Green Tea Cupcakes

Betcha Want Some Matcha

Hi. My name is Tina and I'm a cupcake addict. I'm addicted to Cupcake Wars on the Food Network and secretly wish to be on that show -- so much so that I took a cupcake class to get ready. I will keep wishing.

The teacher for my cupcake class was a dashing gentleman who bid goodbye to the biomedical field to start a baking school. The combination of his science know-how, technique and wit made the class interesting, enjoyable and doable.

Check this out. Not too shabby, eh?

 

Of course, this cupcake craze, that is still very much alive, banks on one's creativity. Sure the chocolate cupcake with chocolate ganache frosting will always have a place in the bakery cabinet and dare a cupcakery nowadays not have a red velvet with cream cheese frosting. But I remember a cupcake on Cupcake Wars that I couldn't forget: green tea cupcake with green tea frosting. I understand the taste is not for everyone, but I drink green tea religiously and adore green tea ice cream. I've also used matcha green tea powder experimentally in my cooking/baking, most recently in pancakes. That was...interesting.

The cupcake class I took was more an introduction to how to decorate a cupcake, not so much a course on how to bake a good cupcake. So instead of trying to come up with a recipe that would be edible and pleasing, this is the recipe from that Cupcake Wars episode. And as a nutty twist, Instead of matcha buttercream, you can also try it with a nutella frosting!

Ingredients

Green Tea Cupcakes:

  • 2 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted

  • 1 1/4 cups sugar

  • 3 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup milk

  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil

  • 3 tablespoons matcha (green tea) powder

  • 2 teaspoons almond extract

  • 2 eggs

Green Tea Buttercream Frosting

  • 1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened

  • 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

  • 2 tablespoons milk

  • 1 tablespoon matcha (green tea) powder

Directions

For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with 24 cupcake liners.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt until thoroughly blended.

Whisk together the milk and oil, and add to the dry ingredients. Beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Add the matcha powder, almond extract and eggs and beat again for 2 minutes on medium speed. Pour the batter into the pans, filling three-quarters of the way full. Bake until cakes test done, about 15 minutes. Allow cupcakes to cool completely.

For the buttercream: Place the butter in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Add one-third of the sugar and blend well. Add in the remaining sugar one-third at a time, blending well between each addition. Add in the milk and matcha powder and beat until light and fluffy.

To assemble: Add the buttercream to a large pastry bag with a grass tip and pipe in small dollops to resemble grass.

 

How Much Blame Does Paula Deen Deserve?

She learned she had Type 2 diabetes several years ago, but didn't admit it until now - and she's marketing insulin
The media and blog world wolf packs are practically baying for blood over Paula Deen's sheepish recent announcement that she has Type 2 diabetes. But how much of this vitriol does she really deserve?
 
A lot of the poop being flung is basically just a half step from your all-purpose "fat shaming." Paula Deen is fat, and eats unhealthy foods, and therefore OF COURSE she has Type 2 diabetes. Why, she practically deserves it, with the way she eats, amirite folks? 

That's silly, of course. No one DESERVES Type 2 diabetes. It's not God's punishment to the fat. A lot of people treat it like an inevitability, they seem to revel in it, as if it's a sign hung around a fat person's neck that says "I AM A FAT LITTLE PIGGY." 
 
Is obesity and unhealthy eating a risk factor for Type 2 diabetes? Yes. In the same way that unprotected sex is a risk factor for HIV. And I submit that the attitudes of many people towards diabetes in the fat is surprisingly similar to the attitudes of many homophobes towards HIV in the gay community. A lot of people still believe that AIDS is God's punishment for being homosexual. 
 
So let's take it down a notch, shall we?
 
A lot of other people - Anthony Bourdain among them - believe that Paula Deen should have revealed this fact when she learned about it several years ago. Instead, she continued to promote deep-fried, high-fat, high-sugar foods and an unhealthy lifestyle. According to this contingent, Deen was painting an unrealistic picture. People could look at her and say, "Well, if she's okay, and she eats all this stuff, I guess we're okay too."
 
The problem here is that it removes any ounce of credit from the American public. Is there anyone anywhere who believes that Paula Deen's recipes are anything other than unhealthy? Even the fattest tubs of lard (i.e. me) knew that her food was terrible for you. 
 
It wasn't a secret she was trying to hide, the way the tobacco companies tried to pretend that cigarettes didn't cause cancer. Heck, she made this fact a central part of her schtick. She celebrated it.
 
And now we come to the final criticism, because Paula Deen is in a sense celebrating her diabetes, as well. She has reportedly struck a very lucrative deal with an insulin manufacturer, and will be pitching their products soon. One presumes she won't be toning down her recipes, either. The combo message being, "If you have diabetes, you can still eat all this junk - just buy the right brand of insulin and you'll be okay."
 
In many people's minds, it's bad enough that Deen's lifestyle gave her diabetes, but now she's cashing in on it, too? Talk about double dipping!

Combine Ground Beef with Vegetables for a Tasty Meal

I love to make meatloaf, but my kids prefer I take a different approach with my ground beef. They love a dish I threw together one night out of desperation because I had used up most of our weekly groceries. The meal was a hit and now I find myself being asked to prepare it quite often.

You will need the following ingredients to make this meal:

  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 4 oz. chicken broth
  • 2 oz. sour cream
  • 1 can mixed vegetables
  • ¼ tsp. garlic powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • Pinch of pepper


Follow these steps to make your ground beef and vegetables dish:

Step 1:
Brown the ground beef in a large skillet. Once the beef is no longer pink, drain out any water or fat that is in the pan.

Step 2:
Add the onions and cook for 4 to 5 minutes.

Step 3:
Pour in the chicken broth and sour cream and stir until they are combined together. Then add the can of mixed vegetables. Stir again so that everything is well mixed.

Step 4:
Sprinkle the garlic powder, salt, and pepper into the pan. Stir one final time, but continue cooking the food until the vegetables have become as hot as the meat.

Step 5:
Serve in a bowl with some biscuits or French bread.

Tips:
You do not have to use canned vegetables if you have fresh. The girls and I prefer fresh vegetables when we have them, but they are usually consumed by the end of the week. Just make sure you cook the fresh vegetables before adding them to this dish, as the recipe calls for vegetables that are already soft.

Banana Muffins - The Healthy Version

Many of us have sought out those “fat free” recipes. Sadly, our searches are often frivolous and the options we happen to locate, lack flavor, creativity or aren’t fat free at all. Often times, as an alternative we opt for the low fat recipes…as the portion of fat they may have, isn’t going to impact your waistline or that scale like the Doritos or cheesecake, we may prefer to sub in.

I for one, am always seeking new recipes or options for a low fat (fat free) or low calorie meal or snack. This has not always been the easiest feat, but recently in my search, I came across a recipe that conquered all of the things I had been seeking: flavor and health: banana muffins.

Given that I am not the best “morning person”, I can appreciate the grab and go options to food. I cannot always rely on the notion that I will wake up to my alarm clock, get ready and manage to prepare all of my food for my day. So, when I came across this recipe, I was thrilled that, once made, I would be able to grab them for breakfast or a snack, with little to no preparation.

These muffins are only packing about 80 calories and less than 1 gram of fat. You can always add to the recipe if you so desire (ie. Adding nuts for some extra flavor or some healthy fat). The recipe is simple…not too many ingredients and not too much time required. All you need is: flour, whole wheat flour, applesauce, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, bananas, 1 egg and vanilla extract.

I didn’t simply locate a recipe and pass it along…I made these over the weekend and was very happy with the outcome. Good flavor and a great healthy alternative.

 

Mountain Dew: The Mouse-Melter

Refreshingly corrosive!

 

Pepsi Co recently defended itself against accusations that a guy found a mouse in his Mountain Dew. Their argument: no, you didn't, because Mountain Dew will turn a mouse body into goo. Therefore, you cannot have found a mouse in your can.
 
When your lawyer decides that the right thing to do is admit that your soda melts dead mice, you know you're really in a bind.
 
According to Pepsi's documents, if the man had really found a mouse in his can, it would have long since been dissolved into "a jelly-like substance." The can had been bottled fifteen months earlier - long enough, experts agree, for all the citric acid in Mountain Dew to have wreaked havoc. 

 
Oh, where to begin.
 
First of all, it's true that Mountain Dew is one of the most acidic (and delicious) sodas on the market. This is part of what is responsible for "Mountain Dew Mouth," which is a dental issue that is plaguing Appalachia. 
 
I really wish that wasn't true, because it's just such a stereotype. But it is: children in Appalachia drink a lot of Mountain Dew. Partly because the caffeine presumably calms them (stimulants have the opposite effect on children), partly because of local pride (Mountain Dew was invented in Tennessee), partly because there is so little dental care or prevention happening in that part of the country, and partly just because DAMN.
 
And so in children you have a mirror version of Meth Mouth. Kids get dozens of cavities in their baby teeth, and serious tooth loss begins in the teenage years.
 
Do the Dew!
 
But I'm sure, upon hearing this story, that a certain sub-set of the population (myself included) thinks "What a great way to dispose of a body!" I wonder how many two liter bottles of Mountain Dew it would take to fill up a bathtub? 
 
(If you just flashed to the bathtub in the basement of Jame Gumb's house, we should definitely be friends.)
 
Incidentally, the average bath takes about 80 liters of water. So you would want to buy 40 two liter bottles if you wanted to dissolve a body. At about two dollars a bottle, that's only $80 to cover up your crime. Not too shabby, when you consider the cost of hydrochloric acid! 
 
(I don't actually know how much hydrochloric acid costs. I imagine it's expensive. I don't actually kill people and dispose of their bodies. I just watch a lot of The Sopranos. Honest. Really. Wait, come back!)
 

It's Still Pretty Cold, so why not Pretend it's Summer?

Check out this Recipe for Coconut Waffles with Mango and Vanilla Mascarpone

 

The cold weather might be dragging you down a little. If you’re missing summer, check out this recipe that’s sure to bring it back during breakfast.

For the waffles:

10oz/270g flour

2 tbsp sugar

4oz/100g desiccated coconut

7floz/200ml tepid water

7floz/200ml tepid beer

5floz/150g whipped cream

4oz/100g butter, melted

4 eggs separated

  • Sift the flour, sugar and ½ tsp salt together in a bowl and then mix in the desiccated coconut.
  • Stir in the water, beer, whipped cream, melted butter and egg yolks to make the batter.
  • Soft whip the egg whites and fold them through the batter, being careful not to over mix.
  • To cook the waffles, heat your waffle iron and brush it lightly with butter.
  • Spoon in some of the batter and spread it almost to the edge of the waffle pattern then close the lid and cook until golden (this should take about 4 minutes). The amount of batter you need will depend on the depth of your iron, so play around until you get the volume right.

For the vanilla mascapone:

5oz/150g mascarpone

5oz/150g double cream

Vanilla sugar to taste

  • Put the mascarpone into a bowl and loosen with a whisk.
  • Add the double cream and vanilla sugar and whisk until lump free and glossy.

To serve the waffles:

5oz/150g piece of fresh coconut or 5 tbsp desiccated coconut

Icing sugar

2 ripe mangos, peeled with a potato peeler then sliced into generous chunks

The pulp of 6 passion fruit

  • If using fresh coconut, then shave it into strips with a potato peeler.
  • Lay the strips out on a parchment-lined baking sheet and sprinkle generously with icing sugar.
  • Bake at 300F/150C/gas mark 2 for approximately 10 minutes, until golden.
  • If using desiccated coconut, put it in a heavy pan and stir in 1 tbsp icing sugar. Cook, stirring often, until the coconut is toasted brown.
  • Place a waffle on each plate and dust with icing sugar.

Spoon the mascarpone cream on top, place a few pieces of mango on this and then sprinkle over the toasted coconut and passion fruit pulp.

Easy Zucchini Soup Recipe


My daughter and I were trying to think up a healthy recipe with the vegetables we had on hand. That is how we came up with this zucchini soup recipe. It was so delicious that I had to write down what we did so that I could do it again another day. I figured if I published the recipe here, I could come back and view it anytime I got the urge to make it again.

You will need the following ingredients to make this zucchini soup:
  • 1 Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic chopped
  • 1 zucchini chopped into thin slices
  • 1 yellow squash chopped into thin slices
  • 10 small broccoli florets
  • 30 oz. vegetable stock
  • ¼ tsp. basil
  • ¼ tsp. thyme
  • ¼ tsp. rosemary


Follow these steps to make the zucchini soup:

Step 1:
Heat up the extra virgin olive oil in a large pot.

Step 2:
Add the onions and garlic, and cook until the onions begin to become translucent.

Step 3:
Add the zucchini, squash, broccoli florets, and the vegetable stock to the ingredients in the pot. Stir and watch for the ingredients to begin to boil. Turn the heat down to medium and cook for 10 minutes.

Step 4:
Pour the soup into a blender in batches. Puree the ingredients and then return them to the pot.

Step 5:
Add the basil, thyme, and rosemary to the soup. Stir and cook another three minutes.

Step 6:
Pour into individual serving bowls and serve immediately.

Tips:

  • Serve with crackers or French bread.
  • Sprinkle parsley on top of each bowl for decoration.
     

Healthy Comfort Food

 

I don’t know about you, but this is the time of year when I crave comfort foods. Images of creamy mashed potatoes, hot, yet filling soups and the tastiest staple: good old Macaroni and Cheese.

I love coming home after a long day and curling up with a good book and a hot bowl of fork twirling, cheesy noodles. I love topping this dish with breadcrumbs to give it body.

Recently, I was thumbing through my latest issue of Vegetarian Times (January/February 2012) and ran across a version where yummy carb-laden macaroni noodles were replaced with cauliflower, for a lower calorie take on the classic. This remake (pictured) had my mouth watering so I decided to give it a try.

First, preheat over to 350 degrees. Then bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Submerge one large cauliflower head in the pot. Steam for 5-7 minutes until the cauliflower is fork tender. Reserve one cup of the cooking liquid.

Next, over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Then whisk in 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour (Note: for a fiber kick, I used spelt flour and it didn’t affect the taste of the recipe). Whisk in 2 cups of milk, 1 clove of garlic (for the truly lazy, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder will work as well) and the one cup of reserved liquid. While whisking regularly, simmer under low heat and let cook for 7-10 minutes.

Remove from stove, and then stir in 2 cups of grated extra sharp cheddar cheese, ½ cup of nutritional yeast, 2 egg yolks and a pinch of red (cayenne) pepper. To view the rest of the recipe, go here.

 

Does Pepper Deserve Its Position?

Slate argues that pepper is overrated - and I have to agree

 

Dear pepper, what have you done for me LATELY? That's pretty much the idea behind this thought-provoking article at Slate. We take the combination of salt and pepper for granted. It's so ingrained in our minds and our culture that you would never say "pepper and salt." It's always, every single time, regardless of context, forever, "salt and pepper."
 
But should it be? 

 
Salt certainly deserves its place. Salt is so delicious and so valuable to cooking that it is valuable as a commodity. Salt has even been used as a currency in some cultures. Salt makes food taste better (until you use too much, at which point it just tastes salty. And you can never undo that, I don't care how many people tell you to "put in a slice of raw potato," because it just doesn't work.)
 
I have found myself using pepper a lot less in recent years. Instead, I fall back on my increasingly fearsome collection of actual condiments. When I want to give a dish a little more "zazz," 9 times out of 10 I will add a shot of sriracha (a.k.a. Rooster Sauce). 1 out of 10 times, I add either mustard or horseradish sauce. 
 
Depending on the food, I may deploy steak sauce, Worcestershire, soy sauce, barbecue sauce, a squeeze of lemon, tartar sauce, or that best and brightest of all condiments: butter.
 
Pepper is like the bare minimum for me. I almost use it as a benediction rather than an actual flavor. I sprinkle some in my mashed potatoes, and add a generous portion atop a steak before flipping it in the pan. 
 
But as a rule, I have to agree with Slate - pepper is overrated. My pepper grinder has gradually migrated to the back of the cupboard. It hangs out there with the cumin and the bay leaves. The sriracha bottle gets pride of place in my kitchen, whether it's adding a dash to a batch of mac and cheese, a grilled cheese sandwich, steamed vegetables, or a bowl of soup. 
 
I remember in the mid 1980s when my mother brought home a bottle of "fresh cracked pepper." We were blown away by the astounding amount of flavor that it provided, compared to the sad gray dust that we had been using. And then in the early 1990s when I bought an actual pepper grinder, it too was a revelation. That's how I felt about sriracha, the first time I tried it: "This changes EVERYTHING." And I have to tell you, I never looked back!

Tea Egg

A Staple Street Snack

Tea egg. Not tea and a hard-boiled egg. Just tea egg. Some people might find this weird. Like my friend, whom I'll call Cathy for this post.

“Have you ever had a tea egg?” I asked her. I could only chuckle at her reply.

“I only eat scrambled eggs” she said. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Tea egg isn't exactly mainstream and everyday-burrito-eating Cathy isn't exactly an adventurous eater.

Tea egg is egg boiled in a mixture of black tea, star anise and soy sauce, to name a few ingredients. It is a staple street snack in Asia and in my diet while I was growing up in Hong Kong. It's cheap and it keeps you warm, which is why it's especially popular during the winter months. There used to be a street vendor outside my elementary school in Hong Kong watching over a huge pot of dark liquid and keeping a close eye on the coals to make sure the fire doesn't get out of hand or die down. My sister would get us one egg each. The pot was so tall I couldn't peer into it as the egg man lifted the lid and ladled out two eggs with the tell-tale marbling.

Now that I'm in the United States, I don't have easy access to tea egg. My sister says the following recipe, from website Eating China, comes close to what we used to devour.

Serves 6

Ingredients
6 eggs
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon black tea leaves or 1 tea bag
4 pieces star anise
1 small stick cinnamon or cassia bark
1 teaspoon cracked peppercorns (optional)
2 strips dried mandarin peel (optional)

Directions

  1. Place unshelled eggs in saucepan of cold water – water level should be at least 4 cm (1-1/2") higher than eggs. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 2 minutes.

  2. Remove the eggs. With a knife, tap each egg to slightly crack the shells in two or three places. Return to saucepan.

  3. Add other ingredients and stir. Cover and simmer for 2 hours, adding water as necessary. Drain, serve hot or cold.

Cook longer if you like a stronger flavor and deeper color. The sauce can be frozen and reused.

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