Chocolatey Strawberry Cupcakes

I mean....come on! Do I really need to say anything else? Ok fine I will. These rich chocolate cupcakes are topped with a fluffy white chocolate buttercream, filled with strawberry jam and topped with a strawberry reduction.

 Cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup canola oil

1 cup milk (i used skim but you can use whichever percent you wish)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp white vinegar

Frosting:

2 sticks butter (softened)

2 cups confectioners sugar

6 oz white chocolate, melted and cooled

2 tbsp milk

Filling/Topping
1 pint strawberries, trimmed and diced into small pieces * set aside a few whole strawberries to slice for garnish
2 tbsp sugar

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl mix together all ingredients for cupcakes until well blended with no lumps. Pour batter into cupcake baking cups and fill 3/4 of the way. Bake until cupcakes are firm, about 20-25 min. Place onto a cooling rack and allow to cool for 20 min.

2. For frosting, add butter to mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachmentm and beat on medium speed. Add confectioners sugar and beat until fluffy, 2 min. Slowly add melted white chocolate and milk. Beat on high speed until creamy and fluffy, 3 min., scraping down sides of the bowl to make sure all sugar is incorporated.

3. For filling, add strawberries and sugar to a small saucepan. Saute on medium heat until strawberries begin to break down and get soft, about 10-15 min. Strain strawberries into a separate bowl and place excess juice back into the saucepan. Heat juice on medium heat and reduce until thick and syrupy, about 5-7 min.

4. Assembly, once cupcakes have cooking remove a small amount of the center of the cupcakes. I use the back of a pastry tip or a small melon baller. Make sure not to go to deep or puncture through the cupcake. Fill each center with about a tsp of filling. Frost cupcakes and drizzle with strawberry reduction and garnish with a sliced strawberry.

Chicken & Winter Vegetable Soup Pot Pie

Nothing warms the body more than a hot steamy bowl of chicken soup. How about when its topped with crisp, golden pizza dough? Although this is not a traditional chicken pot pie, it is just as comforting.  A hot bowl of chicken soup and a thick piece of hearty bread to dunk with, is the perfect meal for a winter night. This soup combines this into one perfect bite. A traditional pot pie is a thick creamy stew topped with a traditional pie dough or biscuit dough. Since no cream or butter is used in this recipe, the soup consistency is more like a traditional chicken soup. My tiny kitchen loves this recipe as well since it is a one-pot dish.

2 tbsp olive oil

1 lb chicken, cut into chunks

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1 cup diced onions (about 1/4 inch dice)

1/2 cup diced celery  (about 1/4 inch dice)

1 cup chopped carrots (about 1/2 inch dice)

1 cup chopped sweet potato (about 1/2 inch dice)

1 bunch kale, thick veins trimmed and roughly chopped

3 1/4 cup chicken stock

2 tbsp corn starch

1/2 package whole wheat pizza dough

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large pot heat 1 tbsp olive oil. In a small bowl combine chicken, salt, garlic and onion powder. Add chicken to pot and cook until slightly brown and just under cooked, about 5 min. Remove from pot.

2. Add remaining 1 tbsp olive oil to pot and heat to medium. Add onions and celery and saute until translucent, about 3 min. Add carrots and sweet potato and saute for 5 min more. Add kale and saute 1 min. 

3. Add 3 cups chicken stock and bring to a boil. In a small bowl combine corn starch with remaining 1/4 cup chicken stock to create a slurry. Add slurry to chicken stock. 

4. Reduce heat to simmer and simmer until slightly thick, 10 min. (* since we are not adding cream or butter it will not be as thick as a traditional chicken pot pie). Pour soup into a 6 cup oven safe baking dish  or bowl.

5. Roll out pizza dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Prick with a fork to make sure dough does not puff up too much. Lay dough over baking dish pinching around the edges to secure it. 

6. Bake until crust is golden brown, 20 min.

Holiday Eating Choices That Make You Feel Slightly Healthier

(Photo Credit to my dad on his gorgeous turkey from 2010)

As the holidays approach and the red mark on my stomach from my "pants shrinking" gets a little bit worse, I try to prep myself for the eating frenzy that is on the horizon. There are tons of articles being posted for the best holiday recipes; sweet potato pie, sausage stuffing, deep fried turkey..the usual. There are also just as many articles about "healthy" holiday meals and swaps. I really don't like using healthy and holiday in the same sentence. This is my time! My time to stuff my face and switch my pants multiple times in one meal and not have one ounce of care. However, as I get older, I do try to lean a bit more toward the "better for you" options. I have begun to realize that my past theory of "eat an extra helping of spinach so it cancels out the marshmallow topped sweet potatoes" doesn't really do the trick.

Self Magazine has a great slide show of some healthy options and easy swaps to make. I thought I would add some of mine to the list-- Here is my Top 5 list of slightly healthier ways to approach Thanksgiving dinner:

1. Alcohol- What's a holiday with out it! Instead of guzzling mugs of spiked cider (which can run up to 200 calories a glass) stick with clear alcohols wine. You can even try a mulled wine by warming (not boiling) red wine, cinnamon, orange peel, clove and a bit of agave nectar in a saucepan for 10 min.
2. Eat Your Greens! Go for the dishes that are packed with dark greens, the darker the better! They are filled with nutrition and essential vitamins. Making a holiday salad? Swap out iceberg or romaine for some kale or red leaf, top it with goat cheese and dried cranberries for a creamy, tart mix.
3. Skip The Dips. There is so much delicious food awaiting you, no need to nibble on chips and dip. Just a tablespoon of your classic dish can run over 100 calories.
4. Portion Control (the hardest one of all). Our eyes are always bigger than our stomachs. Instead of filling your plate with a dish, eating it, then moving on to the next, try looking at your plate like a grid. Take a small amount of a few things on your plate. If you are still hungry go back for a bit more of the one or two that you liked best.
5. Like the song says.. walk it out!  Instead of passing out immediately from a triptophane coma, take a walk around the block and allow yourself to digest.

Hope these tips help you throughout this holiday season.  Happy feasting!

Soba Pad Thai

I had recently attended the Chocolate Show at the Metropolitan Pavilion (post on that to come) and after consuming my weight in samples of chocolate, I decided I needed to change up the flavors a bit, so I headed over to the Peanut Butter Company station to try out some peanut butter. I fell in love with their spicy peanut butter and professed to anyone who would listen that I must cook with this fiery butter ASAP (no one really seemed to care). As many of you know I love to create healthier version of the dishes I love. I decided this would be a perfect time to tackle Pad Thai. I switched up the traditional rice noodles for the buckwheat option, which has almost half the calories. Feel free to add some extra nuttiness and top with chopped peanuts.

8 oz soba noodles, cooked according to box instructions

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tbsp corn starch

1 lb boneless skinless chicken cut into 1 inch cubes

2 tbsp canola oil

1 small onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup sliced green peppers

2 T chopped scallions

1/4 cup spicy peanut butter (I used Peanut Butter Company 'The Heat Is On") * if you do not have spicy peanut butter combine regular peanut butter with 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper)

1/4 cup chicken stock

2 tbsp hoisin sauce

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp honey

1. In a bowl combine garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper and corn starch. Add chicken and toss to coach evenly.

2. In a large pan (or wok) heat 1 tbsp oil to medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until golden brown but slightly under done, about 3 min. Remove from pan and set aside.

3. Heat remaining tbsp oil in same pan. Add onion and garlic. Saute until translucent, about 3 min. Add peppers and scallion, saute an additional 5 min.

4. In a small bowl combine peanut butter, chicken stock, hoisin, soy and honey. Stir to combine well. Add peanut butter mixture to pan. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, 5 min. * If sauce gets too thick add a few tbsp of soba noodle cooking water.

5. Add chicken and noodles and simmer an addition 3-4 minutes until chicken is cooked through and noodles are warm.

Deliciousness at ABC Kitchen

I have been wanting to go to ABC Kitchen for some time now, so as birthday season (yes season- my boyfriend and I are 4 days apart and I have designated it a season) rolled around once again I decided it was time.


Nestled next to the famous and beautiful ABC Home store, lies the equally as dazzling ABC Kitchen. A restaurant by Jean Gorges Vongerichten, this rustic and chic restaurant impresses just as much on their menu selection as they do with their decor. From the eclectic mismatched silverware to the diverse collection of house made sodas, this place excites all of the senses.

The menu focuses on local ingredients and it was easy to tell which ingredients happen to be in season. Figs, concord grapes and squash flowed throughout the list of delicious dishes. 

We started off with Housemade Ricotta and Fig Compote from the "Market Table" section. A perfect combination of creamy, salty cheese and sweet figs were delectable spread over grilled rustic bread. 

Next up off the "Appetizer" section we selected the Roasted Butternut Squash, Hazelnuts, Goat Cheese and Spicy Onions and Pretzel Dusted Calamari with Marinara and Mustard Aioli. The squash satisfied every taste; sweet, salty, spicy, creamy and crunchy. The calamari was the best I have had in a very long time. Not one bit rubbery or tough. The crispy crust and delicate center paired perfectly with the sweet marinara sauce and strong mustard aioli. I must also add how fantastic the service was. Never a glass left half empty and never an empty plate sitting for more than a few moments. 

Lastly on the savory front, we ended (each) with the Roasted Suckling Pig with Braised Turnips and a Plum and Bacon Marmalade.  Its birthday time, go big or go home right? I'm drooling a little just looking at the picture again. The pig was served in a tightly packed rectangle and tasted like the most glorified pulled pork you could imagine. It was topped with thick, crispy skin and sweet and salty-well--bacony jam. 

Last, but never least, was dessert. My favorite time of all, for obvious reasons. With incredible options including Apple Pie with Cinnamon Ice Cream, Peanut Butter and Jelly Cake, Concord Grape Tart and Red Wine Poached Pairs, we opted for the most classy dish on the menu--the Ice Cream Sundae. But this was not just any ol' sundae, this sundae was Salted Caramel Ice Cream with Candied Peanuts and Popcorn, Whipped Cream and Chocolate Sauce....I think this one pretty much describes itself.