Holiday Dessert Highlight: Christmas Cupcakes...Puerto Rican Style!

This Christmas season I made some Puerto Rican cupcakes for our holiday after-meal dessert. It has been a while since I've made these...probably because it is quite time consuming since it is all from scratch, plus I wanted to decorate it to reflect the special occasion. They are Puerto Rican cupcakes (the same kind of cupcakes I made for my wedding). They are 'Puerto Rican' due to the unique flavor and moistness of the cake (not as moist as Tres Leches, but moist enough to notice its yumminess :-d). Unfortunately, I am unable to give y'all the recipe...it is one of the two recipes I have that are family secrets. Nevertheless, enjoy the beautifully decorated cupycakes (even I was surprised at myself) and have a Merry, Merry Christmas!! :)

Dessert Highlight: Chocolate Caramel Cupcakes

Nope! ...not healthy at all... BUT..yummy!! :-D

If anyone knows me well enough, they would know how much I enjoy baking. The weekend of December 12th was special since it was my mother-in-law's birthday, so my father-in-law requested cupcakes for our little get-together. This recipe is very simple and is a real treat for those who have extreme sweet teeth (and I mean it). Enjoy!

Chocolate Caramel Cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 boxed cake of choice, chocolate flavor (I used butter chocolate by Betty Crocker), prepared as directed on the box
1/4 cup caramel (can be homemade, or the caramel topping for the ice cream)
1.5 sticks of butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tbsp meringue powder
1/2-1 Tbsp milk
whole pecans

Directions:
Pre-heat oven as directed on the cake box.
Prepare cake as directed on the cake box (may include other ingredients not listed above).
To make icing, first take the butter out of the fridge until it becomes room temperature. Of course, if you're in a hurry (like I usually am) you can simply zap the butter in the microwave until it becomes soft (about 10-15 seconds). Cream the butter a mixer. Add caramel, then the powdered sugar and meringue powder, then the milk. The consistency should be thick and creamy. Frost all over the cooled cupcakes and top with a whole pecan. Voila! Enjoy! :)

When life gives you lemons...

...make lemonade!! :-D

Okay, okay...this blog won't be about a lemonade recipe; rather, it's about this particular time in my life (specifically these last few weeks of school). If you don't know, I am currently pursuing a Master's degree in Business Administration. My team and I are now facing the end-of-semester stress that goes with having numerous presentations and finals during the last two weeks of class. This past week was particularly brutal. However, there are ways to relieve this stress. One of the ways I do it is to go out to a restaurant and have a date night with my wonderful husband. Obviously, my husband + delicious food is a great combo. ;-)

On Saturday, we went to Seito Sushi. From what I remember, there are three locations: Celebration, Baldwin Park and Winter Park Village. This particular restaurant has sentimental value for both of us since this was where we had our first date...ever. On Saturday night, we ordered our usual Spicy Volcano roll, and then we tried the TGIF roll and that night's special, the Sweetheart roll. Needless to say, they were all deeelicious!
(p.s. the Sweetheart roll was UH-mazing!!!)

Finally, on Sunday after church, my husband and I decided to go straight home after church since we desperately needed some rest after a hectic work/school week. However, we were both craving some pizza and decided to get some Pizza Hut. Boy, was it difficult to find a sit-down Pizza Hut near our area! We finally found one at the corner of 17-92 and Lake Mary Blvd. We ordered a large supreme pizza...Mmm-mmmm... Our weekend of yummy food was definitely memorable! I hope this makes your mouth water and try out these restaurants! :)

Dessert Highlight: Ooey Gooey Butter Cake

Nope! Not an original recipe... But! Deeelicious nonetheless! :-D

I first tasted this cake when the director at work made some and brought it to work. I only had a little bite of it and automatically tasted a keeper. I decided to make it for Thanksgiving and sure enough, it was a winner!! :-D

It is a Paula Deen recipe and it can also be found online. I just had to post it on my blog due to its supreme yummy-ness!! Enjoy! :-D

Ooey Gooey Butter Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:
1 18 1/4-ounce package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted
Filling:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 16-ounce box powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer.  Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.  Prepare Filling.
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter and beat together. 
Next, add the powdered sugar and mix well.  Spread over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. The top of the cake should be a dark golden brown.  Make sure not to over bake as the center should be a little gooey -- you can check this by shaking the pan a bit; the middle of the cake should jiggle. Make sure to cool completely before diving into the gooey goodness. Enjoy! :-D

Dinner Highlight: Simple Steak and Sweet Potato Mash

Who says steak is only for special occasions?? Not at the Lo Presti home!! :-D

No no, don't get me wrong; we usually purchase the less expensive cuts, such as the round or blade steaks. C'mon now, we're newlyweds on a budget! Hehehe...

I made this recipe a few months ago and my husband absolutely LOVED it. So, I decided to incorporate it into my menu for this week.

As the title reads, this recipe is suuuper simple (and not to mention, very healthy, too!!...rich in protein and potassium). For those of you reading and trying out these recipes, I hope you will enjoy it as much as my husband and I have. :-)

Simple Steak and Sweet Potato Mash
(this recipe serves 2)

Ingredients:
2-4 cuts of steak of choice, 4-6 ounces each
1 medium to large sweet potato
salt
pepper
additional steak seasoning of choice (I used a garlic and herb seasoning)

Directions:
Season steaks with salt and pepper on both sides. On one side, season steak with the seasoning of your choice (as I mentioned, I used a garlic and herb seasoning). Let the steak stand and marinade.
Wash sweet potato and dry with a paper towel. Wrap the potato in the same paper towel and heat in the microwave for 4 minutes (you may want to put it in a bowl/plate/tupperware). Remove the potato from the microwave when done and peel of skin with a knife and your fingers. Heat the potato in the microwave again for 3 minutes, this time without the paper towel. Once the second heating is done, the potato is mash-able! :)
Heat a frying pan until hot. No need to add any oil; the steaks are meant to be pan-seared. Place steaks on the pan (pan should sizzle -- this indicates it is hot enough). Sear one side for 4 minutes, flip over, and sear the other for 3-4 minutes (depending on size of steak). This ensures a medium rare to medium steak. **Note** DO NOT touch/poke/move the steaks while they are being pan-seared.
When both sides are cooked, the steaks are ready! (If they are too rare for you once you've already sliced them, simply zap them for about 30 seconds in the microwave). Serve steaks with the sweet potato mash and some yummy veggies! Enjoy!

Visit to the Oriental Market

I visited the Oriental Market the other day and got A LOT of stuff! Since I got married, I have not cooked any filipino dish, or at least a dish that was made at my home. It's all about to change now!!! :-D

There are 2 specific items I am particularly excited about.... let me show you...

The one to the left is a sweet chili sauce that is oh..so...good!! The brand is Mae Ploy and one can usually see/taste it in Tijuana Flats since it is one of the many sauces available at their sauce bars. It goes great with fish, chicken, tacos, quesadillas...pretty much anything! :-D

The second bottle is Mang Tomas All Purpose Sauce. I pretty much grew up with this sauce and it is one of my favorites. I can't quite explain it, but it is like a sweet gravy sauce...oh well, I guess you'll just have to taste for yourself!! ;-P Like the description says, it's a sauce for anything and everything...seriously. It's good with fried chicken, pork chop, and various filipino dishes such as tortang talong (eggplant with meat), crispy pata (crispy pork), and lechon (pork).

Clearly, these 2 sauces come highly recommended. For those living in Florida, here are some filipino and oriental markets that I know of in the Orlando and Kissimmee area... Enjoy shopping!!! ;-)

Kissimmee:
Fish N' Spices
1174 E Vine St.
Kissimmee, FL 34744

Orlando:
JM Oriental Market (near Florida Mall)

9421 S Orange Blossom Trl # 5

Orlando, FL 32837

Evcon Filipino Oriental Store

9251 S Orange Blossom Trl # 8

Orlando, FL 32837

Dong A Supermarket (in Viet town)

816 N Mills Ave

Orlando, FL 32803

De Guzman Oriental Food Mart

(this place also serves cooked Filipino food you can order to-go)

8433 E Colonial Dr

Orlando, FL 32817

 

Dinner Highlight: Chives and Tofu

Say whaaat?? Tofu??

YUP!!

For those who do not know, tofu is one of the healthier substitutes for protein in one's daily diet. Chives are usually used as garnish for entrees, but I believe this particular kind I bought at the oriental market can be served as a dish on its own. It takes some getting used to, but my husband and I think this dish is delicious!

I learned this side dish from a lady I grew up with who's very dear to me. She invented this dish, and needless to say, it is now one of my favorites!

The ingredients can be found, for the most part, at your local oriental or filipino market. I got them at the Oriental Market on OBT near the Florida Mall. Hope y'all enjoy this dish as much as we have!

Chives and Tofu

Ingredients:
15 oz. package firm tofu
 about 1 lb. chives
1/4 to 1/2 cup oyster sauce
half of a beef bouillon
olive oil 

Directions:
1. Drain tofu from its liquid and cut into about 1x1 inch cubes.
2. Rinse chives and cut about 2-3 inches off from the end (not the end where there is a sprout); these ends are quite tough. Then, cut remaining chives in half or in thirds, depending on length.
3. Add olive oil to large pan. Add tofu and cook for about 5-8 minutes (careful not to burn them or break them apart!). Add beef bouillon.
4. Add chives. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring to get tofu on top. Add oyster sauce. Stir until all ingredients are mixed well. Cook for about 8 minutes, or until chives are very soft and tender.

I served it with white rice and baked garlic-herbed chicken.  Enjoy! :)

Breakfast Highlight: Challah Coconut French Toast!

In the words of Rachel Ray... "YUMmmm-O!"

I cannot think of a better way to start off the Lord's day than with a deeeelicious breakfast! As a child, I remember my Mama always cooking "special" breakfasts for the family during the weekends. I say "special" since we always had oatmeal with our Milo chocolate drink and Tang orange juice from Mondays to Fridays, but when the weekend came, boy was I excited! For the most part, we'd have some kind of breakfast meat (sweet ham or traditional Filipino breakfast meats like longanisa and tocino) with either traditional Filipino bread, Pan de Sal, or breakfast rice, sinangag, and sunny-side-up eggs. I will never forget those days...they are so precious to me.

I've decided that I'd very much like to do that for my family. With that said, I made some french toast with eggs and ham on the side for me and my hubby! Enjoy!

Challah Coconut French Toast 

His-n-Hers French Toast breakfasts! :-D

**Can use bread of your choice. Challah is a traditional Jewish bread and can be found at your local Publix (if you're a Floridian) or Jewish bakery.

Makes up to 4 pieces of French toast

Ingredients:
Challah bread, 4 slices
1-2 tsp butter
1 egg
1/4 to 1/2 cup of milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
sweetened coconut flakes
powdered sugar and cinnamon (optional)

Directions:
In a bowl or tupperware, add egg, milk, vanilla and salt. Beat mixture. Heat pan on medium heat and add butter. Dip bread on both sides. When pan is ready, lay one side of bread to fry, and on the top, sprinkle some coconut flakes (you can put as much as you want!). After about 2 minutes, flip the bread over. Another 2 minutes, your toast is done! :-D

On the plate, sprinkle some powdered  sugar and cinnamon on the toasts (optional).

You can include any other side items you'd like. This morning, we had some eggs and honey ham. Our tummies were certainly happy!! ;-)

Dinner Highlight: Tilapia Veracruz a la Elizabeth!

Healthy eating? Yes, indeed! :-)

Growing up, I was always on the "fluffy" side (aka "pleasantly plump," chubby," "baby fat"), and it wasn't until 2001 when I decided (with the aid of my step-mom) to become more active, eat healthier and lose some weight. It was a slow process, but needless to say, I achieved my goal! Yea! :-D

From 2001 to the present, I tried many different types of food that helped lose and maintain the weight, from fruits, veggies and protein (fish, chicken, steak - mmm..). I had also cut down on my carb and starch intake (rice, pasta, potatoes). It wasn't too bad. I was actually getting the hang of it. Now that I'm married, I want to continue eating the healthy yet delicious foods. Thanks to this new chapter in my life (and to my deep, deep passion for food and all its yumminess), I've been experimenting more with my cooking. This recipe is one of my (and my hubby's!) favorites : Tilapia Veracruz.

I tried this recipe for the first time when my husband made it for me. It was sooo delicious...

I never forgot that dish, so a few weeks back, I finally asked the hubby for the recipe so I could make it for dinner. He didn't have it with him, but based on my knowledge of what he had put in it, I decided to make it anyway with some changes. I made it again last night with the sides of veggies and Italian parmesan potatoes. Here goes the recipe... Enjoy! :)

Tilapia Veracruz -- a la Elizabeth

Ingredients:

For the main dish:
4 tilapia fillets
adobo seasoning
half a medium onion, diced
2 small tomatos, diced
2 Tbsp Spanish manzanilla olives (with pimiento), plus 1 Tbsp of the juice
1/2 cup sun-dried tomato dressing
1/4-1/2 cup water

For the potato side:
3 small to medium white potatoes
olive oil
salt and pepper
Italian herb seasoning
Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Rinse potaotes and rougly peel them. Cut them in rough 1x1 inch cubes. In a bowl, add the potatoes, generously drizzle some olive oil on them (enough to coat potatos), add about 2 tsp of salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1 Tbsp italian seasoning and 1-2Tbsp of parmesan (can add more of any ingredients according to own preference). Toss all ingredients. Lay potatoes on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

While potaotes are baking, heat about 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a medium to large pan. Add the diced onions and tomatoes. When onions become translucent, add the sun-dried tomato dressing and water. Add olives and olive juice. Simmer for about 2 minutes. Season tilapia on both sides with Adobo. Place tilapia in the pan over the sauce. Cook both sides for 5-7 minutes.

You can make any vegetable side. I paired our dinner with Publix Italian blend vegetables. They can be found in the frozen section. I just added about 2 cups in a tupperware, seasoned with Adobo, and microwaved the frozen veggies for 2 minutes.

Buen Provecho!! :-D

El Gazpacho

HoLa!!

Bienvenido a Madrid!

In the summer of 2008 I visited Madrid, Spain as part of a study-abroad program during my undergrad at Rollins. Of course, I was suuuper excited to try out the cuisine.

Back in Spanish class in high school, we learned about the cold soup, gazpacho, that they made and served in Spain, particularly during the hot, summer months. I tried it for the first time in one of the restaurants at the Plaza Mayor (don't forget to pronounce "Plaza" the Spaniard way...with a lisp! ;-P). It was extremely refreshing and delicious!! Another plus was that my host mother made it for us, and it was oh so good. Thankfully, she showed me how to make it and gave us the recipe... Enjoy!

Machine:

blender or a large food processor

Ingredients:

2.2 lbs very ripe red tomatoes

1/2 of a garlic clove

1 cup day old french bread (left out to be hardened)

1/4 cup green pepper

less than 1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 and 1/4 cups water

ice

Instructions:

If blender is not strong enough, peel tomatoes first. 

Add tomatoes, green pepper, garlic, bread, olive oil, salt and vinegar in blender. Blend until smooth.

Add water and ice to your personal preference. Color must resemble a salmon orange.

Restaurant.com

WOW.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen...the promo code is, indeed, "WOW"

Visit www.restaurant.com to buy gift certificates at a 90% discount!!!

I'm unsure how much longer this promo will last, but I suggest you buy NOW! They make for great gifts for your hunnies, parents, graduates, for birthday as well as Christmas gifts.

Quoting one of my dearest friends and sister-in-Christ: "This is money!" ;-D

CuPyCakEs!!!

CUPCAKES!

I cannot stress it enough, but I ABSOLUTELY looove to bake! And yes, one of my specialties includes cupcakes! :-D

I just got married this past May and I decided to make my own cake, or in this particular case, cake and cupcakes. They were Puerto Rican cupcakes (very moist...if you've had them before, you know what I'm talking about ;-P) and I made the big cupcake (from a cupcake mold pan - $20 at Bed Bath) and 150 cupcakes. I just want to give a shout out (or a "hollah!" or a "booyaahh!") to my in-laws and my now-hubby for helping me with the decorating. Needless to say, I LOVE you all! ^._^

p.s. Yes, our cake topper was custom made. Check out the makers and sellers at etsy.com. :)

p.p.s. I'd like to thank my husband...for his motivation, support and love for my cupcakes. I love you, Roberto! XoxOx

Hello, World!

Hello, all!

This is my first time making a blog, and what better way to share my passion for food and travel than to blog about it! :-D

With this blog I'd like to share with you the different foods (or cuisines) I will be eating and/or cooking, and also share with you the places I've traveled. I truly believe that one of the best ways to explore and get to know a culture is through its food, and I absolutely CANNOT WAIT to travel more and try new things. Of course, none of these would be possible if it weren't for our awesome God who created everything... from our eyes that see the wonderfully colorful variety of vegetables we have, to all those delicious piggies that provide us with the fantabulous sustenance that is, the lechon (roasted pig).

Well, I hope you enjoy this blog, and I look forward to introducing you all to various cuisines and places to visit!

Elizabeth