I come from a fairly large family. Growing up, my cousins and I would see each other nearly every Sunday for dinner at our grandparents. As we’ve gotten older, we clearly don’t have as many opportunities to see each other. So we decided to have a cousin barbecue for those of us that still live in the Philadelphia area.
Whenever I think of outdoor cooking, I naturally think of S’mores for dessert.
Because I was hosting, I wanted to pre-make as much of the food as I could, so I decided to make Smores Bars for us to enjoy!
These are super easy, and absolutely addicting!
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Note: I was sent Northwest Cherries in order to write this post. All opinions are mine alone.
When it comes to summer get togethers, there tend to be plenty of mouths to feed. So I’m a big fan of crowd recipes that feed multiple people, or allow you to make ahead and portion out as you like!
With cherries in season, there is no better time to make a simple Cherry Slab Pie. Slab pie is just pie made in a sheet pan with sides, which is a great option for making dessert for a bunch of people. It’s a bit more rustic, so you don’t really have to worry about perfecting your pie crust skills (it will still taste awesome!)
Ingredients:
Slab pie (serves 12):
8 cups fresh cherries, destemmed and pitted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
the juice and zest of 1 large lemon
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 store bought refrigerated 9-inch pie crusts (2 packages)
Note: I was sent Northwest Cherries in order to write this post and recipe for Chocolate Cherry Banana Bread. All opinions are mine alone.
My husband and I were recently invited to go down the shore with our friends, and I wanted to bring something as a thank you for a weekend at the beach. Luckily, I had some overripe bananas sitting on my countertop, so I made this chocolate cherry banana bread to bring with us.
As I mentioned in my recent post, I have quite a few cherries in my house at the moment, so I decided to snazz up the banana bread with some fresh chopped cherries and chocolate chips.
Note: I was sent Northwest Cherries in order to write this post. All opinions are mine alone.
July is peak cherry season, which means I have A TON of cherries in my fridge! I was sent quite a few bags of cherries from Northwest Cherry Growers, and had to dive right in to using them! Fun fact: Northwest Cherry Growers is a group of 2,500+ farms that produce at least three-quarters of the nation’s entire sweet cherry crop.
Source: nwcherries.com
Northwest-grown sweet cherries tend to boast the highest fruit sugar content of any cherries. The naturally high sugar content makes them such a yummy snack on their own, or great in baked goods and other recipes. They are also one of the lowest fruits on the glycemic index. (In case you’re wondering, a general rule of thumb is that the darker the cherry, the sweeter it is.)
Cherries are also a superfruit and have been credited with reducing the risk of some serious diseases. Published research points to the health benefits of sweet cherries, including a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The study discovered consuming sweet cherries can help prevent chronic inflammatory diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, arthritis and cancer. These powerful superfruits also contain melatonin, which may increase your quality of sleep and reduce jetlag.
Cherry season is pretty short, from July to mid-August, so I’m excited to have the opportunity to use these beautiful cherries in a bunch of different recipes. Fresh cherries keep for approximately two weeks when refrigerated in a sealed bag or container. If you want to enjoy them year-round, you can also freeze cherries by rinsing, drying, and packing them up in freezer bags.
Source: nwcherries.com
I’m kind of in a canning state of mind after making my Blueberry Chia Seed Jam a few weeks ago, so I wanted to can some of these beautiful cherries. You may have noticed I’m a fan of cocktails, so I just had to make homemade maraschino cherries!
Maraschino cherries are named for the Marasca cherry grown originally in Croatia, which when distilled, produce a liqueur. Whole cherries that are preserved in this liqueur became known as Maraschino Cherries.
These maraschino cherries are not those bright red guys you’ll find in a Shirley Temple. No no, these are the adult, more refined version. There is no artificial coloring, and much less sweetener added. And they are perfect for cocktails and adult ice cream sundaes!
I mentioned in my Blueberry Chia Seed Jam post that you’d see it pop up in a recipe shortly, and here it is! This No Bake Blueberry Lemon Icebox Cake is a great make ahead dessert that’s a beautiful end to a barbecue or summer dinner party.
If you’re not familiar with icebox cakes, they are layered frozen cakes traditionally made with whipped cream and chocolate wafers. This Bon Appetit version incorporates some of my favorite flavors, blueberries and lemon, to create a beautiful Blueberry Lemon Icebox Cake!
This isn’t a cake that involves much precision or patience, and looks pret-ty darn good even when giving off that “homemade” vibe, like mine does. You also don’t need any special tools – just a 9×5 loaf pan, some plastic wrap, and a hand mixer. An offset spatula would also come in handy if you have one.
Ingredients:
1 (8 oz) container mascarpone, at room temperature
3/4 cup powdered sugar
the zest of 1 lemon
2 1/2 cups chilled heavy cream (leave in the fridge until ready to use)
You’ve probably noticed by now that I love to grill. And with that, sometimes I grill some strange things, like this recipe for a Grilled Peach Old Fashioned Cocktail, or this recipe for Grilled Margaritas.
I’ve wanted to make another grilled cocktail since I made the Grilled Old Fashioned. Citrus is always a great option for grilling because the heat helps release the juices of the fruit. So I figured Grilled Margaritas would work great!
I also substituted in Mezcal, which is like tequila, but has a smoky flavor, perfect for grilled margaritas!
Note: I was sent a bottle of Chabé® Sambal Chili. All opinions are mine alone.
We are big fans of spicy foods in my house. So whenever I am given the opportunity to try a new hot sauce or paste, I always jump at the chance.
Since the moment this little bottle of Chabé® Sambal Chili entered my home, my husband has basically put it on everything. Sambal is a hot sauce or paste made with chili peppers found in Southeast Asian cooking. Chabé® Sambal Chili’s secret formula uses fresh chilies, garlic and a unique artisan technique that adds an explosion of heat and flavor to just about anything you add it to. It’s fairly thick and is incredibly flavorful, so a little bit goes a long way. What I really like about this sambal is that it has a balanced heat — you get the hit of spiciness up front, but it has a hint of sweetness toward the end.
The story of Chabé® Sambal Chili begins in the late 1900’s in the lush islands of Indonesia. The founder’s late grandfather developed one of the earliest recipes for sweet soy, a flavorful base ingredient that was once only available to the locals & chefs in Southeast Asia. Passionate about introducing more sauces that boast indigenous ingredients of Java and share a rich culture with the world, the founder launched a 50-year-old family recipe of Chabé® Sambal Chili. A flavor-rich, savory & sweet blend of fiery Cayenne and Bird’s Eye chili peppers, harvested from the tropical, mountain-side farms of Indonesia, combines with fresh garlic and tropical spices.
source: https://www.chabechili.com
This Spicy Cucumber Salad really shows off the flavors of Chabé® Sambal Chili, and would be awesome as a side at a barbecue. It’s also great as a snack!
Ingredients (makes 4 servings, multiply as needed):
8 mini seedless cucumbers
1/2 cup chopped scallions, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
To make, cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise and then chop crosswise into bite-sized pieces.
Add to a medium-sized mixing bowl along with the scallions, cilantro, and chopped peanuts. Toss to combine.
In a separate bowl, mix together the Sambal Chili, toasted sesame oil, white wine vinegar, salt, and garlic cloves.
Pour the mixture over the cucumber mixture, tossing to combine.
Cover and let stand for 30 minutes. Add to a serving bowl and top with more chopped scallions, cilantro and peanuts. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes on top, and serve.
I really love spicy cucumbers. The crunch of the cucumbers with the spicy dressing is just so satisfying!
The Sambal Chili is the start of this dish. It complements the freshness of the cucumbers nicely. The peanuts add another layer of crunch and flavor as well.
You can make this ahead of time, just keep in mind the longer it sits the more time the sauce has to soak into the cucumbers.
This Sambal Chili clearly has a permanent home in my fridge. You can pick up your own bottle on the Chabé® Sambal Chili website.
These super chocolatey Devils Food Cupcakes are most certainly going to be a favorite of the chocoholic in your life.
There isn’t anything that specifically determines a chocolate cake as devil’s food cake, but they do tend to be a bit more airy and have quite a bit of chocolate in them!
This moist and fluffy recipe for Devils Food Cupcakes also uses coffee extract to further enhance the chocolate flavor.
I’m on a bit of a feta kick at the moment. I absolutely love French feta, which is a bit more mild and creamier than the more tangy, crumbly version most people associate with feta cheese.
When I came across a recipe for Feta Dip, I loved the concept, and knew French Feta would be perfect for it.
This dip is a nice alternative to the normal dips found at parties. The flavors are similar to tzatziki; serve with toasted pita or pita chips.
Ingredients:
12 oz French feta
1 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt
8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
A lot of people are pretty wary of vegan and gluten free baking. It seems like it would be difficult, but it’s surprisingly easy! Vegan baking can also be rich and decadent, like these oh so fudgy Peanut Crunch Brownies.
This recipe for Peanut Crunch Brownies is adapted from Heather Saffer’s well-named cookbook Crazy Easy Vegan Desserts. Heather Saffer, founder and CEO of Dollop Gourmet, has been featured on Shark Tank and Cupcake Wars for her delicious vegan desserts that can be enjoyed by anyone. I was sent a review copy and have loved paging through the recipes, they really are crazy easy!
The cookbook begins with a review of some dairy free and gluten free alternatives that can be used in baking.
So let’s dig into this recipe for Peanut Crunch Brownies, because, well, it’s delicious!
So today, I wanted to share a version for those who love a sweet breakfast!
This Blueberry French Toast Casserole is easy to make the day of, or to assemble the night before for an easier next-day breakfast. My recipe is adapted from a version you can find here.
Ingredients:
French Toast Casserole
1 loaf of challah bread, cut into cubes
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, cut into small cubes
Happy New Year! I’m a bit late in posting this recipe, but honestly, this comfort food Southern staple for Black Eyed Peas with Collard Greens makes for a delicious meal on any cold winter night.
Black eyed peas are a New Years Day staple in the South, as eating them on New Years Day is thought to bring you prosperity throughout the year.
This version is a bit of a fridge and pantry cleaner. Or, at least it was for me after hosting a New Years Eve party.
I used leftover sandwich rolls to make bread crumbs, leftover bacon from New Years Day morning, collard greens from a Blue Apron meal I forgot to make (oops), and then added in what was left of the onions, garlic, carrots and herbs I had on hand, which kind of turned this recipe into a cassoulet of sorts.
Ingredients:
1 cup dried black eyed peas
6 oz bacon, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced, divided
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 sprigs of rosemary, divided
4 sprigs of thyme, divided
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste
about 1 cup chopped day old bread (I used one sandwich roll)
This cold snap feels like it will never end. One good part about the cold weather is I definitely do more cooking!
One of my husband’s favorite recipes I make is one for Slow Cooker Chicken and Chickpea Tagine. I wanted to try a tagine with a different meat, so when I found this recipe for Slow Cooker Lamb Tagine on the cooking section of the New York Times, I used it as a base to make a slow cooker version.
Tagine or Tajine dishes are Moroccan slow cooked dishes named after the pot they are cooked in. The dishes are typically a stew with a protein, spices, and fruit. And, well, they are fantastic; they make for a perfect comfort food meal!
I braved the cold so I could pick up the ingredients for this yummy dish. I’m lucky enough to live close to Reading Terminal Market, and La Divisa Meats in the Terminal cubed some lamb leg meat for me for this recipe. If you do not have a local butcher, lamb stew meat works too.
Ingredients:
3 pounds cubed boneless lamb leg meat
salt and pepper, to taste
2 cinnamon sticks
large pinch saffron
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
1 3/4 cups beef broth
1 cup dried apricots
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (or margarine to make dairy free, or ghee to make paleo)
I love how comforting a good bowl of soup can be in cold weather, plus soup recipes, including this recipe for Curried Butternut Squash and Apple Soup, are typically super easy to make!
I try to keep my freezer stocked with a bunch of different soups to enjoy on nights that I just don’t feel like cooking.
The use of curry in this Cooking Light recipe for Curried Butternut Squash and Apple Soup makes for a nice warm tasting soup.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (or margarine to make dairy free)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium leek, chopped
1 granny smith apple, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon Madras curry powder
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 lbs pre peeled, pre cut butternut squash
4 cups unsalted chicken stock (or vegetable stock to make vegetarian)
