Red Velvet Cupcakes

I wanted to make some Red Velvet cupcakes for my sister-in-law's baby shower tea party, but of course I had to test out the recipe first. To be honest, I have never actually tasted Red Velvet cake before, and in my mind it was moist, a bit chocolaty, and had creamy white frosting on it. I searched far and wide for a traditional Red Velvet cake recipe. What I found was that the traditional frosting was not the modern cream cheese frosting, but rather a cooked vanilla frosting. I even found one site that declared that her recipe was the best frosting ever and that you would never use any other frosting on a chocolate cake again!! I was tempted.

I decided on Paula Deen's Red Velvet cake recipe, and to use the "Best Frosting I've Ever Had" recipe. The result was disappointing, for me at least. The cake was too dry and dense, the frosting was not as sweet as I am used to, but came out smooth. I won't replace my traditional butter cream frosting again on a cake. I love the reliability of box cake mixes, and will probably use those from now on. I was tempted to try another recipe for Red Velvet cupcakes that added some chocolate ganache for more moisture, but ran out of time. Some friends told me that Red Velvet is not meant to be moist, and is less sweet compared to other cakes. Here are the recipes.

Grandmother Paula's Red Velvet Cake

2 c. sugar
1/2 lb. butter, room temperature
2 eggs
2 T cocoa powder
2 oz. red food coloring
2 1/2 c. cake flour
1 t. salt
1 c. buttermilk
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. baking soda
1 T vinegar

In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter, beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition. Mix cocoa and food coloring together and then add to sugar mixture, mix well. Sift together flour and salt. Add flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Blend in vanilla. In a small bowl, combine baking soda and vinegar and add to mixture. Pour batter into 3 (8-inch) round greased and floured pans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from heat and cool completely before frosting.

Best Frosting I've Ever Had

5 T flour
1 c. milk
1 t. vanilla
1 c. butter
1 c. sugar

In a small saucepan, whisk flour into milk and heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens (almost like a brownie mix). Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. Stir in vanilla. While the mixture is cooling, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the completely cooled milk/flour/vanilla mixture and beat well, until it all combines and resembles whipped cream. Spread it on a cooled chocolate cake.

Chocolate Mousse

It seems I am starting off the new year with a couple of failed recipes!! This was another vintage recipe that failed big time. It was more like an ice cream than a mousse. It calls for a "refrigerator tray", which I think might be those old-fashioned metal ice cube trays with no dividers. Of course I don't have any of those, so I used a cast-aluminum griddle instead. I also made a mistake with the whipped cream, getting a bit lazy and buying the spray type rather than whipping it up myself. In the end I don't know if that made any difference in the final product or not. My other recipes were better mousse recipes. I did learn that Ghirardelli makes a product called "ground chocolate", which seems to be a combination of ground chocolate and cocoa. It has the same consistency as cocoa powder, but might have other ingredients.

Chocolate Mousse

1 c. Ghirardelli's ground chocolate
8 T powdered sugar
2 c. rich milk (I used half-and-half)
small can evaporated milk
2 t. vanilla
4 t. gelatin
6 T cold water
1 c. sugar
1 pint cream, whipped

Mix ground chocolate, powdered sugar, and milk; scald, take off stove and add both gelatin to which cold water has been added, and the cup of sugar, stirring until entirely dissolved (about 3 minutes)l add vanilla. When cold and ready to set, add whipped cream and put into refrigerator trays and freeze. This makes a generous serving for 8 to 10 people.

Hollandaise Sauce

This was a truly disappointing Hollandaise sauce. It was a vintage recipe, that was too lemony and the paprika was not the proper spice. I added too much salt, too. At least the consistency stayed smooth for me.

Hollandaise Sauce

3/4 c. butter
2 T lemon juice
3 egg yolks, beaten
1/8 t. paprika

Melt one third of the butter in the top of a double boiler, stir in lemon juice and beaten egg yolks. Place over hot water, cook slowly, beat constantly using wire whisk. Add one half of remaining butter, beat, add rest of butter. Beat until mux==ixture thickens. Remove from water. Add seasoning. If sauce should separate, add hot water by teaspoon and use rotary beater.

Turkey Vegetable Soup

My Mom is always telling me to use the turkey carcass to make soup. So, when I was done with my Thanksgiving turkey I decided to give it a try!! I found a recipe for Turkey Vegetable Soup and tweaked it a little bit. The result was a great soup. I might add more barley (and water for it) and not use beans next time around. The thing I did differently was to strain all the solids out of the broth and then add more veggies when I added the turkey. So, the result was the broth had good flavor, but not the chunks of onion, etc. I would definitely do this technique again. I didn't have enough celery, so next time I would use more. I experimented with which potato would be the best, but I added them too early and they all got mushy. I think one good-sized Russet would work (peeled).

Turkey Vegetable Soup

1 turkey carcass (approximately 2 1/2 lb.), cut in half [I forgot to cut it in half]
2 1/2 quarts water
2 ribs celery (with leaves) cut into 1-inch pieces
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces [I didn't use parsnips]
1 ripe tomato, seeded and coarsely chopped [I used some sun-dried tomatoes & paste]
2 medium-sized onions, quartered
3 whole cloves of garlic, bruised [I used chopped]
6 whole black peppercorns
1 t. coarse salt
4 whole sprigs of fresh dill [I used some dried dill weed]
2 T chopped dill
1/4 c. uncooked pearl barley

1. Place the turkey carcass, water, celery, carrots, parsnips, tomato, onions, garlic, peppercorns, salt, and dill sprigs in a large, heavy soup pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
2. Remove the carcass, celery leaves, garlic cloves, and dill sprigs from the soup. Add the barley and simmer for 40 minutes more, stirring occasionally, adding the 2 Tablespoons of chopped dill during the last 10 minutes. Serves 6.

Fajitas

Fajitas

4 chicken breast halves
3 bell peppers
2 medium onions
2 tomatoes
cilantro
juice of 4-5 limes
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1 T soy sauce
1 T light molasses
1 T chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. pepper
1 T oil
orange juice
white wine
flour tortillas
toppings (grated cheddar cheese, shredded iceberg lettuce, diced tomatoes, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, sliced green onions, etc.)

1. Slice the bell peppers, onions, chicken, and beef into long strips. Chop tomatoes into cubes and chop the cilantro.
2. Mix together the next eight ingredients for the marinade. Marinate the meat for at least 1 hour or overnight.
3. In a large frying pan, heat the oil. Add bell peppers and onions. Stir fry for several minutes. Add the meat and marinade to the pan and continue stir frying. As soon as the chicken is done, add the tomatoes, orange juice, and wine. Cook another minute until warmed and serve.
4. Turn off the heat and cover the fajitas. Set up your toppings and heat up the tortillas with a damp paper towel in the microwave, using a tortilla warmer container works well.

Note: I tried this recipe with beef (London broil) and red wine, but it wasn't as good as the chicken version. The amount of orange juice and wine will vary, but be careful not to use too much.

Chicken With Basil & Pine Nut Pesto

I had trouble getting the water to boil for the fettuccine, I would definitely start the water before the other steps in this recipe!! The pesto was OK, but the cheese was to "large". I should have used grated instead of the shredded I had on hand. Also the dish was too cold, even if I had warmed the bowl first it would have been too cold. Perhaps a short trip through the microwave before serving would work? Overall, this is just a simple pasta-pesto-chicken dish that really doesn't need a recipe!! I won't be keeping this recipe, but plan to reheat tomorrow for breakfast with some cream in the sauce. I always prefere creamy pesto, and I will toast some pine nuts for the top. Oh, I always toast my pine nuts before putting them into a pesto because it brings out the flavor.

Chicken With Basil & Pine Nut Pesto

1 2/3 c. shredded fresh basil
4 oz. olive oil
3 T pine nuts
3 garlic cloves, crushed
salt
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 T freshly grated Romano cheese
2 T vegetable oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
12 oz. dried fettuccine
freshly ground pepper
sprig of fresh basil, for garnish

1. To make the pesto, put the basil, olive oil, pine nuts, garlic, and a generous pinch of salt in a food processor or blender. Puree the ingredients until smooth. Scrape the mixture into a bowl and stir in the cheeses.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over a medium heat. Cook the chicken breasts, turning once, for 8-10 minutes, or until the juices are no longer pink. Cut into small cubes.
3. Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and transfer to a warm serving dish. Add the chicken and pesto, then season with pepper. Toss well to mix. Garnish with a sprig of basil and serve warm.

Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce

I have been trying to create a sweet and sour dipping sauce that is like those little red packets you get at Chinese restaurants. This is the closest I have come. Substituting rice wine vinegar seemed to make it a bit sweeter than other recipes I have tried. I also took someone's advice to make it thicker by adding more cornstarch and water to the pan, I think I added 1 teaspoon of cornstarch and two teaspoons of water, which I mixed with a little whisk before I stirred it into the sauce. I will keep this recipe until I get a better one.

Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce

1 t. cornstarch
1/3 c. distilled white vinegar
2 t. vegetable oil (I probably used peanut oil)
2/3 c. unsweetened pineapple juice
2 T ketchup
3 T brown sugar
salt to taste

1. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat whisk together vinegar and cornstarch.
2. Add remaining ingredients, whisking constantly until the mixture is heated through.
3. Chill before use.

Chicken & Onion Cream Sauce

This recipe used ingredients I had on-hand and I substituted the pasta tubes for fettuccine. This recipe was OK, worked well as a leftover, too. I should have chopped the green onions finer, since I don't prefer to eat onions in big pieces. It is a basic cream sauce with some chicken and pasta. I will keep it, until I find a better one.

Chicken & Onion Cream Sauce

1 T olive oil
2 T butter
1 garlic clove, chopped very finely
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1 onion, finely chopped
1 chicken bouillon cube, crumbled
1/2 c. water
1 1/4 c. heavy cream
3/4 c. milk
6 scallions, green part included, sliced diagonally
scant 1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 lb. dried fettuccine
chopped fresh flatleaf parsley, to garnish

1. Heat the oil and butter with the garlic in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook garlic until just beginning to color.
2. Add the chicken breasts and raise the heat to medium. Cook for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until the juices are no longer pink.
3. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
4. Remove the chicken, leaving the oil in the skillet.
5. Slice the chicken breasts diagonally into thin strips and set aside.
6. Reheat the oil in the skillet. Add the onion and gently cook for 5 minutes, or until soft.
7. Add the crumbled bouillon cube and the water. Bring to a boil and then simmer over a medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
8. Stir in the cream, milk, scallions, and Parmesan. Simmer until heated through and slightly thickened.
9. Cook the fettuccine in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and transfer to a warm serving dish. Layer the chicken slices over the pasta. Pour on the sauce, then garnish with parsley and serve. Serves 4.

Basil Grilled Chicken

Do not adjust your computer monitor, the chicken really did look PINK!! This was a strange recipe, all I did was add some basil to some melted butter and brush it on the chicken. I baked it rather than grilled it, and it tasted only OK. The confusing part of this recipe was actually the addition of the flavored butter. Wasn't sure what to do with it!! I ended up dipping the chicken in the butter as I ate it!! I had leftover butter and chicken that I ended up using in a new dish the next day, creating more sauce for a pasta dish. This is not a keeper, though.

Basil Grilled Chicken

3/4 t. coarsely ground pepper
4 chicken breast halves, skinned
1/3 c. butter or margarine, melted
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil
1/2 c. butter or margarine, softened
2 T minced fresh basil
1 T grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/8 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
fresh basil sprigs (optional)

1. Press 3/4 teaspoon pepper into meaty sides of chicken breast halves.
2. Combine 1/3 cup melted butter and 1/4 cup chopped basil, stir well.
3. Brush chicken lightly with melted butter mixture.
4. Combine 1/2 cup softened butter, 2 Tablespoons basil, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Beat at low speed of an electric mixer until mixture is well blended and smooth. Transfer to a small serving bowl and set aside.
5. Grill chicken over medium coals for 8-10 minutes on each side, basting frequently with remaining melted butter mixture.
6. Serve grilled chicken with basil-butter mixture. Garnish with fresh basil sprigs, if desired. Serves 4.

Pasta with Gorgonzola & White Corn Sauce

I had some fresh basil and wanted to make a dish that I could eat with my Basil Grilled Chicken. I had most of the ingredients for this recipe, but had to go out and get some white corn and Gorgonzola cheese. I didn't realize how strong Gorgonzola cheese is, but the sweetness of the corn and the saltiness of the bacon helped to balance it out. I won't be keeping this recipe, though. There was not enough of the sauce for the pasta and I wasn't wild about the taste. I prepared a mix of the chicken and the pasta dish for leftovers, creating more sauce from the leftover evaporated milk, corn, and the flavored butter from the chicken recipe.

Pasta with Gorgonzola & White Corn Sauce

6 T minced red onion
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 t. salt
1 1/4 c. evaporated skim milk
6 oz. sweet Gorgonzola, crumbled
dashes of Tabasco sauce
1 lb. fettuccine
1 1/4 t. grated lemon rind
12 large basil leaves, but into thin strips
1 1/2 - 1 3/4 c. white corn
8 thick slices bacon, fried crisp & crumbled

1. In a skillet on medium heat wilt onions in oil, stirring about 5 minutes.
2. Add salt and milk.
3. Add cheese and Tabasco.
4. Cook, stirring, until cheese melts and mixture thickens (do not boil).
5. Remove from heat.
6. Cook pasta.
7. Reheat sauce and add the other ingredients except bacon. Divide pasta to 8 warm bowls. Top with sauce and sprinkle with bacon. Serves 8.