Dark Chocolate Mint Cupcakes

Oh man, it's been awhile since I've done a Recipe Re-Do. As in *cough* almost a year ago. Almost to the day. Obviously I didn't do so hot this past year with keeping up with my re-dos. Therefore I'm still pulling from February 2008. That's right. 2008.

Which on the bright side, means this little ol' blog has been hanging around for 5 years. Barely, this past year, but here we are, still carrying on. I'll take it.

5 years ago, I was in the middle of planning Adam and I's wedding while living in DC. Today, we've been in Pittsburgh for almost 5 years and are expecting our first child any day now. It's crazy how things change.

But that's not what we're here for, is it? Nope. We're here for the cupcakes. And you're lucky, because they're totally worth it. Back in 2008, I used a boxed cake mix and canned frosting. Smashed up a bunch of Girl Scout cookies, threw them in the batter and frosting and called it a day.

While that certainly isn't a bad way to make cupcakes, I decided it was time to give them a little update. A face lift if you will. I kept true to the flavors from those Dark Chocolate Thin Mint Cupcakes, but I altered how I infused the "mint" flavor into them. Instead of smashing up Girl Scout cookies (which, who wastes Girl Scout cookies like that?), I used dark chocolate mint candy melts to make a ganache instead. After dipping the cupcakes in the ganache, I topped them with a simple vanilla buttercream dusted with a few crushed up Keebler Grasshoppers. Thin Mints? No, but they do come pretty darn close. Much like the original cupcakes, the mint flavor isn't overpowering, but it's definitely there.

Now, who's going to take these away from me?

Dark Chocolate Mint Cupcakes

Original Recipe

2 cups boiling water
1 cup Hershey's Special Dark cocoa (or other dutch-processed cocoa)
2 3/4 cup cake flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup heavy cream
4 ounces Wilton's Dark Chocolate Mint candy melts
2 tablespoons butter

1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 pound powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5-6 drops green food coloring (optional)
5-6 Keebler Grasshopper cookies or Girl Scout Thin Mints, crushed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two muffin tins with baking cups.

In a medium bowl, pour boiling water over cocoa; whisk until smooth. Let mixture cool.

In another medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In the work bowl of a mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat eggs in, one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Stir in vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture until all ingredients are fully incorporated. (Note: batter will be very thin and runny.)

Fill baking cups about 2/3 full, and bake at 350 for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes in pan before removing to wire racks. Allow to cool completely.

To make the ganache, in a small bowl, heat the chocolate and butter in the microwave, 20-30 seconds at a time. Stir between each heating until melted. Slowly stir in the cream.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter. Add in the vanilla. Slowly add in 1 pound of powdered sugar and mix until smooth and creamy. Beat in food coloring if desired.

Once the cupcakes and ganache have cooled, turn the cupcake upside down and dip the top in the ganache. Slowly rotate so that the entire top of cupcake is covered, making sure ganache does not get on the cupcake liner. Shake cupcake slightly to remove any excess ganache. Flip right-side up, and allow the ganache to set. Pipe or spread on frosting. Sprinkle crushed mint cookies over frosting.


Makes: 30 cupcakes

Dark chocolate cupcakes dipped in dark chocolate mint ganache topped with buttercream? Yes please. Although it is an additional step, I love the extra flavor and moisture the layer of ganache brings.

Alright, I will admit, I pretty much ripped off my own Chocolate Dipped Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes making these. For some reason, I'm alright with it. :) Especially now that I don't have to wait until Girl Scout cookie season to make these.

Interested in my previous Recipe Re-Dos?
Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Oreo Raspberry Glaze changed to Chocolate Dipped Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes
Penne Alla Vodka remade into Creamy Penne Alla Vodka
Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken into Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken Handpies
Ginger Teriyaki Burgers remade into Ginger Teriyaki Turkey Buns
Easy Baked Chicken and Brie to Chicken and Brie with Candied Walnuts and Apples
Garlic Lemon Double-Stuffed Chicken into Cheesy Jalapeno Chicken
Mini Mint Chocolate Cheesecakes changed into Chocolate Peppermint Whoopie Pies

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 89g
Amount per serving
Calories 323	Calories from fat 146
% Daily Value
Total Fat 16.2g	25%
Saturated Fat 10.2g	51%
Cholesterol 59mg	20%
Sodium 268mg	11%
Total Carbs 44.0g	15%
Dietary Fiber 1.5g	6%
Sugars 32.8g
Protein 2.7g
Vitamin A 9%	Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 1%	Iron 5%

Chocolate Peppermint Whoopie Pies

4 years.

You can do a lot in 4 years.

Get married.

Move.

Go back to school.

Move again.

Buy a car.

Keep up with a blog.

You would think at least the last thing would easily fall by the wayside in 4 years. Yet for some reason, it never did. So here we are, 4 years after the start of this blog. It's amazing how things change.

Like the photography, the cooking ability... although some things never do change. Like me trying to burn the place down.

I thought it only fitting, on the eve of my 4 year blog birthday, to have another recipe re-do. Taking a trip down memory lane to the first I ever made a cheesecake. Or in this case, cheesecakes. These Mini Mint Chocolate Cheeesecakes were rich, and dense, and definitely in-your-face minty. Which, isn't exactly my favorite flavor.

I went back and forth and back and forth trying to figure how I wanted to re-do this recipe. Make another cheesecake? But I didn't feel like cheesecake. Chances are 90% of it would end up in the trash. No, it needed to be something else.

Something portable. Why, cookies of course!

Chocolate Peppermint Whoopie Pies

Adapted from: cdkitchen & Gingerbread Bagles

1/4 cup butter
8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (17.5 ounce) box chocolate cake mix

3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup half & half

In the large work bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and cream cheese. Stir in the egg and vanilla until fully incorporated. Slowly add in the cake mix, 1/3 at a time. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a scoop (or a tablespoon) drop dough onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until done. Let cookies rest on pan for 1 minute, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

In a large bowl, mix together the butter and cocoa for about 4 minute until smooth. Stir in peppermint and vanilla extracts. Slowly stir in half of the powdered sugar, followed by half of the half and half. Repeat with remaining powdered sugar and half and half until combined, then increase speed to medium-high for 3 minutes, or until mixture is smooth.

Transfer frosting to a piping bag (a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off works well too). Spread frosting on the upturned side of half of the cookies, top with the remaining cookies.

Makes: 24 whoopie pies

Alright, I can't lie, I kind of screwed up on these. I was going for waaaay more of a cheesecake-y vibe than I got from these. Silly me, I thought simply adding the cream cheese into the cookies would come through enough, but it really doesn't at all. I should have gone with my gut on the frosting and went with a simple cream cheese buttercream with peppermint. Sigh.

And you would think after all these years I would've learned...

However, if you didn't know I was going for the whole cheesecake-reincarnation-in-a-cookie thing, you would have thought it was light and fluffy chocolate cookies sandwiching peppermint buttercream. Not a bad combo, and definitely not a bad whoopie pie.

Interested in my previous Recipe Re-Dos?
Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Oreo Raspberry Glaze changed to Chocolate Dipped Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes
Penne Alla Vodka remade into Creamy Penne Alla Vodka
Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken into Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken Handpies
Ginger Teriyaki Burgers remade into Ginger Teriyaki Turkey Buns
Easy Baked Chicken and Brie to Chicken and Brie with Candied Walnuts and Apples
Garlic Lemon Double-Stuffed Chicken into Cheesy Jalapeno Chicken

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 60g
Amount per serving
Calories 235	Calories from fat 109
% Daily Value
Total Fat 12.1g	19%
Saturated Fat 6.2g	31%
Cholesterol 31mg	10%
Sodium 254mg	11%
Total Carbs 31.8g	11%
Dietary Fiber 1.3g	5%
Sugars 23.0g
Protein 3.0g
Vitamin A 6%	Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 5%	Iron 7%

Cheesy Jalapeno Chicken

Unlike my last recipe re-do, where I wasn't thrilled with the original recipe, the starting recipe this time around is actually really good. This Garlic Lemon Double-Stuffed Chicken is a hot mess of gooey cheese and buttery crunchy breadcrumbs. Kind of hard to add or take away anything from that without losing the essence of the dish.

(The original post doesn't have a picture, but I unearthed a few from my hard drive, and now I know why. There's a whole lot of oozing cheese in this picture and it's hard to tell what else is going on.)

After struggling with this dilemma for a long time, a quick look at the nutrition facts made the decision for me. Clocking in at over 900 calories per serving is really quite a bit ridiculous. Especially when we're talking chicken.

What to do? The cheese has to stay -- it's what makes the dish! Instead, I omitted the butter, used reduced-fat cream cheese, and less cheddar -- shredding it instead of using a slice so I felt like there was still the same amount. A 400 calorie reduction later, and we now have a dish that went from a "special indulgence" to acceptable for dinner almost any night.

Cheesy Jalapeno Chicken

Original Recipe

Cooking spray
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 jalapeno, seeds and membranes removed, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 ounces cream cheese
2 (4 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup 1% milk
1/2 cup panko (japanese-style breadcrumbs)
1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Thoroughly coat a 8x8 baking pan with cooking spray; set aside.

In a small skillet over medium heat, cook the jalapeno for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl. Add the cream cheese and mix together until the jalapeno mixture is fully incorporated. Set aside.

Using a sharp knife, slice each chicken breast in half horizontally through the center (butterfly), cutting almost but not completely through. Spread half the cream cheese mixture on the inside of a chicken breast. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of cheddar, then fold the unused half of the chicken breast back over, securing with toothpicks. Repeat with remaining chicken breast and cheese.

Pour milk into a shallow bowl. In another small bowl, toss together the panko and paprika. Dip each stuffed breast in milk, then roll gently in breadcrumb mixture, patting lightly to coat. Place breasts in the prepared baking dish. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Serves: 2

I was a little leery at first dumping a whole jalapeno into the cream cheese for just two chicken breasts, but the cream cheese really mellows it out. It remains spicy, but definitely not overpoweringly so. I also really like that subtle hint of smokiness from just that little touch of smoked paprika -- it gives the chicken that extra little nuance of flavor.

Adam and I both gave this two thumbs up, and I really wished I had made more that just two chicken breasts so we could have leftovers the next day.

Interested in my previous Recipe Re-Dos?
Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Oreo Raspberry Glaze changed to Chocolate Dipped Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes
Penne Alla Vodka remade into Creamy Penne Alla Vodka
Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken into Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken Handpies
Ginger Teriyaki Burgers remade into Ginger Teriyaki Turkey Buns
Easy Baked Chicken and Brie to Chicken and Brie with Candied Walnuts and Apples

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 257g
Amount per serving
Calories 505	Calories from fat 214
% Daily Value
Total Fat 23.8g	37%
Saturated Fat 10.4g	52%
Cholesterol 139mg	46%
Sodium 532mg	22%
Total Carbs 24.1g	8%
Dietary Fiber 1.5g	6%
Sugars 5.2
Protein 45.3
Vitamin A 15%	Vitamin C 7%
Calcium 27%	Iron 16%

Chicken & Brie with Candied Walnuts and Apples

Sometimes when I start working on a Recipe Re-Do it takes me a while to figure out which direction I want to go, how close I want to stay to the original recipe, and what new ingredients I'll be adding. This was not one of those times. As soon as I saw which recipe was up next, I knew right away what I wanted to do.

I started out with my Easy Baked Chicken and Brie recipe. I had complained that there just wasn't enough flavor from the dish and it just needed a little something extra. Way back when, I tried adding a bit of raspberry dressing to give it that extra little kick, but it just didn't work the way I wanted. This time around, I gave a little more thought to the change. I knew walnuts and Brie go together really well, and why not candy them while we're at it? And then throw some apples into the mix since as they work well with cheese and walnuts, too.

Done. I think I found the flavor boost I complained the dish was lacking before.

Chicken and Brie with Candied Walnuts and Apples

Original Recipe

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup white wine
4 (4 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
8 ounces Brie cheese
2 granny smith apples, thinly julienned (matchstick-cut)

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Line a counter-top with parchment paper. Once the sugar starts to melt, begin to frequently stir with a wooden spoon. Once the sugar has completely melted, continue to stir for another 1-2 minutes, or until the sugar has caramelized (a light brown color). Working quickly, stir in the walnuts, making sure each piece is coated. Pour nuts out onto the parchment paper, using a fork to separate the pieces. Allow to cool and harden before using.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Pour wine into an un-greased 9x13 baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, and oregano, mixing well. Season chicken well with oregano mix on both sides. Place chicken in baking dish with the wine. Bake for 35 minutes, or until chicken is done.

Meanwhile, slice round of Brie into quarters. Once chicken is done, top each piece with a slice of Brie, then return to the oven for another 3-5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Serve over a bed of 1/2 a julienned apple and sprinkled with 2 tablespoons candied walnuts.

Serves: 4

While you don't have to use candied walnuts, I like the little extra bit of sweetness they bring to the dish. You can definitely try and hunt for them at the grocery store if you want to eliminate the step of making them yourself, I'm just not lucky enough to have mine sell them. I also recommend a mandolin for slicing the apples, but once again, it's more for convenience than necessity.

Interested in my previous Recipe Re-Dos?
Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Oreo Raspberry Glaze changed to Chocolate Dipped Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes
Penne Alla Vodka remade into Creamy Penne Alla Vodka
Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken into Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken Handpies
Ginger Teriyaki Burgers remade into Ginger Teriyaki Turkey Buns

Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 648	Calories from fat 302
% Daily Value
Total Fat 33.5g	52%
Saturated Fat 12.7g	64%
Cholesterol 158mg	53%
Sodium 1187mg	49%
Total Carbs 28.9g	10%
Dietary Fiber 3.5g	14%
Sugars 22.9
Protein 48.7
Vitamin A 10%	Vitamin C 8%
Calcium 15%	Iron 15%

Ginger Teriyaki Turkey Buns

It's that time again! So far I've turned Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Oreo Raspberry Glaze into Chocolate Dipped Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes, Penne Alla Vodka into Creamy Penne Alla Vodka, and some Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken into Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken Handpies. Up next on the list are what I proclaimed to be the most amazing burgers ever -- Ginger Teriyaki Burgers.

These burgers were not only made out of beef with a ginger teriyaki sauce mixed in, but also had a slice of pepper jack cheese nestled in the middle. Yum. Although today, I probably wouldn't label them as the "best burger ever", but they are pretty good. I think I was just so excited that I actually came up with my first truly unique recipe.

When it came to re-creating this dish, I knew right away I wanted to switch from ground beef to ground turkey to let the flavor of the sauce come through a bit more. While they go well together, the beef has a heavy enough flavor on its own that it somewhat overpowers and mutes the sauce. This time around I wanted that sauce to shine.

As I kept turning this recipe over in my mind trying to figure out how to change it, I decided I wanted to have it lean more towards Asian-inspired rather than American. I used the classic Char Siu Bao (Chinese BBQ pork buns) as an inspiration to wrap the flavored turkey inside a bun rather than between two halves of one. And it is so.good. I love that the buns are slightly sweet while the sauce reminds me of hibachi grill restaurants that I love so much.

Ginger Teriyaki Turkey Buns

Buns adapted from: Christine's Recipes
Sauce adapted from: Allrecipes.com

2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup very hot water
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup milk
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
2 cups all-purpose flour

1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons water

1 pound ground turkey
1/4 cup onion, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Teriyaki sauce
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon white vinegar


In a large bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons sugar and hot water. Let sit until sugar has completely melted (may need to put in the microwave for a few seconds). Add oil and milk. Allow mixture to cool to 110-115 degrees F. Add yeast and stir well. Cover with a towel and let sit for 10 minutes in a warm, draft free spot. Mixture should be foamy on top when ready.

Stir in flour with a wooden spoon until the flour is mostly incorporated and the mixture looks shaggy. Knead dough by hand until no longer sticky, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with a towel and let rest in a warm, draft free area until doubled in size (25 minutes).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Meanwhile, brown the ground turkey in a large skillet over medium heat until no pink remains. Remove from heat & drain.

Combine the onion and next 5 ingredients (through Teriyaki sauce) in a food processor. Process until smooth. Pour sauce over ground turkey, tossing to make sure all the turkey is coated.

Divide dough into 6 equal portions. Flatten each section into a 4-5 inch round, leaving the center thicker. Add about 2 2/3 ounces (about 4 tablespoons) filling to the center of each disk, then fold the ends over each other. Seal the seams well. Place buns seam-side down on the baking sheet.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 2 teaspoons water. Brush egg wash over each bun. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until buns are golden brown.

Yields: 6 buns

My first attempt at these sweet little buns was a disaster. Actually, I think it was my first failed yeast dough. After 2+ hours the dough had barely risen, definitely not "tripled in size" as it was supposed to. And of course, it was well past time we should have eaten, sooo it ended up being pizza night. But I knew this was the way I wanted to go, not to mention I still had turkey sitting in the fridge. A few nights and a new recipe later, and we had success. I was a little hesitant with using the recipe I did as it had such a short rise time compared to the other recipes I had come across, but trust me, it works.

You could also go the steaming route, which seems to be a bit more popular with Char Siu Bao, but seeing as I don't have the right equipment, baked it was. (And anyways, I think the baked version replaces hamburger buns a little better.) Either way, these will be delicious.

Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 395	Calories from fat 117
% Daily Value
Total Fat 12.9g	20%
Saturated Fat 3.4g	17%
Cholesterol 113mg	38%
Sodium 882mg	37%
Total Carbs 40.5g	14%
Dietary Fiber 1.7g	7%
Sugars 6.8g
Protein 27.5g
Vitamin A 1%	Vitamin C 4%
Calcium 5%	Iron 22%

Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken Handpies

Back in September I re-made my very first food post, Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Oreo Raspberry Glaze, into Chocolate Dipped Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes for the first challenge of Project Food Blog.

I had so much fun with it I decided to try again in November by remaking my second-ever food post, Penne Alla Vodka into a Creamy Penne Alla Vodka.

Now here I am again, going after my third-ever food post: Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken. This post is so old, it doesn't even have a picture. Just imagine some lonely looking chicken breasts sprinkled with spices and you've got it. :)

I actually wanted to do this recipe re-do much sooner than now, but to be honest, I was quite stumped when it came to this dish. What to do different? The chicken itself is really quite tasty, and I wasn't sure how much I wanted to change that aspect. After thinking and thinking, then thinking some more, I decided to simply dice the chicken and serve it mixed in with other complementary items - such as rice, beans, and cheese. Then at the last minute, while perusing through my Foodbuzz inbox, I came across a post for empanadas. Lightbulb.

I kept my original idea for the mix-ins the same, but instead of serving as-is, they would all be tucked away nicely inside little pouches of dough you could pick up and eat. It didn't feel right calling them empanadas, as they're baked, not fried, so we're going to go with hand-pies on this one.

Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken Handpies
Original Recipe

1 cup long-grain white rice, uncooked
2 cups water
zest from 1/2 lime
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
2 (4 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons lime juice

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
9 tablespoons shortening
9 tablespoons butter
6-9 tablespoons cold water

1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
4 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a small saucepan, bring the rice and 2 cups water to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer (medium-low); cook for 20 minutes or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat, fluff rice with a fork, recover, and let sit for another 5 minutes. Stir in lime zest and cilantro.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil. In a small bowl, combine the salt and next 7 ingredients (through parsley), mixing well. Sprinkle the seasoning mix over the cubed chicken. Cook the chicken in the skillet about 5 minutes, or until almost cooked through. Drizzle with the lime juice, then cook until done, about 1 minute more.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in the shortening and butter until the mixture turns into a fine crumb. Add 4 tablespoons of cold water, mixing until all the dry ingredients are hydrated. If the dough is still too dry, add cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough is able to fully come together.

Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and roll out with a lightly floured rolling pin to a thickness of about 1/4-inch. Using a large biscuit cutter (or anything that will give you a 4-inch circle), cut a round from the dough and transfer to the baking sheet. Top with 1 1/2 tablespoons cilantro-lime rice, 1/2 tablespoon pinto beans, 1 tablespoon (about 3 cubes) of chicken, and 1 tablespoon cheese, leaving about 1/4-inch from the edge on all sides.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water. This will serve as your egg wash. Using a pastry brush (or your finger), brush egg wash along the outside edge of the pastry. Cut another round from the dough (I made mine about 4 1/2-inches) and lay on top of the filling. Press the edges down into the bottom round, then seal together with the tines of a fork. Brush with the egg wash. Repeat with remaining dough and filling ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, or until the hand-pies become golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Makes: 10 hand-pies (plus leftover filling)

Lucky for me, these turned out much the way I envisioned them - light flaky dough surrounded rice with oozy cheese and chicken. Kind of like a Chipotle burrito, but pie-style.

While the concept behind these and actually eating them is fun and cute, making them is a different story. Or maybe that's just because I have almost zero counter space. They actually come together pretty easily once you have everything lined up ready to go, it's just getting there that takes a bit (*ahem*rolling out dough). Which is why there is no egg wash on these -- I didn't have any more room or energy to get one more bowl out. But I highly recommend you add it for that nice golden color. Sigh, I desperately need a bigger kitchen.

And, if you get tired of rolling out dough, or simply run out of dough before filling ingredients (which I may or may not have done), this is also fantastic without it. Just mix everything together and pop in the microwave to melt the cheese for a few seconds. Either way, delicious.

Nutrition Facts - there are no nutrition facts for this dish, as the entire quantity of certain ingredients may not be used (i.e. there will most likely be leftover beans and rice).

Creamy Penne Alla Vodka

Back in September, I kicked off my first entry for Project Food Blog with a makeover of my very first food post.

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Oreo Raspberry Glaze to Chocolate-Dipped Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

I actually had so much fun with it, I decided to do it again! Progressing in a logical order, I decided to simply move on to the second post: Penne Alla Vodka. (The picture came later here.) Changing up Penne Alla Vodka is kind of hard to do as it's such a classic dish. I didn't want to just wander over to Allrecipes.com and find myself a different version of the recipe, I wanted to actually put a different spin on it. So what to do?

I decided to switch things up by substituting reduced-fat cream cheese for the heavy cream and taking out the majority of the olive oil. Nothing too radical or crazy, staying true to what Penne Alla Vodka is yet adding my own little spin.

Creamy Penne Alla Vodka
From: Original Recipe

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained, reserving juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
1/4 cup vodka
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound penne, uncooked
4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
2 teaspoons dried parsley

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add garlic and sauté until just starting to turn golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the stovetop and add the vodka and reserved tomato juice. Return the pan to medium heat and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Stir in the cream cheese until completely melted and mixed thoroughly.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Generously salt the boiling water, add the pasta and cook until al dente according to the package directions. Drain well. Return pasta to the large pot, and stir in tomato mixture until pasta is completely coated with the sauce. Add the parsley and toss briefly. Serve immediately.

Serves: 8

I think Adam might have even liked the updated version a little bit better than the original. The tang from the cream cheese gives the dish an extra little "umph". Not to mention that these changes shave off 50 calories per serving when compare with the original version. Not too shabby! The only fall back with taking out the olive oil, is the following day when you reheat it for lunch. It warms up a little on the dry side, but nothing that can't be fixed by a little addition of olive oil. :)

Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 255	Calories from fat 72
% Daily Value
Total Fat 8.0g	12%
Saturated Fat 3.5g	18%
Cholesterol 57mg	19%
Sodium 207mg	9%
Total Carbs 33.8g	11%
Dietary Fiber 0.7g	3%
Sugars 1.4g
Protein 8.0g
Vitamin A 14%	Vitamin C 12%
Calcium 3%	Iron 13%

Get Up and Move Challenge Day 3: What are the "cut-off" points for overweight and/or obese categories? How do I know which category I'm in?

I know going in to this I said that weight loss was not going to be our main focus during these 30 days. Which is true. It's not. However, when we start talking about health, increased weight is strongly correlated with things such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, and many more [1]. So for some people, yes, weight loss is a factor in their health.

So how do you know where you fall and should you be concerned? There are two easy and popular methods used to determine your health risk with regards to your weight: the Body Mass Index and Waist Circumference. Type either one into Google and you'll get thousands of hits and ways to show you how to do it. Here's the quick and easy breakdown (according to ACSM [1]):

Body Mass Index

Your weight in pounds divided by 2.2 = ____________ (kg)
Your height in inches multiplied by 2.54 = _______________ (cm)
Your height in centimeters (cm) divided by 100 = ____________ (m), then square it ____________(m²)

Finally, divide your weight in kg by your height in m² = _______________

Sounds kind of complicated, but I promise you it's not. That's what a handy-dandy calculator is for!

So where do you fall? Let's have a look-see:

Underweight = less than 18.5
Normal = 18.5-24.9
Overweight = 25.0-29.9
Obesity = greater than 30.0

Waist Circumference

Even easier than BMI. Simply measure using a soft flexible measuring tape around the widest portion of your abdomen (belly) keeping the tape horizontal all the way around.

Waist circumference (in centimeters) = ________________ (cm)
(If you did it in inches multiply by 2.54 to get centimeters)

So where does all this put you health-risk-wise?

Having a BMI in the overweight category puts you at an "elevated" risk for disease, while being in the obese category places you at a "high" risk. Keep in mind that the underweight group is also at an "elevated" risk, so that's not where you want to be either. As for the waist circumference, women with a circumference less than 70 cm, and men with a circumference less than 80 are in a very low risk category. Women at 70-89 cm and men 80-99 cm fall into the low risk category. Women with a circumference of 90-109 cm and men 100-120 cm are in the high risk category, while those women with a waist circumference higher than 110 cm and men above 120 cm fall into the very high risk category.

Now, don't freak out on me here if those numbers are higher than you want. If you fall into either the overweight or obese categories, you are in the same boat as 62% of the rest of the US. So you're not alone. So what you're saying is I have to be skinny to be healthy? Not exactly. We'll go into "why" tomorrow.

Should you be concerned by your numbers? I can't tell you how seeing those numbers will affect you, but the higher they are, the more important a healthy diet and exercise becomes. If you truly are concerned, don't hesitate to call your doctor and talk things over with them!

Losing weight is just one component in the big picture to get your health back on track, however, being able to lose it and keep it off is extremely tough! This is why we are slowly building up our exercise levels and learning to fit healthy activities into our daily lives.

Does figuring out which health-risk category you fall into motivate or un-motivate you?

[1] American College of Sports Medicine. Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, 2010.