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

New Years Resolutions

          Happy almost new years everyone!! I have decided to make this one a dedication to this AMAZING event! I have a challenge for you all, and for me too...new years resolutions.

1. Try at least 1 new recipe every week
2. Try 10 interesting ingredients that you have never heard of before
3. Invent 5 recipes and dedicate them to 5 people you love/5 celebrities
4. Rearrange your kitchen
5. Send me your invented recipes and ill try them. chelsea.f@shaw.ca

          Happy New Years Everyone!!!!! These are some of my cooking new years resolutions and some ones that I challenge YOU with. (PS. yes I did post early. I have to be with family again tomorrow) GOODBYE 2010!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

     Since tomorrow is Christmas and I usually post on Saturdays, I thought I would post a little early so I could spend all of tomorrow with my family and friends, but still help all you cooks out there. :)
     Now, I don't have a recipe for you today but I do have some gift ideas. Like me, you might have trouble getting presents for "everyone" or might even be financially impaired. At Christmas time, I do buy some presents, but most of my presents are homemade. Here are some ideas for homemade presents.

1. Fabrics: If you are good with your hands, you can knit, crochet, or even sew (although this is more expensive) clothes and accessories for your family and friends. I have knit a lot of presents this year.
2. Baking: Since this IS a cooking blog I have to have this one, but it’s also one of my favorites. You can get a box or a bag with nice ribbon and put a whole bunch of little samples of your favorite recipes in it. **You can also make a cookie mix or a muffin mix. Meaning, you get the ingredients (dry ingredients) and layer them nicely in a jar or a tube bag (it depends on your preference)
3. Homemade Cards
4. Mix CD's: I really like giving these, whether it’s full of Christmas music or a mix of all types of genres. It’s your decision :)

     Well there you go. you don't have to do just these things, there’s so much you can make for the Christmas holidays, these are just my favorites. Happy holidays children and peace!! :D

Chocolate Chip Muffins

     Before I show you this recipe, I would like to say that if you want to have tips on making a perfect muffin, visit my earlier post at http://pppiano99-recipeforsuccess.blogspot.com/2009/10/how-to-make-delicious-muffin-ps-this-is.html.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups quick cooking oats *optional

1 1/4 cups milk

1 egg

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped pecans *optional

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

     Combine oats and milk and allow to stand for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Grease each cup of one 12-cup muffin tin.
     Stir egg, oil, 1/2 cup of the brown sugar, chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of the pecans into the oat and milk mixture.
     Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add oat mixture to flour mixture, stirring until just moist. Fill each cup of one 12-cup muffin tin 2/3 full. Sprinkle tops with the remaining brown sugar and pecans.
     Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes.