Dramatically Different

Let me Entertain you! #7, #8, #9

2012-02-13T22:44:00.002-07:00

Butter Beer Cupcakes

So on the agenda this special night is drinks with friends. I love chicken wings and have wanted to master some oven baked delights. I had a can of chick peas waiting for a new life and a few too many eggs in the fridge. The result Sweet Chili Chicken Wings, Sundried Tomato Hummus and Spinach and Feta Quiche. I've picked out a cupcake recipe that my audience would like and the snacks were planned.

#7 Sundried Tomato Hummus
So I try to make Hummus for the first time without a recipe. I know I need chick peas, olive oil, and tahini. This is my recipe.

Sundried Tomato Hummus

1 can chick peas drained
3-4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp tahini
3 tbsp Sundried Tomatoes with oil
Blend together in food processor until smooth. Or in my case put in blender and press high. When this does not work. Put in mini food processor and realize it is too much. Take some out and blend a little at a time until smooth. I think it was all the extra work that made it taste great.

Sweet & Sticky Chili Wings

#8 Sweet & Sticky Chili Wings ( Adapted from Five Ingredient Fix)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil,plus extra for oiling rack

·        5 pounds chicken wings,split, wing tips cut off and discarded
·        Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
·        1/2 cup hot pepper jelly
·        1/2 cup sweet chili heat
·        1/2 cup Louisiana wing sauce
·        2 Tbsps apple cider vinegar
Directions
Preheat the broiler. Line a sheet pan withfoil, place a rack on top of the pan and oil the rack.
Toss the wings with the 2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with salt andpepper. Spread the wings on the rack in 1 layer. Broil 4 to 5 inches from theheat, turning over once, until barely cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.
In a small saucepan overmoderate heat, whisk the hot pepper jelly, vinegar andhot sauce until smooth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and let simmer 1to 2 minutes. Brush 1/4 cup sauce on the cooked wings and broil 1to 2 minutes. Brush the wings with 1/4 cup sauce again, and then turn the wingsover and brush with another 1/4 cup sauce. Broil until crispy about, 2 to 3minutes. Brush with the remaining sauce before serving.

#9 Spinach and Feta Quiche

Spinach and Feta Quiche

1 cup of Milk

6 Eggs

1 cupof Spinach

1/2 cupof crumbled feta

1 TbspGreek Seasoning

24-30Unsweetened tart Shells

I recommend par baking tartshells for about 5-7minutes. Blend together all ingredients pour into tart shells. Bake at 350 until tarts golden brown and knife comes out cleanly. Can be made gluten free by skipping tart shell and baking in a muffin tin. Enjoy. (These are about 110 calories each and that is because the tart shell is 90 calories)

Bonus. As noted before cupcakes are not included in my recipie challenge. For my Harry Potter loving guests I found a ButterBeer Cupcake on pinterest. I think this is my best food styling. Here's thelink for the recipe.

http://www.pastryaffair.com/blog/2011/7/14/butterbeer-cupcakes.html

I am not sure I can be trusted typing them out because at firstI was amazed that they asked for butter flavor. But when I found it a Bulk BarnI was very excited and it really did add more flavor. Then when I made thefirst batch doubled the soda and the butter milk. Resulting in a batch of wetcupcakes. I used Grace Kola Champange because I like the flavor. It has theright colors and bonus Jamaican sayings under the cap. Enjoy this sweetindulgence.

Happy Birthday Noah

2012-02-06T21:17:00.001-07:00

While this blog is dedicated to finding new recipes to try to add excitment to lunches and dinners there is one other obsession that I need to share as well. That is my cupcake obession. After being disappointed but an over priced, exessively iced and dry cupcake I decided I could do better. And sometimes I do sometimes I don't. This weekend my cupcake endeavor was at the request of my Godson Noah. He wanted red velvet with chocolate icing. When I told him that a red velvet cupcake was just a chocolate cup cake colored red he said then make mine green. Well I did make him his red velvet cupcakes but I saved the green food coloring for the icing. This is what it looked like. The pictures show that not only was this my first time to make a red velvet cupcake it was my first time to make a decorated pull apart cake.

Mixing the four different colors of icing was a lot of work but worth it when I saw Noah's reaction. I enjoyed the trip to Bulk Barn for the sprinkles and icing colors. And I am very happy that I bought disposable icing bags because that saved a lot of time. Go Riders.

Red Velvet Cupcakes - Betty Crocker Just Cupcakes

2 1/4 cupsa all-purpose flour

1/4 unsweetended baking cocoa

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 bottle (1 oz) red food color

1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla

1- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat 1-2 minutes until fluffy. Stir in food color and vanilla. Mix flour, cocoa and salt in separate bowl.

2- Beat in flour mixture alternately with buttermilk on low speed until just blended. Beat in baking soda and vinegar until well blended. Divide amoung muffin cups.

3-Bake 20 to 22 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

#3 Maple Cream Stuffed Banana Pancakes

2012-02-03T10:27:00.000-07:00

So it think it was an episode of Dinner Drive Ins and Dives that inspired this recipie. I saw some stuffed french toast and just new I had to have some. I used what I had on hand and the Stuffed Banana Pancake was born.

Pancakes - Use your favorite pancake mix or recipie. Dice up a half a banana and blend in to batter. Fry as usual. This recipe makes about two three pancake servings.

Maple Cream Cheese Stuffing

Ingredients

- 1/2 cup of plain greek yogurt

- 2 tbsp softened cream cheese

- 1 teaspoon brown sugar

- 1 teaspoon maple syrup

Blend together untill smooth

Almond Whipped Cream
     Ingredients
    -1/2 cup of Almond Milk
    -1/2 teaspoon of Almond extract
                                                -1 package of dream whip
I subsituted almond milk into the regular dream whip ingredients and discovered a new favorite treat. Try this instead of just milk for a lactose free low calorie treat.

Now it is time to stack up the yumminess. Layer bananas and stuffing in between your pancakes. Top with whipped cream and drizzle with a teaspoon of maple syrup.

So get out your grills and make some Mapley Banana Pancakes for your next breakfast lunch or dinner.

#2 Tortilla Pizza

2012-02-02T22:45:00.000-07:00

This was my second recipie. Actually inspired by the Biggest Loser they said use a tortilla for a pizza crust.

Ingredients

1 flour tortilla

Pizza Sauce

Toppings you desire.

For my Pizza I used a basil pesto tortilla very nice flavor for a pizza. I lightly brushed the edges with olive oil to make it nice and crisp. For the pizza in the photo I topped it with fresh spinach, pico de gallo, a table spoon of parmesan chees and a table spoon of crumbled feta.

Only 345 calories if you happen to be counting.

52 Recipes. One year. Can I do it? #1

2012-02-02T10:17:00.000-07:00

So I have a pile of cookbooks, an allrecipes account, various web based Internet recipe boxes and an obsession with the food network.But I still seem to cook the same meals every week. In an effort to live healthier my sister and I planned to try a new recipes every week and then share. She got shipped to Quebec so I am on my own. So I have started and here is where I will share the results.

Recipe #1 Fish Tacos -

Inspiration I was watching Chucks Day Off.

Tortillas

Fish

Avocado Cream

Coleslaw

Tortillas -I followed the recipe on the bag of Masa. Thanks Lizette for the tortilla press so I made beautifully uniform tortillas.

Fish - Prepare the fish by dipping in in the following mixtures

- Start with a nice white fish.

-1/2 cup flour season with salt, pepper, and a dash of cajun spice

-1/2 cup milk flavored with a dash of hot sauce

-1/2 cup of bread crumbs

Bake in oven or grill in a hot frying pan with a small amount of oil.

Avocado Cream - Blend all of the ingredients together to make a nice smooth sauce.

-one avocado

-2 TBSP plain greek yogurt

-1 TBSP lime

-Salt, Pepper and Chili Peppers to taste

Coleslaw

- Blanche some coleslaw mix with hot water and vinegar let sit until the coleslaw is nice and tenders

Layer all of the ingredients to your liking. Top with fresh salsa and shredded cheese.ENJOY

Sorry for the scattered reciepe I did not follow one for this meal.