I almost always have pistachios in my house, they are a favorite of my husband and me. We both love them on their own, as a garnish, or incorporated into different recipes.
The flavor of pistachios is buttery and sweet, so they work really well in a number of different recipes. They are great in savory recipes sprinkled on top of a meal, or added to baked goods.
October is National Cookie Month, so what better time to try out a new cookie recipe?
This Pistachio Sugar Cookies recipe incorporates one of my favorite nuts into a chewy sugar cookie.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup shelled pistachios, divided
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Note: I was sent a box of various Bob’s Red Mill products to make the below recipe. Opinions are mine alone.
I love pistachios. So when my friend and I were determining what freezer-friendly recipes to make for a cooking marathon last weekend, I immediately suggested we make pistachio muffins.
Luckily, my friend was willing to make a batch with me!
Note: This post is sponsored by Moyer Beef. All opinions are mine alone.
Last weekend, I stumbled upon a farmer’s market while walking around my neighborhood and picked up a bunch of veggies: peppers, tomatoes, onions, and potatoes. I didn’t really have plans for the vegetables, but then I realized these ingredients would make a really tasty hash!
I had been planning on making a steak and eggs recipe using Moyer Beef’s Angus Top Sirloin, so after my bounty at the farmer’s market, that morphed into a steak and eggs hash!
This recipe is a great sharing recipe with friends and family. You can serve the meal right out of the skillet (just add a towel to the handle so you don’t burn yourself)!
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 Moyer Beef Angus Top Sirloin Steaks
1 pound yellow potatoes, diced into small bite sized pieces (can substitute sweet potatoes to make paleo)
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
4 large eggs
1 cup small heirloom tomatoes, halved or quartered (if larger)
Spaghetti Alla Carbonara is the definition of simple, elegant decadence.
Carbonara is typically made with pork fried in olive oil, grated hard cheese, raw eggs, and pasta. Versions use pancetta or bacon for the pork, pecorino romano or parmigiana reggiano for the cheese, and spaghetti, linguine or fettuccine for the pasta.
With just a few (ok, 6) ingredients, you can make this oh so delicious recipe.
I made a more traditional version of this, using a Mario Batali recipe as my inspiration.
Note: I was sent a Non-Stick Pro 12 Cup Muffin Pan, Silicone Baking Cups, and a Baker’s Decorating Tool from OXO. All opinions are my own.
September is Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month, so I’m sharing this recipe a bit ahead of time. 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.
To help reach their goal, OXO donates $100 to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer for each blogger who posts a recipe to bring awareness, up to their $100,000 commitment. 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.
This year, OXO sent me Silicone Baking Cups, a Non-Stick Pro 12 Cup Muffin Pan, and a Baker’s Decorating Tool to make this post.
Here’s a little about each product:
The Non-Stick Pro Muffin Pan (paid link) features a unique micro-textured pattern that ensures even baking and adds structural rigidity. It’s made with a ceramic-reinforced, two-layer, commercial-grade coating that provides ultimate non-stick release and is scratch-, stain-, corrosion- and abrasion-resistant.
The BPA-free Baking Cups have handy tabs to help remove them from muffin tins without making a thumbprint, and the inside of each Cup is smooth and non-stick to release your treat easily. With a fill line, your cupcakes will be consistent every time.
Our easy-to-use, easy-to-fill Baker’s Decorating Tool is designed to give you complete control while decorating. The unique trigger provides a smooth stream of icing for clean lines, and the comfortable handles ensure a steady grip and protect icing from warm hands.
I wanted to make a new, fun, and different cupcake to try out all of these cool tools. My husband and I are huge fans of Old Fashioned Cocktails, so I decided to turn those flavors into Old Fashioned Cupcakes! Note: the frosting contains alcohol so this is not a kid-friendly recipe.
To bring in the flavors of an Old Fashioned, I made a Vanilla-Orange Cupcake and topped it with Bourbon-Orange Cream Cheese Frosting. To finish it off, I added a maraschino cherry and some orange peel.
Note: This post for Meatballs in Tomato Sauce is sponsored by Moyer Beef. All opinions are mine alone.
Sunday night in my house is pasta night, which almost always means pasta with a meaty tomato sauce. I tend to make Meatballs in Tomato Sauce in batches about once a month and freeze it for future Sundays.
It’s funny, I make this Meatballs in Tomato Sauce recipe all the time and yet
I had no clue what measurements I was putting into my sauce, and
never posted the recipe to my blog!
Continuing my partnership with Moyer Beef, I decided it was about darn time I actually figured out what exactly I make every month and to share it on here.
These meatballs are half ground beef and half hot Italian sausage. It adds a touch of heat to the overall sauce without being actually spicy.
Ingredients:
Meatballs:
1 lb 80% lean ground beef (I used Moyer Beef’s 81% lean ground beef chuck)
There is a little cafe in Old City Philadelphia that I absolutely love called Wedge and Fig. It’s essentially a cheese shop converted into a bistro, so they really know how to choose the best cheese for a particular dish. One of my absolute favorite dishes they serve on their brunch menu is a spinach and cheese strata “savory layers of egg, Cantal cheese, spinach, shallots and bread.” It’s absolutely fantastic.
This weekend, I kind of had an epiphany: strata is a great make ahead option! I decided to make a batch of my own ahead of a busy week, and then portioned it out into containers to bring into work.
Like Wedge and Fig’s version, I used Cantal cheese, spinach and shallots. Cantal is a farmhouse cheese from France that has a flavor somewhat similar to Cheddar — buttery and tangy. I added in some Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese as well as some sourdough bread to bring a bit more tanginess to the dish.
Today is Good Friday, which means it’s about time I shared a recipe for Hot Cross Buns!
Hot Cross Buns are a sweet slightly spiced bun with dried fruit. A cross made of icing is piped on top. They are traditionally made and served on Good Friday as a way to break the fasting associated with Lent. There are a bunch of superstitions surrounding hot cross buns. My favorite is that gifting a hot cross bun on Good Friday guarantees friendship between the recipient and gift giver for the year.
Hot Cross Buns aren’t exactly the easiest recipe; it took me most of the day to make them because you need time to let the dough rise. But these tasty little guys are worth it.
We’ve been pretty lucky weather-wise in Philadelphia recently, but are back to it feeling like actual winter. Blah.
I’ve been dreaming of warmer weather (and warmer weather recipes)! I must not be the only one, because the Florida Keys & Key West are hosting an awesome event tomorrow night to help the Philadelphia area dream of the sun and sand.
Tomorrow, 24 of Philadelphia’s top food writers and influencers are getting behind the stove to face off “Iron Chef style” at Walnut Hill College. The influencer who creates the best Keys-inspired dishes within the time limit will win a trip to the Florida Keys and be named an honorary Keys Chef. Guest judges from the Keys will include Chef Bobby Stoky and Philadelphia’s favorite son Pat Croce. The sold out event includes an evening of food, cocktails, fun and friendly competition.
How awesome would it be to win a trip to the Keys? The Florida Keys are a string of tropical islands off the southern tip of Florida and are known for their awesome fishing, snorkeling and scuba diving. In fact, the Keys have the only living coral barrier reef in the U.S., not to mention awesome food and drink. The most well known dish from the Florida Keys is Key Lime Pie.
I was bummed that I wouldn’t be able to attend, but still wanted to get in on the fun, so I decided to make a spin on Key Lime Pie — Key Lime Pie Cupcakes!
Key Limes are smaller than “normal” limes and are a bit more tart. These little guys don’t give off a lot of juice though, so it takes quite a bit to make this recipe. Key Lime Pie is made with key lime juice, egg yolks, and sweetened condensed milk to make a smooth, tangy pie filling with a graham cracker crust.
Ingredients:
Crust:
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
NOTE: I was sent some products from Bob’s Red Mill to make this post. All opinions are my own.
I have a busy week ahead of me, so I wanted to do some food prep this weekend.
Weekday breakfasts for me are typically on-the-go, if I have breakfast at all.
So when I have the chance to make breakfast ahead for the week, I try to make it a healthier option.
Bob’s Red Mill sent me a few of their products recently, including Almond Flour. I love the subtle flavor almond flour adds to baked goods.
Blueberries are a tasty complement to almonds so I decided to make Gluten-Free Blueberry Almond Flour Muffins for the week. They are topped with Bob’s Red Mill’s Gluten-Free Rolled Oats to add some texture.
Note: I was sent a holiday cookie decorating gift basket from De’Longhi, and one to give away. All opinions are mine alone.
With the holidays upon us, it’s always nice to find extra ways to give back. This season, De’Longhi, an international leader in household appliances, is helping to give back by donating 10% of its delonghi.us sales site-wide until December 20th to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. Cookies for Kids’ Cancer is a national non-profit organization dedicated to funding research for safer, more effective treatments for pediatric cancer, the #1 disease killer of children in the U.S. For the first time, CookiesforKids’ Cancer has launched a Challenge Gift Campaign where all of the money raised from now to December 31st will be matched, dollar for dollar, up to $250K. Visit Delonghi.us to purchase products and see all of the great holiday gift ideas De’Longhi has to offer. Visit Cookiesforkidscancer.org for more information on ways to donate!
To help spread the word, De’Longhi sent me a holiday cookie decorated gift basket to help make some yummy cookies which included The Cookies for Kids’ Cancer Cookbook.
The gift box includes:
set of holiday cookie cutters
3-pack of holiday colored icing
pair of cappuccino glasses
coffee
Cookies for Kids’ Cancer: Best Bake Sale Cookbook
I decided to make the cookie that started it all, a recipe for Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies that was developed for Cookies for Kids’ Cancer’s first bake sale.
This recipe is legit. They are the perfect balance of chewy, buttery, and chocolately. It’s no wonder the recipe is so popular!
De’Longhi was generous enough to also make a holiday cookie decorating gift basket for an I Can Cook That reader! More details on the giveaway after the recipe.
Ingredients:
1/2 lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
With Thanksgiving behind us, I was ready to get in the holiday spirit and wanted to incorporate eggnog into a baked treat; the flavor of eggnog translates so well into dessert!
These Eggnog Cupcakes are vanilla cupcakes with eggnog substituted for milk. They are topped off with a dollop of whipped topping and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
I love love love pomegranates. The burst of tanginess is awesome in both sweet and savory dishes.
It is once again pomegranate season (the season runs from ~October through ~January), so I am thrilled to be cooking again with one of my favorite ingredients.
POM Wonderful must have heard about my love of their products, because I was contacted to try out their POM POMS Fresh Arils and pomegranates. I will have a few recipes over the coming weeks, but lets start with something a little sweet.
This recipe for Pomegranate Olive Oil Cake is from the POM Wonderful website. It is topped with a Vanilla Crème Anglaise, a drizzle of olive oil, and some fresh pomegranate arils.
My mom recently put in a request for braciole. And by put in a request, I mean she went to Esposito’s in the Italian Market, purchased braciole, and told me I was going to make it. So. Slow Cooker Braciole it is!
I was excited to try; I’ve never made braciole before. Braciole is a thinly pounded meat that is topped with a filling and then rolled up and secured either with string or toothpicks. The rolled meat is browned and then added to a tomato sauce to cook.
I have to let you know. Braciole is a labor of love. There is so much prep work! The version I am sharing below is a recipe from a family friend that my parents have been using for years. I decided to make it in my slow cooker so that I could leave and run some errands while it cooked. Because of the prep work involved though, this is definitely a weekend meal.
Ingredients:
For Braciole:
3 eggs, hardboiled, diced
2 russet potatoes, boiled and diced
1 green bell pepper, finely diced
1 onion, finely diced
1 lb mushrooms, finely chopped
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
8 pieces of braiole, or 2 lbs top round, cut into half inch thick slices
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!
