Pizza

 OK here is another quick easy dinner to make PIZZA!!!! Who doesnt love pizza and its so easy to make at home and its quick! I use the pre made dough that you find in the dairy aisle of any supermarket. I cut it in half for a single serving and add a nice salad and there is dinner. You can top it with whatever your heart desires. This has red onion, spinach & mushroom and some cheese grated on top. I take an enamel baking pan, you can use any dish thats good for baking and I put a little EVOO on the bottom so it doesnt stick, add your veggies, grate some cheese, bake for about a half an hour or so on 400. Done...hot pizza. Delish.

  This one has tomato, garlic & cheese. Its so easy and the possibilities are endless. Its also really fun for kids they love to make their own meal and this works out really well.

Creamy spinach pasta

OK I admit this came to me on one of those rare days I just didnt feel like cooking. I looked at what was in the fridge, found some cream cheese, knew I had some spinach and I always keep canned  tomato & pasta thanks Grandma! She always had some in the pantry. It comes in really handy on just such occasions. No running to the store on lazy days.

 I chopped some of the spinach and sauteed it in a little olive oil and then added the tomato. You can add garlic, onion whatever makes you happy, thats the beauty of these types of dishes. I added the cream cheese and let it melt into the mixture. Boil some water to cook your pasta. Toss the mixture with your pasta and add a salad youre done! Dinner is served!

Ginger Lychee Cupcakes with Lychee Frosting

These came out really well, I was concerned that the Lychee flavor wouldnt come through but it did!! Happy happy :) heres the recipe

Ginger Cupcakes:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground fresh ginger minced very finely (almost ground to a paste)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 ginger sugar syrup

2 tablespoons candied ginger, chopped



makes 24
syrup:

Just cut up some ginger and boil it in sugar water until it gets thick I used this in place of milk



Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners. Sift together flours, ground ginger, fresh ginger, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

With a mixer, cream butter and granulated sugar until pale, about 4 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time until incorporated. Beat in flour mixture and syrup. Stir in ginger until distributed.

Divide batter among liners, filling halfway. Bake until golden and set, about 20 minutes. Transfer tin to rack to cool for 15 minutes. Remove from tin; let cool. 

I also took some of the lychees and strained them really well and put them in the middle of the cupcakes just to bump up that awesome lychee flavor!!! Just use that tool I told you about to scoop out a space for the filling.

Frosting:

1 cup of butter, 4 cups of powdered sugar,  and  lychee syrup from canned lychees until creamy.

Sprinkle with some pretty colored sugar and enjoy!

Scallops & Veggie Rice

I should have known when I went to the supermarket and asked for "diver scallops" and the guy behind the fish counter didnt know what I was talking about that there was going to be a problem. Now these look good and in the end they actually didnt taste too bad, probably because of the amount of butter that got used, but be WARNED buy your fish from someone who knows what they are selling. Scallops are often soaked in a phosphate solution that whitens them and makes them absorb more liquid, its called "wet packed". Also that phosphate solution is a common ingredient in soaps and detergents, and, not surprisingly, has a distinctly soap-like flavor. When you cook these scallops, all that extra liquid drains out and into the pan, so instead of searing them, you end up steaming them in something closely resembling soapy water. This is what happened to me and it wasnt pretty. 

The rice however was a success!!                                                                                   

                                                                                    
                                                                                 

Chop up whatever veggies you want,  I used garlic, scallion, carrot, red pepper and sauteed them in some sesame oil and added that to some cooked rice. Done! really easy to make. 

I will try scallops again, sometimes if at first you dont succeed you have to try again. I learned a lesson and will go to a fish market and not a supermarket and make sure I get "dry packed" scallops. Happy cooking!

Veggie Potstickers

These are super easy to make and there really is no recipe!!! Just pick up some pre made wonton wrappers at the supermarket, they are usually in the refrigerated part of the produce section. Fill them with whatever you like. I used red pepper, spinach, scallion, garlic, lemongrass, carrot, baby bok choy, and celery.                          

Chop whatever you are going to use very finely and put a small amount of it in the middle of the wrapper, brush a little water around the edges so it sticks when you fold them together. Just pinch them together, kind of pleating them as you go along, it really doesnt matter how you do it as long as they dont open.

 I cooked them in a fry pan with a little sesame oil and a little lime juice squeezed on it until they brown a bit and voila... done! And they taste really good. Crispy on the outside juicy on the inside. Yum yum.

Chocolate cupcakes with marzipan filling & raspberry frosting

Finally I got a cupcake that looks as good as it tastes!!!!! I thought it would never happen. You just need the right tools . I had my ahha moment watching Cupcake Wars, yes of course I watch it!! I noticed when they were piping their frosting the tips looked bigger than the ones I was using, no wonder I wasnt getting the swirls I wanted. It turns out you need a Wilton 1M & 1A. I am giddy with happiness!!!! OK for the recipes.

  Cupcakes

    1 cup all-purpose flour
    1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    1/2 teaspoon baking powder
   1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    Fine salt
    1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
   1 cup sugar
   2 large eggs, at room temperature
   1/4 cup whole milk, at room temperature

   1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line one 12-cup standard muffin tin with cupcake liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
Slowly beat in the eggs, one at a time. Mix together the milk and vanilla in a measuring cup. Add half the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, beat to combine, and then add the milk mixture and continue to beat. Then add the remaining dry mixture. The mixture will look thick and airy.

Using an ice cream scoop, fill each cupcake liner three-quarters of the way full. Put a teaspoon of marzipan into the batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the oven to a wire rack; let cool before frosting.

Frosting


1 Cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine softened

4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approximately 1 lb.)

1 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon raspberry extract McCormicks recommended

drop of pink food coloring

In large bowl, cream  butter with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and extract and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. 

I have to say the marzipan didnt melt onto the cupcakes as I had hoped but it tasted good. The decorations are from Miette bakery in San Francisco, a gift from Dean & Brigitte, thanks guys, they really make the cupcakes so pretty!

                                                        HAPPY BAKING!!!!

Lemon Garlic Chicken

This is super easy and has become one of my favorite recipes. Lemon Garlic Chicken.I  have seen recipes where it is called Greek Chicken. Its just a few ingredients and very easy to prepare.You just throw all the ingredients in a pan and wait until its time to eat. What could be easier than that, the hard part is actually waiting for it.The potatoes soak up all the juice and are amazing!!!! The chicken is moist inside but crispy on the outside. Its just totally yummy!!! Try it I am sure you will love it.

   

In Greek: κοτόπουλο σκορδάτο, pronounced koh-TOH-poo-loh skor-THAH-toh

This is one of the easiest recipes to make, and one of the most tempting to eat. Adjust the garlic down if it's not a favorite, and the classic tastes of lemon and oregano will still make this dish uniquely Greek.

Cook Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes.

Ingredients

   * 3 1/4 - 3 3/4 pound chicken, cut into quarters

   * 3 1/2 pounds of potatoes

   * juice from 2-3 medium lemons

   * 2 teaspoons of salt

   * 1 heaping tablespoon of oregano

   * 1/2 teaspoon of pepper

   * 8 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

   * 1/2 cup of olive oil

   * 1 1/2 cups of water

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 355°F (180°C).

Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Peel the potatoes and cut into quarters, lengthwise. Salt and pepper the chicken and potatoes. Transfer chicken to a roasting pan, and add potatoes, on and around the chicken. Add oregano, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice, distributing evenly across the pan. Add water and roast uncovered at 355°F (180°C) for a total of 1 hour and 40 minutes. Half way through (50 minutes), turn the chicken.

Yield: serves 4

Note: Check periodically to make sure there is still a little water in the pan. If needed, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup more.

 

 καλή όρεξη

kali orexi