Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen

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Easy Breakfast Casserole

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About once a month, I take my son to a potluck with a bunch of other parents and toddlers. It's a lot of fun, and I like to switch things up with what I bring each time. This breakfast casserole is really easy to put together, and it was a huge hit with our Supper Club a while back, so I decided to make it again.  It's great for parties because it's really low maintenance and makes a lot. The texture that this casserole gets from the stuffing mix is just wonderful, and it's really flavorful. You could totally play around with what types of ingredients you add into this. It was a big hit at the potluck, and I even managed to bring home a few pieces for Dino to enjoy after work.

Easy Breakfast Casserole

Easy Breakfast Casserole
food.com - Merlot

Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 45 mins
Total time: 1 hr 5 mins

Servings: 6

This is a tasty and easy breakfast casserole. Serve with a bowl of fresh fruit. Wonderful!

2 cups dry chicken stove top stuffing mix (from the canister)
2 cups milk
1 ½ cups cubed ham (or use Bob Evans Sausage, cooked, drained well, and crumbled)
6 eggs, beaten
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
½ teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Lightly grease a 9 x 12 baking dish.

3. Mix all the ingredients together.

4. Pour into prepared baking dish.

5. Bake for about 45 to 50 minutes or until set.

Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars

Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

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Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

For some reason, I was under the impression that making buttermilk biscuits from scratch would be really daunting. When I found myself with half a container of buttermilk in the fridge (leftover from making Nathan's Lemon Cake), I decided I'd poke around online and see if I could find a highly rated recipe. Let me tell you - this one came through BIG TIME. Wow. These biscuits were pretty easy to put together, and they were nice and light and fluffy and absolutely melted in our mouths. I went the food processor route for making the dough, so it would be less likely to be overworked, and it came together in a cinch. I definitely want to try out the freezing method listed in the recipe, and maybe I'll try to track down White Lily flour one of these days, as I've heard really great things about it. I will absolutely be making these beauties again... and again... and again...

Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

Southern Buttermilk Biscuits
Food.com - P4

Total Time: 22 mins
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 12 mins
Yield: 10 biscuits

These buttermilk biscuits are authentic. This recipe came from my great-great-grandmother, and was handed down to all the women in my family, and we are all Southern. I am the first one to commit the sin of using a food processor (lol) but I find it works very well. I would put these biscuits up against anyone's - they are perfect in every single way. I hope you all enjoy them.

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the board (if you can get White Lily flour, your biscuits will be even better)
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder (use one without aluminum)
1 teaspoon kosher salt or 1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, very cold
1 cup buttermilk (approx)

1 Preheat your oven to 450°F.

2 Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, or in the bowl of a food processor.

3 Cut the butter into chunks and cut into the flour until it resembles course meal.

4 If using a food processor, just pulse a few times until this consistency is achieved.

5 Add the buttermilk and mix JUST until combined.

6 If it appears on the dry side, add a bit more buttermilk. It should be very wet.

7 Turn the dough out onto a floured board.

8 Gently, gently PAT (do NOT roll with a rolling pin) the dough out until it's about ½" thick. Fold the dough about 5 times, gently press the dough down to a 1 inch thick.

9 Use a round cutter to cut into rounds.

10 You can gently knead the scraps together and make a few more, but they will not be anywhere near as good as the first ones.

11 Place the biscuits on a cookie sheet- if you like soft sides, put them touching each other.

12 If you like"crusty" sides, put them about 1 inch apart- these will not rise as high as the biscuits put close together.

13 Bake for about 10-12 minutes- the biscuits will be a beautiful light golden brown on top and bottom.

14 Do not overbake.

15 Note: The key to real biscuits is not in the ingredients, but in the handling of the dough.

16 The dough must be handled as little as possible or you will have tough biscuits.

17 I have found that a food processor produces superior biscuits, because the ingredients stay colder and there's less chance of over mixing.

18 You also must pat the dough out with your hands, lightly.

19 Rolling with a rolling pin is a guaranteed way to overstimulate the gluten, resulting in a tougher biscuit.

20 Note 2: You can make these biscuits, cut them, put them on cookie sheets and freeze them for up to a month.

21 When you want fresh biscuits, simply place them frozen on the cookie sheet and bake at 450°F for about 20 minutes.

Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars

Roast Pork Tenderloin with Mustard Maple Sauce

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Juicy pork tenderloin is seared on the stovetop to give it a nice crust and finished off in the oven.

While the meat rests, the browned bits in the bottom of the pan are turned into a sweet and tangy sauce that goes perfectly with the tender pork.

Plate of Roast Pork Tenderloin with Mustard Maple Sauce

One of the things I'm constantly working on is wasting less in the kitchen.

Condiments are one of the things that seem to go bad on me fairly often, so I'm working on keeping an eye on their expiration dates.

I noticed back when I made the Dill Chicken Paillards with Tomato-Dill Relish last week that my recently purchased jar of coarse ground mustard was only good for a little while longer, so I wanted to come up with a way to use it.

Pork tenderloin is such a versatile ingredient! Some of our very favorite recipes utilize it, like this balsamic marinated pork tenderloin, this pan-roasted pork tenderloin with balsamic tomatoes, and this breaded pork tenderloin with lemon caper sauce.

I had a piece of pork tenderloin left in the fridge from when I made these peanut noodles with roasted pork tenderloin + honeyed oranges, and mustard and pork go so well together that I figured I could come up with something delicious.

This worked out really nicely, and I was able to use up some things before they went to waste.

🐖 Ingredient Spotlight: Pork Tenderloin

This recipe uses pork tenderloin which can be found in your grocery store located in the meat department.

Pork tenderloin is an incredibly versatile ingredient. It cooks quickly and can be prepared in a variety of ways.

Some of our favorite cooking methods for pork tenderloin include roasting, grilling, breading and frying, pan-searing (then transferring to the oven to roast and cook through), and sous vide cooking (then finishing it off by searing it in a hot skillet or on the grill).

Note that pork tenderloin is a different cut of meat than pork loin. You can read more about the difference between pork tenderloin and pork loin over on this post on allrecipes.

Pork tenderloin is most often sold in a package that has 2 pieces of pork tenderloin wrapped up together. Typically each piece of pork tenderloin weighs roughly 1 pound, so the packages are usually 2-ish pounds in total.

Depending on how you plan to use it, you may want to opt for one that's been already marinated. Most grocery stores sell a variety of flavors of pre-marinated pork tenderloin.

Be sure that if you're using pork tenderloin in a recipe like the one on this page you get one that's not already in a marinade. (If you're looking for a fantastic marinated pork tenderloin recipe, my balsamic marinated pork tenderloin has been a longtime favorite).

Personal temperature and texture preferences vary, but the FDA recommends cooking pork to at least 145°F.

Pork tenderloin is juicy and delicious when it's still a little pink inside.

I know, that whole, "pork - the other white meat" campaign from the '80s made it confusing to think of pork as something that is OK to serve at a variety of temperatures.

But much like steak, the flavor and texture are best when it's not completely cooked through. It can help to think of pork more like beef than poultry.

Some of our favorite pork tenderloin recipes are:

Still hungry? You may also like...

Overhead view Balsamic Marinated Pork Tenderloin carved on a cutting board.
Balsamic Marinated Pork Tenderloin
Overhead view of a cast iron skillet with spiced pork tenderloin, squash, and dried cherries.
Latin-Spiced Pork + Squash Skillet with Chili Lime Cherries
Plate of Pork Scallopini with White Bean-Tomato Salad with a fork holding a bite.
Pork Scallopini with White Bean-Tomato Salad
Platter of Sous Vide Double Cut Pork Chops with Raw Summer Corn & Tomato Salad.
Sous Vide Double Cut Pork Chops with Raw Summer Corn & Tomato Salad

Doing some online shopping? Check out my Amazon shop page for recommendations!

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Toasted Spice Guacamole

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Toasted Spice Guacamole

When the folks at ProCook asked me to try out some of their kitchen goodies, the first thing I wanted to get my hands on was a good mortar and pestle. We have had one for years, but it's not very sturdy. So when I saw this gorgeous Chocolate Marble Pestle & Mortar on their site, I just knew it would be perfect. Let me tell you - the first time I tried it out, back when I was grinding some toasted sesame seeds for a bunch of Korean dishes, it practically turned them into tahini in no time! I was super impressed. It's nice and heavy and works so much better than what I was used to working with for the last several years.

Toasted Spice Guacamole

So, let's get down to one of the main reasons I wanted to have a great mortar and pestle in my kitchen - guacamole. I adore good guacamole, and it always tastes best when it's made fresh, table-side, at a good Mexican restaurant. Since I was going to be smashing everything together in there anyhow, I thought it would be fun to toast up some of the spices that I typically put in guacamole first, grind them in the mortar and pestle, and then add in the avocados and smash away. This ended up working out perfectly! The toasted spices made it much more aromatic than usual, and the texture was silky and wonderful. I will say that 2 avocados is just about the most you could possibly put into the 6.5" size, because it was jam-packed with guacamole by the time I was done with it. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, you could grind the toasted spices in a spice grinder, smash the garlic clove and salt into a paste with the back of a knife, and then add them to the avocados and mash them up that way.

*Note: I received promotional items, but all opinions are 100% my own.

Toasted Spice Guacamole

Toasted Spice Guacamole
Ashley Covelli

1 teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon coriander seeds
Pinch of coarse sea salt
1 clove garlic
2 avocados, pitted and peeled
Juice of ½ a lime (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons shallot, minced
1 tablespoon jalapeño, minced (leave seeds in if you want it spicier)
6 grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Add cumin and coriander seeds to a small, dry skillet. Turn the heat to medium and cook until nice and fragrant, stirring or shaking the pan periodically. This should take a few minutes. Remove from heat and place toasted spices into a large mortar. Add garlic and pinch of sea salt. Grind with the pestle until the spices and garlic are broken up and form a nice, smooth paste.

Add avocados and lime juice and stir and smash with the pestle until it reaches your desired consistency. Stir in shallot, jalapeño, tomatoes and cilantro. Enjoy!

Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars

Grilled T-Bone Steaks with Dill-Horseradish Mayo

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What do you buy for the birthday boy who doesn't want anything? Farm fresh BEEF. Yep. I picked up two gigantic T-Bone steaks from a local farm for Dino's birthday meal, because steak isn't something we eat very often, so it's a real treat when we do. These beauties were over a pound each, and my goodness - they were phenomenal! He fired up the charcoal grill while I seasoned them and put the sauce and side dishes together. Charcoal gives steak such incredible flavor, but if you're pinched for time, a gas grill or indoor grill pan would work just fine. Simple seasoning is the way to go when you have a really nice cut of meat, but I also like having a dipping sauce on the side, just to give it a little extra oomph. This was a fantastic meal. We had black beans and rice on the side, as well as a batch of Spicy Sautéed Beet Greens with Garlic Chips.

Grilled T-Bone Steaks with Dill-Horseradish Mayo

Ruby Radiance Juice

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We haven't made as much fresh juice as we usually do this summer, so we decided to raid the fridge and put something together.

I had plans for the greens from a bunch of beets, but didn't know what I was going to do with the actual beets yet, so we used that as the base.

This juice is jam-packed with nutrients, and is bursting with freshness. It's nice and earthy from the beets, and the lemon keeps it from getting too sweet, which I really liked.

Dino talked me out of adding a little celery to the mix, but I think it would have made it even better!

Ruby Radiance Juice

Slow Cooker "Baked" Potatoes

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"Baking" potatoes in the slow cooker won't give you crispy skin, but they cook so nicely and are totally hands-off, no oven required!

Slow Cooker "Baked" Potatoes

I have been having a lot of luck "roasting" things in the slow cooker lately, so I thought I'd give "baking" a try! This worked pretty well, but I think the potatoes I used were a bit too large.

I also think that maybe pricking them with a fork, the way you do when you bake them in the oven, would help.

All I did was scrub the potatoes, put them each on their own piece of aluminum foil, sprinkled them with salt (next time I'll drizzle them with a little olive oil first, too), wrap them tightly in the foil, and put them in the slow cooker on high for 6-8 hours.

I needed the extra hours because the potatoes were so large, but if you use average-sized ones, it shouldn't take quite as long.

I pricked them with a fork to check after 5, and they needed more time. I'll definitely try this again with the tweaks I've mentioned and report back.

It was great to have baked potatoes done ahead of time, hanging out in the fridge, to use for the next few days - just popped them in the microwave and they were good to go!

We really liked them as a side dish for the Argentinean Red Shrimp a la Chesapeake Bay.

Nathan's Lemon Cake

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Nathan's Lemon Cake

I wanted to make a special dessert for my husband's birthday this year, and I figured it was the perfect excuse to finally try out making a layer cake!

I asked some fellow food lovers if they had any recommendations for a light(ish) layer cake, since we had been eating a bit heavy lately, and my friend Terri from A Girl in the South chimed in with something that sounded perfect - this lemon layer cake.

I liked that I wouldn't have to get too fussy about frosting the sides, just let it ooze a bit out between layers. Helloooo, rustic beauty!

This cake was pretty simple to put together, and it is jam-packed with bright lemon flavor. It's also really tasty right out of the fridge.

We found the lemon icing to be very sweet, so next time I'd probably use a little less. But we aren't typically big icing fans in my house.

If you've been following me on Instagram, you may have seen the awesome selection of kitchen goodies that ProCook sent me a few weeks ago.

One of the things that made making this cake easier were these Non-Stick Loose Bottom 8-inch Cake Pans.

The bottom of the pan slides out really easily, and the cake didn't stick to the sides at all. This recipe called for wax paper rounds at the bottom of each pan (I used parchment), but I'm also curious to see how these would work without any extra barrier between the cake and the pan.

In this particular instance, you need to remove the cake from the pan while it's still hot, which was a little tricky with the loose bottom - be careful not to burn yourself!

ProCook is a family-owned specialist cookware and kitchenware retailer that has expanded from its British roots and is now opening stores in the US. They have a pretty big selection, and the prices are great. I'll be sure to report back on the other goodies - I have some big plans in store for putting them to work in my tiny kitchen 🙂

*Note: I received promotional items, but all opinions are 100% my own.

Nathan's Lemon Cake

Nathan's Lemon Cake
Cooking Light - May 2008

This is a namesake because Nathan Coulon's mom baked it for his birthday every year. We've adapted this lemon cake recipe to trim the fat and calories, and it's still a moist, lemony treat.

Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

Cake:
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups all-purpose flour (about 9 ounces)
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
3 large eggs
1 cup nonfat buttermilk
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Icing:
3 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon lemon rind
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
Lemon rind strips (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. To prepare cake, coat 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray; line bottoms of pans with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray. Dust pans with 2 tablespoons flour, and set aside.

3. Lightly spoon 2 cups flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine 2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.

4. Place granulated sugar and ½ cup butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture and nonfat buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat in 2 tablespoons lemon rind and 2 tablespoons lemon juice.

5. Pour batter into prepared pans; sharply tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350° for 32 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack; remove wax paper from cake layers.

6. To prepare icing, combine powdered sugar and the remaining ingredients (except lemon rind strips) in a large bowl; stir with a whisk until smooth. Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread half of icing on top of cake. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining half of icing over top of cake. Garnish with lemon rind strips, if desired. Store cake loosely covered in the refrigerator.

Amount per serving
Calories: 317
Calories from fat: 27%
Fat: 9.5g
Saturated fat: 5.6g
Monounsaturated fat: 2.6g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.5g
Protein: 3.6g
Carbohydrate: 55.7g
Fiber: 0.6g
Cholesterol: 56mg
Iron: 1mg
Sodium: 165mg
Calcium: 52mg

Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars

Argentinean Red Shrimp a la Chesapeake Bay

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Back in July, we took a trip to Ocean City Maryland, where we at a lot of seafood flavored with Old Bay Seasoning.

During my first trip to Penzeys after coming home, I picked up a seasoning blend that is supposed to be similar, which is hand mixed from paprika, salt, mustard, celery, ancho, black pepper, red pepper, dill, caraway, allspice, horseradish, cardamom, thyme, ginger, bay, mace, cinnamon, savory and cloves.

When I came across a package of Argentinian Red Shrimp a few weeks ago, I was very curious to try them out. The package claimed that they were sweet and almost lobster-like, which sounded pretty amazing to me.

Argentinean Red Shrimp a la Chesapeake Bay

So I picked it up and stashed it in the freezer until tonight. I combined these Argentinian red shrimp with some of the Chesapeake Bay seasoning, and they turned out deliciously!

The shrimp really do have a very nice, sweet, lobster-y flavor and texture. In fact, when Dino got home, he thought I was cooking lobster because the house smelled just like it. Ha!

This was a nice and simple way to enjoy that flavor without having to deal with any live animals! I served these with some slow cooker "baked" potatoes that I topped with butter, sour cream and fresh chives. It was a very tasty meal!

White Bean and Spinach Tacos

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One of the things I enjoy about being a mom is talking to other moms who have kids around the same age as my son. It's great to have someone to commiserate with talk to about all of the ever-changing things going on in our hectic lives. So when I found out that one of my friends and I were both going to be stuck home alone for the evening, I invited her and her son over for dinner. I knew I needed something quick and easy to make since there would be two toddlers running around. That's why I love the Superfast section of each issue of Cooking Light. I know I can find something quick and healthy for a busy weeknight meal. This was really simple to put together, and packed a lot of flavor. The beans were nice and creamy, and the fresh salsa on top was cool and refreshing. I'm kind of new to the idea of vegetarian tacos, and I've been loving them! You could leave the queso fresco off to make this vegan, but you would definitely want something else salty/creamy on top. Maybe some salted avocado? For us, this made 3 servings or 3 tacos each, which was perfect, but if you want to serve more than 3 people, you may want to consider doubling this recipe.

White Bean and Spinach Tacos

White Bean and Spinach Tacos
Cooking Light September 2013

To quickly warm tortillas, stack and wrap them in damp paper towels; microwave at HIGH for 25 seconds. Serve immediately.

Yield: Serves 4 (serving size: 3 tacos)

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 ½ cups vertically sliced onion
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
⅜ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
8 cups bagged prewashed spinach (about 5 ½ ounces)
1 ½ cups chopped tomato
½ cup finely chopped onion
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 sliced jalapeño pepper
12 corn tortillas
2 ounces queso fresco, crumbled (about ½ cup)

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add sliced onion, and sauté 5 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add garlic to pan; sauté 30 seconds. Stir in beans and ¼ teaspoon salt; cook 1 minute. Add spinach to pan; cook 1 minute or until spinach wilts and beans are thoroughly heated.

2. Combine tomato, chopped onion, cilantro, lime juice, ⅛ teaspoon salt, and jalapeño in a small bowl. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Arrange ⅓ cup bean mixture in center of each tortilla. Top each taco with 3 tablespoons tomato mixture and about 1 tablespoon cheese.

Amount per serving
Calories: 337
Fat: 7.4g
Saturated fat: 1.5g
Monounsaturated fat: 3.1g
Polyunsaturated fat: 2.3g
Protein: 13.3g
Carbohydrate: 58.6g
Fiber: 10.9g
Cholesterol: 5mg
Iron: 4.7mg
Sodium: 330mg
Calcium: 231mg

Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars

Mahi Mahi with Roasted Grapes and Basil

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I've only eaten Mahi Mahi once or twice, but I really enjoyed it. I saw some frozen fillets at Trader Joe's a few weeks ago, and decided to pick some up to experiment with at home. I had a big bag of green grapes in the fridge, and thought it would be fun to roast them kind of like I did with the grape tomatoes last week when I made Balsamic Roasted Grape Tomatoes Over Angel Hair. I swapped out the balsamic for white wine vinegar to keep it light, and cut down on the garlic a bit, and added in some sliced sweet onions. It turned out great! The sweet and tangy grapes went perfectly with the fish. It was beautifully flaky and tender. The pan juices were great drizzled over some quinoa on the side. Rice would be great here, too. Anything to kind of soak up all of the goodness from the pan. This was a great, light meal - perfect after a weekend full of heavy meals.

Mahi Mahi with Roasted Grapes and Basil

Korean BBQ Party: Sokalbi Gui (Barbecued Beef Short Ribs)

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For the main course in our Korean BBQ meal, I put together this amazing beef short rib dish again. I got the marinade together last night so it would absorb sauce for almost a full day, and it turned out great! If you live near an Asian market and are able to find the flanken style of beef short ribs, you can skip the first 4 steps altogether, which makes putting these beauties together pretty easy. The flavor here is rich and addictive - I highly recommend trying them out! I prefer firing up a charcoal grill for optimal flavor, but you can totally sear them on a cast iron grill pan and finish them off in the oven, too.

Sokalbi Gui (Barbecued Beef Short Ribs)

Sokalbi Gui (Barbecued Beef Short Ribs)
Institute of Culinary Education
Adapted from The Korean Table - Taekyung Chung and Debra Samuels

Yield: Serves 4

Thick meaty sort ribs are the traditional choice dor barbecued beef ribs in Korea, where they are cut into small ready-to-grill bite-size pieces-a cut that is hard to find at most American markets. To imitate Korean-style ribs, American short ribs are cut like an unfolding piece of paper, leaving only one section of the meat attached to the bone. They are set into a sweet and garlicky marinade for a tasty infusion.

3 pounds beef short ribs, butterflied

1. To butterfly the ribs, lay one short rib section at the lower right corner of the cutting board, cut side up (sawn bone end) facing you, thick (meaty part of the rib) on top. If you're left-handed, position the rib on the lower left corner of the cutting board and follow the directions in reverse.

2. Use a small, sharp knife, holding the blade parallel to the cutting board and, working from right to left, slide the knife through the meat along the top of the bone, almost to the left edge to free it from the bone. Don't cut all the way through; you want to leave the meat attached to the bone. Fold the meat flap over to the left to make a flat rectangle of meat attached to the bone.

3. Now, holding your knife parallel to the cutting board, make another cut through the meat two thirds of the way down, again almost to the left edge, and open this flap up, too. you'll have a strip of meat whose left half is twice as thick as the right.

4. Make a final cut through that thicker section on the left, this time through the center, but not through the left edge. Again, the knife should be parallel to the cutting board. Open up this last flap of meat. You should wind up with a very thin strip of meat 4 to 5 inches long and 2 inches wide, with the bone attached at the right end.

Sweet Soy Sauce Base - Yield: about 2 cups
½ cup water
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
6 thin slices ginger
1 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed
1 cup soy sauce*
⅓ cup brown sugar
¾ teaspoons red or white wine

Combine the water, garlic, ginger and peppercorns in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the soy sauce, brown sugar and wine. Turn the heat to high and boil for 2 minutes. Cool to room temperature; strain the sauce. It will keep for 3 months in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Marinade
2 cup Sweet Soy Sauce Base (recipe above)
1 small apple grated (skin on)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
¾ cup minced green onions
3 tablespoons dark sesame oil
½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Combine all the marinade ingredients

2. Place the ribs in a large plastic bag with a zippered top. Pour in the marinade. Close the plastic bag and carefully turn the meat around in the sauce. Lay the bag on its side and open the corner of the bag. Distribute the sauce evenly in the bag, making sure it completely covers the meat (be careful not to push the sauce out of the bag). Secure the top. Place the bag on a baking sheet so it is lying flat, and place in the refrigerator for 5 hours or overnight (for the ICE class, marinate as long as you can.)

3. Prepare the grill and heat on medium heat.

4. Remove the meat from the refrigerator at least 20 minutes before cooking. Pour the marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.

5. Lay the ribs flat on the preheated grill. Brush with the boiled marinade and cook the beef until it is done to your liking. Turn and brush the beef every few minutes to grill all sides evenly.

*Optional: use Gluten Free

Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars

Korean BBQ Party: Quick Kimchi

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When I first made this quick version of kimchi last year in a Korean cooking class, I was shocked that all this flavor could be achieved in as little as two hours. It's pretty simple to make, and it just gets better and better with time in the fridge. I made this at home for the second time - just started it in the morning and let it hang out in the fridge until dinnertime. I may even try making another Kimchi Pancake with the leftovers (if there are any), since the last one I tried ended up pretty messy.

Quick Kimchi

Quick Kimchi
Institute of Culinary Education
Adapted from The Korean Table - Taekyung Chung and Debra Samuels

Makes about 2 quarts

No Korean meal is complete without kimchi, a piquant condiment of fermented vegetables (most popularly cabbage) seasoned with ginger, garlic, chile, and all manner of fresh or preserved seafood. Fermenting the ingredients over several days gives the dish its distinctive tang, but this easy version, which takes advantage of the funky depth of Asian fish sauce, offers relatively instant gratification. Recipe by ICE Visiting Instructor Lillian Chou, published in Gourmet magazine, March 2009.

1 (3-pound) head Napa cabbage
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped peeled ginger
2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
1 bunch scallions, chopped (about 1 cup)
3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted and crushed with side of heavy knife
2 to 3 tablespoons coarse Korean hot red-pepper flakes
½ (1-pound) Asian pear

1. Quarter cabbage lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 2-to 3-inch pieces. Toss with 3 tablespoons salt in a large bowl and let stand, tossing occasionally for 1 hour.

2. Rinse cabbage well, then drain. Squeeze out excess water with your hands and transfer to a large bowl.

3. Purée garlic and ginger with fish sauce and vinegar in a blender until smooth, then pour over cabbage. Add scallions, sesame seeds, and red-pepper flakes and toss to coat.

4. Peel pear, then grate on large holes of a box grater (avoid core and seeds). Add to cabbage mixture and toss well. Marinate at least 1 hour.

Note: Kimchi keeps, chilled in an airtight container, 1 month (flavor will get stronger).

Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars

Korean BBQ Party: Oi Bokkum Namul (Seasoned Cucumbers with Sesame Seeds)

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This was another banchan for the Korean BBQ dinner that we had tonight. You salt sliced cucumbers and let them sit for a few minutes, then squeeze them out and stir-fry them quickly before tossing them with sesame seeds and black pepper. It's quick and easy to put together, and is great alongside the rest of the food.

Oi Bokkum Namul (Seasoned Cucumbers with Sesame Seeds)

Oi Bokkum Namul (Seasoned Cucumbers with Sesame Seeds)
Institute of Culinary Education
Adapted from The Korean Table - Taekyung Chung and Debra Samuels

Yield: Serves 4

Cooked cucumbers are a terrific treat. You can make a simple salad with lettuce and just these cucumbers. Use mini cucumbers or "baby" cucumbers if you can find them. Otherwise, English cucumbers work just fine.

4 mini cucumbers or ½ English cucumber, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds

1. In a large bowl, combine the cucumbers and salt. Mix well. Set aside for 5 minutes. Gently squeeze the liquid from the cucumbers.

2. In a medium skillet, heat the sesame oil over medium heat. Add the cucumbers and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl. Add the roasted sesame seeds and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Mix well.

This will keep for 2 days in the refrigerator.

Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars

Meet the Westchester Supper Club

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A lot of people ask me to explain the Supper Club that I've been a part of since 2007, so I figured I'd do a little Q&A with the members!

There are currently 6 of of us (3 married couples) who all share a love of food and cooking. We get together on a monthly basis for an awesome meal, based on a theme.

We rotate houses, so each couple hosts once every 3 months. Usually, whoever is hosting will provide the main course(s) and drinks, and everyone else chimes in with what they want to bring (usually dessert, salad, veggies, bread, etc.).

Typically, everyone cooks at home and it ends up being a potluck, with just finishing touches done when we get together.

Sometimes, we switch it up and do something where we all cook together (like pizza night, where Michael made the pizza dough and we each came up with toppings for our own pizzas) and then every December, we go out to dinner and we all bring homemade cookies and/or candies to swap.

A lot of times, we also have music to match the theme, and the music nerds among us like to try to guess the common thread between all of the songs.

So yes, once a month, I get to have a ridiculous 6 course meal. Sometimes more courses sneak their way in! It's so much fun, and there's always lots of laughter.

Most months, at least one person (usually Michael) proclaims, "this is the best theme yet!". A lot has changed since we started meeting - each couple has welcomed at least one baby into their family, people are eating things that they didn't think they liked, and Nancy started a food blog: The Busy Mom Café.

We have had some incredible meals together, and a lot of interesting themes, like tapas, sliders, Tyler Florence, orange (as in the color), Passover, brunch, pizza, Bobby Flay, Persian, tailgating, Asian, Hawaiian, stuffed food, grilling, Korean... it's been an eclectic and delicious club! I'm excited to keep up with this tradition 🙂

Supper Club: Pizza
Dino, Ashley, Dana, Nancy, Michael, Loren (Pizza Night - January 2, 2010)

1. How did you end up joining a Supper Club?

Dana: My wife brought me along when her existing club started involving spouses

Nancy:  I saw an article in Cooking Light Magazine which led me to check out the message boards and saw a local cooking club was forming.

Michael: I was watching Food Network and I saw a show about Supper Clubs. I was excited as soon as I saw it. They referenced Cooking Light forums. I went right there and started looking. The rest is history.

Loren: My husband found a group through Cooking light forums and was the only male participant. I thought it would be fun to join them.

Dino: My wife (ahem!) runs a food blog and this is exactly the type of nonsense I have to put up with as a result. 🙂

Ashley: I saw a special on Food Network that talked about Supper Clubs, and mentioned Cooking Light. I went to their site and looked for local groups. We were living with my in-laws at the time, though, and had just started looking for houses, so I put off actually joining one until we got settled in our house and had a kitchen of our own.

2. What has been your favorite theme so far?

Dana: The all breakfast theme complete with pajamas

Nancy:  There have been so many, but pizza night and Bobby Flay were pretty memorable.

Michael: Each time we have an event I think it’s the best one we’ve ever had since I get so excited about food. I like when we’ve done a specific chef (i.e. Bobby Flay). Pizza was also a lot of fun since we did some cooking together.

Loren: The first breakfast, pizza, sandwiches, and Bobby Flay was fun.

Dino: Make-Your-Own-Pizza. It was a lot of fun, and delicious (obviously).

Ashley: There have been a lot, but pizza night was amazing, so was brunch - it was the first one we hosted at our house, and we got everyone to show up in pajamas. I think I even photoshopped an invite with a pic of Ralphie from A Christmas Story in the bunny PJs. And Bobby Flay night was the first one that we went to post-baby, and I ended up being full for like 3 days afterward. So. Freaking. Good.

3. How often do you cook at home?

Dana: Sadly, work limits my cooking to weekends

Nancy:  I cook dinner almost every weeknight and then will also make either muffins, a quick bread, or a dessert at least once a week.

Michael: Not as often as I would like. Ideally we would make involved meals once during the weekend and keep it simple during the week.

Loren: Usually one each week or two, we make a meal that requires significant effort.  The rest of the time, we cook almost every day, which takes time and effort, but not much planning and thought.

Dino: On the weekends I'm mostly responsible for breakfast and reheating leftovers.

Ashley: I usually try to plan out 3-4 dinners for the week, that way we have leftovers for lunch and dinner a few times, and I sometimes add in a couple breakfast recipes, too.

4. What type of food do you typically cook?

Dana: Anything that will fit on a 22 inch Weber charcoal grill any time of year

Nancy:  I try to cook quick and easy meals that are kid-friendly!

Michael: In the past it’s been simple but quick things such as a quesadilla or pulling piece of my bread out of the freezer to make a sandwich. Now that I’m trying to eat a little more healthy, it’s going to be more salads (is that cooking?)

Loren: Throw together things - stir fry, quesadillas, hearty grains, and bland kids food.

Dino: Refer to my previous answer.

Ashley: I generally pick fairly healthy recipes, and I love to experiment with different cuisines and ingredients.

Supper Club: Pizza
Our assortment of homemade pizzas (Pizza Night - January 2, 2010)

5. What is your favorite thing to make in the kitchen?

Dana: Homemade pizza

Nancy:  I never make the same thing twice and am always and looking for and trying out new recipes. I think muffins are my favorite though because they’re the easiest and the family always loves them.

Michael: Pizza.  When I have the time I make the dough, sauce, a cheese blend, and toppings myself. I like making California Pizza Kitchen recipes.

Loren: (almost) anything from the farmers market.

Dino: Fajitas, but only because they are usually a big hit in our house.

Ashley: Anything new and exciting. Recently, I asked Dino to pick a protein from the freezer a few different days, and I winged dinner based on that and whatever else we had on hand. It was kind of like being on Chopped, but waaaaay less intense. And I came up with some really tasty recipes!

6. What intimidates you in the kitchen?

Dana: Anything that requires a candy thermometer

Nancy:  Cooking appliances/tools with lots of parts and recipes with too many ingredients!

Michael: I don’t often attempt pastries. I have had mixed results in the past.

Loren: Making favorite things that might not come out well (for company).

Dino: I don't think I'll ever be able to boil a live lobster.

Ashley: I'm finally conquering my fear of splatter-y grease. Frying bacon and anything else that popped and sizzled used to really freak me out - I'd use my giant tongs to minimize any potential burns. But I'm learning to be a little more brave now, and I've even deep-fried a few things things without calling in the reinforcements!

7. What's something you haven't cooked before but are interested in trying out?

Dana: Homemade sausage but I'm held back by the time and lack of equipment

Nancy:  Fondue, crème brulee, soufflé.

Michael: German food, now that we have someone who’s German living with us. Maybe Bavarian pretzels.

Loren: (some) German food, now that Susann is living with us.  there's a lot that I don't think I'll like, but I will enjoy finding those things that I WILL like.

Dino: Boiling a live lobster. No, my serious answer is: Turducken. It will happen some day!

Ashley: Popovers, a proper layer cake, standing rib roast

8. What is the most used gadget or tool in your kitchen?

Dana: My $3 scalloped tongs from the asian market

Nancy:  Besides knives, probably the rice cooker, garlic press, and slow cooker.

Michael: Immersion blender

Loren: microplane

Dino: Probably the rice cooker.

Ashley: Spoonulas, rice cooker, and lately, the bottle opener 😉

9. What is the least used gadget or tool in your kitchen?

Dana: Breadmaker

Nancy:  The salad spinner and flour sifter.

Michael: Pressure cooker or electric beater since we have an immersion blender, a Vitamix and wisks, I don't need to pull the electric beater out too often.

Loren: pressure cooker

Dino: The pasta/ravioli attachment for the stand mixer. Also the stand mixer, in general.

Ashley: Turkey lifters, mezzaluna, pressure cooker

10. What's the most recent great restaurant meal you've enjoyed?

Dana: Wd50 from few years ago

Nancy:  Dana and I recently had a tasting menu at Triomphe restaurant in NYC that was pretty good. I also had lunch at Inside Park at St. Bart’s in NYC that was memorable...great atmosphere, eating outside under tents next to an old church.

Michael: I’m embarrassed to admit that we don’t go out too often. Nothing too memorable recently. I did go to Shake Shack a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it.

Loren: OMG - I can't remember!

Dino: The "24 Hour Pork Confit" sandwich from the Dogfish Head Brewpub. Yum!

Ashley: We were in Ocean City, MD for a week recently, and I spotted a restaurant called Hooked from the car. We ended up ordering takeout 3 times during our visit, because everything was so fresh and amazing. The seafood was some of the best I've ever eaten, and I'm definitely going to try to recreate the Boom Boom Shrimp Tacos at home one day. Stunning!

11. Do you have any tips for other home cooks to make them more comfortable in the kitchen?

Dana: No one is born an expert. Try cooking everything without the fear of messing it up holding you back

Nancy:  In the beginning when I started cooking I used allrecipes.com a lot. I liked that the site uses reader submitted recipes and gives ratings. Find a new to you recipe that has a lot of positive ratings and give it a try! If time is an issue, try to find a recipe where you can prep most of the meal before (meatloaf, casseroles, etc.) so when you get home from work you can just stick it in the oven.

Michael: Don’t be intimidated (except for pastries). Plan ahead; read the whole recipe before you start. Some recipes require ingredients to be prepped ahead of time.

Loren: For complex recipes, fully read your recipe ahead of shopping (and again before starting to cook). Follow it exactly the first time make something, and tweak only one or two things the next time, until you know the recipe better.

Dino: Take a knife skills class! Once you can comfortably dice, or mince, an onion and a tomato it really opens you up to being able to prepare all types of dishes with ease. Plus, it's probably the next best thing to being an actual ninja- and that's pretty awesome.

Ashley: Start small. Don't decide to start cooking at home and plan every single meal. Things happen, and you need to be able to be flexible. Work your way up to cooking more and more at home, and marry someone who will do the dishes for you. 🙂

Supper Club: Picnic
Dana, Nancy, Loren, Michael, Ashley, Dino (Picnic at the Croton Dam - October 3, 2010)

Balsamic Roasted Grape Tomatoes Over Angel Hair

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I picked up some beautifully colored grape tomatoes from the store last week and was inspired to roast them and serve them over pasta.

This was a super simple weeknight meal, and the results were absolutely delicious!

The flavor of the tomatoes is concentrated in the oven, and the balsamic adds a really nice depth of flavor.

Adding some fresh basil on top at the end really enhances the cooked basil flavor, and if you're not vegan, some shaved parmesan cheese is a wonderful addition.

Angel Hair with Balsamic Roasted Grape Tomatoes.

Dino added red pepper flakes to his bowl, too, and absolutely loved it. It's always nice when my Italian husband is impressed with an Italian dish that I make up. Woohoo!

This will definitely be a go-to for busy weeknights, now. Yum!

Slow Cooker "Roasted" Garlic

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Slow Cooker "Roasted" Garlic

Since "roasting" beets in the slow cooker was such a success, I thought I'd try out "roasting" garlic. This worked out really well, too! The house smelled amazing while it was cooking away, and the garlic tasted just like it does when it roasts in the oven, but I didn't have to heat up the house!

Slow Cooker "Roasted" Garlic

I mixed one head of roasted garlic with some white wine vinegar and a nice olive oil, sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper and dressed a salad with it, and it was great!

Salad w "Roasted" Garlic Vinaigrette

Belgian Waffles with Speculoos Cookie Butter

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Belgian Waffles with Speculoos Cookie Butter

I have finally crossed over to the dark side. I found Speculoos Cookie Butter when I was at Trader Joe's, and I had to buy it to see if it lived up to all the hype.

I decided to take a small taste straight out of the jar to see what it was like, and let me tell you - it is beyond amazing. It tastes like gingersnaps in butter form.

Belgian Waffles with Speculoos Cookie Butter

Of course, I ate a quarter of the jar right then and there put it back in the cabinet until I knew what else to do with it.

My husband took it upon himself to make a batch of our favorite Belgian waffles for breakfast, and we spread the Speculoos Cookie Butter on top of them. They didn't need anything else - they were divine! This could be a very dangerous discovery...

Argentine Chimichurri Sauce

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Argentine Chimichurri Sauce

I made a trip to Trader Joes to stock up the freezer with goodies, and I decided to check out the steak selection while I was there. I picked up some top sirloin and decided to do something simple with it for dinner. I was going to make an herbed aioli, but then I remembered that I hadn't made a chimichurri sauce in ages. I love it, and as long as everyone is eating it, the bad breath is totally worth it. This version was nice - I liked the addition of pepper flakes and oregano. I think I prefer chimichurri that also has cilantro in it, but this was definitely good. I let it hang out in the fridge for a few hours before we fired up the grill. I served this with some broccoli that we started cooking on the grill, but when a thunderstorm unloaded on our house, we moved the broccoli inside, and I put it in a skillet with some minced garlic, Penzeys BBQ 3001 and olive oil. The broccoli had a bit of charred flavor from the grill, and it was great dipped in the chimichurri, too!

Argentine Chimichurri Sauce

Argentine Chimichurri Sauce
Chow

Difficulty: Easy
Total Time: Under 5 mins, plus chilling time
Active Time: Under 5 mins
Makes: 1 ½ cups

2 cups packed fresh Italian parsley leaves
4 medium garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
¼ cup packed fresh oregano leaves (or 4 teaspoons dried oregano)
¼ cup red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Place parsley, garlic, oregano, vinegar, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper (to taste) in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment. Process until finely chopped, stopping and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed, about 1 minute total.

With the motor running, add oil in a steady stream. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and pulse a few times to combine. Transfer sauce to an airtight container and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 1 day to allow the flavors to meld. Before serving, stir and season as needed. The chimichurri will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars

Toasted Coconut and Lime Vegan Ice Cream

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I wanted to try out making ice cream using coconut milk as the base, and got it in my head that I needed to add lots of toasted coconut and fresh lime flavor to it, too.

This "ice cream" is bright and refreshing. It's not overly sweet, and the tartness from the lime zest and juice really brighten it up. It was pretty easy to put together, and it tasted great!

I'm thinking this would be great with a little rum poured over a scoop, too. Stay tuned for that experiment. I'm doing it in the name of science, people. Really. ;).

I scooped our portions before it completely set, because I wanted it to be a little soft still. For leftover ice cream, set it out on the counter for a bit so it isn't as hard to scoop. Enjoy!

Toasted Coconut and Lime Vegan Ice Cream

Scrambled Tofu

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I decided to make a Mexican/Vegan/Breakfast combo for dinner tonight, and it turned out really nicely! This scrambled tofu is very easy to put together, and has a lot of flavor for only a few ingredients. We really liked the cumin and garlic flavors going on within the scramble. It took much longer than 5 minutes for my tofu to start to brown, but it was worth it. This is a nice alternative to scrambled eggs, and my whole family enjoyed it. I served this with Go-To Black Beans, Pickled Jalapeños, Eggplant Bacon and steamed rice.

Scrambled Tofu

Scrambled Tofu
It’s All Good – Gwyneth Paltrow

Serves 4
Vegan | Protein-Packed

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
A 14-ounce box firm tofu, drained and crumbled
Coarse sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick pan over high heat and cook the garlic and cumin, stirring, until fragrant, not even 1 minute. Add the tofu, turn down the heat to medium, and cook, stirring now and then, until just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars

Pickled Jalapeños

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I made these pickled jalapeños a few months ago, but hadn't actually prepared a meal to use some of them until tonight. This is a simple recipe to put together, but woaaaaah are they spicy. I definitely have a weird spice meter, because for some reason, I can eat serrano peppers with no problem, but jalapeños tend to be too spicy for me sometimes. But Dino likes jalapeños, and he agreed that these were crazy spicy. The flavor is good, but you definitely get hit with a wall of heat right off the bat. So enjoy these at your own risk!

Pickled Jalapeños

Pickled Jalapeños
It’s All Good – Gwyneth Paltrow

Makes 1 Vegenaise jar's worth of pickles

¾ cup white wine vinegar
¾ cup water
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
A pinch of celery seed
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
8 large jalapeños, thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

Combine the vinegar, water, salt, celery seed, coriander seeds, and peppercorns in a small saucepan over high heat, bring to a boil, and turn off the heat. Meanwhile, pack your empty Vegenaise jar with the jalapeños and stuff the bay leaf and the garlic slices in and among the peppers. Pour the vinegar mixture over the jalapeños, being sure to get all the seeds into the mix. The liquid should completely cover the peppers. Let the jar cool to room temperature, then tightly screw on the lid and stash the jar in the fridge. The peppers are good to go after a week, but they keep up to a year in the refrigerator - seriously!

Big Flavors Rating: 3 Stars

Roasted Okra

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Just 3 pantry staples turn fresh okra into a deliciously golden, nutty side dish or snack. This roasted okra recipe is simple, quick, and delicious.

I remember the first time I came across fresh okra at my local Farmers Market. I had always kind of shied away from cooking with, or even eating, okra because I was afraid it would be slimy and unappetizing.

I had eaten it before, but it never came into my kitchen until that day.

Roasted Okra: Just 3 pantry staples turn fresh okra into a deliciously golden, nutty side dish or snack. This roasted okra recipe is simple, quick, and delicious.

As a side note - someone commented on my okra post over on Instagram with her grandma from Baghdad's method for making sure okra doesn't get slimy - she said the key is to lay it out in the sun for 4 hours. Interesting tip! I wonder how much New York sun equals 4 hours in Baghdad? 😉

I had seen lots of okra disasters on TV cooking shows, where it turns into a slimy mess, so I did a little research online to see if I could find a method of cooking that would be less... gross.

When I saw this super simple recipe for roasted okra over on Allrecipes, I knew this was the one for me to go. The person who posted the recipe had this to say:

As a good Southern gardener, I find myself bringing in okra by the armload nearly every other day. Stewed okra is great, but for a little variety, we like to roast ours from time to time. This is so simple and easy and the okra tends to not be nearly as gummy or slimy when roasted. Chopped tomato makes a great addition when we have some handy.

 

First time cooking w #okra. Wish me luck! #pleasedontbeslimy

A post shared by Ashley Covelli (@bigflavors) on

Roasting is such a simple cooking method really brings out the flavor of almost any veggie. Roasted vegetables are almost always a hit in my house, so I felt pretty good about this approach.

This dish was super simple to put together, and it turned out wonderfully! The parts where the okra got nice and golden were nutty and absolutely delicious.

Don't go shy on the seasoning! I cooked up a whole container of okra and it disappeared pretty quickly. I especially liked the bit of mild heat that the freshly cracked black pepper added.

I'll definitely make this again - my family really enjoyed it! It's such an easy recipe, and it's pretty, too... like little green stars.

My other favorite way to enjoy okra is pickled. I gotta tell you - pickled okra is one of my top choices for garnishing a good Bloody Mary. I also got it as an ingredient in one of my mystery basket challenges and it added the perfect pickle-y bite to the dish. YUM!

Looking for more simple side dishes? Check out some of our favorite recipes:

Crock Pot Honey Sesame Chicken

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I've been on a slow cooker kick this summer. It's just nice to put a little effort into a meal early in the day and then walk away and enjoy the delicious smells until dinnertime. This one was really simple to put together, and the flavor was great! One thing that I decided that I am d-o-n-e with, though, is trying to thicken any type of sauce in the slow cooker by adding a cornstarch slurry and letting it cook on high for a few minutes. It has never worked for me. Ever. And I've had a few different slow cookers. I gave it one last shot with this recipe, and after getting frustrated and pouring it into a saucepan to thicken, I decided that this was the last time. It's not a big deal and usually doesn't take long, but it does add another pan to clean up after dinner. Anyway, this was nice and sweet and tangy, and my whole family enjoyed it. My toddler was having a blast dipping the chicken into the sauce over and over and over again. I served this over some steamed white rice (yep - had the slow cooker AND the rice cooker both going at once today!) with Roasted Okra on the side. It was a great meal, and a nice way to end the week.

Crock Pot Honey Sesame Chicken

Crock Pot Honey Sesame Chicken
The Comfort of Cooking - adapted from Six Sisters' Stuff

YIELD: Serves 4-5

6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or 4 chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
½ cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup honey
¼ cup ketchup
½ cup low-sodium soy sauce*
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 teaspoons cornstarch
⅓ cup water
2 packets minute rice, optional
½ tablespoon (or more) sesame seeds
3 scallions, chopped

Place chicken in Crock Pot and lightly season both sides with salt and pepper.

In a medium bowl, combine onion, garlic, honey, ketchup, soy sauce, oil and red pepper flakes. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 3-4 hours, or high for 2 hours.

Remove chicken to a cutting board, leaving sauce. Shred chicken into bite-sized pieces; set aside. Prepare rice according to package instructions.

In a small bowl, dissolve 4 teaspoons cornstarch in ⅓ cup water; add to crock pot. Stir to combine with sauce. Cover and cook sauce on high for ten more minutes, or until slightly thickened.

Add cooked rice to 4 plates, top with chicken and spoon sauce over top. Sprinkle evenly with sesame seeds and chopped scallions.

Enjoy!

*Optional: use Gluten Free

Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars

Apple, Avocado, Cucumber Kale Smoothie

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It's been a while since I made a post-workout smoothie, and since I had some kale in the fridge, I figured it was time to fire up the Vitamix again :). This one turned out pretty nicely - a little on the thick side since I used a whole avocado, but a little more coconut water would have solved that.

Apple, Avocado, Cucumber Kale Smoothie

Apple, Avocado, Cucumber Kale Smoothie
Ashley Covelli

1 cup ice
Coconut water
1 apple, cored and roughly chopped
1 avocado
½ cup cucumber, roughly chopped
2 cups (lightly packed) kale, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon flax seeds
1 tablespoon raw blue agave

Put ice in a measuring cup. Pour in coconut water until it reaches the 1 cup line. Pour into blender, along with the rest of the ingredients. Blend until smooth. Enjoy!

Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars

Big Flavors Turns 7!

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Wow! I can't believe that I've been a food blogger for 7 years already. It has been lots of fun, and I can't believe how much my blog has grown since I started it back in 2006. I'm still loving it, and while I can't believe how fast the time has gone, I also barely remember a time where I wasn't taking pictures of every meal that comes out of my kitchen.

Thanks to everyone who has been so supportive throughout the years, and here's to many, many more years of deliciousness! Since I just baked donuts for my birthday a few days ago, I thought maybe a nice roundup of some of my favorite salads was in order.

So here are 7 of my favorite salad recipes from the 7 years of Big Flavors. Enjoy!

1. Chipotle Chile Candied Pecan, Dried Cranberry, and Crumbled Blue Cheese Salad:
Chipotle Chile Candied Pecan, Dried Cranberry, and Crumbled Blue Cheese Salad

2. Tomato-Mint Quinoa Salad:
BigFlavorsXSi08302011IMG_7754

3. Farro Salad with Asparagus and Parmesan:
Farro Salad with Asparagus and Parmesan

4. Herbed Beef and Rice-Noodle Salad:
Herbed Beef and Rice-Noodle Salad

5. Avocado Mango Lime Chickpea Salad:
Avocado Mango Lime Chickpea Salad

6. Crunchy Creamy Cucumber Avocado Salad:
Crunchy Creamy Cucumber Avocado Salad

7. Southern Fattoush:
Southern Fattoush

Baked Strawberry Donuts with White Chocolate Ganache

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What celebrities do you share your birthday with? I share mine with some pretty awesome people, including Alton Brown, Delta Burke, Tom Green, Christopher Nolan and Arnold Schwarzenegger. I'm not sure how they spend July 30th each year, but for the last few years, I've celebrated by hanging out with a (slightly less famous) friend who also shares in that special day. We usually have dinner together, but this year, we switched things up and went out to see a horror movie instead. She wanted to get out of the house, leave our husbands at home with the kids, and binge on junk food. It was pretty fun, especially since I decided to bake some strawberry donuts and smuggle them in. We still got popcorn and drinks, but there's just something extra exciting about having gourmet treats waiting to be unveiled mid-movie. I also brought in a couple chocolate covered strawberries that my mom sent to me from Edible Arrangements. Yum! And I bought birthday tiaras for us that we wore the entire time, and that we will now don yearly on our shared birthday. We got some funny looks, and one guy even said that he believed that it was my birthday, but not hers. Guess I look more trustworthy than she does ;).

Baked Strawberry Donuts with White Chocolate Ganache

Anyway, the donuts. This was my second time making donuts, and it was another success! These were pretty easy to put together, even though they have a couple of components. They were nice and fluffy and light, and I loved the pieces of strawberry mixed within. I didn't have quite enough of the white chocolate chips at home, so I scaled the ganache down a bit, and it didn't end up being as thick as it should have, despite me dipping them twice. It still tasted great, though. Maybe I didn't let it cool down enough. I sprinkled some mini chocolate chips on top, in addition to red sprinkles, and they were wonderful! My friend also enjoyed them, and my husband was glad to have a bunch left at home that he could enjoy after a busy night with our toddler. This made 10 donuts for me, and they all baked beautifully.

Baked Strawberry Donuts with White Chocolate Ganache

Baked Strawberry Donuts with White Chocolate Ganache
Cookie Dough & Oven Mitt

Ingredients

Strawberry Donuts:
1 egg
½ cup milk
4 T. butter, melted
¾ cup strawberry compote
1 tsp. vanilla
1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt

Strawberry Compote:
1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and diced
¼ cup sugar

White Chocolate Ganache:
1 ¼ cup white chocolate chips
½ cup heavy cream
1 T. corn syrup

Instructions

Strawberry Compote:
In a saucepan, over medium heat, add diced strawberries and sugar. Stir occasionally.

After ten minutes I start to help the berries along by mashing them with my spoon.

The compote will have some small pieces in it, if you don't want them in the finish product you can strain them out. The entire process took me about 18 minutes.

After the compote has come to the perfect consistency, take it off the stove and let it cool for about 5 minutes.

Donuts:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray the donut pan with non-stick cooking spray.

In a bowl, add the egg and milk. Whisk until blended.

Add the butter, strawberry compote, and vanilla. Whisk until everything is combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Once all the dry ingredients are combined, add a small amount into the wet mixture and whisk.

Keep adding small amounts and whisking until all the dry mixture is incorporated into the batter.

Scoop the batter into a disposable piping bag and cut a small hole into the tip.

Cover the bottom of the pan with the batter. Only fill the donut pans half way. Be sure to not overfill the pans. I like to make a second layer towards the outside of the pan so the donut hole doesn't get covered up. If it does, feel free to cut the hole out with the scissors.

Place into the oven for 8 minutes or until they're done. The bottoms will be golden brown and the tops will be a pale pink.

Let cool in the pan for at least 5 minutes. Place the donuts onto the cooling rack to cool.

Ganache:
In a microwave safe bowl, add the white chocolate chips, corn syrup, and heavy cream.

Place into the microwave for 45 seconds.

Take the bowl out and whisk until everything is combined.

Let cool for 5-10 minutes until the ganache has thickened.

Dip the cooled donuts into the ganache and place them back onto the cooling rack.

Add sprinkles and let dry.

Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars

Massaged Kale Salad with Herbed Goat Cheese Croquettes & Fresh Blueberry Vinaigrette

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To use some of the beautiful Fresh Blueberry Vinaigrette that I made, I put together a salad for myself for dinner. My (lactose intolerant) husband had to run out to band practice, so I figured I'd celebrate by frying up some goat cheese and drinking wine. It had been a while since I had a massaged kale salad, so I decided to use that as a base. Not that I'm above just consuming fried cheese and wine for dinner, by any means ;).

Massaged Kale Salad with Herbed Goat Cheese Croquettes and Fresh Blueberry Vinaigrette

Anyway, to make the massaged kale salad, I sliced some kale leaves, sprinkled on a pinch of sea salt, and squeezed a little lemon juice over the top. Then I just got in there and squeezed and massaged it around for a minute or two. I sprinkled some blueberries and sliced radishes on top, chopped some of the Slow Cooker "Roasted" Beets and tossed those in, and drizzled on some of the blueberry vinaigrette on top. And then, I topped it with some crispy, creamy goat cheese croquettes. Making them is pretty simple:

I took a log of goat cheese and sliced it into pieces that were about a half ounce each. I held each piece in my hand and pressed them into flattened discs - applying enough pressure to kind of smoosh it together so it's not so crumbly. I set all of the discs on a plate and placed it in the fridge to chill.

I poured about an inch of peanut oil into a small frying pan and let it get nice and hot. Then, I set up 3 dishes on the counter - one with flour that I seasoned with salt and pepper, one with a beaten egg, and one with panko breadcrumbs that I mixed with some finely chopped parsley from the garden.

I took the goat cheese rounds out of the fridge and coated each in flour, then egg, then herbed panko, tapping off the excess after each of the "stations". I carefully placed them in the hot peanut oil and fried until golden brown on both sides, flipping halfway. I removed them to a paper towel lined plate and sprinkled some sea salt over the top, while they were still hot. I placed them on top of my salad and enjoyed the warm, crispy, creamy delicious additions to my salad. Yum!

Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars

Fresh Blueberry Vinaigrette

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I picked up some blueberries from the Farmers Market on Sunday, and I thought it would be fun to try to make a vinaigrette out of them. I piled everything into a cup and used my immersion blender, and it turned out great! I love how bright the color turned out. I didn't even fuss with streaming in the oil and it came together just fine. It's sweet and tangy and perfect for summertime.

Fresh Blueberry Vinaigrette

Stir Friday: Shrimp and Vegetable Fried Rice

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That's right, Archer fans, it looks like Stir Friday happened in my kitchen tonight. I didn't even think of it when I saw the container of leftover rice in the fridge. Looks like it was just meant to be! I used things I had on hand, and it came together pretty quickly, other than defrosting and peeling the shrimp. My family really enjoyed this after a fun day out and about. If I would have had some green onions and bean sprouts on hand, I definitely would have added those, but this was pretty tasty as is.

Shrimp and Vegetable Fried Rice

 

Slow Cooker Shredded Green Chile Chicken

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I brought out the slow cooker again this week to make some shredded chicken to fill tacos, and it worked out really nicely. It was really simple to put together, and the house smelled great while it was cooking. My chicken was a little frozen still, and it was perfectly cooked after 4 hours on high. We used this chicken inside tacos with white corn tortillas and topped them with some of the Raw Sweet Corn and Tomato Salsa that I made last night, some shredded Mexican cheese blend, hot sauce and a dollop of sour cream. We had the rest of the quinoa and black beans from the Quinoa Black Bean Burrito Bowls and it was perfect!

Slow Cooker Shredded Green Chile Chicken

Quinoa Black Bean Burrito Bowls

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A few weeks ago, I cooked way more quinoa than we needed for dinner so that I could stash some in the freezer for future use on a busy day. Well, I had one doozy of a day, and I was glad to have it already cooked and waiting to be reheated. I pinned this burrito bowl recipe on Pinterest a while back, and figured it was just the dish to use the pre-made quinoa. I skipped the first step and just defrosted it in the microwave, heated it and then stirred in the lime juice, cilantro and some salt. Perfecto! The rest of the prep was pretty easy. The black beans had a lot of flavor, and I made a nice Raw Sweet Corn and Tomato Salsa to go on top. I also sprinkled on a Mexican cheese blend, tossed a few lime wedges on top, a few dashes of hot sauce, some chopped romaine, a dollop of sour cream and some chunks of avocado. It was wonderful! Lots of great Mexican flavor, and nice and healthy. Depending on the toppings you choose, this can be a vegan meal, too. It was a nice and colorful way to end an otherwise dreary day.

Quinoa Black Bean Burrito Bowls

Quinoa Black Bean Burrito Bowls
The Shiksa in the Kitchen

Servings: 4
Kosher Key: Pareve or Dairy

1 cup quinoa
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, rinsed and drained
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
¼ teaspoon chili powder (mild)
Pinch of cayenne pepper (spicy)
¼ cup fresh lime juice
1 cup shredded lettuce
Salt

OPTIONAL TOPPING INGREDIENTS:
Grated cheddar or jack cheese
Sour cream or Greek yogurt
Pico de gallo or salsa
Diced seeded tomatoes
Hot sauce or sriracha
Sliced avocado
Guacamole
Corn

Rinse the quinoa thoroughly in a mesh strainer or sieve, drain. Pour quinoa into a saucepan along with 2 cups of water. Bring the quinoa to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer. Cover the pot. Let the quinoa simmer for about 20 minutes till it becomes tender and all the liquid has been absorbed. Keep a close eye to make sure the quinoa doesn't burn.

While quinoa is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in another saucepan over medium heat. Pour minced onion into the saucepan and saute for a few minutes till it softens and begins to turn brown. Add the minced garlic to the pot and let it saute for 1-2 minutes longer till aromatic.

Add the black beans to the pot of onions along with ½ cup water, 2 tablespoon of chopped fresh cilantro, chili powder and cayenne pepper. Bring the beans to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low. Let the beans simmer for 15 minutes till the liquid is mostly evaporated. Stir in 2 tablespoon of fresh lime juice. Season with salt to taste.

When the quinoa is fully cooked, remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Use the fork to mix in 2 tablespoon of chopped cilantro and 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice. Season with salt to taste.

Assemble your burrito bowls. Divide the cilantro lime quinoa between four bowls.Top each portion of quinoa with ¼ cup of shredded lettuce. Top each portion of lettuce with simmered black beans. Top the black beans with your choice of Optional Topping Ingredients (ideas listed above). Serve warm.

Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars

Raw Sweet Corn and Tomato Salsa

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I wanted to make a salsa with some of the things I had hanging out in the fridge to go with tonight's dinner. I love how sweet fresh corn is this time of year - so good that you can eat it raw. So I combined it with some tomatoes and a few other things for a nice, refreshing salsa. I added hot sauce, but you could use some minced jalapeño or a sprinkle of cayenne pepper or chili powder to keep it totally raw, if you like. This was nice, crisp and cool, and went perfectly with the Quinoa Black Bean Burrito Bowls that I made. Yum!

Raw Sweet Corn and Tomato Salsa

Nutella No Bake Cookies

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Some friends of ours recently had a baby boy, and I'm taking our son over after nap time so we can hang out and talk about the awesomely insane world of parenting. And what new parents need most is some food that they don't have to prepare!

I didn't have a whole lot of time to prepare things like I did for some other friends a few months ago, but I wanted to bring a few things anyway: a limited edition beer from our (and their!) favorite local brewery that we found last week in Ocean City, MD, some truffled goat cheese that just so happens to have my birthday (which I share with the new mama) as the sell by date, maybe the rest of the Salmon Mousse that I made the other day, crackers, and these fabulous cookies.

I made them a while back for World Nutella Day, and they were so easy and delicious that I knew I'd be making them again and again. And I usually have all the ingredients on hand, so I can make them on a whim.

I like keeping them in the fridge, especially when it's the middle of summer, so they don't get too melty. Plus, the cold cookies are nice on a hot day. Cheers to the new parents!

World Nutella Day: Nutella No Bake Cookies

Nutella No Bake Cookies
The Vintage Mixer

Makes 2 dozen

3 tablespoons butter
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup milk
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ cup peanut butter
¾ cup Nutella hazelnut spread
2 cups rolled oats*

In a medium to large saucepan, melt the butter over medium to medium-low heat. Add the sugar, milk, and cocoa powder and mix until combined. Stir in the peanut butter and Nutella until melted, followed by the oats. Remove from stove. Continue mixing until all of the ingredients are incorporated.
Working quickly, use a small ice cream scoop to shape balls of dough and place them on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Refrigerate for thirty minutes until firm. Store in an airtight container.

*Optional: use Gluten Free

Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars

Breakfast Tacos

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Breakfast Tacos

Yesterday, I made another batch of Easy Overnight Oatmeal Chia Breakfast Pudding for breakfast. It's hot out, and I wanted something cold. And simple. But this morning, I wanted eggs. We didn't have any bread, but we had some flour tortillas, so I asked Dino if he would make breakfast tacos. He did, and they were great! He scrambled some eggs, seasoned them with salt and pepper, and served them with lots of toppings: hot sauce, chopped green onion and tomato, grated cheese and Greek yogurt. They were great! Nice and simple, and you can fill them with whatever you have on hand.

Foil Packet Soy-Lime Glazed Salmon with Green Beans

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Cooking salmon in foil packets is an easy way to have a mess-free seafood dinner. This quick recipe is perfect for busy weeknights!

Plate with a foil packet of glazed salmon and green beans with a lime wedge for garnish.

This super simple salmon recipe is one of my family's favorites. We love that the fish and veggies cook together in the oven in such a short amount of time.

Each filet is topped with a quick mixture of honey, soy sauce, and lime. Some veggies are thrown in and it's all sealed together in a foil packet.

Throw them all onto a baking sheet and they cook to perfection in under 20 minutes!

You can eat this salmon right out of the foil packet, or take it out and place it on a plate.

I usually serve rice or a grain of some sort alongside the salmon to make the meal feel more complete.

Still hungry? You may also like...

Salmon and carrots in a foil packet on a plate with rice and green onions.
Foil Packet Salmon with Spicy Carrots
Plate with salmon cooked in a foil packet with grilled veggies alongside.
Grilled Salmon Foil Packets with Lemon-Thyme Butter
Platter of seared salmon with dill and lemon over purple sweet potatoes.
Pan-Seared Salmon with Lemon-Dill Butter + Roasted Purple Sweet Potatoes
Plate of Slowly Cooked Salmon with Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Avocado & Apples.
Slowly Cooked Salmon with Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Avocado & Apples

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Breakfast Scraps Can Benefit Your Garden!

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Having eggs and coffee for breakfast today? Save your scraps to help out your garden! Coffee grounds and egg shells can make your garden happy and healthy.

Breakfast Scraps Can Benefit Your Garden!

A friend of mine who has an amazing backyard garden gave me a few tips on helping to keep healthy tomato plants - add coffee grounds and eggshells to the soil!

It helps add nutrients like nitrogen and calcium to the soil, and when I used this method for the first time, I had the tastiest and healthiest tomato harvest ever!

Breakfast Scraps Can Benefit Your Tomato Plants!

After cracking your eggs for breakfast, rinse out the shells and set them in a bowl to dry out. Once they're dry, you can pulse them in the food processor until they're finely ground.

Sprinkle this on top of your soil along with the morning's coffee grounds and scratch them into the soil with your fingers or a garden rake, water your plants and go about your day knowing that you wasted a little less and helped strengthen your garden.

Breakfast Scraps Can Benefit Your Tomato Plants!

How to Turn Regular Yogurt into Greek Yogurt

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Have you ever needed Greek yogurt but only had regular in the fridge?

I ran into this issue a while back when I was making Guinness Chocolate Cheesecake, and I didn't want to make another trip to the grocery store.

Then I remembered that it's really easy to make Greek style yogurt at home if you have some time to spare. 

Straining yogurt with cheesecloth to make Greek yogurt.

Place a sieve over a deep bowl. You want to make sure that the sieve doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl, because this is where the liquid from the yogurt is going to drain.

Place a piece of cheesecloth (or a thin kitchen towel) over the sieve and spoon some yogurt on top of it. Place the bowl into the fridge and let it drain - the longer it sits, the more liquid will drain out, and the thicker the yogurt will be.

You can let it strain overnight, even. Remember that you will need to use a larger quantity of yogurt than what you want to end up with, since it will lose volume through the process.

Looking for some ways to use your Greek yogurt? Check these out!

Brie, Tomato and Purple Basil Sandwich with Aged Balsamic

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Brie, Tomato and Purple Basil Sandwich with Aged Balsamic

One of the members of our Supper Club is a phenomenal baker. He makes some of the best breads we've ever tasted.

So after last night's event, he sent us home with a nice chunk of freshly baked Italian bread. I wanted to use it up today, since it won't stay fresh for too long.

I had a bunch of ripe tomatoes that I needed to use up, and some fresh purple basil from my garden, so I decided to make a sandwich with it.

I'd usually put fresh mozzarella on a sandwich like this, but I had some brie in the fridge, and I thought I'd give that a try.

So I sliced the bread in half, piled up some wedges of brie, drizzled it with aged balsamic and a nice olive oil, topped it with the sliced tomatoes, purple basil, some sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, and lunch was served.

Wow. The bread was outstanding, and the brie just kind of melted down into it on this hot summer day. Super refreshing!

Brie, Tomato and Purple Basil Sandwich with Aged Balsamic