Key Lime Cupcakes with Pinnacle Whipped Frosting

The Summer sun has me thinking of crazy baking concoctions... 

Cream cheese frosting would be the traditional complement to Key Lime cupcakes, but who wants traditional ALL the time?  A stabilized whipped frosting will be lighter in taste and calories, which keeps in theme with the event at hand... the lovely Kelly Hirschbeck's Bachelorette Party! 

Cupcakes (adapted from Bon Appetit 2008)

*1 and 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
*1 tsp baking powder
*1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp
*1+1/2 cups sugar
*2 eggs, room temp
*3 TBS key lime juice
*1 TBS Lime zest
*3/4 cup buttermilk ( or 3/4 cup milk + 1tsp lemon juice, set for 10 minutes)

Preheat oven to 350F, whisk dry ingredients together, cream butter then add sugar and beat in eggs 1 at a time.  Beat in lime+zest (batter may look curdled but don't worry), add buttermilk and dry mix alternately in 3 additions each then spoon a SCANT 1/3 cup into lined cupcake wells.

Bake 18-25 minutes.  My oven cooks things fast.  Overdone cupcakes= heavy and BLA

Whipped Frosting

*1/4 cup whipped vodka
*2 tsp unflavored gelatin
*1 cup heavy whipping cream
*1 tsp lime juice
*1/4 cup powdered sugar

Chill mixing bowl and beater for 15 minutes (while cupcakes are baking/cooling)

In small saucepan on LOW, warm lime juice and half the vodka and sprinkled with gelatin until gelatin is disolved (apx 5 minutes).  If vapor starts to come off the mix remove it from the heat because that is your alcohol being vaporized! 

 Once gelatin is completely dissolved, add the other half of the vodka, whisking constantly.

Whip cream and sugar until beater marks begin to appear in the cream.  Steadily pour the vodka Jello into the cream, beating consistently and continue to beat until soft peaks start to form.  

Icing pipes well if used immediately. Enjoy! 

Tom Yum Goong (Spicy Sour Thai Lemongrass soup)

Authentic Thai food is edible art- unique ingredients and techniques combined to create amazing flavors that are healthy and delicious. Tom YUMMMM is a beginner recipe.  The secret of Thai food is the spices and fresh ingredients, some of which can be hard to find. Everything below can be found at a specialty or asian market fairly easily. 

2-3 Servings

·         2 chili peppers

·         5 sprigs cilantro

·         2 tablespoon fish sauce

·         ½ clove garlic

·         3 kaffir lime leaves

·         1 lemongrass (3 slices~ 2-3 inches)

·         1  lime juiced

·         1 cup sliced mushrooms, cabbage and carrot

·         1 tablespoon Nam Prig Pow/Pad 

·         1 cup shrimp

·         4 cups water

Boil water
 Slice/smash the lemongrass to release flavor and boil for 5 mins

Peel and de-vein the shrimp 

Combine fish sauce and lime juice and divide into serving bowls
Crush chili pepper and set aside

Add de-stemed kaffir lime leaves, garlic, vegetables, and several sprigs cilantro and boil 5 minutes

Add the shrimp and simmer till just orange

Scoop shrimp and liquid into the serving bowls to serve immediately

Add the nam prig pow/pad, cilantro, chili pepper, fish sauce, and lime to taste

**do NOT use stock for this recipe if you want it to taste authentic. The herbs and shrimp make the "stock" 

Baked Mango Oatmeal

..... because Sunday Brunch is the best meal of the week!

**still to be tried**

2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup Turbinado Sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
1 TBS chia
1 cup sliced mangos
1 cup coconut milk (I use Trader Joe's unsweetened and reduced fat)
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
butter for greasing


Preheat oven to 375°F and grease a 11x7" baking dish with butter 

Mix oats, sugar, baking powder, spices, salt, chia and coconut

whisk egg, add sugar, stir in vanilla and then fold in mango and oatmeal mixture

If you see fit, top oatmeal with sliced mango, bananas, walnuts, brown sugar, etc 

Bake 30-40 minutes or until the top is nicely golden brown and set

Berry Oatmeal Yogurt Muffins

I woke up craving blueberry muffins BUT the best/closest thing I had on hand for baking was blueberry greek yogurt and raspberry preserves.  Fear not! I can make this work...

*1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

*1 cup quick-cooking oats

*1/2 cup raw turbinado sugar (or packed brown sugar)

*2 tsps baking powder

*1/2 tsp salt

*1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

*1/2 tsp baking soda

*pinch nutmeg

*pinch or two of cardamom (if you have it)

*1 egg

*1 container (6 oz) blueberry yogurt

*2 TBS coconut oil + extra to prepare in the muffin tin

Combine all the dry ingredients 

Combine wet (egg, yogurt and oil) gently

Fold dry and wet together just until combined (over-mixing=heavy muffins)

Coat muffin pan with coconut oil or cooking spray or butter or paper liners and fill each cup halfway with batter.  Add a dollop of raspberry jam to each and then add more muffin batter.  Overall, each muffin well should be 3/4+ way full 

Bake at 400F for 17-20 mins or until a toothpick inserted in the middle and comes out clean

**Possible additions: chia seeds, walnuts, real berries**

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus with Poached Eggs and Quinoa

Breakfast for dinner with a twist!

Breakfast for dinner has become a hump day staple in our house. My farmer's market purchases of thick-cut bacon, asparagus and duck eggs plus this AMAZING food porn photo from The Chive inspired me to kick up our Wednesday breakfast this week...

1 lb asparagus spears, trimmed 
EVOO
sea salt and black pepper
4-8 slices bacon
Chives
Fresh parsley
1 cup quinoa prepared in chicken stock
4-8 duck or chicken eggs
white vinegar (see AB's egg poaching rules below)

Get your quinoa simmering in chicken stock with some garlic or what have you...

Lightly coat asparagus with olive oil, season with black pepper and divide into 4 bunches.  Wrap each bunch with one or two slices of bacon and secure with toothpicks.

You could roast these in the oven at 400F till the bacon is crispy, but it's Summer so toss those suckers on the grill (by toss I mean place gently) for 10-12 mins/till bacon is crispy

For poached eggs, I follow Mr. Alton Brown's how-to...

1) Add 1-inch of water to a non-stick skillet
2) Acidulate water with 1 tsp white vinegar or lemon juice per each cup of water
3) Boil
4) Deliver eggs to the pan with a custard cup or large spoon 
5) Remove pan from heat and cover
6) For hardly runny yolks cook 4 eggs for 7-8 mins (more eggs will take longer)
7) Remove eggs with a slotted spoon and place on paper towel to absorb extra water

To assemble... plate quinoa, add an asparagus bunch, top with 1 or 2 eggs, sprinkle with chopped chives, parsley and salt/pepper to taste.  

Viola...

Not quite as foodie porn as the inspiring picture but tasted darn good.

Roasted Brussel Sprout and Garbanzo Salad

Just about every healthy ingredient I love so much in one place...

2 handfuls of almonds, toasted and chopped 

1 lb Brussel sprouts, trimmed and quartered

2 TBS olive oil... just eyeball it... 

salt and pepper

3/4 cup quinoa

1 1/2 cup stock

2+ TBS Lemon juice (I tossed in a dash of apple cider vinegar for good measure too)

half bunch of fresh Parsley, chopped

1 can garbanzo beans, 

1 clove fresh garlic chopped 

*Toast the almonds for 5-10 minutes at 400F being careful not to burn them. 

*Toss prepared brussel sprouts in olive oil, sprinkle withsalt and pepper and roast for 20-25 mins.  The loose leave may burn a little so shake the pan every once in awhile but don't worry. They still taste good!   

*Cook quinoa in stock as directed on package

*Once everything is done, stir it up and serve warm or chilled

We made this to go with cider BBQ chicken sandwiches with white cheddar, but it is a totally satisfying meal on it's own.... I'm having it for lunch right now! Could toss some craisins in there too now that I think of it. 

Quinoa Granola Bars

Granola bars are expensive and full of sugar/preservatives.  Make them healthier at home and save some $$

1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup quinoa
1/3 cup almonds
1/3 cup walnuts
1/3 cup pecans
1/2 cup craisins
4 TBS Chia seeds
2 overripe bananas

*you can mix infinite variations- chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, dried cherries, plums, prunes, raisins, flax, almond butter, etc...

You can combine everything in a food processor, but I just stirred all the dry ingredients together, processed the banana and then combined.  If you want to add almond or peanut butter process it with the bananas.

Use a cookie cutter (I used the handle of my cheese grater because I wanted bar shaped bars) and arrange on a baking sheet.

Bake 15-20 mins at 325 F.

Store in the fridge and eat within a week.... not a problem at my house... they're usually gone in 2 days

200 calories with 8 g protein and 6 g of fiber

Mini Apple Pies

No mere cake will do to celebrate the love of my life's birthday! 

A little more labor intensive than making one crust, but they will save time in serving, and they're so darn cute...

Crust
2 cups flour
2/3 cup butter softened
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
(4 tablespoons water)

Filling 
5 medium granny smith apples peeled and chopped
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
6 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter 

Directions
Blend all crust ingredients (except water) together until they blend and clump together into little balls. Then, slowly add water and blend until the mixture looks like it's sticking.  Once it reaches a sticky consistency, continue to combine dough with your hands and form a ball. 

Roll crust dough ball out on a lightly floured surface, and cut out 12 x 4 inch circles (you can use a cup or bowl with a 4" diameter). Leftover crust trimmings can be used used for lattice pie tops. 

Press each circle into a well of the muffin tin and roll edges. Mix filling ingredients and spoon into muffin bowls. Decorate them with extra crust or crunch top and a few dots of butter.  

Bake at 425 degrees for 16-18 minutes (until crust is light brown and apples are bubbling). After cooling they loosen easily with a knife or spoon and come right out.  Add vanilla ice cream and good to go!

Kale and Potato Soup

My friend Diana made this last month and sent me the recipe.  She's a genius in the kitchen


3-4 yukon gold potatoes
1 bunch of kale (I used a mix of Red Russian and Lucitano)
1 large container stock
1 C water
1+ cup of wine (Diana used white. I used red.  As long as it's dry, use what ya got)
4 stalks of celery
3 cloves of garlic
1 yellow onion
1 can of fire roasted tomatoes
4 sprigs of rosemary
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
olive oil

Toppings

Marscapone!!!

Olive Oil

Bread 

I didn't try the croutons but the Marscapone really really makes it

Dice onion, celery and garlic and add to large stock pot on medium with a drizzle of olive oil, rosemary and thyme with the stems attached (remove them before serving), and wine and cook till veggies are tender 

Add cubed potatoes, fire roasted tomatoes, broth, and water. Season with fresh ground pepper and sea salt. Simmer on medium-low heat for a 1-2 hours stirring occasionally and adding extra seasoning, water, or wine if necessary

Remove herb stems. 15-ish minutes before you are ready to eat, chop and add kale to the mix. I like it better when the kale is bright green and partially firm. If you put in the kale for too long it turns mushy and looses flavor

If you want bread crumbs, cube bread, add to a pan on med-high heat with olive oil. Turning frequently until golden brown. Season with salt and place on paper towels to absorb any extra oil, then crush into course crumbs

SERIOUSLY try the marscapone :) 

Superfood Soup

(i.e. Chicken, Kale and Quinoa Soup)

This was one of those, what do I have lying around the house? kind of soups.  Affectionately named Superfood Soup by Matt, for the presence of kale and quinoa.  Adapted from Cookin With Chopin, Living with Elmo.  (http://cookingwithchopin.blogspot.com/2011/01/chicken-and-kale-soup.html.)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced 
6 carrots, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped (I threw in a little of the celery greens, too)
2 teaspoons kosher salt (plus more to taste)
Fresh cracked pepper
4 cups chicken stock (or broth)
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary 
1 teaspoon dried sage 
1 teaspoon dried thyme 
2 bay leaves 
1 bunch fresh kale, chopped 
1 1/4 cup quinoa (rinsed)
1.5 pounds chicken (I used what I had leftover from the night before)

In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add onions, and saute for about 5 minutes, stirring often.  Then add carrots and celery and saute for about 10 minutes.  Add kosher salt and some fresh cracked pepper for the last two minutes of the saute. Add the chicken stock and herbs and let it come to a boil.  At that point throw in the kale, allowing it to boil for 5 minutes or so.  Add the quinoa and let it cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  The quinoa won't look very prevalant, but trust me, it will be dominant in the soup when it's done cooking.  For the last 5 minutes add the chicken, just to heat it up.

The original recipe called for canned white beans and diced tomatoes, neither of which I had on hand, but my end result was excellent!

Total cooking time: 45 minutes.

~Shae

Paleo Banana Cardamom Bread

The ingredients are a little pricey, but once you have them they will last you.  I was doubtful, but this may be my favorite banana bread yet, paleo or regular

Paleo Banana Cardamom Bread 

Ingredients
■2 cups blanched almond flour
■1/3 cup unsweetened coconut 
■2 teaspoons ground cardamom
■1 teaspoon baking soda
■1 teaspoon cinnamon
■1/4 teaspoon salt
■1 cup of mashed ripe banana (approximately 2)
■4 large eggs
■1/4 cup maple syrup
■1/3 cup liquified coconut oil (butter or ghee)
■2 teaspoons vanilla extract



Instructions
1.Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2.Grease 2 loaf pan (8x4).
3.Combine/sift dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
4.Combine wet ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together (or use a stand mixer).
5.Pour dry ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until fully incorporated.
6.into loaf pans and smooth the tops.
7.Bake for about 40-50 minutes.* (Banana bread is done when a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean.)
8.Remove banana bread loaf from oven, let it cool in the pan for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.
9.Store in the refrigerator.

Crock pot Paleo Gumbo

I have become a little obsessed with my crockpot lately to help with our Paleo transition.

I saw paleo gumbo on another blog a few days ago, and it got me craving cajun. I couldn't find a crock pot version I liked, so I read some traditional recipes and some paleo alternatives and this is their love child....

Ingredients
*1 lb andouille sausage, sliced
*1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
*1 lb chicken breasts
*2 slices thick cut pepper bacon (I removed some of the excess fat, but you don't have to)
*4 cups chicken stock
*1 onion
*1 cup celery
*1 small red bell pepper
*1 small yellow bell pepper
*1 small green bell pepper
*3-4 cloves garlic
*3 oz tomato paste or 2 TBS of concentrated tomato paste
*1 can diced tomatoes
*1/2 tsp garlic powder
*1/2 tsp onion powder
*2 tsp smoked paprika
*2 bay leaves
*1 tsp thyme
*1 tsp oregano
*2 tsp cajun spice (I got a blend from WinCo, which is my favorite new supermarket)
*1/2 tsp cayenne
**** Rice ingredients and recipe below (yes, paleo rice.... prepare to be amazed...)

Gumbo Instructions

1) Dice the onions, peppers, celery, bacon and garlic and add to crock pot

2) Add spices, tomato paste, and diced tomatoes and stir it up then add chicken stock and stir again

3) Submerge whole chicken breasts in the mix 

4) Cook on low for 3-4 hours

5) Remove chicken breasts and use 2 forks to shred chicken

6) Add chicken and sliced andouille sausage 

7) Cook on low for another 3-4 hours

*If you're setting it and forgetting it, you can add the sausage in the beginning and shred the chicken before you serve it.  This way just makes the chicken soak up more of the flavor 

8) 20 minutes before finished cooking, add the shrimp and start making the "rice"

Rice Ingredients
*1 head cauliflower
*2 tbs olive or coconut oil
*1 clove garlic
*1/2 tsp garlic powder
*1/2 tsp thyme
*1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
*1/3 cup chicken stock
*salt to taste

1) remove stems and process cauliflower in food processor into "rice-sized"pieces
2) heat oil and garlic in a saucepan till garlic becomes fragrant
3) add cauliflower rice, pour over saucepan and bring to a sizzle/simmer
3) add spices and sauté the mix for 10-15 minutes

Put rice in a bowl, top with gumbo goodness, and MAGIC!

Delicious, healthy, worth the effort :) My boyfriend said it was the best thing I've made in a long time.  BOOM.