S'mores Cupcakes

YUM!  Who doesn't love cupcakes?  I came up with this recipe the other day and we used them as a fundraiser for my little brothers.  They were a big hit!

I started with a chocolate cake mix, but I didn't follow the directions.  I used 1 cup milk, 1/3 cup oil,  4 eggs, and 4 ounces of sr cream.  Mix that with the dry portion of the cake mix and that was the base for my cupcakes.  Bake in liners until a toothpick comes out clean.

For the frosting I used my mothers famous secret ingredient frosting and added marshmallow fluff to it.   Or you can simply mix 50/50 fluff and vanilla frosting.

After the cupcakes were cool, I frosted them with a generous amount of icing and then put a graham cracker cookie on top and then sprinkled them with more crushed cookies!  YUM!

My New Favorite Thing

Fads come and go and right now I am in love with Ricotta Cheese.  Most people think that this bland cheese is just a layer in lasagna.  Lately I have been using it for so much more!

For breakfast I like to add a touch of salt and honey, smear it on a some puff pastry, bake it off and it is amazing!

For lunch it goes well in a frittata or quiche, I have also had it on pizza instead of tomato sauce.

For dinner, I have used it as a sauce for pasta... just add a little pasta water to thin it out, some olive oil, little seasoning, a few peas, top with freshly grated parm, and it coats pasta very well!

My new all time favorite way to eat ricotta is simply spread on a crispy thin cracker with maybe a tiny piece of prosciutto on top. 

To make the spread:

1 Cup ricotta
1 lemon, juiced and zested
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil
pinch of garlic powder (dont use fresh garlic, too strong here)
S&P to taste

mix everything together in a bowl and let set in the fridge for at least an hour before you serve it.  You can even mold into fun shapes for cheese platters for when you have guests coming over. 

*Serving Suggestion*  drizzle with some good aged basalmic vinegar to help make it POP!

Let me know how you eat ricotta!

Summer Ceviche

Ceviche has always scared me.  Eating raw fish with nothing but lemon on it cant be good right?  Well, I eat sushi (devour it is a better description) so why wouldn't I like ceviche?

Here is a recipe that I came up with while in the grocery store, it turned out so good, and even better the next day as I took some to work for lunch.

Ingredients
1 stalk celery finely chopped
1 avocado finely chopped
3 tomatoes seeded and finely chopped
1/2 of a red onion finely chopped
1 mango finely chopped
1 jalapeno chopped finely
4 limes
2 lemons
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 lb scallops raw
1 tbsp olive oil
S & P to taste

First, we need to prep the scallops, if they are thick, slice them thinly, if they are small, leave them as is.  Put in a bowl with the zest of one of your limes and the juice from all of the limes.  Let this set in the fridge for about 30 minutes (while you prep your other ingredients)

Mix all other ingredients into a bowl except the lemons.  Once the scallops have turned white, they are ready, drain the juice off of the scallops and add them to your vegetables.  Add the juice of the lemons with salt and pepper to taste.  Let set in fridge for 10-20 minutes before serving.

Serving suggestion
Always serve cold, and I ate mine with regular Saltine crackers.  I also served mine in a martini glass with a wedge of lemon on the side.  So good, AND HEALTHY!

Let me know what you do differently when you make ceviche!

A Food Network Celebrity Encounter

I saw a tweet from Giada De Laurentiis saying that she was going to be in Dallas signing her latest book.  I looked at my schedule and I had to be in Dallas the next day anyway, so I decided to see if I could sneak into the event.

It was Williams Sonoma at the Northpark Mall, about 15 minutes from my hotel, PERFECT.  I called Williams Sonoma to see if I could get a media pass, but I couldn't get through to the right people.  So I bought a book (link below) over the phone to secure my spot in line to meet the new reigning queen of The Food Network.

I arrived about 4 hours early because only a limited number of people would be able to see her.  There was already a line out the building and starting to wrap around the mall.  Since I had already purchased my ticket, the sales lady said I was guaranteed to meet Giada, so, I decided to check out this mall.  It was awesome, I went into the Gucci, Versace, Michael Kors, Armani stores. 

I arrived back at the Williams Sonoma store to see that the line had nearly TRIPLED!  I took my spot in line and met some awesome fans of Giada's.  I traded stories with the couple behind me.  They have met Chef Robert Irvine, Tyler Florence, and many others.  I told them how I got to see Paula Deen, Terry French, and Debi Mazar the month before.  We stood in line for about 2 hours and I kept everyone updated on Giada's twitter posts.

The Williams Sonoma people started handing out the the books to be signed.  They told everyone that you couldn't take pictures, talk, touch, or really do anything except get your book after she signs it.  I have been in charge of many book signings (some including the Secret Service) and none were as tense as this. 

We get in and I have a plan....  It is my turn now.... What do I do?  I stand back for a second and this is what happens:

(She is handed my book)
Giada: Where is Thomas?
Me: Here.
Giada: You must be Thomas. (I am the only guy in the area)
Me: Yes Ma'am, How are you?
Handlers: says something inaudible to here
(Giada is now signing my book)
Williams Sonoma Lady: Thomas has been here all afternoon to see you.
Me: May I get a quick handshake? (I was really wanting a kiss) (The lady behind takes my picture a this time with my camera)
Giada: (upon hearing that I have been here all day) Thomas, Go home and cook something!
Me: Yes Ma'am!

I take my newly autographed book, grab my camera from the stranger behind me and make way out the door, but I take a few more pics. 

(she is even prettier in person than on TV!)

It was fast, less than 30 seconds, but I know we shared a moment.  I am sure that she spends many a nights wondering who is that Thomas guy.  Why did he want to shake my hand.  Wait, did he touch me when he was told not to?  Was that his camera?  He didn't listen!  Good for him!

That was my experience meeting Giada De Laurentiis, and Giada if you are reading this, please follow me on twitter!  @TeeJayToday and one day I will get to meet you a little more formally because I intend to try out (and win) the Next Food Network Star!

-Thomas (TeeJay Today)

Easy AND Healthy Hummus

I was tired of spendig $5 for a pint of hummus at my local grocery, plus it had preservatives in it.  So I was on a mission to make my own.  For just pennies I was able to make a boatload of hummus that tasted BETTER than the grocery stores!  Learn how I did it by watching the video below!  Thanks



Do you make it differently?  Let me know how!

Easy Lunch Idea...

Looking for something easy but good to take for a lunch? Or a great entertaining dish?

What you will need:

Rolls
Onions
Chicken Breast
Cheese
Butter

Cook the Chicken Breast... I like to do this the day before...Put the onions in a pan with a little bit of butter and salt and cook until slightly golden. Cut your rolls in half and put a piece of your favorite cheese on them with some chicken and onions.

I put these chicken sliders into my luch box and take to work...I put the whole thing in the microwave for about 30 seconds until the cheese is nice and gooey!

If you want you can add a few pieces of fresh spinach if you like green stuff on your mini chicken sandwiches.

Enjoy!

Let me know if you make these and any changes that you make!

www.TheFoodieWithin.com

MMMMM Breakfast of Champs

Doesn't this look amazing????? Here is what I made: Quiche, Yogurt/Agave Parfait, and Berry Smoothie

The Quiche:

In a small skillet I added some fresh spinach, small potato cubes, and a few small broccoli florets...Saute until tender....In a blender combine 7 eggs and 1/2 cup buttermilk and seasonings of you liking....blend until smooth. In 12 small ramekins divide your potato/broccoli mixture. Then pour in your egg mixture....bake at 350 until middle is firm. I garnished with fresh spinach cut into ribbons.

Parfait:

In a parfait glass layer granola, then Greek yogurt, then honey, then yogurt, then granola, and top with agave nectar.

Smoothie:

In a blender add 1/2 cup fresh pineapple, 1/2 cup fresh mango, 1 cup fresh strawberries, and 4 cups grape juice...Blend until smooth and serve over ice or chilled.

Pepper Dip

My mother was asking me for some jalepeno pepper dip...I've never made it before and she can only remember it from a party 20 years ago...Here is what I came up with....

1 8 oz package cream cheese (softened)
2 tablespoons bread & Butter jalepenos (finely chopped)
1 tablespoon melted butter
2 tablesspoons onion (finely chopped)

S&P to taste
(i also added a pinch of garlic powder)

Mix everything in a bowl well, let set in fridge for at least 1 hour before serving on toast, crackers, or veggies...

she liked it..I liked it..

Zest up your Mayo

Having people come over and you want to impress them....try dressing up your mayonnaise. Below are a few tips to dress up your mayo....choose one that fits with other parts of your meal. If you are having Mexican food, try the avacado, having italian, try the roasted red pepper...etc.....

Avacado Mayo

1 c. Mayo
1 large avacado
1/8 t cumin
S&P to taste

Put everything into a food processor and blend until smooth


Roasted Red Pepper Mayo

1 c. Mayo
1/4 c. roasted red peppers
1 t fresh parsley
S&P to taste

Southwest Mayo

1 c. Mayo
2 t grill seasoning
2 t Worcester (spelling?) Sauce
S&P to taste

The Pantry in a Pinch

I wanted to make a great and people pleasing appetizer but without using ANY fresh ingredients! I made a variation on Hummus and I like, and my 2 little brothers even like it, (3 and 4 years)

Normal Hummus requires tahini, lemon juice, and fresh garlic. Below is my version and I used only items that were in the pantry. (Buy these items for your pantry and have them in the case of unexpected company.)

1 can of low sodium chickpeas (drained 15 ounces)

1/4 jar of roasted red peppers in water (drained, about 3 ounces)

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 tsp dried lemon zest

1 tbsp sesame seeds

1 tsp garlic powder

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Whole Wheat Crackers to eat it with.

This was so easy to make and tasted pretty good! Just put everything (except the crackers) in a food processer and blend until smooth. That's it! Spoon into a bowl and serve with the crackers. For added flair put a small drizzle of olive oil on top and sprinkle with chopped parsley and fresh cracked black pepper! Enjoy!

Pico de Gallo

This is an extremely easy recipe for a great condiment for any southwestern meal or it is great with corn chips.

Ingredients:

1 Medium Onion (I prefer red onions)

2 Large Tomatoes

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh Cilantro

1 Clove Garlic Finely minced

1/2 of a Lime (juiced)

S & P to taste

Like I said this is a real simple recipe. Finely chop the Onion, Tomatoes, and Cilantro and mix in a bowl. Add the lime juice and the garlic, add preferred amount of S&P.

*TIP* Raw garlic can be over whelming for some. To help tame it, put the garlin in a pan on the stove with 2 tablespoons olive oil. After 5 minutes take the garlic out, chop it up and add to your Pico de Gallo. Don't throw out that olive oil, use it just as you would regular olive oil to add a great yet subtle taste of garlic to other dishes!