The Little Kitchen That Could

a baby shower.

2012-01-25T07:00:00.000-06:00

Oh boy, do I have something fun to share with you. Last weekend, I had the privilege of helping to cater a baby shower in Dallas and oh, what a privilege it is when you are working with friends who put so much love and work into the party. My friends Abby and Katie (with the wonderful help of sister Hannah, mother Karen and Katie's mom Barbara and her wonderful home) threw a lovely shower for Abby's sister, Emily. These girls know how to throw a party, but more importantly, how to decorate. I happen to meet sweet Emily this summer on our trip to Italy and let's just say that I could have never imagined I would be helping with this darling shower for a baby that will be born exactly nine months from the week I met her {Oh, Italia}. I put together a few shots of the food, but every detail of the party is worth mentioning so here it goes...

(scroll to the bottom for notes about the menu)

This January Shower was a mix of comfort food + bright pops of color.

The photo booth captured everyone's predictions as to whether a baby girl or baby boy was in the works. The mom to be is unsure, but grandmothers have good instincts and this one is going with boy.

There was a table with packets of sweet peas for guests to plant for favors and a jar to shower the mom-to-be with advice.

And by the end of a lovely shower, the three of us had a little fun with the photo booth.

Menu Notes...

Click here for the tomato basil soup.
The grilled cheese were made with buttermilk sourdough bread from Central Market with sharp cheddar cheese and olive oil to crisp the bread.
Click here for Avocado Chicken Salad.
Click here for Pesto Pasta Salad recipe. I substituted these marinated mozzarella balls for the feta ... not sure I will ever go back to feta. It was delicious.
Click here for chocolate chip cookie recipe.
And the Oatmeal Cake Cupcakes with buttercream frosting were amazing! I am going to do a little begging to see if I can get the grandmother to be to share this perfect recipe.

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs w/ blue cheese dressing

2012-01-20T07:00:00.000-06:00

You've got two opportunities in the very near future to kill it with these meatballs.

This is the ultimately perfect football watching food. Superbowl... check.

And if you are looking for someone to fall in love with you on Valentine's (or stay in love with you) these will do it. They are that serious. Perfect appetizer.

Back in my high school days, I had a short run of being really into wings. I loved the taste of the barely spicy tangy chicken wing dipped in cool blue cheese dressing. And then one day, I stared right at that wing and imagined the little chicken I was gnawing on. It was over, right then and there. Couldn't do it anymore.

And let's get real, if you can get past the idea of gnawing between those bones, you still don't look pretty doing it. Enter these mini buffalo chicken meatballs that have all that good flavor without the carnage.

FYI... Mr. Hungry has updated his favorite thing I have ever ever made to this right here... I told you it was serious.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
Adapted from Glamour Magazine February 2012
Recipe Notes
I used nonfat greek yogurt in place of the sour cream because I had it on hand. It makes for a healthier dressing, but if want the full richness of a blue cheese dressing, use sour cream. If you plan on doubling or tripling a recipe for a big party, you do not need to double the dressing. One batch is plenty. Use leftover dressing on a wedge salad. If you are unfamiliar with ground chicken, it can be found in most grocery stores near the ground turkey or ground beef. You could also have a butcher freshly grind a few boneless, skinless chicken breasts if you cannot find it anywhere. Leftover meatballs can be stored in the refrigerator and reheated in the oven or microwave.
Ingredients
1/2 stick (t tbsp.) butter
1/4 cup Frank's RedHot hot sauce
1 lb. ground chicken
1 tsp. salt
1/2 stalk celery, minced
1 large egg
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
For the dressing
1 cup sour cream (or nonfat greek yogurt)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
(makes 2 1/2 cups of dressing)
Step by Step
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In a small pot, combine butter and hot sauce over low heat, whisking until butter is melted. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place remaining chicken meatball ingredients in a bowl and mix by hand, adding the hot sauce butter mixture as well. Make sure the ingredients are combined throughout. Using a teaspoon, roll the meatball mixture into marble sized balls. Place balls in rows on the parchment paper. Roast until firm and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Allow the meatballs to cool for 5 minutes.

To make dressing, combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl and whisk until blended. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For an extra kick, drizzle extra hot sauce onto meatballs. Serve with dressing and extra celery.

Makes 65 mini meatballs.

Veggie Shooters

2012-01-17T17:00:00.000-06:00

There is really no room for extras in this kitchen. Our everyday dishes already have to be housed in the dining area and cabinet space is precious all over this little home.
So if something is going to make its way in that is not essential, it is going to have to be extremely versatile. Enter these 3 oz. glasses. If you throw a party even once every couple of months, these are worth the investment. The options are endless.

I can't wait to try these darling milkshakes. What a perfect way to pass milk and cookies. The soup options are endless. Yep, I'm in love and now own two boxes, which comes to a total of 72.

If you are interested, here is where I got mine and my favorite part is the thin bottom of the glass. They look less like shot glasses and they could go modern or rustic. If you are not quite ready to make the investment, you could use small clear plastic glasses as well.

Goodbye to the days of camping out over the veggie tray.
From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Veggie Shooters with Hummus
Recipe Notes
You can really choose any dip you want for the bottom. I have found hummus to be the most popular, but ranch dressing works great too. Plan on about 2 oz. of hummus per glass. You might have a little leftover, but this will help you not run out.
Ingredients
Assortment of vegetables, cut into 3-inch skinny strips (bell peppers, celery, carrots, cucumbers)
Hummus, about 2 oz. per glass
Step by Step
Fill a small ziploc bag with hummus and seal. Cut a small hole in the corner of the bag. Be careful to not make the hole too big. Start small... you can always cut more off in you need. Fill each glass 2/3 full with hummus. Stick 3 or 4 vegetable strips in each glass. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Honey Comb Goat Cheese Spread

2012-01-13T16:00:00.000-06:00

True story.

The first time I served this to a crowd was for a ladies tea/ luncheon/ get together sort of thing that I catered in the fall. I spent quite a bit of time preparing all kinds of tea sandwiches, making a few dips and mini appetizers. When I got to the party, I threw together this dish in about 5 minutes.

About 30 minutes into the party, the honey comb goat cheese had been utterly devoured and the other dishes were just starting to show signs of being nibbled on.

Moral of the story: Preparation time does not equal the amount of goodness or popularity of a dish.

Okay, so that is not brain science, but listen up... you are totally going to to need to serve this at your next get together. A tiny bit of extra sweet honey comb with a bite of tangy goat cheese topped off with the burst of a fresh berry or a fig is the definition of a party in your mouth.

This is just what January needs. Fresh flavors that are a tad funky. This is so 2012.

Honeycomb honey is great. The honeycomb is insanely sweet so a little goes a long way. I'm sure it is quite helicopter momish of me, but I feel like I must instruct people on how to eat this. If I'm leaving the party, I make sure to instruct folks and also urge them to pass on the word to other guests who might not have shown up yet. It's just that if you get the perfect bite, it is pure bliss.

So my instructions include: Grab a cracker, slice off a tiny piece of the honeycomb... like 4th of a marble size tiny... scoop a little goat cheese honey mixture and top with a berry. Perfection.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Honey Comb Goat Cheese Spread
Recipe Notes

Honey with a honey comb can be bought at specialty grocery stores and some of the larger stores as well. If you are in Texas, HEB carries the brand pictured below. It will be on the shelf with the rest of the honey selection, but look closely and you will see a honey comb floating in the middle of a few varieties. Use berries depending on the season. I love fresh figs this time of year, but raspberries and blueberries (or a mix) are also great choices. If using figs, cut off stems and quarter them. I also like to serve this with two types of crackers. Wheat Thins ( I like the "BIG" ones that are a little bit larger of a square than the regular) and Wafer thin crackers that seem to be popping up in most grocery stores. There are a lot of brands, but this is what they look like.

Ingredients

1 jar of honey with a honey comb (see recipe note)
1 large log of goat cheese (10 or 11 ounces), or the same amount of pre crumbled goat cheese
1 to 2 cups of figs, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries
Your favorite plain crackers and Wheat Thins, for serving
Step by Step
Remove honey comb from jar of honey and place in the middle of a large serving platter. Drizzle a little bit of honey on the rest of the plate. Crumble goat cheese all over the plate and honey comb. Drizzle a little more honey on top. Sprinkle berries on top.

Serve with crackers.

Serves 8 to 12.

Truffle Butter Popcorn

2011-12-30T14:07:00.001-06:00

Ah, these days.

I love 'em. Christmas was fantastic... I love the fresh start of a new year...and here we are in the in between. It's totally perfect. It's like these days don't count. It feels right to sleep absurdly late. It seems perfectly acceptable to see two movies during the day.

It's the perfect afternoon to throw away every sock that doesn't match and try to find matching lids to tupperware. Yep, I'm totally ignoring my rotting Christmas tree and opting to organize the kitchen and my closet. By the time 2012 rolls around, I'll be moving at the speed of light because everything will be so organized. It's my vision...I'm goin for it.

In the meantime, we must ring in the New Year. Make it fun. Keep it simple. Ignore the hype.

Make this fancy popcorn that is exactly that... fun and fancy and ridiculously simple.

Truffle popcorn and champagne is all you need to say goodbye to 2011 and hello to 2012.

Hope you have a smashing New Year's and I'll catch ya in 2012.

Truffle Butter Popcorn
Recipe Notes
Truffle oil is expensive, but totally worth it. I have a tiny bottle that cost about $12, but has lasted years. You only need a smidge so make the investment and you will have a sprinkle whenever you need it.
Ingredients
1 bag unsalted, unflavored popcorn (8 to 10 cups popped)
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon truffle oil
1 to 2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese, to taste
kosher or fine sea salt
Step by Step
Melt butter in a small microwave safe bowl. Mix truffle oil into butter. Pop popcorn. As soon as popcorn is finished pour in a medium sized bowl. Drizzle butter mixture over popcorn, making sure to turn the popcorn and evenly coat. Sprinkle parmesan evenly over popcorn while still warm. Taste popcorn and add salt to taste. Serve immediately or reheat in a 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes.

A few of my favorite things.

2011-12-21T12:37:00.000-06:00

1. kitchen magic whisk, Anthropologie...$8.00

2. farmer's market basket, Anthropologie...$14.00

3. egg timer, Crate and Barrell...$4.95

4. Capri Blue Volcano candle, Anthropologie... $28.00

5. baggu reusable grocery bag, Baggu...$8.00

6. microplane zester, Sur la Table... $14.95

We are down to the wire on Christmas. Here are a few of my favorite things that would be great stocking stuffers or last minute gifts. Everything is under $30 and a few things that might seem unexpected, but will be used over and over. The whisk adds such a magical touch. These glass farmer's baskets have a thousand uses in the kitchen. Have someone on your list that wants nothing to do with the kitchen? These also happen to be the perfect size for business cards... sure would be a fun pop of color on a desk. The egg timer might seem like a silly gift, but the person will call you every time they make a hard boil egg and tell you how great you are. I can't say I make hard boiled eggs all that often, but when I do, I am so glad I have this little gadget and it takes up no space at all. Anyone who likes to cook is bound to have a lingering smell of fried bacon or a garlic scent that doesn't smell so good at breakfast the next morning. This is the absolute best smelling candle in the world... homey and fresh all at the same time. Know a brown bagger or a green grocery shopper? Baggu bags are perfect. They are lightweight and portable and you can always have an extra bag on hand and not even realize it because of the small little pouch it scrunches up in. The microplane zester is such a star. From zesting citrus to the perfect shaving of parmesan on pasta, it's a necessity.

Chocolate Crackle Cookies

2011-12-20T07:00:00.000-06:00

It's a jungle out there.

Driving a few blocks takes an hour.

The parking lots look like scenes from Braveheart.

I swear the woman that cut me off was wearing war paint as she came roaring out of oblivion and stole my spot in the mall parking lot. Did she really need to yell expletives and flip me off? She got the darn spot.

Let's lock ourselves inside. If you're in my part of the country, let's crank the air down and act like we are experiencing winter. Let's make spiked cider and watch Christmas Vacation. Let's blast Andre Bocelli's Christmas album and sing Celine Dion's parts (do this one for me... I've been banned from singing too loud due to a husband who needs his peace and quiet to study for the Bar exam). Let's make our houses smell like chocolate. Let's make it snow in the kitchen with powdered sugar.

Yep, that will do it. That will feel like Christmas.

These cookies are unreal. Chocolatey as chocolate can get. Smooth and creamy with a barely crusty exterior that is rolled and dusted in sugar. Whoever you spend your Christmas weekend with will be very happy you brought these along.

Leave a plate for Santa... he'll be impressed.

From my little kitchen to yours... Merry Christmas.

Chocolate Crackle Cookies
Recipe Notes
I have a sifter and sometimes I still don't feel like messing with it. If you do not have one or you are not in the mood, mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Using a fork, fluff and sift all the ingredients with a fork. Make sure all ingredients are well mixed and no lumps of flour or cocoa powder remain. Chocolate is the star here so I used Godiva cocoa powder and bittersweet chocolate. The dough will be unbelievable sticky when first mixed. I had to spoon it onto the saran wrap. But don't worry... after two hours, it will be firm enough to work with. Make sure to take only one ball of dough at a time and I sprayed my hands with cooking spray, which helped to keep the dough from sticking to my hands. The dough will get harder to work with the longer it is out of the refrigerator.
Ingredients
8oz. bittersweet chocolate
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cups cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
11/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup whole milk
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup powder sugar
Step by Step
Melt chocolate in a double boiler then set aside to cool. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

In a mixer or using a hand mixer, beat butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs, vanilla, and then the melted chocolate. Reduce speed to low mix in flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the milk. Divide dough into four equal pieces. Wrap each in plastic; refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350. Take one ball of dough out of the refrigerator at a time. Working quickly, pinch off the dough and roll into one inch balls. Roll in the granulated sugar to coat, then in powder sugar to coat. Space 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake until surfaces crack, about 12 to 14 minutes rotating sheets half way through. Take cookies out when edges are set, but be careful to not over bake. Cool on a wire rack and store at room temperature.

Soft & Chewy Gingerbread Men

2011-12-05T15:00:00.000-06:00

Alright, now that we are all nice and skinny, let's head straight into cookie season.

Gingerbread men... a holiday classic.

Another adjective to describe these little guys would be barely gingery. Yeah, that's right. Gingery.

Definition by me...
Gingery (adj.) : The amount of kick from spice and ginger that is contained in one's gingerbread recipe.

I happen to prefer my men to have a slight hint of ginger and spice rather than a pungent kick.

I believe this recipe is for those who like the holiday spirit of gingerbread men (but not the taste of ginger) or maybe looking for a kid friendly recipe.

This one's a star. I also see the world only one way when it comes to the texture of these holiday studs. I like them soft and chewy. I personally could even have a little more gingery taste, but a crisp little man is not for me.

Hope your December is off to a great start.

From my little kitchen to yours... Merry Christmas.

Soft & Chewy, {Barely Gingery} Gingerbread Men
Recipe Notes

Adapted from allrecipes.com
Ingredients
1 (3.5 ounce) package cook and serve butterscotch pudding mix
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 large or extra large egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out dough
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

parchment paper
Icing & Decorations
Milk, a couple of tablespoons
Powdered sugar, about a cup
Red Hots
White Sprinkles
Directions
In a medium bowl, cream together the dry butterscotch pudding mix, butter, and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in the egg. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, and cinnamon; beat into the butterscotch mixture on low until just combined. Cover, and chill dough until firm, about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lay out a piece of parchment paper on a clean surface. Sprinkle with flour. Remove half of the dough from the refrigerator and roll into a 1/4 inch thickness. Dough will be very sticky so sprinkle flour on top of the dough as well to keep the rolling pin from sticking. Place parchment paper with rolled out dough on a cookie sheet and place in the refrigerator. Let chill for 15 minutes. Remove from refrigerator and cut into shapes. Repeat with remaining half of dough. Place cookies 2 inches apart of parchment lined cookie sheets.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until cookies start to set on the edges. Cool on wire racks.

Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week.

Easy Icing
I just used a little bit of icing for these cookies so I made a really simple mixture that would work to harden and hold on red hots or sprinkles. Start by pouring about a cup of powdered sugar into a small bowl. Add a little bit of milk... about a teaspoon. Mix thoroughly. Add milk, a few drops at a time until icing is about the consistency of glue. You do not want it to runny, but you want it to squeeze through a small squeeze bottle. Put icing mixture into a small squeeze bottle and pipe onto cookies.

Click here for more info on icing cookies.

{Pull yourself together} Kale & Kiwi Smoothie

2011-11-28T07:00:00.000-06:00

So here we are. The Monday after Thanksgiving and at the cusp of holiday treats, festive cocktails and party buffets. Yes, my friends, just as soon as the Thanksgiving day closes, it seems Christmas and all the calories that come with it begin immediately.

So let's be good for just one day.

This green monster will make you feel good after the Thanksgiving holiday and give you plenty of room to splurge for the Christmas season (and it just so happens to provide a lot of energy in the meantime). Yep, this will erase anything.

Please allow me to introduce... the kale and kiwi smoothie.

Now I have a feeling that most of you would blow right past this post when you saw kale in a smoothie, but something about that extra slice of pie you had on Thursday and that leftover pie you had on Friday and Saturday kept you reading.

Don't be scared. This is actually unbelievably delicious.

I would dare to say that if you found yourself on Top Chef and you were in one of those name the ingredient challenges, you would never guess kale. Besides the groovy color, nothing about this tastes like kale.

So let's be super healthy and sneak a super food into fruit smoothie. Let's feel light and airy and super skinny. Am I over promising here? Well maybe, but here is one more really exciting piece of info. You do not need a juicer! I love the idea of a juicer, I love the idea drinking fresh juices, but there is just no way my tiny kitchen can take one more honking appliance right now.

Did you know kale and spinach will puree up beautifully in a blender? Yay.

One for me and one for you... Cheers.

Kale & Kiwi Smoothie
Ingredients
1 frozen banana, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped kale, stems removed
1 kiwi, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 cups fresh squeezed orange juice
Step by Step
Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until blended smooth. Pour into 12 ounce glasses and serve. Add a fancy straw and feel good about yourself.

Makes 2 glasses.

How To: De-Stemming Kale

2011-11-28T06:45:00.000-06:00

My line of kale I planted in the garden is busting at the seems with wonderful curly kale. I am going to try and work this super food into some tasty dishes so before we begin, let's talk about what it means to "remove the stems>"

In most kale dishes you will want to get rid of the stem and just have the leaf so here we go.

Lay out each piece of kale.

Run your knife down each side of the thick stem in the middle.

And then it's ready to torn, chopped, pureed or left in whole chunks.

For an even speedier method, you can fold the leaf on top of each other, like this. And then you only have to run your knife down the side of the stem once.

Pecan Tartlets

2011-11-20T17:00:00.000-06:00

I am 5'10. I use to wear a size ten shoe, but if I'm honest with myself, my toes like me a lot better when I let them breathe in a size 11.

Mr. Hungry is 6'4. We sleep in a California King. If you are unfamiliar, it's basically a bed for giants... they shave inches off the sides and add them to the length.

You have to be at least 5'9 to possibly have the potential of reaching our microwave.

There is a good chance we could have gargantuan children in the future.

Where am I going with this?

This might just lead to my fascination with all things tiny. I think these tiny dogs are the bomb, my favorite food growing up was baby corns...(creepy, right?) Anyway...

Mini desserts seem to be all the rage right now, but for good reason. Who doesn't want to gobble up a few of these little guys?

Now let's get real with the each other.. These are not the fastest thing to throw together. I tell you this because the last thing I want is for you to be making these the night before Thanksgiving cursing me as you press the crusts in.

What I do want you to do is make these NOW. Stop reading.. go... come on!! Thanksgiving is soon and you need to get these puppies in the freezer.

Ah, and there it is... the reason I'm even more in love with the minis... they're freezable. They are fantastic and they taste the exact same out of the freezer quickly warmed in the oven as they do freshly baked. In fact, you might need to hide them from yourself because they are addicting straight out of the freezer. And that batch of 36 you made might turn into about 6 if you sneak them away one by one. I didn't do that... Okay maybe I did. Whatever.

Once you pop you can't stop...

Come on, let's spice things up. A slice a pie is so yesterday. Mini pies are the way of the future.

Happiest Thanksgiving to you. From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Pecan Tartlets
Ingredients
For the Crust
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups all- purpose flour
For the Filling
1 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
Step by Step
In a bowl, mix cream cheese, butter, and flour together until soft and pliable. Form dough into balls about the size of your thumb. Press dough down against bottom and sides of the cups in mini muffin tins to form small cups. Try to mold the crust as thin as possible without tearing the crust. Press the ball of dough down in the pan first and then press up the sides. Freeze for one hour.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large bowl, beat eggs until foamy, and stir in melted butter. Stir in the brown sugar, white sugar and the flour; mix well. Last add the milk, vanilla and nuts.
Pour into prepared mini crusts, just below the crust line. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown.

To Freeze: Let tartlets cool completely. Place tartlets on a baking sheet, not touching. Freeze for a few hours or over night. Once frozen through, wrap tightly in saran wrap and then wrap with freezer wrap or a freezer ziploc. Freeze for up to two months. When ready to use, reheat in oven for 5 to 10 minutes at 325 degrees, until warmed through.

Makes 36-42 cups.

Pumpkin Nutella Cupcakes

2011-11-15T07:30:00.000-06:00

At the ripe age of 27, I have yet to take the main responsibility for Thanksgiving dinner. I have made a side dish or two, but the brunt of responsibility (and the turkey) have yet to come my way (and hoping I have quite a few years before that day comes).

Those that do have this responsibility should be given an award. All those casseroles... one honking turkey... all hot at the same time with appetizers and pies on either side of the equation to make sure everyone is overly stuffed... big job... big, big job.

If you are in charge, good luck.

If you are not, turn yourself into a really good guest and make these muffins/ cupcakes.

There is just something about Nutella that makes everything better.

If this looks a little familiar, that is because without the pecan topping and a different pan, you just saw this a few weeks ago in the form of loaves.

The Nutella surprise seems to be even better in cupcake form. Bite into this oh so ordinary looking pumpkin bread to be met with a perfect pocket of Nutella. Oh yeah, this is major.

But some occasions just call for the oh so wonderful and portable cupcake... and the pecans just added the perfect crunch to this combo.

Oh heavens you could be such a star at your relative's house when you show up with a plate of these. Thanksgiving day is decadent... maybe share these for breakfast? Get the morning started right.

Pumpkin Nutella Cupcakes
Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large or extra large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 can (15 ounces) canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
Cooking Spray
24 teaspoons of Nutella
1 to 2 cups chopped pecans
Cupcake liners
Step by Step
In a large bowl, combine sugar and oil until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, cloves and pudding mix; add to egg mixture alternately with pumpkin, beating well after each addition.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 12-cup cupcake pans with cupcake liners. Fill each cup 1/3 full with the pumpkin batter. Place 1 teaspoon of Nutella in the middle of each cup on top of the pumpkin batter. Using a toothpick, swirl each dollop of Nutella slightly into the batter. Top each cup with more batter until they are filled 3/4 full. Top each cupcake with pecans completely covering the batter. Pack the pecans in tight because they will spread out once the batter rises a bit. Bake each pan for 25 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes and then remove from pan and cool completely.

Store in an airtight container for up to five days.

Cinnamon Waffles with Peaches & Cream

2011-11-12T08:00:00.000-06:00

Long weekends are good for the soul.

Having a Friday or Monday off transforms the weekend entirely. Anything that might be on the to do list for Saturday gets taken care of on Friday or bumped to Monday. I try to stay in bed as long as possible on Saturday and once I do get out of bed, the only goal is to make a special breakfast.

Between the Thanksgiving and Christmas season on the horizon I'm sure hoping you have a long weekend or two and I highly suggest putting those to do lists on hold for a few hours and start out your day with a warm plate of cinnamon waffles.

I have had a pretty wonderful waffle maker ever since it was gifted to me about 5 years ago and it just doesn't make an appearance often enough. Enter a long weekend and the perfect time to pull this sucker out. I have a hunch yours is collecting dust too and cold holiday mornings are more than enough reason to pull it out.

There's about a thousand toppings that would make these lovely if peaches and whipped cream isn't your thing. Good old butter and syrup... perhaps chopped pecans and bananas with a little swirl of honey... maybe a few chocolate chips and powdered sugar... whatever tickles your fancy.

Cinnamon Waffles with Peaches & Cream
Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

1 egg yolk
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/4 cups + 2 tablespoons self-rising flour
1 cup warm milk
1 egg white

Optional Toppings

1 peach, thinly sliced

Fresh whipped cream, slightly sweetened

Step by Step
In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar. Whisk in vanilla extract, butter, salt and cinnamon. Alternately mix in flour and milk until blended well.
In a separate bowl, whisk egg white until it forms soft peaks. Fold egg white into batter with a spatula and let stand for 15 minutes.
Spray preheated waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Pour mix onto hot waffle iron. Cook until golden brown and fluffy. Continue until batter is gone, making sure to use cooking spray between each waffles.

About the egg whites...

This is what you are looking for with the egg whites. After a few minutes of whisking an egg white in a clean large bowl, you will get "soft peaks."

You want to gently fold in the egg whites to the rest of the batter. Mix well but just softly fold them in with a spatula so they stay nice and airy.

Monster Cookies

2011-11-01T17:12:00.000-05:00

I could not eat another piece of candy if you shoved it in my mouth. Seriously. Don't do it. I might spit it back up on your shoes. That would be really awkward if I don't know you.... and probably a little hurtful if I did... and just plain gross no matter what our relationship.

I'm at my limits. And I have some pretty insane limits when it comes to any form of sugar... preferably peanut butter and chocolate or a good gummy. Have I told you about the time I was given a pound bag of Swedish Fish for my birthday in high school? I polished it off on the way to school the next day.

I tingled all day long. Extreme tingling from my head to my toes...

Cookies? I can still so totally eat a cookie. Let's take some leftover Halloween candy and hide it in cookies. It's kind of like that whole steaming, pureeing and hiding veggies in food so kids don't know. I bet Jessica Seinfeld will be calling me soon for my secrets on hiding candy in everyday foods.

These cookies are packed with a lot of really great stuff. A whole jar of creamy peanut butter, a ton of oats and a nice mix of chocolate. These are so oaty, some might call them a breakfast cookie. And by some I mean that we served them as a little dessert for breakfast when Mr. Hungry's brother was in town this weekend. Yep, a monster cookie with a cup of coffee is a pretty sweet combo.

Starting the day with a cookie and a cup of coffee is good for the soul.

A shout out to my mother in law, Suzan who has been making these for ages. Without you, I would not know the wonderfulness of a monster cookie.
And here are a few extra ideas for hiding more candy...

Got extra Reeses? You totally need to make these. Pure goodness.

Got extra Snickers? This couldn't be easier.

Got all kinds of chocolate candy? Mix it all up in these brownies. I have yet to find a way to hurt these.

Monster Cookies

Recipe Notes

3 eggs
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 18-ounce jar creamy peanut butter
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup M&M's
1/2 cup chocolate chips
2 teaspoons baking soda
5 cups quick-cooking oatmeal (not instant)

Step by Step

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a very large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and sugars. Mix well. Add the salt, vanilla, peanut butter, and butter. Mix well. Stir in the M&Ms, chocolate chips, baking soda, and oatmeal. Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not overbake. Let stand for about 3 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool. When cool, store in large resealable plastic bags.

To Freeze: Drop tablespoons of cookie dough onto a parchment paper covered baking sheet, not allowing the dough to touch. Freeze for an hour or until solid. Store frozen balls of cookie dough in a resealable plastic bag. Bake from frozen and simply add a few extra minutes to cooking time when ready to make.

The Best Biscuits

2011-10-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

Oh, good morning.

You look like you could use a biscuit.

Not just any old biscuit... the best darn biscuit I have ever had.

Now I know it's only Tuesday, but lets start planning a weekend brunch, shall we?
Let me start by telling you these will take you maybe seven minutes longer than busting open one of the cans of biscuits from the grocery. Seven minutes of extra work for the most amazing homemade goodness you could imagine on a Saturday or Sunday morning.

Why wait? Let's make your Thursday one to remember.

I am pretty convinced cream is essential to the best baked goods. I had a hunch when these scones turned out so well and it was definitely confirmed with these biscuits. A little bit flaky, a little bit creamy... a little bit perfect.

My preferred way of eating... doused in honey.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

The Best Biscuits

Adapted from James Beard’s American Cookery via Smitten Kitchen

Recipe Notes

To make these especially quick in the morning, pre-measure all ingredients into a ziploc bag. When ready to make, dump dry ingredients in a bowl and add the cream.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons salted butter, melted
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the surface
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
1 1/4 cups heavy cream

parchment paper

honey, jam or butter for serving (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt butter and set aside. In a large bowl, combing two cups flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Fold in 1 1/4 cups cream. Mix until cream and dry ingredients are just combined. If the dough is not soft or easily handled, fold in a little bit more cream.

Turn dough onto a floured surface, mound it into a ball and, using your hands, press it to a thickness of about 3/4 inch. Cut into rounds, 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Gather dough scraps and continue to make rounds. Dip entire biscuit into melted butter and arrange on the baking sheet about an inch apart. Bake until edges are golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

To Freeze: Freeze unbaked, un-dipped biscuits for up to one month. When ready to bake, dip in melted butter and bake straight from frozen on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Add a few additional minutes for baking.

Makes 10 to 12 biscuits.

Nutella Swirled Pumpkin Bread

2011-10-13T07:30:00.000-05:00

You know that list you have made of all the fallish foods you want to make?

You have that right? It's full of apply, pumpkiny, hearty, stick your ribs kind of goodness.

You don't have that?

Let me help you start one. Here is your first recipe.

Oh, you do have one?

Well, you are going to need to scooch everything down and make room for this pumpkin bread at the top.

If you have the slightest twinkle in your eye for chocolate, this is going to make your day.

Two loaves. One to devour out of the oven and one to wrap up and make someone's day.

Prasise the Lord for fall weather. Hallelujah for Nutella. Amen.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Nutella Swirled Pumpkin Bread
Adapted from Sing for your Supper
Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large or extra large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 can (15 ounces) canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
Cooking Spray
8 tablespoons Nutella
Step by Step
In a large bowl, combine sugar and oil until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, cloves and pudding mix; add to egg mixture alternately with pumpkin, beating well after each addition.

Lightly grease two large loaf pans with cooking spray. Fill each of the loaf pans with a quarter of the batter (in total, you will use half the batter). Place 4 tablespoons of the Nutella on top of the pumpkin in each loaf pan. Using a knife, swirl the Nutella around to make streaks of chocolate throughout. Pour the rest of the batter on top, making each pan equal with batter. Bake side by side at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted near the center comes out with no pumpkin batter. You might have chocolate on your toothpick, but you do not want to have any raw pumpkin batter. Cool for 20 minutes and then remove from pan and cool completely.

Store in an airtight container for up to five days.

Serves 10-12.

Apple Crumb

2011-10-09T15:00:00.000-05:00

Happy fall y'all.

We are getting a tinge of cool breeze down here in Houston, but after the summer we have had, it feels so right to not be sweating when you walk to your car.

We are not exactly in the throws of fall, but this apple crisp seems to do double duty for being a fallish dessert, but still a bit light if you are still in the midst of some 80 degree days.

A layer of soft warm apples topped with an oat, pecan spiced filled topping. Yes, please.

So good, so easy. Just do it. Here's to fall... cheers.

It would pretty much be a tragedy to not top this sucker with a couple of scoops of vanilla ice cream.

From my little kitchen to yours...Enjoy.

Apple Crisp
Adapted from Dave Lieberman
Filling
4 large Golden Delicious apples (about 3 pounds)
1/4 cup sugar
1 medium sized lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Topping
1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of kosher or sea salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted cold butter, cut into small pieces
Vanilla ice cream (optional for serving)
Step by Step
Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.

Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or butter; set aside. Peel, core, and slice apples into 1/4-inch slices. Place apples in a large mixing bowl and toss with sugar, lemon juice, flour, and cinnamon. Pour into prepared baking dish, and spread out into an even layer. Set aside.

In another large bowl, mix together the nuts, flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, and salt for the topping. Using a large fork or your fingers, gently work in the cold butter until pea-sized lumps are formed.

Top apples evenly with mixture and bake until apples are bubbly and topping is golden brown, about 45 minutes, rotating once halfway through cooking.

This can be made up to a day ahead. Store tightly wrapped in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature or reheat in the oven for 5 minutes.

Top with vanilla ice cream to serve.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Turkey Meatballs with Whole Wheat Spaghetti

2011-10-03T16:00:00.000-05:00

I'm trying to be good.

I'm trying to eat less of these, drink these in moderation and maybe keep these to a minimum.

Self control is not my forte when it comes to food, but there is some major holiday eating to be done in the near future so I am trying my very best to give my bod a month of semi healthy eating.

But here's the newest problem. There is finally the slightest chill in the air, which makes me crave hearty, stick to your ribs fall meals.

And here's the newest solution. Turkey meatballs with whole wheat spaghetti. All the comfort, but none of the fat and cals of most comfy fall meals.

It's get better. Make a big batch, eat half (or a fourth) for dinner and stick them in your freezer. They are just as good a week or two later.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Turkey Meatballs & Whole Wheat Spaghetti

For the Meatballs

3 slices whole-wheat sandwich bread
1/4 cup whole milk
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey (93% lean, dark meat)
3 scallions, finely chopped
2 small garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 large egg
Coarse salt and ground pepper

8 ounces whole wheat spaghetti (preferably angel hair or thin spaghetti)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 cups prepared marinara sauce

Grated parmesan, for serving (optional)

Step by Step
Place bread in a small food processor; pulse until fine crumbs form. In a small bowl, mix breadcrumbs with milk; set aside at least 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine turkey, scallions, garlic, parsley, egg, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and breadcrumb mixture; mix gently with a fork. Form mixture into small balls, about 2 level tablespoons.

Arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking With hands, form mixture into balls, each equal to 2 level tablespoons; arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

For Freezing

Place in freezer making sure that the meatballs are not touching. After frozen through, at least an hour, you can transfer meatballs to a resealable plastic freezer bag. Store for up to one month. Meatballs can be cooked straight from freezer. Add at least 10 minutes of cooking time. Or meatballs can be thawed in the refrigerator over night for quicker cooking.

For Immediate Preparation

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water heavily. Cook pasta according to directions.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add meatballs (3 to 5 per person) and cook until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add marinara sauce and 1/2 cup water; cook until heated through, 5 minutes. Add spaghetti and toss to combine; serve immediately.

Makes 35 small meatballs.

Prepared pasta makes 4 servings.

Shredded Pork Tacos

2011-09-20T12:00:00.000-05:00

It's September. It's back to school time. And whether a real school schedule plays into your life at all or not, September still signifies that summer is coming to an end. Long summer meals have come to a close and it seems like September is time to get into a routine and buckle down a bit.

It's time to get some things streamlined.

It's time to have dinner magically appear for you when you get home from a long day of work.

It's time to break out the slow cooker.

Sorry...talking about crock pots just doesn't sounds nearly as jazzy as slow cookers.

And we don't have to go into the fact that I don't have a new fancy schmancy slow cooker. I have my grandmother's crock pot with all the paisley flowers and delicate riboons strewn about that just screams "I was trendy and cool in 1982." The point is... old timey or brand new, sleek chrome or ridiculously retro, you need a crock pot. Splurge if you want or pick up a rockin one from a garage sale... they all do the same thing... cook slowly.

This thing is a life saver.

I feel a slow cooker is as close as the modern world has gotten to having that maid, Rosie, from the Jetson's. Consider this jewel your dinner robot.

I'm feeling the need to really put mine to work this fall and winter so bust yours out and let's have dinner with none of the work and just one dish to clean.

These shredded pork tacos are a good place to start.

Tons of flavor and very few ingredients. I thought this recipe was outrageous when I first saw it. Cocoa powder and salsa?? Huh? But you won't believe the deep flavor you get from mixing these two. It's dynamite.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Shredded Pork Tacos
Adapted from Real Simple
Recipe Notes
If you are not use to buying pork, just branch out and do it. I avoided recipes like this for a long time because I knew nothing about pork, but for the most part, you cannot mess it up. If in doubt, tell the butcher what you are making and he will steer you in the right direction. You can find slices of boneless pork butt in most grocery stores. I chose boneless pork butt steaks because they cook faster and are available in smaller portions than a whole pork butt. You can easily double or triple this recipe. Whatever your slow cooker allows. There should be enough sauce to add a pound or more of pork without having to double the sauce. I cooked the meat for 7 hours on low. You could cook for about 5 hours on high or up to 8 hours on low. See picture below for how to prepare the meat for cooking. See picture for trimming pork butt.
For a healthier option, you can use boneless pork loin. Cut into slices to make sure all is covered by sauce. If you are using boneless pork loin, you will have a lot more meat because you have no fat to trim off.
Ingredients
2 cups store bought salsa
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
kosher salt
1 1/2 lbs. boneless pork, either pork butt or boneless pork loin (see recipe notes for options)
Corn tortillas
1/4 cup fresh cilantro sprigs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 lime
shredded cheddar cheese (optional), for serving
Step by Step
In a crock pot, combine the salsa, chili powder, oregano, cocoa powder and 1 teaspoon of salt. Remove any large strips of fat from pork (see pictures below). Add meat and coat to cover. Cover with lid. Cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours until meat is tender and pulls apart easily.

Twenty minutes before meat is done, heat oven to 350 degrees. Wrap corn tortillas in foil and bake until warm, about 15 minutes. While tortillas are warming, remove pork from slow cooker and set on medium sized plate. Using two forks, shred pork and smother with sauce from slow cooker.

Build tacos starting with pork and add a few sprigs of cilantro, and a dollop of sour cream to each taco. Add shredded cheddar cheese if you would like. Squeeze lime juice over the top of the tacos and serve.

Makes 4-8 servings. Check recipe notes to see how using different cuts of meats gives different amounts of servings.

If you are using a pork butt or pork shoulder, remove any large strips of fat from pork before adding to the crock pot. This will not be necessary with a boneless pork loin or other types of lean cuts.

Crostinis... the best thing since sliced bread.

2011-09-12T15:00:00.000-05:00

So technically crostinis are sliced bread, but the kicker is the slight toasting and the drizzle of olive oil that turns sliced bread into a sophisticated crostini.

However, it is the endless options and possibilities of what goes on top of these suckers that really gets me hyped up. Sauteed mushrooms, tomato bruschetta, cheese and a drizzle of honey, olive tapenade... the possibilities are literally endless.

The Italians have it right. Make one thing... say a mushroom sauce, and eat it on pasta today and leftovers can become a mushroom crostini tomorrow. Reason #682 my soul feels most at home in the Tuscan hills.

So this is barely a recipe, but getting this down now will make your future very bright.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

A classic Italian way of eating crostini is to toast the bread and slice a garlic clove in half. Rub the garlic on one side of the bread and then drench it in really good olive oil right before serving.

Crostinis

Recipe Notes

You can pretty much use any type of bread for crostinis, but I have two favorites... either a baguette or ciabatta bread. You just want a nice sturdy loaf... not sandwich bread.

Ingredients

Baguette or country-style Italian bread, sliced about 1/2 inch thick.

Olive oil

Step by Step

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly brush each side of the bread with olive oil and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake them until golden, about 12 to 15 minutes. Check halfway through and if bottoms are browned but tops are not, flip each piece over and finish toasting.

To serve plain, drizzle with extra olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt.

Topping Ideas:

Fresh mozzarella cheese and a thin slice of prosciutto

Marinated tomatoes to make Tomato Bruschetta

Olive tapenade

Drizzled with balsamic vinegar

Goat cheese and thinly slice roasted red peppers

Caramel Corn

2011-09-08T17:00:00.000-05:00

Hope you had a wonderful Labor Day weekend.

I learned quite a bit on my Labor Day.

We headed out of town for a one night trip to a small town called Salado, TX, & it turned into a 3 day vacay with two of our friends from college. We simply woke up every morning and decided we shouldn't go home. This led to a weekend of cooking, playing board games, eating, watching movies and antiquing. It was me with three boys in tow. And yes, we are all in our twenties... not our sixties. We stayed in a house my family owns in this small town, but doesn't visit often. With no supplies for a 3 day trip and little to work with at the house, we pulled quite a bit together.

I felt like I had quite a few revelations. Here's my top 5 from the weekend....

College football games can be extremely exhilarating.

A classic Labor Day meal can totally be made without a grill. Oven BBQ chicken, potato salad, cheddar corn fritters and a summer brew.
(recipes coming soon)

Three boys in the kitchen is actually a dream come true. I have never seen prep work come together so quick.

Leftover apple crumb makes a pretty killer breakfast. Especially when you add a savory breakfast sandwich and a cup of coffee.

Cracker Jacks have nothing on homemade caramel corn.

You should totally make this. You should totally share.

But that's the problem... it's hard to share. It's addicting.

Even for me who always picks the cheddar popcorn over the caramel popcorn in those trio cans that seem to always show up around Christmas. You know what I'm talking about, right? I know you know, that I know, that you all know what I'm talking about.

Gosh, I love those things. Maybe I should start a search for a good cheddar popcorn and we could throw together our own popcorn trios by Christmas?!

But back to the good stuff. This popcorn keeps it crunch while being bathed in a sweet and caramely layer that gets a slightly salty kick from the peanuts that go oh so well to finish it off. It slowly bakes for an hour, which makes it even more perfect for a long weekend or a holiday where you can slow things down a bit.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Caramel Corn

Adapted from DamGoodSweet by David Guas and Raquel Pelzel

Recipe Notes

It is possible to do this without a candy thermometer, but I would not recommend it if you are not use to this sort of thing. Make this your excuse to buy yourself one. It will be fool proof with candy thermometer.

I used grocery store brand "natural" flavored popcorn. Newman's Own also has a natural flavor. You can use air popped as well. Just buy a popcorn with no flavors like butter or kettle corn and you should be fine. If you air pop yourself, lightly salt it afterwards. You want popcorn that tastes pretty plain with a hint of salt.

10 cups of popped popcorn took about 1 1/2 bags for me.

Measure everything out and get your tools ready before you start making the caramel. Things will go very fast once you begin and you won't have time to grab things.

Ingredients

10 cups popped popcorn (see recipe notes)

1 cup packed light brown sugar

¼ cup light corn syrup

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup lightly salted peanuts

Step by Step

Preheat the oven to 250°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Coat a large mixing bowl with nonstick cooking spray, and dump the popcorn into the bowl, taking care to pick out and discard any unpopped kernels.

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, salt and 2 tablespoons of water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Continue to simmer, whisking often, until the mixture reads 250°F on a candy thermometer, about 3 to 4 minutes. Immediately remove the pan from the heat, and whisk in the baking soda and vanilla. Quickly pour the hot caramel over the popcorn. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the caramel into the popcorn, taking care to distribute it as evenly as you can. Stir in the peanuts, and transfer the mixture to the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour, stirring and turning the popcorn with a spatula every 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, and place on a cooling rack for 20 minutes. Gently break up the popcorn, and serve.

Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Makes about ten cups.

Strawberry Brown Butter Bettys

2011-09-01T18:55:00.001-05:00

I took myself pretty seriously the other day about the whole end-of-great-fruits-is-near announcement. I actually made these the same day I made the peach bars because I just had the need to get all this fresh fruit into different buttery, crumbly wrappers before it went bad.

I guess it all started when I went overboard on stocking up on fruit in the first place. And once I had eaten my 18th bowl of fresh berries and whipped cream for dessert, I decided to try a few fancier things. But don't get me wrong... the fresh whipped cream is just as important on these sussies as it is for fresh fruit.

I have to say my vote went to the peach bars. However, we were a divided household. Mr. Hungry loved these. So who knows where you'll end up, but at the end of the day, they are both top notch fruity little desserts.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Have you ever made anything with brown butter? You totally should. Think deep buttery golden flavor. Woah, who knew butter had a whole different dimension? This is the color you're going for.

Did you know white bread loves brown butter? Oh yeah, it soaks this stuff right up and becomes nice and crispy. I have never loved plain old sandwich bread so much.

Strawberry Brown Butter Bettys

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Recipe Notes
Every strawberry is different so you will want to adjust the amount of sugar depending on the sweetness of your berries. These were made with farmer's market berries that had great flavor, but were not overly sweet.

Ingredients
3/4 stick unsalted butter
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
6 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, finely grated
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs(Japanese bread crumbs)
2 cups strawberries, stemmed and sliced into thin slices
Fresh whipped cream, for serving (lightly sweetened)
Step by Step

Preheat oven to 350°F and adjust oven rack to the middle of the oven.

In a small pot, melt butter over medium heat. Once melted, reduce heat to medium-low. The butter will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. If you have been at it for awhile and have not seen any brown, turn the heat up slightly. Stir butter frequently and scrape up any bits that might stick to the pan. Don’t take your eyes off the pot as while you may be impatient for it to start browning, the period between the time the butter begins to take on color and the point where it burns is less than a minute. The process should take 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat.

Lightly brush the muffin cups with the brown butter, then sprinkle with granulated sugar. Roll bread slices with a rolling pin to flatten. Brush both sides with additional brown butter, then gently fit into muffin cups.

Stir together brown sugar, zest, salt and panko, then add strawberries and toss to coat. Stir in remaining brown butter. Heap strawberry mixture into cups, pressing gently.

Cover pan with foil and bake 15 minutes. Uncover and bake until strawberries are very tender, about 10 minutes more. Let stand 5 minutes before removing from pan. Serve warm or at room temperature with a dollop of fresh whipped cream.

Can be covered with foil and kept refrigerated for 2 to 3 days. You can reheat for a few minutes in the oven or eat at room temperature. Just make sure to whip up some fresh whipped cream.

Makes 6 muffin- size desserts.

Peach Crumb Bars

2011-08-26T07:00:00.000-05:00

The end is near.

The signals are mixed. Around these parts, you could be fooled by the signs, but I feel very certain I am right... the end is near.
The end of amazing strawberries, peaches, blueberries, blackberries and such is coming. Pretty much the only clear sign at this point is the calendar. Because if I was going off the weather, you would think we are smack dab in the middle of it.
But we are not so run... don't walk.... to the grocery or farmer's market and get in on the freshness and flavor of fruit that can only be found in the summer.

Did I mention these are extremely easy? Yep, run.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Oh, what do you know, we already have another desperate need for that fresh whipped cream. This is truly the icing on the cake... the cherry on top... whatever you want to call something that finishes out a dish in a perfectly wonderful way.

Peach Crumb Bars
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen & Allrecipes.com
Recipe Notes
Even in peak season, peaches can be extremely hit or miss. Depending on what kind of peaches you end up with, you might have to adjust a little bit. Mine were great, but not overly juicy. If you have really juicy peaches, you might want to add a tad bit more cornstarch. When I first made these bars, we used really sweetened whip cream because the crust was not overly sweet. Somehow, as the days went on, they got a little sweeter so we still put a dollop of cream on top, but I used less sugar.
Ingredients
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cold unsalted butter (2 sticks or 8 ounces)
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
Zest and juice of one lemon
4 heaping cups of chopped peaches
1/2 cup white sugar
6 teaspoons cornstarch

Freshly whipped cream for topping (click here)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 inch pan.

In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, and baking powder. Mix in salt and lemon zest. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the butter and egg. Dough will be very crumbly and dry. Pat half of dough into the prepared pan.

In another bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Gently mix in the peaches. Spread the peach mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer. You might have a little crust left over.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly golden brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares. Bars are easier to cut after being refrigerated. Top each bar with a dollop of fresh whipped cream.

Store in refrigerator in an airtight container for up to one week.

Makes 24 bars or 36 very small rectangles.

Fresh Whipped Cream

2011-08-23T15:37:00.004-05:00

It's Tuesday.

You look like you could use a magic trick. Nothin spices up a Tuesday like a little magic.

And I bet you this might be the tastiest magic trick you've ever seen. You also need this right now because it's the best {and easiest} dessert for this time of the year. All you need is a little fresh whipped cream to make a bowl of fresh summer berries seem like a refreshing and fancy dessert.

And no, canned whip cream does not even come close to what this tastes like. Sorry, but no.

Mr. Hungry was a little floored when he saw me whisk this up out of what he thought was liquid cream that only seemed to be useful for his coffee.

You just need a few dollops for small batches of berries so grab a whisk and this will be ready in minutes.

For bigger jobs, you might want to pull out the hand mixer or you could be whisking for quite awhile.

Summer berries are still at their prime so go ahead and put this at the top of your to do list before berries go back to being expensive and out of season. Seriously... hurry.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Recipe Notes
The exact way you make this will depend on what you are making it for. With fruit, I like to add a pretty good amount of sugar to make it sweet. If you are adding a dollop to a pie or cake, you might want to only add a little bit of sugar because you already have so much sweetness.
If you are trying this for the first time, start with very little cream. Watch how the process works and then add more. If you are making more than one cup of cream, I would probably use a hand mixer (unless you have lots of time to whisk).
* Regular sugar or powdered sugar will work. If you have powdered, use it. If you don't, you do not need to buy any. The only different is that you need to add the regular sugar early in the process so that it has time dissolve into the cream. Powdered sugar is preferable because after whipping, you can add more at the end to get to the exact sweetness you would like.
** A little vanilla goes a long way, but once again, the exact amount will depend on what you are making. I always add a dash, but if I am putting cream on something that would be great with a vanilla flavor I add a little bit more.

What you need...
Heavy Whipping Cream
*Powdered Sugar or regular sugar
**Vanilla (optional)
Large bowl
Whisk

1. Start with cold cream in a large bowl. The colder the cream, the easier and faster it will whip. Having a large bowl will also help quite a bit.

2. Time to start whipping. Make wide strokes with a whisk, changing direction every so often. This will help get air into the cream faster. Bubbles will start to form.

3. Now it's time put some muscle into it.
Exercising and making dessert at the same time? This is just the best.
When the cream starts to thicken, add sugar and vanilla (if using).

Tip: A good rule of thumb is two teaspoons of sugar for every cup of cream. Adjust sweetness according to tasate. Optional: Add about a teaspoon of vanilla per cup of cream

And before you know it, you will have peaks that look like this.

Done! Seriously, we are done. What was that, like 1 minute worth of work? And you have great looking arms.

Ah, I love magic.

Keep in the refrigerator and serve within an hour of making.

Add a dollop to a bowl of mixed berries, perhaps a freshly sliced peach, or maybe on top of a piece of pie or chocolate cake. But that means you cannot sit there and eat the whole bowl. But no one's watching... maybe just the first batch... no one has to know.

Watermelon Margaritas

2011-08-18T07:00:00.001-05:00

Big brothers are great.

Early in life? Not so much.

They steal your gameboy. They lock you out of their room when they are shooting sweet music videos with the home camcorder (I just wanted to be a background dancer). They make up fake rules when they are teaching you how to play ping pong. They leave your joint bathroom a nasty mess.

Later in life? Fantastic.

They pick you up from the airport. They give you advice about boys. They share new music with you. They marry someone great so you can have the sister you never had. They understand your teen problems because they have the same crazy parents you do. They have kids so you can have the greatest nephew ever.

And most importantly, they might introduce you to the best summer drink ever created.

Watermelon margaritas. Ah, I feel refreshed just talking about them. They take one of the best fruits of the summer and add a boozy kick for a refreshingly wonderful cocktail.

They are the perfect cocktail to serve when friends come in town. Thanks for visiting Linds!

Cheers to big brothers. Love you, Shua.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Watermelon Margaritas
Adapted from Emeril Lagasse
Recipe Notes
There are a few steps of prep work to this recipe so I've broken it up into three parts. Steps you need to make ahead, steps you can make ahead, and steps for when you are ready to have these. But make sure you freeze the watermelon at 3 hours ahead of time.
Ingredients

2 teaspoon lime zest

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

1 seedless watermelon

8 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 cup premium 100 percent agave tequila

2 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur (recommended: GrandMarnier or triple sec)

1 cup ice
lime wedges for garnish

Step by Step
Must be made at least 3 hours ahead of time...
Cut up watermelon into 1 to 2 inch chunks. Spread out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Freeze for at least 3 hours until frozen through. If you only have room for one baking sheet and you have more watermelon than allowed, place a piece of parchment paper on top of watermelon chunks and add another layer (see picture below).

Can be made ahead of time...

In a medium saucepan, combine the lime zest, water, andsugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and cook, stirring, until the sugardissolves. Remove from the heat. Cool to room temperature (Keep in a covered container in therefrigerator until ready to use.)

Chill margarita glasses in the freezer for 30 minutes.

When ready to make margaritas...

In a blender, combine 5 cups of frozen watermelon, 8 tablespoons of the cooledlime syrup with the lime juice, tequila, orange-flavoredliqueur, and ice. Blend until smooth.

Makes 4 drinks.

My solution for not being able to fit two trays of watermelon in my freezer...

a layer of parchment paper.

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Icebox Pie

2011-08-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

Two words make me weak at the knees when used in the same sentence.

Peanut Butter & Chocolate.

I should not be left alone with large amounts of anything that contains these two ingredients. The fact that this particular combo takes peanut butter and turns it into a smooth thick peanut buttery sugary whipped custard topped with drizzled chocolate and crunchy peanuts, and not to mention that it is nestled in a graham cracker crust, is breathtaking.

Are you ready for the best part?

It just so happens that this recipe can make you one big pie and four baby pies.

Discovering a recipe like this is the equivalent of what I can only imagine some people feel when the get to the top of Mt. Everest. Yep, that epic.

Here are a few of my favorites about this dish:
1. I hate taking a dessert to someone when you haven't tasted it yourself and as far as I know, it is still socially unacceptable to deliver 9/10 of a pie to someone.

2. Mr. Hungry gets irritable when I bake and he doesn't get a good portion of the goods.

3. This pie in particular happens to the be the bees knees because both the mama crust and baby crusts came straight from the grocery.

Who's ready to jump on the bandwagon and make this pie? I mean come on, it will change your life. Let's do this.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Icebox Pie
{loosely} Adapted from Bon Appetit
Recipe Notes
You have got three options for what this pie will yield. You can have one 6 oz. pie and four mini pies (this is what I did), you can have one extra large pie or at least twelve mini pies. You can't go wrong, but just know you might use a few more peanuts or a little less chocolate so use the toppings to your taste. Graham cracker crusts both small and large are sold at most all grocery stored on the baking aisle. If you cannot find them or just cannot find anything else to do with your time besides making a graham cracker crust, grab a box of graham cracker crumbs and use the recipe on the back. But store bought works great for this recipe. You should definitely use a fresh vanilla bean for best results, but you can replace with two teaspoons of vanilla extract if you must.
Ingredients
Graham cracker crust (see recipe notes)
8 large egg yolks
12 Tbsp. sugar, divided
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (click here for details on using a vanilla bean)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 Tbsp. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. kosher or sea salt
For the Topping
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate (no more than 61% cacao), chopped
2 1/2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 cup roasted, salted peanuts
Step by Step
Mix yolks and 6 Tbsp. sugar in a medium size bowl using a handheld mixer. Beat at high speed until ribbons form, stopping once to scrape down side of bowl, about two minutes. Combine milk and remaining 6 Tbsp. sugar in a large saucepan; scrape in seeds from vanilla bean and add bean. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove bean. With mixer running, gradually add hot milk mixture to yolk. Pour mixture back into saucepan. Clean bowl. Whisking constantly, bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove pan from heat; whisk vigorously for one minute. Return custard to mixing bowl; beat on high speed until cool, about 4 minutes. Mix in butter one Tbsp. at a time. Add peanut butter, powdered sugar, and salt; beat to blend. Scrape filling into graham cracker crust and smooth top. Chill until set, 2-3 hours.

While pie is cooling stir chocolate and butter in a medium size glass bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove pie from refrigerator. Drizzle the chocolate over the top in a thick layer. Sprinkle with roasted peanuts and add more chocolate if desired.

How To: Use a Fresh Vanilla Bean

2011-08-12T14:08:00.000-05:00

When I first started cooking a few years ago, I would never consider making anything with an exotic ingredient such as a vanilla bean ( I also didn't make anything with chicken unless you were grilling a boneless, skinless chicken breast). This was on my way too fussy ingredient list. And then I actually found out how expensive they are and vanilla beans got added to my I'm too cheap to buy that list as well.

Well, the stars seemed to align when I was in a cooking class and realized that there is nothing in the whole wild world that will replace the taste of a fresh vanilla bean. I don't care if you have vanilla extract from the Himalayas. Followed by the fact that I found out Costco sells vanilla beans in bulk. I think I got 8 for about $10. This is an outrageously good deal.

If you don't go to Costco, you can find them at most upscale grocery stores and it's worth splurging for a really special dessert.

I haven't thrown out my vanilla extract. It still has plenty of uses, but creams and custards deserve the good stuff. Here are your two easy steps to getting to the good stuff.

Using a very sharp knife...

... from top to bottom.

Using the back of that sharp knife...

That stuff that looks like dirt is the good stuff.

Before you toss the pod, check and make sure your recipe does not use it. Some call for simmering the pod with a custard before you discard it.

Check back {very soon} for a way to put this bad boy to good use.

Gorgonzola Iceberg Wedge Salad

2011-08-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

I just about never pass up an iceberg wedge salad on a restaurant menu. And I can guarantee if I do, I already know their dressing is no good. There is something so refreshing and satisfying about a good wedge and I figured if you get the dressing down, the rest would be a piece of cake.

This gorgonzola dressing is absolutely perfect. You'll never come close to matching its taste with a bottled dressing. And it's a whole lot healthier than those dressings made with mayo and sour cream. Tastes even better the next day.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Gorgonzola Iceberg Wedge Salad

Ingredients
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup Greek yogurt (I used fat free)
1 large garlic clove, minced
8 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
salt &amp; fresh ground pepper
1 head iceberg lettuce, cut into 4 wedges
1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
Optional: 4 pieces of cooked, crumbled bacon
Step by Step
In a medium bowl, stir the buttermilk, Greek yogurt, and garlic together. Add in 2/3 cup of the Gorgonzola to the dressing. Smash the cheese into the sauce to help it blend. Stir in a few more sprinkles of the gorgonzola and leave them chunky. Season with salt &amp; pepper and set aside.

Arrange the lettuce wedges on individual plates. Spoon the dressing over the wedges, top with tomatoes and remaining Gorgonzola (and bacon if using). Sprinkle fresh cracked pepper on top and serve.

Refrigerate dressing in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Makes 4 salads. Or two salads one night and two the next...

Sangria

2011-08-08T08:45:00.004-05:00

What prestigious award did this sangria win, you ask?

Oh, it was big. Real big.

Mr. Hungry, our friend JD and I headed to Barcelona, Spain for one of our weekend trips from Florence this summer. We found the most amazing tapas bar... so amazing we ate there both nights of our stay. The waiter told us that their sangria was very popular and we immediately ordered a pitcher. I was surprised when he started making it from scratch right in front of us. I was under the impression that you let Sangria sit for a long time to really get it good.

After I had one sip, I was on a mission to find out this recipe. All three of us decided we could most definitely make it the best. Long story short, we knew there was a sangria competition to be held when we got home. Well, that contest has officially taken place and I just happen to have the award winning recipe. (I can't say I was that surprised considering I schmoozed our waiter for the recipe).

Are you ready for the secret? Lemon Fanta!

Sadly, I could not find this when it was competition time so I used Fresca, but I'd go with Lemon Fanta if I were you.

It's a pretty perfect summer drink. Cheers to staying cool.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Sangria
Recipe Notes
The key to keep this fresh is only adding the ice and Fanta (or Fresca) right before serving. You can mix all other ingredients and refrigerate ahead of time, but add those two at the end. Cointreau is an orange liqueur and is a little pricey. However, you can use it in all sorts of drinks. You can buy and small airplane size bottle of gin and brandy if you do not have those on hand. I did not have a pitcher that was good for mixing so I mixed in a bowl and added to a pitcher. Mixing in a pitcher or bowl will work just fine.
Ingredients
1 small orange, cut into thin slices
2 small lemons, cut into thin slices
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon Cointreau
1 Tablespoon Gin
1 Tablespoon Brandy
1 bottle red wine (I used a Cabernet)
1 can Lemon Fanta (or Fresca)
Ice
Tools
Wooden spoon
Glass pitcher
Step by Step
Place orange and lemon slices in the bottom of a glass pitcher (or large bowl).
Pour sugar and 3 liqueurs over the slices.
Mash the fruit with the wooden spoon until the juice is released from the slices. Fill the pitcher with ice. Pour bottle of wine and can of Lemon Fanta and stir with wooden to spoon to mix. Pour into glasses, garnish with fruit slices and serve cold.

{slightly chunky} Tomato Gazpacho Soup

2011-08-02T07:00:00.016-05:00

It's hot as blazes around here. Until further notice, my oven is closed.

Who's with me? If you're not with me, it means you live in one of those places with perfect summer weather and I would rather not hear from you right now.

But if you are in my boat... the temps are above 95 or the humidity hits you in the face like a wool blanket when you walk outside...then get ready.

This heat has even changed my taste buds. I've never been one for cold soups. Just no appeal really. I liked em hot and savory, but since this i-must-eat-only-cold-things hit, it sounded like a pretty good idea to have something both cold and savory.

Not to mention the fact that tomatoes are out of this world right now. It's amazing how good foods taste when they are actually in season.

There is a little bit of prep work here, but no heat so that's a plus. Have any favorite chilled or frozen recipes you'd like to share? Email me, please. Let's band together against this heat, shall we?

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Here are a few pics from the process...

The way I like to go about getting the seeds out of a cucumber. Slice in half and then slice diagonally on both sides to remove the strip of seeds.

but as the saying goes, there's more than one way to skin a cat.

This is a good size chunk to aim for with all your veggies...

This thing is a work horse...

Finally got all those veggies processed. As you can see, I still had some chunks, which is why I chose the hand blender to help me out at the end.

Tomato Gazpacho
Adapted from Ina Garten
Recipe Notes
I prefaced that this was slightly chunky because if you like gazpacho and you like it extremely smooth and creamy, that is not what you are going to get from this recipe, but I love the texture.

Ingredients

1 cucumber, halved and seeded, but not peeled

1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded

4 plum medium sized vine ripened tomatoes

1 small red onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups tomato juice (23 ounces)

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 tablespoon kosher or sea salt

1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Special Equipment

Small food processor
Optional Equipment
Hand blender

Step by Step

Roughly chop the cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, and red onions into small 1 inch chunks. Put each vegetable separately into a small food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until it is coarsely chopped. Leave slightly chunky; do not completely liquefy.

After each vegetable is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving. Optional: If you would like a little more creaminess with small chunks, you can use a hand blender at the end to get the consistency that you like.
The longer gazpacho sits, the more the flavors develop.

Keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Serves 4-6.

Taste Florence Winner!

2011-08-01T12:44:00.001-05:00

And we have a winner...

Congratulations to Stephanie! You were #33 on the comments... Congrats!
If you didn't win, you definitely should still put Taste Florence on your itinerary when in Italy!

Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches

2011-07-28T12:00:00.004-05:00

There is a lot more Italy to come.

However, since we've been back, I've been doing my best to cool things down around here since it's so darn hot, so let's talk about a few things to beat the heat.

If macaroni and cheese is the fall's best comfort food, then ice cream sandwiches take the cake for summer's best comfort food.

And something about this cookie with that ice cream is about the most addicting thing I've ever had.

I've always been a Blue Bell girl, but Mr. Hungry requested these one night and he likes Hagen Daaz. So I thought I would choose my battles and go with Hagen Daaz and man, am I glad I did. There is something about the texture and taste of Hagen Daaz that fits perfectly with this cookie.

You really can't mess this up so I've got one piece of advice... make a lot. They go quick.

{All you need}

A batch of my favorite chocolate chip cookies + Vanilla Hagen Daaz ice cream

{All you do}

Leave the ice cream out and let it get really soft. Or you can stick it in the microwave for about 15 seconds. Scoop a small bit on to one cooled cookie. Smash together with the other cookie. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Freeze sandwiches without touching each other for at least one hour. After sandwiches have frozen separately, they can be stored in an airtight container for up to one month.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Little Kitchen Giveaway- NOW CLOSED

2011-07-25T07:00:00.002-05:00

It's Monday... let's spice it up a little, shall we? I have a really great giveaway from Taste Florence.

Taste Florence brings travelers to the city’s tastiest foods, educating them as they experience the best Italy has to offer. Read all about the tour here. This is my kinda tour. I don't mind learning about history as long as there is food involved. And you are in one of the most amazing historical cities in the world so you can feel like you got your dose of history as well.

One lucky reader will receive two free tickets to "The Original Taste the Best Tour." This is a 158 euro value (which in case you are not in the know about the dollar right now, that comes out to over $200 U.S.).

Maybe winning these tickets will be just the nudge you need to finally book that trip to Italy! You have two years to use the tickets and if all else fails and you can't get there, this would be a great gift for a friend or family member traveling to Italy.

How to enter:
Simply leave a comment below that you want to be entered. You can either leave contact info in your comment or check back to see if you won. Entries who do not leave contact info, have one week to check back and see if they won. If they do not respond, another winner will be chosen.

Extra entries:

*Follow KitchenLittle on Twitter*

*Post about this giveaway on Facebook or your blog*

{Leave a separate comment saying if you are following on twitter or posted about this}

Good Luck!

{The Details}

One reader will win two tickets to "The Original Taste the Best Tour" in Florence, Italy.

You have two years to use the tickets.

Value: 158 euro

This is an international giveaway so you don't have to be in the U.S. to win!

Contest open until Friday, July 29. Winner will be picked through random.org and announced on Monday, August 1.

Homemade Gnocchi

2011-07-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

Homemade pasta use to scare me. Maybe scare is the wrong word, but I would have never thought about diving into such a task on my own. That all changed on my first trip to Italy and was reaffirmed this summer when I went back. There are just a few ingredients and the taste you get doesn't come close to what you buy at the grocery.

I thought gnocchi would be a great first pasta dish to share because there is no special equipment needed... just patience. This is not a dish for the faint of heart. It can take practice and patience. I am probably not winning you over right now on the idea of venturing into gnocchi making, but I don't want to make this seem like all rainbows and butterflies. However, if you get it right, you will jump for joy at what you have created.

Gnocchi is little pillows of pasta made out of potatoes. It pairs really well with fresh tomato sauces or thick cheese sauces. I wanted to share the recipe I learned at Villa San Michele. Simple and just so fresh.

So here we go.

Gather your ingredients.

(We will chat about those riced potatoes at the end)

Place your flour, potatoes and egg in a bowl.

Using your fingers, press the ingredients together until you get a nice ball of dough.

Knead the ball of dough until smooth with no big lumps.

Take about a 1/4 cup of dough and roll out into long strands about an inch thick.

Cut into 1 inch pillows.

To get perfect ridges, you would need a gnocchi paddle, but you can use the back of a fork to form ridges. Press each pillow against the back of a fork to indent small lines. This will help the gnocchi soak up sauce.

Cook gnocchi in salted boiling water. The gnocchi will float to the top when they are finished cooking.

While sauce is still cooking add gnocchi and toss. Serve hot. And just like that, you've made homemade pasta.

Go on, put yourself out there.. try this in your own kitchen. If not, just make sure this class is on your bucket list.

Gnocchi
Recipe from Villa San Michele Cooking School
Recipe Notes
One more warning. This is not the normal little kitchen recipe. It's not quick, it's not something you are going to read and get on the table tonight, but instead a fun kitchen project that is rewarding if you stick with it.
Ingredients
About 2 pounds of starchy potatoes (2 or 3 large russets)
2 or 3 pinches of salt
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
1 cup unbleached, all purpose flour
Step by Step

Fill a large pot with cold water. Salt the water, then cut potatoes in half and place them in the pot. Bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes until tender throughout, this takes roughly 40-50 minutes.

Remove the potatoes from the water and allow to cool only enough for you to be able to touch them. You want to mash them while they are still hot. Place each potato piece on a large cutting board and peel it before moving on to the next potato. To get the potatoes mashed, you can either push them through a ricer or just use a fork. If using a fork, you want to create a nice fluffy potato base so you do not want to mash it to death. Run your fork through the potato until there are no noticeable lumps.

Cool the potatoes enough so that egg will not cook when added to the potatoes. When potatoes are cooled, place in a medium sized bowl. Add the beaten egg and egg yolk, flour and salt. Mix together using your hands until you create a dough ball. The dough should be moist, but not sticky. Add a little extra flour if the mixture is too sticky. Cut dough into 8 pieces. Roll each piece out into a long skinny log, about a ½ inch thick. Using a pastry cutter or knife, cut ¾ inch little pillows. Dust with flour and repeat until you have used all of the dough. Save the potato water.

Let the potatoes cool spread out across the cutting board - ten or fifteen minutes. Long enough that the egg won't cook when it is incorporated into the potatoes.

To shape the gnocchi, hold a fork in one hand and place a gnocchi pillow against the back of the fork prongs. With pressure, use your thumb and press in and down the length of the fork. With confidence and an assertive (but light) touch, use your thumb and press in and down the length of the fork. The gnocchi should curl into a slight curved shape, their backs will capture the impression of the fork prongs as tiny ridges, goodperfect for catching sauce later. Set each gnocchi aside, dust with a bit more flour if needed, until you are ready to boil them. This is the step that takes practice. My first five to ten always look a little rough, but you will get the motion down.

When you are ready to cook the gnocchi, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in about 20 at a time so they are not too crowded. They will let you know when they are done because they will float to the top. Using a slotted spoon, remove from the water about 10 seconds after they have reached the top. Add to whatever sauce you will be serving. Continue until all gnocchi are cooked. Lightly drizzle with more sauce or olive oil. Serve hot.

Serves 6.

Travel & Cook: Morning with the Chef at Villa San Michele

2011-07-19T08:00:00.002-05:00

I spent a month in Italy this summer and now it's time to share. I will be posting my favorite cooking experiences that will rock your world (and recipes, too).

Today, I have another jewel to share with you from the hills of Fiesole.

Imagine...

You are finally in Italy and you've got yourself a jam packed schedule. You have already tried to squeeze too many museums and sights into your day or two in Florence, but you realize how cooking in Italy might be an even more moving experience than seeing the David. So you get yourself into an easy to find shuttle off of the busy Piazza della Repubblica and you are whisked into Fiesole, a 15 minute drive into the hills above Florence. You wind your way up and suddenly you get dropped off here...

I suggest arriving a little early because it is going to take you awhile to adjust to being in this magical place.

While you are having a coffee on the terrace, the executive chef of 30 years greets you and takes you down to your kitchen for the day. Along with an assistant chef, you get settled into your personal work station.

You find out you are making a traditional Italian meal with a few secrets, and you are soon busy pulling out silver trays from your personal kitchen with all of your ingredients perfectly portioned.

There's a traditional panzanella salad...

where you even learn a fancy way of plating.

There's gnocchi...

with a fresh tomato sauce.

And then, are you sitting down for this? You will learn the secrets behind the restaurant's tiramisu. Traditional, with a twist.

At this point, I had enjoyed myself immensely and thought it was a wonderful experience. There was only one odd thing... after we made the panzanella, we took a couple of bites of our own creation and then the chef discarded the rest. Same with the gnocchi. We made quite a few and we only cooked a couple to taste. Then, the chef gathered up the rest of our gnocchi and whisked it away to the kitchen. I briefly thought... surely we are not making gnocchi for them to serve their dinner guests tonight. Surely we are not a part of their assembly line (not that I would be too sad about that). But then, when we finished the tiramisu and they whisked it away, I realized we would actually be eating a sit down version of this meal together on the patio.

And let me tell you, I could live on this patio.

So now, it's time to walk around and soak up this amazing property. Villa San Michele was a monastery that dates back to the 15th century. The villa's facade is attributed to Michaelangelo and is still intact. The rest of the property has kept its amazing Tuscan charm while being transformed into a dreamy getaway overlooking Florence. While you are waiting on lunch to be served, you've got a couple of options.

You could relax in the gardens overlooking Florence.

You could go smell the lemon trees. Is that weird? I couldn't stop myself. And you don't see lemons like this everyday.

Or you could head up to the pool area for the absolute best views.

Now let's not forget about lunch. Time to head back through the flower adorned paths to the dining room.

Time to sit down on the patio with our new best friends from our morning of cooking and enjoy our lunch... mostly prepared by us, but fancied up by the great chefs at the restaurant.

First, is the fancily plated panzanella salad.

Next, gnocchi with a fresh tomato and basil sauce.

And then, you eat your own creation of this special tiramisu recipe.

And in case you have any room left at all, help yourself to a few cookies and an espresso.

So there it is. A Morning with the Chef cooking class that has left you full and happy from all the wonderful sights and sounds you have taken in. A huge perk to this class is that it will fit into any schedule. You arrive around 9:45 am and arrive back in Florence by 2:00 pm.

The cooking school is worth the splurge. Eating dinner on this terrace is also worth the splurge. But if you are looking for luxury, you can stay at the hotel with very easy access to Florence during the day. I was lucky enough to peak into a few rooms just to give you an idea of what it would be like to stay here. Each suite is like a little bungalow tucked into these gardens bursting with lemon trees and hydrangeas.

It might just be the most quiet and relaxing place I've ever found myself. What a perfect little retreat after a long day of touring. The only problem I could find with staying here is you might miss seeing Florence altogether. Trust me, it's hard to leave.

Put this on your list for your next trip to Italy, but in case you won't be finding yourself in Fiesole any time soon, I will be bringing you the recipes.

Antipasto Platters

2011-07-18T07:00:00.000-05:00

I make a mean antipasto platter.

I'm not sure that's really an accomplishment since there is little that you are actually cooking, but they are always a hit at cocktail parties. It's kind of the perfect answer to what serve at a party in the summer. You turn on your oven for .5 seconds and then you just assemble.

Granted this is another one of my non-recipe recipes, but sometimes the simpler the better. And what better for a cocktail party than savory food that you do not have to keep warm and can be assembled ahead of time? Perfection.

This is my personal version of an antipasto platter. Traditionally, they are made with a variety of meats and cheeses, but I like to spice it up a bit. I thought I'd share my favorites, but let's get real, the possibilities are endless.

So let's get started...

I always include marinated tomatoes. Click here for recipe. They have such great flavor and very addicting. You just need to think about these the night before so they can marinate, but that's about all the prep work there. Moving on...

These prosciutto wrapped asparagus are what make this platter feel fancy. Check below for recipe...

My favorite cheese to serve is this marinated mozzarella. This big tub comes from Costco and is super cheap for the quantity. I prefer this to just plain fresh mozzarella balls because these have a lot more flavor.

You need some crackers to balance all this. My two favorites are Carr's table water crackers and these Italian breadsticks that can be found at most specialty grocery stores. They also add nice height.
And then I like to pile on olives. But I'm an olive person. If you are not, let's talk about some other ideas.

Thin slices of prosciutto, cuts of salami, artichoke hearts, sliced hearts of palm, piles of nuts, dried apricots... again more of my favorites, but they all work pretty well.

Hopefully you have something to work with here. Now go ahead and invite your friends over.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Proscuitto Wrapped Asparagus

Recipe Notes

The key to this is having extremely thin proscuitto. If it is thick, it will be hard to bite through. Costco sells a great prepackaged very thinly sliced prosciutto at a great price. Or ask your butcher to cut it paper thin. Be careful to not overcook the asparagus. You want it slightly cooked, but still crunchy... not mushy. Asparagus size can vary dramatically so if you have very thin spears, keep your eye on them.

Ingredients

Asparagus (2 to 4 per person)

Prosciutto, about 1/2 a slice per piece of asparagus, sliced paper thin.
olive oil
kosher or sea salt
freshly ground pepper
Step by Step
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Trim the white, woody ends of Spread the asparagus in one layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast asparagus for about 5 minutes (see recipe note for timing). Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Cut each piece of prosciutto in half, so you have two strips. Wrap each piece of asparagus with a half piece of prosciutto. Repeat until all asparagus have been wrapped. Can be made up to 6 hours in advance and kept refrigerated. Serve at room temperature.

Tiramisu

2011-07-14T10:00:00.004-05:00

I spent a month in Italy this summer and now it's time to share. I will be posting my favorite cooking experiences that will rock your world (and recipes, too).

Hi, it's me again... but this time I actually have a recipe. Gosh, it had been so long it took me awhile to crank this one out.
At least it took about twice the time as it did for me to down this tiramisu.

This is the recipe of the moment for so many reasons...
A. No turning on the oven required. Here in 102 degree Houston that is reason enough, but wait, there's more.
B. It's so easy! Maybe it's just me, but I thought tiramisu was fancy and you had to be real fancy in the kitchen to make it. False. Easy as can be.
C. You can make this in advance. In fact it actually tastes better the next day. I absolutely adore recipes made in advance. I absolutely hate slaving away at the last minute before mealtime.

So just in case you needed convincing, I hope you're on board now because here we go!

Wait... a fun fact before we get going. Did you know? The translation of Tiramisu in Italian is "pick me up", due to the sugar and caffeine combo in the recipe.

Now we are ready...

All you need is to prep your different layers and begin building...

Layers of coffee & liqueur soaked lady fingers...

with delicious creamy filling....

topped with cocoa. It's just dreamy.

This was one of my favorite recipes I picked up at Cooking in Tuscany. Simple, but so good.

Can't beat that with a stick.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Traditional Tiramisu
From Cooking in Tuscany
Recipe Notes
This is one of those recipes that you cannot really mess up if you have your different parts made correctly. I prefer to use small individual dishes, but you could also make this in a shallow dish to feed 4 together. If you need to feed more, use a larger dish and double or triple the recipe.
Ingredients
3 large eggs, separated
3 Tbs sugar
8 oz. mascarpone cheese
2 Tbs. coffee liqueur or amaretto (optional)
4 Tbs. ml espresso or strong coffee, cold or at room temperature
8 to 10 oz. lady fingers
cocoa powder
Step by Step
With an electric mixer, beat the egg yokes and sugar until the mixture is thick and pale. Add the mascarpone and keep whisking. Mix in the liqueur or amaretto and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites and a pinch of salt until firm. You want your egg whites to get stiff. Using a spatula, gently fold them into the mascarpone mixture. Place the cold coffee in a shallow bowl. Dip the biscuits in the coffee then place them in the serving dish in a single layer. Pour the mascarpone mixture on top of the layer of biscuits. Place another layer of coffee-soaked biscuits on top and repeat the process until all biscuits have been used. End with a layer of the mascarpone mixture on top. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and chill for a few hours or overnight. Before serving, dust the tiramisu with cocoa powder or freshly grated chocolate.

Travel & Cook: Cooking in Tuscany

2011-07-11T14:55:00.094-05:00

I spent a month in Italy this summer and now it's time to share. I will be posting my favorite cooking experiences that will rock your world (and recipes, too).

Close your eyes. Um, I mean finish reading this post and then close your eyes. I would like you to take a small break from your day... you deserve it... and let's talk about where you need to find yourself next summer.

Go ahead and pour yourself a nice glass of chianti and then let's chat. Feel free to have a couple of glasses because at the end of this post, we are booking a trip to Italy.

Are you ready?

Imagine yourself walking along the Arno river in Florence. You walk yourself to an-easy-to-find corner and you find a charming older gentleman named Aldo who is waiting for you.

You hop in his van with possibly a few other delightful vacationers and you head to the hills of Tuscany.

You arrive at a beautiful villa and get dropped off right in front of your kitchen for the day.

You meet a wonderful Italian chef who gives you an apron, offers you espresso and a cookie and lets you get settled in.

You get introduced to the menu of the day, which is sure to be chock full of Italian favorites and seasonal delights.

Next, you jump in and start cooking, while listening to Andre Bocelli.

Along with the chef and other classmates, you spend several hours learning about different methods of Italian cooking and having a completely hands on experience.

There are nibbles along the way and and glass or two of vino to keep you going.

Just a few hours later, you sit down with your new best friends and eat a 5 course meal complete with lovely wines that came from just outside in the villa's vineyard.

You might be eating vegetable risotto with a homemade vegetable stock and shaved parmesan...

or a baked pork with grapes and rosemary...

perhaps fresh sheets of tagliatelle pasta with a porcini mushroom sauce...

and if you're lucky... real lucky... you might make individual servings of tiramisu that will knock your socks off.

So who's ready to book that trip?

Okay, so I know that 's a big commitment and maybe you need to think it over or at least find a few lucky friends, family members or strangers to join you. But when you are ready, I want you to have all the information at your fingertips.

This cooking school is called Cooking in Tuscany. This is just the tip of the iceberg of what they can actually offer you. They have week long cooking schools, market tours, wine tours, night classes, day classes and so much more. They also rent villas near the school, and throughout the Tuscan hills outside of Florence. If you need more info, email me... or you could cut me out altogether and check out the website... but I sure love a good email... and I have a lot more to say.

Don't worry... if you don't see Italy in your immediate future, I am bringing it to you. I can't just leave you hanging with all the pics, can I? I know it's hard to believe since it has been so darn long, but this is a cooking blog and I will be sharing these recipes starting now. Well, not now... maybe tomorrow? Does that work for you?

Seen you soon... ciao.

hi there.

2011-07-07T08:00:00.003-05:00

Well, I'm back.

Sort of.... kind of. I mean, yes, I'm here, but my mind is somewhere in the past debating over the day's fare: pizza or 4 cheese gnocchi.

The last month was nothing short of incredible. That's actually the problem. It was so incredible I don't even know where to begin. When we took off for Italy I knew great food and fun cooking were in my future, but every moment was so unforgettable, it's hard to consolidate my thoughts on the whole trip.

Although far from exhaustive, the following is a glimpse of what my trip consisted of (and a little explanation of what I've been doing in case you are new here)....

Where have you been and why did you take off to Europe for a month?
Mr. Hungry is in law school. He will graduate this December, so in honor of his last summer before the real world, he wisely chose to study in Florence for a month. I mean, why not? Classes about international sports law in the morning and la dolce vida by 1:30 pm? Yes, please.

Of course I wasn't about to be left behind for even one second so I tagged along. While he went to class each day, I went to different cooking schools so that I could come back and share new recipes, but also hopefully find some gems that I could point you to in case you find yourself in Italy. And let me assure you, I have found a few experiences that are a must if you ever find yourself there. And here's the good news... even if you are with people who don't like to cook, you should assure them they will want to join because every experience promises a lovely meal with lots of wine at the end.

The cooking schools and recipes will be coming first, but I was also able to pick up a few new dishes from restaurants that we fell in love with.

Here we go...

There was much fresh pasta and gnocchi making.

Coming soon: The secret ingredient I learned that will make your pasta sheets stick together without water.

There were markets with only the freshest ingredients everyday... I couldn't bring these back with me, but it did inspire me to always cook with what's in season.

Then two dear friends, Katie & Abby, arrived and we headed to the hills of San Gimignano for a day of cooking (and lots of eating).

The three of us took a little side trip to Capri and we somehow winked our way into a kitchen to learn the secrets behind the best lemon linguine on God's green earth.

Coming soon: The recipe and exactly how to get yourself to this restaurant if you ever find yourself in Capri... it's worth it.

Gelato on the reg...

There were pizzas that could not have been more simple, yet so good. I get giddy just thinking about it.

Coming soon: My attempts to recreate.

There was a weekend in Barcelona, Spain.

And let me tell you why this is very important. We found the best tapas bar in town and I might have sweet talked my way into getting the recipe for the best Sangria...ever.

Coming soon: Info on how to find this place, but most importantly, a sangria recipe that will knock your socks off.

Parmesan zucchini toasts and fried zucchini blossoms that I am eager to share.
I am confident these recipes can reform any zucchini hater.

And I feel like it's time I admit to a little habit/obssession/ love of mine. Haribo gummies. Most famous for the original Haribo gummy bears, this is a candy company that makes anything and everything you can possibly imagine in gummy form. They have way more varieties in Europe so I picked up a new kind almost daily.
This here was the animal kingdom variety that I first spotted on our road trip to Germany.

And then there was Paris...

I took a break from cooking and just focused on eating. I have been dying to come here as long as I can remember and I had a very short time to fit in all of the things I had dreamed about eating in Paris.

The French Onion soup was the best I have ever had. So decadent with all that cheese, but somehow light and refreshing at the same time.

I could barely contain myself every time I saw a crepe stand.
Most of the time I was full, but I had to get one anyway.

And then... in our final hours of this month long trip, I found the most charming macaron store straight out of a fairy tale with every flavor and color you could imagine.

We had just had a three course meal for lunch and I thought I had seen and eaten it all.

But what's a girl to do? It's Paris.... It's a French macaron.

So naturally, we each picked a flavor...
me, cherry speckled vanilla bean... Mr. Hungry, chocolate,and ended our trip on the sweetest note imaginable.

My favorite chocolate chip cookie... Ciao, for awhile

2011-06-01T07:00:00.001-05:00

I had plans... big plans. Some plans included guest bloggers, other plans included all types of summer recipes that would magically appear over the next month while I'm gone.

However, reality is that it will be quiet around here. It was a little more hectic than I thought trying to pull everything together to be gone, but I will be leaving you with my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe while I am gone for a month.

I will leave you with my top reasons to keep coming back while I'm gone and when I return:

1. I could have kept you guessing all month long if a new recipe would appear. Points for honesty?
2. Somehow, I've had this little piece of the internet for over 2 years so maybe you can find something amusing in the archives.
3. This is my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe that I'm leaving you with... that should count for something, right?
4. And most importantly, I will hopefully be doing quite a bit of cooking in Italy and I promise to share my recipes!

So I hope you have a great summer and let's chat about this cookie really quick before I take off.

If you asked me if I like chocolate chip cookies I would say "a lot, and no not at all." You see, there are so many kinds and I would probably never just pick one up from a grocery store, but if it's the kind I like I could eat a whole plate without blinking an eye.

What's my type you ask? I like' em not too heavy on the chocolate (but don't skimp either), soft but a little bit of chewiness is good too. And apparently I have found that I love oats in them as well. They provide the perfect hearty texture and mixed in with the butter and brown sugar, you've got yourself a perfect cookie.

So if that description fits you in the least, maybe this could be your new favorite cookie too.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

p.s. I am aware that you are not suppose to publicly post on the internet the fact that you will be away from your home for a month. However, this is what I have to say to that...
a. We have someone staying at our house all month so if there was a way you could possibly track down my address, the house will not be empty.
b. Have you noticed the name of this blog? This little kitchen is in a little old house so I think if you did take the time to track down where I live to rob us, you would be sorely disappointed.

Ciao.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 large or extra large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups instant oatmeal
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (12 ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips
parchment paper
Step by Step
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In the bowl of an electric mixer (or regular bowl if you are using a hand mixer), cream butter and sugars. Add eggs and beat to mix.

In another bowl, sift flour, baking soda and salt together. Add dry ingredients to wet. Add oatmeal, vanilla and chocolate chips and stir to combine.

Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, allowing 2 inches between cookies. Bake for 10 minutes. Loosen from cookie sheet immediately and transfer to a cooling rack.

Baked Eggs

2011-05-25T12:00:00.002-05:00

What are you doing this Saturday?

Cancel your plans. Call your friends. You're making brunch, more specifically, you're making this dish. Your friends will think Julia Child visited you in your sleep and taught you how to really cook.

Only you will know that this might be the easiest thing you've popped in the oven.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Baked Eggs in a Spinach Mushroom Nest
Adapted from Gourmet, 2004 via Smitten Kitchen
Ingredients

10 oz baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 oz mushrooms, thinly sliced (2 cups)
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 extra large eggs
2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan

Tools

4 ramekins

Step by Step

Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 450°F.

Bring 1/2 inch water to a boil in a heavy skillet, then add half of spinach and cook, turning with tongs, until wilted, about 30 seconds.

Add remaining spinach and wilt in same manner, then cook, covered, over moderately high heat until spinach is tender, about 2 minutes. Drain in a colander and cool under cold running water. Gently squeeze handfuls of spinach to remove as much liquid as possible, then coarsely chop.

Wipe skillet dry, then cook onion and garlic in butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and increase heat to moderate, then cook, stirring, until mushrooms are softened and have exuded liquid, about 3 minutes. Stir in cream, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and chopped spinach and bring to a simmer.

Remove skillet from heat. Divide spinach mixture evenly amongst four ramekins. Using the back of a spoon, create a circle indention in the middle of each dish. Break an egg into each ramekin and bake, uncovered, until egg whites are set but yolks are still runny, about 10 minutes. Lightly season eggs with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with cheese.

MAKE AHEAD: You can prep the spinach mushroom nests the night before. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, crack the eggs in each dish and bake. Bake an extra minute or two until egg whites are set.

This is a new favorite for me because I don't like egg yolk (I just came around to eating egg whites a few years ago) and I can make everyone's portion according to the way they like it.

Cheese & Chicken Enchiladas

2011-05-17T20:16:00.000-05:00

I'm sure there are a few Mexican mamasitas rolling over in their graves right now at the shear thought of me calling this an enchilada. So let me just be up front and tell you this is not a traditional Mexican enchilada or even a traditional Tex Mex enchilada for that matter. But if you ask me, roll cheese and chicken and a yummy sauce up in a tortilla, bake them side to side and you've got yourself an enchilada. Call them whatever you want, but just know you will probably be asked to make them again and again if you share.

This would also be a great recipe if you have a few little hands (or big hands) around that need to work for their dinner. Set up an enchilada station and get them to work.

Ready? Here we go...

Make your ranch sauce and divide in half. Mix half with the diced chicken and set half aside.

Take your extra ranch sauce and cover the entire tortilla.

Spoon that drenched chicken down the middle of the tortilla.

Add salsa or hot sauce for a little kick.

Top with cheese, and please, don't be shy. The more cheese the better. Trust me (this one might look a little under-cheesed, but the ones that we really stuffed full were the best).

Roll up these bad boys and place seam side down in a baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Cheese and Chicken Enchiladas

Adapted from Annie's Eats

Recipe Notes

The easiest way to make this is to buy a cooked rotisserie chicken. They are sold in almost all grocery stores ready to go. If you prefer, you could roast your own chicken. Depending on how much you stuff these, you will end up with between 10 and 15 enchiladas. Eat one tray now and you can freeze the rest for next week. Wrap tight with saran wrap and freeze. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator or on the counter for an hour. Cook about 10 minutes longer than usual or until tortillas are nice and crispy.

Ingredients:
1 deli style cooked rotisserie chicken (about 2 lbs)
8 oz. reduced fat sour cream
1/2 cup milk (I used 2%)
1 packet ranch dressing mix
Flour tortillas (10-15)
Jar of salsa
Shredded mexican cheese or cheddar cheese (We used almost 4 cups, but I'm really cheesy)
Directions:
Remove skin from chicken and shred or dice all white meat. You should end up with about 3 cups; set aside in a medium sized bowl. In another bowl, combine the sour cream, ranch packet and milk. Stir until well combined. Add half of the sauce to the diced chicken and mix well. Keep the other half of the sauce in the bowl.
Preheat the oven to 375°. Grease a 9 x 13″ pan (and possibly another, smaller pan if needed). Take one tortilla and top with a little less than 1 tbsp. of the sauce from the small bowl. Spread over the tortilla in an even layer. Add some of the chicken mixture to the center of the tortilla. Top with salsa to taste. Sprinkle with shredded cheese, to taste (don't be shy with the cheese). Roll up tortilla and place, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining ingredients (usually makes 10-15 enchiladas).
Bake in preheated oven for 25-35 minutes (30- 35 for a crispier tortilla). The texture is better if you resist the urge to take them out before they are really crispy. Allow to cool a few minutes before serving.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Squash Ribbon Salad

2011-05-16T08:47:00.000-05:00

I know I don't have anyone on the edge of their seat over squash ribbons, but come on, stay with me. Seriously, stay with me... it's worth it.

I first tried the ribbon method for this pasta and I all of a sudden became a squash fan. It turns a rather bland, sometimes boring veggie into a thin, crisp tool that can soak up great sauces without being heavy. The ribbons turn into something refreshing and crisp that taste somewhere between a fettucine noodle and leaf of lettuce. Does this make sense? Keep following...

I rarely get pumped about a big bowl of greens, but this offers more taste, and the bright pops of yellow ribbons are springier than spring itself.

So come on... just try it. Please? Thank you.

Summer Squash Ribbon Salad
Adapted from the kitchn
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds zucchini or yellow squash
1 shallot, very thinly sliced... as thin as you can possibly get it (about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup basil chopped finely
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
2 ounces goat cheese
Step by Step
Trim the ends off the squash and using a vegetable peeler, or knife, cut the squash lengthwise into very thin strips.

Place in a large bowl with the sliced shallot, olive oil, and vinegar, and gently toss to combine. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Then add the basil and pine nuts and gently toss to combine.

Transfer to a serving dish and crumble goat cheese on top. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings (or 2 big main servings).

Cheesy Crash Potatoes

2011-05-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

Chances are you've seen this recipe (sans the cheese). Cause let's get real, when the Pioneer Woman posts something, there are not many people interested in cooking that don't see it.

So I'm gonna keep this short. She posted these little potatoes and I knew I had to try them. I'm pretty sure ice cream is the only thing that hasn't gotten a sprinkle of cheese on it in my kitchen so I just had to use a little cheddar on these and let's just say it was a great decision. So no matter what you're cooking tonight, chances are these potatoes could be a quick easy side.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Cheesy Crash Potatoes

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

12 whole small red potatoes (or other small round potatoes)
3 Tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Rosemary to taste

Shredded sharp cheddar cheese, about 1/2 cup

Step by Step

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make and cook them until they are fork-tender. On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil. Place tender potatoes on the baking sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato.

With a potato masher (or large fork), gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with more olive oil.

Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and fresh chopped rosemary (or chives or thyme or whatever herb you have available.)

Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Half way through cooking, about 10 minutes, remove potatoes from oven and sprinkle each on with cheese. Place back in the oven and bake for another 10 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and potato is browned.

Makes 3 to 4 servings.

Mother's Day Brunch

2011-05-03T20:52:00.000-05:00

Did you know Mother's Day is soon?

I repeat MOTHER'S DAY is soon.

May 8 to be exact.

Never underestimate the importance of Mother's Day. You will probably be cursed for the rest of your life if you don't go out of your way to thank your mother for dealing with you all those years.

If you are old enough to read, it means you've given your mother some trouble so be sweet.

What better way to celebrate the woman who will probably cook for you more in your lifetime than any other person in the world than to cook her a feast. Sure, you can go out and celebrate at a restaurant, but what do moms really like? You...in the kitchen, putting a little love into a brunch... AND doing the dishes after.

It's no secret I've been on a brunch kick, but here are a few of the reasons that back the obsession. I could never throw a breakfast... too early for me, but lunch time just doesn't sound as jazzy.. By brunch, you can serve hearty breakfast foods mixed with sweet breads and muffins and top it off with a mimosa or bloody mary. Below are some menu ideas from the archives. Still working on what I will actually serve this year, but these have all worked well at brunches in the past.

p.s. if you no longer have a mom around, you can always celebrate another mother in your life, or someone who has been like a mom to you. Guaranteed, there will be tears. Thanking someone for being a "great mom" to you? Yes, there will be tears, tears of joy.

{Mother's Day Brunch Menu}

Mimosas

Mixed Berry Fruit Salad

Spinach, Artichoke & Ricotta Pie

Maple Roasted Bacon

If you are like me, and like a little dessert with brunch...

Lemon Lime Tea Cakes

Blackberry Shortbread Bars

Keys to hosting a brunch:
Cook only one stove top item. The last thing you want to do is spend all your time over the stove trying to cook items that are all last minute so they are nice and hot. This menu is perfect for that because you can cook the bacon and pie in the oven at the same time.

Make everything in advance. I would consider this the golden rule, but maybe that's just because I'm not a morning person. I would rather wake up and stick a few things in the oven while I get ready than think about waking up at the crack of dawn for prep work. With these two main dishes, the prep is so minimal it's okay to leave it till the morning, but you could always cook the pie and just reheat in the morning if you wish. Even fruit salad can be tossed together the night before.

Another reason this menu works well together... you can put the pie and bacon in at the same time.

Roasted Shrimp Cocktail

2011-05-02T13:00:00.000-05:00

Shrimp lovers, let's make a bet.

Make this recipe and you will never again be as excited about boiled shrimp cocktail. Not to take the wind out of your sails for boiled shrimp, but the simple step of tossing these with olive oil, salt and pepper and roasting gives so much more flavor than boiling in water and serving ice cold.

This is one of my favorites for an appetizer or cocktail party because it's easy and fancy all at the same time.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Roasted Shrimp Cocktail
Adapted from Ina Garten
Recipe Notes
One thing that makes this recipe incredibly easy is if your shrimp are already peeled (tails left on) and deveined when you buy them. My go to store for this item is Costco. In their freezer section, they have large 15- 20 count shrimp (and they also carry larger shrimp) in 2 1/2 pound bags for $9.99 a pound. This is such a steal for the fact that they are high quality shrimp and they are already peeled a deveined. You can look up homemade cocktail sauce recipes, but I like the prepared cocktail and remoulade sauce from Central Market that can be bought in the seafood section (literally in the seafood section, on ice, next to the fish).
Ingredients
2 lbs. large shrimp (15-20 count), peeled and deveined with tails left on
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
To Serve:
Cocktail Sauce
Remoulade Sauce
Step by Step
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place shrimp on a baking sheet. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and spread in one layer. Roast for 8-10 minutes, just until pink and cooked through. Set aside to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Cranberry Scones

2011-04-28T07:30:00.013-05:00

In case you've been living under a rock, there's a wedding tomorrow. A royal wedding.

So let's make scones, shall we?

I blame it on the Today Show. I blame the fact that I know the names of Kate Middleton's twice removed cousins and all about her humble beginnings on the Today Show. There has been coverage on this wedding at least 20 minutes a day on the morning news for the last two months, and now I must watch the wedding.

And for some odd reason, most subjects or happenings I hear about always translate into food for me. The minute I hear of an event like this, my mind goes straight to the food I can eat while watching such a spectacle. Shepherd's Pie and Yorkshire Pudding came to mind but didn't appeal, and scones ultimately prevailed in the not-so-competitive field of English fare.

I've always avoided most scones because there is such a fine line between a good scone, and a scone that is too dry. They traditionally have a little bit of a dry taste, but this recipe will change your mind on what a scone should even taste like. These are seriously addicting and a new favorite in my book.

Here's the recipe scoop...

Scones seemed a little bit complicated to me so I did a step by step so you have no excuses. Seriously, these are so good and they took me exactly 20 minutes to prep... exactly 20 minutes and that's with pictures and this being my first time so just come on, trust me and make these. I bet you won't be sorry. If you don't want to trust me alone, I will let you know that this recipe is adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. They do wonders with recipes and test them a thousand times to perfection.

So here we go...

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium size bowl. Using a pastry cutter, mix dry ingredients.

Cut chilled butter into 1/4 inch cubes.

Scatter the butter evenly over the top of the dry ingredients.

Cut butter into the dry ingredients and continue to cut butter until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal with a few slightly larger butter lumps.

Add the cranberries and stir into mixture.

Stir in the cream with a rubber spatula until the dough begins to form, about 30 seconds.

Turn the dough and any floury bits out onto a floured counter.

Knead until it forms a rough, slightly sticky ball, 5 to 10 seconds.

Press the dough into a 9-inch cake pan.

Unmold the dough.

Cut into 8 or 12 wedges.

Place the wedges on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake until the scone tops are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. (This was exactly 12 minutes for me and if you are not sure, check the bottoms of the scones to make sure they are not getting too brown). Coll on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cranberry Cream Scones
Adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook
Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 12 minutes
Recipe Notes
I made these the old fashion way with a pastry cutter. If you don't want to deal with getting out a food processor, use my steps. If you don't have a pastry cutter or want to use the food processor, follow the steps below the recipe. Resist the urge to eat the straight from the oven. Scones actually taste better when you lest them rest and set up a bit.
Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for the counter
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
3/4 cup cranberries
1 cup heavy cream
Tools
Pastry Cutter or Food Processor
9 inch cake pan
Step by Step
Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium size bowl. Using a pastry cutter, mix dry ingredients. Cut chilled butter into 1/4 inch cubes and scatter the butter evenly over the top of the dry ingredients. Cut butter into the dry ingredients and continue to cut butter until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal with a few slightly larger butter lumps. Add the cranberries and stir into mixture. Stir in the cream with a rubber spatula until the dough begins to form, about 30 seconds. Turn the dough and any floury bits out onto a floured counter and knead until it forms a rough, slightly sticky ball, 5 to 10 seconds. Press the dough into a 9-inch cake pan. Unmold the dough and cut into 8 or 12 wedges. Place the wedges on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake until the scone tops are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. (This was exactly 12 minutes for me and if you are not sure, check the bottoms of the scones to make sure they are not getting too brown). Coll on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

PREPPING WITH A FOOD PROCESSOR
Fit a food processor with a dough blade. Pulse the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a food processor to combine, about 6 pulses. Scatter the butter evenly over the top and pule until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal with a few slightly larger butter lumps, about 12 pulses. Add the cranberries and quickly pulse once to combine. Transfer the dough to a bowl and continue witht he steps above.

Maple Roasted Bacon

2011-04-27T07:30:00.000-05:00

Remember that breakfast pie from yesterday?

Meet its new best friend... maple roasted bacon. He's sweet, salty and slightly crispy. He's not exclusive though; he gets around and pretty much goes well with any breakfast/ brunch you could imagine.

I'm willing to bet he would cozy up nice to french toast, pancakes or anything else you fancy in the morning. This bacon will rock your world.

Have you ever roasted bacon? There's no turning, there's no grease popping in your face, and it comes out slightly chewy, slightly crispy. It's pretty perfect.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Maple Roasted Bacon
Adapted from Ina Garten
Recipe Notes
I've tried roasting bacon before and it didn't work out. The only thing I can attribute this to is the bacon. I used an extra-thick applewood smoked bacon. The thickness helped it stay chewy, but crisp on the outside. This recipe calls for a baking rack. I used this pan that came with our oven that has a slotted pan over a a shallow pan. If you have a metal baking rack, that will work too. You just need something that allows the grease to drip down.
Ingredients
8 slices extra thick cut bacon
1 tablespoon good quality maple syrup
Tools
Baking rack
Step by Step
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place a baking rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet. Arrange the bacon in a single layer on the rack. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the bacon is beginning to brown and crisp. Carefully remove the pan from the oven (be careful because there will be a lot of hot grease on the lower level pan). Brush each slice of bacon with maple syrup and continue to cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until bacon is browned and crisped, but not burned. Place bacon on a paper towel to drain slightly. Serve warm.

Serves 4

Spinach, Artichoke & Ricotta Pie

2011-04-26T08:00:00.029-05:00

We did some serious brunching over the long weekend.

When I woke up all I wanted to do was remain in my pjs and come up with hearty new dishes to try; so that is exactly what I did. I did it for you, I did it for me... I did it for us.

No fuss, much frill; from my little kitchen to yours... Happy Brunching.

Spinach, Artichoke and Ricotta Pie
Adapted from The Kitchn
Recipe Notes
Make sure and add the avocado for serving. It is optional, but pairs perfectly with the pie. This dish also warms up really well in the oven the next day for leftover.
Ingredients
1 cup canned artichokes, chopped
5 ounces spinach, roughly chopped (1/2 a small bag)
8 ounces ricotta cheese
4 ounces grated or shredded Parmesan
4 extra large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Vegetable oil or cooking spray to coat the cake pan
1 avocado, thinly sliced (for garnish)
Step by Step
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9 inch cake pan lightly with olive oil. In a large bowl, combine the eggs and cheeses. Roughly chop the veggies and add to the cheese/egg mixture. Add salt and pepper. Stir until combined. Pour contents of bowl into the greased cake pan and cook until custard is set, about 40-50 minutes. Cool on a wire wrack for 5-10 minutes and serve with 3 slices of avocado per piece.

Serves 4-6

I would have said this definitely serves 6, but I added 4-6 because this was all that was left after the two of us got ahold of it.

Recipe Round Up: Easter Sides & Desserts

2011-04-23T09:47:00.000-05:00

I'm sure none of you are in my boat. I'm sure you've had your Easter meal planned out for awhile now, but I'm still trying to decide the two dishes I'll be taking to our family lunch tomorrow. Just in case you wanted to squeeze in one more recipe or were still in a pickle like me, here are a few ideas...

Happy Easter.

Tomato and Asparagus Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette.

Did you know pops of color are so in right now?

Herbed Goat Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes.

A perfect app... like little stuffed Easter Eggs.

Martha's Mac n Cheese
Such a classic.

Lemony Green Beans with Mushrooms

So fresh.

Lemon Pistachio Tartlets

Easy to share.

Blackberry Shortbread Bars

You'll be such a star if you make these.

Lemon Lime Tea Cakes

These won't last long.

Parmesan Thyme Crackers

Such savory little things.

happy humpday.

2011-04-20T18:25:00.001-05:00

{source}

I'm guest posting over here today with some of my favorite brunch recipes.

Check it out!
p.s. sure wish this is where I was brunching.

Lemony Green Beans with Mushrooms

2011-04-17T19:11:00.000-05:00

I have not always had the best relationship with green beans. For the longest time, I thought of green beans in one way... short, a lifeless shade of green and extremely mushy, served along side mystery meat and mashed potatoes. They only seemed to show up in cafeterias for me and they just seemed sad. It really wasn't until I spotted this recipe in my favorite cookbook that I thought I should give them a shot. Sure glad I was able to move on because this is a keeper. Bright and crisp beans mixed with mushrooms in a light and lemony sauce is just wonderful. Just a few ingredients, healthy and quick... what more could you ask for?

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Lemony Green Beans with Mushrooms

Adapted from Peace Meals, Junior League of Houston

Recipe Notes

Cremini mushrooms look a lot like white button mushrooms. The outsides are just a little darker and they have a heartier taste. I recommend using these, but if you can't find them, substitute white button mushrooms. For the green beans, "trimmed" simply means to cut off both ends. For a how to on blanching the beans, click here. Remember, you want them to stay crisp so cook just until they turn bright green.

Ingredients

3/4 pound fresh green beans, washed and trimmed

2 tablespoons butter

8 ounces cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced about a 1/4 inch thick

coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

zest and juice of one lemon

Step by Step

Blanch the beans in boiling water and cook for about 4 minutes until tender and bright green. Cool the beans under cold running water, drain and set aside. Heat the butter in a medium saute pan over medium- low heat. Add mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes over medium heat. Do not stir. Season well with salt and pepper. Mix in seasonings and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Add beans, lemon zest and juice. Cover pan and cook for 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

Thin Mints

2011-04-11T19:20:00.002-05:00

The search for a homemade thin mint recipe started about 3 weeks ago when I ordered Mr. Hungry his favorite Girl Scout cookies and thought I was being quite generous with 4 boxes. I assumed he would eat a few now and we would probably have a box a week in the freezer over the next month. Six days later when all 4 boxes were gone, I decided it was time to find a homemade alternative. I mean, I love supporting the Girl Scout's and all, but our grocery budget doesn't quite allow $20 a week to support a cookie habit. Just a few days later, I found out these cookies were on someone else's mind as well.

These were great and especially when frozen, taste just like the real thing. From your house filled with mint aromas from the baking process to the delight of having these stocked in the freezer even when it's not Girl Scout cookie season, this one is a keeper.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Thin Mints
Adapted from Baking Bites
Recipe Notes
It's best to use a high quality chocolate for this recipe. I used Guittard semi-sweet chocolate chips and they worked great. If your chocolate is not quite thin enough, you can add a little extra butter, but beware, if you add too much butter, your chocolate will not harden as well. For the cooking time, make sure you take cookies out when edges are firm, but before the whole cookie is very firm. My friend Allison said hers turned out "beyond crisp." Every oven is a little different, so test the edges at 11 or 12 minutes and adjust accordingly.
Ingredients
for the cookies:
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup milk (any kind)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
for the coating:
12 ounces dark or semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
parchment paper
Step by Step
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. With mixer on low speed, add the milk and the extracts. The mixture will resemble curdled milk. Slowly add the flour mixture until well incorporated and fluffy.

Shape dough into two long logs, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter (4 cm). Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 2 hours, until very firm.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Using a sharp knife, slice dough into round no more than 1/4 inch thick. Slice carefully so they are as close to the same thickness as possible. You will have some very soft and others very hard if they differ too much in thickness. Make sure they are no more than 1/4 inch thick or they won't be crispy. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cookies can be very close together because they will not spread much at all.

Bake for 13 minutes (see recipe notes); until the edges of the cookie are firm. Allow cookies to cool completely. In a microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate and butter. Microwave on high power for 30 seconds. Remove and stir; continue microwaving in 30 second increments, stirring between each, until chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth.

Dip each cookie in melted chocolate and rotate to cover whole cookie. Using a fork, scrape off extra chocolate so there is a thin coating. Place cookies on parchment paper or wax paper to allow to cool and set; at least 45 minutes. Reheat chocolate as necessary to keep is smooth and easy to dip into.

Best served frozen.

Makes 4 dozen cookies.

Kitchen Registry 101: any questions or advice?

2011-04-08T14:06:00.000-05:00

I get quite a few emails and questions about wedding registries pertaining to the kitchen. And after my experience, I love nothing more than trying to share the little info I know on the subject because let me tell you, it was a train wreck at times for me. Whether you are really into cooking or not, let's face it, you will most likely get more stuff for your kitchen when you are getting married than any other time in your life and if you do it right, you will have things that last you a life time. So I am going to put together a few posts about things I'm glad I knew when registering and things I wish I had known. If you have any questions or things you would like me to cover, leave a comment or send me an email. I am by no means am an expert so if you have any tips you learned along the way, I'd love to include them so shoot me an email.

This is where my registering story began, three years ago...

When you get engaged, some girls start dreaming about the dress they will wear and the flowers they will carry. Me? I started having dreams of Le Creuset dutch ovens and 12 cup food processors. Getting to pick out shiny new kitchen gear and then receive these gifts at parties and in the mail from dear friends and family seemed magical. Am I alone here?

Mr. Hungry and I took off for the registry event at Williams Sonoma that takes place every Sunday before the store opens because in my mind, this store was a must. This is where I almost lost my mind. I quickly realized that the endless types of fry pans to the 6 options for zesters was more than I had expected. I mean, I liked to cook, but when it came to brands and materials, I didn't really have a clue.

And then I had to deal with what I had not even thought about... Mr. Hungry having his own ideas as to what we needed in the kitchen. As I am stressing over trying to educate myself on nonstick pans vs. stainless steel pans, I start to hear this little beep beep... beep beep. I realized this was the sound of the scanning gun we had been given and quickly put it together that I could not see Mr. Hungry who was armed with the gun. I turn the corner to see him scanning some drinking glasses. I thought no, no you don't just pick random glasses. I wrestled the gun away and went back to trying to find a normal cheese grater instead of this gourmet one that cost $40.00. Apparently I had set the gun down while looking at different options because before I knew it, I was hearing those beeps again. I go searching for him again and found him crouched down in front of an industrial size meat slicer. Yes, apparently Williams Sonoma sells these and apparently Mr. Hungry thought it was a must have. I laughed until I realized he was serious. He said, "Ash, of course we need this... I will cut fresh meat for sandwiches all the time." Besides the fact that the actual machine would take up a whole counter, I said... REALLY?? You think we are going to keep slabs of meat around that could feed an entire army?? We left.

This began our troubles with registering. Between being overwhelmed and coming to the realization that there would be two of us doing this, we left. I needed to figure a lot out before we even thought about going to another store.

Looking back it was comical, but at the time, I was just stressed. So, from picking out everyday dishes to what types of pans to invest in I will share the world of registering according to me, which like I said, I'm no expert, but I feel like I've learned a lot along the way.

Leave a comment or email me, ashleaktaylor@gmail.com with questions you would like me to cover or advice you have to share.

Stay tuned...

A great make ahead meal... Lightened Up Chicken Parmesan

2011-04-05T10:00:00.002-05:00

After this post, I've been trying to deliver on my promise for fast and healthy recipes. Combining that with this post and the picture disaster, I found it appropriate to re-post this recipe. I also made it oh-so practical by subbing my favorite canned tomato sauce for the homemade one.
{however the homemade one is still amazing and the recipe is here}

Now on to why this is such a great make ahead meal. You can basically do all the cooking and prepping before, refrigerate and pop it in the oven for broiling whenever you are ready to eat. Makes it pretty perfect to put together right before dinner time. The total prep is not hard either so if you have about 30 minutes, you can put this altogether at one time.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

p.s. This is my favorite pasta sauce for absolutely everything... Bertolli Olive Oil and Garlic

Lightened Up Chicken ParmesanRecipe Notes
If your broil browns things extremely quickly, you can put the setting on 500 degrees F to let the cheese melt instead of putting it on broil. If you have a great french skillet and are making 4 or less chicken breasts, follow the instructions about putting the pan in the oven. If you don't have a great pan, you have more than 4 portions, or if you are making it ahead of time and are going to be refrigerating, cook all of the chicken as directed and then transfer chicken to a glass casserole dish before adding sauce and cheese.
Ingredients
For the chicken
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon fresh oregano or thyme leaves
1 teaspoon fresh Italian parsley leaves
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
4 chicken cutlets (or if they are really thin and small, use 8)
Thin slices of fresh mozzarella (1 or 2 per piece of chicken) OR 1/2 shredded mozzarella
4 teaspoons grated parmesan
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 1/2 cups favorite jarred marinara sauce (see my favorite above)
Step by Step
Preheat the oven to broil.

In small bowl, stir the oil and herbs to blend. Season with salt and pepper. Dip each chicken cutlet in the olive oil herb mixture until well coated. Heat a large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. Add the cutlets and cook just until brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the skillet from heat. (see recipe note if you are not using a high quality, heavy duty pan or if you are making this for later).

Spoon the marinara sauce over and around the chicken. Lay a slice of mozzarella on each piece of chicken or place a small amount of shredded mozzarella on each. Top with a teaspoon of parmesan on each piece.
Broil until the cheese melts and sauce is bubbling, about 1 minute.

The tale of a chicken cutlet.

2011-04-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

Are you familiar with the term chicken cutlet? If not, let me put it in these terms. You go to the store and buy a boneless skinless chicken breast. It's this thick and chunky piece of meat that sometimes even has a little bit of fat on it. Now you go to a restaurant and order some fabulous chicken dish and you get this tender, very thin and juicy piece of meat.

Maybe it's just me, but for a long time I just could not figure out how to get that kind of chicken at home. Enter the term chicken cutlet. This is that sweet thin piece of chicken that soaks up any kind sauce wonderfully. So this is a quick how to on how to get yourself one of those.

Now there is nothing glamorous about a fledgling piece of meat or the fact that I only had my iphone to photograph with, so I chose the dramatic black and white photos to tell the story of the chicken cutlet.

Take a chunky, straight from the super market, boneless, skinless chicken breast. Place it on parchment paper on a sturdy counter top.

Using a sharp knife, cut the chicken in half horizontally. If your chicken is not too thick, you can skip this step, but I have never met a piece that didn't need a slice. Cut off any pieces of white fat.

The preferred tool would be a meat tenderizer so if you have one, pound out the chicken until it's extremely thin. If you do not have one of these, lay a piece of parchment paper on top of the chicken and use the bottom of a very sturdy, thick glass and pound it out really thin. You could use a rolling pin to pound it too.

In summary, the step I found the most important is cutting it in half horizontally. This leaves only a little pounding left to do. I'll be back soon with a couple of my favorite recipes using chicken cutlets. If you take my word for it, try this one or this one. They were part of my picture debacle so there are not photos of the finished product, but they sure are tasty.

Lemon Pistachio Tartlets + a confession + some news

2011-03-29T14:46:00.002-05:00

First the confession...
Have you heard of Food52? I have and I have been secretly holding out on you because I want to to win and I would like to keep the entries to a minimum. Okay, so I realized this was unfair of me and if you haven't, you should check it out.

It is a website that requests a certain type of recipe each week for a contest {for example: give us your best late winter tart recipe} and you have one week to turn in a recipe. If you win, you are published in a cookbook that they publish once a year... get it? 52 recipes for 52 weeks= food 52. Anyway, they upped the ante big time a couple of weeks ago and when they asked for late winter tarts, they announced that if you won, you would be flown to New York to be on the Martha Stewart Show to make your tart to help celebrate her new pie and tart cookbook.

I was beside myself. Being on the Martha Stewart show is on my bucket list and although I'm at the ripe old age of 26, you can never check things off too soon. Anyway, I went to work on lots of versions of this original recipe and came up with my lemon pistachio tartlets. By the time I finally turned it in, I really didn't have much hope of actually winning. There seem to be true professionals on this site who have been entering for years and I was up against 265 other tarts.

No I did not win, but...
So when I found out I wasn't chosen as one of the top two to be voted on, I wasn't that surprised, but I had high hopes of being a part of the honorable mentions... aka editor's picks. Food52 puts out a few of their picks of all the entries and asks members of the community to test them out. Those that are given great reviews are picked as Editor's Picks.

So I am happy to say that I did get picked as an Editor's Pick! It was exciting for me and especially because I am still venturing into the world of making recipes my own.

So all that to say, I just wanted to share a little foodie triumph and share this recipe that would be pretty darn perfect for brunch or shower. I love easy, mini pick up food, which is why I insisted on these being mini and they turned out to be quite addictive too.

Just in case you want to check out other editor's picks, click here for a link to the blog post...

Now for the tartlets...

Lemon Pistachio Tartlets
Recipe Note: If you would rather not mess with candied lemon peels, you can leave that garnish off, but I do like the extra layer of lemon myself.
Makes 48 tartlets For the crust and candied lemon peels:

FOR THE CANDIED LEMON PEELS

3 large lemons (look for ones with thick skin)

3 cups sugar

FOR THE CRUST

3/4 cups unsalted butter

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest

1 teaspoon almond extract

144 whole roasted and salted pistachios, shelled (about 2 cups unshelled)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Using a vegetable peeler, peel off pieces of the skin from top to bottom into long ribbons. Place peels in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring water to a boil and simmer for one minute. Drain water and repeat one more time. Dissolve 3 cups of sugar into 2 cups of cold water. Bring water to a boil and add lemons. Turn heat to low and let simmer for one hour.

Meanwhile, melt butter in medium sized saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and add sugars, zest and almond extract. Stir to combine. Add flour and stir with a wooden spoon until combined and crumbly. Let crust rest for 15 minutes.

Spray two mini muffin tins with a good coat of nonstick cooking spray. After crust has rested for 15 minutes, spoon a heaping teaspoon of crumbly dough into each cup. The goal is to get the entire cup covered with the least amount of dough. Technique: Using your thumbs, press dough into the bottom of the pan. Then, use your thumbs to spread the dough up the sides until whole cup is covered evenly. Bake crusts for 8 minutes. Allow to cool and drop 3 pistachios into each cup.

After lemon peels have simmered for an hour, remove from liquid and allow to cool. Cut peels into 1 inch chunks. Lemon peels will not dry out completely, but can be stored in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

For the filling, glaze and finishing touches:

FOR THE FILLING

1 1/2 cup sugar

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoons salt

3 XL eggs, room temperature, beaten

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

FOR THE GLAZE

1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon butter, melted

FOR FINAL TOUCHES

1/4 cup powdered sugar

Prepare filling while crusts are baking and lemon peels are simmering. In a medium sized bowl, stir together sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. Add eggs, zest and juice and stir to combine. Using a tablespoon, fill each crust cup with lemon filling. Fill to the top of the crust line, but do not go over. (if filling floods out over crust, it will be more difficult to remove from pan). Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in pan.

Meanwhile, prepare glaze. Combine powdered sugar, lemon juice and butter in a small bowl. Using a pastry brush or small spoon, paint the top of each cooled tartlet with the glaze and place a sliver of candied lemon on top of each. Slide a small, sharp pairing knife in between the crust and pan until each tartlet pops out. When ready to serve, dust heavily with powdered sugar.

Can be stored in an airtight container up to one week.

baked sweet potato fries

2011-03-25T08:00:00.001-05:00

I'm on such a roll. Looks like I might have made this whole resolution thing a little too easy on myself. Which I know it was downright silly that I had never used sweet potatoes in the kitchen, but I'm hooked. I had one bad experience trying to bake them and they just turned out half burned, half uncooked with not much flavor. After looking at lots of recipes, I came up with this combo and it's been working really well.

I have to make another plug for even those who think they do not like sweet potatoes. Another reason I have not had these in my kitchen is because Mr. Hungry claims he does not like sweet potatoes. What do you know, even he likes these sweet potato fries. So if you have stayed away from sweet things, maybe give this one a try.

{sidenote: This is one of those recipes that I researched and copy and pasted from the internet and printed out. Somewhere along the way, I have lost the source so if you recognize it, let me know and I will be happy to give credit!}

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Recipe Note
In these pictures, the fries are pretty wide. I have made them several time now and actually get better results when they look more like traditional french fries, 1/2 inch wide on all sides.
Ingredients
1 lb sweet potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Step by Step
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Peel sweet potato with a vegetable peeler. Using a sharp knife, cut sweet potato into long strips, about 1/2 inch on each side. Try to make the pieces as even as possible so they will cook for the same amount of time. Place sweet potato strips in a sealable plastic bag. Add olive oil, paprika, salt and cinnamon. Toss to coat evenly.

Spread the potatoes in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes until just browned, turning every 10 minutes to prevent burning. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and serve warm.

Panko Crusted Salmon

2011-03-23T08:00:00.001-05:00

This is not a new dish to my kitchen, but I finally was able to take a picture of what has become my favorite salmon recipe. My favorite part is that is feels a bit fancy, but could not be easier to make. Panko breadcrumbs have such a great crunch and the herbs give it such fresh flavor. Panko is a Japanese bread crumb that stays crunchy when regular bread crumbs can become soggy and gives you a good crunch without frying. This is such a great quick one.

Thanks to my friend Mary for passing this one on!

From my little kitchen to yours... enjoy.

Panko Crusted Salmon
Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil

2 pieces, thick boneless salmon fillets

1 tablespoon honey mustard

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped

1/3 cup panko bread crumbs

1 tablespoon parsley

1/4 teaspoon paprika

2 lemon wedges

Step by Step

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Set salmon on a foil lined baking sheet, skin side down. Sprinkle heavily with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, mix the rosemary, bread crumbs, parsley and paprika. Spread a thin layer of honey mustard on each fillet. Top salmon with a packed layer of the bread crumbs. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Roast the salmon for 10-14 minutes. Test salmon to make sure it is firm all the way through and starts to flake when poked with a fork. Squeeze lemon juice on each fillet and serve.

Makes 2 servings.

Deep Fried Brownie Bites

2011-03-21T07:28:00.002-05:00

If doing this is wrong, I don't want to be right.

First, let me explain. There is an amazing restaurant in Houston called Beavers. If you are anywhere within 100 miles of Houston, you should make it a point to eat there. And don't leave until you have a dessert called Beaver Balls. It is deep fried brownie balls with peanut butter powdered sugar, ice cream and vanilla sauce.

I had to give you some context so you didn't think I sit around and dream up ways to make the richest dessert I've ever made even richer. When I made these over the top fudge brownies, I had just been to Beavers and got the crazy idea to replicate the dessert. So I balled a few of these up and froze them.

I've been on spring break for the last week and thought there has never been a better time to try and fry these up. Oh, they were so good... so good. If you've made these brownies, you know they are so rich so you might as well freeze a couple for a rainy day and try this out. Yum.

I promise to get back to some practical, quick and healthy recipes soon!

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Deep Fried Brownie Bites

Recipe Notes

If you do not have a fry thermometer, you can heat the oil over medium high heat. Toss a little bit of flour in the oil and if it simmers quickly without burning, your oil is ready.

Ingredients

Over the top fudge brownies, frozen, rolled into golf ball size balls (click here for recipe)

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 large egg

1/2 cup seltzer water or club soda

Vegetable oil, for frying

Step by Step

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and baking powder. Add the egg and half the seltzer and whisk well to combine. Add more seltzer as needed until the batter is thick and the consistency of heavy cream. Add just enough vegetable oil in a deep, heavy pot to cover the brownie balls (about 3 inches deep). Heat oil to 350 degrees F (see recipe note). Dip the chilled dough balls in the batter and carefully place them in the hot oil. Turn balls a few times until are sides are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels, sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve warm.

My new favorite tool + Summer plans

2011-03-16T11:11:00.000-05:00

This could totally be one of those things that everyone knows about and I've just been in the dark about all these years, or maybe it could be new news to you too. Do you have a marble rolling pin? I would wager to say this has changed my life. A little extreme I know, but the fact that I know longer spend time scraping dough of any kind off of my rolling pin is nothing short of wonderful.

My boss gave me this beautiful rolling pin for Christmas and while I was sure I would use it just because it was so pretty, I had no idea it would work better. I don't have to flour things to death to keep them from sticking and the glass stays nice and cool.

On to what has been preoccupying most of my time...

We are going to Italy this summer! I can barely wrap my mind around it still, but Mr. Hungry will be studying abroad in Florence so we will be there for a month. And on to why I am sharing this with you... I will be going to a few cooking classes while we are there.

To make a very-long-I-could-go-on-for-days story a little shorter, I will sum up why I just can't believe this is happening again. The summer after I graduated from college, I spent some time in Europe that included two weeks in Florence going to cooking school with my friend Allison. Every part of the trip was magical and I just never ever thought I would have the chance to spend more than a couple of days there again.

{we can thank our chef Genarro for the angle on this photo that he just insisted was a great idea}

{oh, these markets... I dream about these markets}

I had a love of cooking going into that trip, but it really changed everything. From learning the importance of kosher salt to making homemade pasta, it sealed my fate for a love of food and cooking.

We are working on planning the details, but I am most excited to share with you my cooking adventures. Okay, that is all for now... I just felt like I could not go on another day without sharing. If you have any must see (or eat) places in or around Florence, I would love for you to share.

Oh, and one more thing...

{picture via pinterest}

We are ending our trip with 3 days in Paris and its almost too much to handle. I have never been and have spent too many nights dreaming of curb side cafes and fresh pastries. I feel like I'm six again and my parents just told me I finally get to go to Disney World.

Tomato & Asparagus Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette

2011-03-04T08:31:00.001-06:00

Spring is still in my air here in Houston and I continue to find vegetable dishes that are packed with flavor. This is such a great salad with so many fresh flavors. If you make the vinaigrette ahead, you could have this on a weeknight, but I think it is special enough to serve at a luncheon or a dinner party. I just love all those colors.

That's all I have to say about this... it's just good. Today, I'm working on putting together a few menus for a catering job so I'm looking for inspiration for what to serve at a baby shower. Have any bite size favorites you would like to share?

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Tomato & Asparagus Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette
Adapted from Peace Meals, Junior League Houston
Recipe Notes
You might gasp a little when you see the price tag on champagne vinaigrette. There seem to be varieties that are expensive. I bought the most inexpensive jar and it has lasted me a long time so it turned out to be a good investment. Unless you like your salads drowning in dressing, you will also have plenty left over to use for another salad or to make this again. Blanching is simply cooking a vegetable in boiling water for a few minutes to bring out it's color and then shocking it with cold ice water so that the cooking stops. If you would like an in depth refresher, click here.
Ingredients
1 clove garlic, peeled
1/2 cup Champagne vinegar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
coarse salt
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
dash of sugar
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
for the salad:
1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed and cut on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, any color, halved
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Step by Step
Crush the garlic clove with the side of a knife blade. The the clove (leaving it in one piece) to a mixing bowl. Add the vinegar, pepper, and a dash of salt; allow to sit for 30 minutes. Remove and discard the garlic. Whisk in the mustard and sugar; slowly add the olive oil, whisking constantly to emulsify.
Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Blanch (see note above) the asparagus for 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Combing the asparagus and tomatoes in a medium bowl. Add the cheese and toss with desired amount of the vinaigrette; season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for up to four hours. Toss again before serving and adjust the seasonings as needed.

Store extra vinaigrette in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one month.

Serves 6-8.

Snickers Ice Cream Pie

2011-03-02T08:00:00.000-06:00

picture via Real Simple

Anybody in the mood for an extremely easy dessert recipe? It's just crazy the work I put into some things in the kitchen and then a recipe like this comes along that is refreshing and decadent and so darn easy. If you have any love for caramel or Snickers, I'm going to go ahead and wager that you will love this.

Oh yeah, and why is it that I don't have a picture of the final product? I made this for a co-workers birthday and it was gone just as soon as we had it sliced.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Snickers Ice Cream Pie
Ingredients
2 pints Dulce de Leche Ice Cream (my favorite brand is Haagen Daaz
14 Snickers Fun size bars, unwrapped and cut into thirds (about 1 1/2 cups total)
Step by Step
Soften ice cream by leaving it out for 30 minutes to an hour or microwave each pint for 10 to 20 seconds. Line an 8 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Let it hang over the edges.

Arrange chopped Snickers in the bottom of the pan. Press ice cream gently into the pan. Freeze until firm, about 6 hours. Pull overhang of parchment paper to invert snickers pie onto a plate and slice immediately with a sharp knife.

Spring Vegetable Pasta with Mushroom Butter Sauce

2011-02-28T08:00:00.003-06:00

To the best I can tell, it is pretty much spring around these here parts. We have had beautiful weather and I sure hope it stays that way. This is pretty much one of the freshest pastas I have ever made with so much flavor. A co-worker shared this recipe with me (thank you, Christy!) after going to a cooking class and I just had to try it.

I usually do not like my pasta to be bothered with any sort of vegetable, but the long ribbons that you make out of carrots, zucchini, and squash intrigued me. The ribbons were so delicate and soaked up the mushroom butter sauce to just melt in your mouth.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Spring Vegetable Pasta with Mushroom Butter Sauce

Recipe Notes

The original recipe called for pappardelle pasta. This is basically a skinny version of lasagna noodles, but I could not find it so I used fettucine. Use whatever you can find. If you are unfamiliar with leeks, they are really just a larger version of a green onion. Wash them well and slice just the white part. See picture above.

Ingredients

1 lb. fettucine or pappardelle pasta *see recipe note

2 zucchini

2 yellow squash

2 carrots

1 cup chopped white button mushrooms

2 leeks, washed and sliced *see recipe note

2 cloves garlic, minced

6 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 lemon, zested and juice

Step by Step

Peel carrot with vegetable peeler and throw away outer layer. Continue to peel long ribbons of carrots and set aside. Peel squash and zucchini into long ribbon pieces, stopping at seeds. Make long strands one side of squash until you hit seed. Then, rotate to another side and repeat until all sides have been peeled; set aside.

Saute leeks with butter on medium heat, 4-5 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and continue to cook until fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms and wine and cook an additional 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Mushroom butter sauce can be covered and stored in the refrigerator up to one week. Boil pasta according to directions on packaging in a large pot of salted water. When pasta has 3 minutes left, add ribbons of vegetables to pasta and cook together.

Drain pasta and vegetables and place in a large bowl. Pour butter sauce on top and mix to combine. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings.

Italian Wedding Soup

2011-02-22T08:00:00.000-06:00

I don't know what all of a sudden happened and made me go into a soup obsession. Maybe it was the cold, maybe it was receiving this jewel, but nonetheless, they seem to be on tap a lot around here and I seem to just find great recipe after great recipe.

You might not have jumped on the band wagon when I made this one, but let me tell you, I would be willing to wager you would be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't like this Italian Wedding soup. The only argument I can see against this is if you are vegetarian and I would encourage you to make this the dish you go non-vegetarian on just once in your life.

Contrary to what you might first assume, this soup has nothing to do with any Italian marriage tradition, but is actually a mistranslation in the Italian language and refers to the fact that meat and vegetables go well together.

Now back to what's important... how good this is. The chicken meatballs are baked with fresh bread crumbs, two cheeses and added to simmer with chicken broth, wine, tiny star pasta, vegetables, fresh spinach and a little dill. This is good when it's cold, I imagine it would be perfect for someone under the weather and I enjoyed it all week for lunch.

In conclusion, I will try to help you understand the gravity of how much I love this soup by telling you that I'm not sure I will ever be able to make any other type of vegetable soup or chicken noodle soup ever again. This is a perfect blend of the two and just hits the spot.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Italian Wedding Soup
Adapted from Ina Garten
Recipe Notes
I could not find regular chicken sausage. I found a variety that was blended with spinach and feta and I thought those flavors would be fine. If there is not ground chicken, you can have a butcher ground chicken breasts for you, but you might not have realized it's in most grocery stores. I'm not a fan of washing the mini food processor if I don't have to so I've come up with a bread trick for fresh bread crumbs. Any time I have a few pieces left over from a loaf, I pop them in a freezer. I take the bread out for a few minutes and then grate it with a cheese grater. The almost frozen bread makes perfect crumbs.
Freezer Note: Double the recipe of the meatballs so you can have two batches. For the batch you are not going to use, place on parchment paper an inch apart and freeze for one to two hours. Wrap tightly in saran wrap and place in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to two months. When ready to use, thaw overnight in the refrigerator for one hour.
Ingredients

For the meatballs:

3/4 pound ground chicken

1/2 pound chicken sausage, casings removed

2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs *see recipe note

2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving

3 tablespoons milk

1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the soup:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup minced yellow onion

1 cup diced carrots (3 carrots), cut into 1/4 inch pieces

3/4 cup diced celery (1 large stock), cut into 1/4 inch pieces

10 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup small pasta stars (or any other small pasta)

1/4 cup minced fresh dill

12 ounces baby spinach, washed and trimmed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Pecorino, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork. Using a teaspoon, make mini meatballs and place about 1 inch apart. (You should have about 40 meatballs. They don't have to be perfectly round.) Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside. You can also freeze unbaked meatballs at this point for use in a later soup.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan.

thank you FPC.

2011-02-20T08:00:00.002-06:00

You might have noticed that my banner got a little face lift. Thanks to the wonderful stylings of Allison, it looks much better. Allison is a co-owner of Frontier Paper Company, which makes amazing paper products that really live up to their tagline... notably fresh paper goods. Each project is custom and dreamy. Check them out if you haven't. Thanks, Frontier Paper Company! And I hope to meet the other co-owner, Libby, soon!

How cute is this invitation for a Valentine's Day party? I'm in love...