Reinventing: Strawberry Icebox Cake

The Kitchn recently posted a few no bake desserts and the recent heat wave definitely put me off turning the oven on. The strawberry icebox cake (original recipe here ) caught my eye. The recipe calls for regular graham crackers, but I used Trader Joe's Cinnamon Graham Crackers and it gave the dessert a really great flavor. I also used the homemade whipped cream recipe.

• 2 pounds of fresh strawberries
• 1 serving of whipped cream
• 1 16 oz container of Trader Joe's Cinnamon Graham Crackers

Slice the strawberries thinly and set aside. Make the whipped cream. In a 9x13 inch pan, lay down a layer of whipped cream. The next layer should be the graham crackers, with two at the top laid width wise, followed by 2 rows of three laid length wise, then the last two at the bottom width wise. Throw another layer of whipped cream on there, followed by strawberries. Keep layering, finishing with a layer of strawberries. You should have three layers. Cover the dish and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours. The time in the fridge softens the graham crackers and blends everything together.

This is a great dessert to make in a small kitchen. You use a minimal amount of dishes and counter space. By my count, you only use the 9x13 dish, the bowl for the whipped cream, a knife and a chopping board. Minimal amount of stuff for a pretty summer dessert.

Just desserts: Whipped Cream

Whipped cream is surprisingly not a misnomer. It is literally whipped heavy cream. Fresh, homemade whipped cream adds a richness to a dessert that most store bought whipped cream is missing. It's super easy and takes about 10 minutes with a hand mixer.

• 3 cups of heavy whipping cream
• 1/3 cup confectioner's sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

With a hand mixer on low, whip the cream until it forms soft peaks. Beat the sugar and vanilla...and that's it.
Make sure you use a glass or metal bowl to keep the cream cool.

I find this is cheaper than buying the pre-made stuff and only requires a small bit of effort. And in a small kitchen, this is a very easy dish as it only uses one dish!

An Ode to Siracha

I'm usually not one for product placement, but in the past years I've come to appreciate certain items that have become pantry staples. Siracha slowly but surely worked its way to the top of the pantry pyramid. For those unfamiliar with it, Siracha is a devastatingly simple Thai hot sauce made with various chili peppers, vinegar, and garlic. The spice is a slow burn and adds a very distinctive heat to any dish. Its simplicity is the key to its versatility.

Now without further ado, a list of things that have been made better with Siracha:

• ketchup: mix the two together for a kicked up dipping sauce
• egg: a way to jump start the day
• stir-fry: mix it in as one of the last ingredients to give the dish some spice
• hummus: instead of (or in addition to, if you want to set your mouth on fire) red pepper sprinkled on the spread, mix in some of the sauce for a tangier version
• BLTs: mix it in with the mayo for a different take on the classic sandwich
• macaroni and cheese: adds a touch of zing to the creamy dish
• marinara sauce: again, a simple way to spice things up

These are just the things I did today-anyone else slightly obsessed with this hot sauce? This sauce is definitely worthy of your valuable cupboard real estate.

Look for the very distinctive green topped bottle in international markets, and in the international section of most grocery stores.

Summer time: Sweet Tea

Coming from the South, a glass of sweet tea is the way to welcome summer. Summer heat waves don't stand a chance against home brewed tea and fresh simple sugar.

To brew the tea:

• Black tea, such as Lipton
  
• 1 tea bag per 8 oz of water

Boil the water and steep the tea for no longer than 5 minutes, otherwise it's a bit strong (Thanks for the tip, Ben!). Cool in the fridge for about 5 hours.

For the simple sugar:

• 1 cup of water
• 2 cups of water

To make more, keep the sugar to water ratio 2:1. Make sure the water is at a full boil before adding the sugar. Stir constantly to make sure it dissolves. You'll know that the syrup is ready because it will feel thicker as you stir. Once all the sugar is dissolved, take off the heat and store in a sealed container. A word of warning, if you keep the sugar on the heat for longer, it will turn out too thick.

For a 6 cup pitcher of sweet tea, we added roughly 6 tablespoons of the simple sugar. Add more or less according to taste.

I used the same pot for brewing the tea and making the simple sugar thinking it would be tea infused. I couldn't really taste a difference, but it did make the syrup not as clear as it would normally appear.

Just Desserts: Dulche de Leche

Chemistry is a wonderful thing. 1 15 oz can of sweetened condensed milk + 1 pot of water + 3.5 hours = dulche de leche. Seriously.

Dulche de leche is similar to caramel, only in a more jelly form. It's a traditional Spanish dessert, but not to be confused with flan. A diverse dessert, it can be used as a garnish or eaten alone.

Take your standard can of sweetened condensed milk and take the label off. Make sure the can is submerged in water the whole time-THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT OR THE CAN WILL EXPLODE!

Cover the pot and keep at a steady boil for 3 hours. Then turn off the heat and keep covered for 30 minutes. Open the can and enjoy!

This is particularly tasty when paired with fried plantains.

Cook & Tweet

A bit late to the party, but follow us on Twitter: @GalleyKitchen

Periodically we'll be live cooking on Twitter-watch as we try not to burn the kitchen down!

Kitchen Envy

Wired posted a jealousy inducing kitchen makeover. If only we could all be so lucky!

The description from Wired:
"The Euro decor was more Cuisinart than haute cuisine, and his foodie spouse demanded better tools. Enter the professionals at Creative Concept Builders SF and Nicole Hollis Interior Design, who cooked up an ingredients list focused on eco-friendly appliances and locally sourced materials."

Wired Makeovers: Kitchen

Weekend Meal: Turkey Taco Bake

The name is a bit deceiving, as this is really more of a turkey taco slow-cooker dish. It's an easy, thrifty meal. Beef also works, but it makes for a fattier meal.

• 1 lbs. ground turkey (or beef)
• 1 10.75 oz can of condensed tomato soup
• pico de gallo
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 1 package of 8-inch flour tortillas sliced into 1-inch pieces
• shredded cheese
• sour cream
• 1 package of corn bread
  

Cook the meat until browned and pour of any fat. Stir the soup, milk, and tortilla pieces into the skillet and place into a slow cooker. Cook for about 4-5 hours on low.

Serve with corn bread and tortillas.

Weekend Meal: Stir-Fried Tofu, Shiitake Mushrooms, and Snap Peas

Sometimes a veggie meal is the way to go. You feel a little healthier and are able to gorge yourself on more dessert. This tofu stir fry is from the always reliable Cooking Light. Originally, the recipe called for Chinese peas, but I swapped those out for snap peas for thrift's sake.

• 1/2 Tbs. julienne-cut peeled fresh ginger (less if you prefer a less ginger taste)
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 Tbs. canola oil
• 2 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps
• 1 cup snap peas
• 2 Tsp red chili paste (more or less, depending on your tolerance of spicy food)
  
• 1 package (12.3 oz to 14 oz) extra firm tofu, drained and cubed
  
• 3 Tbs low-sodium soy sauce

Combine ginger and 1/2 tsp salt in small bowl and let stand 5 minutes. rinse ginger with cold water, and pat dry. Then combine the ginger with cornstarch.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet and add mushrooms and cook until tender. Add ginger mixture, snap peas and chili paste and fry for 2 minutes. Add tofu, fry 1 minute then add soy sauce and fry for 2 minutes. Serve over white rice.

This isn't a very cost effective meal, as the mushrooms are pricey, as is buying the chili unless you already have it on hand.

Dessert: Chocolate Malt Pudding

I'm going to put this out there: pudding is really easy to make. This chocolate pudding takes about 10 minutes. You can serve it right out of the pan warm, or you can refrigerate it and serve it cold. I like to use high quality chocolate, as the chocolate makes up the majority of ingredients of this dish.

• 1/4 cup malted milk powder (Ovaltine works)
• 5 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 1/4 cups half and half
• 4 oz semi sweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Malted milk balls, for toppings

Whisk together malted milk powder, sugar, cornstarch in pan. Whisk in 1/2 cup of the half and half until it's smooth. Add the remaining half and half and cook the mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly until it thickens. (this happens pretty dramatically, and the mixture will take the consistency of pudding)


Remove the pan from heat and add in the chocolate. You can serve it now or put it in the fridge. Easy peasy.

This is a pretty cheap dessert, depending on the type of chocolate you purchase.