Review | I Can Cook That

Cheese Plate

NOTE: I was sent a pack of Sourdough Crackers and Szechuan Candied Pecans from Aida for this post. All opinions are my own.

I love a good cheese plate, they are great as an appetizer or as an end to a meal.

I was contacted by Aida, a specialty food brand created by the owners of the East Village wine-on-tap bar, Lois. Aida, recently launched, features handcrafted cookies, nuts, and crackers inspired by the products they created for their wine bar. I was sent their Sourdough Crackers and Szechuan Candied Pecans, which I thought would make for the beginnings of an awesome cheese plate!

Aida is a New York City-based, women-owned business that makes a curated line of pantry staples and entertaining essentials. Founded in 2016 by Nora O’Malley and Phoebe Connell, Aida products are inspired by the recipes and customer relationships that they developed in their tiny East Village all-tap wine bar, Lois on Loisaida Avenue. Today, Aida’s mission is to make eating well and entertaining easily simple by offering inspired and reliable go-to products.

In my opinion, you can’t really do a cheese plate wrong, whatever sounds good to you will work just fine. I wanted to play off of the spicy-sweet flavors of the pecans, so I went to my local cheese shop and asked for help choosing cheese that would work well with spicy and sweet flavors. Here is what I ended up with:

1605 Manchego: A sheep milk cheese from Spain, this Manchego is earthy and sweet. I added a drizzle of honey on top to bring out more of its sweetnes.

Von Trapp Oma: Made by the famous Von Trapp family, this cow’s milk cheese from Vermont is very creamy, buttery, and slightly funky. I added a bit of spicy whole grain mustard to balance out the funkiness of this cheese.

Delice de Bourgogne: A cow’s milk cheese from France, this cheese is creamy and slightly salty with a buttercream flavor. I served this with a spiced peach jam that my sister-in-law gave us.

I also added dried apricots, hot sopressata, and the Szechuan candied pecans to the plate, and served the sourdough crackers alongside the cheese plate.

Each of these cheeses worked well with either something sweet or something spicy on the plate.

The sourdough crackers were the perfect accompaniment, because the flavor is relatively neutral so it lets the rest of the ingredients shine.

I had to keep adding more and more Szechuan Candied Pecans to the plate because my husband kept eating them all! The spicy-sweet flavors are addicting!

Aida has a bunch of other offerings as well, including:

Currant Crisps: a spiced interpretation of the shortbread cookie.
Lemon Candied Pepitas: salty pepitas with a healthy dose of sweet citrus and a subtle peppery kick.
Rye Crackers: Old World flavors, both complex and comforting.

In addition to being available online, Aida is currently available in the following specialty food shops throughout New York City: Bedford Cheese Shop, BKLN Larder, Stinky BKLN, Alphabet City Beer Company, and Malt & Mold. More retail locations to come, but food lovers everywhere an purchase the products at www.AidaEats.com.

What are some of your favorite add on’s to a cheese plate?

Prosciutto Pizza

Note: I was sent a non-stick pro pizza pan, complete grate & slice set, and a 4″ pizza wheel from OXO to make this post. All opinions are my own.

My husband grew up on Long Island, so it’s probably no surprise that one of his favorite foods is pizza. I’ve made a few different types of pizza on my blog, including this yummy pan pizza. This time, with the help of OXO, I decided to make a thin crust pizza.

OXO has a bunch of tools to make pizza making super simple. Their Non-Stick Pro Pizza Pan features a micro-textured pattern to improve airflow for even baking and rigidity for strength and durability. The Complete Grate & Slice Set includes coarse and medium grating and straight and julienne slicing surfaces. Each can be used over bowls or plates or placed on top of the lid, which doubles as a container for collecting and measuring. The set helps prep all your toppings for your pizza including slicing veggies and grating both hard and soft cheeses. I actually used the julienne slicing surface for this salad I made last week. The OXO 4″ Pizza Wheel‘s clear plastic wheel won’t damage non-stick pans, and the slick surface prevents cheese from sticking.

Pizza is a great weeknight meal, and can be made in under 30 minutes!

We decided to keep it relatively simple, but you can add whatever you’d like on top. This pizza is topped with a homemade pizza sauce, mozzarella and fontina cheese, and prosciutto slices. After cooking, I garnished it with some freshly grated parmigiano reggiano, and thinly sliced fresh basil.

Ingredients:

store-bought pizza dough
1 cup tomato puree
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
3 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
1 oz shredded fontina cheese
1 oz prosciutto
1 tablespoon freshly grated parmigiano reggiano
1 tablespoon fresh basil, thinly sliced

Continue reading Prosciutto Pizza

Frozen Blood Orange Margaritas

NOTE: I was sent some blood oranges and cara cara oranges from The Limoneira Company to use in a recipe. All opinions are mine.

It’s pretty obvious that I love citrus, I use the juice and zest of lemons, limes, and oranges in most of my recipes, so I’m excited to share this recipe for Frozen Blood Orange Margaritas.

So when The Limoneira Company contacted me to help spread the word about their new offerings, I jumped at the chance. Limoneira is traditionally known for its lemons, but recently began expanding their orchards to include more specialty citrus, including Cara Cara and Blood Oranges.

Blood Oranges have a slightly less acidic taste than regular oranges, and their bright red color makes for some really beautiful dishes. I wanted to showcase their color, so I decided to make blood orange margaritas.

As much as I am trying to will it to be spring, it is still pretty cold in Philadelphia, so this version has a bit of cinnamon to add a bit of warmth to the flavor.

Ingredients:

3 cups ice cubes
1 cup blood orange juice (about 6 blood oranges)
the juice of 2 limes
1/4 cup triple sec
1/2 cup tequila
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
sugar, for rimming glasses (optional)
lime wedge, for rimming glasses (optional)
rosemary sprigs, for garnish

Continue reading Frozen Blood Orange Margaritas

Very Berry Pie

Note: I was sent a Glass 9″ Pie Plate, a Steel Pie Server, a Double Pastry Wheel, and a 1″ Pastry Brush from OXO. All opinions are alone.

This time of year get’s crazy busy doesn’t it? I feel like December always flies by! Before you know it, the holidays are here. And prepping for them can be tough; it’s difficult to figure out what can be made ahead of time without sacrificing quality.

This Very Berry pie recipe is here to save the day! It can be prepared ahead of time and frozen.

I call this a Very Berry Pie, because it has 5 (!) different types of berries in it: Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Strawberries and Cranberries. It uses frozen berries to make prepping even easier.

When ready to bake, thaw in your fridge overnight and then bake. Simple right?

Making it even more simple is the use of an OXO Glass 9″ Pie Plate. All OXO Glass Bakeware is made of thermal shock resistant borosilicate glass, so you don’t need to bring it to room temperature before adding it to your oven! (The other glass baking dishes are perfect for pre-made sides for your holiday dinners as well!)

OXO has many other tools that help make preparing for the holidays even easier. You’ll see quite a few of them pop up throughout this post.

Ingredients:

For the pie crust:

1 1/3 cups cold butter
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 to 3/4 cup ice-cold water
Note: You can also buy pre-made pie crusts. I won’t tell.

For the pie filling:

2 (16 oz) bags frozen mixed berries (mine had blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries)
1 (16 oz) bag frozen cranberries
1 1/2 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling on top of the pie
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 egg white

Continue reading Very Berry Pie

Apple Butter Swirled Gingerbread Bars

Note: I was sent a Glass 3 Qt Baking Dish with Lid, Glass 2 Qt Baking Dish with Lid, Brownie Spatula, and Illuminating Digital Hand Mixer from OXO. All opinions are my own.

September is Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month. Every year, OXO donates up to $100,000 to support an organization called Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. The organization was founded by two OXOnians (OXO employees) who were inspired by their son Liam’s battle with pediatric cancer, a disease which claims the lives of more children in the US than any other disease. Cookies for Kids’ Cancer provides inspiration and support to allow anyone to easily get involved in fundraising to find a cure for pediatric cancer.

I’ve posted twice a year for the last few years to help bring awareness to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. Click here to see some of my past posts.

Each year, OXO donates $100 to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer for each blogger post up to their $100,000 commitment. This year, OXO asked us to use a recipe from Dorie Greenspan’s newest cookbook, Dorie’s Cookies while using some of OXO’s great baking tools. Dorie’s Cookies includes over 200 recipes from classics to brownies to savory cookies, with some great baking tips thrown in.

I decided to make a recipe in the cookbook named Mary’s Maine Bars, named after a recipe developed by Dorie’s recipe tester (Mary Dodd) after a family trip to Maine. The bars are a delicious, chewy gingerbread that is perfect for the fall. One of the alternative to the recipe suggested swirling apple butter into the batter, so I tried it out!

Ingredients:

1½ cups (204 grams) all-purpose flour
1½ cups (204 grams) whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¾ teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup (200 grams) sugar
¾ cup (180 ml) unsulfured molasses
½ cup (120 ml) flavorless oil, such as canola
1 large egg, at room temperature
¼ cup (60 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
1/4 apple butter, spiced
Sanding or granulated sugar, for sprinkling

Continue reading Apple Butter Swirled Gingerbread Bars

Raspberry Pocket Cookies (Himbeerdasche)

Note: I was sent a review copy of Dutch Treats: Heirloom Recipes from Farmhouse Kitchens

I live in Philadelphia, and a one of the largest influences on our local food is definitely Pennsylvania Dutch cooking. Despite growing up here, I haven’t cooked many traditional Pennsylvania Dutch recipes, although I certainly have been known to eat them!

Internationally known food historian William Woys Weaver has compiled over 100 heritage recipes, and the stories behind them, into one wonderful cookbook – Dutch Treats: Heirloom Recipes from Farmhouse Kitchens.

Recipes include Shoofly Cake, New Year’s Pretzels and the original recipe for Snickerdoodles. Dutch Treats  explores the vast diversity of authentic baked goods, festive breads and pastries that we call Pennsylvania Dutch (named for the German-speaking immigrants who settled there starting in the late 1600s).

I enjoyed reading the back stories to all of these delicious baked goods as I paged through the book. From learning about traditional holiday treats, to why pretzels are considered good luck, the cookbook was an interesting read as well as a great source of yummy recipes.

I decided to make Raspberry Pockets, using a recipe for Almond Pastry Dough that dates back to a late 18th century recipe. I edited the recipe just a bit to use Orange Blossom Water instead of Rose Water, because that was what I had on hand. I also made the cookies a bit larger than suggested.

Ingredients:

For Almond Pastry Dough

5 cups pastry flour
1 cup superfine (caster) sugar
1/2 cup almond flour
1 tablespoon salt
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter
2 egg yolks (reserve the egg whites for the raspberry pockets)
6 to 9 tablespoons dry white wine

For Raspberry Pockets

1 cup fresh red raspberries
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon Orange Blossom Water or to taste
1 batch almond pastry dough
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
crystal (coarse) sugar, to taste

Continue reading Raspberry Pocket Cookies (Himbeerdasche)

Adult Root Beer Float

Note: I was sent coupons for Graeter’s Ice Cream for review. Opinions are my own.

Happy National Root Beer Float Day! I had to celebrate the only way I know how, by making myself a root beer float, or, more specifically, an Adult Root Beer Float!

Luckily, Graeter’s Ice Cream wanted me to celebrate in style and sent me some coupons so that I could try their snazzy flavors in my float.

Graeter’s Ice Cream is still made the same way it has been since 1870: by hand. Made with high quality ingredients, the ice cream is still made one batch at a time in 2 1/2 gallon French pots.

Graeter’s has some seriously awesome flavors. To highlight some of them, I decided to make an “adult” root beer float, made with Not Your Father’s Root Beer, because, why not?

The Bourbon Pecan Chocolate Chip Ice Cream seemed like the perfect way to make a root beer float more for adults– it’s made with the bold taste of Kentucky bourbon, then loaded it with roasted, buttered, salted pecan halves and our gourmet bittersweet chocolate chips. (There isn’t actually bourbon in it by the way.)

The Original Salted Caramel is one of the first flavors Graeter’s made over a century ago. Made with brown sugar, cream, and a pinch of salt, it’s a perfect complement to root beer in my opinion!

(They also have a Madagascar Vanilla Bean flavor if you’re not feeling particularly adventurous with your float this time around.)

Ingredients:

1 pint Graeter’s Ice Cream of your choice, (I suggest Bourbon Pecan Chocolate Chip or Original Salted Caramel)
2 bottles of Not Your Father’s Root Beer
Whipped cream, optional
Chocolate syrup, optional

Continue reading Adult Root Beer Float

Irish Brown Bread & Review of Mockmill Grain Mill

Note: I was sent the Mockmill Grain Mill for review. All opinions are mine alone.

I have dabbled in bread-making for this blog before. I’ve made beer bread, sourdough bread, soda bread, and even gluten-free bread in the past.

Since I returned from my honeymoon in Ireland a few weeks ago, I have been craving Irish Brown Bread like crazy. Served typically with breakfast, Irish brown bread is made with a coarse whole wheat flour, resulting in a hearty bread different than anything I can easily find here in the U.S.

The difference is really in the flour. To get the right consistency, you’d need to purchase a wholemeal flour, sometimes labeled as “Irish-Style,” which can be somewhat difficult to find (although it is available online.)

So when I was offered the chance to try out the Mockmill, a grain mill attachment for the KitchenAid Mixer, I jumped at the chance. I can make my OWN Irish-Style flour!

Besides my very specific reason for wanting to mill my own flour, there are a bunch of other benefits to using a grain mill. Grinding from whole wheat berries at home means that the bran and germ stay in your flour. A bunch of the “good stuff” is found in the bran and germ: fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants. However, the germ is removed from commercial flour because it reduces its shelf life; the oil in germ can turn rancid, so home milled flour should be used in 1-2 weeks, or stored in the freezer.

The Mockmill, designed by Wolfgang Mock, is nicely compact. (As a city dweller, I very much appreciate this.) I love that it attaches right to my stand mixer; it’s really simple to set up and begin using right away.

You adjust the coarseness of the grind by twisting the front of the mill. The mill uses self-sharpening ceramic-bonded corundum grinding stones, which can produce a very fine flour if needed.

The Mockmill grinds flour directly into the mixing bowl, really convenient if you’re using it immediately like I am!

Cleaning the Mockmill is also a breeze; the mill can be separated easily and rinsed to clean any minimal residue left from milling.

Mockmill is offering I Can Cook That readers a really sweet deal, available until August 31: $80 off (that’s over 30% off!) two different package options through this link if you use the code icancookthat.

The packages come with everything you need to begin milling at home: the Mockmill Grain Milling Attachment for Stand Mixers, a variety of whole grain berries to get you started, plus “Flour Power” by Marleeta Basey, a comprehensive introduction to the benefits of home milling! Be sure to check them out here.

Note: the price listed is the original price. Add the code icancookthat at checkout to receive $80 off. The sets of books, grains, and Mockmills are being especially made for this promotion so delivery times may vary.

To test out the mill (and make me some oh so yummy brown bread,) I decided to start with a relatively simple version of Irish bread, a yeasted version from the Ballymaloe House in County Cork, Ireland. This version of their recipe comes from David Lebovitz, and is super easy to make.

So let’s test this mill out!

Ingredients:

3 cups freshly ground whole-wheat flour (~2 cups red wheat berries)
1/2 cup all purpose white flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 cups tepid water
1 tablespoon dark molasses
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Continue reading Irish Brown Bread & Review of Mockmill Grain Mill

Blackberry Syrup & Watermelon Blackberry Granita

Today (July 22nd), Ball brand is hosting it’s sixth annual Can-It-Forward Day. (You may recall my last post on Can-It-Forward Day, where I canned on my own for the very first time to make salsa.) Can-It-Forward day is a day to celebrate the joys of fresh preserving, and encourage both new and veteran canners to preserve more. This year, the day will be streamed online via Facebook Live from 10:00 am 3:30 pm EST. Throughout the day, the Ball brand and expert ambassadors will be demoing a variety of canning recipes. In the true spirit of “canning it forward,” for every engagement received on the videos, whether it be a comment, like or share, the brand donate $1 to a local charity, so be sure to check it out!

You can also ask Jarden Home Brands canning experts any preserving or home canning questions via Twitter with the hashtag #canitforward from 10AM – 5PM ET on July 22nd. Share your own #canitforward creations with the brand on Pinterest and Instagram as well!

Ball brand has also launched the Freshly Preserved Ideas Tumblr page, a “digital pledge page” a place for consumers to take the pledge to Can-It-Forward this year. Check it out and pledge!

To celebrate, I was sent The All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving, a Case of Collection Elite Wide Mouth Pint Jars, one $5 off coupon to be used on FreshPreservingStore.com.

I really loved the new canning book from Ball; along with canning and preserving recipes, there are many recipes that incorporate the canned/preserved items.

I wanted to show off how great both types of recipes found in the book are, so I made a blackberry syrup to can, and used it in a watermelon blackberry granita.

The blue wide mouth pint jars are SO PRETTY. I have been using a set of the regular mouth blue pint jars as my drinking glasses for years so I was excited to use the wide mouth for their actual intended use!

I will get to the canning and recipes shortly, BUT Ball brand was also kind enough to provide a second set of the products I received as a giveaway to my readers! Details on how to enter will be at the end of the post!

Ingredients:

For Blackberry Syrup:

3 lbs blackberries
2 cups water
2 3/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 tbsp bottled lemon juice

For Watermelon-Blackberry Granita:

8 cups seeded watermelon cubes
1/2 cup Blackberry Syrup
2 tbsp fresh lime juice

Gear:

stainless steel or enameled Dutch oven
wire-mesh strainer
3 pint jars, lids, and bands
large pot for canning + a rack to keep the jars off the bottom of the pot
cheesecloth
13×9 inch baking dish

So, since my last post, I’ve upgraded my canning situation to the Ball Fresh Preserving Kit. However, for beginners, you really can’t beat the value of the Beginners Kit that I used last year to make the salsa. On to the recipes!

Continue reading Blackberry Syrup & Watermelon Blackberry Granita

Pumpkin Curry Chicken with Potatoes and Peas

Note: I was sent two jars of Herb ‘n Zest Cooking Sauces in order to make this Pumpkin Curry Chicken with Potatoes and Peas. All opinions are mine alone.

As someone who works full-time, my biggest requirement for a dinner option is that it can be made in under 40 minutes. By the time I get home, I’m ready to eat! Although it’s not usually too much of a problem, I rarely get the chance to make dinners with the depth of flavor brought to food when it is simmered over a stove for a while.

A local Philadelphia company, Herb ‘n Zest, is changing that. Their innovative condiments and sauces allow home cooks to add quick flavor to meals in no time. All products are fully cooked and can just be added to dishes as sauces or dips.

I was sent a jar each of Herb ‘n Zest’s two most popular sauces: Chive Tomato Cooking Sauce and Curry Pumpkin Cooking Sauce. The Chive Tomato Cooking Sauce is made with Jersey Fresh tomatoes sauteed with chives and spices in olive oil. while the Curry Pumpkin Cooking Sauce is a savory pumpkin sauce seasoned mildly with curry and sunflower seeds. Both sauces are also vegan, soy-free, gluten-free, dairy-free and use non-GMO ingredients.

I love love love pumpkin, so I knew I had to try that one first! I decided to make a chicken and potato curry with the sauce and serve it over coconut rice, resulting in this recipe for Pumpkin Curry Chicken with Potatoes and Peas. To make vegetarian/vegan, omit the chicken.

Want to try the sauces for yourself? Herb ‘n Zest is offering a great discount through my blog: 25% off the Home Chef Starter Pack with the code get25icancook! Just click the photo of the jars below and enter the code at checkout!

Buy 6 Jars of Cooking Sauce (Home Chef Starter Pack)

You can also enter their summer giveaway worth $50. Just take a picture of yourself with a jar of Herb 'n Zest, upload it to Instagram & tag the image with #herbnzest. The summer giveaway draw will happen on August 15, 2016, so be sure to purchase your jars soon!

Ingredients:

2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
1 cup uncooked basmati rice
1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium sized onion, chopped
1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces
salt and pepper, to taste
1 (12 oz) bag frozen peas
1 (16.75 oz) jar Herb 'n Zest Curry Pumpkin Cooking Sauce

Continue reading Pumpkin Curry Chicken with Potatoes and Peas

Coyote Outdoor Living Challenge

I am so excited to announce a summer partnership with Coyote Outdoor Living, a company known for its high-quality all premium stainless steel grills and accessories.

I will be participating in the Coyote Challenge: All summer long, I will be grilling anything and everything to show the versatility of using an outdoor grill.

Coyote Outdoor Living sent me one of their amazing grills in order to get my grilling on! Last week, I was sent a Coyote 36″ S-Series Grill, which includes three high-performing Coyote Infinity Burners, one infrared rear burner, one RapidSearTM Burner, a Rotisserie Kit, and a Smoker Box.

I was also sent some other accessories to really make the most of my grill this summer:

The Coyote signature grates are laser-cut with precision for proper air-flow and flame penetration to grill any ingredient to perfection. There are three separate types of grates: wide-set grates for seared steaks, grates designed for chicken prevent charred outsides and under-cooked insides, and fish/vegetable grates for more delicate ingredients.

The solid stainless steel charcoal tray allows me to temporarily convert one side of the grill to a charcoal grill for slow cooking, but is completely removable making the grill versatile for any cooking method.

The 14″ commercial-grade griddle allows me to even make breakfast on the grill; pancakes and eggs here I come!

The 36″ S-Series Grill is one impressive looking grill. I had to swindle some friends (and my very patient sister) into helping me move the grill and cart to the back patio and set it up.

Setting it up is a breeze (once you have the brawn to do so):

We removed the grill and the cart from their respective boxes

The cart comes fully assembled, so we just moved the cart into place on the patio. The cart:
- includes two fold down shelving for solid work space in your grilling area
- includes two self-closing doors, which provide storage space for barbecue tools and grilling accessories
- features industrial-style locking wheel casters for portability
- is made of stainless steel, and is designed to endure the elements

The S-Series 36-Inch Grill is just placed on top of the cart. The grill:
- combines the power and function of a luxury grill with the durability of a Coyote grill
- features premium stainless steel construction
- offers stainless steel, performance enhancing heat control grids that minimize flare-ups and distribute heat evenly across its 640 square inch cooking area
- is powered by three, durable cast stainless steel Infinity burners and one RapidSear infrared burner which deliver up to 90,000 BTUs of cooking power
- the burners are lit by an easy to use, push and turn ignition system
- includes internal halogen grill lights for grilling at night
- the removable warming rack can be used to keep food heated until serving time
- you can easily monitor the temperature inside your grill using the integrated thermometer
- includes a rotisserie system with rear infrared burner to slow roast foods
- includes a smoker box to infuse your grilled food with delicious smoke flavor

Our bedroom is right off of the patio with our new grill, so I plan on using the Coyote grill like my own little outdoor kitchen! I cannot wait to get started and to show off all of the amazing things you can make outdoors instead of heating up your kitchen in the warmer months. Stay tuned for some classics, with some “who knew you could grill that?” recipes all summer long!

What are some of your favorite grilling recipes?

Grilled Southwest Turkey Burgers

Note: I was sent a coupon for Sargento Ultra Thin Cheese Slices through Cooking Light Bloggers’ Connection. Opinions are mine alone.

Well, summer weather came out of nowhere, didn’t it? Rising temperatures mean it’s grilling season! Throwing a burger on the grill doesn’t have to mean an super unhealthy meal though!

AND you don’t even have to skip the cheese to make a healthier burger! These turkey burgers are filled with deliciousness without being heavy and are topped with Sargento® Ultra Thin® Colby Jack Cheese Slices, pico de gallo, and avocado slices.

At 40 calories a slice, Sargento® Ultra Thin® Colby Jack Cheese Slices do nutritious in the most ultra-delicious way. The cheese slices are made of 100% real, natural cheese but are sliced thinner, so you can enjoy the cheesy deliciousness in moderation.

Ingredients: (recipe makes 3 larger burgers or 4 smaller burgers)

1 pound ground turkey
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons finely diced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons pico de gallo
2 tablespoons sliced green onions (scallions)
3-4 hamburger buns
3-4 slices of Sargento® Ultra Thin® Colby Jack Cheese Slices
1/2 avocado, sliced
pico de gallo, for topping

Continue reading Grilled Southwest Turkey Burgers

Arugula Pizza with Poached Eggs

May is (was) National Egg Month, and, well, the month of May ended more abruptly than I was expecting. So, happy June, and happy belated National Egg Month! (This Friday, June 3rd, is National Egg DAY though, so you can celebrate your little heart out then.)

I love using eggs in dinner recipes, because I don’t get much opportunity for a nice sit down breakfast with eggs. This Cooking Light recipe is the perfect eggs-for-dinner meal — Arugula Pizza topped with Poached Eggs.

Nellie’s eggs sent me some coupons, plus a cool little kit that included a t-shirt, stress egg, and a gift card so that I could try their eggs in a post, and this recipe seemed like the perfect opportunity. Nellie’s are free range, the hens are never caged, and have as much or as little access to the outside as they’d like.

Nellie’s works with over 40 independent, family owned and operated farms to provide their free range eggs produced from Certified Humane Free Range hens that are antibiotic and hormone free.

You can find where Nellie’s eggs are sold here.

On to the recipe!

Ingredients:

1 (11-ounce) package refrigerated pizza crust dough (suggested: thin crust)
Cooking spray
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) shaved fresh Romano cheese, divided
1 tablespoon white vinegar
6 large Nellie’s free range eggs
2-3 ounces baby arugula
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
grated fresh lemon rind from 1 lemon
fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Continue reading Arugula Pizza with Poached Eggs

Chicken Chilaquiles Casserole

My fiance is obsessed with leftovers. For whatever reason, he seems to think that most food tastes better the second time around. So I typically make a few more servings than we need so that he has his beloved leftovers the next day.

OXO makes cooking and storing food/leftovers super simple with their new 14 Piece Glass Bake, Serve & Store Set (paid link). The set is awesome to prepare foods beforehand, or to easily refrigerate/freeze any leftovers. It includes a Glass 3 Qt Baking Dish with Lid, Glass 2 Qt Baking Dish with Lid, Glass Loaf Pan, Glass Pie Plate, 1 Cup Round SNAP Container, 2 Cup Round SNAP Container, and 4 Cup Round SNAP Container.

For make ahead recipes, this glass bakeware is a huge time saver: they are made of thermal shock-resistant borosilicate glass, which allows dishes to be taken directly from the freezer to the oven or microwave — no need to fully thaw. The glass can withstand up to 250 degrees F of temperature change! Generous handles make removing dishes from the oven super easy, even when wearing oven mitts.

This set is perfect for recipes on the go as well; the baking dishes and SNAP containers come with raised slosh-proof lids for easy transportation. The SNAP Glass Food Storage is also microwave safe for reheating leftovers (just undo the tabs of the lid first), and provides a leak-proof seal, so it’s great for lunches to take to work!

I made this recipe for Chicken Chilaquiles Casserole recently for dinner using OXO’s 3 quart baking dish (9×13). Chilaquiles are actually typically a breakfast recipe, using lightly fried tortillas and salsa. This version is a casserole take on the traditional, and uses grilled corn tortillas baked with a quick homemade tomatillo salsa, rotisserie chicken, and cheese.

Ingredients:

meat from 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded (~3 cups)
1 cup 1% low-fat milk
1/3 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
1 (26 oz) can whole tomatillos, drained
1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chilies, drained
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1 cup finely chopped Monterey Jack cheese, divided
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
cooking spray
16 (6 inch) corn tortillas
chopped red bell pepper and cilantro, for garnish

Continue reading Chicken Chilaquiles Casserole

Homemade Marinara Sauce

I had a sad surprise this weekend. I opened my freezer to grab a quart of tomato sauce only to find I was all out!

Time to make another batch of sauce, so I decided to make Homemade Marinara Sauce!

This time around, I have a nifty new tool to help make my marinara sauce: OXO’s new Illuminating Digital Immersion Blender.

The immersion blender has six digital controls so you can pick the perfect speed for whatever it is you need blended. Just turn the dial at the top of the immersion blender to adjust the speed; a backlit LED indicator clearly shows your speed selection.

To start blending, you just press down on the wide, soft-touch power button located on the top half of the blender. The handle is nonslip, even when hands are wet.

The head is made of nylon, which won’t scratch your bowls or cookware while it blends.

A really nifty spec is the soft-glow LED headlight that illuminates the pot while you blend, which is super helpful when making a large batch of soup or sauce in a tall pot. A softer version of the light remains on the entire time the blender is plugged in for safety.

The immersion blender comes with a measuring beaker with a silicone lid that holds up to 3 cups. You can blend right in the beaker, then top with the lid to store whatever you don’t use immediately.

When finished using the blender, the cord wraps securely around the blender body for tidy, compact storage, great for my small kitchen!

The blender is a super helpful tool when making soups, dips, smoothies, and sauces. I used it to make a smooth marinara sauce made with canned whole plum tomatoes and sauteed carrots, celery and onions.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/3 cup red wine
2 (28 oz) cans whole plum tomatoes
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
fresh basil, sliced

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