One Way to Utilize Leftover Lady Fingers - Coffee and Chocolate Ice Cream Cake

I made some tiramisu a while back, the non-alcoholic version. So I got a pack of lady fingers but ended up with more than half of the portion unused. That's why this ice cream cake recipe was born, just a simply way to use up all the leftover lady fingers that's been sitting in the shelf for weeks.

Coffee and chocolate ice cream cake using lady fingers - 

Ingredients?

• 18 to 22 lady fingers
• 2/3 cup coffee (black or milky kind)
• 400ml cookie and cream ice cream (just pick something you like)
• 400ml milk ice cream (just pick something you like)
• Some dark chocolate shavings
• Some cocoa powder

How? 

Brew the coffee of your liking, let it be black coffee or the milky kind, both work find. We need about 2/3 cup. Once done, pour over to a dish with some depth, a dish wide enough to soak in the entire lady finger. Set aside and let cool.

Line a meatloaf pan with cling foil. It doesn't have to be pretty, just helps pulling out the cake in the end.

Remove one of the ice cream from the freezer and wait till soften enough to scoop and reshape, but not too watery or soggy.

When ready to assemble, dip the lady finger to the coffee both sides, then arrange one single layer on the bottom of the pan.

Scoop the softened ice cream all over and try to smooth out the surface. I used cookie and cream ice cream to begin with, but my optimal choice was coconut milk, no luck finding that.

Shave some dark chocolate all over the surface.

Loosely cover the pan with cling foil and into the freezer till set. At least semi-set, that'll be a minimum of 30 minutes just to be safe. Meanwhile, remove the second ice cream choice from the freezer and wait to be softened.

Once ready, take out the pan, uncover, and add another layer of coffee-dipped lady fingers. Scoop the second ice cream flavor all over and smooth out the surface.

Loosely cover with cling foil again and into the freezer till fully set this time. I waited 2 hours, but preferably overnight.

When ready to serve, remove the pan from the freezer and invert to a cutting board. Take out the cling coil. Dust some cocoa powder all over the top. Slice and serve right away.

I took too long setting up the plate and table, so by the time I'm ready to take some pictures, the bottom ice cream nearly all melted.

Also I guess the consistency of the milk flavored ice cream I chose had something to do with it too. It was a bit softer than the cookie and cream one, making it harder to hold up the shape once removed from the fridge. 

Oh well, still not too bad in the end especially I didn't get to use my top choice coconut milk ice cream. What would you use instead? I suppose a bit exotic matcha flavored ice cream should tastes pretty good too.

Extended reading:

• No alcohol no heavy cream tiramisu (quality eggs will do)

Tuna and Olive Linguine for Two

Usually I would just cook big portions of food, like finishing the entire pasta package at once. So there must be a reason why I only made linguine for two here. Well, it's because the price for sashimi grade tuna is $$$$.

You know, unlike back in the states, I think it's how people used to cook their fish here in Taiwan, so it's a bit hard for me to simply find tuna "steak" at the supermarket. The only whole chunky tuna that I can find is sashimi grade tuna. And it'll come in either sliced version or sometimes they'll have a box or two uncut pieces on the side.

That's why instead of making tuna pasta for six plates, I think this time a lovely meal for two will do.

Tuna and olive linguine - 

Ingredients (for two servings)?

• 220 grams sashimi grade tuna or tuna steak
• 2 servings linguine pasta
• Some extra virgin olive oil
• 4 green olives
• 2 anchovies in oil
• Small bundle of parsley
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 bundle shallots (about 2 tablespoons peeled and chopped)
• Some salt
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 1/3 cup pasta water 

 

How?

Prepare a pot of water and season with few pinches of salt. Bring to a boil and toss in enough pasta for two servings. Cook till almost al dente. Save some pasta water first then drain the rest.

Meanwhile, cube the tuna. Depit the green olives then give it a rough chop. Peel and chop the shallots. Peel and chop the garlic cloves. Finely chop the parsley.

Have a pan ready and drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil. I simply used extra virgin olive oil throughout. Use medium heat and add in chopped shallots and garlic. Sear till aromatic but not burnt. Add in anchovies, sear and break the anchovies apart with a spatula.

Add in olives and continue to cook for about 30 seconds.

Add in cubed tuna. Stir-fry till about half cooked through.

Pour in 1/3 cup of dry white wine and bring to a boil. Let it boil for a little bit longer than pour in 1/3 cup of pasta water we saved earlier. Bring to a boil again and add in drained pasta. 

Let the pasta cook in the liquid for about a minute while stirring the ingredients in order to mix in some air. Still bubbling too.

Taste and season with salt. I used 1 teaspoon of salt myself. When all checked and set, drizzle some more extra virgin olive oil over. Toss then plate. Garnish with chopped parsley.

If you prefer a stronger savory taste, use more anchovies in the beginning. Perhaps up to 4 slices instead. It's like umami packed in these little fish fillets and will highly enhance the flavor of the final pasta. 

Other recipes using sashimi grade tuna:

• Sashimi grade tuna otsumami served with nori sheet
• Paccheri with tuna in red bell pepper sauce (portion for two)
• Tuna tataki coated with double roasted white sesame seeds