Category: Review

Slow Cooker Beef and Bean Chili

Note: I was sent a Rubbermaid’s Easy Find Lids 20-Piece Storage Set to review. All opinions are mine alone.

 

We have had a pretty moderate fall so far, but the cold weather isn’t too far off. This time of year, I like to fill my freezer with different meals so I always have comfort food on hand for busy weeknights. One of my favorites, of course, is chili.

 

I was sent Rubbermaid’s Easy Find Lids 20-Piece Storage Set to try out, so it was the perfect time to make my annual batch of chili!

 

Rubbermaid Easy Find Lids are a life saver – I typically just keep the containers from take out and they are all just shoved into a cabinet net to my stove, with no organization to them whatsoever. So i spend a good 10 minutes finding the right top to go with whatever container I’ve chosen. Rubbermaid’s storage set takes the annoyance out of trying to find the right top — the Lids snap on to the bottom of their respective containers so you can find them in no time! The containers also nest inside each other so you can have a small stack of all of your containers and lids in one spot.

 

The 20-piece set comes with  3 (0.5 Cup), 3 (1.25 Cup), 1 (2 Cup), 2 (3 Cup), 1 (5 Cup), and 10  respective Easy Find Lids. The plastic is dishwasher, freezer, and microwave safe and is also BPA-free.

 

On to the recipe! This time around, I went for a classic – ground beef and beans with some bratwurst meat for additional flavor (I used beef bratwurst, but you can use any type you’d like).

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (omit for dairy free)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 pound bratwurst, removed from its casing
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1  onion, chopped
  • 1 chipotle from can of chipotles in adobo sauce, finely chopped (seeds removed if preferred)
  • 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from can of chipotles in adobo
  • 2 red bell peppers, chopped (or whatever color you prefer)
  • 2 (15.5 oz) cans red kidney beans, drained
  • 1 (15.5 oz) can black beans, drained
  • 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon ground chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1/2 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • 1 tablespoon espresso grounds
  • For garnish: 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped; 4 oz sour cream; 4 oz cheddar or pepper Jack cheese, shredded

Continue reading Slow Cooker Beef and Bean Chili

Farm-to-Table Dinner with Door-to-Door Organics #MyFarm2Table

This post is sponsored by Door-to-Door Organics. All opinions are my own. #MyFarm2Table

 

I have been using Door-to-Door Organics for a while now, receiving a Little Mixed Box every other week, and I absolutely love it. Each box is always filled with great quality produce that I can customize a few days prior to ensure I get exactly what I want each time.

 

I wrote a post about my experience with Door-to-Door Organics in April (this post for Honey Mustard Roasted Rainbow Carrots) if you want to learn more.

 

This week, I will be sharing a bunch of recipes that I made for a Farm-to-Table Dinner using a Local Farm Box plus a curated selection of local foods, courtesy of Door-to-Door Organics. I had plenty of ingredient to choose from, look at all these goodies!

 

These products are sourced locally when possible and come from a number of different local farmers.

 

Interested in trying out a farm box for yourself? Enter code ICanFarm2Table to receive 40% your first delivery!

 

I used this as an opportunity to bring some of the “farm” into my little city condo. We typically eat dinner on the kitchen island, so I transformed our little space into a picnic! The tomatoes were so gorgeous, the ones not used for the meal became part of the tablescape, along with some of the fresh herbs I used in the recipes as well as a bouquet of flowers.

 

We had plenty of options to choose from, beginning with Gazpacho and then feasting on Zucchini Boats, Mediterranean Chicken Skewers, and Jalapeno Poppers. Our meal was complemented with a Sparkling Blueberry Pomegranate Cocktail, which was 1/2 oz St. Germain with Club Soda and a splash of Pomegranate Juice topped with Blueberries — so simple and really tasty!

I’m sharing the recipes all week (with the Sparkling Blueberry Pomegranate Cocktail below) so stop back to see what I’ve made!

 

 

 

I served the food on wooden boards to give it a more outdoorsy feel and we drank out of mason jars (which is actually the norm in my household anyways).

 

I still have plenty of ingredients left from this basket so I can’t wait to see what else I can make later this week! (Update: I made this Mushroom Pasta with Local Organic Cremini (Baby Bella) Mushrooms and Vera Pasta Bucatini Pasta; so good!)

 

Sparkling Blueberry Pomegranate Cocktail
Recipe Type: Drinks, Cocktails
Author: I Can Cook That
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 1 serving
Ingredients
  • 1/2 oz St. Germain
  • Club Soda
  • splash of Pomegranate Juice
  • Blueberries
Instructions
  1. Fill a glass with ice.
  2. Add the St. Germain.
  3. Fill the glass with club soda and add a splash of pomegranate juice.
  4. Top with 5-6 blueberries and stir to combine.
3.3.3070

 

Salsa Recipe & Beginners Guide to Canning #CanItForward

This Saturday marks Jarden Home Brands fifth annual Can-It-Forward Day, which will be broadcast live online at FreshPreserving.com from 11AM – 4PM EST from the new state-of-the-art Jarden Home Brands headquarters in Fishers, Indiana.

 

An event celebrating the joys of fresh preserving, the -It-Forward Day webcast will have an integrated chat function where viewers can submit their home canning questions to be answered in real time. New this year, there will also be an exciting celebrity mason jar auction unveiled during the webcast!

 

To celebrate, I was sent a Ball Canning Discovery Kit (paid link), Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving (paid link), Red Design Series Lids, and Ball Fiesta Salsa Mix (paid link).

 

My future sister-in-law is big into canning, and I’ve “helped” (a.k.a kept her company in the kitchen) once before, but the process of canning is really intimidating to me. I was told that if I can boil water, I can can, so I was both wary and excited to try this out!

I need to give a little shout out to my city, because the Mason jar was, in fact, invented and patented in Philadelphia in 1858 by local tinsmith John Landis Mason. So, this should be in my blood, right?

 

 

  • The Ball Canning Discovery Kit  is a great beginners kit; it comes with a canning rack that fits into most pasta pots, a recipe guide, and three jars. The kit is really affordable ($11.99) and allows you to assess if canning is for you before investing fully into the process.
  • My sister-in-law assured me that if I had a Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving, I’d be just fine canning. So. WHEW. This book lays out each step of the process (and even tells you why you are doing it this way) to ensure a successful canning process. The step-by-step guides are particularly helpful as a beginner.
  • The Red Design Series Lids are normal lids and bands, just prettier.  🙂 The lids can only be used once during canning, so it’s helpful to have extras on hand. (You can reuse the jars and bands as many times as you want)
  • The Ball Fiesta Salsa Mix makes the process of seasoning salsa super easy. You just need fresh or canned tomatoes, a splash of vinegar, and the mix to make a yummy salsa!

 

I decided to make a salsa from the Ball Blue Book, but adapted it slightly to include the Ball Fiesta Salsa Mix. The recipe is simple, and is basically just cutting up the ingredients, so this post is more about the canning process than the actual recipe.

I am absolutely a beginner with this, but luckily was able to glean some tips from my sister-in-law and the Ball Blue Book, which I will share as well.

I also am giving away a coupon for a free case of jars! Details at the end of the post. 

 

Zesty Salsa (adapted from Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving)

Yields ~3 pint jars

Ingredients:

  • 5 cups chopped cored peeled tomatoes (fresh or canned)
  • 4 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped (~2.5 cups)
  • 1 large onion, chopped (~2.5 cups)
  • 1 large jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped (~3 tablespoons)
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 2/3 cup cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup Ball Fiesta Salsa Mix

Gear:

  • Ball canning rack with lifter
  • 3 Ball Pint Jars with lids and bands (I used the Red design series lids and bands)
  • Large stockpot (at least 7.5 inches tall and 9.5 inches in diameter)
  • a non-metallic spatula (I ended up using chopsticks. They worked just fine)
  • A clean, damp towel to wipe rims of jars

Continue reading Salsa Recipe & Beginners Guide to Canning #CanItForward

One-Pot Chicken with Lemon & Rosemary

I am kind of obsessed with Zwilling JA Henckel’s knife of the month. It became my favorite knife overnight! The ZWILLING Pro 8″ Ultimate Serrated Chef’s Knife lives up to its name. This bad boy can be used for basically anything. The serrated edge is comprised of large and small scallops, which helps the knife stay share longer than a fine-edged chef’s knife.

From the website: Precision forged from a single piece of high-carbon, no-stain steel, the SIGMAFORGE® blade is exceptionally sturdy yet flexible. The FRIODUR® blade is ice hardened, making it extremely sharp and durable. The knife is hand ground and polished, then the angle of the cutting edge is checked with precise laser technology. The durable ABS resin handle is ergonomically shaped for a comfortable grip and is triple riveted to the blade.

I have been using it for anything and everything; fruits, veggies, meat, you name it! I typically gravitate towards Santoku knifes so I was surprised how comfortable I was using this chef’s knife. It works great to chop and thinly slice, but is super sharp so be sure to take care where your fingers are when using it (as you should when using any knife).

 

I chose a recipe highlighting this knife’s chopping skills, but it also works great on produce with more delicate out layers like tomatoes, and can even be used to slice chicken breasts with ease.

This recipe is adapted from a Rachel Ray recipe, so you know it’s a quick and simple recipe with tons of flavor. Per her suggestion, you should definitely have a loaf of bread on hand to dip into the yummy sauce!

 

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 pieces bone-in, skin-on chicken (I used a chicken broken down- 2 breasts, 2 drumsticks, 2 thighs)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 1 bulb fennel, chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 cups dry white wine
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
  • Crusty bread, to pass at table

 

Continue reading One-Pot Chicken with Lemon & Rosemary

{Giveaway} The Joy of Writing a Great Cookbook Review

If you’ve ever dreamed of publishing a cookbook, Kimberly Yorio’s THE JOY OF WRITING A GREAT COOKBOOK: How to Share Your Passion for Cooking from Idea to Published Book to Marketing It Like a Bestseller is right up your alley. I was sent a free copy of this book to review, and I was surprised with how much content was in this book that I never really even considered before!

 

Kimberly Yorio is a brand strategist, food authority, and women’s business advocate who has worked as an in-house publicist and marketing director, a for-hire publicist and agent, a cookbook co-author and proposal writer.

 

Kim, with 20+ years experience in the cookbook industry, has developed an amazing how to for cookbook author hopefuls. In her own words, the cookbook “will show you how to get from great idea to bookstore shelves (or, at the very least, Amazon).”

This book is filled with not just Kimberly Yorio’s advice, but tips and tricks of publishers, editors, publicists, recipe testers, food stylists, journalists, bloggers, agents, and celebrity chefs. It even includes a history of cookbooks and a thorough review of social media, which I found to be really helpful for my own blog!

 

Not only has Kim given novice writers all of the tools to create a cookbook of which they can be proud, Page Street Publishing is offering  a chance to win your very own cookbook contract and marketing campaign executed by Kim and her team. Hopeful cookbook authors can submit their proposal by August 1, 2015 and have a chance to earn a publishing deal for a printed book and an e-book. (Guidelines and official rules can be found at pagestreetpublishing.com.)

 

If it’s always been your dream to write a cookbook, don’t hesitate, and enter now!

 

screen shot of pagestreetpublishing.com

 

A copy of Kim’s book would be super helpful in preparing a proposal for this contest though, wouldn’t it? Luckily, I have also been given the opportunity to give away one copy of The Joy of Writing a Great Cookbook to one reader! Use the widget below and good luck!

For those who can’t wait to get their hands on a copy, the book is available now and retails for $21.99.

 

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Fish Tacos and How to Use a Fillet Knife

This month, Zwilling sent me a fun challenge: use a fillet knife.  June’s knives of the month are boning and fillet knives, so Zwilling sent me their ZWILLING Pro 7″ Fillet Knife to try out. I have never used one before so I was so excited to learn how to use one; gotta love learning a new technique!

 

 

Fillet and boning knives are exactly what they sound like: knives used to cut meat off of the bone (to fillet something is to remove it from the bone). The knife is long, thin, and super flexible to allow it to get as close to the bone as possible.

 

You can fillet anything with a bone — chicken, beef, etc. but most people immediately think of fish, so I decided to revisit an old recipe on my blog to try out this lovely new knife!

 

This recipe for fish tacos with lime cilantro crema is a Cooking Light recipe and a favorite of mine. I switched it up a touch this time, just to try something a bit new.

 

Ingredients:

Crema:

  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 3 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise
  • 3 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
  • the zest of one lime
  • the juice of one lime
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 garlic clove, minced

Tacos:

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon  paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 1/2 pounds white fish (I used 3 branzino)
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
  • 2 cups shredded cabbage (or romaine lettuce)
  • 1/2 cup chopped red onion

Continue reading Fish Tacos and How to Use a Fillet Knife

ZWILLING Pro 3″ Paring Knife Review

ZWILLING J.A. Henkels‘ May Knife of the Month was the paring knife, a versatile knife that every kitchen needs (in my humble opinion). I was sent the ZWILLING Pro 3″ Paring Knife to test, and I ended up using it almost daily!

 

 

The 3 inch paring knife is small and light, with a slim blade and centered tip. Paring knives are one of the most versatile tools in the kitchen and can be used for peeling, cutting, cleaning, and preparing fruits, vegetables, and meat. It’s no wonder they are the knife of the month, this knife is perfect for seasonal produce that is now available!

 

I used the knife for prep almost every night: slicing peppers, mincing garlic, chopping onions, etc. The slim blade also makes it perfect for chopping more delicate produce, like green onions/scallions.

 

 

I asked my fiance to help me prep some ingredients for a post recently, and he seemed to have almost too much fun using the paring knife!

 

The paring knife also really came in handy with my recent dessert post with peaches and plums.  The knife is sharp enough to cut into the fruit but is delicate enough to not bruise the fruit in the process.

 

Paring knives can also be used to peel fruit (such as apples or oranges),  devein shrimp, hull strawberries, clean the seeds out of peppers, and many other uses.

 

ZWILLING J.A. Henckels knives are made in Germany and designed in Italy by Matteo Thun. The knife is forged from one single piece of steel, is ice-hardened, and is hand sharpened and polished. The knife is dishwasher safe, but it’s suggested you hand wash it to keep it in great shape longer (dishwashers are really tough on knives).

 

I’ve reviewed the ZWILLING Pro 8″ Bread Knife in the past, and continue to be impressed with the quality of these knives! Currently, paring knives are on sale, with the 3 inch paring knife I reviewed on sale for $39.99.

 

Note: I was sent a ZWILLING Pro 3″ paring knife for review. Opinions are my own.

 

Natural Balance Foods- Healthy Cereal Bars and Snacks

A while back, I was contacted by a healthy snack company based out of Britain called Natural Balance Foods. Their Eat Nakd Bars are snack bars made from natural ingredients including fruits and nuts and are gluten free, wheat free, and dairy free with no added sugars.

 

The company was kind enough to send me a bunch of the Nakd Bars to try, including their Cashew Cookie and Berry Delight Bars, which were my two favorites.

I brought a bunch of the Nakd Bars hiking and they were the perfect portable treat for the day. (I actually ended up spraining my ankle and spent most of my day at the base of the mountain, but hey, sprains work up an appetite as well!)

 

These little bars don’t skimp on flavor and are a great on the go snack for busy days.

 

So, what sets Eat Nakd apart from the rest?

 

A typical cereal bar can contain as many as 30 ingredients, many of which I can’t really pronounce.

It only takes 35 minutes to make an Eat Nakd bar, from start to finish, while a baked cereal bar can take almost 4 hours to process.

 

The lack of sugars doesn’t result in a cardboard tasting bar, however. The bars typically are made with dates, which adds natural sweetness to the other flavors. Eat Nakd currently has nine different bars, so it’s worth trying them all to find your favorite!

 

The company also has Eat Nākd Crunch bars which are are dairy, wheat and gluten free, packed with soya crunchies for extra protein to keep you feeling fuller for longer, and are completely vegan friendly. Flavors include Banana, Strawberry, Apple and Cocoa.

 

I enjoyed these bars so much that I want you to be able to try them too! One I Can Cook That Reader will will an Eat Nakd Sampler Box! The Sampler Box includes one of each of their yummy bars —

  • One of each 9 Eat Nakd fruit and nut bar flavors; Rhubarb & Custard, Caffe Mocha, Cocoa Orange, Cashew Cookie, Pecan Pie, Berry Delight, Cocoa Mint, Ginger Bread and Cocoa Delight (9x 35g bars)
  • One of each 4 Eat Nakd Crunch bars: Apple Crunch, Strawberry Crunch, Banana Crunch and Cocoa Crunch (4x 30g bars)

 

Use the widget below to enter. Also, be sure to check out their website and pick up some of the bars for yourself — because Natural Balance Foods is relatively new to the U.S., they are currently offering free shipping on all U.S. orders!

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Chocolate Earl Grey Cakes

We are coming up on Mother’s Day again! Every year, I make my mom a little treat that almost always include citrus and/or bergamot, and this year is going to be no different! (Previous years treats: Lemon Tart with Raspberry Shortbread Crust, Lemon Angel Food Cupcakes, and Lemon Earl Grey Squares; I even made her a Grapefruit Bergamot body scrub!)

 

 

I thought I’d try something a bit different (and chocolatey) this year, while still including Bergamot in the recipe (bergamot is what gives Earl Grey it’s signature flavor). This adapted recipe from Real Simple is for Mini Chocolate Earl Grey Bundt Cakes. Aren’t they cute?

 

 

This year, I am taking it one step farther and pairing a dessert with actual brewed tea to highlight one of the many awesome options for Mother’s Day Gifts from UncommonGoods (which you can find here and here). Wouldn’t this make an awesome Mother’s Day basket — Mini Chocolate Earl Grey Bundt Cakes, Loose Tea Leaves, and this gorgeous Glass Teapot with Stand?

 

 

UncommonGoods is one of my go-to sites for cool gifts that can’t be found just anywhere. It’s an online marketplace offering creatively designed, high-quality merchandise at affordable prices.  Offerings include handmade goods  (half of what is sold on the site is made by hand) and personalized gifts.  All merchandise is produced without harm to animals or people, and about one-third of the collection incorporates recycled and/or upcycled materials. UncommonGoods also donates a portion of each order to a non-profit of your choosing including:  American Forests, Women for Women International, City Harvest, and the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN).

 

 

This beautiful Glass Teapot with Stand would make an amazing Mother’s Day Gift for any tea-loving mom, like mine.

 

 

The Teapot holds 30 oz of tea and comes with a removable glass tea infuser so you can make a perfectly brewed pot of tea using loose tea or tea bags with ease.

 

 

The bamboo stand includes room for a little tea light to keep your beverage warm as you enjoy it.

 

 

I used DavidsTea Glitter and Gold black tea, which is why you may notice a little shimmer to the tea. So pretty!

 

 

On to the recipe!

 

Ingredients:

  • 6 Earl Grey tea bags or 2 tablespoons loose Earl Grey
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Continue reading Chocolate Earl Grey Cakes

Curry Shrimp in Coconut Milk

Next week, many Philadelphia restaurants will be participating in Caribbean Cuisine Week.

The week, held from April 8th – April 10th this year, helps raise funds to send over 700 high school athletes from Trinidad, Jamaica, St. Vincent and Grenada to attend the 2015 Penn Relays.

 

The Penn Relays is the largest track and field meet in the United States and draws over 110,000 people to Philadelphia each Spring.

 

 

CCW partners with restaurants throughout Center City by encouraging the Chefs to prepare Caribbean inspired dishes and offer as specials. The restaurants will donate 5% of food proceeds from the three day period to help bring the students to Philadelphia.

 

The list of participating restaurants can be found here. One of the restaurants participating, 48th Street Grille in West Philly, invited some local bloggers to check out their offerings. 48th Street Grille is a Caribbean-American restaurant led by Executive Chef Carl Lewis Sr. who is originally from Jamaica and brings the flavors and spirit of his home to his food.

 

 

Appetizers included garlic roasted shrimp, jerk chicken quesadillas, 5 island wings, and my personal favorite, conch fritters.

 

Garlic Roasted Shrimp
Jerk Chicken Quesadillas
5 Island Wings

Fried Conch Fritters

 

We were also treated to quite a few of their entrees, including sweet chili glazed salmon, jerk chicken, and savory curried chicken, which were all amazing. I am fairly certain I had dreams about the curried chicken sauce that night (I loved it so much, I didn’t even take a photo! boo), while my fiance was wowed by the flavors and tenderness of the jerk chicken.

 

Chili Glazed Salmon
Jerk Chicken

 

In case we weren’t full enough, we were also served mashed yams with scallions, green beans, and braised cabbage.

 

Mashed Yams with Scallions
Green Beans
Braised Cabbage

 

I wanted to share with you a Caribbean-inspired recipe given to me by CCW, in case you don’t live in the area and can’t participate next week.

I turned this recipe for Curry Shrimp in Coconut Milk into a main dish by serving it over coconut rice, but it also would work well as an appetizer.

Ingredients:

  • 2 (14 oz) cans lite coconut milk, divided
  • 1.5 cups uncooked rice (or about 1 can full)
  • 2 tablespoons margarine
  • 1 cup onion, chopped
  • 1 1⁄2 tablespoons curry
  • 1/2 cup bell peppers, diced (I used an assortment of green, red, and orange peppers)
  • 1/2 cup plum tomatoes, diced
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
  • 1 1⁄2 tablespoons of sugar
  • 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

Continue reading Curry Shrimp in Coconut Milk

Spring Cleaning with OXO

What is it about spring that finally motivates me to clean? As the outside thaws out, I finally get the drive to reorganize and do a deep clean, especially things I have been putting off. I tend to start in the kitchen and work my way into other rooms. I live in a tiny apartment, so once organized spaces get cluttered and messy quickly.

My kitchen after cleaning/organizing

 

OXO is my go to for all things cleaning and organization, so I was really excited to receive some cleaning tools from them! These tools are great throughout the house, but I’ve only made it through my kitchen cleaning so far!

 

 

As soon as I opened the compact dustpan, I knew it would forever have a home in my kitchen. I actually didn’t use this for spring cleaning exactly, but it is the perfect tool for countertop messes, including a flour-dusted surface (after baking).

 

The brush snaps into the dust pan and the pan’s flat bottom allows it to stand up, so it’s really easy to store on the countertop or on a shelf. (It’s so thin though it can easily be stored in a drawer as well). The dust pan’s soft rubber lip allows you to press down on the pan while sweeping with the brush to get every little bit into the pan.

 

The Large Sweep Set with Extendable Broom was put to the test almost immediately; I spilled a container of rice when I went to grab it from a cabinet!

Oops.

 

The sweep set includes a full-size broom and extra-large dustpan. When it’s fully extended, the broom and dustpan are great for sweeping large areas. The broom also retracts to easily sweep dirt piles into the dustpan. The dustpan features teeth to comb out dirt (which I love; I have a cat so this is a great tool!) and a flexible lip that conforms to surfaces so dust is not swept underneath it. The dustpan also locks open for easy emptying. The broom snaps into the closed dustpan for  upright, compact storage.

 

 

I was probably the most excited for the Electronics Cleaning Brush, and so was my DSLR camera! As a food blogger, my poor camera is subject to flour, splatters, and all other non-camera-friendly kitchen hazards.

 

The OXO Good Grips Electronics Cleaning Brush is made of a slim silicone wiper to remove dust from small, hard-to-reach places including between keyboard keys and around the edges of a monitor screen, while soft bristles are gentle enough to clean camera lenses. The Brush comes with a cap to protect the silicone wiper and the bristles retract into the device, keeping both tools clean but ready to use.

are other tools I was sent that I will be using in other areas of my apartment:

  • The OXO Goodgrips Dust Pan and Brush Set is the perfect tool to store near my cat’s litter box. The whisk-broom shape makes it easy to sweep from above and the rubber lip along the front edge of the Dustpan conforms to surfaces, making sure every last bit is swept up.  The Brush also features a soft, non-slip handle for a comfortable grip. Snap the Brush into the durable Dust Pan for convenient storage.
  • I also received expandable drawer dividers which I can’t wait to use in my bedroom drawers when I get to that room! The set includes two Dividers that are each 4” tall and expand from 11” to 17” to fit most drawers front to back or side to side and does not require tools for installation!
  • The Microfiber Delicate Duster traps and holds dust instead of just pushing it around, and it does so without the need for cleaning chemicals, which is perfect for use on electronics like your TV or monitor. After dusting, the head of the Microfiber Delicate Duster pops off with a push of a button and is machine washable.

 

Have you begun your spring cleaning? What tools are you using to get your home tidy?

Swordfish with Macadamia Nut Crust and Papaya Salsa

I can’t say that I know much about Hawaiian food, past that I assume is it fish-heavy and influenced by tropical and Asian/Polynesian flavors (with their favorite canned meat, Spam, sprinkled in, of course). So when I was given the opportunity to review Tommy Bahama‘s FLAVORS of ALOHA: Cooking with Tommy Bahama (paid link), I was really curious to see what the cookbook had in store.

 

 

The cookbook is filled with quite the range of dishes, from appetizers to dessert. Written by Rick Rodgers, the cookbook transports you to Hawaii through 100+ island-inspired recipes including:

  • Tuna Poke with Guacamole and Flatbread
  • Flavorful Ono Oxtail Soup
  • Saimin with Asian Chicken Broth (arguably Hawaii’s state dish)
  • Steamed Sea Bass with Ginger Dipping Sauce
  • Huli Huli Pork Tenderloin and Pineapple with Old-School Teriyaki Marinade
  • Pineapple Crème Brulee
  • Hibiscus Lime Cooler

 

 

The cookbook also contains little facts about Hawaiian culture and history as well as tips for eating, drinking, and “living the life,” FLAVORS OF ALOHA invites aspiring cooks of all abilities to embrace the Tommy Bahama spirit by taking an “island time” approach to cooking for family and friends. Plus the photos are gorgeous!

 

 

I wanted to use this opportunity to work with a seafood I rarely make (although I am absolutely going to have to make the Kona Flan in the near future!) and adapted the cookbook’s recipe for Mahi Mahi with Macadamia Nut Crust and Papaya Salsa to use swordfish instead.

 

Adapted from Flavors of Aloha, Cooking with Tommy Bahama

Ingredients:

Papaya Salsa:

  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon minced shallots
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped crystallized ginger
  • 1 teaspoon Sriracha
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 cup diced papaya

Swordfish:

  • 1/2 cup unsalted macadamia nuts
  • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 4 swordfish steaks, about 6 oz each
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 large egg white
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Continue reading Swordfish with Macadamia Nut Crust and Papaya Salsa

Sourdough Bread

I have made a couple of breads in the past, but never one that yielded a typical bread you’d use for sandwiches. For whatever reason, I’ve always been very intimidated by the whole bread making process. I recently visited a friend that loves to bake bread and she assured me it wasn’t nearly as difficult as I was imagining. So, after putting it off for a couple of months, I finally decided to try!

 

I decided to make a sourdough bread, because it is a relatively simple recipe. The hardest part is the whole waiting aspect of it. I found this recipe on King Arthur Flour’s website and used their sourdough starter to make the bread (rather than making my own starter which can take a week). My interest in baking bread was well timed, ZWILLING‘s Knife of the Month for March is the ZWILLING Pro 8″ Bread Knife, and they were kind enough to offer to not only let me try one of the knives out, but are also offering one to give away!  Details after the recipe.

 

 

ZWILLING J.A. HENCKELS knives are no joke, they are great quality knives made in Germany for over 280 years. When I moved out on my own, my mom actually bought me a set of ZWILLING J.A. HENCKELS knives to get my kitchen started, and I still use them daily!

The ZWILLING Pro 8″ Bread Knife has a serrated edge that effortlessly cuts through hard bread crusts, and cuts neat slices due to its aggressive long prongs. The knife is forges from one single piece of steel, is ice-hardened, and is hand sharpened and polished. The knife is dishwasher safe, but it’s suggested you hand wash it to keep it in great shape longer (dishwashers are really tough on knives).

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup “fed” sourdough starter
  • 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
  • 2 teaspoons instant yeast
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 5 cups unbleached all purpose flour

Continue reading Sourdough Bread

Green Pea Cookie Review

I have a serious sweet tooth. I feel like no meal is complete without dessert! So when a friend told me about a healthier cookie company that was raising funds on Kickstarter, I knew I had to check them out.

 

source: www.greenpeacookie.com

 

According to their website, Green Pea Cookies are based off a recipe from Singapore and are made with roasted green peas, powdered sugar, non-GMO sunflower oil, unbleached white flour (or brown rice flour for their gluten-free version), salt, and “happeaness.”

source: www.greenpeacookie.com

 

The cookies currently come in three flavors: original, chocolate dipped, and cranberry, and can be purchased in three sizes: Small: 18 cookies (110g), Medium: 24 cookies (145g), Large: 34 cookies (200g).

source: www.greenpeacookie.com

 

Green Pea Cookie is in their final days of their Kickstarter and have been doing an awesome job. They have already reached their initial goal, but now have a new goal of distributing 1 million cookies (as of writing this, they were up to over 40,500 distributed).

 

Their marketing is absolutely adorable by the way. Each of the cookies has a name (Peater is the original, Penelopea is cranberry, and Dimpea is chocolate dipped).

 

source: www.greenpeacookie.com

 

Depending on your donation amount on their Kickstarter page, you can receive some of the cookies, a t-shirt (they are so cute!), stickers, or a monthly box of happeaness. With my donation, I will receive a t-shirt and cannot wait to rock it with pride. Seriously, how great are these shirts?

source: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1877303117/green-pea-cookie
source: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1877303117/green-pea-cookie

 

The founders of Green Pea Cookies were kind enough to send me a sample of their original flavor. I am happy to say they are absolutely delicious!

 

The texture is kind of like shortbread, crumbly but rich. I honestly didn’t taste much “pea” flavor in mine, but my fiance said he did get a hint of it and really enjoyed it. They are both salty and sweet, which makes for a pretty fantastic combo.

The little bite sized cookies are perfectly pop-able, but at just 100 calories a serving (which is 6 cookies), you can keep on popping them!

 

They would make the perfect “afternoon work” snack, don’t you think?

I can only imagine how tasty the chocolate dipped cookies are, but I personally think the cranberry ones must be amazing — sounds like such a great combo!

 

It’s awesome to see how great this company is doing so far on Kickstarter, but I’d love to see them get to their goal of 1 million cookies. Be sure to check out their Kickstarter page ASAP (it ends March 15, 2015) and consider donating!

Gluten Free Coconut Cardamom Carrot Bread

Bob’s Red Mill has been providing gluten-free flours, cereals, baking mixes, and grains for over 30 years. The company is so committed to it’s gluten-free promise that they even have a separate gluten-free packaging division to ensure their products are purely gluten-free.

Camilla V. Saulsbury’s new cookbook showcases the breadth, depth and versatility of Bob’s Red Mill’s gluten-free grains. As more and more people move towards a gluten-free lifestyle (either due to allergies or other health reasons), one of the easiest ways to transition to a gluten-free diet is to embrace the many grains available that are naturally gluten-free.

The cookbook, Bob’s Red Mill Everyday Gluten-Free Cookbook, includes 281 whole-grain recipes for entrees, side dishes, baked goods, desserts, etc. that include grains such as amaranth, quinoa, millet, and teff. The book also includes a section describing the grains, their uses, and how to store them.

There are a bunch of really delicious sounding recipes in the cookbook, but I wanted to try a baked recipe because that seems to be the toughest type of recipe to make gluten-free and still maintain the same texture and taste.

This recipe for Gluten Free Coconut Cardamom Carrot Bread uses a mixture of sorghum flour, millet flour, and potato starch to make a gluten-free bread. The bread is flavored with grated carrots, coconut flakes, and cardamom.

Before sharing the recipe, I thought it might be helpful to give some information about the different ingredients used in this recipe that may be a bit unfamiliar.

 

Sorghum Flour is a good source of protein, iron, dietary fiber and antioxidants. Sorghum promotes a healthy metabolism due to its high magnesium and copper levels. The starch and protein in sorghum flour take longer than other similar products to digest, making it particularly helpful for those with diabetes. Sorghum flour adds slight sweetness to baked goods and can be added or substituted in any recipe that calls for flour. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 months or in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Millet Flour is a good source of protein, essential amino acids, and dietary fiber, as well as manganese, phosphorus, and magnesium. Millet flour helps keep the digestive tract operating smoothly and lowers the risk of diabetes and heart disease. It has a light, mild flavor and works well in sweet or savory baking. Millet flour delivers a cake-like crumb to baked goods. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months or in the freezer for up to 12 months.

Potato Starch is used as a thickener for sauces, soups, and stews, or is used in baking with a combination of other flours (rarely by itself) and is a natural way to add moistness to many baked goods. Store potato starch in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 6 months or in the freezer for up to 1 year.

Virgin Coconut Oil can be stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator. When kept at room temperature, coconut oil will go in between being a liquid and a solid, which doesn’t affect the oil’s quality. It’s easier to measure out larger amounts of coconut oil when it is a liquid, so run the jar under warm running water before opening to liquify when measuring for this recipe.

 

Ingredients:
  • 2/3 cup sorghum flour
  • 2/3 cup millet flour
  • 2/3 cup potato starch
  • 2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder (like Clabber Girl)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup melted virgin coconut oil (you can also use melted unsalted butter or olive oil if you prefer)
  • 2 cups shredded carrots
  • 1 1/4 cups unsweetened flaked coconut
Courtesy of Bob’s Red Mill Everyday Gluten-Free Cookbook by Camilla V Saulsbury, 2015 © www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with publisher permission.

Continue reading Gluten Free Coconut Cardamom Carrot Bread

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