A Duck's Oven

Maple Bacon Biscotti

2013-03-11T21:38:00.000-07:00

On Saturday morning, I was cooking up some bacon to have with my eggs for breakfast. I love the smell of bacon. I wish that I could smell bacon all the time, except that it might drive me insane. It got me dreaming about bacon and maple things and inspired a brain storm for new mapley bacon treats. It took a bit of narrowing down, but finally I came up with these biscotti.

Then I had to make some other decisions- would bacon go right into the dough? No, that seemed too weird and I thought it might burn the bacon. So I ultimately decided on dipping them in icing and sprinkling with bacon bits. And it was mighty fine.

Start by making the dough. It was very simple: eggs, oil, sugar, maple syrup, baking powder, and flour. It's a very thick dough. Then lay it out into two relatively evenly sized, 4 inch wide, 1/2 inch thick rectangles. Shape it as best you can with an oiled spatula.

Bake them at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until slightly golden. Remove from the oven and immediately cut into one inch strips with a pizza cutter.

Lay them on one side and return to the oven for 3 minutes. Flip, then bake for another 3 minutes. They should be golden all over. Throw 'em on a cooling rack for 20 minutes and enjoy the glorious smell.

While the biscotti are cooling, cook several strips of bacon and drool even more over the glorious smells happening in your kitchen. Crumble 'em up into bits.

Then make the icing using maple syrup, powdered sugar, and milk.

Once the biscotti are completely cool, dip them in the icing and then sprinkle with the bacon crumbles. I don't recommend rolling them, it doesn't look as pretty. And I like pretty looking biscotti.

They're so tasty! They totally rival the increasingly popular male bacon donuts. And it somehow feels more justifiable for breakfast.

Maple Bacon Biscotti
Makes 18-20 Biscotti Cookies
Inspired by AllRecipes

Ingredients
1/2 cup canola oil
3 eggs
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
3 1/4 cup flour

5-6 strips of bacon

1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp maple syrup
2-3 tbsp milk

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Beat together the oil, eggs, and maple syrup. Gradually add the sugar until combined.
3. Whisk together the baking powder and flour. Slowly add to the sugar mixture while mixing. It will form a thick dough.
4. Split into two piles on the parchment paper and form into rectangles that are about 4 inches wide and 1/2 inch tall. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until top is golden.
5. Remove from oven and immediately slice into 1 inch thick slices. Flip biscotti onto their sides and bake for an additional three mintes. Remove from oven, flip to other side, and bake for another three.
6. Transfer to cooling rack. While the biscotti are cooling, cook the bacon and crumble it. Prepare the icing by whisking together the powdered sugar, syrup, and milk, one tablespoon at a time until it forms a relatively thick icing.
7. Once biscotti are completely cool, dip them in icing and then sprinkle with bacon crumbles. Enjoy with a cup of coffee or a glass of milk!

Frosted Coconut Milk Brownies & Giveaway!

2013-01-19T23:58:00.000-08:00

Lately, I've had an obsession with coconut milk. If it's up to me, every recipe can somehow incorporate coconut milk. It's creamy and fabulous and I love the subtle coconut flavor it adds to dishes. I've been dying to create a chocolatey dish with coconut milk and this was a homerun! These brownies are incredibly rich and fudgy- make sure you have a full carton of milk or ice cream before making them. Don't say I didn't give you fair warning.

And just to prove the richness point, start right off the bat by melting some butter.

Then add the sugar and chocolate chips. You could easily stop here and just inhale this mixture, but it's worth it to keep going.

Transfer this mixture to a Kitchenaid or mixing bowl. And now comes the pretty coconut milk!

Throw the rest of the ingredients in with the batter, including your standard eggs, vanilla, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and flour.

Pour the batter into a greased glass baking dish. Don't eat all of it before it goes in the oven.

Throw it in a preheated oven for 35-45 minutes and enjoy just how lovely your kitchen smells. You might want be in their so badly just for the smell that you'll get motivated to take care of the pile of dishes you just created.

When a toothpick comes out of the brownies clean, the brownies are done! They will be incredibly fudgy.

While the brownies are cooling, whip up the frosting. I also, of course, incorporated coconut milk into this! Whip some butter, add vanilla and coconut milk, followed by cocoa powder and powdered sugar. Super simple.

Let the brownies cool completely before frosting them! I got super impatient during this process and got a little creative. I don't think it helped much.

When it's finally, finally cool, you can frost it.

And add some sprinkles!

And you have the richest, most delicious brownies in the whole wide world.

Since I'm sending you on a mission to bake, I think I'll need to set you up with an apron. Better yet, this ridiculously adorable apron from Anthropologie.

And entering is super simple! Check out the widget below and enter with a click of a button. If you already like A Duck's Oven on Facebook, follow on Twitter, etc., you can still enter and it's still easy!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Frosted Coconut Milk Brownies

Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 cups sugar

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup coconut milk
2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup coconut milk

1/3 cup cocoa powder

2-2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9×13 baking dish.
2. In small saucepan over low heat, melt butter completely. Stir in sugar and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Do not allow sugar mixture to boil. Add the chocolate chips and stir until melted.
3. Pour butter mixture into a large bowl or stand mixer and beat in coconut milk, eggs, and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, combine the cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and flour. Gradually add to the wet mixture and mix until well combined.
4. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for about 35-45 minutes, until a tester comes out mostly clean. Let cool on a wire rack until completely cool.

5. While the brownies are baking, make the frosting by whipping the butter until lighter in color. Add the vanilla and coconut milk and beat until combined. Slowly add the cocoa powder and mix until combined. Add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until frosting has reached desired consistency. Spread over brownies once completely cooled.

Berry Coconut Cream Smoothie

2013-01-13T21:23:00.000-08:00

This smoothie is crazy amounts of delicious. Like dreaming about it at night delicious. Like "Why go out for breakfast when I can have this?" delicious. Even better- it's creamy and dreamy and totally dairy-free, for all you lactose-intolerant folks.

It's a super simple, four ingredient smoothie, but I think next time I'll bump it up to six by adding carrot juice and spinach. Why not kick up the health quotient?

Seriously, make this for breakfast tomorrow and it'll have you rethinking cereal!

Berry Coconut Cream Smoothie
Serves 1-2

Ingredients
1 cup frozen berries of choice (I used a three berry mix)
1/3 cup coconut cream
1 banana
1/4 cup orange juice

Directions
1. Toss all ingredients into a blender. Blend until lighter in color and no chunks remain. Enjoy!

Chicken Pasta with Garlic Gravy

2013-01-03T12:20:00.004-08:00

This recipe came to be when I had chicken already marinating and people coming over. I needed something quick, easy, and that used chicken similar to my lemon garlic marinated chicken. And so Pinterest led me to this pasta with garlic gravy and the world was wonderful.

This pasta is so tasty and so incredibly simple, not to mention the leftovers are just as great as the first dish, and leftovers are one of my favorite things ever. Make it and eat happy for a week.

Chicken Pasta with Garlic Gravy
Modified from Goddess of Scrumptiousness
Serves 8

Ingredients
Marinade:
2 chicken breasts, fat trimmed
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 onion, roughly chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp Montreal Steak Seasoning
1/2 tsp lemon pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp Italian seasoning

3/4 box of thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tbsp flour
2 cups chicken stock

1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1/4 cup parmesan
Parmesan to top

Directions
1. Combine all ingredients for marinade except chicken breasts in a gallon size plastic bag. Add the chicken breasts and let marinade in the fridge for at least 6 hours or over night.
2. When chicken is done marinating, grill or bake in oven preheated to 400 degrees for about 25 minutes. Chop into 1/2 inch x 1 inch strips and set aside.
3. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Strain and set aside.
4. While the spaghetti is cooking, prepare the gravy by adding the butter to a saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant. Whisk in the flour and cook for about two minutes while continuing to whisk. Add the chicken stock and simmer until the gravy is thick.
5. Toss the spaghetti with the chicken, diced tomatoes, chopped parsley, parmesan, and garlic gravy until well coated. Serve and top with additional parmesan.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peppermint Frosting

2012-12-27T18:08:00.001-08:00

This may or may not be a belated Christmas post BUT chocolate and peppermint are delicious no matter the time of year. Boyfriend and I managed to tackle a grand total of seven Christmas events, and although I am incredibly proud of us, this left little time for blogging. Or cleaning my apartment, for that matter.

Boyfriend had an event at work and he was asked to bring dessert. Rather than letting him buy pre-made cookie dough or donuts, I decided this called for the brand new bottle of peppermint extract I had just bought.

Boyfriend got me Photoshop for Christmas, and I have had so much fun playing with it! I'm still getting a handle on the ins and outs, but if you ask me, it's already making a big difference in final product photos.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and have a happy new year!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peppermint Frosting
Makes 24 cupcakes

Ingredients
Cake:
1 box chocolate cake mix
Amount of eggs and water required by mix
Melted butter to substitute amount of oil required by mix

Frosting:
1 cup (2 cubes) butter, room temperature
2 tsp peppermint extract, separated
2-2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Cupcake liners
Red sprinkles

Directions
1. Preheat oven as instructed by boxed mix. Combine all ingredients for the cake and whip for 2-3 minutes, until lighter in color. Spoon into a cupcake tin lined with cupcake papers until each paper is about 2/3 full. Bake in preheated oven according to package instructions.
2. To start the frosting, whip butter until lighter in color. Add one teaspoon of the peppermint extract and whip to combine. Add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until frosting has reached desired consistency. Taste and continue adding peppermint extract 1/2 tsp at a time until it has reached desired flavor.
3. When cupcakes bounce back when poked they are finished baking. Let cool completely before frosting. Top with red sprinkles.

Bleu Cheese Buffalo Burgers

2012-12-16T22:05:00.000-08:00

Boyfriend currently has an obsession with anything "buffalo", in other words containing buffalo sauce and bleu cheese. He'll ask me what's for dinner and when I respond, no matter what I've said, he retorts, "Can you make it buffalo?" This even includes a request for buffalo enchiladas. I've obliged twice so far: once with a buffalo chicken breast and another time with these burgers. I will say, this is not the worst thing that Boyfriend could ask for- I haven't minded it much at all.

For the patties, I used my standard, and mightily fantastic, burger recipe. It never, ever fails.

And I grilled 'em right on up to a nice medium. While I was grilling them, I toasted the buns and made a bleu cheese spread. You could just throw straight bleu cheese on the burgers, but it could be a little intense. So I used sour cream and bleu cheese crumbles. The sour cream toned the bleu cheese down perfectly and made it a little easier to spread over the bun.

To assemble the burger, lay a patty on a toasted bun.

Spread some bleu cheese sauce on the top bun.

Then give the patty a few healthy shakes of buffalo sauce, followed by onions. I kept it simple, but you could definitely add some other veggies. I just wanted this burger to be about the buffalo.

Add some fries, and you've got yourself a bleu cheese buffalo burger!

These will definitely be on the menu for many of the upcoming bowl games! The end of football season needs to be savored, after all.

And on that note, I must end this post with an obligatory GO DUCKS!

Bleu Cheese Buffalo Burgers

Ingredients
Patties:
1 pound 85/15 ground beef
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp minced oregano
1/2 tsp minced basil
1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 cup sour cream
2 tbsp bleu cheese crumbles

Buffalo hot sauce
Sliced onion
Burger buns

Directions
1. In a large bowl, combine all patty ingredients using your hands.
2. Break the ground beef mixture into 4-5 evenly sized balls depending on the size of your buns. Flatten until patties are 1/2 inch in diameter wider than the bun.
3. Grill patties on a barbecue, grill pan, or in a nonstick skillet. Set aside.
4. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream and bleu cheese crumbles using a fork to mash the crumbles.
5. To assemble the burgers, toast the buns until lightly golden. Spread the bleu cheese sauce on the top bun. Top the patty with several shakes of hot sauce and sliced onions. Serve with fries and enjoy!

Homemade Ketchup

2012-12-10T22:34:00.000-08:00

A Duck's Oven just made the move from Eugene to Portland. It was sad and scary and really, really sad, but the adventure has been fun thus far! I'm living in a fantastic neighborhood filled with incredible restaurants and having a wonderful time decorating a new apartment. My kitchen is going to be fantastic and I'm very excited to take you on a tour of it once it's finished!

Anywho, all those lovely restaurants are what inspired this post. So many of them use local ketchup (I don't want to type ... catsup ... at least more than that one instance- it just irritates me) and that ketchup is so tasty, so I thought, why not whip up my own? And better yet, if it turns out good, why not dole it out to friends and family as a Christmas gift?

The process ended up taking longer than I expected, but it was relatively easy and really fun. To start, roughly chop an onion.

And a couple of celery stalks.

Pour a little bit of olive oil into the bottom of a stock pot. Make sure it's nice and deep- you'll be using an immersion blender later and the deeper the pot, the less likely the splatter. I've had to learn this lesson the hard way.

Add the veggies and chili powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, and a little ginger.

Throw in some minced garlic and Italian seasoning for good measure and cook for 15 minutes over medium heat to sweat the veggies and let them absorb some of the seasoning.

While the veggies are cooking, roughly chop up two pounds of roma tomatoes. Chop them a liiittle more than this.

Throw them into the stockpot along with cold water. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce to simmer for about 25 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced. Take your immersion blender to it...

And puree until there absolutely cannot be not a single chunk left. That's right.

Set a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl and push the pureed mixture through the fine mesh strainer to get rid of pulp, seeds, and any missed chunks.

You'll be left with this in the strainer...

And this in the bowl.

Kind of orange, I know. This whole process made me think companies must dye their ketchup. Or it could just be different tomatoes. Next, pour the tomato mixture into a clean pot and add brown sugar and apple cider vinegar. This is what truly makes it ketchup!

Let it simmer for about 45 minutes, until it's the right consistency. And then you have ketchup!

Spread it on a burger, dip some fries in it, or whatever else you spread ketchup on. Or, can it like I did and give it away! It's a fun, different, and homemade gift.

Ketchup
Makes 24 oz

Ingredients
1 sweet onion, roughly chopped
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp Italian seasoning
2 lbs roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
3/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar

Directions
1. Stir together the onion, celery stalks, olive oil, chili powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, ginger, garlic, and Italian seasoning in a large stock pot over medium-low heat. Let the vegetables sweat for 15 minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes and water to the stock pot. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Let simmer for 30 minutes, or until mixture has reduced.
3. Use an immersion blender or a blender in batches to puree the mixture until completely smooth. Push the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove any "pulp", seeds, and chunks.
4. Pour the tomato mixture into a clean pot and add the apple cider vinegar and brown sugar. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Let simmer for about 40 minutes, or until thick and the consistency of ketchup. Pour into sanitized jars and seal tightly. Ketchup can last up to six months.

Cake in a Can

2012-11-10T18:46:00.000-08:00

I have been stock-piling tin cans for weeks. Let me rephrase: I have been too lazy to take the recycling out for weeks. I found myself with lots and lots of cans of different shapes and sizes and thought, "There must be some fantastic way to repurpose these!" Then I remembered seeing something on Pinterest ages ago about cake and tin cans... I can't for the life of me find that pin, but I rolled with it anyways! And I'm glad I did, because I think these are adorable!

To make the cake batter, I did one of my usual cake mix dress ups. For this one, I replaced the oil with melted butter and added a little bit of vanilla. It's one of my favorites.

Then I grabbed an assortment of well-cleaned cans. I had enough cake mix to fill another small can, but another small can I did not have. Spray the inside of them with cooking spray. Even though I left the cake in the cans (you could remove it), it's easier to eat if it's not sticking to the side.

I filled each one about 3/4 of the way full. Please note: that was WAY too full! You should go about 2/3 of the way full. Don't make my mistake, please. Cake poured over the sides, but luckily there was a cookie sheet to catch it and mouths to put it in.

Pop 'em in a preheated oven for about 10 minutes, then remove the cans and cover them with foil. Return them to the oven and cook for another 7-15 minutes depending on the size of the can.

Make your frosting of choice in the meantime. I made a chocolate coconut cream frosting of which I took absolutely zero pictures because making frosting is just too exciting to pause for even a second. I did, however, include the recipe below. This frosting is so delightfully coconuty- it might be my new favorite!

Once the cakes are done, impatiently let them cool for as long as you can stand it. I cut ribbon to tie around the cans in the meantime to keep my hands busy. Then, when the cake is cool, cut holes in the centers of the cakes all the way down to the bottom of the can and remove the tube of cake. Then eat it. Fill the centers of the cakes with frosting. I did this because some of the cans were awfully tall and I thought it would be nice to get frosting all the way down, instead of just at the top. Besides, who complains about more frosting?

Then top the cakes off with more frosting, add some ribbon and sprinkles if you're feeling especially girly, and you have made individually portioned cakes. Yes, I know that cupcakes serve that same purpose, but these are different and fun! And arguably easier. And resourceful because you're using recycled cans. And just really really fun.

I was thinking it'd be fun to make your own labels for these. I'm definitely thinking some snarky labels for the Ducks vs. Beavers annual Civil War game may be in order. Let me know if you have any label inspiration for these!

Cake in a Can
Serves 5-6

Ingredients
Cake:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter, melted
3 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla

4-7 clean tin cans
Cooking spray
Foil

Chocolate Coconut Cream Frosting:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/3 cup coconut cream, room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 cups powdered sugar

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray inside of tin cans with cooking spray.
2. Mix together cake mix, water, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla. Beat at medium-high speed for 3 minutes.
3. Fill each can about 2/3 with cake batter. Place tins on a cookie sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove tins from oven and cover with foil. Return to oven and cook for an additional 7-15 minutes, depending on size of can, checking every 3 minutes or so. Cake is finished when knife can be inserted all the way through and come out clean.
4. While the cake is baking, make the frosting. Beat together butter and coconut cream until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and cocoa powder mix until combined. Add the powdered sugar 1/3 cup at a time until frosting has reached desired consistency.
5. When the cake is done, let it cool for 15-20 minutes. Cut holes in center of cakes all the way to the bottom of tins and remove center cake. Fill the centers with frosting and top with additional frosting. Decorate tins as desired.

How To: Survive Autzen

2012-10-26T22:13:00.001-07:00

Oh, my beloved Autzen. How harmless you look in the bright light of day, in a moment when the sun is actually shining in Oregon.

Some of my absolute favorite memories were made in this stadium, but it took me quite some time to figure out how to make myself comfortable and happy through the entirety of games. Don't get me wrong- I have never left a game more than twenty seconds early and never, ever will- but it is nice to not have chattering teeth or a dry throat after screaming your lungs out.

Before starting this, you should know that I'm morally obligated to say "It never rains in Autzen Stadium!" every time I start to mention it raining... in Autzen stadium- "It never rains in Autzen Stadium!" See? It's a Don Essig thing. Go to a game and it experience it yourself, I beg of you.

First, let's cover dress code. This is a bit female-specific, but guys, you can get the gist. Most of our games are night games it seems, so this is for a chilly evening. I cannot emphasize this enough: layers. Say it with me: laaaayeeeerrrrssss. You'll get warm walking there (I assume you're not parking at Autzen because that would just be insane) and you'll be a popsicle by the end of the night. Here is a picture of myself at popsicle stage at the last game I went to:

Scarves can totally be face warmers. Okay let's start with the first layer. Well, not the very first layer... You know what I mean. I usually go for thick tights or leggings and a thick long sleeve t-shirt.

For the second layer, I throw a t-shirt over the long sleeve shirt and some jeans on. If it's a really, really cold night, like unbearably cold, I'll wear thick sweats over my jeans for a third layer. That's usually not necessary, though.

Last, but oh most certainly not least, on goes a sweatshirt, hat/headband, and gloves. And if it's going to be a wet night- I mean... "It never rains in Autzen Stadium!"- of course my handy dandy rain coat comes along.

And make sure your feet are cozy and comfortable, too. Please wear comfortable shoes. You will be on your feet for hours. Hours. There is no sitting in the student section and there shouldn't be in most other parts of the stadium. Since this is Eugene, Nikes are the most appropriate choice.

Now the ever important bag. Don't bring your purse! A purse will too easily fall off (or be taken off) your shoulder and is an overall hassle. You can't set it down under the bleachers because you end up moving so much throughout the game (it's inevitable- believe me). I recommend a draw string backpack. They're hardly noticeable on your back, it won't fall off, and people can't get into it without you noticing because the strings will pull on your shoulders when it's opened. Here's what I mean:

Here's what you're going to take with you. You don't need more, you don't need less- you need exactly this.

1. A sealed water bottle. Yes, I know that buying plastic water bottles in Eugene is practically a crime. But, if you try to bring your refillable water bottle into Autzen they will make you throw it out before entering the stadium. That's right. For all security knows, your water bottle could be a jerry-rigged bomb. Or something. If you bring a sealed, clear water bottle, filled with clear liquid (that means no soda, juice, etc.) you're good to go. I always get thirsty from screaming my brains out, so this is important for me.

Repeat after me. Sealed.

Sealed.

2. Keys. Do I need to explain this one? Please don't forget your keys. If you do, it'll be a long night.

3. Chapstick. I'm a bit of a chapstick addict, so this comes with me everywhere. Even if you aren't, it gets really cold for night games at Autzen and it's nice to have on hand.

4. Your phone. You will definitely not get service in Autzen, so use it to find your friends before entering the stadium. It's also nice to have for pitcha-takin'.

5. Little Hotties. These are only important if it's a night game. Again, night games get really, really, really cold and sometimes very wet- "It never rains in Autzen stadium!"- and Hotties have saved me more than once.

6. A poncho. "It never rains in Autzen stadium!" But... bring one just in case. A rain jacket can only handle so much water, and since you'll be standing out in the... moisture- "It never rains in Autzen stadium!"- for several hours, it'll help you not get soaked to the bone.

7. Your wallet. Again, I don't need to explain this right? You need your student ID to get into the game if you're a student, your ID to prove you're of drinking age before/after the game, and your debit card/cash to buy said drinks.

8. Gloves. It's cold out. I've said that, right?

So now that you're dressed and well prepared, let's make sure your bellies are happy, too. I like putting something in the crock pot before I leave so that I come home, quite tired and hungry, to something hot and ready to go. You could just stop by somewhere on your way back to campus/home, or you could have amazing sloppy joes waiting for you at home. Where dry clothes and a bed await.

I hope this guide has helped you, and please oh please enjoy your Autzen experience!

And of course, GO DUCKS!

Pumpkin Ghost Cupcakes

2012-10-18T18:24:00.001-07:00

This week, I absolutely needed to make something using my mini-cupcake pan and Halloween-themed. It only seemed appropriate that this baked good be of the pumpkin variety, since it is pumpkin-mayhem time. And so the pumpkin ghost cupcakes were born!

I love pumpkin cakes because they're so moist and flavorful, and nothing goes better with them than cream cheese frosting. Truly one of my favorite combinations that makes me so antsy for fall! Since cream cheese frosting is so conveniently white, I picked up some candy eyes from the grocery store (I got mine at Safeway) and added them. Another great thing about these cupcakes is how easy the decorations were! Although I do like baking-challenges, sometimes I don't want to spend hours on the decorations. This was as easy as frosting and adding the already made eyes, and I think they look adorable.

Let the holiday baking begin!

Pumpkin Ghost Cupcakes
Makes 60 Mini Cupcakes

Ingredients
Cake:

1 12 oz can pumpkin
1 cups sugar
3 extra-large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Frosting:

12 oz cream cheese (1.5 8 oz packages), room temperature

1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick), room temperature

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

2 cups powdered sugar

Candy Eyes

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or line a mini-cupcake tin.
2. In the bowl of your KitchenAid with the paddle attachment or in a mixing bowl, mix together the pumpkin, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and canola oil until well combined.
3. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice in a separate bowl. Gradually add while mixing to the wet ingredients. Beat for two minutes, until batter is lighter in color.
4. Spoon the batter into prepared cupcake tin, about 3/4 full for each cupcake.
5. While the cupcakes are baking, prepare the frosting by beating the cream cheese and butter together until combined and fluffy with the whisk attachment. Add the vanilla and pumpkin pie spice and beat until combined. Add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time. Beat for an additional minute.
6. When the cupcakes are done, remove to a cooling rack. They will cool quickly because they're so small. When cool, frost with the cream cheese frosting and add the candy eyes so they look like ghosts.

Sweet Potato Fries & Chipotle Sauce

2012-10-13T15:05:00.001-07:00

I tend to get a little obsessed with sweet potatoes this time of year. And by a little, I mean I eat a whole sweet potato almost every day. They are just so tasty! Added bonus: I can justify this obsession because sweet potatoes are good for you. Score.

I like the yellow/white/light/whatever-you-wanna-call-'em sweet potatoes. I'm convinced that there's no difference between an orange sweet potato and a yam (There isn't right? Someone help me out here!) and those things just don't quite do it for me. They're a little too sweet and mushier in texture. So I'm using a yellow one, but you can use whatever you want.

Anywho, peel a sweet potato and cut it into sticks. The thinner the sticks, the crispier the fry, so keep that in mind when chopping them. I wish I would have cut mine just a little thinner- I like a crispy fry. Throw 'em onto a cookie sheet and drizzle on some olive oil.

Sprinkle on some garlic salt, toss a little to coat, and make sure they're all single layer on the cookie sheet.

Pop 'em in an oven preheated to 425 degrees. Cook them for about 15 minutes, flip, then another 10.

While the fries are baking, make the chipotle sauce. It's very, very easy. Just mix together equal parts ketchup and chipotle mayo! I make chipotle mayo by processing 1/2 cup mayo, 2 chipotles in adobo, and 1 tablespoon adobo sauce.

When the fries are golden all the way around, they're done! Let them cool for a minute and top with a sprinkle of salt. See what I meant by easy? These are also really quite healthy- even the sauce isn't terrible. Enjoy them as a snack on their own or next to a burger!

Sweet Potato Fries & Chipotle Sauce
Serves 1-2

Ingredients
Fries:
1 large sweet potato (yellow or orange)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
Salt

Sauce:
1 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp chipotle mayo (recipe below)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Peel the sweet potato and cut it into 2 inch x 1/2 inch x 1/2 inch sticks. Toss the sticks with olive oil and garlic salt to coat.
3. Arrange the fries in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Flip all fries and bake for another ten, until all fries are golden.
4. While the fries are baking, mix together the ketchup and chipotle mayo for the sauce.
5. When the fries are done, let cool for a few minutes. Pat any excess oil off with a paper towel and sprinkle with salt.
6. Serve along side sauce. Enjoy!

Chipotle Mayo
Makes 1/2 Cup

Ingredients

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce

1 tbsp adobo sauce from chipotle peppers

Directions

1. Combine the mayonnaise, chilies, and adobo sauce in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until smooth.

Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

2012-10-09T16:26:00.000-07:00

It has been bizarrely warm in Oregon for October. Usually it's around 63 degrees and the beloved rain is starting to come back... but it's staying in the 70s and not a drop has fallen. Ugh. So, I've decided to coax the rain back with some of the more traditional fall dishes, including this delicious, hearty soup made with vegetables and fruit appropriate for the season.

And for those on/with special diets, this soup is Whole30, paleo, and lactose-intolerant friendly! It's also gluten-free and could easily be made vegan by subbing the chicken stock for veggie stock. The versatility is fantastic!

Start by cutting two butternut squash in half lengthwise and seeding them. Mine were relatively small, so one and a half large squashes would also work. I got these from Detering Orchards last weekend- that place is fantastic! Drop a little ghee or butter in the middle, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and pop 'em in the oven for about a half hour.

While the squash is roasting, toss onions and carrots with curry powder and ghee in a large stock pot and let them cook down until the onions are translucent.

Roasted squash are so pretty! When they're done, scoop the flesh out in chunks...

And add it to the carrots and onions, along with chicken stock, fresh apple cider, salt, & pepper.

Let it cook for about a half hour, or until all veggies are very soft.

Using an immersion blender, puree the whole mixture until it's all the same in texture. Here you can add more stock depending on how thick you'd like it to be. I left mine preeeetty thick. What can I say, the texture of baby food really gets me!

This soup was so good and much easier than I expected it to be to prepare. I love the simplicity of it- sometimes, when it comes to ingredients, I think less is more. It keeps very well and is so filling! It'll be my lunch for a few days.

Butternut Squash & Apple Soup
Serves 6

Ingredients
2 small butternut squash (or 1 1/2 large)
4 tbsp butter or ghee
Salt
Pepper

1 onion, roughly chopped
1 carrot, roughly chopped
2 tsp curry powder (hot or mild depending on taste)
2 tbsp

2 cups chicken stock
2 cups fresh apple cider
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the butternut squash in half length wise and arrange on a cookie sheet, cut side up. Season with salt and pepper and place one tablespoon of butter or ghee in the center of each squash. Roast for 30-40 minutes, or until squash is soft enough to scoop out with a spoon.
2. While the squash is roasting, combine the onion, carrot, curry powder, and butter or ghee in a large stock pot over medium heat. Cook for fifteen minutes or until onions are translucent, stirring occasionally.
3. When the squash is ready, scoop it out in chunks and add it to the veggies. Add all remaining ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes over medium heat, or until all veggies are soft.
4. When veggies are soft, use an immersion blender to puree all ingredients until smooth. If you don't have an immersion blender, use a blender to puree the soup in batches until completely smooth. If soup is still too thick for your taste, add more chicken stock 1/4 cup at a time until it's to your desired consistency.

Cauliflower and Carrot Puree

2012-10-08T11:41:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my last post, I'm currently embarking on a culinary journey that excludes dairy (no!), grain (it can't be!), sugar (blasphemy!), and ... alcohol (several expletives!). That's right, I have not had a beer in 21 days. Not that I'm counting or anything.

It's actually been a truly wonderful experience. I'm learning more and more about what my body likes and I'm trying brand new foods, flavors, and ways of cooking. I've found that I'm much more sensitive to even subtle flavors, and I feel great. If you're curious, here's more info about what I'm doing.

Now onto the recipe! I have a huge soft spot for mashed potatoes- they've been perhaps the hardest thing to resist for me. So I made this purée with the hopes it would help curb that craving, and it totally did! It was savory, flavorful, and the texture was perfect. I hope you like it as much as I did!

Cauliflower and Carrot Puree
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 tbsp butter or ghee
1/2 head cauliflower, roughly chopped
1-2 carrots (depending on how sweet you want it), peeled & roughly chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 onion, roughly chopped
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp Italian seasoning

Additional butter or ghee for serving

Directions
1. In a large stock pot, melt the butter or ghee over medium high heat. Add all remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
2. Bring the broth to a boil and reduce heat to medium low to simmer. Cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes, or until veggies are soft. Remove from heat.
3. Using an immersion blender, blend veggies and broth until all is combined and pureed. If you don't have an immersion blender, pour cooked ingredients into a blender in batches until all is pureed.
4. Serve hot with a little more butter or ghee on top. Enjoy!

Balsamic Chicken Legs

2012-09-26T16:39:00.000-07:00

Right now, I'm in the midst of a 30-day clean eating challenge that excludes dairy, grain, and sugar called the Whole30. It is also known as the meanest thing I've ever done to myself, considering my love affair with cheese and bread. Even so, after a few days of adjustment and a tearful goodbye to ice cream, I'm feeling perky and wonderful! And I've so enjoyed this new cooking challenge!

One of the first meals I made during this new challenge was balsamic chicken legs with a carrot and cauliflower puree (recipe to come!) and kale salad. It was simple and totally hit the spot! Unfortunately my urgency for protein caused me to forego process pictures, but the recipe is below!

Even if you aren't taking on a new eating challenge, give this recipe a go! It's delicious, filling, and super simple. And if you are looking for a fun challenge, check out the Whole30!

Balsamic Chicken Legs
Serves 3

Ingredients
6 chicken legs
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 shallot, diced
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp Italian seasoning or dried basil

Directions
1. In a gallon-sized Ziploc baggie, combine the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, shallot, garlic, salt, pepper, and seasoning. Add the chicken legs and let marinate in the fridge for at least two hours, up to overnight.
2. When ready to cook the legs, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Cook legs for 45 minutes to one hour, until they're no longer pink in the middle. Remove from oven and let rest for a few minutes before serving.

Chicken Hash

2012-09-21T12:30:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I came home from work super hungry- the kind of hungry that terrifies Boyfriend- but I had the weirdest combination of foods defrosted and ready in my fridge and hadn't thought ahead. So of course the logical thing to do was to throw everything in my line of sight together!

Eventually, I came up with this hash. I am SO glad that the perfect situation arose for me to create this dish because it may just be the best weird creation I've ever come up with. I've been making it for lunch waaay too often and have even made a sweet potato variation.

I started out by seasoning the chicken with kosher salt, pepper, paprika, chili powder, and Italian seasoning. I browned each side in butter on medium high heat before throwing 'em in the oven- that's the key to making the seasoning stick!

Then I put them in a glass baking dish. Yes, this is a pie dish. This was the closest baking dish I could get my hands on. You gots a problem with that?

Then I grabbed a bottle of beer. Someone brought this beer to my house and left it and it is DELICIOUS. It's from MacTarnahan's Brewing in Portland. Although part of me really did want to just drink it, I know better than to do that with an empty stomach and a hot stove by now. So I dumped it all over the chicken.

Then I squeezed a lime over it all and threw what was left of it into the dish, too. It went in the oven for about a half hour at 400 degrees.

While it was cooking, I worked on the rest of the hash. In the same pan that I browned the chicken in, I started sautéing green bell peppers, jalapeños, and garlic in more butter.

Once they were browned I removed them to a plate and threw some diced potatoes and onions in the pan with a little olive oil and kosher salt.

And fried them until the potatoes were golden and beautiful.

I may or may not have (but probably did) skip a few pictures here. I tossed the peppers with the potatoes and onions in the pan and added tomato paste, basil, and more beer. When the chicken was done, I shredded it by inserting two forks into the breasts and pulling them apart. Then I added the chicken, gave it another toss, and let it cook for a little while so all the flavors could meld and become lovely.

I plated the hash with a little sour cream (which you can totally skip- it's delicious either way) and dove in. It was so filling and delicious! The jalapeños gave it the perfect spicy kick and all of the flavors complimented each other perfectly. I am truly obsessed with this dish.

There are so many different variations you could try with this recipe! Like I said before, I'm really digging sweet potatoes in place of the white potatoes. It reheats really nicely so it's perfect to have for lunch for a few days. I hope you like it as much as I did!

Chicken Hash
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 chicken breasts
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Paprika
Chili powder
Italian seasoning
1 tbsp butter
1 12 oz bottle beer (I used an IPA)
1 lime

1 green bell pepper, roughly chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, diced small
1 tsp minced garlic

1 tbsp olive oil
2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 half yellow onion, roughly diced
Kosher salt
Black pepper

2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp chopped basil

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season the chicken breasts well on both sides with kosher salt, black pepper, paprika, chili powder, and Italian seasoning.
2. Melt the butter in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken on both sides and remove to a glass baking dish. Pour half of the beer over the chicken. Cut the lime in half and squeeze over the chicken. Add the limes to the dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle.
3. While the chicken is cooking, sauté the bell pepper, jalapeño, and garlic in the same pan the chicken was cooked in over medium heat. When the skin on the bell pepper has started to brown, remove it to a plate.
4. Add the olive oil to the same sauté pan over medium heat. Add the potatoes and onion and sprinkle the kosher salt and pepper on the potatoes to season. Fry over medium heat until potatoes are golden brown and tender.
5. When the chicken is finished cooking, remove it to a plate and use two forks to shred it by inserting them and pulling apart.
6. Add the peppers and chicken to the potatoes in the sauté pan and toss. Add the tomato paste, basil, and the beer 1 tablespoon at a time until it's reached your desired consistency. Let cook for five more minutes over medium heat.
7. Serve with sour cream and additional basil, if desired. Enjoy!

Heirloom Tomato Grilled Cheese

2012-09-12T09:08:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I went to Falling Sky Brewing for the first time. I can't believe I'd never been there before! I loved the atmosphere of the little restaurant and their beer was fantastic. For lunch, I got an heirloom tomato grilled cheese sandwich with bacon. I am now ruined for all other grilled cheeses.

I decided to recreate my own at home because I just couldn't get it out of my head. I picked up some heirloom tomatoes, Tillamook cheddar cheese, uncured bacon, and sourdough bread.

I layered all the ingredients onto the buttered bread in a pan and covered it so it would get nice 'n melty. Unmelted cheese on a grilled cheese is totally unacceptable.

Gave it a flip when it was nice and browned on one side, and that's it! I love the simplicity of a grilled cheese sandwich. I need to play around with them more often. I usually don't like tomato-heavy dishes, but combined with the cheese and bacon, this is so perfect. I absolutely love the textures and the contrasting flavors. And heirloom tomatoes are so pretty and fun to have around my kitchen.

Seriously, go make yourself one today while we still have these gorgeous tomatoes. Happy September!

Heirloom Tomato Grilled Cheese with Bacon
Makes 2 Sandwiches

Ingredients
4 slices sourdough french bread (or other good crusty bread)
8 slices Tillamook cheddar cheese
1/2 heirloom tomato, sliced
4 slices of bacon, chopped in half
Butter

Directions
1. Butter one side of each slice of bread. Place two of the slices buttered side down in a sauté pan on medium-low heat.
2. Layer remaining ingredients on both sandwiches in order of: two slices of cheese, enough sliced tomato to cover the bread, 4 halved bacon slices, two more slices of cheese, and another piece of bread buttered side up.
3. Cover pan with a lid or cookie sheet for 3-5 minutes, until cheese has started melting and bread on the bottom is browned. Flip, cover, and cook for another 3-5 minutes until cheese is completely melted and other slice of bread is browned.
4. Remove to plate, cut in half, and enjoy!

Blackberry Chipotle Hot Wings

2012-09-03T12:14:00.001-07:00

I looove hot wings. Just love and adore them. Even though they are absolutely a football food, I tend to make them well into February (ahem, June...). I just love the sensation of my mouth burning from heat and my nose running because I'm inhaling vinegar. What, you don't? I'm alone in that? Oh, okay then.

I've been experimenting with different wing sauces lately and tested several out on my family. These blackberry chipotle wings were a crowd favorite! The sauce is incredibly simple. Just four ingredients: blackberries, chipotles in adobo, adobo sauce, and brown sugar.

Start by cooking the blackberries over medium-low heat to break them down.

They'll start to look like this after a few minutes.

Add the chipotles, adobo sauce, and brown sugar, let it cook and break down for a bit, and then grab this handy dandy tool- immersion blender!

If you don't have one that's fine, just pour the mixture into your regular blender. Once well blended, pour the mixture into a fine mesh strainer over a bowl to get out all the chunky stuff- mostly seeds. Push it through with a rubber spatula.

You'll be left with this lovely stuff. Something I've learned with wing sauce- a little goes a long, long way.

Now to fry the chicken! I dredge it in a very simple mixture of flour and montreal steak seasoning. I put that stuff on everything! It's so peppery, delicious, and versatile.

Mix the two together in a gallon-sized plastic baggie.

Add a package of rinsed "party wings" (NOT regular wings) to the flour mixture in the bag, seal, and shake shake shake until all the wings are well coated.

Heat a pot of oil to 300-350 degrees. I use my well-loved dutch oven for this.

Add the chicken in batches and fry until they're floating and golden brown. Remove them to a paper towel lined plate and repeat until all the chicken is fried. Throw 'em in the bowl of sauce and toss them around until they're well-coated.

Although the traditional veggies to serve with wings are celery and carrots, I think cucumbers go beautifully with the blackberries. But I totally support tradition if that's the way you wanna go.

Blackberry Chipotle Hot Wings

Ingredients

Chicken:

1 pack wingettes or party wings

1 cup flour

1 tablespoon Montreal Steak Seasoning (or other seasoned salt)

Vegetable or canola oil for frying

Sauce:

1 cup blackberries

1 tbsp brown sugar

3 tsp adobo sauce from canned chipotles in adobo

2 chipotle peppers in adobo

Directions

1. Combine flour and seasoned salt in a gallon sized Ziploc bag. Add the chicken to the bag and toss to coat.

2. Fill a medium sized saucepan about three inches deep with oil. Heat until oil reaches 325 degrees. Add the chicken in batches to the oil, being careful not to crowd the pan. Fry until wings are golden brown and remove to a paper towel lined plate.

3. While the chicken is frying, begin cooking the berries in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Once they've sufficiently broken down, add the sugar, adobo sauce, and chipotles. Let cook for about five minutes.

4. Using an immersion blender or a blender, blend the sauce until there are no remaining chunks. Pour into a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and use a rubber spatula to press the mixture through the strainer.

5. Add the chicken to the sauce and toss to coat. Serve with cucumbers and ranch.

Football is back!

2012-09-01T09:42:00.001-07:00

Football is back! Football is back! Football is back! The Oregon Ducks kick off tonight and so do many of our other beloved college football teams. We're having hot wings tonight, including the blackberry chipotle wings I described in my last post. I can't wait to share that recipe with you!

In the mean time, here are several others of my tried and true football watching snacks. Have a blast today!

Sweet hot chili wings. At the little wing party my family and I had, these may have been the crowd favorite. They somehow make the wings crispier and I love the sweetness.

Football marinara. I had so much fun making this themed dish! Just like a meatball marinara, but cute.

Pretzels with beer cheese sauce. Need I say more?

Traditional hot wings. There are few things I love more than a really good hot wing with straight up buffalo sauce.

Burgers with homemade buns. There's a reason burgers are the quintessential tailgate food- they're versatile and absolutely delicious, especially with a homemade bun.

I hope you have a blast watching football, and happy cooking! GO DUCKS!

Wing Party!

2012-08-29T15:54:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, my parents and Boyfriend kindly volunteered to try several wing recipes for me, and we dubbed it a wing party! My grandparents even stopped by to join in the tasting of bizarre, but delicious, wing creations.

The photo above is a batch of wings that my dad smoked for us. Although they were delicious and the smoky flavor was incredible, the skin and fat didn't crisp up in quite the same way that frying allows them to. Still completely awesome, just not your usual chicken wing. I'll take a plate-full anytime!

I made several different sauces, including my original hot wings which I live and die by. I think they might be one of my favorite foods.

I tried out my sweet hot chili wings on them, which were a HUGE hit. They might have been the crowd favorite.

I also made a couple of fun, new sauces. And they all turned out great! First, was a jerk chicken hot wing. The sauce was made with Yoshida's teriyaki, habanero pepper, and green onion.

The sauce got tossed with some beautiful fried and smoked wings.

Perhaps the most odd but awesomely delicious wings were chipotle blackberry wings. I've had chipotle blackberry sauces on other types of meat- why not wings?! I was scared to try this but I'm so glad I did because they were fantastic and so much different than anything else I've had. The sauce was made of cooked down and strained blackberries mixed with pureed chipotles in adobo and adobo sauce. It looked like this:

And the chipotle blackberry wings looked like this:

We had so much fun! Together, we ate about fifty wings and drank several beers. This is what we were left with once all was said and done:

But hey, the chef doesn't do clean up! I'll work on perfecting these recipes and share them with you soon. Make your next party a wing party!

Royal Burgundy Beans

2012-08-23T12:03:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, Boyfriend's parents gave me a load of fresh vegetables from their garden because they are fantastically amazing and generous and kind and all things wonderful. Among the cucumbers and lovely little things called chocolate jalapeños were these royal burgundy beans! They are absolutely incredible. They start out as a deep, dark purple with bright green insides, but when cooked, they magically transform into a spring green bean.

It's all totally beyond my comprehension. I just figure little bean fairies come and paint them when I get distracted by other components of my meal. How else could they do that little trick?!

I start by snapping off the ends of the beautiful purple beans. I know you can (ahem, are supposed to) leave the pointy sides on... but I want 'em gone. All of 'em. So that's what I do. And it's so fun because the insides are a hugely contrasting bright green!

I really like onions with my beans, especially sweet Walla-Wallas, so I add some that are roughly chopped.

Then I pour on a little bit of olive oil, kosher salt, lemon pepper, and garlic powder.

It all goes into a sauté pan over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, depending on how soft you like your veggies. I like mine to be a little crunchy. Taste-testing is totally acceptable. Then their color starts to change and fade...

And then, somehow, they're bright green, just like your run of the mill green bean.

I'm obsessed- these things are totally incredible. Please find a way to get your hands on some today! This blogger gives an awesome rundown of what they are and how to plant them. Or I bet one of your local small grocers has some so you can be a little more impatient!

Royal Burgundy Beans
Serves 2-3

Ingredients
3 cups of royal burgundy beans
1 cup roughly chopped sweet onion
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp lemon pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Directions
1. Snap the ends off of the beans. If your beans are long or if you like shorter beans, snap them in half. Toss the beans and onions together.
2. Drizzle the olive oil over the beans and onions. Add the salt, lemon pepper, and garlic powder and toss together until beans and onions are well-coated.
3. Add the beans and onions to a sauté pan and cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, or until beans are at desired softness.

Football Marinara

2012-08-07T10:01:00.000-07:00

YOU GUYS. Football season is almost here! The first Ducks game is three weeks from Saturday. OH MY FREAKIN' GOSH. I can't even believe it. And now I'm so antsy for it to get here that I have to do something football-related in the meantime... and so this is officially football-prep month at A Duck's Oven.

I've had the idea for football-shaped meatballs floating around in my head for a long time. The other day I bought hamburger buns and some ground beef, simply intending to make burgers, when this idea came sneaking back into my head. And so the "football marinara" was born. Do you get it?! Like meatball marinara... but since they're shaped like footballs, it's football marinara! I just crack myself up.

Like I said, I had hamburger buns on hand so I decided to go with those for the sandwiches. And here's my trick. I'm feeding two people, here. We certainly don't need eight burger buns. So...

I used one of the buns for the bread that went into the meatballs!

Just dice it up into roughly 1/2 inch x 1/2 inch chunks. You're gonna smash it up, so size doesn't matter too much- just so long as it's smashable.

Throw the bread chunks in a bowl and pour some buttermilk over them. Looks appetizing, huh? Let it sit for a few minutes so the milk can soak in.

Separate the yolk from an egg and discard the white. Or if you feel like being resourceful, you could save it for breakfast the next day.

Add the yolk, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, parmesan, minced garlic, onion powder, salt, and pepper to the bread chunks. Stir it around and smash it up. Smash it up better than I did.

Add one pound of ground beef (or you could totally use pork, chicken, venison, elk, whatever floats your boat) and mix it all up. I highly recommend using your hands for this, but if you're too squeamish you could use a spoon. But just suck it up! I stuck this in the fridge for a little while before shaping- it's a little easier when the meat is cold.

Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.

Roll out balls of meat that are about 2 1/2 inches (ish... very ish) across and shape them into a football. This was way harder than you'd think it would be. My strategy was to roll them into a ball, squish them down slightly, then pinch the edges together.

Pop 'em in the oven at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes, until just cooked through. When they were almost done, I laid little strips of mozzarella on top to mimic football laces.

Then toast a bun, layer on some more cheese, top with sauce and a meatball, and ta da! You have football marinara. Easy, cute, and super delicious.

You may notice the football-countdown on the right of my blog... just in case you need help remembering :) More football recipes to come!

Football Marinara
Serves 5

Ingredients
1 hamburger bun (or two slices white bread)
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp grated parmesan
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 lb ground beef (or ground meat of your choice)

12 slices mozzarella

1 12 oz. can of tomato sauce
1 12 oz. can of stewed tomatoes
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder

5 hamburger buns

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray or coat in olive oil.
2. Chop the first hamburger bun or slices of bread up into 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch squares (roughly). Combine them in a bowl with buttermilk. Let sit for about 5 minutes, or until bread is soaked.
3. Add the yolk, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, kosher salt, pepper, minced garlic, parmesan, and onion powder to the bread and smash and combine with a rubber spatula or fork until paste-like in consistency. Add the ground beef and combine using your hands until well-incorporated.
4. Separate the ground beef into ten same-sized balls. Roll each into a round ball squish down slightly, and pull two ends together to create the football shape. Line them up on the foil-lined cookie sheet.
5. Bake the meatballs in the oven for 12-15 minutes, until cooked through.
6. While they're cooking, combine the tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder in a medium sized sauce pan on medium-low heat. Cook for a few minutes to heat. If you like a chunky sauce, leave as is. If you like a smoother sauce, use an immersion blender to break up the tomatoes. It'll be a thick sauce.
7. Cut one of the slices of mozzarella into thin strips. Immediately after removing the meatballs from the oven, arrange the strips as laces on the meatballs.
8. Toast the remaining hamburger buns. Top the buns with a meatball, 1-2 slices of mozzarella, and sauce. Cheese will melt slightly from the heat of the sauce and meatballs, but if you want it to be really melty, put sandwiches under the broiler for a minute or so.

Bite of Oregon

2012-08-06T09:19:00.000-07:00

Next weekend is Bite of Oregon! Bite of Oregon is a three day long culinary festival at the Waterfront in downtown Portland that donates proceeds to the Special Olympics. This Friday, Saturday, and Sunday there will be all kinds of culinary events and lots of incredible food! There's even a Groupon for a weekend pass!

And, if you aren't convinced already, I'm going to be there! The group Women Enjoying Beer is hosting a cook-off called Think Outside the Pint! I'll be throwing it down against my competitor beer-style. I'm going to be making a version of these muffins using a beer they'll be pouring at the event.

So come down and watch me whip up these muffins on stage (gulp), enjoy plenty of craft brews, and eat some incredible food. I'll be there Sunday and we'll be kicking things off at 12:15.

See you this weekend!

Pepper Jack Cheese Bread

2012-07-29T22:28:00.000-07:00

I recently discovered that I have a thing for pepper jack cheese- especially if it's Tillamook (which, by the way, is the greatest cheese company in the world). I even made pepper jack stuffed burgers and they rocked my world. I've made jalapeno cheese bread before and, since pepper jack cheese is essentially jalapeno cheese, I decided pepper jack cheese bread needed to be born.

It was incredible! Pepper jack is creamier than cheddar and was perfectly suited for this bread. It's simpler to make since you don't need to chop up jalapenos and throw them in, too. And just so darn good.

Pepper Jack Cheese Bread
Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients
1 tsp white sugar
1 cup warm water
1 tbsp dry active yeast
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2-3 cups flour
1/2 cup pepper jack cheese cut into 1/2x1/2 inch cubes

Directions
1. In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, water, and yeast. Let sit for about 10 minutes or until frothy.
2. Add all remaining ingredients except flour and combine.
3. Using your KitchenAid or by hand, incorporate flour 1/2 cup at a time until no longer sticky. Knead for about 7 minutes using your KitchenAid with the dough hook attachment or by hand.
4. Lightly oil a large bowl with olive oil and let the dough rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
5. Lightly oil a cookie sheet. Punch dough down. Knead in the pepper jack cheese until cubes are evenly distributed. Shape into loaf form on oiled cookie sheet. Let rise for 20-30 minutes on the cookie sheet.
6. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until top is golden brown.

Raspberry Sun Tea and To-Go Mason Jars

2012-07-24T21:19:00.000-07:00

I have a minor dependency on Diet Coke. Okay, not so minor... I drink far, far too much Diet Coke. I'm really making an effort to cut back, and to replace my fix, I've been drinking sun tea. It's easy to make, it's tasty, and it has a little kick of caffeine.

This post is about two things. First, I really wanted to-go cups with straws for my sun tea, but the plastic cups at the store are crazy expensive, AND they're plastic, which isn't the best material to be drinking out of. I also hate that you can't replace the straws. Mold easily gets stuck in them and they're very difficult to clean.

So, my wonderful dad drilled a straw-sized hole in the top of a few mason jars! He just used a power drill with a 1/4" attachment, and voila! I have to-go glasses made out of mason jars, and they only cost me about $.75 compared to the usually $6 or $7. And you can use disposable straws! All of my problems have been solved.

Not to mention, mason jars are waaay cuter than those plastic to-go cups!

So, to break them in, I whipped up some raspberry sun tea.

To make my sun tea, I fill a 2 quart pitcher with water and add five bags of Lipton tea. If the sun makes itself available (which it often doesn't in Oregon) I let it sit in the sun for an hour or two. If the sun is hiding, it sits for about five hours.

To make the raspberry addition, I threw some of the not-so-great raspberries from my latest pint along with some of the juice.

Then poured on some honey.

I grabbed my handy dandy potato masher.

And mashed those raspberries right up!

Until it's pleasantly and consistently goopy.

I like lemon in my tea. So I sliced one up. If you don't like lemon, don't slice one up. I don't think we can be friends if you don't, though.

To assemble the tea, put a generous helping of ice cubes in one of your fancy new to-go mason jars.

Spoon on some of the raspberry mixture.

Throw in a lemon, of course.

Then top with sun tea! And make sure to spill it all over the table.

Give it a good stir, pop on the lid, and add a straw!

This drink is deliciously refreshing for summer and so much healthier than soda! My new favorite drink.

To-Go Mason Jars

Materials
4 12 oz mason jars
Power drill with 1/4" attachment
Hammer
Disposable straws

Directions
1. Screw lids and seals onto mason jars. Drill a hole near the edge of the seal, about 1/2 inch away. Drop a straw into the hole to make sure it fits.
2. Remove the lid and seal. Place the seal on a flat surface and hammer the edges of the drilled hole to flatten jagged edges.
3. Repeat with remaining jars.
4. Wash jars to remove all scrap pieces of metal. To use, fill jar with drink of choice, screw on lid and seal, and add a straw!

Raspberry Sun Tea
Makes 4 12 oz sun teas

Ingredients
5 bags Lipton original tea
Water
1/2 cup raspberries
1 tbsp honey
1 lemon, sliced
Ice

Directions
1. Fill a 2 quart glass pitcher with water. Add the bags of tea. Let sit in the sun for 1-2 hours or in the shade for 5 hours. Discard tea bags.
2. Combine the raspberries and honey in a bowl. Use a potato masher to mash the raspberries to a consistent texture.
3. Fill a glass with ice. Add 1-2 tablespoons of the raspberry mixture and a slice of lemon. Top with tea until glass is full. Stir to combine. Enjoy!

Perfect, Perfect Ribeye

2012-07-17T22:16:00.001-07:00

I love eating dinner at my parents' house. They routinely eat awesome food- salmon, elk, chicken stuffed with gruyere, venison, organic veggies, fresh eggs from their chicken coop... it doesn't get any better. The last time I went home, my mom was very excited about their latest obsession: ribeye. After a few hours of chatting, we started talking about dinner.
Mom: "Should we go out?"
Dad: "No, let's just snack."
Mom: "NO! I've been painting outside all day and hardly eaten!"
Dad: "Yeesh, okay... Let's just stay here, though."
Mom: "Let's make Chels ribeye!"
Dad: "No! We promised to never feed that to the kids. They don't appreciate it."
Mom: "Are you kidding me? She knows her food, she's not her brother."

And so I got to have ribeye for the first time in my life. And it was mouth-wateringly incredible.

Here they are, before being touched. Aren't they pretty?

Then my mom seasoned them with kosher salt, rosemary, garlic powder, and lemon pepper. I love this combination of seasoning. She's brilliant.

Then they went to join a big grill pan full of veggies on the grill.

Only to find that the stupid thing had run out of propane. Whenever I read the word "propane" I read it like PRO-pane, like Hank on King of the Hill. Oh, you don't watch that show? Here, let me educate you.

Anywho. So my dad came to the rescue and gave us more grillin' fuel.

And I was really helpful during this time. You know, taking pictures of the pond.

And the cute little wishing well on their patio that I would catch goldfish in when I was little.

And the dogs. Who are hopelessly annoying.

And I even ate some weird, creamy, delicious bleu cheese.

And my mom used it to make us some fantastic, blow-your-mind bleu cheese butter.

And then, finally, it was ready.

Ribeye is like no other steak I've had. Although the tri-tip I'm used to is fantastic, it doesn't "melt in your mouth" the way people always say steak should. This beautiful piece of meat did exactly that. And with that bleu cheese butter... I can never eat another steak again because nothing will ever live up to this.

Not only did I get to enjoy this incredible meal, I got to sit across from this lovely face.

And this guy made sure I was eating my steak properly, all 16 ounces of it. Yes, they gave me a 16 ounce- that's one whole freakin' pound -steak. Nut jobs.

No, I didn't finish it, in case you were wondering. I so wish I could have.

I'm sure you can see why I love eating at my parents' house so much. Great food, fun company, and an incredible view. Thanks for dinner, Mom and Dad!

Ribeye Steak with Bleu Cheese Butter
Serves 3-6

Ingredients
3 16 oz ribeye steaks, whole or divided in two
Kosher Salt
Rosemary
Garlic Powder
Lemon Pepper

1/2 cup creamy bleu cheese
1/4 cup butter, room temperature

Directions
1. Preheat your grill on medium-high.
2. Season the steaks with a thin layer of kosher salt, rosemary, garlic powder, and lemon pepper. Rub the seasoning into the steak.
3. Put the steaks on the grill, flipping after five minutes. After another five minutes, remove the steaks to a plate to rest.
4. While the steaks are cooking, combine the bleu cheese and the butter with a fork until well-incorporated. Top steaks with a tablespoon-sized dollop of the bleu cheese butter while they're resting. Serve with grilled veggies.