BEER PANCAKES WITH RED PEPPER AND DELI MEAT (VIMA GOURMET FOOD BLOG AWARDS 2016)

     I hate it when everything goes south...in the kitchen. Today it seemed that my food processor and stand mixer hated me. It was obvious. But I don't know why? Was it because I haven't used it for a long time? Or maybe because I was using it the wrong way, oddly? I was so overwealmed with anger and frustration when my attempt to make a cream cheese frosting was a complete failure. It was not the first time I did it, so I couldn't figure out what the f*** was wrong with it. I almost through it away during my burst of rage. Thank God I didn't. About two hours later after I have completely calmed myself and forgot about the disaster, I tried to do it manualy. That means I got the whisker and starting whisking the shit out of it I almost felt my muscles explode. But to my own surprise the frosting came back to life... 

     All this rumbling was to tell you I might be doing a new recipe tomorrow feauturing a chocolate layer cake with possible cream cheese frosting. Until then, I have to talk about these amazing pancakes I made on Sunday. The amazing part of these pancakes is that they don't need any dairy or baking powder to be fluffy and soft. The beer does that instead and gives them a slightly sweet and full taste. They are perfect for a Sunday brunch with your friends, especially now during Super Bowl in US or maybe during Euro Cup in Europe. Whatever the reason for making these, you won't get disappointed.

      This recipe is my second one for the Food Blog Awards 2016 hosted by Vima Gourmet. If you don't remember, I am nominated for the "Best Cooking" category this year and would love it if you could vote for me here. Sponsored by greek brewery company "Asmtel", which has very good quality of beers for all tastes. 

Beer Pancakes with red peppers and deli meat 

ingredients (for 2-4 persons)

1 1/4 cup flour for all purposes

1 can of beer

1 egg

1/2 cup red pepper diced

1/2 cup deli meat or ham diced

4 fried eggs

1 avocado

olive oil

How do I make it?

1. In a bowl whisk very well the egg. Then add the flour and beer slowly and start mixing until you get a rather liquid batter. 

2. Add the diced red pepper and deli meat and mix.Season with some salt and pepper.

3. Grease a medium pan with some olive oil and set your heat on medium. Once the pan is ready take a big spoon of batter and place it on the center shaping a round pancake. Cook for some minutes.

4. Once the pancake is ready (you can check by lifting the pancake a bit), flip it carefully to the other side and cook some more.

5. Do the same with the rest of the batter until it's finished.

6. Serve your pancakes with a fried egg on top and 1/4 sliced avocado! 

If you liked this recipe and enjoy reading my blog, you can vote for me for "Best Cooking" blog in this year's Food Blog Awards hosted by Vima Gourmet. 

Εάν σας άρεσε αυτή η συνταγή και σας αρέσει να διαβάζετε το μπλογκ μου, μπορείτε να με ψηφίσετε στην κατηγορία "Best Cooking"  στα φετινά Food Blog Awards που διοργανώνονται από το περιοδικό ΒΗΜΑ Gourmet.

GARLIC, HAM AND SWISS CHEESE BEER BREAD, VIMA GOURMET FOOD BLOG AWARDS 2016

     New month, new beginnings. This year I seem to be a master in those. This year started extremely well, as I took a trip back home, where I met my friends again and was nurtured by my family. During January I've been reading a lot of books, studying a foreign language and being less anxious about food and life in general. Now, February is here ad I cannot wait to see what is ahead of me. I booked another ticket to Paris this March, where I will meet my dad (he will come from Greece) and we will explore Paris again like we used to do when I was a teenager. I missed that so much! Plus, my dad is the only person who completely understand my utter fascination with this city and everything it offers.

     Other than daydreaming of Paris (which I should stop), I made the perfect recipe for a cold night in with some friends coming over. On the last day of January, the weather decided to change a bit from being freaking cold to being freaking wet. That meant...staying inside, because you could not get out without getting soaking wet. So, what better that to make something comforting to eat, right?

     The idea for this recipe was inspired and sponsored by greek brewing company, Amstel as part of this year's food blog awards hosted by culinary magazine Vima Gourmet in Greece. This savoury beer bread seems more like something your brother, boyfriend or guy friends would only eat, since it contains a whole can of beer. But it can be just as good for everyone, expect children and pregnant women. The ham, garlic and authentic swiss cheese really go well with beer as you will realise when you taste this bread. It comes out asa very soft yet thick bread that leaves a slight taste of good quality beer on the mouth when you eat it. My suggestion? Since it's winter and you'd rather stay inside, invited some friends over and start baking!

Garlic, Ham and Swiss cheese Beer Bread (sponsored by Amstel Beer)

ingredients (for one loaf)

3 cups of all purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 garlic gloves

1 cup ham chopped

1 cup swiss cheese + extra for topping

1 can of Almstel beer (330ml)

olive oil

2 tablespoons of melted butter

How do I make it?

1. Put a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a medium pan and sautee in medium heat the garlic with the ham until golden brown. Put pan aside.

2. In a large bowl shift your flour cup by cup. Add the sugar, salt and baking powder to the bowl. Make a whole inside the bowl and put in the sauteed ham and the cup of cheese. 

3. Pour in the entire can of beer. With a big wooden spoon start mixing everything together until you get a soft dough. 

4. Graise one loaf pan with one tablespoon of butter. Set your oven to 180 C. Transfer the dough carefully to the graised load pan and make sure it fills the pan evenly. Pour the second tablespoon of butter on top of the loaf.

5. Bake your bread for 35 minutes or until lightly golden. If you want to add some extra cheese on top, after your bread has been baked for 25 minutes, open the oven, carefully taking the pan out and add some cheese on top. Then transfer again in the oven to bake for the remaining time.

If you liked this recipe and enjoy reading my blog, you can vote for me for "Best Cooking" blog in this year's Food Blog Awards hosted by Vima Gourmet. 

Εάν σας άρεσε αυτή η συνταγή και σας αρέσει να διαβάζετε το μπλογκ μου, μπορείτε να με ψηφίσετε στην κατηγορία "Best Cooking"  στα φετινά Food Blog Awards που διοργανώνονται από το περιοδικό ΒΗΜΑ Gourmet.

GINGERBREAD CUPCAKES WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

     Two years have passed since I began my journey in this blog. After debating on whether I should do it or not for a long time, I decided to become one of those foodies out there. Call it ambition, call it creativity, in my mind I would create tasty recipes and take beautiful photos of them afterwards. Like the photos I kept seeing in other blogs and on instagram. Looking back to when I started and where I am now, I have to confess I still feel like I just started and I have so many things to learn and change. Creativity is still there and has developed even more. People start recognizing my work and I feel more proud of what I create every time.

      I am not a full-time blogger like most of people, but I don't mind. It is my hobby and my secret passion, I do it first of all for me and then to share my passion with other people, you. I know this blog could have more success and more followers on instagram, but at the end of the day it is a pesonal escape for me when I feel lost or blue or inspired. So, when I get to talk with people who like my blog, I want them to reach out to me because they find inspiration in what I do and are somewhat on the same boat as me...

     On this note, I would like to announce that I have been nominated for best cooking blog at the Food Blog Awards 2016 hosted by greek food magazine "Vima Gourmet". I was so happy when I got an email from them saying I was selected for a nomination this year. It is the second year of the awards and there are 32 blogs selected for 7 categories. All of the blogs are very creative and full of delicious recipes, so be sure to have a look at each one of them! So, in order to celebrate this happy announcement and the two years of this blog I made these gingerbread cupcakes with cream cheese buttercream frosting. I also made with the same recipe a cake and took it to a friend's birthday party, but I didn't get to photograph at.

     Christmas is getting closer and Zurich is being decorated with lights everywhere. In this holiday spirit I am trying to make all these kinds of holiday desserts and meals. If you love spices like me then you must love the gingerbread cupcakes. It's moist, smells like Christmas and the cream cheese buttercream frosting gives it the sweetness it deserves. This recipe is best if you have kids, since kids love baking sweets and they could be a big help (or not). You can do the same recipe as a cake or smaller cakes. Put on some holiday songs, like Frank Sinatra or Michael Buble and enjoy baking these beauties.

Gingerbread cupcakes with Cream Cheese frosting

ingredients (for small cupcakes)

1 cup unsulfured molasses

1 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup brown sugar or white

2 large eggs

3 cups shifted flour

2 teaspoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon clove

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup boiled water

cream cheese frosting

200gr cream cheese

180gr softened butter

1 cup shifted icing sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla

for decorating: white chocolate sprinkles

How do I make it?

1. In a mixing bowl of a standing mixer or with a hand mixer, blend well together the oil, sugar and molasses. Continue mixing while adding the eggs one at a time. Mix until smooth.

2. In seperate bowl add the flour, ginger, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg together. Pour the mixture slowly in the wet mixture and mix until a somewhat think batter is created.

3. Boil the water and add the baking powder inside. Quickly transfer it to the think mixture and mix together very well. The mixture will start to become lighter once again and more liquid.

4. Preheat oven to 180 C. Butter a muffin pan for 12 cupcakes. With a tablespoon start adding 1 or two large tablespoons from the mixture to the cupcake pan for every cupcake. When you are done, put the pan in the over and bake for 20-25 minutes. Taste the cupcakes by inserting a toothpick inside. If it comes out clean then your cupcakes are done. (hint: for a cake you will need double the time of baking, so 40 minutes)

5. When the cupcakes are done remove from the over and let them cool completely. Start making the cream cheese buttercream frosting. In a clean bowl mix together the soft butter, cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla. Make sure you have shifted the sugar, otherwise there would be lumps inside your buttercream and it will become nasty.

6. If the buttercream is a bit runny from all the mixing, put it in the fridge for some minutes. Using an icing bag start decorating your cupcakes. You can use whichever tip you want!