Cupcakes

• Preheat oven to 350°

  Butter and flour large muffin tins. You can use muffin liners.
• In the bowl of a stand up mixer, fitted with paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar, until fluffy, about 2 minutes.

  Add egg yolks, one at a time.

  Beat egg whites until stiff, refrigerate until ready to use.
• Whisk together flour, salt and baking soda.

  Working in thirds, add dry ingredients to butter mixture; alternating with milk. Start and finish with with dry ingredients. Do not overwork.

  Add zest and juice and mix until just blended.

  Fold in egg whites.
• Using an ice cream scoop, fill each muffin tin 3/4 full.

  Bake for 20 minutes until tootpick comes out clean.
• Mix together tequila and triple sec.

  Immediately upon removing the cupcakes from oven, poke 4-5 holes in each cupcake, with a skewer. Drizzle 1 tbs.of liquor mix over each and let cool on rack.

  After cooling brush more liquor or simple syrup on sides of cupcake and rool in sanding sugar or sprinkles.

  Frost.

Frosting

• In the bowl of a stnad-up mixer, fitted with whisk, whip butter until light and fluffy.

  On slow speed add tequila and triple sec, until combined. Then add extract.
• Gradually add confectioners sugar. Then add food coloring and salt until full colored.

  Use a star tip and frost each cupcake.

Simple Preparation

• Season Chicken breasts with salt and pepper.

  Heat Olive oil in a saute pan, until glistening.

  Place chicken breasts in pan. Drizzle lemon juice over chicken, evenly. Let cook 6 minutes on each side. Remember if the chicken is still sticking to the pan, it is not ready to be turned.

  Serve with rice and a green vegetable.

Weeknight Entertaining

• Prepare as above, omitting the lemon, in this step. Transfer chicken to platter and cover with foil, to hold.

  Reduce the heat and add the butter to pan and melt. Add the shallot, garlic, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in flour and coat the shallot and garlic. Cook for one additional minute.

  Stir in the half & half and broth, stirring until smooth. Make sure you get all the browned bits from the pan, too.

  Bring to a boil then reduce heat, return chicken to pan and simmer until sauce thickens. Make sure you get any juices that the chicken may have let off. This should take 3-4 minutes.

  Stir in Lemon juice. Garnish with chopped parsley and lemon slices.

Cook to Impress

• Prepare chicken as in simple preparation.

  Make your risotto:

  Bring the chicken stock to a boil then reduce to a low simmer. You want to to keep it medium hot.

  In a separate large saute pan, heat the olive oil and saute onion with a pinch of salt. Cook until onion is soft, about 8 minutes.

  Add in arborio rice and stir to warm the rice and coat with onions and oil. Add the wine and cook until it has mostly evaporated, about 3 minutes.

  Start adding the stock. You want to add 1 cup at a time and stir constantly until it is all absorbed between additions. This should take you about 20 minutes. You are looking for the rice to be al dente and creamy. If you reach that point before you have used all the stock. Thats okay. Refrigerate the stock for next time.

  Remove from heat and stir in cheese and lemon juice.

  Portion out in shallow bowls or dishes and place chicken over the top.

  Garnish each portion with parsley, a drizzle of good olive oil and fresh lemon zest.

• Whisk all ingredients together and set aside. You are letting the flavors meld.
• Meanwhile, Preheat Broiler to high.

  Season lamb chops with salt and pepper and a small drizzle of olive oil.

  Place chops on a foil lined baking sheet and place under broiler for 5 minutes. Remove and turn. Place back under broiler for an additional 5 minutes.

  Check internal temperature. It should read 145° to 150°. Remember it will still cook a little out of the oven.
• IMMEDIATELY, when the chops come out ove oven, pour dressing over chops.

  Serve immediately with extra lemon and fresh oregano.