Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (8oz) cream cheese (room temperature)
1 cube butter (room temperature)
4-5 c powdered sugar
2T vanilla

Beat cream cheese, vanilla, butter until well mixed, then slowly add powdered sugar to desired consistency of frosting.

Chalisa Campos

Chalisa Buttercream Frosting

2 cubes butter (room temperature)
2 T vanilla
4 c powder sugar

Hand mix butter and vanilla and slowly add powdered sugar to the consistency stiffness you like.


Chalisa Campos

Magic in the Middle Cookies

2 pkg devils food cake mix

4 eggs

1 c shortening

Mix above ingredients and use cookie scooper for form balls then push the back of the cookie scooper in the cookie to make a dip.  

Mix these two ingredients below really thoroughly and roll into small balls that fit in the dip in the chocolate cookies and form the chocolate dough around the peanut butter dough.

3/4 c peanut butter

3/4 c powdered sugar

Mix shortening and eggs together until smooth. Gradually add the cake mix with a hand mixer.

Roll dough into one inch balls. Flatten balls on greased cookie sheet. Place in oven for 7-8 minutes on 350 degrees.

Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Tweaks by Ash

Grilled Hawaiian Chicken

1 c pineapple juice

1 c soy sauce

2/3 c brown sugar

1T ginger

6 cloves of garlic

Mix ingredients above really well and pour have of the sauce over chicken below and marinate 4-24 hours in the fridge in ziplock bag.

3 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs

Take the other half of the sauce and put on the stove and simmer for 5-10 minutes to thicken.

Grill chicken thighs both sides, let chicken rest for 5 minutes and slice up and pour some sauce off the stove over the chicken slices and leave some sauce for people to drizzle.

Serve chicken over sticky white rice and grilled pineapple.

Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Kefta Moroccan Dish

1 1/2 lb lean ground beef
2 T olive oil

Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat, add ground beef and break into small pieces.  Then add these ingredients into the pan and cook for about 6 minutes stirring occasionally. 

1/2 golden raisins
1/4 c ketchup
1 1/2 t kosher salt
1 1/2 t ground cumin
1 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground coriander
1/2 garlic powder
1/2 c water

Serve over rice.


Rad Dish
Tweaks by Ash

Moroccan Chicken Tagine

1/2 t ground turmeric
3/4 t ground coriander
1/4 t ground ginger
1 t cumin
3/4 t cinnamon
1 t salt

Mix spices and then coat the chicken in the spices.

1 1/2lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 T olive oil

In a large pot over medium-high heat brown one side of the chicken then flip the chicken and add:

1/2 c dried apricots
1/2 onion diced
3 garlic cloves or frozen squares

Cook, stirring occasionally until onions are soft for 5-7 minutes.  Then add:

1 (15oz) can of garbanzo beans
1/2 c chicken stock

Bring to a boil, cover the pot and turn the heat to low and cook until chicken is cooked through for about 15 minutes.

Serve with rice.

Rad Dish
Tweaks by Ash

Overnight Buttermilk Pancakes

2 c all purpose or whole wheat flour
1/2 T instant yeast
1/2 T baking powder
1/2 T sugar
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt

Mix above ingredients together in a large bowl, then add the following ingredients and don't over mix.

2 eggs (lightly beaten)
2 c buttermilk
butter for the pan

Cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours.  When ready to use batter a quick stir and place batter on heated buttered skilled over medium heat. Immediately serve! Serve with dutch honey syrup recipe.

Makes a dozen 3" pancakes


Mels Kitchen Cafe

Trits Costa Rica

1 stick melted butter
1 egg
1 c sugar
2 c crushed graham cracker, vanilla wafers or Trader Joe's letter cookies

Preheat oven at 350 degrees.
Beat the butter and egg together, this is a MUST.   Then mix in the graham cracker and sugar.  Roll out mixture on a cookie sheet 1/8-1/4" thick.  Using a silicone baking mat works best.  Bake for 18 minutes  or until golden brown.  Let cool for a couple minutes.  Using a glass or cookie cutter, cut out circles. Dipping glass in sugar helps keep it from sticking.  Let cookies cool completely.  Then assemble cookies in an ice cream sandwich with your choice of ice cream.  If you want to make just a crumble on top of homemade ice cream just crush up the cooked sheet of batter and store in a ziplock for a few weeks. 


Jen Gwen

Honey Lime Tilapia

4 tilapia filets

Marinade mix:
2 T lime juice
1 T olive oil
1 1/2 T honey
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1 clove garlic (finely minced)

Marinade tilapia filets 1-4 hours in an airtight bag rotating back and forth in refrigerator.

Coating and cooking:
1/2 c all purpose flour or whole wheat flour
1/4 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
1t chili lime Trader Joe's seasoning

Before cooking, whisk together the flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish like a pie plate. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until rippling and hot. Dredge each tilapia fillet in the flour, coating both sides lightly. Cook the fillets for 3-5 minutes per side without moving the fish while it cooks on each side; this will ensure a more even browning. Adjust the cooking time as needed depending on the thickness of the tilapia and the heat of the skillet and work in batches if necessary so the skillet isn't overcrowded.

Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Teriyaki Burger

2lbs ground turkey, chicken, or beef
1 large egg
1/2 unseasoned bread crumbs
2 cubes frozen caramelized onion squares
1 cube garlic
1/4 c teriyaki sauce
1/2 t salt
1/4 t black pepper

Mix above ingredients in a large bowl combine well with hands and form 6 hamburgers.  Preheat grill to medium about 375 degrees.

6 rings of sliced fresh pineapple
6 Ciabatta buns
Lettuce
Teriyaki sauce

Grill the burgers about 6 minutes on each side and baste with teriyaki sauce.
Once the burger are flipped, add the pineapple and grill 2 minutes on each side.  Brush pineapple with teriyaki sauce.  Assemble buns, lettuce, burger, pineapple, teriyaki sauce.

Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Tweaks from Ash

White Chicken Black Bean Chili

1lb cubed cooked chicken or turkey leftovers
1 1/2 c chicken broth
15oz can of diced tomatoes
4.5oz can green chili
15oz can black beans washed & drained
15oz can pinto beans washed & drained
2T nonfat dry milk
1 1/2 t chili powder
1 t salt
1 t dried parsley
1 t ground cumin
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t salt
1/2 t dried oregano
1/4 t dill
4oz cream cheese

Mix all ingredients in one at a time to incorporate and let sit and soak up all the flavor then top with fresh cilantro & lime juice.

Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Tweaks from Ash