I’ve shared before that I love homemade mac-n-cheese. So, whenever I see a new recipe for a variation I am immediately intrigued. However, I’ve also shared that the version of mac-n-cheese I grew up with was very different than the typical version that other kids enjoyed, which included the famous blue box mac-n-cheese. I’m not a fan of goopy or super cheesy dishes so I was always turned off from that. Because of that, I also make a clear distinction between what I call mac-n-cheese and pasta with a homemade cheese sauce. I guess some people would call this weird, but I like to think it’s just exact or precise!

This pasta dish would be placed in the pasta with homemade cheese sauce, but it’s so delicious and doesn’t leave me wishing I had my traditional mac-n-cheese instead. Now, I’m sure many people could look at this dish and say there is no place for green leaves in their pasta and cheese dish. To be honest, I had that thought myself UNTIL I tried a bite of this. The green leaves are actually kale and combined with the cheese sauce and pasta, they are really a welcome addition! If you’re a fan of baked kale chips, you’ll be an immediate fan and for those of you that are not, this may be a great way to introduce kale to your recipes. If you’re not familiar with kale, it’s less like spinach and more like swiss chard in that it’s a much sturdier leaf than spinach. When you cook spinach it gets limp and, in my opinion, kind of slimy. Kale is just the opposite!

Here is what you need:

Ingredients:

(Adapted from The Kitchen Sink Recipes. Makes enough for two dinner portions and a smaller lunch portion.)

• 1/2 pound rigatoni pasta
• 1/2 pound kale (about one bunch)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cup milk
• 1 small clove garlic
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
• Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Prepare you baking dish (I used an 8×8 inch square dish) by coating it with cooking spray, or butter if you prefer, and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add your pasta. Let the pasta cook until it is almost al dente. While the pasta cooks, wash the kale and start chopping it up. You want to be sure to remove the stems from the kale because they really are not appetizing. The best way to do this is to lay the kale leaf out on the cutting board and cut along either edge of the thick stem. Once the stem is removed, you’ll be left with a giant leaf that resembles Mrs. PacMan! Roughly chop the kale leaves. Once the pasta is almost al dente, add the kale leaves to the boiling water and let them cook for an additional 2 minutes.

Drain the pasta and kale and then add it back to the pot you boiled everything in. Let this sit for a few minutes while you work on the homemade cheese sauce. For those of you that have never made cheese sauce from scratch, you’ll never want to go back to anything store bought! It’s so easy and the taste just can’t even compare! If you’re interested in the technical terms, it starts off with a Béchamel sauce and then once the cheese is added, it turns into a Mornay sauce. Start by melting the butter in a small pot over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour and then milk. Add the salt and pepper and then for extra flavor add the garlic clove, peeled but not chopped. Cover the pot but be sure to continue whisking frequently so that things don’t get too thick. You want to whisk until the sauce becomes thick enough that it can cover the back of a wooden spoon. Once you reach the right consistency, take the garlic clove out and whisk in the cheddar cheese until it is completely melted.

Pour the sauce over the pasta and kale in the larger pot.

Give everything a good mix and then transfer to the baking dish. For an extra touch, grate some fresh Parmesan cheese on top.

Bake the pasta dish for about 25-30 minutes until the cheese completely melts and turns golden brown. If you are a fan of the crunchy cheese bites of pasta, let it cook for a little longer.

Add a little more Parmesan to the plate when you serve and you are ready to eat! This is an easy dish, a fast dish and nothing short of delicious! All important factors when making dinner! Growing up, I think I tried to ask for mac-n-cheese at least once a week and I realize now that not everyone enjoys eating the same meal once a week. You need a little variety and I’m learning that even variety in your favorite dishes isn’t always a bad thing! For now, that’s baked pasta with kale and mornay sauce…in the shell of a nut!

I can’t believe it’s only a matter of days until Christmas morning! I’ve been trying to soak in every minute of this month and all the seasonal cheer that comes along with it. Well cheer and holiday cookies of course! This year my family is having not one but two cookie baking days so just as the tins begin to empty they are quickly replenished with fresh goodies. With all the sweets and the annual holiday popcorn tin I thought it would be nice to share something a little lighter.

I first tried out this crustless broccoli cheddar quiche over the summer and since then it has been made several times! I think the crust may be some people’s favorite part of a quiche but I think this quiche is completely satisfying, full of flavor and without the crust, you can put it together in no time!

Here is what you need:

Ingredients:

(Adapted from Martha Stewart. Makes 2 small quiches.)

• 1 small head of fresh broccoli
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• pinch of nutmeg
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Before you start putting anything together, grease 2 small ramekins (8-ounce) and place on a baking sheet covered in tin foil. Put this aside and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Now onto preparing the quiche. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in the broccoli florets and let them boil for 1 to 2 minutes. Drain the broccoli and chop into small pieces. In a large bowl add the three eggs, milk, pinch of nutmeg and a little bit of salt and pepper. Whisk this together until the eggs are broken apart and you have a smooth mixture. Add in your freshly shredded cheddar cheese and chopped broccoli and give everything a big stir. Divide the mixture between the two ramekins and pop them in the oven for about 35-40 minutes. You’ll know when the quiches are done when they start to pull away from the ramekin sides and the tops turn golden brown.

That’s it! Just a quick whisk and stir of a few ingredients and 40 minutes in the oven results in something so delicious and pretty stress free! This recipe is pretty flexible in a couple of ways. The first is that you can substitute the broccoli and cheddar cheese for any other vegetable and cheese that you prefer. Think about what you love in your omelet and give it a try in this recipe. The thing about this quiche is that you can have it for a nice brunch or transform into a light dinner. My favorite is having it for dinner and I pair it with a simple spinach salad with toasted pecans and cherry tomatoes and then baby red potatoes that are roasted with salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. With the quiche being so simple, I wanted to keep the other components just as hassle free. I’ve had this dish as just a  normal weeknight meal and I’ve also made it for a small family dinner party. So dress it up or dress it down, either way, it’ll be delicious! For now, that’s crustless broccoli cheddar quiche…in the shell of a nut!

One of my favorite things to order at good authentic Italian restaurants is ravioli. We’ve tried a few times to make them at home and the time and labor we have to put in never results in a ravioli that is quite as good as the restaurant’s, or my mom’s for that matter. The filling we make always turns out pretty good but that’s the easy part. It’s the pasta dough that we have our issues with; it’s always a tad bit too thick. I think the secret weapon that we need is a pasta dough sheet roller but until then I found a great pasta dough substitute. Surprisingly, wonton wrappers have proven to make Great ravioli! The first time I saw this, I thought “no way” could wonton raviolis fulfill a ravioli craving. But I was wrong! Not only are these so easy to make but they  are quite delicious!

Here’s all that you need:

Ingredients:

(Adapted from Sunny Anderson. Makes 2 dinner portions or 4 side/appetizer portions.)

• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup hazelnuts, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 lemon, zested
• Handful fresh parsley, chopped
• Wonton wrappers
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 egg white

The first thing to start with is the ravioli filling. In a small bowl combine the ricotta cheese, chopped hazelnuts, nutmeg, lemon zest, parsley and salt and pepper.

Line a baking a sheet with parchment paper and then lay out the wonton wrappers in a single layer. This recipe will make 10-15 raviolis depending on how full you make them. Take about a tablespoon of the ricotta mixture and place it in the center of each wonton wrapper.

You want to try and fill the wontons as fast as you can because the wrappers will start to dry out relatively quickly. Crack an egg into a small bowl but only keep the egg white, as this is going to act like the glue between the two wrappers. Spread the egg white along the edges of the filled wrappers and then place a second wonton wrapper on top. Press down on the edges and to make an extra tight seal, use a fork to make little indentions along the edge.

With the ravioli’s all together, cover the baking sheet with a damp paper bowl and put the baking sheet in the fridge for about thirty minutes. After thirty minutes or when you are ready for dinner, fill a large pot with salted water and bring to a boil. Place a few ravioli’s into the boiling water and let them cook for just about three minutes. You’ll know when they are done when they float up to the surface of the water.

That’s all it takes to put together these delicious raviolis. Not too complicated! One of the things I love about these is that they are incredibly versatile and you can change up the filling to anything you desire. The other thing that I didn’t show with this recipe is the sauce or topping for your raviolis. For these, I did a basic spinach, basil pesto. I combined another 1/4 cup of the hazelnuts, about two cups of fresh spinach leaves, handful of fresh basil, juice of half a lemon, small garlic clove, 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese and about 1/4 cup of olive oil. You could swap out the pesto sauce for a simple herbed butter sauce or even a tomato based sauce if you’d rather. Any way you fix these, I think you’re going to be pleasantly surprised at how you quickly forget that your ravioli is actually a wonton wrapper rather than pasta dough! Now, don’t get me wrong, my favorite raviolis are made with fresh pasta dough but we don’t always have the time, tools or technique to make that. So, this is a great alternative that will fulfill a ravioli craving and won’t take you all evening in the kitchen! So buy the wonton wrappers special for this meal or save the leftover ones from another meal and create a batch of raviolis! For now, that’s lemon hazelnut ricotta ravioli…in the shell of a nut!

Beetroot Risotto

My goodness it’s been FOREVER since I’ve posted! My apologies! To say this was a busy semester of school and work is obviously an understatement since I only managed to blog a few times. But I now have a file full of food and some of it I know what it is and where I got the recipe from and some of them look delicious but I have no idea where the meal came from! I’ll try not to post any mystery food!

I decided that for the first post back I would do something that was both festive looking and also something that I knew exactly what and where it came from! As you can see, the color of this dish adequately fulfills the holiday looking criteria! The reddish/pink color is all thanks to beets. Growing up, I wasn’t the biggest fan despite my Mom’s continual effort. However, beets became one of those vegetables that I “grew into”; like squash. I now love a beet salad with a light vinaigrette and oranges, a potato and beet gratin, or even this beetroot risotto. Not only does this dish taste delicious but how much fun is the color. Those that know me, know that I was the kid who would mix and match as many colors in my outfit as possible. Now that I am cooking, the same goes for my plate of food! The more color, the more inviting and we all know we first eat with our eyes!

Here’s what you’ll need:

Ingredients:

(Adapted from Scandi Foodie. Serves 2 dinner servings or 4 side dishes.)

• 2 beets
• 3/4 cup uncooked pearl barley
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 spring fresh rosemary, chopped
• 3/4 cups chicken stock, warmed (or vegetable stock, if preferred)
• olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

This isn’t your typical risotto because it uses pearl barley but I actually think it makes it easier to make. So those that tend to skip right over any recipe that mentions “risotto”, no need to worry with this one!

To start, cut the stems off of the beets and just put the beetroots in a small pot and cover them with water.

Bring the water to a boil and let this simmer for about 30-40 minutes. It’s like cooking potatoes for mashed potatoes, except this takes a little longer. You want to soften the beets so you can mash them and add them to the cooked risotto.

Once the beets are simmering away, start warming up the chicken broth. There’s no need to bring it to a boil, you just need it warm.

In a separate pot, add a little bit of olive oil and let this warm up for just a minute or so. Add the risotto, chopped rosemary and minced garlic. Sauté this mixture for a few minutes.

Once the barley gets a tad bit toasted add the warmed chicken stock. In a traditional risotto, you add a little bit of broth at a time and you continually stir everything. You don’t have to do that with this recipe. Just pour it all in and bring to a boil. If you find that once the stock is absorbed your barley is still a little crunchy, just add a little bit more stock and give it a few more minutes.

Once the beets are soft and you can easily get a knife or fork through them, drain the water and start mashing! I just used a hand masher that I use on my potatoes and it worked great.

With the barley cooked and your beets mashed, add the beets to the risotto and give a good stir. In a matter of seconds, your barley will go from boring beige to bright red/pink! Drizzle some olive oil into the mixture, along with some salt and pepper, and just let things sit for a few minutes to bring all the flavors together.

I decided to leave the beetroot risotto as the star of the dinner plate and just put together a spinach salad with toasted pecans, cherry tomatoes and a balsamic vinaigrette and some fresh bread. But, if you would rather, I think this would pair well as a side dish for a roasted chicken or fish meal. It’s something different and I promise the beetroot taste is not overwhelming despite how bright the color is! It’s a dish that is completely doable during the weeknights but also something fancy enough for a get together with friends or a festive occasion! For now, that’s beetroot risotto…in the shell of a nut!

Every Saturday, Jor and I make our weekly trip to one of my favorite lunch spots in Atlanta: Souper Jenny! I fell in love with the spot from the very first time I went and any chance I can introduce someone new to the lunch spot, I take the opportunity! The concept is genius, really! She makes 4-6 different types of soups each day and then great side salads and sandwiches. The best part is that the menu changes every day so for someone like me who is completely obsessed, I could go multiple days in a row and theoretically have a completely different meal every day! I’ve taken advantage of this many times!

Because we make our weekly visit every Saturday, I’ve been wanting to start a routine Saturday post of our “Souper Jenny Saturday”…in the shell of a nut. I finally remembered my camera today and finally had a few extra minutes to start what I hope will be many Saturday posts of delicious Souper Jenny lunches!

This Week’s Lunch: A lentil soup with chicken sausage and a side salad of quinoa, carrots, edamame, greens and sesame ginger dressing. The weather was a bit warmer today with just a hint of fall in the air. The soup covered the fall breeze and the quinoa side salad captured the little bit of warm weather that is still lingering!

Spinach Pappardelle, Lima Beans, Tomatoes and Ground Turkey

It’s only taken me 2.5 months to finally get a break from the school and work load that has literally kept me under a rock for the past few months. Each semester, I start off and say, “No, THIS is the hardest/busiest  semester!”. I really think I mean it this time. It’s probably a good thing that I didn’t blog the first few weeks as things were a little frantic trying to gain control over everything and there was lots of complaining over the amount that I took on voluntarily. After a little bit of time, I finally got into more of a routine, took things one at a time and decided I could either complain or just deal with what was in front of me. For my own sanity, and those around me, I made the choice to just deal!

Since the last time I blogged, I turned a year older, got a fancy new camera from Jor for my birthday and despite the craziness, came across some great new recipes! I love my time in the kitchen and have held on tightly to my week’s worth of dinners that I’m responsible for every other week. I’ve had to try to get a little creative in trying to find new recipes that are quick but packed with lots of protein and brain power! and I think we’ve come up some delicious finds! This first one is a great pasta dish that has a little flare with the use of spinach pappardelle in place of something like linguini and despite the quickness, you’ll still be able to build lots of great flavor!

Here is everything you need:

Ingredients:

(Adapted from Smitten Kitchen. Makes Dinner for Two.)

• About 1.5 cup dry spinach pappardelle pasta
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 turkey sausages, casings removed
• Splash of dry white wine
• 1 cup chopped canned or fresh plum tomatoes
• 1/2- 3/4 cup frozen lima beans
• red pepper flakes

You can have this meal together in about 25-30 minutes! Start by boiling a large pot of salted water. When you water starts boiling, add the pasta and cook for only about 5-6 minutes. You may want to have the water boiling and add the pasta when the rest of the meal is just about done. That way your pasta doesn’t sit around.

Heat a little bit of olive oil in a large pan and then add the chopped onions, garlic and red pepper flakes (if you’d like). Let these sauté for about 6 minutes and then add in the turkey sausage with the casings removed. The sausage will only need about 3 minutes to brown, at which point you can now pour in a splash of dry white wine to scrap up the brown bits from the sausage.

Let this simmer for a minute. Pour in the tomatoes and lima beans. I used a great quality canned tomato that we really enjoy but you can also use fresh if they look good in your grocery store.

You can let this mixture simmer for about five minutes and add a little bit of salt and pepper to taste. This is also a good time to throw your pasta into the boiling water. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and then add it to the pan with the sausage, tomatoes and lima beans.

Give everything a really good toss and let things sit on low heat while you toast up so fresh bakery bread! That’s really all it is! You can mix up the pasta with whatever you like best or whatever you have handy. The original recipe from smitten kitchen used fava beans, which I think would be delicious but I just couldn’t find them in the store. But I think if you aren’t a fan of lima beans, peas could even work in this. You could also hold off on the turkey sausage and still have a substantial vegetarian dish.

I know I say it all the time, but no matter how busy my schedule gets, I just refuse to give up on homemade meals at home. I can’t always make the most extravagant or intricate meals that I come across due to the lack of time and my exhaustion, but I can make something that is healthy, fresh and more comforting than anything else I could find at a restaurant! For now, that’s spinach pappardelle with lima beans, tomatoes, and turkey sausage…in the shell of a nut!

Chicken and Grape Skewers

Each time I look at my calendar I’m always shocked to see the date; it’s already mid to almost late August! Schools are starting one by one and although I will still be wearing short sleeves and maybe even shorts in September, fall is really and truly just around the corner! I think a normal response to this is to desperately hold on to any and everything that says summer. When it comes to food, you want to eat as much of the ripe fruit as you can. The peaches by me are already not nearly as fresh and juicy as they were a few weeks ago. Apple picking time is right around the corner but with with berry and stone fruit season coming to a close, that also means an end to some of my favorite fruit crisps!

As much as people love their summer fruit, grilling is another thing at the top of the “summer” favorite list! Of course you can continue to turn on the grill during the fall and winter but it’s just not the same as it is during the peak of summer. Before the time completely slips away and we find ourselves turning in the short sleeve shirts for long sleeves and sweaters, I have a great grilled chicken meal. I’ve made it quite a few times now because the flavor is fantastic and grilled grapes are involved! If you’ve never grilled grapes (we hadn’t before this) you will do it this one time and then wonder why you had never done it before! The green grapes will become even sweeter and when combined with the cumin and coriander marinade on the chicken, you will have yourself a great flavor duo!

Here is what you need:

Ingredients:

(Adapted from Ellie Krieger. Makes 2 servings of chicken and grape skewers.)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
• 10-inch skewers
• 3/4 cup seedless green grapes

The first thing to know about this dish is that it is extremely simple but does require a tad bit of planning ahead of time. The chicken is going to sit in a marinade before it hits the grill and it needs to stay in the marinade for a minimum of 20 minutes and a maximum of 4 hours. If you’re headed out for a bit or you have some other things to take care of around the house before dinner, go ahead and put the marinade together and let your chicken sit for a bit while you take care of what you need to do. When you return, your chicken will smell delicious and will be ready to hit the grill! For the marinade, add to a medium-size bowl the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, cumin, coriander and salt. Whisk these ingredients together. With your chicken breasts cubed, add them to the bowl with the marinade and toss the pieces around so that everything is thoroughly coated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge to marinade between 20 minutes and 4 hours.

Important note to remember about your skewers: while the chicken marinates, let your skewers soak in water so that when they hit the grill they don’t end up black and burnt (this is only if you are using wooden skewers).

When you’re ready to grill, wash your grapes and grab your chicken from the fridge. Thread the chicken and grapes onto the skewers, alternating the chicken and grapes. Prepare your inside or outside grill and cook the chicken over medium-high heat for about 3-4 minutes on each side. You want to make sure your chicken is completely cooked through. That’s all that it takes to put these skewers together! The marinade is what takes up the most time and the great part about that is that it requires nothing from you once you combine all the ingredients!

To make a complete meal out of the skewers we made an orzo salad with zucchini, peppers and homemade pesto. If you wanted to keep as much as you could on the grill, you could grill the zucchini and red peppers along with your skewers and then just chop both up to add to the orzo. While everything is grilling you can cook your pasta and throw together a quick and delicious pesto. Another great addition is grilled french bread. We pick up a fresh loaf of bread and brush on a little bit of olive oil and grill this side. You’ll get great grill marks and right when you take it off sprinkle just a bit of kosher salt onto the grilled side.

Grilled Bread

As you can see this meal is low key and can even be an easy clean up by putting not only the skewers but your other dinner components all right on the grill! You’ll have dinner together in just under 30 minutes, which leaves you with more time to enjoy these last few summer evenings! This is also a great meal to make when you have company over. You can just make as many skewers as you need (typically 2-3 per person) and it’s always easy to double or triple a pasta salad. You won’t spend the whole time in your kitchen and you’ll actually get to spend time with your friends and family when you have them over. Hold on to these last few weeks of summer and for now, that’s chicken and green grape skewers…in the shell of a nut!

Chicken and Grape Skewers with Grilled Bread and Orzo Salad

It’s the last weekend before the craziness of school starts once again. That means it’s back to the juggling act of school, work, research projects and finding some time in there to take a breather. I’m enjoying this last weekend by doing the things that I love most: running, baking and reading. I am able to fit these in during the semester but each is much more enjoyable when I can do them without anxiously thinking about the readings or papers I have for school. Starting with baking, it is no secret that I am constantly baking something for breakfast. During the semester I stick with my quick breads or muffins that I can throw together in less than 20 minutes. I get something delicious without loosing too much time away from my work. However, even I can only eat so many quick breads. When I have a little more time on my hands I take the opportunity to make something that requires a bit more time but is completely worth the extra effort. For this weekend, I have homemade cinnamon rolls! Cinnamon alone can work some magic in your kitchen. Once you put anything with cinnamon in the oven, it takes only a few minutes for the scent to fill your kitchen and it’s an instant attraction to anyone in the nearby vicinity. The overall time it takes to put these rolls together is a little under 3 hours BUT a majority of this is rising time and will require no work from you! Take the recipe step by step and you’ll find that it isn’t as complicated as it first seems, but they will be as delicious as you were hoping!

Here is everything you will need:

Ingredients:

(Adapted from Cooking Light. Makes 16-20 cinnamon rolls, depending on how large the rolls are cut.)

Dough

• 1 package of dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup warm milk (I used skim but you can use 1% or 2%)
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 3 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Filling

• 3/4 cup raisins
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

To start the dough, pour the warm water in a mixing bowl and add the yeast. Let this sit for about 5 minutes to allow the yeast to activate. While this sits, warm your milk in a small saucepan and add this to your yeast and water. Pour in the granulated sugar, butter, vanilla extract, salt, and the egg. Give everything a thorough mix until it is completely combined. The dough will not be completely smooth at this point but that’s ok! Add in the first three cups of flour and this will help smooth out the dough. You can then knead the dough by hand for about 8 minutes or you can use an electric mixer if you have one. Either way, have the remaining flour nearby and add a tablespoon at a time to keep the dough from getting too sticky! When kneading is complete, the dough should be slightly tacky. Coat the bowl with cooking spray and place the dough inside the bowl to allow it time to rise.

Cinnamon roll dough before rising.

Cover the bowl with a light towel and put the bowl in a warm place. Now it’s your turn to take a break from the kitchen and come back in about an hour after the dough has risen and almost doubled in size.

Cinnamon roll dough after rising.

After this first round of rising time, you can prepare the filling. In  small bowl, combine the raisins, brown sugar and cinnamon. In a small saucepan (or the microwave if you prefer) melt your butter.

Butter melted to spread on rolled out dough.

With the filling ready, take the dough and roll it out on a floured surface. You want a large rectangle and the recommended size was a 15 x 10-inch rectangle.

Cinnamon roll dough rolled out.

Brush the butter over the rolled out dough and leave a small border (about 1/2-inch). Now sprinkle the sugar, cinnamon and raisin filling so that it covers the whole surface (still leaving the border untouched).

Cinnamon, sugar and raisin filling spread out.

Time to roll everything up! Start with the long side and roll the dough up, in a jelly-roll fashion. Pinch the top to form a seal but leave the ends open.

Dough filled and rolled up.

Wrap the roll in plastic wrap and let it chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes. Once chilled, unwrap the roll and cut the dough into 16-20 slices. I have a range because each time I make these the number of rolls I can make varies by a few. I always find it easiest to start by cutting the roll in half, then quarters and then the individual rolls. This just helps me to keep the rolls as uniform in size as I can. It is best to have a baking sheet (or two) coated with cooking spray and ready to transfer the cut rolls on to. The rolls will need to be about 1-inches away from each other. With the rolls arranged on the baking sheets, cover and let them sit in a warm place for another round of rising.

Chilled dough cut into individual rolls.

This is another break for you as the rolls rise for about an hour and should once again double in size.

Cinnamon rolls after rising for a little over an hour.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and uncover your rolls. All the rising, filling, rolling and more rising is done! Time for the oven! Bake the rolls for 20 minutes or until they become a golden brown. It’s during this time that the cinnamon will travel throughout your home and lure people to the kitchen asking when those rolls will be out and ready to eat!

Cinnamon rolls fresh out of the oven!

Transfer the rolls from the baking sheet to wire cooling racks (or to a plate!) and let them cool. Some may look at my rolls and note that an extremely important component is missing: the glaze! Jor and I aren’t the biggest fans of glazes or frostings on our morning baked goods but I understand that for some, a cinnamon roll is not a cinnamon roll without the glaze! If you find yourself in this group here is a great glaze to drizzle on while the rolls are still warm: combine 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.

This particular recipe is a lighter version to a morning treat that often makes us feel guilty after eating. You can feel much better after eating these treats though and I promise you won’t find yourself feeling like you skimped on any flavor! It’s true that they require a little more time to put together but remember, a little more than 2 hours of that preparation is actually rising time, which allows you the time to do other things around the house or just relax! The other great thing about these rolls is that after a day or two, you can keep them in an airtight container in the fridge (this keeps them from going bad faster) and then just pop them in your toaster oven to warm them in the morning. Delicious and an instant upgrade to any breakfast! For now, that’s cinnamon rolls…in the shell of a nut!

Lemon Yogurt Muffin with Pecans

I had every intention of keeping up the blogging throughout the summer but once again, weeks go by and it’s been silent on In the Shell of A Nut. That was definitely not my intention but I’ve updated some things that will hopefully help me stay more up to date. The biggest thing is the computer! I finally traded in the 6 year old macbook for a new macbook air! I’m not joking when I say that the new computer is thinner than the top of the old (much larger) mac. Even better though is how speedy everything is! Blogging got easier and I’m hoping that equates to catching up on all the images and new recipes I have just waiting to be added!

While I find it almost impossible to name a favorite muffin, these lemon yogurt muffins immediately went to the top of my list after taking the first bite. In fact, about ten minutes after they were in the oven, the smell that filled the apartment was enough for me to know that this muffin was a winner. The yogurt keeps the muffin incredibly moist, the lemon adds bright flavor, and the pecans on top add just enough crunch. These are a particular favorite of Jordan’s. Usually he eats whatever I make for breakfast for just the first few days but these muffins had him eating them until the container was empty and we were left with crumbs! That is usually a good sign!

Here is what you’ll need to put these muffins together.

Ingredients:

(Adapted from Williams-Sonama Baking Book. Makes 12 standard size muffins.)

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (plus extra to sprinkle on top)
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Zest and juice from 1 lemon
• 1 1/4 cups plain yogurt
• 2 large eggs
• 5 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped

(Preheat the oven to 375 degree and grease a standard muffin pan.)

Muffins are like quick breads in the fact that they are just as “quick” to put together! In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon zest. In a smaller bowl, first add the eggs and lightly beat them until the egg is completely broken up. To the eggs, add the yogurt, butter and lemon juice and give everything a good mix until you have a smooth mixture. Make a well in your bowl with the dry ingredients and just pour in the wet ingredients. Use a wooden spoon or whisk to thoroughly combine everything but be sure not to over-mix. The batter should be very light and fluffy giving almost an airy appearance. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups and fill about 3/4 of the way. As always, if you find that you have some leftover batter go ahead and just add a little to each muffin cup. Before popping them in the oven, sprinkle just a little bit of granulated sugar on the top of each muffin and then add the chopped pecans.

Muffin batter ready for the oven!

Let the muffins cook for 16-20 minutes. The edges will become golden brown and will start pulling away from the sides of the muffin cup. You can also use a toothpick to check to see if they are cooked through; the toothpick should come out clean. If the muffins are done, place the pan on a wire rack and let them cool for about 5 minutes and then start removing them from the muffin pan.

Muffins complete!

All that is left to do is eat!

Ready to eat!

Looks pretty irresistible to me! and it will smell as good as it looks! I unfortunately make it very difficult for myself and I end up making my breakfast treats the night before I really need them. Therefore, I take these baked goods out of the oven and torture myself with delicious smells that I try to refrain from tasting until the next morning! While it’s difficult sometimes to let the muffins cool and then transfer them to a container and not to my stomach, it is a little easier getting out of bed the next morning knowing that you have something comforting and tasty waiting for you in the kitchen. With these muffins taking no more than 15 minutes to put together, they’ll take you no time to put together! They can make a long day of work a little easier as an afternoon pick-me up snack, or as I like them best, they are a perfect addition to my breakfast spread! They freeze well, however, you may find yourself eating through them fast enough that no freezing will be necessary! For now, that’s lemon yogurt muffins…in the shell of a nut!

Date night dinner: Citrus roasted chicken, roasted carrots and parsnips and an easy green salad!

It’s Friday Night Date Night! Growing up, it was always Mom’s night off from cooking and our family dinner date night you could say! We always had dinner together during the week, but Fridays were the days where we’d make our rotations to our favorite little restaurants around town. Once I went off to college, family dinner date night turned into my parents date night and a time for them both to unwind from a hectic week at work. Jor and I don’t always (or really typically) go out on Fridays, but we have adopted the idea of having a relaxing Friday night meal. Sometimes they are really no different than any other weeknight meal and sometimes they are a little more intricate or take a little longer to cook. The whole idea though is that no matter what you are cooking, calling it date night just puts an automatic special ring to the meal! This particular date night meal I’m sharing didn’t require too much from me, which was just fine with me but it was so delicious. I tried a new roasted chicken recipe from Giada that was full of citrus flavor (if you watch her show you know her love and use of lemon is equivalent to Paula’s love of butter!). The juices that you get from baking the chicken then turn into a fantastic little dressing for the salad, keeps it simple, and then the roasted carrots and parsnips are paired with dill, which adds a boost of flavor! Date night or not, you will want to try these recipes out!

Here is everything you’ll need:

Ingredients:

(Chicken and salad adapted from Giada and roasted vegetables adapted from Ina Garten. Makes enough for two dinner portions.)

Chicken

• 2 chicken breasts (bone in, skin on)
• 1 shallot, chopped
• zest of one orange
• zest of 1 1/2 lemons
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
• 1 cup un-salted (or low sodium) chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon white wine (anything you like enough to also drink!)
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon butter, at room temperature
• 1/8 cup olive oil

Roasted Carrots and Parsnips

• 1 pound parsnips, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 pound carrots, peeled and chopped
• olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced

Salad

• Mixed Greens
• Bread, cubed and toasted for croutons

I know this looks like quite a lot of ingredients, but it’s really much easier than the list appears! Start with the chicken. (Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.) In a small mixing bowl combine shallot, olive oil, orange zest, lemon zest, thyme, mint and salt and pepper. This is the rub for your chicken.

Citrus rub for the chicken.

It will already smell delicious! Rub part of the mixture under the skin of your chicken breasts and the remaining mixture on the top of each. You want to make sure you get this wonderful mixture all over so the chicken can soak in all the flavors! Place each chicken breast in a baking dish; I just used an 8×8 inch dish. To this dish just pour in the chicken broth, wine, orange juice, lemon juice and dried cranberries. That’s literally all you need to do with the chicken! Let it bake in the oven between 35-45 minutes. It all depends on the size of your chicken and how your oven cooks so just keep an eye on it.

Immediately after you get the chicken in the oven start on the carrots and parsnips. These are also very easy. Chop each into pieces slightly larger than bite size. The reason for this is that when you roast them, they are going to shrink on you a little bit. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil and place the carrots and parsnips on the pan. Drizzle on the olive oil and sprinkle the salt and pepper over the vegetables. Give everything a good toss and you’re now done with those! Pop them in the oven right when you’re done and let them cook for 20-30 minutes. When they are done, take them out of the oven and add the minced dill; it will add such a wonderful fresh flavor to the vegetables! In the chance that your carrots and parsnips end up getting done before you chicken, just take them out and take your tinfoil and make an envelope around the vegetables. This will keep things warm.

Roasted carrots and parsnips with a sprinkle of minced dill.

Once your chicken is complete, take the chicken out of the baking dish and let it sit for just a few minutes. During this time, you can use the juices from the baking dish to make a simple dressing for your salad. Pour the flour in a small saucepan and whisk in the pan juices. Bring the juices to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer for about 8 minutes, or until the mixture thickens just a bit. Add the butter and a little salt and pepper. You can then pour this over your salad greens and homemade croutons. (I also added some of the left over cranberries from the baking dish.)

Easy green salad with homemade croutons.

That’s everything! I told you the long list of ingredients was deceiving! There are so many flavors going on with this meal but they all compliment each other perfectly! It seems kind of fancy, but the best part is that it really didn’t take much from me at all! I threw everything in the oven and then had some time to work on some other things while my oven did all the work and my kitchen filled with wonderful smells! For that reason, it’s a great meal to make when you have guests over or you need something that feels a little extra special. Giada actually made the citrus chicken with Cornish game hens, which would certainly be great for dinner parties! We finished off the meal with flourless chocolate cupcakes (yum!) but as good as the entire meal was, it’s always nice to have a meal that brings people together and provides a chance to share some time with family and friends and forget about the stress of everything else!

Date Night Dinner!

For now, that’s citrus roasted chicken with roasted carrots and parsnips and an easy green salad…in the shell of a nut!