Pixelated Crumb

blackberry moscow mule

Kristen — Thu, 09 May 2013 03:27:25 +0000

I honestly didn’t even know exactly what a moscow mule even was, but that didn’t stop me from making a variation of it last weekend. It all started when I saw an email in my inbox a couple weeks ago from Eat Boutique titled Blackberry Moscow Mule and I couldn’t wait to try it for myself. The photos of the cocktail were gorgeous and inspiring, and frankly, just about everything that comes from Eat Boutique is kind of amazing so I had to give it a try.

Now, thanks to Google, I know what a moscow mule is. In case you are as unfamiliar with it as I was, it’s a cocktail of vodka or gin, mint, and ginger beer. It’s traditionally served in a copper cup, but, if you’re like me and don’t happen to have any lying around, any glass will do. But this special variation has the wonderful addition of blackberries and lime which makes for a lively and refreshing drink in a beautiful, deep purple hue. Blackberry and lime go together perfectly, making this the perfect drink for the spring that has finally come to Boston, while the ginger beer makes it more interesting and complex. The vodka makes the drink a little more fun, but is added only in moderation so you can easily sip on a couple of these throughout the afternoon.

Maggie on Eat Boutique points out that this is the perfect drink to make your mom for Mother’s Day, and I think she’s really onto something there. It’s a beautiful drink for a beautiful mom. My own mother deserves not just a lifetime of cocktails served to her on a silver platter, but so much more than I could ever even dream of giving her. Not only did she change my diapers, kiss my booboos, dispel my tantrums, drive me to soccer practice, calm my tears, and put up with my moody adolescence, she taught me to be a better person. She has always been an inspiration to me and she has always, always dropped everything at the drop of a hat if I needed her. Words cannot even begin to express my gratitude for everything she has done for me.

I have been blessed to have a number of important motherly figures in my life including a caring grandmother, a wonderful mother-in-law, two amazing aunts, and two close family friends who I have always known I could turn to if I needed help. To all the moms of the world, whether official or not, thank you. Thank you for your never ending patience, your compassion, and your strength. You make the world a much better place.

Blackberry Moscow Mule

Yield: 1 cocktail

From Eat Boutique

Ingredients

1 ounce vodka
2 tablespoons blackberry lime sauce (recipe below)
1/2 cup ginger beer
1 sprig of fresh mint
1 slice of lime

Instructions

In a copper mug or glass, pour vodka over ice. Add the blackberry lime sauce, top with ginger beer, and stir. Garnish with mint sprig and lime slice.

http://pixelatedcrumb.com/2013/05/08/blackberry-moscow-mule/

Blackberry Lime Sauce

Yield: about 2 cups

From Eat Boutique

Ingredients

12 ounces fresh blackberries
1/4 cup water
4 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Purée until very smooth, then press through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds. Cover and refrigerate until needed. Use within three days (or freeze).

http://pixelatedcrumb.com/2013/05/08/blackberry-moscow-mule/

lemon blueberry cake with lemon cream

Kristen — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 02:34:06 +0000

Spring has finally come to Boston. With a snow storm just a week and a half ago, I can’t even begin to express my relief to have a weekend full of sun and warmth. Everyone is whispering cautionary reminders of the April 1st blizzard a few years ago, but I am holding on to hope that we’ve seen the last of the snow. I’m ready for flowers, asparagus, fresh strawberries, and – at long last – the warmth of sun on my skin.

My mind has been somewhat consumed with a batch of lemon blueberry muffins earlier this week that I wasn’t all that happy with. I’ve been eager to give the recipe another try with some tweaks, but when I saw this recipe for a lemon blueberry cake with lemon cream on The Kitchn, I had to put the muffins aside and give the cake a try.

Simple, bright, and unfussy, the cake is just what I was hoping for. It’s perfect for an early spring weekend full of hope for a final end to winter. The cake is moist and full of juicy blueberries with a light pop of lemon and is irresistible still warm out of the oven. Of course you could skip the lemon cream, but I beg you to take the extra five minutes to make it. It’s so easy to prepare and it is positively heavenly. If you love lemon even half as much as I do, you will wonder how you ever lived without lemon cream.

Lemon Blueberry Cake with Lemon Cream

Yield: 8 servings

Recipe adapted every so slightly from The Kitchn

Fiori di sicilia is a citrus flavoring that can be hard to find, but adds a wonderful flavor. I get it from King Arthur Flour, but there's no need to buy it for this recipe, just use vanilla extract. While homemade lemon curd is much better than store-bought, there's no need to go through the trouble for this recipe. Lemon curd can be found in the jam and jelly section of your grocery store. You can substitute 1/2 cup of buttermilk for the milk and yogurt if preferred.

The cake can be made a day ahead wrapped well and stored at room temperature. The cream may be made 8 hours in advance and kept in an airtight container in the fridge.

Ingredients

For the cake:

5 oz (1 cup) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 oz (2/3 cup) granulated sugar
Zest of one lemon (about 1 1/2 teaspoons)
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon fiori di sicilia or pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (whole or 2%)
1/4 cup milk
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (don't thaw)
1 1/2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

For the lemon cream:

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons store-bought lemon curd

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F with a rack in the middle. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Flour the sides.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
Place the granulated sugar and lemon zest in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl. Using your fingers, rub the zest into the sugar until it is the texture of damp sand and smells like lemon candy. Add the butter and beat in a stand mixer or with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the fiori di sicilia or vanilla and the egg. Add the yogurt and beat well.
At low speed, beat in half the flour mixture until just combined. Then beat in the milk and remaining flour mixture.
Spread the batter evenly in the pan. Scatter the blueberries over top and sprinkle evenly with turbinado sugar.
Bake until the cake is golden-brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20-30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a rack and cool for 10-15 more minutes. Remove parchment and invert onto a plate.
Meanwhile, using an electric mixer or whisking by hand, beat cream and lemon curd on high speed until creamy, smooth and thick (about the consistency of regular yogurt). Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Serve cake warm or at room temperature, dolloped with lemon cream.

http://pixelatedcrumb.com/2013/03/30/lemon-blueberry-cake-with-lemon-cream/

buffalo chicken meatball subs with blue cheese dressing

Kristen — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 04:11:52 +0000

Last week I shared my favorite vegetarian game day food, the roasted vegetable enchiladas. It’s packed with smokey, roasted veggies and is utterly delicious. But if you’re looking for something a little on the guilty pleasure side, well, you’ve come to the right place.

I was vegetarian for a while, so I don’t think I had ever had buffalo chicken wings until after I had graduated from college. My first job was in the heart of Georgetown, and I was young and had so few responsibilities. My friends and I used to to trek over to McFaddins for beer after work and it was there that I had my first wing. Someone else had ordered them and I took one red, sticky wing with some skepticism, and then instantly fell in love. I began to crave their super spicy wings. I was crushed when our new hangout spot slowly gravitated back towards Georgetown, to Mr. Smith’s. Sure, it was more convenient and more laid back, but they just didn’t have the wings!

A few things have changed since then. Joseph and I moved to Boston and began life on a grad school budget. I took work more seriously and had to work later. I grew older and less energetic than the 23 year old me that went out all the time…. And I had nearly forgotten all about my love of buffalo chicken wings when, about a year ago, I saw this post on Lady Gouda’s blog. Buffalo chicken meatball subs. With blue cheese dressing. Blue cheese dressing! Do you know how much I love blue cheese?! Where had this sandwich been all my life?

And even though I’m not a huge football fan, I absolutely love getting swept up by the excitement of the game and picking out football party food. I knew that I had to have these meatballs for the Super Bowl. And they were every bit as amazing and decadent as I had hoped. Plump chicken meatballs smothered in homemade buffalo sauce and loaded up with with blue cheese dressing is as perfect a football meal as I can imagine. Just start out with some amazing guacamole (regular or with cucumbers and pineapple!) or healthy five layer dip with baked chili tortilla chips and finish it all off with the best brownies known to humankind. Football has never looked so good.

Buffalo Chicken Meatball Subs

Yield: 6 servings

Recipe from Lady Gouda

The number of servings here is really dependent on how big you make the meatballs and how hungry you are and thus, how many meatballs you put on each roll. We got 6 servings out of the recipe.

Joseph hates celery so much that it's not really allowed in our house. If you like celery, feel free to dice some up and put it in the subs.

You can also serve the meatballs as an appetizer. Make smaller meatballs and bake for about 15 minutes (makes about 32). Serve on toothpicks with blue cheese dressing for dipping.

Ingredients

2 pounds ground all-white-meat chicken
1 small onion, grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup parsley, chopped
¼ cup blue cheese, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
olive oil, for drizzling
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup hot sauce, such as Frank's Hot brand
good quality blue cheese dressing for dipping (store bought or see recipe below)
4-6 soft hoagie rolls

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 400ºF.
In a large mixing bowl, mix the ground chicken with the onion, garlic, parsley, blue cheese and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Form meatballs into 15 balls.
Arrange the meatballs on a nonstick sheet pan and drizzle them with oil. Bake until the meatballs are cooked through and golden brown, about 20, turning the meatballs over about halfway through baking.
When the meatballs are almost done baking, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the hot sauce and whisk to combine. Remove the meatballs from the oven and toss in the hot sauce to coat.
Spread blue cheese dressing on both sides of the inside of the roll and add 2-3 meatballs. Drizzle a bit of the extra buffalo sauce and blue cheese dressing over the top. Serve with extra hot sauce in case anyone likes it spicy.

http://pixelatedcrumb.com/2013/01/29/buffalo-chicken-meatball-subs/

Blue Cheese Dressing

Yield: About 1 1/2 cups

Adapted from Chow

Ingredients

1/2 cup plain 2% greek yogurt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
Heaping 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
Dash Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

In a small mixing bowl, stir together the yogurt and mayonnaise until smooth. Mix in the vinegar, salt, and sugar, and season well with freshly ground black pepper.
Stir in the blue cheese and Worcestershire sauce, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

http://pixelatedcrumb.com/2013/01/29/buffalo-chicken-meatball-subs/

roasted vegetable enchiladas

Kristen — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 04:50:47 +0000

Is football getting in the way of your New Year’s resolution to eat healthier? Well lament no more, because these enchiladas are absolutely deeeelicious and they are loaded with healthy veggies.

Joseph first made these enchiladas for me a year and half ago after one of my knee surgeries and afterwards I only vaguely remembered some yummy thing with sweet potatoes. When he made it again and I wasn’t hopped up on painkillers, I begged him to make it again and again and again. I adore roasted veggies and am especially in love with sweet potatoes and poblano chilies together. If you’re not familiar with poblanos, they’re the mild peppers typically used to make chilis rellenos.

The caramelized sweetness of the roasted sweet potato with the subtle heat and snap of the poblano is intoxicating, made even more harmonious with some smokey ancho chili powder (made from dried poblanos!), smoked paprika, and chipotle powder. Loads of other roasted veggies pack these enchiladas not just with tons of nutrients, but also lots of great flavors. Frankly, I start drooling at the mere mention of roasted vegetables and this recipe has a particularly great medley.

We made this over the holidays and both my mom and sister were begging for the recipe after just one bite. In my opinion this dish stands perfectly on its own, but if you wanted to add some meat, some shredded chicken or pork would work well. The enchiladas are quite easy to throw together, especially since they’re stacked enchiladas so they’re assembled more like a lasagna rather than the more time consumed rolled enchiladas. Just leave some prep time for slicing and roasting the veggies and you’ll be all set.

Stacked Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas

Yield: 6-8 servings

Adapted from The Roasted Vegetable by Andrea Chesman via Perry's Plate

It's ok if you don't have ancho chili powder, smoked paprika, or chipotle powder - just substitue with regular chili powder. We really love this combo of spices and use it for just about every southwestern/Tex-Mex dish that we make, but we know that not everyone stocks their kitchen with these spices.

We kept the cheese level on the lower side to keep this dish healthier - feel free to amp it up if you want.

Ingredients

1 poblano chile, cut into matchsticks
2 red bell peppers, cut into matchsticks
1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 medium onion, halved and slivered
1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups homemade or store bought salsa/pico de gallo
4 ounces baby spinach leaves
12 corn tortillas, halved
2 cups shredded cheese (such as cheddar and/or Monterey Jack)
2 scallions, green parts thinly sliced
Sour cream, if desired

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large shallow roasting pan or rimmed cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray lightly with non-stick spray.
In a large bowl, combine poblanos, red bell peppers, cauliflower, sweet potato, onion, corn, and garlic. Add oil and cumin, ancho powder, chipotle powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper and mix well to coat veggies. Spread the vegetables evenly in the pan. Roast for 30-40 minutes until vegetables are tender and begin to brown in spots, stirring the pan every 10 minutes for even roasting. Remove pan from oven and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
Prepare a 9x13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. In a small bowl, stir the cilantro into the salsa. Spread 1/2 cup of salsa into the bottom of the baking pan. Add a layer of tortilla pieces, to cover the salsa. Top with 1/3 of the vegetables, a couple of handfuls of spinach, and 1/3 of the cheese. Make a second layer of tortilla, salsa, vegetables, spinach, and cheese. Top with with a layer of tortillas, salsa, vegetables, and cheese. Cover with aluminum foil.
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and everything is heated through.
Let it sit for 5 minutes before cutting. Serve with a sprinkle of sliced scallions, and sour cream if desired.

http://pixelatedcrumb.com/2013/01/19/roasted-vegetable-enchiladas/

best of pixelated crumb 2012

Kristen — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 02:16:29 +0000

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday. I for one have started out 2013 with a bang, becoming an auntie (again – I already have two amazing nieces on my husband’s side)! My sister gave birth to a beautiful 9 lb 4 oz baby named Lexi yesterday.

It’s been a pretty great year for Pixelated Crumb and a great year of eating. Here’s a look back at the most popular posts over the year.

Number 10: Three Layer Chocolate Cake with Marshmallow Frosting

Phew! This one almost didn’t make the cut, but I’m so glad it did because it’s one of my very favorite cakes. The gooey marshmallow frosting is sinfully good and the cake is so perfectly moist and chocolatey. It’s also my dad’s favorite cake, so it always makes me happy.

Number 9: Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies from Cook’s Illustrated

These giant cookies are rich and brimming with butterscotch notes from the browned butter so it’s no wonder this was a popular one.

Number 8: Cadbury Egg Brownies

If you’re anything like me, you’re a little embarrassed to admit that you love Cadbury Eggs. Solution? Make your own in brownie form! So much more mature and sophisticated.

Number 7: Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

These pancakes are the most decadent, sinful, and delectable breakfast I’ve ever had. They are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

Number 6: S’mores Pie

This, in my mind, is one of the funnest things on Pixelated Crumb. Toasted marshmallows on top of a decadent chocolate filling in a graham cracker crust that’s easy to make? It’s the new way to have s’mores any time of year!

Number 5: Rainbow Cake

Well…on second thought, maybe this is the funnest thing on the site. How can you beat a six layer rainbow cake? It’s more than enough to scare away the dull and the mediocre and brighten everyone’s day!

Number 4: Oven Baked Garlic Fries with Garlic Aioli

This is the one and only savory dish that made it onto the top 10 list so I guess it just proves how good it is! These crispy golden fries may look like a guilty indulgence, but they’re baked in the oven, not fried, and the “aioli” is made from a blend of mayo and yogurt!

Number 3: Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Pound Cake with Peanut Butter Glaze

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from food blogging, it’s that people love their chocolate and peanut butter. This cake is a simple way to meet that delicious end.

Number 2: Ultimate Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

This cake is the ultimate in chocolate and peanut butter indulgence, so it’s really no surprise that it’s the second most popular post. How could anyone resist the chocolate ganache dripping off of the peanut butter frosting?

And finally…

Number 1: Chocolate Turtle Cookies

I think the photo pretty much says it all – that soft gooey caramel nestled in a pecan encrusted cookie is mighty tempting. These cookies are by far the most popular recipe on the blog – this post had more than 6 times as many hits in 2012 than the runner up, the ultimate chocolate peanut butter cake!

Happy New Year! Wishing you lots of great eating in 2013!