5-Minute Mug Cake: Banana Cake

It may be time to start the New Years resolutions, but how can one resist this delicious Banana Mug Cake? At only 200 calories, take 5 minutes to whip up this delicious/healthy Mug Cake. You’ll be glad you did.

Special Note: Make sure you scoop up 2 tablespoons of already-mashed banana. The more overripe the banana, the easier it will be to whisk. Also, stay away from frozen bananas as they retain a great amount of water even after they are defrosted that will make the cake gummy.

Banana Mug Cake:

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp (30g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• 3 tbsp (45ml) fat-free milk
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp (30g) mashed overripe banana (about half of a large banana)

Topping & Decoration, optional

• 1 tsp confectioner’s sugar
• 1 banana chip

Cooking Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients in an oversized microwave-safe mug. Mix with a a small whisk until batter is smooth.
2. Cook in microwave for about 1 minute. If cake is not done, heat an additional 15 seconds. Let cake cool a few minutes.
3. If desired, sift the confectioners’ sugar on top of the cake and insert a banana chip for decoration. Cake is best consumed while still warm or within a few hours of being cooked.

About 5-Minute Mug Cakes:

Don’t think you can make a warm, gooey homemade cake in under five minutes? Think again! 5-Minute Mug Cakes is the perfect gift for anyone with a mug, a microwave, and a dream. With nearly 100 delectable recipes for cakes, brownies, cookies, and more, every single recipe can be made in an ordinary, microwave-safe mug in just a few minutes. Author Jennifer Lee, creator of Kirbie’s Cravings, guides you through simple recipe favorites like:

-2-Ingredient Flourless Nutella® Cake

-Salted-Caramel Chocolate Cake

-Funfetti Cake

-S’mores Cake

-Strawberries & Cream Cake

-Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

-Red Velvet Cake

-Lemon Dream Cake and dozens more!

Featuring special chapters like Skinny Mug Cakes (all under 200 calories!), Gluten-Free Mug Cakes, and even 4-Ingredients-or-Less Mug Cakes, there is no excuse for eating tasteless, packaged desserts anymore. Every recipe in 5-Minute Mug Cakes is simple, fast, and delicious. The best part? If you mix your ingredients right in your favorite mug, there is next to no cleanup!

Books to Make Your Mind, Body, Spirit New Year’s Resolutions a Reality

The mark of a new year brings new goals for self-improvement including health and happiness. The first step into creating your new self for 2015 is to get your goals in order.

If your goal sounds something like,

“I want to eat healthier in 2015”

then you might want to check out 30-Minute Paleo Meals. The Paleo Diet has struck the nation as a hot new lifestyle pushing the theme of clean eating. On the Paleo Diet, only non-processed, organic foods may be eaten. If Paleo is the way you want to go, Race Point Publishing also offers The Paleo Slow Cooker cookbook which contains recipes for you to “set and forget.”

If your goal sounds something like,

“I want to get my body in shape in 2015”

then you might try Crossfit. This new type of training is hot among those who are also on the Paleo Diet. Crossfit enthusiasts often challenge themselves to combine the Paleo diet with their training for 30 days called Whole 30. Crossfit training and the Paleo Diet go hand-in-hand to help you get your body in shape in 2015.

If your goal sounds something like,

“I want to have more fun in 2015”

then you might want to try cooking with Red Hot Sriracha: 50 Recipes That Will Kick Your Ass! Sriracha can be used as a flavor addition in most Paleo recipes and this cookbook contains recipes that follow Paleo Diet guidelines. So while you’re trying out Crossfit training and eating great with the Paleo Diet, have fun with your new recipes by incorporating a serious flavor kick with Sriracha.

If your goal sounds something like,

“I want to learn to relax in 2015”

then try Color Me Happy and Color Me Calm. These two beautiful books are designed by a team of art therapists—Angela Porter and Lacy Mucklow—are designed to help you destress and relax. Organized into therapeutically-themed chapters, this book examines the benefits of putting pencil to paper and offers adults an opportunity to channel their anxiety into joyful creative accomplishment. These books are the perfect way to step back from the chaos of everyday life, color, and relax in 2015.

Whatever your resolutions are for the new year, make 2015 a fun and healthy year with new goals accompanied by fun new tools to achieve them.

5-Minute Mug Cake: Chocolate Peppermint Cake Recipe

What more delicious holiday flavor can you get this time of year than Chocolate Peppermint? Oh, the tastebuds recall the delicious melting of York peppermint patties and chocolate covered candy canes. This scrumptious cake produces the same brilliant flavor, and only takes 5 minutes to make!

 

 

Chocolate Peppermint Mug Cake:

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup (45g) semiswete chocolate chips
• 3 tbsp (45ml) fat-free milk
• 3 tbsp(22.5g) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tbsp (7.5ml) vegetable oil
• 2 peppermint candies, finely crushed

Topping, optional (serves 2)

• 1/2 cup (120ml) whipping cream
• 2 tsp granulated sugar

Cooking Instructions:

1. Combine all chocolate chips and milk in an oversized microwave-safe mug. Microwave for about 40 seconds. Mix with a small whisk until chocolate is completely melted.
2. Add flower, baking powder, and oil and whisk until batter is smooth. Stir in crushed peppermints.
3. Cook in microwave for about 1 minute. If cake is not done, heat an additional 15 seconds. Let cake cool a few minutes. Cake is best consumed while still warm or within a few hours of it being cooked.
4. If desired, place the whipping cream and sugar in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer (or use a handheld mixer), and mix on high speed until peaks form. Top the cake with whipped cream. Cake is best consumed while still warm or within a few hours of being cooked.

Stumped on gifts for friends this holiday season? Gather ingredients in a holiday themed clear plastic bag. Find a cute mug, drop the bag full of yummy ingredients inside, and gift a 5-minute delicious dessert to a dear friend. Include the 5-Minute Mug Cake book to ramp up the gift.

About 5-Minute Mug Cakes:

Don’t think you can make a warm, gooey homemade cake in under five minutes? Think again! 5-Minute Mug Cakes is the perfect gift for anyone with a mug, a microwave, and a dream. With nearly 100 delectable recipes for cakes, brownies, cookies, and more, every single recipe can be made in an ordinary, microwave-safe mug in just a few minutes. Author Jennifer Lee, creator of Kirbie’s Cravings, guides you through simple recipe favorites like:

-2-Ingredient Flourless Nutella® Cake

-Salted-Caramel Chocolate Cake

-Funfetti Cake

-S’mores Cake

-Strawberries & Cream Cake

-Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

-Red Velvet Cake

-Lemon Dream Cake and dozens more!

Featuring special chapters like Skinny Mug Cakes (all under 200 calories!), Gluten-Free Mug Cakes, and even 4-Ingredients-or-Less Mug Cakes, there is no excuse for eating tasteless, packaged desserts anymore. Every recipe in 5-Minute Mug Cakes is simple, fast, and delicious. The best part? If you mix your ingredients right in your favorite mug, there is next to no cleanup!

5-Minute Mug Cake: Thai Tea Cake

Thai iced tea is so incredible, with its fiery orange color and fragrant flavor. This scrumptious cake produces the same brilliant shade of orange, and only takes 5 minutes to make!

Assemble ingredients in your favorite mug and cook in the microwave for about 1 minute, this Thai Tea Cake is a quick and delicious dessert for any day of the week.

Stumped on gifts for friends this holiday season? Gather ingredients in a holiday themed clear plastic bag. Find a cute mug, drop the bag full of yummy ingredients inside, and gift a 5-minute delicious dessert to a dear friend. Include the 5-Minute Mug Cakes book to ramp up the gift.

About 5-Minute Mug Cakes:

Don’t think you can make a warm, gooey homemade cake in under five minutes? Think again! 5-Minute Mug Cakes is the perfect gift for anyone with a mug, a microwave, and a dream. With nearly 100 delectable recipes for cakes, brownies, cookies, and more, every single recipe can be made in an ordinary, microwave-safe mug in just a few minutes. Author Jennifer Lee, creator of Kirbie’s Cravings, guides you through simple recipe favorites like:

-2-Ingredient Flourless Nutella® Cake

-Salted-Caramel Chocolate Cake

-Funfetti Cake

-S’mores Cake

-Strawberries & Cream Cake

-Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

-Red Velvet Cake

-Lemon Dream Cake and dozens more!

Featuring special chapters like Skinny Mug Cakes (all under 200 calories!), Gluten-Free Mug Cakes, and even 4-Ingredients-or-Less Mug Cakes, there is no excuse for eating tasteless, packaged desserts anymore. Every recipe in 5-Minute Mug Cakes is simple, fast, and delicious. The best part? If you mix your ingredients right in your favorite mug, there is next to no cleanup!

What Cookie Are You Making for National Cookie Day?

Happy National Cookie Day!

What special cookie will you be making for National Cookie Day? Will it be a classic like chocolate chip? Or, perhaps you’re more of a snickerdoodle fan.

If you aren’t sure where to start, check out Sally’s Baking Addiction. This book is full of fun, delicious recipes that Sally has perfected over time. Or, head over to Quarry Spoon to take a look at how Sally’s recipes worked for them. Take the Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites, they look divine. It seems like they would melt on your tongue instantly upon eating them!

Whichever cookie recipe you are consulting today, have fun! Baking is such an excellent way to unwind after a long day or spend quality time with the kiddos.

About Sally’s Baking Addiction:
 
Named by Huffington Post as one of the “Top 10 Food Blogs to Watch” in 2013, Sally’s Baking Addiction has skyrocketed in popularity since its inception in late 2011. Baking addict and food blogger, Sally McKenney loves to bake. Her famous Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Cookies won Nestle’s Dark Chocolate contest in 2013, and now, in her first cookbook, Sally shares her baking secrets with fans everywhere. Try her No-Bake Peanut Butter Banana Pie, her delectable Dark Chocolate Butterscotch Cupcakes, or her yummy Marshmallow Swirl S’mores Fudge. Featuring a brand new selection of desserts and treats, the Sally’s Baking Addiction Cookbook is fully illustrated and offers 75 scrumptious recipes for indulging your sweet tooth–including a chapter of healthier dessert options for those who follow a vegan or gluten-free lifestyle. With dozens of simple, easy-to-follow recipes, you get all of the sweet with none of the fuss!

 

Scary Delicious Mug Cake Recipe for Halloween

If you’re looking for ways to use up leftover Halloween candy, check out this recipe: The chocolate cake base is made with plain chocolate bars, like Hershey’s milk or dark chocolate. It’s then studded with candies of your choice, such as Snickers, Reese’s, and M&M’s—whatever the trick-or-treaters have left behind!

How to make your Scary Delicious Mug Cake with leftover Halloween candy:

• 1/2 cup (1.5oz) chopped plain chocolate bars (like Hershey’s milk or dark chocolate)
• 3 tbsp (45ml) fat-free milk
• 2 tbsp (15g) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tbsp (7.5ml) vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp chopped chocolate candies of your choice (like Snickers, Reese’s, M&M’s)

1. Combine chopped plain chocolate and milk in an oversized microwave-safe mug. Microwave for about 40 seconds. Mix with a small whisk until chocolate is completely melted.
2. Add flour, baking powder, and oil and whisk until batter is smooth. Stir in chopped candy.
3. Cook in microwave for about 1 minute. If cake is not done, heat an additional 15 seconds. Let cake cool a few minutes. Cake is best consumed while still warm or within a few hours of it being cooked.

WIN a free copy of 5-Minute Mug Cakes just in time to use up those leftover fun size treats!

Don’t think you can make a warm, gooey homemade cake in under five minutes? Think again! 5-Minute Mug Cakes is the perfect gift for anyone with a mug, a microwave, and a dream. With nearly 100 delectable recipes for cakes, brownies, cookies, and more, every single recipe can be made in an ordinary, microwave-safe mug in just a few minutes. Author Jennifer Lee, creator of Kirbie’s Cravings, guides you through simple recipe favorites like:

• 2-Ingredient Flourless Nutella® Cake
• Salted-Caramel Chocolate Cake
• Funfetti Cake
• S’mores Cake
• Strawberries & Cream Cake
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
• Red Velvet Cake
• Lemon Dream Cake and dozens more!

Featuring special chapters like Skinny Mug Cakes (all under 200 calories!), Gluten-Free Mug Cakes, and even 4-Ingredients-or-Less Mug Cakes, there is no excuse for eating tasteless, packaged desserts anymore. Every recipe in 5-Minute Mug Cakes is simple, fast, and delicious. The best part? If you mix your ingredients right in your favorite mug, there is next to no cleanup!

Scary Spicy Hellfire Tuna Burgers

October is the time for ghouls, ghosts, devils and scary movies. Kick your dinner menu up a notch by making something scary spicy!

Have you tried a spicy Sriracha recipe from Red Hot Sriracha: 50 Recipes by Melissa Petitto? There is no time like the present to try this scary spicy recipe for Hellfire Tuna Burgers. These Sriracha-infused fish patties won’t kill you, but they will definitely make your tongue feel like it took a lick from the devil’s pitchfork!

These easy-to-make burgers have a 5 of 5 spicy hot rating in Petitto’s book, combining jalapeños and Sriracha into the patty. Two doses of heat inside the patty is only the beginning. Add a slice of pineapple on top of the patty to cut the heat, or if you’re a real devil, add sliced fresh jalapeños on top for added heat!

Pro tip: Buy sushi-grade tuna from a trusted fishmonger, making sure it’s handled separately from all other fish.

Ingredients:

2 pounds sushi-grade ahi tuna, diced
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
1/4 cup sriracha
3 tbls soy sauce
2 tbls good quality mayonnaise
7 scallions, green and white parts, minced
2 tbls toasted sesame seeds
1 tbls fresh ginger root, peeled and minced
1/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
2 tbls sesame oil
4 pineapple rounds, 1/4 inch thick
4 butter lettuce leaves

Cooking Instructions:

1. Preheat a griddle or large saute pan over high heat.
2. In a large bowl, combine the diced tuna, jalapeño, sriracha, soy sauce, mayonnaise, scallions, sesame seeds, ginger and panko until just mixed. Form into four patties.
3. Brush the hot griddle or pan with sesame oil. Sear the burgers for 2 minutes per side for medium-rare or longer for more well-done burgers. Transfer to a plate and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm.
4. On the same griddle, sear the pineapple rounds for 1 minute per side.
5. In a small bowl, prepare the sauce. Whisk together the hoisin and sriracha.
6. To assemble the burgers, spread one-quarter of the sriracha-hoisin sauce on each bottom bun. Layer with lettuce, tuna burger, pineapple round, and top bun. Serve hot.

About Red Hot Sriracha: 50 Recipes: 

Can’t get enough sriracha? Neither can we! With over 50 of the hottest, eye-watering recipes featuring everyone’s favorite hot sauce, celebrity chef Melissa Petitto brings heat to a whole new level with Red Hot Sriracha.

From Firehouse Beef Sliders and Pulled-Pork Tacos to Jalepeno Poppers and Cracklin’ Candied Bacon, there’s a fiery new sriracha-infused recipe for everyone. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, appetizers, drinks, and, yes, even sriracha desserts are covered here. Only true devotees will want to indulge in the Dillish Thriller Shot and Sizzling Chili and Lime Donuts.

Will these recipes kick your ass? Absolutely. But you can take the heat!

Blueberry Maids of Honor from World Class Cakes

The Quarry Spoon team is at it again, baking from the ‘World Class Cakes’ title. This time, they’re whipping up Blueberry Maids of Honor.

Crab Ramen with Asian Truffle Broth Recipe (The World’s Best Asian Noodle Recipes)

Crab Ramen with Asian Truffle Broth

From Quarry Spoon

Get the cookbook: The World’s Best Asian Noodle Recipes

Have you jumped on the ramen craze yet? If not, why not? Ramen is one of the most versatile (and frankly delicious) noodles out there. From college dorms to high-end restaurants, it’s making a big splash. Since the weather is rainy, cold, and foggy here in New England today, I thought this crab ramen soup was a great choice for warming up.

Do you have a favorite ramen recipe? Or favorite ramen restaurant? Share it with us on Facebook. We’d love to hear from you.

Crab Ramen with Asian Truffle Broth
Excerpted from The World’s Best Asian Noodle Recipes by Kristen Hall and Ian Kittichi

Truffle oil and truffle butter combined with dungeness crab create a rich and elegant dish.

Serves 1

2 cups seasoned dashi broth, heated
2½-3 oz/70-85g fresh ramen noodles
2 tbsp truffle butter, recipe follows or purchased
¼ cup/50g cooked crab meat, Dungeness preferred
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp Thai basil, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp green onions, sliced thin
2-3 jalapeño rings, thinly sliced
2-3 drops white truffle oil

For Truffle Butter:

4 oz (1 stick)/113g unsalted butter, softened
1 tbsp white truffle oil
1 tbsp black truffle peelings, minced
Kosher salt, to taste

Whip butter until creamy. Blend in truffle oil. Fold in the truffle peelings and season to taste with salt. Makes ¼ cup/60 g. Store refrigerated.

Heat seasoned dashi broth to a simmer. Meanwhile, bring a small pot of water to a boil. Loosen ramen noodles and place into a pasta strainer basket. Immerse noodles into the boiling water and let cook for approximately 2 minutes or until al dente.

Remove noodles and drain off excess water. Place into serving bowl, add truffle butter and toss to coat noodles. Top noodles with the crab meat. Ladle hot dashi broth over noodles and garnish with cilantro, Thai basil, green onions, and jalapeños. Drizzle with truffle oil and serve.

Chef Dave “DK” Kodama

Dave Kodama, known simply as “DK,” now owns and operates nine restaurants on three Hawaiian islands. This “local boy” from ‘Aiea, O‘ahu, opened his first Sansei Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar in Kapalua, Maui, sixteen years ago. Kodama is one of sixteen children and was following in his father’s footsteps as a civil engineering major at the University of Hawai‘i when the bug bit. In 1979 he became the first of his clan to venture off to the Mainland into the restaurant business. He spent three years in Seattle and a decade in Aspen where he learned the art of making sushi and worked for an upscale caterer. During the off-season at the ski resort, Kodama traveled throughout the United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean to introduce his palate to a world of new flavors and culinary styles.

Spicy Baked Huevos Rancheros Recipe (Red Hot Sriracha)

From Quarry Spoon: The kick of the red hot sriracha in these Spicy Baked Huevos Rancheros are sure to get your blood pumping and have you ready for any challenge that “the Mondays” throws at you. Taken from the ‘Red Hot Sriracha Cookbook’.

http://www.quarryspoon.com/2014/10/spicy-baked-huevos-rancheros.html