Chilaquiles Fritatta – Seriously Delicious

There are a few things that I’m a huge fan of, that if you haven’t gotten by now, I’ll spell out. One of them is Mexican food. The other is the food blog Serious Eats. Combine the two into a recipe, and you know I’m going to try it!

Last week I found a recipe for a Chilaquiles Fritatta. I’m not going to pretend like I knew what that was ahead of time. Sure, I know what a fritatta is. But what the heck are chilaquiles?! Well, it means “herbs or greens in chile broth” and basically combines left over tortillas and hot sauce/salsa. If you’re going to combine something spicy and fried, I’m sold!

The recipe itself seemed easy on the outset, but frying little tortilla strips is tedious. And apparently in my kitchen, also dangerous! While I was transferring some from the pan to my plate with a paper towel on it so some of the excess oil could drip off, I placed the plate to close to the flame, lighting it on fire. I quickly threw it in the sink and put water on it, ruining half of that batch. While I was in the process of making them, I snuck a few to sample. They would be great with ice cream. I picture them with a vanilla ice cream and some sort of apple cinnamon concoction. I’m not sure how, but I know it would work!

Aside from almost lighting myself on fire, my only other mishap was dropping an entire package of eggs. Thankfully, only four broke, and I had another package with three in them. I can’t believe the luck I had! It’s a miracle that I and my fiance got out of the kitchen alive!

At any rate, once the tortillas were done, the rest of the recipe was smooth sailing. It calls for either creme fraiche or sour cream, so I of course went with the sour cream. Whisking sour cream and eggs together makes them super creamy and fluffy. I’m not a huge egg fan, but I really enjoyed these! I also left out the scallions, as I didn’t want a huge bushel and nothing to use them with. I didn’t miss them, either. Also, it notes you need cubed queso fresco. Honestly, I had no idea what that was until I Googled it. It basically just means “fresh cheese.” I just went with some Monterey Jack.

The recipe also says it only needs to bake for 10-15 minutes. It took mine more like 25 minutes to ensure the eggs weren’t runny. I didn’t mind, but I think my fiance was starting to gnaw on his own limbs (and he wasn’t even infected with the zombie virus).

This would be great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. But I suppose that’s only if you’re one of those people that can eat “breakfast” at any time. I used to not be able to mix my meals, but breakfast is slowly making it’s way to later points of my day. Lunch has always been interchangeable for me, but dinner stays comfortably at 4pm or later (and that’s pushing it).

I really can’t recommend this recipe enough. It’s spicy (but you can add/remove spice as you need based on your salsa choice), it has fried goodness, and it’s got some serious Mexican flair! So next time you want to have a little siesta, treat your taste buds to something equally deserving!

Chilaquiles Fritatta
 – Serves 4 –

Ingredients:
Canola oil
6 (6-inch) corn tortillas, sliced into 1-inch strips
1 cup smooth salsa or hot sauce
6 eggs
2 tablespoons crème fraîche or sour cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 chipotles chiles in adobo, thinly sliced
1 poblano chile, rib and seeds removed, diced
3 tablespoons cilantro, divided
3 scallions, thinly sliced, divided
1/2 cup cubed queso fresco cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Fill a cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet with a 1/4-inch of canola oil, and warm over medium-high heat.
2. Add tortilla strips to pan, and fry until golden, about 1 minute on each side. Drain on paper towels.
3. In a large bowl, toss fried tortilla strips with salsa or hot sauce until well combined. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of remaining oil in the pan, and discard.
4. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, crème fraîche, salt and pepper with fork until just combined.
5. Pour egg mixture into the skillet, add chiles, 1 tablespoon of cilantro and half of the scallions. Let excess sauce drip off tortilla strips, and add to egg mixture.
6. Evenly distribute cheese on top of the frittata. Bake in oven until completely set, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
7. Finish by garnishing with remaining cilantro and scallions, as well as extra hot sauce. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Happy nomzing!

Valentine’s Spice

For Valentine’s day, my fiance and I decided to go low key; maybe just a card, and then we’d get some Thai food for dinner. So, I thought it’d be nice to at least make something to go along with my card. I scoured the internet for some spicy cupcake recipes, and surprisingly didn’t find much. I did, however, happen upon a recipe from Vanilla Garlic.

I was overly excited to make this recipe for two reasons; 1. it started off with boxed cake mix (cheating, I know. But so easy!) and 2. it had chipotles in adobo sauce in it – one of my favorites!

So, after going to the gym and running 6-7 miles each for our half marathon training, we somehow mustered up enough energy to go out for Thai food. When it comes to spice, neither of us skimp. The particular place we went to, Thai Kitchen, offers spice in their dishes on a level of elephants from one through five. When I first started going there I went small; only a level two. By now, though, I’m up to five and loving it. We like to joke that if you aren’t sweating when eating Thai food, you’re doing it wrong. I also find that you eat less when it’s spicy, and I’ll never complain about that!

Enough rambling about my favorite Thai restaurant, back to the cupcakes! These were super easy; I only needed one actual chipotle pepper and some of the adobo sauce. I now need to search for some chipotle friendly (and quick and easy) recipes so I can make one for dinner this week. Other than that, they were just plain chocolate cupcakes. They didn’t use any frosting, though. Instead, I combined cinnamon and powdered sugar, and coated the tops with that. For my man, I used some decoration frosting and wrote I ❤ You on 5 of the cupcakes.

They were surprisingly good! I was actually a bit nervous, since I’d never combined spice and chocolate. I know it’s a big thing, and those Aztecs knew what was up, but I just wasn’t sure if my palate would appreciate it. Well, it did! The spice was a nice note in the background; the adobo sauce gave it a little bit of a smoky flavor, and then there was just a little bit of a kick at points as well. I also added chocolate chips into the batter, which was a nice melty gooey surprise as well.

While my family was skeptical about the spice and chocolate combination, I’m glad I went through with it and made them. Both my fiance and I loved them, and I’m looking forward to devouring the rest!

You can find the recipe below… happy spicy nomzing!

Chipotle Cinnamon Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 Box of Dark Chocolate cake mix
Whatever the box tells you you’ll need. Probably eggs, water, and oil
1-2 tablespoon pureed chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (base on your heat tolerance)
1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon, plus some extra
powdered sugar

Directions:
1. Mix the cake mix as the box says.
2. Place the chipotle peppers in a food processor and puree. Add two tablespoons to the mix. Add the cinnamon.
3. Scoop into cupcake papers. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
4. Let cool. Combine the powdered sugar and some cinnamon to taste in a bowl, and scoop out, or sift on top of cupcakes.

Deliciousness in Downtown Westfield: Xocolatz

To celebrate my Mom’s birthday, and also our engagement, my fiance (I’m so excited to get to say that now!) and I joined my family in Westfield for brunch this past Sunday. We went to my family’s favorite restaurant, Xocolatz.

Most restaurants can be classified into different categories; based on food, overall vibe, type of restaurant, or other factors. Every so often, however, there are restaurants that don’t fit a particular mold. Xocolatz in is one of those places.

The restaurant itself is adorned with historic pictures of Westfield as well as other cute and spunky décor, like a placard letting patrons know that if their children run rampant, they’ll be served espresso and promised a pony.

Serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, and brunch on Sundays, the restaurant is always crowded. Reservations are recommended, but despite the crowd, you never wait long. Because it’s such a local favorite, it isn’t quiet and intimate; it’s bustling and bright.

The waiters and waitresses all wear black and don’t write down your orders. Although they don’t have a paper and pen crutch, the waiters and waitresses seem to be spot-on. Your orders are served in a timely manner and are always correct, and they’re quick to make sure your beverages are at a comfortable level.

The ambiance is great, but the stand-outs are their dishes, as the menu is expansive for a small to mid sized restaurant. Often times restaurants that boast larger menus have mediocre food; a jack of all trades but a master of none, if you will. This isn’t the case with Xocolatz. While their menu isn’t pages long, the different types of food that are offered really do have something for everyone. The dishes often combine a Spanish flair (fried plantains, chili, etc.) but they also have other favorites including daily quiches, quesadillas, chicken parmigana sandwiches, tropical hamburgers, seafood dishes, and daily specials. The specials rarely repeat, and you can count on something new and exciting every time.

The food itself is extremely fresh; the salsa tastes like the tomatoes and onions were just cut and combined, the bread tastes freshly baked, and seafood dishes are far from “fishy.” The combinations are different, so don’t be afraid to try something new!

They serve a special brunch menu on Sundays, and while they’re BYOB, if you bring the champagne, they’ll provide the orange juice for mimosas. And though you might be dining at the restaurant during their specified brunch hours (11am to 3pm), you can always order off of their lunch menu if brunch isn’t your thing. Since they are open Monday thru Sunday, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to try everything!

While we were there, I went for the Oaxaca breakfast burrito, filled with chili, onions, peppers, cheese and eggs. It was served with a simple green salad and avocado. It was absolutely delicious! My fiance, also an avid Mexican/Spanish food lover, went with the Tex-Mex omlette, so we could share. The omlette was stuffed with onions and peppers, cheese, and jalepenos.  The omlette was served with breakfast potatoes and toast. Each of the dishes were served with some sliced fresh fruit as well. The other notable dish ordered by our group was my mom’s dish. She ordered savory crepes that were stuffed with onions, goat cheese, and spinach with eggs served over them.

Everything we ordered was absolutely delicious. I’ve had brunch, lunch, and dinner at Xocolatz and have been extremely impressed every time.

Check out the delicious nomz below, and head over to their site to look at the menu and their daily specials. If you’re in the area, definitely go!!

Disney World… Food, Fun and MORE!

I just got home yesterday from an amazing trip to Disney World.

Aside from the delicious food I was devouring every step of the way, some pretty awesome things happened! I suppose, however, I should start from the beginning.

When my boyfriend and I began planning our trip, we were a bit wary about the dining plan option Disney now offers to it’s guests staying on Disney property. We had the option to select either “Quick Service” which would include two quick service meals (places that serve your typical chicken fingers and fries) and two snacks a day, OR a regular dining plan that would account for two sit-down meals a day and two snacks. After much debate, we went with the quick service option.

Let me tell you, they do not skimp on food! We couldn’t even use all of our meals and snacks. You’d be surprised how far two snacks and two meals a day will get you! Snacks included novelties such as popcorn, ice creams, specialty drinks, etc. while the meals were anything from a smoked turkey leg to sushi in Japan (Epcot) and hamburgers. I didn’t feel limited in my choices at all. At some points I actually felt a bit overwhelmed at all of the options.

There were a few stand-outs from our quick service experience. They included the hand-twisted pretzels we got in Germany over at Epcot; they were buttery and somehow managed to be both sweet and salty, a delicious combination. We paired it with a Spaten beer in a souvenir mug – yum! Also, at breakfast we each had some mini Mickey Mouse shaped waffles. Not only did they look pretty darn close to Mickey himself, they were delicious! They had a nice hint of vanilla and were super soft on the inside with a nice crunch on the outside. I didn’t need any syrup to sweeten them.

While we were visiting Downtown Disney to meet up with some friends and get some souvenir shopping done, we stumbled upon Goofy’s Candy Shop that had cupcakes! My boyfriend and I immediately ran to the counter and ordered a bright pink and bright blue cupcake that we were able to use as a snack swipe. It was REALLY good! The amount of frosting, though, was way too much. I wound up tossing a good portion of mine, while my boyfriend finished his and had a blue mouth for the rest of the night. I would eat that cupcake again and again, though.

Also while we were in Downtown Disney, we picked up a few foodie gifts for ourselves. We got a wine stopper that is shaped like Mickey, a pack of Minnie’s cupcake mix, and a celebrations 2010 shot glass.

We also decided to do two sit-down dinners that we paid for separately; one was dinner in Mexico at Epcot. I knew this was a must-do, since I’ve eaten there every time I’ve been to Disney, and both my boyfriend and I are serious lovers of all Mexican food. It was absolutely delicious! My dish came with a sizable and perfectly seasoned steak, a bean and cheese stuffed chile relleno, and rice. My boyfriend went for the rib-eye tacos which were also delicious. We washed our meals down with margaritas; passion fruit and jalepeno! This is one of those instances where the food really speaks for itself. Even the tortilla chips and salsa were super fresh and were really good. I think having authentic waiters and staff (or should I say cast members) really adds to the whole experience. While we were there we also picked up some hot snake bite salsa. I’ll have to let you know how spicy that turns out to be!

We also had dinner in Cinderella’s Castle, at her Royal Table. Now, this wasn’t something we had planned on originally. A week or so before our trip, my boyfriend let me know he had made a phone call and had us squeezed in for an early dinner. Unbeknown to me, however, he had much grander plans. At dinner, we had our picture taken with Cinderella, and I received a wand with a star while he got a sword. For our meal, we were able to choose an appetizer, entree, and dessert. I went with a simple mesclun salad with walnuts, Gorgonzola cheese, and a raspberry vinaigrette, while my boyfriend had gnocci and chicken soup. They were both phenomenal. From there, my boyfriend ordered the chipotle glazed pork chops with mashed potatoes and asparagus while I opted for the honey glazed salmon and wild rice. Both of our dishes were delicious, however they were barely room temperature. I was a bit disappointed about that, but also completely satisfied. From there, it was dessert time. Typically, you are presented with three options (sorbet, chocolate cake, or creme brulee). I however, was brought a covered plate, which when opened, housed an engraved glass slipper on a bed of rose petals. When the cover came off, my boyfriend reached in his pocket, pulled out a cupcake shaped charm box, and inside pulled out a ring and asked me to marry him! Of course I said yes, and we then celebrated with champagne and custom made cupcakes!!

Needless to say it overall was the best trip of my life. The food was phenomenal, I had a ton of fun (despite all the rain and wind), and I’m engaged! I couldn’t have asked for a better trip!

I’m looking forward to making those Minnie cupcakes and trying the Mexican Salsa. I’m also planning to make some chipotle and chocolate cupcakes for Valentine’s Day, so stay tuned for those as well!

Christmas Gift Review 2: Hungry Girl’s 200 Under 200 Cookbook

As promised, I’ve picked my next foodie Christmas gift to review. This one is definitely a favorite, simply because it’s absolutely delicious!

I don’t remember how or when I came across Hungry Girl, but my meal options have increased tenfold since! There are so many great recipes and just general tips on the site, that when I found out there were cookbooks too, I just had to have them.

Before getting the book, I had tried out recipes such a “Buff Chick Dip,” “Chicken with a Kick Pack,” and “Wrappers Delight” to name a few. Each of them were not only delicious and healthy, but super easy to make!

Written by the Hungry Girl herself, Lisa Lillien, this particular cook book boasts 200 recipes, each under 200 calories! Now, I haven’t followed each recipe exactly just based on what I’ve had available, but no matter what they’ve come out delicious! There really is something for everyone in the book; pastas, wraps, burgers, dips, desserts… the list just goes on and on.

So far from this book, I’ve made the EZ Tomato-Basil Chicken, Smothered Pig in a Blanket, and BLT Quesadilla. I’m sure you’re thinking there is no way the recipes are under 200 calories… But they are!

The chicken recipe was super simple, but a poor choice in chicken left the dish only passable. It was quick and served with just some spaghetti was a great post-gym refuel. However, I’m more than willing to try the dish again, hopefully this time with better chicken.

A few days later I ventured back to the book, this time to try the BLT Quesadilla. Now, I’m a HUGE fan of all types of Spanish/Mexican food. I was a little unsure about mixing the staples of my favorite type of food with bacon. However, if I’ve learned anything from Wife Swap, it’s that “bacon is good for me.” Let me tell you; I was wrong about this combo. It’s delicious!! The great part about the recipe is you can easily use regular bacon, turkey bacon, or veggie bacon depending on your preferences. This is really one of those recipes that you pat yourself on the back for not changing a single thing about it. I’ll absolutely make this again and again!

I had saved the most unbelievable (in my eyes) 200 under 200 dinner dish for last. Now, I hadn’t had my first chili dog until only a few months ago. My boyfriend actually looked horrified when I first told him that blasphemy. I was always really afraid of just how bad they were for you. So, when I saw that there was a take on them in this book, I was ecstatic! Similar to the quesadillas, you really have the ability to customize the dish based on your preferences; veggie hot dogs, turkey dogs, beef dogs, vegetarian chili, regular chili, etc. I settled on some Oscar Meyer turkey dogs, because they were only 40 calories with zero fat, and pretty low sodium. I saw Hormel’s spicy bean chili, so I immediately grabbed that too. I then followed the rest of the recipe exactly. Even my boyfriend, a seasoned chili dog eater was really impressed. They were definitely knife and forkers, but worth the effort! We each had two and a salad, and were good to go for just a little over 400 calories!

I can’t stress enough the sheer deliciousness of this book. I really want to make everything in it. I think my next stop will be cupcakes in ice cream cones. If that doesn’t bring you back to your elementary school birthdays, I don’t know what will!

So check out the three recipes below, and also follow the links above to Hungry Girl’s site, and the other recipe’s I’ve made from there. I don’t care if you’re a girl or a boy; I know you’re hungry! Happy nomzing!

EZ Tomato Basil Chicken

Ingredients:
1 LB raw boneless skinless lean chicken breast
1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes with basil
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced onions

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Spray pan with nonstick spray, and heat on high. Add onions & cook till they brown (approx. 3 minutes)
3. Pour 1/2 tomatoes into medium baking pan. Lay chicken in the pan and top with onions.
4. Pour the rest of the tomatoes over the onions and chicken
5. Bake in oven for 30 minutes, until chicken is cooked through
Serves: 4

Smothered Pigs in a Blanket

Ingredients:
1 fat free hot dog
1 serving of Pillsbury reduced fat crecent rolls (refrigerated dough)
1/2 slice of fat free cheddar cheese (cut on a diagonal)
1/4 cup of low-fat veggie chili

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Roll out triangle dough, stretching a little
3. Lay cheese on triangle at the base
4. Place hot dog at base of dough and roll up
5. Place blanketed pup in baking pan, sprayed lightly
6. Bake in oven for 12-14 minutes (till dough is slightly brown and crispy)
7. Meanwhile, heat chili in microwave.
8. Once piggie is cooked, plate and top with chili
Serves: 1

BLT Quesadilla

Ingredients:
1 large low carb tortilla
2 tbsp fat free shredded cheese
2 slices extra lean turkey bacon
1/2 plum tomato, diced
1/2 cup shredded lettuce

Directions:
1. Cook bacon according to package, set aside to cool
2. Spray pan and bring to medium heat. Lay torilla flat on the pan, and top evenly with cheese
3. Once cheese begins to melt, cover 1/2 the torilla with bacon and tomato
4. Using a spatula, carefully fold the cheese-only side to the other half, press down to seal, and cook 1 minute.
5. Flip, and continue to cook 1 minute until both sides are toasty
Serves: 1

Mini Cookies ‘n Cream Cheesecakes!

Every so often I find a recipe that screams, “make me now!” This particular recipe was one of them. I found it on Friday at work, and there I was making them Saturday morning before going snowboarding. Considering I’m a newbie at the whole winter sports thing, I figured there really couldn’t be a better way to nurse my wounds than with some mini cookies ‘n cream cheesecakes!

This is actually a Martha Stewart recipe, but I found it on The Indiscriminate Foodie’s blog. The pictures alone sold me. A whole Oreo at the bottom of a deliciously sweet and creamy concoction? It seemed like the cone-head sundae you get with a kid’s meal at Friendly’s! You know, the one with the Reese’s Pieces at the bottom!

The preparation for the cheesecakes themselves was pretty straight forward. Beat everything together, crush up Oreos, combine, cook, chill. I’m still having issues with my hand mixer, though. I’m finally at the point where I think it’s me. Maybe I need a bigger bowl, or to use a different setting? Whatever I’m doing isn’t working; nothing ever creams as I expect it to. Maybe I’ll just have to get that giant KitchenAid standing mixer!

Enough of my kitchen supply wants and desires, back to the deliciousness! These little mini heavens were a perfect ending to a successful day on the slopes. They had just the right amount of flavor you would expect in a cheesecake; cheesy, sweet, rich, creamy, decadent… you get my point. Add in some crunch at the bottom from an Oreo and you’ve got yourself some seriously good cheesecake.

I really love that they’re miniature; you don’t feel so badly for eating one. And believe me, one is enough! They’re so rich that any more would have put me over the edge; but it did take a lot of self control to stop! To be fair though, I had just inhaled a vegetarian fajita burrito from Chipotle only  moments before. And sure, the fact that you cook them in cupcake pans didn’t really hurt either, since I’m completely obsessed with all things cupcake!

I can definitely see myself making these again, and maybe even with some different flavor variations!

I can’t encourage you to make these any more – prep time was about 20 minutes with a 20 minute bake time. The hardest part will definitely be the 4+ hours you wait while they’re in the fridge. But it’s worth it, I promise! So go get the ingredients and get started! Here’s the recipe:

Martha Stewart’s Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes

Ingredients:

21 Oreos or other creme-filled sandwich cookies. 15 whole, 6 coarsely chopped.
1 lb. cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large, room temperature eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 275°F. Line standard-sized muffin tin with paper liners and place one sandwich cookie into the bottom of each lined cup.
2. With an electric mixer on medium-high, beat cream cheese until creamy and smooth. Gradually beat in sugar until combined. Beat in vanilla.
3. Drizzle in the beaten eggs a little bit at a time until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream and salt. Then stir in the coarsely chopped cookies by hand.
4. Divide the batter evenly among the cookie-filled cups, filling each one almost to the top. Bake until the cakes are set (about 22 minutes), rotating the pans halfway through.
5. Remove from oven and place pans on wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, chill the cakes in the pans for at least four hours (or up to overnight).

A couple of notes:

To chop the cookies, I put the cookies in a zip-top bag and crushed them with his hands. A rolling pin works too!
When it comes to chilling them, I think the longer they chill, the better; mine were in for about 8 hours before I had a taste, and they were great!

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

Typically, I leave the music and movie reviews to my boyfriend, over atI Hate Fun. However, since this particular movie is about food, I really couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

I remember falling in love with the book, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett in elementary school. I mean, how could I not? There were mountains of fluffy mashed potatoes, and it rained meatballs! That’s the kind of place I’d like to live.

Though I love the book, I haven’t read it in quite some time. I was a little nervous about the movie; would it be an on-screen replica of the book? Would it be completely different? I wasn’t sure which of the two I actually wanted. Luckily, Phil Lord went in the right direction and chose a little of column A, and a little of column B.

The movie had an all star voice cast with the likes of Anna Faris, Bill Hader, Andy Samberg, Mr. T, Neil Patrick Harris, and the list goes on! I always enjoy watching animated movies and recognizing voices; I think it adds something to the movie and makes it more entertaining.

I was laughing from the beginning, all the way to the end. I’m a comic junkie, so if you’re going to convince me you’re funny, you’ve got to start early. There really weren’t any lulls or low points in the movie; it moved the whole time, and like I said, kept me laughing.

Lord decided to go the route of an unsuccessful scientist, trying to get his big break. Through what turns out to be an accident, Flint Lockwood is able to save his town that is failing on it’s once prosperous sardine industry. It’s a real underdog tale, and as the perpetual underdog cheerleader, I really enjoyed this.

The colors were truly eye catching. The food looked delicious, even when Flint’s machine began to overload and everything became super-sized. I was mesmerized the entire time.

It’s a lot like Ratatouille, which is another one of my favorite animated (and food!) movies. It’s cute and all things an animated movie should be, but it’s also really funny; funny in a way that only an adult would get.

I would definitely recommend renting this if you haven’t seen it yet. It’s light hearted and a good laugh, and it might even transport you back to your childhood; at least for a bit.

Christmas Gift Review 1: Contigo Travel Mug

Since this past Christmas was quite the foodie Christmas, I’ve decided to review most of my presents that would be of any use to anyone on this site. So, first up is my Contigo Travel Mug! I have to say I was a bit wary of it’s claims at first, but so far so good.

I’m an avid coffee drinker; I bring it to work every day in an effort to save money, but also because the coffee at my office is less than stellar. I was finding that by the time I arrived at work, my coffee was cold and needed to be reheated in the microwave. Now, this wasn’t usually a problem, unless I happened to bring a non-microwavable mug. Then I had to go through the process of pouring it into a regular cup, heating it up, then pouring it back in hopes of it retaining it’s heat for a little.

I’m also unable to prevent coffee from spilling on myself. I’m by no means a klutz, but for whatever reason coffee always seems to leak out or spill on me. So, I really needed a mug that I could rely on to close all the way.

With all of the aforementioned issues taken into consideration, my boyfriend decided on a red Contigo mug for me. Not only does it keep warm beverages warm for up to 4 hours (and cold up to 12), but it also is leak and spill proof! That is by far the best part. I have turned the mug upside down from side to side on multiple occasions to demonstrate, and not a single drop has appeared any time.

I am seriously impressed by this mug. It seems to have everything; I can fit 16 oz. in it, and it stays drinkably warm for quite a few hours. And, if I happen to be wearing a white blazer and reach over my mug, I don’t have to worry about it spilling all over myself and needing to use two Tide-to-go pens to try and get it out (yes, this has happened). It has also come in handy for my weekend morning trips to the movies with bagels and coffee; my usual plastic bag and hope for the best method can be laid to rest.

So, if you drink coffee, tea, hot chocolate, or even super cold drinks close to as much as I do, I can’t recommend this enough! I know they have them on Amazon, and you can also get them directly from their site. Next time you’re in the market for a new travel mug, check this bad boy out!

I Won a Cookbook!

Earlier last month, one of the blogs I follow, Eat to Blog, had a cook book contest. They simply said, post your favorite vegearian dish, and you have the chance to win “The Conscious Cook: Delicious Meatless Recipes That Will Change the Way You Eat,” by Tal Ronnen.

Now, I NEVER win contests; ever. Any fundraiser that has a raffle, any time I re-Tweet something, etc. I lose without fail. But, this time I won!!

As you know, I’m not vegan or vegetarian. I consider myself more of a halfaterian. I eat meat sparingly, and really enjoy vegetarian dishes, but I do still eat meat on occassion. I have a ton of vegetarian recipies, though, because when I wasn’t eating meat at all, I tried to stockpile as much as I could. So, this made my decision of a favorite recipe a daunting task. It took me a few days, but eventually I settled on a recipe from Fitness Magazine, Buddah Stir-fry.

I haven’t made any of the recipes yet because I just received the book this past Monday. I’ll definitely need to make a trip to Trader Joe’s to get myself some of the necessary ingredients, but I’m going to try to make something maybe next weekend. They are definitely more intricate and time consuming than most of the meals I make (I try to make them a half hour or less; hello Rachael Ray!), but I’m willing to give it a try.

Here’s the recipe I posted that won me the book. Give it a try; it’s super easy, really affordable (about $3.04 a serving) and delicious!

Buddah Stiry-Fry

Ingredients
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 3/4 cup water
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon Asian chili sauce, or to taste
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1/2 pound green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 14-ounce packages firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup snow peas

Directions
Dissolve the cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of the water. Stir in the remaining water, soy sauce, and chili sauce; set aside. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger; cook, stirring, 15 seconds. Add the green beans and red pepper and stir-fry 2 minutes; push them to the perimeter of the skillet. Add the tofu and cook, stirring once or twice, 4 to 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Stir the sauce and pour it into the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the carrots and snow peas; cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until the vegetables are crisp-tender.

Happy nomzing!

Guinness cupcakes with Bailey’s buttercream icing

To start, Happy New Year! I really can’t believe it’s 2010 already.

I was able to ring in the new year with lots of food, good friends, and explosives; I don’t think I could have asked for a better night!

For the party, I decided to make Guinness cupcakes with Bailey’s icing. These are close to the “Irish Carbomb” cupcake, but without the chocolate ganache filling. I wasn’t comfortable enough with filling the cupcakes since I’m still pretty new to baking, so I skipped that part. I’m sure they would have been even more delicious with the chocolate and Jameson filling, but I think they turned out pretty darn good without it!

As I mentioned in my last post, I got the 500 Cupcakes cookbook for Christmas. Unfortunately, they didn’t have any New Years Eve/Day specific cupcakes, so I prowled the internet for a boozy recipe. Let me tell you, I found A LOT of recipes, that were all basically the same. I had originally seen the recipe from Smitten Kitchen. However, this time I went with We Are Not Martha‘s recipe since as a novice baker it had some more detail to the instructions (though the recipes are the same).

The cupcake recipe was pretty easy and straight forward (see below), and it didn’t take any longer than a regular mix would. The cake itself was a deep chocolate brown and smelled amazing when they came out of the oven. They had a really great texture, too.

The icing, however, was a little more tedious. For this, I went with Smitten Kitchen’s recipe (see below), since We Are Not Martha had a regular cream cheese frosting. The icing was definitely boozier than the cupcakes, since no heating was involved, leaving all of the alcohol.

Now let me tell you, making buttercream takes a lot of work! I had no idea whatsoever as to the ingredients, the process, or anything. The icing definitely took me the longest. One benefit was definitely the great arm and hand workout I got! I started off creaming the butter with an electric mixer, but then once I added the confections sugar, I decided just a spoon would work better.

Overall it was a long process, since I only have one 12 cupcake pan, I had to do each batch separately. Making the buttercream also took awhile. I spent about 2 hours or so in the kitchen, but I think it was worth it in the end!

I was definitely nervous about the outcome, more so of the icing than the cupcakes themselves, though. I knew the chocolate and Guinness flavors would go well together, but I was apprehensive about the Bailey’s, and especially combining the two. Thankfully, they turned out deliciously! All 24 cupcakes were gone by about 1am, and I got tons of compliments. People were shocked at the ingredients, but really interested at the same time.

On my hunt I found some other really interesting boozy cupcake recipes, such as Jello shot cupcakes, gin & tonic cupcakes, red wine cupcakes, and others. I’m definitely going to try and make another alcohol infused cupcake for the next party I attend. Maybe in the future I’ll try to tackle these again, but with the filling.

I definitely suggest trying to make these if you have the time; they’re great for a party!

Here are the cupcake and icing recipes… enjoy!

Guinness Cupcakes (makes about 24):

What you’ll need:

  • 1.5 C Guinness
  • 1 stick butter, plus 1 T (unsalted)
  • 3/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 C dark brown sugar
  • 3/4 C sour cream
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 T vanilla extract
  • 2 C flour
  • 2 1/2 t baking soda

Directions:

Chop butter into little pieces, and melt in saucepan over medium heat with Guinness
Once melted, remove from heat and whisk in cocoa and sugar
In a separate bowl, whisk together sour cream, egg and vanilla
Combine the beer and cream mixture
In another bowl, sift together flour and baking soda
Fold the dry ingredients into the Guinness and cream mixture
Bake the cupcakes at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Let cool

Bailey’s Buttercream Icing:

What you’ll need:

  • 3 to 4 cups confections sugar
  • 1 stick (1/2 cup or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperatue
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons Baileys (or milk, or heavy cream, or a combination thereof)

Directions:

Whip the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, for several minutes till light & fluffy.
Slowly add the powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time.*
When frosting looks thick enough to spread, drizzle Bailey’s (or milk) and whip until combined.
If this has made the frosting too thin (it shouldn’t, but just in case) beat in another spoonful or two of powdered sugar.
Ice and decorate!

*The slower the better! When you add the sugar slowly, quick buttercream frosting will be less grainy, and tend to require less sugar to thicken it up!

A special thanks to my oh so wonderful boyfriend for using his nice new DSLR camera to take the beautiful pictures of the cupcakes!

So here’s to 2010 and some seriously delicious nomzing!