Quick | I Can Cook That

Honey Buttermilk Biscuits

I’ve used Melt Buttery Spread in a few recipes on here, including delicious Skinny Iced Pumpkin Cookies, Tim Tam Tarts with Raspberries and Rose Water Whipped Cream, and Shrimp Florentine Pasta.

Melt Buttery Spread is made of virgin coconut oil, flax seed oil, palm fruit oil, and canola oil — all healthy cooking oils and “good fats.” The coconut oil doesn’t make Melt taste like coconut butter though, the flavor is more mild. Typical buttery spreads are made of hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, which have been liked to obesity, heart disease, etc. Melt is also organic, gluten free, soy free, kosher, and has 50% of the saturated fat and fewer calories than butter, so it is a healthy butter alternative. The melting point of the buttery spread is also close to butter’s (unlike most buttery spreads) so it is easy to use as a butter substitute in baking.

Melt has recently developed two new spreads: Honey Melt and Chocolate Melt. I was sent coupons so that I could try these new spreads so I picked up some of the Honey Melt. The spread would be great on its own, just on waffles or on a dinner roll, but I wanted to highlight how great Melt is when baking.

I found this Bobby Flay recipe for Buttermilk Biscuits with Butter and Honey on FoodNetwork.com and substituted in the Honey Melt.

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1 tablespoon, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 oz (8 tablespoons) Honey Melt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing tops
Freshly ground black pepper, optional
Honey, for serving

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Wild Mushroom Truffled Pizza Topped with Runny Eggs

.Pizzas are a great weeknight meal option; it’s easy to make it out of products in your pantry and can be customized for whatever you’re in the mood to eat that night (or what you need to clean out of the fridge!) There is a pizza place near me in Philly called Nomad Pizza that has one of my favorite pizzas: their Truffle Pecorino pizza. The pizza is topped with cheese, garlic, shiitake mushrooms, truffle oil, and a runny egg.

I wanted to try out a version of this pizza for myself. I used a mixture of baby bella, maitake, and shiitake mushroom caps and made a quick garlic truffle oil to drizzle on for extra flavor to make this recipe for Wild Mushroom Truffled Pizza Topped with Runny Eggs.

Ingredients:

1 store bought pizza dough
1/4 cup olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon, divided
2 garlic cloves crushed
a drizzle of white truffle oil
1 package of sliced shiitake mushroom caps
1 package of sliced baby bella mushrooms
1/4 cup maitake mushrooms (or any wild mushroom you prefer)
salt and pepper, to taste
4 oz ricotta
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
4 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
4-6 oz brie (I used Champignon German Brie with mushrooms)
2-4 oz Boschetto al Tartufo (Boschetto with Truffles) – you can also just use any mild cow cheese you’d like
2 eggs

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Seared Steak with Mushroom Marsala Sauce

I live near-ish Kennett Square, PA, the “mushroom capital of the world.” For the last 28 years, Kennett Square has hosted an amazing Mushroom Festival the first weekend following Labor Day. I love this festival. There are cooking demonstrations, contests, farm tours, and of course, a ton of mushroom filled dishes. But honestly the best part of the festival is the ability to stock up on all different kinds of mushrooms.

So for the week following the Mushroom Festival each year, I gorge myself on all things mushroom. You may have noticed that each year this blog gets very fungi-filled in September. (Past posts: Mushroom Risotto, Mushroom Green Bean and Farro Salad with a Poached Egg and Warm Bacon Vinaigrette, and Slow Cooker Boeuf Bourguignon).

Beef and Mushrooms are really wonderful together, which is why you see them paired so often. To get the most flavor out of these ingredients, I wanted to sear steak (I used filet tail), cook the mushrooms in the same pan, and then make a sauce with some of the browned bits left in the pan.

I made this one-pot dish in a new offering from Calphalon and Williams-Sonoma: the Elite Nonstick line of pans. I received a 3-piece set which includes a 10″ Fry Pan and a 3 quart Saute Pan with a lid. These are some snaz-zy pans. I literally swooned when I opened them up. There are a bunch of great qualities to these pans that make them perfect for this recipe. The Elite Nonstick line of cookware has a textured sear nonstick surface, which seals in flavor when browning or searing. The pans are metal-utensil safe, so you can use your metal whisk or spatula without scratching the cookware. The cookware is also dishwasher safe, making cleanup a breeze.

Elite Nonstick just launched on Williams-Sonoma.com on September 12 and will be available in Williams-Sonoma Stores on September 27. The cookware is sold as an 11-piece set, or as individual pieces. But I am excited to announce that Calphalon is giving one I Can Cook That reader a 10″ Elite Fry Pan, valued at $150! I’ll have more on the giveaway at the end of this post.

So let’s see what these awesome pans can do! I used the 3 quart saute pan for this recipe.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 8-oz steaks (I used filet tails)
2 shallots, chopped
2 cups assorted mushrooms
1/2 cup Marsala wine
1/4 cup beef stock
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons butter
fresh chives, sliced, for garnish

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Vegan Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

I personally am not vegan. But as more of my friends dabble in veganism, I have been getting more requests to do some vegan friendly recipes. I’m honestly finding vegan baking to be relatively easy; most of the substitute ingredients are already in my pantry!

I received a bag of One Degree Organics Sprouted Spelt Flour along with some vegan baking recipes that sounded really tasty! I have never made a vegan cookie before so I appreciated the nudge towards trying and decided to make some Vegan Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies.

Sprouted Spelt Flour works generally like normal flour, you just need to adjust your dry-to-wet ingredient ratio (less dry ingredients or more wet ingredients). Sprouted Spelt Flour contains more fiber, vitamins, and essential fatty acids than regular flour so it seems like a generally good switch to make. (I’m not giving up eating cookies, but hey, at least I’ve increased my fiber!) 🙂

One Degree Organics prides itself on using only organic foods grown using natural veganic methods for its grains used in its cereal, bread, and flours. The company also does not add any synthetic ingredients and practices sustainable growing methods. One Degree Organics actually includes a QR code and alphanumeric code on each package so that you can learn about where that specific product came from and the family of farmers behind it. Pretty cool right?

So I was really excited to use their Sprouted Spelt Flour in this recipe! Because this is my first time baking vegan cookies, I kept the recipe mostly intact. I did add some walnuts for a bit of crunch which resulted in these Vegan Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies!

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cup One Degree Organic Sprouted Spelt Flour
¼ cup Coconut Palm Sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla powder or extract
¼ cup + 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
½ cup vegan chocolate chips
1/4 cup walnut pieces

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Prosciutto Wrapped Figs

Oh how I love fresh figs! They are in season late summer into the fall and I recently spotted some Black Mission Figs at my grocery store. I’ve used fresh figs as a dessert (Grilled Mission Figs with Mascarpone and Spiced Honey) and as a main dish (Prosciutto, Fig, and Arugula Flatbread) in previous recipes so I decided to do a quick and really simple appetizer or hors d’oeuvres recipe this time around.

These are exactly what the title says, figs wrapped in prosciutto and roasted until the figs are warm and juicy and the prosciutto is crispy.

Ingredients (serves 6):

1 dozen figs
6 thin slices of prosciutto, sliced in half lengthwise
salt and pepper, to taste

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Pumpkin Pie Milkshakes

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, pumpkin season! My love of pumpkin flavored, well, anything, is well known among my group of friends. September means I am actually allowed to dive into my pumpkin obsession but it is still a bit warm so we will begin with a chilled version of my favorite gourd – Pumpkin Pie Milkshakes!

I had a Pumpkin Pie Milkshake post on here from 2011, but when I switched my blog over to WordPress, the post got a little funky. So I decided to make the milkshake again with a few changes.

Ingredients (makes 2 servings, multiply as needed):

2 cups vanilla ice cream
1 cup vanilla almond milk
1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 graham cracker (I used cinnamon graham crackers), crumbled

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Salmon Salad with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

For some reason I really haven’t mastered the whole crispy skin thing for fish. Which is kind of ridiculous. I eat/prepare salmon probably once a week on average. Anyways, even when I fail at achieving crispy skin, I still thoroughly enjoy my salmon dish. And this is another one of those cases. This recipe should result in crispy skin. And. Well. It just didn’t, but it’s absolutely delicious anyways!

Ingredients (serves 4):

1 pint cherry tomatoes (I used heirloom)
2 teaspoons plus 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 (6 ounce) salmon fillets, skin-on
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 4 limes)
4 oz mixed baby lettuce leaves

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Coppola Chardonnay Pink Grapefruit Snow Cone and Frozen Cocktail

Snow cones (or snow balls, depending on where you are from) are synonymous with summer, boardwalks, and childhood. Shaved ice topped with a flavored sugar syrup are a refreshing treat on hot days. Francis Ford Coppola Winery offers Skylite Snowball Cocktail Syrups that pair perfectly with Coppola wine offerings for adult snow cones! I was sent a bottle of Francis Ford Coppola Chardonnay to try out this fun treat and paired it with the Skylite Pink Grapefruit Syrup to make Coppola Chardonnay Pink Grapefruit Snow Cones and Frozen Cocktails!

Ingredients (makes 1):

2 tablespoons Diamond Collection Chardonnay
1/2 tablespoons Skylight Pink Grapefruit Syrup
5 oz shaved ice

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Seafood Arrabbiata

My boyfriend and I have been trying to eat less meat and increase our seafood, shellfish, and vegetarian dinner options. In general, vegetarian and fish dinner options are also a great choice for a weeknight dinner because they take very little time to prepare.

This recipe for Seafood Arrabbiata from Cooking Light incorporates a few different types of shellfish into a spicy tomato broth that is served over pasta.

“Arrabbiata” means “angry” in Italian alluding to the spiciness of the dish. You can alter the spices to your liking. I’d suggest adding very little crushed red pepper, and then having a shaker of red pepper when serving so each person can customize their level of heat.

Ingredients (serves 4):

1 (16oz box) uncooked linguine
2 tablespoons chili olive oil, divided (I used Nudo Olive Oil with Sicilian Chillies), (can substitute regular olive oil)
8 ounces sea scallops
8 ounces peeled and deveined medium shrimp
salt and pepper, to taste
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (or 1/2 teaspoon if using regular olive oil)
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon anchovy paste, optional
1 (28oz) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup tomato puree
1/2 cup clam juice
24 littleneck clams
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish

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Walkers Shortbread Back to School Snack Ideas

As a member of the Walkers Shortbread Blogger Ambassador program, I was sent samples of the company’s full line of mini shortbread and cookie varieties. I honestly had no idea these even existed, but I’m so excited they do! Walkers offers Mini Chocolate Chip Shortbread, Mini Shortbread Fingers, Mini Shortbread Rounds, and their newest cookie Mini Crunchy Oatmeal Cookies.

Each variety are made from all natural ingredients including whole-wheat flour, creamery butter, and whole grain oats. All of the cookies are really delicious but my favorite was the Mini Crunchy Oatmeal Cookies, I couldn’t stop eating them!The bags contain more than one serving, so they come in a great re-sealable grab and go bag, (if you’re able to control yourself unlike me).

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Chicken Piccata with Spaghetti

One of my earlier posts on this blog was a chicken piccata recipe. I used to make chicken piccata probably once a week, because it was one of the only recipes I knew! But since I’ve committed to learning how to cook, I haven’t made it in probably 2 years (there are so many recipes I have to try, I rarely go back to my previous go-to recipes). So I decided to revisit the recipe with a few tweaks.

I’ve seen commercials for Land O Lakes Sauté Express products and just loved the idea. The Sauté Starters, made with butter, olive oil, and spices, are an easy way to cook up chicken or fish effortlessly. The Sauté Express Sauté Starters are specifically made for cooking on a stovetop and are portioned out in one ounce servings, enough to cook two chicken breast or fish fillets. So I thought the Garlic & Herb Sauté Express would be great in chicken piccata.

Because I use the same pan to both make the sauce and cook my chicken, my piccata is browner than most you’ll find in restaurants. So I apologize for the presentation. But trust me, the flavor makes it worth it!

Ingredients (serves 4):

¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
1 lb chicken tenderloins (about 8 pieces)
2 squares Garlic & Herb Sauté Express, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1/3 cup white wine (whatever you have around the house)
¾ cup chicken stock
The juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/2 box spaghetti (or your favorite pasta)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
2 tablespoons drained capers
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

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Cheese Ravioli with Roasted Tomatoes

Ravioli is a favorite of mine for weeknight meals when you just don’t have the energy to cook. You just throw them in the pasta pot and then toss them in a sauce. This recipe involves a bit more than just reheating sauce from the freezer, but it’s still really simple. I love ravioli in a traditional tomato sauce so this recipe for Cheese Ravioli with Roasted Tomatoes sounded great!

Roasting tomatoes brings out flavor you never even knew tomatoes had. When paired with balsamic vinegar to balance out their sweetness, roasted tomatoes are truly delicious.

Ingredients:

1 pound cherry tomatoes
2 shallots, cut into wedges
Cooking spray
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
12 ounces cheese ravioli
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

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Gazpacho with Grilled Pickapeppa Shrimp

Cooking Light’s August issue had a recipe for Pickapeppa Chicken and Mango Kebabs (that I plan on making soon) that required me to buy a bottle of Pickapeppa sauce. I had never heard of this sauce before and I was intrigued. It’s a Caribbean condiment referred to as “Jamaican ketchup” that is basically a sweeter A1 sauce, made with tomatoes, onions, mangoes, peppers, and other spices.

I thought this sauce sounded like it would be great on shrimp, so I decided to incorporate it into another Cooking Light recipe from the same issue: Gazpacho with Shrimp.

Ingredients:

1 (10-ounce) container grape tomatoes, divided
1 1/2 cups sliced English cucumber, divided
1 cup diced red bell pepper, divided (about 2 peppers)
3/4 cup diced Vidalia or other sweet onion, divided
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
5/8 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
3 garlic cloves
1 (28-ounce) can San Marzano tomatoes, drained
The juice of one lemon
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ cup pickapeppa sauce
20 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 8 ounces)

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Grilled Sirloin Steak with Mango Chile Salad

I realized a few days ago that I rarely make steak. I tend to gravitate towards fish and shellfish recipes because they are usually so simple and quick to prepare on weekdays. But grilled steak is also a really great quick option, especially on hot days when you don’t want to use your stove. (Are you seeing a theme in my posts recently? My apartment is on the top floor and it gets quite warm up there in the summer months so my stove gets a break for the most part from June to August.)

The latest Cooking Light had a recipe for a simple grilled sirloin steak served with a really beautiful mango chile salad. The whole recipe from start to finish took less than 30 minutes, perfect for a weeknight!

Ingredients (serves 4):

1 pound sirloin steak, trimmed
1 teaspoon olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
The juice of one lime
1 medium ripe mango, peeled and diced (I used a Haden mango)
1 red jalapeno pepper, seeded and roughly chopped (you can use green if you can’t find red)
2 tablespoons chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts

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Watermelon Mojito

A few weeks ago, I had some watermelon I couldn’t finish. So I decided to blend the watermelon, drained it through a sieve, and froze it for future use. I knew I wanted to make a Watermelon Mojito and having the frozen watermelon puree would make the process much easier.

So when I was contacted by Polar Seltzer to try some of their summer seltzers, I knew the time had arrived. Even better, one of the flavors sent my way was Mint Mojito!

So I broke out the Watermelon puree and let it thaw in the refrigerator. You can also blend fresh watermelon right before making the mojitos.

Ingredients (Makes 1, multiply as needed):

4-5 mint leaves, plus more for garnish
the juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon agave (I used Agave in the Raw)
2 oz white rum
3 oz watermelon puree
Polar Mint Mojito Seltzer

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