vanilla cupcake

Print

Perfect Vanilla Cupcake Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 14 minutes

Total Time: 24 minutes

This is the only vanilla cupcake recipe you need! They are perfectly soft, rise evenly and go well with just about any cupcake frosting. The best cupcakes!

Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com

Skill Level: Easy

Cost to Make: $6

Servings: 15 cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups cake flour or Canadian all-purpose flour  (150g)
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup buttermilk or plain kefir

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a cupcake/muffin pan with cupcake liners.

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 1/4 cups cake flour (or Canadian flour), 1 1/4 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt. Set flour mix aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat 2 eggs with the whisk attachment on medium speed (15-20 seconds).
3. Add 3/4 cup sugar and continue to beat on medium speed (30 seconds).
4. Add vanilla and oil and beat on medium speed (1 minute)
5. Reduce mixer speed to medium/low and slowly add about half of the flour mixture, mixing until incorporated. Add half of the buttermilk and mix until incorporated. Repeat with remaining flour and buttermilk. Beat until just combined and smooth, scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl as needed. The batter will be thin.
6. Pour batter into a lined muffin pan. Fill to about 1/2 full (Do-Not overfill)
7. Bake for 12 -14 minutes at 350 °F or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let them cool in the pan for a couple minutes, then remove. Once the cupcakes are cooled to room temp, pipe on the frosting.

Recipe Notes

A note about the flour: all-purpose works, it just doesn't produce a cupcake quite as soft as cake flour or Canadian Flour.

Copyright © 2018 Natasha's Kitchen

flatbread pesto

425 degrees

naan
pesto
mozzarella slices/shredded
spinach & arugula
crushed red pepper
cherry tomato halved

10-13 minutes

sesame crused tuna or tofu

1/4 c soy sauce
1 T mirin
1 T honey/maple syrup
2 T sesame oil
1 T rice vinegar (for dip half only)
1/2 c sesame seeds
1 T oil

half liquid and use half for marinade and other for dip (+vinegar)

sear tuna 30 sec per side on hot pan/grill
sear tofu 30 sec

tempura batter thick

good for veggies or sweet sour pork

0.5 c potato starch or cornstarch
0.5 c flour
0.33 c panko
0.33 c sesame seeds roasted
0.5 t baking powder
0.5 c water
0.5 c vodka

gyros

Roasted Chickpea Gyros

A simple and delicious Mediterranean inspired vegetarian roasted chickpea wrap with refreshing tzatziki sauce.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 331 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 15 oz can chickpeas 425 g, 1 ½ cup soaked chickpeas if starting from dry, drained and rinsed
• or strips of chicken. Saute instead of roast
• 1 Tbsp olive oil 15 mL
• 1 Tbsp paprika* 7 g
• 1 tsp ground black pepper 3 g
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 1.5 g
• 1/4 tsp salt 1.5 g
• 4 pita flatbreads
• 1 cup tzatziki 
• 1/4 red onion cut into strips
• 2 lettuce leaves roughly chopped
• 1 tomato sliced

Instructions

1. Prep: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C). Pat dry chickpeas with paper towel, removing any skins that may come off. Gently toss chickpeas with oil, paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and salt.
2. Roast: Spread chickpeas onto a greased rimmed baking sheet and roast for about 20 minutes, until lightly browned but not hard.
3. Assemble: Spread some tzatziki onto one side of the pita, then sprinkle in ¼ of the chickpeas and add veggies. Fold in half and enjoy!

Notes

• *If you don't like spicy foods, halve the amount paprika, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Taste a chickpea before baking and adjust flavors as needed.
• If your pita breads crack when you fold them, cover them with a moist paper towel and microwave for 20 to 30 seconds. Assemble your sandwich immediately after microwaving.
• Wanna bring these to lunch? Try them in meal prep-able form!

Stir fry

Spring Veggie Stir-Fry

• Author: Cookie and Kate
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 4 side servings
• Category: Side dish
• Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

• ¼ cup Fusia Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce (regular soy sauce is too salty!)
• 2 tablespoons SimplyNature Organic Wildflower Honey or maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons arrowroot starch or corn starch
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 large clove garlic, pressed or minced
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper (scale back or omit completely if you’re sensitive to spice)
• 1 tablespoon SimplyNature Organic Coconut Oil or your cooking oil of choice
• 1 small red onion, root and tip ends removed and cut into ¼-inch thick wedges
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into very thin rounds
• Pinch of salt
• ½ bunch (½ pound) thin asparagus, tough ends removed and cut into 2-inch long pieces

Instructions

1. In a liquid measuring cup, combine the soy sauce, honey, cornstarch, ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes. Whisk until blended and set aside.
2. Warm the oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and carrots and a pinch of salt. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring every 30 seconds or so, until the onions have softened, about 4 to 5 minutes. (If at any point you catch a whiff of something burning while making this stir-fry, dial back the heat a bit.)
3. Add the asparagus and cook, stirring every 30 seconds, until the carrots are starting to caramelize on the edges and are easily pierced by a fork, about 3 minutes.
4. Pour in the prepared sauce and cook, while stirring constantly, until the sauce has thickened to your liking, about 30 to 60 seconds. Remove from heat and serve as a side dish as-is, or turn it into a main dish by serving it with rice, fried eggs or tofu.

Notes

Make it gluten free: Use gluten-free reduced-sodium tamari instead of regular soy sauce.
Make it vegan: Use maple syrup instead of honey

Sugar Snap Pea and Carrot Soba Noodles

Sugar Snap Pea and Carrot Soba Noodles

• Author: Cookie and Kate
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 5 mins
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 6
• Category: Main
• Cuisine: Asian
• 
  

Soba

• 6 ounces soba noodles or spaghetti noodles of choice
• 2 cups frozen organic edamame
• 10 ounces (about 3 cups) sugar snap peas or snow peas
• 6 medium-sized carrots, peeled
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro (about 2 handfuls)
• ¼ cup sesame seeds

Ginger-sesame sauce

• ¼ cup reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons quality peanut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small lime, juiced
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon honey or agave nectar
• 1 tablespoon white miso*
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce or sriracha

Instructions

1. To prepare the vegetables: Use a chef’s knife to slice the peas in half lengthwise (or just roughly chop them). Slice the carrots into long, thin strips with a julienne peeler, or slice them into ribbons with a vegetable peeler.
2. To make the sauce: whisk together the ingredients in a small bowl until emulsified. Set aside.
3. Bring two big pots of water to a boil. In the meantime, toast the sesame seeds: Pour the sesame seeds into a small pan. Toast for about 4 to 5 minutes over medium-low heat, shaking the pan frequently to prevent burning, until the seeds are turning golden and starting to make popping noises.
4. Once the pots of water are boiling: In one pot, cook the soba noodles just until al dente, according to package directions (probably about 5 minutes), then drain and briefly rinse under cool water. Cook the frozen edamame in the other pot until warmed through (about 4 to 6 minutes) but before draining, toss the halved peas into the boiling edamame water and cook for an additional 20 seconds. Drain.
5. Combine the soba noodles, edamame, snap peas and carrots in a large serving bowl. Pour in the dressing and toss with salad servers. Toss in the chopped cilantro and toasted sesame seeds. Serve.

Notes

*I used Miso Master brand’s reduced-sodium sweet white miso. It’s in the refrigerated section near the tofu. Omit if you can’t find it, but it provides a nice boost of flavor.
Make it vegan: Sub agave nectar for the honey.
Make it gluten free: Buy certified gluten-free, all buckwheat soba noodles (or gluten-free spaghetti) and use tamari instead of regular soy sauce. Make sure your miso is gluten free, if using.
Storage suggestions: This dish keeps decently well, covered and refrigerated, for a couple of days, BUT here’s a better way, courtesy of Janet: make a batch, store the salad and dressing separately until ready to eat, and then grab one or two portions and add some dressing. Either way, you can serve leftovers chilled or gently rewarmed. Wake up leftovers with a dash of additional tamari or lime juice and fresh cilantro leaves.
Change it up: Feel free to substitute other seasonal produce for the sugar snap peas, or skip them altogether for less prep work. Chopped, raw bell pepper would be a nice addition this summer.