Pineapple Upside-Down Cupcakes

Ingredients

• FOR THE BATTER:
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup flour
• 1 1/2teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• FOR THE TOPPING:
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
• 3/4 cup light or dark brown sugar, tightly packed
• 6 maraschino cherries
• 1 (20-ounce) can pineapple rings

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350º. Place the butter and milk for the batter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Warm the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts, then transfer the mixture to a small bowl to cool.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the pine-apple topping. Into each cup of a 12-cup muffin pan, add 1/2 tablespoon of unmelted butter, then evenly sprinkle 1 tablespoon of brown sugar over the bottom. Place the pan in the oven until the butter melts, about 3 minutes.
3.  Halve each maraschino cherry, then cut the pineapple rings into quarters. Place a cherry half, sliced side up, in the center of each cup and lay a pineapple quarter on each side. Press the fruit gently down into the butter-sugar mixture, then set the prepared pan aside.
4. Finish making the batter. In a medium-size bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt, and stir the ingredients with a fork until they're evenly blended. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and stir until the flour is fully incorporated. Add the milk-butter mixture and stir well to combine the ingredients into a smooth batter.
5.  Pour the batter into the muffin pan, dividing it evenly among all the cups. Bake the cupcakes until they're lightly browned, dry around the edges, and pulling away from the pan a little, about 25 minutes.
6.  Transfer the pan to a rack to cool for 5 minutes. Use a butter knife to carefully loosen each cupcake from the edges and bottom of the pan, then place a cookie sheet over the top. Invert the pan, turning the cupcakes out onto the cookie sheet, then transfer them back to the rack to cool completely. Serve the cupcakes at room temperature. Makes 12 cupcakes.

Pasta Alla Norma

• 
  
• INGREDIENTS:
• 1 pound penne (or your favorite pasta!) 
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 large eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
• 1 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 cup torn fresh basil, plus more for garnish
• 3/4 cup ricotta cheese

Directions

1. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain pasta; return to pot.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Add eggplant to skillet; season generously with salt and pepper. Cover, and cook until eggplant begins to release juices, about 5 minutes. Uncover; cook, stirring, until tender, 3 to 4 minutes (if bottom of pan browns too much, add a few tablespoons water, and scrape with spoon).
4. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and 1/4 cup water to skillet; cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.
5. Toss sauce and basil with pasta; gently reheat if necessary. Top each serving with a spoonful of ricotta, and garnish with more basil.

  

Roasted Chicken with Truffle Oil

The Da Rosario Truffle Oil used in this recipe is Organic and made with 100% REAL truffles - no fillers. This is an affordable, healthy recipe. My only mistake was that I forgot to pick up a loaf of bread to enjoy all of the drippings. Make sure you don't forget the bread and you are good to go!

Ingredients

• 1 (3 1/2-pound) chicken
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, stems reserved
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves, stems reserved
• 2 large onions, thickly sliced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled
• 2 ribs celery, ends trimmed
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon truffle oil, to drizzle

• Directions

  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

  Rinse the chicken well inside and out with water and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the chicken all over with the olive oil and season inside and out with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the thyme androsemary all over the chicken and place the reserved stems inside the chicken cavity. Arrange the onion slices, carrots, celery and bay leaf in the bottom of a small roasting pan in such a way as to make a bed for the chicken to lie on. Place the chicken on the bed of vegetables, breast side up, and roast in the oven until the skin is golden brown, 30 to 45 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F and continue to roast until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear, 30 to 45 minutes longer.

  Remove the chicken from the oven and set aside to rest for 10 minutes before carving.

  When ready to serve the chicken, carve into 8 pieces and serve, drizzled with truffle oil to taste. Garnish with fresh herb sprigs.

  Video Link: 

  Link to Truffle Oil Products: http://trufflelove.blogspot.com/

  
  

  Enjoy :-) XoXo, Caitlin

Sweet Potato & Sausage Margherita Pizza!

I know what you're thinking. It's too different, it's too crazy! But, it's incredibly nutritious, healthy and easy. Not to mention that it tastes delicious!

I know what you're thinking. It's too different, it's too crazy! But, it's incredibly nutritious, healthy and easy. Not to mention that it tastes delicious!

Here is the link to the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFIK_v2RE7w
Check out the recipe below :-)

SWEET POTATO & SAUSAGE MARGHERITA PIZZA

Dough Ingredients:1 Sweet Potato, cooked and pureed in food processor
1 ½ C Whole Wheat Flour
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp paprika
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp McCormicks Italian Pepper & Onion Seasoning
1 tsp tomato paste
¼ C cheddar cheese
¼ cold water mixed w/ 2 T olive oil
Topping Ingredients:
1C Marinara Sauce
1 Sweet Potato, chopped into matchstick size pieces and roasted in the oven (400* 20 mins)
2C spicy Italian turkey sausage, casings removed and cooked
1C mozzarella balls, sliced in half
½ C fresh basil leaves, chopped

DIRECTIONS:
Dough Directions:1. Preheat oven to 375*F.

2. Mix sweet potato, flour, baking powder and seasonings (paprika, garlic powder, Italian Pepper & Onion, tomato paste and cheddar cheese).

3. Add water and oil to the flour mixture and mix gently until it becomes a dough.

4. Form into little balls (little bit bigger than a golf ball). Press flat using a tortilla press or a rolling pin.

5. Place the little pizza crusts onto a baking sheet sprayed with olive oil. Spray the tops lightly with olive oil and bake for about 12-15 minutes (check on them after 12 minutes to see how theyre doing in there).

Topping Directions:1. Remove crusts from oven and top with marinara sauce, roasted matchstick sweet potatoes, spicy sausage and mozzarella balls.

2. Bake for another 10 minutes until the cheese starts to bubble.

3. Top finished product with fresh chopped basil.

Relax, enjoy and be amazed that you just made a pizza out of sweet potatoes!

Sarabeth's Bakery

Chelsea Market:  Sarabeth’s Bakery

www.Sarabeth.com

Sarabeth’s has been featured on ABC News, tons of magazines and her jam preserves were selected as one of ‘Oprah’s Favorite Things Under $25.’ Her spreadable fruit jams have won several awards and I am told they are “legendary.” They are even sold outside the United States – Carribbean, Canada, Japan, South Korea! WOW! What an empire Sarabeth has built since starting as a small bakery-kitchen in 1981. She is also famous for her Velvety Cream of Tomato Soup, the recipe is a big secret that Sarabeth holds tightly. Sarabeth’s picture is featured on her bestselling cookbook and my first thought was that she reminded me of Meryl Streep in “It’s Complicated!” Does anyone else get that from her?! The store has so much going on, it was hard to not buy everything in site because it all looks delicious and fresh!

Entrance to Sarabeth's @ The Chelsea Market

Delicious Oatmeal Raisin & Chocolate Shortbread Cookies - don't you just love the packaging?

Chocolate Cake - don't touch!! :-)

Bundt Cake

Glazed Cake

XoX,

Caitlin Cooks

www.YouTube.com/CaitlinCooks

Danishes, muffins, scones and croissants

The Lobster Place

Chelsea Market:  The Lobster Place
http://www.2b2p.net/lobsterplace/

If you’re from NY, I’m sure you’ve already heard of The Lobster Place since it’s in the news all the time. They are the largest purveyor of live lobster selling over 1,000,000 pounds/year to New York’s finest hotels and restaurants. It doesn’t stop at lobster, they have a HUGE variety of fresh seafood!

Fresh seafood on display

Sesame Seeds, Soy Sauce & Tempura

Many different options!

Various kinds of Smoked Salmon

XoX,

Caitlin Cooks

www.YouTube.com/CaitlinCooks

The Filling Station

Chelsea Market:  The Filling Station
O.M.G! This is one of those stores that you can buy a gift you won’t find anywhere else – to keep for yourself or to give! They sell olive oils, flavored salts, balsamic vinegars, salt scrubs, and sugars! I was so intrigued by this place. I have never seen anything like it. They are environmentally friendly so you can bring back one of their bottles for a refill on oil, vinegar, sugar or sea salt! Love!  Their oils are stored in large metal drums…you just grab a bottle and fill it up with your product of choice! I love this concept, love this place – so much fun!

Abundance of oils and vinegars

Close up of the oils

Specialty Salts

Coconut & Lime Salt

Espresso Salt - great for marinades! I like that their jars include usage tips!

Thai Ginger Salt

Little jars of salt

More delicious oils on display!

XoX,

Caitlin Cooks

www.YouTube.com/CaitlinCooks