Cake, Batter, and Bowl

BBQ Chicken Tacos

November 17, 2010

I tune everything out when I’m reading, which can be a good or bad habit depending on the situation. Good because I can read in any environment and not get distracted, but bad for the same reason because I keep missing my bus stops! I have a 45 minute commute, and like many in Boston, take public transportation. Unlike most though, I miss my bus stops a couple times a month – it’s rather ridiculous, but I have no sense of time passing when I’m reading and regularly am completely disorientated when I peek up and realize we’ve gone much farther than I thought. It’s worse when it’s dark out and I’m heading home, but one time when I was taking the 47 bus to work at the Longwood Medical Campus, I ended up by Boston Medical Center, which is a good 20 minutes after my stop! I ended up just waiting until we hit the red line and then circled back on the T and was a good hour late for work. Oops.

Anyway, I was gobbling up the November issue of Food and Wine magazine on the bus recently and was struck by the description of the BBQ sauce at Franklin Barbecue in Austin, Texas – “a sweet-tart-bitter blend of ketchup, cider vinegar, and coffee.” It sounded so brilliant that I was inspired to make my own version with these ingredients as the base. I don’t think I’d be able to guess there’s espresso powder in the sauce I made if I didn’t know, but it has a level of complexity that I really enjoyed. I mixed my BBQ sauce with spiced rubbed chicken and served it on corn tortillas with sautéed red onions and crumbled queso fresco cheese. Very yummy. And now if you’ll excuse me, it’s time to get back to my latest read!

BBQ Chicken Tacos
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Chicken:
1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
1/2 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

BBQ Sauce:
3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup apple cider
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon brown mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon espresso powder

For Assembly:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large red onion, cut into strips
8 corn tortillas, warmed (I used the small ones from Trader Joe’s)
6 ounces queso fresco, crumbled

Directions:
Heat oven to 350˚F. Mix ancho chile powder, oregano, brown sugar, paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt in a small dish. Rub chicken breasts evenly with spice mix and place chicken breasts in a greased 13×9-inch pan. Bake chicken at 350˚F for 22 to 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the center. Cool chicken 10 minutes, cut into small chunks, and place in a large bowl.

Meanwhile, place ketchup, apple cider, apple cider vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire, and espresso powder in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes or until thickened. Mix BBQ sauce with chicken in the large bowl.

Heat canola oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat and sauté onion strips for 5 to 7 minutes or until tender.

To assemble the tacos, place BBQ chicken evenly in corn tortillas. Top with sautéed onions and queso fresco. Makes 4 servings of 2 tacos each.

Nutrition: 605 calories, 17.2g fat, 4.1g fiber, 64.2g protein per serving
Cost: $2.28 per serving

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Tart

November 13, 2010

We’ve started a fun tradition in lab this year where I try to bake something for each person’s birthday. You know I love having the excuse to try new dessert recipes! My only request when I started was that each person make a list of their favorite treats so that I have a bit of guidance and they get something they really enjoy. Allison’s birthday was this week and she asked for a chocolate peanut butter combo, which is one of my absolute favorites too. So, I spent a bit of time trying to dream up the ultimate peanut butter and chocolate dessert this week.

I settled on making a peanut butter cookie crust (which I over baked a bit, so be careful with it!) and then filled the tart with chopped mini Reese’s peanut butter cups and a creamy peanut butter faux mousse. Then I topped the tart with a chocolate ganache and more Reese’s cups. Mmm, totally indulgent and perfect for a bday celebration! I’m already looking forward to seeing what the next person requests!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Tart
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Peanut Butter Cookie Crust:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

Peanut Butter Filling:
1 (3.4-oz.) package instant vanilla pudding
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups whipped topping, thawed

Ganache Layer:
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cups semisweet chocolate chips
6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

For Assembly:
2 cups mini Reese’s Peanut Butter cups, cut into fourths (10 ounces)

Directions:
To make the peanut butter cookie crust, heat oven to 350˚F. Mix butter and sugar until creamed in a large bowl. Mix in egg and peanut butter until smooth; stir in flour and salt. Grease a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom; press cookie dough evenly over bottom and up the sides of the tart pan. Bake at 350˚F for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. With back of spoon, press down crust so bottom and sides are evenly covered; bake 2 to 3 minutes longer, or until deep golden brown and a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Press down crust again with spoon, if needed. Completely cool the crust, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, make the peanut butter filling. In a medium bowl, mix instant pudding with milk and condensed milk until smooth. Stir in peanut butter and then fold in whipped topping.

Prepare the ganache. In a small microwavable bowl, microwave the chocolate chips and heavy whipping cream, uncovered, on high for 1 minute. Stir well and microwave another 30 seconds. Continue stirring until the chips are melted and the mixture is smooth, microwaving another 15-30 seconds if needed.

To assemble the tart, evenly sprinkle half the chopped mini Reese’s peanut butter cups in the bottom of the cooled peanut butter cookie crust. Fill tart with peanut butter filling and spread ganache evenly on top. Sprinkle evenly with remaining chopped mini Reese’s peanut butter cups and refrigerate until the ganache is set, about 1 hour. Cut into 16 wedges.

Nutrition: 539 calories, 35.4g fat, 3.4g fiber, 13.7g protein per serving
Cost: $0.90 per serving

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Pumpkin Pasta Bake

November 9, 2010

So, it’s time to spill the beans on a little secret – I’ve been training for a half marathon! I’ve resisted saying anything about it on my blog until now because I didn’t want to put any pressure on myself, but now that the race is over, I’m ready to share my experience! I’ve grown to really enjoy running and I’m having a great time picking new races to challenge myself. The week after my triathlon, I started a 10 week half training plan and signed up for the Harvard Pilgrim Maine Coast Half Marathon in York, Maine, after I completed my first 10 mile run in October. I picked this particular race because part of the course winded along the beach and the race was all women, which I thought would make it a really supportive environment.

During my training I had run 11 miles twice, and 12 and 13 miles once, so while I was pretty nervous at the starting line, I knew that I should be able to finish. It was chilly at 42˚F, but I’ll take cold weather over hot any day when it comes to running! My goal was to listen to my body, not take it out too fast, and finish strong. I also secretly wanted to beat my 13 mile training run time of 2:06. The first mile or so I felt really clunky, and kept thinking, what have I gotten myself into? I have to run 12 more miles, this is crazy! But, I settled into a groove pretty quickly after that, and was enjoying myself by mile 3 when I saw Apolinaras cheering for the first time. Miles 4 to 6 were full of steep hills and definitely the most challenging part of the course. I tried to just concentrate on my breathing going up the hard ones and slurped on a gel as soon as they were over. Then I focused on getting to mile 8, where I knew I’d see Apolinaras cheering again. Here’s an action shot – haha, my running pictures are always so goofy looking!

Miles 9 to 12 went by a bit more slowly and there were several gradual slopes, but I still felt pretty strong and even managed to sip down some Gatorade at one of the aid stations without spilling all over myself. At mile 12, I checked my ipod and it said it was 11:48 am. The race was supposed to start at 10:00 am (of course I forgot to check the time on my ipod when we actually started, but I figured it was close), so at this point I realized I had a fair shot at breaking 2 hours. So, I boogied it to the finish line as fast I could. I’m not going to lie – it felt like the longest 1.1 miles ever! But, the cheering crowds really pumped me up and I even managed to pass a few people. When I rounded the last corner and saw the clock was still under 2:00 and the big grin on Apolinaras’ face, I actually got a little teary. This shot is much better – I’m grinning from ear to ear because the finish line is in sight!

I didn’t think I’d be so emotional at the finish, but I think it stems from the fact that when I started running on a regular basis in January, I was in awe of people who did half marathons and never thought I was capable of doing one myself. My official time was 1:58:12, which is 9:02 per mile – yay, I did it!

After the race Apolinaras and I checked out a nearby lighthouse and marveled at the 20 or so surfers riding the waves. We had lunch at the Stonewall Kitchen Cafe, which was tasty, and picked up a few fun items from their store.

Then we went home and I devoured everything in our fridge. Well, not quite everything, but definitely the last bit of this yummy pasta. I mixed shells with a healthy dose of pumpkin, ricotta, mascarpone, and parmesan, and then baked it in the oven after topping it with mozzarella cheese – definitely the perfect dish for carbo loading! I think my next big goals are to do an Olympic triathlon next summer and hopefully one of the Disney half marathons with my Dad at some point. Can’t wait!

Pumpkin Pasta Bake
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 pound package large pasta shells
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped shallots
2 15-ounce cans pure pumpkin puree
2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Heat oven to 350˚F. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and return to a large pot.

Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large nonstick skillet and sauté shallots for 5 to 7 minutes or until tender. Add cooked shallots to a large bowl with the pumpkin puree, ricotta cheese, mascarpone cheese, parmesan cheese, and salt, and mix until smooth. Mix in cooked shells. Place mixture in a 13×9-inch pan and sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly on top. Bake at 350˚F for 30 minutes or until mozzarella cheese is melted and bubbly. Makes 9 servings.

Nutrition: 406 calories, 13.9g fat, 3.3g fiber, 22.2g protein per serving
Cost: $0.94 per serving

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Moroccan Stuffed Acorn Squash

November 5, 2010

Well it’s somehow November, which I’m in denial about, but the good news is that it’s finally time to share squash recipes! I actually buy winter squash out of season occasionally (yep, I’m a bad food blogger…) because sometimes I crave it even in the middle of the summer. But, I’ve managed to resist posting any recipes until now, since I figured it would be best to wait until other people were pining for squash too!

Stuffed acorn squash is one of my favorites because you can combine your veggies, protein, and starch all into one cute portable package. I really enjoyed this Moroccan inspired version because I liked the way the spiced ground turkey and sweet squash and golden raisins complemented each other. And the quinoa and spinach pack a nutritional punch, which is much needed after you’ve spent several weeks indulging on various cakes and scones!

Moroccan Stuffed Acorn Squash
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
5 acorn squash, cut in half lengthwise with seeds and pulp removed
1 1/2 cups quinoa
3 cups low sodium chicken stock
1 red onion, chopped
1 pound ground turkey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup golden raisins
Juice of one lemon
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375˚F. Place squash cut side down on two large cookie sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 375˚F for 35 to 40 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, place quinoa and chicken stock in a stockpot over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until all water is absorbed and quinoa is tender.

Place onion and ground turkey in a large nonstick skillet and use a spoon to break up ground turkey. Heat over medium high heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until turkey is browned and cooked through and onions are tender. Add garlic, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg and cook one additional minute, stirring frequently. Add spinach and stir until well combined.

Stir cooked quinoa, sausage mixture, raisins, lemon juice, and salt in a large bowl. Pile quinoa and sausage mixture evenly into cooked squash. Makes 10 servings.

Nutrition: 343 calories, 6.1g fat, 6.6g fiber, 17.4g protein per serving
Cost: $1.54 per serving

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Apple Brie Scones

October 31, 2010

Happy Halloween! After dressing up as Jem, my favorite 80s TV character for the past several years, I decided to fast forward to the 90s this year and go as Angela Chase from My So-Called Life, which is seriously one of the best shows ever! I was a little nervous no one would get my costume, but all the girls immediately squealed in recognition after I directed them to read my shirt. My mom found the skirt in my closet at home and mailed it to me, so I was able to rock some plaid that I actually wore in high school, how fun is that? Too bad she didn’t keep my Doc Martens!

Apolinaras even got into the act this year and dressed up as an internet troll (troll ears, green wig, and a shirt that said “Your blog sucks” – haha). And Shannon was a naked chef – so fun!

I’d like to think Angela’s dad, Graham, would have whipped up these scones during the culinary class he ended up teaching (yes, I remember these things!). They’ve got a lovely light texture and I really enjoyed the contrast of the sweet apple and savory brie.

And as promised, here’s a picture of my lab as the cast of Glee – I was Mr. Shu! Hope everyone had an awesome Halloween!

Apple Brie Scones
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped into small chunks
4 ounces brie, chopped into small chunks

Directions:
Heat oven to 375˚F. Place flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Use a pastry cutter or fork to work butter into the flour until a coarse meal forms. Mix in cream, egg, and vanilla extract until soft dough forms. Knead in apple and brie chunks.

Place dough onto a greased pizza pan and form into an 8-inch circle. Cut the circle into eight wedges and separate the scones on the cookie sheet so they are each at least 1 inch apart. Bake at 375˚F for 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes and serve. Makes 8 scones.

Nutrition: 338 calories, 19.1g fat, 1.6g fiber, 7.4g fat per scone
Cost: $0.51 per scone

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Pumpkin Cupcakes with Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting

October 27, 2010

Yep, another cake recipe! I finally broke out the canned pumpkin and the first thing I wanted to do was make pumpkin cupcakes with Nutella cream cheese frosting. I entered these decorated ones in our work Halloween baking contest today and didn’t win the prize (booo!), but our lab came home with the most important trophy – we won for best group costume! We dressed up as the characters from Glee and did a skit with a few song and dance numbers that my labmate and I choreographed – so fun! Anyone want to guess who I was? I’ll try to remember to snag a picture tomorrow to post. I just love Halloween!

These cupcakes were quite tasty. Since pumpkin puree is so watery, I removed some of the liquid by simmering it on the stove for a bit so the flavor would be more concentrated, much like I did with these pumpkin pie truffles. I originally piped the frosting on the cupcakes, but the Nutella flavor was overwhelming the pumpkin, so I removed most of it and frosted them by hand instead with a thinner layer. This is a really yummy flavor combo. Hope you’re all having fun getting ready for Halloween!

p.s. Erica won my Keys to Good Cooking book giveaway – congrats!

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Pumpkin Cupcakes:
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree
2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk

Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup Nutella
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350˚F. Place pumpkin puree in a small nonstick pan and simmer over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until reduced to 1 cup. Cool completely.

Meanwhile, mix together flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and sift the mixture into a large bowl. Beat butter and sugar with a mixer in a large bowl until creamed. Add in eggs, vanilla extract, and cooled pumpkin puree, and mix until smooth. Slowly mix in half the sifted flour mixture until smooth. Mix in the buttermilk and then the remaining flour mixture. Line 16 cups of two standard cupcake pans with liners and evenly spoon cupcake batter into the liners, filling cups 3/4 full. Bake cupcakes at 350˚F for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then transfer cupcakes to a cooling rack. Cool for 20 minutes or until cupcakes are room temperature.

To make the frosting, add the cream cheese, Nutella, and vanilla extract to a large bowl and beat with a mixer until smooth. Slowly mix in the powdered sugar, scraping down sides of the bowl, as needed, until the frosting is smooth. Frost cooled cupcakes. Makes 16 cupcakes.

Nutrition: 322 calories, 13.4g fat, 1.2g fiber, 3.9g protein per cupcake
Cost: $0.44 per cupcake

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Dark Chocolate Orange Snack Cake

October 23, 2010

When the lovely Shannon invited Elina and I over for an impressive Etiopian feast earlier this week, I thought it would be fun to stick with the theme and bring a dessert we could also eat with our hands. For some reason, I couldn’t get the idea of making a snack cake out of head, even though I’m still not 100% sure what a snack cake actually is – I associate the term with Twinkies, Ding Dongs, Zingers, etc – but figured any sturdy cake we could pick up and enjoy without utensils would fit the bill! I also decided that our snack cake should also be super easy to make, so I whipped up my creation in just one bowl with a spoon (no fancy mixer needed!) and topped it with a simple 2 minute dark chocolate ganache melted in the microwave.

This is a rich and decadent treat that I loaded with three types of chocolate – melted unsweetened chocolate, cocoa powder, and dark chocolate chips. But, it also has a nice contrast of fresh orange flavor bursting through, from both the juice and zest of a few oranges. It’s sinful and super easy to throw together at the last minute. There are definitely more snack cakes in my future!

Dark Chocolate Orange Snack Cake
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Chocolate Orange Snack Cake:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon espresso powder
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
1 cup dark chocolate chips

Dark Chocolate Ganache:
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:
Heat oven to 350˚F. Microwave the butter and unsweetened chocolate in a microwavable bowl at high power until the butter is melted, about 2 minutes. Place melted mixture in a large bowl and stir in orange juice, vanilla extract, and egg. Mix in sugar and espresso powder, followed by the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Stir in orange zest and chocolate chips.

Pour batter into an 8×8-inch square greased pan and bake at 350˚F for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely.

In a small microwavable bowl, microwave the dark chocolate chips and heavy whipping cream, uncovered, on high for 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds. Continue stirring until the chips are melted and the mixture is smooth. Spread the ganache over the cake and refrigerate until the ganache is set, about 1 hour. Cut into 16 squares and serve.

Nutrition: 251 calories, 14.8g fat, 2.0g fiber, 2.6g protein per serving
Cost: $0.39 per serving

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Keys to Good Cooking Book Review and Giveaway

October 19, 2010

Remember when I mentioned that I was looking forwarding to reviewing Harold McGee’s new book, Keys to Good Cooking?

Well, I got it a couple weeks ago and have really been enjoying it! The subtitle of the book, “A Guide to Making the Best of Foods and Recipes” sums up its premise. McGee has written a wonderful reference guide full of tips that will make every cook a bit more successful in the kitchen. He intends for his readers to simply look up what they need to know before they use a specific ingredient or try a new preparation method, and the book is full of extremely useful information!

For example, in the fruit chapter I learned that plant-ripening fruits (citrus fruits, most berries, grapes, cherries, melons, pineapples, and plums) don’t ripen or develop much more flavor after being picked and should be refrigerated or consumed soon after you purchase them, while delayed-ripening fruits (apricots, avocados, bananas, kiwis, mangos, pears, peaches and nectarines, persimmons, and tomatoes) should be allowed to ripen at room temperature before you eat them. Who knew plums and peaches should be treated differently?!? The book is full of useful tips and I highly recommend it!

And, one of you will find out for yourself how cool the book is because I have a copy to giveaway! To enter to win, just leave a comment on this post letting me know about a great book (cooking related or not!) that you’d recommend I add to my reading list. Entries must be in by Tuesday, October 26 at 11:59pm EST. Good luck!

The fine print: Penguin Press sent me two free copies of this book – one to review and one to giveaway. I received no compensation for this post and all opinions are mine. The winner will be picked with random.org on Wednesday, October 27 and announced shortly thereafter.