Hola Kats & Kittens! Well, I’ve never done a food recipe post here but I am constantly posting pics of all my homemade recipes on Instagram (instagram.com/awkwardgirlla) and thought that I should post a quick, budget friendly, and easy date night meal that will totally impress your date! I guarantee you will end your night with a hardcore make-out session, or just end up in bed having the most amazing love making session ever.
Okay, okay, I can’t in all honesty 100% guarantee that due to legal reasons, but I will say that I highly recommend that you make this meal and it will kinda, maybe, probably, most likely, in all ways, sorta happen. Now let me also state that I recently took a trip to the 99 cent store to buy cleaning products-as we all do-and found Silicone Baking Cups! If you are not a foodie or baker than let me explain how rad that is. Silicone baking cups are amazeballs! They prevent your cupcakes from sticking, are reusable and help to distribute heat evenly when you bake, so basically they are a win-win for everyone involved! So, high-tail your cute little selves over to the 99 cent store where you can not only pick up the baking cups but can also purchase other ingredients for both of these recipes as well. Let’s make some Tortilla Soup and Chocolate Cupcakes!
Dinner: Tortilla Soup Dessert: Chocolate-Banana Cupcakes
Ingredient List: Tortillas, Chicken Breast, Corn, Olive Oil, Black Beans, Carrots, Grape Tomatoes, Chicken Broth, Taco Seasoning, Avocado
Prep veggies first: Peel and chop carrots and onion. Cut corn from the cob and slice avocado. Set aside.
Bake Tortilla Strips: Using corn tortillas is best, but you can also use flour. Cut tortillas into strips and line a baking sheet with foil, placing the strips on the sheet and coating with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle with Garlic Salt and bake in oven at 350 degrees until they turn light brown in color. Don’t let them burn because burnt tortillas are really nasty and cannot be salvaged no matter what!
Recipe Directions:
1) Grill chicken in olive oil (I used an already cooked chicken breast from Whole Foods I had leftover from lunch) and cook thoroughly. Remove from heat and set aside. Do not slice/cut the chicken at this point, it needs to rest and redistribute all of its juices.
2) Sautee veggies in two tablespoons of olive oil: carrots, onions, and corn. Cook until onions are soft/translucent and add the corn, black beans, tomatoes, and taco seasoning. Mix ingredients together.
3) Slice or shred chicken, add to the mixture and mix. Add one can of chicken broth and mix. Let the soup cook until a simmer (or small rolling boil) is achieved, around 10min!
So, that’s it! How easy and fast is this recipe? I topped mine with the baked tortilla strips…well you kinda have to right? Hence the name “Tortilla Soup”, and I added avocado and a little wedge of cheddar cheese to my bowl. This is a low sodium and healthy alternative to ordering Tortilla Soup at a restaurant which is filled with sodium, like an insane amount. Also cooking for someone is one of the most thoughtful and sexiest acts you can do. Taking the time to plan and execute a meal shows your honey just how much they mean to you. This recipe is insanely easy and I know you can all execute it easily. Now feast your eyes upon the dessert below:
Chocolate-Banana Cupcakes
Here’s why this recipe is so darn awesome: Its super cheap and insanely easy! Your honey will die for these moist and light chocolate pillows from heaven. Yes, I truly believe chocolate comes from heaven…because well, it does, and don’t try to argue this point with me, because you will lose. I wanted to bake something but due to editing my web series (debuting this fall) all day I did not have the time to bake a recipe from scratch, which is my usual route.
While shopping at the 99 cent store I picked up a box of Duncan Hines chocolate cupcake mix and knew I could jazz it up with yummy goodness to make it taste homemade. Who am I cooking these recipes for you wonder? Myself dammit. I am single, and love to cook, so whoever gets me as a girlfriend will be one lucky son of a bitch…but I digress. Check the easy and quick recipe below. Oh, and make sure and wear a sexy apron. I picked up this little number for under $20 at Bed Bath & beyond about a year ago.
Ingredient List: Duncan Hines chocolate cupcake mix, cinnamon, two eggs, 1/4 cup of vegetable oil, vanilla extract, 2 bananas, cute pink bowl and adorable owl cooking timer.
Prep Oven First: Always start a baked recipe by prepping your oven first, because there is nothing worse than mixing together all of your ingredients, and not being able to bake them right away! You can follow the directions on the back of the box which has the oven being set at 325, I set mine five degrees below the recipe because I’m a bad ass.
Note: The box also called for 1/2 cup of water, which I did not add to the recipe because not only am I a total baking bad ass, but I’m a rebel baby, an outlaw…and I added bananas so there was no need for the water.
Recipe Directions:
1) Empty contents of cupcake mix into a large bowl. My bowl is a pink heart shaped one I bought from the $1 section at Target during Valentines Day.
2) Add 2 eggs, 1/4 cup of veggie oil, 1/2 tablespoon of cinnamon, 1/2 tablespoon of vanilla extract, and fold ingredients together gently.
3) Peel and smash bananas. The best way to do this is peel them, break them up into smaller pieces and mash with a fork until it turns into a creamy-like consistency.
4) Add the bananas to the bowl and whisk ingredients together until incorporated.
5) Line cupcake tin with silicone baking cups (or just buy the paper ones if you’re into that sorta thing).
6) The box will tell you to bake for around 20 minutes, but we all know I’m a rebel so I always bake my baked goodies at 6-8 minutes less then what the recipe calls for. Why? Because of carry-over cooking. Meaning that although you remove your goodies from the oven, there are still cooking due to the time it takes the temperature to drop, so, it’s still cooking when you remove it! I know right…I am a wealth of insane knowledge. So, to keep my goodies soft and moist, I always take them out ahead of time to prevent over cooking them.
Note: This dessert will totally get you laid. I can almost 100% guarantee you that, like, almost, maybe, kind sorta, it totally, maybe will. Thank me later.
Let’s talk toppings: If you are a chocolate lover like myself you can buy chocolate frosting, or make your own which is surprisingly easy: just melt some chocolate and cream over heat and…bam, you’ve just made chocolate topping! Hey, why not step it up another notch and slice up a fruit mix to go on top: bananas, strawberries, and raspberries would be so clutch on top of these heaven pillows. You can also spread some Nutella on top, or Cherry Jam.
If your honey doesn’t like bananas, you should immediately dump them, because they are weirdos and do not deserve your love. Okay, that was harsh, but real! No, no, no, okay, just use strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, or whatever yummy goodness they do like. You can also go the vanilla cupcake route and add fruit or carrots…yummy! There you have it kids, now go make these recipes, wear a sexy ass apron, serve them naked, and get laid…you are welcome xo Jonesie
If you made this recipe or have some easy date night meals you’d love to share…sound off below and include pics, you and your recipe may be selected and featured on site!