Common Kitchen Conversions

1 Quart = 4 Cups. 1 Quart = 2 Pints. 1 Pint = 2 Cups. 1 Cup = 8 Ounces. 1 Cup = 16 Tbsp. 1 Tbsp = 3 Tsp. 1 Fluid Ounce = 30 mL.

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!

Broth Ideas

Yesterday it was raining and I was craving broth in some form or fashion, so I ran to the store and purchased some low sodium chicken broth. Here is what I put together and it was GOOD!

8 cups Chicken Broth
1 teaspoon dried parsley flake
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon soy sauce (adds umami)
2 potatoes diced
6 green onions chopped
1/4 cup rice
4 ounces ground beef
S&P to taste (I like mine a little on the salty side)

In a large cast iron pot I browned the meat and potatoes, added in the rest of the ingredients and let simmer covered for about 2 hours, the last 30 minutes I left the lid off so that the flavors could reduce and become thicker. I ate mine with some Jiffy on the side. I had it for Lunch and Dinner because it was so good!

This would be good with some Celery, Carrots, and Peas, but I didn't want to go back to the store.

What do you make when you are craving broth?

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake

Just in time for Valentines Day! This is super simple, and you can take shortcuts too!

How it's done:

Start with 2 chocolate cake mixes, but don't follow the instructions. Instead add 8 eggs, 2 cups milk, 2/3 cup oil, and 3 tablespoons cherry juice. Mix well and bake in a 1/2 sheet pan until a toothpick comes out clean.

When you take it out of the oven and it is still warm, brush the surface with about 3 more tablespoons of cherry juice.

Once completely cool, frost with chocolate frosting and top with chocolate dipped cherries! Happy Valentines Day!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

A Cranberry Bubbly

I was playing around with these Cape Cod cranberries and I suddenly got thirsty, so I got creative and came up with this:

In a saucepan add :

16 ounces orange juice
1 cup cape cod frozen cranberries
1 cardamom pod
Pinch fennel seeds
2 lavender flowers

Slowly simmer until reduced by half.  Strain and Cool to room temperature.  Add 1 tablespoon of the reduction and pour chilled champagne on top for a great adult beverage.... Make it for the kids by using carbonated soda!

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Cranberry Sweet and Sour Sauce

Every year during the holidays we are all faced with what to do with leftovers.  Well, with this sauce, the possibilities are endless.  I started my taking some of my mothers leftover dressing, dipping it in egg, then cracker meal, the frying until golden brown and delicious!  But what makes this recipe stand out is the Cranberry Sweet and Sour Sauce that I made to go with them!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup brown sugar
12 oz orange juice
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 cup Cape Cod Select Cranberries

In a sauce pot on low heat combine all ingredients and let simmer for about 15 minutes.  I then took my immersion blender and made the mixture smooth.  Let cool to thicken slightly!  This makes a great dip for any fried foods or even as a tangy salad dressing!

*TIP* you can strain the sauce before serving to make it even smoother.

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Cranberry Cashew Bread

Looking for something different other than the seasonal banana bread? Try this recipe.

2 cup Cape Cod Select Frozen Cranberries
1 cup cashews
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 cups mashed bananas
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup Sr. Cream

This one is easy, add everything into a bowl, stir well. Pour into a WELL greased and floured baking dish, cook until toothpick comes out clean. About an hour in a regular loaf pan!

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Making Salsa

I work at a grocery store and sometimes I have the fortune of buying large amounts of tomatoes that don't measure up to showroom standards.  These tomatoes are perfectly fine and I cant stand to see them go in the trash, so I buy them.



6 pounds tomatoes

3 cloves garlic

2 onions

1 serrano pepper

2 jalepeno peppers

3 tomatillos

8 oz fire roasted corn

8 oz canned black beans



In a blender I completely decimate the tomatoes and add them to a large sauce pot on low heat.  I then seed the peppers and finely dice them along with the onions.  Those too are added to the pot.  I add the tomatillos and garlic to the blender until finely chopped, then add to the pot.  Your mixture should be slightly boiling now, let bubble away for about 5 minutes.  Add the corn, beans, and S&P to taste.



I spoon thes hot into mason jars and let cool on the counter before storing in a ajr in he fridge

Need a Beef Cake?

My birthday came and went this year and due to my diet I have to cut out a lot of sugar, that meant NO BIRTHDAY CAKE.  So I came up with this!

I turned meatloaf into my birthday cake.  I cooked my meatloaf recipe in a bundt pan, iced it with the best mashed potatoes you will taste, and decorated it with green beans. It was an entire meal in every slice!  Watch the video below to see how I did it!

Super Simple Curry

When I was working for a large retail chain in East Texas, one of my employees would make me dinners from her native country, India.  I kept asking for her recipes but she would never tell, so I had to recreate them myself.  

Ingredients:

1/2 head cauliflower (chopped)

1 sm onion (chopped)

1 clove garlic (chopped)

1 cup pre cooked chicken (leave out to make vegetarian)

1 can chickpeas (drained)

1 yellow squash (chopped)

1 tablespoon curry powder 

1 teaspoon graham Marsala 

1 teaspoon turmeric 

Handful of raisins

1 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1 teaspoon oil

S&P to taste

I know it looks like a lot of ingredients but it is really simple.  In a large pan add the oil, cauliflower, squash, onion, chickpeas, and garlic... Gently sauté until tender.  Once tender, add everything else and simmer for about 15 minutes.  Garnish with parsley or green onions and serve over rice or egg noodles.   Too Simple! 

Homemade Whipped Cream

I must admit, buying those tubs of pre made whipped topping is just too easy, but have you seen what's in them?  It contains hydronated oil, high fructose corn syrup and etc....  A long time ago my mother taught me how to make whipped cream, but I've changed it up a bit.

My mother just whipped cream and added a little table sugar.

How I make it:

2 cups heavy whipping cream

6 tablespoons powdered sugar

Teaspoon vanilla

Keep your cream as cold as you can, whip it with a whisk until peaks start to develop.  The lightly whisk in the sugar and vanilla.  

This homemade whipped cream is so good it can be eaten as a dessert, but if you add this to pies (even store bought) it will make you look like a master chef! 

My new go-to recipe

If I wasn't watching carbs for my latest diet I would be making this tonight but I am.  This recipe is for the person that doesn't have a lot of time but still want to put something amazing on the table and doesn't involve many ingredients.

What you will need:

1 pound cooked pasta

1 can of family size tomato soup

Package of precooked meatballs

8 oz heavy cream

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

S&P to taste

Cook your pasta according to directions on package and set aside, in another sauce pot, combine your tomato soup with heavy cream and bring to a simmer, add the meatballs, parsley, and parm to the sauce.  Add your pasta and combine.  Salt and pepper to taste.

I like so sprinkle a little more parm and parsley on top. I used orzo pasta. Takes about 15 minutes to make and is really good! 

Chipotle's Guacamole

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, Chipotle posted their recipe for our favorite green stuff! 

2 ripe Hass avocados (In the restaurant, we use 48 per batch, multiple times per day)

2 teaspoons lime juice

2 tablespoons cilantro (chopped)

1/4 cup red onion (finely chopped)

1/2 jalapeño, including seeds (finely chopped)

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

HOW TO DO IT:

1. Choose the right avocado. It should feel squishy yet firm (like the palm of your hand), and be a nice dark green color on the inside.

2. Cut the avocado in half and the remove the pit (carefully!)

3. Scoop the avocados and place in a medium bowl.

4. Toss and coat with lime juice.

5. Add the salt and using a fork or potato masher, mash until a smooth consistency is achieved.

6. Fold in the remaining ingredients and mix well.

7. Taste the guacamole (over and over) and adjust seasoning if necessary.

* I like to add a pinch of cayenne pepper to spice things up a little! 

Meatloaf tips

First things first, I need to apologize, I am in the middle of moving from east tx back to my hometown in west Texas.  When everything gets settled I have a post I want to construct about a grand opening I was able to attend! 

Meatloaf tips:

I personally like a smooth texture to my meatloaf (that's how mom makes it too).  So.... In a food processor I like to add my veg (red bell pepper, carrot, onion, garlic, oatmeal) and grind it smooth.  I then like to soften the veg on the stove before adding it to the meat.  I've used turkey but I prefer 80/20 beef.

Also, throw away your meatloaf pan and switch to a 9x13 cake pan.  Form the loaf in the center of the pan so that it doesn't touch the edges, it should look like a football.  This way the grease will wick away from the meatloaf but the natural juices will stay inside.

For the topping.... I'm from the southwest so we used a ketchup, brown sugar, pepper, based sauce where others use a brown gravy.... Make what you like.

Leftovers!  My favorite! 

Take the meatloaf, smash it with a fork, and add it to some cooked penne.  It is so good! Maybe add some fresh mozzarella or parm on top! 

The ultimate man sandwich also starts with leftover meatloaf.  Toast some bread, one half gets spread with miracle whip, the other half gets a healthy dose of ketchup.  Add a thick slice of meatloaf, plop a egg fried in butter on top, add the top piece of toast and chow down with knife and fork! 

Healthier Chili

It is that time of year where everyone is trying to eat healthier, exercising more, etc....

So I wanted to come up with a recipe that was healthier but you wouldnt know it was healthier by flavor.  So I tackled one of my favorite winter-time dishes..... Chili.

What you will need:

1/2 pound lean ground beef
2 cans chickpeas
2 Roma tomatoes
1 small red onion chopped
1t chili powder
1t cumin
1/2t Cinnamon
1/2t cayenne
1 cup chicken stock
S&P to taste

First, rinse off your chickpeas.  In a blender add one of your tomatoes and about 1/3 cup of the chickpeas.  blend until smooth (you may need to add a few tablespoons of chicken stock to make it blend easier) reserve this liquid.

In a large stew pot add the ground beef and chopped onion and cook until the meat is thoroughly browned.  Add the other tomato but make sure to chop it first.  Saute for about 2 minutes.  Add the rest of the ingredients including the reserved tomato/chickpea smoothie you made first.   Let stew for about 15 minutes to make sure all of the flavors are melding well. 

Serve with either fresh cornbread or crackers.  You can garnish with avocado, sr cream, etc....

Just in time for Christmas

This recipe is an adaptation from my mothers Peanut Butter no bake cookies, but I just had to fiddle with it to make it my own!  Plus I needed something to take to the cookie swap at work! 

4.5 cups frosted flakes

1.5 cups sugar

1 cup Karo syrup

3/4 cup cashew butter

1 cup pecans

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

3 lavender flowers

1 tablespoon vanilla

Smoked salt (optional)

In a saucepan combine vanilla, syrup, sugar, and lavender, let come to boil.  Remove from heat and stir in cashew butter.  In large bowl combine pecans and cereal, pour over syrup mixture.  Stir well, drop by spoonfuls on wax paper lined cookie sheet to set, sprinkle with sesame seeds! 

*Optional, for an extra pop, sprinkle with course smoked sea salt for an extra dimension! I also sprinkled with powdered sugar just to make them look nice! 

Also, I don't like to drop by spoonfuls, I'd rather pour it all out, let cure, then cut into squares, it's just faster! 

Super Simple Sauce for Pasta

The other day I bought some artisan Lobster stuffed ravioli at an "organic" store.  They looked so perfect... big and puffy!   FULL of LOBSTER.

I got them home, boiled them in lemon and salted water till just done.  But what was I going to use as a sauce that didn't completely mask the perfection of lobster?  So I came up with this.

2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 teaspoon prepared pesto
1 tbsp pasta water
1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
Salt and Pepper


In a pan on medium heat, melt the butter in the oil.  Swirl in the pesto and let cook for about 30 seconds.  Splash in the pasta water and the chopped parsley.  Add the ravioli to the sauce and turn over a few times.  Slide onto a plate and top with some extra parsley and you will be amazed at how good this dresses these ravioli without masking their amazing flavor.

Life lessons

There are things in the kitchen that are not taught, you have to learn about them through trial and error.  

1) don't cook eggs in coconut oil

-trust me, they just turn out nasty!

What lessons have you learned that we can share? 

Tweet me @TeeJayToday 

Perfect Summer Pasta Recipe

I was trying to come up with a light pasta recipe that would be good for the summer, after a little playing around, I came up with this!  All measurements are for one person, please double or quadruple depending on your family.

 1 C spinach egg noodles (any thick noodle is good)

1 t pesto (the good stuff)

1 t olive oil

1 T butter

1 T ricotta cheese

Save 2 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water

S&P to taste

Cook noodles according to package, drain well (but save 2 T pasta water) add rest of ingredients to warm noodles and toss until butter has completely melted, serve warm.  

*Serving Suggestion* maybe add some roasted tomatoes on the side for a more complete summer brunch/lunch.

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!