Baker's Theory

Chicken Tacos

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These are weird times we live in. Under normal circumstances, I would have just ran to the grocery store to pick up tortillas if we were out. I think twice about it now. Fortunately, my sister was telling me about this homemade tortilla recipe she uses and it did not seem difficult at all! The dough is very easy make, and after you let it rest for a few minutes, it’s easy to work with as well. The only challenging thing might be using a rolling pin to get the tortillas ultra thin. 

The chicken part is very easy as well and can be used not only for tacos but for pozole…

Ingredients

For the tortillas

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Instructions

For the tortillas

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl using a hand or stand mixer. Dough will be shaggy. Using your hands, combine dough into a rough ball. Allow dough to rest for 15 minutes in the bowl. 

Grab about a golfball-size piece of dough and roll into a ball, then flatten the ball with your hands into a round. Using a rolling pin, flatten the round further until very thin, about 1/16-1/8″, rotating and flipping the round after each flattening. 

Heat a non-stick pan on low-medium heat and place the round in the pan. When air bubbles start to form, flatten with a spatula and flip the round. You will cook each side for 1-2 minutes. 

Tip: Don’t lay uncooked tortilla rounds on top of each other. They will stick together! It’s best to roll one out and let it cook while you roll out the next one. 

For the chicken

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup water
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp chile powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp instant coffee
1/2 cup salsa

 

For the chicken

Marinade chicken in all ingredients in a gallon Ziplock bag overnight. 

Pour out chicken with marinade into a dutch oven. Put on low heat and cover for two hours. 

Chicken should be tender enough to shred. Turn off heat and shred. Add salt to taste. Season with lime and serve with homemade tortillas.

Pistachio Ice Cream

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Hi. It’s been a hot minute. I am finally back from a very long work trip in Colorado and reunited with the kitchen. Out of the frying pan and into the fire! In the spirit of March and spring, here’s a beautiful, pale green pistachio ice cream. It pairs nicely with a hunk of chocolate cake or carrot cake! Jim thinks it tastes like Cherry Garcia, so I am making the next version of this pistachio ice cream with chunks of cherries and chocolate. It’ll be like a Neopolitan blend. 

Do you say puh-stahhh-chee-ohh or pis-stash-ee-ohh? I apparently say it the snobby way. I hope you enjoy this puh-stahhh-chee-ohh ice cream, dahhhling. Cheerio.

Pistachio Ice Cream by Epicurious and modified by Baker’s Theory

Ingredients

1/4 cup white sugar
1 cup raw pistachio nuts, shelled
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
4 egg yolks
1 tsp almond extract
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup chopped raw pistachio nuts, shelled

Serves: 6-8

Instructions

Using a food processor, blend 1/4 cup white sugar with 1 cup raw pistachios until crumbly. Pour into a heavy bottomed sauce pot and whisk together with milk. Bring to a simmer. 

Combine 1/2 cup sugar with 4 egg yolks and almond extract in a bowl. Scoop a 1/4 cup of the hot pistachio-milk mixture in and whisk quickly so the egg does not cook. Gradually add about 1 cup of the pistachio-milk mixture a quarter cup at a time to the egg, whisking vigorously after each addition. Then pour the entire thing back into the pot and whisk constantly on low heat for about ten minutes. It will thicken. 

Transfer to an air-tight container and refrigerate overnight. 

After chilling, add 1 cup of heavy cream and 1/2 cup chopped pistachios and pour into an ice cream maker. Allow it to process per the ice cream maker’s instructions and then transfer to a freezer-safe container. 

Allow to chill in the freezer for at least 4 hours before consuming. 

Spaghetti Carbonara

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Buongiorno, amores. I can’t believe I’ve lived this long and have only just tried spaghetti carbonara. I think it is my new favorite pasta dish (next to red wine pasta)! Traditionally, this Roman dish must contain eggs, hard cheese (like Parmesan or Romano), pepper, and guanciale (cured Italian pork cheek), though pancetta is a perfectly acceptable substitute. For my version, I added peas and leeks because…well, why not? I think they offer a little sweetness in a very salty and savory dish.

Spaghetti Carbonara by Baker’s Theory

Ingredients

1/2 lb dried spaghetti
2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
2/3 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup reserved pasta water
Olive oil, for frying
3 oz pancetta slices
1/2 leek, chopped (the white part only)
1/2 cup fresh peas
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

Serves 4

Instructions

Pour hot water into your serving bowl. This will keep it warm and will help finish the sauce. 

Cook spaghetti in a medium pot of boiling, salty water.

While spaghetti is cooking, fry pancetta in a pan with oil until its fat has rendered and it’s browned slightly. Transfer to a plate with paper towels. 

In the same frying pan, sautee garlic, leek, and peas until garlic is golden and leek has started to brown. Remove from heat and set aside. 

In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, yolks, grated cheese, and black pepper. 

Once pasta is done, reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining. Slowly add this cup of pasta water to the egg mixture, whisking constantly until emulsified. 

Drain pasta. Dump hot water from serving bowl and transfer pasta into the serving bowl. Pour the egg sauce over it. Spoon the leeks, peas, garlic, and pancetta over it. Toss with tongs to get a solid mix of ingredients. Serve immediately!

*Note: do not add the eggs to any hot pan. It’ll cook them immediately! The hot serving bowl will act as a final heating for the egg sauce. 

 

Ricotta and Berries

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I’ve never much liked yogurt. Ricotta has a lighter texture to it that is more pleasing to me! This is such an easy breakfast or dessert and all it takes is three ingredients! Ricotta, jam, and berries. Perfectly sweet, and the tartness from the berries and jam get to shine instead of the tang from yogurt! 

Ricotta and Berries by Baker’s Theory

Ingredients

Whole milk ricotta 
Raspberry or strawberry jam
Blueberries and/or sliced strawberries

Calories per serving: 75 

Instructions

Using a 2 tbsp cookie dough scoop, scoop ricotta into a serving bowl. Drizzle jam around the base of the scoop. Arrange berries in and around the jam. Enjoy!

Caprese Panzanella

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Panzanella is an Italian salad that includes toasty bread and fresh vegetables soaked in a light dressing. It’s a summery dish, and while I realize it’s 25 degrees here, I can pretend it’s summer in my kitchen. Plus, these tomatoes looked really good at the store. 

Caprese is mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, and balsamic vinegar. 

You put them together! It just makes sense!  

Panzanella Caprese by Baker’s Theory (inspired by Ina Garten)

Ingredients

1 demi loaf Italian bread, cut into 1/2″ cubes
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 lb whole milk mozzarella, cut into 1/2″ cubes
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp hot German mustard
Salt and pepper

Serves 8

Instructions

Bake the cubes of bread at 350 F for 20 minutes so it is dry and crisp. Combine bread, halved tomatoes, basil, and cubes of mozzarella in a large bowl (your serving bowl is fine). 

In a 1 cup liquid measuring cup, measure olive oil. Add vinegar, mustard, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour over the bread, tomatoes, basil and cheese. Toss to coat in the dressing. Serve immediately. 

The Ringhand Communist

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My friends are absolutely brilliant. My dear friend Lauren made these incredible brandied cherries and my other dear friend Alex took them and invented a drink he has dubbed The Communist. It is so delicious, I suspect you’ll see it in bars everywhere you go pretty soon. It’s a similar approach to an old fashioned, which is technically any combination of liquor, citrus, sugar, and bitters–it can be any liquor, citrus, and source of sugar you want! You could have a tequila old fashioned! This particular red commie, son-of-a-gun libation is one shot of Kentucky bourbon combined with simple syrup, a bit of the syrup from the cherries, two cherries, and a slice of grapefruit. Don’t forget the big ice cube!

The Ringhand Communist by Baker’s Theories friends Lauren and Alex

Ingredients

Two brandied cherries, plus a tbsp of its syrup
1 slice of red grapefruit, plus the peel
1.5 oz bourbon
1 tbsp simple syrup
1 old fashioned ice cube

Serves: 1

Instructions

Muddle cherries and grapefruit in an old fashioned glass. Discard the slice. Pour in the cherry syrup, simple syrup, and bourbon and stir. Place the ice cube in the glass and wedge the grapefruit peel between the cube and the glass. Serve!

Caramel Apple Tarte Tatin

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Yes, I have been watching The Great British Baking Show…

Apparently a tarte tatin is an inverted tart, like a pineapple upside down cake. This is extremely easy and a great dessert to bring to a party because it looks pretty and is a crowd pleaser. Who doesn’t like apples with caramel? You can make your own puff pastry or use a sheet of ready-made puff pastry. You can also put a little dash of cinnamon in the caramel or on the apples if you’re feeling spicy. 

Jim, who isn’t really in to caramel and fruit desserts actually liked this dessert, so I am pleased! (Cooking for a picky eater is very satisfying when they like what you make!)

Enjoy!

Caramel Apple Tarte Tatin Recipe by Baker’s Theory

Ingredients

2 apples (honeycrisp or granny smith) sliced thin

1/2 cup salted butter

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1 sheet puff pastry

Serves 8

Instructions

In a heavy bottomed sauce pan melt butter and whisk in brown sugar until dissolved. Pour into a 9″ circular cake pan. Arrange sliced apples on top of the caramel. (You can be creative here.) Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired. Carefully place the puff pastry over the apples (do not disturb the apple arrangement) and trim to fit the shape of the pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Allow the tarte to cool for about 10 minutes before inverting on to a serving platter. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. 

Fried Plantains

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There’s a Caribbean-Southern restaurant in Saint Paul called Brasa that I am absolutely in love with, and they serve fried plantains with a green sauce that I suspect has cilantro in it, but is still very delicious. I didn’t make my sauce with cilantro (because I would not dare! It tastes like soap!) but it still had the essence of Brasa’s sauce. 

Fried plantains are also really big in the Philippines, and when I went with my mom last year we had something called baduya which is battered and fried plantains. SO GOOD. Stay tuned for that recipe soon…

If you’re looking to be the cool person at the Super Bowl party next weekend, look no further than this recipe. 

Fried Plantains with Green Sauce Recipe by Baker’s Theory

Ingredients

For the green sauce

1 ripe avocado, pit removed
1/2 cup mayo
4 oz diced green chiles
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup cilantro (optional!)
Juice of two limes
2 cloves garlic, whole

For the plantains

2 ripe plantains (yellow with brown spots)
Oil for frying (Vegetable, canola, or peanut work)
Salt

 

Serves 6-8

Instructions

For the green sauce

Halve an avocado and remove the pit. Scoop out its insides and drop into a food processor. Add mayo, green chiles, green onions, garlic, and cilantro, if using. Squeeze the juice of two limes over all of it and place lid on food processor. Process on high until the sauce is soft, pale green, and the onions have been pureed. Place in refrigerator until ready to serve. (Can be made a day in advance.)

For the plantains

In a medium, heavy bottomed sauce pot, pour in a neutral oil until it reaches about 2″ in the pot. Put on medium heat. 

Line a plate with paper towel or place a cookie cooling rack over a cookie sheet. 

Peel plantains by creating two lengthwise incisions along the plantain. (The skin is thick, so peeling it like a banana might cause the plantain to break.) Slice into 1/2″ disks. 

When the oil has reached 350 F (if you don’t have a thermometer, the oil should be hot near the surface and you’ll see swirls in it), drop the plantain slices in. They should start to sizzle immediately, and if they do not, your oil is not hot enough yet. Work in batches to fry. When the plantain disks turn golden brown, transfer them to the plate or cooling rack and turn your oil to low. 

Once all disks have been fried, on a flat surface (like a cutting board) use the flat part of a wooden spoon to smash the disks into even flatter disks–about 1/4″ thick. 

Turn the oil back to medium and when hot enough (350F), refry the flattened disks. They should fry much more quickly than the first time, turning brown and crisp. 

Once completely fried, transfer to a plate or cooling rack again. Sprinkle with salt immediately after transferring so that it sticks to the hot oil. 

Serve immediately. (Does not reheat or keep well, so only make what you need.)

 

Corn Pancakes

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These corn pancakes are a fun and savory variation of cornbread muffins! They have a slight southwestern style to them and are a great summer side dish. (I know it’s January…I can dream, though.) I snagged the recipe from Ina Garten and adjusted for what was readily available in my pantry! 

I actually like having these at breakfast with an egg white and salsa scramble. But I also served them with a pork roast and they were just as good. I bet it would make a nice topping to a chili with sour cream and chives. 

Corn Pancakes Recipe by Baker’s Theory (inspired by Ina Garten)

Ingredients

14 oz can of sweet yellow corn
1 1/2 cups corn meal
1/2 flour
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
4 oz mild green chiles 
6 tbsp melted butter
2 tbsp chopped chives
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar
Oil, for frying

Serves: 22-24

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well blended. 

Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, distribute pancakes in a hot, oiled griddle. 

Cook on each side for 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel. Serve immediately!

 

Apple Garlic Pork Roast

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I borrowed my roommate’s Instant Pot because I’ve heard rumors you can make three-pound hunks of meat in an hour. So that’s pretty cool. 

I wanted to go low maintenance for this recipe because such is the spirit of the Instant Pot. I got a great deal on the pork roast at the store, and then picked up a head of garlic, a jar of apple butter, and a bottle of Kentucky Bourbon. 

Apples go really well with pork, so I thought apple butter would make for a great sauce! After the Instant Pot finished its magic, I put the juices from the pork, apple butter, bourbon, and garlic cloves in a blender for an emulsified sauce to top the pork. Yummy!

I served this with corn pancakes which are like corn muffins, but fried!

Apple Garlic Pork Roast Recipe by Baker’s Theory

Ingredients

3 lb pork loin, fat left on
9 oz apple butter
1 head of garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1/2 cup Kentucky bourbon
Salt

Serves 6-8

Instructions

Cover the pork loin with salt and place in Instant Pot. Pour apple butter and bourbon over the roast and toss a whole head’s worth of garlic cloves over the roast. 

Bring the roast up to pressure and set for 70 minutes. 

Remove the roast from the pot and place on a cutting board to cool. Slice. 

Allow the sauce to cool before blending/pureeing. 

Pour sauce over pork and serve.