Knead by hand to evenly distribute currants, candied fruit and orange peel for about 1 minute.
6. Shape dough into a ball, and place in the buttered bowl; turn ball to coat with butter, and cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour 20 minutes. For a richer flavor, let dough rise in a refrigerator overnight. Do not skip this step!!
7. Generously butter an 11-by-17-inch baking sheet.
8. Turn dough out onto work surface, and knead briefly to redistribute the yeast. Divide dough into twenty-four equal pieces. Shape pieces into tight balls, and place on baking sheet, spaced 1/2 inch apart.
9. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until touching and doubled in bulk, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
10. Heat oven to 375 degrees, with rack positioned in center.
11. To make egg wash, whisk together egg white, 1 tablespoon water, and pinch of salt in a small bowl; brush tops of buns with egg wash. Using very sharp scissors or a buttered slicing knife, slice a cross into the top of each bun.
12. Transfer pan to oven, and bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool.
13. Make glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon milk, confectioners’ sugar, and lemon juice. Pipe or ladle glaze over buns, and serve.

Words of advise wait until buns cool to ice them otherwise the icing will run all over them.

Makes 24 buns.

I definitely loved these buns, the texture is nice not too soft yet not too hard at all. The spices are divine! I added cardamom because it smelled very good, the garlic powder was to add a kick to all the sweetness and to help distribute the mace, cardamom, and cinnamon-ny flavors...so that helped. The mace and orange peel, helped give the buns some color--a rich yellow-y not quite orange look. The lemon emulsion well I figured since I was adding citrus fruits (orange, and lemon) I may as well give in to the lemon emulsion, that and quite honestly I was a little concerned that all the other spices would crap out on me (isn't that always a concern/risk when trying to make your own recipe), but phew it all worked very, very well.

See what I mean about runny icing if applied while buns are still hot! Yummy candied lemon peeking out.

Hope all of you have a great EASTER!

Bake with love!

Awards and Nominees

A few days ago I was nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award by the lovely Kayle from The Cooking Actress be sure to check out her fantabulous blog. I am so excited that this blog has received its first award!! Yay :)

The Versatile Blogger Award is awarded in order to introduce new, quality blogs to more readers and other bloggers who have been nominated.

Here are the following rules for this award:

If you are nominated, you’ve been awarded the Versatile Blogger Award.  Here are the rules:

•  Thank the person who gave you this award.  Thank you so much Kayle, really appreciate it. :)
  
•  Include a link to their blog. The Cooking Actress
•  Next, select 15 blogs/bloggers that you’ve recently discovered or follow regularly.
•  Nominate those 15 bloggers for the Versatile Blogger Award.
•  Finally, tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself. 

There are also a few add-on rules:

• In the same post, include this set of rules. 
• Inform each nominated blogger of their nomination by posting a comment on each of their blogs.  

And the nominees for The Versatile Blogger Award are...

* Please note these are in no particular order

1. frozen wings

2. Anecdotes and Apple Cores

3. Sugar Plum Blog

4. The Tomato Snob

5. The Smart Cookie Cook

6. Fleur-De-Licious

7. Peas & Crayons

8. CakeDuchess

9. Our Italian Kitchen

10. Kitchen Mason

11. Sugar Bean Bakers

12. The Sweet Beet

13. Baking Serendipity

14. The Comfort of Cooking

15. The Purple Spoon

And these are 7 random facts about me


1. I have an uncanny obsession with pancakes.
2. For the longest time I thought I was 5'4...when really I'm 5'1.
3. I don't like to eat onions.
4. I learned to speak English when I was 7 yrs. old.
5. I never get tired of watching Friends.
6. I like to read journal articles.
7. I've never driven on the highway.

Be sure to check out these blogs they are amazing!!