Feastie blogs

Feastie Friday: Top 5 Healthy Snacks

Jessica — Fri, 24 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Any time is a good time for a snack. However, not all snacks are created equal. "Snack food" has been long been synonymous with "junk food" - and that doesn't have to be the case. Sure you can go the easy route and grab a bag of chips or cookies, but why not make every snack count? How about homemade, healthy snacks that satisfy your snacky cravings and taste just as good (even better!) as the junky packaged stuff? This is real food you can feel good about eating and serving to your family. We've rounded up the top 5 healthy snacks for you this week - morning, afternoon, and midnight snacks, sweet and salty and in-between. Also check out our Healthy Snacks board on Pinterest for more great snack ideas and recipes!

Smooth Mocha Chia Pudding from A Dash of Compassion
Photo from A Dash of Compassion

Sriracha Popcorn from Taste Love & Nourish
Photo from Taste Love & Nourish

Razzle Dazzle Pineapple Smoothie from Peanut Butter and Peppers
Photo from Peanut Butter and Peppers

Smoky Paprika BBQ Potato Chips from Leite's Culinaria
Photo from Leite's Culinaria

Chocolate Chip Graham Cracker Cookies from Burnt Apple
Photo from Burnt Apple

What's your favorite snack?

Happy Eating,

Team Feastie

Overnight Baked Eggs Benedict with Foolproof Hollandaise

Jessica — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Do you want to hear something kind of crazy? My first taste of eggs benedict was this past summer - 2012. Granted, it was a smoked salmon eggs benedict (since I don't eat pork), but it had all of the amazing elements of the dish - smoky fish, toasty bread, perfectly poached eggs, creamy, slightly spicy hollandaise - heavenly. You may be wondering why I waited so long to try it - and the answer is simple and yet, quite sad. I thought I didn't like hollandaise sauce. I thought I didn't like it. Not like I'd tried it and hated it, or had a bad experience with it - no, I just thought I didn't like it. Madness. It was only after much coaxing by The Mr. that I even tried it at all - it's his favorite breakfast or brunch dish, and usually what he orders when we go out for either meal - he'd always offer me a bite of his and encourage me to try it. I wavered...I hemmed and hawed...and then I saw the smoked salmon version on the menu at (what was) our favorite breakfast place, and decided to give it a go. Damn. The dining room probably sounded a lot like that one scene in the deli in When Harry Met Sally - I'm sure you know what I'm talking about, so I won't take it any further. But suffice it to say, I enjoyed myself. Immensely. So when I was asked to bring a brunch dish to a bridal shower last month, I knew I wanted to do some version of eggs benedict for the ladies - and I came across this make ahead eggs benedict casserole at Very Culinary and thought, "BINGO." Brilliant!! Now I'll preface this recipe with these words of caution: This isn't like regular eggs benedict. In fact it's really nothing like eggs benedict - but it's really good. And unless you plan on standing in the kitchen poaching a zillion eggs and assembling eggs benedict for a crowd of hungry guests, this is a good compromise. Bonus points for being a make-ahead overnight casserole - you know how I love a good overnight brunch recipe or two. And if you're worried about the hollandaise sauce, worry no longer - this recipe is FOOLPROOF. Traditional methods for making hollandaise include double boilers and whisking and usually the sauce separates or gets all funky - this sauce is made in the blender and turns out a perfectly every single time.

Since I don't eat pork, I picked the Canadian bacon out of mine - but I think this would be delish with lox or smoked salmon in place of the Canadian bacon. I'm not sure how I'd incorporate the lox, since baking it would kind of take away it's lox-y-ness (i.e. turn it into regular old cooked salmon), but maybe making the casserole without any meat at all and then adding a layer of lox before sprinkling with chives and hollandaise - that could work. In fact that's what I'm planning on trying next time - so I'll keep you posted in case I actually give it a go any time soon. And if you try it before me, let me know how it goes!

Overnight Baked Eggs Benedict with Foolproof Hollandaise

inspired by Very Culinary

serves 8

Ingredients:

12 oz Canadian bacon, roughly chopped
6 English muffins, split and cut into 1" pieces
8 large eggs
2 cups 2% (or 1% is fine) milk
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp chopped chives

for the hollandaise:

3 large egg yolks
1 Tbsp freshly squeeze lemon juice
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp Old Bay
10 Tbsp unsalted butter

Instructions:

The night before, coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Evenly spread the English muffin pieces and Canadian bacon in the bottom of the dish.
In a large bowl, combine the eggs, milk, onion powder, and salt, whisking vigorously. Pour the egg mixture over the muffin and bacon pieces in the baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
The morning of, remove the baking dish from the fridge 30 minutes before you want to bake it, and while your oven preheats. Sprinkle the paprika over the top of the casserole.
Preheat your oven to 375. Cover the casserole loosely with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 10-20 minutes longer, until a knive inserted into the center of the casserole comes out clean. Sprinkle with chopped chives and drizzle with hollandaise and serve immediately, passing more hollandaise at the table.
Meanwhile, make the hollandaise. Melt the butter over low heat in a small pot on the stove, or in short bursts in the microwave, making sure not to burn the butter or let it boil.
Add the egg yolks, lemon juice, salt, cayenne, and Old Bay to a blender and blend on medium-high speed until lightened in color, about 30 seconds. Turn the blender down to the lowest speed and slowly drizzle the melted butter into the egg mixture (I just popped out the little clear part of the blender cap and poured the butter through that hole while the blender was going). Continue to blend for about 30 seconds longer once the butter is fully incorporated.
If you want your hollandaise a bit thinner, add a teaspoon or two of water to the blender and pulse for a few seconds. Serve immediately, while still warm.

Feastie Friday: Top 5 Coffee Recipes

Jessica — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

What's the first thing you eat or drink in the morning when you wake up? Chances are, it's a cup of coffee. Over 50% of the US population age 18 and older drinks coffee - that's a lot of beans. We're creatures of habit - most likely that cup of coffee is identical - every. single. morning. Whether it's an espresso shot or a skim latte, chances are the contents of your coffee mug don't vary much on a day to day basis. So why not switch it up? We've rounded up the top 5 coffee recipes on the web this week, and drinks are just the beginning! Coffee brownies, coffee-infused cakes - adding coffee to chocolate baked goods actually intensifies the flavor of the chocolate. Coffee and chocolate? Yes, please.

Nutella Iced Coffee from Miss in the Kitchen
Photo from Miss in the Kitchen

Tiramisu Brownies with Hazelnuts from Bluebonnets and Brownies
Photo from Bluebonnets and Brownies

Irish Coffee Shooters (Hot or Iced) from Family Fresh Cooking
Photo from Family Fresh Cooking

Kahlua Coffee Poke Cake from Very Culinary
Photo from Very Culinary

Spiced and Iced Chocolate and Coffee Cocktail from Casa Veneracion
Photo from Casa Veneracion

In case you needed another reason to drink coffee in the morning - take a look at the health benefits of coffee!

Happy Eating,

Team Feastie

Pizzeria Style Salad with Italian Dressing

Jessica — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Okay, okay - it's a salad like the one at Olive Garden, okay?! I'll admit it. I haven't been to the good ol' OG in years, but as a kid, I went bananas for their salad and breadsticks. When I was asked to bring a salad to a potluck recently, the first thing that came to mind was, "Oooh...Olive Garden salad." While I did fancy it up just a bit, I think it tastes just as good as the "real thing". As far as evidence of its deliciousness, the salad bowl was scraped clean halfway through the party - everyone was asking, "Wow - what kind of salad is this?" When I mentioned Olive Garden I got a few, "Ohhhhh they have the best salad and breadsticks!" Yup. They do. In any case this salad was a hit - with kids and adults alike. If you're making traditional pizza (or, heck, getting delivery pizza) this is the PERFECT SALAD to serve alongside. Mmmm - dip the pizza crusts in the dressing! There are variations of this recipe all over the net, so I riffed on a few of those and came up with my variation - it's a bit healthier, but just as delish as the original. I swapped some Greek yogurt for half the mayo - I swear you'll never notice. A final note - this is a great potluck dish - just bring the dressing on the side and toss right before serving.

Pizzeria Style Salad with Italian Dressing {Olive Garden Salad}

makes 1 giant salad - serves about 8

Ingredients:

for the dressing:

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain 2% Greek yogurt
1/3 cup white vinegar
1 tsp canola oil
2 Tbsp light corn syrup
2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
2 Tbsp freshly grated Romano (or more Parmigiano)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp salt-free Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp parsley flakes
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

for the salad:

2 bags washed/ready to eat Bibb lettuce (or butter lettuce)
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced into rings
1/3 cup pitted black olives
1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
about 8 (or more) pepperoncinis (I like to thinly slice a few and leave a few whole)
1 cup good quality or homemade croutons
freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano for sprinkling at the table

Instructions:

Place all dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl.
Right before serving, pour the dressing over the salad (you may not need all of the dressing) and toss to combine.

Feastie Friday: Mother's Day Brunch

Jessica — Fri, 10 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

To all the mamas out there - Happy Mother's Day! Celebrate all the moms in your life - whether its a family member, friend, or your very own mom - this Sunday you have the perfect opportunity to show your love and appreciation for all that they do. What better way to show your love than to cook for them? Brunch is the perfect Mother's Day meal - you can do sweet or savory (or both!) and in the end, what dish isn't acceptable for brunch? Make this Mother's Day delicious and share homemade food with the ones you love. We've rounded up the top 5 recipes for Mother's Day brunch to get you started. And don't forget the mimosas or bellinis!

Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcake Pancakes from A Dash of Compassion
Photo from A Dash of Compassion

Spinach Artichoke Sun-Dried Tomato Frittata from Bake Your Day
Photo from Bake Your Day

Belgian Liege Waffles from The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
Photo from The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen

Poached Eggs Over Avocado & Smoked Salmon from Cookin Canuck
Photo from Cookin Canuck

Herb and Brie Omelette from Noshing With The Nolands
Photo from Noshing With The Nolands

Of course breakfast in bed or dinner is perfect as well!

Happy Eating,

Team Feastie

Biscoff Cookie Butter Bars with Biscoff Frosting

Jessica — Tue, 07 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

There is so much wonderfulness in the title of this post that I don't even know where to start. Just uttering the word "Biscoff" makes me giddy. I've admitted before to having a self control issue with cookie butter - I cannot, and I repeat, CANNOT have it in my house without destroying the entire jar in one go. But these frosted speculoos cookie butter bars from Butter Me Up Brooklyn were haunting my dreams. Literally - I can't even remember how many times I've flipped to this recipe in my binder of "to make recipes" and sighed deeply and wished that I could be trusted around a jar of cookie butter. I don't even remember what the occasion was - or if I just made one up - but I decided that these bars NEEDED to be made and I NEEDED to eat them. I mean, come ON!! Biscoff FROSTING?! Are you kidding me?!!! Biscoff!!! I want to eat all the Biscoff things!! And these bars are no exception. HOLY SHNIKES they're good. The frosting is good enough to eat on its own - it's dangerous. My friends and I devoured these bars - they're other worldly. The bars themselves have a dense, gingerbread-y type thing going on, and the frosting is a fluffy, cookie buttery, sweet, Biscoff-y heaven. But oddly enough, they're not tooth achingly sweet - you know how sometimes buttercream frosting makes your teeth hurt? Not these guys. Basically they're perfect and wonderful and delicious and trust me - you want to eat them. And so you do your friends.

Biscoff Cookie Butter Bars with Biscoff Frosting

adapted from Butter Me Up Brooklyn

makes 16 bars

Ingredients:

cinnamon sugar sprinkle:

1 Tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

for the bars:

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup Biscoff cookie butter

for the frosting:

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
heaping 1/3 cup Biscoff cookie butter
2 cups powdered sugar
5 Tbsp half & half

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper - use 2 pieces, one placed horizontally and one placed vertically, so they overlap.
In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon for the sprinkle. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
In another medium bowl combine the melted butter with the sugars, mixing thoroughly. Add vanilla and eggs and mix until well incorporated. Add the cookie butter and mix until smooth. Add the flour mixture to the cookie butter mixture and stir until just combined. Spread the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula.
Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar sprinkle evenly over the batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan completely before cutting or frosting (if you want to transport the bars, do like I did and leave the cooled, uncut bars in the pan and frost them right in there, cutting into bars once you reach your destination - OR - remove the cooled uncut bars from the baking pan, frost, and cut into bars).
While the cookie bars are cooling, make the frosting. In a medium bowl beat together (I used an electric hand mixer, but a stand mixer will work just fine) the softened butter, cookie butter, and powdered sugar until well combined and smooth. Stream the half & half into the frosting mixture and continue beating on high, until your frosting reaches desired consistency (I like mine light and fluffy, so I beat it for about 5 minutes). Use an offset spatula to frost the bars.

Feastie Friday: Top 5 Recipes of the Week

Jessica — Fri, 03 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

We've gone rogue. While we usually have a theme for Feastie Friday and feature the top 5 recipes for that theme, we've decided to do something a little different this week - feature the top 5 recipes of the week - period. Feastie is updated daily with hundreds of new recipes from thousands of blogs, so as you can imagine it was difficult to choose, but we decided to go ahead and share our favorites with you. The titles of these recipes alone will have you running for the kitchen - and wait till you see the photos. This is food we want to eat RIGHT NOW. So here they are, in no particular order - our five favorite recipes from this week.

PB & J Tres Leches Trifle from Scarletta Bakes
Photo from Scarletta Bakes

Roasted Sweet Potato Soup from Je Suis Alimentageuse
Photo from Je Suis Alimentageuse

Grilled Raspberry Cheesecake Turnovers from Sarah's Cucina Bella
Photo from Sarah's Cucina Bella

Grilled Guacamole Flatbread with Cilantro-Lime Shrimp from Spiced
Photo from Spiced

Rhubarb Almond Breakfast Bars from Simply Scratch
Photo from Simply Scratch

What about you guys - any favorites you want to share with us this week?

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Jessica — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Ordering soup in restaurants can be tricky - cream based soups are usually heavy and fatty, but broth based soups can be really, really salty. It's unfortunate, because many otherwise healthy utterly delicious soups will be total sodium bombs. So yeah, that minestrone or vegetable soup is a healthy choice, but if you're watching your sodium intake, they're just not a good option. So I tend to avoid soups in restaurants for that very reason, and attempt to recreate favorites at home. Chicken tortilla soup is definitely a favorite - tomato-based broth soup with chunks of chicken and veggies and topped with sour cream and crispy tortilla strips - delish. So when I had a craving for chicken tortilla soup last week, I decided to attempt a lower-sodium, homemade version. I came across this chicken tortilla soup from Bake Your Day and decided to give it a go - success! It delivered that zesty, spicy, tomato-y, creamy, crunchy, and yes, salty taste that I was craving - but with a lot less salt. This goes in the regular rotation - The Mr. loved this, and leftovers were fantastic.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

adapted from Bake Your Day

serves 8

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder (not garlic salt!)
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp paprika
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 large red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced (leave the seeds in if you like it spicy - if not, seed it before dicing)
1 juicy lime, juiced and zested
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 (15 oz) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (10 oz) can diced green chiles
1 (14.5 oz) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
1 cup frozen corn (no need to defrost)
1 Tbsp tomato paste
32 oz low sodium chicken or vegetable stock
lime wedges
diced avocado
sour cream
shredded extra sharp cheddar
chopped cilantro
chopped green onion
crispy tortilla strips or chips
hot sauce

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray. In a small bowl mix together the cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, black pepper, salt, oregano, and paprika. Lightly brush the chicken thighs with some olive oil, then lightly sprinkle some of the spice mixture onto the chicken thighs and rub it in (use about 1/2 of the spice mixture). Roast the chicken for 20-25 minutes (or until cooked through), turning the thighs over once halfway through cooking. Let the chicken cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes - when it's no longer hot to the touch, shred the chicken and transfer to a large bowl.
While the chicken cooks, heat the remaining olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic with a pinch of kosher salt and saute for 4 minutes, until the onions begin to soften and the garlic is fragrant. Add the bell pepper, jalapeno, lime juice, lime zest, and cilantro and stir to combine. Cook for about 4 minutes, until the peppers begin to soften. Add the remaining spice mixture, black beans, green chiles, diced tomatoes and corn and stir well. Cook for about 6 minutes, untl all of the veggies are tender. Stir in the tomato paste.
Slowly stir in the chicken stock and add the cooked/shredded chicken to the pot. Bring the soup to a boil, cover, reduce to a simmer and cook for another 15 minutes, stirring occassionally. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, passing garnishes (lime wedges-hot sauce) at the table.

Feastie Friday: Tomatoes

Jessica — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Tomatoes are beginning to appear in markets across the country - after the long, cold winter season, they are a beautiful sight! There is nothing quite like a perfectly ripe tomato - simply slice and eat. Of course they're delicious in just about every other dish as well - in sauces, salads, and sandwiches, soups and salsas - take advantage of the ripe tomatoes and make all of your favorite tomato dishes while you can. We've rounded up the top 5 tomato recipes for you this week - enjoy tomatoes while they're ripe and delicious. And if you're drowning in tomatoes, remember to can your tomatoes and enjoy them all year long!

Roasted Tomato And Goat Cheese Quiche from Savory Simple
Photo from Savory Simple

Tomato Sweet Potato Soup With Brown Butter Croutons from Bashful Bao
Photo from Bashful Bao

4 Cheese Italian Caprese Grilled Cheese from Food Babbles
Photo from Food Babbles

Tomato & Cucumber Salad from Cooking Weekends
Photo from Cooking Weekends

Delightfully Creamy Tomato Bisque from Two Recipes
Photo from Two Recipes

How about tomato ice cream?

Happy Eating,

Team Feastie

Thick, Soft, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Jessica — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Bigfoot...the Loch Ness Monster...the abominable snowman...elusive, mysterious, studied and seeked by people all over the world. Let me add one to the list: the perfect chocolate chip cookie. Srsly. A chocolate chip cookie is NOT just a chocolate chip cookie - there are a lot of variables at play here. Do you prefer them thin and crispy? Or thick and chewy? Soft? Big chunks of dark chocolate, or semisweet chips? Nuts or no nuts? The variations are endless - and I've tried many of them. A favorite in our house has been the NYT ultimate chocolate chip cookie - good stuff. Like, really, really good stuff. BUT - possibly not the pinnacle of chocolate chip cookie-ness. Well maybe pretty damn close - but hey, there's always room for improvement, right? I came across these chocolate chip and chunk cookies from Averie Cooks, and decided to give them a go. No particular reason, no special event or celebration - when you need a chocolate chip cookie, you just need a chocolate chip cookie, you know? The one drawback to the NYT recipe is the lag time while you wait for the dough to chill - you need to wait an entire 24 hours from when the dough is mixed to when you form them into cookies and bake them. !!!! I don't have 24 hours! I need a cookie NOW! Averie's recipe does require refrigeration before baking - but only 30 minutes. That's just enough time to clean up the kitchen, preheat the oven, and prep your baking sheets - perfect. They also have a "secret" ingredient - cornstarch. Apparently cornstarch creates a soft, thick, chewy cookie - hey, I'm game. My favorite ice cream recipe uses cornstarch, so why not a cookie recipe? Lemme tell you - these babies are gooood. I made a few tiny changes - namely to make the cookies smaller and to add a sprinkle of fleur de sel on top (because again - why not?!) - but they're delicious just the way they are. If you like your cookies soft and chewy, MAKE THESE. You will not be sorry - as the The Mr. would say, "These cookies are serious business." And they are.

Thick, Soft, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

adapted from Averie Cooks

makes 3 dozen medium-sized cookies

Ingredients

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup bread flour (or use all AP flour - either way)
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
6 oz semisweet chocolate chips (use good ones - my favorite brand is the Trader Joe's house brand)
6 oz dark chocolate, chopped into bite-sized chunks (again, use good stuff - I use the Trader Joe's pound plus bar)
fleur de sel or flaked sea salt

Instructions:

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on low speed until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Add the sugars and beat on medium-high until creamed and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl before adding the egg and vanilla, then beat on medium-high for another 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
With the mixer on the lowest speed, slowly add the flour mixture, mixing until just combined, about a minute.
Fold in the chocolate chips and chunks with a spatula by hand.
Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap (or transfer to an airtight container) and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, up to 5 days.
Before cooking, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Using a food scale, weigh out 1.25 oz of dough for each cookie. Roll the dough into a ball, and place about 2" apart on a prepared baking sheet (I bake 9 cookies per sheet). Before baking, sprinkle a tiny bit of fleur de sel or sea salt onto the top of each dough ball.
Bake for 7-9 minutes, until barely golden brown around the edges and still slightly undercooked in the center (the tops of the cookies will be pale, not golden brown - this is what you want).
Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Obviously, eat one before it cools - warm chocolate chip cookie straight out of the oven?! Yes, please.