Coconut Cupcakes

So it's official- I am not longer a 'buggy driver'. Well granted, I probably can still own anybody going down that hill- pikes would not be happy with me. at all.

The real world makes you fat- we know that. But does the real world really make you gain a pound in only ONE day?!?!

I went to the office gym on Monday and weighed myself and did the same thing Tuesday evening and saw that I gained a pound! How did that happen, you ask?? I blame cupcakes, and Ina Garten- the Barefoot Contessa (I legit hate her and her Jeffrey references btw). But boy are her recipes delicious!!!

Monday night, I decided to make Ina Garten's Coconut Cupcakes. I've made them before and they were a big hit and I thought I'd make some for a big meeting I had at the office! The recipe follows:

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For the batter:
3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
5 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk
14 ounces sweetened, shredded coconut
For the frosting:
1 pound cream cheese at room temperature
3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 1/2 pounds confectioners' sugar, sifted

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In 3 parts, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined. Fold in 7 ounces of coconut.

Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Fill each liner to the top with batter. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until the tops are brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove to a baking rack and cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the frosting. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on low speed, cream together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla and almond extracts. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth. Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle with the remaining coconut.

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And there you have it! These cupcakes are SO good- everyone at the office loved them! Lots of moaning and groaning noises at that meeting, I'll tell ya. :)

Of course, being me, something always has to go wrong. The night before, I made sure to check that I had all the ingredients- and of course it seemed like I did. When going about making the cupcakes, it turns out that my bottle of almond extract was empty. Oh gosh. So I had to omit the almond extract and just stick to pure vanilla- but thankfully the cupcakes still turned out ok. I do like it with a bit of almond extract- but if you're like my mom (who hates the aroma of almond flavored anything) you now know that you can just stick with vanilla!

The frosting is creamy and delicious- after making this simple frosting you wonder why you ever used frosting from a can. The cake is soft and moist and huge, might I add. What a great recipe and it's perfect for the upcoming holiday (hopefully snowy) season!!

This is a great recipe- although very fattening- is still something you should try to make at least once! You'll be a hit during the holidays with this recipe- try it out! :)

Warning: You will instantly gain weight once this touches your mouth.

Difficulty: Intermediate

Time: 1 hour

Taste: 9.5

Don't be a cheapo

Ok, I have suffered way too much from trying to cut costs and cutting back on certain things. This past weekend, instead of flying to Pittsburgh with the rest of my friends, I decided to take the Megabus for $35 and in the end, paid just as much as I would have for a flight (damn you 30 Street station parking). Not only was I miserable about the wasted money, the bus ride was unbearable.

I called my dad and he said "this is what you get for being a cheapo". And I thought to myself, he's right, I need to stop being a cheapo on some things, because in the end they just end up biting me back in the butt. You figure I would have learned my lesson after this past weekend- but apparently I didn't. I, Melissa Lee, am a cheapo- and have learned that the hard way.

This week, I thought I would return to my trustworthy Eatingwell.com for some new recipes. I found a new and simple recipe for a Crab Salad Melt, the recipe follows:

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3 asparagus spears or 12 snow peas, trimmed and thinly sliced (about 1/3 cup)
8 ounces crabmeat, any shells or cartilage removed
1/3 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 scallion, finely chopped
4 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon low-fat mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
2-5 dashes hot sauce
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 whole-wheat English muffins, split and toasted
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese

Place rack in the upper third of the oven; preheat broiler. Place asparagus (or snow peas) in a medium microwave-safe bowl with 1 teaspoon water. Cover and microwave until tender, about 30 seconds. Add crab, celery, bell pepper, scallion, lemon juice, mayonnaise, Old Bay seasoning, hot sauce to taste and pepper; stir to combine. Place English muffin halves, cut-side up, on a large baking sheet. Spread a generous 1/4 cup of the crab salad on each muffin half and sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon cheese. Broil until the cheese is melted, 3 to 6 minutes.

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Alright, so pretty simple recipe- and it was actually pretty good.... now why am I a cheapo you ask? Well, naturally, I go to the market on Monday and go to the seafood section for some crabmeat. To my surprise, it was around $16 for some crabmeat and I quickly decided that it wasn't worth it and I would just make something else for the week. Walking around the store, trying to figure out the best thing to make, I see on the shelves near the canned tuna fish, CANNED crabmeat- for $1.99! Of course, I quickly grab two cans and rush to get the rest of my ingredients, thinking that I have just found a loophole!

I get home and make the dish according to the recipe and was very happy by the taste. Tangy from the lemon juice and sweet from the crabmeat, I was really excited that I was able to make this dish with such cost savings skills! Well, I soon find out that 25% of this canned crabmeat is cartlidge and the crunch I was getting, was not from the asparagus, but really from bits and pieces of shell and cartlidge.

What a bummer. I quickly spit out my (otherwise yummy) melt and threw the entire thing away. I was so sure that I had found a cheaper way to make this dish! But readers be warned- don't get canned crabmeat! If you really want to enjoy your dish, just buy the real (good) stuff, I had to learn that the hard way.

Anyway, the dish was good (at least thats what I thought from the few bites I had) but I would say to cut back a little on the lemon juice- it was a bit too tangy for me. I omitted the bell peppers and celery because, well, I hate them and it tasted just fine (minus the shells and cartlidge of course)

Lesson of the day? Don't be a cheapo and get real ingredients and not things from a can.

Difficulty: Easy

Time: 15 minutes

Taste: 7.5

Honey-Soy Broiled Salmon

Ah, back from Pittsburgh and boy do I need to catch up on my posts.

Thanks to the awfulness that is the Megabus, I did not get home until late last night (well technically this morning) so I haven't uploaded any pictures from my meals I've had in Pittsburgh just yet.

Although, looking through my pictures from this past weekend on my camera, I realized that I forgot to make a post on the recipe I tried out last week. The pictures of my Honey Soy Broiled Salmon didn't come out too good (I am in desperate need of a new camera) but boy did it taste good! Thank you Eatingwell.com- again!

I've been trying my best to avoid carbs and to have more of a variety of foods in my diet. I realized that fish is something I haven't had in a while and so I thought it would be a great time to incorporate some fish into my meal for the week! The recipe for the salmon follows:

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1 scallion, minced
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 pound center-cut salmon fillet, skinned and cut into 4 portions
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Whisk scallion, soy sauce vinegar, honey and ginger in a medium bowl until the honey is dissolved. Place salmon in a sealable plastic bag, add 3 tablespoons of the sauce and refrigerate; let marinate for 15 minutes. Reserve the remaining sauce. Preheat broiler. Line a small baking pan with foil and coat with cooking spray. Transfer the salmon to the pan, skinned-side down. (Discard the marinade.) Broil the salmon 4 to 6 inches from the heat source until cooked through, 6 to 10 minutes. Drizzle with the reserved sauce and garnish with sesame seeds.

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Voila! This recipe is great and very simple. I have to admit that I got completely grossed out from skinning the salmon, so I highly suggest that you buy your salmon already skinned to avoid the traumatic experience. I omitted the sesame seeds (because I was lazy) and it tasted fine. This recipe was very convenient and quick and had a ton of flavor. I ate it with some steamed cauliflower and brown rice on the side and it turned out to be a delicious and healthy meal. Quick and easy, this is a great recipe for those looking for a fulfilling meal that doesn't take long to make! Yum!

Difficulty: Easy
Time: 20 minutes
Taste: 8.5

Quick French Onion Soup

Ah! Just finished my lunch (at my desk - sadface). This week I thought I'd make some good ol' heart warming soup! Usually I bring my lunch to work and I always end up getting some Au Bon Pain soup to go along with the rest of my lunch. Last week I got the Wild Mushroom Bisque and after looking at the nutritional facts online- I was disgusted! Sodium galore in such a small cup of soup!!

I thought it was time to make my own soup for lunch (or at least to go with my lunch), so I went online and tried to explore some new healthy and easy soup recipes! This week I got the recipe off of Eatingwell.com (As with most of my recipes) and tried to make some great French Onion Soup! The recipe follows:

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1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 large sweet onions, sliced
2 cups chopped spring onions, or leeks, whites and light green parts only
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, or 1/4 teaspoon dried
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 14-ounce cans reduced-sodium beef broth
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
1/4 cup minced fresh chives, or scallions
6 slices whole-wheat country bread
1 cup shredded Gruyère, or fontina cheese

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sweet onions and stir to coat. Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until softened and starting to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add spring onions (or leeks), garlic and thyme and cook, uncovered, stirring often, until starting to soften, 3 to 4 minutes.

Stir in sherry and pepper; increase heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in broth and chickpeas and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in chives (or scallions).

Meanwhile, toast bread and divide it among 6 bowls; top with cheese. Ladle the soup over the bread and cheese and serve immediately.

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I was so surprised at how delicious this ended up being! I was talking to Eric on the phone as I was making the soup- and he got me a bit skeptical after pointing out the fact that French Onion Soup is only good because it's been simmering for hours on a stove. Well not this one!

The chickpeas add a great texture- making it a very hearty soup- perfect for a light lunch. I used leeks instead of spring onions and didn't add the bread. I also used reduced sodium chicken stock (just because I had 6 cans of it laying in my pantry) instead of the beef and it was still delicious!

I was very surprised by the flavor- I was expecting it to be a bit bland without any extra salt in the recipe, but it turns out that all you need is the flavor of the vegetables and broth as well as some thyme- and your soup is perfectly seasoned!

I definitely recommend this recipe- it was fast (ish) and easy to make. I must say, the more you simmer the better it tastes- so it may not necessarily be 'fast' if you want it to be 'better'. But either way- what a great recipe!

Difficulty: Easy

Time: 40 minutes

Taste: 9

Burmese fishcake salad

This past weekend, I thought I'd spend some good ol' quality time with my grandmother. Not only is she really funny and awesome, she's an amazing cook (obviously). What's interesting about my Grandma's cooking (and my entire family's for that matter) is that it isn't purely Chinese cooking. In fact, it's anything but. Born and raised in Burma both my parents and grandparents love Burmese food. However, we are Chinese. Therefore, it is only natural to have an influence of Chinese and Burmese dishes all at the table at once! Really, we have just a whole assortment of foods from South Asia at our table everyday.


I went over to my Grandma's for lunch and she had this special Burmese fishcake salad made that was simply delicious! Very similar to something you may find at a Thai or Malaysian restaurant, this salad is tangy and full of flavor!

I know a lot of us are out there, dying to make traditional Asian/ethnic foods but find that they don't even know where to start. Well don't worry! Helping my grandma cook since I was an infant has finally paid off! The recipe follows:

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1 package of fish cake

1/2 tsp canola oil

2 cups chopped cabbage

1 cup sliced onion

2 tbl fish sauce

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbl lemon juice

Cut the fish cake in quarters and slice to 1/4 inch pieces and fry in oil for 3-4 minutes. Combine cabbage, onion, lemon juice, salt in a large bowl and mix. Add in fish cake and fish sauce and mix well and serve.

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Now it honestly cannot be simpler than that. You basically just.. mix all the ingredients together in a huge bowl.. and enjoy! You can get all of these ingredients at your local asian market- just keep your eyes peeled- they're everywhere!

This is just a great and simple recipe, and the flavors are so wonderful. The salty fish cake combined with the tangy lemon juice is a great emulsion of flavor while the crunchy cabbage combined with the soft fish cake gives it a unique texture. Try eating it with some white rice and you've got yourself a traditional Burmese/Thai meal!

Difficulty: Easy

Time: 15 minutes

Taste: 8.5

Whole wheat spaghetti with Spinach, Sun dried tomatoes and Feta cheese tossed with Garlic and Olive oil

So I bought a jar of sun dried tomatoes in olive oil a while back to make a chicken dish, but never got the chance to. I thought it was time to use things up in my pantry and explore new pasta dishes and hope to make a healthy meal out of it.

My pantry is always stocked with whole wheat pasta. I used to not like it in the past, but now I am so used to whole wheat pasta, that anything but tastes bad to me. The nuttiness and texture of the pasta is far different (and better) than the regular, and it makes me feel a little bit better stuffing myself with all these carbs!



I decided to make Whole wheat spaghetti with sundried tomatoes, feta cheese and spinach tossed in garlic and olive oil. The recipe follows:

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1 pound of whole wheat spaghetti

3 tbl of olive oil

1 cup of chopped onions

7 cloves of minced garlic

7 slice sundried tomatoes (packed in olive oil)

2/3 cup of feta cheese

1 bunch of fresh spinach

red pepper flakes

shaved parmesean cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cook the pasta according to directions until pasta is al dente. Meanwhile, cook the onions and garlic in the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat for 3 minutes, then add red pepper flakes (to your liking). Keep over low heat while pasta cooks to ensure olive oil is enfused with the garlic. Add the sundried tomatoes and spinach and cook until spinach wilts. Remove from heat and add the cooked pasta and feta cheese and toss until coated/mixed. Top with parmesean cheese and serve warm.

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This recipe is so easy and so delicious. (Pictures coming soon) Simple and fast, I barely had to do any prepping and I got a great meal in return. It even tasted great after reheating it for lunch the next day! If you're craving for some (semi) guilt-free carbs, this recipe is simple and quick and healthy! What more could you ask for!

Pair with your favorite white wine and some candles for a nice date at home ;)

Difficulty: Medium

Time: 30 minutes

Taste meter: 9

Southwestern Beef & Bean Burger Wrap

The real world is sort of boring, which I am sure many of you have noticed. You really can't do anything "fun" after work, being that you are exhausted out of your mind. The weekends are my days for relaxation/restaurant exploring- but what do I do on the weekdays for fun you ask? Cook, of course!

I thought that I would start another blog, separate from my food/restaurant blog. I thought it would be a good idea to share the recipes I have tried out during the week and hope that people at home can learn to enjoy cooking as well!

Eric is a huge health nut. He blames it on his little "health nazi" brother, but he has rubbed off on me and I always do try my best to eat healthy nowadays. I try my best to bring lunch to work everyday as it is not only cheaper but it is a lot healthier than grabbing a slice of pizza from the cafeteria downstairs.

This week, I thought I'd try out the Southwestern Beef & Bean Burger Wraps from Eatingwell.com

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The recipe follows:

12 ounces 93%-lean ground beef
1 cup refried beans
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped pickled jalapenos
1 avocado, peeled and pitted
1/2 cup prepared salsa
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
4 whole-wheat tortillas, warmed
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1/2 cup shredded pepper Jack cheese
1 lime, cut into 4 wedges

• Position oven rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler. Coat a broiler pan with cooking spray.


• Gently combine ground beef, beans, cilantro and jalapenos in a medium bowl (do not overmix). Shape into four 5-by-2-inch oblong patties and place on the prepared pan.


• Broil the patties until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 165°F, 12 to 14 minutes.


• Meanwhile, mash together avocado, salsa and garlic powder in a small bowl.


• Place tortillas on a clean work surface. Spread each with the guacamole, then sprinkle with lettuce and cheese. Top each with a burger and roll into a wrap. Serve immediately, with lime wedges.

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I decided to omit the cilantro in the burger mixture, I don't really like it much - I think it has to do with a supressed childhood memory that I really can't recall. I also used fresh garlic instead of garlic powder and smashed the garlic with a bit of salt against my knife and it made the guacamole a lot more tasty. I warmed the tortillas for 30 seconds in the microwave and it turned out to be perfectly warm and soft (try not to over heat as it can overcook the tortilla and it will start to become hard). Be careful moving your bean burgers, as the beans make the burger very soft and it makes it easy to fall apart!

This recipe is delicious and so simple! This is a must if you are busy and don't have the time to cook, as it is fast and great for lunch and/or dinner! For those of you who are busy and don't want the exert any more effort after work, believe me, I feel ya. Try this simple recipe out, you won't regret it.

Difficulty: Easy
Time: 15 minutes
Taste meter: 8