Spicy Italian Frittata

If you have eggs and a cast iron skillet, you can make a frittata (pronounced "fri-taaa-taa") and it's a lot easier, for me anyway, than an omelet. This one is spicy, great paired with a salad and bread for a meal or just a hearty breakfast with friends.

If you like Italian food, especially pizza, you will like this Frittata.

 THAT'S ONE SPICY MEATBALL FRITTATA

• 12 large eggs
• 4 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 cups shredded Italian style cheese blend
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 and 1/2  teaspoons salt
  
• 1 teaspoon fresh gound pepper
  
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 medium sweet onion, roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic,roasted and  finely chopped
• 3-4 small red potatoes, cut into big chunks
• 1/4 cup oil packed chopped sun dried tomatoes - drained
• 1/4 cup chopped pepperoncini salad peppers, drained
• about 3/4 of a 3.5 ounce package pepperoni, chopped
• 1 heaping teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 1/2 tsp dried.
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (if you want it milder, just a pinch will work)

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat oven to 300 degrees, have a rack in place so that you can broil the frittata briefly when cooked.

Whisk eggs, cream, 1 cup of the cheese Italian style cheese, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning in a bowl and set aside. Heat oil in a large, cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add onion and garlic and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4 minutes.

Add potato and cook, stirring occasionally, until edges become tender, about 4 minutes. Add drained Pepperoncini salad peppers and drained dried tomatoes and cook another 5 -6 minutes, until softened.  Add pepperoni, chopped basil and cayenne pepper, stirring to incorporate and making sure veggie mixture is distributed evenly across bottom of pan, stirring frequently so potatoes and garlic don't burn.

Lower the heat in the pan just slightly (a bit less than medium high) so that the eggs don't cook TOO quickly when they are added. (This is especially important if you have an old gas stove. You may even want to take the pan totally off the heat for a couple of minutes.) Pour the egg mixture over the vegetable mixture, tilting the pan to make sure the mixture covers the veggies evenly and reduce heat to medium. Cook until eggs are set around the outer inch of the pan, about 10 minutes Sprinkle remaining 1 cup Italian cheese evenly over the frittata and bake at 300F for 20 minutes, until the middle is fairly solid (To tell if it's close to done, cut a small slit in the center, if egg runs into it, give it another minute or two.)  Sprinkle with Parmesan and  place under the broiler until the cheese is browning up and the frittata is puffy, about 2 minutes.  Serve with toasted Rustic Italian bread.

Stay warm! - Brigid

Scandahoovian Double Berry Streusal Bars

2½ cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon table salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks) plus 2 tablespoons, cut into ½-inch pieces and softened to cool room temperature (keep the two tablespoons separate)
¼ cup packed brown sugar  light or dark
a drop of good quality vanilla extract
½ cup rolled oats  old-fashioned, not the quick cooking packets
½ cup almonds, chopped fine
1/16 teaspoon of Cardamon (or nutmeg if you just can't find Cardamon)
1  1/4 cup lingonberry or marionberry preserves
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cup fresh raspberries (about 4 ounces)
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut two pieces of foil  to fit down into the pan, draping over the sides to make a sling (in order to lift out the bars later) in a 9x13 inch baking pan. Spray lined pan with cooking spray.

Cookie Base:  Mix flour, granulated sugar, and salt in a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on low speed until combined. With machine still on low, add the two sticks of butter, one tablespoon at a time, plus a drop of vanilla, until the mixture looks like damp sand.

Set aside 1 1/4 cups of the mixture in a medium bowl. Pour the remaining dough into the baking pan and with clean, dry hands, press gently and evenly to form a crust.  Bake in preheated oven until the edges are brown (about 18 minutes).

Filling and Streusal Topping:  Add the brown sugar, oats,spice and nuts to the flour mixture set aside in medium bowl and stir to combine. Add in the separate 2 tablespoons of butter until fully incorporated into the mixture. Work with your hands to create clumps about the size of tiny peas (or small ball bearing for you non-Scandahoovian types).

Place the preserves, raspberries and lemon juice in a small bowl. Mash together with a fork, making sure some berry pieces remain intact.

When the crust is done baking,  remove from the oven and spread the berry filling over it and then sprinkle the streusel on top of that. Put pan immediately  back in the oven and bake for another 22 to 25 minutes, or until top is gold and bubbly. Cool in pan to room temperature, then lift bars out with the foil sling and cut in squares.

Yields 24 bars  - they'll keep in an airtight container for 3 days but they rarely last that long with a family around

Pop Tarts for Grown Ups.

Makes six  pastries.

1 sheet of Puff Pastry thawed in it's wrapper
4 ounces cream cheese (one half of a block).
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 pinches of cinnamon (a bit shy of 1/8 teaspoon)
pinch of Cardamon
3 tablespoons sugar.
2/3 cup whole boysenberries (fresh or frozen)
1/3  cup boysenberry jelly
1 small egg mixed with 2 and a half teaspoons water.

Thaw frozen puff pastry sheet in refrigerator overnight.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Before unwrapping pastr , mix cheese, lemon juice, vanilla, sugar and spices in a bowl with a a hand mixer until fluffy.

In another small bowl mix fruit (if frozen, thaw and drain) and jelly.

Gently unwrap and roll the puff pastry sheet into a 10 inch square on a lightly powdered cutting board.  If there is any reason the dough will sit for a while after (phone call, dog has to go out, etc) cover immediately with Saran Wrap and a slightly damp towel so it doesn't dry out..

Transfer  rectangles to parchment paper covered cookie sheet.  With a fork, prick the center of the rectangle just a few times, leaving a 1/2 inch border around the edges untouched (the more "holes" you put in it, the more steam will escape and more crisp and less puffy it will be).  Brush the top of the pastry with beaten egg/water mixture.  Drop  a tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture in the center (don't attempt to spread out, just leave as a dollop) Then gently dot the cream cheese with small teaspoons of the fruit mixture, covering the top of the cream cheese, making sure 1/2 inch border remains bare. 

Bake for 16 to 18 minutes until puffy and golden brown. Cool slightly and serve immediately.  

Lasgna Round Up with Pesto Alfredo Sauce

Lasagna  roll ups with spinch/pesto Alfredo sauce.  It's not at all photogenic but it's incredibly good as a side dish or a main, meat free course.

You can make the pesto and lasagna bundles ahead and freeze, then just make the sauce before putting it in the oven.

Lasagna bundles

1 (15 oz) container Ricotta Cheese
1 large egg
1 small handful of Italian Parsley (about 1/3 cup) chopped
a small pinch of red pepper
2  and 1/4 cups freshly grated Mozzarella cheese, divided
3/4 cup freshly, fresh grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/3 cup freshly, finely grated asiago cheese
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

10-12 uncooked lasagna noodles

Cook lasagna noodles until al dente (you want firm as they will cook further in the oven) in a large pot of boiling  salted water  that has a small splash of olive oil added to it.   

When cooked, drain and lay out on waxed paper to cool and dry slightly (any extra noodles can be chopped for soup or stir fry)

Whisk ricotta, egg, salt and peppers together in a large mixing bowl until combined.  Stir in parsley and cheese until well combined.

Spread a generous 1/4 cup cheese mixture evenly onto each cooked lasagna noodle, roll up jellyroll style and place on waxed paper while you make the sauce. If you wish to make ahead and freeze, assemble as instructed with sauce,  cover with foil and cook at 400 F. degrees (not 375) for 45 minutes, uncover and cook another 12 - 15 minutes)

Pesto Alfredo sauce

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic roasted and minced
dash of nutmeg
1 and 3/4 cups heavy cream
3 Tablespoons cream cheese or cooking creme (if you don't have any, increase heavy cream to 2 cups)
1/4 heaping teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (if you grate it yourself it's smoother than the pre-grated for some reason)
2 teaspoons parsley
1/2 heaping cup mozzarella cheese
1 recipe homemade pesto, or 3 Tablespoons of store pesto in a jar or one package Knorr Pesto sauce mix (in the seasoning aisle), prepared as directed with oil and water.

Melt butter and olive oil  in medium sized pan over medium/low heat.

Add the garlic, cream, and cream cheese, bringing mixture to a simmer, stirring frequently.

Add the Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, parsley and pesto and simmer sauce for 8-10 minutes or until sauce has thickened and is smooth.

When sauce has thickened add the Mozzarella cheese and stir constantly until smooth.   If it's too thick add a tablespoon of milk or chicken stock.

While this cooks (3-5 minutes) quickly saute about 1/3 of a bag of fresh spinach in a pan very lightly brushed with olive oil and a dash of garlic powder until wilted (use only a minimum of oil or a non stick cooking spray, you don't want extra oil).

Remove Alfredo sauce from heat and add spinach.  Pour a cup into the bottom of a cooking pan.  Place 4-8 lasagna bundles seam side down (I cooked five so there was lots of yummy sauce left). Pour remainder of sauce over lasagna bundles and tent lightly with foil (should not touch sauce).  Bake in preheated 375 F. degree oven for 35 minutes.  Stir sauce around bundles before serving.

Homemade Pesto (can make up to four days ahead, put just enough EVOO on top to cover and keep from drying out).

1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
2 garlic cloves
1/3 cup olive oil (use really good quality oil)
1 cup grated Parmesan

Finely chop basil, pine nuts and garlic in a food  processor. With machine running, gradually add olive oil through feed tube and process until smooth. Mix in 1/2 Parmesan. Transfer to a small jar, cover and keep in fridge, drain off excess oil before adding it to alfredo sauce.

Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins

2 Eggs

2 Egg Whites

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

2 cups Almond Flour

1/2 tsp plus one pinch baking powder (check date, make sure it's fresh)

 two dashes of salt

1 Tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar (I used Braggs, it's definitely the best)

1 and 1/4 Tsp Vanilla Extract

2 Tbsp canola oil 

1/8 tsp. of  your favorite baking spice (I used a premade mixture of 2 kinds of cinnamon, anise seed, allspice, mace and cardamon)

1/8 tsp. of grated orange zest

1 Cup Blueberries (I used the large ones, a mixture of large duke, bluecrop and bluejay)

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 F. and spray muffin with with non stick spray.

Place all ingredients, excluding blueberries, in a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth, stirring occasionally and scraping down the sides between pulses (about 20-30 seconds total)

Once completely mixed, fold in blueberries which you have first tossed in a teaspoon or so of almond flour so the juice doesn't turn the batter too purple. Sprinkle muffins with a tiny bit of sugar and bake for 25 minutes, just until the edges are barely turning brown.  Cool on a wire rack. Makes 9 large, or 12 medium sized muffins.

Maple Bourbon Walnut Pie

Maple Bourbon Walnut Pie

1 pie crust -  unbaked

2  and 1/4 cups walnut halves (chop some of them smaller)
1 Tablespoon honey
1 generous teaspoon butter
nice pinch of cayenne pepper

melt butter in fry pan on medium, add remaining ingredients and  heat and stir until the nuts are lightly coated and the honey is starting to crystalize a bit.  Remove from heat, let cool slightly and place in unbaked pie shell

In a medium bowl whisk until light and blended:

 

4 extra large eggs
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
3/4 cup real maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon plus 1 pinch Cinnamon
2 Tablespoons Bourbon
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons Penzey's Mexican vanilla
1/8 teaspoon orange zest (the thin orange covering of an orange, grated)

Pour over walnut mixture and bake in 375 degree F oven for 30-32 minutes, until solid in the center.  Cool for 30 minutes and serve with whipped cream

Grand Marnier Glazed Blueberry Scones

 

Preheat oven to 400 F.

In a cereal bowl mix and let sit 15 minutes:

1/2 cup wild blueberries (thawed, rinsed and allowed to dry on a paper towel first to keep them from turning your dough blue)
3 Tablespoons Grand Marnier

In a large dry bowl mix:

2 cups (9 ounces) cake flour (less gluten than other flour making for a light scone) (

tip: weighing your flour makes a huge difference in pastry recipes

1 Tbsp baking powder

Tip:  Baking powder is viable for about 2 years, but only when it is kept dry, and at room temperature. Never store your baking powder over the sink (humidity) or the stove (heat).

3 Tbsp plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 tsp salt
5 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, quartered lengthwise, and then diced into 1/2 cubes
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 egg
1 and 1/2  tsp. of vanilla


With a pastry blender, a couple of knives or your fingers, mix the flour,  3 Tbsp. sugar, baking powder and salt until  until the mixture resembles course meal in a large dry bowl. (you want some remaining oatmeal sized butter bits, that makes them nice and tender).  Add the blueberries, which you have drained, reserving the Grand Marnier)

In another small bowl whisk:

 egg, vanilla and heavy cream until blended.

Make a slight well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in cream mixture, mixing the dough by hand just until down the dough is  moist and slightly holding together (it should not look like a ball of dough but should be fairly loose)

Transfer this mess carefully to a floured cutting board or clean counter top and knead the dough for about 5-10 seconds (flatten it out, then fold it over on itself, about 5-6 times).  This will turn your sticky mess into a workable dough.

Gently pat out into a 8 inch round, about 1/2 tall, cutting into 8 wedges (do NOT separate) Brush with a teaspoon or two of cream and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of sugar, bake until lightly browned 17-20 minutes.

While still warm drizzle with

Grand Marnier Glaze (prepare while they bake)

add Grand Marnier.to any drained from the blueberries to make  a total of 2 Tablespoons
Mix with the zest of a small orange, finely chopped, and allow to sit for  a few minutes so the orange peel releases it's oil
add
1 tsp of orange juice
a drop of vanilla
1 cup confectioners sugar

Whisk until combined and set aside to frost warmed scones as desired. (If you have any left, use on muffins or quick bread such as banana)

Serve with butter and some good tea.

Crockpot Pork with Hot Bacon Potato Salad

 Golden Pork Steaks

1 can Campbells golden mushroom soup
1/2 can water
1 small or 1/2 large sweet onion sliced thin
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 dashes hot pepper sauce (I used Scoville Brothers Heavy Metal Heat)
1/2  teaspoon Janes Krazy  Mixed Up Salt (a mix of salt and herbs, if you don't have, use a fairly low sodium salt/herb blend as the soup is high in sodium)
1 heaping teaspoon dried basil
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
2 -3 large pork steaks

Dice onions and place in bottom of crock pot.  Top with meat. Sprinkle with Krazy Salt.  Mix other ingredients in bowl and pour over meat.  Cover and cook on low for 7-8  hours. Also excellent over noodles or rice for an inexpensive meal.

Hot Potato Salad

2  pounds red potatoes, quartered
2 tablespoons olive oil (if roasting potatoes)
7-8  slices of good quality smoked bacon
1 clove garlic,
1/2 sweet onion, minced
4 Tablespoons Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar (or wine vinegar)

1 tablespoon grainy mustard
2 teaspoons honey
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
black pepper to taste

Parsley and/or  sliced green onion for topping (optional)

Peel, quarter and boil the potatoes until done but still a little firm (18-20 min). Even easier, don't peel and  roast them skin on at 375 degrees for 25 minutes tossed with a couple tablespoons of olive oil. (potatoes done when knife pierces potato easily).  The boiled potatoes will absorb more of the dressing, but the roasted potatoes have a nice firm bite and texture,  both are excellent.

While potatoes cook, add the bacon to a fry pan  until just slightly crispy.  Remove from pan and remove some of the drippings if needed (you want at least 1/4 cup remaining)    Add onions, garlic and honey to remaining bacon drippings and cook over low until the onion is soft and golden with  the sugar from the honey starting to caramelize them well  lowering heat and stirring often to prevent garlic from burning.  Remove with slotted spoon and add to bacon. Add vinegar, mustard, and seasoning  to pan drippings and cook over low/medium, whisking well for 2-3 minutes until bubbly.  Add onions and bacon back in, reducing heat to keep warm and toss with boiled or roasted potatoes.

Serve with pork and green beans.

Korean Barbecue Sauce

Excellent brushed on grilled chicken or beef.

Makes a little more than a cup.

1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 and 1/2 Tablespoons honey
1 and 1/2 teaspoons gochujant (Korean hot pepper paste, or mix an equal amount of miso paste and chili paste).
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 and 1/2 teaspoon finely mined onion
1/2 teaspoon  minced garlic
1 one inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated (or substitute 1/4 tsp dried ginger).
1 Tablespoon sesame oil

sesame seeds (for garnish)

 In a saucepan on medium, heat all ingredients except the sesame oil while whisking until blended.  When the sauce comes to a simmer, turn the heat down a keep at a very low simmer until it thickens (about 15-20 minutes)  Remove from heat and add sesame oil.  Use immediately.  Recipe easily doubles, but it only keeps in the fridge a couple of days.

Baste on chicken or beef after it is partially cooked.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds when cooked through and serve.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pot Pie

1/3 to 1/2  cup smoked ham or Canadian bacon, cut in fine pieces ( I used a good handful)

1 and 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 and 1/2 cups chopped veggies (I used broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots, use your favorites)
1 tsp dried thyme
a sprig of chopped fresh rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1 and 3/4 cups low salt chicken stock or broth
2 Tablespoons cooking Sherry
2/3 cup crème fraîche
2 and 2/3 cups chopped or shredded cooked chicken
a  pinch of red pepper and two  generous pinches of black
salt to taste

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Saute ham or Canadian Bacon in a bit of bacon grease until the edges are starting to get crisp.  Remove. Saute onion and garlic (adding additional fat if needed)  until tender and golden, about 7 minutes, Add broth, Sherry, thyme and rosemary and bring to low boil over medium/high  heat. Immediately reduce heat to medium and simmer until reduced by half stirring constantly. .Add in vegetables the last couple minutes of cooking if raw, or at the very end if already cooked..

Remove from heat and stir in crème fraîche, chicken, ham/bacon, red and black pepper and salt to taste. Add an additional tablespoon of broth or crème fraîche to get the consistency you prefer.  You can  also heat it in the pan once the meat is added to serve over baked potatoes instead of baking in a pie crust.  It's still very good.

Note: crème fraîche can be expensive. To make your own, combine 1 cup whipping cream and 2 tablespoons buttermilk in a glass container. Cover and let stand at room temperature (about 70°F) from 8 to 24 hours, or until very thick. Stir well, then cover and refrigerate  Keeps about 10 days.

Pastry   - 

2 1/2 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt3/4 cup cold lard 1/3 cup ice water 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar  Mix the flour and salt in a bowl.

Add the lard and with a blunt knife, cut the lard into small pieces. With 2 blunt knives or a pastry blender, work the lard into the flour until it forms tiny crumbs.

In a small bowl, mix the water and vinegar. Sprinkle the water mixture over the flour mixture. Use a rubber spatula to cut the liquid into the dry ingredients until the mixture forms large clumps.

Turn them out onto a  (lightly) floured board and knead lightly until smooth. Divide dough into the number of pieces you will use (this makes 2  crusts for a 9 inch or several small ramekin size).Shape each peace into a round flat cake size, wrap in Saran Wrap and put in fridge for 30 minutes.

 Roll the dough into desired shape, leaving a 1/2 inch overhang to shape and crimp the edges.   Bake  at 400 degrees F. 30-40 minutes until crust is golden brown and filling is starting to bubble up.

Cheesy Garlic Bread

1 small loaf French bread, split or sliced

1 and 1/2 Tablespoons butter

4 cloves garlic (minced)

3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sweet onion, finely diced
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese 

1/3 cup mozzarella

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

dash of pepper

dash of onion salt
generous teaspoon dried parsley
 3 to 4 Tablespoons cream (enough to make spreadable but still thick)

Directions:

Mix everything but the bread,  butter, garlic and onion in a bowl.

Melt butter in big cast iron skillet, saute garlic and onion until softened and golden.  Remove. Place sliced french bread in pan and heat just until the bottom is a little toasty but not browning.

Spread cheese mixture on bread and put under the broiler 4-6 minutes until bubbly and the edges are golden brown. 

Breakfast Baking - Buttermilk scones

click to enlarge

What's left in the fridge is going into some eggs as a scramble.  But what to have with it?  Buttermilk Scones. Thick yet flaky, they aren't too sweet and go well with a number of dishes or just a nice cup of coffee.

3 cups flour
1/3 cup plus 1 Tablespoon sugar
1 tsp salt
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 and 1/2 half sticks unsalted butter
1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk, minus one tablespoon which is replaced by 1 Tbsp vinegar and left to sit 10 minutes)

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and cut in the cutter using a pastry cutter, a knife and fork or your fingers until it it is a course meal.  Add buttermilk and still just until combined.

Transfer dough to a floured board and divide into 2 parts.. Roll each to a round  (OK, I got lazy and mine was sort of oblong) about an inch thick. Cut each piece of dough into rough wedges and place slightly separated on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 15--18 minutes minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve warm with fresh butter.  It was great  with a morning scramble of eggs, cream, jalepenos, caramalized onions and Mexican blend cheese..

Sour Cream Chicken with Onions and Peppers

A blend of Hungarian and Tex Mex seasoning was a winner and makes an incredibly juicy chicken.

Sour Cream Range Chicken

6-8 pieces of chicken (thighs and legs)
olive oil
2 jalapeno peppers, seeds and core removed and finely chopped
2 heaping teaspoons minced garlic
3/4 large sweet onion chopped
a pinch of sugar
2 teaspoons Hungarian sweet paprika
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (about 3 pinches).
1/4  teaspoon dried marjoram
3/4 cup plus 3 Tablespoons chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon Jane's Crazy salt (or sea salt)
several grinds of cracked black pepper
1/2 cup plus 1 Tablespoon sour cream

Heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large cast iron skillet until oil begins to shimmer on medium high heat. Cook chicken pieces, skin side down for 15 minutes, flip, salt with the Jane's Krazy Salt  and  cracked pepper and cook another 10 minutes until chicken is starting to brown (it will NOT be cooked through). Remove  chicken from pan and set aside..  Drain all but a couple teaspoons of drippings.  Cook garlic, onion and peppers  in the drippings with a pinch of sugar until softened (about 3 minutes).

Add chicken pieces, pour chicken broth around and bring to a boil, covering and cooking on medium low (a gentle simmer) partially covered for 25-35 minutes until chicken is done (use a thermometer - the temperature of chicken should be 160 F. before removing to set aside covered with foil)  Remove chicken pieces  to a plate and cover,  turning heat to low and adding sour cream  to the liquid, stirring until blended and warmed, adding heat as necessary but not letting it get to a boil.

Serve chicken over rice with some of the sauce, using a slotted spoon to get some of the pepper and onion bits, and an additional sprinkle of paprika and dried parsley.

Honey Cashew Chicken Stir Fry

Honey Cashew Chicken (click to enlarge photo)

This didn't start out as a blog recipe, it was just something I threw together from leftovers but it was so tasty I had to share.

Looking around my kitchen after a long day,  I had the following:

There were frozen chicken breasts in the freezer.
There was the bottom end of a bag of  Scwhans frozen veggies (2-3 cups)
jarred minced garlic
spices and the usual staples.
a tired onion
various nuts (not including us)
bulk container of rice

A cup of rice and two cups of water went into the steamer.  Then, two fairly small chicken breasts were defrosted  in the microwave and cut into bite sized pieces.  I  also diced half a large onion. As you all know, I  usually don't measure and go by the eyeball method but bakery type items, but here is the best guess of the amounts.

In a  cereal bowl I mixed:
5 Tablespoons honey
2 and 1/2 Tablespoons soy sauce
two pinches Penzey's Chinese 5 spice powder (or just a pinch of cinnamon and two pinches of ginger)
several shakes of black  pepper
several shakes of crushed red pepper

When the rice was about 15 minutes away from being done,I  added a Tablespoon of oil to a cast iron skilled on medium to medium high heat (you know your stove better than I do) and cooked the chicken pieces, with a heaping spoonful of minced garlic and the chopped onion until the chicken was done, covering partway through to cook the meat thoroughly without drying it out.

While that cooked, I  nuked the veggies just until defrosted (about 2 minutes).

I added the sauce and the veggies when the meat was done, stirring to finish the vegetables with the heat on medium.

Then  I mixed 2  teaspoons of corn starch into 1 Tablespoon of water and add,ed that to the pan, raising the heat slightly and stirring constantly while it thickened and the honey in the sauce started to caramelize.

Finally, I tossed  in a handful of cashew pieces, stirred and served over rice.  The sweetness was a nice balance to the peppers and the cashews added a nice crunch. It was a "write that down, that was good!" type of recipe and super easy to make.

Turkey Tzatziki and Tortilla Wrap

Mr. T - the Turkey, Tortilla and Tzatziki Roll Up

In small cup combine 3 Tablespoons of  sauteed until caramelized onion finely diced and 1 heaping teaspoon garlic
Add a splash of olive oil and the following:
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil
two pinches crushed red pepper
a pinch of sugar (or a 1/8 tsp honey)
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Jane's Krazy Salt (or sea salt).
a small squirt of lemon

Let sit on the counter for about 10 minutes for the flavors to blend.

Gently mix herb mixture into1 pound of ground turkey breast  (lamb would also be good) and cook over medium heat until done.

Serve on warm, fresh (yes, these are homemade) tortillas  (or flatbread of your choice) with Garlic Tzatziki and additional cucumbers  and/or sliced veggies of your choice

8 ounces Greek yogurt
a pinch of salt
1/2 medium English cucumber, peeled seeded and shredded
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 and 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2-3 mint leaves,  chopped
1 and 1/2 teaspoons fresh dill chopped.

To seed the cucumber, , after peeling, cut it in half lengthwise and use a teaspoon to scrap the seeds out.

After you have shredded it the cucumber, place it in paper towels and squeeze repeatedly over the sink to remove as much as the liquid as you can.  Combine with remainder of ingredients in a food processor and pulse a few times and let let sit in refrigerator 2-3 hours (don't get in a hurry, it needs the sit time).  Keeps for a week (though stir before using)  and easily doubles.

Salt Roasted Potatoes

The premise is there is a moisture exchange between the salt and the spud, the moisture escaping the potato being absorbed by the salt and then reabsorbed by the potato making the interior, not only well seasoned, but very light and fluffy.

You start by laying 4 potatoes in about 2 and a half cups of salt (one 26 ounch package) in a 13 x 9 pan. To the salt was added a clove of garlic and some sprigs of rosemary instead of the thyme and shallots. Leave some of the paper surrounding the garlic on there, so it doesn't fall apart, and is a little softer at the end of cooking. Cover  the pan TIGHTLY with foil and bake in the middle rack of a 450 degree oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

.Remove foil from potatoes and remove the garlic to a small dish while you raise the heat on the oven to 475 degrees/ Brush the tops of the potatoes with a Tablespoon or so of EVOO and return to oven for 15-22 minutes.

The best baked potato ever!

Marionberry Pie

Pastry: (makes enough for two pies)


4 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups shortening
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 egg
1/2 cup very cold water

Add flour, shortening, sugar, and salt to a large bowl.

Get out your pastry cutter.  .I was watching this documentary about how the invention of the pastry cutter was what allowed Cro-Magnon man to surpass and eventually entirely supplant the Neanderthal in the chain of human evolution. Or it might have been greater linguistic competence and cultural sophistication and the Colt 45, I don’t know, I wasn’t watching that closely. I was making pie.

Mix flour and shortening with the pastry cutter until it looks nice and crumbly, crumbs should be much smaller than the size of peas. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, egg, and water.

Add to the flour mixture, stirring in till well-moistened.

Shape it with clean hands into a ball of pastry dough. (Don’t overhandle.)

Divide the dough into four equal-size balls.

Wrap each ball with plastic and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before using.These will keep a week in the fridge or a couple months in the freezer in freezer bags.

To use, sprinkle some flour on waxed paper. Sprinkle some more flour on top then roll out, adding more flour if necessary to keep from sticking to your rolling pin. Place in a lightly greased pie pan. You can just up-end the rolled crust right off the waxed paper on top of the pie pan. Add filling.


Filling:
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp of lemon juice or 1/4 tsp lemon zest
1 and 3/4 pounds fresh or frozen marionberries* (or other blackberries).

 Note: For frozen, measure, thaw until softened, and use all the juice. (about 6 1/2 cups))

Stir together cornstarch and granulated sugar in a large bowl. Add berries with juices  and lemon and toss to coat. Arrange evenly in pie shell.

Top with another crust, crimp edges and bake at 375 F for 50-60 minutes until it's golden brown.  (if the edges brown too quickly cover with a bit of foil the last 10 minutes or so)

 * Click on the link to read the history of the Marionberry

Hibachi Steak and Salmon

For 2, you will need one rib eye
1 salmon steak
sauce
veggies
rice (if making fried rice you'll need an egg and extra soy sauce)


Prepare Home on the Range Happy Sauce:

1 Tablespoon finely chopped sweet onion
1 and 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
pinch of crushed red pepper
1 Tablespoon Sirracha sauce
1/4 cup bourbon (or to taste)
2 Tablespoons Hoisin sauce
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 T. rice wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons plus 1/2 tsp. honey
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

sesame seeds for topping
a lemon slice, seeds removed
additional sesame oil for stir frying

Mix sauce ingredients and set aside.

Prepare Side Dishes:  Prepare steamed or fried rice.  Keep warm. Stir fry some veggies (carrots, squash, onion, broccoli, etc) in a little oil under tender crisp and keep warm.

Prepare Salmon Marinate the salmon in about 1/4 of the sauce while you let the steak come up to room temperature. and you prepare the rice and vegetables (about 30 minutes).

In a pan over med-high heat to which you've already added a tablespoon of sesame oil, add the salmon fillet and sear (after discarding marinade).   After four minutes turn, sprinkle with black pepper and a squeeze of lemon and cook for an additional four minutes topping with a splash of the sauce as the other side cooks. Remove from the pan  just before it's fully cooked, and let sit, basted with some of the extra sauce and loosely covered with foil while you cook the steak (it will finish cooking under the foil as it rests).

Prepare Steak - Trim the steak, removing excess fat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Heat a wide, shallow skillet to medium high heat. Once the pan is nice and hot, add a Tablespoon of oil, wait til  it begins to shimmer slightly, then add the  whole steak, cooking until a nice crust is built, about 2 minutes a side. Set the steak aside and let rest 5 minutes (so the juices don't bleed out so much when you cut it).  Cut the steak into bite sized portions.

Return pan to medium heat and add a Tablespoon of unsalted butter.  When butter is frothy, add the steak bits, cooking for about 15-20 seconds and then add remaining sauce to pan.  Stir quickly as it thickens and finishes cooking, about another minute (the meat should still be slightly pink inside).

Sprinkle with sesame seeds (toasted if you're having one of those Martha Stewart Zen moments) and serve immediately.

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Crock Pot Garlic Herb Chicken

A Range adaption of a popular Internet recipe, it was not only a hit, but it made six servings at a little more than $2.00 a serving (with careful shopping) and was great served with Cheesy Garlic Bread.

Whether it's just a small household  with leftovers or a family dinner, that's still pretty economical.  Use family pack fryer pieces instead of breasts, and root cellar garden veggies  it would even be cheaper.

Crock pot Garlic Herb Chicken. 

In crock pot pour 1 and 3/4 cups good Vinaigrette (I used a Mediterranean one from Cindy's Kitchen)

Place 3-4 large chicken breasts in the dressing, spooning a little bit over the top to moisten.  Top chicken breasts with

1 and 1/2 teaspoons oregano
1  and 1/2 teaspoons basil
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (to taste)
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

On top of that place 6-8 Yukon gold potatoes cut into thirds and 5-6 carrots cut into 1 and 1/2 inch chunks.  Sprinkle two teaspoons of  minced garlic over that, a few dashes of Janes Krazy Salt (or salt and pepper) and cover and cook on high 3 to 4 hours on high or 7-8 on low.

Remove carrots with slotted spoon and toss with 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup or brown sugar.  Remove potatoes and chicken and serve, sprinkled with Parmesan and served with rolls or cheese bread. 

Creamsickle Cake

Creamsickle Cake.

Put 3 eggs out to bring them up to room temperature.

Stick a medium sized bowl in the fridge to get it cold (I'll explain later).

1 lemon cake mix (I used Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme).

Make as directed, using the room temperature eggs as per the box, but add 1 teaspoon of McCormick or Watkins Orange extract and 1 packed Tablespoon of finely grated orange zest (the very outer orange layer of a orange, which you will wash thoroughly first).

Bake in greased 13 x 9 pan as directed. While it bakes, clean the beaters and put in the bowl in the fridge.

When out of the oven, poke holes through about half the depth of the cake very 2 or so inches apart with the back end of a wooden spoon.

In a small bowl mix, 1 cup boiling water with 1 small box orange Jello (NOT sugar free) and carefully pour over the cake, making sure it gets into the holes and doesn't just run down the sides.

Let cake cool 30-40 minutes.

When the cake is about cool, mix 1 small box French Vanilla instant  Jello pudding with 1 cup of milk (I used 2%) with a whisk. Add 1 teaspoon of orange extract. Let sit to thicken while you make the whipped cream.

Yes, you can use a tub of Cool Whip instead and add the vanilla to it. (Just ignore that little twitch of mine).

Whipped cream - 12 ounces (a cup and a half) of heavy whipping cream (I avoid ultra pasteurized if I have a choice) Beat for about 5 minutes with the chilled, very clean and very cold beaters and bowl until it starts to thicken. Add in 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and whip a bit more, until it's the right consistency. It should take about 5-6 minutes  toal with a chilled bowl and beaters. Don't over beat or you will have butter.

Carefully fold pudding mix into whipped cream and frost cooled cake. Store in refrigerator. 

Creamsickle is a trademark of the Popsickle company.  If you've never eaten one, you have missed out! I grew up on their products and love them to this day.

Crispy Oven Pork with Balsamic Glaze with Roasted Onions and Cheddar Biscuits

Chop a large sweet onion into 6-8 pieces while the oven preheats to 425 F.

Make seasoned flour (yes, you can use a premade kind,  but this is better and cheaper with bulk spice purchases).

1 cup flour
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cracked black pepper
1 tsp. sweet  paprika
1 tsp. Penzey's Chili 9000 (or plain chili powder)
1 tsp. ground oregano
1 tsp. tsp. dried sage
1 tsp. tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried marjoram
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Make Biscuits:

In a blender or food processor pulse several times:
2 and 1/2 cups Bisquick type baking mix
1 cup grated cheddar

Pulse in 1/2 stick cold butter (or you can cut in with a pastry blender, no food processor required) until the butter is the size of small peads.

Stir in 3/4 cup cold milk just until combined. 

Drop by 1/4 cups on non stick cookie sheet and set aside.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a 10 inch cast iron pan, and saute onions for about 4-5 minutes on medium, just until they are starting to soften and fall apart, then place them around the edges of a 13 x 9 pan. Put cast iron skillet back on stove and set pan with onions aside on the counter.

Whisk an egg in a bowl, dip 4 pork chops into it, shaking to remove excess, then roll pieces in seasoned flour., until lightly coated

Raise heat on pan to medium/high and sear the pork pieces in the remaining oil from the onions for 1 minute per side, then place in the 13 x 9 pan with the onion.

Do not wipe pan clean, and place back on stove, medium temp..

Set oven timer for 20 minutes.

After the pork has been in the oven a couple of minutes, put biscuits in oven (they'll cook about 1-18 minutes).

Deglaze pan on medium with about 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar, reduce to low and stir for a couple of minutes, incorporating any drippings from the meat or veggies, then turn heat off.  A few minutes before pork is done, drizzle over the pork and onions, then return to oven.

Pork should be done at  145 degrees F. internal temperature, but let sit at least 3 minutes when out of the oven, as the temperature then will go up a few more degrees without the meat getting tough

Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Bake

Preheat oven to 425 F.

1/2 pound Sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings
1/2 pound hamburger
2 and 1/2 teaspoons steak seasoning ( I used McCormick Grill Mates Molasses and Bacon Steak Seasoning)

1 Tablespoon bacon fat
1/2 large onion, chopped
1/2 pepper, chopped (I used a mild orange pepper)
1/4 cup brown sugar

15-16 ounces tomato sauce (one of the medium cans)
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 Tablespoon Braggs apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2-3  pinches crushed red pepper
1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper
3/4 teaspoon yellow or Dijon mustard

half of a regular sized pack of cream cheese plus 2 Tablespoons (softened at room temperature)

1 and 1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 cup cheddar, divided (I was low on cheddar so sprinkled a little Parmesan on top)
1/3 cup green onions (divided)
Tater Tots

Cook meat with steak seasoning, and drain (do not rinse)

Combine cream cheese, sour cream, garlic powder and half of the chopped green onion.

In large fry pan, brown chopped onion  and 1/2 chopped pepper (red green, yellow, orange whatever you have left from perhaps a salad) in bacon fat  until caramelized, add sugar, remove from heat and stir until the sugar is melted and caramelized.

Add tomato sauce, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, mustard and meat and simmer 15-20  minutes or until thickened and the liquid reduced.

Place half the meat sauce  in a 8 x 10 inch casserole dish.

Spread cream cheese mixture over meat sauce, sprinkle with half of the cheddar cheese and  top with remaining meat sauce.

Top with a layer of tater tots and bake at 425 F. for 20-24 minutes until the potatoes are browned and crispy.  Sprinkle with remaining cheddar and green onion a it comes out of the oven. 

Puffy Oven Pancake

4 small or 3 jumbo eggs at room temperature (leave out about half an hour)
1 and 1/4 cup whole milk at room temperature
1 and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 generous teaspoon lemon zest
1/4  teaspoon ground cardamom
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 375 F.

In  a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, melt butter in skillet in oven or on stove top. Use a brush to get some of the melted butter up the sides or simply spray sides and top with a little non stick cooking spray.

Whisk eggs and milk until fluffy.  Add salt, vanilla, lemon zest and cardamom.  Whisk in flour until mostly smooth (may still have some small lumps), about 20-30 seconds.  Do not over mix.

Pour batter into warm pan and place in oven.

Bake 30-32  minutes.  When edges are puffed and brown and center does not look "wet" remove from oven remove from pan immediately so it doesn't get soggy.

Serve with powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice (try it!) or the usual pancake toppings.

Hot Like a Cow On Fire

This is pretty spicy.  For milder, use 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (or simply serve at table to add as desired)

Cow on Fire

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Mirin
1 Tablespoon corn starch
1 cup soy sauce
3 Tablespoons honey
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
2 teaspoons of jarred minced garlic
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 teaspoons red curry paste or red chili paste (or use chili oil)
1 and 1/2 Tablespoons canola oil mixed with 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil (or all canola)
a small handful of chopped scallions (1/4 to 1/3 cup)
2  heaping teaspoons finely chopped jalapeno pepper (seeds removed)
1/2 cup pineapple
a very small handful of fresh peas (a couple of heaping Tablespoons)
1 Tablespoon of fresh basil (1/2 teaspoon dried)
8 ounces flank steak, trimmed thinly sliced against the grain  (put in freezer for 30 minutes first helps with the slicing)

Mix together Mirin (a sweet Japanese wine; substitute sherry if needed),  soy sauce, honey, ginger, garlic. curry or chili paste and crushed red pepper.  Slice 8 ounces steak into thin pieces place steak in a bag with a about half of the sauce, seal and let marinade in the refrigerator, flipping over once in a while, for an hour. Add a Tablespoon of  corn starch to the remainder of the sauce and set aside.

When ready to cook, heat 1 Tablespoon of the oil and saute scallions, jalapenos and pineapple on medium until the scallions are softened and the pineapple is just starting to caramelize.  Remove from pan and set aside

Toss a small handful of peas and some basil and heat until softened.  Set aside with onions.

Reheat pan to medium/hot  and add a little addition oil.

Remove meat from marinade and discard marinade.  Stir fry meat in the oil with a Tablespoon of the sauce you set aside.  Remove from pan.

Add liquid you set aside and simmer on low for a few minutes until thickened.

While meat cooks and sauce simmers,  cook a small package of lomein noodles in boiling water as directed. When meat is done, add half of the noodles to the dish, adding more as desired.

Top with fresh mint and sliced red pepper.  The mint, cut up into the dish as you eat ,adds a very refreshing touch..

Oatmeal Scones

The recipe is easy to put together, even for an inexperienced baker.  It's got lots of oatmeal and is fairly low in sugar, a delicious, filling treat with a cup of coffee or a glass or milk for the small ones.  If you don't have buttermilk, simply add a couple teaspoons of vinegar or lemon juice to your milk and let sit 15 minutes first. 

Ingredients
3/4 cup uncooked quick-cooking oats
1/3 cup sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cold butter, cut up
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
Vegetable cooking spray

For topping:

3 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tablespoons buttermilk

Preparation

1. Bake oats in a 15- x 10-inch jelly-roll pan at 400° for 6 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool.

2. Combine oats and next 5 ingredients.

3. Cut butter into oats mixture with a pastry blender or fork until crumbly. Stir together 2/3 cup buttermilk and egg. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened and dough forms.

4. Turn dough out onto a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Shape dough into a 7 1/2-inch circle.

5. Combine 3 Tbsp. sugar and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. Brush dough with 1 1/2 Tbsp. buttermilk. Sprinkle with sugar mixture.

6. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cut into 8 wedges; serve immediately.

Gluten Free Cornbread

This is a very moist and flavorful cornbrad with a delicate crumb.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

 In a medium bowl combine:

1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

let sit 10 minutes to sour milk

Add in one large or two small eggs, and whisk.
Add 1/4 teaspoon vanilla and
1/3 cup oil and whisk again.

Add:
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup potato starch (NOT flour)
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon baking powder.

Mix with a mixer until smooth.  Gluten-free starches (and flours) lump fairly easily. In recipes with lots of liquid, this can be an issue. . Unlike pancakes, where small lumps disappear as the pancake cooks, lumps in some gluten free breads need a little more vigorous mixing.

Stir in 3/4 cup stone ground corn meal.

Bake in greased pan for 28-32 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean..

DIY Taco Seasoning

Perfect for Taco Salad, Tacos and other dishes

Single Serving (about 3 Tablespoons)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 pinch unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Make in bulk and store in glass jar  (enough to season 8 pounds of meat)
1/2 cup chili powder
1/4 cup cumin
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tablespoons and 2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons black pepper

For single serving add  3 Tablespoons of the mix to one pound cooked and drained meat.  (Note: I stir in 2 teaspoons of flour to the mix  first before dusting on meat to help it stick better, but that is optional).  Add 2/3 cup water.  Bring to a boil, and lower heat and simmer until liquid is cooked away, stirring every few minutes.

For a great Taco Salad, add some Taco Salad Dressing (a version of Kraft Catalina, the dressing my Mom always used for Taco Salad).

1/4 onion roughly chopped (or use 1/2 tsp onion powder if you don't have a blender or food processor)
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar (I use only Braggs)
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup light oil (such as canola or extra virgin olive)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon  smoked Paprika
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
dash of salt and pepper

Mix in food processor or blender until smooth if using onion.  If using onion powder shake in a glass jar.  Keeps in the fridge for at least a week.

Almond Cupcakes with Brandy and Vanilla Buttercream

1 3/4 cups cake flour
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups granulated sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, chopped
4 large eggs (at room temperature)
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon Mexican Vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 Tablespoon of Brandy
tiny pinch of cardamon

Preheat oven to 325° With an electric mixer with a paddle attachment,combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Mix on low speed until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl down with a spatula as it mixes. Add butter pieces, mixing until just coated with flour.

In a small bowl mix together the liquids, eggs, milk, vanilla and almond extract. Whisk together eggs, Set your mixer down to medium and add wet ingredients in 4 equal parts, scraping down sides of bowl before each addition; beat until ingredients are incorporated.  But do NOT overbeat!.

Divide batter evenly among two cupcake pans, using the little paper liners if you like.  Fill each about 2/3 full,. Bake, rotating pan halfway 17-21 minutes, inserting a toothpick into one in the center at about 19 minutes.  If it comes out clean, it's done 

Unless you have a really big oven, you'll have to cook one pan at a time to do the turning, but it does make them cook nice and evenly.

Frosting

1 cup salted butter, softened
3 cups confectioner's sugar
2 Tablespoons whipping cream
1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract

In a bowl  with a mixer, combine butter and sugar. If you don't have salted butter add a couple of pinches of salt (just shy of 1/8 tsp).  Beat on high for an additional minute, then add whipping cream and continue beating for 4 minutes (you want 5 minutes total whipping time).  Add another 1/2 Tablespoon whipped cream if necessary to get the consistency you want to pipe or spread. (I use a Wilton 1M pipe tip).

1.  

Dark Chocolate Salted Caramal Buttercream Cupcake

Cupcake Ingredients: 
1/2 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 1/4 cups white granulated sugar
 1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 and 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plus two teaspoons dark chocolate cocoa powder (I like a half and half mixture of Hershey's Special Dark and Scharfeenberger unsweetened cocoa powder)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 cup  strong coffee,cooled to room temperature

Have your eggs and butter out room temperature before using.

Mix milk and lemon juice (or vinegar) in a small bowl and set aside. 

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after you add each. Stir in vanilla.

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.  Mix the 1/2 cup coffee into the sour milk mixture..  Add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture in small amounts, alternating with the milk/coffee mixture, beating well after adding each.

Full paper lined cupcake tins 2/3 full and bake at 375 for about 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack for 10 before removing, but don't let them cool in pans or the bottoms will be soggy.  Cool completely before frosting.


Vanilla Buttercram Frosting

1 cup salted butter, softened
3 cups confectioner's sugar
2 Tablespoons whipping cream
1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract

In a bowl  with a mixer, combine butter and sugar. If you don't have salted butter add a couple of pinches of salt (just shy of 1/8 tsp).  Beat on high for an additional minute, then add whipping cream and continue beating for 4 minutes (you want 5 minutes total whipping time).  Add another 1/2 Tablespoon whipped cream if necessary to get the consistency you want to pipe or spread. (if you want super  big mounds of frosting on your cupcake, double the recipe).

Spread the frosting with a knife or put the frosting in an incing bag (or make your own with a gallon ziplock type back with a little hole down in one corner you can put the frosting tip down into, I use a Wilton Extra  Large Round tip to make big mounds o'frosting.

Salted Caramel  - there are all kinds of recipes on the net to make this, I don't have one that is my own.  Honestly though, I usually just use the jarred kind from Williams Sonoma, as I get a gift certificate for them for Christmas from a family member yearly.  Just drizzle a little over the frosting with a small spoon before serving. You could also use inexpensive jarred caramel ice cream topping and add sea salt to taste.

Buttermilk muffins

Muffin mixes can range from 50 cents (Jiffy type, multipack  on sale) to as high as $6 for the some the high end ones. But even those you have often add an egg and or oil, increasing the price by a quarter or two.

In about 10 minutes you can make a dozen muffins, from scratch, one bowl, for less than 50 cents, and they are a whole lot better.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

In a bowl mix 1 cup milk with 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
Let sit about 8 minutes while you measure out everything else
whisk in:
1 large egg
a drop of vanilla
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar (up to 1/3 cup for sweeter breakfast muffins.)

Stir in (I like a big wooden spoon for this)
2 cups flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder

Mix just until no dry areas remaining, about 30 good stirs, Do NOT overmix  Mixture will be QUITE lumpy.

Spoon into greased 12 cup muffin tin and bake at 400 F. for 20 minutes.

Serve with butter, honey or jam, or plain alongside of soup or stew.