Citrus Pound Cake and Cupcakes

Since my partner in crime was returning this week and I was also going to visit a friend, I decided to "kill two birds with one stone" as they say, and make cupcakes and a pound cake out of one recipe.

This is a recipe that I was also recently given and have been meaning to try out. It combines three different types of citrus, which I think is an excellent flavor for desserts in the summer. The original recipe used lime, orange, and grapefruit, but I used a lemon instead of a grapefruit. I also altered other parts of the recipe too because I thought it called for a lot of butter and wanted it to be a tad bit better for you. However, if you love butter as much as Paula Deen, you can find the original recipe here.

Making it a bit healthier also gave me an excuse to use greek yogurt in baking, which I've been wanting to try out. I thought the slight tang of the yogurt added a nice flavor to the mix of citrus, and despite the lack of butter, it was still pretty moist.

Also, for anyone with little children out there, this recipe has been two-year-old approved! So feel free to make them for your children without feeling too bad about the ingredients!

Ingredients
-1/2 cup plain Soy Milk
-2 tsp lemon zest
-2 tsp orange zest
-2 tsp lime zest
-1 Tbsp lemon juice
-1 1/4 cups sugar
-1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, margarine, or vegetable oil spread
-10oz Chobani coconut greek yogurt
-3 eggs
-1 tsp vanilla
-1 cup flour
-1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
-3/4 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-1/4 tsp salt
-frosting optional!

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a small pound cake pan and add 12 cupcake wrappers to a cupcake tin.
In a small bowl, combine the soy milk with the lemon, orange, lime zest and the lemon juice.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar and then mix in the greek yogurt and eggs. Stir in the vanilla.
To the large mixing bowl, add the two flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Slowly incorporate the soymilk and citrus mixture to the large bowl as well. Once all ingredients are thoroughly mixed, begin pouring the batter into the cupcake tins, filling them about 3/4 of the way. Then add the rest of the batter into the pound cake tin (it should fill it up about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way).
Bake for about 30 minutes for the cupcakes and 40 to 45 minutes for the pound cake.
You can freeze this recipe up to 1 month or enjoy for about 3-4 days.

Pesto Chicken Sandwich

Recently, I had ordered an Italian panini at the local diner in town. It actually turned out to be a pretty good sandwich for diner food. Since I was eating alone this week, I decided that this would be an easy sandwich to make for myself. I ended up having the perfect amount of ingredients to last me for 5 days of dinner.

I really enjoyed the combination of the different herbs in this sandwich. The chicken was coated with a mixture of spices that balanced out the basil pesto and the rosemary focaccia bread. (I've also used this bread before, and it holds up well throughout the week.)

Because you can serve this either warm or cold, I think it makes a great dish for the summer. Consider grilling your chicken instead of pan frying it!

Ingredients
-5 pieces of thin sliced chicken breast
-2 Tbsp oil
-1 Tbsp basil
-1 Tbsp oregano
-1 Tbsp garlic powder
-1 Tbsp onion powder
-1/2 Tbsp rosemary
-1 medium jar of roasted red pepper
-1 jar of pesto sauce
-1 bag of shredded mozzarella cheese
-1 loaf of rosemary and sea salt Focaccia bread

Instructions
Heat 1/2 Tbsp of oil in a small pan on medium heat. Add your spices to a small bowl and mix together. Rub your chicken with the spices on both sides and then transport to the heated pan. Cook chicken for about 4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. (Because they are thin sliced, it should cook fairly quickly.)

Do this with the other chickens until all are cooked. Place extra chickens in a plastic container in the fridge to eat during the week.

Take your piece of chicken and sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top. Put in the microwave for about 30 seconds to melt the cheese.
Take your focaccia bread and cut a square piece for your sandwich. Then slice that piece in half for the buns.
On the bottom piece, add your roasted red pepper (I dried the pepper off a little first from the water it was sitting in.) Then add your chicken and mozzarella on top of the pepper.
On the other slice of bread, spread the pesto sauce. Place on top of the chicken and enjoy! Serve either warm or cold.

Tucci's Pasta Salad

This is a recipe that a family friend of ours has been making for BBQs for years. I love this pasta salad because of how simple and quick it is to make the night before a big gathering, or to have as a side dish or lunch for the week. Since it is getting warmer out, this is a perfect cold pasta dish to serve to your friends and family.

It is also very versatile; you can mix in several different kinds of veggies and have it still taste great. I personally love mixing roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, and olives into a multi-colored pasta. But you can be add whatever you're in the mood for (or whatever is on sale at the farmer's market!). Below is another example of the pasta salad with broccoli and grape tomatoes, showing you the flexibility of this recipe.

The key with this is not to get too excited and add all possible vegetables; remember this is a pasta salad. Pick about 3 veggies to stick with, but feel free to mix and match. I hope you enjoy the recipe, and be creative!

Ingredients
-1 lb multi-colored fusilli pasta
-1 12oz Italian dressing (I use Wish Bone)
-1/2 package/jar of sun-dried tomatoes
-1/2 medium jar of roasted red peppers
-1 small jar of sliced black olives

Additional options
-Broccoli florets
-grape tomatoes
-zucchini 
-cucumbers
-peas
-artichoke hearts
-orzo, instead of fusilli
-feta cheese

Instructions 
In a pot, boil water and cook the pasta as per the directions on the box.
Chop up the sun-dried tomatoes and red peppers into thin strips.
When the pasta is done, drain it and add pasta to a large glass bowl. Add the vegetables. Pour the Italian dressing over the pasta and vegetables, making sure to evenly coat. (Sometimes I don't add the entire bottle, so you be the judge.) Let it sit for about 15 minutes to cool and then cover and place in the refrigerator. Best served cold.

General Tso's Chicken

This week we decided to test out some Asian-style sauces. We tried out making our own teriyaki sauce and General Tso's sauce. Unfortunately, we always find the teriyaki sauce, whether from a jar, restaurant, or homemade, to be pretty disappointing. It ends up tasting like a dressed up soy sauce.

On the bright side, the General Tso's sauce came out really well. It had that same tangy sweetness complemented with a bit of a kick. I also felt very satisfied that the sauce generally tasted similar to what you get in the restaurant or take-out places. Usually, I try and stay away from those because you get more fried coating than actual chicken meat. Or, I get the tofu to make myself feel less guilty, even though I know that it has also bathed in oil. This recipe worked out really well, because I got my delicious sauce in a generally healthier version (though by no means the healthiest).

The second reason I like this recipe is because all of the ingredients I had on hand at home. I don't enjoy running out to the store to get one random ingredient that I will never end up using again. So, after looking at several different recipes, I concocted one that altered some ingredients to suit my needs. For example, you'll see I used white vinegar instead of rice vinegar or peanut butter instead of sesame oil. I'm telling you, it came out pretty similar to what your used to and didn't cause the added hassle.

Although we made it with chicken, I'm sure it would work well with pork or tofu (depending on your diet). You can also decide to cook the chicken without the corn starch coating, though I'm not sure how well the sauce will end up sticking to it. Either way, there's a lot you can do with this sauce; be creative!

Ingredients
Sauce
-1/2 cup soy sauce
-1/2 tsp ginger
-1 cup water
-1 Tbsp stir fry sauce (or hoisin sauce)
-1.5 Tbsp white vinegar (or rice vinegar)
-2 tsp minced garlic
-1 tsp garlic powder
-1 tsp onion powder
-1/2 tsp chili flakes in oil (Chinese chilis in oil)
-1 tsp shriracha
-1 tsp hot sauce
-2 Tbsp white (or brown) sugar
-2 Tbsp corn starch
-1 tsp peanut butter
-1 tsp ginger powder
-1 tsp garlic minced
-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
-1 lb chicken (tenderloins cut in half)
-1/2 cup corn starch
-4 Tbsp olive oil

Instructions
Begin by mixing all of the sauce ingredients together. Pour 1/3 to 1/2 of the sauce into a large freezer bag. Place the chicken in the bag with the sauce and let it marinade in the fridge for about 1/2 hour.
Take chicken out of the bag and roll in corn starch to coat each piece.
Heat a large skillet on medium high heat with 3 Tbsp olive oil. When hot, add the chicken. After about a minute or two flip the chickens to cook on the other side. Once chickens are browned, remove from the pan and place on a plate with paper towels to soak up excess oil.
In the same large skillet, add the ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes with a tsp of oil. Saute until fragrant. Add the remaining sauce (not the one from the marinade!) and simmer for about 3 minutes, constantly stirring.
Once sauce has thickened a bit, add the chicken back into the pan. Mix chicken to coat and allow to simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
Serve with steamed broccoli and rice.

Taco Week, Part Three: Vegetarian "Meat" and Bean Taco

The third and final taco is a play on the typical ground meat taco minus gross taco seasoning.

Last week, I had made Vegetable Lasagna with "Gardein Beefless Ground" and had extra "meat" to use. This worked out perfectly to mix with black beans and add to our vegetarian taco. While the other two tacos provided a nice variety to the "taco" label, this taco was satisfying if you are looking for that more traditional taco.

Ingredients
Filling
-1 Tbsp minced garlic
-1 Tbsp olive oil
-1 small onion, chopped
-1 cup Gardein beefless ground (or regular ground beef)
-1 can of black beans
-1 tsp cumin
-1 tsp paprika
-1/2 tsp chili powder
-1/2 tsp cayenne
-1 tsp salt
-1/2 cup broth
-1Tbsp tomato paste

Taco Filling
-soft tortillas
-iceberg or romaine lettuce, chopped
-red onion, finely diced
-grape tomatoes, chopped (optional)
-shredded cheese (preferably "Mexican" style)
-sour cream
-salsa

Instructions
In a saucepan, cook the chopped onion and garlic in olive oil. Once onions are cooked, add the "beef", beans, spices, broth, and tomato paste. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Serve on a tortilla with lettuce, cheese, sour cream, and salsa.

Taco Week, Part Two: Asian Pork Tacos

This Korean style port taco with lime soy sauce vinaigrette ended up rivaling our love of the fish tacos in part one. However, they were so different in flavors that it was easy to enjoy within the same week.

I find cooking for the week to be the easiest option, not only for the immediate satisfaction upon returning home, but for the ease of shopping and avoidance of excess waste. Because it is the two of us, we would never finish a head of lettuce, a container of sour cream, and a pack of cheese, if we didn't eat it every day during the week. So this kind of small variety in cooking always seems to work out nicely for us.

Back to the pork! Here is where I got the original recipe. In this recipe, the pork had a nice spicy kick complemented by the citrus dressing. You could substitute the pork for chicken, but I think the pork added a nice flavor.

Ingredients
Pork
-2/3 to 1 lb of pork or chicken
-1/4 onion
-1.5 Tbsp chili paste (I used sriracha)
-1 Tbsp chili flakes (I used chili in oil)
-1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
-1/2 Tbsp sugar
-1 Tbsp minced garlic
-1/4 tsp ginger powder
-1 Tbsp oil

Vinaigrette
-1 tsp soy sauce
-1 Tbsp lime juice (add more to taste)
-1/2 Tbsp oil
-1/4 tsp cumin
-1/8 tsp garlic powder
-salt/pepper

Taco Filling
-soft tortillas
-iceberg or romaine lettuce, chopped
-red onion, finely diced
-grape tomatoes, chopped (optional)
-shredded cheese (preferably "Mexican" style)
-sour cream
-sriracha sauce
 
Instructions
Mix all of the spices together in one bowl. Cut pork into smaller chunks and toss into the spice sauce; make sure it is all covered.
Pour the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, place the pork into the skillet, and add the onions on top. Saute pork and onions until pork is cooked through, about 4-5 minutes.
Remove pork from heat.
In a small bowl, mix together the ingredients for the vinaigrette. Taste test the ingredients to see if you need to add anymore lime or soy sauce.
Prepare the taco ingredients. In a small bowl, mix 1-2 tablespoons of sour cream with about 6-10 drops of sriracha (depending on your heat preference).
Create your taco, and try not to get your hands messy!

Taco Week, Part One: Blackened Fish Tacos

I have an undying love for salsa.

However, I also have a general distaste for taco seasoning mix from a packet. Something about it is just unappetizing to me. Don't get me wrong, if a taco is in front of me, I will eat it, but it's not something I would eat for multiple days in a row.

So, when we decided on a taco week, I had to come up with some appealing varieties to avoid the dreaded taco mix. We decided on: fish tacos, korean/asian pork tacos, and vegetarian "meat" and bean tacos.

First up was fish tacos. And let me just say, I was not expecting these to come out as good as they did. The flavoring of the fish with all of the toppings was excellent. Definitely a recipe where you will keep coming back for more.

Here is the original recipe. I urge you to try these; you will not be disappointed!

Ingredients
Fish
-1 or 2 fish fillets (I used thawed tilapia from Costco)
-1 tsp paprika
-1 tsp onion powder
-1 tsp garlic
-1 Tbsp brown sugar
-1 tsp salt
-1 tsp black pepper
-1/2 tsp cayenne
-1/2 tsp oregano
-1/2 tsp cumin
-1 Tbsp olive oil

Taco Filling
-soft tortillas
-iceberg or romaine lettuce, chopped
-red onion, finely diced
-grape tomatoes, chopped (optional)
-shredded cheese (preferably "Mexican" style)
-sour cream
-sriracha sauce

Instructions
Mix all of the spices together in one bowl. Defrost your fish and pat it dry. Coat fish in spice mixture; make sure it is all covered.
Pour the olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, place the fish into the skillet. Let cook for about 30 seconds to blacken it on the one side. Flip it over to blacken the other side. Lower the heat and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Remove fish from heat and break apart into chunks.
Prepare the taco ingredients. In a small bowl, mix 1-2 tablespoons of sour cream with about 6-10 drops of sriracha (depending on your heat preference).
Create your taco, and dig in!