Confessions of a Foodie In Training

Snickdoodle Cupcakes

2011-01-14T06:25:00.000-08:00

I know it's been forever since I've posted, but here I am! Last night was my night to bring a snack for Girl Scouts. I found this yummy recipe at That Winsome Girl's blog. I actually took 2 different recipes and combined them. They were a hit!

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes
makes about 28 cupcakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, plus 1/2 teaspoon for dusting
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for dusting
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/4 cups whole milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together both flours, baking powder, salt, and 1 tablespoon cinnamon.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk, and beating until combined after each.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.
To finish, combine remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 2 tablespoons sugar. Using a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip, pipe frosting on each cupcake: Hold bag over cupcake with tip just above top, and squeeze to create a dome of frosting, then release pressure and pull up to form a peak. Using a small, fine sieve, dust peaks with cinnamon-sugar. Cupcakes are best eaten the day they are frosted; keep at room temperature until ready to serve.

Frosting
from That Winsome Girl

8 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5-6 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

In the bowl of a Kitchenaid mixer, beat together softened cream cheese and butter, vanilla and cinnamon until light and fluffy.

Slowly add sifted powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue adding sugar until your desired spreading consistency is reached. I was pleasantly surprised to find that after about 4 cups, I had reached the perfect piping consistency. Fit piping bag with desired tip, fill, and decorate cooled cupcakes.

Bacon Grilled Cheese and Tomato Basil Soup

2010-09-26T18:55:00.000-07:00

It's Sunday and that means football and soup in our household...it's a tradition. I was in the mood for a different kind of soup than our regulars. Tomato Basil sounded delicious....and with any tomato soup, grilled cheese must also be present. Since the soup is so simple I wanted to pump up the taste in the grilled cheese. I will guarantee you will LOVE this sandwich! Here are a few quotes about the grilled cheese that I got a kick out of...

Husband: This is the best grilled cheese I've ever had!
Me: Better than your grandma's?
Husband: By a landslide!

Daughter: This is so good I think I'm going to pass out!

Husband: This is almost better than a steak!

Overall Ratings:

Me: 5 stars

My husband: 5 stars

My daughter: 5 stars

Tomato Basil Soup

Serves 10

20 large tomatos

1 clove of garlic

4 bunches of Basil

1/2 cup heavy cream

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Preheat the oven to 350. Slice the tomatos in half. Place them in a glass dish and sprinkle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Cut the top of the clove of garlic off. Wrap it up in some foil, pour olive oil all over and seal the foil. Put the foil in the dish with the tomatos. Roast for 45 minutes.

When the tomatos are done, put them all in a pot along with any juices in the dish, squeeze the garlic out of the foil and tear the basil. Puree. Add the cream and stir. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Bacon Grilled Cheese

Serves 2

3 slices of extra thick applewood smoked bacon

4 slices of sourdough bread

1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar

1/4 cup shredded gruyere

1/4 cup mayo

1 TBSP dijon mustard

2 TBSP parmesean

1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup parmesean

soften butter

Mix the mayo, dijon mustard and small amount of parmesan in a bowl. In another bowl mix the larger amount of parmesan and the panko bread crumbs. Set both bowls to the side. Fry the bacon and allow it to cool and drain fat. Cube the bacon and put in another bowl along with shredded cheddar and gruyere. Mix together.

Butter one side of all 4 slices of bread. Sprinkle the panko mixture evenly between the 4 slices and press into the buttered side. On two of the slices, spread the mayo mix on the opposite side. Add half of the cheese mixture to each sandwiches and cook in a non stick pan. When one side is browned, flip and brown the other side. Slice and serve.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2010-08-18T04:56:00.000-07:00

Football season is almost here....well pre-season football is here...but don't get me started on that! And in our household we (okay, okay, my husband) is a HUGE football fan. Now I will say that we, yes we, the entire household are HUGE Indianapolis Colts fans! We even named our dog, Peyton Fluffy Manning (my daughter gave the doge the middle name).

So when it comes to Sunday football, my husband enjoys eating soup. (I think it's so he can eat it all day.) This Chicken Tortilla Soup is by far his favorite. I think he requests it every Sunday, but I need a break from it now and then. :)

Overall Ratings:

Me: 5 stars

My husband: 5 stars

My daughter: 4 stars (she always says it's a little too spicy, BUT she always eats 2 bowls)

Chicken Tortilla Soup
3 cups chicken stock
1 lb chicken breasts
1 bay leaf
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 chipotles, 2 Tbsp of chipolte sauce
28 oz fire roasted tomatoes

Garnishes
Tortilla chips
sharp cheddar
red onion, diced
cilantro
sour cream

Bring the chicken broth to a simmer. Add the chicken and poach for 6-7 minutes with the bay leaf.

While poaching the chicken, heat some EVOO in a soup pot. Add the bacon and cook. Remove the bacon and drain the fat except for 2 Tbsps. Add onions and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes. Stir in diced chipoltes, chipolte sauce and tomatoes. Chop the bacon up and add to the pot as well.

Remove the chicken from the broth and chop into bite size pieces. Add to the soup. Strain the stock into the soup. Simmer.

How to serve:
Add the soup to a bowl. Add a handful of crushed tortilla chips on top. Add onions, cheese, sour cream and or cilantro on top.

Goin' Southern!

2010-06-03T10:26:00.000-07:00

This is my definition of a southern comfort meal! The only way it could get MORE southern is by catching the catfish myself....and let's be honest, who really does that? The mac and cheese is one of my daughter's favorites (as you can see by her rating below). And it would be mine too if I had the kid's metabolism. The catfish is cooked exactly like you would expect, corn meal crusted and fried! yum-o! I was going to make some fried green tomatoes with this, but I think I have enough grease and starch in this meal alone. I opted for the corn bread instead.....which I don't really helped much! :)

Overall Ratings:

Me: 4 stars

My husband: 3 stars (he's not a big catfish fan)

My daughter: 5 stars (mac and cheese only for her)

Easy to prepare
Serves 4
Time: 1 hour

4 Cheese Mac and Cheese
4 slices of bacon
2 TBSP olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups of elbow macaroni
3 TBSP butter
2 TBSP flour
1 1/2 cup milk
4 ounces of Gruyere cheese
4 ounces of sharp cheddar
2 ounces of blue cheese
1/4 cup of Parmesan
1/2 cup of Panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Boil a large pot of water for the macaroni. Make sure you salt the water! This is the only chance the pasta has to get flavor.

While the water is starting to boil. Heat the milk in a sauce pan. DO NOT LET IT BOIL! You simply want to heat it so the cheese will melt. Once it's hot, add 2 TBSP butter then the flour. Stir until mixed. Then start adding the cheese and stir it at the same time until completely melted. Add a couple dashes of pepper. Set to the side.

When the water is boiling add the pasta. Cook until al dente. Drain water from pasta. Set to the side.

In the empty pasta pot, add the bacon and cook. Remove and let the grease drain from the cooked bacon. Leave the drippings in the pan. Add the onion and saute. Then add the garlic and saute. Then add the pasta and the cheese sauce into the pot. Chop the bacon up, add it and stir until mixed.

Melt 1 TBSP of butter in a small pan. Then add the Panko bread crumbs. Toast.

Add the mac and cheese to a casserole dish. Sprinkle the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Fried Catfish
4 pieces of bone-in catfish
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
3 cups of corn meal
Old Bay seasoning

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan.

In one dish combine the eggs and milk. Scramble together. In a separate dish add the corn meal.

Sprinkle Old Bay seasoning on each side of the catfish. When your oil is hot enough you can start preparing the fish. First dip in the egg and milk. Then cover with the corn meal. Add to the pan. Cook each side for about 6-7 minutes. Remove from the oil and let drain on paper towels. Cook until all the fish is done.

Now for the cornbread, I simple followed a box recipe. Trying to keep one thing simple! I added Frank's hot sauce on my fish and a little on my mac and cheese....I LOVE my Frank's!!! I also sprinkled a little flat leaf parsley on top of everything...added a little herby freshness! :)

Super Easy and De-lish Strawberry Spinach Salad

2010-06-02T11:34:00.000-07:00

It's getting close to the end of strawberry season and I was craving some but hate getting them from the local grocery store. They are giant in size...but lack in the flavor department. So during lunch I ran to a local farm which has the "pick your own" strawberries. I decided to make a strawberry spinach salad. After all it IS bathing suit season.

Overall Rating:

Me: 5 stars

Easy to prepare
Serves 4
Time: 15 minutes

Strawberry Spinach Salad

1/4 c white sugar

1/4 balsamic vinegar

1/2 olive oil

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp worchestier

1/4 tsp fresh cracked black pepper

10 ounces fresh spinach

1 quart of strawberries, sliced

1/4 cup almonds

1/4 cup feta

Combine the sugar, vinegar, olive oil, paprika, worchestier, and black pepper. Whisk until is completely combined.

Next, rinse and slice your strawberries.

Then, combine the spinach, strawberries, feta and almonds in a salad bowl. I recommend placing the salad on your plate and then drizzling it with the dressing. That way the spinach won't wilt.

Finally, eat and enjoy!

Say hello to my Italian Beef Sandwich

2010-06-01T17:41:00.000-07:00

My mother-in-law makes a mean Italian Beef! And I believe that I've called her at least 4 different times to get her recipe only to miss place it! So instead of bothering her AGAIN, I started this meal like I do so many others. Researching a handful of recipes that I think sound good, understand the basics of the meal and throwing my spin on it.

So tonight, it's Italian Beef with homemade salt and pepper parmesan chips! (And with any luck, I'll have enough for lunch tomorrow.)

Overall Ratings:

Me: 3.5 stars

My Husband: 4.5 stars

My Daughter: 4 stars (minus the peppers and onions, of course)

Easy to prepare
Serves 8+
About $2.15 per serving
Time: about 3 hours

Italian Beef Sandwiches
3-4lb Beef top round with fat cap
3TBSP Italian Seasoning
2TBSP salt
2TBSP fresh cracked pepper
1tsp cayenne
1TBSP paprika
1tsp red chili flakes
3 md yellow onions
2 red bell peppers
2 green bell peppers
2 whole garlic cloves
1/2 cup red wine
3TBSP worcestershire

1 cup beef stock

8 Italian rolls
8 slices of munster cheese

Preheat your oven to 275.

Mix all dry ingredients together.

Rub the meat with the dry ingredient mixture. Make sure you really rub the ingredients into the meat, rub it like you would if you were a masseuse...we're talking deep tissue massage here!

Add the meat to a roasting pan with about 3 TBSP olive oil. Slice your onions and peppers and add them, along with the whole garlic cloves. Saute for about 15 minutes.

De-glaze the pan with the wine, beef stock and worcestershire. Dont' forget, if you cook with wine, then you are obligated to drink a glass too! Make sure you scrape the bottom of the pan and get all of the yummy brown bits at the bottom! Lots of flavor in those little bits!

Place the pan in the oven, uncovered, for about 2.5 hours.

Remove the pan and let the meat rest. If you get into the meat before it cools, all of the delicious juices will run out. And that's a very bad thing!

After the meat has rested, slice into thin strips and assemble your sandwich! And don't forget to save some of the juices for dipping! De-lish!!!

Easy to prepare

Serves 4

About $0.47 per serving

Time: 20 minutes

Homemade salt and pepper parmesan chips
3 thinly sliced potatoes
S & P
Parmesan cheese
1 cup vegetable oil

Heat the oil until is starts rippling. Slowly add the sliced potatoes making sure not to over crowd the pot. When the chips begin to brown, take them out and let them drain on paper towels. Immediately salt and pepper the chips. Once all of them are done cooking, sprinkle some parmesan cheese over them.