Pizza Squash

I've made a goal for myself to keep this blog going more often. I only like to post mostly homemade dishes, and for a while Dan and I were throwing together some pretty basic meals that weren't exactly blog worthy. We both have pretty busy schedules, though mine is quieter right now with no cheerleading in the spring season. Dan works 4 nights a week, and though I wish he was home with me to have dinner, it's also a good time for me to try new recipes with ingredients that he's not so fond of.

Tonight is one of those times where I made something that he would never eat...spaghetti squash. I've used spaghetti squash a few times, and it's a great substitute for pasta in a dish and can be topped with most anything. It's so easy to prepare as well. I roasted mine when I got home from work in the afternoon, let it cool for about 35 minutes so I could handle it to shred the insides out. Then made the dish. Easy as that.

I got the recipe from a Vegan cooking blog, but adapted it to my liking, which is not vegan. If you check out the original recipe, it calls for vegan sausage, so this recipe is great for any vegans out there as well. My recipe makes a boatload of this stuff, so if you like leftovers, then you can freeze it and whatnot, but if not, I would scale it in half (other than the squash).

Pizza Squash
adapted from veganyackattack.com

1 spaghetti squash
1 lb. ground turkey (I used italian seasoned turkey)
4 cups (or 2 cans) diced tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 small can of sliced olives
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 cup shredded cheddar (or whatever you like)
Any pizza toppings you like

1. Start by roasting your squash. Preheat oven to 375. Clean the squash and cut in half. Clean out the seeds and pulp. Spray a baking dish and the tops of the squash with cooking spray or brush with olive oil. Place cut side down on the greased baking dish and poke holes in the rind with a fork. Bake for 40 minutes or until flesh is tender.

2. In a large skillet, brown and crumble the turkey, until there is no pink left in the meat.
3. Add the diced tomatoes and cook over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and green peppers (or add peppers sooner if you want them softer). Stir and cook 1 minutes. Add italian seasoning, salt, and red pepper flakes.
4. Scrape out the flesh of the squash (save shells) into the sausage mix and stir to combine. Cook 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of each cheese, black olives, and pepperonis. Stir and cook 1 minute longer.
5. Spoon into empty squash shells and eat!

Any pizza toppings would be great with this. I really want to try it with a little but of sauce, pineapple, ham and feta!

Chicken Croquettes

Because I'm such a good daughter, I usually ask my mom if she needs anything when I go to the grocery store. Today, she wanted me to start making some chicken croquettes that my dad has been asking both of us to make for weeks. I grabbed the last couple items she needed and started them for her. This is a tag-team effort meal.

One word of caution for this recipe - the amount of chicken mix seems much less than it is, and in a way, it is less than the recipe says. You should be able to make 12 croquettes with this recipe, but I could make 12 meatball-sized croquettes, or 7 patty-shaped croquettes, which is what mom decided on when she came home and smashed my meatballs together to make bigger patties. The good thing is, this recipe is from AllRecipes.com, which let's you decide the serving amount and it automatically re-calculates the ingredients needed for you. Though it does not re-calculate the ingredients in the directions, so be aware of that. If you're going to make these, I recommend really mincing or even putting the chicken in a food processor if you like the traditional style of a croquette. These have bigger pieces of chicken (though still small) in them, but overall they came out yummy.

Chicken Croquettes
from allrecipes.com

2 (10.75 oz) can cream of chicken soup
3 cups cooked chicken, finely minced ( i used a rotisserie chicken)
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
2 tbsp. minced onion
1/4 cup minced celery
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
2 tbsp. shortening (for frying, but you could use oil)
1 cup milk
3/4 tsp. poultry seasoning
1 cup Italian breadcrumbs for rolling

1. Combine the chicken, 2/3 cup of soup, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, onion, celery and 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning in a bowl and mix til well combined. Shape into croquettes (you can make 12-14 meatball-sized ones or 7 patties) and chill in the fridge for an hour.
2. Remove croquettes from the refrigerator and roll in the breadcrumbs. In a large skillet, melt 1-2 tbsp of shortening and brown the croquettes on all sides. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine remaining soup, milk and poultry seasoning. Heat over low, stirring occasionally and serve over croquettes.

minced veggies

rotisserie chicken

mince it up, even smaller than that

meatballs

patties

brown 'em

gravyyyy

Atlantic City

Every March, my grandmother hosts a trip to Atlantic City that she's been doing for, I don't know, 80 years or something...

OK, maybe 30.

Anyways, the trip started as a seniors-only trip, which then got extended down to their children, and now their children (i.e. my generation) has been invited. This year was my third year going. The youngest traveler was 25, the oldest was possibly my grandmother, 83. It's quite an age range, and quite an experience.

I can't share most of the experience, since what happens in AC stays in AC, but I can share that I did not win any money (obviously since I returned home and am still blogging from my kitchen and not a burre on Turtle Island, Fiji (one day....one day it will happen). I can also share a couple of pretty good meals I had.

It's 5 o'clock somewhere! Actually it was 9 a.m. on the bus ride down to AC...

Night 1 started with a lot of gambling, drinking and general chaos at our hotel, The Trump Taj Mahal. We ended our night sitting around the hibachi at The Rim Noodle Bar. I think it may have been my idea to go there, and I got 5 others to join me in a late night snack (full meal). The Rim has a round bar around the hibachi and general kitchen area (which I did not soberly remember to photograph). You can watch the chefs prepare everything. There are also small table around the bar. The restaurant sits on one corner of the casino and is completely open for all to see...pretty neat...and pretty smart planning when you sit and eat and stare at the flashing lights and carnival-like sounds coming from the slot machines.

Here's a brief photographic rundown of some of the noodle bowls we got.

Minced pork and shrimp wonton noodle bowl.

Minced pork and shrimp dumpling noodle bowl. (My dish)

Korean Shin instant noodle bowl.

I would just like to take a moment to discuss the last bowl. It has ramen (awesome) in a broth made of possibly hot water, chicken flavor and about half a bottle of sriracha. Sriracha is a ridiculously hot chili paste used in many Asian dishes. It is delicious, but an 1/8 teaspoon is about all you need. I put a tablespoon of it into my noodle bowl and it cleared my sinuses. The Korean shin bowl also has kimchi, which is a spicy fermented napa cabbage (or other leafy vegetable). This bowl was Pam's dish, and she was determined to finish every last drop. The 5 of us watched in awe and disgust and pain as Pam lifted the bowl to her face and drank every last bit of broth, with eyes watering, making the worst face ever. Not because it tastes bad, but because it is just that spicy. She is my hero.

Crepes filled with bacon and eggs, topped with cheddar cheese sauce

For breakfast the following morning, a few of us took a stroll down the boardwalk and stopped at our favorite breakfast place in AC, The Country Kitchen. Country Kitchen is a homestyle restaurant with mismatched wooden dining tables and chairs that serves comfort food. They had new breakfast crepes filled with various things like fruit, chocolate, etc. Naturally, I, and everyone else, chose the savory crepe filled with eggs, bacon and tomatoes (I opted no tomatoes). With a side of homefries, it was one of the best breakfasts I've ever had...a close second to the eggs benedict over potato skins at the Griddle in Los Angeles.

Now, I have to wait until next year for another adventure that I will most likely not be able to share most of the details from.

Pink Champagne Cupcakes

This past weekend, I celebrated the birthday of a good friend. I told her I'd make her some cupcakes and she asked for something "jazzy". Knowing the company I was going to be with, I went for something with booze in it, and decided on pink champagne cupcakes. The recipe I had in mind had a pink champagne flavored vanilla cake, but she wanted "really chocolate" ones. I ended up with chocolate-filled chocolate cupcakes with pink champagne buttercream frosting. They were a success...or so I heard, I never actually ate one. I used a cake recipe from Annie's Eats, and thee frosting recipe from Squirrel Bakes. Head over to Squirrel Bakes for the pink champagne cake recipe if you want to make them.

Pink Champagne Cupcakes
from Annie's Eats and Squirrel Bakes

For the cupcakes:
¾ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
¾ cup hot water
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1¼ tsp. coarse salt
1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
2¼ cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature

For the ganache filling:
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. heavy cream
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature

For the frosting:
1 cup butter (2 sticks), room temperature
3 and 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
3-5 tbsp. pink champagne
red food coloring
raspberry extract (optional)


Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line standard cupcake pans with paper liners.  In a small bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and hot water until smooth.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the butter and the sugar over medium heat.  Heat, stirring occasionally to combine, until the butter is melted.  Remove the mixture from the heat and transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.  Beat on medium-low speed, 4-5 minutes, until the mixture is cooled.

 Mix in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed and beating well after each addition.  Mix in the vanilla and then the cocoa mixture and beat until incorporated.  With the mixer on low speed add in the dry ingredients in two batches, alternating with the sour cream, beating just until combined.
Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners, filling them about ¾ of the way full.  Bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, rotating the pans halfway through baking.  Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the ganache, place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl.  Heat the cream in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, remove from the heat and pour over the chopped chocolate.  Let stand about 1 minute.  With a whisk, gently stir the chocolate and cream together in small circles.  When the ganache has become smooth, whisk in the butter 1 piece at a time until incorporated.  Transfer the bowl to the freezer or refrigerator to chill and thicken the ganache a bit.  Whisk every 5-10 minutes to help it cool evenly.  Once the mixture is slightly thickened and no longer runny, you are ready to fill the cupcakes.

To assemble the cupcakes, cut a cone out of the center of each cupcake with a small paring knife.  Drop a spoonful of ganache into the center of each cupcake. Smooth out to make an even surface for the frosting.

To make the frosting, start by beating the softened butter int he bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.With the mixer on low, add in the sugar, one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Once the sugar is fully added, beat on medium speed for an additional 3 minutes. Add in the pink champagne, a tablespoon at a time, until you reached the desired consistency and flavor you want. Add in a 1/8 to a 1/4 teaspoon of raspberry extract if using. I found it adds a nice hint of a fruity flavor. Add 1-2 drops of red food coloring until you reach the desired pink shade you want. I had neon pink food coloring and used that.

Decorate the filled cupcakes with frosting as desired.

Roasted Balsamic Strawberry Cupcakes

I like to make recipes the way they are intended the first time I make them, well with baking recipes at least. Then, if I make it again, I will tweak it as I see fit. I almost didn't follow this recipe the way it was originally written, because I'm against using boxed cake mix unless I'm in a jam.

I was not in a jam today. I had the day off of work and could spend endless amounts of time making these if I needed to. But, I went with adapting the boxed mix.

Don't get me wrong, I love cupcakes...homemade or from the box. And I certainly don't think that people who make homemade cupcakes are superior to the ones who use the mix...but I do love when you spend a lot of time on a homemade recipe from scratch and it comes out perfect...it just shows how awesome food can be.

OK, I think I'm done with my boxed mix rant.

Wait, I'm not. One boxed mix that will always take the cake (no pun intended) (yes, I'm a nerd), is boxed mac and cheese. Even the creamiest, gooiest, mac and cheese, even mac and cheese with lobster, is not better than good old Kraft mac & cheese from the box. I think it may be some sort of government conspiracy or experiment....as in they probably put in some sort of magical drug that makes it so irresistible. I may or may not have spent wayyyy too much time thinking about Kraft mac & cheese. Maybe we should move on now....

I love Balsamic vinegar and anything that you may want to put it on, mix it into, spoon-feed yourself straight from the bottle...you know. I just love it. You can roast the strawberries ahead of time (I did it the night before).

Roasted Balsamic Strawberry Cupcakes
from Sticky Gooey Creamy Chewy

Roasted Strawberries:
1 quart fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup (just under) balsamic vinegar
sprinkle of salt and pepper

Devils Food Cake:
1 box of Devils Food Cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup brewed black coffee (cooled) (this substitutes one cup of the water from the box recipe)
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
5 egg whites
1 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
pinch of salt
4 sticks unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons and room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup of roasted strawberries, pureed**

1. Start by roasting the strawberries:
Preheat oven to 250. Place cleaned strawberries in a medium bowl. Mix with the sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Spread out evenly on a baking sheet and bake for an hour, until the strawberries are nice and juicy. These can be refrigerated fro 3-4 days.
2. Make the cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350. Mix all of the ingredients together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Line cupcakes tins with liners (this made 22 cupcakes). Fill the liners 2/3 full. Bake for 18-22 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.
3. Make the buttercream:
Combine egg whites, sugar and salt in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan with simmering water in it. Whisk the mixture constantly until it is smooth and sugar is dissolved. If using an instant read thermometer, it should register 15-160 degrees and feel warm to the touch. The mixture should feel completely smooth when rubbed through your fingers. Transfer mixture to a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Beat on low speed and move up to medium-high speed. Keep beating for about 10 minutes until the mix is nice and glossy and completely cool (feel the bottom of the bowl). Whisk in vanilla and pureed strawberries until mixed. Switch to the paddle attachment and beat for additional minutes on medium speed to get rid of all of the air bubbles.
Frost cupcakes as desired.

**I would've used a cup of the pureed strawberries, the flavor wasn't intense enough for me.

Chipotle Mac & Cheese

Someone in the family decided that once a month we should have a potluck lunch. Today was the first. Since I am a last minute planner, I waited to see what everyone bringing before I made my choice. We had shepherd's pie, American chop suey, shredded BBQ beef, salads, Mexican lasagna, buffalo chicken crescents (made by the BF), and I made chipotle mac & cheese.

I always have some sort of gripe when it comes to baked mac & cheese. It either comes out too stringy or it's not enough cheese sauce the pasta is only lightly coated. Today's mac was one where it was just lightly coated in cheese sauce...and I like my cheese sauce...

Chipotle Mac & Cheese
adapted from Smell Like Home

1.5 lb cavatappi or other pasta
6 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
1.5 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsp. chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
2 tsp. adobo sauce
sprinkle of dried cilantro
8 oz. shredded mozzarella
4 oz. shredded chipotle cheddar cheese or pepper jack
4 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
extra shredded cheese for topping
panko bread crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a casserole dish.
2. Cook pasta until al dente. Before draining, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
3. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a sauce pan. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, frequently whisking to avoid lumps.
4. Slowly whisk in the milk and cream. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Stir in the garlic, onion, salt and pepper.
5. Stir in the peppers, adobo sauce and cilantro.
6. Remove from heat and stir in cheeses. The cheese should melt in and get stringy. If it feel like a large mass of cheese, pour in a little of the reserved pasta water until it thins out until smooth.
7. Add the cheese sauce to the drained pasta and stir to coat the pasta.
8. Transfer to the casserole dish. Top with extra shredded cheese and panko crumbs. Bake for 20-25 minutes until hot and bubbly.
9. Broil for 1-2 minutes after til the bread crumbs are golden.

Buffalo Chicken Crescents

Super Bowl Sunday has come and gone. I personally don't care about football. But I do care about food, so Super Bowl Sunday had me pretty pumped anyways.

Dan and I went back and forth with different plans, which makes it hard to plan what to cook when you don't know where you're going or how many you're cooking for. We decided to go to his parents' for the game.

There was a pretty good spread of food. His mom made 5 or 6 pizzas (I envy her dough skills), there was pulled pork, chicken skewers, cookies, cupcakes (my red-velvet cheesecake ones...which I want to tweak and repost when I get them the way I want them), dips, veggies and Dan and I brought Buffalo Chicken Crescents.

Buffalo Chicken Crescents
from plainchicken.com

We scaled the recipe to make 24..just triple it

8 fully cooked frozen chicken tenders
1 can crescent rolls
3/4 cup buffalo wing sauce
1/4 cup ranch dressing
4 slices of provolone cheese, cut in half

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Mix the buffalo sauce and ranch together in a dish deep enough to dip chicken into.
2. Separate each crescent and top with a half slice of provolone.
3. Dip chicken tenders in the buffalo-ranch sauce and roll up in a crescent.
4. Bake for 18-20 minutes until chicken is heated through and crescents are fully good and golden brown.

 

These were a huge hit!