Carry on brave Thanksgiving cooks. Roasted chestnuts in a bottle are quite pricey. Although time consuming, you can save money by roasting your own (which we suggest). However, if you prefer to go the quick route, bottled chestnuts can be found in most specialty grocery stores. Enjoy this recipe for Chestnut Stuffing with Leeks & Apples c/o The Parsely Thief.
Yep...today is National Margarita Day, and in honor of said "holiday," we suggest you celebrate with this delicious recipe for Fresh Orange Margaritas c/o local blogger, The Parsley Thief.
I consider myself to be a very good margarita mixer and have made many different types over the years. One thing is always a constant and that is - Patrón tequila. Along with with the good tequila you must also have some sort of orange liqueur. Mostly, I use Cointreau {pricey!}...other times Triple Sec {when money's tight}....and once in a blue moon {usually because it's all I have laying around}, I'll use Grand Marnier. While I am sure this recipe would be equally delicious using blood oranges - I opted to use fresh Florida juice oranges because they're in season at the moment and I just so happened to have a 25 lb. box of them laying around.
Looking for a great recipe for your Memorial Day BBQ? No joke, these are the best ribs ever! After asking my husband what he thought of them, he swallowed his bite & replied, "This may be the best thing I've had in my entire life". But, this is coming from a man who loves him some ribs...anyway, anyhow.
Like all good ribs, these require time, but very little effort. Once they are done marinating & slow cooking in the oven, the grilling part takes about 5 minutes. The perfect thing when you are having company & don't want to be in the kitchen when your guests are there.
This recipe will be a summer regular for us.
It's been a long time since I've made a winter stew type of meal...the sort of thing that takes all day to cook & permeates your house with the smell of something good cooking. This past Sunday seemed like the perfect day to make a little Short Rib Ragu, and I'm so glad I did.
I served it the same day & it came out great. Although, I would imagine it would be even better made ahead. I couldn't resist making some creamy polenta to go with it but it would be delicious served with egg noodles, or some buttery mashed potatoes.
This past summer I was engrossed in a reality cooking competition on the Food Network called The Next Food Network Star. I haven't seen every season of the show, but typically once I begin watching I get sucked in up until a winner is declared.
Anyway - a few weeks before this past season began, a friend of mine from high school contacted me to let me know a fellow graduate from our school would be competing in the upcoming season. Her name is Mary Beth Albright. Of course I wanted her to win - not just because we share the same hometown, but because after watching the season I was easily convinced she would indeed make a great food television show host.
While the show was airing, Mary Beth would simultaneously post her personal take on the developments of each week's episode on her blog - occasionally also posting one of her recipes from the competition. The recipe of Mary Beth's that sparked my interest most was for this meatloaf. I think what sets this recipe apart from the rest is the use of panko breadcrumbs and buttermilk {full fat, if you can find it!}.
When I saw this recipe in the November issue of Bon Appétit I knew I would make it. I thought maybe as a Thanksgiving dessert. But, it turns out I couldn't wait that long and made it the day after it arrived in my mailbox. Of course the fact that it was a bread pudding comprised of pecans, and bourbon, and butterscotch sold me. More than all that though, I was intrigued by the use of poppy seeds in this dessert. Poppy seeds in bread pudding? Well, yes. And - they work. The little bits of black splattered among all the other rich, creamy goodness add a nice crunch and texture.
I am dubbing this treat "Halloween Candy for Grown-Ups." It's my kind of candy - a perfect combination of just enough sweetness, crunch, saltiness and a touch of spice. While the super dark varieties of chocolate aren't really my thing, I love bittersweet chocolate. Not only for it's purported health benefits but for, as it's name suggests - it's slightly bitter, not too sweet taste. I know I'm probably not the only one who can get a bit overwhelmed with the sickeningly sweet candy overload that comes with Halloween. This treat is perfect for folks like us and it's a fun treat to whip up for a teacher goodie bag, a hostess gift, or to serve if you're entertaining during the upcoming weeks.
When I saw this recipe Breakfast Quinoa with Berries & Bananas in the current issue of Whole Living magazine, I was very intrigued. Quinoa is technically not a grain because it's not part of the grass family {it's a relative of chard, and spinach}...but, because of it's grain-like texture it's marketed as one. It seems I'm always hearing about how good it is for you, and I've had the good intention to use it more in my cooking...but, really don't all that often. It's very high in protein, making it an ideal breakfast choice for me, or my kids.
This recipe is very adaptable. You can substitute any fruit for the raspberries, blackberries and bananas I used here. I used 2% milk, but you can use whole, skim, soy, or almond milk too. Quinoa is low on the glycemic index...if that's important to you, you can use agave nectar, or stevia as the sweetener. I used maple syrup, but brown sugar would also be delish. If you like a bit of crunch in your hot cereal, chopped nuts would be great.
I've made many variations of salsa before...like this green kind, some with fruit, and more with fruit. Usually, if I'm making traditional red tomato salsa, I make it in a similar fashion to the ones I just mentioned, using raw ingredients. But, this time I wanted to try something new. So, I ended up roasting half the tomatoes, along with some of the other ingredients on the grill, until they were charred and full of smoky flavor. The other half of the tomatoes, I left raw. I did this to keep some of the fresh, juicy texture of heirloom tomatoes present...yet with the roasted flavor mixed in.
Usually, when I make burgers at home, my toppings are fresh mozzarella, pesto, and tomato. But, for this post, I wanted something more creative than just that. Something worthy of being called a "recipe"...otherwise, I'm basically just telling you how to build a sandwich.
For a twist on the traditional Caprese ingredients, this burger is made with pickled tomatoes. Something that seems to be catching on these days...at least according to all my Food Network TV viewing. The basil and balsamic vinegar elements come in the form of a basil mayo...which works out well for me, as I'm also known to enjoy mayonnaise on a burger. The rest is the usual...forming the patty by hand, between two pieces of wax paper {makes a perfect patty every time, in my book} and searing it in a hot, "salted" cast iron skillet {a method I learned from my MIL}. Lastly, my favorite parts...creamy, salty fresh mozzarella cheese, and a crusty, airy bread, like ciabatta.
This weekend, I once again volunteered to organize the Bake Sale at my children's school carnival. Last year, I made bags of caramel popcorn, which was a big hit! I planned on making it again this year. But, due to time constraints, I needed to find something easier. While these Chewy Saramel Popcorn & Pretzel Bars taste a lot like caramel corn, one batch made 24 {big} bars...which could be cooled & wrapped individually in plastic wrap. This ended up being a lot easier than stuffing little cello bags with sticky popcorn.
I also loved the idea of mixing sweet, chewy caramel popcorn with salty, crunchy pretzels...I'm a huge fan of the sweet/salty thing.
This time last year I posted about my addiction to Champagne mangoes..also known as Ataulfo mangoes. These differ from traditional mangoes in that they are brighter yellow in color, have a smoother texture & are sweeter. I love mangoes in general, but this variety is truly something special. They have a super smooth texture & are very sweet.
I saw them at the grocery store last week, in season once again & I bought a bunch. I bought so many that I couldn't eat them all before they became overly ripe...so soft I had no idea what to do with them. I was going to dice & freeze them to add to my "smoothie bag"--My smoothie bag is where I add fruit that has ripened too much to eat, but will still be great in smoothies.
But, this time I decided that these mangoes needed something special. I decided to make some mango sorbet.
I've been going through a granola obsession lately. I eat it for breakfast, sprinkled on low-fat Greek yogurt, with some agave syrup over the top. I was intrigued by this recipe from the new cookbook, Power Foods, (published by the people of Whole Living magazine), because it's packed with healthy ingredients...I love the addition of ground flaxseeds. I did adjust it quite a bit, because as written, it was a bit flat. I think they were going for a more healthy, low calorie take on granola & of course, I made it a bit less healthy. This is my take on it.
I was given my first French oven {a.k.a. a Dutch oven, or an enameled cast iron pot} about 10 years ago, by my mother-in-law. For years now, a smaller version has been on my wish list...something more practically suited for a family of four & everyday cooking. So, when I recently won a gift certificate to a cooking store, I finally took the plunge & bought myself one!
It's been sitting on my stove for a week now...bringing a smile to my face every time I look at it. I christened the pot with a lovely, Sunday roast chicken. Next up, I wanted to make some kind of stew, pot roast, or chili suitable for the cold, winter days we've been having. This Chili Con Carne recipe is what I decided on.
I have been searching for a really simple & delicious crockpot chili recipe for a long time now. Not something exotic, or gourmet. Just super basic.
This is the recipe I was looking for. And, with Super Bowl Sunday around the corner, I figured now would be a good time to post it. You can play with the spices as much as you'd like. I kept them pretty low key, as I was serving this to the whole family & I wanted everyone to enjoy it.
If you don't have a slow-cooker, you can cook the chili in a stockpot over low heat for 2 hours. It will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days {it tastes even better after sitting a day, or more}. It can also be frozen for up to a month.
I have been busy lately with more catering jobs, closer together, than I've had in a long time. Which is great! This chili is going to be an hors d'oeuvre filling at one of them. Of course, I made enough so that we could eat it for dinner as well. This recipe for Chicken Chili Verde requires a bit of effort to prep & saute the ingredients. But, once that's done, it cooks itself. It can be stored in the fridge & reheated, or frozen. So, it's a great recipe to make a double batch of & freeze half for another day.
Katie Vitucci is a Norwalk resident and the Founder of The Parsley Thief, a blog about food and family.
When I was a child, my grandmother's fried potatoes were one of my most favorite things in the world. She cooked them in a cast iron skillet, with nothing else but some oil, until they were perfectly crisped. Then, she would fry an egg on top. Whenever I wasn't feeling well, this is what she would make me...the ultimate comfort food.
I recently made some for my kids. They are not potato fans...but, they do like french fries & these are so crispy, they don't taste like typical home fries, which sometimes have a mushy texture. They taste like french fries.
They loved them!! So, this has become one of our "Breakfast for Dinner" options. This dish can be modified to suit your taste. Add some garlic, onion, bell or hot peppers...anything. I highly recommend using a cast iron skillet, as it does such a great job of browning the potatoes.
Skillet Eggs & Potatoes
