Note: I received a box of produce from Misfits Market in order to write this post. Opinions are mine alone.
I really like stuffed artichokes, but the idea of making them has always kind of intimidated me. I finally got up the courage to try them out when I received a box from Misfits Market with four lovely artichokes inside.
If you’ve never heard of Misfits Market, it was born from a mission to bring delicious, fresh, and affordable misfit produce to people everywhere and reduce food waste at a scale that creates positive and lasting impact.
Every box of Misfits produce benefits farmers, helps prevent food waste, and ultimately helps save the environment. Misfits is Philadelphia and New Jersey based but is rapidly expanding. The company rescues produce from regional farms and distributes it throughout the Northeast in three business days or less.
Misfits Market has two sizes of boxes: the Mischief and the Madness with a variety of fruits and veggies in each one. You can learn more about them here.
You’ll see more posts from me showing how I used my box, but let’s get back to the artichokes! My mother-in-law makes a batch of stuffed artichokes around Christmas and I am always amazed with the amount of work they can take! So this version for Baked Stuffed Artichokes is a bit of a cheat. Cutting them in half and baking them takes some of the “stuffing” work out, but not all of it.
Ingredients:
4 artichokes
3 lemons, juiced
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 large shallot, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 cups Italian breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped, plus more to taste
I’ve mentioned before that my husband is a huge peach fan. It isn’t exactly peach season just yet, but frozen peaches make it so we can enjoy them all throughout the year. Luckily, peach season is nearly here (June to September)!
I was contacted about a new cookbook I knew I needed to have in my collection: Just Peachy by Belinda Smith-Sullivan. This cookbook contains 70 peach-inspired recipes allowing home cooks to enjoy warm, summery peaches all year long!
Recipes range from breads, breakfasts, appetizers, entrees and desserts to sauces, preserves, condiments and drinks, plus facts about peaches, information on growing and growers, festivals, a list of all peach varietals and how to use them, and the history of peaches. Did you know that peaches, known as “the fruit of calmness,” are said to reduce anxiety?
I love to use peaches in both savory and sweet recipes and am always interested in incorporating peaches into more dishes. There are a ton of recipes that caught my eye in this cookbook but I decided to make a super simple and versatile recipe in the book: Easy Peach Mustard.
Peach Mustard can be used as an addition to a cheese plate, a dip for pretzels, a spread on sandwiches, or as a sauce on meat. (In fact, I used some of the Peach Mustard to make another recipe in the cookbook – Herb-Crusted Peach Mustard Pork Tenderloin – YUM)
This recipe comes together really quickly, and can be stored in your fridge for up to two months (or, if canned, 12 months).
Note: I was sent a ZOS wine saver for review. All opinions are mine alone.
Using wine in recipes both adds and enhances flavor. I love cooking with both red and white wine, but I really only drink red wine. Which means I keep a re-corked bottled of white wine in my fridge, which over time, begins to oxidize and change taste (and not for the better!)
So when I was contacted to try ZOS wine saver, I was intrigued. The ZOS wine saver is a solution that eliminates 100% of the oxygen from an opened bottle of wine, which can preserve the bottle for weeks or months. The ZOS wine stopper has an oxygen-absorbing cartridge that allows you to use a small amount of wine and still maintain its flavor for future use.
Source: zos.wine
The ZOS wine saver is made of an oxygen barrier stopper attached to a replaceable cartridge. You just insert the ZOS stopper into an open bottle of wine and the cartridge absorbs all of the oxygen in the bottle. Each cartridge lasts 5 to 15 bottles and is easily replaceable. The ZOS wine saver (paid link) can be purchased on Amazon.
With the weather warming up, I wanted to make a yummy seafood recipe that’s hearty but light. Cioppino is a fish stew originally from San Francisco, utilizing whatever was caught that day at sea. This recipe for Cioppino (Seafood Stew) includes making a broth and then making the actual soup. The broth can be made a couple of days ahead of time. Both parts of the recipe use white wine, so this recipe is the perfect test for the ZOS wine saver.
Ingredients:
Broth:
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup dry white wine
1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
2 8-oz. bottles clam juice
4 sprigs parsley
2 dried bay leaves
salt and pepper, to taste
Soup:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 lbs mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1 lb clams, scrubbed
¼ cup dry white wine
1 lb sea bass, skin removed and cut into 1” pieces
1 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails on
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, cut into cubes (or margarine for dairy free)
What. Is. With. This. Rain? I feel like it’s never going to stop raining in Philadelphia! It is now mid- to late May and all I want to do is enjoy some warm weather on my deck. Even if the weather isn’t cooperating, I can still pretend it’s summer with the help of David Burtka’s cookbook: Life is a Party.
Chef, actor, and entertaining authority David Burtka knows that every day can be a party. Over a lifetime of throwing epic gatherings, the Cordon Bleu-trained Burtka has perfected the formula for creating easy and perfect get-togethers at home. Now, in the pages of his debut cookbook, he’s sharing all of his secrets and an intimate look into the lives of one of Hollywood’s favorite families. Everything you need to throw a memorable party, or to make a delicious weeknight meal, can be found in the pages of Life is a Party. The cookbook is broken into sixteen party themes – from cozy game nights at home to elegant New Year’s fêtes-are built around doable, show-stopping menus that take the guesswork out of high-impact hosting. Complete with endless and fun ways to mix-and-match dishes, create stunning decor, prep ahead, and get guests involved, David helps you put all the elements in place to make every party a success without ever losing your cool.
The cookbook is broken into seasons to help plan party themes for different holidays and weather. Each party theme is better than the last! But after this weather, I knew I had to make a summer-themed recipe to help me dream of nicer days. I was drawn to a cocktail from the “Sunday Funday” party theme: Mojito Slushies. This yummy spin on the classic cocktail is the perfect refreshing cocktail to cool you down from hot summer days! This recipe is also a great make ahead recipe, with minimal work when you’re ready to serve it.
I also have a copy of Life Is A Party to give away! More details after the recipe.
Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups water, divided
1 large bunch fresh mint
2 cups fresh lime juice (12-16 limes),
ice
24 oz white rum (or 24 oz lemonade for a mocktail)
Note: This post is sponsored by Pete and Gerry’s Organic Eggs. All opinions are mine alone.
Eggs are a big part of my cooking repertoire: they are a great source of healthy fats, protein, vitamins and minerals, all for a fairly affordable price. My husband is a huge fan of eggs, especially post-run. So I’m always trying to find new fun brunch recipes that star eggs as the main ingredient, like in this fun recipe for Breakfast Guacamole!
So when Pete and Gerry’s Organic Eggs contacted me about highlighting the health benefits of eggs for National Egg Month (May), I knew it would be a great opportunity to find a new yummy way to enjoy eggs!
source: peteandgerrys.com
Pete and Gerry’s Farm Free Eggs are organic and free range. The eggs are also certified humane, non-GMO, and have no added hormones and are antibiotic and pesticide-free. Eggs have 5 grams of fat, primarily from polyunsaturated and monounsatured fats, helping to fill you up and control blood sugar. Each egg has less than 8% of your daily value of saturated fats, or 1.5 grams. Eggs also have 6 grams of protein, high amounts of antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, along with vitamins D, B12, A, K, and riboflavin.
Despite all of the benefits of eggs, the current FDA definition of “healthy” stipulates that foods must be very low in fat (3 grams of less per serving) to meet the definition of healthy. This means that foods high in good fats, such as eggs and nuts, cannot technically be labeled as healthy. So, with the help of Registered Dietician and founder of Nutritious Life, Keri Glassman, Pete and Gerry’s Organic Eggs is petitioning the FDA to amend the definition of “healthy” to allow it to be used with eggs. You can read more about it here.
source: peteandgerrys.com
I decided to make a breakfast version of guacamole – guacamole topped with eggs and bacon – as a yummy hearty breakfast this past weekend.
Ingredients (serves 4):
4 slices bacon
1/4 small red onion, finely chopped
1/2 small jalapeno, seeds and membranes removed, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
It’s so easy to find food inspiration in Philadelphia. We have so many cool events throughout the year, and I’m lucky enough to be given the opportunity to check out a lot of them! One can’t miss event going on right now is the Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival in Franklin Square – a celebration of light and culture that features magnificent steel-framed and silk-wrapped giant lighted sculptures, created by hand using traditional Chinese methods. The 2019 Festival will illuminate Franklin Square at 6th & Race Streets in Historic Philadelphia from May 1 through June 30 with 29 larger-than-life illuminated displays made of 2,000 individual lanterns and 20,000 LED lights in brilliant colors.
In addition to the gorgeous light installations, festival-goers can witness authentic cultural stage performances, taste Asian cuisine and American favorites, drink a toast at the Dragon Beer Garden (open nightly), and shop for Chinese folk artists’ crafts created on site as well as Festival-themed merchandise. Guests can also play Philly Mini Golf, ride the Parx Liberty Carousel (additional tickets required for both), and enjoy Center City’s best play place!
All of the lanterns are new for the 2019 Festival, including new lighting design techniques. Highlights feature a 200-foot long phoenix, a walk-through dragon tunnel, mythological creatures created from small glass bottles filled with colored water, and a host of interactive installations such as lit swings and a fortune-telling wheel. The lanterns are installed all around the seven-acre Square, and guests stroll under, around, and through the displays each evening.
Photos do not do the lanterns justice, so if you are in Philadelphia now through June 30, grab tickets for this festival if you can! The lanterns are able to be viewed for free (unlit) during daytime, while tickets are required for nighttime entrance after 6 pm (no re-entry). On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights, a second entrance at 7th& Race (Lion Gate Entrance) is open for those who
have purchased tickets in advance. Advance tickets are strongly recommended.
There are a bunch of food options for the festival including chicken satay, beef bao, Korean meatballs, shrimp tempura, veggie spring rolls, Hawaii pineapple shrimp, and much more. Square Burger, a staple of Franklin Square Park, is also open during the festival, serving burgers, cheesesteaks, and milkshakes.
After checking out the beautiful lanterns throughout the park, I strolled over to the Dragon Beer Garden for a drink and was able to try this delicious drink dubbed an Eastern Sunrise Cocktail. The recipe is inspired by a Tequila Sunrise, but uses a trio of juices (orange, lychee, and pineapple) and substitutes rum for the tequila. It was so tasty, I wanted to share a homemade version! The Dragon Beer Garden offers multiple draft, bottled, and canned beverages as well as a few themed cocktails, including the Eastern Sunrise.
Ingredients (serves 2)
ice
4 oz white rum
4 oz tangerine (or orange) juice
2 oz lychee juice
2 oz pineapple juice
2 oz grenadine
maraschino cherries and peeled lychees, for garnish (optional)
Note: if you can’t find lychee juice, look for canned peeled lychees in syrup. You can puree ~6 of the lychees in a blender and strain through a strainer which should give you about 2 oz lychee juice. If you prefer your cocktails a little sweeter, you can add some of the syrup to your blender prior to blending.
Not going to lie. I never thought I’d post a recipe for lactation cookies on my blog. (And no, I haven’t hidden the pregnancy and birth of my first child from you. I made a batch of these cookies, or more correctly, the cookie dough, for my sister-in-law.) But, here I am sharing a recipe for Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Lactation Cookies.
So, why am I sharing these? Because they are GOOD. Like. Really good. Also, these are perfectly acceptable to have even when you’re not nursing. (What? I had to sample them before giving them as a gift!) But if you want other cookie options, I have plenty to choose from as well!
Oats, brewers yeast and wheat germ are ingredients that not only promote lactation, but have a bunch of other great benefits:
Brewer’s yeast helps maintain a proper digestive tract while also enhancing energy and strengthening the immune system. It’s also a source of protein, potassium, iron, zinc and magnesium.
Wheat germ is a good source of magnesium, zinc, potassium, folic acid, and vitamin E. It also can boost your immunity, reduce the risk of heart disease, and help maintain a healthy weight.
Oats are high in fiber and iron, protein and complex carbohydrates.
After that lesson, I think we all deserve a little treat!
A few weeks ago, I became an aunt! My sister and brother-in-laws are new parents to a beautiful baby girl. My husband went up to visit them recently, so I sent him up with some frozen food options to stock their freezer, including some of these Mandu Korean Dumplings.
I thought dumplings would be a perfect freezer friendly meal that also doesn’t add much to the cook time. You can cook mandu straight from the freezer, no need to thaw!
This version has a mixture of ground beef, pork, and vegetables, but the recipe can easily be adapted to fit whatever you have on hand, or have a craving for.
The end of April can mean only one thing, Flavors on the Avenue is almost here! Held the last Sunday of every April, Flavors on the Avenue is one of my favorite annual events. The food festival is held on E Passyunk Ave from Broad St to Dickinson St this Sunday, April 28 from 11am to 5pm.
Over two dozen of the region’s best restaurants will fire up street food, small plates, and signature dishes along the Avenue, ranging on average from $3.00 to $6.00 and will be pay-as-you-go. Craft beef, wine, and seasonal sips will also be available, sold by select restaurants, plus a Founders Brewing Co. Tasting Tent. Restaurants participating include:
Barcelona Wine Bar
Bing Bing Dim Sum
Brigantessa
Cantina Los Caballitos
Chhaya Cafe
El Sarape Restaurant
Essen Bakery
Fond
Fuel
ITV Philly
Izumi
Le Virtù
Mamma Maria Ristorante
Manatawny Still Works
Noir Philadelphia
Paradiso Restaurant
Pistola’s Del Sur
Plenty Café
P’unk Burger
Redcrest Fried Chicken
Saté Kampar
Stogie Joe’s Tavern
The Bottle Shop
Teas n’ Mi
Tre Scalini
Vanilya Bakery
In addition to all of the yummy food options, look for live music and entertainment throughout the festival, plus bring the kids for free family fun activities in kid zones up and down the avenue.
Source: EPABID
Retail, family, and fashion shops along the avenue will also be participating; look for shopping, sidewalk sales, special events, workshops, and much more!
Source: EPABID
This is an event that I’ve been attending since it first began as Flavors of the Avenue, under a tent. In 2017, the event moved along the avenue itself and has become the largest event on E Passyunk.
Source: EPABID
To read some of my past posts highlighting this event, check out:
This year, I wanted to highlight one of the many vegetarian options that will be offered on Sunday: Eggplant Meatballs from Brigantessa! I attended a media event for Flavors this year and was struck with how many delicious meatless options will be offered this year.
Every Sunday is pasta night in my house, so we went for a meatless Sunday, substituting in these yummy Eggplant Meatballs for our usual Meatballs in Tomato Sauce.
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 small onion, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced (or use a garlic press)
2 (28 oz) cans tomato puree
1 bay leaf
4 tablespoons chopped basil, divided, plus more for serving
salt and pepper, to taste
2.5 cups bread crumbs (I used Italian bread crumbs)
2 large eggs
1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for serving
Note: I was sent jars of Le Sauce & Co Finishing Sauces in order to write this post. All opinions are mine alone.
For the last few months, I’ve been messing around with a new toy: a precision cooker that allows me to cook sous vide (which means “under vacuum”).
To cook sous vide, you add ingredients to a sealed plastic bag (or glass jar) and cook it in water that has been brought to a specific temperature. Cooking using this method takes considerably longer than sautéing, roasting, or grilling, but the result is a perfectly even and tender meal! I’ve made a few things sous vide so far, but wanted to first share the most common recipe: Sous Vide Steak. This cooking method seals in moisture and results in a super flavorful steak, so you only need a simple sauce to complete your meal.
I drizzled my Sous Vide Steak with a sauce from Le Sauce & Co.: Classic Green Peppercorn Sauce. Le Sauce is a boutique, craft food company that believes every meal should be an experience. They have four different finishing sauces that elevate a meal with little effort! The Classic Green Peppercorn Sauce is the perfect complement to a perfectly cooked steak, and is made with cream, butter, shallots. cognac, and green peppercorns. Other finishing sauces include Coconut Thai Red Curry, Roasted Poblano & Garlic, and White Wine Lemon & Garlic, and all can be found on Amazon.
Ingredients:
2 (8 to 12 oz) boneless beef tenderloin steaks
salt and pepper, to taste
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or other oil with a high smoking temperature
My husband really likes chia seeds. He will even just add them to water and have them that way. As (un)appealing as that sounds, I’ve been trying to incorporate them into some recipes that make the most of chia seeds while being a bit more… tasty, like this recipe for Overnight Chia Seed Breakfast Pudding Jars.
Chia seeds are pretty bland, so they are easy to add to recipes without impacting taste. When soaked in a liquid, they expand and thicken whatever liquid they are added into, making them perfect for pudding or jam.
This recipe for Chia Seed Breakfast Pudding is an easy make ahead recipe for breakfast on the go. My husband and I just grab one of these pre-made jars and bring with us to work to eat.
Note: this recipe makes 4 (16 oz) jars or 8 (8 oz) jars, depending on how large you want your servings
I’m on a pretty good streak of making a bunch of meals on weekends so that we have quick and easy meals on weeknights. Last weekend, I came across this recipe for Indian Spiced Chicken with Tomato and Cream and knew it would reheat nicely. It takes some time to make, so it’s best for cooking on a weekend. But it’s a one pot meal!
This adapted version is awesome over cooked rice. If you like a thicker sauce, you may want to add some water mixed with cornstarch at the end to thicken.
If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen that I had the opportunity to try a featured milkshake at Bassett’s Ice Cream using Tastykake’s new Cookies and Crème Mini Donuts.
The donuts are the first offering from Tastykake Scoop Shop™, an ice cream-inspired line of sweet snacks. Scoop Shop Cookies & Crème Mini Donuts are available everywhere Tastykake is sold for $2.99 per 9.5oz bag or $1.79 for the six-count single serve option.
The Scoop Shop line features fan favorite ice cream flavors in sweet snack form and will be launched in two phases, the first already available, with phase two planned for late April. Leveraging trends in the snacking category, Tastykake Scoop Shop explores the crossover of two sweet snacks by borrowing flavor and forms from different categories. The first Scoop Shop item, Cookies & Crème Mini Donuts, blends one of the brand’s top-selling product types with a proven favorite ice cream flavor. And they really nailed it, the donuts really do taste like cookies and cream! Phase two combines mint chocolate chip ice cream flavor with a creme-filled cookie for the Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwich (um, YUM), so be on the look out for those in late April. The new treats create a fun snacking experience that ice cream and sweet snack lovers will appreciate.
To help celebrate the launch in its hometown, Tastykake partnered with another Philadelphia icon and the nation’s oldest ice cream company – Bassetts Ice Cream – a full-service frozen dessert distributor. I was thrilled to try this partnership from two brands with tons of Philadelphia history, more than 250 years of combined history in Philly! I headed over to Reading Terminal Market (fun fact: my husband and I were actually married in Reading Terminal) to try the limited-edition milkshake item. Kirby the Krimpet, the Tastykake mascot, even made an appearance!
The milkshakes are made with Bassetts’ cookies and cream ice cream, chunks of Tastykake’s Cookies & Crème Mini Donuts, and chocolate syrup, topped with whipped cream and garnished with a Cookies & Crème Donut. The shakes are sold at Bassetts’ original retail location in Reading Terminal Market for a limited time.
I swear they made these Donuts and milkshakes just for me, Cookies and Cream is my favorite! So naturally, I wanted to try to make my own version at home, this recipe for Cookies and Cream Donut Milkshakes. I picked up two pints of Bassetts’ cookies and cream ice cream, a bag of Tastykake Cookies & Crème Mini Donuts, milk, chocolate syrup, and whipped cream, and I was ready to go!
Harira is a wonderfully filling and hearty soup originally from Morocco. It can be made with many different ingredients (and can be made vegetarian), but it’s typically made with lamb, chicken, or beef, lentils, and chickpeas in a lightly spicy tomato broth.
This dish is a staple during Ramadan to break the daily fast, and also makes for an awesome dinner on chilly nights!
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 lb lamb chunks
1 large onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced (or if you’re like me and don’t like the texture of celery, keep large so you can remove later)
3 carrots, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ to 1 teaspoon harissa paste, depending on your heat tolerance
1 (28oz can) crushed tomatoes
½ cup parsley, chopped, plus more for garnish
¼ cup cilantro, chopped, plus more for garnish
1 cup brown lentils, rinsed
1 cup red lentils, rinsed
1 (15 oz can) chickpeas, drained
6 cups chicken broth
4 oz vermicelli, broken into smaller, 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (or 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch to make gluten free)
I thoroughly dislike rainy, cold weather. The only perk of this crummy weather is the awesome comfort food that typically emerges from it! Dublin Coddle is one of those dishes.
This slowly simmered dish uses all of the traditional Irish fixin’s — bacon, sausage, and potatoes. Dating back to the 1700’s Dublin Coddle makes use of leftover rashers (bacon), bangers (sausage) and potatoes and turns them into a wonderful winter comfort food dinner.
This dish is a great Saturday dish… it takes while to cook but is well worth the wait!
