Zucchini-Ricotta Fritters

I had one zucchini left last week that I didn't want to go to waste and I decided I wanted to make something with it other than bread. I came across some fritter recipes and thought I'd give it a shot. I had also planned on making some baked ziti later in the week and had some ricotta on hand which was perfect for these. I was pretty pleased with the overall outcome, although some of mine did fall apart on me.

Ingredients
1/4 - 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 medium to large zucchini, shredded
1/4 small white onion (or 1 shallot) thinly sliced
1 large egg
6 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1 1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
Kosher salt and black  pepper
Olive oil for frying

Directions
1. In a large bowl, combine the zucchini, garlic, onions ricotta, egg, lemon zest and a dash of salt and pper. Mix together and then stir in the flour just until incorporated.

2. Line a large baking sheet with paper towels.
3.In a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch of olive oil over medium heat. Add about 2-tablespoons of zucchini batter to the hot oil for each fritter, spreading them to form 3-inch fritters. Fry turning once until browned and crispy (approx 3-4 minutes).

Drain on the paper towels and serve right away. Top with fresh parsley and lemon slices



Recipe source: adapted from Mario Batali (via foodandwine.com)

New Job Opportunity!

The past month and a half have been so crazy! An out-of-town baby shower for my sister-in-law, two highschool graduations, a college graduation, and this weekend going to see my beautiful newborn newphew! And on top of all that, I got a job offer today to be a decorator/froster at a local cupcake place!  I am super pumped! It has been pretty hard trying to get my foot in the door at any kind of bakery or catering company in my area. My background is in marketing and communications and I had a really great job right out of college and worked there for about three years. I definitely learned a lot and am thankful for the experience, but just decided it wasn't for me. Since I technically don't have any experience in an actual bakery, I could hardly get anyone to talk to me.  But after lots of baking for friends and family, putting together a portfolio, writing a letter on why I am qualified, calling, emailing, showing up in person numerous times, and the three Wilton cake decorating courses I took, someone finally gave me a chance.  I was hired on the spot at my interview!  The owner and employee I met today were super nice and I can't wait.  Although, I am going to have to get used to working SUPER early. Like waaaay before the sun comes up.  But, it's experience and I want to learn as much as I can for when I eventually open my own catering business or small restaurant. Hopefully I will work my way up to creating some of the actual cakes and custom orders that they make and helping their head decorator.

Another plus about this job....they make everything from scratch and they don't use shortening or margarine in their frostings!  Definitely up my alley.  I am so glad to know that they value quality ingredients.

Anyways, my plan was to make a post for Beef Stronganoff today, but I wound up burning it so it was a flop. And after my interview today I decided to share my new job with you and a few pictures of some cupcakes I've done. I will be back later this week with more recipes!

Spicy Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I've made lettuce wraps a few times but couldn't seem to find the last recipe I used. After 30 minutes of scouring my cookbooks and online recipes, I just decided to wing it and hope for the best. I really love the fresh ginger in these and they have just enough heat. They also have a lot less fat and salt than many restaurant versions like PF Chang's (although those are really good!) and you could easily tweak to suit your tastes. I opted for Iceberg this time for the added crunch. You can also use Romaine which has added nutritional value unlike the Iceberg. The rice can be served inside the wraps or on the side. I used brown rice but white rice would work as well. These are great if you want a fairly easy meal that doesn't weigh you down. They are also budget friendly (minus the peanuts, but you could nix them).

Ingredients

1 head of iceberg lettuce or Romaine

1 lb ground chicken (I just threw some chicken breast I had on hand in the food processor to chop it up)

1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced

1 Serrano pepper, minced

2-3 Tbsp green onions, chopped

small handful of unsalted peanuts

small handful of chow mein noodles

salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

1 cup uncooked Brown or White Rice

Spicy mustard sauce

few spoonfulls of yellow mustard

few drops of sirracha

touch of reduced sodium soy sauce

Directions

1. Start the rice

2. Cook ground chicken with a little bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder until no longer pink

3. While chicken is cooking, carefully peel a few layers off the iceberg so that they form "cups" and then rinse and dry.

4. Add minced ginger and serrano pepper to chicken and cook for about another minute or so.

5. Mix together the spicy mustard sauce (I didn't have specific measurements, I just kept tasting until I liked it)

6. Add a little bit of butter, reduced sodium soy sauce, and pepper to rice if desired.

7. Spoon rice into lettuce cups (or serve on the side), top with chicken mixture, peanuts, spicy sauce, chow mein noodles and green onions.

*Tip: You can add carrots, mushrooms, or bell peppers if desired. There is really so much you can do with these. Just be creative and use whatever you have on hand. If you don't want to use chicken, pork would work too.

Cinnamon rolls

Just the smell of these right from the oven made the time spent making them worth it. Actually, they were easier than I thought. But like most breads, you have to wait for them to rise. I have been wanting to make them all week though and finally got to make them this morning.  Since I slept in a little later, they were more of a brunch instead of for breakfast. These would actually be good for a mother's day brunch!  My mom lives a couple hours away but we will be seeing her next weekend when my baby sister graduates from high school!  And if I had made these for my mom, I would have tried to make them gluten free.  Love you mom! Happy (a day early) Mother's Day!

Ingredients
Rolls

1/2 cup skim milk

1/4 cup water

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

6 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

 

Filling

1/8-1/4 cup butter, melted

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup pecan pieces

Cream Cheese Icing

1 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3-4 Tbsp milk

Directions

1. Add ingredients to bread machine according to manufacturer's suggested order and set on dough cycle. (or mix by hand and let rise for about an hour and a half)

2. When dough is done, turn it out onto a well floured surface and knead until no longer sticky

3. Roll out dough to form a rectangle (mine was about 12 inches wide by 20 inches long)

4. Brush with melted butter ( I used a little over 1/8 cup)

5. Combine cinnamon and brown sugar and sprinkle over the dough. Then sprinkle with the pecan pieces

6. Roll up dough (starting on the long side) until it forms a uniform log shape

7. Using a serrated knife, score the log into equal parts and then slice (mine were about 2 inches a piece). You may need to trim the ends if there isn't enough filling in them.  I got 8 rolls out of this dough, but you could make the pieces slightly smaller and get more out of it.

8. Place in a buttered 13x9 pan, cover with a towel and let rise for 45-60 minutes

9.Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-18 minutes or until lightly golden brown

10. For icing, beat cream cheese on high. Add in milk until combined and then add in powdered sugar. Use less milk for a thicker icing and more milk for a thinner icing.

Recipe Source: adapted from Hoosier Homemade

Cream Cheese Icing: Harper's Original

Chicken Artichoke Casserole

Artichokes are one of those foods that I love but don't really use a whole lot. They're great on pizza, in pasta, and of course spinach artichoke dip.  I have actually never cooked with a whole artichoke, but it's on my list :)  I bought a jar of marinated artichoke hearts a few weeks ago and finally got around to making something with it. This recipe is pretty easy which I like because I wasn't feeling like making anything too complicated tonight. I even made my own "cream" soup to use in the casserole (the original recipe called for cream of chicken) which was super easy! (recipe I used can be found here) To make a full 9x13 pan, just double the below recipe.


Ingredients
2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1/2  Cup mayonnaise
1 Cup cream soup  (you can also use 1 can of cream of chicken soup)
1/4 tsp. curry powder
1 (12 oz jar) artichoke hearts
Garlic powder to taste
1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
dash of cayenne pepper
dash of pepper
1/2-1 Cup.shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 Cup panko

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350

2.Drain and roughly chop artichokes reserving the marinade from the jar
3.Arrange artichoke in 8x8 baking dish and sprinkle with garlic powder

4. Layer cooked chicken on top

5. In a medium bowl, mix together the creamed soup, mayo, lemon juice, curry powder, cayenne pepper, pepper, and 1/2 tbsp of the reserved marinade liquid. 

6. Pour soup mixture on top of chicken. Sprinkle with cheese and top with the panko

7. Bake 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly



Recipe source: adapted from Cooks.com

Strawberry Margarita Cupcakes

Let me start by saying that these are some of the best cupcakes I've ever made. And I'm a pretty harsh self-critic.  I knew I was going to make a margarita cupcake for Cinco de Mayo since I've seen them many times on different blogs and recipes sites and hadn't tried them yet.  I normally prefer a regular margarita on the rocks in regards to the drink, but these were so fun and taste like fresh strawberries with a hint of tequila.  Yum!

Many recipes I came across used a box mix, which I hardly use anymore because of all the added chemicals and junk. So I tweaked a vanilla cupcake recipe I had used for some baby shower cupcakes last week (I've actually made a quite a few baby shower cupcakes lately and my first set came out dry, but I tried a new recipe for the second set and they were really good!).  I kinda guessed on how much tequila and lime juice to use. Next time I may add just a touch more tequila in the cupcake batter, but overall these were pretty close to perfection! If only I were sitting on the beach somewhere in Mexico sipping on a real strawberry margarita....

Ingredients
Cupcakes
1 cup regular sugar
1 3/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
2 large eggs, room temp
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp whole milk
3 Tbsp tequila
1 1/2 Tbsp lime juice
Directions
1. Pre-heat oven to 350
2. In a stand mixer (or medium size bowl), mix together the cake flour baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar
3. Add in the butter and beat for about 3 minutes on medium-low. The mixture should be crumbly
4. In another small bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, vegetable oil, tequila, and lime juice
5. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients until just combined
6. Slowly pour in the milk and mix on low speed until just combined (batter will be runny)
7.Fill prepared cupcake pans and bake for about 14-16 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean

Strawberry filling
1 16 oz container of fresh strawberriees
1/8 cup sugar
1/2 lime, juiced
1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
pinch of salt

1.Hull and cut the strawberries into small pieces.
2.Place into small bowl and sprinkle with sugar.

 Let sit for about an hour and then strain the juice into a 1/2 measuring cup (you probably won't get a full 1/2 cup of juice so add a little water to fill the rest).
3.Add strawberry juice to small saucepan and add in the lime juice cornstarch (mixed with a little water so it doesn't clump up) and salt)
4.Cook on medium heat and stir constantly until mixture because thick.
5. Add mixture to the reserved strawberry peices and then pulse in a food processor until smooth (I just used my immersion blender which worked pretty well).
6. Cool mixture completely

6. Add mixture to decorating bag and pipe into cupcakes
*I cut the holes out of my cupcakes with an apple corer which was pretty easy to do

Strawberry tequila frosting
1 Stick (1/2 cup) butter
1 1/2 Tbsp tequila
1/2 Tbsp lime juice
3 Tbsp Strawberry puree (5 or 6 medium strawberries that have been run through the food processor until smooth)
3 cups powdered sugar
Pinch of kosher salt

1. Cream butter
2. Add in the tequila, lime juice, strawberry puree and a pinch of salt
3. With mixer on low, slowly add in the powdered sugar.
4. Mix for a few minutes or until mixture comes together. If it seems to runny add a little bit more powdered sugar.

5. Spread or pipe onto cooled and filled cupcakes. Roll in pink decorating sugar and serve with a sliced strawberry and lime

*tip: if using fresh fruit on top, you may want to dry it off first so it doesn't get runny and make the icing and cupcake soggy.  If you have more cupcake than you need, I would store the icing in the fridge and decorate when ready to eat (icing may need to sit out for a minute to be spreadable)



Recipe sources:
Cupcake base: adapted from Cupcake Project
Strawberry filling: adapted from Strawberry Sue
Icing: Harper's Original

Gluten Free Chicken Pot Pie

There are a few people in my life who have a gluten intolerance which means they can't eat or have to cut back on things like breads, pasta, or anything containing the wheat protein (gluten can even hide in things like everyday condiments we use and many other products). I definitely have respect for them because I know it would be hard for me to make such a drastic change in the way I eat.

Rice is a staple for many people on a gluten free diet and it's something I actually eat a lot of. I try and incorporate brown rice when I can. White rice tastes better but brown rice is healthier for you.  When I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it. I literally can't even remember the last time I had chicken pot pie. And I thought a gluten free version would be something I could share. I really loved the flavors in this dish. It was a little more runny then I would have liked, but overall it was suprisingly good. I nixed the peas since that's one of my absolute least favorite foods, and added a little more carrots and celery than the recipe stated. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 pound sliced portabello mushrooms (about 1/2 the 8 oz container you get at the grocery store)
1 teaspoon dried thyme, divided (you can use fresh thyme as well just use about 2 1/2 tsps)
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
1/2 white or yellow onion, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup gluten free all-purpose flour (or brown rice flour)
1 1/2 cups low-sodium gluten-free chicken broth
1 cup whole milk
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 400°F and lightly grease a 9 inch pie dish.
2. Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook for about 5 minutes or until no longer pink.

3.Add mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon of the thyme, carrots, celery, onions, salt and pepper and cook until for about 7 or 8 minutes.

4. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

5.Add broth and milk, stir well and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until very thick, about 10 minutes.

6. While mixture is cooking, combine the rice, cheese, paprika, remaining 1/2 teaspoon thyme, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.

7. Transfer the chicken mixture to the pie pan.
8.Sprinkle the rice mixture evenly over the top of the chicken mixture and then place the pie pan on a baking sheet to catch any drips.

9. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the rice is nice and cripsy.

Recipe Source:  Adapted from WholeFoods