Artichoke Bites

These yummy things are supposed to be an appetizer I think, but we have been eating them for breakfast. Did I mention they are super easy to make?

I do have some modifications on this one (mainly because I am lazy about fresh herbs). The recipe calls for one slice of whole wheat bread, but since someone is trying to minimize the carbs, I leave them out, and it still tastes good. However, I have made these before with the whole wheat bread, and as a lover of all-things-carbs, I would probably rather include them. I also use dried parsley because I never have the fresh stuff on hand, but I have a Costco-size container of the former. Finally, instead of chopped garlic, I used the pre-minced stuff. Yes, I am lazy!!!

Artichoke Bites
adapted from Food Network Kitchens

Ingredients
1 slice whole wheat bread, crusts removed
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1 (6-ounce) jar oil-marinated artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed, and chopped
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 1 1/4 ounce)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 large eggs

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly butter or spray a 6-cup nonstick muffin tin.

Toast the bread slice until crisp. Cool and cut the toast into small pieces into a medium-size bowl and add the oregano, artichoke hearts, cheese, and parsley.

Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat, add the onion, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir into the artichoke mixture.

Lightly beat the eggs in a small bowl until foamy, stir into the artichoke mixture; spoon a 1/4 cup of the mixture into each of the muffin cups. Cook until lightly puffed, golden, and just set in the center, about 17 to 20 minutes. Let cool on a rack for about 5 minutes, then remove the artichoke bites from the pan and serve warm.

May the Odds Be Ever in Your Favor

A little over two years I blogged about a new book I just finished. That book was of course, the Hunger Games. The movie version was released today, and I am so freaking excited to see it! Actually, I am seeing the movie tonight, and I cannot wait! Yes, I am clock-watching.

I am pretty forgiving with the movie versions of the books I love, so it will have to be pretty horrible for me to dislike it. Here's hoping it's as great as the previews made it look!

Kalua Pig

Sometimes I need a little bit of food from home. It might mean spam musubi, or mochiko chicken, but recently, I decided to make Kalua pig. I found a slow cooker recipe awhile ago, and it turned out pretty well. It is super easy, and I do love my crockpot. Enjoy!

Kalua Pig in a Slow cooker
adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients
1 6-lb. pork butt*
1 1/2 tablespoons Hawaiian salt
1 tablespoon liquid smoke

Directions
Pierce pork all over with a fork. Rub salt, and then liquid smoke all over pork. Place roast in slow cooker*. Cover and cook on low for 16 to 20 hours, turning once during cook time. Remove meat from slow cooker and shred. Add drippings as needed to moisten.

*My minor modifications: I use pork shoulder, and I place the roast in fatty side up, and do not turn during cooking.

Red Velvet Cupcakes for Valentine's Day

Oh my goodness, it is practically March, and this is my first post for the year! Honestly, I have not been doing a whole lot of baking or crafting lately. Shocking, I know. I won't get into the details, and instead will share the yummy red velvet cupcake recipe I found for Valentine's Day.

This is the second red velvet recipe I have tried. The first came from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes book. While it was decent and makes a more rust-colored cupcake, it was not nearly as good at the one I found on the Grin and Bake it Blog...and of course it's an ATK recipe! The frosting came from allrecipes.com.

I got some very nice reviews after this batch (I got two dozen out of this). Hope you do too!

By the way, the photos are by Ms. P. Thank you, Ms. P. for making my cupcakes look so pretty.



Red Velvet Cupcakes
from the Grin and Bake It Blog

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
Pinch salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons natural, unsweetened cocoa powder
2-4 tablespoons liquid red food coloring*
1 1/2 cups sugar

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position, and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Whisk the buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla, and eggs together. Mix the cocoa and food coloring to make a paste*.

With an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Scrape down the bowl as necessary. Add 1/2 of the flour mixture and beat on low until combined, about 30 seconds.

Add 1/2 the buttermilk mixture and beat on low until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Repeat, ending with the buttermilk mixture. Add the cocoa powder-food coloring mixture, and mix on medium until completely incorporated, about 30 seconds. Using a rubber spatula, give the batter a final stir.

Divide the batter evenly into cupcake pans. Bake about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centers come out clean, about 20 minutes. Remove the oven, and cool completely before frosting.

*Instead of regular food coloring, I used Wilton's red food coloring gel. You need only about 1/2 teaspoon to get a dark red color. I also tried to mix it with the cocoa powder, but the gel is quite thick, and you can just add it in when you are using the hand-mixer.


Cream Cheese Frosting
from allrecipes.com
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar. Store in the refrigerator after use.

The Last Round of Cupcakes in 2011

I baked way too many cupcakes during the month of December and am totally over it for a little while. The last batches are pictured below. Sorry, no recipes today because it is New Year's Eve and we are in the midst of cooking and cleaning! Peace out 2011, and see you all in 2012.


Red velvet with cream cheese frosting.



Mini dark chocolate cupcakes filled with salted caramel and topped with a dark chocolate frosting.



Dark chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting.

Missing My Friend

One year has gone by, and I am still without words. I do know that I always miss you, Leo. Best of all, I remember your inquisitive self, how impressed I was when you wrote your name on a notepad (which I still have), and I loved watching you think when we peppered you with questions. Thank you for being one of my best memories of the Bay Area.

What 2011 Taught Me

At the end of every year there are always a multitude of best and worst lists. This is not one of those. Instead, this is a list of what I learned in 2011 because Life decided this should be a year of lessons.

• If given nine days, I can pack up my life in cardboard boxes and move out. An amazing feat if you have ever been witness to how much stuff I have in my possession.
  
• I had to eat almost the whole plate of humble pie, but I can ask my friends and family for help in a sticky situation. Even better to know? I did not really have to ask because they all offered their assistance immediately.
  
• For some reason (which I don't quite get) my friends are willing to let me come and stay with them for weeks/months at a time. They are so flipping awesome I always wonder how I got to be so lucky to have these people in my life.
  
• Sometimes you just want to be numb.
  
• It is possible to fake it 'till you make it.
  
• Letting go of control was so, so hard to do, but it was pretty amazing to see the chips fall where they may.
  
• I finally get the owning-a-pet-thing. It is nice to know that there is a dog out there who loves you so much that he leaves you surprise piles of poop just to show you how mad he is that you are leaving for China.