Sweet & Sour Pork Recipe

D: Typed up the full post and it all disappeared when I tried to return to add A's photos. Meh, photos are worth a thousand words right? :)

Sweet & Sour Pork

Deep Frying Pork Pieces

Stir Fry Ingredients Together

Source: Rasa Malaysia

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes Recipe

My VP and I took an a friendly bet on when our coworker's baby will be born - I lost and here are the cupcakes I made to pay off this debt. I wanted to utilize fall flavor, narrowed it down to three recipes, and ultimately chose this pumpkin spice one. J came over for the weekend and helped me with these. I'm so grateful, especially since we made everything by whisk. Maybe it's time I invested in a stand mixer... End of the day, what did I learn? - babies come after the supposed due date! Congrats A on fatherhood! 

Ingredients 
For Cupcakes

• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 cup pumpkin puree

For Frosting

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions 
For Cupcakes 

1. Preheat oven at 375F. 
2. In smaller bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, allspice, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. (I finally got to use the sifter J got me almost a year ago!) Set aside.
3. In large bowl, beat together butter, white sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. 
4. Add eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into butter mixture. 
5. Add in milk and pumpkin puree. 
6. Stir in the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. (I had to do flour in portions to all the hand whisk to churn everything in.)
7. Pour the batter into cupcake tins. (I lined with cupcake cups so didn't need to grease the tins.) 
8. Place in oven and bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown. 
9. Remove from oven. Allow the pans to cool for 5 minutes and remove cupcakes from tin to cool completely. 
10. Once cupcakes have cooled, frost with cream cheese icing (see below).

 For Frosting 

1. Beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. 
2. Beat in the confectioners' sugar a little at a time until incorporated. 
3. Add vanilla extract and ground cinnamon. 
4. Beat until fluffy.
5. When cupcakes have cooled, frost cupcakes with icing.

Source: The Stir | Kim Conte

Mashed Potatoes Recipe

J did an amazing job mashing this up to the perfect creamy! M compared it to the IKEA mashed potatoes.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs potatoes, cut
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 cup heavy cream 
• 1-1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Cut potatoes and put into a large pot. Add bay leaves, 2 tbsp salt, and cover with cold water. 
2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. (Fork should go through the meat easily)
3. Drain potatoes and remove bay leaves. 
4. Heat heavy cream and butter over low heat, until butter has melted. 
5. Mash potatoes with potato masher or whisk. 
6. Add cream butter mixture to potato. 
7. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well and serve.

Source: Food Network | Tyler Florence

Beef Bourguignon (Kinda)

I chose the recipe for this week, but didn't read through it properly. When I saw frozen pearl onions, I thought to myself - frozen onions? I can afford fresh onions - I'm going to get that. (Food noob here -.-). At the end of the day, everything tasted good. The beef chunks were a little overcooked - gotta take it off the heat earlier next time.

Ingredients

•  1 cup onions, diced
• 2 lb beef chunks 
• 1 tbsp butter or oil 
• 3 bacon slices, finely chopped
• 1 8oz pack of mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tsp thyme 
• pinch of sugar
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup red wine 
• 2 cup beef broth 
• 4 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour 
• Salt and pepper

1 cup frozen pearl onions

1 pound beef tenderloin, cut into roughly 2-inch chunks

1 tablespoon clarified butter or canola/safflower oil (or other neutral high smoke point oil)

1 bacon slice, finely chopped (or substitute pancetta)

1 10-ounce package of cremini mushrooms, quartered

2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

pinch of sugar

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/2 cup earthy, good-quality red wine (Cote du Rhone, Burgundy, or Pinot Noir)

1 cup low-sodium beef broth

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

fresh thyme sprigs (to garnish)

- See more at: http://www.bloggingoverthyme.com/2013/10/24/30-minute-beef-bourguignon/#sthash.y3q6flK7.dpuf

1 cup frozen pearl onions

1 pound beef tenderloin, cut into roughly 2-inch chunks

1 tablespoon clarified butter or canola/safflower oil (or other neutral high smoke point oil)

1 bacon slice, finely chopped (or substitute pancetta)

1 10-ounce package of cremini mushrooms, quartered

2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

pinch of sugar

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/2 cup earthy, good-quality red wine (Cote du Rhone, Burgundy, or Pinot Noir)

1 cup low-sodium beef broth

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

fresh thyme sprigs (to garnish)

- See more at: http://www.bloggingoverthyme.com/2013/10/24/30-minute-beef-bourguignon/#sthash.y3q6flK7.dpuf

1 cup frozen pearl onions

1 pound beef tenderloin, cut into roughly 2-inch chunks

1 tablespoon clarified butter or canola/safflower oil (or other neutral high smoke point oil)

1 bacon slice, finely chopped (or substitute pancetta)

1 10-ounce package of cremini mushrooms, quartered

2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

pinch of sugar

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/2 cup earthy, good-quality red wine (Cote du Rhone, Burgundy, or Pinot Noir)

1 cup low-sodium beef broth

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

fresh thyme sprigs (to garnish)

- See more at: http://www.bloggingoverthyme.com/2013/10/24/30-minute-beef-bourguignon/#sthash.y3q6flK7.dpuf

1 cup frozen pearl onions

1 pound beef tenderloin, cut into roughly 2-inch chunks

1 tablespoon clarified butter or canola/safflower oil (or other neutral high smoke point oil)

1 bacon slice, finely chopped (or substitute pancetta)

1 10-ounce package of cremini mushrooms, quartered

2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

pinch of sugar

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/2 cup earthy, good-quality red wine (Cote du Rhone, Burgundy, or Pinot Noir)

1 cup low-sodium beef broth

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

fresh thyme sprigs (to garnish)

- See more at: http://www.bloggingoverthyme.com/2013/10/24/30-minute-beef-bourguignon/#sthash.y3q6flK7.dpuf

1 cup frozen pearl onions

1 pound beef tenderloin, cut into roughly 2-inch chunks

1 tablespoon clarified butter or canola/safflower oil (or other neutral high smoke point oil)

1 bacon slice, finely chopped (or substitute pancetta)

1 10-ounce package of cremini mushrooms, quartered

2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

pinch of sugar

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/2 cup earthy, good-quality red wine (Cote du Rhone, Burgundy, or Pinot Noir)

1 cup low-sodium beef broth

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

fresh thyme sprigs (to garnish)

- See more at: http://www.bloggingoverthyme.com/2013/10/24/30-minute-beef-bourguignon/#sthash.y3q6flK7.dpuf

Instructions 

1. Remove beef from refrigerator and all to sit for at least 20 minutes. Finely chop half of the beef. Season with salt and pepper
2.  Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Melt butter or oil. 
3. Add large beef chunks to the pan and quickly brown on all sides. Remove beef from pan and foil wrap in a stainless steel bowl. 
4. Add the finely chopped diced beef and bacon to the pan. 
5. Add the mushrooms and saute until lightly brown, about 4-5 minutes. 
6. Add garlic, thyme, and the pinch of sugar. 
7. Add tomato paste and cook for another 1-2 minutes. 
8. Remove the pan from the heat and pour in the wine. 
9. Return the pan to heat and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan. Reduce the wine to half.
10. Add onion and broth and bring to a boil. 
11. Whisk together water and flour in a separate bowl. Add to the pan, stirring constantly until the mixture begins to thicken.
12. Add back browned beef chunks and cook over medium heat until beef is medium-rare, about 2-3 minutes. 
13. Season with salt and pepper. 
14. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Source: Blogging Over Thyme