I know we’re always talking about how fabulous sweet breakfasts are here on The Back Burner. Though I’m not going to deny that they are, I’ve got to admit that there are times that I crave something hearty and savory for breakfast. Maybe you’ve even dived into last night’s leftovers and blamed the empty tupperware on the mystery mouse!

If Karen’s Chicken with Chorizo, Olives and Rice was on the menu last night, that’s probably what you did this morning! If there’s one scent I love waking up to (aside from bacon, of course), it’s chorizo! It has such a recognizable aroma and flavor that’s unparalleled; like bacon, its heavenly scent lingers in the air for hours! And if you didn’t have this for dinner last night? You’ll want to have it for breakfast tomorrow.

Because breakfast isn’t complete without the OJ, Karen made sure to sneak the juice of a fresh orange into the cazuela containing rice, cooked chicken, bell pepper and onion. This is the recipe to use when you really want to spice things up in the morning, you won’t need a strong cup of caffeinated coffee once you get a whiff of this! Karen’s Chicken with Chorizo, Olives and Rice is a meal that can literally be enjoyed any time of the day or night! Check out her blog Citrus and Candy for more mouthwatering meals.

The Happy Cook over at My Kitchen Treasures shows us how to make a strawberry roulade without the stress by following Michel Roux’s delicious recipe (she says they’re some of the best rolls she’s ever had!). Her dessert came out perfect — I was impressed. How do you get the génoise to roll up that beautifully without cracking even once?

The Happy Cook will tell us how in this week’s Tutorial Tuesday post:

Ingredients:
For the Génoise
20 gm soft butter for the cake pan
126 gm flour plus extra for the cake tin
4 medium eggs, room temperature
125 gm fine castor sugar
30 gm butter melted and luke warm

For the filling:
400 ml full cream plus powder sugar ( 2 tbsp or more of you like it sweeter)
400 gm strawberries slices ( i mixed 2 tbsp of strawberry syrup, it is optional)
Powder sugar to dust.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 190° c.
Lay a piece of baking paper from 40×30 cm on a baking plate, butter the paper and dust with the extra flour.
Add the eggs and sugar into a big bowl and beat it til they are really fluffy. It will take some 8 to 10 minutes with a mixture as it should turn into a pale white colour.
Add the sieved flour and fold in carefully and then add the melted butter also carefully. Don’t stir as you will remove the air bubbles in the mixture.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and with a palate knife smooth the top.
Bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes.
When it is baked cover it immediately with a tea towel and remove from the baking tray to a rack.
Remove the baking paper carefully and cool for 5 minutes.

( In one of the other book it is written use wet tea towel or sprinkle with sugar, this one it is not written like that so i have no idea which method is the correct one, i just followed the recipe in the book)

In this book it is written roll the cake before it is cools, otherwise it will be difficult to roll.

In the mean time whip the cream with a bit of sugar .
And then spread the cream evenly on to the cake and the scatter the strawberries on top of the cream.
Roll the cake with the help of the tea towel from the long side.
Keep in the fridge for a hour and before serving sprinkle with powder sugar.

Enjoy one of the most soft rolls I have ever had or made.

I like Robin’s way of thinking, on her blog Frugal Family Foodies, she tells it like it is. Eggs are the protein packed wonder food. The next time you scramble an egg in the morning, think about this: you’re not only fueling your brain with choline, but you’re getting more nutrients than you would from that artificially flavored breakfast drink!

Now I know we all have our guilty pleasures, I’ve been known to load up on sugary cereals for breakfast and even between meals, but that alone doesn’t hit the spot. Bring on the Broccoli and Cheese Quiche! Robin’s quiche will fill you up, in fact it’ll probably feed your entire family. And the best part? Robin says, even if you purchase farm fresh eggs at $5 a carton, you’re still getting a good deal.

So pancakes have been known to grace my dessert plate in the evenings, but I don’t see why eggs can’t make their way into a PM meal, not just in a dessert like a custard or curd. One thing I really love about this particular quiche is that Robin not only made an affordable meal out of it, but she’s been known to give it away as a birthday gift (as in baby arrival :)! Because quiches travel well, they are ideal for giving away to new moms or taking to potlucks.

Those with a sweet tooth half as big as mine will love The Candy Bar. It’s everything you’d expect a candy bar to be, particularly one that sells cupcakes. But cupcakes aren’t candy, you say to yourself. Erica is the candy cupcake creator extraordinaire. Those of us who prefer our sugar in liquid form (sodas!) will be blown away by one of Erica’s many soda cupcakes! This week she’s sharing tips with us on how to make cupcakes fun and unique.

Cupcakes are all the rage right now, aren’t they? Moms have been whipping up cuppies since the beginning of time (well, practically). Why is it, then, that so many people feel like they can’t create great cuppies at home? Anyone can do it, even YOU!

Starting with the basics, it is important that you measure your ingredients correctly. You should always sift flour when measuring for any cake or bread recipe (unless the recipe specifically states otherwise). If you don’t have a sifter (which I don’t), use a spoon and scoop the flour into the measuring cup. Do not tap the cup to level the flour, this will pack the flour back down…which is what you don’t want.

You should always allow key ingredients to come to room temperature before working with them. This includes butter and eggs. Your butter will cream much better if it is softened at room temperature first, and will make all the difference in your cuppie batter.

Remember to NEVER over-beat your batter, especially after the addition of the flour (if you’re creating cuppies from scratch)! If you do, you’ll risk the texture of your cuppies. Over-beating gives you a tough cuppie, something I’m sure you don’t really want.

On the other hand, you don’t want to under-beat your batter either. Under beating can result in the separation of your ingredients or even sinking of the cuppies.

A good tip to help your cuppies bake evenly is to fill them evenly. I do this by spooning my cuppie batter into a zip-lock bag and snipping the corner off. This helps me avoid getting the batter all over the pan and get each cup filled to the same level.

The question, it seems to me, most frequently asked is, “How do I get good, moist cuppies at home?” Well, my secret is simple…..buttermilk. Whether you’re making cuppies from scratch or from a boxed mix, substitute buttermilk in the recipe for water or regular milk. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, no worries, my friend! You can make your very own substitution for buttermilk….just add 1 Tbsp of lemon juice or vinegar to 1 C of milk and let stand for 5 minutes. Voila! You have yourself some buttermilk!

The next question I see a lot is, “How can I get filling inside the cuppie at home?” Again, friends, simple (which is the way I prefer things). After baking your cuppies, let them cool and then you can do it one of two ways.

1. Take a bag* half-full of your filling and push the tip down into the top of the cuppie. Squeeze gently. Now, the trick is to squeeze slowly and gently, not fast and hard (which will most likely make your cute little cuppie explode). (PHOTO F-1)
2. Take a spoon (or a small spreader, which is what I use) and scoop a small part of the center of your cuppie out. You want to make the top part of the hole small, so just use the tip of the spoon (if you don’t have any teeny spoons). Take your bag* half-full of your filling and pipe directly into the hole. Again, don’t do it fast or hard….just take it nice and easy. Be sure to save the little cut-out portion, you can top the filling off with it after you’re finished, before frosting. (PHOTO F-2)

In either filling method, you’ll want to make the filling pretty level with the top of your cuppie so that you can frost it easily.

F-1

Another great question pertains to frosting, “How do I get that fancy icing on the top of my cuppie instead of just smearing it on?” Guess what…..yup, you guessed it…..simple. Once you have mixed your frosting (or if you’re using canned frosting….once you’ve opened your can), spoon the frosting into a bag* and fill half-way.

*If you don’t have a piping bag with coupler and tips, another fantastic (and super easy) way to create this look is to use a zip-lock bag, the gallon size works best. Just reinforce the tip of the bag with a couple layers of scotch tape and then snip it off. You can cut straight across the corner for a “round” piping or you can cut it like a ‘V’ and get a more decorative look.

Squeeze your half-full bag gently until the frosting is right at the tip. Twist the top part (empty) of the bag until the bag is right up against the frosting. Start on the center of the cuppie and swirl it around, moving out to the edge of the cuppie, while GENTLY squeezing the bag from the top. After you have gotten all around the edge, start going inward (and upward on the first layer of frosting) and keep swirling until you reach the “peak”. Stop squeezing and gently lift the bag away and you’ll have the cute little point right at the top. Voila! Fancy iced cuppies. Once you do this a few times, you’ll find that you can do this in no time!

Taking a great cuppie to a WOW! cuppie is really simple, too! You don’t have to stop at the frosting….really. To make a great cuppie look even fancier (with minimal effort) you can toss some sprinkles, nuts, or even small candies on the top. Adding ‘pizzazz’ to your cuppies doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. I stopped into my local candy store and picked up a bunch of orange things to throw on the top of my cuppies.

Want a simpler, more classic look? Do a single candied (maraschino) cherry with stem right on the top of the “peak” of frosting. (Just be sure to pat them dry first so that you don’t have the stream of ‘mysterious pink juice’ running down the side of the frosting)

Want something more? Try doing a glaze that compliments the cuppie itself. You can do this by drizzling it over the top for a more casual and fun look OR you can dip your cuppie in the glaze for a more even and formal look. Experimenting with glazes is fun!

Another option is to fill the cuppie before baking….put little surprises in there. Remember, Mommy always told you, “It’s what is on the inside that matters.” Well, that same saying can go for cuppies, too! To get a baked in filling, just pipe your batter into the cuppie pan (or liner) about half-way, add your goodies, and pipe the remaining batter into the pan (or liner).

REMEMBER: Each cup should be about 2/3 full, so fill accordingly when adding baked in yummies.

Lastly, I hear a lot of people asking about the cuppie sticking to their pan or liners. If you’re not using liners, be sure to use a non-stick spray in your pan. Some people prefer using the grease-and-flour method; personally I find that method to be icky. Yes, I said ‘icky’. I don’t find that helps them from not sticking (and you get that weird “crust” on the outside of the cuppie), I always get better results from non-stick spray.

Now, if you are using liners, then your cuppie shouldn’t really stick…..if you’re using a good cuppie batter. The only time I’ve ever had the cuppies stick to the liners was with a very dry recipe. I baked them again, adjusting the recipe to make the cuppies more moist (buttermilk) and VOILA! No excessive sticking.

Good, moist cuppies should look like this:

Notice there is *some* sticking of the loose crumbs, but not a large amount at all.

This was the *Ultimate* cuppie, my hubby said so.

*Pictures featured are of my Orange Dreamsicle Cuppies*

In a hungry state of desperation, I usually turn to last night’s leftovers and the microwave when lunch time rolls around. A rumbling stomach doesn’t always provide the inspiration I need to cook in the middle of the day, sometimes it’s tough to think when you’re running on empty!

This isn’t the case for Olga of Mango & Tomato; she knows how to cook up a fresh lunch. The surprise? You’d never think that her Coconut Shrimp Soup, so rich in flavor, can be made in a matter of minutes… and that she even came up with the recipe when she encountered a can of coconut milk in her refrigerator and frozen shrimp in her freezer.

If you need a break in the middle of a long day, you’ll really like how this soup’s tasty aroma and ingredients will have you thinking of sunshine and tropical weather. Ginger, lime, curry and. of course, coconut provide a fragrant and mouthwatering backdrop for the shrimp, veggies, and noodles — this is a hearty soup that you can also enjoy cool, on a warm spring or summer day.

There’s an art to eating burgers and sandwiches. How they’re prepared and served up also changes from one person to another. Two patties or one? Cheese — what kind? Pickles or Amanda’s Fried Pickles?

Huh? Some of us even like stuffing our sandwiches with chips, now we can have the crunch that chips offer and the savory sour flavor of a pickle all in one bite. Luckily, you won’t need a deep fryer to fry these pickles. There are a few key ingredients you do want to have on hand before getting started: paprika, salt, pepper and…beer!

It’s the special ingredient that makes Amanda’s batter so tasty, it even works on onion rings or catfish, says Amanda on her blog Love to Cook. Stuff the fried pickles in your burgers, sandwiches or share them with friends. They’re a fun appetizer and a great treat to serve when you need a conversation starter. Yum — fried pickles — I’m craving some right now!

Lynne has a delicious blog over at And Then I Do the Dishes. I have to say, that phrase applies in my house, too ;)! But what if we prepare a dinner that doesn’t require dirtying many dishes? Then everyone wins, and that’s definitely how everyone will feel if you serve sushi for dinner — just remember to follow Lynne’s tutorial. The photos will get your mouth watering, it’s a good thing her California Rolls don’t take too long too prepare! This is also the ideal warm-weather meal — it has summer and spring written all over it.

California Rolls or Beginner Sushi

Sushi is one of those things that when you start making it yourself, you’ll never stop thinking about it. You’ll think about all the variations you can make like imitation crab, spicy shrimp, smoked salmon, vegetarian… You can also use a variety of ingredients to decorate the finished rolls like fish roe, capers, grated veggies of all sorts, etc. Raw fish is absolutely optional, especially if you’re just starting to enjoy sushi.

Sushi making doesn’t require a lot of fancy equipment either, just a bamboo rolling mat, some plastic wrap, chopsticks, if you like, and a pot to cook your rice in. Some nice plates for serving your sushi are totally optional but having an excuse to buy new dishes is never a bad thing.

These days you don’t really need to go to a specialty store to get ingredients for your sushi. Most supermarkets even have little sushi shops where you can buy the rolls already made or ask the sushi chef for tips and tricks. I’ve found that they’re always happy to help, even if they do seem to find it a little odd that you’d want to make sushi yourself when you can buy it right then and there. Imagine if I had tried to bring my camera and take pictures in the supermarket, that would have gotten me a few weird looks!

Please remember that I am by no means an expert, and there are a lot of more experienced sushi makers out there with how-to posts you can check out too. But I had fun making these and I’ll try to show you how I made my sushi and maybe you’ll be intrigued and try to make some too. If I could do it, anyone can!

What you’ll need for each roll:
1 sheet of nori
1 cup of cooked sushi rice*
Black sesame seeds, or regular sesame seeds, roasted
Grated carrots
Cucumber, sliced lengthwise into thin strips
Avocado, sliced thinly
Your choice of smoked salmon, shrimp or imitation crab
Cream cheese, if you’re using smoked salmon
Fried egg roll wrappers, crushed (adds a little crunch)

You can make things easier on yourself by having all of your ingredients ready and close-by, because once you start you don’t want to have to run around looking for this and that. Also, a good trick is to wrap your bamboo rolling mat with plastic wrap before you start, it’ll make it a lot easier to clean. Oh, and have a bowl of water near by so you can wet your hands from time to time, otherwise you’ll end up with sticky rice everywhere.

Place a sheet of nori on your bamboo mat (shiny side down) and spread 1 cup of rice on top of it, leaving a 1 inch space at the end. Sprinkle some black sesame seeds onto the rice. Arrange your choice of ingredients into a strip and start rolling at the edge closest to you. Use the bamboo mat to roll the sushi firmly. You can use a few drops of water at the seem to help the seaweed to stick at the end of the roll.

Use a sharp knife to cut the roll into about 8 pieces. It’s easier if you cut the roll in half and then cut the ends into equal pieces. Serve the sushi with soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger.

The variations for the rolls are endless. You can make a shrimp salad using a little bit of hot sauce and mayonnaise and adding it to chopped shrimp. You can spread a little cream cheese onto the rice before adding the smoked salmon. You can do all veggies and use red bell pepper for even more color and crunch. Use your imagination and have fun!

* For the sushi rice:
You absolutely have to use short grained rice. Use specialty sushi (or Japanese) rice. It’s a lot like Arborio rice, the kind used for risotto. In a saucepan, add 1 1/4 cup of water and 1 cup of sushi rice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes, without stirring, until rice is tender and still shiny. Now here’s where it gets interesting. To the cooked rice you can add 3 tablespoons of rice vinegar and 1 teaspoon of sifted confectioner’s sugar. I didn’t add the vinegar or the sugar as I wasn’t sure I would like it but I might try it next time. You can then place the rice in a bowl or spread it on a baking sheet and let it cool to room temperature.

Cheese? Yes please! It’s what we say when the camera’s about to snap our huge grin, and for good reason. Cheese puts a smile on our face. Stinky, tasty, savory — that’s cheese. Stinky? This is the one food that’s allowed to smell questionable, so long as it’s used in a clever way ;).

Hollee from Two Kids and a Kitchen uses one of my favorite cheeses, mozzarella, in something other than pizza, she stuffs mushrooms with ‘em! Her Mozzarella Stuffed Mushrooms can be an appetizer or snack. Italian flavors liven up the mushrooms; tomato, basil and garlic — you can stuff the mushrooms with almost anything, but I like these fresh ingredients.

If you need a quick appetizer for the unexpected guests that drop by, Hollee’s Mozzarella Stuffed Mushrooms are the perfect impromptu hor devours — these fungi will be the life of the party. They’ll finish baking in about 20 minutes, but they probably won’t stick around long after that.

One potato, two potato… and there’s plenty more sweet potatoes that go into my grocery cart every week. Why? Because I not only view them as a root vegetable, but as a tasty snack. I like to call them nature’s candy, they are that good!

Even though I could eat baked sweet potatoes plain every day, sometimes I like to spice things up. Rachel of Laptops and Stovetops does just that with her Sweet Potato Walnut Casserole.

This is a recipe with crunch and spice. The flavors will remind you of fall, but you can enjoy this year-round; it really is a recipe you will fall in love with, though ;). Unlike regular mashed potatoes that include lots of milk and butter to make them creamy, Rachel’s sweet potato dish uses eggs. I also love the topping! I can see myself eating the crunchy molasses walnut topping first then digging into the sweet potatoes right after, how about you?