Watermelon Feta Salad

Light & Refreshing

 

Why is watermelon such a natural powerhouse?

Vitamin C!

And beta-carotene, which is made by the body into Vitamin A.

Vitamin A is essential for eyesight. The aldehyde form of Vitamin A is called "retinal". Retina...retinal...get it? Vitamin A also keeps our cells moist and resistant to damage in its use as an antioxidant. Remember that helps ward off cancer. It slows down cancer growth and may keep leukemia cells from dividing. It also keeps all of our cells healthy from disease and infection by protecting the tissue that makes up the outer layer of our nose, skin, eyes, throat, digestive and urinary tracts. Wanna stay healthy this winter? Eat your watermelon! (And other fruits and vegetables high in Vitamin A)

Good sources: Turkey! Beef liver, skim milk, eggs, carrots, leafy greens like spinach and kale, pumpkin, cantaloupe, peach, red bell pepper

Watermelon Feta Salad

* Watermelon cubes

* Feta cheese crumbles

* Mint leaves

* Balsamic vinegar

* Pepper

1. Simmer balsamic vinegar in a saucepan over medium heat until it turns into a syrup.

2. Toss watermelon cubes with the mint and cheese, drizzle balsamic glaze on top. Pepper to taste.

3. Chill. You and the food.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Health kick's over! Time to love on Thanksgiving.

Pumpkin Cupcakes
* 2 cups flour
* 1 tsp baking soda
* 1 tsp baking powder
* 2 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spices
* 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
* 4 eggs
* 2 sticks butter
* 1 cup sugar

Cream Cheese Frosting
* 1 stick butter
* 1 stick 1/3 less fat cream cheese
* 3 cups powdered sugar
* 1/4 cup greek yogurt
* 1 tsp vanilla extract
* 1 T milk

Asian Inspiration

Health. Wellness. Nutrition. 

These words play a large role in my life now, and decidedly into the future. I have just decided to pursue a major in Dietetics! Incorporating food, science, and nutrition is the perfect blend of interests for me and I am so excited about finally knowing what I want to do with my life.

Soon we'll be getting enough indulgence in with the upcoming holidays. Trust me, I love Thanksgiving! Pumpkin ANYTHING. But I thought it would be nice to lead up to the day with some healthy eating, and who better to look to than Asia?

Thai Goodness Soup

Pork Spring Rolls

 

Both these dishes are filled with vegetables - important sources of essential vitamins and minerals (those which cannot be made by our bodies and must be consumed in food). Today I want to talk about my newly found fascination with vitamin C.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C does more than ward off colds and prevent sailors from getting scurvy. 

Girls, did you know how vital it is to natural BEAUTY? Vitamin C assists in the production of collagen, which is critical for the elasticity of our skin. It prevents bruises and ensures proper wound healing. Our connective tissues, bones, teeth, tendons, and blood vessels depend greatly on collagen as well.Vitamin C is also important for our thyroid gland  hormone production, which keeps our metabolism running smoothly and regulates our body temperature.

How's your mood? Vitamin C is vital to the production of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, which is known to contribute to happiness and feelings of well-being. And yes, our immune system does enjoy a good dose of vitamin C to fight sickness and infections by protecting our white blood cells from oxidation.

Most impressively, Vitamin C is an important antioxidant. Antioxidants prevent the damage of cells and tissues, and help ward off cardiovascular diseases and cancer. In the stomach, vitamin C reduces the formation of cancer-causing agents found in foods such as cured and processed meats.

Look good and feel good!

Good sources of Vitamin C: citrus fruit, green and red peppers, spinach, tomatoes, strawberries, potatoes, kiwis, broccoli, cauliflower, and fortified cereals.

Thai Goodness Soup
* carrots, thinly sliced
* onion, thinly sliced
* green onion
* soba noodles
* mushrooms
* bean sprouts
* 1/2 tsp ginger
* 1/2 tsp garlic
* 2 boxes (8 cups) College Inn Thai Coconut Curry broth

Pork Spring Rolls
* cooked pork, thinly sliced
* bean sprouts, thinly sliced
* carrots, thinly sliced
* red and orange peppers, thinly sliced
* mushrooms, thinly sliced
* garlic
* ginger
* sesame oil
* sesame seeds
* hoisin sauce
* mirin sauce
* rice paper
* mint leaves

good idea: dip in sweet chili sauce!

Chocolate Raspberry Birthday Cake

Happy 21st Birthday Big Sis!

This calls for the yummiest cake imaginable:
Chocolate Raspberry 

Excuse the half-demolished pictures. But this was perhaps the best combination of flavors I've ever tried. Seriously, a winner.

Chocolate Cake

Whipped Raspberry Cream Filling

Raspberry Buttercream Icing

Raspberry garnishes

Make a traditional buttercream with butter and confectioner's sugar and divide it into 1/3 and 2/3. Use real raspberries, boiled them down to a jam, folded them into whipped cream, then beat that into the smaller bowl of buttercream. Smoosh it between two layers of your favorite chocolate cake. Mix raspberry extract into the remaining buttercream, and frost the outside of the cake with it (best done when frozen). Decorate with raspberries. Cut a big slice, hand it to the birthday girl, then eat the rest of the cake yourself. Perfect.

A Special Shout-Out

This week is big, it marks the debut of an amazing up and coming chef - my dad!

While I've been away at school he's taken over the kitchen at home. He has an intuition for flavor combinations...he could always make something tasty on the days when it seemed like we had nothing in the fridge.

His most recent masterpiece: fish tacos

 

"Trout, hot red peppers in garlic and olive oil, diced cherry tomatoes, lime, and a touch of ranch dressing."

Isn't it pretty? I miss him.

Shrimp Etouffee

Dear Salley,
That girl lugging the huge bag of pots and pans up the stairs? That's me. I've got big plans for us.

I cooked my first meal in my dorm's kitchen tonight. It was a little bit of a challenge but fun! It felt really good to get back into it - there are only so many dining hall meals I can stand. My boyfriend came over and we had a cozy dinner in Salley Hall. It felt like we were back home for a little while :) Sometimes those little familiarities make college life easier. (Sorry to the 5th floor for making it smell like seafood. I'll make brownies next time).

Ingredients
1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp.
1 whole onion - diced
1 each red and green bell pepper - okay to dice one whole bell pepper, any color.
1 can of diced tomatoes, or dice 2 romas.
2 cloves of garlic - about a teaspoon, minced, or pre-chopped from jar.
3 green onions - sliced. Discard roots and old green ends - use white and light green parts.
1/2 bunch of parsley - chopped
1/8 to 1/4 cup clam juice, preference (this is for extra seafood flavor - you could leave it out.)
2 cups of water - for Etouffee broth
2 teaspoons of cornstarch - into reserved 1/2 cup oyster/water broth.
good shake of Cajun seasoning
2 whole bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce - optional
Salt and pepper to taste.

1. Roughly chop one whole onion and red and green bell pepper.  Mix in tomato, bell pepper and tomato and cook in a pot over medium heat for 10-12 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Add minced garlic and cook about 30 seconds.

2. For the seafood stock, pour the clam juice into 2 cups of water. Set aside 1/2 cup of stock for later.

Add seafood stock to cooking veggies and bring to a boil.

3. Reduce heat to a low simmer. Add 2 whole bay leaves. Add your heat - hot sauce, Cajun seasonings, cayenne pepper, whatever. Cook uncovered for 20-30 minutes at low heat.

4. Add chopped green onions and parsley.

5. Spoon 2 teaspoons of cornstarch into 1/2 cup of reserved seafood broth -- blend well. Stir cornstarch liquid into pot. Sauce should start to thicken into a gravy after a couple of minutes. Let it cook for about five more minutes over low heat.

6. Add the cooked shrimp at the end and let them heat to temperature, about 4 minutes.

Throw out the bay leaves.

Serve over rice with extra hot sauce

You can omit all the spiciness of this dish if you’re that kind of person. But I feel if you’re going Cajun, you should go all the way.

Father's Day

I'm a daddy's girl. He's one of my favorite people in the world and I wanted to make him the best dinner ever.

The menu:

 

Goat Cheese Stuffed Figs Wrapped in Prosciutto:

 

Salmon Burgers:

 

and dessert! Maple Blueberry Tart:

 

DELICIOUS.

And so healthy. Figs, salmon, blueberries, greek yogurt... I am an antioxidant powerhouse.

Salmon Burgers:

* 1 lb skinless salmon, cut in 1/4 in cubes

* 1 T fresh peeled garlic, minced

* 2 t ground coriander, or 2 T fresh cilantro

* salt and pepper to taste

Toppings:

Sliced avocado, scallions, lemon wedges, watercress aoli

Directions:

Combine ingredients and form into 4 patties. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Heat 1 T olive oil in a nonstick skillet and cook 4-6 minutes on each side.

Maple Blueberry Tart with Walnut Crust:
* 1 cup graham cracker crumbs

* 1/2 cup toasted, chopped walnuts

* 1 egg white

* 1 T butter

* 8 oz cream cheese

* 1 1/2 cups greek yogurt

* 1/4 c maple syrup

* 2 cups blueberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Add graham cracker crumbs and walnuts and process until the mixture looks like fine crumbs.
3. Whisk egg white in a medium bowl until frothy. Add the crumb mixture, butter, oil and salt; toss to combine. Press the mixture into the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of a 9-inch removable-bottom tart pan. Set the pan on a baking sheet. Bake until dry and slightly darker around the edges, about 8 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
4. For filling: Beat cream cheese, yogurt and maple syrup in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until smooth. When the crust is cool, spread the filling evenly into it, being careful not to break up the delicate crust. Arrange blueberries on the filling, pressing lightly so they set in. Drizzle the remaining  maple syrup over the berries. Chill for at least 1 hour to firm up.

Light Crab and Corn Bisque

I'm calling this soup light because, unlike normal bisques, this one doesn't use ANY dairy. Yep! No milk, cream, or cheese. It's thickened with cornstarch and a corn puree. So go ahead, have two bowls ;)

 

 Crab and Corn Bisque:

·         3 c chicken broth

·         3 T cornstarch dissolved in water

·         1 15 oz can corn kernels

·         1 small can sweet cream corn

·         1 lb crab meat

·         1/2 c onion, chopped small

·         ½ c celery, chopped

·         ¼ c dry white wine

·         1 T Worcestershire sauce (plus more to taste)

·         Heaping ½ t tarragon

·         Heaping ¼ t nutmeg

·         Pinch of cayenne pepper (to taste)

·         1 medium garlic clove

·         Lemon

·         Salt and pepper

Directions:

Saute onion and celery, add garlic & nutmeg, salt & pep.

When aromatic, add wine, broth, Worcestershire, tarragon.

Puree half can corn with whole can cream corn. Add to soup. Add the rest of the whole corn kernels to soup. Bring to a boil, add cayenne pepper.

Reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes. Taste, adjust seasonings, add lemon.

Take off heat. Add crab. Chill or serve warm.

Beef Bourguignon

Life. Is. So. Busy!

I officially graduated from high school this weekend.

Both of my grandmothers are staying with me and I have had to cook big family meals every night this week.

I had two very intensive catering orders, made more intense by the fact that I was sharing the kitchen with four other women (mom, sis, grandma #1, grandma #2).
I have a new job cooking dinner and running errands for a family a few nights a week.

Which is good news for my blog! Because I have many recipes to share...so I better get going.

Aren't the roses beautiful? Sam got them for my graduation :) Good boyfriend.

Beef Bourguignon:

2 lb chuck roast or beef shoulder, cut into 1 1/2″ cubes
salt and pepper
1 large onion, diced
3-4 large carrots, chopped
6 large cloves garlic, pressed or minced
4 T tomato paste

2 1/2 cup red wine; pinot noir

1/3 cup soy sauce
3 bay leaves

3 T instant Minute tapioca
2 c homemade beef or chicken broth or canned chicken broth**
3 t dried thyme
2 T olive oil
1 lb pearl onions (frozen onions work)
1/2 lb small white mushrooms, sliced

1 crockpot

Oatmeal Cake with Coconut Whipped Cream

Happy Birthday Dad

He couldn't decide between an oatmeal cake, which he hasn't had since he was a kid, and a coconut cake. Oatmeal cake is really dense and satisfying whereas coconut cake is light and airy. Totally different.

Hybrid time.

I made an oatmeal cake but omitted the (fattening) condensed milk topping and whipped up some fluffy whipped cream that had been steeped with coconut flakes. Topped with more coconut and sliced bananas, this cake was a perfect combination of my dad's favorite flavors.

Oatmeal Cake with Coconut Whipped Cream:

* 1 cup rolled oats (not instant)

* 1 1/4 cups boiling water

* 8 tablespoons, 1 stick unsalted butter, slightly softened

* 1/2 cup sugar

* 1 cup brown sugar

* 2 eggs

* 1 teaspoon vanilla

* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

* 1 teaspoon baking soda

* 1 teaspoon cinnamon

* 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

* 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and lightly butter a 9-inch round cake pan.

2. Place oats in a bowl. Add boiling water and let stand 20 minutes.
3. Cream butter and sugars, then add eggs and vanilla and stir well.
4. Add rolled oats. Stir in dry ingredients.
5. Pour batter into cake pan and bake 40 minutes.

Coconut Whipped Cream:

* 2 cups heavy cream
* 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
* 2 T sugar
* splash coconut extract

1. Heat heavy cream in a saucepan, but don’t let it boil.
2. Just before it boils, take the cream off the heat and add coconut.
3. Let it steep until it cools.
4. Strain coconut, add sugar and extract.
5. Whip.

Dinner was fish (more of Dad's favorites) but this one was too pretty! Mom said she would eat it tonight but never again. We can only buy ugly fish from now on.

My Graduation Party! And how I ended up making 3 different cupcakes

It's official, I am DONE with high school. I can't describe how good it feels! I don't have to step back on that campus as a student ever again. I am an adult. I am free!

Okay my celebration is a little premature. I don't graduate officially until June, but I'm done with exams and classes. I'm living the summer life until graduation. Can I get a hoorah?! Florida State here I come.

Clearly we had to party. Which is how my first big cupcake order just happened to be for myself. I made three different types:

 

Chocolate Raspberry

 

Red Velvet

Golden & Maple

Every cupcake was gone before I even got one. But that's okay, I'm glad they were a hit!

Graduation is sweet ;)

Recipes will come later.

Sage and Barley Soup

Grandma Flo is in town! She came down from New Jersey for my graduation. We really never know when she's going to pop in - she just kind of appears - so when I answered the doorbell today I shouldn't have been too surprised to see her.

Okay, what can I make quickly that will fill everyone up? Soup! No-brainer.

Sage is a flavor I've never used before, and after tonight I want to use it all the time. It's so earthy and gave the soup that "mmm" factor. Don't try to substitute another herb. And usually barley is paired with spinach, but I used kale because I found this reallyyy pretty type with bright red veins. Well when it wilted into the soup the color didn't quite stay, but the flavor worked perfectly. Grandma even asked for seconds. Win for me!

Excuse the unattractive picture, blackberries don't have a soup-picture-taking setting yet.

Sage and Barley Soup:
* 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 large yellow onion, chopped
* 4 garlic cloves, minced
* 5 large sage leaves, chopped
* 1/2 c pearl barley
* 14 oz can organic garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
* 14 oz can organic diced tomatoes
* 8 c red kale washed and chopped (or spinach)
* 6-8 c homemade vegetable stock
* fine-grain sea salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
* garnish with freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day! I think my mom is the coolest woman on my side of the Earth so it's great that I got to dedicate a day to her. I don't know if you subscribe to the idea of "love languages", but she definitely likes to be shown love rather than to be told or showered in gifts. So I spent the whole day cooking a fabulous 3 course dinner for our family!

 

 The crab cakes are one of my favorite things I have EVER made! Cranberries and crab are a perfect match. Check out the recipe below.

 I feel like cake is much more elegant than cupcakes, but as our family isn't heavy on the sweets I knew a whole cake would go to waste. Instead I made individual mini cakes and I think they turned out so cute. Anyway when it comes to dessert, who likes to share?

I used the Jimmy Buffet recipe (now changed to "Cupcake in Paradise" so I don't get a call from his lawyers) but made a few changes, which are now reflected on the recipe page. I used cream of coconut rather than coconut milk so that the coconut flavor would come through stronger. I just love coconut.

Dinner was a hit and I made my mama happy, so now I don't feel so bad about asking her to buy me new shoes for my prom dress. I love you mama!

Cranberry Tarragon Crab Cakes:

 

* 1/2 c light mayonnaise * 1/4 c dried cranberries * 1 1/2 t tarragon * 1/4 t black pepper * 1/4 t salt * 4 T butter, divided * 1/2 c finely chopped celery * 1/4 c finely chopped onion * 1 pound lump crabmeat (use the real stuff, it makes a difference) * 1 c Stove Top savory stuffing * 1 egg, lightly beaten * Lemon zest

 1. Mix mayo, cranberries, tarragon, pepper, and salt in a small bowl.2. Melt 1 T butter in a nonstick skillet, add celery and onion; cook and stir 5 min or until tender. Cool slightly.3. Gently mix crab meat and breading in a large bowl. Add egg, mayo, and celery mixtures; toss to coat well. 4. Shape into 6 large cakes or 14 small cakes. Refrigerate 15 minutes - overnight.5. Melt remaining 3 T butter in a large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add crab cakes; cook about 6 min or until golden brown, turning once. Be careful not to break the cake when you flip them. You can make this lighter by using vegetable oil or cooking spray instead of butter, but it was a holiday so I wanted everything to taste extra special. Another tip is to use real crab meat. It's a little bit of a splurge but so much better than imitation

Mojo Chicken

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

I'm still on a short cupcake break.

Buuut in the spirit of the day, I'll share my mojo chicken marinade with you.

Mojo Marinade:
* 1 cup orange juice
* 1/2 cup lime juice (or 1/4 limeade and 1/4 squeezed lime). Reserve the squeezed lime.
* 1 1/2 t salt
* 1/2 t pepper (or lemon pepper)
* 2 pressed garlic cloves (or 1 t garlic powder)
* 1/2 t coriander

Rub the spices over the dry chicken breasts. Seal the breasts in a ziplock bag with the juices, pressed garlic, and lime rinds; stick in the fridge and let them marinate for a few hours (30 minutes minimum)

Zesty Blueberry Muffins

These muffins are bursting with blueberries and have a lemony sugar crust... you know, the crispy kind you love to pick off and eat first.

And these muffins hold a secret.

 

Not only did I fold blueberries into the batter, but I created a more concentrated blueberry flavor by heating blueberries and sugar into a jam and swirling it into the center of each muffin!

Blueberry Muffin

* 2 1/2 c all-purpose flour

* 2 1/2 t baking powder
* 1 t salt
* 1 + 1/8 c sugar
* 2 eggs, room temp
* 4 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temp
* 4 T vegetable oil
* 1 cup buttermilk
* 1 1/2 t vanilla extract
* zest of 1 lemon 
* 1 cup blueberries 

Blueberry Jam:
* 1 cup blueberries
* 1 t sugar

Topping:

* 1/3 cup sugar
* zest of 1 (more) lemon

Twist: Switch the blueberries out for another fruit, such as cranberries. Or change with semi-sweet chocolate chips and omit the sugar topping for chocolate chip muffins.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! I hope the bunny cured everyone's sweet tooth for the weekend. I think I have enough candy for the rest of the year. I also think it's safe to say that between Easter this weekend and prom next weekend, SweetCheeks will be experiencing a small hiatus!

SMALL is the keyword. My boyfriend's mom bought me Crazy About Cupcakes, the cutest cupcake book I've ever read. And I've read many. I already bookmarked all my favorites so the sugar coma needs to end soon so I can try these cupcakes out!

Cupcake in Paradise

If life gives you limes, make margaritas.
~ Jimmy Buffett

...or cupcakes!

Coconut Cupcake with White Chocolate Key Lime Frosting 

 

For those who aren't big coconut fans, fear not. This tastes more like a sweet key lime pie.

Coconut Cupcake:
adapted from CookingLight.com 

*  2 c + 2T sifted all purpose flour

* 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

*  1/2 teaspoon salt

*  1 2/3 cups sugar

*  1/3 cup butter, softened

*  2 large eggs

*  3/4 cup cream of coconut (like you would use for pina coladas)

*  2 t vanilla extract

*  1/2 t coconut extract

White Chocolate Key Lime Buttercream:

* 3 ounces white chocolate, chopped into small chucks
* 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

* 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

* Pinch salt

* 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

* 1 tablespoon key lime juice (bottled or freshly squeezed)

* 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt (or sour cream)

* Finely grated key lime zest, for garnish

* candied lime peel, for garnish

 

Chocolate Shoppe Cupcake

Chocolate chip cookies and malted milk balls; favorite childhood sweets!

Chocolate Chip Cupcake:
* 1 stick unsalted butter
* 1 egg
* 2 egg yolks
* 1 1/2 t vanilla extract
* 1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
* 1 1/2 t baking powder
* 1/4 t salt
* 3/4 c sugar
* 1/2 c heavy cream
* 1/2 c whole milk
* 1 c semisweet chocolate chips

Malted Chocolate Buttercream:
* 1 stick unsalted butter
* 3 c confectioner's sugar
* 1/2 c (8 T) malted chocolate powder (I use Ovaltine)
* 3 T unsweetened cocoa powder
* 3 T whole milk
* 1 t vanilla extract

1

Mochaccino Cupcakes

Mocha Cupcake:
* 3/4 cup butter
* 3 eggs
* 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup milk
* 1/2 cup strong brewed coffee, cooled
* 2 cups sugar
* 2 teaspoons vanilla
* 1 cup dark, bittersweet, or semisweet chocolate pieces

Coffee Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
Put ¾ cup sugar, 3 egg whites and pinch salt into the top of a double boiler over a pan of simmering water. Whisking constantly, cook until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm (about 160 degrees). Pour heated egg whites into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat egg white mixture on high speed until it forms stiff (but not dry) peaks. Continue beating until fluffy and cooled, about 7 minutes total. Switch to the paddle attachment. With mixer on medium-low, add 1 ½ stick butter two tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. Increase speed to medium-high; continue beating until frosting appears thick, about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, stir 1 1/2 tsp instant coffee into 1 tbsp hot water until dissolved, then put it in the refrigerator or freezer until it comes down to room temperature. Reduce mixer speed to low and add coffee mixture. Add 1 T coffee liqueur and ½ cup powdered sugar. Continue beating 1 minute to reduce air bubbles.