Chocolate Cupcakes

When there are 3 birthdays in one weekend, what do you do? You make cupcakes! And then you evenly distribute them amongst all 3 birthday friends! I tried to modify this and make it as healthy as I can. Hope you enjoy!

Fluffy Chocolate Cupcakes

3/4 c (1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter)

2 1/4 c flour

1 c cocoa powder, unsweetened

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 c firmly packed light brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla

4 large eggs

1 1/2 c yogurt (regular or chocolate flavored!)

Preheat oven 350 degrees F. Grease 12 cup muffin pan, dust with flour, and tap out the excess.

Sift 2 1/4 c flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In another large bowl, beat 3/4 c butter on med. speed until creamy. Add brown sugar and continue beating for 1 min. Add vanilla and beat until incorporated. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Mixture will look slightly grainy. Beat in sour cream, then add flour mixture in 3 batches. Mixture will be thick. Divide evenly and pour batter in muffin tins. May take a couple batches.

Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes. Frost when cooled completely.

Olive Oil-Lime Salad Dressing

The best recipes come from mothers. This one came from my friend's mother. I am so lucky to be joining them for Thanksgiving tomorrow. I first tried this at their home while they were on a raw foods diet. Most of the time I would find that disgusting, but I was very impressed with the diet and the meal we had! I could totally do a raw foods diet... ok maybe I'm getting too ahead of myself... anyways, here's the dressing that so gracefully adorned our yummy salads.

P.S. This is me trying to recreate the dressing. So as far as her exact measurements, I'm not sure, but this is what I now use.

Olive Oil-Lime Salad Dressing

1 c olive oil

juice of 3 small limes

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients. Let sit 10 minutes to fully infuse. Drizzle desired amount over your salad of choice.

Coconut Shrimp with Peanut Butter Curry Sauce

Hold on... don't turn away! Do not let the title scare you! Yes, there is peanut butter, but it's so complimentary! Like other curry dishes with peanuts, just think of this one as using the creamed version!

A couple weeks ago, I went on a date and we made this meal in an Iron Chef competition with other dates. Our secret ingredient was peanut butter and this is what we turned out with. The original recipe came from here, but I made some modifications.

Coconut Shrimp with Peanut Butter Curry Sauce

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 small white onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• One 13.5-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
• Juice of 1 lime
• Salt
• 1 lb cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Pepper
• 2 cups shredded coconut, preferably unsweetened
• 3 heads bok choy, thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
• 1/2 pint (about 1 cup) cherry tomatoes

1. In a small saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until tender but not browned, about 6 minutes. Stir in the curry powder. Add the chicken broth, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Whisk in 2 tablespoons peanut butter until smooth. Add the coconut milk and simmer, stirring, until thickened, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice. Season to taste with salt. Keep the sauce warm over low heat.

2. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons peanut butter with 3 tablespoons warm water until smooth. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and brush with the thinned peanut butter. Mix in coconut and toss until shrimp is fully coated.

3. In a medium skillet, warm 1 tablespoon oil over high heat. Add the bok choy and tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and cook until the bok choy and tomatoes are wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Keep warm.

4. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add the shrimp and fry until the bottoms are golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Gently stir shrimp; drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon oil around the edge of the skillet. Lower the heat and fry until the other sides are golden, about 1 more minute. Spoon the reserved sauce into the center of 4 serving plates. Divide the bok choy mixture among the plates and top each serving with spoonful of shrimp.

Herbed Foccacia Bread

Sometimes I get lazy... And when I do, I cheat. As in cheat, I mean its not entirely homemade. However, when I made this the other night, I didn't cheat. Here's the cheating version...

Herbed Foccacia Bread

1lb refrigerated pizza dough (make your own to not cheat)

1/4 c olive oil

2 tbsp chopped rosemary or oregano

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp salt

thin onion slices (optional)

1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese

On a floured surface, roll out 1 pound refrigerated pizza dough into a 10-by-15-inch rectangle; press into an oiled rimmed baking sheet. Mix olive oil, rosemary or oregano, red pepper flakes, and salt. Brush half of the herb oil over the dough. Make dimples in the dough with your fingers and top with thin onion slices and grated Parmesan. Bake at 400 until golden, about 20 minutes. Brush with the remaining herb oil.

Pear Bread with a Pomegranate Glaze

One day I got bored and I realized I had so many pears that were on the verge of going bad. I decided to take care of that and re-do one of my other recipes, but with a new ingredient. And then I noticed in the fridge I had POM juice... Voila!

*The best part about having the pear in it, it adds a nice crunch!

Pear Bread with a Pomegranate Glaze

3 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
4 shredded bosc pears
1 2/3 cups sugar
2/3 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs

1/2 c powdered sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons POM juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (or 375 degrees for high altitude). Grease a (9x5in) loaf pan or 2 (8x4in) loaf pans and sprinkle with flour.
Mix flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and baking powder in a large bowl. In another bowl, mix apple, sugar, oil, vanilla, and eggs. Form a bowl like dent in the center of the flour mixture. Pour in the apple mixture and mix until fully blended.
Pour into loaf pan or divide evenly into both loaf pans. Place loaf pan on a cookie sheet in case of spills. Bake 8-inch loaves 50 to 60 minutes, 9-inch loaf 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on cooling rack 10 minutes.
Loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans and place top side up on cooling rack.

Combine powdered sugar and juice, stirring with a whisk; drizzle over warm bread. Cool completely on wire rack.

On its way...

I really need to update this on a regular basis! So here are some things to expect this week. Like I said here, I am obsessed with cranberries this season, so be prepared!

Pear bread with a Pomegranite glaze
Pumpkin-Cranberry bread
Coco Cranberry-Apple muffins
Coconut Crusted Shrimp with a Peanut Butter Curry sauce
Pumpkin Brownies
Olive Oil-Lime salad dressing
Herbed Foccacia Bread
Orange Poppy Seed Cupcakes

I promise all of this will be posted before Thanksgiving!!!!!!!

Lemon-Cranberry Muffins

Last week I wanted to make these for Relief Society for this weekend. So naturally I did a trial run. I've been having fun with cranberries lately and I have been putting them in everything. Muffins, meatballs, bread. Here's a post for now until I can gather up all of my recipes I've made and get them on here. Enjoy!

1 1/2 cups, plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
2/3 c granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 large egg
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 12 cup muffin pan.

To prepare , lightly spoon 1 1/2 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Measure 1 tablespoon flour; level with a knife. Sift together 1 1/2 cups flour plus 1 tablespoon flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and baking soda in a large bowl.

Combine melted butter and egg in another large bowl; stir with a whisk. Add buttermilk, milk, and 1 teaspoon rind to butter mixture; stir with a whisk. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

Toss cranberries with remaining 1 tablespoon flour. Fold blueberries into batter. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Cool Tidbit: If you don't have buttermilk, you can make your own! Add 1 tbsp distilled white vinegar to just under 1 c lowfat milk and stir! Super easy!