Will yum

Taco Rice

juniorhighfoodie — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 00:10:39 +0000

Sooo, I’m sick.

And it sucks.

Like, really.

And I HAVE to go to school tomorrow. (Stupid science fair)

But yesterday, I made some Taco Rice.

I KNOW.

This recipe kind of was a mistake.

I was eating tacos with a side of rice , and EVERYTHING fell out of the shell. Like, seriously.

And I was not going to put it back into the shell.

So, I ate some taco rice. And it was life changing.

The next time you eat tacos, make about 3/4 of a cup extra. You’ll thank me later.

Taco Rice

Author: Junior High Foodie

Recipe type: Side, Main

Cuisine: Mexican

This is proof that even leftovers can be made into a masterpiece.

Ingredients

3 cups cooked Jasmine rice
¾ cups leftover taco meat, seasoned
¼ cup shredded Mexican style cheese
½ cup shredded lettuce
¼ cup crushed tortilla chips, for topping
optional, a few tablespoons of salsa

Instructions

Heat a medium skillet to medium heat.
Add taco meat and rice and cook until heated through, stirring occasionally.
During the last 30 seconds of cooking, add all remaining ingredients except for the tortilla chips.
Serve and top with chips.
Enjoy!

The post Taco Rice appeared first on Will *yum*.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

juniorhighfoodie — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 00:44:01 +0000

Do you like red velvet cupcakes?

I do.

Especially when you eat the batter and you look like a vampire.

Pshh, I didn’t do that.

Maybe.

But the frosting is without a doubt. The. Best. Frosting. I. Have. Ever. Tasted.

Like, its intense.

Like, wanting to eat it with a spoon intense.

I’m sad to say that about 3 cupcakes were not frosted as a result of my family trying the frosting. But I guess that means they liked it.

Which is gooood.

The recipe is on Laura in the Kitchen, so check it out!!! You won’t regret it. Trust me.

The post Red Velvet Cupcakes appeared first on Will *yum*.

Cookies ‘n Cream Brownies

juniorhighfoodie — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 18:07:23 +0000

Happy St. Patty’s Day!!

I love St. Patty’s Day. Especially when we get it on the weekend. I kind of didn’t have any special St. Patty’s Day food for ya’. But I made brownies!

Maybe that makes up for it.

With some oreos?

And chocolate?

Oh good, thanks for not mauling me.

Cookies ‘n Cream Brownies

Author: Junior High Foodie

Recipe type: Dessert

These Cookies ‘n Cream Brownies will make your mouth water.

Ingredients

1 recipe of your favorite brownie recipe (I used America’s Test Kitchen’s recipe)
20 birthday cake oreos, crushed, if available
¼ c chocolate chips

Instructions

Prepare the brownies according to your recipe. When the batter is done, add about ¾ of your oreos and stir. Place in a greased baking pan and top the batter with the rest of the oreos and chocolate. Bake according to recipe.
Let cool
Enjoy!!

The post Cookies ‘n Cream Brownies appeared first on Will *yum*.

Girl Scout Cookies

juniorhighfoodie — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 22:19:37 +0000

I LOVE GIRL SCOUT COOKIES.

And I especially love how they photograph. I mean, do you see that bokeh???^^^^ I love bokeh too. (Bokeh, by the way are those large dots of light in that photo above.)

Plus, they taste good.

But I’m not gonna lie, the samoas are really labor intensive.

They aren’t hard, they just have a lot of steps.

And caramel burns hurt.

Trust me.

But, despite the blisters on my hands from the hot caramel, I managed to make a video for you guys.

But seriously, be careful around the caramel.

Girl Scout Cookies

Author: Confessions of a Cook Book Queen, Cooking Classy, and Chef Chloe, adapted by Junior High Foodie

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Serves: an army

Is your supply of girl scout cookies diminished? Have no fear, these recipes will save you.

Ingredients

FOR THE SAVANNAH SMILES:
½ cup powdered sugar
½ cup sugar
⅓ cup shortening
1 large egg
¼ teaspoon vanilla
dash of salt
½ teaspoon unsweetened Kool Aid lemonade mix
1½ cups cake flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1 Tablespoon water
For the Lemon powdered sugar:
1 cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon Kool Aid Lemonade Mix
FOR THE THIN MINTS:
1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
½ cup cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup butter, cold and cut into cubes
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon pure peppermint extract
For the chocolate coating:
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon butter
½ teaspoon peppermint extract
FOR THE SAMOAS:
¾ cup + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp cornstarch
¼ tsp salt
⅛ tsp baking soda
½ cup all vegetable shortening
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
1½ Tbsp milk, as needed
¾ cups desiccated coconut
22 caramels, unwrapped (such as Kraft)
2½ Tbsp milk
1 pinch salt
1 cup melted chocolate

Instructions

For the Savannah Smiles:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Cream together the sugars and shortening. Add the egg and vanilla, and stir until combined.
Whisk all of the dry ingredients together and add to the wet ingredients. Stir and add water until a dough forms. Place ¾ inch balls of dough on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Immediately cut the cookies in half, so they are smiles.
While warm, mix together the remaining powdered sugar and kool aid mix. Coat each cookie in the mixture.
FOR THE THIN MINTS:
In a food processor, add all the dry ingredients. Pulse until combined. Add the butter, milk, vanilla and peppermint. Pulse until a dough forms.
Place dough in a separate bowl and knead slightly to bring the together. Chill for an hour.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Take teaspoon full bits of dough and squish them out on a baking sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until cooked. Set aside and cool.
Melt the chocolate and the butter in the microwave or on a double boiler. Add the peppermint and stir to combine. Dip each cookie in this mixture, and place on a piece of parchment paper. Let chocolate harden.
FOR THE SAMOAS:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Cream the shortening, sugar and vanilla together. Add the dry ingredients and add milk as needed until a dough forms.
Roll the dough out and use a 2-inch donut cutter to shape the cookies. (If you don’t have a donut cutter, just use a 2-inch rimmed glass and a disposable piping tip, like I did.)
Transfer the cookies to a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Let cool.
Melt together the salt, caramels and milk. Add the desiccated coconut and stir. Reduce the heat to low as you coat the cookies. Coat the top of each cookie in this mixture using a knife, being careful to not touch the caramel. Let harden.
Melt the chocolate and dip the bare part of the cookie in it. Place on a piece of parchment paper and drizzle the tops with chocolate. Let harden.
ENJOY!!!

The post Girl Scout Cookies appeared first on Will *yum*.

Mexican Quinoa Salad

juniorhighfoodie — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 20:25:43 +0000

I feel as though I have been on a Quinoa kick lately.

Maybe its because this is my second post in a row that has quinoa in it. Remember those quinoa muffins? The ones that I spent 8 hours on making a video for?

Yeah, its true. Maybe its because THE SOUND WASN’T COOPERATING. And then when I finished, THE FILE GOT DELETED. Not there. Nope. Nada.

Okay, I’m not even going to start on that one.

Onto some quinoa.

Mexican Quinoa Salad

Author: Junior High Foodie

Recipe type: Side dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 25 mins

Serves: 6-8

This Mexican-Inspired Quinoa Salad will leave your tastebuds begging for more.

Ingredients

1½ cups of dry quinoa
3 cups of water
2 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
½ an orange bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 scallions, chopped, plus more for garnish
½ cup crumbled feta or cojita cheese, plus more for garnish
zest and juice of 1 lime
2 Tbsp honey
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
½ tsp chili powder
a dash of cumin
a dash of oregano

Instructions

In a very large saucepan, add your quinoa and water. Bring to a rolling boil. Cover, reduce to a simmer and let cook for about 10-15 minutes, or until cooked.
In a large serving bowl, add the lime zest and juice, honey, oil and spices. Mix until well combined. Add the quinoa, chopped vegetables, and cheese. Toss to combine evenly and serve.

The post Mexican Quinoa Salad appeared first on Will *yum*.

Gluten Free Muffins

juniorhighfoodie — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 21:05:56 +0000

Ahh, vacation.

We finally are on vacation. That means NO SCHOOL. No, Spanish, Language Arts, Social Studies, Math, Science, PE, and best of all, no band class.

I was basically jumping up and down at dismissal yesterday, because I knew it was break, and I knew that I could make these gluten free muffins. And make a video on them. I am so happy right now!

Gluten Free Muffins

Author: Vegetarian Times, adapted by Junior High Foodie

Recipe type: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

These gluten free muffins are so similar to the regular kind, you won’t even remember they’re healthy!

Ingredients

1½ c cooked quinoa (thats ¾ cups dry)
1½ cups blueberries
1 tsp vinegar
1 cup milk or non dairy milk
3 Tbsp ground flax
2 cups brown rice flour
2 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup sugar and stevia baking blend (I used the truvia brand)
⅓ cup grapeseed oil
½ cup honey
2 eggs

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the cooked quinoa, milk, vinegar and flax in a large bowl. Let sit for 30 minutes.
Add the eggs, oil, sugar/stevia and honey and mix to combine.
Sift in the brown rice flour, baking soda and salt. Whisk until a batter forms. Fold in the blueberries.
Line a muffin tin with paper liners. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the batter into the paper liners. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
Let cool and enjoy!

The post Gluten Free Muffins appeared first on Will *yum*.

Chocolate Mousse Cups

juniorhighfoodie — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 14:07:37 +0000

Hi!!

Guess what!!

WE GOT A SNOWDAY TODAY!!!!

ERMAHGERD I”M SO HAPPY!!!

And, we actually do have snow!

Remember those French Macarons I made a while back? Yeah, well I made those on a storm day. We got the day off from school, and we live about 300 miles inland from the ocean. There was a rainbow that day. It was ridiculous. *cough super intendent cough* But anyway, I woke up this morning and we had 6 inches of snow!!! Its probably closer to a foot now, but still! That means we dont have a Social Studies quiz, a reading log due, a science lab report due, or a math assignment due.

Teachers these days.

On Wednesday, some kid fell into the wall and ended up pulling the fire alarm. I was in Spanish class, and our teacher was handing out quizzes for us to take. No yo comprendo espanol. We had to stay outside for about 15 minutes, in 15 degree weather. I am so thankful I wasn’t in gym class then. That would have been colddddd. Thank you random clumsy kid. Or should I say gracias? GAHHH

Anyways, onto mousse.

Chocolate Mousse Cups

Author: Dulce Delight, adapted by Junior High Foodie

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: French

These chocolate mousse cups are the best. Portable chocolate mousse? Win.

Ingredients

2 large egg yolks
2 tbsp confectionary sugar
1½ tbsp water
1 cup heavy cream
130 g chocolate
An additional 170 g chocolate

Instructions

Melt your 170 g chocolate either on a double boiler or in the microwave.
Spoon a few teaspoons of chocolate into some mini cupcake liners. Brush the sides and place in the mini cupcake tin. Freeze for about thirty minutes and then brush the insides of the cups again with chocolate. Keep in the freezer until needed.
Melt your 130 g of chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Set aside.
Add the egg yolks, confectionary sugar, and water to the bowl of a stand mixer. Place the bowl over a double boiler, and whisk manually for about six minutes, or until very thick, about six minutes.
Once thickened, place the bowl of the stand mixer on the mixer and beat for about three minutes. Then, fold together the melted chocolate and the egg cream. It should be very stiff.
Clean out the bowl of your mixer, and whip your heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Mix in ⅓ of the whipped cream until loosened. Gently, fold in the rest of the whipped cream until a fluffy mousse forms. Place in the fridge for a few minutes, while you finish the chocolate cups.
Working inside the freezer, tear the paper liners off of the chocolate cups. Then, place them on a platter.
Take the mousse out of the fridge and transfer to a piping bag. Pipe some mousse into the chocolate cups and place in the fridge. Refrigerate for at least ½ an hour and then keep in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
ENJOY!!

The post Chocolate Mousse Cups appeared first on Will *yum*.

Baked Churros

juniorhighfoodie — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 00:10:09 +0000

Have you ever had a churro?

Like those ones that are three feet long at Costco?

Yeahh, those ones.

Have you ever tried making them at home?

I have, and sadly, I am not the best deep frier.

Hello, oil splatter, ALL. OVER. THE. DARN. KITCHEN.

I mean, seriously, oil. You had one job, and you HAD TO MESS IT UP.

As you can see, I really do not like frying.

But I love churros.

I CAN’T DECIDEEEEE.

Me yesterday when I came up with this recipe:

*Daydreaming about churros*

Hmm…. WHAT IF I BAKED THEM!?!?!

Brain high five!

*clap*

I got the weirdest headache after that.

Baked Churros

Author: Junior High Foodie

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 20 mins

Serves: 24

These churros are baked instead of deep fried, and are so easy to make! These churros are so tasty, you won’t even miss the oil!

Ingredients

1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed
3 T flour
¾ c sugar
¼ tsp cinnamon
1 stick of butter, melted

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Dust your counter with the flour. Unfold the sheet of puff pastry, and roll it out until it is a rectangle that relatively is a 10×15 inch rectangle. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and brush the top with a little bit of the melted butter. Bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until golden and puffed.
Mix the cinnamon and sugar together on a plate, and set aside.
Let the puff pastry cool slightly before cutting them into long rectangles, however you cut them (I usually cut the sheet in half width-wise, and then into smaller rectangles after that, getting about 24 churros).
Brush each churro with some of the melted butter, and then coat them in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Serve immediately and enjoy!

The post Baked Churros appeared first on Will *yum*.

Chili

juniorhighfoodie — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 17:11:35 +0000

YES!

The Super Bowl is tomorrow!

Do you know what every Super Bowl needs?

Chili.

It’s true.

Anyway, who do you want to win?

I’m not really taking sides, but since the 49er’s are the underdogs, I’m probably going to root for them.

Ravens fans, please don’t hurt me.

Chili

Author: Junior High Foodie

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 2 hours 15 mins

Total time: 2 hours 45 mins

Serves: 5-6

This chili recipe is comforting and is sure to make your game day party the best.

Ingredients

1 T olive oil
¾ lb ground sausage, casings removed
½ lb ground beef, casings removed
28 oz crushed tomatoes
1 can of kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
½ c red wine
1 jalapeno, chopped
2 T chili powder
2 t cumin
2 T tomato paste
1 T brown sugar
salt and pepper
1½ c beef broth

Instructions

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the meat and brown, but it is not necessary to cook all the way through at this point. Add the onions and both types of pepper, and cook until soft.
Add the tomato paste, spices, sugar, and red wine. Stir to coat, and cook for 1 minute so the alcohol is removed. Add the beef broth, and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and cook for two hours, stirring occasionally.
Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy.

The post Chili appeared first on Will *yum*.

S’mores Rice Krispy Treats

juniorhighfoodie — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 15:56:37 +0000

When will summer come?

I mean, seriously.

How is it only halfway through the school year!

This is aggravating.

I am really sorry that I didn’t get to post this week, but ALL of my teachers decided that huge projects and assignments and tests and quizzes HAD to be this week. Well, I’m halfway through middle school, so, it can’t get that much worse, can it? I don’t know.

Anyway, I’m halfway to summer, so I decided to combine Rice Krispy Treats and S’mores. Best. Idea. Ever.

S’mores Rice Krispy Treats

Author: Junior High Foodie

Recipe type: Dessert

These S’more Rice Krispy Treats will bring you right back to the warm, loving, carefree summer, even if it is the middle of winter.

Ingredients

- 5½ cups Rice Krispy Cereal
- ½ cup crushed graham crackers, plus 3 T, divided
- ½ cup plus 3 T chocolate chips, divided
- 1 10 oz bag regular sized marshmallows
- ½ cup mini marshmallows
- 3 T butter

Instructions

Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with nonstick spray, and set aside.
Mix together the ½ cup graham cracker crumbs and cereal in a large bowl and set aside.
In a large pot, melt the butter and the 10 oz bag of marshmallows together over low heat.
Once melted, add the cracker/cereal mixture and stir until combined.
Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared baking sheet, and refrigerate until cool, about 2 hours.
After the two hours are up, slice the squares into 24 even treats.
Melt the ½ cup chocolate in either a double boiler or the microwave.
Dip the bottom of the Rice Krispy Treat in the chocolate and place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Take any leftover chocolate and place it in a small freezer bag. Press all of the chocolate down into one corner and cut a very small tip off of the end. Drizzle the chocolate over the tops of the treats and sprinkle the reserved mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, and graham cracker crumbs over the top.
Refrigerate until the chocolate has hardened, serve and enjoy!!

The post S’mores Rice Krispy Treats appeared first on Will *yum*.