Red Velvet Cupcakes 

• 2 & 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 cup cacao powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup soft butter
• 2 & 1/4 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup of buttermilk (or milk with 2 teaspoons lemon juice)
• 1 ounce red food coloring
• 4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. In a separate bowl beat butter and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in sour cream, milk, food color and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until just blended. Do not overbeat. Spoon batter into 24 paper-lined muffin cups, filling each cup 2/3 full. Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean. Gently remove from oven. Cool in pans on wire rack at least 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting. 

Cream Cheese Frosting 

• 1 package cream cheese
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 cups icing sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

With a high powered mixer beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract in large bowl until light and fluffy. Scrape bowl, and beat again. Gradually beat in icing sugar until smooth. Once smooth, turn beaters to high and whip on high for 5 minutes, until very fluffy. Put in fridge to harden for 20 minutes and then pipe on cupcakes and enjoy!

Decadent Chocolate Truffles

• 1 & 1/2 cup walnuts
• 8 Medjool dates
• 1/4 cup of cacao powder
• vanilla bean
• pinch of salt

Process walnuts in a blender until fine. Blend dates, then mix all ingredients together and form small bite-sized balls. Place on a plate, putting walnuts on top if desired. Refrigerate until firm then enjoy!

Courtesy of my mother and sister <3

Bruschetta

• 6 tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, stems removed & chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 French baguette
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese

Combine everything in a bowl except baguette and mozzarella cheese and let sit. While bruschetta is resting, put oven on high broil and cut up baguette. Put a little dab of olive oil on each slice and top with slices of mozzarella. Place baking sheet on the top rack for only about a minute. When cheese has melted, take them out and either put bruschetta on each slice or let everyone serve themself. Enjoy!

Roasted Red Pepper & Garlic Hummus

• 1 (796 mL) can of chickpeas (drained)
• 2 roasted sweet red peppers
• 1 whole head of garlic roasted
• 5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 & 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon pure extra virgin olive oil

Roasting the red peppers and garlic.

Set oven to broil on either high or 500 degrees F. Coat red peppers with canola oil or vegetable oil in a pan and place on top rack of oven. Leave for just under 10 minutes or until the top side is blackened a bit, flip over peppers and do the same to the other side. When both sides are blackened, take out and cool.

Turn oven to bake at 400 degrees F and take whole head of garlic and cut the top off. Wrap aluminum foil around garlic like a cup and pour olive oil on top. Place in a pan on middle rack and leave for about 30 minutes until tender.

When both red peppers and garlic have cooled, peel skin off red peppers and take seeds out. Pop garlic cloves out of the shells.

Hummus

Add all of the ingredients together in a food processor except olive oil and blend. If you find it needs more liquid to blend and don’t want more lemon then you can substitute with any of the following: chicken broth, vegetable broth, olive oil or water.

When it is all blended put in container and garnish with olive oil and parsley. Enjoy with warm pita bread.