Strawberry Shortcake Jello Shots

As promised, weekend celebrations brought about the creation of an epic cocktail for my best friend, Kathryn's 22nd birthday! In the past, I have always made her a decadent cake for her birthday such as dark chocolate cake with caramel chocolate ganache, whipped caramel cream cheese icing, and dark chocolate shavings. However, these cakes pack lots of calories with their flavor. So, in an effort to be healthy and stick to our diet resolutions, it was decided that we would somehow combine pre-gaming and cake. The solution- strawberry jello shots with cake vodka!

To start out, begin by boiling a little over 4 cups of water. You will need 4 cups for the jello and some will boil off.

Next, we'll move on to the alcoholic part of the jello. I chose to use 3 Olives Cake. It was on sale, which is always a plus, and the bottle is so pretty. Of course, 3 Olives is a great brand and their flavored vodkas have always been top notch in my book. Pinnacle and UV also make cake flavored vodka if you want to comparison shop. This vodka is the most delicious smelling and tasting stuff I have ever come across! It's literally like butter cake mix! Incredible! I definitely foresee many other cocktails utilizing this liquor in my near future. Cake vodka and cream soda, perhaps?

Combine, 3 cups vodka with 1/4 cup cold water and place in the fridge or freezer. Optimally, do this and hour ahead of time to allow it to fully chill. Alcohol has a lower boiling temperature than water. Thoroughly chilling allows us to add the vodka to the hot jello mixture without it losing any potency. AKA this step is super important! A 750 mL bottle will allow for all 3 cups plus enough leftover over for 2-3 celebratory shots!

Back to our Jello component! Once the water boils, add in 2, 6 oz packets of strawberry Jello stirring thoroughly until fully dissolved. I used the sugar free just to make it healthier. Allow it to cool until no longer steaming. This also helps keep the vodka's alcohol from cooking off. You may choose to do this in a separate bowl rather than your pot. You should ensure that you choose a vessel that is large enough to hold another 4 cups of liquid. Also note that the red pigment of this Jello is so intense that it may stain white or clear bowls and even counter tops with extended exposure to the jello. This is especially true of junky laminate counter tops- aka the stuff found in 99.9 % of college apartments. This actually happened at my old apartment with black cherry kool-aid. No worries- the Mr. Clean magic eraser or eye make-up remover will take this stuff (or almost any stain) off counters.

 While waiting for the Jello mix to cool, I laid out all my cups for the Jellos shots. I used 2 oz mini portion cups. They are sold in packs of 50 with the lids included. I got mine at Wal-Mart. Just click here and then check your store availability. They are located in the grocery sections near the solo cups. Depending on the size of your shots, this recipe will make 50-70 shots. To make it easier, lay cups out on cookies sheets if you have them. This not only makes putting the shots in the fridge simpler but it also makes it easier to clean up if one of the cups spills. Now here's my simple but brilliant tip- spray the cups with cooking spray. It adds no flavor and, if you use the right kind, no calories but allows for optimal jello extraction with ease. Pure genius.

Now, fill all of these cups and top with a lid. The easiest way to fill the cups, in my opinion, is by using one of the cups to scoop the liquid into the other cups, but this may just be because of my restaurant experience in cupping dressings. Obviously, if you want more jello shots then fill the cups less full. If quantity isn't what you're going for then fill those babies on up. I did mine about 3/4 full and wound up with 63 after spilling one. Put the trays in the fridge and allow to chill about 2-3 hours until jello sets.

Sadly, I have to move on to the disappointing part. I was super excited to make these jello shots into a true strawberry shortcake with the addition of Whipped Lightning- alcohol infused whipped cream. I first began to worry in the ABC store when I read that this product should not be refrigerated. This stuff is also 18.25% alcohol and, while this in ways is fantastic, keep in mind that Hypnotiq is a mere 17% alcohol. I began to worry a little more that the grain alcohol in this stuff would trump any others fancy flavors. Pushing my concern to the side, I settled on the Strawberry Love Whipahol flavor. It is described as tasting like french vanilla and strawberries. The description goes on to say, " We're not saying it's the best thing since happy hour but it sure comes close." This tequila-swigging blogger knows happy hour and, let me just say, this stuff by no means comes close to the epic nature of this sacred time period of dollar shots, $3 long islands, half price margaritas, and five buck pitchers. After attempting celebratory "we just made so many delicious jello shots" shots, I promptly spit out the nasty stuff and desperately searched for anything to drink to kill the flavor. It is not sweet at all and really doesn't taste like strawberry or vanilla- only like grain alcohol, as I feared. I am seriously beginning to question the taste buds of my friends who have tried and love the stuff! Trust me, stick with the real, sadly un-alcoholic, deal! Your taste buds will thank you!

Above, Carrington, Cristin (sadly allergic to red food dye but she did have one!), the birthday girl Kathryn, me, and Rachel toasting with the strawberry shortcake shots! These were seriously delicious with just enough alcohol taste to remind you that these shots pack a punch. They were a hit with everyone including the shot adverse birthday girl! Stay tuned for spring game shenanigans in the future when I will again blog about jello shots with the recipe orange and maroon layered jello shots made with whipped vodka and triple sec! Stay hungry (and thirsty!) my friends!

Duck Pizza with Hoisin Sauce, Herb Goat Cheese, Portabellas, and Caramelized Onions

This dish is inspired by an old restaurant favorite. When I was fairly young, we used to travel to Atlanta to visit my Uncle Dirk a few times a year. Our favorite trip was for back to school shopping. We'd spend our days hitting outlet malls, clearance racks, and, of course, eating foods that I never could have dreamed of finding in sweet, little Halifax County. One of our favorite places to go was California Pizza Kitchen in the Lenox Mall.

Photo Courtesy of http://foodnearsnellville.files.wordpress.com

The restaurant actually sits in the very center of the mall as shown in the picture to the left. Among our favorite specialty pizzas was the Peking Duck Pizza. A delicious creation of roasted duck breast, mozzarella cheese, soy-glazed shitake mushrooms, crispy wontons, green onions, and ginger hoisin sauce. Sadly, CPK revised their menu years ago and this delicacy no longer graces its pages. However, the saga does not end here! Years ago, my family decided that rather than the standard holiday fare, we would make duck for Christmas. This is a tradition that, I'm happy to say, has stuck. After duck Christmas, we had plenty of leftovers and my uncle concocted the perfect plan to make duck pizza. I have since taken my many hours of duck pizza recipe research and promptly thrown it out the window with the decision to trust my gut. Its pizza, not rocket science! So with some beautiful leftover duck from Bistro 1888, I created my masterpiece.

First of all, hoisin is a main component in this pizza. It can be bought it grocery stores in the Asian food section. I make my own just because it is cheaper and I'm usually making it for my sister to consume. She is gluten-free and all the store brands contain it. To make your own hoisin, combine 4 T soy sauce, 2 T peanut butter (black bean paste if you want to be super traditional), 1 T honey, 2 T vinegar (I've always used apple cider), 1/8 t garlic powder (I definitely crank this amount up!), 2 teaspoons sesame oil (Asian food section), 20 drops chinese hot sauce ( I generally use texas pete/ tabasco because I have it around),  and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. I would definitely recommend making a larger batch because you will about a cup for the pizza. It stays good in the fridge for awhile if stored in a jar and is a great way to spice up steamed veggies, chicken, and makes a delicious stir fry!

Alright, moving along. Another component on this pizza is caramelized onions. These turned out to be one of my favorite kinds of food to cook- sounds hard/fancy, actually really freaking easy! Lots of recipes that I look through called for scallions and I almost opted to go this route. I'm so glad that I chose to take the extra time because this absolutely makes the whole dish! Start off by chopping one sweet onion. I did a course chop since I was using this as a pizza topping. Saute in pan over medium heat in about a tablespoon of olive oil until that become translucent, but do not brown. At this point, add 1-2 tablespoons of brown sugar. You can also use honey, molasses, white sugar, or really any type of sweetening agent like this.

It will start off looking like this. Just continue to cook on medium, stirring constantly until the sugar and onions bind together and become fragrant. I was concerned when I first googled how to do this about the "become fragrant" part but, honestly, as vague as it sounds, once you actually cook it, this will all make so much sense!

At this point, they will look like the above photo and smell absolutely delicious! Remove your pan from the heat and let your gorgeous caramelized onions hang out until its time to put them on your equally gorgeous pizza.

Now, its finally pizza time!

I started with a store bought wheat pizza crust just to save on time. I used one by Boboli that can be found at Kroger with the pizza making stuff. 

Next, I spread a thin layer of hoisin sauce on the crust. I probably used around a cup of sauce. Leave a little space around the edges so you have a nice crust.

Then, take your herb goat cheese and place it in chunks on top of your crust like the above picture making sure to space them out well.

I used this beautiful goat cheese found at the Blacksburg Kroger. Silver Goat not only makes a wonderful product, but it is also made from sustainable sources, contains no additives or preservatives, and is kosher. I used 4 oz of the herb and garlic. Goat cheese is a great healthy choice with a tangy flavor and that delicious creamy texture without as many calories, less fat and cholesterol, and more calcium and protein.

I spread my cheese out to cover the pizza. In retrospect, I would skip this step. There is really no purpose and it just makes it ugly! Anywho, next add your duck on top of your pizza, distributing evenly. I used 1- 1 1/2 cups of leftover duck chopped into course pieces. If you don't want to bother with cooking duck/finding duck, you could definitely use another poultry protein like chicken or turkey with almost as delicious results.

Next, top with your mushrooms. I personally love baby portabellas and they were also on sale when I was grocery shopping! Bi-winning! You could use any kind of mushroom, but I think the hearty, earthy flavor of the portabello pairs nicely with the rustic, gamey flavor of duck.

Now, take your beautiful caramelized onions and top your pizza with them. I added an extra drizzle of balsamic to the top just for an added touch. Take you beautiful creation and put it in an oven preheated to 450 degrees. Cook until cheese is bubbly and crust is crispy. I used a perforated pan (aka it has little holes in it) for a crispier crust. This type of pan is great not just for making your own pizza, but awesome for reheating frozen pizzas. I left mine in for about 15-20 minutes.

The finished product! It is not the most beautiful pizza in the world, but once you take a bite, you certainly won't care. While it has a great earthy quality to it, this pizza is elevated and luxurious. I think it would be great topped with some fresh herbs and chopped peanuts or crispy wontons for texture.

My first cocktail blog is currently in the works! My best friend's birthday is this weekend so a great drink is certainly a must! Perhaps some tequila is in order? Stay hungry my friends!

Veggie Breakfast Scramble

First off, let me apologize for my extended hiatus from blogging my culinary adventures. Unfortunately, school work has to take priority and I also came down with a nasty stomach virus that left me vowing to never eat anything but Cheez-its again. By Cheez-its, I mean the plain ole boring kind. Even the white cheddar variety was a bit too adventurous for a few days.

One of my favorite, underutilized meals is breakfast. While I love breakfast foods, I never feel like eating when I first get up and I'm usually running late for class and just grab a granola bar after hitting the snooze button a few too many times. This leaves "real" breakfast a sacred meal for weekends. After vowing to be healthier, while still eating delicious food, this year, I began to analyze my weekend breakfast habits. Jacob is truly a breakfast snob after being spoiled by his parents with eggs, bacon, toast, pancakes, french toast, and more on a regular basis. Meals like this were more reserved for snow days at my house. Hey, we just don't do mornings and french toast, while awesome, is simply not enough motivation to get us up and moving in time to eat it. As a result of Jacob's snobbery, our breakfast feasts were definitely packing on the pounds so I decided to come up with a delicious breakfast scramble that would pack lots of delicious flavor without all the calories.

First of all, let me note that his recipe was made for 2 people so if you're just cooking for yourself, half all these quantities. To start out, I warmed a tablespoon or so of olive oil in a large frying pan on medium-high heat (more towards the medium side). Then, I added 1 small sweet onion chopped and about a tablespoon of pre-minced garlic.

I sauteed the onions until they began to become translucent and fragrant and then added 1 red bell pepper chopped. This would also be great with a variety of other bell pepper colors. On a side note for my fellow penny pinchers, grocery stores (i.e. Kroger) often put red, orange, and yellow bell peppers on sale 10 for $10. You can buy them and bulk and freeze already chopped (use that handy dandy food processor!) in already portioned baggies. They can even be frozen whole!

Continue to saute being careful not to brown to onions until the pepper become soft. If they begin to become brown, just turn the heat down a bit. I, once again, used my awesome Willams-Sonoma Professional Multi-Chopper for chopping my peppers and onions. Look at those gorgeous, uniform peppers!

Next, add in a few handfuls of leaf spinach chopped. I hate using such a vague measurement but, honestly, the amount of spinach really depends on your personal taste. Add a little if you're feeling apprehensive about eggs and spinach or a lot for a great serving of leafy greens. I removed the stems before chopping just because I personally hate their texture and find them a little bitter. Allow the chopped spinach to wilt stirring occasionally. I think this recipe would also be great with other veggies added like some fire roasted tomatoes (just $0.99/ can, try Hunt's fire roasted tomatoes with garlic) or fresh mushrooms.

Then, add I used the equivalent of 6 eggs in store-bought egg whites. You could, of course, use real eggs. Just make sure to thoroughly whisk these with a fork before adding them to pan. I also threw in about a 1/4 cup of sharp cheddar cheese. Sharp cheddar is a great way to impart that great taste without having to use as much cheese because of its bold flavor. Cook the eggs slowly moving them around the pan constantly. I use a stiff silicone spatula so I can get all the nooks and crannies without worrying about scratching my precious Teflon. When eggs are soft but still have some moisture to them, plate. KEY NOTE- eggs, kind of like cookies, continue to cook after they are out of the pan. The biggest mistake people make with scrambles is too overcook their eggs!

Enjoy your delicious breakfast, brunch, late night study snack, or whatever meal! I paired mine with some fresh strawberries and banana bread from my tequila-swigging gal Kaley. She makes all of her banana bread with all natural sugar (think sugar in the raw), whole wheat flour, and, of course, bittersweet chocolate chips! Hmmmmm sounds like I may need her to do a guest blog spot on her specialty.

Coming soon!- Duck Pizza!- re-purposing duck leftovers by making a pizza on whole wheat crust with homemade hoison sauce, herbed goat cheese, baby bellas, and caramelized onions

Also Coming Soon!- Carrot Souffle with Brown Sugar- the low cal version- an amazing, elegant, and impressive way to enjoy this beta-carotene packed veggie

Stay tuned and stay hungry my friends!

Lemon Pepper Chicken with Spinach Pesto Pasta

These 2 recipes are ones that I learned a long time ago in elementary school. My mom was trying to teach my sister and I the importance of giving by having us buy or make presents for people on our own. My grandmother's birthday was fast approaching and I had the perfect present for her- dinner cooked by moi! It sounds simple enough, but my grandmother had just been diagnosed with diabetes, so I would have to pick my menu carefully. After much deliberation and preparation, it was the big day. I set the table complete with the good china and stemware, our prettiest tablecloth, the nice napkins, and even candles. The menu for the night- a fresh garden salad, lemon pepper chicken, spinach pesto pasta, and a mocha mousse for dessert. The good memories and great flavors from that dinner have stayed with me and the basis of this meal has evolved into a tried and true favorite.

To start with, I made my spinach pesto. Since this requires me to lug out (and clean) my food processor, I try to make the task worth my while by tripling the recipe. It freezes amazingly and is a quick and healthy dinner when added to pasta or a protein, but also is delicious on sandwiches or mixed into quionoa. Just keep in mind that for the pesto portion of this post, all quantities are tripled from my original recipe.

You could surely do this recipe with fresh spinach but, let's face it, I'm a broke college kid and frozen spinach is way cheaper and pretty dang convenient. I started with 3 (10 oz) packages of Kroger brand frozen spinach. I usually throw mine in the fridge for a few days before making this for them to thaw but you can just defrost them in the microwave also. Most importantly, before throwing the spinach in food processor, be sure to squeeze the excess water out of the spinach.

 The other ingredients for this recipe are 3/4 cup olive oil, 1 head of garlic cloves (with skins off), 3 teaspoons lemon juice, and 2 cups Parmesan cheese. Add into the food processor with the spinach, the lemon juice, the garlic, and 1/4 cup of olive oil. Normally, I use the pre-minced garlic sold in jars but I had some garlic I needed to use on hand. It doesn't matter which you choose as the food processor will mince it up for you. Keep in mind, I love lots of garlic in everything. It adds a nice zip to this pesto but if you're not a true lover of garlic, you may want to reduce this amount.

Begin by pulsing the spinach mixture in your food processor and then turn it onto a low speed of 1 or 2. As the food processor is running, add the remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil slowly, as picture above. Once this is incorporated, slowly add in the 2 cups of Parmesan cheese and mix until it looks like the picture below.

Mix the pesto in with one package of cooked pasta and you have yourself a beautiful healthy dish. I personally love Ronzoni Garden Delight pasta- it has a full serving of veggies for every serving of pasta. I didn't have any on hand tonight, so I used a whole wheat angel hair.

Now onto the chicken. I have begun buying split chicken breasts and butchering it myself to save money and make homemade chicken stock. You can either use chicken breasts or tenderloins for the recipe. If you use the breasts, I do recommend cutting them into small strips. You will need about 1 pound.

 Next, mix 1/4 cup of flour with 2 tablespoons lemon pepper seasoning. I used whole wheat flour to keep it healthy.

Dredge you chicken in the flour until it is fully coated and looks like this. Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil in a skillet on medium heat and add chicken. Cook until chicken is white on the edges. Depending on the thickness of your chicken, this is usually around 5-8 minute marker.

Flip over your chicken pieces. They should look something like the above picture. Add 3 tablespoons lemon juice into the pan and cook until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear being careful to not overcook the chicken. The addition of the lemon juice to this recipe is a healthy method to add tons of flavor!

Next, add a splash of white wine to your skillet and reduce into a sauce making sure to stir constantly. I used a lovely Riesling as it was the wine Jacob and I were having with dinner. After thinking about it, I may add white wine in at the same time as the lemon juice when cooking the chicken next time.

Above, a picture of the fully cooked chicken.

Here is the lovely wine for the night. It is Peter Mertes Platinum Riesling Pfalz 2010 1.5 L. can be found at kroger for about $17 although it is often on sale for much less. I would highly recommend it!

Also, served dipping bread with dinner. Simply a few pieces of fresh French bread (thanks Kroger 10/$10) accompanied by dip of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and spices. I used a delicious dipping bread spice blend with toasted sesame seeds tonight that my gradnmother gave me. There are many of these blends out there but you can also just stick with course ground black pepper or italian seasoning.

For your final product, plate your chicken on a bed of the pesto pasta and drizzle with your reduction sauce. The best tip I can give for this recipe is don't skip the sauce! It's a quick way to really elevate your dish and is a flavor-packed component. Everyone will be super impressed by the words like "de-glaze" and "reduction sauce," and you'll be super happy that you already cleaned your skillet......with wine.... to make something delicious.  Let's be honest, simple sauces like this are a great excuse to always have wine on hand and, seriously, cooking is way more fun with a glass of the stuff.

A beautiful close-up. It's so yummy, you'll never feel like it's healthy. Stay hungry my friends!

Homemade Applesauce

Jacob, my fiance, LOVES apples in all forms. Perhaps, this stems from the cases of apples his grandparents in Buena Vista buy from a local orchard for the family to enjoy. His favorite way to eat them- on his truck's tailgate cutting it with his leatherman. I, on the other hand, am a little more apprehensive. I love the flavor of apple but not the texture. In other words, I eat apple everything except fresh apple. Over the summer, I began eating lots of all-natural canned fruits and applesauce as it was a healthy and worry-free alternative even with my hectic work hours. I vowed then, that when I had more time, I would try my hand at making my own.

I started with a basic recipe I found on my favorite recipe site Allrecipes. I used Sarah's Applesauce as a starting basis as it was highly rated by over a thousand people. For my apples, I chose to used Cameo apples since they were on sale. (Kroger fans check it out- $0.99/lb this week!)

Cameo apples are a thin-skinned apple that have a sweetness level of 5 with Granny Smith, the most tart, being a one and Red Delicious and Fugi, the sweetest, ranking in at 10.

I decided to quadruple the recipe so I would have plenty for the week, so I began by peeling, coring, and chopping 16 apples. Normally a chore, I actually looked forward to this process thanks to the awesome new chopper my grandma got me for Christmas.

I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a quality slicer/chopper/corer. Here's its link at Williams-Sonoma.

This baby cored these apples with ease. As with any corer, I had to go back and touch up some slices but it definitely cut down on my time and effort significantly!

After coring, I cut the apple slices into large chunks and put them into my pot. Yup, it is from the Paula Dean collection. I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a nice basic set of pots on a budget. My tequila swigging comrade, Kaley, also has the same pots in black and also loves hers.

 Next, I added 3 cups of water, 1/4 cup of dark brown sugar, and a spice mixture of 3 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger. It doesn't seem like this is enough water but remind yourself that fruit is mostly made up of water. I reduced the amount of sugar significantly because Cameos are a sweeter apple and I normally buy the no sugar added applesauce. This amount could, of course, be increased for personal tastes. I also like my applesauce with plenty of cinnamon so I increased this amount by quite a bit and added in nutmeg and ground ginger, keys in any cinnamon mix, to round it out.

 Then, I covered my pot and cooked the apples on medium. The recipe calls for 18-20 minutes but, of course, with a pot this large, it increases the time a bit. I cooked my apples for about 30 minutes, until tender when pierced with a fork.

Once the apples are done cooking, they should look something like this. I let mine cool for about 10-15 minutes before I started mashing. You will definitely need a potato masher for this. Jacob has a nice one like the one in the link that came for who knows where. You could pull out your food processor or blender to get a smoother texture, more like the store variety, but I opted to leave mine in the more rustic state (that dirtied less dishes!)

Yum! Enjoy your freshly made applesauce! It's absolutely delicious warm and got the seal of approval from Jacob and his friend Josh, who is a rather picky eater. It's a great recipe for a rainy/snowy day and left the apartment smelling amazing! Stay hungry my friends!

New Year's Hopings

I'm not sure I believe in New Year's resolutions. They have always seemed to be a special type of promise that is made to be broken. Prime example being McComas gym to first couple weeks of the semester. For a few weeks, the place will be packed with all types of people in everything from under armour to jean shorts or even reading glasses, a chip clip, and a "Hit Me Baby One More Time" inspired tied up T. Soon enough though, the lines for ellipticals and salad bars will once again clear. So this year, I have perhaps made New Year's hopings- promises to myself that I hope to keep the best I can. This year I am hoping to return to my gym rat ways, eat healthy (but still delicious) food, cooking more often, and somehow stay organized all while planning a dream wedding and ensuring my last spring at tech is amazing.

This blog will encompass many of my New Year's hopings in it. My grandmother wisely said once, "There are those that eat to live and those that live to eat and we are certainly the latter." I have carried these words of wisdom with me from that young age and learned to not only enjoy eating but also creating great food.  After much prodding by several people, I decided it really is time for me to start writing my recipes down to share with everyone. A blog seemed the best way for all to enjoy. My recipes are inspired by family, friends, cookbooks, the internet, and my own imagination. Please cook along with me, share your favorites and interpretations, and stay hungry my friend!