Chicken Tofu Teriyaki Fried Rice

Hello and welcome!

Today's recipe was one of my dinners while on Spring Break in Atlanta :)   

The Recipe: 

• Rice
• Rice vinegar
• Tofu
• Chicken (pre-baked)
• Vegetable Oil

The Process:

1. Boil enough water to fill an inch and a half of a small pot. 
2. Cook about 1/2 cup jasmine rice in the pot. 
3. When the rice is about halfway done, add a couple tablespoons of rice vinegar. 
4. Saute chicken and tofu in a pan on medium heat. 
5. Add rice to the pan and continue to heat. 
6. Add teriyaki sauce to the pan and continue to heat and mix. 
7. After about 2 minutes from the time the rice was added to the pan, it should be done. Be sure everything is cooked to desired amounts. 
8. Enjoy!

Calories:

Rice- 75 calories

Rice Vinegar- 0 calories

Chicken- 100

Teriyaki- 20 calories

Vegetable Oil- 120 calories

Tofu- 100 calories

____________________________________

TOTAL: 415 calories

For under 500 calories, I got an entire pan of delicious protein and rice! 

What went right: 

         It was quite delicious and light, but also satisfying. 

What went wrong: 

         I didn't have any vegetables to add this time, but it worked out anyway. 

What I would do next time: 

          Combine the vegetable and chicken recipes. 

Would I do this again in college?: 

          For sure. I love fried rice and it's really easy to make. I can see it becoming a staple of my diet next year when Emmy and I have our own kitchen :) 

Overall, a great meal with a short cook time, perfect for college life! 

Vegetarian Tofu Fried Rice

Hello and welcome vegetable and tofu fans! 

Today's recipe was a bit of improv cooking by me and my lovely Mew Sigma Sister and future Clifton Hall apartment-mate, Emmy <3 

The Recipe: 

• Rice
• Rice vinegar
• Tofu
• Broccoli
• Peas
• Carrots
• Red Onions
• Vegetable Oil

The Process:

1. Boil enough water to fill about half of a small pot. 
2. Cook about 1 cup jasmine rice in the pot. 
3. When the rice is about halfway done, add a couple tablespoons of rice vinegar. 
4. Saute all vegetables and tofu in a pan on medium heat. 
5. Add rice to the pan and continue to heat. 
6. Add teriyaki sauce to the pan and continue to heat and mix. 
7. After about 5 minutes from the time the rice was added to the pan, it should be done. Be sure everything is cooked to desired amounts. 
8. Share with a friend :) 

Calories:

Rice- 150 calories

Rice Vinegar- 0 calories

Broccoli- 14 calories

Peas- 67 calories

Carrots- 14 calories

Onion- 23 calories

Teriyaki- 20 calories

Vegetable Oil- 120 calories

Tofu- 160 calories

____________________________________

TOTAL: 568 calories

This means Emmy and I each ate 284 calories for a very filling and healthy dinner! 

What went right: 

         It was quite delicious and light, but also satisfying. 

What went wrong: 

         I'm relatively certain actual fried rice also has garlic in the recipe and steams the peas and carrots. Something to work on for authenticity's sake! 

What I would do next time: 

          Try using different meats, garlic, and cook the vegetables differently. 

Would I do this again in college?: 

          Definitely. I'm a little addicted to asian food, and have tried this again a few times since and it turned out equally great and better :) 

Overall, a great meal with a short cook time, perfect for college life! 

Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

Hello Cupcake Lovers!!

This recipe is one of three adaptations of the Chocolate Buttercream M&M Cupcakes from New Years Eve, made on New Years Day for a dinner party with some of our close family friends, Jana, Andy, Alexander, and Larissa! 

If you have any fun cupcake-related experiences, please share them in the comments at the bottom of the page, or send me an email or google+ comment! 

The Recipe: Chocolate Hazelnut Banana Cupcakes (Total Recipe makes 12 cupcakes and 6 mini cupcakes, but only 6 became this flavor and the others had additions to their filling and frosting). 

The Cake: 

• 1 cup flour
• 7/8 cup sugar
• 3/8 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2.5 tbsp shortening (aka Crisco)
• 1.5 mashed bananas
• 1.5 eggs
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

The Filling/Icing: 

• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• Raspberry Preserves

The Process:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (176.6 degrees C). 
2. Sift together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
3. Cut shortening into small pieces to make it easier to mix with dry ingredients. 
4. Mash banana into another, smaller bowl. (Don't tell the kids there's banana in their cupcakes!!)
5. Add one egg to the bowl with the banana. 
6. Break other egg into a small cup or bowl and whisk so that it becomes relatively homogeneous. Pour half of this into the bowl with the banana.
7. Mix oil, milk, and vanilla extract into bowl with banana. 
8. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and beat. 
9. Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners (or butter and flour the sides of the pan). 
10. Fill cupcake liners about halfway with batter. 
11. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a skewer (or toothpick) can poke the center and come out with some moist crumbs. You will be able to see the cupcakes rise and smell when they are done. Use the pictures as a guide as each oven is different. 
12. Allow to cool with paper towel covering. 
13. Blend ingredients for icing. 
14. Use cupcake corer to remove the center of each cupcake. Fill each cupcake with 1 tsp raspberry preserves and replace its center.
15. Fill an icing press with raspberry icing.          
16. Press into desired pattern. 
17. Sprinkle red sugar on top. 
18. Enjoy! :) 

The Calories:

Flour:  455 calories

Sugar: 665 calories

Cocoa: 70 calories

Baking Powder: 0 calories

Baking Soda: 0 calories

Salt: 0 calories

Shortening: 260 calories

Banana: 150 calories

Egg: 115 calories

Oil: 482 calories

Milk: 30 calories

Vanilla: 12 calories

Raspberry Preserves: 67 calories

____________________________________

TOTAL: 2274 calories 

Granted, this recipe was for about 12.5 cupcakes. So each cupcake really only had about 182 calories :) 

What went right: 
          They were very delicious and looked prettier than the first batch. 

What went wrong:
          This batch was less moist than the last batch. Not sure why, but might have been a minute or two over cooked, comparatively.

What I would do next time:

         Technically, this batch was basically the same as the M&M batch, and the changes were made in the other cupcakes you see below (coming soon! ;) ) 

Would I do this in college: 

          Totally! In fact, I'm working on reducing this recipe for single serving cupcakes without waste so that I can easily make a quick cupcake for a friend's birthday without having to make an entire batch. One of my least favorite things about baking is that the amounts can be so arbitrary because they depend on your specific baking equipment. One of my goals for this page is to be able to have a mix for every common number of cupcakes desired. Recipes can always be doubled, but the hard part is reducing and keeping the consistency of the original. Keep watching for single serving cupcakes :) 

Overall, a wonderful party treat and a great time in the kitchen. It took much longer than I planned to make all three different types of cupcakes, but they turned out fantastic so I don't even care. Everyone enjoyed and I had a blast baking them and honing my icing skills. 

Having a cupcake for 182 calories is actually quite good! A plain bagel has 260-280 calories, and a scone or muffin can have 350-430 calories. However, it's not particularly healthy, so if you'd like to ensure you wake up with your toned body in tact, be sure you've done any of the below before you indulge...

1. Run 1.5 miles
2. Walk 2 miles
3. Dance for 40 minutes
4. Rearrange furniture for 30 minutes
5. Play darts for 70 minutes
6. Play badminton for 40 minutes

Any of the above will burn about 200 calories, making your cupcake guilt-free ;)                                                            

Chocolate Chocolate Bacon Cupcakes

Hello friends!! 

                                                  

This recipe is one of three adaptations of the Chocolate Buttercream M&M Cupcakes from New Years Eve, made on New Years Day for a dinner party with some of our close family friends, Jana, Andy, Alexander, and Larissa! 

If you have any fun cupcake-related experiences, please share them in the comments at the bottom of the page, or send me an email or google+ comment! 

The Recipe: Chocolate Chocolate Bacon Cupcakes (Total Recipe makes 12 cupcakes and 6 mini cupcakes, but only 3 full and the 6 minis became this flavor and the others had additions to their filling and frosting). 

The Cake: 

• 1 cup flour
• 7/8 cup sugar
• 3/8 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2.5 tbsp shortening (aka Crisco)
• 1.5 mashed bananas
• 1.5 eggs
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 strip bacon, crisp and roasted

The Filling/Icing: 

• 3 stick butter, softened
• 1.5 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

The Process:

1. Broil a strip of bacon on high until it is crispy. 
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (176.6 degrees C). 
3. Sift together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
4. Cut shortening into small pieces to make it easier to mix with dry ingredients. 
5. Mash banana into another, smaller bowl. (Don't tell the kids there's banana in their cupcakes!!)
6. Add one egg to the bowl with the banana. 
7. Break other egg into a small cup or bowl and whisk so that it becomes relatively homogeneous. Pour half of this into the bowl with the banana.
8. Mix oil, milk, and vanilla extract into bowl with banana. 
9. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and beat. 
10. Mix in crumbled strip of bacon.
11. Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners (or butter and flour the sides of the pan). 
12. Fill cupcake liners about halfway with batter. 
13. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a skewer (or toothpick) can poke the center and come out with some moist crumbs. You will be able to see the cupcakes rise and smell when they are done. Use the pictures as a guide as each oven is different. 
14. Allow to cool with paper towel covering. 
15. Blend ingredients for filling/icing.       
16. Use cupcake corer to remove the center of each cupcake. Fill each cupcake and replace its center.
17. Fill an icing press with remaining icing.          
18. Press into desired pattern. 
19. Enjoy! :) 

The Calories:

Flour:  455 calories

Sugar: 665 calories

Cocoa: 70 calories

Baking Powder: 0 calories

Baking Soda: 0 calories

Salt: 0 calories

Shortening: 260 calories

Banana: 150 calories

Egg: 115 calories

Oil: 482 calories

Milk: 30 calories

Vanilla: 12 calories

1 strip of Bacon: 50 calories

____________________________________

TOTAL: 2324 calories 

Granted, this recipe was for about 12.5 cupcakes. So each cupcake really only had about 186 calories :) 

What went right: 

          They were very delicious and looked prettier than the first batch. 

What went wrong:

          This batch was less moist than the last batch. Not sure why, but might have been a minute or two over cooked, comparatively.

What I would do next time:

         Technically, this batch was basically the same as the M&M batch, and the changes were made in the other cupcakes you see below (coming soon! ;) ) 

Would I do this in college: 

          Totally! In fact, I'm working on reducing this recipe for single serving cupcakes without waste so that I can easily make a quick cupcake for a friend's birthday without having to make an entire batch. One of my least favorite things about baking is that the amounts can be so arbitrary because they depend on your specific baking equipment. One of my goals for this page is to be able to have a mix for every common number of cupcakes desired. Recipes can always be doubled, but the hard part is reducing and keeping the consistency of the original. Keep watching for single serving cupcakes :)

Overall, a wonderful party treat and a great time in the kitchen. It took much longer than I planned to make all three different types of cupcakes, but they turned out fantastic so I don't even care. Everyone enjoyed and I had a blast baking them and honing my icing skills. 

Having a cupcake for 182 calories is actually quite good! A plain bagel has 260-280 calories, and a scone or muffin can have 350-430 calories. However, it's not particularly healthy, so if you'd like to ensure you wake up with your toned body in tact, be sure you've done any of the below before you indulge...

1. Run 1.5 miles
2. Walk 2 miles
3. Dance for 40 minutes
4. Rearrange furniture for 30 minutes
5. Play darts for 70 minutes
6. Play badminton for 40 minutes

Any of the above will burn about 200 calories, making your cupcake guilt-free ;)

Limoncello Cookies

Hello and welcome to dessert of Lemon Christmas...Limoncello Cookies! 

Lemon Christmas started as the story of stuffed grape leaves (Domathes) passed down through the generations of my neighborhood, as told by my Aunt Connie. To my total elation, it became a five hour cooking spree with my Aunt Connie, culminating in a dinner of Domathes with Lemon Sauce, Lemon Risotto, Lemon Chicken, Lemon Roasted Broccoli, and Limoncello Cookies! 

Thanks to Uncle Dick for the Limoncello Cookie request, and thanks to in sock monkey slippers for the wonderful recipe!                                                     

The Recipe: Limoncello Cookies

·         1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

·         1/4 teaspoon sea salt

·         1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

·         1/2 cup granulated sugar

·         1 large egg, at room temperature

·         2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or paste

·         1/2 Tablespoon grated lemon zest (about 1 lemon)

·         1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

·         5 Tbs Limoncello

·         1 Tbs lemon juice

·         2 washed and sliced lemons (to make Candied Lemon Slice Garnish)

·         2 cups granulated sugar

·         2 cups water

·         2 to 3 large lemons, for 24 slices

The Process: Dough

1. Put salt and flour in a medium bowl.
2.  In another bowl, mix the butter and sugar until fluffy and creamy (about 2 minutes). 
3. Add the egg and mix until combined.
4.  Next, add vanilla and lemon zest to the bowl with butter, sugar, and egg.
5. Slowly mix in the flour/salt combo. Don't overmix! 
6. Pour the dough onto a large sheet of plastic wrap and tightly cover. Refrigerate overnight. 

   Candied Lemon Wheels (prepare the night before!!!): 

1. Wash and cut slices of lemon to about 1/8 inch (the smaller the better!!) and remove all seeds. 
2. Bring water and sugar to boil in a pot. Add a little lemon juice from the ends of the lemons. 
3. Fill pot completely with lemon slices and boil on medium-high for about 30 minutes. (Wait until they appear to be candy coated and somewhat orange. You'll find that the more slices you put in at once, the more they become saturated and the faster they will cook. )
4. Allow to dry overnight on parchment paper. 

 

Baking and Decorating:

1. PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 350 degrees F (176.6 degrees Celsius)
2. Allow dough to loosen. 
3. HEAVILY flour a sterile surface, your hands, and a rolling pin. 
4. Roll out the dough to approximately 1/3 inch thick. 
5. With a 2 inch diameter round cookie cutter, cut dough and place on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 
6. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes until the edges start to golden. Repeat with the remaining dough.
7.  Once baked, transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before icing.

Icing: 

1. In a medium bowl, combine the powdered sugar, Limoncello, and lemon juice. Stir until fluid but thick. 
2. Ice with a pastry brush. 
3.  Decorate with a candied lemon wheel.  Allow the icing to set for at least 10 to 30 minutes.

Calories:

Flour- 569 calories

Sea salt- 0 calories

Lemon juice- 0 calories

Powdered sugar- 700 calories

Limoncello- 30 calories

Granulated sugar- 1950 calories

Lemons- 45 calories

Butter- 815 calories

Egg- 72 calories

Vanilla Extract- 12 calories 

_____________________________________

TOTAL: 4193 calories

This recipe made about 40 cookies, so each cookie plus the lemon wheel had 104 calories. More comments on the lemon wheel below...

What went right:

            The cookies themselves were absolutely delicious!!! In my personal opinion, the icing was better when combined with the cookies and fully dried, but everyone else seemed to like it on its own as well. And as you can see, they are gorgeous on a plate ;) 

What went wrong:

            The lemon slices are ridiculously difficult to eat, so we ended up taking them off the cookies and tossing most of them. Additionally, the calories really should be edited because much of the granulated sugar was still in the sugar bath and tossed by the end of the lemon candying process. 

What I would do next time:

            As discussed in light of the candied lemon slice issue, we decided the cookies would look just as good if the lemon slice decoration only covered a portion of the cookie, as shown to the right. 

Would I do this in college:

             There are a few things keeping me from doing this in college. Namely being under 21. Also not having a lot of time. I would gladly make the batter, however! The plain cookies are just as good as the iced cookies, and would have a much lower calorie count as well. 

Overall, a great cookie and a delicious end to a perfect meal!!