Spicy Potato and Chicken Quesadilla

You need to know that in Vancouver my favourite slice of pizza that you can get is a veggie one called Spicy Potato. It is DELICIOUS. So so crazy good. If you’ve never had pizza in Van City I’ll give you a quick run-down. The crust is on the thinner side and it’s a little bready, not very greasy. Always has sesame seeds baked on the edged of the crust. There’s tons of toppings and not an exuberant amount of sauce and cheese and almost always is best served with the mystery garlic ranch sauce made at the pizzerias. Definitely the best joints for this are Uncle Fatihs, Pizza Garden, and Mega Bite.

Last week the pizza angels blessed me with the friends, money, and transportation to be able to go downtown for a GIANT co-birthday in East Van. I had to duck out early cause I had to make my way back home, but I budgeted in time to be able to grab an inebriated slice or two before I got on my train.

Since then I’ll I’ve been dreaming about is the delicious slice of Spicy Potato and Spicy Chicken that I had, and how could I remake these beauties in my home in a non-pizza format.

You need to know that my go-to when I’m cooking for one is a weird Mexican food variation. So many veggie, and bean quesadillas, and not always time for cooking a little meat to make them more substantial, and today it hit me.

Boom.

Spicy. Potato. Quesadilla.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sized Baked Potato, cooled
• 1 baked Chicken Breast, cooled
• 1/4 cup chopped Green Onions
• Juice of 1 Lime
• 1 tablespoon of Chili Powder
• 1 teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
• 1 teaspoon of Cumin
• 2 tablespoons Sriracha hot sauce
• 2 tortillas
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese

Directions

1. Chop Chicken, Baked Potato, and Green Onions in to small pieces and place in a medium sized bowl.
2. In a small bowl mix together Chili Powder, Cayenne Pepper, Cumin, Sriracha and lime juice.
3. Pour the mixture over the medium sized bowl and mix ingredients till evenly incorporated.
4. Cover and refrigerate for an hour.
5. On one half of the tortilla place your marinated meat and veggies with about a 2 centimeter border around the edges. Cover with half of you cheese and fold in half. Repeat.
6. Heat large cast iron pan to medium, and when hot place Quesadillas inside, with the cheese side on the top.
7. After about three and a half minutes (or when top cheese starts to become melted) flip Quesadillas over for another three minutes or so.
8. Cut Quesadillas into quarters and serve while hot.

Notes:

• These would make a GREAT veggie option with the exclusion of chicken, but I like chicken. Other veggies that would substitute in well include: Avocados, Peppers, and Onions.
• Refrigerating isn’t necessary if you’re pressed for time, but I find that it lets the hot marinade have time to mingle with your meat and potatoes!
• Warning; Cayenne Pepper when in a sauce tends to get a hotter over time. However, if you’re making these you probably like spicy things.
• If you don’t have fresh lime juice, but only bottled one lime has ~ 2-3 tablespoons of juice in it.
• Enjoy with additional hot sauce, sour cream, salsa, or guacamole.

Vanilla Amaretto Sugar Cookies

When I was growing up I wasn’t a big fan of sugar cookies. I liked the whole aspect of making them once a year before Christmas, putting too many sprinkles and way too much icing on them, but that was it. I always found that they were just lacking a little bit. Without icing on them I found that the sometimes the taste reminded me of egg. So weird, but it was all I could think of. In the fall I started playing around with Sugar Cookie recipes because I bought a set of Halloween Cookie cutters. I’m really glad that I did.

Where some have multiple eggs this recipe only has one. Additional moisture (and flavour!) is provided through a full tablespoon of Vanilla and of Amaretto. The combination of the two mixed in with a rather simple dough is perfection. With just subtle hints of the latter it definitely makes a delicious cookie that stands out.

Also, I don’t understand buying sugar cookie mix. Sugar cookies are flour and sugar and butter and egg. That’s all. You still have to mix ingredients and roll and cut when you buy mix and it just doesn’t taste the same. I guess I fail to see where the convenience is.

I’ve talked for long enough.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of salted butter
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon amaretto

Directions:

1. Cream together butter and sugar together till light and fluffy.
2. Add the egg, vanilla and the amaretto to the butter and sugar mixture and thoroughly incorporate.
3. Slowly add in flour a cup at a time.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
5. Form dough into three even bricks and roll out between two pieces of wax paper. Refrigerate rolled dough for 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Cut out your cookie shapes and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
7. Bake for 14 minutes or until the edges of cookies begin to turn golden.
8. Repeat steps 5 and 6 with dough scraps.
9. When cookies are fully cooled they’re ready for decorating!

Notes:

• When you refrigerate the dough and use the cookie cutters on it it makes it considerably easier to pick up and move the cut dough without it ripping or warping.

Cloved Oranges, also known as Orange Pomanders

I know that this isn’t a recipe, but I feel like seeing as it involved cloves and oranges that it is close enough. I never knew that these were called Orange Pomanders until this year. I’ve been doing these every year at Christmas for as long as I can remember. They smell absolutely fantastic and look lovely in a bowl or on a table. The oil from the orange comes out through the clove and you get a fantastic fragrant mix of orange and spice wafting through your house.

What you need:

• Whole Cloves
• Navel Oranges
• A Thimble
• Christmas Music of your choice for listening

Directions:

1. Push cloves into the rind of the orange in any pattern which you would like.
2. Put in a bowl for display purposes.

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Coconut Cookies

You know what was absolutely fantastic? The cookie swap. I had SO much fun making, packing, sending and receiving cookies from all over the place! I’ve posted twice about the matches I received, and I’m still hoping to get my third in the next couple of days.

I packed my cookies in vintage tea and sugar tins with matching cards. I thought they looked really cute. I’m already day dreaming about what kind I should make next year. Shipping cookies was way easier than I thought it would be. You just have to pack them snugly and in an air tight container and you’re set. The ladies at the Fed Ex Store were so into the idea of the swap.

These cookies were originally born out of the fact that my house had a surplus of coconut last May. I first made them for a friend who was moving into a new apartment as a housewarming and I’ve not stopped making them. They’re lovely with tea or warm with a BIG glass of milk. The cinnamon, brown sugar, and coconut are a perfect warm sweet and comforting combination. Perfect for the fall and chilly winter months.

Ingredients:

    •    1 1/4 cups flour
    •    1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    •    1/4 teaspoon salt
    •    1 tablespoon cinnamon
    •    1/2 cup butter
    •    3/4 cup packed brown sugar
    •    1/4 cup white sugar
    •    1 egg
    •    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    •    1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
    •    1/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
3. In a medium bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually mix in the flour and then the coconut.
4. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
5. Bake for 8 to 11 minutes, or until lightly toasted.
6. Cool on a wire rack.

Notes:

• In my pictures I doubled the recipe, so the measurements displayed aren’t the same ones as are listed above
• These cookies are really soft when they first come out of the oven, but once they cool they’re a fantastic chewy cookie.

Pumpkin Cream Pie

This is a suuuuper late Thanksgiving post, or an alternate Christmas dessert post, but it’s fabulous easy way to do a non-traditional pumpkin pie.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups milk
• 2 (3.5 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 cup whipped cream
• 1 (9 inch) graham cracker pie crust
• Pecans (optional)

Instructions:

1. Combine milk, pudding mix, pumpkin, spices, and whipped cream in a bowl. Beat with a mixer till equally combined, about a minute. Pour filling into pie crust.
   
2. Place in refrigerator until set, about 3 hours.

Notes:

• I placed a little extra whipped cream on the top of mine with a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice.
• Pecans go wonderfully with this and make a nice decorative addition.
  

My second box of Cookies got here today! I was reading when my mom said, “The postman is on his way to the door with a cookie shaped package, Aimee.” I almost squealed. This box came to me from Amanda at thevanillabeanery.wordpress.com They’re wonderful White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies. I have to admit I had them with my coffee today as breakfast. They are so sweet and filling and just all around lovely.

First off, I am sorry I have been so absent lately. I have recipes and lots of other lovely things to post that I am in the process of sorting out and queuing up right now!

Second off, look! I got my first box of cookies today from the Food Blogger Cookie Exchange! Holy moley are they ever wonderful. Peppermint Hot Chocolate cookies from Christine @ wannafoodie.ca They’re wonderful cakey chocolate cookies with a hidden layer of homemade peppermint marshmallow inside! Next Monday all the recpies are getting posted and I think you should DEFINITELY make these. So fantastic. I put mine in the microwave like she suggested for a couple of seconds to melt the mallow and they were devine!

I mailed out all of my cookies on Monday, so hopefully they make it to my recipients soon!

The Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles are a staple in the cookie world. I appear, however, to have been the only person to have grown up without them in my life. After listening to my friends rave about them for a couple months I decided that I need to see what all of the hoopla was about, and ventured out to find how delicious these are.
Long story short, these are perfect cookies. Nice sweet little sugar cookies with a light cinnamon and sugar coating. They’re fantastic with tea, or coffee, or lunches, or to sneak a handful of them with a glass of warm milk while you watch a movie. It’s easy to see why these are so popular.

Ingredients:

• 2 3/4 cup of flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  
  
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons cinnamon

Directions:

1. Whisk together flour, sugar, salt and baking powder.
2. Cream together sugar and butter till light and fluffy, scrape down.
3. Add vanilla and eggs to butter mixture and beat till fluffy.
4. Slowly add the whisked dry ingredients to mixer till thoroughly incorporated.
5. Mix sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl and set aside.
6. Shape dough into one inch balls and roll them in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
7. Set on an ungreased cookie sheet two inches apart and gently press down with the bottom of a glass.
8. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 8 - 10 minutes, or till outside of the cookies are a golden brown and the center is still soft.
9. Let cool on a wire rack.

Notes:

• Cookies will keep in a sealed container from up to two weeks.
• This makes around 4-5 dozen cookies.

Vanilla Bean Surprise Cupcakes with hidden Dark Chocolate Ganache and Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Cupcakes Adapted from Joy The Baker

Sometimes I really like to cook. A lot. Other times I can go for a week or two without cooking anything noteworthy. That, coupled with my new job explains my lack of posts lately. Also, it’s really hard to cook giant delicious baked things for only myself and my mom. Luckily I have friends. Sometimes we all hang out and I like to bring them things. I like to bring them cupcakes. Mostly because they’re the perfect serving size almost everyone likes cupcakes.

These are nice cause you look at them and go, Oh, what a lovely Vanilla cupcake! Then you take a bite and the hidden dark chocolate ganache touches your taste buds and all the flavours melt together and yo go. “Ohhh.”

Also, have you ever had a Swiss Meringue Buttercream? They are lovely. It’s not overly sweet, there’s no icing sugar. It’s not like frosting. It is light and delicious. I have won over people who HATE icing by topping cakes with this. This is my go-to, and you should try it and you’ll never go back to canned frosting.

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature.
• 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out
• 2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line two cupcake pans with paper cups.
2. In a small bowl mix together milk, vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds. Let sit.
3. In a medium sized bowl whisk together all dry ingredients excluding sugar.
4. In a mixer cream together your butter and sugar till it is light and fluffy. Be sure to scrape down the sides in order to incorporate everything evenly.
5. Slowly add eggs one at a time into the butter and sugar.
6. On a low speed, starting and ending with the flour mix in the flour mixture and the milk mixture. Make sure all dry ingredients are well combined.
7. Divide cupcake batter in among the paper cups. Generally I put in just under a 1/3 cup of batter in each liner.
8. Bake for 25 minutes till golden, or till a toothpick comes out clean.
9. Let cool for ten minutes in pan before transferring to a wire rack, and let cool completely before frosting.

Notes:

• Makes 24 cupcakes
• If you don’t let your cupcakes cool all the way, when you do go to ice/frost them your topping will melt and slide off of them.

Dark Chocolate Ganache:

Ingredients:

• 5, 1 ounce squares of dark baking chocolate
• 1 tablespoon of corn syrup ( if you use semi sweet chocolate omit this step )
• 2 tablespoons of heavy cream

Directions:

1. Place ingredients into a microwave safe bowl.
2. Microwave for 30 seconds.
3. Stir.
4. Microwave again and stir till smooth.
5. Place a generous spoonful on the center of a fully cooled cupcake.

Notes:

• Chocolate can be melted and retain it’s form. It’s important not to over microwave it or it will burn, which is why you heat it in 30 seconds increments.
• This isn’t a lot, just a nice amount. If you decide to double this recipe you can whisk the ingredients over a double broiler.

Swiss Meringue Vanilla Buttercream:

Ingredients:

• 5 large egg whites
• 1 cup and two tablespoons of granulated sugar
•  1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups of butter
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Place egg white, sugar, and salt in a double broiler ( or heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water ) and whisk until the sugar has melted and the temperature has reached 160 degrees.
2. Transfer the egg and sugar mixture to a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Beat till cool and stiff peaks form, about 8 minutes on medium-high setting.
3. On medium speed add butter a tablespoon at a time waiting till each one is incorporated.
4. When all the butter is added, mix in your vanilla.

Notes:

• You really have to whisk your egg whites when they’re heating and mixing with your sugar or else you will have chunks of cooked egg. Not what anyone wants.
• This buttercream will keep for about a month in the freezer or in the fridge for 3 days.
• If your buttercream curdles keep whisking it back on medium-high for 3-5 minutes.
• This makes about 5 cups.