So, for this week’s Works For Me Wednesday post, I thought I’d share my secret to perfect, professional-looking frosting for cupcakes. I’m always amazed how many people think that because a pastry bag is involved, it must be very difficult to get that pretty swirl of frosting on top of a cupcake.  Here’s the thing… I actually think it’s MUCH easier to ice cupcakes with a pastry bag than with a spatula or a knife.  The fact that they look like you bought them somewhere is just an added bonus!

Equipment…

For my cupcake frosting method, you’ll need a few simple tools…  Don’t worry, they won’t break the bank. You can find everything at a local craft store!

• Pastry Bag – Either a cloth pastry bag or a disposable one will work.  You can typically buy a large box of disposable bags at a craft store to keep on hand (and keep your eye out for the 40% off coupons that many craft stores include in the Sunday paper for an even better deal!).
• Star Tip – When frosting cupcakes, I typically use an Ateco 827 tip, but any star tip will do. I believe the Wilton 8B tip is a similar size, but has additional ridges on it… That one is probably easier to find at a local store.

The Method…

Once you have the necessities, frosting cupcakes is quite simple. All you need to do is fit the pastry bag with the star tip.  Then, use a rubber spatula (I find those spoon-spatula combos work quite well for scooping the icing) to fill the pastry bag with frosting.  To stabilize the pastry bag while filling it, you can try setting it inside a large plastic cup. Only fill the pastry bag about half full and then gently push the icing down into the bag and twist the top shut.

For each cupcake, simple make a swirl of frosting with the pastry bag… no sweat!

• Keeping the tip relatively close to the top of the cupcake, begin piping out the frosting by squeezing the bag from the top while using your other hand to stabilize the bag (this is kind of like toothpaste… though, I am notorious for squeezing toothpaste from the middle). The bag should be straight up and down.
• Draw a circle of icing around the outside of the cupcake, moving your hands in a circle while keeping the tip close to the cupcake and the bag straight up and down.
• Once you have iced the outside of the cupcake, continue the swirl to the inside of the circle, filling in the middle of the cupake.
• Just as you finish the swirl of icing, push down slightly on the pastry bag in the middle of the cupcake. Then, as you stop squeezing the pastry bag, gently pull the pastry bag directly upwards from the cupcake.

Now, that wasn’t so hard, was it? The more you practice, the easier it will get. Pretty soon, you’ll be able to frost a couple dozen cupcakes in just a few minutes.  Plus, all of your friends and relatives will start to wonder where you bought those beautiful cupcakes!

Recipes…

Need a few recipes for cupcakes and frosting to get you started? Here are a few from my archives…

• Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting
• Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Brown Sugar Buttercream
• Easy Peanut Butter Frosting
• Mocha Espresso Cupcakes
• Chocolate Carrot and Squash Cupcakes with Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting
  

© Jennifer Schall for my kitchen addiction, 2009-2012. | Permalink | 26 comments | Post tags: baking, cupcake, frosting, icing, piping, tutorial, WFMW, Works For Me Wednesday

After only a few years of marriage, I had completely destroyed the set of pots and pans that I received as a wedding gift. The nonstick finish was pretty much nonexistent in that short time.  So, I switched over to All-Clad stainless pots and pans just over a year ago. I don’t want to get into pots and pans right now, but I will say that I swear by stainless.

There’s one catch, though… I have not been able to master the art of cooking eggs (or potatoes, for that matter) in a stainless pan.  So, last Christmas, my husband added a nonstick fry pan to my All-Clad collection. (If you are a foodie, you understand that cookware is a great Christmas present… If you’re not, take my word for it!)

Ever since I got the nonstick fry pan, I have been cooking eggs all of the time.  I make them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner – although not usually all in the same day! Frittatas are my favorite type of egg dish to make… and I make them a lot.  I find that eggs are a very versatile ingredient, and I throw in whatever I have on hand.

This particular frittata was inspired by some of the veggies I got in one of my recent CSA shares. We are fortunate that our CSA extends up through the week of Thanksgiving, and we have been getting lots of great veggies! Last week we got a giant bag of arugula and some big, beautiful leeks.  Arugula is a popular salad ingredient right now, but I find it to be a bit overpowering.  I’m not a huge fan of the peppery-ness (is that a word?).  I do, however, like it in cooked dishes – particularly frittatas and quiches. No surprise there.

Before we get to the frittata recipe, though, let me share with you another tip (nope, I didn’t forget about my Tips and Tricks posts)… This one is for cleaning leeks! I cannot take the credit for this tip, but I do not know who to credit with it, either. Somewhere along the way I saw someone clean leeks this way, and it stuck.

First, trim off the dark tops and the root end of the leek.  Cut lengthwise into halves or quarters (depending on the size you are going for).  Then, slice the leek crosswise, using the white and light green portion of the leek.  Transfer the slices to a bowl of water, and use your fingers to swish the slices in the water.  All of the sand and grit will fall to the bottom of the bowl.  Fish out the sliced leeks (with a slotted spoon or your fingers) and transfer to a clean kitchen towel to try.

Bacon, Leek, and Arugula Frittata

• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 large leek, sliced and cleaned
• 2 cups arugula, thick stems removed and chopped
• 2 eggs + 2 egg whites
• 1 tablespoon milk
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Tomato slices
• Fresh parsley, chopped

Saute the bacon in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Once the bacon is cooked, add the leeks, and continue to cook the leeks in the rendered fat until the leeks are soft.  Add the arugula and wilt it down into the bacon and leek mixture.

Meanwhile, beat the eggs and egg whites with the milk.  Season with salt and pepper.  Pour the egg mixture into the skillet, and quickly stir to evenly combine with the bacon, leeks, and arugula.  Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for about 5 minutes.

Remove the lid, and arrange the tomato slices on top of the eggs. Sprinkle with the fresh, chopped parsley.  Place under the broiler for another 5 minutes, until the top is set and the eggs are golden.  Serve immediately.

© Jennifer Schall for my kitchen addiction, 2009-2012. | Permalink | 14 comments | Post tags: arugula, bacon, CSA, eggs, frittata, leeks, parsley, tomato

We picked up our CSA share today, and it contained four ears of corn.  Unfortunately, there has been an issue with earworms on the corn. That happens sometimes with organic produce.  I’ll take a few bugs over harsh chemicals any day. There were a few bad spots on the corn that needed to be cut out.  No big deal to me, but not exactly grilled corn on the cob material.

As I was taking stock of the other food in my pantry, I was reminded of a few yams that needed to be used.  Suddenly I had a two ingredient challenge on my hands. Given the two ingredients I was working with, my mind instantly turned to corn chowder. I love smokey flavors with sweet potaotes and yams, so I decided to throw in some chipotle peppers and cumin.  I was flying by the seat of my pants the whole way, but it turned out to be one of the best dishes I have made in a while.  My husband was raving about it all through dinner, which always makes me feel good!

Before getting to the chowder recipe, let me share another one of my tips with you!

I like bacon, but I rarely use a whole pound of it when I am cooking. I will often buy a pound of bacon for a recipe that only calls for a few slices.  I don’t use it regularly enough to keep it in my fridge.  Instead, I put the remaining bacon in a zipper bag and keep it in the freezer.  Whenever I need some diced bacon for a recipe, I simply pull out the frozen bacon and slice off the amount that I need. I find it easier to dice up the bacon while it is frozen… and it can be thrown right into a skillet without thawing!  It’s quick, easy, and I always have bacon on hand.

Sweet and Smokey Corn Chowder

• 4-5 slices (about 1/2 cup frozen) bacon, diced (for a vegetarian version, leave this out and use olive oil instead of the rendered bacon fat)
• 2 yams, peeled and diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 small (or 1 large) poblano peppers, seeded and diced
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 4 small ears corn, steamed and cut off of the cob
• 2 chipotles in adobo, minced (use 1 for less spice)
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• Kosher salt
• Agave syrup
• 1 large heirloom tomato, seeded and diced
• 1 avocado, diced

Heat a dutch oven or large pot over medium heat.  Add the diced bacon, and cook until crispy.  Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon and transfer it to a bowl, leaving the rendered bacon fat in the bottom of the pan.  (For a vegetarian version, skip this step and simply heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil in the dutch oven.)

Add the diced yams to the fat, and cook for about 5 minutes to give the yams a head start. Then, add the diced onions and poblano peppers.  Continue to cook for an additional 4-5 minutes, until all of the vegetables are soft. If the potatoes start to stick to the pan, add a little bit of olive oil while cooking.

Add the milk and the half and half to the yam, onion, and pepper mixture.  Use an immersion blender to partially puree the softened vegetable mixture to the desired texture.  I typically leave my soups a bit chunky, pureeing just enough to make the soup base thick.

Reduce the heat and bring the soup to a simmer.  Add the corn, diced chipotles, and cumin and stir to combine.  Season to taste with the salt.  Add a little bit of agave syrup to taste if the soup is a bit too spicy.  The agave will help to cut some of the spice from the chipotle peppers.

Reserve some of the diced tomato, and toss it with the diced avocado in a bowl.  Add the remaining diced tomato to the soup.  Continue to simmer for about 5 more minutes.

Ladle the soup into bowls (this will serve 4-6), and top with some of the avocado and tomato mixture.  Sprinkle with the crispy bacon.

© Jennifer Schall for my kitchen addiction, 2009-2012. | Permalink | 14 comments | Post tags: avocado, bacon, chowder, corn, cumin, pepper, poblano, soup, tomato, yams

Fortunately, as I was paging through How To Cook Everything Vegetarian, I came across the recipe for No-Mayo Coleslaw (p. 49).  Along with the coleslaw recipe was a Mexican variation.  I had some cilantro and limes on hand, so I decided to give it a shot.  After all, I had to use the cabbage for something!

The slaw turned out to be great, and I loved the lack of mayonnaise.  It was tangy and light, and unlike all of the other slaws I made this summer!  If you’re looking for something different, give this one a try.

Before I get to the slaw recipe, though, here’s another one of my tips and tricks.  This probably isn’t new to many of you, but I thought I’d throw it in here just in case.

This tip is about how to wash, dry, and store fresh herbs.  I grow many fresh herbs in my garden, and I love to just go out back and pick some herbs as I am cooking.  However, I can never seem to grow cilantro. So, it is one of the few herbs that I buy at the store.  When I bring it home, I rinse it and then use my salad spinner to make sure the cilantro is nice and dry. Then, I wrap the cilantro with a paper towel (to absorb any moisture) and store it in some tupperware in the fridge.  The cilantro stays fresh and is ready to use whenever I want it!  The same technique works with many other herbs, too. It’s not that much of a stretch to use your salad spinner for herbs, but I thought it was worth mentioning.

Ok, without any further ado, the mayo-less slaw recipe…

Mayo-less Mexican Slaw

(Adapted from Spicy No-Mayo Coleslaw in How To Cook Everything Vegetarian, p. 49)

• 1 small head cabbage, thinly sliced
• 2 carrots, peeled and shredded
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1 lime, zest and juice
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Handful cilantro leaves, chopped

In a large bowl, combine the thinly sliced cabbage, shredded carrots, and thinly sliced red onion.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the mustard, lime juice, lime zest, jalapeño, cumin.  Season with some salt and pepper.  Gradually add the olive oil, whisking until the mixture is smooth.

Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture, and toss to evenly coat.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Right before serving the slaw, add the chopped cilantro and mix into the cole slaw. Garnish with additional cilantro and lime slices, if desired.

© Jennifer Schall for my kitchen addiction, 2009-2012. | Permalink | 10 comments | Post tags: cabbage, carrot, cilantro, CSA, lime, Mexican, slaw

This summer, our CSA and garden have been keeping my fridge stocked with fresh veggies. But, even before we were CSA members and had a garden, I couldn’t resist the temptation of all of the brightly colored fresh veggies at the farmer’s market, and I would always stock up on more than I really needed.  I hate to waste food, though, so I have been trying really hard to use up everything that we get.

So far, I have been pretty successful.  An added bonus is that we have been eating a lot of healthy veggies and I’ve been making many more vegetarian meals than I used to!

One of my favorite ways to use odds and ends of veggies is to make quesadillas. I know that quesadillas are typically made using Mexican flavors and ingredients, but I enjoy playing around with different flavors. This particular recipe has a bit of an Italian/Mediterranean feel to it.

Naturally, this recipe uses the veggies that I had on hand – an Asian eggplant, some really cute assorted bell peppers, and tomatoes.  We got these adorable bell peppers in our CSA share this week.  I lined them up along my chef’s knife to give you an idea of how little they were.

I also had some fresh cooked diced tomatoes in my fridge. In addition to our garden and CSA tomatoes, I had gotten a half-bushel of tomatoes last weekend from a farm near my mom’s house.  After much cooking and freezing, I still had about 1 1/2 cups left in the fridge, so they were put to good use in a spicy tomato sauce.

Speaking of tomatoes, here’s another quick kitchen tip for you…

I recently discovered that my grocery store carries this tomato paste in a squeezable tube – it reminds me of tomato toothpaste.  (And yes, I squeeze from the middle of the tube – both with tomato paste and toothpaste… it drives my husband crazy.)  I often add a little bit of tomato paste to sauces and dishes, but I hate having to open a can of tomato paste and transfer the remainder of the can to another container that will inevitably be lost in the dark depths of my fridge. With the tube, I can just squeeze out what I want to use and return the tube to the fridge. Easy.  It’s a bit more expensive, but considering I usually end up using a whole can of paste when I only want a tablespoon, I think I break even.

You will find that I used some of the tomato paste in the dipping sauce for my quesadillas!  This recipe made three large quesadillas that I cut into quarters. You could make more or less by varying the amount of cheese and the amount of stuffing you put in each quesadilla.

Roasted Eggplant and Pepper Quesadillas with Spicy Tomato Sauce

• 1 Asian eggplant, cubed
• 3 small bell peppers, cut into chunks
• 3 cloves garlic, minced, divided
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes (I had fresh, but canned would work, too)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• Pinch (or two) red pepper flakes
• 6 flour tortillas
• 8 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat the oven to 450°F.  Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.

Spread the eggplant and bell peppers on the baking sheet.  Sprinkle with two cloves of minced garlic, chopped basil, and chopped thyme.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with Kosher salt. Use your fingers to mix the ingredients and make sure that they are evenly coated with the olive oil.  Roast in the oven for about 25 minutes, turning once.  Transfer to a bowl (I could just eat this as-is, but it’s good in the quesadillas, too).

Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan, heat a small amount of olive oil (about a teaspoon or so) over medium-low heat. Add the remaining garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes.  Cook until the garlic is fragrant.  Add the diced tomatoes and the tablespoon of tomato paste.  Stir to combine all of the ingredients.  Simmer while preparing the quesadillas.

To make the quesadillas, preheat a grill pan (or a skillet) over medium heat.  Brush lightly with olive oil.  Lay a tortilla in the pan, topping with cheese and the eggplant mixture. Top with a second tortilla and use a panini press (or a weighted baking sheet) to press the quesadilla flat against the pan.

Bake the quesadilla for a few minutes on each side, until the cheese has melted and the tortilla is crispy.  Transfer the quesadilla to a cutting board and repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Cut the quesadillas into quarters.  Serve the quesadilla wedges with warm spicy tomato sauce.  Garnish with fresh herbs, if desired.

© Jennifer Schall for my kitchen addiction, 2009-2012. | Permalink | 9 comments | Post tags: basil, CSA, eggplant, garden, mozzarella, pepper, quesadilla, thyme, tomato

My first tip is more of a recommendation, a suggestion of how you can multi-task with your asparagus pot.  A few years ago, my hubby bought me the All Clad asparagus pot for my birthday. To some, that may sound strange, but it was actually a perfect gift for me.  I love all things All Clad, and asparagus is one of my all-time favorite vegetables.  Unfortunately, asparagus isn’t in season all year long. So, I have found other ways to use the asparagus pot.

The one thing I noticed about it was that it is the perfect size for three or four ears of corn. The ears fit perfectly in the steamer basket designed for the asparagus! I can simmer a small amount of water in the bottom of the pot, and then drop in the basket with the ears of corn. It produces perfectly steamed corn that is easy to retrieve from the boiling water! Since I’m cooking for my hubby and I, it is the perfect size, too!

Now that I have let you in on my corn-cooking secret, I thought I’d share a quick and easy recipe for bacon jalapeño corn bread…  a great way to use a few spare ears of corn that you may have in your fridge!

Even though the Penny Pinching Pantry Raid is over, my grocery shopping routine has not yet returned to normal.  It’s a good thing, really, although I think it has started to frustrate my husband a bit. It’s just that I got out of the habit of going grocery shopping each week.  It has definitely made me more resourceful!

One night last week, dinnertime rolled around and it occurred to me that I hadn’t yet been to the store and we were running low on just about everything. We did have some eggs, though, so I decided I would make eggs for dinner.  I knew that I had a box of Jiffy corn bread hanging out in my pantry, so I knew I could pull something together to go along with the eggs.  I had bacon in the fridge left over from some bacon mac & cheese I made for dinner earlier in the week, and we have a constant supply of jalapeño peppers in our garden this summer, so this bacon jalapeño corn bread was born!  It’s not fancy, and yes, it’s made from a box of Jiffy… but it got the job done.  And sometimes, that’s what’s important!

Quick and Easy Bacon Jalapeño Cornbread

• 2 slices bacon, chopped into small pieces
• 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped
• 1 box Jiffy corn bread mix
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup corn

Preheat the oven to 400°F.  Spray a 9-inch cake pan with baking spray, and set aside.

Heat a skillet over medium heat, and add the bacon. Cook for a few minutes until the bacon is crisp and the fat has rendered. Add the jalapeños, and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, until the peppers are tender.

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, combine the corn bread mix, egg, and buttermilk. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon and peppers from the skillet, draining off any extra fat.  Add the bacon, peppers, and corn to the corn bread mixture, stirring just enough to incorporate the ingredients.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, and bake for 20 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and the top is golden. Cool slightly prior to serving.

© Jennifer Schall for my kitchen addiction, 2009-2012. | Permalink | 14 comments | Post tags: bacon, bread, corn, jalapeno