SHF: Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes

All week I've been trying to make Sprinkles' Strawberry Cupcakes. I've had the ingredients, but I haven't had the time for the life of me, between school and work. But today my break finally came! After getting some shopping done at Victoria's Secret, my friend Beth and Icame home and decided to whip these bad boys up. As we were standing there in the kitchen, Beth announces she wishes the cupcaks had chocolate in them. So we did a little altering of the recipe, to come up with chocolate strawberry cupcakes, rather than just strawberry. They were VERY successful and VERY tasty. The frosting and the cake are really sweet, so one is all you need. And since the frosting is clearly pink and every girls' dream, I dedicate these today to shopping at Victoria's Secret.

Also, I am participating in a fun fun blog event. This time I'm participating in Sugar High Friday created by Jennifer at Domestic Goddess. This month's theme over at SHF is berries. Yum yum. What girl doesn't love sweets?!

Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting

Cupcake Ingredients

2/3 cup whole fres or frozen strawberries, thawed

1 1/4 cups all purpose-baking flour, sifted

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp coarse salt

1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

2 large egg whites, room temperature

Cupcake Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners; set aside.

2. Place strawberries in a small food processor; process until pureed.

3. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a small bowl, mix together with milk, vanilla, and strawberry puree; set aside.

4. In the bowl of an electric mixer cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. Reduct the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended.

5. With the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. Add the milk mixture; mix until just blended. Slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping sides of the bowl as necessary, until just blended.

6. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Transfer muffin tin to oven and bake until tops are just dry to the touch, 22 to 25 minutes. Transfer muffin tin to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool completely before icing.

Icing Ingredients

1/2 cup whole frozen straberries, thawed

1 cup unsalted butter, firm and slightly cold

Pinch of coarse salt

3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Icing Directions

1. Place strawberries in the bowl of a small food process; process until pureed. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce mixer speed and slowly add confectioners' sugar; beat until well combined. Add vanilla and 3 tbsp strawberry pureer; mix until just blended. Do not overmix or frosting will incorporate too much air. Frosting consistency should be dense and creamy, like ice cream.

bakebakebake: My Take On Indian Food

On livejournal I'm part of a community called bakebakebake. It's actually what prompted me to get back in the kitchen again, despite being busy with school work and whatnot. And when I got my mixer for Christmas, it was useful for making delights I could take pictures of and put online. One of the things that this community has is monthly themes. This month's theme was red because of 4th of July and whatnot. I've been stumped all month on what to make. Of course, cupcakes are easy, red velvet cake, something with strawberries. It was all so cliche though and I wanted to do something that I didn't think anyone else would be doing.

So two days ago it hit me: tandoori chicken! So I found a recipe from India Curry Recipes. When I was younger my family had these friends from India, and the lady, Eva, made and sold packets of spice mixtures for many different foods, tandoori chicken, curried rice, etc. Growing up whenever my mom would make tandoori chicken I'd get so excited for the red chicken, as I called it. It was one of those treats that I didn't get very often, because to make it takes more than a day, as the chicken needs to marinate. So being a working mom, making dishes that took lots of prep time didn't happen often.

Now, comes the frustration of making this dish. When I went to the grocery store yesterday to collect the spices I needed to make the tandoori I couldn't find the garam masala anywhere. Oh woe me, Safeway had sold out. So instead I got some curry spice and decided to deviate from tandoori chicken and make some chicken replacing the garam masala with curry powder. Of course, this makes the chicken taste different than had I used the garam masala (and why I can't call this tandoori chicken). But it still has the red tint (haha, food coloring?) that made the red chicken so special to me growing up.

Indian Spiced Chicken

Ingredients
2 pounds of chicken, cut into pieces
1 tsp salt
1 lemon, juiced
1 1/4 cups plain yogurt
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp grated resh ginger root
2 tsp curry
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp yellow food coloring
1 tsp red food coloring

Directions
1. Cut slits into chicken pieces lengthwise.2. Place in a shallow dish, sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt and lemon juice. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, combine yogurt, onion, garlic, ginger, curry powder, and cayenne pepper. Mix until smoot. Stir in food coloring. Spread yogurt mixture over chicken. Cover and refrigerate over night.
4. Preheat oven to 450. Place chicken in a baking dish and bake 25 to 30 minutes (or until done).

And then I also made spiced potatoes and rice to go along with the meal. I made the rice as one normally makes rice, however, in the water I added some shakes of garlic salt and curry powder.

For the potatoes I cut them up into bite size pieces. In a skillet I melted some butter and added some water. I seasoned them with curry powder and paprika. I put the potatoes in and when boiling, I brought the heat down and covered them up and cooked until soft.

The Ultimate Chocolate Brownie Muffin

I've been wanting to make muffins, for some reason that's all I really wanted to bake. I didn't want a blog reason to do it, I just wanted the satisfaction of having a delicious muffin sitting in front of me when all is said and done. I am however going to start participating in the blog events like I had, because it's fun. But this is just my muffin.

I moved recently, so my baking has dwindled significantly, as someone broke into my car the first day in the new house and stole my bag of dried goods (the flour, sugar, etc.). So I was dreading starting my baking ingredient collection again, but finally I've gotten around to starting. So since I wanted to make muffins, I wanted to make something people would eat. So I asked my boyfriend what kind of muffin he wantd.

Alan: Chocolate brownie muffin.
Me: What do you mean by chocolate brownie muffin?
Alan: If you can't figure it out you shouldn't bake!
Me: OK, I'll find something to do.

To be quite honest, it's basically a brownie shaped like a muffin. But the boyfriend was happy. I found this recipe on recipezaar.com.

The Ultimate Chocolate Brownie Muffin

Ingredients:

3/4 cup good quality baking cocoa

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup boiling water

1 tbsp vanilla

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350.

2. Line 1 muffin tins with muffin liners.

3. In a medum bowl combine cocoa and baking powder; mix to combibe.

4. Add in boiling water; mix well with a wooden spoon to combine.

5. Add in the melted butter and vanilla; mix well.

6. Add in the sugar, mix well with a wooden spoon.

7. Stir in eggs with a wooden spoon; mix until combined

8. Mix the flour with salt; add in the chocolate mixture; mix well to combine.

9. Add in chocolate chips.

10. Using an ice cream scoop fill each of the muffin tins almost to the top.

11. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until muffins are done.

PPN: Pasta, Pesto, and Peas

Like I mentioned in my last blog post, I really am wanting to get interested in these blog events, so when I found out about Presto Pasta Nights, I was excited! Not only do I love love pasta, I'm moving on Saturday/Sunday and probably won't have time to cook until after the move. Since I made a big pot of these delicious noodles I'm thinking they should get me through the rest of the week and the weekend, unless some of my piggy roommates attack the pot (which actually wouldn't be very unlikely).

So these wonderful Presto Pasta Nights of delicious is the baby of Ruth from Once Upon A Feast but this week the event is being hosted by Hillary from Chew On That.

I found this recipe on The Food Network's website. It is one of Ina Garten's delicious dishes, that I can't help but have my mouth water when I even think of them. This was actually my first time cooking one of her dishes (or anything from The Food Network actually). I was impressed with how simple this dish was, but at the same time how much flavor the doctored up pesto sauce has. And the spinach and peas in the dish are good, because I really haven't been eating enough vegetables (oh yay young adult attempting to live on her own and cook for herself!)

Pasta, Pesto, and Peas

Ingredients

3/4 lbs of fuslli pasta

3/4 pound bow tie pasta

1/4 cup good olive oil

1 1/2 cups pesto

1 (10-oz) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed ry

3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 1/4 cups mayonnaise

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1 1/2 cups frozen peas, defrosted

1/3 cup pignolis (pine nuts)

3/4 tsp kosher salt

3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Cook the fusilli and bow ties separately in a large pot of boiling salted water for 10 to 12 minutes until each pasta is al dente. Drain and toss into a bowl with the olive oil. Cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree the pesto, spinach, and lemon juice. Add the mayonnaise and puree. Add the pesto mixture to the cooled pasta and then add the Parmesan, peas, pignolis, salt, and pepper. Mix well, season to taste, and serve at room temperature.

NOTES: Since I had a can of canned peas I used those instead of frozen peas. I just drained the water off of them first. And I sadly am grocery store stupid and too vain to ask for help from the sales people, so I have no idea where to get the pine nuts in my local Safeway. So I didn't have those in the dish. But I have to say, delicious!!

WHB: Chunky Chicken Cacciatore

Being that I'm still completely new to this world of blogging, I wanted to do something that could get me in touch with some other food bloggers - so I figured I should participate in a round-up! As I was browsing around internet land last week I found the WHB,or the Weekend Herb Blogging. I decided I would pick one recipe this week to fit this challenge. Of course, that required some thinking about what exactly I wanted to make - like I've been saying, since I'm moving I'm really trying my best to avoid buying a lot of new food (especially since one of our friends moved out of his house and left a TON of food in our refrigerator and freezer so he wouldn't have to move it). After some careful consideration I decided I would make chicken cacciatore, from a recipe I found on grouprecipes.com. All I needed to buy were the peppers and onions, with the rest of food waiting to be eaten in my pantry and fridge. And I am quite aware this meal just looks like mush, but it tasted good and while I do think presentation matters, flavor is definately more important to me. And after an hour and a half of cooking, I was just too hungry to care.

Considering the huge issue with the salmonella tainted tomatoes that has caused a huge problem as of late, I decided I would of course make a dish featuring tomatoes. However, I did use canned-stewed tomatoes, as that's what the recipe called for (and hey, I like to play it safe too). But I figured it would make a good post, with the issue on tomatoes and all. Apparently 228 have become ill from tomatoes. For some tips on safety in eating tomatoes, an article in the San Francisco Gate indicates the following:



On the do-not-eat list are raw red plum, red Roma or red round tomatoes, unless they were grown in specific states or countries that the FDA has cleared because they were not harvesting when the outbreak began or were not selling their tomatoes in places where people got sick.


Also safe are grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and tomatoes sold with the vine still attached. That is not because there is anything biologically safer about those with a vine but because the sick have assured investigators that is not the kind of tomato they ate.

I surely hope that the current tomato problem ends, because not getting tomatoes on my sandwiches at delis is quite upsetting. Though I assume getting food poisoning from a fruit would be the worse alternative.

For more information on WHB check out the rules here. To see other entries for WHB for the week of the 16th-22nd check out Joanna's Food after the weekend and see what other yummies people came up with!

Chunky Chicken Cacciatore (serves 4)

Ingredients

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1-1/2 to 2-inch pieces)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 (14.5 oz) cans strewed tomatoes
3/4 tbsp light brown sugar

Directions

1. In a small bowl comine, flour, oregano, basil, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
2. In a large skilet heat olive oil an cook chicken until sides are lightly browned, about 20 minutes.
3. Remove chicken and set aside; add to skillet onion, peppers, garlic, and 1 tbsp oil. Saute 10-15 minutes, until tender.
4. Sprinkle with flour/spice mix while cooking. Add tomates with the juice and stir until bubbly.
5. Add brown sugar, continue to stir, add chicken to mixture. Cook 10-15 minutes on low heat.

bakebakebake: Blueberry-Chocolate Chip Muffins

Despite the fact that I have finals this week and one tomorow morning at 8AM that I haven't completely studied for yet, I find much more joy in making a muffin than I do in studying for a Sociology of Law test, regardless of which may be more important. So since on livejournal's community bakebakebake the current contest for the month is to use berries in a baked good, I decided to make something that I could submit! I also of course wanted to create something my picky housemates would eat, so I had to make sure the baked good I chose wasn't too fruity, because these college students tend to really just enjoy boxed mixes of brownies and cupcakes. So I have to respect that if I want them to eat my yummies or else I'd be really fat. That's the one nice thing about being home with my parents as opposed to being at school.. My parents have a palate for things that aren't necessarily death by chocolate combinations.

Anyway, I found this specific recipe from Sarah at Cupcake Muffin, though she actually got this recipe from Bake or Break. I was pretty sure this was the right thing to bake for my group of friends since it combined a berry with something pretty overwhelmingly chocolatey. And of course, since I am such a nice soul I also threw together a batch of these without the blueberries and with only the chocolate. I will not be at all surprised if they are gone before I wake up tomorrow craving one, because that's how things in this house work.

Blueberry-Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients:

DRY INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cup flour

1/3 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

WET INGREDIENTS

2 eggs, whisked

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup buter, melted and cooled

1 tsp vanilla extract

ADD-INS - your discretion

3/4 cup blueberries

1/4 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oen to 375 degrees and grease one muffin tin.

2. Whisk together the dry and wet ingredients in separate bowls. Then combine and stir together until just combined. Stir in the add-ins gently.

3. Divide batter between muffin cups and bake 20-22 minutes.

NOTES: Even though I went to the grocery store this morning to get the blueberries and the chocolate, I was under the impression we had vanilla extract in the house. Of course we didn't and when I was going to mix the wet ingredients together I came to that realization. After a quick sweep of our pantry I found some almond extract, which I replaced for the vanilla. It gave the muffins a mild nutty flavor which is actually quite enjoyable! I really like the almond flavoring and would probably make it with the almond again and not do vanilla.

Mongolian Beef

I couldn't start my blog with juts a welcome post. I absolutely had to cook something, to share something. I have to say, I've definitely made food that has looked much prettier than the Mongolian Beef turned out looking, because it pretty much appears to be slop on top of some rice. However, the flavor was really good. I found this recipe from grouprecipes.com, a website I have found out about just recently, but it's pretty neat how you can search for recipes based on several different ingredients.

Basically, I'm moving out of my current house in less than a month because the lease is up. Since things are still kind of up in the air about where I'll be living I'm trying my best to get rid of the food I do have here. So for the Mongolian Beef, all I had to buy was the broccoli, as I had all the other ingredients laying around my kitchen.

So anyway, expect in the future posts of all kinds of food, dinners, baked goods, I'll do it all. I'm still learning and I know practice makes perfect. For the most part I'll be using other peoples' recipes because I still lack the amazing skills of being totally innovative (though the other day I did make some pretty bomb chicken without a recipe). But I hope this blog becomes a growing experience for me.

Mongolian Beef

Ingredients:

1/2 lb round steak

1 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp Kikoman soy sauce

2 tsp sherry

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger

2 cups broccoli

2 tsp cornstarch

2 tsp water

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 tbsp sesame oil

garnish with sesame seeds about 1/2 tsp per serving

1. Slice steak thinly and place strips in a bowl. Add next 6 ingredients (through ginger). Stir and allow to stand, covered, while you prepare the rest of the dish.

2. Use a high flame, heat wok, or large frying pan. Add oil to hot pot and heat the oil. Add and stir fry the broccoli, cooking for a few minutes. Add chicken broth, cover, and cook 4-5 minutes, stirring occassionally. Uncover, stir, and remove broccoli to another dish. Set aside.

3. Reheat pan; add small amount of oil and heat. Add beef and stir fry. Add broccoli, stir. Mix cornstarch and water, add to meat and broccoli. Cook until gravy thickens. Pour sesame oil over, stir well. Pour onto serving platter, garnish with sesame seeds.

NOTES: I found that the sauce in this recipe made such a small amount, I found myself dumping more sherry, soy sauce, and the rest of the stuff in to make what I felt was a more suitable amount. Also, the amount of time it said to cook the broccoli seemed short to me. After the 5 minutes my broccoli was still rock hard, so I cooked it longer until it was mushier, because I like my broccoli softer than I do harder.