The Cultural Dish

Harry Potter Cakes!

2013-05-22T11:31:00.002-04:00

As you all know, I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan! When the last film came out, I even held a Harry Potter viewing party where I served up all of these Harry Potter treats! Recently though, I have come to learn that a colleague of mine is also a Harry Potter fanatic, so to celebrate her recently becoming a mom, I made her these themed cakes...

For more Harry Potter treats, visit my recipe tribute page here. Enjoy!

Arugula Salad with Beets and Goat Cheese

2013-05-08T10:53:00.001-04:00

This week for FN Dish's Sensational Sides, it was time to welcome spring with a light and refreshing salad!

During this time of year, I LOVE to cook with beets. I never liked them growing up, but for some reason, they are now one of my weird obsessions! Therefore, I just had to make my beet salad for this post. It is so quick and easy to assemble, and even better, it's healthy! Well, healthier... :)

This dish can of course be made as a light side to accompany a meal, but I also provided the option for adding meat in order to make the salad the whole meal. Also, because of the combination of cheese and beets, this salad does not necessarily need a dressing, but I usually make my own light dressing to drizzle over the top anyway.

Arugula Salad with Beets and Goat Cheese

Ingredients:
-1 big bunch (or 10 oz bag) of Arugula (I also had some spinach so my pictures show both arugula and spinach)
-2 to 4 beets, cooked and cubed (use all four if making a large batch)
-A handful of crumbled goat cheese for sprinkling
-Walnuts for sprinkling (optional)
-1 lemon freshly squeezed
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
-Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Prepare the dressing by whisking together the lemon juice and balsamic vinegar. Then slowly whisk in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Then, in a separate bowl, place all of the arugula and beets together, and pour the dressing over the lettuce. Lightly toss to coat the arugula and beets with the dressing. Finally, sprinkle the goat cheese and walnuts (if using) on top. Serve and enjoy!

If you want to make this into a full meal, add slices of roasted chicken. The heat from the chicken will melt the goat cheese a bit, creating a nice creamy coating. This is a great dish to serve when the weather is warm and you want something light! Although I tend to enjoy this meal with a blue moon or Sam Summer!

Jeanette's Healthy Living:Mexican Chopped Salad With Lime Cilantro Dressing
Feed Me Phoebe:Grilled Chicken Paillard With Chopped Nicoise Salad
Cooking With Elise:Garden Spring Rolls
The Cultural Dish:Arugula Salad With Beets and Goat Cheese
Napa Farmhouse 1885:Mixed Greens Salad With Shrimp and Oranges
Red or Green?:Spring Salad Greens With Spicy Chiocciole Pasta and Pine Nuts
The Sensitive Epicure:Green on Green Chopped Salad
Weelicious:Southwestern Salad
Made by Michelle:Mixed Greens With Grapeseed Oil and Balsamic
FN Dish:Vivacious Pasta Salad Sides

Authentically Homemade Guacamole!

2013-05-01T11:30:00.000-04:00

For this weeks Sensational Sides post on FN Dish, myself, along with other bloggers, were asked to create a side dish that could be kid friendly.

Now, my mind immediately went back to my own childhood when my mother would try to cut food into cute little shapes in order to encourage me to try different foods. However, as much as that may have helped me growing up, I decided to make guacamole. Guacamole is typically something that anyone would eat, yet, I took advantage of the fact that the dish is green and looks interesting to children. Plus, with Cinco de Mayo this weekend, it was the perfect way to celebrate!

What most people do not realize, is that in addition to being green and interesting for children, and being a great way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, guacamole can actually be healthy! In moderation of course... Avocados are a healthy fat, so they are great to incorporate into your diet!

Guacamole!

Ingredients:

-4 ripe Hass Avocados

-1 lime, juiced

-1 small onion, chopped

-1 Roma tomato, seeded and diced

-1 to 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

-1 tablespoon minced garlic

-1/2 teaspoon cumin (optional, but gives great flavor)

-Salt and pepper to taste

Direction:

In a large bowl, scoop out the insides of the avocados and mix with the lime juice. If there is a lot of excess juice, drain it and reserve it for later use.

Using a fork, mix/cut in the cumin, garlic, salt, and pepper. Then, fold in the onions, tomatoes, and cilantro. Mix in a little of the reserved lime juice. Please note, using a fork to blend the ingredients will help to keep the dip a little more chunky. You can use a potato masher as well if you prefer.

Although this will be hard to do, let the guacamole sit for at least an hour for all of the flavors to really meld together.

Then, take some whole wheat chips (or chip of choice), scoop up some guac, and enjoy! This is even great spread over turkey burgers since turkey burgers tend to be more dry than regular hamburger meat.

Feed Me Phoebe: Radish and Basil Thai Fried Rice
Jeanette's Healthy Living: Easy Stir-Fry Green Beans
The Cultural Dish: Authentically Homemade Guacamole
Devour: Kid-Friendly Baked Ziti
Domesticate Me: Skillet Cornbread
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Healthy Carrot Cake Cupcakes With Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Red or Green? Spicy Chickpea Burgers With Cabbage Slaw
The Heritage Cook: Duck Fat Fries, a Kid's Favorite Snack!
Virtually Homemade: Mini Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
FN Dish: Kid-Friendly Veggie Sides

Lobster Mac n' Cheese!

2013-04-28T22:56:00.001-04:00

This past week I was not feeling too well, but with the weather finally improving and the lure of summer coming, I was craving some lobster!

Being a New Englander, I am a seafood fanatic, and I love indulging in Lobster! Of course, the prices for lobster are still a bit high for now, but I just could not wait any longer. Rather than just eating the lobster (which I usually do with a nice cold beer), I decided to incorporate into a dish that I have not made for a long time - macaroni and cheese.

Macaroni and cheese is just such a great comfort food and when you combine it with fresh seafood, it adds a bit of sophistication! The perfect combo to make any girl feel better! Although it may sound more "fancy shmancy," this dish is really simple to make!

Lobster Mac n' Cheese

Ingredients:
-1 pound penne pasta (I used whole wheat)
-1 pound fresh lobster, chopped up (you can buy it like this from the fish counter)
-1/2 pound baby shrimp (optional - you can add more if you have less lobster or if it is not fresh in your market)
-4 tablespoons butter, plus 2 tablespoons for drizzling
-1 onion, chopped
-1 clove of garlic, minced
-1/4 cup white wine
-1/4 cup flour
-2 cups heavy cream
-2 cups white cheddar cheese, shredded
-2 cups Gruyere cheese, shredded
-1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
-1/4 cup bread crumbs (or panko bread crumbs)
-Salt and pepper to taste
-Freshly chopped parsley for sprinkling
-White truffle oil (a few drops if you have it)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Bring a pot of water to a boil, add a little salt and the penne. Cook for about 8 minutes, or until al dente. Drain the pasta, but reserve one cup of the pasta water. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in another saucepan, melt the 4 tablespoons of butter. Add the onion, garlic, salt and pepper to taste, and saute for a couple of minutes. Add the flour and cook for an additional two minutes. The onions will clump together a bit with the flour, but that is okay. Whisk in the wine and let it reduce by almost half. Once the wine has reduced, whisk in the heavy cream and nutmeg and cook for about 5 - 10 more minutes, or until the mixture thickens.

Once the cream mixture has thickened, remove from the heat and stir in a couple drops of truffle oil if using. Pour the mixture over the penne. Fold in the cheeses and seafood. If the mixture is too thick for your liking, you can add a little of the reserved pasta water to help loosen it up.

Transfer all of the pasta into a casserole dish and sprinkle the top with the bread crumbs and parsley. Melt the reserved two tablespoons of butter and drizzle it over the top of the bread crumbs. Place the casserole dish in the oven and cook for about 15 - 20 minutes, or until the top starts to become a golden brown and the cheese is bubbling.

Remove from the oven and let rest for at least 10 - 15 minutes. Then, take a spoon, dig in and enjoy!

Caprese Salad

2013-04-17T13:03:00.001-04:00

This week for FN Dish's Sensational Sides, our side dish had to be something that could be assembled without any cooking and/or baking. Since the weather has FINALLY been getting warmer and my basil plant has actually been growing (yay!), I decided to put my fresh basil to use and make a simple, yet delectable, Caprese Salad!

Caprese salad is just so light and so refreshing that it is hard to resist! The fresh basil with the thick slices of mozzarella and tomato... mmmmm. Oh, and the olive oil and balsamic drizzle just add that extra touch of greatness!

Caprese Salad

Ingredients:
-3 to 4 whole ripe tomatoes, sliced thickly
-12 ounces mozzarella cheese, sliced thickly
-Bunch of basil leaves
-Olive oil
-Balsamic Vinegar (or reduction)
-Salt and pepper to taste (optional)

Directions:
On a plate, alternate layering the mozzarella and tomato slices. Then, tuck basil leaves in between each layer to add color and flavor.

Drizzle lightly with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. You can also make a balsamic reduction, which requires heating about 2 cups of balsamic vinegar for approximately 15-20 minutes until it reduces and begins to thicken. This is optional and entirely up to you though. Since this was a no-bake challenge, I just drizzled the balsamic right over the top!

Add a little sprinkle of salt and pepper if you wish, and dig in and enjoy!

Jeanette's Healthy Living: Mixed Fish Poke Tower
Feed Me Phoebe: Smoked Tofu Summer Rolls
The Lemon Bowl: Asian Cabbage Slaw With Mint and Scallions
The Cultural Dish: Caprese Salad
Cooking With Elise: Good for You Guacamole
Dishin & Dishes: Chicken Salad With Dried Cherries and Walnuts
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Cilantro, Ginger and Garlic Dip
Red or Green?: Avocado and Three Chile Salsa
Weelicious: Avocado Honey Dip
Devour: No-Cook Kale Salad Recipes
Made By Michelle: Swiss Chard Pesto
The Sensitive Epicure: No-Cook Vietnamese Spring Rolls
Domesticate Me: Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Cauliflower
FN Dish: Go Raw With Shaved Salads

Lemon Risotto (Revisited)

2013-04-10T12:00:00.000-04:00

This week for FN Dish's Sensational Sides series, we had to use any form of rice, grains, barley, etc in our side dish. Since spring is in the air, and lemons always remind me of warmer weather, I decided to use this as an opportunity to make my lemon risotto.

I have this lemon risotto recipe before, but I find that it is always good to occasionally go back to your old recipes and revisit them in order to see if there are any new ways to prep and/or tweak that recipe.

Lemon Risotto in a Lemon Cup (scoop out the insides of the lemon, cut off the top, and fill with risotto for a cute serving idea)

Ingredients:
-2 cups chicken broth
-1/2 cup water
-1 medium shallot, chopped (or small onion)
-3 tablespoons butter, unsalted
-1 cup Arborio rice
-1 cup dry white wine
-1 lemon zested and juiced
-1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (optional, but the cheese help to give a more rich and creamy taste)
-2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
-Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth and water to a simmer and leave on low heat.

In another medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the shallot and saute for about 3 minutes. Pour the rice into the pan and mix in with the shallot until coated. Then, add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost fully reduced. Once the wine has reduced, add about a 1/2 cup of the broth. Simmer and stir until almost reduced (a few minutes). Continue adding about a 1/2 cup of the broth at a time, allowing to the broth reduce before adding more. Once all of the broth has been used, remove from heat and mix in the last tablespoon of butter, Parmesan cheese, mascarpone cheese, lemon zest and juice, and salt and pepper to taste. The rice mixture should be creamy but al dente.

Serve warm as a side dish to accompany any spring or summer dinner. Enjoy!

Jeanette's Healthy Living: Chinese Shrimp Fried Rice
Devour: Farro Salad With Greek Yogurt
Dishin & Dishes: Kale, Quinoa and Black Bean Salad
The Cultural Dish: Lemon Risotto
The Sensitive Epicure: Stir-Fried Quinoa With Chinese Vegetables
Virtually Homemade: Spring Couscous Salad With a Citrus Vinaigrette
Made By Michelle: Really Good Granola
Cooking With Elise: Mediterranean Orzo Salad
Weelicious: Mushroom Barley
Thursday Night Dinner: Quinoa Salad With Cucumbers, Tomatoes and Mint
Feed Me Phoebe: Millet Salad With Roasted Fennel and Tomatoes
FN Dish: Good Grains Make for Balanced Meals

Roasted Sweet Potatoes: Two Variations

2013-04-03T12:00:00.000-04:00

This week for FN Dish's Sensational Sides, we were asked to make a side dish that needed to be roasted. Since I like to roast all of my vegetables, like my Garlic and Rosemary Potatoes and Roasted Asparagus, I decided to change it up a bit this week, and roast some sweet potatoes. The only problem was, I could not decide how I wanted to flavor them! Therefore, I just made two batches and both were so delicious in their own way! Since I cannot pick a favorite, I'll let you decide which one you prefer.

Ingredients

Version 1: Rosemary Roasted Sweet Potatoes
-2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
-1/2 tablespoon freshly chopped rosemary
-1 teaspoon diced garlic
-1 tablespoon butter (optional)
-Salt and pepper to taste
-Olive oil for drizzling

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

On a baking sheet and/or pan, toss the sweet potatoes with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, rosemary, and garlic. Place in the oven and roast for about 25 minutes, or until fork tender.

Remove from the oven and stir in the butter, if using, until melted.

Variation 2: Cinnamon and Walnut Roasted Sweet Potatoes
-2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
-1 tablespoon butter, melted
-1 handful of walnuts (optional)
-Honey for drizzling (optional)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

On a baking sheet and/or pan, toss the sweet potatoes with the melted butter and cinnamon. Place in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes, or until fork tender.

Remove from the oven and stir in the walnuts and just a little bit of honey (if using).

I hope you enjoy both of these tasty variations!

Jeanette's Healthy Living: Roasted Cauliflower, Carrots and Chickpeas With Halloumi Cheese
Dishin & Dishes: Roasted Asparagus and Avocado Toast
Cooking With Elise: Roasted Strawberries and a Mixed Green Salad
The Cultural Dish: Roasted Sweet Potatoes: Two Variations
Weelicious: Roast Chicken With Caramelized Lemons, Cherry Tomatoes and Olives
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Roasted Leeks With Polenta and Pork Tenderloin
Red or Green?: Spicy Roasted Radishes and Asparagus With Balsamic Vinegar
Virtually Homemade: Grilled Rosemary Garlic Potatoes
The Sensitive Epicure: Roasted Fingerling Potatoes and Asparagus With Rosemary
Feed Me Phoebe: Artichokes With White Wine and Thyme
Devour: Oven Roasted Vegetable Recipes
FN Dish: An Ode to the Oven, Roasted Side Dish Recipes

Green Bean Salad

2013-03-27T12:00:00.000-04:00

After a great season of whipping up comfort food dishes for the Food Network's blog FN Dish, it is time to begin a new series of weekly posts - Sensational Sides! Each week, myself, along with fellow bloggers, will be creating side dishes using the various ingredients/inspirations that are given. For this first week, we were to create a side dish using items from our pantry. Now, I do not know about you, but I have A LOT of items overflowing in my pantry, so I can always use an excuse to explore some new ways to use my pantry items.

After thinking about what to make, I realized that just about every week, I cook green beans. However, I usually do not do anything special with them, so I decided to jazz them up a bit. As a result, a Green Bean Salad was born!

Green Bean Salad

Ingredients:

-1/2 pound fresh green beans, ends cut off

-1 small red onion, chopped (or half of one larger onion)

-1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

-2 tablespoons olive oil

-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

-1 teaspoon ground mustard

-Salt and pepper to taste

Direction:

Place the green beans in a small saucepan and fill with water. Bring the pot to a boil and let the green beans steam, with the lid on, for about 5 minutes. Drain the green beans and set aside.

Meanwhile, mix together the oil, balsamic vinegar, and mustard. Pour the dressing over the green beans and mix until the green beans are covered with the dressing. Toss in the chopped onion and toasted walnuts (to toast the walnuts, just place them in a 375 degree F oven and roast for about 5-7 minutes, or until browned). Season with salt and pepper if needed (you do not need much at all).

You can serve the green bean salad warm or chilled, but no matter how you eat it, I hope you enjoy!

Feed Me Phoebe:Tropical Trail Mix With Ginger and Coconut
The Cultural Dish:Green Bean Salad
Jeanette's Healthy Living:Easy Roasted Tomatoes and Spring Asparagus
Napa Farmhouse 1885:Pizza With Kale-Walnut Pesto, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Pickled Garlic
Red or Green?:Spring Greens With Homemade Vinaigrette
The Sensitive Epicure:Pasta alla Ghetto Fabuloso (Gluten-Free and Milk-Free)
Dishin & Dishes:Scalloped Sweet Potatoes
Haute Apple Pie:Broccoli Cheesy Rice
Made By Michelle:Broccoli Quiche With Homemade Bisquick
FN Dish:Pantry-Friendly, Budget-Friendly Side Dish Recipes

Brown Rice with Creamed Peas and Carrots

2013-03-21T09:00:00.000-04:00

This month for the Improv Challenge, Kristen from Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker challenged us to use peas and carrots. Initially, I thought that this challenge would be simple. I mean, it's peas and carrots. But then I realized... it was peas and carrots! The only thing that kept popping into my mind was shepherd's pie, but I have already posted my shepherd's pie and I wanted to do something different.

Since I like to eat as clean and as healthy as I possibly can (minus my dessert and pasta cravings that occur every week), I decided to make a healthy side dish - enter brown rice with creamed peas and carrots! This dish is really simple to make and it really dresses up the brown rice since it can be quite plain on its own.

Brown Rice with Creamed Peas and Carrots

Ingredients:

-1 cup brown rice (or rice of your choosing)
-2 1/2 cups of water
-1 cup frozen peas
-3 carrots, sliced (approx. 1 cup of carrots, can use frozen too)
-1 cup milk
-2 tablespoons butter
-1 tablespoon flour
-Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In a small saucepan, heat the rice with the water, and bring to a boil. Once it boils, reduce the heat and allow the rice to simmer for about 30-40 minutes, or until it has been cooked and absorbed the water. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a heavy skillet or pan, melt the butter. Add the carrots and saute for a few minutes until the carrots begin to soften. Stir in the peas and flour. Season with a little salt and pepper and then add the milk. Let the mixture simmer for about 5-10 minutes, or until the milk starts to thicken. Then, take your brown rice and add it into the creamy pea and carrot mixture. Stir all ingredients together until the rice is nice and creamy and the milk is mostly absorbed. Season with a little more salt and pepper if needed.

Serve warm as a side dish to any meal and enjoy!

St. Patrick's Day Lineup 2013!

2013-03-15T11:28:00.000-04:00

As March 17th approaches, and we all channel our inner Irishman (or Irishwoman) by drinking way too much Guinness and stuffing our faces with bangers and mash, fish and chips, brown bread, and much more, I figured that it would be a good time to share some of my favorite Irish recipes with all of you.

Here is this year's list of top St. Patrick's Day inspired recipes:

1.) Homemade Irish Cream

2.) Irish Pirate

3.) Irish Coffee

4.) Scones

5.) Irish Soda (and Brown) Bread

6.) Irish Stew

7.) Shepherd's Pie

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Pasta alla Carbonara

2013-03-13T12:56:00.000-04:00

This week's challenge for the Comfort Food Feast on FN Dish was to make a comforting pasta dish. Now, there are so many comforting pasta dishes out there, that I wasn't sure where to start! Images of macaroni and cheese, stuffed shells, lasagna, baked ziti, four-cheese pasta, and many more ran through my head! But then it hit me! Pasta alla Carbonara. Pasta carbonara is an egg and cheese based dish from Rome, and it is also one of the first pasta dishes that I can remember my grandmother making for me.

Although Pasta alla Carbonara is traditionally made with spaghetti, you can feel free to get creative and use fettuccine, bucatini, gemelli, rigatoni, and more! Additionally, the dish is also traditionally made with eggs, cheese, pepper, and pancetta, but when I have extra peas, I will throw them in as well to add a little more green to the dish. Try making your own pasta too - it is a lot of fun and it just makes the dish that much more comforting! If you want to make your own pasta dough, click here for the recipe and directions.

Pasta alla Carbonara

Ingredients:
-1 lb spaghetti (or homemade pasta dough)
-1/4 pound pancetta, chopped (approx.)
-1 teaspoon minced garlic
-4 large eggs (use 6 eggs if you are making a larger batch of pasta)
-1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
-Chopped parsley leaves
-Salt and pepper to taste
-Optional: 1/2 cup cooked of peas

Directions:
Bring a pot of water to a boil and add a little salt and the pasta to the water. Cook until al dente for about 8-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a saute pan and add a little olive oil. Put the pancetta in the pan and cook for about 3 minutes until the pancetta is crisp. Add the garlic and cook for about one more minute. Turn off the heat and set aside (make sure you keep all of the fats/oils from the pan too).

Reserve 1/2 of a cup of pasta cooking water. Then, remove the pasta from the heat and strain the pasta. Return the pasta to the pot and pour in the pancetta and its fat/oil to the pasta. Stir until the pasta is lightly coated with the pancetta fats. Add the peas if using.

In a bowl, lightly beat the eggs and add the Parmesan cheese to the egg mixture. Once combined, add the egg and cheese mixture to the pasta, stirring quickly so that the eggs do not cook. The eggs will start to thicken, so you can add a little of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce up if desired.

Season the pasta with a little salt and pepper, top with parsley and Parmesan cheese, and serve warm. Enjoy!

The Cultural Dish:Pasta Carbonara
The Sensitive Epicure:Individual Goat Cheese Mac & Cheese (Gluten-Free, Lactose-Free)
Feed Me Phoebe:Green Eggs and Ham: Pasta Carbonara With Zucchini and Crispy Prosciutto
Red or Green?:Spicy Italian Sausage and Peppers Pasta
Napa Farmhouse 1885:Pasta With Apple-Sage Sausage, White Beans and Greens
Jeanette's Healthy Living:A Healthier Crock-Pot Meat Lovers Pasta Sauce
Dishin & Dishes:Skillet Gnocchi
The Heritage Cook:Macaroni and Cheese for Everyone
Devour: Low-Key Lasagna
Virtually Homemade:Gluten-Free Macaroni and Cheese With Crispy Bacon
Cooking With Elise:Scallops and Linguini
Big Girls, Small Kitchen:Swiss Chard Lasagna
And Love It Too:Baked Spaghetti With Zucchini Noodles
FN Dish:The Most Satisfying Pasta Dishes

Homemade Irish Cream

2013-03-08T11:50:00.001-05:00

Yes, it is that time of year again! That time when we can drink and drink and drink and not feel guilty! Oh, and we can celebrate St. Patrick's Day too! ;)

I actually try to eat pretty healthy most of the time, and that includes not drinking as much. Of course, I still love having my glass of wine (or two) with dinner sometimes. However, since I have not shared a cocktail recipe in awhile, and St. Patrick's Day is approaching, I figured I would booze it up for this blog post and share my Homemade Irish Cream recipe! My husband was also quite excited when I told him I would be making it again for him, since he likes his Irish drinks!

Making your own Irish cream is really very simple. There are a few different ways that you can make it, but this is the recipe that I have come up with after a few years of trying and combining various recipes that I have researched online.

Homemade Irish Cream

Ingredients:
-1 cup heavy cream

-1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

-1 ½ cups Irish whisky (optional - leave out if you want the non-alcoholic version, just know that it will be a lot thicker without the alcohol)

-2 tablespoons chocolate syrup

-1 teaspoon instant coffee

-1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

-½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)

Directions:

Place all of the ingredients into a blender. Blend, pour, sip, enjoy!

See, wasn't that easy!? It is actually a bit dangerous to know how easy it is to make this, which is why I have to try and only think about this time of year.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Homemade Pasta Dough

2013-03-03T21:31:00.001-05:00

Since pasta is so easy to find, most people just buy it at the store and throw it in a pot to cook. What most people do not realize though, is that making your own pasta can be just as easy! Okay, it may make a little mess in the kitchen, but it really is so simple and delicious. I am a firm believer that there is just nothing better than something that is homemade! Plus, it allows you to have some fun and experiment with making basil or spinach pasta doughs! So don't be afraid. Channel your inner Italian and give it a try!

Depending on where you are in Italy, pasta dough is made slightly differently. Some places use flour and eggs, some flour and water, and some even add a little olive oil. However, the most common and basic way to make pasta dough involves mixing together flour and eggs. That's it!

Basic Pasta Dough

Ingredients (for approximately 1 pound of pasta):

-2 1/4 cups flour

-3 eggs

*Basic rule of thumb when making pasta: You use 1 egg for every 3/4 cup of flour. So if you want to make larger or smaller batches, the recipe can easily be adjusted. The portions that I gave above is plenty if you are cooking for 2-4 people and there will usually be some leftover!

Directions:

On a clean surface, measure out all of your flour, and make a weld in the center. Lightly whisk the eggs with a fork and add to the center of the flour. Slowly and carefully mix in a little flour into the eggs. Be careful not to break the wall of flour holding the eggs. Once the eggs have mixed with enough flour though, you can break the wall.

If making a larger batch, you can also just use a kitchen aid mixer if you have one. I usually always mix it myself though.

Once the dough comes together (it is okay if the dough seems a little "rough"), wrap in plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

After the dough has rested, unwrap it and roll out chunks of the dough one at a time. Now, here is where things can get messy and you need to use your muscles. I ALWAYS use my pasta roller because it makes life so much easier. However, if you do not have a pasta roller, that is okay. It will just take a little longer to roll out and you will give your arms a great workout (see my products/store page to see the roller I have)!

If using a pasta roller, using a lot of flour on the machine and dough, run the dough through the roller at a wider setting the first few times. After each pass through, fold the dough in half. Only do this the first few times. Then, slowly change the settings on your roller to thinner settings. It depends on the type of pasta you are making (i.e. spaghetti, ravioli, lasagna, etc), but your pasta roller should come with instructions on which setting is used for each type of pasta.

Sheets of pasta after being rolled

Once your pasta is all rolled out and you have thin sheets of dough, let it stand for a few minutes. This will allow the pasta to dry slightly before passing through the machine to cut into spaghetti or fettuccine etc. Do not let the pasta sheets dry for too long though, otherwise the dough will just break when you pass it through to cut.

Once cut, you can let the pasta dry a little more if you wish, just make sure there is enough flour sprinkled on the dough to prevent sticking. I usually make the dough and cook it right away though.

I hope you give this homemade pasta a try and enjoy!

Luscious Lemon Squares

2013-03-01T17:22:00.001-05:00

Spring is almost here! I cannot believe how quickly the past few months have flown by, but with the start of March comes the anticipation and excitement of warmer days and cooking with spring and summer fruits and vegetables again!

To kick off March, Helen Koval from Helen's Cooking was kind enough to ask me to be her blogger of the week. I was so excited and honored, but I had no idea what I wanted to make for this post. After much deliberation, it came to me! Lemon Squares! I absolutely love cooking with Lemons, and if I did not live in New England, you can bet I would have a lemon tree in my back yard! There is just something about lemons. They always add that something extra to my dishes and even when they are the focus of a dish, they can be quite tasty. Plus, my husband has been hounding me for awhile now to make him his lemon squares again, so I figured it was about time! :)

Luscious Lemon Squares

Ingredients

For the Crust:

-1 ½ cups flour

-1/2 cup confectionery sugar (plus extra for sprinkling at the end)

-1/4 cup cornstarch

-12 tablespoons of unsalted butter, diced and cold

-Pinch of salt

For the Filling:

-4 eggs

-1 ½ cup sugar

-1/4 cup flour

-2/3 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

-Zest of 1 lemon

-1/2 teaspoon baking powder

-Pinch of salt

Directions:

Lightly grease a baking pan and then line it with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper as well. This will help in the end when you are trying to remove the lemon squares. The parchment paper hanging over the ends will act as your handles. Set aside.

In a food processor (or mixing bowl), combine the flour, sugar, cornstarch, and a little salt. Then, mix in the butter until the dough begins to crumble up. If you have a food processor, this process will be very easy and the dough will form right away for you. If mixing, it will just take a little longer for the dough to begin to form since the butter is cold.

Take the dough and use your hands to spread and press it down into your greased baking ban. Once you have evenly spread and pressed down the dough, let it chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

After being chilled, bake the crust in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly browned and set. Remove the pan from the oven and reduce the temperature down to 325 degrees F.

In a bowl, mix together the eggs and sugar. Add the flour, lemon juice, lemon zest, baking powder, and pinch of salt. Once the mixture is all combined, pour it over the crust and return to the oven. Bake for 20 minutes or until the lemon mixture has set.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Using the parchment paper, lift the whole square from the pan. Sprinkle confectionery sugar over the top and slice into squares. Make sure to wipe the knife in between cutting so that the slices stay nice and smooth.

Once cut, dig in and enjoy!

Pineapple-Filled Biscuits

2013-02-27T12:00:00.000-05:00

This week for the Comfort Food Feast on FN Dish we are making biscuits! I love love love homemade biscuits! They are so warm and flaky when they are fresh out of the oven. Mmmmm there is just nothing like them!

As much as I enjoy eating your standard buttermilk biscuit, I occasionally like to indulge in my grandmother's pineapple filled buttermilk biscuits! Now, I know what you may be thinking. Pineapple!? Really!? Yes, really! As weird as it may sound, I promise you that these biscuits are a surprising, sweet, delicious, treat! If you are hesitant though, you can still make the biscuits using the recipe below, and just leave them as is, without the pineapple mixture. However, I highly recommend that you give the pineapple biscuits a try. They will not disappoint!

Pineapple-Filled Biscuits

Ingredients

For the Buttermilk Biscuits:
-2 cups flour
-4 teaspoons baking powder
-1/4 teaspoon baking soda
-1 teaspoon salt
-2 tablespoons butter
-4 tablespoons shortening
-1 cup buttermilk

Pineapple Filling:
-1/2 cup cream cheese
-1 cup crushed pineapple
-Pinch of sugar (do this only if the crushed pineapple you are using has no added sugar)

Glaze:
-3/4 cup confectionery sugar
-2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons pineapple juice

Please note: If you are in a rush, although I love the homemade biscuits, you can use the Pillsbury biscuits and then just fill them with the pineapple filling. If you are only making biscuits without the filling, then I would definitely recommend sticking to making them homemade! They are definitely better than the store-bought kind.

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

In a bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients. Add the butter and shortening and mix it lightly until the mixture begins to crumble a little. Be careful not to mix for too long though because you want the butter to remain cold.

Pour in the buttermilk and mix until just combined. It is important that you do not over mix. The dough will be very sticky still, but dump it out onto a floured surface and flour your hands. Very gently, fold the dough over itself about 5 or 6 times. Again, it is very important that you do not knead the dough and handle it for too long, because it will change the consistency and end result of the biscuit.

Pat, do not roll, the dough down until it is about a 1/2-1 inch thick. Cut into rounds and place the dough rounds on a baking sheet. If you are only making the biscuits, then you can place them in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown on top. If you are adding the pineapple filling, then before you place the biscuits in the oven, mix together the pineapple and cream cheese, and scoop a small amount (barely a spoonful) of the mixture to place in the middle of each biscuit round. This next step will get messy and the biscuits will look awful, but I promise, this is normal and they will bake just fine. Using your floured hands, pinch the biscuit dough together over the top of the pineapple mixture (it should look like you formed little bags).

Place the biscuits in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. While they are cooling, mix together the confectionery sugar and pineapple juice for your glaze. Brush the glaze over the biscuits while they are still warm.

Serve the biscuits warm and enjoy their flaky goodness!

What's Gaby Cooking:Cheddar-Bacon Buttermilk Biscuits
Jeanette's Healthy Living:My Mom's Beijing Biscuits "Shao Bing"
The Cultural Dish:Pineapple Biscuits
And Love It Too:Coconut Flour Country Biscuits
Red or Green?:Green Chile and Olive Oil Biscuits
Napa Farmhouse 1885:Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Drop Biscuits With Cheddar and Garlic
Made By Michelle:Swiss Chard and Feta Fritters
Devour: The Best Mix-Ins for Your Biscuits
Virtually Homemade:Strawberry-Tangerine Shortcakes With Bisquick Drop Biscuits
Daily*Dishin:Quick Cream Biscuits and Slow Bacon Jam
The Heritage Cook:Gluten-Free Buttermilk Biscuits
Thursday Night Dinner:Winter Shortcake Stuffed With Jam and Whipped Cream
FN Dish:15 Takes on Biscuits

Daring Bakers' Challenge: Crisp Crackers & Flatbreads

2013-02-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

Sarah from All Our Fingers in the Pie was our February 2013 Daring Bakers’ host and she challenges us to use our creativity in making our own Crisp Flatbreads and Crackers!

We had an array of options to choose from, so it was hard to narrow it down, but I ended up maki the Rainbow Crisps, Herbed Faltbread, and Onion and Poppy Seed Crackers. They were all so delicious! I had never made my own crackers before, but now after seeing how easy it is and how tasty they are, I will definitel be making them myself again!

Rainbow Crisps

Rainbow Crisps

Ingredients:

-2 cups (480 ml) (280 gm) (10 oz) all-purpose (plain) flour
-2 teaspoons (10 ml) (10 gm) (1/3 oz) baking soda
-1/2 teaspoon (2½ ml) (3 gm) salt
-2 cups (480 ml) buttermilk
-1/4 cup (60 ml) (50 gm) (1¾ oz) brown sugar, firmly packed
-1/4 cup (60 ml) honey
-1 cup (240 ml) (180 gm) (6½ oz) raisins, craisins, or any dried fruit of your choosing
-1/2 cup (120 ml) (60 gm) (2 oz) chopped pecans
-1/2 cup (120 ml) (125 gm) (4½ oz) roasted pumpkin seeds (optional)
-1/4 cup (60 ml) (30 gm) (1 oz) sesame seeds
-1/4 cup (60 ml) (30 gm) (1 oz) flax seed, ground (I also used poppy seeds)
-1 tablespoon (15 ml) (2 gm) finely chopped fresh rosemary

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add the buttermilk, brown sugar and honey and stir in a few strokes. Add the raisins (or other dried fruit), pecans, pumpkin seeds (if using), sesame seeds, flax seed and rosemary, and stir just until all ingredients are blended.

Pour the batter into two loaf pans that have been sprayed with nonstick spray. I had one large loaf pan and one small loaf pan, so I used those, but if you have two smaller loaf pans, than the batter should split evenly into those.

Bake for about 45 minutes, until golden and springy to the touch. Remove the pans from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. Then, remove the loaves from the pans and finishing cooling on a wire
rack.

The cooler the bread, the easier it is to slice really thin. You can leave it until the next day or pop it in the freezer, which is what I did so that my slices came out cleaner. Slice the loaves as thin as you can and place the slices in a single layer on an ungreased cookie sheet. Slice so thin that they are almost lacy. Reduce the oven heat to slow 300°F/150°C/gas mark 2 and bake them for about 15 minutes, then flip them over and bake for another 10 minutes, until crisp and deep golden. Be careful not to burn.

Herbed Flatbread

Herbed Flatbread

Ingredients:

-1 cup (240 ml) warm water (about 110°F/43°C)
-1 teaspoon (5 ml) (2 ¾ gm) active dry yeast
-3 cups (720 ml) (420 gm) (15 oz) all-purpose (plain) flour, plus more for rolling
-3 tablespoons (45 ml) of extra virgin olive oil
-Coarse salt
-1 teaspoon (5 ml) (5 gm) sugar
-1 large egg whisked with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) water, for egg wash
-Sea salt, for sprinkling
-1/4 cup (60 ml) (7 gm) (¼ oz) fresh rosemary or thyme

Directions:
Place the water in a medium sized bowl and sprinkle in the yeast. Let stand until the yeast is foamy - about 5 minutes. Stir in flour, oil, 2 teaspoons coarse salt, and the sugar. Stir until a dough forms. You'll probably just end up needing to use your hands.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 2 minutes. Use as much flour as necessary so it is not a sticky dough. Place in a lightly oiled bowl and roll the dough around in the bowl so that it is also lightly oiled on the surface. Cover the bowl with saran wrap or a clean dish towel. Let stand in a warm place until it doubles in volume, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to moderate 350°F/180°C/gas mark 4. Divide dough into 16 equal portions and cover with plastic wrap.

Roll out each piece to approximately 4"x10" (10cm x 26cm) on a lightly floured surface. Transfer to parchment lined baking sheet. Brush with the egg mixture and sprinkle with sea salt and herbs. Bake, rotating sheet halfway through baking, until crisp and golden, 18-22 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Onion and Poppy Seed Crackers

Onion Poppy Seed Crackers

Ingredients:
-1 medium onion
-1 large egg
-1/3 cup (80 ml) vegetable oil
-2 teaspoons (10ml) (12 gm) salt
-2 cups (480 ml) (280 gm) (10 oz) all-purpose (plain) flour
-1 teaspoon (5 gm) baking powder
-2 tablespoons (30ml) (18 gm) (2/3 oz) poppy seeds
-1 tablespoon (15 gm) (½ oz) granulated sugar
-1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, puree the onion. One medium onion will yield approximately 1 cup puree. Measure 1 cup puree and liquid from the onion and return to the food processor. Add the egg, oil and salt and blend until well incorporated.

In another bowl, measure the dry ingredients. Mix lightly to combine. Make a well in the center and add the liquids in this well. Mix in one direction until the dough is fully combined. Lightly knead the dough, flouring as needed, for 2 minutes. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to moderate 350°F/180°C/gas mark 4.

This is a very soft dough and you may find it best to roll it between two sheets of parchment paper. I just floured my pasta roller and the dough and rolled it through there. Roll as thinly as possible. In fact, it is best if rolled as thinly as a strudel dough. But don't worry if you can't get it that thin. The crackers will still be fine. Cut into desired shapes.

Bake until evenly golden. The time required will depend upon thickness but anywhere from 5 - 15 minutes. If they are thicker, the crackers will puff up like little pitas. Cool thoroughly before storing in air tight container.

I hope you have a chance to try all of these delicious recipes! Enjoy!

Improv Challenge: Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

2013-02-21T07:40:00.002-05:00

Although Valentine's Day has come and gone, who says that you can't still treat your love to some baked goods?! As much as I may love spending time with my hubs on Valentine's Day, I love spending time with him regardless. That is why, for this month's improv challenge, I was so happy when Kristen from Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker had us create any dish that we wanted, so long as it contained hearts and flowers!

In keeping with the season, and because I love baking for my hubby, I decided to make his favorite cookies - peanut butter kiss cookies - only this time around, I cut the cookies into the shape of a heart and used chocolate hearts for the center.

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

Ingredients:
-1/2 cup shortening
-1/2 cup peanut butter
-1/2 cup sugar
-1/2 cup brown sugar
-1 egg
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1 3/4 cup flour
-1 bag chocolate kisses with wrappers removed (or hearts)
-Extra sugar for rolling

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the shortening, peanut butter, sugar, and brown sugar in a bowl. Add the egg and vanilla. Then, mix in the baking soda, salt, and flour. Scoop out spoon fulls of dough into your hands and roll into little balls. If you are making them in the shape of the heart, then you can just take a spoon full of dough and press it down into a heart mold. The picture below illustrates what these cookies normally look like when not making them into hearts:

Once you have a few balls of dough, roll them around in the extra sugar and place on a baking sheet. Make sure to leave them in the ball shape (or heart shape) as they will puff out naturally, and when it comes time to place the kisses in, they will spread out to be larger cookies.

Continue rolling your dough into balls and rolling them in sugar. Once all of your dough mounds are ready to go, place them into the oven and bake for 8 minutes.

After 8 minutes, remove the cookies from the oven and place the kisses or hearts into the center. The cookies will puff out and crack a little when you do this. That is normal. Then, return the cookies to the oven and bake for an additional 2-5 minutes. I usually only bake them for an additional 2 minutes.

Once done, remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on a cooling rack. Although sometimes it is hard not to bite into these cookies right away! Enjoy!

Classic Meatloaf

2013-02-20T07:00:00.000-05:00

This week for Comfort Food Feast on FN Dish, we are making Meatloaf! Meatloaf is one of those dishes that many people grew up with, including my husband. However, I never actually ate meatloaf growing up. In fact, the one time that I did try meatloaf, I got sick! After that, I always steered clear of meatloaf. In retrospect, I think I was actually just getting the stomach bug and that it was not actually the meatloafs' fault, but when you are seven years old, you don't exactly always think clearly!

Since my husband loves meatloaf though, and after years of going back and forth with him on not making meatloaf for dinner, I finally caved and made him one! And as much as I hate to say it, because I am stubborn and like to win with my husband, I actually like the meatloaf! In fact, the dish inspired me to think of ways to keep the classic taste, but play around with the ingredients to find the perfect combination. Below is what I have come up with thus far!

Classic Meatloaf

Ingredients

For the Meatloaf:
-1 1/2 to 2 pounds ground beef
-1 small onion or half of a larger onion, chopped
-1/2 cup bread crumbs (I used Italian for extra flavor)
-1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
-1/4 cup parsley, chopped
-1/4 cup milk
-1 tablespoon garlic, minced (optional)
-2 eggs, beaten
-Salt and pepper

For the Glaze:
-1/2 cup Ketchup
-2 tablespoons brown sugar
-1 tablespoon mustard
-Dash of Worcestershire sauce

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place all of the meatloaf ingredients into a bowl, and using your (very clean) hands, combine all of the ingredients. Then, in a separate bowl, mix together all of the ingredients for the glaze.

Remove the meat mixture from the bowl and form into a loaf on a pan or baking dish. Spread about 1/3 of the glaze over the loaf. Place the loaf in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Add about another 1/3 of the glaze after the 45 minutes, and then cook for an additional 15 minutes. Once the loaf is done (internal temp of the meat should be 155 degrees and/or no longer pink), remove from the oven and you can either top with the additional glaze or save it for serving, which is what I like to do.

Slice it up, serve warm with the extra glaze, and enjoy!

Jeanette's Healthy Living: Balsamic-Glazed Roasted Vegetable Meatloaf
The Cultural Dish: Classic Meatloaf
Red or Green?: Meatloaf With Green Chile
Napa Farmhouse 1885: My Mom's Meatloaf (Connie's)
And Love It Too: Not Your Momma's Meatloaf
Made By Michelle: Turkey Meatloaf
The Heritage Cook: Succulent Gluten-Free Meatloaf, The Ultimate Comfort Food
Feed Me Phoebe: Smoky Meatloaf With Three Paprikas
Virtually Homemade: Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf With a Spicy Sweet Ketchup Glaze (Gluten-Free)
Devour: Pick Your Meat (Loaf): Beef, Pork or Turkey
Dishin & Dishes: The Ultimate Southwest Meatloaf
FN Dish: For the Love of Meatloaf

Traditional Beef and Irish Stew

2013-02-13T07:27:00.000-05:00

This week for the Comfort Food Feast on FN Dish, we made the comforting dish of beef stew! Beef stew is such a classic and easy dish to make. Like my Chili, I often make my stew in a slow-cooker when I have time on the weekends. This can easily be made in a regular saucepan though.

Of course, I could not make just one stew this week. Since I love the smell of stew simmering in the kitchen, I ended up making two different types of stew - a traditional beef stew and a traditional Irish stew! Although St. Paddy's day is still over a month away, I figured I would start getting ready early!

Beef Stew Recipe

Ingredients:
-3 to 3 1/2 pounds beef for stew (or chuck meat)
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-1 onion, diced
-1 bag baby potatoes cleaned and cut in half or left whole - it's really what you prefer
-1 1/2 to 2 pounds baby carrots
-About 4 to 5 stalks of celery, sliced
-8oz can of diced tomatoes
-2 beef bouillon cubes
-Salt, pepper, and parsley to taste
*Optional - a little flour (about a tablespoon) and water mixed together to thicken the broth

For the Irish Stew recipe and directions, CLICK HERE.

Directions:
Place all ingredients, except for the potatoes, into a slow-cooker and add just enough water so that all ingredients are covered. Let cook in the slow-cooker anywhere from 4 to 10 hours, depending on the settings your slow-cooker has. I add in the potatoes with about 1 hour to go, just because they soften up and cook easily. I also like to make this a day ahead of time so that the flavors have a chance to meld together and really enhance the dish.

If you are in more of a pinch and do not have time to use a slow-cooker, than here is how to prepare in a regular saucepan:

First, saute the onions and beef with the olive oil, and season with the salt, pepper, and parsley. Then, add in the celery and carrots. After a few minutes, add the diced tomatoes, and fill with water and add the bouillon cubes. Let cook for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours before adding the potatoes. Cook for an additional 20-30 minutes and thicken with the flour and water if desired.

Then, scoop the stew into a bowl, dig in, and enjoy!

Irish Stew Recipe

Check out the other participating blogs as well:
The Cultural Dish: Traditional Beef and Irish Stew
Taste With the Eyes: Spinach Mushroom Risotto With Pecans
Devour: Top 3 Chicken Stews
Cooking With Elise: Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Virtually Homemade: Winter Vegetable Stew
The Sensitive Epicure: Gluten-Free Shepherd's Pie With Lamb and Rosemary
FN Dish: Stand-Up Stews

Basic Pizza Dough

2013-02-09T14:35:00.001-05:00

Pizza dough can easily be bought in the store, rolled out, topped with ingredients of your choosing, and then thrown in the oven. As easy as that may sound, making your own homemade pizza dough is just as simple! Yes, it may take a couple of hours of waiting time, but it takes only minutes to prepare, and the end result cannot be store bought! Plus, the best part about making your own dough - aside from the fact that it is homemade and delicious - is that it makes enough dough for 2-3 pizzas and can be used to make calzones too! So don't be afraid. Channel your inner Italian and make some dough!

Basic Pizza Dough Recipe

Ingredients (enough for 2 large or 3 medium pizzas, or a pizza and calzone)
-3 1/2 to 4 cups flour (Please Note: I use whole wheat bread flour, but in general, if you use all-purpose flour versus bread flour, just know that the texture and taste will be different.)
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-1 teaspoon sugar
-1 teaspoon salt
-1 packet rapid rise yeast
-1 1/2 cups warm water

Directions:
Start with 3 cups of your flour, and add to a bowl with the salt. Set aside.

In another small bowl, pour in the olive oil, sugar, and yeast, and then pour in the water. Stir just a couple of times to mix in the sugar and yeast, but then let it stand for about 10 minutes, or until the liquid becomes frothy and foams from the yeast.

Once the liquid foams a little, pour it into the flour and mix. At this point, I usually just take off my rings and dig in with my hands. Slowly add more flour a little at a time if needed.

(Dough before kneading)

Turn the dough out on a floured surface and continue kneading for about 5-10 minutes, or until the dough because smooth. Lightly grease a bowl and place the dough in the greased bowl. Cover with a dry towel and let sit in a warm, dry, place for an hour. I sometimes put the bowl under the oven light if I am in a rush!

After an hour, the dough should have risen and doubled in size. Turn the dough out on a clean and lightly floured surface. Literally punch down the dough and knead again for a minute. Divide the dough in half (if making 2 pizzas) or in thirds (if making 3 smaller pizzas) and place the dough halves in separate greased bowls. Cover the bowls again with a towel and let rise for about another 45 minutes to an hour.

Once the dough has risen again, you can plastic wrap it and refrigerate it for later use, or roll it out to use right away.

If using right away, make sure to preheat your oven to 475 degrees F, and let the pizza stone sit in the oven while it is preheating. If you do not have a pizza stone, you can also use a regular baking pan. Top the dough with the ingredients of your choosing and bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes. Then, enjoy your homemade pizza dough!

Chicken Marsala

2013-02-06T11:27:00.001-05:00

This week for Comfort Food Feast on FN Dish, myself and fellow bloggers were challenged to make a chicken dish.

No matter how I make my chicken, it always brings back childhood memories of when my parents would encourage me to try new foods by telling me that they all taste "just like chicken." The funny thing is, even though I never really believed my parents when they said that to me, I would still eat whatever item they wanted me to after that. I've also pulled that line out when trying to get my husband or younger brother and sister to try something new. Go figure!

This week though, for the Comfort Food Feast, rather then making a dish that tastes "just like chicken," I actually prepared one of my most favorite chicken meals - Chicken Marsala! Chicken Marsala is especially meaningful to me since it brings back even more memories of my grandmothers Italian cooking!

I have a couple of different ways that I make my Marsala - a healthier version and a not as healthy version. I provided both recipes below so that you can choose your poison! No matter how you make it though, it is so warm and comforting, and of course, tastes delicious!

Chicken Marsala

Ingredients (healthier version):
-1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, cut in half
-16 ounces mushrooms, cut and cleaned (cremini, oyster, shiitaki, baby bellas, etc)
-1 onion, sliced
-3 tablespoons butter
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-1 tablespoon garlic, minced
-1 cup Marsala wine
-1 cup chicken stock
-Salt, pepper, and oregano to taste
-Thyme and basil to taste
-Parsley for topping

Please note: Since this version does not require the chicken to be dredged in flour, the Marsala sauce will not be as thick as it normally is.

Directions:
Pour the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a pan. Heat the pan until the oil is hot and the butter melts.

Meanwhile, prepare your chicken. Cut off any excess pieces of fat, and lightly season with salt, pepper, and oregano. Once seasoned, place the chicken in the pan and cook the chicken for a couple of minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside on a plate. Cover the plate with tin foil or a clean cloth in order to keep the heat in.

Using the same pan that you cooked the chicken in, add 1 more tablespoon of butter, the onions, garlic, mushrooms, thyme and basil (I just give a couple of shakes of the spices). Cook for about a minute or two. Then, add the Marsala wine. Allow the wine to come to a boil, and then let it simmer for about 10 minutes or so, until it reduces in half.

Once the wine has reduced, add the chicken stock. Continue cooking for about another 10 minutes. Then, take your chicken and add it to the pan to allow it to finish cooking (about another 5-7 minutes).

Remove the pan from the heat and slowly stir in your last tablespoon of butter.

Version 2:
All of the same ingredients from above with the addition of flour. Before cooking your chicken, pour some flour in a dish, and stir in all of the spices listed above. You are basically just seasoning the flour. Then, take your chicken pieces and lightly dredge them in the flour before cooking them in the pan. Follow the rest of the recipe as listed above.

Serve warm with a glass of wine and enjoy!

Jeanette's Healthy Living:Chinese Braised Chicken With Chestnuts
The Cultural Dish:Chicken Marsala
Thursday Night Dinner:Girls' Night Chicken and Artichoke Pasta
Feed Me Phoebe:Honey Mustard Chicken Wings
Devour: Fried Chicken, 5 Ways
Made By Michelle:Chicken and Kale Casserole
Virtually Homemade:Tortilla Chip Chicken Tenders With Creamy BBQ Sauce
Cooking With Elise:Chicken Pastry
FN Dish:The New Face of Comforting Chicken Dishes

Nutella Pots de Creme

2013-02-05T09:04:00.000-05:00

Guess what today is? It's World Nutella Day! That's right... there is a whole day dedicated to the delicious, melt-in-your-mouth, chocolaty-hazelnut treat! Thanks to Sara from Ms. Adventures in Italy and Michelle from Bleeding Espresso, World Nutella Day was created in 2007 and has been going strong ever since! I mean, who doesn't love Nutella, right?

The first time that I participated in World Nutella Day, I made Mascarpone Cheesecake with a Nutella Glaze. This year, in honor of one of my favorite chocolate desserts, I decided to make a Nutella Pots de Creme! It is so easy to make and it tastes wonderful with the addition of nutella!

Nutella Pots de Creme

Ingredients:
-1 1/2 cups heavy cream
-1/4 cup sugar
-1/2 cup nutella
-2 egg yolks
-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
-Nutella whipped cream for topping (see below)
-Hazelnuts for topping

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream and sugar until the mixture is warm and the sugar is dissolved.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks. Set aside. In another bowl, scoop out the nutella and vanilla extract. Set aside.

Take the cream mixture and pour it over the nutella. Whisk until the nutella mixes in with the cream and sugar mixture. Then, take the nutella and cream mixture, and, whisking continuously, slowly pour it into the bowl with the egg yolks.

Once all of the ingredients are well-mixed, pour the mixture into four ramekins. Place the ramekins in a deep baking pan and fill the pan with hot water, halfway up the side of the ramekins. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the mixture sets and the center still slightly jiggles. Allow to cool and then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Nutella Whipped Cream:
While the pots de creme is chilling, make the nutella whipped cream. Pour 1 1/2 cups heavy cream and 1/2 cup nutella in a bowl or kitchen aid mixer and whip until stiff peaks form. Chill.

Serve chilled with some nutella whipped cream and enjoy the nutella goodness!

Super Bowl Sunday Lineup

2013-02-03T11:13:00.001-05:00

It is Super Bowl Sunday and whether or not your team is playing, you will still most likely be watching the commercials and pigging out on an array of snacks! I myself am not really a football fan, but I love the Super Bowl because it is an excuse to whip up a bunch of different dips and snack items. In addition to having Guacamole, Salsa, and Buffalo Wings (all must have items), I also like to add some other delicious food items to my Super Bowl Sunday menu. Below are some of those items...

1.) Chili

2.) Heath Bar Toffee Dip with Apples

3.) Cream Cheese Vegetable Bites

4.) Pizza

And of course, the 5th most important item(s)... BEER and BOOZE! Happy Super Bowl Sunday! :)

Crock-Pot Chili

2013-01-30T07:11:00.000-05:00

This week for Comfort Food Feast, FN Dish had us create a delicious chili recipe in honor of the big football game this coming Sunday! However, chili is not just for football, but for any day! Chili is just such a perfect comfort meal. It is easy to make, makes your house smell warm and delicious, and it makes plenty of leftovers!

Now, I have a recipe for my chili that you can find here. The recipe that I used for this post is exactly the same as my traditional chili recipe, the only difference being the crock-pot. So, if you are looking to cook the chili a little faster (in under 2 hours), then use the link to my older post for the details on how to prep that chili. However, I will still provide the recipe for the slow cooker version here, but I promise, it is exactly the same! I just love to use my slow cooker when I have time on the weekends because it allows the flavors to meld together for longer and makes the whole house smell so darn good!

Crock-Pot Chili (Same recipe as the Sweet & Spicy Chili)

Ingredients:
-1 medium onion, chopped
-1 green bell pepper, chopped
-2 teaspoons minced garlic
-2 pounds ground beef
-2 19 ounce cans of dark red kidney beans, strained and rinsed
-1 cup beef broth
-1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
-1 12 ounce bottle Heinz chili sauce
-1 tablespoon cumin
-1 teaspoon chili powder (add more for more spice)
-Extra virgin olive oil (about a tablespoon)
-Salt and pepper to taste
-Sour cream and shredded cheese (optional for topping)

Directions:
Throw all of the ingredients into a crock-pot, and set your timer to 4, 6, 8, or 10 hours (or however long your crock-pot allows for). I usually let my crock-pot go for 6-8 hours. I have a programmable crock pot that I love! If you are looking for one or looking to upgrade, I highly recommend this crock pot:

Then, grab a spoon and dig in! Enjoy!

Below are the other Bloggers who participated this week:
Jeanette's Healthy Living: Crock Pot Cincinnati Chicken Chili
The Heritage Cook: Gluten-Free Green Chile and Chicken Taco Bowls
The Cultural Dish: Crock-Pot Chili
Big Girls, Small Kitchen: Healthy Chicken Chili With Barley
What's Gaby Cooking: Smoky Chipotle Chicken Chili
Feed Me Phoebe: Chicken and White Bean Chili
Dishin & Dishes: Lean Mean Game-Day Chili
The Lemon Bowl: Beef Chili With Black Beans
Devour: 4 Twists on Chili for the Super Bowl
Thursday Night Dinner: 3 Most Favorite Chili Recipes
Mooshu Jenne: Pinto Bean Chili
FN Dish: 7 Chili Recipes for the Big Game

Daring Bakers' Challenge: Gevulde Speculaas

2013-01-27T17:42:00.000-05:00

Francijn of Koken in de Brouwerij was our January 2013 Daring Bakers’ Hostess and she challenged us to make the traditional Dutch pastry, Gevulde Speculaas from scratch! That includes making our own spice mix, almond paste and dough! Delicious!

Now, I was so excited to be back in the Daring Bakers' Challenge this month, because I had never heard of Gevulde Speculaas before, but it sounded amazing! I immediately went to my kitchen to check on all of my spices. Making this pastry definitely forces you check your spices to ensure that they are actually good and have not been sitting in your cabinet for years!

Once I knew all of my ingredients were good to go, I went to work right away! I followed Francijn's advice too and prepared all of the ingredients a day ahead of time so that the flavors could meld together. I highly recommend doing this if you decide to try this tasty new treat.

Just as a note, although this recipe may seem complicated and appear to require a lot of work, it really does not! It was actually quite simple and enjoyable to make, so don't let the list of spices scare you away!

Gevulde Speculaas

Recipe Speculaas Spices (From Koken in de Brouwerij)

Mandatory:
-Cinnamon 40 to 60 % of the total amount

-Ground cloves 1 or 2 parts
-Mace ½ or 1 part
-Ginger ½ or 1 part
Optional:
-White pepper ½ or 1 part
-Cardamom ½ or 1 part
-Coriander ½ or 1 part
-Anise ½ or 1 part
-Nutmeg 1 or 2 parts

Directions:

Take at least 1 or 2 teaspoons of ground cloves, ½ or 1 teaspoon of mace and ½ or 1 teaspoon of ginger.
Add to taste ½ or 1 teaspoon of white pepper, ½ or 1 teaspoon of cardamom, ½ or 1 teaspoon of coriander, ½ or 1 teaspoon of anise, and 1 or 2 teaspoons of nutmeg.
Measure or weigh the amount of spices you have now, and add an equal amount of cinnamon.

For my Gevulde Speculaas, I mixed the following proportions of spices:

-2 teaspoons nutmeg

-1 teaspoon cloves

-1 teaspoon ginger

-1 teaspoon cardamom

-1/2 teaspoon mace

-1/2 teaspoon white pepper

-1/2 teaspoon coriander

-1/2 teaspoon anise

-Cinnamon equal to the amount of spices I used

(This picture is from Francijn, and illustrates how she uses her spices to make the mix)

Almond Paste Recipe

Ingredients:
-7/8 cup (210 ml)(125 gm)(4½ oz) raw almonds (or 1-1/3 cups (320 ml)(125 gm) (4½ oz) ground almonds)
-5/8 cup (150 ml) (125 grams) (4½ oz) granulated sugar
-1 large egg
-1 teaspoon (5 ml) (3 gm) lemon zest

Directions:
If the raw almonds still have their brown skins, remove them as follows:

Bring water to a boil, add the almonds, cook them for one minute, drain immediately and let cool for a few minutes. Rub them between your fingers to remove the skins.

Grind the almonds for one or two minutes in a food processor, until you see nothing but very small pieces. (Or skip this step if you use ground almonds.) Add the sugar, and grind for another one or two minutes. It must be very fine after this step. Add the egg and lemon zest until all ingredients are combined in the food processor.

Store the almond paste in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Although the flavor gets better as days pass by, it is not wise to store the paste for too long, as it contains a raw egg.

Speculaas Dough Recipe

Ingredients:
-1¾ cups (250 gm) (9 oz) all purpose (plain) flour
-1 teaspoon (5 ml) (5 gm) baking powder
-¾ cup (150 grams) (5-1/3 oz) brown sugar, firmly packed
-a pinch salt
-2 tablespoons (30 ml) (15 gm) (½ oz) speculaas spices
-3/4 cup (1½ stick) (175 gm) (6 oz) unsalted butter, diced and at room temperature

-Milk if needed for combining

Directions:
Put flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and spices in a bowl. Add in the diced butter and knead until smooth. Add a little milk if the dough is too dry, but only add a small amount, a little at a time. I only ended up needing 1 tablespoon of milk once the butter smoothed out and held the dough together.

Wrap the dough tightly and put in the refrigerator for at least two hours or over night. Since I made the dough a day ahead of time, I stored it overnight so that the flavors could really meld. You can also freeze the dough.

Assembling and Baking the Gevulde Speculaas

Ingredients:
-Speculaas dough
-Almond paste
-Whole almonds without skins for decoration
-1 large egg, beaten with a teaspoon of water for egg wash
-Shallow baking pan, 8x10 square or round, or 8x8 (whichever you prefer for the size and design you want to cut your pieces).

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease your baking pan.

Then, divide your speculaas dough in half. Roll out one half of the dough on a lightly floured surface until it is about the size of your baking dish. Press the dough down into the baking dish until it covers the entire bottom of the dish. Then, taking a little bit of your egg wash, brush the wash over the dough in the pan.

Next, take your almond paste and press it evenly over the dough in the pan. If you made the dough ahead of time, then you can use your hands to push down and spread out the paste. However, if you just made the paste, it should still be smooth and soft enough to spread out with a spoon or spatula. Using your egg wash again, brush another layer lightly over the almond paste.

Then, take your second piece of dough, and just like the first piece, roll it out and place it down on top of the almond paste. Brush the remaining egg wash on top of the dough, and decorate with almonds as you desire.

Bake the pastry in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Once done, let the pastry cool completely in the baking dish before serving.

Cut the pieces up as you wish and enjoy! This pastry truly was so delicious and made my kitchen smell so wonderful! I actually really enjoyed having this with a cup of coffee and it reminded me a lot of an almond coffee cake. Thank you again to Francijn for having us make this traditional Dutch pastry. It will surely be making an appearance in my kitchen again!