Month: December 2018

Speck and Anchovy Pasta with Garlic Breadcrumbs

Note: I was sent a sample of Speck Alto Adige PGI in order to write this post. All opinions are mine alone. #sponsored

During the winter, I cannot get enough comfort food recipes. To me, Italian food is the ultimate comfort food — usually quite simple to make, with a few high quality ingredients that make the meal good enough to share with company. 

I wanted to highlight an ingredient that you may not have heard about before: Speck Alto Adige PGI. From the Alto Adige region of Italy, Speck Alto Adige PGI is ham that has been air cured and lightly smoked. It can be used in recipes that call for bacon or prosciutto, and add a nice smoky, herby flavor to the dish. When buying, look for the PGI certification. The PGI certification of Speck Alto Adige means “protected geographical indication” and ensures that you are buying an authentic product made in its area of origin under strict guidelines. 

To highlight the uncommon but delicious flavor of Speck Alto Adige PGI, I decided to make a speck and anchovy pasta topped with garlic breadcrumbs.

This recipe for Speck and Anchovy Pasta with Garlic Breadcrumbs is based off an Epicurious recipe and delivers great flavor without a lot of effort. It just so happens to mostly use ingredients that I tend to have around my house, so that was a nice perk too!

Ingredients:

  • 8 garlic cloves, divided
  • 2 cups of day old bread, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • the zest of 1 lemon
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 half cup olive oil, divided
  • 4 oz cubed speck
  • 1 tablespoon anchovy paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • the juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 (16 oz) box linguine
  • 2 oz freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
  • 1/2 cup chopped parsley
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Continue reading Speck and Anchovy Pasta with Garlic Breadcrumbs

Pressure Cooker Spinach Artichoke Dip

My goodness, 2018 was a quick year. I cannot believe it’s the end of December! I wanted to post a recipe that would be welcome at any New Year’s Eve party, and with the help of a pressure cooker, can be made in no time with little effort!

This recipe for Pressure Cooker Spinach Artichoke Dip takes just 20 minutes to make – you dump most of the ingredients in (including the frozen spinach, no need to defrost!) and let it do its thing.

It can also easily be doubled to serve a large crowd; just make sure your multi-cooker is large enough to hold it all!

Ingredients (serves 8):

  • 1 (10 oz) box frozen chopped spinach
  • 1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
  • 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 (8 oz) block cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 (8 oz) container parmesan cheese
  • 1 (8 oz) bag shredded low moisture mozzarella cheese
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • crackers or toasted baguette rounds, for serving

Continue reading Pressure Cooker Spinach Artichoke Dip

Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

I’m hoping you’ll allow me to post one more cookie recipe this season. These Chewy Gingerbread Cookies are too good to not post!

Every year, my mom and I bake multiple cookie recipes to give to friends and family. While there are some that we bake every year, (like these Hot Cocoa Cookies), we try to make a new cookie each time. After many years of trying to make gingerbread cookies and failing at the decorating part, we decided to try making gingerbread cookies instead.

This recipe makes a wonderfully soft and chewy cookie all with the yummy flavors of gingerbread.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/3 cup molasses
  • 1 egg, at room temperature
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoons sugar

Continue reading Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

Shepherd’s Pie

Shepherd’s Pie is one of my absolute favorite cold weather meals. It’s really simple to make and has all the components of a solid meal, just stacked into a layered pie form! 

I like to make shepherd’s pie on weekends, assemble, refrigerate, and then cook later in the week on a busy weeknight. This recipe is based off a shepherd’s pie recipe from the Food Network.

Ingredients:

Potatoes:

  • 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Filling:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 carrots, peeled and diced small
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 lbs ground lamb
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
  • 3/4 cup frozen peas

Continue reading Shepherd’s Pie

Shredded Chicken Salad

I’m trying to do more food prep on weekends for busy weekdays. Breakfasts are relatively easy; I make a batch of muffins and freeze the extras for future weeks, or make overnight oats or chia seed pudding in individual jars. For dinner, I tend to make something in my slow cooker and/or pressure cooker and then buy ingredients for short weeknight-friendly meals for the rest of the week. But lunch can be a bit of a challenge. We make salads from time to time, but I wanted to branch out a bit and make something we could add to a sandwich – shredded chicken salad.

I made this from scratch using my Pressure Cooker, but you could also use shredded rotisserie chicken.

Ingredients (makes 4 servings):

Chicken:

  • 3 pound whole chicken
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth

Chicken Salad:

  • if not making your own chicken: 1 (3 lb) rotisserie chicken
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • the juice and zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1/2 cup red grapes, quartered
  • 3 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

Continue reading Shredded Chicken Salad

Pressure Cooker Chicken Orzo Soup

I feel like I’ve been baby-stepping my way into this recipe. I started by making a Pressure Cooker Whole “Rotisserie” Chicken, followed by Pressure Cooker Chicken Broth. So I’m taking it one step further and making Pressure Cooker Chicken Orzo Soup!

This recipe actually builds from the two previous, with some minor changes. For simplicity, the entire recipe from start to finish is below so you don’t have to go to multiple posts to make it. The multi-pot shortens the time of making a solid chicken soup, but it is still a labor of love. Total time to cook is roughly 3 hours.

It freezes well, so it’s a great recipe to make now to have on hand for sick days!

Ingredients: (serves 8)

Chicken:

  • 1 (3 to 4 pound) whole chicken – I used a 3 pound chicken
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1/2 tablespoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup water

Soup:

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 2 yellow onions, chopped, divided
  • 4 carrots, peeled and chopped, divided
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped, divided
  • 6 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 4 sprigs fresh parsley
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 sprigs fresh oregano
  • up to 8 cups water
  • 1 cup uncooked orzo (or rice to make gluten free)

Continue reading Pressure Cooker Chicken Orzo Soup

Pressure Cooker Khichuri (Bengali Red Lentil Risotto)

Note: I was sent a copy of Instant Indian: Classic foods from every region of India made easy in the Instant Pot for review. All opinions are mine alone.

I really enjoy Indian recipes. I’ve dabbled a bit in Indian cooking on my blog so far, although most of my recipes aren’t terribly authentic. I’ve even taken a class with Haneeda’s Kitchen to learn more about the cuisine. But a lot of the recipes can be pretty involved, and take quite a bit of time to make, so knowing ways to speed up the cooking process without sacrificing flavor are always welcome!

Cookbook author, blogger and cooking teacher Rinku Bhattacharya has put together a collection of 100 authentic Indian recipes all made in a multi-cooker, cutting down the time to make these recipes without sacrificing flavor. Instant Indian: Classic Foods from Every Region of India Made Easy in the Instant Pot showcases the diversity and range of the foods of India, where every state and region boasts its own unique dishes. Rinku Bhattacharya provides techniques and recipes that showcase the rich culinary diversity of Indian food.  Her recipes are culled from the culinary regions of North India, Western India, Eastern India and South India.

The cookbook features recipes covering everything from spice blends to meat dishes to desserts. Nearly all the recipes are gluten free, and there are plenty of vegetarian and vegan options throughout the cookbook too!

Khichuri (or khichdi) is a classic rice and lentil mixture that can be found throughout India, with different regions having their own spin on it. This version is from Bengal and uses sautéed red onions, red lentils, cauliflower, potatoes and peas. The version below for Pressure Cooker Khichuri is gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan.

Note: I used my COSORI 6 Qt Electrical Pressure Cooker to make this recipe, so the directions are written with that in mind.

Ingredients: (serves 6)

Adapted  from Instant Indian by Rinku Bhattacharya/Hippocrene Books/October

Khichuri:

  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
  • 3/4 cup red lentils
  • 1/2 cup basmati rice
  • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 2 cups cauliflower florets
  • 1 medium Yukon gold potato, peeled and cut into bite-sized cubes
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas

Toppings:

  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
  • 2 whole dried red chilies
  • the juice of 1 lime

Continue reading Pressure Cooker Khichuri (Bengali Red Lentil Risotto)

Chocolate Pumpkin Rugelach

I love the combination of chocolate and pumpkin together. So when I was trying to think of an update to a traditional cookie, my mind went right to these flavors, which brings me to this recipe for Chocolate Pumpkin Rugelach.

Rugelach are the perfect cookies for this combo. Traditional rugelach uses an apricot spread that is sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, walnuts, and raisins, and then rolled into a spiral. The pumpkin butter takes the place of the apricot spread, and mini chocolate chips are substituted in for the walnuts and raisins.

 

I based this recipe off the recipe I used in my Apricot and Raisin Rugelach post last month, based off a recipe from American Cookie: The Snaps, Drops, Jumbles, Tea Cakes, Bars & Brownies That We Have Loved for Generations.

 

Ingredients:

Dough:

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 8 oz cream cheese, at room  temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for rolling the dough

Pumpkin Butter:

  • 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup water
  • the juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

Filling:

  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice if you have it)
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 (10 oz) bag mini chocolate chips
  • 1 cup pumpkin butter (recipe above)

Egg Wash:

  • 1 large egg white
  • 1 teaspoon water

Continue reading Chocolate Pumpkin Rugelach

Bloody Marys

I’ve been told I make a pretty darn good Bloody Mary. Although I can’t take much credit for it; I’ve been using my grandpa’s recipe for years now.  My “responsibility” at Thanksgiving every year is to keep the pitcher of Bloody Marys full, so I’ve had some practice.

I’m finally sharing my recipe on here to highlight a fun event happening in South Philly this weekend at one of my favorite bars: Moonshine. Chef Christine Hazel, of Hell’s Kitchen and Chopped fame, is hosting a Brunch Cooking Class this Sunday, December 9th, at 11 am. The class includes learnings how to make some brunch dishes, dish samples, and 2 signature cocktails. You can get tickets here. (I’ve already purchased mine, so come hang out with me!)

Source: Christine Hazel

So why not get the brunch cocktail party started now?

Ingredients: (serves 4)

  • 2 cups tomato juice
  • the juice and zest of 1 lemon
  • the juice and zest of 1 lime
  • 2 oz Worcestershire sauce (some brands are gluten-free)
  • 10-15 dashes hot sauce (depending on how much heat you’re looking for)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 6 oz vodka
  • ice
  • for garnish (optional): celery stalks, lemon wedges, lime wedges, olives

Continue reading Bloody Marys

Exit mobile version