Chai Spiced Apple Butter

If you're like me, you buy apples hoping someone will eat them and then they just sit there.  (Okay, maybe you're not like me and eat a lot of fruit.)  Anyway, this small batch apple butter is perfect for those 4 or 5 apples that now no one will eat because they're a tiny bit mushy.  This makes about 1.5 cups and will last about 3 weeks in the fridge.
I added in some chai flavors to make this more wintry. 
Enjoy on an English muffin, in a cookie, or straight out of the jar!

Chai Spiced Apple Butter

Chai Spiced Apple Butter

Ingredients:
5 medium apples (I used honeycrisp, use whatever you have!)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cardamom
1 Chai tea bag
1/4 cup water

Preparation:
Boil 1/4 cup water and steep Chai tea while prepping the rest of your ingredients (at least 5 minutes).
Peel and chop apples.
Put apples, cinnamon, cardamom, and tea in a medium pot.
Bring to a boil and simmer until apples are soft and you can easily pierce them with a fork.
Place apple mixture in a blender or use an immersion blender off the heat to blend.
Return to sauce pan and simmer.  Stir every 10 minutes for about 1 hour, or until apple butter has grown darker and thicker.
Take off the heat and cool completely before placing in the fridge.
Enjoy!

Cranberry Scones

If you've read my blog before, you know my aversion to baking.  I don't like that you have to use exact measurments and I never quiet know how things are supposed to look before they go into the oven.  I've been watching the British Baking show lately and gave myself false confidence.  "Oh, I can do that!" I said.  Nope.
Well, I shouldn't say I couldn't do it because these scones turned out good... it was just the making them that wasn't great.  The dough was far stickier than it should have been and subsequetnly I couldn't really shape them into scones.  A more accurate description would be cranberry blobs.  I'm sure that if you have baked in your life (more than just a box of brownies) you probably would fair much better than I did.  I also increased the amount of cranberry for my version because I didn't think it had enough.

Cranberry Scones

Cranberry Scones

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 cup butter, cut into pieces
1 cup dried cranberries
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk or sour milk

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large bowl stir together flour, powdered sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Stir in dried cranberries.
Make a well in center of flour mixture.
In a small bowl combine eggs and the 1/2 cup buttermilk.
Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture.
Using a fork, stir just until moistened.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
Knead dough by folding and gently pressing it for 10 to 12 strokes or until dough is nearly smooth. Divide dough in half. Pat or lightly roll each portion into a 1/2-inch-thick circle.
Cut each circle into six wedges.
Place scones 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake for 12 to 18 minutes or until golden brown.
Transfer to a wire rack; cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm with butter.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

Cornbread

Are you ready for the best cornbread?  This recipe is so good.  For real.  I feel like most cornbreads are really dry and crumbly but this is not at all. It's super moist from the creamed corn and it's healthy because there's real corn in there, right?  Right.
It goes perfectly with anyone of my chili recipes (including my sweet potato black bean chili) and any leftovers can go into some cornbread stuffing.  With only 4 ingredients, how can you go wrong?

Cornbread

Ingredients:
2 boxes Jiffy cornbread
2 Eggs
1 15 ounce can creamed corn
1 Tbsp. sugar

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all ingredients until combined in a medium bowl.
Scrape mixture into a 9x9 cake pan that has been sprayed well with cooking spray.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the center is done.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from the Pinning Mama

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

Yum!  This chili is on point.  It's a bit spicy, but not in an overpowering way and it's so hearty you won't even miss the meat.  You get lots of vitamins by using sweet potatoes and it's full of vegetables and beans for protein.  Serve with a side of cornbread and scoop some sour cream (or Greek yogurt) on top.  Of course, if you're vegan, skip the sour cream and enjoy!

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. cayenne, adjust to taste
2 10 ounce cans  diced tomatoes with chiles, undrained
1 15 ounce can black beans, drained
2 cups vegetable broth
Optional toppings: sour cream (Greek yogurt), shredded cheese

Preparation:
In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat.
Add sweet potato, onion, garlic and bell pepper and saute until onion softens, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Stir in chili powder, cumin, oregano and cayenne, and saute for 1 minute.
Add diced tomatoes, black beans, and broth and stir until combined.
Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are tender.
Serve with any toppings you wish.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Alida's Kitchen

Sausage Ragu

Looking over my recent posts, I realized that they've all been vegetarian!  I often try to cook at least 2 meals a week that are vegetarian, but I've been adding in a few more vegetarin meals, I'm up to about 3 or 4 per week.  I find that fall and winter cooking lends itself to vegetarian meals much easier for me; I love fall vegetables and they feel heartier than spring and summer ones. 
That being said, this recipe does have meat, but there are plenty of carrots, onions, and tomato (sauce) to give you your veggie intake.  Yum!

Sausage Ragu

Sausage Ragu 

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ounces bulk pork Italian sausage
2 medium onions, diced
1 1/2 cups carrot, diced 
3 garlic cloves, chopped
10 oz. tomato sauce
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup red wine

Preparation: 
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add sausage; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble.
Remove sausage mixture to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Remove pan from heat (do not wipe out pan).
Return pan to medium-high. Add onion, carrots, and garlic to pan; cook 5 minutes.
Add sausage mixture, water, wine, and tomato sauce to pan; cook 5 minutes.
Serve over cheesy polenta.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light

Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole

If you read my blog a lot, you know about my love affair with enchiladas.  Vegetarian, meat, breakfast, homemade sauce, canned sauce, green sauce, avocado sauce... they're all delicious to me.  This recipe is actually a lot like my crockpot enchiladas, but in an even easier way.  Just cook a package of boca soy crumbles with some enchilada sauce and layer up tortillas in a pan with some cheese.  Delicious! 

Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole

Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients:
2 15 oz. red enchilada sauce cans
12 oz. frozen soy crumbles (I used Boca brand)
4 oz. frozen corn
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
20 4-inch round corn tortillas, cut into thin strips
2 cups cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
Optional toppings: avocado, sour cream, tomatoes, cilantro

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Heat the oil in a large skillet and add the crumbles to the pan.
Add 1 can of sauce to the skillet and simmer for about 5 minutes minutes.
Add corn and simmer for about 5 more minutes.
Taste and season with salt and pepper.
In a greased 9x13 pan, spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom.
Layer the tortillas, crumbles and corn mixture, sauce, and cheese (I did three layers, ending with cheese on top).
Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the cheese is slightly browned.
Add any toppings you like.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Pinch of Yum

Fennel and Carrot Soup

This is not normally a recipe I would try on a weeknight, it takes about an hour and a half to complete and though it isn't super labor intensive, it does take time.  Tonight I got home super energized, went grocery shopping, and then changed my menu (this was going to be made on Sunday!) to make this tonight!
This turned out super yummy, I made a few changes to make it more affordable/so I was able to find all the ingredients in my grocery store.  This was more fennel-y than carrot-y, but still was very tasty and definitely was a perfect cool fall night dinner.  I accompanied my dinner with Nightmare Before Christmas and a nice blanket.  Perfect!

Fennel and Carrot Soup

Fennel and Carrot Soup

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large fennel bulb, chopped
1 small onion, thinly sliced
3 carrots, peeled, chopped
1 small russett potato, peeled, halved
1/4 tsp. thyme
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable if you're vegetarian)
1/4 cup roasted unsalted almonds, chopped
¼ cup plain Greek Yogurt
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

Preparation:
Heat 4 Tbsp. butter in a large heavy pot over medium. Add fennel, onion, carrots, potato, thyme, and bay leaf; season with salt and pepper.
Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally and reducing heat if needed, until vegetables are soft but not browned and have released their moisture, 40-50 minutes.
Add broth, bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer until potato is falling apart, 8–10 minutes. Let cool slightly. Remove bay leaf.
Working in batches, purée in a blender until smooth. Strain into a clean pot; season with salt and pepper.
Mix yogurt and maple syrup in a small bowl. Serve soup topped with maple yogurt and almonds.

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit

Chickpea Peanutbutter Curry

Fall is here!  It's finally time to start making soups and stews and curries are in the mix too!  If you read my blog a lot, you know that I try to include vegetarian or vegan meals several times a week into our diet.  I always want to make sure that the vegetarian and vegan recipes I pick are filling and not so so full of cheese.  This recipe is both!  The chickpeas and peanut butter add protein and it's vegan so no cheese!  

You can always use another nut butter if you're allergic to peanuts and vegetable stock instead of chicken stock to make to vegan or vegetarian; if you're not, feel free to use chicken stock.  Other great news is that this recipe is gluten free!

Chickpea Peanut Butter Curry

Chickpea Peanut Butter Curry

Ingredients:

1/2 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 tsp coconut oil 

3/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

3/4 tsp. ground coriander

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. cayenne 

1/2 tsp. tumeric

1/2 tsp. curry powder

3 Tbsp. peanut butter or almond butter

1/2 cup coconut milk

3/4 cup chicken stock (or vegetable stock to make vegan)

1 red pepper, chopped

1 small zucchini, chopped

1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained

1 tsp. salt, or more to taste

1/2 tsp. sugar

1/2 lime, juiced 

Preparation:

Add oil to a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add garlic, onion, ginger, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cayenne, turmeric, and curry.  

Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. 

Add in the nut butter, coconut milk and stir. Add broth. 

Add the veggies and chickpeas, salt, sugar. 

Mix, cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium low and continue to cook for 5 minutes. 

Stir in the lime juice. Taste and adjust salt.  

At this point, if you want a thinner curry, add more coconut milk or if you want it thicker, uncover and keep simmering. 

Serve over rice.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Vegan Richa

Greek Yogurt Lemon Muffins

So it's actually a total coincidence that I followed my recipe for Greek yogurt Pancakes with this other Greek yogurt recipe.  I don't know about you, but I always have Greek yogurt in the fridge and this recipe probably uses ingredients you already have on hand.  1 container Greek yogurt, 1 cup water, and 1 box lemon cake mix.  Don't have lemon?  Use a different kind of cake mix.  Boom.  Easy!  These super easy muffins came together in about a half hour between making the batter and baking them off.  Perfect for a quick weekend breakfast!
The other perfect thing about these muffins is that they're super healthy!  At only 92 calories per muffin, what could be better?

Greek Yogurt Lemon Muffins

Greek Yogurt Lemon Muffins (22-24 Muffins)

Ingredients:
1 5.6 oz. vanilla yogurt
1 box lemon cake mix
1 cup water

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350.
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until well blended.
Spray two muffin tins with butter nonstick spray.
Scoop batter into muffin tins until about 3/4 full.
Bake for 15-17 minutes, until knife inserted in the middle of muffin comes out clean.
Let cool on baking rack.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Penny Pincher Jenny

Greek Yogurt Pancakes

I make these pancakes all. the. time.  In fact, I don't even make regular pancakes anymore because these are so easy and because they are much healthier than regular pancakes.  They are only 4 ingredients and you can go from deciding you want pancakes to eating breakfast in about 10 minutes.  Perfect!  These can be made with any kind of Greek yogurt, but be warned that if you use any fruit flavor the pancakes will turn slightly that color; I make these with mixed berry a lot and they always turn kind of blue, which is not super appetizing, but they are good.
These yield about 4 pancakes so if you have a family or really like pancakes, this recipe is easy to double or triple.

Greek Yogurt Pancakes 

Greek Yogurt Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 5.3 oz. container Greek yogurt (I used vanilla, but you can use whatever flavor you like)
1 egg
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 Tbsp. butter
Optional toppings: butter, syrup, fruit

Preparation:
Mix yogurt, egg, baking soda, and flour in a bowl, until well incorporated.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
Add butter and heat until melted.
Add scoops of batter until you have 4 even pancakes.
Cook until golden brown on the bottom.
Flip. Cook until golden brown.
Top with butter, syrup, or fruit.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Everyday Belle

Blueberry Margaritas

The heat is back in Philly so the only thing to do was make margaritas!  I had some blueberries in the fridge that needed to be used up AND didn't want to run to the store so this recipe was perfect!  My friend Rae came over for dinner so I thought I would make a pitcher of these to impress and they were a hit!
I was a bit skeptical at first about just putting sugar into water and not making a simple syrup, but I shouldn't have worried.  The sugar dissolved and I had one less step!  These were ready in about 5 minutes and made 8 drinks!
We served these with chips and salsa for a Mexican start to our meal... well we actually were supposed to also have tacos to continue that theme, but ended up getting takeout and having a Chinese feast.  The good news is that the margs were so good, you could serve them with almost anything and it would be a good meal!
Photo courtesy of my friend Rae who was much better at taking this picture than I was!

Blueberry Margaritas 

Blueberry Margaritas 

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/5 cups blueberries
1 1/2 cups silver tequila
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon kosher salt, optional

Preparation:
Combine 1 1/2 cups water and sugar in a large pitcher.
Stir vigorously until sugar dissolves.
Muddle the blueberries in the pitcher. Add tequila and lime juice; stir.
If you wish, wet the rims of margarita glasses and dip in salt.
Pour over ice.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Rasa Malaysia

Zucchini Rollups

Last time I went home my Mom gave me a pound of ground beef so I made meatballs with it and needed something to go with them.  I didn't want pasta because I just made pasta a few days earlier and decided to take advantage of zucchini being in season and made these.  They were much more time intensive than I had intended, but they were delicious!

If you're vegetarian, these would be great with veggie meatballs or some salad and Italian bread.

Zucchini Rollups

Zucchini Rollups

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup ricotta

3/4 cup parmesan, divided (the kind in the green container)

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste 

4 medium zucchinis, sliced thin, with a vegetable peeler or mandolin 

1 1/2 cup marinara

1 cup shredded mozzarella

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350° and spray a large baking dish with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmesan, egg, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Season with salt and pepper and mix until well combined.

On a clean working surface, lay out four slices of zucchini so that they are slightly overlapping and place a spoonful of the ricotta mixture on top. Roll up and transfer to the prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining zucchini and ricotta mixture.

Spoon marinara on top of the zucchini, then sprinkle all over with the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and mozzarella.

Bake until the zucchini is tender and the cheese has melted, about 30 minutes.

Let dish rest for 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from delish. 

Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Flatbreads

Tonight, with the cooler temperatures, I decided to make flatbread pizzas now that it's okay to turn on the oven.  I used homemade hot sausage, which my uncle made a few weeks ago when I went to my parent's house for the weekend.  The recipe I used must have LOADED the flatbreads up from the maounts they called for, but I ended up using much less than I thought I would.  I turned the rest into a pasta dish for Matt to eat as leftovers and lunches this week.
These turned out really good and you can serve them with a salad for a complete meal!

Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Flatbreads

Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Flatbreads

Ingredients:
1 tsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. water
6 pieces broccoli rabe
1 (8.8-oz.) pkg. garlic naan (such as Stonefire)
3 ounces hot or sweet Italian sausage, crumbled
1/2 cup marinara sauce
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a medium skillet heat oil over medium heat.  Add broccoli rabe and water.  Cover and cook for 5 minutes.  Set aside.
Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add sausage to pan; cook 8 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally.
Spread pizza sauce evenly on 1 side of each naan on baking sheet. Dollop ricotta evenly over top; top evenly with 3 pieces broccoli rabe apiece, sausage, and pepper.
Place naan in the oven.  If using two pans, switch top and bottom pans after 4 minutes.
Continue baking until the cheese is melted and the naan bread is golden brown, about 3-4 minutes.
Take pizza out of the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light

Black Bean Tacos with Corn Salsa

As I was planning out my menu this week, I realized I was meat-heavy, and thought I would give this recipe a whirl, taking advantage of all the yummy summer produce.  As you know, Matt is always weary of a dish without meat, but I didn't think this would be an issue because of the protein-packed black beans.  As an extra incentive, I promised we could walk to Rita's and get water ice after.
These turned out super yummy and definitely fulfilled my taco craving.  They were filling without being too heavy and there's even a little leftover, so I can have tacos for lunch tomorrow!  Yum!
Also, don't mind that the picture is basically entirely avocado, I promise there's some beans and corn in there too!

Black Bean Tacos with Corn Salsa

Black Bean Tacos with Corn Salsa

Ingredients:
5 small round corn tortillas
1 large avocado, sliced into thin strips
Optional garnishes: pickled onions, hot sauce

Bean Filling
1 can black beans, drained
1/2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 shallot, chopped
1/2 Tbsp. cumin
2 Tbsp. water
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Corn Salsa
1 cup corn (thawed if using frozen)
2 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
2 red radishes, sliced into thin strips
1/2 lime, juiced
1/8 tsp, salt
1/4 cup feta

Preparation:
Corn Salad: Place the corn into a medium-sized mixing bowl and add the chopped cilantro, radishes, lime juice, and sea salt. Mix well. Stir in feta.  Set the bowl aside to marinate while your prepare the beans.
Black Beans: Warm the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and a sprinkle of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots have softened and turn translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the cumin and cook for about 30 seconds while stirring. Pour in the beans and water. Stir and cover.   Cook for 5 more minutes, remove from heat and then remove the lid and use the back of a fork to mash up about at least half of the beans. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and cover until you’re ready to serve.
To Serve: Spread black beans down the middle of each tortilla. Top the beans with corn salad. Place a slice of avocado in the taco and serve with optional pickled onions or hot sauce.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Cookie and Kate

Chicken Enchilada Pie

With the weather cooling down, I can finally turn on my oven at dinner (though I did intend to make this yesterday when it was rainy and in the 60s, but Matt wanted to order pizza, so what can you do?).  This, with some tweaks from the original recipe, turned into a great meal... Matt even had thirds!
If you wanted to, you could make this vegetarian by using a can of black beans instead of the chicken on top and it would still be great!

Chicken Enchilada Pie

Chicken Enchilada Pie

Ingredients:
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
1 Tbsp. taco seasoning, divided
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 (14 3/4 ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (8.5 ounce) box corn muffin mix (such as Jiffy)
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
1 (10 ounce) can red enchilada sauce
2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Optional Toppings: 
1 scallion, sliced
2 radishes, sliced thin
cilantro, to taste,
1/4 cotija or feta cheese

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400°.
Combine the first 7 ingredients (milk through green chiles), using just 1/2 tablespoon of the taco seasoning, in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a round, 9'' pie plate, coated with cooking spray.
Bake for 20-30 minutes. While corn is baking, toss the chicken in the remaining 1/2 tablespoon taco seasoning. When cornbread is done – it will be just barely set and golden brown – pierce entire surface liberally with a fork (it might stick a little bit to the fork).
Pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken; sprinkle with cheese.
Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese melts.
Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes.
Sprinkle with toppings.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Lindsay at Pinch of Yum.

Gluten Free Cinnamon Muffins

Matt wanted muffins since Friday, so today I decided to bake some instead of buying them at the store.  I found this recipe for gluten free cinnamon muffins and I didn't need to buy any ingredients to make them (which is good, because it's Sunday and I didn't want to change out of my pajamas).  These were super easy to make and turned out very delicious!  Though the texture is changed from a regular muffin because of the almond flour, they are still yummy and I would definitely make them again.
Full disclaimer: I thought I had enough almond flour to make these, but I was short about 3 tablespoons, whoops!  So, there's about 1 tablespoon of regular flour in the muffins and the whole topping is regular flour.
These all happen to be dairy free, so all of you with lactose issues can eat them too!  Pair them with some cold brew coffee for a great breakfast!

Gluten Free Cinnamon Muffins

Gluten Free Cinnamon Muffins

Ingredients:

Batter
2 eggs
1/4 cup melted coconut oil, cooled
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Cinnamon Swirl
3 Tbsp. melted coconut oil, cooled
1/4 cup honey
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp. almond flour

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350 and line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners.
In a large bowl, make the batter by whisking together the eggs, coconut oil, water, honey and vanilla.
Mix in the almond flour, salt and baking soda.
Fill each paper liner about 3/4 full.
Next make the Cinnamon Swirl by mixing the coconut oil, honey, cinnamon and almond flour.
Spoon the topping on top of each muffin then use a toothpick or the tip of a sharp knife to swirl the cinnamon mixture into the muffins.
Bake 15-20 minutes and let cool.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Almond Flour

Cold Brew Coffee

Though it's the end of summer, it's not cooling down enough for hot coffee yet, which means cold brew is my go-to in the morning.  Though I love Dunkin and Starbucks, I do not love the price tag that comes with cold brew there.  If you make your own, it's much more economical and just as delicious!
I think this is easiest in a French press, but if you don't have a French press you can strain the coffee grounds out using a coffee filter instead of plunging the press down.

Cold Brew Coffee

Cold Brew Coffee

Ingredients:
1/2 cup ground coffee
Water
Ice
Cream, optional
Sugar, optional

Preparation:
Put coffee in French press.
Fill with water to the bottom of where the lid would go, about 2 1/2 cups.
Stir. (DON'T press the coffee down yet).
Place in fridge and wait. (I usually do 8 hours, but you can go up to 24 if you like the strong stuff).
Pour into a cup with ice and add cream, sugar, or whatever you like.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Farm Fresh to You

Caramelized Onion and Arugula Goat Cheese Pizza

Today I needed to make a vegetarian meal because my friend Kevin was over. I knew I wanted to make pizza and I had some arugula to use up and plenty of onions.  I looked at a bunch of recipes for different kinds of pizza, many had figs on them (which my grocery store doesn't carry) or meat (not today!).  I settled on a recipe and loosely followed it, cutting the cheese by over half, I promise, you won't miss it if I am telling you it would have been way way too much.  (Matt calls me the cheese queen).
This turned out delicious!  I served a salad on the side and it was a great meal!  The only problem was that there weren't any leftovers!  Well, there were, but after a few glasses of wine, we finished the last pieces right up!

Caramelized Onion and Arugula Goat Cheese Pizza

Caramelized Onion and Arugula Goat Cheese Pizza

Ingredients:
6 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 pound pizza dough, either homemade or store bought
2 medium onions, sliced thin
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp.  olive oil
2 oz. arugula
Cornmeal, optional
2 oz goat cheese, crumbled
Balsamic reduction, to taste

Preparation:
Preheat your oven to 425F.
In a large skillet over medium low heat, melt butter.  Add onions and cook stirring occasionally until the onions are caramelized. This will take about 25-30 minutes. (I did this while waiting for my dough to rise).
Meanwhile, on a flat surface, like your kitchen counter, place some flour to prevent the dough from sticking. Roll out your pizza dough with a rolling pin.  Sprinkle cornmeal on the baking sheet.  Place the pizza dough onto a baking sheet.
Spread oil all over the dough, as you would sauce.  It might not seem like enough, but you don't want too much in one place, so really spread it around.
Add mozzarella, goat cheese, and onions on top of pizza.
Bake the pizza in the preheated oven for 20-22 minutes. Take out and let cool for 5 minutes.  Add arugula and drizzle balsamic on top.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Miryam at Eat Good 4 Life.

Spaghetti Carbonara

I'm getting back to my Italian roots today with some spaghetti carbonara.  This dish is great when you have a limited pantry and you need to make a quick dinner.  I used bacon in place of pancetta in order to skip a trip to the grocery store and it turned out delicious!  

The most important step is to make sure to continuously whisk the egg mixture when adding the hot reserved pasta water or else you will end up with scrambled eggs and dry spaghetti.  

This is a dish with high cholesterol and fat levels so make sure to serve with a nice side salad!

Spaghetti Carbonara 

Spaghetti Carbonara

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

5 oz. bacon (or pancetta) cut into 1/2 inch strips

1⁄3 cup white wine

1/2 lb. dried spaghetti

1/3 cup shaved parmesan 

2 Tbsp. shredded mozzarella

1 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley

1 egg

Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Remove and discard garlic. Add bacon, and cook until edges are crisp and the fat is rendered, about 8 minutes. (At this point I took out about 2 spoonfuls of bacon grease because the bacon I used was super oily, you can choose what you want to do).  Add wine, and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti, and cook until al dente, according to box directions. Drain, reserving 1⁄4 cup pasta water. In a large bowl, whisk together parmesan, parsley, and eggs; while whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in reserved pasta water until smooth. Add spaghetti along with reserved pancetta mixture. Season with salt and a generous amount of pepper. Toss to combine, and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Cuban Sandwich

My obsession with Cubans started when I watched the movie Chef. (It's really good!)  If you haven't seen it, a chef decides to open a food truck that sells Cubans.  They looked so delicious that I decided to try my hand at them.  I have made this recipe a few times, but this one was the best.  The key is to make sure you have really fresh bread.  I stopped at the grocery store this morning and picked up a baguette.
The other thing that started my quest to make a great Cuban was that while we were in London, Matt ordered a Cuban at a burger restaurant we went to.  It was terrible!  I told him that I would try to erase the memory of that terrible sandwich and I think I delivered!  These turned out great!
It is important to mention that Cubans are supposed to be pressed.  If you get a real Cuban, they use a machine, kind of like a panini press.  I don't have that so I used a cast iron pan.  I then pressed down on the pan (using pot holders so you don't burn your hands) and got them pretty flat.
I understand that you're supposed to use roasted pork on these, but I didn't have any so I improvised and got thin cut pork chops which I cooked for 3 minutes on one side and 2 on the other and seasoned with adobo seasoning.  If you have roast pork, feel free to use that instead!

Cuban Sandwich

Cuban Sandwich

Ingredients:
2 tsp. canola oil
2 sandwich-sized piece of baguette (about 1/2 of baguette)
Yellow mustard
2 thin pork chops, cooked
4 slices deli ham
4 slices Swiss cheese
4 sliced dill pickles (the long ones)

Preparation:
Slice baguette open to assemble sandwiches.
Spread a liberal amount of mustard on one side of the bread per sandwich.  (You might think you used too much, but use a little bit more, it will be delicious, I promise!)
Top with Swiss cheese, ham, pork, pickles, and the other slice of cheese.  Close sandwich.
In the same pan you cooked the pork chop in, or a medium sized skillet over medium heat with 2 tsp. canola oil, place the sandwiches.
Top with a heavy pot and cook about 5 minutes.  Place pot holders inside of pot on top and press down in order to flatten the sandwiches.
Flip the sandwiches and cook, flattening, for another 4 minutes.
Remove from heat and serve with a simple arugula salad.
Enjoy!

Garlic Parsley Roasted Salmon

Salmon is my favorite fish and my favorite fish to cook.  I especially like it roasted.  It comes out perfect, every time.  (If you like roasted salmon, you could also try Cilantro Lime Salmon or Rosemary Roasted Salmon and Tomatoes).  The thing with roasted salmon however, is that you have to turn on the oven.  It's been so hot in Philly lately that I haven't wanted to turn on the oven, even with the air conditioning on.  Today it was much cooler and I thought I could afford to turn the oven on for a half hour.  It was worth it!
This salmon is simple with butter, garlic, and parsley and a touch of lemon.  How could you go wrong with those ingredients?  Yum!
I made tomato and arugula risotto as a side dish and it was a perfect meal!

Garlic Parsley Roasted Salmon

Garlic Parsley Roasted Salmon

Ingredients:
10 oz salmon fillet, cut into two pieces
2 Tbsp. melted butter
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves, chopped
Pinch of salt
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/8 tsp. black pepper

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper and place salmon on baking sheet.
Combine butter, garlic, parsley, salt, lemon, and pepper in a small bowl.
Use the back of a spatula and spread the butter mixture onto the salmon.
Bake for 12 minutes.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Rasa Malaysia

Tomato and Arugula Risotto

Tonight was a rainy, gross day in Philly and I thought it would be a perfect day to make risotto because who wants to stand over a hot stove when it's hot?  Cherry tomatoes and arugula were both on sale this week so this was a no brainer.  Plus, it served as the perfect side to Garlic Parsley Roasted Salmon.
This was my first try at risotto, but it turned out great!  You could serve this as a side or a main dish.  A wonderful vegetarian dish!

Tomato and Arugula Risotto

Tomato and Arugula Risotto

Ingredients:
1 cup arborio rice
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 shallots, chopped
½ cup white wine
3 cups hot vegetable stock (plus 1 just in case)
2 cups arugula, washed and dried
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded
Salt, to taste
Shaved parmesan, to serve

Preparation:
Start by setting your vegetable stock to simmer in a separate pot. It has to be hot by the time you add it to the rice.
In a large skillet, over medium high heat add the olive oil and once it's hot, add the shallots.
Once the shallots are translucent, add the rice and fry it so that all the rice is coated.
Reduce the heat to medium low.
Add the white wine and cook until it evaporates completely.
Add the first cup of vegetable stock and cook, stirring regularly until it is absorbed by the rice.
Repeat the process with the other 2 cups of stock, one at a time.
If your rice is still hard, add the stock, stirring the rice, until the stock is absorbed.
Turn the heat off and add the tomatoes and arugula.  Stir until everything is incorporated.
Add the mozzarella and stir gently.
Taste to check seasoning and add salt if necessary.
Serve immediately, top with the shaved parmesan.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Olivia at Olivia's Cuisine.

Pasta with Sausage, Swiss Chard, and Tomatoes

Phew!  What a long time since I've posted anything!  As I'm sure you know, I tend to start posting again in the summer when I'm not crazy with school; this summer has been nuts though!  Matt and I went back to upstate NY to work at the music camp we always work at and a week later left for our (very delayed) honeymoon.  We spent 10 days in Dublin and London and had a wonderful time.

Since I haven't really cooked in 2 months, I wanted to get back to my roots.  Last time I was in the grocery store I noticed that they started selling Swiss chard and was so excited to grab some!  I found sausage in the freezer and this recipe came right together.  It was super easy and very tasty!

This dish can easily be made gluten free by using GF pasta!
This dish only used 2 sausage links out of my package of 4, so I used the other 2 to make a half-batch of Zucchini Glop (don't let the name throw you off, it's really good).

Pasta with Sausage, Swiss Chard, and Tomatoes

Pasta with Sausage, Swiss Chard, and Tomatoes

Ingredients:

Kosher salt

8 ounces small shape pasta, I used rotini

2 hot or sweet Italian sausage links, casings removed (I used sweet)

1 small onion, chopped

1 bunch Swiss chard, roughly chopped (stems and leaves separated) 

1 clove garlic, minced

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

Freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the directions on the label.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. (Don't worry if it's sticking to the bottom of the pan, when you add the chard and onions, you can scrape it off.)

Add the onion, garlic, and chard stems; cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 4 minutes. 

Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the tomatoes start blistering, about 5 minutes.  

Add the chard leaves to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until they start wilting, about 2 minutes. Lightly mash the tomatoes with the back of your spoon to create more of a sauce.

Add the pasta and cheese; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. 

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Food Network