Tag: Recipe

S’mores Shake

I am so excited to share this cookbook with you. It’s an entire cookbook dedicated to Milkshakes! I have a serious ice cream addition, so it should go without saying that I love milkshakes. Although I’m never one to turn down a simple chocolate or cookies and cream milkshake, this cookbook brings milkshakes to a completely different level. Malts & Milkshakes: 60 Recipes for Frosty, Creamy, Frozen Treats has everything from the classics, to modern flavors, and even boozy shakes. The Author, Autumn Martin, is the founder of Hot Cakes Molten Chocolate Cakery in Seattle, so she knows her desserts!

S'mores Shake

All of the recipes can be made using ingredients found in your supermarket, but it also includes recipes for making your own homemade ice cream if you’re feeling particularly fancy. There are so many inventive recipes in this book: eggnog, earl grey, salted caramel, and mango rose milk shakes to name a few. And those don’t even include the boozy milkshakes! My two favorite ones from that section: Chocolate Espresso Whiskey Malt and Chipotle Spice Sipping Chocolate Shake. This book is not messing around!

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Another favorite was the S’mores Shake. Few things symbolize wonderful summer memories like S’mores. Chocolate, Marshmallow, and Graham Crackers sound like a perfect combination in a milkshake too! I changed the recipe up ever so slightly, but the general idea is still in tact.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 8 marshmallows, roasted
  • 1/4 cup milk (I used skim)
  • 6 scoops vanilla ice cream (~3 cups)
  • 2 scoops chocolate ice cream (~1 cup)
  • 1/2 cup crumbled graham crackers, plus more for garnish

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Brisket Ragout Over Pasta

As someone who went to Catholic school for most of my life, kosher cooking isn’t exactly something I was exposed to. I have a general understanding of what it means to keep kosher, but I really never took the time to delve into what it really means. I was recently sent a cookbook called The Kosher Carnivore: The Ultimate Meat and Poultry Cookbook by June Hersh. Not only is it filled with really delicious sounding recipes, but the author took the time to even include a “Kosher 101” in the introduction.

Did you know that giraffes are considered acceptable for human consumption as identified in the Torah? (Sorry, thought that was a fun fact). Animals that chew their cud and have cloven hooves are considered acceptable, which includes the more commonly eaten cow and lamb. Bird-wise, it seems a little more lenient. In general, predators or scavenger birds are prohibited but most birds are ok for consumption. Meat is considered kosher when it meets a specific criteria when slaughtered and butchered. Kosher eating also means that meat and dairy cannot be within the same meal, but neutral foods, like oil and eggs, can be used.

Whew. Ok. Now that I’ve completed Kosher 101, I’m ready to try to make a staple of Jewish cooking: brisket, specifically Brisket Ragout over Pasta! At the suggestion of the author, I shredded the brisket and served it in a ragout over pasta.

Ingredients:

  • 1 (2.5-3 lb.) brisket
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • olive oil
  • 2 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
  •  2 leeks, cleaned and and sliced
  • 2 medium onions, sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
  • 1/2 cup red wine
  • 1 (28-oz) can whole tomatoes, drained
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 cups beef stock
  • 1 box farfalle pasta, cooked al dente
  • 1 cup panko
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs

Continue reading Brisket Ragout Over Pasta

Artichoke and Arugula Pizza with Prosciutto

This weekend, I was looking for a quick meal to feed myself and a bunch of friends. I wanted something that doesn’t really involve a sit-down meal but would fill everyone up. Homemade pizza is perfect for situations like this. You can add whatever toppings you want and can even make a bunch of smaller pizzas to have variety. I found this recipe for Artichoke and Arugula Pizza with Prosciutto from Cooking Light and basically stuck to the recipe. I did substitute in fresh pesto instead of the jarred stuff and I’d suggest doing the same. Fresh pesto is so much tastier and it really doesn’t take long to make.

Ingredients:

  • Cooking spray
  • 1 tablespoon cornmeal
  • 1 (13.8-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough
  • 2 tablespoons commercial pesto (or homemade pesto)
  • 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
  • 1 (9-ounce) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and drained
  • 1 ounce thinly sliced prosciutto
  • 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups arugula leaves
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

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Irish Soda Bread

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! One of my favorite memories growing up was my mom making Irish Soda bread during March. It is a fairly straightforward bread and is really quite easy.

The bread uses  baking soda instead of yeast as its leavening agent. Irish Soda Bread is also made with buttermilk that reacts with the baking soda to make it rise. Soda bread is a mostly savory bread, but it usually has some kind of dried fruit in it (raisins, currants, etc) that add a bit of sweetness.

My mom’s version has caraway seeds in it that add a little bit of an anise flavor to it (caraway seeds are typically found in rye bread) and I just love it. I wanted to make this with currants but couldn’t find any, so I used raisins. Feel free to substitute golden raisins or currants.

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups coarse wholemeal flour
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 4 tablespoons butter, chilled
  • 2 tablespoons caraway seeds
  • 1 cup raisins or other dried fruit
  • 2 cups buttermilk, or more if needed

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Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

I’m so ready for spring. I’m sick of the cold and wind, although we didn’t have any snow this year. So I am going to force spring upon you in the hope of it pushing the warmer months up a little bit. When I think of spring, I always think of Strawberries. And what better way to show off strawberries than in Strawberry Shortcake, or more specifically, in Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes? I decided to make them in cupcake form because, well, I like cupcakes. I used a Martha Stewart recipe for angel food cake to make the cupcake, filled the inside of the cupcake with a strawberry-sugar mixture, and topped it off with a strawberry whipped cream icing. These are pretty delicious if I do say so myself! Ingredients: Angel Food Cake Cupcakes:

  • 1 cup cake flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 12 large egg whites, room temperature
  • 4 teaspoons lemon juice and zest from 1 lemon, divided
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Strawberry filling:

  • 3/4 container of strawberries, hulled and chopped
  • 2 tablespoons sugar

Strawberry whipped cream:

  • 1 8-oz container cream cheese
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • lemon zest from lemon used in angel food cake
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 4-5 strawberries, stems removed and finely chopped

Continue reading Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

Dark Chocolate Lava Cakes

I like any excuse to brag about Philadelphia. I can’t help it, I’m proud of where I live. So I get even more excited when the bragging involves food. Recently, National Geographic named Teuscher Chocolates the Best Chocolate in the World. Teuscher hails from Zurich, Switzerland but we have our very own store here in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia actually has quite a chocolate history, we even used to have a Confectioner’s Row (N 3rd St in Old City in case you’re interested). Wilber Chocolate, Whittman’s, and even Hershey’s got their start in the Philadelphia confectionery scene. And many brands continue that tradition to this day, including Teuscher, located in the Bellevue.

To celebrate being the Best Chocolate in the World, Teuscher Philadelphia contacted a few of us local bloggers and offered to let us sample some of their chocolates. Honestly, who’s going to say no to that?!

You may have seen some of my Instagram photos about their chocolates. Every piece seemed to be better than the last. I was hoarding them, eating one a day, until they sadly were all gone. The house specialty is not to be missed: the Classic Champagne Truffle. Made with dark chocolate ganache coated in milk chocolate with some Dom Perginon champagne creme, these are little bites of happiness and luxury. They even have Dark Chocolate Champagne Truffles! But their other choices really hold their own. The Chocolate Citrus Peels were amazing, but my ultimate favorite was the fleur de sel caramel. I cannot even put into words how good it was!

If that wasn’t enough to make me giddy, I also walked away with a bar of Teuscher’s Chocolate 99, a 99% chocolate bar that is somehow not overly bitter, perfect for baking. The chocolate has no chemicals, additives, or preservatives either.

To show off this beautiful chocolate, I decided to make Chocolate Lava Cakes, which are super easy to make and would impress any Valentine (hint hint). And because chocolate makes me feel oh so warm and fuzzy inside, I wanted to share some of this chocolatey goodness with one lucky reader! I am giving away an assorted box of Teuscher Chocolates! (More below)

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 Chocolate 99 Baking Bars
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup flour

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Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

This may come as a surprise, especially coming from a food blogger, who is about to share a recipe for Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin, but I had my first piece of bacon just a few years back. I’ve never been a big fan of pork products to begin with (I was an awfully picky child… sorry mom!) and swore it off all together after a trip to Switzerland where I couldn’t find anything that didn’t have pork/bacon/ham/sausage in it. But a few years ago, I finally started going back to eating pork, starting with bacon. And I’ve never looked back. Although I’m still not fully into pork yet, I have finally incorporated it slightly into my repertoire.

Hatfield Quality Meats contacted me last week to see if I’d be interested in trying some of their products. At first I was a bit wary but this was my chance to finally work with pork products and perhaps even like it! So I thought I’d jump in head first with a bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin!

Hatfield’s pork products include bacon, tenderloin (marinated and regular), ham steaks and sausage and can be found at your local grocery store. I was sent a boneless pork loin filet, which has no MSG added and is gluten free, as well as thick cut hardwood smoked bacon, both of which I used in this recipe.

Ingredients (get all ingredients here):

Pork:

  • 1 (2-lb.) pork tenderloin
  • 1 tablespoon steak seasoning (recipe below)
  • 6-8 bacon slices
  • Fresh parsley, for garnish

Steak seasoning:

  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon dried sage
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme

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Pull-Apart Party Loaf

Let’s be honest, one of the best parts of Super Bowl Sunday is the food. Although I’m excited to hang out with friends as we root for (so far) the most successful graduate in our class (Go Flacco!) and watch some amazing commercials, I’m more focused on the tasty treats that come along with the viewing.

I’ve been in the Football Food spirit for a while now. Last week, Land O’ Lakes and Rebecca of Foodie With Family hosted a webinar all about food for the big game.

 

We discussed a bunch of different group-friendly snacks, which ones travel well to other locations, and even how to keep food safe while it is sitting out during the game. Land O’ Lakes has a great round up of game day favorites, so be sure to check it out for some inspiration here. I learned a lot, but I was unfortunately kind of distracted. Why? Because the first darn photo they showed me was of a Pull-Apart Party Loaf.

 

Look at that loaf!

I loved it so much, I made a test batch of my own to share with you! I also received a nifty prize package for participating, plus one to give away, woo hoo! More on that below…

 

So this recipe is one created in the Land O’ Lakes Kitchen. Original recipe can be found here.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 (16- to 18-ounce) round loaf of sourdough bread
  • 1/4 cup Land O Lakes® Butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon dry ranch dressing mix
  • 1/2 cup (about 5 slices) cooked chopped thick-cut bacon
  • 1/4 cup jalapeño peppers, chopped
  • 10 (3/4-ounce) slices Land O Lakes® Deli American Cheese, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley, if desired

Continue reading Pull-Apart Party Loaf

Apple-Cinnamon Breakfast Quinoa

I know, I know. You probably read the title and thought to yourself there is no way quinoa can be a tasty breakfast. But hear me out. Quinoa, although a great grain to use as a dinner side, can also hold its own as a sweeter breakfast meal. I actually originally made this recipe so that vegan friends who were visiting for the weekend had a breakfast option. (Vegans have a tough time when it comes to breakfast! Oatmeal, quinoa, fruit. I think that’s about it…) Anyways, I wasn’t expecting much. But it was so tasty I made a batch for my breakfasts all week. That’s right, it even reheats nicely!

I found this recipe on Budget Bytes and made some minor changes. Check out her original recipe here.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1 1/2 cups apple cider
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 1 medium apple (I used Fuji)
  • 1/2 cup dried fruit/nut mixture

 

Continue reading Apple-Cinnamon Breakfast Quinoa

Slow Cooker Marinara

Making a large batch of marinara sauce and freezing it for later use makes dinner on really hectic weeknights significantly easier. My mom used to make pots upon pots of tomato sauce during the first snow of the season which always made the house smell oh so good, especially after coming in from the cold. We haven’t had our first snow yet, but that’s not going to stop me from trying out this slow cooker marinara from Cooking Light. The sauce can be frozen and used for months.

The original recipe used fresh tomatoes but I hate peeling tomatoes and the plum tomatoes this time of year just aren’t very attractive. So I used the next best thing, canned whole peeled plum tomatoes. If it’s summer when you make this, go for the fresh ones!

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 cups chopped onion (about 2 onions)
  • 3/4 cup sliced carrot (about 2 carrots
  • 1/2 cup diced celery
  • 1/4 cup minced garlic (a good dozen garlic cloves)
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine (such as cabernet sauvignon)
  • 3 28 oz cans of Whole Peeled Plum Tomatoes
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
  • 3/4 cup chopped fresh basil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Continue reading Slow Cooker Marinara

Chicken Puttanesca with Angel Hair Pasta

I border on having an obsession with seafood. If I could eat it every night I would. (I have over 60 seafood recipes listed on this blog alone!) But I apparently have caused my boyfriend to be “fished out” so I decided to make a chicken dish with another favorite ingredient of his: olives. Pasta Puttanesca normally includes a tomato sauce with olives and capers. This Cooking Light version of Chicken Puttanesca is simplified to make it easy enough for a weeknight dinner.
Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups tomato-basil pasta sauce
  • 1/4 cup pitted and coarsely chopped kalamata olives
  • 1 tablespoon capers
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1/4 cup (1 ounce) pre-shredded mozzarella cheese
  • Chopped fresh basil

Continue reading Chicken Puttanesca with Angel Hair Pasta

Tri Vegetarian Chili

I made a realization this weekend. Chili is so hearty that I really don’t realize if there is even meat in them. So why add it in?

With a bunch of different beans and peppers, you can still deliver an absolutely delicious chili that doesn’t even need meat! (I’m not knocking those that like meat in their chili, I just apparently prefer the vegetarian version)

Katherine Martinelli had a chili link up last week on her blog and I couldn’t stop thinking about chili. Her Three Bean Chili in particular looked so fantastic, I decided to make my own version of it below. It is based off of her recipe but I did make some changes, so to see the original recipe, check it out here.

This Tri Vegetarian Chili is aptly named. It uses three types of beans, three types of dried peppers, and three types of bell peppers.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup dried red kidney beans
  • 1 cup dried great northern beans
  • 1 cup dried black turtle beans
  • 2 dried guajillo peppers
  • 2 dried chipotle peppers
  • 2 dried ancho chili peppers
  • 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1 orange bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

Continue reading Tri Vegetarian Chili

Slow Cooker Apple French Toast Casserole

I love recipes that make it easy to serve a bunch of people with minimal effort. A slow cooker is usually a go-to for those types of recipes but I’ve never considered using it to make breakfast before. The Ninja Cooking System is the perfect tool for it though. They sent over this recipe for a Slow Cooker Apple French Toast Casserole and I couldn’t wait for the weekend to come so I could make it.

This recipe makes 8 servings so it would be great for breakfast for a larger group but I also packed up the rest of my servings to reheat during the week.

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup butter
  • 2 Granny Smith apples, cored and chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar
  • ½ cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 loaf challah bread (about 1 pound), cut into cubes
  • 6 large eggs
  • 2 cups vanilla almond milk (or normal milk)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch salt
  • Confectioners’ sugar

Continue reading Slow Cooker Apple French Toast Casserole

Sweet Orange Salmon with Browned Butter Orange Couscous

After all the pasta, meat, and desserts I’ve had over the past, oh, month, I think it’s about time to switch back to some seafood recipes.

This is actually two different recipes from Cooking Light but I thought they’d be fantastic together. The Sweet Orange Salmon recipe is so easy and quick to make and the Browned-Butter Orange Couscous can be whipped up in no time as well!

Ingredients

Salmon:

  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
  • Cooking spray
  • Orange wedges

 

Couscous:

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup slivered almonds
  • 1 cup uncooked couscous
  • 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped orange sections
  • 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Orange wedges

Continue reading Sweet Orange Salmon with Browned Butter Orange Couscous

Tiramisu Brownies

I am a huge fan of coffee and coffee-related foods, so tiramisu is obviously a favorite of mine. When the concept of Tiramisu Brownies was mentioned, I was immediately excited. What a fantastic combination of desserts!

Barista Prima Coffeehouse® K-Cup® (paid link) packs are four dark, rich coffee blends that really deliver an intense flavor that are more bold and robust than other K-Cup offerings. The four flavors offered are: Colombia, House Blend, Italian Roast, and French Roast. I’ve had a Keurig for years now (I just had to retire my original Keurig and buy a replacement, sniffle) and am always really pleased with the coffee choices that can be found in K-Cup form. I tend to use coffee grounds in a bunch of recipes, especially ones that use chocolate, to really up the flavor.

Barista Prima was nice enough to send me a box of their House Blend K-Cups so I naturally wanted to make a dish that used these delicious grounds as well as a dessert that would be perfect paired with a cup of House Blend coffee. Many thanks to Barista Prima for also sending me this mouthwatering recipe!

Ingredients:

  • 12 oz. chocolate chips
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 whole eggs
  • 4 egg whites
  • 1 cup cake flour (or normal flour if you can’t find it)
  • Brewed House Blend coffee grounds, to taste
  • 8 oz. Mascarpone cheese, room temperature
  • 8 oz. Cream Cheese, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 4 egg whites
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 Pkg. Soft Ladyfingers
  • 1 cup of Barista Prima House Blend Coffee

Continue reading Tiramisu Brownies

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