Wilton Cake Decorating Course 2: Final Cake

I had a really good time taking Wilton Course 2.  The class was much smaller, which meant it was easier to spread out and get some more attention from the instructor.

Course 2 focuses on making flowers out of royal icing.  I was so happy I didn't have to make the icing using Crisco again, at least for most of the classes.  Royal icing dries to a hard finish, so you can make a ton of flowers ahead of time and they keep well until you're ready to decorate your cake.

We also learned how to work with color flow.  I have to say, I'm not a huge fan.  You can see the colorflow in the little blue bird on the cake.

So in each class, we learned a few different flowers that we saved until the final class.  I think my favorites were the pansies and the violets.

In the final class, we also learned how to make a rope border and a basketweave.  I have to say, once you get the hang of the basketweave, it's awesome!!  I loved how it came out. It's my favorite cake so far!

Smoky Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Sammies

I'm a little fussy when it comes to a good tomato soup.   I don't like it overly sweet and I don't like big chunks of tomatoes.  And any good tomato soup must have the perfect accompaniment - grilled cheese sandwiches and some crusty croutons!

This tomato soup definitely hits the spot.  I like the smokiness the adobo chili pepper adds.  You can also add a touch of cream or a dollop of sour cream for a creamier soup.  You can easily make this a complete vegetarian option by substituting vegetable broth for the chicken broth.

I can't seem to find 28-ounce cans of the whole fire-roasted tomatoes, so I just get 2 of the 15-ounce cans of the diced fire roasted tomatoes.

An immersion (handheld) blender works best for this soup.  If you don't have one, just use a blender.  But be careful!  Make sure you put a towel over the top of the blender, even with the cover.  Hot liquids have a ability to fly everywhere in a blender - or maybe that's just my blender!

Smoky Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Sammies
recipe by Rachel Ray

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Two 28-ounce cans whole fire-roasted tomatoes
One 14.5-ounce can chicken broth
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, chopped (the more you use, the spicier this will be, so adjust for your taste)

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a saucepan. Add the onion, garlic and thyme and cook for 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, chicken broth and chipotle; lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. 

Using the immersion blender (or regular blender) puree to desired consistency.

For the sandwiches, I LOVE Stop and Shop's Roasted Garlic Rustic Loaf with Cabot's 50% cheddar cheese.  I add a little mustard to the grilled cheese for a little extra zing! 

If you'd like croutons, any crusty bread will do.  Cut the bread into 1 inch chunks.  Put them on a baking sheet that fits in your toaster oven.  Spray with some olive oil spray (Pam works) and sprinkle with some parmesan cheese.  Toast lightly, flip and toast again.  Toast until they're crispy, but not burned. 

Delicious!

Choose Your Own Flavors - Stir Fry!

Stir-fry is a wonderful way to use up any veggies and proteins you've got hanging around in your fridge.  You can use basic flavors to make something really delicious.  You can easily make the same sauce and choose different proteins and veggies, or use the same ones with a different sauce.

The secret to a good stir-fry is high heat!  You'll spend the most time prepping your veggies and cooking will be done in a flash.

This version is a ginger garlic stir-fry with peppers, asparagus and chicken.  This feeds 2 hungry people!

You should organize your veggies into 4 groups, depending on how long they take to cook. 
Here's how it goes:
carrots, cauliflower, onions, or peppers (first batch)
asparagus, green beans, broccoli, or butternut squash (second batch)
cabbage, celery, chard, fennel, mushrooms, peas, sugar snap peas, summer squash, or zucchini (third batch)
scallions, fresh herbs, tender greens, or tomatoes (fourth batch) 
 
For the protein:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into even sized chunks
1 Tablespoon soy sauce (I try to use low sodium)
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar (or you can use white wine, sherry vinegar, apple cider vinegar, etc)

Mix together and set aside.

Cut your veggies and separate according to the groups above.  For this, I used 1 large red pepper, maybe 10 asparagus spears and 1/2 cup of edamame.

Extra flavorings:
2 tablespoons chopped scallions , white part only
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2-4 tablespoons canola oil or grapeseed oil

For the Sauce:
3 Tablespoons soy sauce (light preferred)
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar (or you can use white wine, sherry vinegar, apple cider vinegar, etc)
1/4 cup minced fresh ginger
2 scallions , minced (just use the remaining greens from the extra flavorings)
2 Tablespoons low sodium chicken broth

Mix all the ingredients together and set aside.

Heat your pan over high heat.  Add 1 Tablespoon oil and heat until shimmering.  Add your protein and cook until done.  For chicken, this is usually about 3 minutes. Remove the protein and set aside.  Add 1 teaspoon oil and add first batch of veggies.  Cook until tender, but still crisp.  Add second batch of veggies and cook until tender, but crisp.  Follow with as many batches as needed.  You may add 1 teaspoon more of oil, if needed.   Once your veggies are ready, make a clear spot in the center of the pan and add the extra flavorings.  Cook for 10 seconds and then mix with the veggies and cook another 20 seconds.  Return the protein to the pan.  Add the sauce and stir-fry to coat for about 1 minute.  Serve over rice, quinoa or couscous.

And you're done!  Sounds complicated, but I promise, it's not.  This recipe is adapted from Cook's Illustrated.

Wordless Weekend

Well, not entirely wordless, but I just wanted to show some more herbs from my Aerogarden.  These are marjoram and oregano and they are fantastic fresh herbs!

Beer Braised Chicken Sausages and Potatoes

I've had this recipe in my reserves for quite some time.  I don't often eat chicken sausages, or any sausages for that matter.  Something about the "natural pork casing" has always put me off. 

While I really enjoyed the flavors in this dish, I think next time I'd substitute low sodium chicken broth for the 2 cups of water.  I feel like it needed a little more to it. 

Beer Braised Chicken Sausages and Potatoes
adapted from Everyday Food


1 lb chicken sausages (or pork)
1 lb red potatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks
2 cups water
1 12oz. pale ale beer
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon dried rosemary or thyme
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

In a dutch oven, heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add chicken sausages and cook until browned on all sides - about 8-12 minutes.  Add the onions and cook until soft, about 7 minutes.  Stir frequently.  Add potatoes, beer and water and bring to a boil.  Lower heat to a simmer, cover and cook 20 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender.  While this is cooking, in large bowl combine 1 Tablespoon olive oil, red wine vinegar and rosemary/thyme.  Once your potato mixture is done, remove sausages and keep warm.  With slotted spoon, take out the onions and potatoes and toss them in the olive oil/red wine mixture.  Set aside.  Return the beer mixture to high heat and boil until reduced by half, about 12-15 minutes.  Once it's done, serve your sausages and potatoes with the beer mixture, season with salt and pepper and enjoy!

Cincinnati Style Chili - Recipe #1

Chili isn't really my thing, but my husband loves is obsessed with it.  He grew up in Cincinnati, home of Gold Star Chili and Skyline Chili.  Those who are familiar with it know its cult like followings.  There are a few Skyline restaurants in Florida and I've been able to visit those.  It's not like any chili I've ever had.  It's more complex and spicey, but not hot spicey.  More like cinnamon and clove spicey.  It also has some chocolate undertones.  There are quite a few ways to properly eat your Skyline Chili.  My husband prefers a 3-Way.  Now don't get excited - a 3-Way is a mound of spaghetti, chili and a monstrous portion of shredded cheddar cheese.  You can also make a 4-Way, which adds either diced onions or red beans.  And even a 5-Way, which includes everything!

I decided I'd like to try and make this chili at home.  There are tons of recipes for Cincinnati chili.  I figure I'll have to try a few to see which comes close. 

So what was the verdict?  Well, he literally licked his plate clean!  So I guess he liked it!  He said it didn't taste 100% like Skyline, but he said it was awesome!  And a bonus - it's SUPER easy to make.  I even used low-fat cheese and it was still delicious. 

Skyline Style Cincinnati Chili

adapted from Allrecipes

2 pounds lean ground beef

2 onions, finely chopped

1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce

2 Tablespoons white vinegar

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 half of a square of unsweeted baker's chocolate

1/4 cup chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

5 whole allspice berries

5 whole cloves  (I didn't have these, so I just added some ground cloves~1/8 teaspoon)

1 bay leaf

additional water, as needed

Put the ground beef into a large pot and cover with water, about 2 inches above meat.  Bring to a boil.  Stir the meat and break it up to as fine a texture as you'd like.  (Cincinnati chili has a very fine texture.)  Simmer the meat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until meat is no longer pink.  Cover the pot and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, skim the fat off the top of the pan.  You can throw it out.  Empty the water and add fresh water to the pot to cover the meat about 1 inch.  Add all the ingredients to the pot.  Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to heat to a simmer.  Cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.  Keep an eye on the chili.  You'll want to add extra water throughout the cooking process so it doesn't burn.  You could end up adding as much as 3 cups of water. (Cincinnati Chili tends to be more on the watery side.) You do not need to cover the chili, but you may want a splatter screen so it doesn't make a huge mess. 

FYI - don't attempt to taste this before it's done cooking.  You will choke on the amount of chili powder that's in it!  Seriously, I was afraid I wasn't going to eat it at all.  But cooking it for 3 hours really mellows out the flavors.