Today (February 19) is National Chocolate Mint Day! With the cold temperatures across most of the U.S., I think we can all use a nice warm beverage to keep us toasty, and this is the perfect food holiday for such a beverage! So, I present: Spiked Mint Coconut Milk Hot Chocolate!
Blue Chair Bay must feel the same way, so I developed this non-dairy hot chocolate beverage to pair with their Coconut Spiced Rum. The coconut rum, spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove is the perfect accompaniment to hot chocolate, don’t you think? To enhance the coconut flavor in the rum, I decided to use coconut milk which makes a rich and creamy hot chocolate base.
Rum always reminds me of warmer weather, and the Coconut Spiced Rum is no exception. Blue Chair Bay offers a collection of premium-blended rums inspired by multi-platinum singer-songwriter Kenny Chesney’s love of the island lifestyle. So even though most of us probably are not soaking up the sun at the moment, we can have our own little escape with this winter-weather treat!
For readers over 21 years of age, I also have an exciting giveaway! Blue Chair Bay has offered to give one bottle of Blue Chair Bay Rum to a lucky winner! Details after the recipe.
Happy Carnevale! Carnevale is celebrated in Italy 40 days before Easter. It is the last hurrah before Lent begins. (It’s similar to Mardi Gras). The word “carnevale” actually means “no meat” in Latin, so the best way to celebrate this holiday is with some protein before fasting begins for Lent.
Redpack Tomatoes sent me a package of assorted canned tomatoes to get me in the spirit of Carnevale, and included some tasty recipes to go along with it. I decided to make Chicken Parmesan, one of my favorite comfort foods. I adapted the recipe from Redpack, but decided to bake the chicken rather than pan fry it, so here is my recipe for Baked Chicken Parmesan.
Redpack is also offering one reader the chance to win the same kit I was sent! It includes:
1 20-oz can of Redpack crushed tomatoes
1 28-oz can of Redpack whole peeled tomatoes
1 28-oz can of Redpack diced tomatoes
1 6-oz can of Redpack tomato paste
Details on how to enter after the recipe below.
Redpack is also hosting a Facebook promotion running until March 4 where 1,000 Redpack followers will win a Redpack branded apron each week. One grand prize winner will receive a pasta stock pot, pasta-related serveware, and a selection of Redpack products.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
cooking spray
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 shallots, peeled and chopped
1 (28 oz) can Redpack Crushed Tomatoes in Thick Puree
I wanted to have this post for Tiramisu Jars up for National Coffee Day (September 29th) but. Well. I didn’t. So instead, we will finish off the week with this yummy recipe! Also, honestly, isn’t every day National Coffee Day?
For the past three years, I have had the opportunity to help spread the word about World Vision, and each year they are kind enough to offer a giveaway to go along with the post! Last year, I made Star Anise Snickerdoodles to highlight the Prosperity Cinnamon and the year before I made Couscous with Dried Cranberries and Pine Nuts featuring beautiful Hand-Carved Serving Spoons. This year, I’m using Fair Trade Coffee to make a fun spin on Tiramisu.
World Vision is an organization that helps sponsor children in need and helps fight world hunger through your donations. One of the ways you can help the organization is by purchasing products within their Gift Catalog, which allows you to give a truly meaningful gift this holiday season. The 2014 Christmas season marks the 19th annual edition of the World Vision Gift Catalog. In the 2013 fiscal year, more than 186,000 donors purchased more than 475,000 items that raised over $33.7 million. These items help more than 844,000 people around the world!
The catalog is filled with items for every budget ($16 to $39,000) that help children and families in need worldwide. The World Vision Gift Catalog offers an alternative (or addition to) traditional holiday gift giving. You can choose a gift for these families that fits your financial abilities and personal tastes. For example, a gardener may enjoy donating $17 towards hybrid or drought-resistant seeds, which is enough to feed one family. With a financial contribution, the gift giver can select from more than 250 items at www.worldvisiongifts.org, as well as Handcrafted Gifts for those who want to give a tangible gift to a loved one.
The Fair Trade Coffee I used within this recipe is available with a donation of $65. The 12 oz. coffee set is blended by OneCup.org, using delicious flavors from Ethiopia, Sumatra, and Costa Rica, and is delivered in a gift bag of African fabric hand-sewn by local women. World Vision Gift Catalog has offered to give a Fair Trade Coffee Set away to one lucky reader! Details after the recipe.
I used the coffee to make a strong overnight cold-brewed coffee to use in place of espresso in Tiramisu. Because I am visiting friends this weekend and always try to bring them a treat, I decided to make individual mason jar Tiramisu Trifles because they travel better than a large baking dish. I adapted a recipe from Food Network to make these Tiramisu jars.
Ingredients:
6 egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
1 pound mascarpone cheese
1 1/2 cups cold-brewed coffee (recipe below)
1 tablespoon coffee liqueur
24 packaged ladyfingers, cut into small pieces (I cut mine into 1/6ths)
cocoa powder, for dusting
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate shavings, for garnish
I have been in full on grilling mode recently. I can’t seem to get enough of recipes made on the grill! So as the end of summer continues to creep closer, I am trying to get in all of the grilling I can. As much as I would love to grill in the colder months, I’m a wimp and know I just won’t stand out in the cold.
I’ve used indoor counter top grills in the past and really wasn’t thrilled with the cooking results — it didn’t seem to heat up enough to get proper grill marks, all of the juices would flow out of the grill making for a very dry protein, and I’d always under or overcook the meat.
Source: https://optigrill.t-falusa.com/
So when I was contacted to test out the T-fal OptiGrill as part of T-fal’s OptiGrill Blogger Bash, I had some reservations about if this grill would really live up to expectations. Well, I was really pleasantly surprised! What sets the OptiGrill apart is its Precision Grilling Technology that adjusts the cooking time and temperature depending on the type of protein and the thickness of whatever you’re cooking.
Source: https://optigrill.t-falusa.com/
The T-fal OptiGrill has a cooking level indicator with a color changing display that notifies you when your protein has reached rare, medium, or well-done. It also beeps when your food reaches each of the cooking stages. (Keep in mind that if you want your meat to rest before slicing, it continues to cook. So if you wanted a steak at medium rare and planned to let it rest for 5 minutes, you should probably take it out when the OptiGrill hits the “rare” notification.)
Source: https://optigrill.t-falusa.com/
The grill comes pre-programmed with 6 settings that adapt cooking temperature and times for different types of food: burger, poultry, sandwich, pork/sausage, red meat, and fish/seafood. There is also a frozen food function button so that you can cook your protein even when frozen; just push the snowflake button and then one of the 6 pre-programmed buttons. The grill will defrost and cook the protein in one easy step! When cooking fruits and veggies, just use the manual mode, which allows you to determine when the food is done cooking. The OptiGrill also takes into account the thickness of your food using an integrated thickness sensor so that the protein is fully cooked correctly.
The grill is made of brushed stainless steel with die-cast aluminum plates with a non-stick coating. The plates are removable for easy cleaning and are even dishwasher safe. The plates are angled so that drippings can flow into the removable drip tray, which surprisingly doesn’t leave the meat tough, dry, or chewy.
Want to see the grill in action? I decided to test it out with a yummy recipe from Cooking Light that uses both chicken thighs and chicken breasts. Chicken is so easy to overcook leaving a dry meal so I thought it would be a perfect way to test what this grill can really handle. This recipe also includes grilled pineapple so I was able to test out the manual setting as well. I made the marinade from this recipe for Jerk-style Chicken and the salsa from this recipe for Jerk Chicken with Grilled Pineapple Salsa.
I also am giving away one T-fal OptiGrill to one lucky reader, courtesy of T-fal OptiGrill! Details below the recipe.
Note: I was sent a T-fal OptiGrill to test for this review. T-fal is also offering one I Can Cook That reader the chance to win their own T-Fal OptiGrill. All opinions are my own.
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
1/4 cup fresh lime juice plus 1 tablespoon, divided (about 3 limes)
1 tablespoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon brown sugar (substitute 1 tablespoon molasses to make paleo)
This is probably apparent with the different types of recipes I post but I really like some variety in what I eat. As a kid, I ate the exact same meals every day because I was so picky, so now that I’ve (luckily) grown out of that, I want something new and different each time I cook.
I was just send Cooking Light’s latest cookbook: Global Kitchen: The World’s Most Delicious Food Made Easy that is filled with recipes from around the world. The recipes can be made with ingredients you can find in your supermarket, making it a great way to experiment with new flavors. There are so many recipes I plan to try in this book, and you can expect to see quite a few showing up on my blog! Cooking Light also sent me an extra copy of Global Kitchen so I am giving one away at the end of this post!
This recipe for Fish in Coconut Curry (Mtuzi wa Samaki) takes a bit longer than most I post on here (~45 minutes) but is well worth the time. Because the recipe makes a really delicious sauce, I served it over rice. I also adapted it slightly to fit with what was available at my supermarket.
According to Global Kitchen, the recipe is based on a Tanzanian dish although fish curry originated in Zanzibar: Tanzania sits at a crossroads in the spice trade routes from India. That’s why Indian spices ended up in so many Tanzanian dishes like this fish curry. The dish originated in Zanzibar but is now enjoyed all over the eastern coast of Africa. Coconut milk enriches the curry and gives it a tropical flavor.Ingredients:
CITY OF HOPE CELEBRATES 10 YEARS OF FONDANT FUN WITH LET THEM EAT CAKE: FANTASY WEDDINGS 40+ bakers, pastry chefs and students compete in the Northeast’s largest wedding cake competition
City of Hope Philadelphia celebrates ten years of fondant fun with Let Them Eat Cake: Fantasy Weddings on Monday, April 7, 2014 at 6:00pm at the DoubleTree Hilton (237 Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA). Brides-to-be, dessert fanatics and fondant foodies will sample creations from 40 professional pastry chefs and student bakers from around the tri-state region. Guests will enjoy a new Sweetheart Tablescape competition, Korbel champagne, live music from BVT Live, and the opportunity to meet celebrity chefs Marc and Benny (City Cakes NY) and John Moeller (former White House chef). Tickets are $40 in advance and $50 at the door. Tickets can be purchased at bit.ly/cohcake14 or by calling 215-985-0869. All proceeds benefit City of Hope to help cut out cancer, HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses.
Boy did I start my cookie baking late this year! I can’t believe Christmas is just days away. I was recently sent a beautiful carved cinnamon bark box with 3 oz of Vietnam cinnamon by World Vision so I wanted to make a cookie recipe that would feature cinnamon, so I had to make snickerdoodles! This recipe for Star Anise Snickerdoodles from Cooking Light adds ground star anise to traditional sugar cookies for a subtle different take on the classic.
World Vision is a Gift Catalog that allows you to give a truly meaningful gift this holiday season. The catalog is filled with items for every budget ($16 to $39,000) that help children and families in need worldwide. The World Vision Gift Catalog offers an alternative (or addition to) traditional holiday gift giving. You can choose a gift for these families that fits your financial abilities and personal tastes. For example, a gardener may enjoy giving hybrid or drought-resistant seeds to a farmer with a donation of just $17 to help one family.
With a financial contribution, the gift giver can select one of 36 items that you will get while helping a person in need. The cinnamon used in this recipe comes with a donation of $85. The wonderful people at World Vision Gift Catalog have offered to give another Prosperity Cinnamon Box away to a lucky reader!
More after the recipe …
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground star anise (about 2 pods)
It is fitting that I am able to host this giveaway so close to my blog anniversary! One of my biggest inspirations for learning how to cook and starting a blog to document it was Cooking Light Magazine. My mom on a whim picked up a copy of the magazine while at the supermarket. As I paged through, I was surprised with how simple the recipes seemed to be and how absolutely delicious they all sounded. After cooking a couple of the recipes, I was hooked. Three years later, Cooking Light remains a huge inspiration as I continue to learn how to cook.
One of the best parts of learning to cook is being able to experience different cultures in your very own kitchen. America alone has a ton of different cooking styles with different areas and cities having signature dishes. Allison Fishman Task, a contributing editor of Cooking Light, traveled across America to discover native dishes across the nation. The lightened up versions can be found in Lighten Up. America! Favorite American Foods Made Guilt-Free. The cookbook tackles everything from fried green tomatoes to Philly cheesesteaks.
You can win a copy of this cookbook for your very own! Details after the recipe…
I am always in search of new seafood recipes so I gravitated towards the recipe for Beer Steamed Clams and Mussels. To Philadelphia-ize it, I used a local beer from Philly Brewing Company called Walt Wit.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 shallots, chopped
5 sprigs marjoram
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bottle Walt Wit (or another Belgian White)
the juice and zest of one orange, divided
10 clams (I used larger clams but I’d suggest using Littlenek)
On November 16, 2010, I wrote my first blog post. I knew very little about cooking and even less about photography and having a blog (which is very apparent when scanning my first posts). Three years and 470 posts (!) later, I still have quite a bit to learn about cooking, photography, and blogging, but can see my progress through my posts. Although I never really thought anyone would read my posts, I sure am happy you guys do 🙂 So to celebrate, I made a little coffee-themed giveaway! Continue reading 3rd Blogiversary and Giveaway!
I have a very exciting giveaway to announce! This one is for my fellow Philly (or Philly suburbs) residents: an opportunity to win a seat at a small Farm-to-Table dinner at the Coach House at Bartram’s Garden hosted by Chevrolet!
Bartram’s Garden, America’s oldest botanic garden, is located in Southwest Philadelphia, near the intersection of 54th Street and Lindbergh Boulevard. The dinner will be held on Thursday, November 14 at 6:00 pm. The Bartram Garden’s curator is also offering attendees a tour of the gardens right at 6:00 as well, so try to take advantage of that opportunity as well! After the tour, the curator will give a short interactive presentation on Bartram’s, and then we get to eating!
I am so excited for this event, which will be catered by Diverse Catering. Because the meal will consist of local and in season products, the menu will not be finalized until a few days prior.
To enter, just use the Rafflecopter widget below. Please make sure that you are able to actually attend this event. The winner will be announced Friday, November 8. Good luck!!
As the weather cools down, I want more and more comfort food. I gravitate towards pastas, all forms of a warm meal, and food with a little spice to it to keep me feeling toasty, like this Cedar Plant Fired Salmon.
Carrabba’s must know I’m not alone. They have recently launched a new Fire Finished menu and I was lucky enough to do a tasting of it! Last week, I headed over to a local Carrabba’s and tried the following:
Fire Roasted Mushrooms stuffed with sausage, red bell peppers, fennel, sauteed onions, brioche breadcrumbs, artichoke hearts, and romano cheese.
Photo courtesy of Carrabba’s Italian Grill
Cedar Plank Fired Salmon first pan-seared then topped with a crab cake and fire-roasted on a cedar plank then finished off with a lemon butter sauce. Served with roasted asparagus mushrooms and red bell peppers.
Photo courtesy of Carrabba’s Italian Grill
Bistecca Ardente: Center-cut sirloin wood-grilled then topped with blue cheese, roasted tomatoes, and basil.
Photo courtesy of Carrabba’s Italian Grill
Rigatoni al Forno: Rigatoni tossed in housemade marinara sauce, romano and mozzarella cheese and topped with Italian fennel sausage, mozzarella and fresh ricotta cheese finished off in a wood-burning oven.
Photo courtesy of Carrabba’s Italian Grill
Nonna Testa: Penne pasta with wood-grilled chicken in a housemade pesto cream (basil, pine nuts, walnuts) with spinach and zucchini, topped with mozzarella and baked in a wood-burning oven.
Creme Brulee prepared with Madagascar vanilla bean topped with torched turbinado sugar, whipped cream, and strawberries.
Photo courtesy of Carrabba’s Italian Grill
The fire-roasted mushrooms were a great start to the meal. I love fennel so I was happy this flavor came through. The mixture is lightly stuffed in the mushrooms so they remain nice and light. Really tasty!
The cedar plank-fired salmon was one of my favorite dishes. I loved it so much, I tried to recreate it! The salmon was perfectly cooked and the crab cake was a great addition. The cedar flavor shown through without being overpowering. Check out my recipe below to make at home.
The Bistecco Ardente was so juicy, especially for being cooked to medium-well. The blue cheese can be a tad overpowering though so I scooped a bit off so that I could get the taste of the steak, tomatoes, and basil as well.
The Rigatoni al Forno gave me more of my beloved fennel flavor. I liked that the pasta on top got crispy from the wood-burning oven, but would’ve liked more sauce to complement the pasta.
Nonna Testa was another of my favorites. Man this was good. The wood-grilled chicken was really juicy and flavorful and there was the perfect amount of pesto cream on the pasta (lightly dressed so it’s not overly heavy). I love spinach and zucchini so I couldn’t have been happier with this dish!
Now I’m pretty sure I’ve never met a creme brulee I didn’t like but this version was really really tasty. The vanilla flavored custard was so creamy and I loved the light touch of torched sugar to give a very thin crust to the dish without overpowering the custard with too much sugar.
Needless to say, I left super full and really happy with the tasting. The staff at the Springfield Carrabba’s were so attentive and helpful too! Thanks for a great meal!
The managing partner, Ernie, even took the time to explain all of the dishes and answer any questions we had. When I told him I was planning on doing a giveaway so that my readers could try this tasty menu, he gave me a copy of the Carrabba’s Italian Grill Cookbook (paid link) for myself and one to give away! The cookbook does not include recipes for the fire finished menu (because it’s so new) but many of Carrabba’s signature dishes, including Chicken Bryan, Mama Mandola’s Sicilian Chicken Soup, and Margherita Pizza are included within its pages. So special thanks to Ernie for the cookbooks!
In addition to the cookbook, I am also giving away a $25 gift certificate to Carrabba’s so that one reader can try out some of the menu for themselves. Details after the recipe!
Note: It is very difficult to make smaller portions of crab cakes because crab meat is usually sold in 1 pound containers. I made about 9 crab cakes and saved the leftovers for dinner the next night. If you are unable to do that, you can purchase pre-made crab cakes from your local supermarket.
Ingredients (serves 2):
CRABCAKES (makes 9, only use 2 and save the rest for up to one day):
1 tablespoon butter
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 small onion, diced
1 lb jumbo lumb crab meat
1/3 cup panko
1/2 cup mayo
1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
the zest of one lemon
CEDAR PLAN FIRED SALMON
1 tablespoon butter
2 8-oz salmon fillets
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cedar plank board
LEMON BUTTER SAUCE
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, divided (I used ghee, a clarified butter)
It’s no secret that I love pumpkin everything. Sweet or savory, it’s a safe assumption that I will enjoy whatever pumpkin treat comes my way. So when I was contacted about restaurants under the Darden Restaurant umbrella featuring pumpkin desserts for the month of October, I was happy to taste test!
I was sent a $30 gift card so that I could go to Red Lobster, Olive Garden, and Longhorn Steakhouse to try their pumpkin desserts. Here are the yummy offerings:
Red Lobster: Pumpkin Pie in a Jar – layered pumpkin and cream cheese mousse with a graham-cracker crust, topped with sugared pecans
Photo courtesy of Red Lobster
LongHorn Steakhouse: Pumpkin Spice Lava Cake – warm pumpkin spice cake filled with a cream cheese icing and drizzled with Maker’s Mark® bourbon-caramel sauce and candied pecans
Photo courtesy of LongHorn Steakhouse
Olive Garden: Pumpkin Cheesecake – pumpkin cheesecake topped with whipped cream, caramel sauce and ginger cookie crumbles
Photo courtesy of Olive Garden
They are as delicious as they look! I unapologetically scarfed down each and every one. They are super rich so I’m sure you should probably share them. But hey, I’m not going to judge.
I was given a second $30 gift card to GIVE AWAY so that one reader can go try one (or all) of these desserts for themselves! More on that after the recipe! {THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED}
I made my own pumpkin dessert inspired by a mixture of the three above: Bourbon Pumpkin Flan with Graham Cracker Crumbs. This recipe incorporates the Bourbon in the Pumpkin Spice Lava Cake, the creaminess of the Pumpkin Cheesecake, and the graham cracker “crust” of the Pie in a Jar. I adapted this recipe from a Bon Appetit Pumpkin Flan recipe.
Ingredients:
6 large eggs
6 large egg yolks
1 3/4 cups sugar, divided (I used Sugar In The Raw for a deeper caramel flavorMi)
1 tablespoon bourbon
2 1/3 cups heavy cream, divided
1 cup milk
5 whole cloves
3 whole star anise
1 cardamom pod, cracked
2 cinnamon sticks
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used vanilla bean paste)
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, IMUSA and McCormick Spices have teamed up to sponsor a great giveaway for I Can Cook That Readers! Hispanic Heritage Month is September 15 to October 15 and celebrates the culture and traditions of those who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico, and the Spanish-speaking Nations of Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.
I will be giving away a Cuban/Caribbean-themed package which includes the following:
IMUSA’s Wood Mortar and Pestal, Caldero, and Tostonera
McCormick’s Black Pepper, Garlic Salt, Curry Powder, Paprika, Cinnamon, Oregano, Black Peppercorn Grinder, Chicken Bag n’ Season, and Black Beans and Rice Mix
Details on how to enter will be at the end of this post!
To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, I also received a nifty little package myself which included an IMUSA Cloth Tortilla Warmer, IMUSA Multicolor Salsa Dishes, IMUSA Granite Molcajete, and McCormick’s Black Pepper, Cumin, Mexican Oregano, Chili Powder, Cilantro Leaves, Taco Recipe Mix, Enchilada Recipe Mix, and Tinga de Pollo Recipe Mix.
So what better time to whip out the slow cooker and make Chicken Taco Bowls topped with Fresh Guacamole?
I adapted this recipe from a Budget Bytes recipe; the recipe is perfect for large crowds so I tested it out on a group of friends who came to visit this weekend. It also makes for one delicious reheated lunch option during the week!
I live near-ish Kennett Square, PA, the “mushroom capital of the world.” For the last 28 years, Kennett Square has hosted an amazing Mushroom Festival the first weekend following Labor Day. I love this festival. There are cooking demonstrations, contests, farm tours, and of course, a ton of mushroom filled dishes. But honestly the best part of the festival is the ability to stock up on all different kinds of mushrooms.
Beef and Mushrooms are really wonderful together, which is why you see them paired so often. To get the most flavor out of these ingredients, I wanted to sear steak (I used filet tail), cook the mushrooms in the same pan, and then make a sauce with some of the browned bits left in the pan.
I made this one-pot dish in a new offering from Calphalon and Williams-Sonoma: the Elite Nonstick line of pans. I received a 3-piece set which includes a 10″ Fry Pan and a 3 quart Saute Pan with a lid. These are some snaz-zy pans. I literally swooned when I opened them up. There are a bunch of great qualities to these pans that make them perfect for this recipe. The Elite Nonstick line of cookware has a textured sear nonstick surface, which seals in flavor when browning or searing. The pans are metal-utensil safe, so you can use your metal whisk or spatula without scratching the cookware. The cookware is also dishwasher safe, making cleanup a breeze.
Source: Williams-Sonoma.com
Elite Nonstick just launched on Williams-Sonoma.com on September 12 and will be available in Williams-Sonoma Stores on September 27. The cookware is sold as an 11-piece set, or as individual pieces. But I am excited to announce that Calphalon is giving one I Can Cook That reader a 10″ Elite Fry Pan, valued at $150! I’ll have more on the giveaway at the end of this post.
Source: Williams-Sonoma.com
So let’s see what these awesome pans can do! I used the 3 quart saute pan for this recipe.
Contest Details: Contests open to US only. Limit one winner per household/per family from the 50 blogs participating in the promotion. Individuals winning more than one giveaway will receive 1 set of cookware and the other winning entries will be disqualified and an alternate winner will be chosen.
