Author Archives: Janis Chanin

Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes

05 Friday Dec 2014

Posted by in Chocolate, Dessert, Holiday

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Peppermint Mocha CupcakesIt seems that every year the Christmas music starts playing earlier and the decorations are put up sooner.  Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas, but I think Thanksgiving deserves its own glory too.  I always wait until well after my turkey coma has worn off before moving onto Christmas.  Now that we’re almost a week into December, it’s time to think about getting my tree and decking the halls with Nat King Cole singing The Christmas Song in the background!

…But in the spirit of doing Christmas-y things super early, today I share with you a recipe that would be a welcome addition to any holiday dessert table.  I created these Starbucks-inspired cupcakes last year for a friend’s party.  Since his birthday is around Christmas and he’s a huge fan of anything coffee flavored, I thought peppermint and mocha would be the perfect combination!  I can’t wait to celebrate the season with him and his wife again in a few weeks, on our first trip back up to Boston since we moved!

Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes
Yield:  12 cupcakes
Time:  25 minutes hands-on;  20 minutes baking;  45 minutes total

Cupcakes:
1 and 1/3 cup cake flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup whole milk
½ cup strong coffee
1½ tsp. ground instant espresso powder
2 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup butter, softened
1 egg
½ cup sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar

Frosting:
½ cup butter, softened
3 cups confectioner’s sugar
¼ cup whole milk
¾ tsp. peppermint extract
6 candy canes, crushed (I use the food processor, but a mallet or rolling pin would work fine too!)
1.  Preheat the oven to 350ºF.  Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.

2.  Cream together the butter and both sugars.  Add the egg and vanilla, mixing well to blend.

3.  In a separate bowl, dissolve the espresso powder into the coffee.  Add the milk.  Gently stir into the butter/sugar mixture.

4.  In separate mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in several additions, whisking to combine.

5.  Fill 12 cupcake wells, each approximately ¾ full.  Bake at 350°F for about 15-20 minutes, until the tops spring back when gently pressed on, or a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.  Allow to cool completely.

6.  Pour the crushed candy canes into a shallow bowl and set aside.  To make frosting, beat the butter until light and fluffy.  Add in confectioner’s sugar, milk, and peppermint extract.  Beat until well mixed, and the frosting is fluffy.  Frost a cupcake, then turn the cupcake upside down and gently press it into the crushed candy canes.  Repeat with all cupcakes.

Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes

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Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Bolognese

21 Friday Nov 2014

Posted by in Dinner, Healthy

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Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Bolognese

I love spaghetti squash for its flavor and nutritional benefits over regular spaghetti.  (Did you know per cup spaghetti squash has only 31 calories and 7 grams of carbs, compared to 221 calories and 43 grams of carbs in pasta spaghetti??!  Plus, it makes for a nice alternative to a traditional pasta dish for those of you who need to follow a gluten-free diet.)  But I think in order for spaghetti squash to really shine as a dinnertime star, it needs a hearty bolognese sauce to accompany it.  Try this chunky turkey bolognese, and I promise you won’t be disappointed!

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Bolognese
Time:  30 minutes active;  1 hour 30 minutes total
Yield:  Six dinner-sized servings

2 spaghetti squash
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 to 1½ lbs. ground turkey
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
¾ tsp. oregano
½ tsp. salt, plus a bit more to sprinkle on squash
¼ tsp. pepper, plus a bit more to sprinkle on squash
4 carrots, peeled and chopped into rounds roughly 1/8 inch thick
2 onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 celery stalks, chopped
28 oz. crushed tomatoes
6 oz. tomato paste
20 oz. tomato sauce or marinara sauce
¼ cup fresh basil, chiffonade
1 cup shredded fresh Parmesan or Asiago cheese

1.  Cut each squash in half lengthwise.  (Be careful!  The skin is fairly thick and can be tough.)  Scoop out and discard seeds.  Drizzle with EVOO.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place cut side down on a greased baking sheet.  Roast at 425°F for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

2.  Meanwhile, place the chopped carrots in a large microwave-safe bowl.  Cover with water.  Microwave for 5-8 minutes, until they’re a bit softened.

3.  Place the ground turkey in a medium sauté pan with the crushed red pepper flakes, oregano, salt, and pepper.  Cook over medium heat until the turkey is cooked through (about 8 minutes), stirring occasionally.

4.  In a large sauté pan over medium heat, cook the onions, bell pepper, and minced garlic until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add the celery, softened carrots, and cooked turkey.  Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and marinara sauce.

5.  Once the squash is fully roasted, allow it to cool enough so that you can handle it.  Transfer each half to a cutting board (I lift it with forks because I’m not patient enough to wait until it’s cool!) and scrape the squash with a fork, loosening the long spaghetti-like strands.  Top with bolognese sauce, fresh Parmesan cheese, and fresh basil.  Enjoy!
Note:  For a fancy presentation, serve this dish right from the hollowed out squash!

spaghetti squash 5 Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Bolognese

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Turkey Pear-ed with Bleu

13 Thursday Nov 2014

Posted by in Healthy, Lunch, Quick and Easy, Salad

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Turkey Pear'ed with Bleu

I love mixing and matching ingredients to invent new seasonal salads.  This is one of my favorites right now because it contains great autumn flavors and a variety of textures.

Turkey Pear-ed with Blue
Yield:  1 salad serving
Time:  15 minutes total

2 cups baby arugula, rinsed
2 oz. roasted turkey, diced
1 oz. bleu cheese, crumbled
1 fresh pear, sliced
1 handful dried cranberries
your favorite salad dressing (I recommend a raspberry vinaigrette or Brianna’s Blush Wine Vinaigrette)

Combine all of the ingredients together in a bowl.  Toss to coat with dressing.  Enjoy!

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Apple Pie Moonshine

07 Friday Nov 2014

Posted by in Beverages, Boozy, Cocktails, Quick and Easy

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Apple Pie Moonshine

I am absolutely completely 100% in love with this recipe!  One of my great friends from high school, Tanya, recently made this for her Oktoberfest party and I quickly became obsessed!  It honestly tastes like liquid apple pie.  You can drink it chilled, on ice, room temperature, or warm.  It’s super easy to make and a total crowd pleaser.  I’ve already converted a handful of people into fans.  I think you’ll love it too.  I recommend making a big batch for Thanksgiving.  A BIG thanks to Tanya Santoro to sharing this recipe with me, and allowing me to post it!

Apple Pie Moonshine
Yield:  A little over 2 gallons.  Enough for a large cocktail party!
Time:  5 minutes active; 60 minutes total (plus time to chill if serving cold)

1 gallon apple juice
1 gallon good quality apple cider*
1½ cups sugar
1½ cups brown sugar
8 large cinnamon sticks
3 cups Everclear (190 proof…as Tanya says, “go hard or go home”!)
2 cups vanilla vodka
Garnish:  2 crisp apples (Honeycrisp, Gala, or Granny Smith would all work!)

1)  In a large pot, stir together the apple juice, apple cider, sugar, and brown sugar.  Add the cinnamon sticks and simmer over medium to medium-high heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2)  Cool to room temperature.  Stir in Everclear and vanilla vodka.

Garnish with dices apples, if desired.  I served mine from a large mason jar and left two of the cinnamon sticks floating to infuse even more cinnamon flavor.

Enjoy (responsibly).

 
*One of the things I missed the most about Jersey while I lived in Boston was Zeigler’s apple cider.  I especially love their cider made from Honeycrisp apples.  YUM!

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Homemade Applesauce

28 Tuesday Oct 2014

Posted by in Breakfast, Dessert, Fruit, Healthy, Quick and Easy, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Homemade Applesauce

I absolutely LOVE homemade applesauce!  It’s so easy to make that I wonder why I don’t do it more often.  I inevitably make it every year to use up the rest of my apple picking bounty, and this year is no different.  Some people get really opinionated as to what type of apples are best to use in applesauce.  I say whatever you have on hand will work perfectly!  For this batch I used a combination of Ginger Gold, McIntosh, Gala, Honeycrisp, and two other varieties that we picked at a local orchard but I forget what they’re called.

Eat it plain for breakfast or a healthy snack, or use it as a topping for Pumpkin Pancakes or waffles!

Homemade Applesauce
Yield:  about 6 cups
Time:  35 minutes total

14 apples
1 cup apple juice (or apple cider)
½ cup brown sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
t tbsp. lemon juice

1.  Wash, peel, and core the apples.  Cut into bite-sized chunks and place in a large pot.

2.  Whisk together the apple juice (or cider) with the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and lemon juice.  Pour over the apples.  Cover the pot and simmer over medium heat for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until apples are tender.

3.  Using a potato masher, coarsely mash the apples.  If you prefer your applesauce to be smooth, purée using an immersion blender or a regular blender with a kitchen towel over the vent to allow steam to escape.  Part of what I love so much about homemade applesauce is the rustic chunkiness of it, so I leave some larger pieces of apple in mine.

4.  Allow to cool before storing in glass jars or bowls.  Store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

Note:  It’s irresistible served over vanilla ice cream with a drizzle of caramel syrup.  YUM!

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Homemade Applesauce over waffles