Recipes – Page 102 – The Pajama Chef

Margarita Cupcakes

June 20, 2011June 19, 2011 Sarah

Ahh, summertime! As of this weekend, it finally has started to feel like summer to me. My summer classes are over and my only responsibilities this summer are my part-time job and my internship. Freeeeeedom!

And what better way to celebrate freedom than a baked version of a classic cocktail? I actually made these Margarita Cupcakes for a Cinco de Mayo party but am just now getting around to sharing the recipe here. These cupcakes were a hit in both taste and appearance. It’s a fun treat to bite into the “salted” rim and experience an explosion of lime flavor, thanks to real lime juice and margarita mix.

My version was non-alcoholic but you could easily make an adult version if you are so inclined. I’ve actually never [!] tried a real margarita–I’ve only had the virgin version, but after this tasty treat, I think that is going to have to change ASAP.

I must admit, before making these Margarita Cupcakes I was a tiny bit skeptical about all the lime flavoring and considered subbing lemon juice for the lime juice and using strawberry margarita mix instead of lime. But I am so glad that I didn’t, because of the use of lime is what really makes these cupcakes stand out. It has been my observation that limes seem to be one of the most under-rated and negleted citrus fruits, at least for baking purposes. Why is that? Perhaps they are just seen as the smaller, tarted cousin of the lemon, best used for garnish or a hint of flavor in Mexican cuisine. But no! Do not buy into the propaganda! I won’t anymore. Rest assured, these cupcakes have moved limes front and center in my radar and I’m sure you will be seeing their presence again soon. Enjoy!

Margarita Cupcakes [from The Brunette Foodie]
printable version

Ingredients:

for the cake:

1 – 1/4 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons super fine sugar [can be purchased or you can just pulse regular sugar in the food processor/blender to achieve the same result]
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 egg whites
1 can of frozen lime margarita mix [thawed for about 15 minutes before using]
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice

for the icing:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon lime juice
4- 1/2 to 5- 1/2 cups powdered sugar
green food coloring
white or green sprinkles

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill cupcake pan with 18-20 liners or grease with Crisco/butter, as desired.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Next, in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together egg whites, margarita mix, canola oil, and lime juice. Then, fold in dry ingredients until fully incorporated. Batter will be quite thin and runny.

Spoon mixture into prepared pans, filling liners about 2/3 of the way full. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on wire racks before icing.

When cupcakes are cooled, make icing. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together cream cheese and butter on medium until well blended. Add powdered sugar in 1/3-1/2 cup increments, blending fully in between additions. Ways to decide how much powdered sugar to add depends on the desired level of sweetness as well as level of thickness. Add a little bit of green food coloring to dye the icing pale green. [Note: my food coloring was more of a yellow-green, not green-green.]

Then, pipe icing around the outer edge of the cupcake and sprinkle the sprinkles [ha!] over the icing. Then fill in the center. I used a Wilton 32 tip to ice these cupcakes but feel free to use whatever tip you like. Serve and enjoy!

Candy, Desserts, Recipes

A Dear Friend

June 17, 2011 Sarah

Chocolate and peanut butter. Can there be anything better? I submit that there cannot.

Want proof?

In case that picture didn’t whet your appetite in the same way it does mine, allow me to elaborate for just a moment about my dear friend No-Bake Peanut Butter Cup Bars. I haven’t gotten them out of my mind since Jenna shared the recipe about a month ago. Last weekend, I invited them into my home and my heart for the first time and life has never been better. See, my friend brings along a thick layer of peanut butter… sweet, smooth, textured. Add onto that a generous coating of chocolatey wonder, and this is a houseguest you’ll never want to leave.

I literally can’t stop eating them. It’s like a magnetic field exists between my mouth and the freezer. I haven’t been this obsessed about a dessert since I don’t know when.

Fortunately for me, Ben is just as big of a fan as I am. What’s the fortunate part about that, you ask. Well, his tolerance of rich foods is significantly lower than mine is… So, yup, he doesn’t mind quite so much when I “volunteer” to fetch him dessert and then it arrives with a bite or three missing. It was like that in the freezer, I promise. And speaking of that freezer… I think I’m a little hungry.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Cup Bars [from Jenna’s Everything Blog]
printable version

Ingredients:

2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs [for me, this was about 1/3 of a box]
3 cups powdered sugar
2 cups creamy peanut butter [about 2/3 of a 24 ounce jar]
1 cup butter, softened and divided
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Crush graham crackers in a ziploc bag or a food processor until crumbs are small [and if you’re like me, until the crumbs are all over your kitchen floor, sticking to your feet].

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine graham cracker crumbs, 3/4 cup butter, and 2 cups peanut butter. Mix on low to combine. Add powdered sugar slowly in small increments, about 1/2 cup at a time, and mix until all powdered sugar is fully incorporated. You might want to do that step extra slowly with caution so you don’t wind up [again] like me, with powdered sugar all over your floor, because it likes to spew everywhere.

Spoon out mixture into an [ungreased] 9×13 pan. Use a spatula and/or your [clean!] fingers to pat mixture down. It will be a little sticky, but be patient and work slowly and it’ll be fine.

Then, combine chocolate chips and 1/4 cup butter in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave until melted. I like to heat for about 45 seconds on 50% power, remove and stir, then repeat for 20 seconds. If it’s not fully melted by then, continue process until it is. Then remove quickly, stir in cinnamon, and spread immediately over peanut butter layer. Don’t worry, your chocolate will not taste super cinnamon-y. The cinnamon just enhances the chocolate flavor to make it even better, I promise! I used a combination of a table knife and a spatula to spread the chocolate and that worked pretty well.

Then [this is the hard part], cover and place in the freezer or refrigerator for at least an hour to cool and harden. Cut into small squares and serve. I cooled the whole thing in the freezer and then let it sit out for about 15 minutes before cutting into squares and that worked perfectly. Store [and consume] the leftovers in the freezer. They are perfect when eaten at this temperature. Enjoy!

Main Dishes, Recipes, Turkey

Creamy Taco Mac

June 16, 2011February 23, 2017 Sarah

Have you heard the news? After all these years of being with my husband, the Hamburger Helper fanatic, I have found a variety of Hamburger Helper that I tolerate like enjoy alright, I give up, love. I have recently fallen in *love* with the one and only Creamy Taco Mac. Me, the girl who despises packaged foods and powdered cheese and all it stand for!

Alright, enough, you say. Why are you posting about a packaged food product on a food blog? Well… there’s a catch. [There’s always a catch, isn’t there?]

It’s homemade Hamburger Helper.

Bet you didn’t see that one coming, did ya? 🙂 [Don’t worry, I will not ever post a recipe for any sort of boxed food product. Except maybe one discussing how amazing boxed brownies are and how yummy they taste in pillow cookies.]

This is Hamburger [Turkey?] Helper as you’ve never had it. Oodles of gooey, melty cheddar cheese covering chunks of tomato, tender macaroni noodles, and taco seasoned ground turkey, all bound together by a luscious cream sauce with a tiny bit of kick. It’s like a return to childhood right on your dinner plate, with good enough leftovers to fight for.

Creamy Taco Mac

Servings: 4
Time: 20 minutes
Print

from Smells Like Home

Ingredients:

1 pound ground turkey
8 ounces elbow macaroni, uncooked
1 cup reserved pasta water
14.5 ounce can sodium-free diced tomatoes, undrained
4 tablespoons taco seasoning [store-bought or from scratch]
4 ounces cream cheese, cut into chunks
1/2 cup sour cream, plus more for serving
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus more for serving
black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Cook pasta as directed in a large stockpot, reserving one cup of pasta water before draining. Return pasta to pot.

Meanwhile, brown ground turkey over medium heat until cooked through. Reduce heat to low. Add taco seasoning and tomatoes, then simmer, uncovered for about 5 minutes.

Add the cream cheese, sour cream, and cheddar cheese to the stockpot with the pasta.

Slowly and carefully spoon in ground turkey and tomato mixture. Season with a good amount of black pepper. Add as much reserved pasta water as desired. A full cup is usually too thin for me, but adding some of the water makes the sauce better, in my opinion. Stir until well combined.

Simmer over low heat for 2-3 minutes, or until cheeses are melted.

Serve with additional sour cream and cheese if desired. Enjoy!

Breakfast, Pancakes, Recipes

Strawberry Chocolate Coconut Pancakes

June 7, 2011June 11, 2011 Sarah

Confession time: I almost didn’t even bother taking pictures of these Strawberry Chocolate Coconut Pancakes.

It was a Saturday morning two weeks ago, the first in about six weeks that I was a) home and b) not doing a marathon training run, so I just wanted to eat. my. breakfast. In peace. No photography. [I apologize! Bad blogger attitude. Shame on me!] But… my dear husband thought differently. And for that, you should be eternally grateful. Just kidding… kinda. 🙂 One bite of these delicious dream boat pancakes and I knew that my husband saved me from making a terrible, horrible mistake.

I started out by whipping up a batch of my basic pancake batter, the origin of which is a mystery to me. I’ve been making these pancakes for several years, and the recipe is handwritten in my recipe journal, so I unfortunately cannot take credit for the basic recipe. However, I can take credit for the mix-ins!

After the basic batter was prepared, I perused my refrigerator and cupboards and took inspiration from two of my favorite sweet treats: luscious, fresh strawberries and creamy, rich chocolate. Both flavors are complimented by a hint of tropical coconut in the batter, in the form of coconut oil and coconut flakes.

As I fried these babies up on a hot skillet, I dropped on plenty of chopped strawberries and mini chocolate chips. Once my plate was piled high, I covered the lot with more strawberries, chocolate, and coconut and dug in. It was like a trip to the tropics before 10 a.m., I tell ya!

I’m so glad that my Ben knows a winning recipe when it’s right in front of him. Now, if only a trip to the tropics was right in front of him… I suppose for now I’ll just have to settle for a delicious, indulgent tropical breakfast instead. 🙂 It’s just as good, I promise!

Strawberry Chocolate Coconut Pancakes
printable version

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
sprinkle of salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/4 cups skim milk, at room temperature
1 egg, at room temperature
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup cut strawberries + more for topping
2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips + more for topping
2 tablespoons unsweetened dried coconut flakes + more for topping

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients [flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar]. In a small bowl, stir milk, egg, coconut oil, and vanilla until well combined. Make a well in the dry ingredients and then pour wet ingredients over top and stir until just moistened. [Lumps are a-okay!] Then, fold in coconut. Spoon out batter onto hot griddle in 1/4-1/3 cup increments and sprinkle on desired amounts of strawberries and chocolate chips. Cook until golden brown and serve topped with more strawberries, coconut, and chocolate. Enjoy! Makes 10-12 medium size pancakes.

Notes:

If the milk and eggs aren’t at room temperature, it’s not the end of the world. I think the consistency is better if they are, but I’m not always that organized [or patient!]. Also, melted butter can be used in place of oil. I haven’t tried this, but for even more of a coconut emphasis, consider using lite coconut milk instead of skim.

Main Dishes, Pasta, Recipes

Lemony Kale Pasta

June 1, 2011June 13, 2011 Sarah

So far this summer, I have come to love Wednesdays, even though the last several have been rainy and not-so-fun. Nothing can top last Wednesday, when a tornado hit Bloomington and downed over 500 trees on Indiana University’s campus and more all around town, in addition to damaging numerous buildings and homes. Thankfully, there were no serious injuries. But yet… I still am loving Wednesdays. Why, you might ask? Because Wednesdays is CSA day!

As you might remember, Ben and I joined our first CSA this summer. Every Wednesday after work, I head over to a nearby park and pick up a basket of goodies for the week. We’ve gotten to try a lot of delicious, local, seasonal, just-picked vegetables and herbs, including gorgeous rhubarb [fact: did you know rubarb doesn’t have to be bright red to be tasty?], radishes [I’ve discovered that I love those spicy things], Asian mustard greens, pea shoots, green garlic, chocolate mint, oregano, chervil, and more.

So far, I think my absolute favorite CSA box find has been the baby kale we received during our first pick-up. This kale was tender, tiny, and flavorful. Normal kale leaves are huge and require lots of cutting to be manageable. This kale, on the other hand, was a little bigger than a spinach leaf. Each bite packed an insane amount of peppery flavor with just the right amount of crunch. If you’ve never tried kale, be sure to check it out at your local farmer’s market. Grab a bunch and make this simple Lemony Kale Pasta that I found compliments of Annie’s Eats.

What we loved about this dish–besides the twenty minutes or so of prep time, most of it waiting for the water to boil/for pasta to cook… sigh…–was the sharp contrast of flavors that blended together so well. Meant. to. be. I always think of lemon and olive oil as the perfect pairing for say, marinating chicken with some herbs or spices. And kale is good for my African Peanut Pineapple Stew. But lemon… and kale… with pasta? Really, you jest. It is good though… and it’s not just the cheese that makes it so wonderful! The lightness of the lemon, the richness of olive oil, and the sharpness of kale–plus the cheese… we can’t forget the cheese!–join together with a hearty noodle for a party on your plate.

So what are you waiting for? Go get yourself some kale and try this for yourself!

Lemony Kale Pasta [from Annie’s Eats]
printable version

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
couple dashes of Kosher salt
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated plus more for serving
4-6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
juice of 2 lemons
1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
freshly ground black pepper
1 pound pasta [i.e. penne]
1 large bunch baby kale, rinsed and dried, stems removed
lemon slices, for garnish

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta. Don’t forget to salt the water! Then, start on the dressing. Mix together the garlic and a little bit of salt [original suggested 1/4 teaspoon but I didn’t use that much]. Smash garlic with fork or chef’s knife to make a paste. Place paste in a small bowl and add 1/2 cup Parmesan, olive oil [start with about 4 tablespoons and add more later if needed], lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and black pepper to taste. Whisk until combined.

Cook pasta to al dente or your preference. Meanwhile, chop kale into 1/2 inch strips and place in large serving bowl. Pour dressing on top of kale and toss to coat. After pasta is ready, drain and cool for a moment. Then add to kale mixture and toss again to coat. Add additional olive oil to thin dressing if needed. Serve with lemon and Parmesan to taste.