Mashed Celery Root

          Ok, I know I'm supposed to make 5 minute recipes for the next little bit, but this ones a really good recipe and its extremelly healthy. It takes only 10-15 minutes :)

Ingredients:

-Celery Root (around 1 lb)

-1 Tbsp. Butter

-Dash of salt & pepper.

-Desired spices (optional)

Directions:

          Peal celery root and cut into cubes. Put water in pot and bring to boil. Boil cubes in water for 10 minutes or until soft inside. Mash with butter and seasoning and serve. Serves 4.

          Mashed celery root is an alternative to mashed potatoes. It is a healthy alternative because it is very high in potassium: there is nearly 200mg per every 4 oz serving. It also holds more flavor than potatoes so you need less salt. It is rich in vitamins A, C, K, and E and has excellent calming, analgesic, antiseptic, anti allergic and other therapeutic properties. It also helps liver and bladder problems and calms down arthritis pains. If eaten regularly, celery root is known to improved memory and mental abilities, lowered risks of inflammations and ailments connected with the function of urinary system, and so much more. Enjoy!

5 Minute Meals: Egg Sandwich

          Today’s 5 minute creation is a breakfast sandwich. Although I can’t eat eggs myself, I thought I would show this recipe to you. (I will show you how to make one serving, but you can double it and triple it if you want. The time to make it is the same.)

Ingredients:

-1 egg

-1 slice tomato

-1 slice cheese (Swiss or white cheddar recommended)
-1 English muffin
-1 tbsp olive oil

Directions:
          Get a pot and bring water to boiling point. Crack uncooked egg and drop in water. Boil until desired consistency (*if you want you can add malt vinegar to the water. It adds extra flavor and keeps your egg together).
          Cut your English muffin in half. Place slices of cheese and tomato on English muffin halves. But poached egg in centre of two slices. Close the muffin and drizzle olive oil over it. Cut your muffin in half and watch the magic happen. ENJOY! ^^

5 Minute Recipes: Chocolate Cake

          I was thinking today because I wasn’t sure what I was going to post today, but I finally came up with this idea of doing a segment of 5 minute meals. So for the next little bit I’m going to post a new 5 minute recipe every week :)

          Week number one: 5 Minute Chocolate Cake. This recipe is a recipe that has been making its way to every recipe site. It’s obviously popular so I decided to check it out. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

-4 Tbsp Flour

-4 Tbsp Sugar

-2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder

-1 Egg

-3 Tbsp Milk

-3 Tbsp Oil

          To make this recipe, you get one mug, and mix the flour, sugar, and cocoa together. Then you mix in the egg, milk, and oil. After that you microwave it for 3 minutes, take out of the microwave and let sit for a couple of minutes, tip onto a plate or bowl and PRESTO!! C’est magnifique! I actually tested this recipe and it’s really good. It looks a little strange but it’s a chocolate cake. This is Chelsea Approved. ENJOY!

Pulmenti (Direct Translation: Vegtable Stew)

          I invented this soup a few weeks ago and it is basically a chunky carrot and potato soup. The name I invented is latin. I garentee that you will like it. Here are the ingredients:

-2 carrots
-2 potatoes
-1/2 onion
-4 cups stock (vegetable or chicken)
-1 tsp Chili powder
-1-2 tsp rosemerry
-1 tsp cumin
-1 tsp paprika
-1 tsp pepper

          Peel and cut potatoes and carrots (do them as thick as you like but not too small). Slice onions. Put stock into a medium sauce pan and heat to boiling point. Turn to medium heat and add potatoes and carrots. In a separate pan, fry onions with chili powder on medium high heat. Add rosemerry, cumin, paprika, and pepper to soup. When onions are cooked, add to soup. Boil until the potatoes and carrots are cooked.
          This recipe makes one medium sized pot of soup. It takes  around 15 minutes to make. Please comment on how the recipe goes and tell me what you think of the name. Have Fun!! :)

Mini Chocolate Cream Top Cupcakes

          If you like really moist chocolate cupcakes, then this recipe is for you. I found this recipe is my cupcake recipe tin and changed it around a bit. I now call them "Chocolate Cream Top Cupcakes".


Ingredients:

-1 cup sugar

-1 cup of flour

-1/2 cup cocoa powder

-3/4 tsp. baking soda
-3/4 tsp. baking powder
-1/2 tsp. salt
-1/2 milk
-1/4 cup vegetable oil
-1 egg
-1/2 cup boiling water

          Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 36 mini muffin cups with paper lining.
          Whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Beat in milk, oil, and egg. Pour in water while beating to make sure you don't cook the eggs. pour evenly into muffin cups (about 3/4 way). Bake 15 minutes or until stick inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool completely.

          To Make Icing: I make a whipped cream type top. You don't have to make a whipped cream top, but it makes it a nice delightful treat instead of a sugary and over rich bite. It’s your choice.
          Add 1 cup of cream, 2 tbsp. of icing sugar, and 1/2 a tsp of vanilla. Beat together until peaks form. *Do not beat too much*. It will turn into butter.
          *Hint* you can chill the cream, beaters, and bowl before you start and it will make the cream mix better :)

French Style Chocolate Mousse

          I have a dream…about Chocolate Mousse. That it would be made the right way. Chocolate mousse nowadays has cream in it. This is not right. What made the mousse fluffy in the first place were the eggs themselves. This is why I bring you back an old classic the way it is supposed to be made. (Apologies for the measurements. I will translate them into an easier way to read at a later date)

          When making chocolate mousse, remember to get the best chocolate, and the freshest eggs.

Ingredients:

-11 ounces of dark chocolate (remember, the best you can find)

-6 eggs

-Just over 2 ounces butter (half salted, half unsalted)

-1.7 ounces of sugar

-A pinch of salt

          Melt the chocolate with the butter in a double boiler. Whip the egg whites until firm (they should stick to the top of the bowl when you tip it upside down). When chocolate and butter mixture is cooled down, mix in egg yolks and sugar. Fold delicately the chocolate mixture and egg whites (this is very important! *if you fold the egg whites too vigorously or too much, the mousse won’t be fluffy, or worse yet, won’t harden at all). Serve into any form of plating you want (ex: little glass cups, a big glass; *bowl you’re your choice*). Refrigerate for at least 6 hours. You can then top it off if you want with decorations, like whipped cream, shredded chocolate, raspberries, ECT…

          Enjoy the recipe! Subscribe, comment, and look forward to my post next week!

Ingredient Substitutions II

     This is a post I did 2 years ago and it's one of the most important ones i've done so far. That is why I am reposting it. :)

     When it comes to different recipes, there might come a time where you don't want to use a cirtain ingredient because you don't have it in your pantry. I have a solution for that. There are lots of ingredients that can be substituted. For instence:


1 cup buttermilk = 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp Lemon juice or Vinagar (I prefer lemon juice)
1 tbsp cornstarch (for thickening) = 2 tbsp flour
1 square chocolate = 3 tbsp cocoa + 1/2 tsp shortening (to me it dosn't matter if you use butter or margarine instead)
1 cup honey = 3/4 cup sugar + 1/4 cup liquid
cake flour = 4 cups flour plus 1 cup sifted cornstarch. Sift at least 4 times until very light. This is as good as any on the market.

     These substitutions are very effective when you are baking. A couple of other improvements that i would like to add is when making breads, muffins, and cakes, the recipe usually asks you to use oil but i use butter or margarine because it makes it more creamy and light. Those are all the tips i can think of today. Talk to you soon.
 
     Enjoy :D