Cupcakes

I've been testing recipes (mostly enjoying them) for cupcakes. After Nick closes a sale he gives his clients cupcakes to celebrate and show his appreciation.

The usual is Champagne cupcakes but I really wanted to switch it up the other day so I tried a chocolate cake recipe. Filling them with a marshmallow creme sounded delicious so I made that from scratch too--YUM! I topped the little beauties with chocolate ganache (two layers thank you very much)and a cute little swirl of marshmallow creme.

I had a few cupcakes left over from the last batch I made that way so I made peanut butter butter cream frosting and had fun with some sprinkles.

I didn't love the idea of using the scratch-made marshmallow creme if it wasn't going to be consumed quickly since it is basically a meringue (raw or mostly raw egg whites and sugar whipped until you can build with it) so, I started looking for a way to pass less foodborne illnesses. Behold, I found tons of recipes for marshmallow butter cream frosting, it is sweeter than the homemade version but it will hold up better out of refrigeration. After reading many recipes I decided to give it a try, here's what I did:

* 1 1/2 sticks butter, at room temperature
* 1 jar of marshmallow creme (a small jar, and they are 7 ounces)
* 1 cup powdered sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 pinch of salt (I had salted butter so I left this out)

Whip the marshmallow creme and the butter together on medium high speed, add sugar and slowly start to whip the ingredients together (Slowly or you will be covered with powdered sugar!), add the vanilla, whip again to incorporate. Use to fill cupcakes or top your ganache-covered ones, enjoy!

If you need cupcakes for something I would love to make them for you!

Chicken Lasagna

This recipe is loosely based on a recipe in the cookbook Simply Classic by the Junior League of Seattle.

Chicken Lasagna

12 lasagna noodles (cooked to just under al dente)
6 tablespoons butter, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 cups fresh spinach, wilted or use frozen and drain it well
4 tablespoons of flour
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/ teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup half and half
3 cups chicken breast, cooked and chopped
4-6 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled (the recipe calls for proscuitto but I have bacon--hempler's and jalapeno)
1 15 ounce container or fat free cottage cheese (the real recipe calls for ricotta...i don't really like ricotta)
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 c parmesan cheese, grated

1. cook the chicken. drizzle with a bit of olive oil, the chopped garlic and salt and pepper.

2. cook the noodles and drain, toss with a bit of olive oil so they don't stick together when you are working with them.

3. wilt the spinach in a skillet with a bit of butter and salt and pepper (i used garlic chili oil because that's what i have).

4. make sauce: in a medium sauce pan, over medium heat melt the 4 tablespoons of butter. add the flour and cook for two minutes stirring constantly--do not brown. add the milk an chicken stock a bit at a time. cook until smooth and thickened--about 3 minutes, stir constantly. once the sauce boils it won't thicken any more so remove it from the heat right away. season sauce with salt and pepper.

4. assemble. use a 9x13 pan, divide the ingredients into thirds. use about 1/3 of each for each layer. layer noodles, chicken, spinach, cheese, cottage cheese, sauce. finish the top with most of the parm and bake @ 350 degrees until hot all the way through.

Enjoy.

Fried Chicken

So I decided to try making fried chicken. It's one of Nick's favorite things and I thought that it would be good if I had an idea of how to make it--in case I ever need to grovel. I searched for a recipe to try and found one from Alton Brown on the Food Network website, I changed a few of the spices and I didn't soak the chicken for 12 hours, I got it in for more like 4. I double breaded some of it and it was delicious!

You'll note that I used an electric skillet and fried it outside (no oily stuff to clean up and it didn't smell like fried stuff indoors).

You should try it!!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/fried-chicken-recipe/index.html

Tacos at a Winery. Genius!

On our quest to conquer the wineries of the Columbia Valley we stumbled upon these delicious tacos. We were lured into Waterbrook Winery by the new, modern looking exterior. The tasting room was nice and the wines were just what we needed to get us going. After we tasted, I was milling around on the patio and smelled something meaty. Over near the classic cars that were being showcased there were two Latina Ladies...with a grill and a taco "stand." You could choose carne asada or al pastor. I chose the al pastor, they were delicious, spicy and had pineapple in the meat mixture.

Oh, and there was homemade guacamole, salsa, and hot sauce...and they were garnished with fresh Walla Walla onions and cilantro.

Three Amigas

We had a long day, lots of driving, photo shoots at upscale waterfront homes, and a toddler's birthday party.

Dinner's goal was to use some stuff up from the fridge. It was going to be quesadillas or pizza. The winner was pizza. While I was getting out the toppings for the margarita pizza I found things to make the other two--Spicy Chicken Thai and Italian Sausage, Gorgonzola and Red Onion. See the photos below. Jealous?

Spicy Thai Chicken Pizza

Sweet Chili Sauce (Mae Ploy)
Gouda Cheese
Chicken (barbequed with delicious seasonings of your choice--leftover is best)
Slaw (cabbage, carrots, lemon juice, lime juice, salt, pepper, dash of sugar, white or rice vinegar. make ahead to let the cabbage marinate.)
Cilantro (fresh)
Peanut Sauce--drizzled on top of pizza (bottled is perfect)
Red Chili Flakes
Parmesan Cheese (freshly grated)

Layer ingredients on your crust of choice--tortillas, homemade dough, store bought, a bagel, english muffin...

Chopped peanuts or cashews would be delicious as well as fresh jalapenos.




Italian Sausage, Gorgonzola and Red Onion Pizza

Margherita Pizza

Windy Wine

"A bottle of wine begs to be shared; I have never met a miserly wine lover." - Clifton Fadiman, N. Y. Times, 8 Mar '87

We tagged along to a wine tasting event this afternoon. Viognier and a red blend were the wines being poured, aside from the wind, things were rather enjoyable. The red wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah. It was a nice wine to drink on a cool summer afternoon. The viognier is light, and a delicious mix of tart and sweet.

Garlic Mayo

dinner

fresh kaiser roll, ground beef, caramelized onions, gorgonzola, homemade pickles, garlic mayo, coleslaw and sweet potato fries.

Garlic Mayo
mix the following in a small bowl, let stand for several minutes to let the flavors come together:
1/4 mayo
1/2 t sesame oil
1 small clove fresh garlic, pressed or finely minced
salt and pepper to taste

store leftover mayo in a sealed container in the fridge, delicious on your sammies.