9th Annual Chef Showdown Slideshow

 

Another great event: The 9th Annual Chef Showdown to benefit the Center for Community Solutions.

 

Learn more about this organization at www.ccssd.org.

 

Taste of Summer - Easy Pineapple Upside Down Cake

I often remember coming home late from school and before I even dropped my backpack at the door, being instantly hit by the sweet and buttery smell of cake. This particular cake was one of my family's favorite desserts not just because of the smell or how fluffy soft the cake was or even the slight crunch of the brown sugar "crust", but because it was easy for my mom to make after she came home from a long day at work, had cooked dinner, and watched over my then 1 year old brother.
 

 

"What did you mom make for dinner?"

"(insert Filipino dish here). "

"That sounds good."

"Oh and she made pineapple upside down cake."

"I'll be right over."

 

That was a pretty common reaction with my various extended family members. If for some reason they couldn't make over to our house, I was always instructed to "save a piece." Yeah, like there would be anything left over....

 

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

in a 13x9 non-stick pan

 

1- box of yellow cake mix

3- eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1- 20oz can of pineapple rings (in its own juice)

1- small jar of maraschino cherries

2/3 cup butter, melted

1/2 golden brown sugar








 

1) Preheat oven to 350*F. Place butter in non-stick baking pan and place in preheating oven to melt.

2) Pour all pineapple juice from canned pineapple rings into a measuring cup up to 1 cup. If the juice does not measure to 1 cup, fill remainder of the measuring cup with water. Combine cake mix, eggs, juice, and vegetable oil. Set aside.

3) Carefully remove pan from oven. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over melted butter. Arrange pineapple rings in the butter and sugar. Place a cherry in the middle of each ring.

4) Slowly pour batter evenly over the pineapple rings. Bake for 25 minutes.

5) Allow to cool for approximately 15 minutes. Place a serving plate firmly over the pan and flip. Serve and enjoy!

 

 

Sueshine Notes

As you can see, I used a 13x9 pan because I wanted to bring it to work....much to my coworkers' delight. When my mom would make it, it was always in two 9-inch rounds meaning you would just need to split the butter evenly and adjust the baking time according to the directions on your cake mix.

When making any kind of upside down cake, I think the flipping scares people the most. Tips to a good flip is to 1) use a good non-stick pan or in my case, I lined the pan with parchment paper, 2) allow the cake to cool and 3) commit!! Don't hesitate when flipping your cake....just hold your serving plate firmly against the pan and do it fast. The cake will just slide right out.

Don't distress if your cake cracks a little. Believe me, most people won't even notice once they start eating!

Cutting back on the sugar but still want an easy dessert? I would recommend using more water than pineapple juice, use a sugar free cake mix like Pillsbury, or use Splenda sugar blend. Or just eat a smaller piece.

 

 t was my mom's birthday a few weeks ago and I decided to make it in her honor. My mom doesn't make the cake very often anymore because she can't have it and it's one of the few sweets she admits she has a hard time resisting (even though she just lost an incredible 20+ pounds in less than a month! Zumba away mom! You can spare a piece of cake!). Instead of indulging in the cake, I decided to share this one with my co-workers. It was welcomed with enthusiasm and was gone within 15-20 minutes of my placing it in the kitchen. A few people asked me for the recipe and I explained how easy it was.

 

"You make it sound so easy. Like tada....cake!" said one of my co-workers.

 

Don't be fooled. This cake really is that easy. Just remember...commit to the flip!!

 

 

Taste of Summer - Patriotic Sugar Free Baked Funnel Cakes

 

 

Aside from the ridiculous heat that hits southern California, a few things make me think of Summer: The County Fair and the 4th of July. I didn't have the chance to make it out to the fair this year but plenty of my friends were able to. Plenty of fair check ins and pictures of fair food have been flooding my social media feed, making me extremely jealous! Since I couldn't make it out there, I just have to bring it to my house.

One of my favorite fair foods is funnel cake. To be honest with you, I don't even know where else you can find funnel cake other than the fair or maybe at a theme park. So one time a year, whoever I go to the fair with, I end up conning convincing them to buy one so I can just get a few bites of the deep fried confection covered in powdered sugar. When I heard that you could actually make a baked version of it, I was all over it (not that I'm anti the occasional deep fried food....me and the deep fryer just do not get along! Angry oil scares the heck out of me!) Since the 4th is this week, I decided to give my funnel cakes a patriotic twist.

 

Patriotic Sugar Free Baked Funnel Cakes

adapted from DiabeticLivingOnline.com

 

1 cup of water

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup all purpose flour

4 eggs

2 cups of berries (strawberries & blueberries for the colors)

1 cup vanilla ice cream

large freezer/storage bag

 

 

Preheat oven to 400*F. Cover a large cookie sheet with parchment paper or spray with a non-stick spray. Set aside.

In a medium sized saucepan, bring water, butter, and salt to a boil. Once the butter is completely melted, stir in the flour and incorporate until the dough forms a ball.

Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Vigorously mix in one egg at a time until fully mixed and smooth. Spoon dough into the storage bag. Snip a tiny portion of the bottom corner of the bag. Pipe the dough onto the cookie sheet either in a star shape (repeating the layered pattern twice) or in the traditional round shape with several crisscrossed patterns.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until puffy and light golden brown. Remove from the pan. Serve warm with the berries and vanilla ice cream.

 

 

 

Sueshine Notes

Recipe yields about 12 mini cakes

As there is no sugar in this recipe, the dough is not sweet at all. You have to depend on your topping choices to sweeten up this traditional treat. Suggestions?

-Traditionally its served warm and topped with a dusting of powdered sugar. -Another option that is usually available at the San Diego County Fair is to roll it in cinnamon sugar to make it similar to a churro or "Mexican Funnel Cake."

-Fruit or chocolate sauce

-Whipped cream

-Whatever you please because it's just damn tasty and much healthier than the deep fried version. You have room to indulge in the toppings just a tiny bit!

 

 

 

Even though I know it's going to be an extremely hot summer in east San Diego, causing the temperature in my lil red kitchen to sky rocket, this is the first post of what I hope to be a "Taste of Summer" series. I know I'm mainly a baking blog but I hope to share and explore flavors from my summers growing up that may include giving my oven a little break. In the meantime, please have a wonderful and safe 4th of July weekend!!

 

 

 

Lil Ms Sueshine Turns TWO!

In honor of my blog turning two, please watch my video on how to make a giant cupCAKE, just like the one Lil Ms. Sueshine is holding up above. Things you will need to make a giant cupCAKE:

 

 

-Silicone mold or pan

-Ingredients for your cake (including cake mix, frosting, and a filling)

-Wilton Sugar Sheets

-Red candy melts

-Any additional decorations such as colorful sprinkles

 

ENJOY!!



 

 

 

 

 

Expand to full screen for better viewing.

Luck of the Irish...Cream Cheese Frosted Donuts

I've always been honest with all of you when my baking projects go south and it couldn't have been more true than it has been for the past week and a half. I hadn't made a cakepop in quite a long time so I thought I would make some clover shaped pops. They turned into blobs that had a vague clover shape. In order to make it look more of a clover, I outlined them with green frosting. I wasn't happy with that. I sprinkled some green sugar to make them sparkle. I wasn't happy with that either. I broke out my piping bag and made 3D leaves. Nope. More sparkle gel? Yeah, just not happening.

 

Lesson learned: Sometimes you can't force it. The more you force it, the more you're going to be unhappy with the end result.

 

On Tuesday, I finally let go of the cake pop clovers but I didn't want my Irish cream cheese frosting to go to waste. It was just too good! So, late Wednesday night, I stared at my new bowl of frosting. I decided to settle on making some cupcakes for my co-workers and not even blog about it. After digging around my kitchen for my muffin pan, I discovered my donut pan. What if.....I made some cake donuts and topped it with my frosting!? Within minutes, I was inspired and I wasn't even trying.

 

Irish Cream Cheese Frosting

(reduced sugar)

 

1 - 8oz cream cheese, soften

1 stick of butter, soften

1/2 cup granulated sugar substitute

1/2 cut powdered sugar

3 1/2 tablespoons of Irish Cream liquor

 

In a mixer, blend together the softened butter and cream cheese at medium speed. Gradually add the sugars. Add the Irish Cream liquor until blended.

 

 

 

 

Sueshine Notes

Since this was a last minute change, I only had Pillsbury sugar free devil's food cake mix. For some reason, the batter turns out very fluffy and creates a soft donut, unlike most dense cake donuts. It spread easily into the Wilton donut pan but be sure to spray the pan generously!

If you like the look of the piped frosting, use a piping bag and a Wilton tip #48. While piping, wiggle your wrist back and forth, creating a little bit of a wave or ruffle.

 

 

 

So, if you've slacked or struggled with your St. Patty's Day treat like I did, make this super easy frosting and top it on just about anything. I'll be pairing my donut with a hot cup o' coffee on St. Patty's Day morning. I'm glad I was able to recover from my "baker's block." Guess I can thank that tiny tiny tiiiiiiny bit of Irish heritage tucked in my back pocket!

All In One Breakfast - Egg Muffin with Sweet Potato Hash Browns

"What do usually eat in the morning?" asks my doctor whenever I see her.

"Oatmeal. English muffin with a little butter. Occasionally a bagel (even though it's bad for me). The rare occasion, some cereal," I rattle off. "Whatever I can eat at my desk at work."

"You need to start adding some protein to your breakfast."

Okay I'll be honest. I rather get my extra 10 minutes of sleep in the morning rather than get up and cook some eggs or turkey sausage/bacon. Plus, that's not exactly portable as I'm running out the door or something I can keep in my desk drawer at work. For awhile, I tried eating those frozen breakfast sandwiches but I just couldn't do it. I admit, I have my moments of being a breakfast snob.

I love breakfast and breakfast foods. Sweet or savory...I don't have a preference...it just depends on my mood that day. I can eat it in the morning, midday, and in the evening. It's by far my favorite meal of the day. So when I was visiting in Nashville last November, my aunt whipped up a super easy egg muffin recipe from her friend Beth who writes Eat.Drink.Smile. There are so many possibilities you can whip up with this recipe and you can take it with you easily. I wanted to make my own variation of egg muffins but combine all the things I love about breakfast. I also wanted to make something that would carry over to "breakfast for dinner" so this is what I came up with.

All-In-One Breakfast Muffins

7 eggs

2 large sweet potatoes or "yams", shredded (squeeze out any extra moisture)

1 andouille sausage link, cut into cubes

1 cup of red bell pepper, chopped

1 cup green onions, chopped

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375*F. Grease a large muffin tin with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.

In a bowl, mix the sweet potatoes, butter, 1 egg, salt and pepper until combined. Press the mixture on the bottom and sides of the muffin tin (forming a "nest"). Place in the oven for 20 minutes.

In a separate bowl, whisk the remaining eggs and add the sausage and bell pepper. Spoon the egg mixture into the hash brown "nests" until almost full. Add the green onions on top. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the eggs are cooked through.

Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for about 5-10 minutes. Remove from pan and store in an air tight container until ready to eat.

Sueshine Notes

I recommend using a six slot, large muffin tin when making this recipe so you can have a satisfying portion of egg muffin within your hash brown nest. I'm sure you can make these in a regular muffin tin but space will definitely be limited.

I tried this recipe with both white sweet potatoes and yams. Did you know what they sell at most grocery stores aren't really yams, but just another variety of sweet potato? Both varieties worked well for this recipe but the orange sweet potatoes have more fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins. I love hash browns but I have to limit the amount I eat because of the carbs. I chose a sweet potato hash brown because it's said to be a friendlier starch for diabetics because they have a lower glycemic index than regular potato.

A Denver omelet is a classic breakfast staple and this was my play on that minus the cheese. I wasn't sure if the cheese would go well with the sweet potato but if you want to add cheese, go nuts!

The all-in-one breakfast muffin was my answer to adding some protein to my diet and the sweet potato fulfilled my cravings for a starch. The sweet of the hash browns paired really well with the andouille sausage, which was also a nice substitute to your usual breakfast meats. They can be easily wrapped up in plastic then reheated in the toaster oven at work to bring back some of the crunch of the hash. I can't wait to bring them to work this week and add a little variety to my usual boring work breakfast. I might even make a few co-workers jealous.

For My Valentine - Peanut Butter Cheesecake Parfait

As we laid in bed one Saturday morning talking, I asked my husband what kind of dessert he wanted for Valentine's Day. He instantly said pudding. I turned my head and looked at him with an odd look.

 

"You always complain about how I bake for everyone else but you and now that I ask you, you say pudding?"

 

"Anything with peanut butter and chocolate?" he offered.

 

"Argh!"

 

My husband likes simple desserts. If it were up to him, everything I bake would be peanut butter and chocolate flavored or a cheesecake. The blogger in me wants to resist the simple and sometimes wants to over complicate things. For a week, I wracked my brain for something creative to write about for Valentine's Day but then I had to stop and think....KISS! (keep it simple stupid). Why was I making a Valentine's Day treat for my blog when I should be making a treat for my Valentine? Yup, I was going to make what my husband asked for from the very beginning.

 

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Parfait

 

1-1oz box of sugar free cheesecake flavored pudding

2 cups of cold milk

1 tablespoon of natural peanut butter

Approximately 10 chocolate creme cookies, crushed

Lite whipped topping

Chocolate jimmie sprinkles for garnish

 

Whisk the pudding mix and milk in a cold metal bowl until mix is dissolved. Whisk in the peanut butter and until smooth. Allow to set in the fridge for 5-10 minutes.

In a clear container (such a mini trifle dish), layer ingredients starting with the crushed cookies, pudding, cookies, and whipped topping. Garnish with sprinkles or mini chocolate chips.

 

Sueshine Note: I couldn't find any chocolate graham crackers so I stood in the cookie aisle for quite some time trying to figure out what to use as a "crust." The store I was at didn't care any of my usual sugar free cookies so I ended up using something I had discovered awhile ago. European biscuits tend not to be so sweet and have a great crispy texture. Luckily, the store did carry Hit chocolate cream cookies. These cookies have a very light chocolate flavor (compared to an Oreo) but they complimented the peanut butter pudding. If your local store does not carry these, another alternative I found were chocolate BeVita. I haven't tried those yet but I'll definitely have to look into that soon.

 

 

I handed my husband his parfait and he asked me what it was. He drove right in and between spoonfuls, I asked him what he thought.

 

"I think this might be my favorite thing you have ever made."

The parfait was so easy to make, involved no baking at all, and had a limited sugar content. Although small, it would easily satisfy you and your sweetie's sweet tooth after a nice homemade Valentine's dinner (which I will be doing on actual Valentine's Day due to my husband's other comment on that Saturday morning: "Why don't you have a steak  blog?")

 

I hope all of you have a lovely Valentine's Day with your special someone and don't forget it's all about showing the one you love you care and that it doesn't have to be all fancy or expensive. It's about what they desire....even if it's just pudding :)

 

Super Bowl PigSkins - Mexican Style Baked Potato Skins

I went back and forth trying to decide what I wanted to share on the blog for the upcoming Super Bowl and before I knew it, it was already Saturday. Oops! So if you are just like me and slacked a little in prepping for the big game, I decided to change it up and go with a fast and easy savory appetizer that will please your Super Bowl guest of 2 (like me and my husband) or the whole neighborhood.

Let's be honest, Super Bowl Sunday is kind of a day to indulge in not the most healthiest of foods so of course I was inspired by one of my guilty pleasures. Something you can find in almost every taco shop in San Diego is carne asada fries. For around $6-$7, you can get a huge styrofoam platter of french fries covered in guacamole, pico de gallo, cheese, beans, and carne asada which could easily feed 2 people, making you instantly guilty but in the back of your mind, it was so worth every bite. In honor of the Super Bowl, I decided to tweak this favorite and subbed potato skins for fries and carnitas (shredded pork) for the carne asada for what I dubbed: "Pig Skins!"

Mexican-style Potato Skins aka Pig Skins

6 large Russet baking potatoes

16 oz (1lb) of pre-cooked pork carnitas

1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

1/2 cup guacamole

1/2 cup fresh salsa

olive oil
salt & black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425*F.

Wash potatoes thoroughly and pat dry. Rub olive oil on the outside of the potatoes and place on a baking sheet or sheet of foil. Baking in oven for approximately 45 minutes or until soft.

Remove potatoes from the oven and allow to cool before handling. Once cooled, cut the potatoes in half length wise. Carefully hollow out the potatoes with a spoon, leaving a thin layer inside. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil on the inside and outside of the potatoes then sprinkle with salt and black pepper, also on both sides. Add a pinch of shredded cheese inside the potato. Place back in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the skins are slightly crispy.

Remove from oven. Add the carnitas inside of the potato skin then add more cheese. Place in the oven until the cheese melts. Serve with your favorite toppings such as guacamole, fresh salsa, sour cream, or onion and cilantro.

Carnitas from Fresh and Easy

Sueshine Note: If you do not have access to carnitas, most stores have a precooked BBQ pulled pork package available. Change it up and add the BBQ pulled pork instead and top it with some cole slaw! Yum....yes please! Or of course, you make your own BBQ or carnitas.

So if you are in a rush to come up with an appetizer for the game tomorrow, please don't wander into your freezer aisle and grab those lame frozen potato skins. Make my super easy recipe and I'm sure everyone will coming back for more.

A Family Favorite - Filipino Leche Flan (reduced sugar)

With the rush of the holiday season, my blog seems to take a hit at the end of each year and gets forgotten for a little bit. I promise you it's for a good reason though. It was to spend quality time with my family.

 

Some of the extended family, my mom, and I from San Diego had an chance to visit my aunt who lives in Nashville and meet up with my uncle who came up from Alabama to celebrate a southern Thanksgiving. We flew in on Thanksgiving Day...which made me wonder, when two of the family cooks and two of the family bakers (one being myself) were flying in at 2PM in the afternoon, who was going to cook?!

The generation of amazing cooks/palettes I keep talking about in my stories...plus all their first borns. I'm waiting for the day they make us cook/bake the holiday meals!

 

 

My aunt Sherri and uncle Ronnie did a fantastic job starting the meal and my mom and uncle Rod jumped right in to help. One of the first things my uncle Ronnie said to me when I got there was, "I made something just for you."

 

Giving thanks for the spread.

 



 

It's rare not to have a flan at one of our family parties or holidays.  Filipino flan is much sweeter than Mexican flan...a custard dessert made with tons of egg yolks, condensed milk, and dark brown sugar syrup....usually one of the holiday dishes I can't sneak onto my plate. BUT....my uncle had made me a no sugar added leche flan! I cannot even express how excited I was. As a spooned the flan into my eager mouth and my already too full tummy....my uncle kept telling me he hoped his recipe would make it onto my blog. So here it is!

 

Leche Flan (reduced sugar)

10 egg yolks

1/3 cup sugar substitute

2 cans of evaporated milk

pinch of lime zest

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

agave syrup (enough to coat the bottom of your baking dish)

 

Coat the bottom of the baking dish with agave nectar then refrigerate for about half an hour.

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix all ingredients in a bowl then slowly stir with a whisk without pulling out the whisk to avoid creating bubbles.

Strain the egg mixture.   

Slowly pour egg mixture into the baking dish. Bake on a water bath for about 30 to 45 minutes. Loosely cover the top of the baking dish with aluminum foil to avoid browning the top of the flan. You can use a toothpick test to make sure the flan is set and fully cooked.

Cool then flip onto a serving plate. Set in the fridge until ready to serve.

 

*Sueshine Notes: I know I said my uncle's recipe was no sugar added but I added a sugar substitute to make up for the lack of condensed milk which gives the texture and sweetness of a traditional flan.

It seems the traditional shape of Filipino flan is oval. I purchased an oval baking dish about 2 inches deep x 9 inches long. This recipe filled the dish plus 3 small ramekins.



 

Left: 10 egg yolks (okay so I broke one while separating them. Don't worry, breaking them doesnt make a difference)
Right: Ramekin dishes in a water bath. Tip: Place the water bath dish on the rack first then add the water.

 

I'll be honest with you. This was my first time making flan and I was afraid that it would go terribly wrong. I guess my family genes kicked in since the flan turned out perfectly. The texture was smooth and creamy with no air bubbles and the sweetness was just like the traditional sugar-laden version. I haven't been this excited about baking in awhile and I literally did a happy dance in my kitchen. I had made one of my family's traditional dishes AND I could actually eat it! I suppose the real test will be when I bring it to the next family gathering and see what everyone says (It's a tough crowd!) For now, I happily sit and enjoy every bite...for myself :)

 

 

 



I'm Gunna Let It Shine - Top 5 Highlights of 2012

I'm not going to lie to you. I had a lot going on in 2012 that prevented me from writing as much as I wanted to. Although that was the case, a lot of great things were happening behind the scenes and made me glad I had my little corner of the web. Here are my top 5 Sueshine items for 2012.

5. Top "Geek Out" Moment
Pumpkin Nutella Rolls gets Retweeted

For a fairly new blogger, it was a big deal for me when Pillsbury retweeted a link to my Pumpkin Nutella Rolls post. I think I literally did a happy dance in my living room.




4. Top Local Find
PubCakes

I missed out on "Taste of the College Area" but luckily, I found out about PubCakes through a flyer for this event. I'm usually not a fan of cupcakes but the unique concept intrigued me. What a great way to introduce excellent local beers to people who normally don't enjoy a cold one. Also, it's a great gift for that guy in your life. My stepdad enjoyed every bite of his birthday cupcakes. Thanks to PubCakes for adding my post to their press page on their website.





3. Readers' Favorite Post
Lemon Snow Cake

I love sharing my childhood memories with my readers and it seems like you guys enjoy it too. Who knew so many of you shared memories of George's Wonderful World of Cakes! Several people emailed me throughout the year about this post....sad about the bakery closing, sharing how when they visited San Diego, they would always make a stop for lemon snow cake, and even requesting that I make one for them.




2. Food for Thought
Food Blogger Bake Sale 
Cookies for Cody 
CCSSD - Chef Showdown 

I had the opportunity to be part of or invited to attend some great charity events in 2012. Sure there was great food involved but one of the newest things I was able to do as a food blogger was to give back a little. Although I do not have children of my own, kids have always have a way of sneaking onto my path. In 2012, I was involved in the San Diego Food Blogger Bake Sale which hopefully helped lots of kids fight hunger and Cookies for Cody which helped one brave little boy and his family in a time of need. Although not actively part of the Chef Showdown which helps the CCSSD battle domestic violence, I was invited to this annual event and had a chance to hear inspirational stories of strenght. I was so blessed to be part of these events and it made me realize that if and when the opportunity arises in which I can help a cause, all they need is ask and I'm there.




And #1 is.....
Lil Ms Sueshine Turns One

I hit a major milestone in 2012.....my first blogaversary. I had made it through my first year of blogging and learned a lot in that time period. I don't always follow the rules of food blogging but a fellow blogger of mine once told me to just do what I feel is comfortable and follow my gut. I've taken that advice with me for each story I tell, every picture I snap, and every yummy item I pop into my oven in the little red kitchen.




I'd like to thank YOU, my loyal readers, who have been so patient with me in 2012. Hopefully *knock on wood* I won't break my other leg and be out of commission for 2 1/2 months again or my day job will settle down enough so I can start sharing and making memories more often this year. Cheers to 2013!!