Featured Food Blog - August 2015
Simply Whisked
Meet Melissa:
Melissa is the founder, photographer and writer of Simply Whisked, a food blog dedicated to making wholesome, exciting food from scratch. She spent the past five years living overseas in France and Kazakhstan while her husband played professional hockey. During that time, she learned to be adventurous in the kitchen and adapt her cooking to locally available ingredients. She also was lucky enough to experience a variety of cuisines as they traveled. Simply Whisked was created to document all of it.
Now a family of three, she and her husband have plans to settle down in her hometown of Green Bay, Wis. But the adventures won’t end there. She plans to continue to explore the world through food and travel, while developing recipes that focus on healthy, good-for-you ingredients so anyone can "love the food you eat”.
{Super Soft Sugar Cookies}
Prep: 30 mins | Cook: 20 mins | Total: 50 mins | Serves: 24 Cookies
2 cups All-purpose flour
½ tsp Baking powder
¼ tsp Salt
1 cup (2 sticks) Unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup Sugar
1 egg
2 tsps Vanilla extract
For the icing:
1¼ cups Powdered sugar
2 Tbsps Water
Preheat oven to 375°F and line cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt—set aside. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until combined and fluffy—about 1 minute.
Add the egg and vanilla extract. Beat until combined. Add the flour mixture in ½ cup increments, mixing to combine and scraping sides when necessary. Using a small cookie scoop, form dough into balls and place on cookie sheet about an inch or so apart.
Bake cookies for 8 - 10 minutes or until cookies have spread and dough is set. Remove from oven and allow the cookies to rest for several minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Allow cookies to cool completely before icing.
For the icing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and water until smooth. (Add more water or powdered sugar to reach desired consistency, if necessary) Using the back of a spoon, spread a thin layer of icing onto each cookie. Top with sprinkles, if desired.
{Chinese Chicken & Broccoli}
Prep: 15 mins | Cook: 15 mins | Total: 30 mins | Serves: 4
2 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 large head of Broccoli, crowns only, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 Tbsp Vegetable oil
MARINADE:
2 Tbsps Vegetable oil
1 Tbsp Water
½ tsp Baking soda
1 tsp Sugar
2 tsps Cornstarch
1 Tbsp Reduced-sodium soy sauce
SAUCE:
¼ cup + 1 Tbsp Reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsps Brown sugar
4 cloves Garlic, minced
2 Tbsps Flour
1 Tbsp Rice vinegar
1 Tbsp Vegetable oil
2 Tbsps Water
Italian seasoning to taste
Garlic powder to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix the marinade ingredients in a small bowl and pour oven chicken. Marinate the chicken while preparing the sauce and broccoli. Steam broccoli for just 3 minutes—set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients. In a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Add chicken with its marinade and a ¼ cup (about half) of the sauce mixture. Sauté until chicken is golden brown, stirring frequently. Add remaining sauce and the steamed broccoli. Cook for 2 minutes to thicken sauce or until broccoli is tender, but still crisp. For a thinner sauce, add about 1 tablespoon of water at a time until desired thickness has been reached.
Cooking Tip:
Don’t be afraid to substitute ingredients. Experimenting is half the fun of cooking.
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