Search Results for: curd

Stuffed Avocados with Shrimp and Mango

May 5, 2016 By Becky 13 Comments

Stuffed avocados with shrimp and mango are simple, quick, and crave-worthy, especially when topped with a spicy jalapeño aioli!

I’m having a really hard time writing this post because there aren’t any fixings for these stuffed avocados left, and I’m craving them so badly. They check all the boxes for my top practical considerations because they’re healthy, fast, easy, and filling. And they check all my flavor and texture boxes because they’re creamy, savory, spicy, and sweet with a little bit of crunch from the scallions. They’re pretty much all I’ve wanted for dinner ever since I first dreamed them up.

My fiancé Ben loves these, too. He’s not too hard to please with food because he’ll eat almost anything besides sweet potatoes or cooked apples (I know, right?), but it’s rare that he gets super excited about a food.

However, after the first time we had these stuffed avocados with shrimp and mango, he made a point of telling me twice that he really liked them. (And in case you don’t know Ben, “I really liked those” is Ben-speak for “Those are the best things I’ve ever tasted!”) He hasn’t said so many good things about one of my recipes since last time I made the millionaire’s shortbread from Paleo Planet.

The premise for this dish is simple: it’s an avocado boat stuffed with a shrimp and mango filling accented with scallions and topped with an easy jalapeño aioli. The aioli is creamy, heart-healthy and delicious thanks to its main ingredient: avocado oil mayo from Primal Kitchen, which I buy from Thrive Market (affiliate link–I earn from qualifying purchases). It has only a handful of wholesome ingredients: avocado oil, cage-free, organic eggs, organic vinegar, salt, and rosemary extract. No sugar or canola oil in sight!

It’s kind of weird for me to be whipping up a mayonnaise-based sauce because I’ve never been a fan of mayo, but this one is so good and unlocks so many epic paleo sauce possibilities. Since I try to limit my dairy intake and I’m allergic to coconut, there are so many creamy sauces out there that just don’t work for me.

I first used this avocado oil mayo last year in an awesome green goddess dressing, and I’ve been hooked ever since. This jalapeño aioli is even better because it’s nice and spicy, and in addition to being great with these stuffed avocados with shrimp it’s also epic with baked sweet potato fries.

Paleo Planet Press Page

Thank you SO much for helping me spread the word about Paleo Planet! I really appreciate your help and am so thrilled you’re taking the time to check the book out.

Here is some information that should help make your review easy to put together. Below you’ll find a photo of the cover and digital postcards that you’re welcome to download and share on your site or on social media, pre-written tweets featuring tidbits from the book that can be shared with one click, a list of approved recipes if you’d like to include a full recipe as part of your review, and a Q&A with me that you’re welcome to share with your readers. If you have any questions about the process, feel free to email me (becky[at]acalculatedwhisk[dot]com).

Paleo Planet by Becky Winkler

Digital postcards to share on Pinterest, Facebook, & anywhere else you’d like:

Tips from the book–just click to tweet instantly:

1) #Paleo Tip: Cashew Cream is the perfect dairy- and gluten-free alternative to yogurt or sour cream.
Tweet #PaleoPlanet

2) Kitchen tip from @calculatedwhisk: Save chicken bones to make your own chicken broth.
Tweet #PaleoPlanet

3) All it takes to make homemade almond milk is almonds, water, and patience. More #paleo tips here:
Tweet #PaleoPlanet

4) Tip: Homemade spice blends like Garam Masala add a kick to any #paleo dish. Find the recipe here:
Tweet #PaleoPlanet

5) Cauliflower rice is the perfect #glutenfree side dish to accompany your main meal (via @calculatedwhisk)
Tweet #PaleoPlanet

6) Homemade almond butter + fresh apples = one fabulous snack:
Tweet #PaleoPlanet

7) Ghee: the #1 most indispensable ingredient in the #paleo chef’s kitchen.
Tweet #PaleoPlanet

8) Almond flour-based desserts mean less carbohydrates and a rich, satisfying taste:
Tweet #PaleoPlanet

9) Kitchen Tip: Save the seeds from pumpkin and winter squash to make a delicious toasted snack.
Tweet #PaleoPlanet

10) #Paleo stuffed poblano chiles pack in more flavor without the oil-heavy deep-frying. Get the recipe:
Tweet #PaleoPlanet

11) Spice up #paleo brownies with cinnamon and cayenne pepper for a Mexican-inspired treat. Get the recipe:
Tweet #PaleoPlanet

Press Recipe List:

Below is a list of recipes that we’d like you to choose from if you’re sharing a full recipe on your blog as part of the review. This is just to limit the total percentage of the book that’s available for free online. Feel free to reach out to Emily Fanning (egeaman(at)harvardcommonpress(dot)com) if you’d like the recipe text emailed to you.

Including a direct link to the Amazon page (http://www.amazon.com/Paleo-Planet-Primal-Kitchen-Recipes/dp/155832853X/ or a link created with your affiliate account pointing to the same URL) on your blog and/or social media is especially helpful if you’re comfortable doing so. If you also decide to share on Instagram, please consider including a short link to the Amazon page. You can use (not associated with any affiliate account) or create one pointing to the same page with your Amazon affiliate account. And, on any social media, feel free to use the hashtag #paleoplanet!

If you have the time and interest, candid reviews on the Amazon page itself are also highly appreciated :).

Garlicky Shrimp (Gambas al Ajillo) (pg. 48)

Butternut Squash Soup with Fried Garlic & Chile Oil (pg. 60)

Indochinese Chile Chicken (pg. 82)

Pineapple Fried Cauliflower Rice (pg. 84)

Spiced Turkey Drumsticks & Gravy (pg. 118)

Marinated Skirt Steak with Cilantro Lime Ghee (pg. 128)

Korean Beef with Cucumber & Shiitake Mushrooms (pg. 135)

Kaddo Bourani (pg. 148)

Slow-Cooker Carnitas Lettuce Wraps with Pineapple-Avocado Salsa (pg. 160)

Curried Roasted Squash & Brussels Sprouts (pg. 221)

Spinach and Bacon Souffle (pg. 234)

Squash Noodles with Everything Pesto & Fried Eggs (pg. 246)

Gingerbread Blondies (pg. 266)

Thank you SO much for taking the time to check out Paleo Planet!

Author Q&As:

1. How did you become interested in paleo cooking?

After I launched my blog A Calculated Whisk in early 2013, I started cooking and baking even more than I had before, and I was making a ton of desserts. In the first three months of my blog’s life, I gained about twenty pounds! I was looking for a way to keep working on what I was passionate about (cooking and baking delicious things at home) but improve my well-being and maintain a healthy weight. It seemed like quite a conundrum until I read about paleo eating online. I thought going paleo might really help me, and it did! It’s much easier now for me to keep my weight in check. I also have more energy and feel even more inspired in the kitchen because I’m working with gorgeous vegetables and fruits, pasture-raised meats, healthy fats, a little bit of grass-fed dairy, and a variety of nuts and seeds. It’s just better food!

2. What made you start a food blog?

I’ve always loved cookbooks–I’ve been reading Ina Garten’s cover to cover for years! When I taught pre-K in 2012 I was looking for fun things to skim online during my kids’ naptime, and I discovered the amazing food blog What’s Gaby Cooking, which I still love. I would visit everyday and get frustrated if there wasn’t a new post, and before long I realized it wasn’t the only food blog out there and that there were plenty of others to read, too. About a year later it occurred to me on a whim to start my own blog so I could share my love for lemon curd, and that’s how it all began.

3. This is your first cookbook– how is writing a book different from writing a blog?

It’s much harder, but also even more fun! When you blog you get used to the instant gratification of sharing recipes with everyone as soon as they’re done, but with a cookbook you have to hang on to a bunch of them and it feels kind of like you’re keeping an unfair secret. In the end, though, the recipes in a cookbook form an arc together with the photos and headnotes, and the finished product is so much more valuable and cohesive than a blog.

4. What are some of your favorite recipes in Paleo Planet?

Here are my top 5 at the moment–I go through phases of being especially obsessed with certain recipes, and these are ones I particularly love for fall: dukkah (page 25), pollo al horno porteño (page 88), lega tibs (page 138), smoky sweet potato latkes (page 222), and millionaire’s shortbread (page 262). And ghee (page 27) is my perennial, all-time favorite; nitter kibbeh (page 29) is the dressed-up, extra savory version of ghee and is also amazing.

5. What kitchen appliances can you not live without?

Lately it’s been my salad spinner, since I joined a CSA and have been eating a ton of lettuce. I also love my food processor, spiralizer, and spice grinder. A blender is handy, but ours fell off the car several months ago (don’t ask, but I CAN let you know the car was parked) and I haven’t replaced it–the food processor can do pretty much everything I did in there. Oh, and I love my ice cream maker!

6. Was it tough cutting gluten and dairy out of your diet?

It was definitely tough cutting out gluten! I didn’t mind giving up bread but was always a huge pasta person. Having ready to eat healthy carbs (mainly fruits and vegetables) on hand at all times really helps. As for dairy, I currently eat some grassfed, full-fat dairy, although I gave up dairy entirely for a while when I first transitioned to paleo. I have lactose intolerance that waxes and wanes, but I’m fine with butter and a little cream and don’t have much trouble avoiding the dairy products that actually make me feel bad.

7. The book’s recipes are all inspired by global flavors and dishes–why did you choose this approach to your recipe creating?

I love languages (I’m fluent in Spanish and I speak a little Italian and German) and I love to travel. Of course I also love to eat, so global cuisine combines a lot of my main interests. It’s also just more exciting and delicious to cook food from a wide variety of cultures!

8. What would you say to anyone who is considering trying out the paleo diet but hasn’t taken that leap yet?

If you’re the kind of person who needs a big challenge and wants to start with a bang, recruit a few friends or family members and try a Whole30 together. If you’re the kind of person who likes to ease into things, try one or more of these ideas: make 3 paleo dinners per week at home, try having all your breakfasts be paleo for a week (it’s the most important meal!), or decide that for a month you’ll only cook paleo food at home but will continue to eat as you did previously when you’re eating out or someone else is preparing the meal. Those small changes should make a difference in your energy levels and will likely inspire you to do even more!

9. You’ve travelled extensively–where are some of your favorite places that you’ve visited?

My first trip out of North America was my high school German exchange. We went to Munich and Berlin, and I was still a picky eater. I subsisted mainly on chocolate, käsebrot, yogurt, and beer, but all those things were so much more delicious than in the U.S! It sparked my interest in food and ingredients from other places. The two most beautiful places I’ve been so far are Iguazú Falls in Argentina and Glacier National Park in Montana.

10. What’s the best meal you’ve had while travelling?

I got to spend New Year’s in Cuba three times as a teen, and the family I stayed with always raised a whole pig to roast for the celebration. Instead of farm to table, it was yard to table. It was a little sad and my arms got sore from taking my turn rotating the pig by hand over the fire in the backyard, but the meat was amazing. We had it with rice, beans, and plantains. I think the whole experience made it taste better. In Cuba at the time you couldn’t have beef unless you got it on the black market, but you’d go to the beach and just see pigs roaming everywhere–it was very surreal.

11. What paleo staples do you keep in your pantry?

So many things! They’re almost all in the paleo pantry section of the book (page 11-17). To get started, though, I recommend some ghee, a good olive oil, one or two good vinegars, sea salt, a pepper grinder, a few spices or spice blends you love, and a few different kinds of nuts and seeds. It’s always handy to have tapioca flour, too! I also get upset if I don’t have garlic, shallots, and lemons or limes pretty much at all times.

12. You took all of the book’s photos yourself– what are your best tips for food photography?

Use natural light, experiment with angles, ask for feedback, and practice! I also highly recommend reading the e-book Tasty Food Photography by Lindsay Ostrom and Plate to Pixel by Helene Dujardin. Classes and workshops are great, too. (After shooting all the photos for this book, I went to an amazing photography retreat with Eva and Carey from First We Eat. I’m going to have to write another cookbook so I can put into practice all the things I learned there!) Lastly, take things on bit by bit so you don’t feel overwhelmed. I’m still working on my photography all the time, but I focus on different aspects of it and try to prioritize my goals. For example, I began with a point-and-shoot camera and later eased into working with a DSLR. First I used it on automatic, then I started playing around with just the shutter speed, next I began adjusting both shutter speed and aperture, and finally I got around to also thinking about the ISO. One more thing: take more photos than you think you need! Sometimes at the end of a shoot I decide to take just a few more without thinking about them as much as the others and despite the fact that I’m exhausted, and sometimes they’re some of the best shots.

Kale and Bacon Quiches with Hash Brown Crust

April 1, 2015 By Becky 42 Comments

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Kale and Bacon Quiches with Hash Brown Crust | acalculatedwhisk.com

It’s my second blog birthday! I feel like I’ve come a long way since my very first post, but last year’s blogiversary feels like it was just yesterday. Time flies when you’re eating well!

At the risk of sounding sappy, I want to say thank you for stopping by my site. Reading your comments and connecting with you on social media makes my day, and turns the often solitary activities of cooking, photographing, and writing into something that’s actually meaningful.

To celebrate the occasion, I made grain-free kale and bacon quiches with hash brown crust. They’re like little crispy nests of savory goodness. This was my first time making a potato crust, and I’m totally hooked. I’m even thinking it might work in some sort of a dessert pie (is that too radical?). Here, the crunchy potato tangles hold a filling of eggs, kale, shallots, crisp bacon, and crumbled goat cheese. These are perfect for Easter brunch or any weekend morning (or a blogiversary, of course).

As I embark on my third year of blogging, I’d love to hear from you. What would you like to see more of here on A Calculated Whisk? For example, are you looking for quick and easy recipes, Whole30 meals, desserts, vegetarian meals, or something else? Would you like to see more non-recipe posts (reviews, giveaways, perhaps travel stories)? Whatever it is, I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

Pan-Seared Chicken, Orange, & Walnut Salad

March 22, 2014 By Becky 47 Comments

Next Friday is the one-year anniversary of my very first blog post (note the cringe-worthy photos). Even though I didn’t know much about blogging back then, I totally stand by that first recipe–the lemon curd is so delicious. It’s amazing that this site, which is such a big part of my life now, didn’t even exist just one year ago.

To celebrate, I made us a salad. If you don’t think a salad is the proper way to celebrate a blogiversary, you’re right–I don’t think of salads as celebratory, either. I totally have plans for an over-the-top grain-free cake for next week, but thought I would balance things out by making this nutritious salad first.

My favorite part of this salad (other than the gorgeous hue of the Cara Cara oranges) is the creamy dreamy dressing. I’m pretty boring with dressings, and usually just make a simple balsamic vinaigrette, perhaps with a touch of honey or Dijon mustard if I’m feeling fancy. However, I do have a soft spot for rich, creamy dressings. I wondered if I could make a great creamy dressing without any dairy, so that people with allergies (or people doing a Whole30 or strict paleo) could eat it.

Bacon and Sweet Potato Chili

March 12, 2014 By Becky 16 Comments

This bacon and sweet potato chili is my go-to paleo dinner. The recipe makes a large batch, and it freezes well!

Do you have a really big skillet? If not, you are going to want to go buy one so you can make this bacon & sweet potato chili right away.

If you are not convinced that you need a 14-inch skillet, I understand. However, I intend to convince you to make this chili. It’s the best chili I’ve ever had, and it’s a complete and colorful one-pot meal. If you didn’t just go buy a huge skillet and/or don’t need to feed a bunch of people, you can halve the recipe and make it in a normal-sized pan.

Why is this the best chili ever? Well, because bacon. And sweet potatoes. And all the fresh things on top that make this the perfect comfort food to carry you from winter into spring.

This dish is for people like me, who don’t want beans or any tomato products or a lot of excess liquid in their chili. I just need salty bacon, sweet potatoes, some perfectly spiced meat, and what’s basically deconstructed guacamole for a topping. Using half pork and half beef gives the chili even better flavor. It’s amazing right away and it’s even more amazing the next day. My mother agreed that this is the best chili ever, and she is kind of hard to please. I haven’t heard her rave so much about a food I’ve made since this cranberry orange curd tart.

There is kale in this recipe. If you don’t want to put kale in your chili you obviously don’t have to, but I want to tell you that you can barely taste it. It’s just a nice way to sneak in some greens and start feeling a little more springy. I got the idea to put kale in chili from the cookbook Cooking with Coconut Oil, and now I’m hooked. It adds great color and texture, and makes me feel extra healthy when I eat it.

One more reason to make this bacon and sweet potato chili, and to put kale in it? Kale & sweet potato are really good friends. See proof here.

Saag Paneer

February 10, 2014 By Becky 12 Comments

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

It’s easy and fun to make your own saag paneer at home! It’s especially delicious with rice or paleo flatbread.

Have you ever made your own cheese? I made some ricotta last year, and wanted to try my hand at paneer. Fresh cheeses like paneer and ricotta are easy to make at home, and totally worth it. All you need is milk, a lemon, some cheesecloth, and a little patience.

Saag paneer has been my favorite Indian dish for years, and I’m so glad I finally made it myself. The creamy spiced spinach studded with chewy bits of paneer is totally addictive, and my major Indian takeout/delivery habit is all saag paneer’s fault (oh, and Eat24–you guys didn’t help, either). This homemade version is just as good as my local restaurant’s, and the paneer is far superior: it’s meltingly tender, with a wonderfully creamy flavor. It’s a little labor intensive to make the paneer and the saag on the same day, but it was a perfect project for a Sunday afternoon. Next time I might try making a big batch of paneer, stashing some in the fridge, and freezing the rest. That way I can make saag paneer happen on weeknights!

Cranberry Orange Tart (Paleo, Gluten-free, Dairy-free)

December 9, 2013 By Becky 5 Comments

I had this bag of cranberries left over from Thanksgiving that was begging to be used up, and it had been far too long since I’d made any kind of a curd. I came up with an idea: a cranberry orange tart that would give me the chance to use up my cranberries, make a curd, and finally do something with my tart pan.
Read More…

Dutch Babies Brûlée (Paleo, Gluten free)

August 27, 2013 By Becky 6 Comments

It’s almost time for me to go back to school! This isn’t just any back-to-school, though, because after six years of leading my own classroom, I’m starting as a student again, working on a master’s in speech and language pathology. I have orientation next week, and classes start the week after that. Then, in October, I’ll start working with my very first client. It’s going to be different, and I’m relishing my last week of sleeping in and making myself (and Ben, on the days he works from home) a nice breakfast.

Patriotic Panna Cotta with Raspberry Coulis and Blueberries

July 2, 2013 By Becky 4 Comments

Have you ever had panna cotta? It’s a really simple Italian dessert and its name means “cooked cream”. It comes out kind of like a cross between a flan and a vanilla pudding (read: delicious).

The first panna cottas I made were delicious, but a total fail aesthetically–there wasn’t enough gelatin to unmold them in a shapely manner, and the fruit curds I layered in weren’t helping at all. But, this version is just as delicious and much nicer to look at.

Here I’ve paired panna cotta with a delicious raspberry coulis and some fresh blueberries for a special Fourth of July treat. Panna cotta is also delicious on its own, or with chocolate sauce. There are lots of other flavors of panna cotta that I’m dying to make (well, mainly mocha!) but that’s all for another day.

For now, impress your friends with this elegant and easy Independence Day dessert!

Ingredients for the panna cotta (makes 4-6 servings; adapted from David Lebovitz):

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup 2 % milk (or use all cream)
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) sugar
1/2 vanilla bean
3 tablespoons cold water
1 packet plain gelatin
Butter for greasing ramekins

Ingredients for the raspberry coulis (makes about 1 cup):

1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
1/3 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon kirsch or framboise liqueur
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional)
1 tablespoon cold water (optional)

For serving:

2 cups fresh blueberries

Place the cream, milk, and sugar in a medium saucepan. Scrape in the seeds from the vanilla bean, and drop the pod in, too. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the sugar is melted and the mixture is hot but not boiling. Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let the mixture infuse for half an hour.

Lightly grease individual ramekins with a little butter if you’re planning to unmold your panna cotta to serve (this is not necessary if you plan to serve it still in the cups). If your molds hold half a cup, you will need four of them. If they’re smaller, you might be able to fill 5 or 6.

In a medium bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water. Let it sit for about five minutes.

Meanwhile, remove the vanilla pod and heat the cream back up until hot. Pour the mixture (through a sieve if desired) into the bowl with the gelatin and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Divide the mixture among your molds and refrigerate, covered, for at least two hours before serving. Panna cotta will keep in the fridge for up to a week.

To unmold, dip the bottom of each ramekin in hot water for ten seconds, run a thin knife around the edge, then invert onto a plate.

To make the raspberry coulis, place the raspberries, sugar, salt, and water in a saucepan over medium heat and cook until the sugar is dissolved. Strain the mixture, discarding the solids, and stir in the liqueur and vanilla. If you would like a thicker coulis, mix together 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water until smooth. Return the raspberry mixture to the saucepan, add the cornstarch paste, and bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Cook and stir for one more minute, then remove from the heat. Cool to room temperature before serving with panna cotta. Store coulis in the refrigerator for up to one week or until ready to use.

To serve, invert the panna cotta onto a plate, surround with coulis, and sprinkle with fresh blueberries.

Double Strawberry Ice Cream

May 26, 2013 By Becky Leave a Comment

You may have noticed I am on a bit of a strawberry kick recently (see no-bake strawberry swirl cheesecake bars, strawberry shortcakes with balsamic chocolate glaze, strawberry & cream margaritas, and strawberry curd). Well, the strawberry love continues. This is partly because I still have a jar of strawberry curd in my fridge, and am tempted to add it to just about anything. However, if you don’t feel like making strawberry curd (but really, why wouldn’t you? twenty minutes and your strawberries will last for weeks in the fridge in a delicious, spreadable form) you can still make this ice cream. Just omit the strawberry curd for single strawberry ice cream, or replace it with an equal amount of fresh strawberry puree.

This ice cream is rich and creamy thanks to the vanilla bean, strawberry curd, and custard base. You have to try it! It’s also a wonderfully pastel shade of pink, my favorite color.

Ingredients (makes 1 1/2 quarts, adapted from Martha Stewart):

8 egg yolks (save the whites for breakfast or meringues)
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
2 cups milk (I used 2%, but Martha calls for skim)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 vanilla bean
1 pound strawberries, hulled and finely chopped
2 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup strawberry curd or fresh strawberry puree

In a saucepan (off the heat for now), combine the egg yolks, 2/3 cup of sugar, and salt. Gradually whisk in the milk. Scrape the seeds of half a vanilla bean into the mix, and throw the bean in, too.

Heat the mixture over medium heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until thickened, about 10-15 minutes.

Prepare a bowl set oven an ice bath (a larger bowl filled with ice or ice water). Place a fine-meshed sieve on top. Pour the thickened custard through the sieve, discarding the vanilla bean. Stir in the cream and strawberry curd. Let the mixture chill, stirring occasionally. When the mixture is cold, I recommend you refrigerate it overnight to make sure it’s REALLY chilled.

Mix the chopped strawberries with 2 tablespoons of sugar and set aside.

When the custard mixture is completely chilled, freeze in your ice cream maker. A few minutes before the ice cream is ready, add in the strawberries.

Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for at least 2 hours before serving.

You can also sandwich some of this between two honey vanilla cookies for the world’s best ice cream sandwich!

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A Cupcake Party and Simple Chocolate Buttercream

May 20, 2013 By Becky Leave a Comment

We had a decorate-your-own cupcake party last night! I got the idea from this post on A Beautiful Mess. People had so much fun choosing a cupcake flavor and heaping on toppings inside the ring of frosting. Carrot cupcakes were the most popular, and I saw lots of people spooning on strawberry curd. It wasn’t too bad waking up to leftovers this morning, either. I am a big fan of cake for breakfast. Maybe the decorate-your-own cupcake station can become a permanent feature around here?

In case you want to throw your own cupcake party, here are the recipes I used:

For the chocolate cupcakes, I was too lazy to make the Swiss meringue buttercream that’s in the post for the Double Chocolate Vegan Cupcakes, so I made a simple chocolate buttercream. Here’s the recipe in case you want to make it!

Ingredients (makes enough for 12 cupcakes):

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
Pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients and beat on high speed until smooth.

I also put out these toppings:

Shredded coconut
Chopped pecans
Chopped strawberries with a little sugar
Sprinkles
Mini m & ms

There are so many other things that would be great on cupcakes! What are your favorite cupcake flavors, frostings, and toppings?

Cheese-Bellied Arepas with Guacamole

May 13, 2013 By Becky 2 Comments

This is it! My favorite arepas recipe so far : ). When Ben and I went to Orinoco for his birthday, we ordered an arepa stuffed with queso de mano. I realized two things: first, Orinoco makes their arepas with white cornmeal, which makes them look really elegant, and second, the CHEESE is the most amazing part. They serve the arepas hot with a big slice of fresh cheese, still cool in the middle. Amazing!

The arepa we had at Orinoco featured homemade Venezuelan cheese, which I couldn’t find. But, I thought fresh mozzarella would be the closest thing. And at the store, I saw burrata, which I’d never tried before. I got it and it was delicious! It’s basically fresh mozzarella with creamy curds in the middle. I tried a piece plain and had to exercise resistance in order to save the rest for the arepas.

See all that cheese? How can anyone resist? With a little guacamole on the side (or stuffed inside), these arepas make a great dinner.

Ingredients (makes 6 arepas; serves 2 for dinner or 6 as an appetizer):

1 cup white corn masarepa

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 1/2 cups warm water

Butter for cooking

8 ounces burrata or fresh mozzarella

For the guacamole:

1 ripe avocado, peeled and cubed

Juice of half a lemon, or to taste

1 clove garlic, minced (optional)

2 scallions, sliced

2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

To make the guacamole, combine all the ingredients and mash with a fork. Add more lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste.

To make the arepas, mix the masarepa, salt, and water in a bowl and let it sit for five minutes. Heat the butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.

Form the dough into patties about four inches across and half an inch thick. When the skillet is very hot, add the arepas and cook until golden brown and blistered on both sides, about 8 minutes per side.

Let the arepas cool for a minute, then slice in half with a sharp knife. Put a thick slice of burrata in between the two halves, and serve hot with guacamole.