Introduction: How to Make Copycat Yo! Sushi Chicken Katsu Curry. <PIC> This super awesome dish is one of mine & the Mr’s favourites! If you have never visited a Yo! Sushi restaurant then you are seriously missing out. It’s a modern Japanese diner where we happily discovered Chicken Katsu Curry. And here is what you will need to make your very own! (Serves 2.)2 Chicken Breasts or Thighs (skinless & boneless)25g Plain Flour1-2 Eggs50g Panko Breadcrumbs25g Butter1/2 Onion, diced2 tbsp Mild Curry Powder60ml Chicken Stock1 tbsp Light Soy Sauce2 tbsp Mirin1 tbsp Cornflour/1 tbsp WaterVegetable Oil for fryingSalt & PepperCooked Rice, to serve  Notes: You can pick up a mild curry powder from most supermarkets fairly cheap. I found Mirin at Tesco’s in the specialist ingredients section for about £1.50. It is quite important to the overall flavour of the sauce so try not to leave it out if you can help it. I also found a pack of panko breadcrumbs in the specialist ingredients section. Step 1: To Make the Chicken. <PIC> If you’re using chicken breasts, grab a rolling pin and flatten them out so they’re all an even thickness. It shouldn’t matter so much if you’re using thighs. Season both sides of each breast/thigh with salt then coat all over in the flour. Step 2: To Make the Chicken. <PIC> Beat the egg in a shallow dish/bowl and tip the breadcrumbs into another. Dip each piece of chicken in the egg then coat in breadcrumbs. Leave to one side whilst you make a start on the Katsu Curry sauce. Step 3: Making the Katsu Curry Sauce. <PIC> Melt the butter in a large saucepan or frying pan and sweat the diced onions until they are cooked through. Step 4: Making the Katsu Curry Sauce. <PIC> When the onions are cooked, add in the curry powder and the chicken stock and bring to the boil.Then stir in the soy sauce & the mirin and leave to simmer for about 10 minutes. Step 5: Meanwhile.... <PIC> Meanwhile, heat some vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. (To a height of about 1cm.) Be a little patient with this, if you put your chicken in and the oil isn’t hot enough, the panko crumbs will likely go soggy.Carefully add the prepared chicken into the pan and fry for about 5-7 minutes on each side or until golden and crispy. Step 6: Finishing the Sauce. <PIC> While the chicken is cooking, let’s get back to the sauce.Add the cornflour to the water and mix. Stir this into the sauce to thicken it. It should end up a yoghurt like consistency. If it becomes too thick, simply add more chicken stock or a little water until you get what you want. Step 7: Time to Serve. <PIC> Now all your components are ready, it’s time to serve. Plate up some cooked rice, slice up the chicken and place on top. Then pour over as much of the katsu curry sauce as you like! You could even sprinkle over some sliced spring onions to finish but I didn’t have any in at the time.And there you have it. A simple, home made version of Yo! Sushi’s iconic Chicken Katsu Curry. The chicken is beautifully juicy & crunchy and the sauce just set’s the whole dish apart from any other! The Mr’s plate was empty in about 2 minutes flat, which I’m sure is a new record. He even polished off my plate as I was too full! This is definitely a dish that I will be making again.For more awesome step by step recipes check out  www.kitchenmason.com


Introduction: Kermit D. Frog Dissection Birthday Cake. <PIC> Our son wanted a science birthday party.  There were science experiments and owl pellet dissections; but the biggest hit was the Kermit D. Frog Dissection birthday cake that my wife made. Step 1: Bake the Cake and Mix Up the Rice Crispy Treats. <PIC> The cake is simply out-of-box cake mix - any flavor you like.  She used Red Velvet just to keep the theme going.  Two rounds with a little cutting creates the basic shape nicely.  The arms, legs, tongue, and organs get fashioned out of the rice crispy treat mix.  Everything is laid out to get the basic scale correct. Step 2: Start Icing and Dipping. <PIC> Now that everything has been dry-fit, the icing can be applied to the cake.  She uses butter cream icing (food dye for the color needed) and pipes it on using a #18 star tip.  The organ were dipped in melting chocolate (different colors for different organs.)  The eyes were gummy candies she found somewhere. Step 3: Create the Skin Flaps. <PIC> To create the skin flaps, she cut fruit roll-ups to cover the cavity.  She then rolled these back to expose the organs. Step 4: Finish the Internal Details. <PIC> After rolling the fruit roll-up skin back, she made the dissection pins out of more rice crispy treat mix.  The red goo between the organs was red piping gel.   Step 5: Add the Finishing Touch. <PIC> The finishing touch was the letter from Kermit donating his body to science.  The letter sat over the cake for all to witness.  Of course we had to explain to the kids what it meant (and for some who Kermit D. Frog was) - but all the adults got a good laugh out of it.


Introduction: Tsukemono / Hakusai No Shiozuke / Japanese Pickled Cabbage. <PIC> Tsukemono (say "TSKEH-mohnoh" never "TSOOkeh-mohnoh"... just think of the "su" part as being whispered instead of spoken) means "pickled things" and includes a great variety of Japanese pickle, both fruit and vegetable types. This Instructable is about one of the most basic, called "Hakusai no Shiozuke" or "Napa Cabbage Salt Pickle".Once you feel comfortable doing this, you can try endless variations, with seaweed, scallions, peppers, garlic, fish sauce or broth... in many ways, depending on how you dress it up, this can be very similar to Korean Kimchi.There is no vinegar added.. like all naturally fermented pickles, the varying sourness is from natural vinegar that gets made as part of the fermentation process, so while you can simply put salt and vinegar on cabbage, not only would that be "cheating" but it would cheat you of the full flavor and priobiotic benefits to the gut and immune system, that naturally fermented original versions offer.Once you see how simple this is, you can have it all the time, and it is good with rice, alone as a snack, added to soup after the soup is done, on sandwiches like sauerkraut, or however you like it.This is quick to make and must also be used more quickly, than slower fermented things like kimchi. But it's easy enough that there is no need to make more than you can use in a short time. Step 1: Tools and Materials. <PIC> All you need is Napa cabbage, salt, and a knife. Oh, and a makeshift "tsukemonoki" if, like most of us, you don't have access to a traditional Japanese pickling crock. Use any container that is big enough, and lets you weight the top down. I used a 2-quart square food-safe plastic freezer storage container, with a 1-quart one full of water as the weight. You could use a large nonreactive bowl with a plate on top weighted by a brick. Or if you have a tsukemonoki, tell me where I can get one too. Step 2: Chop. <PIC> Remove blemished leaves. I tend not to wash in water unless I have time to dry it or let it air dry. Extra water would interfere. Chop the head of cabbage into thick slices across, about 2 to 3 cm (or around an inch to inch-and-a half) thick. Step 3: Layer and Salt. <PIC> This is a hard one because everyone salts by feel, it seems. I looked high and low and found no exact proportions of salt to cabbage except this "salt should be 2 to 3 percent of the weight of the cabbage". That sounded like a hassle to use, so I just say, sprinkle salt rather than pouring it. Salt the bottom of your container. Lay down a layer of cabbage. Salt the top as if for seasoning any food you want salty enough to season, but not so salty as to be inedible. What type of salt has never mattered that I can tell. Whatever thrills your gorilla, be it sea salt, iodized table salt, fancy french salt; it will still make tsukemono, so it's a personal choice. Lay down another layer, this time frilly leaves if your first layer was thick stems, or thick stems if your first layer was frilly leaves. Sprinkle again. Continue until you are out of cabbage. You can mix it by hand, or leave it layered. It really seems to make no difference, though I have heard others say it does. Here is where I realized that my trusty glass jar wouldn't do, because the cabbage was much springier than the brined kimchi had been, so I really needed something to pack it in that had a wide enough opening to really weight the top evenly. So I transferred it to my 2 Quart plastic square freezer container. Step 4: Weight It Down. <PIC> Here I am placing a 1-quart square container that fits neatly atop my 2-quart one. I put water in it as the weight. You won't probably see any liquid rising just yet; but in a few hours to a day, liquid will rise and that weight will keep the cabbage submerged in the resulting brine. Here's the top view also. Step 5: Wait. <PIC> Leave it on the counter up to 3 days.It will "juice out" and the liquid will rise. It may smell a bit like rotting cabbage during this time. Hopefully you have tasted tsukemono before and know that this is normal. If you have never had tsukemono of any type, it may be hard to trust that this is how it is supposed to smell. The salt will guide it to process correctly instead of outright rotting, by encouraging the "good" bacteria that cause the lactic fermentation.Your cabbage will take less space as the liquid rises. See how my top container, that I put on to weight it, has been sinking? Step 6: Ready to Enjoy!. <PIC> Once it has been fermenting two or three days, it is ready. Maybe sooner if it's really warm in your house... just taste it. It certainly won't hurt to eat it sooner; that is a matter of personal taste.This is basic hakusai no shiozuke at its simplest. Feel free to add soy sauce, garlic, pepper flakes, more vinegar, a touch of sugar or mirin.... you can dress it up however you want, or serve as it is, with rice, cooked meals, in soups, on sandwiches, or as a snack by itself.Just be sure to use it up within the week, and storing in the fridge is probably a good idea to slow further fermentation. Your nose and taste buds will dictate what its useful life is. But as I said, this is quick to make and quick to use. Not a long keeper. More like a daily salad.Congratulations! It should now be an easy leap to start making more tsukemono, like daikon versions, eggplant, ginger, or even mustard greens. I highly recommend the book "Japanese Cooking" by Peter and Joan Martin, a couple who lived in Kyoto for years... the book is from the 1970's, and while it may not have the most up-to-date recipes, it has some old traditional ones that can be hard to find, written in a simple and straighforward manner, plus a guide to special utensils. Short of having an old-school Obaachan to take one in hand and show how to cook from scratch Japanese style, this book is a great resource for the type of traditional family cooking that one seldom sees in the glitzy Japanese cooking mags that tend to show fancier styles and more reliance on prefabricated products not always available elsewhere. The ISBN for this out-of-print book is 0-517-169657.


Introduction: Peach and Pecan Cake    . <PIC> This this is delectable, will bring a bang to your palate and satisfaction to your tummy. There is no white or whole wheat flour used with this cake. But rather ginger snap cookies processed in to crumbs.Ginger is beneficial for many things. Ginger has been studied and reported as having positive results for people who suffer from insomnia and nightmares caused by anxiety. The study was published in 2010 stating, “Positive results have shown that ginger binds to some serotonin receptors. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that affects overall mood and anxiety levels".Ginger is also good for cold and flu prevention and treatment, migraine relief, menstrual cramp relief for women, as well as prevention of diabetic nephropathy or kidney damage. Ginger also aides in the digestion processes. As good as this dessert my be, and it has ginger in it, you will not get any of the above mentioned results. Ginger snap cookies only have a less than 2% ginger root in the cookie.But if you wish for the results of what fresh ginger root can do for your health, then purchase it on your next grocery shopping day.For more information about fresh ginger root, read this article: Benefits of Ginger. Step 1: Here Is What You Will Need. <PIC> 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1 cup packed brown sugar 4 eggs  1/2 cup half-and-half 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla 1 cup gingersnap crumbs 1 (6-ounce) package almond brickle chips 3/4 cup chopped pecans 1/2 cup coconut flakes 1 (16-ounce) can sliced peaches, well drained and
chopped (not shown on cutting board) Whipping cream to garnish
(optional) Step 2: 9 - Inch Square Pan and Parchment Paper. <PIC> Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch square
baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside. Step 3: Chop Peaches and Process Ginger Snap Cookies. <PIC> Open the can of peaches and drain out juice. Chop the peaches and place them in
a medium bowl and set aside.Place the ginger snap cookies in a food processor and process them to almost flour like texture, then pour the crumbs into a small bowl and set aside. Step 4: Processing Cream Cheese, Brown Sugar and Eggs. <PIC> Add cream cheese and sugar to a food processor and mix until
well blended and creamy.Add eggs, one at a time, mixing in after each addition.  Step 5: Vanilla and Half & Half. <PIC> Blend in half-and-half and vanilla.  Step 6: Cookie Crumbs, Toffee, Pecans and Coconut. <PIC> Add ginger crumbs, toffee chips, pecans and coconut; process on mix for thirty seconds. Step 7: Mix in Peaches. <PIC> Pour mixture into a
large bowl and stir in chopped peaches.  Step 8: Pouring Cake and Placing Into Oven. <PIC> Next pour cake mixture into the 9 - inch square prepared pan.Place the cake into the heated oven and bake 35 to 40 minutes
or until center is firm (checking with a knife, insert and should come out clean) and edges are golden brown. Step 9: Serve Cake. <PIC> Plate and serve warm or chilled. Garnish with peach slices whipped cream, and mint or basil, if
desired.We have more recipes here at Recipes for a Healthy You as well as here at Instructables. Thanks always for taking the time to view my Instructables. Here are two that I entered into a contest, I would appreciate your vote: Blinding Baking Pie Crust [includes pie recipes]  and Ferrara Orange Caramel Chocolate Cheesecake .Follow us on TwitterLike us on Face BookJoin our group at Google+Check out what we've pinned at PinterestThanks for your time and viewing our Instructable. Eat and Be Healthy!!Regards,Randywww.savorthefood.com


Introduction: Homemade Croissants- Photos. <PIC> A couple of weeks ago I tried my hand at making croissants! And I have to say, even though it was time-consuming and confusing at first, it was well worth it. Many people never attempt it and I say "You should!" It's actually not quite as confusing as it seems and the final product is amazing. I was surprised I made some that looked exactly like the ones in the supermarkets. I used a recipe for laminated dough which makes this croissant has its many layers. The dough's concept is pretty much to layer butter and dough by folding and re-folding it. The butter melts when baked and created the many layers you see. After hours of rolling out the dough, the croissants are then shaped into its crescent form and ready to be baked. The baking process is also essential to croissants, especially if you have more than one tray going in. I made some pineapple jam to go with it and they tasted amazing. Definitely fluffy and the outside was perfectly crunchy.
Now I didn't put the recipe up yet, so I decided to add some photos of these oh-so-amazing treats. I really like these photos I've took. I incorporated aspects of my Food Photography Through a Novice's Eyes tips and they came out pretty good. Is there any particular photo you particularly liked? I would love to know. I promise to have this recipe up soon though!
Here it is! The recipe for these delicious croissants can be found here!


Introduction: Boozy Pecan Fudge. <PIC> One of the first things my mother taught me to make was fudge. As I got older I started making my own variations with different ingredients and for different occasions. I started making my own partly due to the outrageous prices at candy stores and partly because, making fudge is easy. The addition of bourbon gives this fudge an almost indescribable rich flavor. This fudge is so tasty, it doesn't matter if you like bourbon or not (and I don't), I can't keep my hands off it. Fudge is a little treat for dessert, to bring to a party, or to give as gifts. Now, due to the short cooking time and the addition of bourbon, I recommend using your own discretion when potentially serving this to anyone under 21. Maybe just to be safe, don't. Step 1: Ingredients. <PIC> 3 cups of sugar1 stick unsalted butter (chopped)1/4 tsp sea salt1/4+ cup bourbon (to taste)1 can evaporated milk (5oz)8-12oz marshmallows (or marshmallow cream)1 tsp vanilla extract (or bourbon vanilla extract if you have it)1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips1/2-3/4 cup chopped pecans (toasted lightly at 350 if you prefer) Step 2: The First 6. <PIC> To a large pot, add the butter, salt, sugar, evaporated milk, bourbon and marshmallows. Cook over low-med heat, stirring regularly to prevent burning. Once everything is melted and well incorporated, allow the mixture to come to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes. One of the most important things in this step is to be sure the sugar is completely melted. The number 1 problem I experience with fudge is not letting it cook long enough. Your end result will be grainy and gross if the sugar isn't melted.  Step 3: The Last 3. <PIC> After 5 minutes of boiling, pour the chocolate chips and vanilla into the pot and remove from heat. Stir quickly to ensure the chocolate melts completely. Once the chocolate is incorporated, pour in your pecans and stir. Step 4: Done!. <PIC> Transfer the melted chocolate mixture to a buttered dish and allow to cook. The fudge should start to set almost immediately, but I recommend putting it in the fridge and storing in an air tight container.


Introduction: How to Make Traditional English Pork Pies. <PIC> A classic English pork pie has a hand-formed hot water crust pastry, a minced or chopped pork filling, seasoned simply with salt and pepper and topped up with meat jelly, added after baking. It is intended to be eaten cold, the jelly acting as a protective layer that keeps out airborn nasties and which also stabilises the pie for carrying about without it breaking. The most famous English pork pie is the Melton Mowbary pork pie, which became common in Leicestershire England in the 18th century due to local pig farming. The Melton Mowbray pork pie used uncured pork and was hand raised (without a mould). This receipe uses uncured shoulder pork, but does use a muffin tray to give a more event shape to the pies. These are simple to make and really delicious, especially with a good mustard. They are perfect for picnics as they keep well and travel well.  For the history of the famous (and protected) Melton Mowbary pork pie, visit the website of the (yes, really) Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association. I am so pleased such an organisation exists :) Step 1: Making the Minced Pork Filling. <PIC> The filing for a pork pie is very simple. It is just minced or chopped pork, seasoned with salt and pepper. The type of pork can be chosen to suit your taste. Belly pork is fatty and tasty, but may be too rich for some people. In these pies, a simple shoulder joint was used. You should prepare the filling before you make the pastry, as the pastry need to be worked whilst warm. The skin was cut off, but the fat under the skin was left in. If you use only lean meat, it can be a bit dry, although it is not a big problem with this type of pie as jelly is added later anyway. The meat was choped into chunks and these passed into my favourite hand grinder - the Spong 'National', truly a prince of grinders. This model was probably made in the 1950s or so. If you don't have a mincer, you can just chop the meat by hand with a big chefs knife. Using a food processor is not recommended as it is quite easy to produce a homogenous mush instead of an even chunk size. Finally a generous amount of ground salt and black pepper was added. Step 2: Making the Hot Water Crust. <PIC> The pastry in a traditional pork pie is unusual in that it is made with hot water, not cold. This is known as a hot water crust. About 3 oz lard (hard white pork fat, although you can use beef suet too) About 8 fl oz water About 8 oz plain flour (but may vary. Add until a thick dougy paste is formed) About 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt 1 crushed garlic clove (optional, but gives it an extra warmth and richness) The water, garlic, salt and lard are added to a pan on a low heat until the fat has melted. The water should not be boiling. It just needs to be hot enough to melt the fat. The flour is then stirred in to form a paste. The paste is fairly easy to work mould into the pie moulds. Because the flour is well worked, there is a higher gluten content than normal for pastry, and the cases are less crumbly and therefore less prone to breaking. This makes hot crust pastry ideal for making cold pies intended to be carried as a snack. However, the paste only stays easy to work, when it is hot. It gets harder to handle as it cools, so making the pie cases shoul dbe done quickly after mixing the paste. Step 3: Forming the Pies in the Mould. <PIC> Press the warm hot water crust paste into a greased muffin or pie mould. It is easy to work in. Try to press it into and even thickness. In each paste-lined moulding, add a generou blob of the meat filling, then quickly roll out a small ball of paste into a circle to top the pie. Pinch it onto the lining paste to form a good seal. Because jelly will be added later, a central hole is cut out from each of the uncooked pies. This also allows some moisture out which helps the pie become nice and crusty as it cooks and not soggy. This is most easily done with an apple corer Step 4: Baking the Pies. <PIC> Before baking, preheat the oven to Gas mark 4 (180C/350F/). Glaze the pies with plenty of beaten egg, which has been well seasoned with salt. The pies can then simply be cooked in the oven. They take about 35-45 minutes. I normally turn the tray round after about 25 minutes to get an even bake, but I use a gas oven, so it may not be worth doing in an electric oven especially a fan oven. When cooked, you can remove from the mould if you like quite crunchy pastry on the bottom, but I prefer to leave them in the mould to cool. They are usually still crisp, but not so hard. Cooling in the mould takes a lot longer. Step 5: Finishing the Pies by Adding the Jelly. <PIC> Finally, when the pies are cold, they can be topped up with jelly. This is easiest with packet gelatin, although you can boild up pig's trotters if you prefer the authentic touch. The jelly here was simply a fairly rich stock (from cubes), with slightly more jelly than the packet recommends, to make sure it is set firmly. I use about half as much again as the packet says. The jelly is poured through the holes in the pies using a jug. Each pie should be topped up until you can see jelly puddling in the hole. Leave to set. This will take several hours. Once the pies are completely cold and the jelly set, ease them out of the mould with a flexible small pallette knife and store in an airtight box in teh refridgerator. They keep for several days. Step 6: Eating Pies. <PIC> This needs no explanation, but in keeping with the tradition of pork pies, it is recommended that they be eaten as part of a picnic. This beauty is about to be scoffed in the forest in West Berkshire, England with a good hearty English mustard. Alternatively, they look rather fetching plated up too :)


Introduction: Pickles and Peanut Butter. <PIC> This is a salty and sweet snack. I know it sounds strange but oh it is so good. Don't knock it until you try it. Step 1: Ingredients & Utencils. <PIC> Dill Pickles, peanut butter (your choice chunky or creamy), Sharp knife and a spoon. Step 2: Preperation. <PIC> Slice the pickle log ways. With the spoon scrape out the middle of the pickle. Don't waste the middle just eat it. Spoon peanut butter into the middle of the pickle and enjoy.
You can also just get a spoon full of peanut butter and a few pickles and take a bite of each. Taste exactly the same.
OH SO YUMMY!!!


Introduction: ChoFFity. <PIC> This one's a cool unusual blend of Chocolate, Coffee and Tea. Yeah, you probably guessed it right! That's what the name 'ChoFFity' is made of..! This is made up of very basic ingredients and can be found in everyone's kitchen. When made right, you will enjoy it a lot! So let's begin.!SERVES : 1INGREDIENTS
A glass of milk (approx. 200mL)
1/2 tsp Tea flakes
1 level tsp Coffee powder (Cappuchino will do great)
1 level tsp Cocoa powder (unsweetened)
2-3 tsps Sugar
1 tsp peel of butter (Optional )METHOD
1. Take 1/4th glass of the milk in a microwave safe glass and put the tea flakes in it. Microwave it at maximum until the milk starts to boil .
2. Take out the glass and mix with a spoon.
3. Filter the milk and tea flakes mixture into another glass.
4. Add the sugar, cocoa, coffee and beat it using a beater or a spoon. Beater should give a better foam. Continue to beat well until u get a nice thick foam.
5. Once done, add the remaining milk and butter and microwave it again for half a minute at maximum.
6. Beat again, just to ensure uniform flavor throughout.
7. Enjoy :)NOTES:
Beating the surface will give a good immediate foam. Sugar can be adjusted according to your likes. You can opt for adding a bit heaped teaspoon of cocoa for a stronger flavor, but u will need to necessarily put 3 teaspoons of sugar, to avoid bitterness.HEALTH TIP:
Avoid butter, and stick to only level teaspoon of cocoa. Sugar needed should automatically come down.
I hope you like this recipe. Do post comments and suggestions . I do not have the pics of this recipe right now, I will upload it around in a week.


Introduction: Full Spectrum Tex-Mex Fajita Recipe Designer Table. <PIC> Here's my little inventions. I first made the Jerk Sauce version about 5 years ago for my own use. Since I started selling spices in my site last year it occurred to me I ought to finish it for others. Originally I wanted to know what core elements all cooks used, what the full spectrum range of all ingredients used, and easy reference for making large batches. I never filled out the min column in my old hand written draft. I'll be continuously making these from now on for everything I can find between spice blends, sauces, soups and so on. They'll always be free to copy downloads, but I'll be making laminated versions of them to sell, so people printing + laminating + SELLING these tools is prohibited.


Introduction: How to Cook Zoodles and Red Sauce. <PIC> This version is a basic spaghetti and meat sauce recipe.  But to lower the carbs use Zoodles and to lighten it up more use ground chicken breast. Step 1: Soften the Onions and Garlic. <PIC> Heat up 1 Generous Tablespoon of Olive oil.2 Cloves of Garlic that I have been chopped up. 1/4 Cup finely diced Onion. 2 Large Baby Bella Mushrooms that have been cut up. After the onion is soft and the garlic is smelling really good (so good that I want to eat just this) add 1 pound of Ground Chicken Breast. Lightly season with Salt and Black Pepper, enough for the sauce. Cook the chicken for about 2 minutes while using your spatula to break it up. Step 2: Add Tomatoes . <PIC> Add 1 28 oz can of Crushed Tomatoes.1/4 teaspoon (or more if you like) of Red Pepper Flakes 1 teaspoon dried Thyme. 1 teaspoon dried Oregano. Stir and bring to a very low simmer (to prevent making a mess in the kitchen) Step 3: Cut Zoodles. <PIC> Use your Zoodle cutter to make zoodles from 2 to 4 Zucchini (depending upon size) I used 2 medium but could have used 3 if I had a bigger pan.Lightly season with Salt and Black Pepper, enough for the Zoodles. Step 4: Finish Cooking . <PIC> Stir the Zoodles into the Sauce and on a low simmer cook to your desired noodle texture. I simmered mine for about 5 minutes.Just before serving chop up 2 or three leaves of fresh basil, stir into the dish and serve. Fresh basil will turn black and lose flavor very quickly so just heat it and serve. I do hope that you enjoy the recipe. Step 5: Watch Video.


Introduction: Pizza Cupcakes!!!. <PIC> Cupcakes for dinner... Seriously??
This started out as an idea I had, and it took a lot of trial and error to get these to perfection. Now I can't get my boyfriend to stop begging for them every night! They are delicious and cute and everything you could ever ask for out of a Pizza Cupcake! As it turns out - the Italians did not invent the Pizza, and neither did New Yorkians, or Chicagans. Wikipedia claims it was the Ancient Greece! The Italians only improved upon an ingenious idea.. And it appears that I have, too! Pizza cupcakes offer a personalized serving of gooey, cheesy, bready goodness to everyone!
I show you how to make a homemade marinara sauce in this Instructable. It is surprisingly easy! You'll wonder why you've never thought of it before... I use store bought dough (from my local grocery store's bakery - Pillsbury works, too!), store bought soy crumbles and Daiya cheese. I encourage you to try this with your own favorite toppings. Do you like olives? Onions? Pepperoni? Step 1: Roasted Garlic. <PIC> I only really have after shots of this process so I apologize. This is very easy to do, and you will probably start doing this all the time, if you don't already... I use roasted garlic in hummus, in sauces, and just spread onto toast. It is SO good.
Preheat the oven to 350º F (177ºC).
So you'll need one whole bulb of garlic. Start by cutting off just enough of the top to expose most of the cloves just a little bit. Drizzle olive over the cloves and wrap the bulb in tin foil.
Place in the oven for one hour on middle rack.  Step 2: Marinara Sauce. <PIC> Once you realize how easy it is to home-make marinara sauce, I bet you'll never buy it again. One major rule I learned once - Keep it Simple, Stupid!
Things You'll Need
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 small onions, chopped. (Or about one heaping cup of chopped onions)
2 tsp olive oil
1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Mince the garlic. I do that in my mini food processor with about half a tablespoon of olive oil. The olive oil helps it to mince.
In a large sauce pan, heat the oil on med-high heat and cook the garlic until golden brown. DO NOT BURN THE GARLIC.
Add the chopped onions. Cook for about 7 minutes or until translucent.
Stir in the tomato paste with the onions and garlic. Watch the paste get darker red in color. The darker the red, the better the sauce witll taste. This is the key to a super duper awesome sauce. However, do not let the tomato paste burn...
Pour in the juice from the crushed red tomatoes and deglaze the pan, and then add in the rest of the tomatoes and the spices.
Bring to a simmer and simmer for about 15 minutes.
Add the roasted garlic and simmer for another 15 minutes, or until desired thickness is achieved.  Step 3: Prepare the Cupcake Pan. <PIC> Grease and flour the pan.
Roll out the dough and use a round cookie cutter (or a lid or rim) to cut out circles the size of the bottom of the cupcake. You want the dough about 1/4 inch thick.
Pizza dough is frustrating sometimes, so be patient with it! Step 4: Preparing the Cupcakes. <PIC> Scoop a dollop of marinara sauce into each cupcake. Use a rubber spatula to even out the sauce.
Add ingredients on top of the sauce in layers.
Cover the ingredients in cheese. The cheese layer should be close to filling up the cupcake.
Use a basting brush to spread olive oil onto the crust. Step 5: Crust. <PIC> What is pizza without a crust?
Take a small, ping pong size ball of dough and work it with your hands until it is in the shape of a snake. You want it to be long enough to fit the circumference of the cupcake. Make it into a ring and place it on top of the cheese around the edge of the cupcake.
Add a little bit of cheese to fill in the ring, and a few beef crumbles to add some color and crispy flavor on top.
Bake in the oven for 16 minutes at 375ºF


Introduction: Phirni - Creamy Dessert. <PIC> Most cultures have their own version of a rice pudding. With simple ingredients like rice, milk, sugar and cinnamon, whipping up a rice  pudding is not so difficult. A rice pudding can be thickened with eggs  and baked too. This wholesome rice dessert can be prepared in advance  for parties and family gatherings. Phirni or Firni is a milk-based  creamy dessert popular in the Northern and Frontier regions of India.  It is a kind of rice pudding with a twist! Step 1: Introduction to Rice Based Desserts. <PIC> While most rice puddings use rice in its original form, in firni, rice is ground to a paste. You can whip up some phirni quite easily in a few minutes. It then needs to chill for a while in the refrigerator and you can enjoy it. Ideal for warm sunny climes of the Indian subcontinent. Step 2: Recipe for Phirni. <PIC> What you need :Fragrant Basmati Rice - 1/2 cupGranular sugar 1 1/2 cupNuts of your choice : cashews, pistachios or almonds 1/2 cupGarnish: crushed cardamom - 2 tablespoon Get some fragrant Basmati rice, about 1/2 cup. Wash and soak in water for about 15 minutes. Then coarsely grind it to a paste in a blender with a bit of milk.  Take about 6 cups of milk and put it to boil. Add the ground rice paste and keep stirring to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan.When the mixture begins to thicken, it is time to add the sugar. A test for this is to check if the mixture coats the back of the spoon. About 11/2 cups of sugar should do well for this batch.  Don't forget to keep stirring to avoid lumps.  Add crushed cardamom and chopped nuts such as cashews, pistachios and almonds.Pour this creamy mixture into earthenware bowls. Set it to cool for about an hour. You can cover the bowls with foil to allow the firni to set. In fact, after few hours, firni tastes really good when the flavors acquire a mature level.You can prepare variants of this basic recipe with ground almonds. Another option is to add rose water instead of cardamom for flavor. Kesar phirni can be made with saffron strands added to the cooking mixture. It adds a heady flavor and color. Mango firni is an all-time favorite during summers when mangoes are aplenty. Silver foil paper is sometimes added on top for a festive look.An interesting feature of phirni is that it is served in earthenware bowls called shikoras or khullars. Other than helping the firni to set, these khullars impart an earthy flavor to the dish.Note: The above recipe is inspired by the collection of recipes  from the West coast of India as given here: West Coast of India - recipes


Introduction: Whisky Brownies With Honey Caramel Centres. <PIC> In anticipation of Burns Night on January 25th (Scotland's answer to the January blues - a night of poetry, whisky and feasting), I thought I would cook up some brownies infused with traditional Scottish flavours. Honey and whisky are a delicious combination, and have long been consumed for their *ahem* medicinal properties in the form of a Hot Toddy (a mixture of whisky, honey, lemon and hot water). These rich chocolate brownie have an oozy layer of salted honey caramel in the middle. Pecans add a little crunch and the whisky leaves a warm feeling in your belly... Just the ticket for a cold winters' evening!  Step 1: The Salted Honey Caramel. <PIC> You will need:1 cup (225g) caster sugar1/4 cup (60ml) honey1 cup (240ml) double/heavy cream1/2 teaspoon salt4 tbsp (60g) butter, cubed InstructionsPour the cream into a small pan and place on a very low heat. Place the sugar and honey in a medium sized saucepan and place on a medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar mixture melts and begins to boil. Let it boil for 5 minutes, continuing to stir occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and begin adding the butter in cubes, stirring between each addition. When all the butter has been incorporated, remove from the heat and mix in the warmed double cream. Stir until the mixture has formed a thick caramel, and set aside. Step 2: The Brownie Batter. <PIC> You will need:7oz (200g) dark chocolate (get the best quality you can afford, you can really taste the difference!)1/2 cup (125g) unsalted butter2 eggs1/2 cup (120g) caster sugar1/2 cup (120g) brown sugar4 1/2 tbsp (75ml) whisky2 tsp vanilla extract1 1/4 cups (175g) plain flour1 tbsp cocoa powder150g pecans, mostly chopped but save a few halves for decorationInstructions:Heat the oven to 170C (fan assisted)/325F/gas mark 3. Line a 25cm square cake tin with foil.In a medium sized saucepan over a very low heat, melt the chocolate with the butter, then set aside. Don't be impatient like me and burn the chocolate first time around...in the wise words of Mary Berry, "chocolate will melt in a child's pocket!"Beat the eggs with the sugars until the mixture forms a creamy texture. Next, beat in the chocolate and butter until evenly combined, then beat in the whisky and vanilla essence. Sift the flour and cocoa, then beat this into the chocolate mixture. Finally, mix in the chopped pecans, remembering to save a few for decoration.Scrape half of the mixture into the prepared cake tin (if you want to be precise you can weigh your batter before and during this stage!).  Step 3: Layering the Mixes. <PIC> Scrape half of the mixture into the prepared cake tin (if you want to be precise you can weigh your batter before and during this stage!).Pour a layer of honey caramel over the batter, saving some sauce for decorating the top of the brownies. Top with the remaining batter and then scatter the pecan halves. Lastly, drizzle the honey caramel over the top of the brownies in a zig-zag pattern.Bake for 25 minutes, then let the brownies cool in the pan.


Introduction: Wonderland. <PIC> ingredients:1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature1 cup granulated sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder Pinch of salt (optional)Any flavor of blue colored juice.A cork bottleA big plate Step 1: Eat Me. First, preheat your oven to 350F, and then take out the butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, flour, baking powder, and salt (optional). Once you have done that, cream the sugar and butter together. Beat in the vanilla and egg. Step 2: Eat Me. <PIC> In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder (and salt). Slowly add this to your first mixture. Step 3: Eat Me. <PIC> Now that the dough is ready, have a different assortment of shapes for your cookies. Butter/ spray/ flour your pan, lay the cookies on a cookie sheet, and sprinkle sugar on them. Let them bake for 10 minutes. Once they are done, decorate them however you want. Step 4: Drink Me and Done!. <PIC> Now, get out your blue juice and cork bottle. You might also want to get a tag, write "drink me" on it, and tie it to the bottle with string. When you have done that, you can put your set up together. Now you're done!


Introduction: Baked Potatoes and Carots. <PIC> This is my basic recipe for baked potatoes and carots! You can easily prepare this and just put it in the oven when you need it. Or you make them and store them in a container and just heat it up. Step 1: What You Need. <PIC> Here is what you need:- potatoes- carots- salt and pepper- olive oil- rosemary and thyme Step 2: Potatoes and Carots. <PIC> Heat your oven (180°C/360°F)Wash the potatoes and carots. Don´t peel them. You can but you don´t have to. Cut the potatoes and carots into small slices (see pictures)Throw them with the oil, and the herbs and salt and a bit pepper into a pot and mix everything. Now put them on a baking sheet. Step 3: Bake. <PIC> Bake the potatoes and carots for 40-50 min. Turn them over after 25-30 min. Bake it until they turn golden. Step 4: Potatoe and Carot. <PIC> There you go -Baked Potatoe and Carot-Enjoy! I hope you like this recipe.


Introduction: How About Them Berries With Pearls. <PIC>
	This How About Them Berries Smoothie is amazing. It's perfect for this Memorial Day while cooling off in the neighbors kiddie pool. Warning: your friends will become addicted and will be forever asking you to make this, so on the down side you will not actually get to sit in the kiddie pool but you will have exponentially more friends.Materials:
	1/2 Cup Fresh Rasberries
	1/2 Cup Fresh Blackberries
	1 Cup Fresh Strawberries
	Simple sugar (The homemade kind)
	      Sugar
	      Water
	Tapioca pearls (any color)
	2 Cups IceTools:
	Blender (able to pulverize ice)
	Pyrex mixing cup
	Microwave
	Pot with lid
	Measuring Cups
	  Step 1: Simple Sugar. <PIC> Making the simple sugar is easy.
Take 1 cup water and mix with 1 cup sugar, then microwave for 3 minutes in a pyrex mixing glass.
Remove from microwave and mix until grains of sugar are dissolved.
Then add another cup of sugar into the Pyrex glass and stir.
Microwave for another 3 minutes, remove and stir again.
Set this mixture aside to cool before using in the smoothie. Step 2: Tapioca Pearls. <PIC> Follow the directions that are on your package of tapioca pearls.
*Remember the pearls will enlarge so make sure your pot is large enough if you are making it for a party!
Our bag had us boil 2-1/2 cups of water for 1/4 of pearls.
Bring the water to a boil and carefully pour the pearls into the pot.
Stir slowly.
The pearls will become squishy (yes that is our technical term) and plump.
Turn the heat down to medium and put a lid on the pot for 5 minutes.
Remove the pearls from the water and put into a small bowl of ice water until you are ready to add them to your drink.
Now, if your pearls are hard they have either did not boil enough or they boiled for too long. Step 3: Blend It!. <PIC> Put the 1/2 cup of blackberries and 1/2 cup of raspberries into the blender with either a 1 cup or 4 large cut strawberries.
Blend the fruit together first on the lowest setting, pulp is good try not to completely puree it yet.
Add 2 cups of ice and the cup of simple sugar (cooled) and then blend again. Step 4: It's All in the Presentation. <PIC> The presentation of this drink will make your friends go, "Ooooooh!"
A clear glass, with a small stem works well.
Pour the cooled tapioca pearls into the bottom of the glass then add the smoothie on top almost to the top of the glass.
Use a tapioca straw (larger diameter than other straws) and garnish with a strawberry with toothpicks holding the blackberry and raspberry on top.
Chew, Munch, Shoot them out the straws or do whatever you'd like with the tapioca pearls....and
Enjoy your tasty treat!


Introduction: Lazy Man's Slow Cooked Game Day Chili. <PIC> Well, This will be my first Instructable as well as my first Instructable contest.  With that being said, I have to admit to you all that I've already lied to you :( and its all in the name. The method used to cook the Chili is a lazy man's way but the list of Ingredients is far from it. LOL sorry but I promise the taste will totally make up for it. ^_^Here are the Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef chuck
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
3 (15 ounce) cans chili beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can chili beans in spicy sauce
2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 large Vidalia onion (if you can't get a vidalia a yellow onion will work fine), chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 green chile peppers, seeded and chopped
4 tablespoon of chopped bacon-----------------------------------------------"FOOD OF THE GODS"
4 cubes beef bouillon
1/2 cup beer-------------------------------------------------------------------------"NECTAR OF THE GODS"
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3 teaspoons of your favorite hot sauce
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
11/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 bag corn chips
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese
  Step 1: The Meat Man Cometh. <PIC> This is going to be a very meaty chili (What can I say, Real men eat meat not salad.) – 2 pounds of beef and 1 pound of Italian sausage. Brown meat in a deep dish skillet over medium heat and then drain excess grease. Step 2: Get to the Choppa. <PIC> Time to break out your chopper if you have one, if not time for your impression of the swedish chief and go to town on the celery, onion, peppers and garlic.  *Congratulations on unlocking the achievement "Get to the choppa" * Step 3: Coming Down the Stretch. <PIC> Now that you've browned  the meat and chopped all the veggies its time to dump all of the ingredients into the slow cooker at the same time. Now occasionally I'll use a full bottle of beer instead of saving the left over half for me. I'll also go a  little heavy handed on the ingredients that taste great with a meaty chili – Worcestershire, beef bouillon, chili powder, cumin, and tabasco but I suggest trying that the next time you make it that way you'll know what flavor you'll want more of.

Now I'm using a  6.5 quart slow-cooker and it is nearly impossible to stir until the veggies wilt down a little. Simmer it on high for 2 hours and then reduced the heat to low for another 4 hours. It's that easy. Step 4: Bon Appetit!. <PIC> Ladle into bowls and serve topped with cilantro, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and a side of tortilla chips. Don't forget your beer!!


Introduction: Edible Gift Box . <PIC> This Cute Little Gift box cake is made up of chocolate Honey Cake and Icing Fondant. You can serve this as Dessert in any Occasion.  I hope everyone will love this beautiful piece of cake. Step 1: Ingredients for Making Choco Honey Cake. <PIC> 1 cup of Self raising cake flour3/4 cup of Honey1 Egg1/4 cup of Unsalted buttter1/4 cup of Sweetend choco chip1/3 cup of low fat milk1 tsp of Vanilla ExtractButter for greasing the baking pan Step 2: Method for Making Choco Honey Cake. <PIC> 1. Preheat Oven to 350 F and grease the 9 x 13 inch rectangular baking pan with butter.2. Combine all the Ingredients (except choco chip) in the large mixing bowl and Mix it in speed 2 using electric hand mixer.3. Take chocochip in microwave safe bowl and microwave it for 1 minute.4. Add the choco paste into the batter and beat it in speed 2 for 1 minute.5. Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake for 35 to 45 minutes. ( Insert tooth pick in the centre of the cake and it should comes out clean)6. Let it cool for sometime. Step 3: Cut the Cake in Square Shape. <PIC> 1. After the cooling time, run knife around the edge of the cake and flip it carefully.2. Cut the cake approximately 2 x 2 inches . ( Yield 20 square cake)3. Kept it aside. Step 4: Ingredients for Making Icing Fondant. <PIC> 1 cup of Icing sugar, 1/4 cup Icing Sugar for Final decoration.1/2 cup of Sugar1 cup of warm water1/2 tsp of Vanilla EssencePink and Blue food colour Step 5: Making of Sugar Syrup. <PIC> 1. Add sugar and 1/3 cup of water in large pan and melt it over medium flame.2. Cook until you get two string consistency and then remove from the flame, set aside. Step 6: Making of Icing Fondant. <PIC> 1. Take heat proof bowl, seive icing sugar in it ( to avoid lump formation).2. Add half of the Sugar Syrup in it, If its very thick add water little by little ( a tbsp of water )3. Mix it without any lumps. If you find any lumps, then go for double boiling method.4. Heat water in large skillet over medium flame, place  the icing sugar mixture bowl on it and boil it. 5. Stir it untill all the lumps disappear. Then take out from the flame.6. Add vanilla esscence and mix well. Icing Fondant ready. Step 7: Pouring the Icing Fondant. <PIC> 1. Divide the white  Icing fondant in 3 bowl.2. Add 2 drops of Pink colour in one bowl (1st Bowl)  and 2 drops of blue colour in another bowl (2nd Bowl) . Keep the white icing fondant (3rd Bowl)  aside for final Decoration.3. Take a cookie tray or aluminium tray and line in with wax paper. Place the wire rack over it.4. Take a piece of cake in fork and Pour the pink icing fondant on it using ladle. Coat the icing fondant evenly. and then place  the coated cake carefully on the wire rack. 5. Repeat the same procedure for rest of the cake pieces.6. If the fondant became dry, add warm water in it to get the right consistency.7. Let the coated cake rest for about 20 minutes. Step 8: Decorating the Cake. <PIC> 1. To thicken the fondant for decoration, add icing sugar in the white icing fondant (3rd Bowl) and mix well.2. Then pour the creamy fondant into piping bag and cut small open using scissor. 3. Decorate it as your wish. I decorated it like gift box. Step 9: Cute Gift Boxes Are Ready to Serve!!!. <PIC>


Introduction: Two Ingredient Ice Cream, No Ice Cream Machine! ¦ the Corner of Craft. <PIC> This ice cream base is so easy to make! You only need two ingredients to make a deliciously cream ice cream that's easy to scoop, right out of the freezer. You can add any additional ingredients that you like to fully customise your ice cream. Absolutely delicious. Step 1: Ingredients. <PIC> You will need:450ml double cream (U.S heavy cream)1 x 397g tin condensed milk.That's it!! Step 2: Whipping the Cream. <PIC> Using a stand mixer or a hand mixer, whip the double cream until you have stiff peaks. Be sure that it doesn't over-mix though as that's how butter is made! Step 3: Add the Condensed Milk.... <PIC> Add in the full tin of condensed milk. Use a spatula to scrape out all of the deliciousness :D Step 4: And Whisk!. <PIC> Whisk the two together until it is fully combined. Be sure to scrape the bottom of your bowl if you're using a stand mixer to ensure that the two ingredients are fully combined. Step 5: Then Customise!. Add any additional ingredients that you like to make endless unique flavours.In the video, I show you how to make peaches and cream, strawberries and cream and cookies and cream (sense a theme?) Of these three, the cookies and cream was by far my favourite!Let me know what flavours you come up with, I'd love to try out some more.


Introduction: Whipped Cream Cookie Cake. <PIC> This is a delicious and simple no-bake recipe that take 0 skill to execute Step 1: Ingredients. <PIC> - Heavy cream and sugar (or cool whip) - Oreos (If you plan to do an Oreo crust you may been more than 1 packet) or other cookie. - Blender - Butter if you are doing an Oreo crust - Spring form pan (or any regular pan/dish if you are fine with not being able to remove before serving) - Chocolate or caramel sauce (optional) - Ice cream (optional) - Whipped cream or frosting for border (optional) Step 2: Make Crust (Optional). <PIC> I made a crust around the sides of the spring-form pan (I didn't do the bottom this time).  Click here for a recipe.  The crust isn't necessary for the cake to hold together. Step 3: Prepare Layer Ingredients. <PIC> - Crush oreos (I use a blender) - Dip whole Oreos in milk or cream for about 5 seconds each - Make whipped cream (or you could just use cook whip) by using the whisk attachment to whip heavy cream.  For every cup of cream add 2 Tablespoons of sugar (I used powdered sugar). *I did not list amounts since it depends on the size of your cake and the layers you choose. Step 4: Layer the Cake. <PIC> Alternate layers of cream, Oreos and optional other ingredients.  This cake is whipped cream on the bottom, a layer of Oreos dipped in cream, whipped cream, crushed Oreos, cream, chocolate sauce, crushed Oreos, cream.  You can make this into an ice cream cake by putting a layer on the bottom. Step 5: Decorate and Let Set. <PIC> Stick the cake in the freezer for at least an hour.  To remove the cake run a blunt knife between the edge of the pan and the crust and then release the cake from the spring pan.  The cake can be served frozen but I prefer to eat it after it has been in the fridge for 20 minutes.  The piece on top was drawn in melted chocolate.  A tutorial for the technique click here.


Introduction: Curried Egg Salad. <PIC> Boiled eggs have always been a favorite of mine. The ultimate healthy fast food, portable, and filling. Growing up my dad always looked forward to Easter because he knew that there would be an abundance of boiled eggs to eat. His favorite way to eat them was to cut them into wedges, then top them with pickled curried mango, tomatoes and onions, wrapped in a whole wheat  flat bread. Cool tomatoes, spicy mango and creamy eggs - YUM! So for me, curry and eggs are a match made in heaven.
I must admit, my first encounter with traditional egg salad was not pleasant, mushy eggs, heaps of mayo, in white mushy bread--eek. This made me avoid the traditional egg salad for years until I had an egg salad prepared by one of my college roommates mom. She made her egg salad with dill relish, onions, bacon and a touch of mayo. I was willing to give egg salad another chance after this.
Over the years, I've played around with several egg salad recipes, but noticed that the trickiest part was a properly boiled egg. If you do some online research you will find several methods. I tested a few one of which called for bringing the eggs to a boil, taking off the stove, covering for 12 minutes, plunging in an ice water bath, returning them to a boil, then plunging them back into cold water. The reason eggs are chilled after each step is to eliminate the dark line from forming on the eggs. While this method works perfectly, it's entirely to time consuming.
Here is a simple method for properly boiled eggs:
Place eggs in a pot and cover with 1/2 inch to 1 inch of cold water and bring to a boil. Now remove from heat, cover the pot, and let it sit exactly 8 minutes Step 1: . <PIC> When the time is up, place the eggs in an ice water bath for two minutes or until the eggs have completely cooled. Cooling them also makes them easier to peel. Step 2: . OK, so now that you know how to properly boil an egg for egg salad, here is my favorite recipe:
Somer's Curried Egg Salad
Ingredients
6-8 large eggs
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt or whole milk yogurt
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder (I used Madras - use your favorite)
A splash of lime juice
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 green onion or small of bunch chives, chopped
1/4 cup of toasted walnuts
1/4 c. dried cranberries or cherries (optional) I didn't have any on hand so I did not use them Step 3: . <PIC> While the eggs are boiling and cooling, combine the yogurt, dijon mustard, curry powder, lime juice, and mayo in a tiny bowl. Set aside. Step 4: . <PIC> Next chop your scallions and celery. I find that if I cut the celery stalks in half, then into fourths, it makes the whole process much easier. Line them all up and chop. Step 5: . <PIC> Toast the Walnuts - spread walnuts in a single layer on a cookie sheet (one with walls is best) . Bake at 400 degrees for 5 to 10 minutes or as soon as you can smell them. Step 6: . <PIC> Crack and peel each egg, and place in a medium mixing bowl. Then you will mash with a fork, don't over mash as you want the eggs to have some texture. Step 7: . <PIC> Mix in your veggies, and walnuts then stir to combine.  Step 8: . <PIC> Add 3/4* of the curry sauce and combine, if the egg mixture is still too dry, then add the remaining sauce. Season with Salt and Pepper to taste.
Enjoy as is, or as cracker topping, wrapped in lettuce or tortilla or between toasted whole wheat bread.
* I usually reserve the remaining sauce to mix into the egg salad the next day to keep the salad from drying out (if there are left overs)


Introduction: Balsamic Chicken. <PIC> There are so many ways to cook chicken. This is a very tasty variation with the "seasoning" of Balsamic Vinegar. It gives the chicken a very distinct taste. I also often use red Vermouth, it also tastes very nice. Just use Vermouth instead of vinegar. This is a typical Italian recipe, very tasty and really easy! Step 1: . <PIC> For 2 persons: 4-6 pieces of Chicken 1 Onion 2 cloves of Garlic Salt and Pepper Paprika and Rosemary some Olive Oil 50 ml Red Wine 50 ml Aceto Balsamico (or red Vermouth) Step 2: . <PIC> Scrub the mixed spices onto the chicken. Heat some olive oil and fry the chicken pieces and the chopped garlic until golden brown. Step 3: . <PIC> Add the sliced onion, red wine and vinegar (or Vermouth) and cook on small heat until the chicken is cooked through. The wine and vinegar will have reduced to half by now. Step 4: . <PIC> Serve with pasta, rice or potatoes, or just with crispy fresh bread.


Introduction: Fried Cheese. <PIC> You know those little bits of cheese that drip out of a grilled cheese sandwich and get nice and brown and chewy?  As much as I like the melted cheese in a grilled cheese sandwich these chewy tidbits are probably my favorite part so here's what I do Step 1: You'll Need. <PIC> This is a really quick snack and only requires a couple of things
  Cheese, Im useing american cheese here but Ive used chedder, velvetta, swiss, provolone and parmesean, pretty much any hard cheese will work
 Bacon grease, butter  or olive oil, I wouldn't recommend cooking oil because your looking for the flavor
 A frying pan Step 2: Ready Set Fry. <PIC> Heat the pan and melt a tablespoon of  bacon drippings or whatever you've decided to use. Add the cheese to the pan once it starts to brown around the edge flip it over, this can be tricky since your basically trying to flip a semi-liquid, thats ok, just flip it again or even fold it on itself Step 3: Enjoy. <PIC> once the cheese is as brown as you want, remove it to a papertowel or paperplate to drain some. Make more than one... trust me on this.... enjoy


Introduction: Zombie Truffles?. <PIC>
          Okay, I fell in love with Zombies at the time the movie Fido came out.  I'm also a researcher for the ZRS and my husband is the one who got me into these monsters.  Those are the reasons behind these Zombie Truffles!  There was a part in Fido, where Mr. Theopolis (the neighbor) comes over and says "Zombie Troubles?" and that's where my chocolate brains got their name!  I put different things in my candy, and you can always change it up to best fit your taste buds!
** This is to celebrate May, which is Zombie Awareness Month!  :)
** Most important part to remember, if you use this to gift, or to display, you want to think about your presentation.  You want the end product to fit the mood that you're going for.  :)  The rest should be easy!
** Here is a message from the CDC on the Zombie preparedness topic, and my chocolate video below.  :)
	------------------------------ My favorite scene from Fido !! ---------------------------http://youtu.be/RNurrFsufcA Step 1: Stuff You Need!. <PIC> *White chocolate melts (wilton)
*Black food coloring
*Some stuff for blood
*Brain mold (candy or ice)
*Stuff to put in your candy
*Ziploc bags
*A way to present end product
*Coffee cup to melt chocolate in microwave
*Spoons, etc. Step 2: Prep!. <PIC> If you want to put things into the candy, make sure to have them ready, in small enough sizes to fit into the mold when it's ready.  Have your chocolate ready to melt, arrange everything nicely so that you aren't scrambling at the last minute and think about what you want to do.  :)  Be ready because you need to have all decisions made before you melt the chocolate. Step 3: How to Make Bloods!. <PIC> Okay, I did two kinds of blood at once.  Basically, I wanted something thick and disgusting.  I took from my cake supplies and mixed a crazy, nasty bloody mess out of the things you see in the photo.  You can always choose to make yours differently or use other ingredients.  He tasted the bloody brains and said they were good.  That makes it a success for me.  :)
You can go one of two ways...taste and "feel" or...accuracy.  I've seen red syrup and we all know that it represents blood but doesn't look like it.  These things that I used, they really added up to the look.  Maybe not the sprinkles...but I had to throw something pretty in there. haha.  And the bonus is that it passed the taste-test.
After I mixed the bloody concoction, I scooped it with a spoon into a baggie for piping into the brains when the chocolate was melted.  The container was still full of blood residue so I added some Mirin or rice wine and it held the consistency for the drippy blood that I wanted to drizzle with.  PERFECT!  You can use some other alcohol if you want.  You won't really be tasting it much, anyways.  It's just to decorate with.  :)  Then I poured my drippy blood into a ziploc to use it as the last step.  (Drizzle each brain lightly.) Step 4: Melt Chocolate & Add Color!. <PIC> Okay, I may be one of the only people who use the microwave.  But it's easy.  I put the chocolate melts into the coffee cup, about 3/4 full.  Put it in the microwave and wait 20-30 seconds, pull it out and stir them.  They won't be melted, but you want to keep them moving.  Put it in again for another 15 seconds or so, pull them out... they should start to lose their shape.  You will see the edges melting away into blobs.  At this point, you want to mix really well.  Toss them around in the cup, get them moving.  If your chocolate starts to melt even more and you can't see the shapes anymore, don't put it back in the microwave.
But if they aren't melting, put them back in.  Another 10-15 seconds and pull them out, mix again, help them melt by moving them around and constantly mixing.  This will make your chocolate super smooth, not burnt and ready to color!
Get TINY TINY TINY drops of the black coloring and put them in one at a time, mix into the chocolate really well.  Keep adding TINY bits of color until you get the result you want.  It's important not to make charcoal brains!  :) Step 5: Pouring Grey Matter!. <PIC> Okay, I just used a spoon.  Once it was to the color I desired, I got a spoon full of chocolate, dropped a small dollop into the brain cavity and poked it down with the tip of the spoon.  You want to put less chocolate if you want to put things inside of your candy.  Just remember to make room, so that you can seal the top of it.  ( Put 1/4 full of chocolate, then filling, then top it off with another small dollop.  Use your spoon to smooth out the peak and you're done!
Fillings I used:  blood mixture, heath toffee crunchy candy stuff, marshmallows, sugared jelly candy. Step 6: Fridge!. <PIC> Put your chocolates, carefully, onto a flat surface into your fridge and be patient.  If you take them out too early, the tops will have set, but the bottom of the mold won't be set.  One way is to feel the tips of the brains to see if they are cold from the outside of the mold.
After 10-20 minutes, they should be done.  Mine just popped out really easily and I didn't use any spray in the mold or anything.  Rinse and clean out any leftover brain chunks in the mold, that way your next set gets the same impressions.
*TIP* You can change the color of your chocolate each time you mold a new set, and put different fillings in them so that you know what color has what item inside.  Also, a coffee cup of chocolate pretty much takes up the whole mold, so it's easy to cycle them through, clean stuff up, let them chill and begin again.   Step 7: Brain Sculpt!. <PIC> Everyone makes mistakes!  I over pour, you over-pour...that's life.  :)  So what you do, is take a knife that is too sharp to be using this close to your fingertips and try not to cut yourself open like I did.  4 times.  :)
Basically, you scrape the edges and the chocolate will shave off.  You can do this to the flat bottoms of the brains too, if they aren't level and you want them to be.  When you clean up your edges, you just need to run your fingertip around the edge and it will round and smooth it out with your natural body heat.  It's cool.  :) Step 8: Presentation!. <PIC> Ways to present ---
Gift, for a friend, loved one, surprise, in a lunch, at a party, etc.
Think about whether you just want to throw it in something, or if you want to make it elaborate, or if you need a platter, maybe you want a gift box...you can do this any way you want.  If it were for a party, I would probably make it up on a silver platter with TINY round shreds of lettuce with a brain on top of each piece and blood drizzled atop each of them.
For a lunch, just throw them into a ziploc with some drizzled blood and zip it up.
My idea was to put them into a Valentines Candy box.  I used cut up napkins to put under each brain, carefully.  If you use tissue, napkins, soft materials like this, make sure that you do it close to the presentation time because the napkins will absorb the blood and look sloppy.  Another great idea is fabric.  White fabric, cut into tiny pieces.  That would be really cool.  :)  Strong, and visually creepy.
Most importantly, enjoy!  Grey chocolate will look the most accurate, but if you don't like white chocolate, do them in milk chocolate, or dark, or whatever you'd like.  I made these for the accuracy and gave them to my husband.  I don't like white chocolate and these brains look gross, so it just adds to the effect for me. LOL.
Thanks for reading, happy Zombie Awareness Month!


Introduction: Easy Omelets. <PIC>
	This recipe is a way to make individual omelets and you can cook several omelets at once instead of making them one at a time. This recipe is ideal for kids that don't like certain ingredients or if you are having peope over for brunch you can set up an "omelet bar" and serve your guests 'made to order' omelets. This recipe is simple and virtually fool proof (if you can boil water you can make this omelet)
	  Step 1: What You Will Need:. <PIC> Large pot, tongs, cutting board, knife, ziploc bags (don't skimp on the bags for this recipe), bowls (one for each ingredient), whisk. Frying pan & spatula (if you have to precook bacon, sausage etc...)

INGREDIENTS:
Here is where you can make each omelet to order.
For my omelets I used: Red bell pepper, green bell pepper, onion, sausage (cooked), cheese, and chives
(you are free to use whatever ingredients you choose such as: bacon, ham, mushrooms, potatoes etc... )

TIP: Whenever using sausage, bacon, or ham make sure that the meats are fully cooked
TIP: If you want cheese, it's best to wait until after your omelet is cooked and top it with cheese. I was told that they don't cook as well if cheese is mixed in but I've never actually tried it so I don't know for sure. Step 2: Let's Get Started. <PIC> * Fill your pot up with water and set it on the stove to boil
*Prepare your ingredients: dice your onions, peppers, ham, crumble bacon, grate cheese etc. and put each ingredient in it's own bowl
*Crack open your eggs into a bowl (I typically use 2-3 eggs per omelet) add a little bit of milk or water, salt & pepper (if you desire) then scramble your eggs with a whisk. Step 3: Putting It All Together. <PIC> *Open up your ziploc bag and I find it easier to set it in a cup or bowl just so the bag stands open and upright.
*Have each person add whatever ingredients that they want in their omelet into their ziploc bag.
*Pour your scrambled egg mixture in the bag on top of your ingredients.
*Pull the ziploc bag out of the cup/bowl and before you seal it make sure to get as much of the air out of the bag as you can.
*Seal your bag
 TIP : I rest my ziploc bag against the edge of the counter just above the level of the ingredients then I put the top of the bag down on the counter and run my hand across it towards the top of the bag to remove any excess air then seal the bag tight. (see photo) Step 4: Time to Cook. <PIC> *If you have larger ziploc bags (like the ones I used) Try to roll your bag up.
*Once you have your omelets zipped up in your bags and your water is at a rolling boil drop your bags into the boiling water.
*For a 2 egg omelet allow it to boil for 15 min. and for a 3 egg omelet allow it to boil for 17 min.
*Once your omelets are done remove the bags from your boiling water with tongs. (I usually remove them and set them into an empty bowl).
*Unzip your bags and your omelet should slide out of the bag onto the plate easily.
*Garnish with cheese and chives (If desired) and serve. ENJOY!


Introduction: Tangy Yogurt Cheese Spread. <PIC> This is a very good spread made from yogurt. It is from Alton Brown's show, "Good Eats" on the Food Network. It has a tangy flavor, with the texture of a soft cream cheese. This spread is best on water crackers, but it works on any other cracker as well. It is a hit at parties and get-togethers.  Step 1: Get These Things:. <PIC> For this spread, you'll only need 5 total ingredients, 4 of which you will find in your kitchen already.
The first is a tub of plain yogurt. I like to use a whole milk yogurt, such as Mountain High. You'll need a quart of it (yes, I know that's a lot, but it reduces quite a bit). I found that 1 quart of plain yogurt weighs about 2 pounds. Yogurt is sold by weight in the bigger containers, so you can just use a 2lb tub of it, and it will be plenty. (at Safeway, that size tub sells for about $3)
The other 4 ingredients that you need (the ones you should already have in your kitchen) are:
-1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
-2 Tbsp parsley (you can either use fresh or dried for this, it doesnt matter)
-1 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp black pepper
In terms of tools, you just need a colander, a bowl that the colander will fit into nicely, and cheesecloth. I found my cheesecloth at Fred Meyer, sold in a package in the cooking utensils area, sold for about $4. Step 2: Assembling the Pieces. <PIC> The way this spread is made is by essentially squeezing out all of the whey from the yogurt. As Alton Brown said on his show, the main difference between cheese and yogurt is that cheese has had the whey taken out of it; yogurt has not. Draining the whey from the yogurt makes it thicker, much like a soft cream cheese.
The first thing to do is to set up the draining system (this part is very easy). Put the colander on top of the bowl, so that it rests with most of the colander inside the bowl. Now line the colander with the cheesecloth.
*NOTE*: if you bought the same cheesecloth as I did, it comes in a long, narrow strip. Just fold the long strip in half, then in half again (lengthwise both times). With the second fold, you want to spread it out so that just an inch or so of it overlaps inside the colander.
Next, mix the yogurt and spices together thoroughly, so that everything's smooth. You'll notice that when you open the yogurt, there is already liquid on top. This is the whey, which you'll mix right back into the yogurt, only to drain it later.
Once everything's mixed, pour the yogurt mixture into the cloth-lined colander. Fold the excess cheesecloth over the top of the mixture, so that it is covered completely. To speed up the whey's separation, put a plate on top of the package, and then put some weight on that (a can of vegetables works well. The plate is to distribute the weight evenly across the yogurt. Without this weight, the process could take up to 2 days). Stick the entire assembly in the fridge to rest and drain overnight. Step 3: Check It Out!. <PIC> Because of the mixing, you will not have seen anything draining when you first put it in the fridge. However, when you go and open up the fridge the next morning, check inside the bowl. There should be a fair amount of liquid inside. Unwrap the cheesecloth, and you'll notice that it has turned much thicker. This is the yogurt cheese. It is fairly soft, just a bit softer than cream cheese (like if you had left cream cheese out on the counter for a few hours).
This cheese is very good on crackers at parties. is is very tasty, and slightly tangy.
Enjoy it!
If you want to present it, you can put it on a platter (it will flatten out) and put a ring of crackers around it (like I did). It looks good with some parsley sprinkled on top.
There are alternatives to the spices you put in the cheese. I found that it tastes very good with sliced pimentos instead of the parsley. Feel free to experiment with different combinations!
Feel free to ask if you have any questions.


Introduction: How to Make Cauliflower and Potatoes (Aloo Gobi). <PIC> Aloo Gobi is a very popular vegan Punjabi dish. It's almost always included on every Indian restaurant menu. I have added red, orange and green bell peppers as well as cashews to the traditional recipe to make it more colourful and nutritious. It goes very well with rice, quinoa, plain yogurt and makes for a completely balanced meal suited to a gluten free vegan diet.It is an exceptionally flavourful dish which is also quick and easy to make!Online Cooking Classes: Spice Inspired Kitchen: Indian Cuisine 101 For Vegetarian Food LoversServings: 4 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutesReady In: 45 minutes Ingredients1 small cauliflower, cut into florets1 1/2 to 2 large bell peppers in different colours, cut into 1.5 inch pieces2 medium potatoes, cubed into approx 1 inch pieces 1 large onion, chopped 4 - 5 cloves of garlic, minced 1 piece of ginger, approx 1 Tbs minced 1 large or 2 medium tomatoes, chopped 1 piece of fresh turmeric, approx 1 Tbs minced; or 1 tsp ground 3 Tbs olive oil 2 tsp cumin seeds 1 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp cayenne or hot ground chilli powder (optional) 1 Tbs whole coriander seeds, crushed; or 2 tsp ground coriander Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped 1/2 cup cashews Step 1: Preparing the Masala. <PIC> Toast the cumin seeds in a large saucepan on medium high heat for about 1 minute to bring out their nutty flavour. Add olive oil, cook for another minute. Add chopped garlic and ginger, cooking it for 1 to 2 minutes before adding the onion. Cover and cook the onion mixture for about 5 minutes, stirring once or twice in between until it turn slightly golden brown. If using fresh turmeric, add it now. Ground turmeric can be added with the rest of the spices later. Add chopped tomatoes to the onion mixture and cook for a few minutes until tomatoes soften and start blending in. Now add potatoes and mix well; cover the pot and allow potatoes to cook for 3 to 4 minutes so they will soften slightly before adding the vegetables. You can add a bit of water if the mixture starts sticking to the bottom of the pan.  Step 2: Adding the Vegetables. <PIC> Add cauliflower, peppers and all the spices (crushed or ground coriander, cayenne, salt, ground turmeric). Mix everything really well. Cover and allow the vegetables to cook for another 12 to 15 minutes, stirring a couple of times in between, until the cauliflower is softened but doesn't break when stirring.  Step 3: Adding Cashews and Cilantro. <PIC> Once the vegetables are almost cooked, add cashews and cilantro. Gently stir, making sure the cauliflower doesn't break. Remove from heat. Serve hot. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Note You can also make this dish without potatoes. Just omit the step relating to potatoes and add all other vegetables once the tomatoes are cooked. You may also want to reduce the salt by 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon.You can see more of our videos on my Global Vegetarian Youtube Channel or visit Global Vegetarian website with many more original vegetarian recipes.


Introduction: Vegan French Apple Pie. <PIC> I "veganized" a classic French apple pie recipe eliminating eggs and butter and cream, and using instead "noeggs", margarine and vegan cream (you could also use silked tofu).These are the ingredients for the shortcrust:100gr of almonds1 and a half cup of whole wheat flour2 spoons of muscovado brown sugar125gr of margarinesome spoons of cold waterThese are the ingredients for the filling:2 or 3 apple (I prefer using cox's orange pipping but you can use whatever kind you wish)1 packet of "noegg"2 spoons of whole wheat flour1 packet of vegan sweet cream1 packet of vanilla flavor1 fourth cup of powdered sugar1 tea spoon of powdered cinnamon (you could use less than a tea spoon if you prefer)the juice of 1 lemonFor the tools you will need:Round cake pan with a diameter of 24 cmBaking paperKnifeMixerKneaderScaleTimerRolling pinWrap or plastic bagMeasuring cupWhisk or electric whisk Step 1: Shortcrust Pastry. <PIC> First of all cut-up all the almonds in the mixer, then in the kneader put  together almonds, margarine, sugar, whole wheat flour, and while kneading add some spoon of cold water till you obtain a compact and smooth dough, then put it in a plastic bag in the fridge for 30 minutes.  Step 2: Filling Part 1. <PIC> Peel the apples and cut them in slices, squeeze a lemon then put the juice on the apple slices to prevent oxidation.Meanwhile start the oven at 210 celsius degrees. Step 3: Baking Part 1. <PIC> Take out of the fridge the shortcrust and cut two sheets of baking paper put one sheet on a table then put the shortcrust and the other sheet: now with your hands flatten a bit the dough and proceed with the rolling pin till you obtain a shortcrust sheet that fit your baking pan, in this way you don't mess with the dough and it is much faster and precise to obtain a good shortcrust; peel of the upper sheet of paper an put the shortcrust with the lower sheet of paper in the backing pan covering it entirely.Then put on the shortcrust the apple slices and cover them with powdered sugar and powdered cinnamon and put it in the oven for 30 minutes in the lowest level. Step 4: Filling Part 2. <PIC> Dissolve the "noeggs" powder in some water, meanwhile whisk the cream and add it vanilla flavor, whole wheat flour and the hydrated "noeggs". Step 5: Baking Part 2. <PIC> Take out of the oven the pan and lower the temperature to 150 Celsius degrees.Put the remaining filling on the apple slices and flatten the surface, then put again the pan in the oven for 1 hour. Step 6: Warming Down. <PIC> At the end of the baking take the pan out of the oven and take the pie out of the pan and let it warm down. Step 7: Eat It. <PIC> When the pie become colder you can cut some slices and eat them, but I kindly suggest you to wait till the next day: the pie will have time to become more compact and will taste much better.I hope you'll like it.


Introduction: Skull Cake With Hovering Beer Can, or More Accurately a “Skoll” Cake!. <PIC> This cake was made as a Birthday Cake for a Swedish friend who had told us about the Swedish “Skoll” toast. She explained that it originated from the Viking habit of drinking from the skulls of their vanquished foes!  Hence forth at any gathering she attends we always make a "Skoll" toast! So naturally, this seemed like the obvious choice of cake to make for her. Step 1: Bake!. <PIC> I wanted to make the cake approximately life size, so made it a three layer cake to get the height.  Bake your cake according to your favourite recipes! I chose to make a chocolate sponge sandwiched between layers of coconut sponge.  While the cake is baking, find reference for the skull on the internet, I recommend a side and front view. Step 2: Stack and Begin to Whittle!. <PIC> Stack the layers together and fill with your favourite cake filling! I made a chocolate mascarpone filling.Put filling between the layers of cake but not too deep as a thicker filling runs the risk of shifting and distorting.Using a sharp long knife cut vertically down from the top of the stack to cut out the shape of the skull, remember that you need to allow for the widest parts of the skull, the sides, the brows, the top of the nose and front of the top jaw.   Step 3: Filling, Chilling and More Whittling!. <PIC> Cover with plastic wrap and put the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill,  this will make the carving far easier!When the cake is chilled, begin to carve. Go slowly using a sharp knife, I find a sharp serrated knife works well.Take your time and carve the forms of the skull,  I started at the top, carving away the round shape of the top of the skull, and then began to round off the sides and back.  Be sure to frequently check your reference, seeing what needs to come off next and slowly move toward the shape you want. Step 4: More Carving.. <PIC> Carve out the slope of the brow,  slowly refining the shapes. Again, be sure not to rush or try to take away too much cake at once. You can see from the mess that I am shaving off very small amounts at a time!If the cake becomes a little too crumbly to carve easily, return it to the fridge for another 20 minutes to firm it up.Continue to cut away the cake until you have a skull shape.Now cut off the top of the skull, and set it aside.  Step 5: Carving the Eyes and Nose. <PIC> Carve the eye and nose holes, again go slowly, refer to your reference. Remember the icing will go on top, so you need it to be slightly smaller than life in order to get the proportions right after the icing has been added. Step 6: Icing. <PIC> I confess I bought ready made fondant icing to cover the cake, It is easy to use and saves al lot of time!Roll out thin disks of fondant icing about 3 inches in diameter and almost as thin as you can.  brush on some jam (I used apricot jam) coating the eye and nose cavities and then press the icing into the cavities, (the jam helps the icing to stick to the cake)Carve out a small area of the top of the skull to form the base of the 'bowl' of the skull. and coat with jam.Cover with a disk of icing, approximately 8 inches in diameter, pressing it firmly into the shape of the 'bowl' and trim the excess off the sides. Step 7: Drape Icing Over the Whole Cake.. <PIC> Roll out a larger disk of icing, approximately 14 inches in diameter, and as thin as you can, while still being able to support its weight without tearing.  Lay it over the whole cake. Step 8: Modelling Details. <PIC> With the icing draped over the cake press the icing into the forms of the skull cake. Expect the icing to tear as you press it into the eyes and nose, (which is why I put some in these areas first!) You can use your finger to smooth the joins. With standard modelling tools or a teaspoon handle if you don't have them, start working details into the icing. Be sure to refer to your reference for the details. observe where the bones of the skull have knitted together forming the characteristic cracks, and using a toothpick, score the icing to simulate them.For the check bones, I rolled out a thin tube of icing and connected it to the main body of the skull, blending the join, You may need to have another small blob of icing support the cheek bone until it hardens.For the teeth, simply shape small blobs of icing into tooth shapes and press them into position. Step 9: Painting.. <PIC> I allow a few hours for the icing to harden a little before I begin to paint the cake.I used an airbrush to carefully spray layers of colour to build up the shading. I used vodka to thin the colour, it works better than water as it evaporates faster and doesn't run.If you don't have an airbrush you can get powdered food colouring that you apply dry with a brush. You can get very effective results, and it is probably easier to control! Step 10: Putting the Cake Together. <PIC> I added a rim to the top of the cake. I thought it made it look a little more medieval! Step 11: Making the Floating Can.. <PIC> I put an apple into an old plastic container to act as a counterweight to the can. Put the wood skewer through the top and into the apple.Drill a hole in the empty beer can, just under the rim and place the can onto the skewer to test it's position and balance. Step 12: Making the 'beer'. <PIC> I used caramelised sugar to simulate the beer pouring out of the can,Take about 100g of caster sugar and put it in a shallow frying pan and leave it on the heat until it begins to melt. When the sugar is completely liquid, and a golden brown colour, remove the can and skewer  from the plastic container (and apple) Pour a little of the molten sugar into the can.  Warning!  Extreme caution should be take when working with molten sugar!  Use oven gloves! Step 13: Fishing the 'pouring' Beer!. <PIC> Using an oven glove to hold the now hot can, tilt it and re-insert the skewer into the container and apple, now carefully tip the whole assembly, place the container flat on the counter. The molten sugar will pour out over the skewer, support the can (with your oven glove still on!) so that all the sugar is drained from the can, leaving just enough to help support the connection of the can to the skewer once it hardens!With the can now hovering, continue to dribble molten sugar down the skewer with a spoon, until the 'beer' looks the way you want it to!when the sugar has completely cooled, carefully break away the excess from the bottom, and remove the skewer from the apple and the plastic container. At this point I refrigerated the cake until it was time to take it to the party! Step 14: Assemble Your Cake!. <PIC> I used whipped cream to fill the 'bowl' of the cake to simulate the foaming beer. Slide the skewer into the cake at the angle that make the can look like it is pouring into the cake!Et voila!


Introduction: Mario's Power-up Dish. <PIC> I started this with one mission: to bring a game power up into real life. With that in mind, I started going through my memory for different games, and decided to go with Mario Bros. So you got your mushrooms, flowers and etc, but I didn't want to make food LOOK like it, but actually use the SAME ingredient as the power ups.
And thus, I'll be cooking the red, 1up, and poison mushroom with REAL mushrooms, and the fire flower with REAL flowers (artichoke). Artichoke actually is the flower of the plant.
The dish is consisted of:
- marinated artichoke stuffed with hot italian sausage mix (fire flower)
- fried mushroom with basic tomato sauce (red mushroom)
- fried mushroom with creamy spinach sauce (1up mushroom)
- fried mushroom with cuttlefish ink sauce (poison mushroom) Step 1: Prep Time. This is going to be pretty intense to make so this is the schedule:
1. marinate artichoke
2. prepare stuffing
3. prepare sauces
4. cook artichoke
5. fry mushrooms
6. bake artichoke
7. put the dish together
I'll list the ingredients as we go, so I would suggest reading through the instructions before starting. Step 2: Marinate Artichoke. <PIC> - 1 small beet
- half a lemon
- 2 baby artichoke
- a little water
- a blender
- a plastic bag
1. peal the beet and cut it into smaller pieces, just to help out with the blending
2. add the cut up beets and juice of half a lemon into a blender, and blend till smooth
3. prepare the artichoke: cut the stem off, cut the top 1/2" off, snip the tips of the "pedal", and cut the whole artichoke in half
4. mix the blended beet and artichokes and keep it in a plastic bag
5. keep it in the fridge and let the artichoke soak up the color, we'll come back to it later Step 3: Prepare Stuffing. <PIC> - 1 hot italian sausage
- 1 small onion
- 1/4 jalapeno or any hot chili
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- salt and pepper to taste
- small pan
1. chop up the onion, and save half for making the sauce later
2. cut your choice of chili into small pieces
3. take the sausage out of its casing, and split it to smaller pieces (it gets easier when it's cooked)
4. cook sausage in medium heat with a tinytiny amount of oil. the sausage will give off some oil too
5. add the chopped onion when the meat browns
6. add the chili when the onion changes orangey-red
7. sprinkle some cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper and toss it around
8. take it off the heat, and let it sit in pan for later Step 4: Prepare Sauces. <PIC> Tomato sauce (red)
- 1/4 cup tomato sauce
- 1/4 onion, chopped
- 1 tsp of chopped garlic
- pinch of salt and pepper
- small pot
1. heat everything, that's it
2. keep it warm for later
Creamy Spinach sauce (green)
- a handful of spinach
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 tb spoon of parmesan cheese
- pinch of salt and pepper
- small pot
- a blender
1. blanch the spinach for a minute in boiling water, drench the water out
2. add spinach into the small pot with other ingredients, bring it to a boil
3. once the mixture boils, move it to a blender, blend till smooth
4. keep it warm for later
Cuttlefish ink sauce (black)
- 1 can of cuttlefish in ink (it's already in a tomato based sauce, good enough for me)
- 1/4 onion, chopped
- pinch of salt and pepper
- small pot
1. heat everything in the pot
2. keep it warm for later Step 5: Cook Artichoke. <PIC> - marinated artichokes
- 1 cup water
- pinch of dried thyme
- pinch of dried rosemary
- medium pot
1. add everything into a pot and bring it to a boil
2. once boiling, bring heat down to medium low and cook for 30min with lid on Step 6: Fry Mushrooms. <PIC> - 9 white mushrooms WITH STEMS ON
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup italian bread crumb
- enough oil for frying
-small pot, or fryer
1. while the artichoke is cooking, prepare mushrooms,
2. wipe mushrooms clean
3. coat mushroom with egg wash, then coat it with bread crumb
4. for extra crisp, repeat the egg wash and bread crumb only for the mushroom cap
5. once the oil is heated on medium low heat, drop in mushrooms top first so that the stem is sticking up
6. fry till golden, flip the mushroom upside down
7. fry till golden, let it rest on paper towel for later Step 7: Bake Artichoke. <PIC> - cooked artichokes
- cooked italian sausage stuffing
- beaten egg if any left, totally optional
- bread crumbs, totally optional
- an oven
- cooking foil, or any baking dish
1. pull out the now red artichokes and chill to the touch
2. preheat oven to 350F degree
3. rinse the artichoke quick in warm water to wash away the blended beets
4. using a spoon, scoop out the 'heart', save the 'heart' for later
5. stuff the cavity with the cooked sausage
6. brush the top with egg wash, totally optional
7. sprinkle bread crumbs on top, totally optional again
8. place the stuffed artichokes on foil, and bake it in the oven for 15mins Step 8: Put the Dish Together. <PIC> 1. place the baked stuffed artichoke on plate
2. split the carved out artichoke 'heart' in two, dip it in the green sauce, and plate it as the leaves of the fire flower
3. take the fried mushroom, and coat the cap with a sauce
4. plate it, and you are ready to grow, lose a life, gain a life, and be able to throw fire balls
There are so many different variations you could do to this recipe. Pesto sauce would make more sense for the green sauce, I just didn't have the ingredients, squash blossom instead of artichoke, and so on.
I hope this inspired you guys for a geeky feast!
Enjoy!


Introduction: Old Fashioned Glazed Chocolate Donuts (gluten Free). <PIC> Of all the recipes I have ever created, I am most proud of this one!   I worked on it for a such a long time, and it is pretty much the perfect baked donut.    I dare someone to eat this and be able to tell what it is made of and whether or not it is gluten free (which it is, of course).  They are perfectly moist and taste like something your great grandmother would have made 50 years ago.  The donuts on their own taste great, but the glaze is unreal.  Its so thick and rich that it doesn't disappear into the donut, it sits on top and makes a nice sugary crust.  These are easy to make and seriously delicious.  I apologize in advance for how many of these you will eat as you stand at the counter gazing lovingly at them :)Ingredients(makes 12 donuts):For the Donuts: 6 eggs 1 cup cooked mashed sweet potato   (leftovers work well here) 3/4 cup certified gluten free oat flour   (I make my own in the food processor using rolled oats) 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) 1/4 cup coconut oil (plus a bit more for greasing your pans) 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips 1/3 cup brown sugar 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract 1 teaspoon baking soda Dash sea saltFor the Glaze: 1 Tablespoon coconut oil 4 Tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 Tablespoons heavy cream 1 cup powdered sugarInstructions: 1.   Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. 2.  Melt the stick of butter with the 1/4 cup coconut oil.   Add in the 3/4 cup of chocolate chips to melt them.  Stir until they are completely melted, then remove from heat and let cool slightly. 3.  Using the paddle attachment of your stand mixer, mix the eggs, vanilla and mashed sweet potato on low.  Add in the oat flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa,  and brown sugar.  Mix until nicely combined.   Slowly pour in the melted butter/chocolate mixture and mix on medium speed until your batter is completely smooth. 4.  Melt a few tablespoons of coconut oil and use a pastry brush to coat the entire surface of your donut pans with melted coconut oil.  This will help the donuts to not stick and remove easily when they are done baking. 5.  Fill your donut pans with the batter.  I fill mine up to the top and I use two donut pans, for a total of 12 donuts. 6.   Bake for 15 minutes.  Let cool for 5 minutes in the pans, then using a fork, gently remove the donuts from the pan to cool on a wire cooling rack.  Let cool completely before glazing. 7.  While the donuts are cooling, make your glaze.   In a small sauce pan on the stove top over low-medium heat, melt the butter and coconut oil.  Stir in the vanilla, cream and the powdered sugar.   Whisk it constantly so it doesn't burn, and to break up any lumps of powdered sugar.   When the sugar is completely dissolved, remove the pan from heat.   Pour the glaze into another small bowl (just a bit wider than the donut).  Let the glaze cool for a few minutes before attempting to glaze the donuts...you will burn yourself if you try immediately (like I did).  Dip the donuts (upside down) into the glaze and return to the wire cooling rack to harden.  8.  Eat immediately, or let them sit for a while.   These will keep nicely for quite a few hours on the wire cooling rack.  I store them in an airtight glass container in the fridge. Makes 12 donuts.Notes:  This recipe was inspired by a book called "The Donut Chef" by Bob Staake.   My son LOVES this book, and is very curious about donuts.   Since there are no organic gluten-free donut shops around (that I know of), I figured I better learn how to make some delicious homemade donuts for us!   My son chose chocolate for the flavor, and I threw in the sweet potato because I can't get him to eat it plain, so I've taken to hiding it in things.  You honestly can't taste it at all!  I don't make these all the time, but for a special occasion they are a nice treat :) *If you don't have a donut pan and really want to try these, you can also make these in muffin form (just to get an idea of the taste).   Use paper baking cups in a muffin tin and bake for about 20-23 minutes...until they are completely set in the middle.   Dip the muffin in the glaze like you are frosting a cupcake.