Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

(courtesy of Paula’s Home Cooking)

What you need
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk (room temperature)
2 large eggs (room temperature)
2 tablespoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the cream cheese frosting:
1 pound cream cheese (softened)
2 sticks butter (softened)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
Chopped pecans and fresh raspberries or strawberries for garnish

Get Cooking!
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two 12-cup muffin pans with cupcake papers.
Sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder in a medium mixing bowl. In a large bowl, gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix them together until smooth and thoroughly combined.
Divide batter evenly among the cupcake tins (about 2/3 filled). Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, halfway through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
Beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Add the sugar and beat on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until frosting is very light and fluffy.
Garnish with chopped pecans and a fresh raspberry or strawberry.

Fresh Blueberry Syrup (for Blueberry drinks)

Blueberries are some kind of crazy good-for-you food. Like, super good. Fountain of youth good (don't quote me on that). But, once baked into a pie, their greatness gets cancelled out a bit, so, have blueberry juice. How freakin' refreshing would THAT be! Alton Brown (whose show "Good Eats" I have taken to DVRing, in case you hadn't noticed) didn't mention anything about the alcoholic applications of this, but I think it would make a wicked blueberry martini!

4 cups of blueberries
2 cups of water
7 oz of sugar
1 oz lime juice

1) Bring the blueberries and water just to a boil, then reduce the heat and let them simmer for 15 minutes
2) Drain them into a cheesecloth-lined collander that's sitting in a nice deep bowl, and let them cool for 15 minutes (so you don't burn yourself when it comes to step 3
3) Pick up the corners of your cheesecloth, and wring it out, getting as much of the juice out as you can
4) Return the juice to your original saucepan, add the sugar and lime juice, and bring to a boil for 2 mins till the sugar dissolves (give it a bit of a stir of course)
5) Pour it into a heat-proof glass jar that you have a lid for
6) Let cool for an hour
7) Store in fridge. Alton leads me to believe that this would keep from 6 months to forever)

To use: mix 1/4 cup of the blueberry syrup with 8 oz of carbonated or seltzer water, serve over ice.

You'll have to find your own blueberry martini recipe, but, I imagine it would just involve reducing the amount of seltzer water and adding vodka or something.

I'm SO going blueberry picking this summer and making this syrup. And my aunt's no-bake blueberry pie thats also somewhere on this blog.

Faux-range Julius

I love Orange Julius drinks, love 'em. Never thought to try and make one myself, but Alton Brown (gotta love 'im) has given me a recipe. So, I am putting here so I can easily find it again, and in case anyone else has a love for them too.

6 oz of frozen OJ (about 8 standard sized cubes*)
2 oz fresh OJ
zest from half an orange
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1T powdered sugar **

Place all that in your blender, blend, and serve immediately. Its no good after too long, and there is no reblending.


*best to make them in cube form so they blend easily
** must be powdered, because the cornstarch used as an anti-clumping agent will thicken up the drink and give it a nice frothy head

Pizza Dough

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil


DIRECTIONS
Place 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Make a well in the center and add 1/2 cup water and 2 tablespoons olive oil.

Combine by gradually incorporating the flour into the olive oil and water, adding a little extra water if necessary. (Alternatively, combine the mixture in a food processor.)

Transfer the dough to a floured board and knead until smooth and elastic, 5-7 minutes.

Bake at 425 for 20 minutes on a stone, or 17 on a cookie sheet.

Microwave White Chicken Chili

Ingredients:
• 3 whole heads garlic (about 48 cloves), unpeeled
• 3/4 tsp salt, divided
• 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 2 poblano peppers
• 1 medium onion
• 1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 tbsp taco Seasoning Mix
• 2 cans (15.5 oz each) Great Northern beans, drained
• 1 jar (16 oz) salsa verde

Directions:

1. Slice about 1/4 in. off the pointed top of garlic heads to expose cloves. Place garlic cut side up in bowl. Sprinkle garlic with 1/4 tsp of the salt and drizzle with 2 tbsp of the oil. Cover bowl with lid; microwave on HIGH 3 minutes or until garlic is soft. Set aside to cool.

2. Meanwhile, finely dice peppers. Chop onion. Combine peppers and onion in microwave safe casserole dish. Trim and finely dice chicken. Add chicken, seasoning mix, remaining 1 tbsp oil and remaining 1/2 tsp salt to casserole dish; mix well. Microwave, covered, on HIGH 4 minutes; stir to separate chicken. Cover; microwave an additional 4-6 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

3. Meanwhile, gently squeeze cooled garlic from heads into batter bowl (discard skins); mash. Add beans and salsa to batter bowl. Transfer bean mixture to casserole dish; mix well. Microwave, covered, on HIGH 5-7 minutes or until chili is heated through.

Yield: Yield: 8 servings (8 cups)

Nutrients per serving: Light (1 cup): Calories 230, Total Fat 7 g, Saturated Fat 1.5 g, Cholesterol 70 mg, Carbohydrate 21 g, Protein 21 g, Sodium 750 mg, Fiber 4 g

Serve this chili with optional toppings such as shredded cheese, sour cream, lime wedges, diced avocado or chopped cilantro.

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts can be substituted for the chicken thighs, if desired.