U1. General Tsao's Chicken

This week’s blogs are going to take a step in a different direction. I am going to go towards international foods. This week’s blog I am going to explain how to make a little bit of Chinese food, General Taos’s Chicken. To make this delicious dish you will need vegetable oil for frying, one egg, boneless skinless chicken legs, salt, white sugar, white pepper, cornstarch, chopped green onion, minced garlic clove, whole red chilies, strip of orange zest, ground ginger, chicken broth, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, peanut oil, and water. The orange zest and peanut oil come together to make a very distinctive flavor. This dish takes 25 minutes to cook and to prepare and serves up to 6 servings! Wanna know how to make it? Well I have it right here for you! 

Step 1: Heat 4 cups of vegetable oil in a deep fryer or a large saucepan to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Step 2: Then beat an egg into a mixing bowl. Add 1 ½ lbs. of chicken cut into ½ inch cubes along with 1 tsp. of salt, tsp. of sugar, and a pinch of white pepper. Make sure to mix well. Now mix 1 cup of cornstarch a little bit at a time until the chicken cubes are well coated.

Step 3: Now in batches, carefully drop the chicken cubes into the hot oil one by one, cook the chicken until lightly browned and begin to float to the top. That will be about 3 minutes. Then remove the chicken and allow it to cool as you do the next batch. 

Step 4: After all of the chicken has been has been fried you now want to refry the chicken making sure you start with the first batch you fried first. Cook this time until the chicken is cooked deep golden brown for about 2 more minutes. 

Step 5: Drain on a paper towel lined plate.

Step 6: Now heat 2 tbsp. of vegetable in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Then stir in 3 tbsp. of chopped green onion, 1 clove of minced garlic, 6 dried whole red chilies, and a strip of orange zest. Cook the mix for about a minute or two until garlic is browned and chilies are brightened. 

Step 7: Then add ½ cup of sugar, ¼ tsp. of ginger, 3 tbsp. of chicken broth, 1 tbsp. of rice vinegar, ¼ cup of soy sauce, 2 tsp. of sesame oil, and 2 tbsp. of peanut oil and bring that mix to a boil and cook for 3 minutes. 

Step 8: The next step is to dissolve 2 tsp. of cornstarch into the water, and stir into the boiling sauce. Now return to a boil and cook until the sauce thickens up and is no longer cloudy from the cornstarch. That will take about one minute. 

Step 9: After that stir the chicken into the boiling sauce and reduce the heat to low and cook for the last few minutes, or until the chicken absorbs some of the sauce. 

After you have done all the steps above you have created your own Chinese dinner dish of General Taos’s chicken. Typically you would eat any Chinese dish with the traditional chopsticks but if you are more like me and not that coordinated you can eat them with just regular silverware. General Taos’s goes well with rice and broccoli and for an extra taste a Chinese Donut for dessert. Coming up in my next few blogs with be some more international dishes! That is just a preview to look for.

T2. Valentine Cupcakes

Looking to make a special treat for the special someone? Valentine’s Day is just right around the corner and quickly approaching.  I got just the perfect dessert for you to make the special someone! These cupcakes will indulge you into just the perfect amount of flavor. They are rich in strawberry flavor. And if you cut the cupcake down the middle it has a nice visual affect as well. If you cut it down the middle it looks like a heart inside of the cupcake. These cupcakes are super easy to make and only take 30 minutes to make. And it serves 6 jumbo sized cupcakes. To make the cupcakes you will need: all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, unsalted butter, granulated sugar, large eggs, vanilla extract, strawberry-flavored milk, strawberries, confectioners’ sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, unsalted butter, heavy cream, and more strawberries. How-to:

HOW TO MAKE THE CUPCAKES:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then line a 6-cup jumbo muffin pan with paper liners.

Step 2: Whisk 1 ½ cups of flour with 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder and ½ teaspoons of salt in a bowl.

Step 3: Beat 1 stick of unsalted butter and ¾ cups of granulated sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on 

medium to high speed until mixture is light and fluffy. This will be about 3 minutes. 

Step 4: Now beat in 2 large eggs but one at a time, and then beat in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Then reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with ½ cup of strawberry flavored milk, beginning and ending with flour, until just combined.

Step 5: divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffing cups. Next bake until a toothpick comes out clean, for about 25 to 30 minutes. Then let cool 5 minutes in the pan, and then remove to a rack to cool completely.

Step 6: Now using a paring knife, cut a cone-shaped piece of cake out of the tip of each cupcake(about the same size as the strawberries), stopping about ½ inch from the bottom. Then stuff with the strawberries, then cover with a small piece of removed cake.

MAKING THE FROSTING:

Step 1: sift 2 cups of confectioners’ sugar and ½ cup of cocoa powder into a medium bowl. Then transfer half of the sugar- cocoa mixture to a larger bowl.

Step 2: Then add ½ cup of unsalted butter and ¼ cup of heavy cream and beat with a mixer on medium to high speed until smooth. Then add the remaining sugar-cocoa mixture and ¼ cup of cream and beat until fluffy.

Step 3: Now transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe onto the cupcakes. 

Step 4: Top each cupcake with a strawberry half. 

Just a little ending note from me to you. You don’t have to make your own chocolate frosting but it adds a little more flavor and a little extra love.

T1. Red Velvet Pancakes

Today is that special day for your special someone. Are you unsure of what to get them? Are looking to be creative or original? Well I have just the creative thing for you to get your special someone! This is not the typical Valentine’s Day present it’s a little bit on the different side. Red Velvet Pancakes topped with rich and creamy cream cheese topping. This is the perfect breakfast in bed meal! It only takes 29 minutes to cook and prepare and serves up to 14 servings. To make the red velvet pancakes you will need: softened cream cheese, softened butter, milk and powdered sugar. That is just for the cream cheese topping. Then for the pancakes you will need: Original Bisquick mix, granulated sugar, unsweetened baking soda, milk, red paste food coloring, eggs, and powdered sugar if desired. Now how to make them:

 

Step 1: In a medium bowl, beat 4 ounces of cream cheese with ¼ cup of butter, and 3 tablespoons of milk with an electric mixer on a low speed until completely mixed. 

Step 2: Then gradually beat in 2 cups of granulated sugar on low speed until all mixed smoothly. 

Step 3: Cover and set aside

Step 4: Now in a large bowl you are going to mix all the pancake ingredients together except the powdered sugar. Mix 2 cups of Bisquick mix, 1 tablespoon of unsweetened baking soda, 1 cup of milk, 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons of the red food coloring and the 2 eggs.

Step 5: Now heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Then for each pancake pour slightly less than ¼ cup of mix onto the griddle or skillet. Cook the pancakes for 2 to 3 minutes or until bubbling around the outside. Then turn and cook other side.

Step 6: Next spoon the cream cheese into a Ziploc bag, cut off a corner and drizzle the topping over the pancakes and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

S2. Twix Caramel Popcorn

The weekend is finally here! TGIF. You usually go out for date night every Friday or Saturday night. But this weekend you plan on staying home for date night. Maybe you will play a couple board games or just sit back and relax and have a movie night. Well either way Twix Caramel Popcorn will be a perfect match for both. Not only is it caramel popcorn but it is drizzled with Twix candy or any type of candy you desire. To make this specialty popcorn you need: Orville’s Popcorn, unsalted butter, brown sugar, salt, corn syrup, baking soda, vanilla extract, fun-sized Twix bars, and chocolate chips. How-to:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 2: In a medium-size pot, melt 8 tablespoons over medium heat, then stir in 1 cup of brown sugar, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ cup of corn syrup.

Step 3: Let that simmer for about 2-3 minutes without stirring.

Step 4: After that remove from the heat and stir in a pinch of baking soda and ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract. Then pour that mixture over popcorn

Step 5: Now use a rubber spatula to stir the popcorn and coat it evenly. Now spread the popcorn on a foil lined baking sheet in an even layer.

Step 6: Then bake for 30-45 minutes, tossing and stirring the popcorn every 15 minutes. After it is done baking remove from the oven when most of the caramel sauce has been absorbed and let it cool until hardened. 

Step 7: Break up the cooled caramel popcorn.

Step 8: Then sprinkle on the chopped Twix bars (8 of them) and drizzle on the chocolate.

**for the chocolate use ¾ cups of melted chocolate chips

Step 9: Let that sit until it is hardened. 

***to speed up the process let it sit in the freezer for a few minutes

Step 10: Lastly store in an airtight container.

You can also try this with peanut m&m’s, butterfingers, snickers, whoppers etc. Basically any type of candy.

S1. M&M Cookie Bars

This special cookie bar is to die for. It is everything once could want. It could make the perfect Valentine’s Day gift or even just a dessert for after dinner. M&M cookie bars are super fun and easy to make! Moms can make them with their children or you can even make them with a friend. To make the cookie bars you will need: all-purpose flour, salt, baking soda, butter, brown sugar, white sugar, and egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract and M&M’s. Now how-to make it:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 2: Line a 9 by 13 inch baking pan with greased parchment paper, then set aside.

***TIP: For a beautiful, golden, crispy and buttery tasting bottom grease the parchment paper with butter-flavored shortening. Just make sure to leave enough parchment paper hanging over the edge of the pan for easily removal.

Step 3: In a medium sized bowl, cream together 2 ¼ cups of flour with ½ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of baking soda. Then set aside.

Step 4: Now in a large bowl, cream together 12 tablespoons of melted butter, 2 cup of brown sugar and ½ cup of white sugar. 

Step 5: Next stir in 1 large egg and 1 large egg yolk until completely combined. Then stir in 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. 

Step 6: Now combine all the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients, stirring just until the flour is incorporated. MAKE SURE NOT TO OVER STIR.

Step 7: Add in 1 cup of m&m’s.

Step 8: now press the dough into an even layer in prepared pan, then press the remaining m&m’s lightly on top.

Step 9: Bake for 25-30 minutes. 

Step 10: Then remove from the pan and let cool completely and cut into squares. 

ENJOY!