Drive Top Food Truck Recipes Into Your Kitchen

Drive Top Food Truck Recipes Into Your Kitchen

Drive Top Food Truck Recipes Into Your Kitchen (Family Features) No other trend has parked itself at the forefront of the culinary world quite like food trucks, but these aren't the stale doughnut and questionable hotdog stands of yore. From coast to coast, a new generation of chefs has been putting unique cuisines on four wheels. But if you're not in an urban setting, that doesn't mean you have to miss out on these delectable dishes.

To celebrate the phenomenon, CanolaInfo partnered with four food truck chefs/owners representing different U.S. regions to create the Street Eats Recipe Collection, allowing home cooks everywhere to recreate delicious food truck fare.

"The economic downturn has driven the street food trend in recent years along with Americans' love of all things fast and convenient," says Josh Henderson, owner of Skillet Street Food in Seattle, Wash. "There are all of these wonderful chefs looking for a way to bring their creations to the masses, and now with mobile kitchens, it's easier than ever. This recipe collection provides yet another way of sharing our love of flavorful foods."

Because of its versatility, canola oil is used in each Street Eats recipe. At 468°F, the smoke point (heat threshold) of canola oil is among the highest of all cooking oils, which means it's perfect for sautéing and baking.

"I use canola oil in my food truck because it can take the heat and has a light texture and neutral flavor," says Henderson. "From my skillet dishes to my gravy, it is very adaptable, letting other ingredient flavors shine without weighing them down."

Canola oil can also help kick saturated fat to the curb when used in place of solid fat or other oils in recipes. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized a qualified health claim on canola oil's potential to reduce the risk of heart disease when used in place of saturated fat.

Raspberry Cream Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 3/4 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen

 Cream Cheese Frosting

• 2 packages of cream cheese (8 ounces) at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin tin with 24 cupcake liners.
2. In small bowl, combine flour and baking powder. In medium bowl, combine sugar and eggs. Using electric mixer, combine until mixture thickens, about 1 minute. Add milk, canola oil and vanilla. Continue to mix. Slowly add flour mixture until fully combined, scraping sides of bowl with spatula to get out all lumps. Remove bowl from mixer.
3. Add 1 cup raspberries. Gently mix in raspberries by hand. Spoon mixture into muffin cups until about two-thirds full.
4. Bake for 20 minutes or until cupcakes spring back to touch. Remove from oven and cool cupcakes completely.
5. To prepare frosting: In medium bowl, mix cream cheese on medium speed until lump free. Slowly add powdered sugar and vanilla extract until fully combined. Spoon cream cheese frosting into pastry bag with medium round tip and pipe on top of cooled cupcakes. Top each cupcake with a raspberry. Serve right away or refrigerate until serving.

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