Czech Foods Recipes

You will need: 1 recipe dark chocolate cake batter yielding 24 cupcakes, prepared 8oz./225g FULL FAT cream cheese/soft cheese room temperature 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick/approx 115g) 4-5 cups icing sugar (until desired consistency) 1 tsp clear vanilla extract Pre-made wrapped caramels (unwrapped) Estimate 1/2 Carmel per cupcake Course-ground sea salt 1. Prepare cupcakes according to recipe instructions.  Allow to cool. 2. Trim out very shallow circles from tops of cupcakes, remembering that large amounts of caramel will be overwhelming to chew! 3. Melt caramels with 1-2 Tbsps of milk (to soften caramel slightly) 4. Pour small amounts of caramel to create small disks on top of the cupcakes. Caramel will be a chewy contrast to the cake, so be sure that it is in a thin layer. 5. Sprinkle with sea salt while still warm. If I'm honest, the cupcakes are awesome this way.  However, for those who prefer their cupcakes frosted: 6.Prepare frosting by creaming butter and cream cheese wi

 I had the benefit of taking a rare Tuesday off work to get in some personal time at home which equated to sleeping in late, having an extra cup of coffee, and spending some quality time with the youngest. Another side benefit to being home today was making dessert courtesy of having three cups of raspberries in the freezer from our generous berry crop from the summer. We actually reaped way more than three cups during the growing season, though my children picked the bushes clean several times over, thus most berries never made it to kitchen or freezer. A lot of neighbors consider the raspberries a nuisance as if they are weeds; I actually get a kick out of watching my children raid the bushes like birds. They actually reap a great refreshing snack while they help me pick vegetables and weed the remainder of the garden, so no complaints here. Raspberries are so easy to grow (more so than some of their berry counterparts such as strawberries and blueberries). If anything, I will encour

Whether hosting a large backyard cookout with friends or having a low key Sunday family grill out, chances are if you are cooking a large batch of bratwurst, one will most likely have leftovers. Typically, leftover grilled meats are usually served up the second time in a same manner as the initial offering. In other words, leftover sausages and hot dogs are most often micro waved the next day for lunch or dinner and eaten in a bun with condiments on top. Been there, done that. Then there are those times when the party will provide a bounty of extra bratwurst in which a little creativity and imagination are required especially if there are no longer any more buns or you are tired of the condiments. Here are some creative ways to use up Bratwurst without eating them in their typical setting. Bratwurst and Pasta There are numerous ways to prepare bratwurst with the aid of pasta. Dishes can be a simple as sautéing cut up brats, peppers, onions, garlic, and tomatoes in a little olive oil or

You know that thing that happens when your mouth is really happy and spasms at the back to let you know it's overwhelmed by the food you just nommed?  That totally happened when I ate this burger.  Then I made 3 more, one everyday til the buns went bad.  SO good.  This burger is a take-off of my Orange Beef Burgers . I fear this intro is written in a way that while adequately expressing my burger experience, demeans my intellectual capabilities.  Yet I shall defend my right to use the word NOM til the end of my days!  Nom. You will need: 1 burger (room temperature or fridge cold and cooked, preferably grilled) 1 burger bun 1/2 cup sticky rice (or rice that is still steamy enough to hold shape) 1 bottle General Tso's cooking sauce An icecream scoop 1. Prepare rice and set aside, keeping warm.  2. In a frying pan, add a burger-sized circle of General Tso's sauce 3. Add burger to pan and heat, making sure the burger is coated with the sauce (add more if necessary). 4. Cook unt

Finally, a healthy meal suggestion that isn't incredibly dull or buried under green veggies.  I decided to try making my own flavored chicken using chili and lime flavors after I saw a pre-packaged version that was out of my budget. Might I recommend you attempt Crispy Chili-Lime Chicken Breasts?  As long as you remember to soak the chicken in lime juice in the morning, the actual recipe is not complicated and takes only around 10 minutes to prep.  You will need: 4 small chicken breasts 3 tsps medium chili powder 1 1/2 tsps garlic salt 3/4-1 cup lime juice 3/4 cup bread crumbs 1 egg, beaten 1 large zipable bag 1. Poke chicken with fork. 2. Marinade chicken breasts by placing them in the bag and adding the lime juice.  Close bag in a way that very little air remains, allowing the lime juice to cover as much of the chicken's surface as possible.  Leave for 2-3 hours. 3. In a flat bowl, mix the bread crumbs, chili powder, and garlic salt. 4. Prepare the chicken for baking by first