Cupcakes!!

Devils food cake with chocolate chips and vanilla buttercream frosting!



Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:
1 cup butter (2 sticks or 1/2 pound), softened
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
up to 4 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

Beat butter for a few minutes with a mixer on medium speed. Add 3 cups of powdered sugar and turn your mixer on the lowest speed until the sugar has been incorporated with the butter. Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and 2 tablespoons of milk/cream and beat for for 3 minutes. If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add remaining sugar. If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add remaining milk 1 tablespoons at a time.

yum yum yum yum yum

Veggie Chili & Jalapeño Pepper-Jack Scones

Everyone should make these scones - they were off the chain good and paired perfectly with the chili. I used a recipe that was adapted from the NY TImes that you can get HERE.



For the chili, I sauteed garlic, carrots and onions in veggie oil, then added zucchini, bell peppers, drained black and pinto beans, a T of cumin, 2 T of chili powder salt and pepper. I then added a big can of tomatoes with their juices, plus 2 cups of chicken stock and let that all simmer for about an hour.

I garnished the chili with sour cream, monterey jack cheese, chopped onion and cilantro.

Shrimp Scampi w/Lemon Spaghetti

LEMON SPAGHETTI
Ingredients
• Salt
• 1 pound spaghetti
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 lemons, zested and juiced
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• Handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup (10 or 12 leaves) fresh basil, very thinly sliced

Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and drop the spaghetti into the pot.
Heat a large deep skillet over low heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and garlic and crushed red pepper flakes.
When the pasta has been cooking about 5 minutes, add lemon juice, a ladle of the cooking water from the pasta and the cream to the garlic and oil. Raise heat a bit to bring sauce to a bubble.
Drain pasta when it still has a good bite to it, al dente. Add lemon zest and half of the cheese to the cream sauce. Season the sauce with salt, to taste. Add pasta to pan and turn off heat. Toss the pasta with sauce a minute or 2, allowing it time to soak up the sauce.
Top the plates of pasta or platter with remaining cheese, parsley and basil.

SHRIMP SCAMPI
Ingredients
1 1/2 pound jumbo shrimp, shelled and deveined
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 cup dry white vermouth
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Directions
Put the shrimp on a large pie pan or plate and pat them completely dry with a paper towel. Arrange the shrimp so they lay flat and are evenly spaced.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Add the butter to the skillet. When the foaming subsides, raise the heat to high, and invert the plate of shrimp over the pan so the shrimp fall into the pan all at once. Cook the shrimp, without moving them, for 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Turn the shrimp over and cook for 2 minutes more. Transfer the shrimp to a bowl.

Return the skillet to the heat and pour in the vermouth and lemon juice. Boil the liquid until slightly thickened, about 30 seconds. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir the zest and parsley into the sauce. Pour the sauce over the shrimp, season with salt and pepper to taste and toss to combine.

Divide the shrimp among 4 plates or arrange on a platter and serve