The Traveling Epicurean

Month: March 2017

Smoothie Demo at Funktion Fitness!

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Smoothie Demo at Funktion Fitness!

Giving my favorite “Mango-Kale Smoothie” demo for the staff and members at Funktion Fitness this past Thursday morning was tons of fun! The best part was seeing all their smiling faces after taking the first sip of my Mango-Kale Smoothie. They really loved how refreshing and fruity the smoothie was. Like I always say, if it wasn’t green you wouldn’t even know there was kale in it!

In my opinion, finding a balance is the key to everything in life. Getting my dose of endorphins thru spin class at my gym, Funktion Fitness, is just as important to me as having a healthy go to energy drink. And not just any old healthy energy drink but one that’s as delicious as my Mango-Kale Smoothie! The best thing is attaining these things and enjoying yourself to the point where it just doesn’t seem like work at all!

Having an awesome motivator, like my spin instructor Heather Theriault at Funktion Fitness, is half the battle. She has so much enthusiam for life and that work ethic of hers making your workout super tough but so gosh darn fun it goes by in a flash…can’t ask for anything better then that!

So it’s up to you to find some kind of exercise outlet that makes you happy, and gets you your weekly dose of mood boosters, endorphins. As for the healthy energy drinks, I’ve got you covered with my scrumptious smoothies to give you those weekly boosts helping you to keep powering thru your day with a smile…enjoy!

CLICK HERE TO FIND THE RECIPE, INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS TO MY MANGO-KALE SMOOTHIE ! You can get really creative with your smoothies and I show you how in one of my other smoothie shows “My Energy Smoothies 101“. You’ll want to take a jump over to my Mango Salsa Recipe page as well and don’t forget to make my Best Guacamole Ever Recipe … never any left over where ever I take it!

Energy Smoothies 101

Mango-Kale Smoothie!

Best Guacamole Ever and Crostini with Skirt Steak & Guac!

Mango Salsa with Pulled Beef Tacos

Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes at Ellen’s

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Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes at Ellen’s

Guinness chocolate cupcakes are moist and full of flavor with a whole bottle of guinness in this delectable batter! Topping these cupcakes with a rich Viennese Chocolate frosting brings it to another level of gourmet chocolate indulgence.

Just recently, I had a wonderful day meeting and baking with Ellen McMahanon, a true recipe afficionado, where she turned me on to her amazing Guinness chocolate cupcakes. Ellen has been collecting her precious recipes most of her life making very detailed notes of dates, with whom and where she was when acquiring a new favorite one. With hundreds of favorite recipes at her fingertips she still remembers the details like she was there yesterday!

You are definitely going to want to try these Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes with the Viennese Chocolate Frosting and the timing couldn’t be more perfect with St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner. Looks like you may need a super awesome appetizer that will make use of that left over corned beef too like my Arancini Reuben Balls with Homemade Thousand Island Dressing … always has everyone raving!

You could stay on the road to gourmet with my Chicken Piccata for the main event before serving these Guinness Chocolate cupcakes with Viennese Chocolate Frosting! Or go for the Lobster Mac & Cheese if you’re looking for fish. Now that we’re talking fish you can really turn some heads with my Swordfish and mango-black bean salsa ! One of my other favorites are the Salmon B.L.T. Sliders with homemade aioli.  Which ever one you choose it will be great with these rich Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3/4 cup dutch cocoa
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 stick of butter (1/2 cup butter) melted and cooled
  • 1 tbsp vanilla
  • 1 bottle Guinness -12 oz.
  • 3 lg eggs
  • 3/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 recipe (below) Viennese Chocolate Frosting cooled

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Make 1 recipe Viennese Chocolate Frosting – cooled
  2. Pre-heat oven to 350º
  3. Line muffin tins with paper liners
  4. In medium bowl whisk together dry ingredients:  cocoa, sugar, flour, baking soda and salt
  5. In another large bowl combine wet ingredients: whisk melted butter and vanilla
  6. Stream in 1 bottle of Guinness beer into butter and vanilla
  7. Begin whisking side to side adding in 1 egg at a time to the Guinness
  8. After whisking in all the eggs, add in the sour cream and whisk to combine til smooth
  9. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 3 stages, stirring to just combine after each addition
  10. Using a scoop fill the cupcake liners to 3/4’s full
  11. Bake for 20 minutes, Rotate cupcake trays at 10 minutes
  12. Wait 5 minutes, then remove cupcakes to cookie rack to finish cooling
  13. Frost with Viennese Chocolate Frosting

VINNESE CHOCOLATE FROSTING:

  • 6 oz – 1/2 bag Ghiradelli chocolate chips
  • 1 stick of salted butter
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 4 egg yolks – slightly beaten
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp SIFTED confectioners sugar

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Add chocolate chips, butter and water to a heat proof glass bowl
  2. Microwave 20 seconds, stop & stir, then microwave 10 seconds more til melted & creamy.
  3. Let cool to rm temp then stir in egg yolks and vanilla
  4. Whisk in SIFTED confectioners sugar
  5. Chill this mixture in the frig for 1-2 hours til thickened
  6. Using a mixer for 30 seconds bring this thickened frosting to a creamy consisitency
  7. Top each cupcake with a small scoop of this Viennese Chocolate Frosting, then smooth with a knife…,,,!