 I have been in a total fish rut lately? (What's a fish rut? you ask.) I pretty much prepare my fish in the same way, every time - salt and pepper it, give it a squeeze of lemon and throw it on the grill or in the oven. In general, it's a very good way to cook fish but after a while - I just need a change of pace.  I bought some fresh rainbow trout at Sprouts a few weeks ago and I decided to change up the fish routine a little bit. I swapped my lemons for limes and added fresh herbs - crazy radical - I know!  Grilled Rainbow Trout 1 rainbow trout filet, butterflied 1 lime, sliced fresh oregano and thyme salt and pepper 2 cups water 1 Tablespoon kosher salt 2 teaspoons sugar
 Lay more lime slices on top and fold filet in half.  Lay closed filet on grill and cook until fish is opaque and flaky.
 Serve with sweet potato fries and a fresh green salad.
I am officially out of my fish rut.
Ciao!
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 I created a cupcake version of a popular coffee drink and I even added a little dark chocolate garnish to the top to resemble the steam coming off of a hot beverage. Even though this cupcake won't give you the same feeling of warmth between your fingers, it might just warm your tummy even more than sipping a hot beverage.  White Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes Yield: 24 cupcakes Ingredients: For the cupcakes: 5 oz. semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped 2 cups cake flour 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 cup sour cream 5 tbsp. cocoa powder 2 1/2 tsp. baking soda 4 eggs 2 tsp. vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups hot coffee 12 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened 1 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. brown sugar For the whipped cream: 6 oz. white chocolate, finely chopped 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream White Chocolate Buttercream 2 cups sugar 8 egg whites 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar 1 bar of white chocolate 5 sticks butter
Add the flour mixture, alternating with the liquid mixture, beating just until all ingredients are incorporated. 
Bake 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 
Put bowl on the mixer and whisk until soft peaks form.
 Switch to paddle beater and add softened butter, 1 Tablespoon at a time. 
Add to buttercream and blend to combine.  Add a swirl of buttercream to the top of each cupcake.
  Sprinkle with chocolate curls and add a dark chocolate garnish.
 Today might be a perfect day to warm yourself with a white chocolate mocha cupcake.
Ciao!  I'm fairly new to this winter gardening but I do have an herb pot on my back porch that I pull from all winter long. I had to pull out my black, frostbitten basil quite a while ago but I still have a few hearty herbs that can withstand the cold weather. Sage, parsley, thyme, rosemary and oregano all seem to tolerate the cold temperatures. (Yes, it does gets cold in Atlanta.)  I pulled a few fresh herbs from my pot and used them to make a really delicious roasted chicken recently. It's amazing how a few fresh herbs can turn a plain old chicken into a delicious, aromatic culinary masterpiece.  A little herb inspiration was all I needed to come up with this super easy roasted chicken recipe. You don't have to use the same herbs that I did either. Create your own unique herb chicken recipe with your favorite herbs. Roasted Chicken Fryer Chicken Fresh herbs (I used sage, rosemary and thyme) 2-3 Tablespoons Olive Oil 1 Tablespoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon pepper 3 cloves garlic, smashed 1 onion 1 bunch of parsley Start by rinsing and dry a fryer chicken. (Make sure you pat it completely dry.)
Gather ingredients to stuff inside the chicken. (Onion, parsley and garlic)
Wash fresh herbs and chop finely.
Put into a bowl and add oil, salt and pepper.
Rub over entire chicken.  Roast 1 hour (or so) at 450. 
Enjoy.   The smell in the house when this bird was cooking was absolutely amazing. And it tasted just as good as it smelled. (Even better than a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket.)
Ciao!
I have big - big news ....  I'm moving!!!  It's official. I will have a change address --- tomorrow!  Ok, so I'm not actually moving out of my house, but I AM moving the blog to a new address. :) I am finally launching a My Story in Recipes website! I will continue to blog on my new site and I can hardly wait for all of you to visit me at my new address - www.mystoryinrecipes.com. With over 1100 recipes to get onto the new website, it was no easy task to change my address but it was well worth it in the end. The new website features a much more easily accessible picture index of recipes and a printable version of each new recipe! You are going to love it. There is also a blog page on the website where I will continue to post new recipes and pictures. The only difference is my change of address. From now on you can simply type in www.mystoryinrecipes.com and voila - you will be at my new home! In the meantime, I will post one final cupcake recipe on this blog. Vanilla Cupcakes 1½ cups all-purpose flour 1 cup granulated sugar 1½ teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon table salt 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature ½ cup sour cream 1 large egg , room temperature 2 large egg yolks , room temperature 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Divide batter evenly among cups of prepared tin. Bake until cupcake tops are pale gold and toothpick or skewer inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 24 minutes.
Remove the cupcakes from tin and transfer to wire rack; cool cupcakes to room temperature before frosting.
Thanks Browneyedbaker for this little beauty. I'm loving this new vanilla cupcake recipe. They're moist and light and packed with vanilla flavor.
I look forward to seeing all of you on my new blog - tomorrow!!!
Ciao!  When I was a kid - I ordered spaghetti with meatballs at EVERY restaurant that we went to. It was partially due to the fact that I was not a very adventurous eater and partly because I truly loved pasta with red sauce but mostly it was just because of the fact that I ordered the same meal at every restaurant annoyed my brother. Pretty sure that last one was all the encouragement that I needed to continue my habit of ordering spaghetti with red sauce whenever we went out.  I had no idea that there was a whole world of pasta sauces out there that I was missing out on by limiting myself to marinara. Pesto, wine sauce, alfredo, butter sauce, herb sauce - I could go on and on. I tried my hand at a charred lemon sauce recently and we all loved it. It was a nice light sauce with a bright burst of flavor. Just a touch of half and half and a sprinkling of cheese kept this sauce nice and light. A handful of fresh basil and the charred lemons gave it a nice fresh flavor. We loved this pasta dish.  Charred Lemon Penne with Shrimp |
| Cook penne according to package directions and drain. | Place lemons, cut side down, in hot skillet. Cook until charred. |
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Heat 1 T. oil and butter in skillet. Add garlic and shallots and cook until soft.
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Add mushrooms and cook until liquid is absorbed. Remove mixture from skillet.
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| Heat 1 T. oil in skillet and cook shrimp until almost pink. | Add marsala and continue to cook until shrimp is opaque. |
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Remove shrimp from skillet.
| Combine juice from 1 lemon, half and half, red pepper flakes and half of the Parmesan cheese. | Add to skillet along with remaining marsala. Simmer until slightly thickened. |
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Add pasta and toss to coat.
Add mushrooms, basil and shrimp and stir to combine.
Spoon into a bowl. Top with remaining Parmesan cheese and serve with reserved charred lemon.
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Serve.
I love this dish for summer. It is exactly what I crave on a warm summer night.
