Exam Week Cupcakes (Cinnamon Cupcakes with Mocha Cappuccino Buttercream Frosting)

One thing I absolutely adore to bake and eat is a cupcake. I'm always inspired by the Food Network show "Cupcake Wars" because the bakers on there are always coming up with interesting, out-of-the-ordinary flavors. Tonight, I randomly thought about making cupcakes, and I wanted to make a unique flavor of cupcakes for me and my roommates. Since the upcoming two weeks are midterm time at school, I decided to incorporate cappuccino mix into them some way. Whenever I drink coffee, I always sprinkle cinnamon on top, so I decided to make the cake portion cinnamon flavored. Since there is cappuccino in the frosting, this recipe also comes in handy while studying to keep students awake and focused. I also sprinkled a little bit of cinnamon on top of the frosting so that people can see there is cinnamon in the cake. I know you'll love these little babies! Makes 12 cupcakes.
Here's the recipe:
For the cake portion:
1/2 c. softened butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2/3 c. cold milk
1 T (aka 3 tsp.) ground cinnamon
1/8 c. brown sugar
ziploc bag

Preheat oven to 350. In a mixer, cream the butter and sugar together. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Next, stir in the vanilla.
In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add this to the butter mixture, and stir in the cold milk.
Line the muffin pans with paper muffin liners, and evenly distribute the batter into each one.
Bake for 18-24 minutes. (Mine only took 21 minutes.)
Set aside and cool.

For the Mocha Cappuccino Buttercream Frosting:
1/8 c. instant mocha cappuccino mix
1/4 c. milk
1/2 c. butter, softened
2 c. powdered sugar

Pour the milk into a small saucepan and set on the stove at high heat until the milk starts to boil. Add to a mug that is filled with the cappuccino mix and stir. Set mixture aside and let it cool completely. When it is cool, pour it into a mixing bowl and add the softened butter. Beat at medium speed until well combined. Gradually add the powdered sugar, 1/2 c. at a time, until the frosting is smooth and fluffy.
When the cupcakes are cool to the touch, fill a ziploc bag with the frosting, zip it up, and cut a small hole in a corner of the bag. This is an easy way to pipe icing onto a cupcake. Spiral inward with the frosting from edge of the top of the cupcake. When done, sprinkle a little bit of cinnamon onto each, if you wish, as a garnish.
Enjoy!

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork

One of my favorite foods to eat is pulled pork. I make it from time to time, and it is so easy to make. For this one, I used both a dry rub and a wet sauce to impart even more flavor onto it. The spices in the dry rub give it a lot of flavor-- more flavor than there would be from just a sauce. I hope y'all enjoy this recipe. It's very easy to make. Here it is:
7 lb. pork picnic roast (sometimes called a pork butt)
9 cloves garlic ( to insert into the meat)
2 large onions, sliced
2 c. coca-cola
2 T olive oil ( I used extra virgin, but you can use whatever kind you have)
Crock pot
1/3-1/2 c. of your favorite BBQ sauce ( I used Sweet Baby Ray's for this one)

Dry rub:
1 T Memphis style BBQ seasoning
1/2 T chili powder
1 tsp. black pepper
3/4 tsp. salt
1 T ground cumin
1 T dried oregano
1 T paprika
Mix together the dry seasonings and rub mixture onto meat. Once you have rubbed all of that onto the meat, take a knife and make deep incisions in the roast, 2 or 3 in each side of the roast. Stuff a clove of garlic into each incision. Make sure the holes are deep enough so that the garlic can fit and each clove doesn't fall out.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil to medium-high heat. Brown each side of the roast. This will help the spices to toast, which releases more of their flavor. Also, the meat will become a little sweeter and it will have a better color than if you didn't brown it. When that step is done, transfer the roast to a crock pot, and set it on high. Add in the sliced onion around the sides and on top of the meat. Next, add the coca-cola and cover the crock pot. After 6 hours, remove the bone from the roast, and place the roast back in the crock pot to finish the cooking process. The meat  should be tender enough to shred with a fork within an hour after removing the bone. Transfer the shredded meat to a large bowl and add the BBQ sauce. Transfer the remaining liquid to a pot on high heat. This is so the liquid can boil and reduce. When the liquid is reduced by 3/4, add a ladle  of it to the shredded pork and stir. Finally, have a feast and enjoy!

I put mine on a deli bun with mayonnaise and pickles and made a delicious sandwich with it.

Crabmeat pizza with Whole wheat crust

This was so fun to make! If you love out of the ordinary pizza, you should definitely try this recipe!
Here's the recipe:
Pizza crust:
3 cups all-purpose, whole wheat flour, divided
1 (0.25 oz) package dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup water
2 T olive oil

Topping:
2-8 oz packages cream cheese, softened
2-6 oz cans crabmeat, drained and flaked
1/4 c milk
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 c Swiss cheese, shredded and divided

In a large bowl, combine half the flour, the yeast, sugar, and salt. In a saucepan, heat water and oil to boiling. Add to the dry ingredients, and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 7 or 8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top as well. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Once that is done, punch the dough down and divide in half. On a floured surface, roll each piece into a 13 inch circle. Transfer to two 12 inch pizza pans. Build up the edges slightly, and prick the dough with a fork thoroughly. Bake them at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for the topping, except for the swiss cheese, and spread the mixture over each crust. Then, sprinkle each pizza with 1/2 c. swiss cheese. Bake 10-12 minutes longer or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted. Cut into wedges and eat and enjoy!

Blackberry and Apricot Tartlets

So, several months ago, I was looking through my refrigerator and saw a roll of sugar cookie dough. I wanted to bake it, but was trying to think of clever ways to utilize it. So I made a strawberry jam to go inside. I pressed a little bit of dough into muffin pans and baked it off, and then added a teaspoon or so of the jam to the shells. They came out delicious. Well tonight, I did the same thing, except with blackberries and dried apricots. I reconstituted the apricots in a little bit of blackberry wine, and this also accentuated the flavor of the blackberries. My roommates loved them. Here is the recipe for y'all to make, devour, and enjoy:
 1-12 oz bag frozen blackberries
1-6 oz bag dried apricots, coarsely chopped
1/3 c. blackberry wine
1/3 c. granulated sugar
1 T corn starch (thickening agent)
3/4 c. water
1 roll sugar cookie dough

In a saucepan over medium heat, pour the wine and add the chopped apricots. They will take about 10-15 minutes to reconstitute, or until they are deep orange in color. When that is done, add in your blackberries, sugar, and water and raise the heat to medium high so that it bubbles and thickens. After 5 minutes, add in the cornstarch, 1/2 T at a time, and whisk so that you can't see the cornstarch anymore. I recommend mashing the berries slightly while they are cooking in the saucepan to give the filling some texture and body. Stir and cover the saucepan so that some of the liquid evaporates and the mixture thickens. After 10 minutes, turn the heat off and let the mixture sit and cool.
Take a  muffin pan (12 muffins) and press down some cookie dough into each hole. Press enough so that it isn't too thin of a layer of dough, probably a good tablespoon or so, depending on the size of the individual muffins. Bake according to the package instructions.
When they are lightly golden brown, take them out and let them sit on the counter to cool. You should be able to run a knife along the edges and pop them out with a teaspoon after cooling them for couple minutes or so. Be careful to not poke a hole through the sides of the cookie shells. Now fill them with a teaspoon of  the fruit mixture. Too much will result in the filling seeping through the shells and destroying your masterpiece.
Bon appetit!

Easy and healthy Black Bean Soup

So, last night I got home from school really late and very hungry. So I decided to make this quick dish. Made with canned beans, this soup is a quick and easy way to get a lot of protein into your diet. Serves 3. Here's the recipe:
1-15 oz. can reduced sodium black beans ( I used Bush's, but you can use whatever you have in your house.)
2 T olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 large bay leaf
1/3 tsp dried oregano
Cavender's Greek seasoning, salt-free (yes, I know I put it on everything. It's that good)
half a carrot, diced
1 rib of celery, diced
4 baby portabella mushrooms
half an onion
3 cloves garlic
1 c water
Half a tomato to garnish (optional)

Heat a pot on medium heat. When the pan is hot, add your olive oil. Then add your vegetables.Add in your salt, pepper, oregano, bay leaf, and Greek seasoning.  Stir frequently so that each nook and cranny can caramelize and so that they don't burn. When they are light caramel in color, add in your garlic. Keep stirring so that the veggies don't burn. Keep in mind that garlic should only be cooked for a couple of minutes. It burns easily. Now add your water and let the veggies boil for 3-5 minutes so that they get softer. Then add the black beans. There is also liquid in the can, so that's why I didn't add too much water. Cover and let the soup boil for 10 minutes. While it is still on the burner, mash with a potato masher or a fork, whatever you have, so that there is some texture. Add a couple pinches more of salt and pepper and stir. When the soup is at your desired level of consistency, ladle it up in your bowl and eat and enjoy! Don't forget to remove the bay leaf.  Mine took about 25-30 minutes to cook.

Balsamic-glazed Chicken thighs

Hey y'all! So, here's the story:
I went to the grocery store, looking for boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but the store was out of them. So I just decided to buy some chicken thighs. Which is still ok, because I love dark meat. When I was cooking the other night, I was trying to come up with a new recipe, a way to impart some awesome flavor into this dark meat. Well, in my apartment I have a bottle of balsamic vinegar. With this in mind, I decided to use that in the recipe. Whenever you cook down and reduce balsamic vinegar, it turns into this sweet glaze. So that's just what I did. The best part about this recipe is that there isn't a lot of added oils, so if you are trying to watch your weight, you won't have any guilt after eating this chicken. Here is the recipe. You will all love it.

4 chicken thighs (bone and skin intact)
2 T Extra virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic, chopped
salt
pepper
Greek seasoning
oregano
pinch or two of cinnamon
1/3 - 1/2 cup Balsamic vinegar
On one side of the chicken, season it with salt, pepper , greek seasoning, and the oregano (to taste).

Heat skillet to medium heat and drizzle a little bit of olive oil, twice around the pan. This is about 2 tablespoons (2 T).  When the pan is hot enough,  add the chicken and brown on one side. I also put a lid on top the chicken for even, thorough cooking. When it is golden on one side, flip it over and season with the same amount of seasoning that you used on the first side. Put lid back on. Drain off a little bit of the oil and rendered fat from the thighs.

In the meantime,heat  a small saucepan on medium head and add the vinegar. Let it reduce down to about 1/2. Add in the chopped garlic and the pinch of cinnamon. When it is done reducing, pour the balsamic glaze over the chicken, distributing it evenly onto each piece. When the glaze drips down into the bottom of the pan, swirl the chicken around in the pan so that the glaze mixes with the remaining oil in the pan. This will coat the other side of the meat as well. Let it sit in the pan for 5 or so minutes to finish cooking. Then eat it and enjoy!
Here is a visual! :)

Chicken-fried steak with country gravy

Chicken-fried steak is one of my favorite comfort foods. This dish is an easy way to turn a cheap cut of meat into a juicy, tasty dish, even on a budget. It is served with a white country gravy and can be eaten even at room temperature. Here is the recipe. Enjoy!
8 cube steaks (name of the meat)
1 c flour
1 c bread crumbs
1 1/2  tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pepper
greek seasoning (optional)
oregano
vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk

Heat a skillet on med-high heat and add enough vegetable oil so that it is 1/4 inch deep in the skillet.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk,  1/2 tsp salt and pepper, greek seasoning, and oregano.
In another bowl, combine the flour, bread crumbs,  and the rest of the salt and pepper. Dip the steaks into the egg mixture, then dredge it into the flour/breadcrumb mixture. When the oil is hot enough, add the steak.
Tip: to test the readiness of the oil, splash a little water onto the oil. When the oil is ready, it will produce a sizzle.
Cook the steaks on one side until golden brown, and then flip over and cook the other side until there is no more blood coming out of the steak.
Set aside on a plate lined with 2 or 3 paper towels.

While the steaks are draining, make the gravy.
Here's the recipe:
2 T butter
2-3 T flour
1/2 to 3/4 c milk (whatever kind you have on hand)
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a pan on medium high heat. Melt the butter, then whisk in the flour and keep whisking for several minutes to cook the flour. Now add the milk and whisk until the mixture doesn't look like a paste anymore. Turn the heat down to med-low heat and let the mixture thicken and the flour cook some more. You may add a little water to thin it out if you would like. Add the salt and pepper to your taste preference.
When the gravy is as you would like it, pour over the steak and enjoy.