St. Patty's Day Cupcakes

In celebration of St. Patrick's Day I made these St. Patty's Day cupcakes last night for our party at ESL tonight. Growing up we always celebrated St. Patrick's Day because it is also my brother's birthday.

I've had this recipe for a long time. I have no idea where it came from but they're always a big green hit. They use instant pistachio pudding which makes the cake green.

• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 small box instant pistachio pudding mix
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly. In separate mixing bowl beat eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla on high. Slowing add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in thirds beating well after each addition. Line muffin pan with foil muffin cups. Fill 2/3 full with batter. Bake at 375°F for about 20 minutes. Makes about one dozen cupcakes.

Frost with your favorite green frosting. For these I used a basic vanilla buttercream frosting.

Simple Turkey Chili

The cold days keep coming and so do hot bowls of soup and chili at my house. Sometimes you don't have a lot of time and you want a dish you can make in thirty minutes or less that tastes like you spent the whole morning in the kitchen.

I made this one recently for a Saturday lunch. I used canned beans and canned tomatoes so prep time was greatly reduced. This recipe embodies how I like to cook - a dab of this and a dab of that - all to taste. So for all my spices in this one there aren't measurements. I hope you will enjoy experimenting with different amounts to find you own perfect blend just for you.

•  1 1/4 pounds lean ground turkey
• 2 cans pinto beans
• 1 can cannellini beans
• 1 quart canned tomatoes
• Paprika
• Chili powder
• Black pepper
• Onion powder
• Minced garlic
• Ground mustard
• Italian spice blend

Crumble turkey into frying pan. Add some chili powder. Cook over medium-high heat until fully cooked and scrambled. Transfer to large chili pot.






Add beans and tomatoes. Bring to boil. Lower heat. Add spices to taste. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Ladle into bowls. Consider topping with shredded cheese and sour cream.

Tomato Bisque

On these cold winter days we've been having I have enjoyed making different kinds of soup. There is something about a bowl of soup that warms you from the inside out.

Here is a good one to try when you have a little time to spend in the kitchen.

Tomato Bisque

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped 
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped 
• 4 cloves garlic, minced 
• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 quart (32 ounces) stewed tomatoes
• parsley and thyme 
• 1 cup heavy cream 
• 1 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 
• Freshly ground black pepper

 
Melt butter in large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon. Cook, stirring until crisp for about one  minute. Use a slotted spoon to dip the bacon out and onto paper towels. Set aside. 

Lower the heat to medium, add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Stir occasionally. Cook until soft and fragrant, about 8 minutes.

Stir in the flour. Continue stirring for 3 minutes. Pour in the broth and tomatoes. Bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Add parsley and thyme to taste. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
 

In small batches, ladle the cooled soup mixture into a blender and puree until smooth. Return the puree to the pot and reheat over medium heat.
Whisk the heavy cream and salt into the soup and season with pepper to taste. Garnish with the crispy bacon and dribbles of additional cream. After you dribble a few drops of cream use the tines of a fork to draw a heart or your guest's initials. Serve immediately.