Cupcake obsession

Lately I've made a lot of cupcakes. I guess you could call me cupcake obsessed. I've been playing around with some new flavors. Here is the latest one I've done:

Maple Cupcakes

Makes 1 dozen cupcakes

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup maple syrup (Use real maple syrup. Grade B is best because it has the most intense flavor)

1. Cream the butter and brown sugar together.

2. In a separate bowl, sift the dry ingredients together.

3. Add the eggs and vanilla to the creamed mixture and beat to combine. Scrape down the bowl once combined.

4. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

5. Add the buttermilk and maple syrup.

6. Fill cupcake cups 2/3 full and bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Oh my heavenly cheese.

What I made for dinner tonight involved four different cheeses. FOUR! I'm lactose intolerant. Basically, this was a death wish. But it was a death I welcomed with open arms. For the cheesy goodness that I inhaled off my plate tonight was....Manicotti.

But not just any old Manicotti. Oh no. This was special Swiss Chard and Sweet Pea Manicotti. I totally stole the idea from Giada de Laurentiis (Love her!). Because this Manicotti had peas and Swiss Chard (TWO green vegetables) I decided it made up for it being covered in cheese...right? Anyway, remember this dish next time you are trying to sneak green food into your children. It's covered in cheese, so they have to love it. Who can resist anything when it's drenched in cheese?

Swiss Chard and Sweet Pea Manicotti

12 manicoti or canneloni pasta shells

FILLING

1 bunch red or white Swiss chard

2 TBS olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 (15 oz) container ricotta cheese

3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup fresh basil

Salt and pepper to taste

FONTINA FONDUTA SAUCE

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

3 cups grated fontina cheese

2 TBS grated Parmesan cheese

2 TBS fresh chopped basil

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch glass baking dish

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta and cook until tender, but still firm to the bite, about 6-8 minutes. Drain the pasta. Set aside

FOR THE FILLING

3. Remove the Swiss chard stems. Chop the leaves into 1 inch pieces.

4. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Then add the chard and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Cool the mixture slightly.

5. Place the ricotta, peas, mozzarella, parmesan, basil, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Add the cooled chard mixture and blend until smooth.

6. Spoon the mixture into a prepared pastry bag with a large tip and stuff each manicotti shell with the filling. Place the stuffed manicotti in the prepared baking dish.

FOR THE SAUCE

7. In a medium saucepan, bring the milk and cream to a simmer.

8. Reduce the heat and add the fontina, stirring constantly until the cheese is melted and the mixture is smooth.

9. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese and basil.

10. Pour the sauce over the stuffed pasta and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the top is golden. Let the baked manicotti stand for 5 minutes before serving.

I'll make you banana pancakes, pretend like it's the weekend...

Pancakes. This word alone has the power to draw sleepy roommates from their beds, calm the rage of a hungry five year old, and to bring back memories of late night runs to IHOP or family breakfasts in which mom would make pancakes shaped like Mickey Mouse.

I made pancakes this morning. Not banana pancakes as my title may suggest....I mostly just used that fabulous little number by Jack Johnson because I enjoy having catchy titles. I'll post about banana pancakes another time. By then maybe I will have thought of another clever pancake title.

Today, whole wheat pancakes. A lot of people don't like whole wheat pancakes because they tend to be reeeeeeeeeeally dense and quite chewy. Not these pancakes. Guaranteed, these will be the lightest, fluffiest whole wheat pancakes you've ever had the pleasure of sinking your teeth into. But be warned, they are quite filling. I eat like a pig and I get stuffed with 1 1/2 pancakes.

Whole Wheat Pancakes

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 eggs

2 cups vanilla soymilk (If you don't know, I'm lactose intolerant. If you aren't, by all means use regular milk!)

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 TBS vegetable oil

1. Sift all of the dry ingredients into a medium sized bowl

2. Separate the egg yolks and whites. Put the yolks in the bowl with the dry ingredients, and put the whites in a separate bowl.

3. Whip the egg whites until medium peaks form.

4. Add the milk, oil, and vanilla to the dry ingredients and mix gently to combine.

5. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter

PANCAKE SECRET! The secret to getting perfectly round pancakes is to use a ladle to drop your batter into the pan. When you start to tip the ladle to let the batter run out, DO NOT MOVE IT FROM ITS POSITION. This will result in perfect pancakes. :)

Not your average chicken noodle soup

Okay so I woke up feeling like an absolute mess this morning. Runny nose, scratchy throat, head full of fog...joyous. After skipping class and going back to bed for a few more hours I felt a little better. I decided that for dinner tonight, nothing would be better than my home made chicken soup. It's delicious, comforting, and the spices I use clear my sinuses like you wouldn't believe.

Jana's Chicken Noodle Soup

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, medium dice

1 medium onion, medium dice

3 celery stalks, diced

2 large carrots, diced

1 1/2 quarts chicken stock/broth (See my post on how to make your own if you want!)

1 1/2 cups dry pasta (whatever shape you want! I used shells tonight)

1 cup frozen peas

3/4 cup frozen corn kernels

3 tsp curry powder

2 tsp dried tarragon

1 tsp dried thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

1-2 TBS fresh chopped parsley

1. Bring liberally salted water to a boil in a medium sized pot. Add the pasta and stir occasionally, removing from the water and setting aside when still slightly underdone.

2. While the pasta is cooking, heat a small amount of olive oil in a large pot. Add the chicken and sear on all sides, not cooking all the way done. Remove from the pot and set aside.

3. Add the onions to the pot and cook until just beginning to turn translucent. Add the carrots and celery, sauteeing until slightly tender.

4. Add the chicken stock and spices and bring to a low boil.

5. Return the chicken to the pot and add the pasta, peas, and corn. Continue on a low boil until the chicken is cooked through and the pasta is al dente.

6. Serve garnished with fresh chopped parsely.

Enjoy!

For my friends of the gluten free persuasion

I have had a couple requests of late to post some gluten free recipes. This seemed like a good idea to me, seeing as I know a couple people who have Celiac's disease, some who are just slightly sensitive to gluten, and then there are those who just want to be trendy and not eat gluten. Whatever boat you may be in, I did some experimentation, some research and here is the kick butt gluten free bread recipe I ended up with: OH! P.S. You can buy all of these ingredients at Sunflower Market. I bought Bob's Red Mill brand because it's excellent. If you don't have a Sunflower in your area, first of all, WEEP! But you can find Bob's Red Mill stuff in most grocery stores or health food stores.

Buckwheat Bread

Despite it's name, buckwheat is actually not wheat, contains no gluten, and is safe for celiacs to ingest. :)

1 cup sorghum flour

1 cup potato starch (NOT POTATO FLOUR!)

1/2 cup buckwheat flour

2 tsp xanthan gum

1 1/4 tsp salt

1 packet rapid rise yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp)

1 1/4 cup water

3 TBS olive oil

1 1/2 TBS honey

1/2 tsp lemon juice

1 egg white, whipped

1. In a stand mixer, add the yeast to the water. Add the dry ingredients, mix briefly, then add the remainder of the wet ingredients.

2. Transfer to a greased loaf pan, smooth and cover with a towel. Let rest for 20 minutes.

3. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until the loaf generates a hollow sound when thumped.

If you like your bread to be more crusty on the outside, you can remove it from the pan at this point and place it straight onto the oven rack for a few minutes.

4. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Be sure to cool it for at least 10 minutes, or it will be hard to slice evenly.

*NOTE* The dough will actually be of a consistency more like muffin batter rather than an actual wheat based dough. This is due to the fact that is contains no gluten which is what lends dough its elasticity. So don't panic if your bread dough is like batter. It's supposed to be that way.

Let me also stress that each ingredient is absolutely essential and should not be omitted or lessened in any way. You will have poop bread if you try to omit something from this recipe.

Move over Rachael Ray

Tilapia fillet with cilantro sour cream, sauteed spinach with garlic,

tarragon roasted sweet potatoes, and curried butternut squash puree.

As much as Rachael Ray drives me absolutely bonkers, the concept of 30 minute meals has a lot of appeal for people nowadays. Let's face it, we live in a fast paced world. Most people don't have or don't make time for nutritious, delicious family dinners anymore. Which seriously breaks my heart (See The Purpose of This Blog).

Anyway, I digress. I think the reason a lot of people don't have home cooked meals anymore is because they just don't know how to go about putting good food on the table in short order. What most people need is a little inspiration. Here it is.

Fish. Yes, I recognize some people don't like seafood. However, I must extol the virtues of fish, for it has the ability to go from freezer to table in 15 minutes. No joke. My roommates and I shop at Walmart for most of our groceries (except for produce, in which case we go to Sunflower). There we buy bags of individually vacuum sealed fish fillets. Some weeks we buy salmon, others we buy cod...this week was tilapia. You can get 4-5 filets for about $4.98. Not bad, not bad. So now that we know it's relatively cheap, lets get back to the time factor. Freezer to table in 15 minutes. I wasn't kidding. Is that not the most beautiful thing you've ever heard? All you do is throw the fillets (once out of the plastic of course!) on an oiled sheet pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper (and whatever spices you may care to use), and put them in the oven under the broiler. 10-15 minutes later, they are done. In the meantime, you can whip up some tasty sides, and there you have it! Dinner on the table in 15 minutes. Take that Rachael Ray. You're 30 minute meals just got their butts handed to them!

!!!!!!Tasty Side Ideas!!!!!!!

Curried Butternut Squash Puree

1 butternut squash, peeled and seeded

1 tsp curry powder

1 TBS agave syrup (honey works well too!)

1 TBS butter

salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large pot, bring liberally salted water to a boil

2. Meanwhile, dice the butternut squash into small chunks

3. Once the water is boiling, add the squash and cook until fork tender, about 10 minutes

4. Drain the water from the squash, and return to stove

5. Add the butter, salt, pepper, curry powder, and agave

6. Mash with a potato masher. Or puree in blender or food processor. Or bust out your immersion blender and puree it stovetop. Whatever your little heart desires.

Tarragon Roasted Potatoes

One of my favorite sides. It's my go to side when I'm feeling lazy and I don't want to put in a lot of effort but still want something delicious and good for me.

2 large russet potatoes, well scrubbed, skins on (or red potatoes, or yukon gold potaoes.....you get the point)

1 large sweet potato, peeled (yams are okay as well)

1-2 tablespoons dried tarragon (located in the spice aisle of course!)

Olive oil for drizzling

Salt and pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

2. Dice the potatoes in about half inch cubes.

3. Transfer potatoes to an oiled sheet pan.

4. Drizzle the potatoes with oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and tarragon.

5. Roast in the oven until fork tender, about 15-20 minutes

The Stock Box OR How I Saved $4

I am about to share with you something that may change your life forever. Well, maybe not. But this little tidbit may help you out if you are trying to put good food on the table while working with a tight budget.

Allow me to introduce you to the stock box:

My stock box is just a tupperware container that lives in my freezer. When I'm making a salad or prepping vegetables, I pull it out and put my vegetable scraps in it. Onion ends, carrot ends, pieces of celery that aren't as crunchy as they used to be, parsley stems, red bell pepper pieces....no one is to poor to be included in my stock box (except potatoes. They make my finished product cloudy!)

I also save the scraps of the meats I process in my kitchen. For me this means the trimmings of a pork tenderloin, the carcass of a chicken I roasted for Sunday dinner, the bones leftover from my chicken drumsticks, you name it. I put those in a gallon size ziploc bag, label it and toss it in the freezer.

Now, when I notice that my stock box is full of vegetable scraps and I have a bag of bones accumulated in my freezer, I pull it out to thaw in the fridge. Once it's thawed, I put it the bones and the contents of my stock box in a large pot, cover it with water, and put it on the stove on low heat and I let it simmer for several hours.

After several hours of simmering on the stove, I strain the liquid into another tupperware container, and what I'm left with is a beautiful, flavorful broth.

Do you see what I just did there? I took something that most people just throw away and I turned it into something usable. Because I just saved my scraps, I don't ever have to go out and buy a can of Swanson broth when I want to make soup. I have homemade, delicious broth right in my fridge. You can freeze it too, if you'd like to save it for another time. But seriously people. I just saved myself about $4 by saving my garbage.

Here's what I'm making tonight for dinner with my delicious chicken broth.

Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana

1 lb Italian sausage

8 oz smoked bacon, diced

1 quart chicken broth (hey look at that! You don't have to buy it!)

2 large russet potatoes, scrubbed and cubed

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 medium onion, chopped (HEY! Save the ends for your stock box!)

2 cups chopped kale or Swiss chard

1 cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper

1. In a skillet over medium heat, brown the sausage, breaking into small pieces. Drain and set aside.

2. Fry the bacon until brown, drain and set aside.

3. Combine the broth, potatoes, garlic, and onion in a pot; simmer over medium heat until potatoes are tender, 10-15 minutes

4. Add the sausage; simmer for 10 minutes.

5. Add the kale and dream. Season with salt and pepper to taste and simmer until the soup is heated through. Do not allow to boil.

6. Add bacon just before service so it remains crispy.

*DISCLAIMER* In a restaurant setting, this is not, not, NOT the way you make stock. I fully understand that and I promise I am a lot more conscious of what is going into my stock pot when I am working. However, at home I find that this is a really great money saving tip that yields great results without a ton of extra work.