Category: Quick

Sauteed Spiced Pears with Pecans Over Ice Cream

This recipe is a result of having all of the ingredients in my kitchen, and my endless sweet tooth. Pears hold up really well to being cooked so I thought they would be great with traditional baking spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves) and some pecans for crunch. I also had a bit of ice cream left in my freezer so I used the pears and pecans as a topping.
Ingredients:
1 bosc pear, peel, cored, and cut into slices
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
A pinch of cloves
1/4 cup pecans
1 scoop French vanilla ice cream

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Homemade Hot Chocolate with Marshmallow Hearts

The simplest actions can really make your day. Sometimes all you need to turn a day around is a simple pick me up. This hot chocolate is a really easy way to put a smile on your, or your loved ones, face(s). It’s also a perfect Valentine’s Day drink! I found this cute recipe on Martha Stewart.
Ingredients:
(this makes 2 cups)
  • 4 cups whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons plus one teaspoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 4 tablespoons finely chopped dark chocolate
  • 2 marshmallows

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Strawberries with Chocolate Cream

Valentines Day has come early to I Can Cook That! Ok, not really. I made them for a party recently, but they would be perfect for a Valentines Day dessert, or with your coffee in the morning! I found this recipe on Taste of Home. After reading the reviews, a few people suggested adding some powdered sugar to sweeten up the chocolate cream. I love anything sweet, so I took their suggestion!
Ingredients:
1-1/2 ounces dark chocolate, grated, divided
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup whipped topping
2 containers of fresh strawberries, halved

I used  dark chocolate bars from Trader Joe’s. They come in 1.75 oz little bars so I used two of those 1.75 oz bars. Take the first bar and melt over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
In a small bowl, add the cream cheese, vanilla, powdered sugar and whipped topping. Beat with a hand mixer until smooth.
Add the melted chocolate and beat until combined. Add the mixture to a plastic zip lock bag.
Cut off the lower corner and pipe onto the strawberries, with the cut side up.
 Using a grater, grate the remaining chocolate over the strawberries.

These are really simple, and really tasty too!

I think the addition of the powdered sugar was a good idea. Fresh strawberries can be a bit tart, so it was nice to add some extra sweetness within the chocolate cream.

The cream cheese adds a nice smoothness to the chocolate cream. They are so pretty too, aren’t they?

You can make these ahead of time and then pop them in the refrigerator until needed.

Mussels in White Wine Garlic Sauce

It’s very rare that I make a meal without some kind of goal in mind. I’m not terribly creative, so I usually do at least some research before making a meal: read a magazine, google a recipe, ask a family member, or have a craving from a restaurant I want to try to make at home.
I guess my subconscious was channeling a craving for Bona Cucina‘s mussels in white wine because I kind of sort of ended up with that at the end of my cooking, so here’s my version of their Mussels in White Wine Garlic Sauce. I was just trying to whip up a quick meal, so I actually didn’t take any photos until the finished product (whoops) but I thought I’d share it anyways. I still had some mussels left over from when I made Angel Hair Pasta with Mussels in a Red Pepper Sauce so I figured I should use them.
Ingredients – serve 2 as an appetizer, multiply as needed (get all ingredients here):
  • 1 dozen mussels, scrubbed and debearded
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2-4 garlic cloves, minced (depending on how much you want to offend those around you)
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • Chopped parsley
  • 2 tablespoons butter

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Goat Cheese Stuffed Lamb Burgers

Oh yes, you read that correctly. A delicious grilled lamb burger, with goat cheese inside. I have been craving Goat Cheese Stuffed Lamb Burgers for a good week now and finally managed to find ground lamb (which was surprisingly difficult for some reason) to make them. I used a recipe off of Finish Your Broccoli‘s blog that she made a while back to make the actual burger. I took some liberty in making it but for the most part it’s basically the same.

 

Ingredients:
  • 1 pound ground lamb
  • 3 tbsp plain yogurt
  • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 tbsp minced fresh mint
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • Pinch cayenne
  • 4 oz log goat cheese
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 1 tbsp chopped basil
  • Tzatziki
  • Sliced cucumber
  • Pita bread or hamburger buns, toasted

Add the ground lamb, plain yogurt, panko, mint, salt, pepper, cumin, and cayenne to a large bowl.

Mix to combine.

Add the goat cheese, olive oil, parsley, and basil to a small bowl.

Mix to combine.

Take the meat mixture and divide it evenly into four patties.

Make a well in each patty and add an equal amount of the cheese mixture into each well.

Form the meat patty around the cheese mixture.

Heat a grill pan (or grill) and cook the burger to your liking. Because they are so thick, you might need to cook them long and slow.

Grill the hamburger buns or pita bread.

Top the burger with tzatziki and sliced cucumber.

And there you have it!

You bite in and get a really delicious, moist burger.

With a flavorful, gooey center.

Mmmm.

This is EXACTLY what I was craving. And it’s really quick! What more could you ask for?

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

Who honestly doesn’t love crab stuffed mushrooms? Little bite sized bits of happiness: mushroom, crab meat, cheese, and crunchy bread crumbs. I always have my fingers crossed that these party staples show up as an appetizer at any and all social events. So I thought it was about time that I attempted to make them myself. I finally whipped up a batch of theses crab stuffed mushrooms to eat while watching the games on Sunday. They are actually quite easy to make and are awesome right out of the oven or cooled to room temperature. Taste of Home had a great recipe I decided to try. My only “big” change was that I substituted Old Bay in for the cayenne. I’ve spent many a summer on the Chesapeake and now can’t eat crab without at least a little bit of this seasoning!
 
Ingredients:
  • 1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
  • 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon Old Bay
  • 1 can (8 ounces) crabmeat, drained, flaked and cartilage removed 
  • 2 containers of fresh baby bella mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese 
  • Cooking spray

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Caprese Tomato Bites

I know, I know. It’s January. What the heck am I doing posting a Caprese recipe? I had a craving for a Caprese salad and I can’t bring myself to buy large tomatoes so out of season. Cherry tomatoes always seem to be around the same level of taste all year long, so I thought this might hold me over until the spring. The recipe incorporates all ingredients found in a traditional Caprese salad, while making it into a cute appetizer bite. I found this recipe on Taste of Home and mainly stuck to the recipe, with  a few changes based on what I could find.
Ingredients:
  • 1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, torn into smaller pieces
  • 6 fresh basil leaves
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

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Thirty Minute “Paella”

I absolutely love paella: rice, saffron, seafood… what isn’t to like? If I could, I’d eat this amazing dish once a week. Traditional paella takes a good hour at least to make, so it would be quite the task to make it all the time. However, I found a paella-like dish from Cooking Light that can be made in 30 minutes! My parents and sister recently went to Spain and brought me back some amazing, but vague, spices. One was just labeled as “paella spice” and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to try it out.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 a white onion, chopped
2 chicken sausages, cut into pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound large shrimp
2 cups uncooked  rice
1 cup water
1 tablespoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon “paella spice” (sub in 1/2 teaspoon crushed saffron for this)
1/4 teaspoon paprika, smoked would be ideal
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup frozen green peas
the juice of 1/2 a lemon juice

Using a Dutch oven or a heavy bottomed pan, head the olive oil over medium-high heat. Chop your onion and sausage.
Add to the pot and cook, stirring, for three minutes.
Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and stir in to the other ingredients.
Add the rice, water, oregano, salt, paella spice (or saffron), paprika, black pepper, and chicken broth.
Mix so that the rice is coated in the liquid.
Bring to a boil and cover. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove from heat, stir in the peas, and squeeze with the juice of 1/2 a lemon.
So, traditional paella has that nice crispy bottom where the rice has started to stick to the pan. Twenty minutes obviously won’t give you that result. But the rice turns out fluffy and has the flavoring of not only the saffron/paella spice, but also the smokiness of the chicken sausage and a subtle fresh seafood flavor of the shrimp.
The little bit of citrus really enhances the dish. It brings out all of the flavors and adds such brightness to the rice.
I am so impressed and pleased with how this turned out. For just thirty minutes of your time, you can have a paella-type dinner prepared!
I kept the tails and shell on the shrimp so that they could soak in the liquid while cooking the rice. It helped so that the shrimp wouldn’t overcook. Also, I think it makes the paella look a bit more authentic. 🙂
If you are a bit squeamish about it, feel free to use deveined shrimp. I’d suggest not adding them to the pot until the rice is about half way cooked, so as to not overcook the shrimp.
I wish I could figure out what exactly was in the “paella spice” I had because the flavor was really amazing. Saffron, tumeric, spanish paprika? Sigh. Who knows. But if you come across any pre-made paella mix, be sure to buy it and try this dish! However, I do think that using saffron would make a really solid substitute.

Homemade Pancake Mix

Now don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with store-bought pancake mix. However, are you aware of how easy it is to make your own at home? This recipe makes 16 pancakes; you can store the dry mix in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months. I found this recipe on allrecipes.com.
Ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
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Rose-Scented Berry Prosecco

New Years Eve is a great time to add a little bit of glitz and glamor to your life. I, naturally, feel the need to do that to my drink. This is actually a take on a local restaurant’s delicious champagne option. I hope I remember it correctly, but when I first had this drink at Farmicia in Old City Philadelphia I fell in love. It’s such a girly drink so I had to save it for a special occasion.
Ingredients:
Rosewater
Blueberries
Prosecco

Add about 1/2 teaspoon rosewater to the bottom of a fluted glass. I apparently do not own any champagne glasses (who knew?) so I actually made mine in the martini glass with a bit more rosewater.
Add blueberries or any berry of your choice to the glass. If you’re using a traditional glass, three should be plenty.

 

Open your sparkling wine and pour into the glass, filling to the top.
Enjoy 🙂
I absolutely love the smell of rosewater. The taste can only be described as what you’d expect a rose to taste like (sorry). The berries add a nice little touch too; I love saving them for last!
I’d suggest adding rosewater to taste. I am very fond of it, so I might have a heavy hand with it. Start with 1/4 teaspoon and work your way up.

Have a wonderful New Years!

Grilled Rosemary Swordfish with Vegetable Couscous

I apologize for the lack of posts! Like many, I’ve spent the past week doing a whole lot of eating, but not necessarily cooking. My parents gave me a nifty panini pan for the stove which also doubles as a grill pan. I wanted to test it out, so I decided to try Cooking Light’s Rosemary Swordfish on Vegetable Couscous.
Ingredients (this makes one serving so multiply as needed):
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil’
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 (5-ounce) swordfish steak
  • 1/2 carrot, diced
  • 1/2 zucchini, diced
  • 3 Kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped
  • the juice of one lemon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
  • 1/4 uncooked couscous
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

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Spinach Spaghetti with Salmon Cream Sauce

Have you ever bought a bunch of ingredients just because they sounded good? I try to stick to a list, but this time I couldn’t help myself. I found fresh spinach spaghetti and it just sounded so wonderful, I had to buy it. I wanted to make a simple but flavorful dish so I was pretty happy to find salmon as well. I already had heavy cream and parsley in my fridge so this recipe for Spinach Spaghetti with Salmon Cream Sauce was the result!
Ingredients:
  • 1 package fresh spinach spaghetti
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 8 oz fillet of salmon
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, roughly chopped
  • freshly grated Parmesan

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Pancetta Crisps with Goat Cheese and Pear

With the holidays fast approaching, we all need more quick appetizer recipes for when friends and family come to visit. This one for Pancetta Crisps with Goat Cheese and Pear from Southern Living intrigued me: pear, pancetta, honey, and goat cheese. I was interested to see how these flavors would all play out together. Because this can be served cold, you can do most of it ahead of time, pop it into the fridge, and bring it out right before you need it. Note: I only made 6 servings but naturally this can be expanded to fit any number of people.
Ingredients:
  • 6 thin slices pancetta (I just asked the butcher to slice it thin, but not as thin as proscuitto)
  • 1 anjou pear
  • 1/4 (2-oz.) package goat cheese, crumbled
  • Cracked pepper
  • Honey
  • Thyme leaves and sprigs
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Arrange the pancetta slices on a cookie sheet lined with tin foil.
Cook the pancetta in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp.
Transfer the pancetta to a paper towel and allow to sit for 10 minutes.

Use an apple corer to core your pear. This was surprisingly easy (I have no clue why I thought this would be a battle).
Slice the pear into equal sized slices. I got 6 slices, plus the top and bottom of the pear.
Add the pancetta on top of the pear. Top with crumbled goat cheese. Sprinkle with pepper and some chopped thyme. This is where you can stop and pop these in the fridge if you are making them ahead. Right before serving, drizzle with a bit of honey.
It’s quite pretty, isn’t it?
But… how does it taste? I actually really liked this! It’s flavorful, different, and easy to eat with one hand (crucial for a get together where most are walking and mingling).
The pancetta was a wonderfully salty contrast to the sweetness of the pear and honey, the goat cheese added a nice creaminess and the thyme added little pops of flavor that brought the whole appetizer together.
There were some awesome textures in this as well. Overall, a definite keeper!

Lamb Wraps with Tzatziki Sauce

I love a good gyro. I never considered even trying to make one because, this may come as a surprise, but I don’t have a spit in my tiny apartment. I know, a huge oversight. So I was really excited to find this recipe for Lamb Wraps with Tzatziki Sauce, (no spit required), especially because it takes 25 minutes to make. Woo hoo! (If I haven’t convinced you to pick up the Cooking Light Fresh Foods Superfast  cookbook yet, you must not be reading my posts this week).

Ingredients:

Lamb Wrap:

  • Cooking spray
  • 2 lamb sausages (or 1/2 lb ground lamb)
  • 1/2 cup chopped onions
  • Pepper and salt, to taste
  • 1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
  • 2 pocketless pitas or other flat bread

Tzatziki sauce:

  • 1/4 cup plain reduced fat Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 a cucumber, seeded, peeled, and finely chopped
  • 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
  • the juice from 1/2 a lemon
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1 garlic clove finely minced

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Black Bean Tostadas

Tostada normally refers to any meal in which a tortilla is deep fried or toasted. They were originally in response to tortillas that had started to get stale but could still be eaten. The toasted or fried tortilla is topped with beans, cheese, sour cream, lettuce, onions, salsa and then topped off with chicken or pork. Today, you can find all types of tostadas: seafood, vegetarian, vegan, etc.I found a recipe for a quick tostada in the Cooking Light Fresh Foods Superfast  cookbook and altered it a bit to remove most pre-made products (I don’t usually get to supermarkets). The result was still a quick and really delicious weeknight meal.

Ingredients:
1 can of black beans
5 tablespoons fresh salsa
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/8 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/8 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 8-inch flour tortillas
Cooking spray
3/4 cup shredded Romaine lettuce
1/2 an avocado, sliced

Preheat the broiler.
Drain and rinse the black beans. Add to a saute pan coated in cooking spray. Heat on medium heat, pressing on the black beans so they mush a bit.
Add the salsa. If you do not have time to make your own salsa, you can pick up fresh salsa at the supermarket or specialty grocery stores. Add the chopped cilantro and stir.
Cook for 2 minutes until heated through. Remove from heat. Combine the sour cream, cilantro, water and pepper in a separate bowl.
Shred the lettuce and slice the avocado.
When the broiler is preheated. Spray the tortillas on each side with cooking spray and add two tortillas to a cookie sheet. Broil for two minutes or until charred. Mine puffed up a bit in the oven, so I just pushed down the center to make room for the beans.
Add the beans evenly to each tortilla.
Top with lettuce.
Drizzle with the sour cream mixture.
Top with avocado.
This was so satisfying! I loved the crunch of the tortilla to contrast the creaminess of the filling.

If the salsa is pre-made or store bought, this is a really quick meal, about 15-20 minutes from start to finish.

I loved the flavor, but this could certainly handle a little bit of heat, maybe some chopped jalapeno mixed in with the salsa.

After a bite or two, I went back to the salsa and added another tablespoon to my tostada to give it a bit more flavor. If you like salsa, I suggest doing this.

This could easily be altered to use chopped beef or sauteed chicken if you’d like. However, it was absolutely delicious with the black beans.

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