I Can Cook That | Food and Beverage Recipes

Chocolate Pumpkin Rugelach

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.

I based this recipe off the recipe I used in my Apricot and Raisin Rugelach post last month, based off a recipe from American Cookie: The Snaps, Drops, Jumbles, Tea Cakes, Bars & Brownies That We Have Loved for Generations.

Ingredients:

Dough:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for rolling the dough

Pumpkin Butter:

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
1/3 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 cup water
the juice of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon salt

Filling:

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice if you have it)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 (10 oz) bag mini chocolate chips
1 cup pumpkin butter (recipe above)

Egg Wash:

1 large egg white
1 teaspoon water

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Bloody Marys

I’ve been told I make a pretty darn good Bloody Mary. Although I can’t take much credit for it; I’ve been using my grandpa’s recipe for years now. My “responsibility” at Thanksgiving every year is to keep the pitcher of Bloody Marys full, so I’ve had some practice.

I’m finally sharing my recipe on here to highlight a fun event happening in South Philly this weekend at one of my favorite bars: Moonshine. Chef Christine Hazel, of Hell’s Kitchen and Chopped fame, is hosting a Brunch Cooking Class this Sunday, December 9th, at 11 am. The class includes learnings how to make some brunch dishes, dish samples, and 2 signature cocktails. You can get tickets here. (I’ve already purchased mine, so come hang out with me!)

So why not get the brunch cocktail party started now?

Ingredients: (serves 4)

2 cups tomato juice
the juice and zest of 1 lemon
the juice and zest of 1 lime
2 oz Worcestershire sauce (some brands are gluten-free)
10-15 dashes hot sauce (depending on how much heat you’re looking for)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
6 oz vodka
ice
for garnish (optional): celery stalks, lemon wedges, lime wedges, olives

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Peanut Butter Banana Muffins

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!

Ingredients – makes 24 cupcake sized muffins, or 12 large muffins (get all ingredients here)

2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups powdered peanut butter, such as PBfit
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups mashed bananas (about 6 bananas)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
4 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract

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Thanksgiving Leftover Skillet Pizza

It probably goes without saying that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love spending time with my family and digging in to awesome food! My aunt and uncle have hosting Thanksgiving for years now, and they always make a point to make more than we could ever eat so we have leftovers.

I could eat Thanksgiving leftovers every day, but sometimes its nice to switch up the presentation a bit.

This recipe for Thanksgiving Leftover Skillet Pizza makes the most of whatever leftovers you have on hand!

Ingredients:

1 cup shredded cooked turkey
3-4 tablespoons cranberry sauce
3/4 cup each shredded mozzarella and shredded cheddar cheese, divided
All-purpose flour
8 ounces prepared pizza dough, at room temperature (or cauliflower crust to make gluten free)
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 cup mashed potatoes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup cooked vegetables, (I used Brussels sprouts)
1/2 cup crumbled stuffing
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
cranberry sauce and gravy, for serving

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Pressure Cooker Mashed Sweet Potatoes

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)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
thyme, for garnish

Continue reading Pressure Cooker Mashed Sweet Potatoes

One Pot Chicken with Orzo

Who doesn’t love a “one pot” meal? No one wants to do a ton of dishes after dinner!

I love cooking with my cast iron skillet, which is actually my grandmothers. Cast iron does a great job of evenly heating food and searing meat, and stands the test of time. Every meal I make in my cast iron feels kind of special, knowing my grandmother also used to cook in the same skillet.

This recipe, adapted from Epicurious, is a nice comfort food dinner, with juicy chicken thighs, sautéed fennel and leeks, and hearty orzo, and is perfect for chilly nights.

Ingredients:

6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, patted dry
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 fennel bulb, chopped
1 leek, white and pale green parts only
8 ounces orzo
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

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Thanksgiving Recipe Round Up

I thought it might be helpful to make a Thanksgiving Recipe Round Up by adding all of my favorite Thanksgiving-friendly recipes to one post, so they are easier to find. This time of year is busy enough, you shouldn’t have to search for all of these yummy options! Just click on a photo to go to the full post and recipe.

Main protein:

I have yet to roast an entire turkey myself, so these options are more for a smaller family Thanksgiving, or even in addition to the full turkey if you’re having a huge crowd!

Sides:

Let’s be honest. Thanksgiving is ALL about the sides! Here are some of my favorites. Some traditional, some not so much.

Couscous with Dried Cranberries and Pine Nuts

Green Bean Casserole with Mushrooms and Fried Onions

Pomegranate Mustard Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Browned Butter and Lemon Brussels Sprouts

Winter Risotto with Farro and Arborio Rice

Moroccan Black Lentils with Kale and Onions

Desserts:

I hope you saved room!

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache

What are some of your favorite Thanksgiving recipes?

Apricot and Raisin Rugelach

Note: I was sent a copy of AMERICAN COOKIE: The Snaps, Drops, Jumbles, Tea Cakes, Bars & Brownies That We Have Loved for Generations for review. Opinions are mine alone.

Every cookie recipe has a back story, from the chocolate chip cookie to thumbprint cookies. What’s truly interesting about these back stories is how they align with the shaping of American baking through the generations. I love cookbooks that provide a back story to the recipes, like AMERICAN COOKIE: The Snaps, Drops, Jumbles, Tea Cakes, Bars & Brownies That We Have Loved for Generations by Anne Bryn. Did you know that the first snickerdoodle cookie recipes were actually bars? Or that the first Girl Scout Cookies were baked at home to help raise money to send girls to camp?

I assume I’m not alone in associating different recipes with different parts of my own life. I can’t look at a Peanut Butter Cookie without thinking of my family’s recipe, passed down from my great grandmother, or snack on a Neiman Marcus “$250” cookies without recalling many December weekends spent making them with my mom as a child.

I was first introduced to rugelach cookies — a cookie made by rolling a triangle of dough around a sweet filling — by my mother-in-law. She makes them every Christmas and has since my husband was little. So when I saw a recipe for Apricot and Raisin Rugelach in AMERICAN COOKIE, I knew I had to try them as a nod to my mother-in-law’s fantastic baking every December. This recipe differs from my mother-in-law’s version but the general idea is still there.

Rugelach cookies were first brought to America from Austrian-Hungarian immigrants, and has over time been adapted and modernized by Jewish-American bakers. Apparently, the original dough was quite time consuming to make. Somewhere along the line, cream cheese was added to rugelach dough, resulting in an easy to work with and flaky dough. Rugelach cookies have become a staple in many American households, and typically include raisins, nuts, spices and jam or preserves as a filling.

Ingredients:

Dough:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for rolling the dough

Filling:

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1 cup apricot preserves

Egg Wash:

1 large egg white
1 teaspoon water

Continue reading Apricot and Raisin Rugelach

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

As someone who does her best to cook a bunch of meals over the weekends to eat during the week, my slow cooker is one of my most used appliances. I recently tried to move it into a closet to declutter my kitchen, but I keep asking my husband to help me retrieve it so often that he’s questioning its removal from our counter top.

One of my favorite takeout meals is Butter Chicken, so I wanted to learn how to make a version at home.

I based this recipe off a recipe from NY Times food, but adjusted it for the slow cooker, because we all know how much I love a slow cooker recipe. My version makes about 8 servings.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups Greek yogurt
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 ½ tablespoons ground turmeric
2 tablespoons garam masala
2 tablespoons ground cumin
3 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
2 onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 cinnamon stick
4 whole tomatoes from a 14oz can of whole tomatoes (~1/2 of the can), chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup chicken stock
1 ½ cups cream (or coconut milk, if desired)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup ground almonds (or almond flour)
Cilantro, for garnish
3 cups cooked rice, for serving

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Lamb and Roasted Cauliflower Stew with Harissa

It really takes me a while to adjust to colder weather. I feel like I’m always freezing! So a warm and hearty meal is a must this time of year, especially a soup or stew.

This recipe for Lamb and Roasted Cauliflower Stew with Harissa from Saveur ups the warmth with some spiciness from harissa, a hot chili pepper paste used in Middle-Eastern cooking.

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and divided (omit for dairy free)
2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed and cut into 2″ pieces
salt and black pepper, to taste
5 cloves garlic, minced
4 whole tomatoes from a 14oz can of whole tomatoes (~1/2 of the can), chopped
2 red onions, minced
¹⁄₂ head cauliflower (cut into large florets)
¹⁄₃ cup dry white wine
¹⁄₄ cup tomato paste
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 cups beef stock
2 tablespoons cornstarch, mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water
¹⁄₃ cup jarred harissa
8 pitted dates, roughly chopped
¹⁄₂ teaspoon smoked paprika
¹⁄₄ cup sliced almonds, toasted

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Pressure Cooker Chicken Broth

I don’t know if it’s just me, but I go through a ton of chicken broth and stock — I never seem to be able to keep enough on hand!

So when I was making my Pressure Cooker Whole Chicken, I knew homemade Pressure Cooker Chicken Broth would be the natural next step.

Making your own broth or stock is a super easy (and affordable) way to get the most out of your whole chicken!

Just a quick summary on the difference between stock and broth: both simmer bones and/or meat in water with onions, carrots, celery, and aromatics but stock is left unseasoned (no salt) while broth is seasoned.

Ingredients:

1 medium sized onion, quartered
2 carrots, cut into large chunks
2 stalks celery
6 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh thyme
10 whole peppercorns, omit for stock
1/2 teaspoon salt, omit for stock
the bones of 1 chicken carcass
8 cups water, or as needed

Note: If you’re making this immediately following making a chicken in your Pressure Cooker, you won’t need as much water.

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Pressure Cooker Whole Chicken

My husband has been on a pretty solid streak of making himself salads for weekday lunches. Nothing terribly fancy: lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, a protein, and some olives or cheese with homemade dressing. For the protein, he tends to use canned tuna, beans, or rotisserie chicken. So when I heard that you can make your own “rotisserie” chicken in a pressure cooker, I knew I had to try it! May I introduce you to: Pressure Cooker Whole Chicken!

The recipe is quite straightforward… season your chicken, brown on all sides, and then pressure cook. Pressure cooking doesn’t result in crispy skin, but boy does the meat stay juicy!

Ingredients:

1 (3 to 4 pound) whole chicken
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup water
the juice of 1 lemon

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Cacio e Pepe (Cheese and Pepper Pasta)

Note: This is a sponsored post, powered by BrandBacker. I was sent samples of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese to make this post. Opinions are mine alone.

Some ingredients are so wonderful, that you don’t need much else to make a beautiful dish. Parmigiano Reggiano is most certainly one of those ingredients.

Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is made in the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna, and Mantua, Italy. Made by a collective of farmers and producers, Parmigiano Reggiano has just three ingredients: milk, salt, and rennet. with over eight centuries of cheese making experience, every wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is carefully tended to by workers who wipe, brush, and turn them every ten days. The outsides of the wheels dry over time to form a natural and edible rind. The wheels are typically aged for 18 to 36 months, with 24 months being the most common. So how do you know you have real Parmigiano Reggiano cheese? Look for the pin-dots on the rind, which are imprinted on every wheel.

This process results in a hard, dry cheese with a pale gold rind and a straw colored interior with a wonderful rich and sharp flavor. Pre-grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese doesn’t do the freshly grated stuff justice. And the best way to highlight the flavor of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano is in this super simple recipe for Cacio e Pepe, or translated to Cheese and Pepper.

Traditional Cacio e Pepe is made with just 4 ingredients, but my Cacio e Pepe (Cheese and Pepper Pasta) has 7 ingredients – pasta, freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, pepper, salt, garlic, butter, and olive oil. The result is a simple but decadent pasta dish with the most luxurious, silky cheese sauce.

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz) box linguine
salt, for the pasta water
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving
1 large garlic clove, very thinly sliced
2 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus more for serving

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Skillet Sausage White Bean and Kale Stew

As the weather gets a little cooler, I begin to gravitate toward more comfort food recipes. Not necessarily bad-for-you recipes, recipes that are simple but flavorful and filling.

To me, there are very few things as comforting as this stew with ground sausage, cannellini beans, and kale. (I’m referring to this as a stew, but there is very little broth. It’s meant to be that way.) Something magical when these ingredients are cooked with onions and garlic!

This recipe is adapted from Simply Recipes, where it was originally intended to be a side. My version is pretty similar, but I make enough for it to be a nice dinner on its own; just serve with a side of crusty bread to sop up that wonderful sauce!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large white onion, thinly sliced
4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed (for gluten-free, make sure to use gluten-free sausage)
2 (5 oz) containers baby kale, divided
1 1/4 cups beef stock, divided
2 (15 oz) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (or any white beans you prefer)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Continue reading Skillet Sausage White Bean and Kale Stew

Red Lentil and Butternut Squash Soup

It’s most certainly soup season!

My husband says he doesn’t like soup, but he honestly just doesn’t like thin broth soups, like traditional chicken noodle soup. So I’m always in search of soup recipes that are thicker based — not necessarily from cream. Pureed vegetable soups have become a favorite in my house!

This recipe from Saveur for Red Lentil and Butternut Squash Soup mentions that it originates from Palestine, but I haven’t been able to find a similar butternut squash and red lentil soup to confirm that. No matter where this recipe originally comes from, the result is a perfect colder weather soup- creamy, filling, with a little bit of heat!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 medium carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium white onion, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon crushed red chile flakes
1 pound peeled, seeded, and chopped butternut squash
salt and pepper, to taste
6 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock to make vegetarian/vegan)
1 cup red lentils
Paprika, for garnish
Lemon wedges, for serving

Continue reading Red Lentil and Butternut Squash Soup