Dinner for Two

I was contacted the other day by a client who was looking for a simple healthy yet tasty meal for her and her mate. She wanted to keep it light but it needed to satisfy and she was open to any and all suggestions. There really isn't any food she didn't like no restrictions as far as veggies or protein so after a few more minutes of discussion we came up with this delightful meal.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Cod Fish and Dill.

Here's how it came together.

Once I had the butternut squash peeled and deseeded. I diced it, added an apple, sweet red onion, ginger cinnamon and fresh cranberries.

 

 

 

Once everything was prepped it is ready for the oven. Baked at 375degrees for 30-35 min it would make a lovely vegetable side dish.

 

 

 

Now onto the cod. I like fish in it's simplest form. I want to taste the fish not any sauce or breading (maybe it's just me) so I decided to season with salt, pepper, garlic power, dill and a touch of lemon. Drizzled with a touch of oil it too is ready to bake.

 

I placed it in the same 375degree oven at the half way mark of the butternut squash dish and soon they would both be ready for service.

35 minutes later this is what we are rewarded with. Pure YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Who says healthy has to be boring.
The client was thrilled and that's what counts the most.

Until tomorrow eat well, live well.



Facebook 100 "Likes" Giveaway

I recently created a Business page on Facebook "Culinary KReations" in the hopes of attracting more clients. It has been a bit of a slow start and I always hate to beg for anything, but as I watched other business pages reach 1,000 even up to 20,000 "likes for their pages, I did what any other smart businesswoman would or should do. I traded a "Giveaway" for likes.

I attempted to entice everyone and anyone to like, share and repost my Culinary KReations page.
Once I reached my first 100 "likes" I would pick a Lucky Liker to receive a box of sweet treats from
me to show my appreciation.

Well it worked and I am happy to say I am up to 128 likes. Horray!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok here is what the winner received.

Oreo cookie cake pops
Vanilla Cakes with peanut butter and jelly filling, topped with vanilla buttercream
A bag of Red Velvet popcorn.

The winner was delighted with her treats and now hopefully she will spread the word about Culinary KReations and how delicious their sweet concoctions are. Perhaps she will place a future order.

So if you are reading this post please hop on over to my facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/CulinaryKReations  and give it a like.

Oh, here is a picture of the sweets the winner received.

Feel free to leave a comment

Until tomorrow eat well, live well

Gabriella's Bridal Shower Cake

Today's post is a bit of a toot my own horn post. I was asked (by my best friend in the whole wide world) to make a wedding shower cake for her daughter (who is like my own).I was both flattered and scared at the same time. I wanted this cake to be special and something that would make her happy.

My girlfriend is the easiest client in the world. I was told I could do what ever I wanted she only requested two things
1.The cake be chocolate.
2. It had to have a shoe on it.

A while back I posted about the shoe cake I created in December for a 70th Birthday Party.
My girlfriend so loved the shoe topper she wanted me to make one for her cake.

Ok we are good to go.

I got the invite for the shower and low and behold there was a pair of black high heeled shoes with a red sole. My wheels began to turn. Since the cake had to be chocolate I could make the shoe out of black chocolate and line the sole in red modeling chocolate. Done! Now onto the cake design.

The Bride to be is a bit traditional loves pearls, lace, ruffles so I needed to incorporate all that into her cake; while still keeping it clean and simple. I had seen so many cakes with draping and have always found it to be  beautiful and elegant so that's what I decided my cake would have on it. Now draping is usually made out of fondant, but since she (the bride to be) is not so fond of fondant I chose to make the draping and flowers out of modeling chocolate. This is my decorating medium of choice, personally I think it tastes better (it's chocolate right!) As for the cake, well of course it was dark chocolate fudge with chocolate ganache filling and frosting.

Time to put it all together. Here is what I came up with.

2-tier dark chocolate fudge cake
Black chocolate ganache filling and frosting.
Red Modeling chocolate flowers, draping embellished with pearls.
All chocolate high heeled shoe.

I was pretty pleased with how it turned out. My girlfriend was thrilled and the bride to be had everything she wanted in a cake.

Here is a picture of The Wedding Shower Cake.

 

Please feel free to leave a comment.

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Until tomorrow eat well live well.

A Healthy Delicious Meal

We are 7 weeks into the New Year and I am desperately trying to keep my resolution to eat healthy.
Some days I win some days not so much. I have always loved fresh veggies and incorporate them into my daily dinner but sometimes I get bored with the same old same old.

Today I was grocery shopping and decided to try a veggie I was not so familiar with. Acorn Squash.
I am well acquainted with zucchini and the summer squashes, even spaghetti squash has replaced regular pasta in my home, but have not really tried the sweeter squashes. I decided today is the day.

I prepared it for the oven, deciding that roasting it would bring out it's best flavors. So I began to peel it remove the seeds and diced it up adding, garlic, red onion a touch of EVOO and ginger. Then I began to think what else would pair nicely and complement this dish. I added an apple and some fresh cranberries. Not only did it look good it smelled great and it wasn't even done yet.

I placed it in a 450 oven and roasted it for 25-30 minutes turning occasionally. My reward was a tender sweet-savory vegetable dish that excited my taste buds. I highly recommend this dish. Simple yet flavorful.

I will definitely make Acorn Squash again. Next time I think I'll stuff it with meat and bake it in individual cups, but that's another post.

To round out my meal a simple piece of salmon (also delicious) and a salad. Now that's what I call a healthy yet satisfying meal.

Here's a picture (not the best photo, I'm working on my photography skills)

Until tomorrow eat well live well.

Ranch Cream cheese Roll-ups

I take no credit for this recipe (it belongs to The Pioneer Woman - Ree Drummond) but I had to share these delicious bites as they have become a fan favorite, plus they are a snap to put together.

 

You will need:

 

 2 lbs. softened cream cheese...
1 packet dry ranch dressing
black pepper
chopped green and red peppers (approx. 1/2 c ea.)
1 chopped scallion
8 flour tortillas

 In a large mixing blow blend the first 5 ingredients.
Take a tortilla and spread some of the cream cheese mixture in the middle then roll it up to make a tight wrap. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Take each tortilla wrap and cut into slices. (I got 6 out of each wrap depending how large you make the slices)
Refrigerate until ready to eat then bring to room temp and enjoy!

 

Until tomorrow eat well live well. :)

 

 

 

The Topsy Turvey Cake

Ever since the first time I saw the Topsy Turvey  I was intrigued, mystified, confused. How could a cake so lopsided not fall over. When I baked my cakes and they were not so straight I prayed to the cake Gods. But to make a cake as unbalanced as this on purpose? Who does this?

Well I was determined to make one of these cakes and set out to find it's secrets.
That meant (to me anyway) a youtube tutorial. Someone somewhere had to have made this cake and made a video of it.
Well to my delight there were plenty of instructions on how to create a topsy turvey cake. I found that the concept was easy enough. You bake a cake stack it like you normally would then cut into the top on a diagonal, flip it over and viola you have a cake with a slanted top. Now you cut a hole in the top the size of your next layer cake (ie. 10", then 8", 6".....) and you place that next layer directly in the hole or resting place. There the cake is secure as it really is laying flat it only looks like its falling over. (it's all a big illusion.) The more the layers the more it looks topsy turvey.

Ok I was ready. The next cake order I got I was going to convince the client they wanted a topsy turvey cake. I was armed and ready, unafraid, this cake was not the boss of me. I decided on a three layer cake. It just so happen to be a Dr. Seuss cake so the top layer was going to be the Cat in the Hat's hat. (The hat I decided was going to be made out of RKT. (Rice Krispy Treats) This just to insure the weight was no too heavy in case my cake really was going to fall over.

I am pleased to announce that the cake came great (I only had a couple of brain freezes) lost the concept a few times but in the end all went well. The client was happy as was I.

These cakes are not only fun but fun to make.
See if you don't agree

Until tomorrow eat well. Live well.