this week's stovetop: cupcakes

This week, I've been whittling down kitchen reserves in preparation for moving, which means the recipes I've made have been chosen particularly to use up those extra ingredients.

In honor of trying to use part of a tub of cocoa powder--and wanting sweet study food, I admit--I made up a batch of moist chocolate cupcakes, substituting milk for water (the original recipe is vegan).  I was pleased with the results.  This is one of the few chocolate cakes that I'd happily eat at breakfast.  While there's a lot of sugar in the recipe, the cupcake gives the impression of not being particularly sweet due to the cocoa.

That said, I won't be looking for opportunities to make these chocolate cupcakes.  As far as I'm concerned, they don't hold a candle to the lemon cupcakes I've made a birthday tradition the last few years.  I'd much rather spend my calories on those!

this week's stovetop: peanut sauce

This week is shaping up to be an atypical cooking week. I went to Rangzen (a Tibetan restaurant in Central Square) on Monday with one of my soon-to-be-flat-mates who was in town briefly for a conference. I'll be going out again on Thursday to say goodbye to a good friend from my lab group who will be returning to Belgrade on Friday. In addition to eating out, preparing for the next round of general exams has me around the apartment a bit more, so I've been enjoying cooking as small study-breaks this week.

My favorite of the week so far was tonight's dinner.  I made up a batch of my ever-evolving favorite peanut sauce (recipe sketch, below) and tossed that with egg noodles and lightly steamed farm-fresh zucchini.  Yum! 

Easy Peanut Sauce

This sauce evolved from this recipe for tofu with ginger peanut sauce, also recommended: http://www.food.com/recipe/tofu-with-ginger-peanut-sauce-296287

I mix in the wet ingredients one at a time and usually end up putting in more vinegar--it gives the sauce a bit of bite.

Mix together until creamy:
  a generous 1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
  2-3 tablespoons soy sauce
  2-3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  2-3 tablespoons white vinegar
  2 tablespoons honey

Then add:
  1 clove garlic, minced
  cayenne pepper (to taste)