Birthday Feast and Cupcakessss!!

Last week I went home to celebrate my mom's 50th Birthday with her. Unfortunately she had become ill with bronchitis and was unable to go out for dinner. So, my siblings, my father, and I banded together to cook a beautiful birthday feast fit for a queen. My mother being the wonderful mother she is decided she wanted surf and turf. So, for the first time I had to figure out how to prepare a lobster tail. And this was no regular 4-6oz lobster tail you get at Red Lobster. NO, this woman bought a 2lb lobster tail. It was scary big. But I figured out how to handle it. It definitely was not an easy process. I also threw together a garlic and herb marinade for grilled shrimp, and some twice baked potatoes. I also whipped up some carrot cake cupcakes for dessert. Below I shared the lobster, potato, and cupcake recipes. Enjoy!!

• Adapted from http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-specials/star-jones-garlic-lobster-tails-recipe/index.html
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• Ingredients

• 4 large lobster tails (8 ounces each)
• 4 to 6 large cloves garlic, minced
• 6 tablespoons butter, cut into bits
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 teaspoon Cajun spice
• 1/2 teaspoon seafood seasoning, such as Seafood Magic

Directions

Preheat broiler. With kitchen shears or large, sharp knife, cut lobster tails down back on curved side of shell. Pry sides of shells apart to expose meat. Top meat with garlic and butter. Squeeze lemon juice over lobster meat and dust liberally with Cajun spice and seafood seasoning. Preheat broiler. Set lobster tails in roasting pan and broil 4 to 6 inches from heat for 12 to 15 minutes, until meat is opaque in center.

Because this tail was like GINORMOUS, the recipe had to be adapted a bit. I had to broil it for about 30 minutes. In retrospect, I would have boiled the lobster first, then, put into the broiler to finish it off. 

Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes

Adapted From: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/twice_baked_potatoes/

• 4 large russet potatoes, about a pound each
• Olive oil
• 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt 
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 Tbsp butter, softened
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp paprika

• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 4 strips bacon
• 1/4 cup chopped green onion

 Bake the potatoes. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Scrub the potatoes clean under running water. Poke each potato in several places with the tines of a fork so that when the potatoes are cooking they don't explode. Rub the potatoes all over with a little olive oil. Place directly on the middle or top rack of the oven. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through. They should give a little when pressed.

If short on time you can bake the potatoes in the microwave, 10 minutes on high heat for 2 potatoes, 15 minutes for 4 potatoes. The skins of microwave baked potatoes aren't nearly as crispy, so you may want to rub a little olive oil on them and finish them in a conventional oven at 400°F for 10 minutes.

2 If you are including bacon as one of your mix-ins, while the potatoes are cooking, cook the bacon strips in a frying pan on medium low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Let cool. Crumble. Or pop them in the microwave and cook them for about 1min per strip that you place on the plate. 

3 Slice the potatoes in half, lengthwise. You may want to bake an extra potato so that you will have more potato filling to mound into the potato boats.

4 Place the scooped out potato insides, sour cream, milk, cream, and butter into a large bowl. Mash with a potato masher. If you want a creamy texture, beat with an electric beater until desired consistency. Note, do not over-beat potatoes, they can turn glue-y. Add salt and pepper to taste.

5 Mix in the extras with the potatoes. Reserve some of the extras to sprinkle on the tops of the potatoes. Spoon fillings into the potato shells. Sprinkle with extra toppings. Dust lightly with paprika.

6 Heat oven to 350°F. Place potatoes on a roasting pan and bake 15 to 20 minutes until heated through.

• YieldMakes 11 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

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  Carrot Cupcakes

  
  

  from :http://www.marthastewart.com/337053/carrot-cupcakes

  
  

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons plain low-fat yogurt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups grated carrots (from about 4 medium carrots)

• For The Frosting: (I recommend doubling this if you like decorative frosting)

  • 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon grated orange zest

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg; set aside.
3. In another large bowl, whisk together melted butter, brown sugar, egg, yogurt, and vanilla. Stir in carrots. Gradually add dry ingredients to butter mixture mixing until well combined. Divide among muffin tin. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, rotating pan halfway through until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
4. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting. To frost: Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, butter, and confectioners' sugar until smooth; beat in vanilla and orange zest. Top each cupcake with 2 tablespoons of frosting and spread to cover.

"Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside."  ~Mark Twain

Parmesan & Almond Crusted Tilapia

So, I haven't updated my blog in like a year...gosh I suck. But I have a couple of moments to do this so here it is. It's a super simple meal, but it has so much flavor it's really great! I made a parmesan and almond crusted tilapia filet paired with garlic and herb potatoes roasted in olive oil and a spring salad. Here are my secrets:


PARMESAN ALMOND CRUSTED TILAPIA
modified from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/broiled-tilapia-parmesan/

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 c. Parmesan Cheese
• 1/4 c. Butter, softened
• 1/4 c. Almonds, finely ground 
• 3 tbs Mayonnaise
• 2 tbs Fresh Lemon Juice
• 1/4 tsp Dried Basil
• 1/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper
• 1/8 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/8 tsp Celery Salt
• 2 lb. Tilapia Fillets

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.
2.	In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.
3.	Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

GARLIC & HERB ROASTED POTATOES

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 Medium Sized Potatoes, (cubed, 1")
• 1/4 c. Olive Oil
• 1 heaping tbsp. Italian Seasoning
• 1 tsp. Dried Rosemary 
• 1 tbs. Minced Garlic
• 1 tbsp. Salt
• 1 tsp. Ground Black Pepper

Combine the oil, seasonings, and garlic in a medium sized mixing bowl. Add the potatoes and toss. Bake in oven on 400 degrees for 25 min, then Broil on Low for 10 to 15 minutes or until browned and tender.

If God had intended us to follow recipes,
He wouldn't have given us grandmothers.
~Linda Henley

Dinner For 6

I know that's a weak title, but I couldn't think of anything clever sooo yeah deal. This beef dish was something that I've been wanting to make for some months now, but I couldn't afford to on my broke college student budget lol. I was inspired to make it yesterday after my dad took me on a tour of this new grocery store in the area. They have EV-ER-Y-THING!! They had the biggest cheese section I have ever seen in my life! They had French cheeses, Mexican cheeses, Italian cheeses, you name it. They had a huge meat and seafood counter, and they even cooked the food right there for you for FREE!! It had a little restaurant, a sushi shop, a fresh soup station, and a whole bunch of other stuff that I won't bore you with because nobody cares about that stuff but me lol. 


Anyways, the dish is a Prosciutto wrapped steak that is pan-seared to crisp on the outside and medium to medium well on the inside. This is definitely going to be a new family favorite. Even the picky eaters loved it. I decided to be extra and do a surf and turf meal. So, for an accompaniment I did a sweet, citrus, garlic and herb marinated shrimp. I served this with garlic and butter sautéed Baby Asparagus. 


Prosciutto-Wrapped Beef
Original Recipe Courtesy of Sunny Anderson

Ingredients

• 1 pound tender cut beef, cut into roughly 2-inch cubes to make 12 pieces

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 1/4 pound prosciutto
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 small shallot, diced
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon coarse-grain mustard
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced (I added this for a little extra flavor)

Directions

1. Sprinkle beef on all sides with black pepper. 

2.Wrap beef cubes with enough prosciutto to cover entirely. Be sure that prosciutto doesn't overlap more than once.

3. Place wrapped cubes seam side down on a plate. 

4. In a large skillet over medium heat, add oil and butter. When butter has melted add beef cubes, seam-side down to seal, then sauté until crisp on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes for medium rare. 

5. Remove beef and let rest 5 minutes before serving. Add shallots and garlic to pan and saute 1 minute to soften. 

6. Add chicken stock and scrape up brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. 

7. Whisk in mustard and heavy cream and cook 1 minute more to thicken sauce. Remove from heat. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper and garnish with parsley.

Citrus Garlic and Herb Shrimp

adapted from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/grilled-garlic-and-herb-shrimp/

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons ground paprika
• 2 tablespoons fresh minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning blend
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
• 2 pounds large shrimp (21-25 per pound), peeled and deveined
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Directions

1. Whisk the paprika, garlic, Italian seasoning, lemon juice, olive oil, pepper, basil, and brown sugar together in a bowl until thoroughly blended. Stir in the shrimp, and toss to evenly coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

2. In a medium sauce pan, heat the 2tbsp of olive oil to medium heat. Add the shrimp with marinade and cook (About 3-6 min).

Garlic and Butter Asparagus 

Ingredients

1 Bunch of Fresh Baby Asparagus

2 tbsp of butter

2 Cloves of Garlic, minced

Directions

1.  Trim the stalks of the asparagus

2. Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet. Add the asparagus, and cook until tender (not slimy, about 6min)

"The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook." —--Julia Child

Bon Appétit! 

Cupcakes Make My World Go 'Round

I've made these twice and EVERYONE loves them (including people who don't normally like chocolate cake). These are definitely my favorite cupcakes I've tried so far. They were inspired byhttp://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2VVDBn/www.instructables.com/id/Death-By-Oreo-Cupcakes/ . I am definitely going to be making this my go to recipe :-). The only thing I don't like is that, like the chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes, this recipe called for the use of a box cake. (I'm anti box cake btw...I feel like I'm cheating). Anyways, I'm including a recipe for chocolate fudge cake batter. 


Chocolate Fudge Cupcake from Food.com

3/4 cup unsalted butter

6 ounces semisweet chocolate , chopped

3/4 cup sugar

4 eggs , separated

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Directions

• Place metal bowl over medium saucepan of barely simmering water (bowl should not touch water).
• Add butter and 6 oz chocolate.
• Let stand until melted; stir until smooth.
• Cool to room temperature.
• Whisk in sugar and egg yolks.
• Stir in flour and baking powder.
• In large bowl, beat egg whites at medium speed until frothy.
• Add cream of tartar.
• Beat at medium-high speed until soft peaks form.
• Fold one-fourth of the whites into chocolate mixture.
• Gently fold in remaining whites until mixed.

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/chocolate-fudge-cupcakes-22427#ixzz1qKeUZpct

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/chocolate-fudge-cupcakes-22427#ixzz1qKe13WCw

Ingredients
1 package Oreo Cookies, regular size
1 package Mini Oreo Cookies, for decoration (optional)
1 package chocolate cake mix (mix according to directions on box)
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), room temperature
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
cupcake liners

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix packaged cake mix according to directions (do not bake). Line cupcake tins with liner, place a regular size Oreo cookie in the bottom of each liner. Take 1/2 of remaining cookies and chop coarsely and add to cake mix. Fill the cupcake tins. Bake for 15 minutes (or according to box directions). While cupcakes are baking make the frosting.

Cream together butter and cream cheese. Add vanilla, then add powdered sugar slowly until blended well. Chop remaining regular-sized Oreos very fine (I put the cookies in the food processor instead of trying to chop them up super fine and it worked out really well). Add to frosting. After cupcakes have cooled frost and decorate with Mini Oreos.

"Nothing heals the soul like cupcakes... It's God's apology for muffins."

Bon Appétit 

Spicy Creole Jambalaya

Made this last night on a whim. I got home from choral auditions, and I was starving. So, I decided to get in the kitchen and make something happen. This dish is a little on the spicy, but if you can handle a little heat it's great. Definitely one of my new favorites. It's not very difficult, but it is a little bit time consuming (it took a little over an hour). 


Serves 6-8


INGREDIENTS:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium cloves garlic, peeled
1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
2 celery stalks, diced
3 tbsp fresh Italian parsley, minced
10 oz of Eckrich brand Smoked Sausage (sliced ~ 1/2")
1lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced
1 large bay leaf (or 2 small ones)
1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp seasoning salt
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 cup long grain brown rice, uncooked
1 1/2 lb medium shrimp, peeled, deveined 

DIRECTIONS:

• Add oil to a large nonstick saucepan. Over medium heat, sauté onion, garlic, bell pepper and celery until onion is translucent. 

• Lightly season the chicken with the seasoning salt.

• Add parsley, sausage, chicken, bay leaf, and cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring often, 5 to 6 minutes. 

• Add tomatoes (with juice), tomato sauce, and 1 3/4 cups cold water. Gently simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Pour rice into the pan and stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. 

• Lower heat and simmer, covered, 45 minutes or until rice is cooked and absorbs most of the liquid. 

• Stir in shrimp and cook 5 minutes more (or until the shrimp are completely pink). 

• Remove bay leaf. Season to taste with cayenne pepper and salt. (Go easy on the cayenne. A little goes a long way!) 
• Add a dash of tabasco for a little extra punch.

"Non-cooks think it's silly to invest two hours' work in two minutes' enjoyment; but if cooking is evanescent, so is the ballet." --Julia Child 

                                 Bon Appétit!

Girls Night In

The same day I made the Cookie Cupcakes I also made my girls this "home-cooked meal." It's simple, it's healthy, and it tasted great (if I do say so myself...and I do). This time, the recipe is 100% original. I've sort of been tweaking the fish recipe for a while now, and I finally got the taste I was going for. The rice dish was more of a "hmm...I want a risotto type dish without it actually being a risotto. Ooo I know exactly what to do!" That part was a little more time consuming and required more attention, but the end product was definitely worth it.

Spicy Pan Seared Tilapia 

Ingredients

3 tbsp White Wine Vinegar

1 tsp El Yucateco Green Habanero Hot Sauce

1tbsp McCormick Onion and Garlic Seasoning

1tbsp lemon pepper

1 tsp Hungarian Paprika

1 tsp Freshly ground pepper (I recommend a blend of red, white, and black)

6 fresh fillets of tilapia 

2tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (I use an Italian Herb infused type)

Directions:

• Combine the vinegar and hot sauce in a small prep bowl. Mix until completely blended together. Then, brush onto one side of the fish with a marinade brush. 

• Combine the dry seasonings in a separate prep bowl. Then, sprinkle an even layer on both sides of the Tilapia. 

• In a large non-stick skillet heat the Olive Oil to medium-high temperature. Seer the fish until cooked through. (About 2-3min on each side)

• Serve immediately

Something Like Risotto

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Long Grain Par-boiled Rice
• 4 Cups Chicken Stock 
• 4 cups of water and chicken base (Follow directions on jar)
• 1 medium white onion 
• 1 cup of baby bella mushrooms
• 1 can of Cream of Broccoli Soup 
• 3 Cloves of Garlic 
• 4 tbsp Salted Sweet Cream Butter

Directions:

• Finely chop the onions. (About 1/4" or slightly smaller). Thinly slice the mushrooms and mince garlic. 

• In a large non-stick skillet, melt the 2tbsp butter. When butter is hot, add the vegetables and sauté until onions are translucent and mushrooms are tender. Remove from heat to prevent overcooking. 

• In a large saucepan melt another 2tbsp of butter. Add the rice and sautee until it is translucent (NOT BROWN) about 2-4min. Add the chicken stock, and bring to a boil. Then keep at this temperature stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
• When liquid has been absorbed, reduce heat and add the soup plus one can of water. Stir well, allow to cook for an additional 5-7min. (until slightly bubbling) Then, add the vegetables and incorporate into the rice. 

• Garnish with your favorite herb (I like parsley). Serve immediately. 

"If God had intended us to follow recipes, He wouldn't have given us grandmothers."
~Linda Henley

Bon Appétit!