For whatever reason, I do not cook with broccoli. In fact, the last recipe I posted on my blog that included broccoli was in 2012!
I don’t exactly love broccoli, but I started feeling bad about my lack of broccoli in my cooking. So. Here’s a simple but delicious pasta recipe that comes together fast enough for busy weeknights!
I know that most of us are probably partied out. But it can never hurt to have some really great (and easy) party appetizer recipes on hand, like these Baked Cranberry Almond Brie Bites, right?
This recipe for Baked Cranberry Almond Brie Bites is a bite-sized version of baked brie wrapped in puff pastry; some versions of baked brie are stuffed with jam and nuts. This mini version uses mini phyllo cups stuffed with brie and cranberry sauce, then is topped with toasted almonds and fresh thyme. Mini phyllo cups (paid link) are typically available in the dessert frozen section of the supermarket.
I’ve been trying to think up more bring-to-work lunch ideas recently. We tend to just eat leftovers or traditional salads for lunch, which can get boring quickly.
So when my Hungry Harvest (note: this is a referral link) came with absolutely huge cucumbers, I figured I could make a slightly different lunch (or a make ahead side for dinner) with it!
This dish has chickpeas to make it a bit more hearty, red onions for flavor (and color), and of course, cucumbers. I tossed all of those in a lemony, zesty ranch Greek yogurt mixture.
Ingredients:
1 large (or two medium) cucumber(s), cut into bite sized pieces
I think I’m pretty sure I’m late to the Kefir game here, but at least I’ve finally arrived! Kefir is a culture milk drink that is high in nutrients and probiotics which helps aid in digestion. A 6 ounce serving of Kefir has 6 grams of protein and 20% of your recommended daily calcium, and is actually a more potent source of probiotics than yogurt.
Its tangy flavor works really well in smoothies. So when I saw Cooking Light’s recipe for a Mango Rum Kefir Lassi, I knew I had to try it out. (You can omit the rum to have a really awesome lassi for breakfast as well. But hey, who doesn’t love a cocktail that has some health benefits to it?) A lassi is typically yogurt-based, so Kefir is a really simple substitute.
This Cooking Light recipe is most certainly not a traditional lassi, but it’s really tasty and is packed with good-for-you ingredients: kefir, coconut water, honey, turmeric, cinnamon, mango, and bananas. Yum!
Ingredients (makes 3 servings):
1 cup plain low-fat kefir
1/2 cup coconut water
1/4 cup spiced rum (I used a coconut-spiced rum), if desired
I don’t think you can ever have too many side dishes to rotate for different dinner combinations, including ones you can make on the grill, like this Grilled Fennel with Parmesan recipe.
One of my favorite ingredients is fennel. When raw, it has a nice anise (licorice) flavor with great crunch. When cooked, fennel becomes sweeter and the licorice flavor more subtle. Typically, you’d roast fennel. But hey, it’s summer. Let’s bring it outdoors!
This recipe is based off a Giada De Laurentiis recipe, and is a tasty side with any grilled protein. I particularly love it with a lemony grilled salmon!
Ingredients: (serves 4)
4 fennel bulbs, tops removed, cut into thick slices, leaving the core intact
One of my favorite summer foods is corn. A nice grilled corn on the cob just makes my day!
But I had never tried Elote before, so I figured it was time to do so!
Elote, or corn on the cob in Spanish, is a Mexican grilled corn brushed with a creamy mixture of mayo, sour cream, cotjia cheese, chili powder, and cilantro.
The result is absolutely crave-worthy!
Ingredients:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup grated Cotija cheese, plus more for serving
1/2 teaspoon chili powder, plus more for serving
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro, plus more for serving
4 ears corn, shucked (if possible, keep an inch or so of the stalk for easy eating)
Now that grilling season is in full swing, I am grilling anything and everything I can, and yes, that includes Grilled Clams in Lemon Butter Sauce!
This recipe for grilled clams is SO easy, and can be made completely on your grill (just make sure you have a cast iron or other grill-safe pot for the sauce, if not, you can make it on your stovetop).
It’s an awesome appetizer to share with friends, just don’t forget the crusty bready for dipping!
Ingredients:
3 dozen clams
2 sticks salted butter (1 cup)
the juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
This past weekend, my parents threw a surprise birthday party for my sister, and asked that I make a “punch” for the party. I’m not exactly a punch fan, but I love big batch cocktails, especially this recipe for a Rosé Aperol Spritz!
This one is perfect for the warm weather. It’s a play on a traditional Aperol Spritz, which is made with Prosecco, Aperol, and club soda.
This version, adapted from this Bon Appetit recipe, uses sparkling rosé instead of Prosecco, and “waters” it down a bit for easy drinking with some passion fruit juice and blood orange soda.
Aperol is an Italian liqueur made with oranges, gentian, rhubarb, cinchona and other ingredients that has a slightly sweet orange flavor with a touch of balanced bitterness.
Passion fruit juice can be found in the box juice section of your grocery store. Or, feel free to substitute in another juice of your choice.
Before I go into my recipe for a Limoncello Whiskey Sour, I have to tell you about the upcoming event that inspired it!
My favorite outdoor event of the year is nearly here – Flavors on the Avenue! I am such a fan of this event that I even moved to be closer to it! (I’m only half kidding, but I most certainly did move to the Passyunk Square area partially because of the amazing shops and restaurants.)
source: visiteastpassyunk.com
Flavors on the Avenue is inspired by East Passyunk’s former Flavors fundraiser held under a tent each year. In 2017, the event went from under the tent and into the street. Adding to the original food and drink offerings, the event now includes family activities, music and retail sidewalk sales. Flavors on the Avenue will be held this Sunday, April 29th, and covers five blocks, lasting six hours starting at 11am.
source: visiteastpassyunk.com
Craft beer, wine and seasonal sips will be available. Look for drinks to be sold by select restaurants out on the street, plus stop by and visit the new Founders Brewing Co. Tasting Tent. Food will be specially priced between $3.00 and $6.00 (average) and be pay-as-you-go from individual restaurants.
source: visiteastpassyunk.com
Participating restaurants and eateries, along with their menus, include:
Barcelona Wine Bar – Vegetable paella
Bing Bing Dim Sum – Roast pork sandwich, cold noodles
Brigantessa – Sausage with giaroinviera relish with aioli
Cantina Los Caballitos – Pork tacos, ceviche
chhaya – Fried chicken and waffles, iced coffee
El Sarape Restaurant – Tacos al pastor, cemitas, pina coladas and homemade water: Jamaica and horchata
Essen Bakery – Mini za’atar croissant stuffed with labneh cheese.
Filitalia International – Penne with gravy and meat/cheese sandwiches
Fond – TBD
ITV Philly/Laurel – Pork Skin with Sour Cream and Onion
This year, I wanted to highlight one of my favorite new-ish additions to E. Passyunk, Manatawny Still Works, that I’m thrilled is a part of Flavors on the Avenue this year. Manatawny Still Works opened a tasting room on E. Passyunk late last summer and has been a welcome addition to the Avenue.
I am a big fan of their whiskey, specifically their ever-changing small batch options. Their Coffee Whiskey (Batch #16) didn’t last very long in my house at all, and their latest Pennsylvania Whiskey isn’t going to last much longer!
It’s actually one of a few tasting rooms on East Passyunk. There is also a store, Pollyodd, that sells multiple flavors of Limoncello. So I thought it might be fun to make a cocktail using both – a Limoncello Whiskey Sour!
A traditional Whiskey Sour is made with lemon juice, simple syrup, and of course, whiskey.
Limoncello tends to be on the sweeter side, so I thought it would be a perfect substitute.
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
My husband and I have had some fairly heavy (but delicious) food recently. So this weekend, I was in search of something a bit lighter for lunch that would still fill us up, like this creamy avocado soup.
I’m kind of on a Sheet Pan kick. I love how simple they are, and how easy cleanup is! And this recipe for Sheet Pan Blackened Shrimp with Citrus and Roasted Fennel is no different!
This recipe is adapted from a Cooking Light recipe to make it a pure sheet pan meal.
I know the combination of flavors may seem a bit odd, but it really comes together in the end. My husband even asked for this to be put in our normal dinner rotation!
Ingredients:
2 small oranges (I used one navel, one blood orange)
2 medium fennel bulbs with stalks
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 small shallots, halved
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on
About this time every year, I start wishing for warmer weather. And yet, this time every year, we tend to get one more winter storm to prove that it’s not quite spring just yet.
So, given that it’s still freezing in Philadelphia, I decided to make a frozen cocktail, a Frozen Mango Daiquiri, that can help me pretend it’s nice and warm outside.
This is a fairly traditional frozen daiquiri, although I added in some cinnamon to complement the mango.
I used frozen mango chunks to make this, so it’s a super easy recipe.
Ingredients (makes 2 servings):
2 cups ice
1 (12 oz) bag frozen mango chunks
4 oz white rum
the juice of 3 limes, plus more if needed
1 tablespoon white sugar, plus more for rimming the glasses
I make more frosting (and desserts!) than I probably should. Luckily, I have friends, family, and coworkers more than willing to help me out with my baking experiments, and this recipe for Chocolatey Buttercream Frosting is definitely a favorite!
So it’s about time I shared my ultimate chocolatey buttercream frosting!
The secret to this frosting is a hint of coffee to really enhance the chocolatey flavor. I use Nielsen Massey’s Pure Coffee Extract to bring out the best chocolate flavor.
Ingredients (makes enough for 12 cupcakes):
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
