A Royal Feast for a Royal Wedding

How fantastic was the Royal Wedding today?!?!

Sadly, I was too tired to wake up at 2am to watch it Live, but I did watch it this morning and loved every minute of it! Especially Catherine's dress...oh my, she was so beautiful and simply elegant!

William and Catherine are so adorable, and how about those kisses?

Too cute!



In honor of the Prince and new Princess, I made a Royal Feast in their honor! I made Prince William's favorite dinner and dessert, and I got the recipes from two of the royal chefs! You pretty much can't get any more authentic than that!

For dinner, I made Prince William's favorite...Cottage Pie!

This is total comfort food and absolutely delicious!

Don't forget the Gravy!

This recipe is originally from the royal chef, Darren McGrady and it's fantastic.

Check out his video on the Today Show and get the recipe HERE!

And for dessert, I went all out and made Prince Williams favorite dessert from the royal chef, Carolyn Robb....Eton Mess!

This dessert is a work of art and totally scrumptious!

Get the recipe HERE!

I had so much fun celebrating the Royal Wedding and we definitely ate a fantastic and beautiful Royal Feast worthy of the Royal Prince and Princess!

GIVEAWAY WINNER!

Holy Cow! Thanks for all the love and for entering the giveaway!

It was so interesting reading everyones response to the question of what you couldn't live without in your kitchen. Overall I'd have to say that most people couldn't live without their Kitchen Aid.

What am I missing out on?!?!
I need to save up and get one of these bad boys since apparently it is so life altering and no one can live without it!
(I'm still holding out to win one of PW's Kitchen Aid giveaways...let's see how that goes!)

I'm excited to announce that the winner of the giveaway is (chosen randomly on random.org).....

#18: Muriel Miller of Cook, Bake and Decorate!



Congrats Muriel! Email me your address at girlygirlcooks@aol.com and I'll send out your new and awesome seasoning spice ASAP!

For those of you that didn't win, don't worry! I love doing giveaways and will be doing more in the future!

Also, if you must have this seasoning spice, you can order it here at the Alpine Touch Website or if you live in Montana...just go to the grocery store and find it in the spice/baking section!

(Alpine Touch has no idea who I am and this is not a sponsored giveaway...I just like their stuff and want to share the love!)

A List of Random Thoughts...

1. Yesterday we had perfect weather! It was absolutely gorgeous outside and I even got a sunburn on my chest and arms. Today, not so much. It rained. It rained a lot! And it's going to continue raining for the next week....or longer.

2. Speaking of yesterday, we had a fantastic Easter! We enjoyed a delicious brunch in the morning, spent the day by the river, lounging around the backyard, playing with the pups, and my mom went all out to make a delicious dinner. Plus my sister, Dusty and I got awesome Easter Baskets!

3. The highlight of Easter for me was watching my Grandpa running around our yard and almost beating all of us at the Easter Egg Hunt (my sister won).You better watch out! That man has some serious egg finding skills!

4. In Anatomy and Physiology we are studying the reproductive system. It has been taking everything inside me to be mature enough to not start giggling in class. Don't worry...I won't post pictures like I did for the Endocrine System! I wouldn't want to scar anyone like before!

5. Dusty has discovered something magical for popcorn. When you melt the butter to drizzle on the popcorn, add a couple dashes of Tobasco sauce to the butter before pouring on the popcorn. Instead of sprinkling salt on the popcorn, he used Alpine Touch too. I'm addicted to this popcorn!!!

6. There are 19 days till Graduation! I can hardly wait!

7. I have super duper senioritis! (This refers to #6) If you don't know what the term "Senioritis" means, I'll give you a definition...
Being absolutely lazy and burnt out. You go to class physically, but not mentally. You find any way to avoid going to class physically and avoid doing homework as well. Studying for an exam is done the night before in desperation to shove as much information in your brain in very little time.  

8. Last week I mailed a resume and cover letter to an awesome kitchen supply store in Billings just for the heck of it and to put my name out there for a potential job. I didn't think anything would come of it. Guess who was surprised to receive a call on Friday to set up an interview in May for a possible job at this store?!?!?
ME!

9. On Thursday, I'm taking another culinary class at the Good Food Store. This time it's a Cheese Making Class! I can't wait for Thursday and for all the cheese I will be making in the future with my new cheese-making kit!

10. Last and final thought....I have developed a serious addiction to reading blogs and watching cooking/food shows! I have a problem.

Happy Monday!!!!

Don't forget to enter the Giveaway! It ends on Wednesday!

May The Force Be With You...

Have a great weekend and a Happy Easter!!!!

Chiles Tiburon

On Tuesday I went to one of the best cooking classes yet at the Good Food Store. It was called, "Flavors of the World: 5 Takes on Chile Rellenos." This class was a once in a lifetime opportunity. How many people get to try one of there favorite Mexican dishes 5 different ways and have it prepared by a fantastic chef that is a native from Puebla Mexico?!? I was treated to some exquisite Mexican cuisine by the excellent chef Gulsidel Velazquez, and now I want to share one of the dishes he made for us with you!

First let's start with the sauce for this dish, Cadillo con Tiburon.
It's a bit spicy, but so delicious!

Here is what you are going to need:
-1/2 cup Ketchup
-1/2 of a Chipotle Pepper
-2 tbsp Tobasco Sauce
-1/8 cup Spiced Rum (or Brandy)
-Black Pepper (to taste)

In a food processor or blender, combine the ketchup...

1/2 a Chipotle Pepper (canned in adobo sauce)...

And 2 tbsp of Tobasco Sauce.

Puree the mixture so there aren't chunks of chipotle pepper.

Then transfer the sauce to a small saucepan and add 1/8 cup of Spiced Rum. Sprinkle in some pepper, to taste, and warm the sauce over medium-low heat.

Transfer to a serving dish and set aside.

Now let's make the Chiles Tiburon!
You can make this dish 2 ways, you can either stuff it with the shrimp or with Mozzarella cheese. The reason to use Mozzarella cheese instead of other cheeses is because it's one of the only types of cheese that can be melted and yet still hold form without oozing everywhere. Gulsidel taught me this handy tip in class!

Here is what you are going to need (2 servings):
-4 Prawns or Large Shrimp (pre-cooked)
-4 Jalapeno Peppers (blanched for 3 minutes in boiling water)
-2 Eggs (Separeated: 2 Egg White + 1 Egg Yolk)
-1 tbsp Flour
-Salt & Pepper to taste
-Oil for frying

First start by blanching the Jalapeno peppers in boiling water for 3 minutes and then submerge them into ice water.

To remove the seeds and membranes (the hot stuff!), cut off the tops of the Jalapeno....

And then using a small knife, turn the pepper/knife to scoop out and get rid of the seeds. You might want to wear some protective eye wear in case the Jalapenos squirt juice!

Then stuff your prawns (or cheese) into the peppers.

They look so cute! Almost like a little Jalapeno fish or tadpole! I shall call him Squishy and he shall be mine and he shall be my Squishy.

In a mixing bowl, beat the 2 egg whites until soft peaks form with an electric mixer. Add the egg yolk and keep the mixer on low speed. Add the 1 tbsp of flour and blend until smooth.

In a saute pan, add oil and heat it over Medium-High heat.

Dredge the peppers in flour....

And then dip them into the egg mixture.

Fry the pepper for 3 minutes on each side until it turns a beautiful golden brown.

Serve the peppers with about 1-2 tbsp of sauce on each pepper and garnish with some Cilantro!

Enjoy this dish with some tacos and you are in for a delicious Mexican feast!

Don't forget to enter the Giveaway!

PRINT RECIPE HERE!!!

Giveaway!!!

I was so excited about reaching 150 fans on Facebook yesterday that I went out and picked up one of my favorite things of all time to giveaway...

Alpine Touch!

This is my favorite item in my spice cabinet and I use it almost everyday!

I sprinkle this stuff on everything, including:

-Eggs (poached, scrabbled or fried)

-Mashed Potatoes

-Homemade French Fries

-Sauteed Veggies

-Pasta Sauces

-Hamburger Meat

And I've used it in these recipes:

-Tuna Casserole

-Fried Egg Sandwhich

-Slow-Cooker Tangy Beef & Noodles

-Fiesta Eggs & Potatoes

This stuff is good!

HOW TO ENTER:

If you would like to win this lovely bottle of Alpine Touch that will pretty much last you a lifetime, all you have to do is these 2 things to enter the giveaway:

-Become a fan on Facebook of The Girly Girl Cooks

-Leave a comment answering this question, "What is the one thing you can't live without in your kitchen?"

If you are already a fan of The Girly Girl Cooks on Facebook, then all you have to do is leave a comment!

I'll announce the winner of the Giveaway next Wednesday afternoon (April 27th).

Don't forget to Retweet this Giveaway on Twitter and share the news on Facebook! Good Luck!

Peach Cobbler

This has to be one of my favorite desserts of all time! It is so versatile and you can use any type of berry you want. During the summer I use Huckleberries instead of Peaches and it is to die for!

Let me tell you what, the moment Farmer's Market starts here in Missoula (if winter will ever end), I am going to spend a small fortune and buy a TON of Huckleberries so that I can freeze them. I have no idea if Billings offers Huckleberries, but I'm guessing they don't. Plus, Dusty bought me a Huckleberry Cookbook that I haven't been able to use yet because Huckleberries aren't in season until summer.

But anyways, this isn't about Huckleberries, this is about Peaches!

Two nights ago I had a little mishap in the kitchen that deemed me the name "Miss Cinnamon," thanks to my awesome reading skills. As I was putting the Peach filling together I read the recipe I had written out and it said "1/4 cup Cinnamon". I questioned this, scratched my head and then went with it. It seemed odd, but oh well!

So as I was thickening my filling I realized that it was way darker than normal.
This can't be right? It has never looked like this before!?!?

To make sure I wasn't going to screw this recipe up, I called my mom for the original recipe...just to compare notes.
"Hey Mom! So can you check something for me in the peach cobbler from your cookbook."
"I should really just get you a copy of this book, you use it so much" (OK! You can get it for me!)

"Uh, so it's a 1/4 cup Cinnamon right?!?"
Pause.
My mom is thinking less of me at this moment and wondering how I made it through college.

"NO! It's only 1/4 tsp of Cinnamon!"

Pause.

"Ooooh." (Some swear words) "I'll just have to rinse out the peaches from the filling and start over."
Meanwhile, my mom is laughing at me and I can hear Dusty upstairs laughing at me too.

I thank my mom for correcting me of my ways, get off the phone and Dusty comes downstairs saying, "Why hello Miss Cinnamon, did we add a little too much of something this evening?"

And that is how Miss Cinnamon was born! My apartment smelled strongly of cinnamon all night but I fixed the cobbler and it was delicious!
The End!

Now let's get to the recipe!
Here is what you are going to need for the Filling:
-4 cups of Peaches (or any berry)
-1/4 cup Water
-1 tbsp Cornstarch
-1/2 cup Sugar
-1/4 tsp Cinnamon

Here is what you are going to need for the Topping:
-1/2 cup Flour
-1/2 cup Sugar
-1/4 tsp Salt
-1/2 tsp Baking Soda
-1 Egg
-2 tbsp Butter-melted

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (F).
For this recipe you can use fresh or canned peaches. I just so happened to have canned. So I used it!

Drain the peaches of their juices...

And give them a rough chop so you don't have awkward long pieces of peaches in your cobbler.

Now they are bite-sized peaches!

Then in a small saucepan, combine the water and cornstarch. Stir to dissolve the cornstarch. Add the peaches, sugar and cinnamon. Cook until it thickens and boils.

Pour the peach filling into an ungreased 8x8 baking dish.

Note that the sauce is not dark brown! It is the right amount of cinnamon!

Combine all of the topping ingredients into a bowl...

And then drop the topping over the peaches.

It doesn't have to be pretty because it will eventually melt and spread out.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until the topping is golden brown and let it sit for about 5 minutes to cool.

If you are feeling fancy, you can whip up some homemade whipped cream to serve on top by just blending these 3 ingredients together until it forms soft peaks:
-1/2 cup Whipping Cream
-1 tbsp Sugar
-1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract

Serve the whipped cream or ice cream with your Peach Cobbler and you are good to go!

Enjoy!

PRINT RECIPE HERE!!!

Homemade Fruit Leather

My project for yesterday (Saturday) was to make some Fruit Leather from scratch. I am excited to report that it was a success!

I got the recipe from Tasty Kitchen and it is delicious!

I bought some blackberries to try out sometime this week and I also have some kiwi's....strawberry kiwi fruit leather?!?!

I think so!

Chicken Scallion Dumplings with Ponzu Sauce

I am obsessed with dumplings, wontons, and potstickers! They are cute little packages of intense flavor and so much fun to make!

I've made BBQ Wontons and Apple Potstickers before, but this one is definitely different because it's a "dumpling." The process is basically the same, except you boil the packages of goodness instead of steaming or baking them. I haven't made dumplings before, but when I took a cooking class on "Dumplings of the Far East" last month at the Good Food Store, I had to try it!

They are really easy to make, a little time consuming, but really fun for everyone to make (especialy kids)! My little sister and I had a blast making BBQ Wontons when I was home visiting over Christmas break. She loved folding the wontons and making them into little pouches. It's really interactive for kids/adults and has great rewards when you sit down and scarf them down!

Here is what you are going to need for 20 Dumplings:
-1/2 lb of finely minced raw chicken breast (or thigh)
-2 Scallions thinly sliced
-4 cloves of minced Garlic
-2 tsp fresh minced Ginger
-1-1/2 tbsp Reduced-Sodium Soy Sauce
-2 tsp Sesame Oil
-1-1/2 tsp Rice Vinegar
-1 tbsp Cornstarch
-20 Wonton Wrappers

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add some minced Ginger.

2 Scallions thinly sliced.

4 cloves of minced Garlic.

Soy Sauce, Sesame Oil and Rice Vinegar.

Add some Cornstarch to the bowl too.

And oh yeah, the minced chicken! Don't forget the chicken!

If you can find chicken thigh meat, use it! My local grocery store was fresh out of thigh meat, so I had to settle for chicken breast. According to my cooking class instructor, chicken thigh meat has more moisture than chicken breast. More moisture = more delicious!

Stir it all together and now lets get the party started!

Lay your wonton wrappers out on the counter, 5 at a time. With your finger, dip it into a bowl of warm water and outline the outer edges of the wrapper with the water. Scoop 1 tsp of chicken scallion mixture and put it in the center of the wonton wrapper.

Fold the wonton over to make a triangle and tightly seal the edges...

Then bring the two bottom points together to make this cutie!

P.S. This is also how you make a tortellini too!

Then get a large pot of water boiling and boil the dumplings for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, put together the Ponzu sauce for dipping the dumplings or drizzling over them.

For the Ponzu Sauce:
-1/3 cup Reduced-Sodium Soy Sauce
-3 tbsp Lemon Juice
-1 tsp Sugar

Just combine the 3 ingredients in a small bowl and you are good to go!

After 5 minutes of boiling, remove the dumplings and place them in a large colander to drain off the excess water. Then serve them with some yummy Chile-Garlic Edamame!

I've been informed by Dusty's grandfather, that Billings has terrible Asian restaurants. I'm not surprised because Montana really lacks in both Asian and Mexican in general. When I was told this news, I started doing research and found this book....

I think I should invest in this book so I can make delicious Asian cuisine from my own kitchen! Do you have this cookbook? Do you have recommendations for any good cookbooks of Asian cuisine?

Happy Friday!

Print Chicken Scallion Dumpling Recipe Here!
Print Chile-Garlic Edamame Recipe Here!