Category Archives: Cook

by | November 19, 2010 · 8:09 am

Cranberry Cider Margarita

Whether you’re greeting guests at the door or closing the evening with a nightcap, this year try trading in the basic wine for a signature holiday cocktail. We think that this gorgeous, fall-inspired Cranberry Cider Margarita recipe from Lauren Fister is sure to put your friends and family in a festive mood.

Lauren is a girl who knows the kitchen inside and out, working as a kitchen designer for Studio Snaidero by day and blogging by night over at Chat N’ Chow.

Favorite Thanksgiving Dish or Tradition: Growing up my mom (who’s from the south) always had a baked ham in addition to the turkey. I always love to have a bite of fresh sliced ham on a biscuit with my Thanksgiving dinner!

Pumpkin Pie or Apple Pie? Pumpkin Pie – if I had it available to me I would eat it for breakfast every morning!!

Cooking Mantra? Just roll with it! If you’re going downhill with a recipe stick it out to the end so at least you gave it your all and you will have learned what not to do for next time. Also, never apologize (as Julia said)!

What are you thankful for this year? I started my blog a year ago in December. At first it started out as something I did to fill my time and my content was just OK. There was a turning point a couple months ago where I got totally inspired to push myself for higher quality content and to put more of myself into my posts. When this happened I found such an amazing community of readers and bloggers who inspire me even more. I don’t know where it’s going but I’m thankful to have discovered an outlet where I can creatively express myself and focus my energy!

Cranberry Cider Margarita

When I entertain I like to have cocktails ready for guests as they come in. This is a great cocktail because vodka could be easily swapped if someone doesn’t like tequila. Cocktails are also great at Thanksgiving because they can add fun edge (vs. just only having red and white wine) to what can sometimes become a stressful day (you know how it can go with all the different personalities that come together but only a few times a year). I show two serving ideas, as a martini and on the rocks. I think guys might like it on the rocks and ladies might like it in a martini glass. Mixing Note – I use a small shot glass as my measure for 1 oz.

holiday cocktail recipe

Rimming the Glass
I think rimmed glasses are a fun & flavorful addition to cocktails. For this cocktail I ran the lemon wedge around the rim of the glass to make it wet, I then dipped the glass in the following mixture spread out on a plate:

1 Tablespoon kosher salt
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
zest of one orange

Optional garnish:
For a sliced apple garnish, place apple slices or wedges in a dish with cool water and the juice from half a lemon or lime. This will keep the apple from turning. Keep the dish at hand when making the cocktails.

thanksgiving cocktailCranberry Cider Margarita (serves 1)
2 oz tequila – I like silver tequila
1/2 oz triple sec
1 oz cranberry juice
1 oz fresh cider
Juice from 1/4 of an orange

In a cocktail shaker combine all of the ingredients with ice. Shake well. Pour into chilled rimmed glass and garnish. Enjoy!!

cranberry cider margarita
Thanks again to all of our haute guest bloggers and to you, haute reader, for celebrating this foodie favorite holiday with us!

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by | November 18, 2010 · 8:23 am

Apple-Cranberry Cobbler with Cheddar Biscuits

No Thanksgiving meal can be complete without dessert! Friend, artist and baker extraordinaire Michael Coates is with us today to share his delicious recipe for Apple-Cranberry Cobbler with Cheddar Biscuits.

A Little Bit about Michael: I work full-time for Rockwell Automation as a Photographer & Senior Designer.  For 6 years now I’ve also ran my own creative business under my name.  I started out doing mostly graphic design work but I’m now a full service business offing photography, web design, commissioned art, and even interior design.  I will be partnering up with a friend quite soon to venture into a dessert focused catering business.  We’re going to offer fine pastries, cakes and tarts to our clients for any kind of event.

My site is under construction for the remainder of this year, but I will be updating my blog quite often.  www.michaelguycoates.com &  http://inklingmgc.tumblr.com

Favorite Thanksgiving Tradition: Thanksgiving is my favorite meal of the year.  I love food flavors in autumn, and I just adore a good turkey.  Being from California, I don’t often get to go home to visit my family, so I have adopted the family of my best friend from college each year.  She has a large family, and it is always entertaining to be part of a “big production Thanksgiving Dinner.”  While I love all of the food during the actual dinner, it’s reinventing the leftovers that I have the most fun with.  Cranberry-Turkey sandwiches, Mashed Potato Pancakes, and roasted vegetable salads have all become cherished leftover dishes.

Apple Pie or Pumpkin Pie?: Apple Pie, hands down.  You can do so much more with it.  Plus I enjoy the amount of time & effort that goes into a home-made apple pie.  I’ve had some amazing varieties, but no Apple Pie will ever beat Mom’s.

Cooking Mantra: Simple and local is best.  If you can’t grow it yourself, find someone who can locally.  It’s cheaper and always tastes better.  As for deserts, don’t layer tons of flavors and textures just to be fancy.  Sometimes just highlighting one or two great flavors delivers the best results.

What are you thankful for this year? I am supported by an astounding group of people.  My parents and best friends have never let me down, and have always been the stability and comfort in my life.  The holiday’s are about celebrating them, and thanking them for their unconditional love.

Apple-Cranberry Cobbler with Cheddar Biscuits

Ingredients
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature, for dish

For fruit filling:
1 cup packed (7 1/2 ounces) medium brown sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon fresh nutmeg
1 cup fresh cranberries
8 large apples (I used Granny Smith & Golden Delicious), peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thick (3 1/2 pounds prepped)
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup (2 ounces) unsalted butter

For biscuits:
2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 cups (4 ounces) grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
1 1/3 cups cold buttermilk, or more as needed
1 tablespoon bakers sanding sugar

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375° F. Butter a 3-quart baking dish.

For the fruit filling, with your hands, rub the brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg together in a large bowl. Add the apples and cranberries and toss to evenly coat. Gently stir in the lemon juice. Pour the filling contents into the prepared pan. Cut the butter into small cubes and scatter over the apples.
Cover the pan with foil and bake in the lower third of the oven for 20 minutes. This gives the apples a jump-start on cooking while you make the biscuits.

To make the biscuits, whisk the flour, tablespoon of granulated sugar, the baking powder, and the salt together in a bowl. Add the cheese and toss until evenly coated. Make a well in the center of the bowl and add the buttermilk. With a rubber spatula or fork, or by hand, stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened. The dough will be shaggy and moist. If the dough seems dry, add a bit more buttermilk, no more than 1 tablespoon at a time.

Take the baking pan out of the oven and remove the foil. Using an ice cream scoop, place the dough atop the fruit, distributing the biscuits evenly. (You should end up with about 9-12 biscuits.) Sprinkle the tablespoon of sugar sanding over the biscuits.

Return the cobbler to the oven (this time without the foil) and bake for an additional 30 to 40 minutes, or until the apples are tender, the juices are bubbling, and the biscuits are golden brown.

Storage: This dessert is best served the day that it is made, but any leftovers can be wrapped in plastic wrap (or foil) and kept at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.

Join the Party!
Got a great Thanksgiving dish or decorating idea? Share a link to your Turkey Day blog post or recipe in the comments or on our Facebook page!

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by | November 17, 2010 · 8:43 am

Braised Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Our Virtual Thanksgiving Potluck is in full swing!  Today I am so excited to share a recipe from Alison Sherwood who gives Brussels sprouts a new, and delicious, twist!

Alison is a multimedia producer and blogger for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Her blog, Post-College Kitchen, is all about trying new foods and cooking techniques, and saving time and money in the kitchen.

Favorite Thanksgiving Dish or Tradition? I love stuffing! If that were all I ate on Thanksgiving, I’d still be satisfied.

Pumpkin Pie or Apple Pie? Apple Pie for me. I like my pie sweet and gooey! I did try making a pumpkin pie last Thanksgiving, but realized (after it was being served) that I had forgotten to add the sugar. Whoops! I may have to take a second shot at it this year!

Cooking mantra? “It’s worth a try.” There isn’t much I wouldn’t at least try making once.

What are you thankful for this year? I am thankful that I can run again after spending the first part of the year injured. I like to balance my time in the kitchen with time being active.

Braised Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Makes about 6 servings

3 slices bacon
1 large yellow or white onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons butter, divided
2 slices whole wheat sandwich bread, or whatever bread you have
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 pounds Brussels sprouts
1 cup white wine
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Cook the bacon in a large skillet over low heat, turning often until bacon is crispy. Remove from pan, but leave drippings. Drain bacon on paper towel, crumble by hand or in food processor and set aside.

Add the sliced onion to the pan and sauté over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes or until browned. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in the pan, reduce the heat to low and continue to cook the onions for about 20 minutes, or until caramelized. Meanwhile, process the bread in a food processor until it is chopped into breadcrumbs. Wash the Brussels sprouts and slice the ends off (about 1/8 inch). Remove any wilted or loose leaves and slice in half from top to bottom.

When onions are done, remove from the pan and set aside. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat and add the breadcrumbs and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Toast, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes or until breadcrumbs are browned. Remove from the pan and combine with the bacon crumbles.

Add the Brussels sprouts to the pan and cook for a minute before adding 1 cup of white wine and bringing to a boil. Stir the Brussels sprouts, reduce heat to medium and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Cook for about 8 minutes, or until Brussels sprouts are tender. Stir in the caramelized onions, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Transfer Brussels sprouts to a baking dish rubbed with butter or sprayed with cooking spray. Top with bacon and breadcrumb mixture and broil about 4 minutes, or until heated through.

Note: You can cook the bacon, caramelize the onions and braise the Brussels sprouts a day ahead, then simply toast the breadcrumbs, assemble and heat in the oven on Thanksgiving.

recipe adapted from Cooking Light

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by | November 16, 2010 · 7:40 am

Pumpkin Smashed Potatoes with Roasted Garlic and Parmigiano

It’s day two of our Virtual Thanksgiving Potluck and we have Chef Kendra Peterson from Drizzle Kitchen and writer of the blog Urban Tarte, joining us to shed some culinary insight and innovation to our Thanksgiving meal.

Hello all! My name is Kendra Peterson and I am a chef living in downtown Chicago.  I own a business called Drizzle Kitchen, which offers personal chef services, boutique catering, private cooking lessons and culinary consultation to individuals and businesses. The focus of Drizzle is “whole food” cuisine, that is, food that is not processed or manufactured.  Clean food that is good for the mind, body and soul. There is a Spanish Proverb that reads, “The belly rules the mind,” so fill your belly with the best food you can and make your body happy

For most people Thanksgiving is a holiday full of family tradition, the knowledge that your favorite dish will be on the table ready for you to take a big bite of and that familiar smell of the turkey in all its glory roasting in the oven.  Well, that’s a nice story and all but in my little world of culinary craziness tradition=boring.  Much to the dismay of my family!  For me, the tradition has to do with the china that is placed out, the crystal that is wiped, the silver that is polished.  The dining room set with its formal place settings, the candles that are lit and the comfortable glow of family smiling, chatting and enjoying each other’s company.

When I began my serious passion for cooking I saw the holidays as a fabulous time when I had a large audience at my ready, willing to try what I brought out of the kitchen.  And because at an age of 15 I wanted everything to be organic, look beautiful, taste fabulous and be healthy (over-achiever) I spent much time honing my holiday creation repertoire. Through the years my family has been very kind and has put up with some of the crazy concoctions that I presented to them (lentil-chestnut loaf. Yep.) But they have also been the happy recipients of many recipes that are now part of my collection. Pancetta roasted Brussels sprouts (in lieu of green beans amandine), sweet potato biscuits with ginger butter (in lieu of canned crescent rolls) and flourless chocolate tart with orange and crystallized ginger (in lieu of-gasp!-pumpkin pie). Yes, it’s true. There is only ONE person in my entire family who likes pumpkin pie (Good ‘ole daddio) and for the rest of us dessert is typically pumpkin mousse with gingersnap crumbs, pumpkin cheesecake or anything chocolate based!

So, now that you have an idea of what will be on my Thanksgiving table this year here is a recipe that maybe you can use to sass up your “traditional” menu!

Pumpkin Smashed Potatoes with Roasted Garlic and Parmigiano

Serves 4

1 whole head garlic
1” Yukon gold potatoes (“butter” potatoes)
3 generous pats of unsalted, organic butter
¾ cup canned organic pumpkin puree
¼ cup milk, any kind-whole, skim, plain soy, plain coconut
1/3 cup parmigiano-reggiano plus another ¼ cup, divided
1 tsp. fresh lemon zest
2 T. minced fresh parsley
sea salt, cracked pepper, olive oil

Directions
Preheat oven to 350.  Cut the top off the garlic (think about cutting off a “hat”).  Place the garlic-discard the top-in the center of a piece of foil, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.  Close up the foil into a packet and roast 30 minutes until nice and soft.

Meanwhile, fill a medium saucepan with cold water.  Add the potatoes, a nice big pinch of salt and cover.  Place on medium heat and cook until potatoes a knife slips into the potatoes like a hot knife through butter.

Drain the potatoes and place in a large bowl. Gently smash with the back of a fork and add the butter.  Let it melt into the potatoes.

Remove the garlic from the foil.  Using a paper towel, grab the base of the garlic and squeeze the cloves out into a small bowl.  Discard the papery skin. Smash the cloves with a fork (oh yeah, it smells ammmmazing!).

Into the bowl with the buttery potatoes add the pumpkin puree, the smashed roasted garlic, the milk, the 1/3 cup parmigiano and a hefty pinch of salt.  Smash all together with the back of a fork until pretty blended.

Add the fresh lemon zest, parsley, cracked pepper and more salt if needed.  Stir to blend.  Spoon into an oven safe baking dish (8×8 or smaller. Perhaps a pretty oval stoneware dish?!).

Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup parmigiano over the top and drizzle with a bit of olive oil.  Place under the broiler just until the cheese begins to melt the tips of the potatoes start to brown.

This year I am grateful for the incredible gift of my girlfriends.  Without them I would not have made it through this past year.  They held me up as I dealt with a very difficult situation and have pushed me forward in both my personal life and with my business.  They have made connections and opened up doors for me within the creative realm of Drizzle Kitchen that I never thought possible. So make sure to mentally send all your friends a little “thank you” during your Thanksgiving Day festivities and I guarantee that gratitude will come back to you tenfold.

With a big smile and a non-traditional Thanksgiving hug  ~ Kendra

Join the Party!

Got a great Thanksgiving dish or decorating idea? Share a link to your Turkey Day blog post or recipe in the comments or on our Facebook page!


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by | November 15, 2010 · 8:08 am

Classic Mashed Potatoes

Thanks for swinging by the HAP Virtual Thanksgiving Potluck!  Since Thanksgiving is all about bringing together family, friends and food we thought a little party with some of our favorite bloggers would be the perfect way to get in the mood.

Kicking things off with a starring side dish is Rachel Humiston, who by day is a brand manager and by night dishes up taste tests and restaurant reviews over at The Avid Appetite.

Favorite Thanksgiving dish and/or Tradition?
Do I have to pick one? I love mashed potatoes and don’t eat them the rest of the year, so it’s really a special treat on Turkey Day. Also, any super sweet potato casserole! Bonus points for lots of brown sugar! As for traditions, I love watching the Macy’s parade (you know, like I’m 5), baking and spending time with my family.

Pumpkin Pie or Apple Pie?
I’ll never turn down a good apple pie, but pumpkin has my heart.

Cooking Mantra?
Have fun! Regardless of your level of expertise, when you are making something you love and sharing it with others, you can’t go wrong if you have fun doing it!

What are you thankful for this year?
My husband who makes me happy every day and my family who are always there for us and who make everything fun!

Rachel’s Classic Thanksgiving Potatoes

When the ladies of HAP asked me to guest blog as part of their Thanksgiving series, I was delighted. Even more so when I learned I’d be writing about potatoes, a major staple in every Turkey Day feast (have you ever heard of a Thanksgiving dinner without mashed potatoes? Me neither). Admittedly, I had never made mashed potatoes. Though I’ve seen them made countless times while serving as my mom’s sous chef, I’d yet to tackle them in my own kitchen. And I have the ladies of HAP to thank for giving me the nudge, since this dish is nothing short of life-changing. Oh, and did I mention that they couldn’t be easier?

While there are an exhaustive number of options for mashed potatoes, with additions ranging from garlic and blue cheese to cheddar cheese, onions, they all begin with a classic base. Since it’s Thanksgiving, the holiday of traditions, why change it up? I vote for a standard yet unforgettable mashed potato. And once you taste this creamy, velvety version, you may find, as I did, that there’s no need for anything more. Except for some turkey, gravy and cranberry sauce.

thanksgiving potato recipe

Thanksgiving Mashed Potatoes (erves 4-6)
2-3 tbsp salt (or more if needed)
2-3 lbs potatoes, peeled & cubed
1/2 C heavy cream (or more if needed)
4 tbsp butter
pinch black pepper
chives, dried or fresh

Peel the potatoes and cut into cubes. In a large pot, add the potatoes and cover with cold water. Add salt and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat slightly to a light boil and cook for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Remove from the water and place in large mixing bowl.

Add butter and heavy cream. With the back of a wooden spoon or a fork, smush (yep, it’s a technical term) the potatoes and lightly mix together. This will prevent splatter all over your beautiful kitchen once you break out the mixer. Add black pepper. With a hand mixer, or in a stand mixer, beat until smooth and creamy. Add more salt or more heavy cream if needed. Garnish with chives.

whipped potatoes

So there you have it. A creamy, decadent mashed potato that’s quick and simple to boot. It’s the perfect potato addition to any Thanksgiving table which won’t have you slaving over the stove but will have your guests oooh-ing and aaah-ing! Happy Turkey Day!

Join the Party!

Got a great Thanksgiving dish or decorating idea? Share a link to your Turkey Day blog post or recipe in the comments or on our Facebook page!

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by | November 12, 2010 · 8:48 am

Turkey for Me, Turkey for You

As stores deck the halls for Christmas this time of year, I can’t help but feel sorry for one of my favorite holidays: Thanksgiving! This noble holiday does not get the attention it deserves. That is why Haute Apple Pie will be celebrating next week with a Virtual Thanksgiving Potluck. We’ve invited five of our favorite foodies to bring a dish to the table in preparation for the main event.

Rachel, Kendra, Alison, Michael and Lauren will be dishing up sides, desserts and tasty beverages as well as sharing a few of their Thanksgiving thoughts with us.

But a Thanksgiving meal wouldn’t be complete without the bird, would it? While cooking up a turkey may seem simple, there are many ways to make it happen. You can roast, grill, deep fry, stuff, marinate, brine, slow-cook and heck, some even cook a turkey breast in the microwave (HAP does not condone this method). While I love you all, I’m not sure I have enough friends on hand to come eat a big bird right now and have not accumulated enough Turkey Perks at Pick N Save to save some cash, so I am dishing up some recipes from around the web that have been certified as solid ways to get the bird ready for the big day.

Photo courtesy of Butterball

Deep Fry: Deep frying a turkey requires some skill, an open outdoor space and lots of care, because it is quite dangerous. However, it taste delicious. Check out this video with some help from Paula Deen on how to deep fry a turkey.

Brined and Roasted: My friend Erin from Hot Dinner Happy Home recently posted her recipe for homemade brine and roasted turkey. Far less dangerous than deep frying, juicy and delicious and you can roast your veggies at the same time!

Grilled: Grilling a turkey may not have the inside of your house wafting with turkey delight, but your neighbors will thank you. This simple grilling method gets five stars on allrecipes.com and better yet, it frees up your oven so you can have more space for those sides!

Stuffed: Now some say you shouldn’t stuff a turkey for contaminating reasons. I throw that advice out the window as I’ve been eating my Grandma’s stuffed turkey my whole life and never once felt sick (well…maybe from over eating). Alton Brown from The Food Network provides this classic recipe for a stuffed turkey. If you are wary, you can always use a bag for the stuffing.

Slow Cooked: It is not advised to slow cook an entire turkey, and it would be difficult to find a slow cooker large enough. However, slow cooking a turkey breast is a great option for a smaller thanksgiving meal. If you are only hosting a small amount of people or if you are all by yourself for Thanksgiving, this is a simple way to get that great Thanksgiving turkey taste without all of the fuss. And again, your oven is open for other dishes. I made a similar recipe a few years ago and it was delicious!

Join the Party!
Join us next week for our Virtual Thanskgiving Potluck!  Feel free to bring a dish to the party by posting a recipe in the comments section or on our Facebook page.

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by | November 10, 2010 · 8:21 am

Apple and Cranberry Stuffing

Everyone has that one special dish they look forward to seeing on their plate at Thanksgiving.  Mine is the perfect stuffing.  In fact, I would be perfectly content eating an entire plate of this holiday favorite.

This recipe has everything I think a good stuffing should have.  The addition of the sage, cloves and thyme make it incredibly fragrant and the diced apples and dried cranberries add the perfect paring of sweet and savory.


Apple and Cranberry Stuffing

1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup diced celery
1 diced yellow onion
3 large green apples, diced with the skin on
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. dried sage
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 cup dried cranberries
16 oz. bag of herbed stuffing bread
2, 14 oz. cans chicken or vegetable broth

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute celery and onions about 8 minutes or until they turn translucent. Core and dice apples.

In a large bowl, combine the onion and celery mixture, apples, nutmeg, salt, pepper, sage, cloves, thyme and cinnamon. Lastly, stir in the cranberries and the stuffing bread. Add broth and stir until bread is evenly moistened.

Transfer stuffing mixture to a large baking dish and bake at 350° for 35 minutes. Stir well and serve warm.

This dish will make you whole house smell wonderful.

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by | November 8, 2010 · 10:44 am

Angel Food Cupcakes with Key Lime Frosting

Over the weekend the hubs and I went to dinner at a local favorite, Honeypie. When I leave there I’m usually too full for dessert but this time we got one of their tasty looking cupcakes to go.  The cupcake was simply labeled “Vanilla Birthday Cake” but this wasn’t your average cake-y cake. It was so light and airy that it had to be an angel food cake.

Wait, can you even make angel food cupcakes?  The thought had never even crossed my mind. It’s such a finnicky cake that it seems like it wouldn’t work. As it turns out, you definitely can!

Because I was suspect of my experiment, I used a reliable angel food cake recipe from The Joy of Cooking and cut the cooking time.  Paired with a sweet-tart key lime frosting the cupcakes were deliciously light and similar to the Honeypie revelation. Add this one to your cupcake arsenal, kids.  It’s a winner.

angel food cake recipe

Angel Food Cupcakes
cake from The Joy of Cooking
11 egg whites
1 C flour, sifted
3/4 C sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tsp cream of tartar
3/4 C sugar

Preheat oven to 350. In a small bowl sift together flour, 3/4 C sugar and salt. Sift through several times. In a separate large bowl, combine water, lemon juice, extracts and cream of tartar. Add in egg whites.   Beat mixture on medium-high speed for 4-5 minutes or until mixture has increased to 4-5x the original volume.  Mixture should be soft and frothy, holding a soft shape when the beaters are lifted.

Next, add the remaining 3/4 C sugar working 1 Tbsp at a time and beating well as you add each bit.  This should take several minutes to do. Mixture should be glossy white and should hold soft peaks where the tips just fold over when the beaters are removed.  Do not beat to stiff peaks.

angel food cake batter consistency

Gently sift in the flour mixture 1/4 C at a time.  Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the flour each time, folding the mixture over the flour until flour disappears.  Do not beat or stir.

Carefully spoon batter into cupcake liners, filling 3/4 full.  Bake for 18 minutes for small cupcakes or 22 minutes for giant cupcakes.

Key Lime Frosting
1 1/2 sticks butter, room temp
3+ C powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2-3 Tbsp half & half
2 Tbsp Nellie & Joe’s key lime juice*

Beat butter and 1 C sugar.  Add in vanilla and 1 Tbsp half and half and beat until creamy.  Continue adding powdered sugar and half and half, beating until mixture is creamy but thick.  Add additional sugar for more sweetness if desired.  Whip in lime juice, if desired.

*optional.  You could just increase the amount of vanilla a bit for plain vanilla frosting or you could experiment with other extracts and juices!

angel food cupcake

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by | November 1, 2010 · 8:23 am

“Feel Better” Chicken Noodle Soup

Between business travel, crazy barometric pressure systems and cold season kicking in, I was feeling under the weather all week. So much for all the things I was going to get done.

It’s weeks like these where you wish your mom still lived with you to rub your back, give you Sprite and make you chicken noodle soup.  Unfortunately, my mom lives in another state so I played “mom” to myself by making her tried-and-true chicken noodle soup….the perfect dish to make you feel all better.

homemade chicken noodle soup

Even though I’ve watched my mom make this soup a thousand times, I’ve been totally intimidated by making my own stock. As it turns out, her way was really easy. After you get it going it just kinda does its thing…but it takes awhile. For me, making stock will be a weekend kind of meal.

how to make chicken stock

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
20 C water
4 heaping Tbsp chicken stock base
2-3 split chicken breasts (bone in)*
5 green onions, chopped
3-4 celery stalks, chopped
4-5 carrots, chopped
1 1/2 C corn
3-4 bay leaves
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
handful parsley, minced
1 pkg Reames egg noodles

optional:
1 C mushrooms, chopped
1/2 tsp dill

In a large stock pot, bring water to a boil. Add chicken stock base, onions, celery, poultry seasoning, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Remove skin and excess fat from chicken breasts and add to water. Reduce heat and simmer for 1-2 hours to build your stock.

Remove chicken breasts and let cool for 10 minutes, then remove meat from the bones and cut into bite sized pieces. Add meat, carrots, corn and mushrooms back to stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for another 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, cook Reames noodles (found in the freezer aisle) in boiling water according to directions on package.

* NOTES: This is a GREAT recipe to use up Thanksgiving leftovers. Just save your turkey carcass and substitute it for the chicken breasts.

When I freeze leftover soup, I also prefer to make fresh noodles for the leftovers so that they hold their al dente feel. My family likes the Reames noodles because the thick style just makes the soup a little more hearty and special. However, regular egg noodles or other dry noodles will work just fine!

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by | October 29, 2010 · 8:22 am

{Chili Week} Southwestern Steak Chili

Rounding out chili week is my latest chili creation: Southwestern Steak Chili! I embarked on this new steak chili journey in anticipation for the chili-off, trying to stray from my tradition ground beef chili. To my surprise, everyone else brought chicken chili – so I could have just stuck with my staple. However, adding steak to chili gives it a hearty umpf that you just can’t get from ground beef.

Ingredients:

2-3 lbs round steak or flank steak, cut into chunks
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 TBSP olive oil
1 can dark red kidney beans
1 can black beans
2 lbs diced tomatoes
1 green pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 TBSP chili powder
1 small bunch cilantro, chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
dash of Tabasco sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 C cornmeal
1/4 C water

In large skillet, heat olive oil. Add steak and garlic, cook until meat is seared on all sides, 8-10 minutes. Add meat to slow cooker. Add all other ingredients (except cornmeal and water) to slow cooker. Stir and set to low for 8-10 hours. About halfway through the cooking process. Whisk together cornmeal and water and stir into chili. The longer this chili cooks, the better it tastes!

I tweaked this recipe a little bit from the chili-off. Added a little more spice and fixed the cornmeal so that it would thicken the way I wanted it to.

This is a great dish to warm the tummy after a long night of trick-or-treating. Happy Halloween everyone!

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