Green Tea Cupcakes with Honey Buttercream

There is nothing better than sitting down on a cold night with a warm glass of green tea with honey--unless it's in cupcake form. I suggest everything be eaten in cupcake form -- the world would be such a better place! We would probably need to run a few hundred miles a week, but it would totally be worth it. 

This cupcake has a subtle hint of green tea without being too overpowering. The light honey buttercream is the perfect complement.

Cupcake:

1/2 cup butter (1 stick) at room temperature

1/2 cup honey

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3 tbsp green tea (or 2 tbsp green tea powder)

1/2 cup almond milk

Frosting:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter at room temperature

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup honey

2 tbsp almond milk

Cupcake:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 cupcake tins with paper liners.

2. Beat butter and honey in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 min. Add eggs one at a time allowing each egg to blend into the mixture. Mix in vanilla extract.

3. In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Slowly add to butter mixture

4. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 min. Remove cupcakes from tin and cool on a wire rack. Do not frost until cupcakes are completely cooled.

Frosting:

1. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat sugar and butter. Beat on low speed until well blended and then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes.

2. Add honey and almond milk and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more.



Steamed Mussels with Chicken Sausage in White Wine Sauce

Having been a cautious eater my whole life, it would surprise many people who knew my younger self that I enjoy a more exotic array of food. Although mussels may be considered a more adventurous food, they are actually a simple ingredient that takes on the flavors of whatever they are cooked in. This simple dish is so easy to make you may think you are doing something wrong. Cooking vegetarian? Swap out the chicken sausage and broth for vegetable broth and an extra veggie like kale.

1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound raw chicken sausage
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1 pound mussels, remove any mussels that are cracked or open
2 tbsp chopped parsley

1. Heat olive oil in a large rimmed skilled (with a lid). Add onions and garlic and saute until translucent, 5 min. Add tomatoes and saute an additional 3 min.
2. Remove sausage from casing and rumble into skillet, breaking it apart in the pan with a spatula. Saute until browned and cooked through, about 5 to 7 min.
3. Add white wine and simmer until reduced by half. Add chicken stock. Bring to a boil and simmer until liquid has thickened slightly, 7 min.
4. Add mussels and cover with lid until shells have opened, 5 min.
5. Toss all ingredients together to incorporate and sprinkle with chopped parsley

Hello Gorgeous! (Cheddar Scallion Biscuits)

I am pretty sure this point will be argued by every person out there, but I have the best mom in the world. Waking up for school in the morning, I would come downstairs to my mom hand chopping chocolate to add to my pancakes before school. Knife in hand, using all her might, chopping bars of chocolate to make delicious chocolate chip pancakes. Sounds pretty intense right? Well...it was not until we figured out that those chocolate chips that we had used for so many years in our cookies could ALSO be used for pancakes that the tradition ended. Gotta love moms.

I assume if I had I grown up in the south, it would be hand shredded cheddar that this story would be about (and yes that means I am assuming my mom would be making me home-made biscuits every morning). 

2 plus cups 1 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 eggs
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 scallions sliced thinly
1 tbsp water

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F. In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, add 2 cups flour, baking powder and salt. Turn mixer to low and and mix to incorporate ingredients. Add butter and mix until butter is pea sized.

2. Add 1 egg to buttermilk and whisk lightly. With mixer on low, add buttermilk and egg mixture to flour. Mix until just moist. In a small bowl toss cheddar and scallions with remaining 1 tbsp flour. Add cheddar and scallions to dough and mix until just combined

3. Place dough on floured surface and knead gently 8 times. Pat dough out into a 6 inch rectangle and cut into 8 even squares. Add biscuits to sheet pan lined with parchment paper. In a small bowl whisk remaining egg with water and brush on top of biscuits. Top with salt or extra cheddar if desired.

4. Bake until golden brown and cooked through, 20 to 22 min.

Sushi Cupcakes

I was recently approached (most likely due to my obsession with cupcakes) to create mini sushi themed cupcakes for my cousins sushi themed bridal shower. I immediately started searching for fun options and ideas to create these cute confections. I decided to take the yummy candy route as apposed to a more realistic sushi made from only fondant. I used a home made cake batter as well as frosting but this can easily be done with cake mixes and canned frosting.

For the Sashimi option I used a chocolate cake in a black wrapper. I topped each cupcake with about a tablespoon of vanilla frosting. I dipped the cupcake into white sprinkles to resemble the rice. Each cake was then topped with a Swedish fish and covered with a 2 inch strip of black fondant.

For the sushi roll option I used a vanilla cupcake with a white wrapper. I topped each cupcake the same as above and again dipped it in white sprinkles. Next, Cut small pieces off of gummy worms and apply in a square pattern to the cupcake (use 4 different colors). They are not only tasty but are sure to be a huge hit. 

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!