Hi! This is Andrea from Cooking with a Wallflower, and I’m back this month on Ask Anna to share with you a brand new mocktail perfect for Dry January.

Apple Cider Lime Soda Mocktail

So many things have been happening lately. Our days have been filled with prepping for the arrival of our baby boy. It’s exciting but also overwhelming as we try to navigate this new part of our lives. Plus, trying to recuperate from the holidays. So much has been going on that we’ve lost track of time, and now a new year is already here!

I’ve been working on some new mocktails so today I want to share this apple cider lime soda. It’s simple, it’s delicious, and it’s perfect year round, or for Dry January. I mean, how can you resist? Just the warm flavors of apple cider, the hint of citrus, the bubbliness of the club soda makes this drink perfect for cold January evenings.

I like to top the drink with mint leaves and a cinnamon stick. Other options are star anise and lime wedges. Just for a little bit more festivity. While this version is made to serve one, you can easily scale the recipe up to share with others.

To make this drink, add apple cider to a glass, add fresh squeezed lime juice. Add crushed ice to the drink. Top with club soda. Garnish with star anise, cinnamon sticks, mint leaves, or lime wedges. Serve the apple cider lime soda immediately cold.

Enjoy!

Andrea

Cooking with a Wallflower

Apple Cider Lime Soda

 

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Apple cider and lime juice topped with sparkling club soda. This apple cider lime soda is simple, delicious, and perfect for fall.

Author: Andrea Giang

Recipe type: Beverage

Serves: 1

Ingredients

• Juice of one lime (2 tablespoons)
• ¾ cup apple cider
• ½ cup club soda
• Crushed ice
• Mint leaves
• Cinnamon stick

Instructions

1. Add apple cider to a glass, add fresh squeezed lime juice. Add crushed ice to the drink. Top with club soda.
2. Garnish with star anise, cinnamon sticks, mint leaves, or lime wedges.
3. Serve the apple cider lime soda immediately cold.

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Here are some other fun Mocktails to try!

Sparkling Pomegranate Apple Lemonade

Sparkling Cherry Limeade

The post Apple Cider Lime Soda Mocktail appeared first on Ask Anna.

Pantry Organization Ideas for Oddly Shaped Pantries

Last fall a friend of mine, who is a real estate agent, called me up and asked me to help her friend who had recently purchased a house. They had a decent sized walk-in kitchen pantry, but it was an oddly shaped pantry, with narrow shelves, and the owner needed help organizing it. I always love an organizing challenge so I headed over to her house to see how I could help her with pantry organization ideas. My friend was right, it was a great space but the shelves were so narrow, and some were so oddly shaped that the space was limited and challenged to store their pantry items.

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The walk-in pantry was a good size but it lacked any sort of organization. The pantry shelving were all odd sizes and shapes. It’s hard to see in the pictures but the back shelves are actually shaped like a triangle. The left wall had long narrow, tall shelves that also end in a triangle shape, and then on the right were even more narrow shelves. This left the homeowner completely stumped on what to do with the pantry space. It’s such a strange design, and definitely wasn’t thought out well by the builder.

My first step was to take measurements of all the shelves and then go home and find storage containers that would fit her shelf space. I searched the internet for any helpful posts on oddly shaped pantries, but couldn’t find any helpful information, which is why I decided I needed to write this post!

After failing to find anything helpful on the internet, I turned to Amazon to try to find organization items to fit all my odd measurements. I was delightfully surprised to find exactly what I needed. I sent this list to the homeowner, telling her how many of each to order:

Clear containers with lids, for stacking items on tall, narrow shelves

Stackable wire baskets

Corner organizing bins

Large stackable food storage containers

Adjustable height 2-tier lazy susan

After all of the products had arrived I went back over to her house to put the pantry back together.

Here are my top 3 rules for organizing any space:

1. First remove everything from the space.

Removing everything from the space makes it clutter-free, and makes it easier to visualize how to organize the space because it isn’t already cluttered with items.

2. Use organization bins to plan your layout.

Using the organization bins, baskets, glass jars, whatever it is you’re using, start adding pieces back into the space–in this case the pantry–to get a feel for the layout you want to use.

Because this pantry is so oddly shaped, it took a little trail and error before I figured out exactly how I wanted to use all the organization bins we had purchased.

3. Organize items in groupings.

Whether I’m organizing a closet or a pantry, I always put like items together. In this case I asked the homeowner how often, and who used each thing, before I put it back into the space. Snack foods for the kids were all put together, on shelves they could reach. Dinner items, like pasta, rice, and dried beans, were all grouped together, baking items, like flour, sugar, etc, were grouped together, breakfast cereals were placed where the kids could reach them, you get the idea.

Because the homeowner decided to relocate the small appliances that had also been stored in the pantry, we ended up having lots of extra space! It was exciting to see how everything got put back together, and how well all the organization bins from Amazon, fit the narrow awkward shelves.

I always love it when there are extra storage bins left over, after an organization project, because that means there is extra storage space left for additional items when the homeowner gets back from the grocery store.

I hope that these few tips will help you organize your pantry shelves this year! Whether you have a regular shaped pantry, or an oddly shaped pantry, there is always a solution to create organized pantry storage. If you ever have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask, like I said, I love an organization challenge!

The post Walk-in Pantry Organization Ideas for Oddly Shaped Pantries appeared first on Ask Anna.

Hi! This is Andrea from Cooking with a Wallflower and I’m back on Ask Anna this month to share with you a brand new dessert: vanilla bean basque burnt cheesecake.

It’s September already. Can you believe it? And that means that the holidays are just around the corner. And if you’re like me, then you’re already wondering what desserts you might be baking this holiday season. It’s going to be a little busier for me and my husband this holiday season with a baby on the way. So if we’re looking to hosting or baking for friends and family, we have to think ahead.

I’m obsessed with basque burnt cheesecake. The caramelized top. The creamy custardy center. The ease of making and baking the cheesecake. What’s not to love?

I’ve done so many different versions in the past. This time, I thought I’d stick with the classic: vanilla bean. For this cheesecake, I used both vanilla bean and vanilla extract for that extra vanilla flavor. Seriously, the smell of vanilla in the kitchen is always so amazing.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.

Preheat the oven to 400F. Prepare a 7-inch spring form baking pan by greasing it with butter. Line the baking pan with two sheets of parchment paper overlapping each other so that it hangs off the sides at least 2 inches. This will help you lift the cheesecake later. Place the baking pan on a baking sheet. Set aside for now.

In a large sized bowl, add cream cheese and granulated sugar. Use a hand mixer to mix the ingredients until well incorporated and smooth.

Next, add large eggs, mixing until well incorporated.

Add heavy cream, vanilla extract, and scrape vanilla bean into the bowl and beat until combined.

Sift all purpose flour evenly over the cream cheese mixture through a fine sieve. Mix until all the flour has been combined. The batter should look smooth.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cheesecake for about 30-33 minutes until the cheesecake is set but the middle is still jiggly.

Set the oven to broil. Broil the cheesecake for about 1-2 minutes until the top as browned and caramelized. Make sure to watch the cheesecake so that it doesn’t burn.

Allow the cheesecake to cool a little before taking out of the spring form pan. Allow the cheesecake to cool completely before removing the parchment paper.

Serve the vanilla bean basque burnt cheesecake at room temperature.

You can refrigerate the cheesecake, but make sure to let the cheesecake come to room temperature before serving. The cheesecake is also best eaten fresh.

Enjoy!

Andrea

Cooking with a Wallflower

Vanilla Bean Basque Burnt Cheesecake

 

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Basque burnt cheesecake with aromatic vanilla bean specks in every creamy bite. This Vanilla Bean Basque Burnt Cheesecake is simple, classic, and so delicious, perfect for the fall holidays.

Author: Andrea Giang

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 – 8oz cream cheese, room temperature
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 vanilla bean
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Prepare a 7-inch spring form baking pan by greasing it with butter. Line the baking pan with two sheets of parchment paper overlapping each other so that it hangs off the sides at least 2 inches. This will help you lift the cheesecake later. Place the baking pan on a baking sheet. Set aside for now.
2. In a large sized bowl, add cream cheese and granulated sugar. Use a hand mixer to mix the ingredients until well incorporated and smooth.
3. Next, add large eggs, mixing until well incorporated.
4. Add heavy cream, vanilla extract, and scrape vanilla bean into the bowl and beat until combined.
5. Sift all purpose flour evenly over the cream cheese mixture through a fine sieve. Mix until all the flour has been combined. The batter should look smooth.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cheesecake for about 30-33 minutes until the cheesecake is set but the middle is still jiggly.
7. Set the oven to broil. Broil the cheesecake for about 1-2 minutes until the top as browned and caramelized. Make sure to watch the cheesecake so that it doesn’t burn.
8. Allow the cheesecake to cool a little before taking out of the spring form pan. Allow the cheesecake to cool completely before removing the parchment paper.
9. Serve the vanilla bean basque burnt cheesecake at room temperature.
10. You can refrigerate the cheesecake, but make sure to let the cheesecake come to room temperature before serving. The cheesecake is also best eaten fresh.

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Here are some other delicious Fall desserts!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies

Soft and Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies

Cranberry Apple Pie

The post Vanilla Bean Basque Burnt Cheesecake appeared first on Ask Anna.

Hi! This is Andrea from Cooking with a Wallflower and this month I’m back on Ask Anna to share this Peach Mochi with you.

It’s been a little rough the last few weeks. My husband and I have been taking turns being sick, and the recovery period has not been fun. We missed days of work, but it meant that I had time to create new summer recipes for you.

Lately, I’ve been obsessed with mochi. They’re easy to make. They have a softness to them but also a chewy texture. Sometimes they’re flavored, like with matcha or chocolate or strawberry. And sometimes they’re filled with a paste like black sesame or red bean. You can fill them with ice cream, which you can find almost anywhere these days. Or wrap mochi in fresh fruit.

Mochi filled with fresh fruits can come in strawberry and mango. Those are the most popular. But since it’s summer, I thought I’d use a ripe peach. You can keep the skin on if you like, but for this recipe, I took the skin of a yellow peach off.

To make this peach mochi, cut opposite sides of the peach so that they’re whole pieces. Set aside for now.

Toast a small amount of glutinous rice flour in the oven or toaster oven for about 5 minutes. Set aside for now.

In a medium, microwave-safe bowl, whisk together glutinous rice flour and sugar. Then add water and then mix until everything is combined.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a microwave safe plate. Microwave the mixture for 1 minute, stir with a wet spatula, and repeat two more times. The mixture will turn a little translucent as it cooks. Set aside to allow it to cool.

Dust the work surface with toasted glutinous rice flour. Transfer cooled mochi to work surface and dust the top of mochi with more toasted glutinous rice flour.

Divide the mochi into four equal portions.

Use a rolling pin to roll out the mochi until thin. If the mochi sticks to the rolling pin, dust more with the toasted glutinous rice flour.

Place a piece of the peach in the middle of the rolled out mochi and wrap the mochi around the peach. Use your fingers to pinch the edges of the mochi together to seal the peach inside.

Serve the peach mochi the same day for best taste.

Enjoy!

Peach Mochi

 

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Ripe peaches wrapped in soft and chewy mochi. This peach mochi is simple, delicious, and the perfect summer dessert.

Author: Andrea Giang

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 2-4 servings

Ingredients

• ½ cup glutinous rice flour, for toasting/dusting
• 2 large ripe peaches, cut
• ⅔ cups glutinous rice flour
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ⅔ cups water

Instructions

1. To make this peach mochi, cut opposite sides of the peach so that they’re whole pieces. Set aside for now.
2. Toast a small amount of glutinous rice flour in the oven or toaster oven for about 5 minutes. Set aside for now.
3. In a medium, microwave-safe bowl, whisk together glutinous rice flour and sugar. Then add water and then mix until everything is combined.
4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a microwave safe plate. Microwave the mixture for 1 minute, stir with a wet spatula, and repeat two more times. The mixture will turn a little translucent as it cooks. Set aside to allow it to cool.
5. Dust the work surface with toasted glutinous rice flour. Transfer cooled mochi to work surface and dust the top of mochi with more toasted glutinous rice flour.
6. Divide the mochi into four equal portions.
7. Use a rolling pin to roll out the mochi until thin. If the mochi sticks to the rolling pin, dust more with the toasted glutinous rice flour.
8. Place a piece of the peach in the middle of the rolled out mochi and wrap the mochi around the peach. Use your fingers to pinch the edges of the mochi together to seal the peach inside.
9. Serve the peach mochi the same day for best taste.

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Andrea

Cooking With a Wallflower

Here are more delicious summer recipes!

Cherry Lemonade

Gluten Free Summer Recipes

The post Peach Mochi appeared first on Ask Anna.

Hi! This is Andrea from Cooking with a Wallflower. I’m back this month on Ask Anna to share with you a brand new recipe perfect for the summer.

We don’t have that many hot days in San Francisco. But when we do, during warm summer days, I really prefer meals that don’t require much cooking. The simpler the meal, the better. Mostly because a hot kitchen on already hot days is not my favorite place to be. For this month, I wanted to share with you this honey garlic soy avocado cucumber salad.

This salad is sweet and tangy and even a little spicy. You can easily customize the sweetness, tanginess, and spiciness to your level of comfort. It has all the ingredients that you probably have on hands. And it’s super easy to make.

Is there any particular dish that you like to go to when it’s hot out and you prefer not to have to turn on the stove or the oven?

In a small bowl, add minced garlic, Thai chili, scallions, lemon juice, soy sauce, water, honey, red onions, and black pepper. Stir to mix all the ingredients together. Allow it to sit for about 10 minutes.

In either a Tupperware or a medium sized bowl, add sliced avocado and cucumbers.

Pour the spicy honey garlic soy sauce mixture over the avocado and cucumbers. Allow the avocado and cucumbers to soak in all the flavor.

Best served cold so I would either use avocados and cucumbers that came from the fridge. Or refrigerate the avocado cucumber salad for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Serve the honey garlic soy avocado cucumber salad cold with rice or noodles.

Enjoy!

Andrea

Cooking with a Wallflower

Honey Garlic Soy Avocado Cucumber Salad

 

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Avocado, cucumbers, and red onions tossed in a sweet and tangy garlic sauce. This honey garlic soy avocado cucumber salad is simple, delicious, and refreshing, perfect with rice or noodles.

Author: Andrea Giang

Recipe type: Side

Serves: 2 servings

Ingredients

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Thai chili, thinly sliced
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• Juice of 1 lemon
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup water
• 1 tablespoon honey
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sesame seed
• ½ red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 Persian cucumbers, sliced
• 1 large avocado, sliced

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, add minced garlic, Thai chili, scallions, lemon juice, soy sauce, water, honey, red onions, sesame seeds, and black pepper. Stir to mix all the ingredients together. Allow it to sit for about 10 minutes.
2. In either a Tupperware or a medium sized bowl, add sliced avocado and cucumbers.
3. Pour the spicy honey garlic soy sauce mixture over the avocado and cucumbers. Allow the avocado and cucumbers to soak in all the flavor.
4. Best served cold so I would either use avocados and cucumbers that came from the fridge. Or refrigerate the avocado cucumber salad for at least 20 minutes before serving.
5. Serve the honey garlic soy avocado cucumber salad cold with rice or noodles.

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Here are some other easy summer recipes!

Sweat Tea Popsicles

Summer Caprese Tart

Peach Glazed Shrimp Skewers

The post Honey Garlic Soy Avocado Cucumber Salad appeared first on Ask Anna.