Monday, April 25, 2011
Remember “The Boy” who became “The Fiance”? Ladies & gentlemen… let me introduce my husband, Nathan. :)
So… don’t feel left out if I didn’t tell you… I actually didn’t tell ummm… pretty much anyone. Despite the blog, Twitter, Facebook, & more, I’m actually a pretty private person. I don’t like attention. And I didn’t want a “wedding”. I just wanted to be married. When I first began my blog, I knew Nathan wouldn’t like me talking about him online. So I created a pseudonym for him. But he feels much more comfortable with it all now. And I’m ready to talk to y’all about him like I do in real life.
He’s everything to me. He grounds me, calms me, and makes me whole. He’s the coolest guy I know. Nathan is my best friend, and now I’m proud to say I am his wife.
PS. Yes, he has a big afro. And it was my idea for him to grow it. I told you, coolest guy I know. Quite the departure from what his hair looked like in my very first blog post, eh?
These are just iPhone photos. I’ll show y’all the pro ones when they are done! And since this IS a food blog after all, I can’t not mention how AMAZING the food was. We had our reception dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in Nashville, Amerigo on West End Ave. It’s actually the place he took me on our very first date! We’ve returned there many times for Nathan’s birthdays, we had dinner there the night we closed on our house, and of course just casual dinners & lunches. To end our sweet night, we ate salted caramel gelato (one of our favorite flavors) from Bravo Gelato!
Friday, April 15, 2011
One thing I rarely buy is packaged cookies. I mean, really, why would I do that? There’s no dough to eat! Oreos are an occasional exception. One redeeming factor is, they can be used in other baked goods. So when Harris Teeter had a great deal on Oreos, I bought them. As I was adding them to the cart, I said to The Fiance “These are not for snacking. These are for me to BAKE WITH. Do not open these. Do not eat these.” He did pretty good for a while. But you see, I hadn’t baked anything in a while, and we didn’t have any other desserts in the house. So one day he says to me “I opened the Oreos. And ate some.” And by golly, I look in the cabinet and there’s only about 9 cookies left. There’s no telling how long the package was opened before he informed me of his misdeed, but I doubt it was very long.
Luckily though, I had just the right amount of cookies left to bake into these brownies. Also, it gave me a chance to finally try out a version of Ina’s Outrageous Brownies I’ve seen many rave reviews over. I must say, these were quite delicious. But I don’t think they were “OMG THE BEST BROWNIES ON THE FACE OF THE PLANET!!!”. Still definitely scrumptious, decadent, & rich, but perhaps I had just seen so many people hype up over these, I was expecting them to be life-changing. I hope I’m not talking anyone out of making these. Don’t get me wrong you will NOT be disappointed if you make these!! I chose to add in white chocolate chips instead of semisweet chocolate, and I’m glad I did, as it adds a bit more pop in color, plus I think the white chocolate flavor helps compliment the chocolate. This is a great brownie to bring to any gathering!
(This isn’t the only brownie on my blog! Be sure to check out this Double Chocolate version, Cocoa Brownies with Peanut Butter Chips, or a lighter, but still delicious Fudgy Brownie.
Outrageous Oreo White Chocolate Brownies
Ingredients:
8 ounces unsalted butter
8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
4 ounces white chocolate chips
8 Oreo cookies, broken up
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350º F (180 C). Line a 13×9 inch metal pan with foil and spray foil with cooking spray.
Melt the butter, 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips and the unsweetened chocolate in a medium bowl over simmering water. Allow to cool slightly.
Stir (do not beat) eggs, vanilla, and sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Stir the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and cool to room temperature.
Stir 1/2 cup of flour, the baking powder, salt and espresso powder together in another bowl then add to the cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the Oreo chunks and 4 ounces of white chocolate chips in a medium bowl with remaining 2 tablespoon of flour, then add them to the chocolate batter. Pour into pan
Bake for 20 minutes, then rap the baking sheet against the oven shelf to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Bake for about 10 minutes more, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake! Allow to cool, then chill brownies. Lift from pan and cut into squares.
Makes about 32
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Kale. Oh how I love thee. Despite the fact that I’ve done 4 summers as a member of a CSA, it wasn’t until 2010 that I really fell in love with kale. It’s a shame that I don’t have more kale recipes in my blog to represent how much I really love it. I guess because I often prepare it so simply, I’ve never felt the need to snap a photo. This recipe came about one night when I knew I wanted kale as a side item, and I also thawed some frozen salmon, with no definite plans for it. I found this simple recipe on my friend Cathy’s blog. I actually got the chance to meet her a couple years ago when I was in New York. We met up at the most amazing cupcake + wine shop, Sweet Revenge. Check out my post from that trip!
Ok, back to the recipe. This recipe was so light & delicious, and easy to whip up. I like to eat really healthy on Mondays & Tuesdays, partly to recover from indulging over the weekend, but also because I just really like light & healthy meals! By all means, you don’t have to serve the kale with salmon, and vice versa. We’ve had this kale alongside roasted pork, as well as chicken. And salmon is something we eat pretty often, so I’m always looking for new ways to prepare it.
Lemon Pepper Salmon & Sautéed Kale
Ingredients:
SALMON:
1 lb salmon thawed if frozen
2 TBSP lemon juice
1 TBSP fresh thyme, or 1/2 tsp dried
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
2 cloves garlic, minced
lemon wedges (optional)
KALE:
4 cups kale, chopped, thick stems removed
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1-2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
salt & pepper to taste
lemon wedges (optional)
Directions:
SALMON:
Rinse fish and pat dry. In a small bowl, combine ingredients (juice through garlic). Place fish in a zip top bag and add marinade. Turn to coat evenly. Marinate in fridge for 30 minutes to 1 1/2 hours.
Drain fish, reserving marinade. In a broiler pan 4 inches from the flame broil fish for 6-8 minutes on each side, brushing with the reserved marinade halfway through. Discard any remaining marinade. Fish is done when it begins to flake when tested with a fork.
Before serving, squeeze lemon juice over the fish.
KALE:
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until it just begins to golden. Add kale to skillet, and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Pour in broth and reduce heat to medium or medium low. Season with salt & pepper, and continue to cook another 10-15 minutes until kale is softened to desired texture. (Some people like it softer, some like it crunchier.) Remove from heat, squeeze lemon wedges over, and serve immediately.
salmon recipe from: Cathy's Kitchen Journey, originally adapted from Better Homes & Gardens; kale: ErinsFoodFiles original
Thursday, April 7, 2011
These delightful little cupcakes were made for the baby shower of my future cousin-in-law. The Fiance’s cousin & her husband were expecting their first bundle of joy together. (Baby Aliyah made her arrival a bit early this week, and is spending some time in the NICU. Please keep the family in your thoughts!) I offered to make the cupcakes for her baby shower, and when I threw out some flavor options/ideas, she told me Strawberry & White Chocolate sounded good. And seeing as they’re having a little girl, it fit the color theme as well! Baby Aliyah is already loved, as she sure did rack up on gifts! I commented that I think I saw every color combination that included pink known to man. Pink + purple, pink + green, pink + gray, pink + brown, pink + black, pink + blue, pink + orange!
At first I was disappointed that these cupcakes weren’t bright pink in color themselves. But after tasting one of the minis I baked (for taste-testing purposes!), I decided their flavor more than made up for that. And besides, there was plenty of pink decoration at the shower to make up for their lack of bright color! One thing is for sure with these cupcakes, they won’t be mistaken for a muffin any time soon. Even without the frosting, you can taste the sweetness. I’m really glad she chose white chocolate, as I got to pair a frosting I already love, with a cake flavor totally unlike the dark chocolate cake I’d paired it with in the past! These cupcakes were sweet and moist, and the frosting was a delicious topping for them. I got a lot of compliments on them at the shower. Topped with some festive sprinkles, they are definitely party-appropriate!
Strawberry Cupcakes with White Chocolate Frosting
Yield: 34 cupcakes
Ingredients:
CAKE:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs plus 1 large egg white
1 cup whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups finely chopped strawberries, plus small strawberries for garnish
FROSTING:
10 oz white chocolate
1 1/2 sticks butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
approx 4 cups powdered sugar
approx 1/4 cup milk (based on desired consistency)
Directions:
CAKE:
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line standard muffin tins with paper lines.
Sift together the flours, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Put butter, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer. Cream on medium-high until pale and fluffy. Add the whole eggs and egg white, one at a time, beating until each is fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Change the speed to low, add the flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the milk. Beat until well combined. Fold in the chopped strawberries by hand.
Fill each paper liner with batter 3/4 full. Bake, rotating the pans half way through, until golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, 20 - 30 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool for 15 minutes, then turn cupcakes out onto rack to let cool completely.
FROSTING:
Melt white chocolate over double boiler (or in microwave), stirring often. Do not overcook! Once melted removed from heat and let cool slightly. Meanwhile cream butter. Add chocolate to butter. Continue to mix at low to medium speed while adding vanilla. Gradually add in milk and sugar until frosting reaches desired consistency.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
I knew I wanted to do something special & delicious with my cheese I purchased on my field trip to Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese, and I’d been craving a special brunch-type breakfast for a while. Spring vegetables began popping up in the grocery and I couldn’t resist some seasonal asparagus. Though I had one of my favorite pie crusts in the freezer, I chose not to make a quiche. I thought, “Why not challenge yourself and try something new?” So frittata it was. I used to wonder what the difference between a quiche and a frittata was. Growing up in a rural area, all I ever really knew were breakfast casseroles that usually involved hashbrowns, sausage, and/or cornflakes. Quiche & frittata sounded so fancy. Since I’ve been cooking on my own for quite a while now, I’ve come to discover that quiche & frittata aren’t really that fancy. They’re filling, delicious, and pretty simple to make. And the difference? Well, there’s not a whole lot. A quiche is baked in a crust, and a frittata usually has less liquid to egg ratio. You cook in on the stove top, then finish it in the oven. Similar to an omelet, but honestly easier & less messy in my opinion!
The Saturday morning following my field trip, I invited a couple friends over, and set to chopping, shredding, sautéing, cracking, & whisking. I shredded up my AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS White Cheddar with Cracked Pepper cheese, and chopped up some onion, asparagus, & ham. I cracked a few locally produced eggs, whisked them together with a touch of milk and half & half, then stirred in cheese. I sauteed the veggies & ham and added the egg/cheese mixture. After letting it cook a little on the stove I transferred it to the oven. What came out was a delicious, savory, and satisfying breakfast. A perfect way to highlight the local cheese! I must admit, though I only have one recipe in my blog for quiche, I’ve made it many many many times. It’s safe to say our favorite quiche has some new competition! This frittata was so easy to make, and is probably a bit healthier because there’s no crust involved. I can’t wait to make it again!
White Cheddar, Asparagus, & Ham Frittata
Ingredients:
1/2 Tbsp butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 bunch of asparagus, ends trimmed, chopped
approx 4oz ham, chopped
salt & pepper to taste
4 eggs
2 egg whites
2 Tablespoons milk*
1 Tablespoon half & half*
4 oz aged white cheddar cheese, shredded (Kenny's Farmhouse Aged White Cheddar with Peppercorn is an AWESOME choice for this frittata!)
1 oz parmesan cheese, shredded
Necessary tool: oven safe non-stick 12 inch saute pan
*I chose to use milk and half & half, because the only milk I have on hand is nonfat, and I wanted to make it a bit richer. Feel free to use 2% milk or whole milk, and skip the half & half.
Directions:
Heat 12-inch non-stick, oven safe saute pan over medium high heat. Add butter to pan and melt. Saute onions in melted butter 2-3 minutes until beginning to soften. Add asparagus & ham, saute another 3-4 minutes. Season with a little salt & pepper.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl beat together eggs, egg whites, milk, and half & half with a fork or whisk. Add salt & pepper if desired. Stir in cheddar & parmesan cheese.
Pour egg mixture into pan, and stir to combine with rubber spatula. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until the egg mixture has set on the bottom and begins to set up on top.
Place pan into oven and broil for 3 to 4 minutes, until lightly browned and fluffy. Remove from pan and cut into servings.
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