Fruit Filling

1 (12 oz.) bag frozen raspberries, thawed
¼ cup sugar
1 tbsp. cornstarch

Cream Cheese Frosting

Yield: frosts at least 2 dozen cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

10 oz. cream cheese, chilled
6½ tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3¼ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
4 tsp. clear vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

• Combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add in the confectioners’ sugar and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat 2-3 minutes more. Blend in the vanilla. Frost cakes, cupcakes, and more to your heart’s content!

Café Rio Creamy Tomatillo Salad Dressing

Place ingredients in a blender:
3 fresh Tomatillos, quartered
juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup buttermilk or milk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 pkg dry ranch buttermilk dressing mix
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves (1 bunch)
5 stalks green onions, green and white
2 cloves crushed garlic
1/2 to 3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp crushed cayenne pepper (optional)

Source: Karen Hackett

Zupas Poppy Seed Dressing

1/2 cup Heinz gourmet salad vinegar
1 tsp. dry mustard powder
3/4 in. slice purple onion minced fine
1/2 tsp salt
1 tlbs. poppy seeds
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable oil

Sausage and Spinach Stuffed Shells

You really can’t ever go wrong with stuffed shells. I’ve made several varieties and they have all been delicious. These were particularly flavorful and maybe my favorite so far (but don’t make me pick, okay?) The Italian sausage really put these over the top. Actually though, I think my favorite thing about this recipe was the use of chopped tomatoes instead of jarred marinara sauce for topping the shells. So often, pasta sauce can overpower whatever you put it on and your whole dish ends up tasting just like the sauce – which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I’d like to taste more flavors than that. These tomatoes were just right. They tasted great with the shells, and added a nice pop of color to the dish as well.

My main gripe with this was that the original recipe called for either 10 oz. frozen chopped spinach OR 10 oz. fresh spinach. REALLY? I honestly don’t know how those can be considered equivalent. I bought a 10 oz. bag of fresh spinach, chopped up two large mounds of it, and still had at least a third of the bag left. If I had used the whole thing, I would probably rename this recipe “Spinach, with a little bit of sausage and pasta on the side”. I think frozen chopped spinach would be fine, but if you’re using fresh, I would definitely use less than 10 oz. I think the amount I used was just about right. This makes a lot of food, so be prepared to have leftovers (which are great) or freeze some. I made three 8×8-inch trays; one for us and two for my little college bro :)

Sausage and Spinach Stuffed Shells
Ingredients:
1 12-oz. package jumbo pasta shells
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
1 lb. Italian sausage, casings removed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 15-oz. container ricotta cheese
6-7 oz. fresh spinach, chopped OR 10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 tbsp. chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried basil
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 28-oz. can chopped tomatoes with herbs, including the liquid

Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta shells according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage to the pan, breaking it into smaller pieces as it cooks. Cook until the sausage is completely cooked through and no pink remains, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the egg, ricotta, spinach, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, basil, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper. Stir together to combine. Add the cooked sausage mixture to the bowl and stir until evenly mixed.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spread a thin layer of the chopped tomatoes in the baking dishes (either three 8×8″ pans, or one 9×13″ and one 8×8″). Stuff each shell with some of the sausage and cheese mixture, and arrange in the baking dishes, open side up. Spread the remaining tomatoes over the top of the pasta shells.

Cover the pans with foil and bake for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbling. Remove foil and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 10 more minutes.

Source: adapted from Simply Recipes

Slow Cooker San Francisco Chops
Printable Version with Picture
Printable Version

*Note: you can use boneless or bone-in pork chops. I’ve used both and either way, the meat becomes so tender it is falling apart so you can fish out the bones, if you are using bone-in chops. Just make sure that the pork chops you use are on the thicker side – about an inch thick. The dish benefits from the quick browning of the pork chops and although I know some of you will roll your eyes at this step, you’ll be grateful for the depth of flavor it provides. Also, the red pepper flakes do not add spiciness, instead, they add a dimension of flavor the dish needs to come together. You can reduce the amount to a pinch but don’t omit completely.

*Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 pork chops, about 1-inch thick
Salt and pepper for seasoning
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water

Hot Cooked Rice, for serving

DIRECTIONS:
In a large 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it is simmering and hot. Season the pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Brown the pork chops for 1-2 minutes on each side in the hot oil until golden. Transfer the chops to the slow cooker. Add the garlic to the drippings in the skillet and stir constantly over medium heat until the garlic is aromatic and golden (but not burned or it will turn bitter!). Stir in the soy sauce, broth, brown sugar and red pepper flakes; cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour over chops.

Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours until the meat is tender. If using bone-in pork chops, fish out the bones from the slow cooker. Remove the chops from the slow cooker to a shallow pan or plate – they will most likely be falling apart in tenderness at this point. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the sauce in the slow cooker. Return the chops to the slow cooker. Turn the slow cooker heat to high and cook for 30 minutes to an hour longer, until the sauce is slightly thickened. If you want a super duper thick sauce, once you remove the chops from the slow cooker, pour the sauce into a pan and place it over medium heat on the stove. Add the cornstarch slurry and bring the sauce to a boil. Boil for 1-2 minutes until the sauce is thick. Add the pork and heat through.

Serve the tender chops over rice and garnish with green onions, if desired.

Recipe Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe adapted from Jane Deere

Basic Chocolate Cupcake

10.14

2011

Chocolate Cupcakes

Yield: 30 cupcakes
Ingredients:
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon Dutch-process cocoa powder
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon hot water
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
2 sticks plus 1 tablespoon salted butter, at room temperature
1 2/3 cups sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
¾ cup sour cream

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners. In a small bowl, combine the cocoa powder and hot water and whisk until smooth. In another medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, and whisk to blend.

Combine the butter and sugar in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is smooth and the butter is completely melted. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium-low speed until the mixture is cool, about 4-5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Blend in the vanilla and then the cocoa mixture until smooth. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions alternating with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients and mixing each addition just until incorporated.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared liners. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Let cool in the pan about 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Source: Annie's Eats adapted from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes

Variation, add 1 tsp. of Peppermint extract at the same time that the Vanilla is added