Tomorrow, March 19th, is the Feast of St. Joseph, an important feast day in Italy or more specifically, Sicily. St. Joseph is particularly important to Sicilians, because he is credited with preventing a famine in Sicily during the Middle Ages through prayer. Each year, a large feast is prepared in his honor. Desserts typically include Zeppoli and Italian Fig Cookies.
Italian Fig Cookies, or Cuccidati, also tend to show up around Christmastime, so they are more of a “celebratory” cookie than linked to any specific holiday.
I wasn’t ready to conquer Zeppoli just yet, so I thought I’d try Italian Fig Cookies! This recipe is based off a recipe from Epicurious.
I don’t eat many peanut butter and jelly sandwiches these days. But on the rare occasion that I make myself one, I’m in heaven. There are few combinations as good as sweet jelly and salty peanut butter! Which is why I’m so excited to share this recipe for Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich Cookies!
I have a recipe for peanut butter cookies passed down from my great grandmother that I make every Christmas. So when I had a recent craving for PBJ, I figured a cookie version of it would be a fantastic adaptation! The cookie recipe below is based off of my great grandmother’s original recipe but is adapted slightly (I’m pretty sure peanut butter chips didn’t exist when she made this recipe!) And if you’re looking for other yummy cookie recipes, you can find plenty here!
Ingredients:
1 cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
2 eggs
1 cup peanut butter chips
2 (12 oz) jars jelly of your choice (I went with blackberry jelly. Feel free to use your favorite flavor)
Note: I was sent a box of Krusteaz Buttermilk Protein Pancake & Flapjack Mix in order to write this post. Opinions are mine alone.
Happy National Pancake Day! Also known as Shrove Tuesday, coincides with Mardi Gras, the end of Carnevale, and the beginning of Lent. It’s a day to indulge, but you can indulge while still eating something nutritious!
To celebrate National Pancake Day, Krusteaz sent me a box of their new Buttermilk Protein Pancake & Flapjack Mix. This mix is packed with 15 grams of protein per serving! This pancake mix needs just water to become light and fluffy pancakes. For added protein, you can substitute in milk and add eggs to the mix as well!
I decided to up the nutrition of these pancakes with the addition of mashed sweet potato. Not only does it add a bit of sweetness to the pancakes, sweet potatoes are a great source of Vitamins A and C.
With all of the protein and vitamins in this recipe, a little bit of browned butter won’t hurt, right? 🙂 I topped these pancakes with a bit of browned butter chopped pecans and a drizzle of maple syrup to make these Sweet Potato Pancakes with Brown Butter Pecans.
My mom’s birthday was earlier this week and I wanted to make her a treat to celebrate. She might be citrus’ biggest fan, so I knew I had to incorporate a couple of citrus components into it. This Citrus Poppy Seed Pound Cake was the result!
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!
Have you ever used ground sumac? Ground sumac is made from dried ground berries from the sumac bush, which is native to the Middle East. The flavor is similar to lemons, sour and tangy, but less tart than lemon juice.
I purchased ground sumac a while back patiently waiting for the “right” recipe to cross my path. After receiving eggplant in my most recent Hungry Harvest, I came across this recipe for Sumac Scented Eggplant and Chickpeas, which I knew I had to make!
African Peanut Stew (or Groundnut Stew) is a wonderfully hearty dish that originates in West Africa. Ingredients vary widely, but generally include a broth of ground peanuts and tomatoes with other vegetables served over rice. The dish can be made with chicken, but when omitted, this stew is a protein-rich vegan dish on its own.
My version below includes a little bit of heat from jalapenos and hot sauce, and some warmth from ground cumin, which is somewhat muted by the addition of creamy coconut milk.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 jalapeno, membranes and seeds removed, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 tablespoons tomato paste
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into cubes
1/2 cup creamy or chunky peanut butter (whatever you have on hand)
4 cups vegetable broth
1 (13.5 oz can) light coconut milk
1 teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste (I used sriracha)
1 bunch collard greens or kale, chopped (I used 1/2 bag of frozen collard greens)
I love a good dip. It’s one of my favorite snack to bring to a party — it travels well and are always a hit! As a somewhat recent owner of COSORI 6 Qt Electrical Pressure Cooker and I had yet to use it for beans, so I needed to change that! In case you didn’t know, you can use an electric pressure cooker (or multi-cooker) to cook dried beans relatively quickly, without needing to soak them overnight or boil them for an hour.
This Pressure Cooker Black Bean Dip can be made in about 1 hour, and is creamy and flavorful, and comes topped with all the fixins!
Ingredients:
Seasoning blend:
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Other ingredients:
1 1/2 cups uncooked black beans, rinsed
1 red onion, chopped and divided
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
2 cups vegetable broth or water
1 tablespoon olive oil
seasoning blend (above), or 1 1/2 tablespoons taco seasoning
the zest and juice of 1 lime
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
For serving:
bell peppers, finely chopped (I used mini sweet peppers for more color)
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.
My goodness, 2018 was a quick year. I cannot believe it’s the end of December! I wanted to post a recipe that would be welcome at any New Year’s Eve party, and with the help of a pressure cooker, can be made in no time with little effort!
This recipe for Pressure Cooker Spinach Artichoke Dip takes just 20 minutes to make – you dump most of the ingredients in (including the frozen spinach, no need to defrost!) and let it do its thing.
It can also easily be doubled to serve a large crowd; just make sure your multi-cooker is large enough to hold it all!
Ingredients (serves 8):
1 (10 oz) box frozen chopped spinach
1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (8 oz) block cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 (8 oz) container parmesan cheese
1 (8 oz) bag shredded low moisture mozzarella cheese
I’m hoping you’ll allow me to post one more cookie recipe this season. These Chewy Gingerbread Cookies are too good to not post!
Every year, my mom and I bake multiple cookie recipes to give to friends and family. While there are some that we bake every year, (like these Hot Cocoa Cookies), we try to make a new cookie each time. After many years of trying to make gingerbread cookies and failing at the decorating part, we decided to try making gingerbread cookies instead.
This recipe makes a wonderfully soft and chewy cookie all with the yummy flavors of gingerbread.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Note: I was sent a copy of Instant Indian: Classic foods from every region of India made easy in the Instant Pot for review. All opinions are mine alone.
I really enjoy Indian recipes. I’ve dabbled a bit in Indian cooking on my blog so far, although most of my recipes aren’t terribly authentic. I’ve even taken a class with Haneeda’s Kitchen to learn more about the cuisine. But a lot of the recipes can be pretty involved, and take quite a bit of time to make, so knowing ways to speed up the cooking process without sacrificing flavor are always welcome!
Cookbook author, blogger and cooking teacher Rinku Bhattacharya has put together a collection of 100 authentic Indian recipes all made in a multi-cooker, cutting down the time to make these recipes without sacrificing flavor. Instant Indian: Classic Foods from Every Region of India Made Easy in the Instant Pot showcases the diversity and range of the foods of India, where every state and region boasts its own unique dishes. Rinku Bhattacharya provides techniques and recipes that showcase the rich culinary diversity of Indian food. Her recipes are culled from the culinary regions of North India, Western India, Eastern India and South India.
The cookbook features recipes covering everything from spice blends to meat dishes to desserts. Nearly all the recipes are gluten free, and there are plenty of vegetarian and vegan options throughout the cookbook too!
Khichuri (or khichdi) is a classic rice and lentil mixture that can be found throughout India, with different regions having their own spin on it. This version is from Bengal and uses sautéed red onions, red lentils, cauliflower, potatoes and peas. The version below for Pressure Cooker Khichuri is gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan.
I love the combination of chocolate and pumpkin together. So when I was trying to think of an update to a traditional cookie, my mind went right to these flavors, which brings me to this recipe for Chocolate Pumpkin Rugelach.
Rugelach are the perfect cookies for this combo. Traditional rugelach uses an apricot spread that is sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, walnuts, and raisins, and then rolled into a spiral. The pumpkin butter takes the place of the apricot spread, and mini chocolate chips are substituted in for the walnuts and raisins.
Note: I was sent samples of PBfit in order to write this post. All opinions are mine alone.
I try to do a few make ahead recipes when I have the time on my weekends to make weekdays a bit easier. I tend to focus on dinners for busy weeknights, but from time to time I’m able to whip up some make ahead breakfasts as well. My favorite make ahead breakfasts? Muffins, of course! So I decided to make Peanut Butter Banana Muffins!
Not only are muffins an easy way to make a huge batch of future breakfasts, but they also freeze well! We always have bananas around the house, so when we end up with some overripe bananas, I love to use them in muffins. This recipe adds in some PBfit powder for peanut butter-y goodness!
PBfit is peanut butter powder made by pressing roasted peanuts, grinding those peanuts and mixing in some coconut palm sugar, and a pinch of salt. The result is a delicious peanut butter powder that has 87% less fat and 1/3 the calories of traditional peanut butter. Because it’s in powder form, it works great in baked goods!
I really love sweet potatoes. I have a pretty bad sweet tooth, so sweet potatoes are right up my alley. Growing up, we used to always have them mashed with a ton of butter and topped with roasted marshmallows. Mmm.
This version for Pressure Cooker Mashed Sweet Potatoes is a bit more stripped down, no marshmallows here. The natural sweetness is allowed to shine through (although I do enhance it a bit with some maple syrup)!
Plus, because I cooked the sweet potatoes in my Pressure Cooker, this recipe is done in no time!
Ingredients:
4 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into similar sized pieces
1 cup water
1/4 cup unsalted butter (or coconut oil to make dairy free/vegan)
