These cakes are from the book "Hello, Cupcake" that my mother-in-law gave me for Christmas. So much fun to make! The Penguin ones are for a friend's birthday. No, he's not 8, but he really likes penguins. And the other ones were just for fun. Two legs, mashed potatoes with gravy, peas and carrots, rice, and chocolate pudding. Right now these are wingless penguins. Once they reach their destination, they will each be equipped with 2 halves of a thin mint. I had 3 cupcakes left over and some icing and decided to try a few things. I think I like the design on the bottom left the best.
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I love meatballs! They are quick and versatile for a delicious weeknight meal. Spaghetti and meatballs, meatball subs, or cut up and stir fried with some veggies. I usually make a bunch and freeze them until we are ready to eat them. They are definitely the first "food on reserve" to go. These meatballs also don't have to be precooked, which cuts down on the fat and ups the convenience. I also use oatmeal instead of bread crumbs, which gives the meatballs a lighter texture. I've tried several meatball recipes and I have finally come up with one that I love.
I also decided that I would try making spaghetti sauce from scratch today. Everyhing turned out to be pretty good. I will probably think twice before I pick up another jar of spaghetti sauce. Spaghetti Sauce Ingredients 1/2 t ground pepper 3/4 c chopped onion (I ran out of onion, so I only used 1/3 c) 3/4 t dried basil 1 pinch of dried oregano 6 cloves of minced garlic 1 bay leaf 2 t salt 1 t sugar 1- 6 oz can tomato paste 1- 28 oz canned tomatos 1/4 c olive oil 1/4 c red wine 1. Add everything into a sauce pan and cook on low for 2 hours. 2. After cooking for about an hour and a half, add the meatballs into the sauce and cook for about 30 minutes. Serve over pasta. Meatball Ingredients 1.3 pounds of lean ground beef .5 pounds of ground pork 2 T minced garlic 1 egg 1/4 c parmesean cheese 2 T fresh chopped parsley 1 t dried parsley 1 t dried oregano 1/2 cup old fashioned oatmeal 1/2 cup milk 2 t salt 1 t pepper 1. Run the oatmeal through the processor first and then combine all the ingredients together in a big bowl. 2. To shape the meatballs, I grab a handful of the meat and squeeze my hands so that some of the meat oozes out between my thumb and forefinger. 3. Take that amount and roll it between my palms to make a sphere. 4. Continue to repeat until all the meatballs have been made. 5. Freeze what you don't want to use immediately on a plate for about an hour and then, transfer the meatballs into a freezing container. This will prevent the meatballs from sticking to each other. 6. Add the meatballs to the sauce and cook for about 15-30 minutes. Enjoy. Guacamole is so easy to make. The key is great avocados and garlic! By the time dinner rolled around, I had already eaten about 1/3 of the guacamole (i had to make sure that the flavor didn't change too much before dinner)
Serves 3-4 people as a side dish Ingredients: 2 ripe avocados 2 cloves of garlic 3 T diced onion 1/2 diced tomato 1 t lime juice salt to taste 1. Cut each avocado in half, and take the seed out by hacking it lightly with a knife and giving a quick twist. 2. Score the inside of the avocado about 1/2 - 1 cm apart vertically and horizontally. 3. Pick the most ripe avocados and using a spoon, scoop the flesh out into a bowl, reserving the less ripe half for later. 4. Add the minced garlic (make sure you mince it very finely, or use a garlic press), onion, tomato and mix. 5. Stir in the final half of the avocado. I do this because I like chunks of avocado in my guacamole. If you put it all in, everything will just get mashed. 6. Add the lime juice and salt to taste. You may want to make this at least an hour before you want to serve to let the flavors distribute evenly. This turned out to be so delicious and it's very healthy. You combine the ingredients first and then cook iit all in the rice in a rice cooker. So easy. This can easily be made vegetarian by substituting with vegie broth.
Ingredients 2 T olive oil 1 cup(rice measuring cup) brown rice 2 cloves of minced garlic 1/2 t ground cumin 1/2 c chopped onion 1 small chopped tomato 1 t mexican oregano 1 c low sodium chicken broth 1. Heat a skillet with the oil. 2. Add the garlic, cumin and onion and sautee until aromatic. 3. Add the rice and roast the rice until it turns a nice golden brown. 3-5 minutes. 4. Add the rice mixture into the rice cooker, along with the tomato, oregano and chicken broth. Turn on the rice cooker and it will let you know when yummy rice is ready. On my rice cooker, there is a measuring line that helps you add the perfect amount of water for different types of rice. You may need more or less depending on your rice cooker. Just remember, the tomato will also contribute some moisture, so I just added enough broth to reach the line, and it happened to be 1 cup. If you are cooking on the stove, you may need more chicken broth since the water evaporates quicker. This is one of my favorite types of enchilada. I had some corn tortillas and chicken stashed in the freezer, so I picked up some ingredients, along with a can of green enchilada sauce and started cooking.
This recipe will serve about 4-5 people (with sides) Ingredients 2 medium sized boneless, skinless chicken breasts. 1-2 t oil 1 t ground cumin 1 t paprika 1 t taco or fajita seasoning 1/2 c chopped onion 1 chopped green bell pepper 1 c shredded mexican blend cheese 4 oz light sour cream + extra for garnish 8 corn tortillas 1 can of green enchilada sauce 1. In a skillet, heat up 1-2 t oil. Add the cumin, paprika and onion and stir fry until aromatic. 2. Cut the chicken into uniform, smaller 1-2 inch pieces and set aside. 3. Add the chicken pieces into the pan and cook until the outsides have turned white and then sprinkle the taco seasoning over the chicken. 4. Using a spatula, give the chicken a few turns and add the green bell pepper pieces into the pan. Cover and cook until the chicken pieces are done. 5. Allow the chicken to cool enough so that you can shred the chicken into smaller pieces with your hands. Add the sour cream and 1/2 cup of cheese into the chicken mixture and mix well. 6. Divide the chicken mixture into about 8 portions. 7. Place some of the chicken mixture into a tortilla, roll it up and plaece the seam side down so that the enchilada doesn't unroll. Continue to line the pan until all the corn tortillas have been used. Any extra mixture can be poured on top of the tortillas. 8. Pour the green enchilada sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle the remaining cheese ontop of the sauce. 9. Bake in the oven 350 degrees F for about 30-40 min covered. Then take the foil off and cook for 10 minutes more for toasty, melted cheese. 10. To serve, place a dollop of sour cream and garnish with spring onions. I really like sticky rice noodles. I am a texture person. I love different textures, especially chewy. I have a special section on sticky rice noodles in the "WIT ?" section.
You can make your own sticky rice noodles (It's a lot of work...believe me), or just buy them from the refrigerated/frozen section of your local chinese or korean grocery store. If you buy them chilled, they will be hard. Once heated, they will be more chewy and soft. This recipe serves 2 people. Ingredients 1/2 package of sticky rice noodles (refrigerated) 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cube of Knor's chicken bouillon 4 cups of chopped napa cabbage 1 T small dried shrimp (explained in "WIT?" section) 2 rehydrated shitake mushrooms 1 spring onion 0.3 pounds of sliced pork. 1 T soy sauce 1 t cooking wine 1 t cornstarch white pepper (optional, to taste) 3 t oil 1. Mince the small dried shrimp and set aside. (This is used only for flavoring) 2. Slice the mushrooms into thin strips. 3. Cut the spring onion into 2 inch sections. 4. Marinate the pork with soy sauce, wine for 10 minutes. Before cooking add the cornstarch to the meat and mix. 5. In a non-stick pan, heat up 1 t of oil. stir fry the marinated pork and when done, take them out of the pan and set aside. 6. Add another 1-2 t of oil to the pan. Add the minced dried shrimp and stir until aromatic. (about 1 minute). 7. Add the mushrooms, napa cabbage, chicken bouillon, and water into the pan and put a lid on it. This will cause the cabbage to wilt faster. The mixture will be slightly soupy. 8. Add the sticky rice noodles and allow the moisture and heat to soften the noodles. 9. Right before serving, add the spring onion and white pepper. Then, give a quick stir. 10. The chicken bouillon should have contributed enough salt to the dish, but you may want to check to see if more salt is needed. When you don't have a lot of time to cook, steak is the perfect meal. The first thing I do is take the steak out of the fridge and sprinkle each piece with sea salt and pepper. As I let it warm up and the marinate, I prepare the asparagus. Pan searing steak is perfect for 2 people. When searing a steak, it's nice to have a stainless steel pan to get that nice aromatic sear. And if you get the pan hot enough, the steak won't stick. You just have to be patient and wait for it to finish searing, then it will release itself from the pan. After cooking the steak, I made a nice reduction sauce with the brown bits and red wine. Delish.
Ingredients 1 nice steak with good marbling per person Asparagus Sea salt and pepper to taste 2 splashes of red wine Mustard Dipping sauce: 1 part honey mustard 1 part mayonnaise a bit of lemon juice 1. Set the steaks out on a plate and sprinkle salt and pepper on one side. 2. Boil a pot of water. ( For steaming asparagus) 3. Rinse and cut up the asparagus. Then, set aside. 4. Heat up a saute pan. While you're waiting for it to get hot, pour a splash of red wine on top of the steak that you are about to cook. 5. Once water beads up and bounces around the pan when you sprinkle water on it, it's hot enough. 6. Place the steak salt side down. No need for oil. And sear for about 3-5 minutes. You may need to adjust the heat so that it doesn't burn before the heat reaches the middle. 7. Pour another splash of wine over the steak and put a lid over the steak for about a minute or 2. 8. Flip the steak and cook another 3-5 minutes until medium done. (Or however you like it) When you poke it with your finger, it should be kind of firm, but not rubbery. 9. When you flip the steak, you should probably put the asparagus into the steamer. This way, the asparagus and the steak will finish at about the same time. 10. When the steak is done, let the steak sit for about 5 minutes to let the juices redistribute before you cut into it. 11. To make a reduction, add some wine or water to the pan after you take the steak out. Then, scrape and stir the bits stuck to the bottom to make a sauce. Turn the heat off quickly so that the liquid doesn't dry up too fast. 12. Mix the ingredients for the mustard sauce together and place a dollop of the sauce on the plate. You can then use the back of the spoon to make a decorative smear around the plate. I'd say this is a pretty healthy meal. The eggplant, which is full of nutrients is actually baked in a Panko breading mixture. And the risotto is cooked in a fat free beef broth. I ran out of mozzarella cheese, so I used to reduced fat string cheese that I picked up on sale a few days ago. This meal was a use up stuff that's in the fridge meal and I'd say it turned out quite well. In fact, Steve commented on how of all the eggplant preparations, this is his favorite. This recipe made 4 servings of risotto but 2 servings of the eggplant.
The risotto recipe is not vegetarian friendly, but you can easily make it by using veggie broth instead. Ingredients for Eggplant Parmesan 1/2 large eggplant 1 egg (beaten) 1/2 c panko bread crumbs 1 T grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 t Italian seasoning 2 sticks of reduced fat string cheese 1/2 c spaghetti sauce 1. Slice the eggplant into 1/2 - 3/4 in. slices. 2. To make the breading, mix the Panko, Parmesan and Italian seasoning in a dish. 3. Preheat the oven (I used toaster oven) to 375 degrees F. 4. Spray nonstick spray on a cookie sheet. 5. Coat the slices with the egg and then cover the eggplant with the breading on all sides. Place each slice on the cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes, turning once about half way. 6. When the eggplant has finished baking, transfer the slices onto a baking dish and create 2 layers. 7. Pour the spaghetti sauce over the top and place the shredded cheese on top of the sauce. 8. Bake in the oven at for about 15-20 minutes. Spinach Risotto Ingredients 1 c arborio rice 1/2 c marsala wine (dry) 3 cups beef broth 1 c water 1/4 c onion diced 1 pound of blanched spinach, chopped. 1-2 T parmesan cheese 1 t cooking oil 1. Pour the oil into a hot saute pan. 2. Add the rice and gently roast the rice until it is slightly golden in color. 3. Add the onion and stir for about 1 minute. 4. Add the marsala wine and stir occasionally until the liquid is mostly evaporated. In the meantime, heat up the broth and water mixture. 5. Add the broth mixture 1/2 cup at a time, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Allow the liquid to mostly evaporate before you add more liquid. This process will take about 45 mins to 1 hour. 6. When the rice tastes cooked and creamy, add the spinach, and parmesan cheese. 7. Stir until everything is evenly mixed and enjoy. I used the same frosting recipe that I used for my wedding cupcakes for this cake. It's super easy to make, just beware, don't overbeat, because the frosting will get a bit runny. If that happens, just make sure it's really cold when you pipe or frost your cake.
Ingredients 2- 8 oz packages of cream cheese 2 sticks of butter 3 cups of powdered sugar 1. Using a stand mixer, whip the butter first. 2. Add the cold cream cheese and beat on low for 10 seconds. 3. Add 1 cup of confectioners sugar and whip until smooth. 4. Keep adding the sugar until you reach the correct consistency. Tip: If you want to color your frosting, I would add the color and adjust as you are making the frosting, as opposed to add the color after you finish creating the frosting. This prevents over-working the frosting. For my husband's birthday, we invited a bunch of his work friends over for dinner and games. I created an 8 dish buffet spread and before I could remember to take pictures, the food was all gone. I will surely make those dishes again, but I will post the overall favorite of the night.
This works best with chicken thighs with the skin still on, but chicken breasts will also work too. The key is to have the skin still on, that's the source of the oil and crispiness. I bought some chicken from the store and de-boned them myself, or you can pay 3x the price and get the chicken already de-boned. Ingredients 4 boneless chicken quarters/thighs 3-4 cloves of garlic 2 T cooking wine 2 T soy sauce 1 T sesame oil 1.5 t sugar dash of white pepper 1. Mince the garlic. 2. Combine all the ingredients in a ziplock bag or tupperware container and marinate overnight. This step is pretty essential. 3. The next day, take the chicken pieces out of the marinade and allow as much of the marinade to drip off. Using a clean nonstick pan, place the chicken pieces down skin first and turn the heat to a low or low medium setting. You don't want to turn it too high, for fear that the chicken will burn. 4. As the chicken heats up, the chicken will pretty much fry in its own fat. Be patient, use this time to prepare a vegetable dish. Once the skin side is a nice golden brown color, flip the chicken to cook the other side. 5. Cook the chicken until the juices run clear. 6. Serve with rice, steamed veges, or pasta. |