Latest Posts » Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen

Supper Club: Ethiopian Cabbage Dish

June 22, 2013 by Ashley 3 Comments

For our other Supper Club dish, I selected Ethiopian, which happened to be the theme that Dino added into the grab bag. This recipe sounded interesting, and I wanted to bring some veggies to our event, since there were already a lot of meat dishes being prepared. I read in the comments that it tasted better if you increase the amount of seasoning, so I adjusted the recipe below. It had a really nice flavor - I was surprised that it had that much from the few ingredients included. This takes about an hour to prepare, but it's definitely worth the wait. It just goes to show that simple ingredients really can come together in a complex way!

Supper Club: Bazlama (Turkish Flat Bread)

June 22, 2013 by Ashley 1 Comment

This month's Supper Club theme was Cuisine Grab Bag. Last time around, we each wrote down a cuisine on a piece of paper, put it in a bag, and then everyone drew one to prepare. Dino drew the one that I wrote: Turkish. Things have been a little hectic lately, so I picked out this recipe. It was phenomenal! The Greek yogurt gave it a nice tanginess - kind of like sourdough. These need 3 hours to rise, plus another 15 minutes after they are formed into the flat breads, so plan accordingly. We made 6 pieces out of the batch instead of 4, and they were nice and big. This was a big hit - even with the bread maker of the bunch! We will definitely be making these again. I already have ideas for things that we could do with batches of these beauties!

Bazlama (Turkish Flat Bread)
Allrecipes - sharwna

"Bazlama is a simple and delicious village bread that I learned to prepare after moving to Turkey. Normally it is cooked in an outdoor oven but it works just as well on the stove top. It's best served warm."

Makes 4 flatbreads

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 ½ cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
½ cup Greek-style yogurt
4 cups all-purpose flour

1. Dissolve the yeast, sugar, and salt in the warm water. Add the water and yogurt to the flour and mix well. The dough will be soft but not sticky. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a ball. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and allow it to rise at room temperature for 3 hours.

2. Cut the dough into four portions. Shape the dough into rounds and flatten each round as though you're making pizza dough. Cover the rounds with a damp cloth and let the dough rest for 15 minutes.

3. Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Place one dough round in the skillet and bake until brown spots appear on the bottom, about 1 minute. Flip the bread and bake for an additional minute. Remove the bread and wrap it in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm.

4. Repeat with the remaining dough rounds. Store any leftover flatbreads in an airtight container.

Note: If you can't find Greek-style yogurt (suzme), use regular yogurt and reduce the water in the recipe to 1 ¼ cups.

Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars

Strawberry Rhubarb Freezer Pie with Gingersnap Crust

June 21, 2013 by Ashley Leave a Comment

Remember last month when I made the filling for a freezer pie? Well, I finally had an occasion where I wanted to make a quick dessert recipe, and I remembered that I had this beauty waiting in the freezer for me! I had a store-bought pie crust in the freezer, too, but I was really curious to try out the gingersnap one that was posted with the recipe over on Vintage Mixer. Since I already had the filling ready, this was a cinch to put together. The flavors were wonderful, sweet and slightly spicy from the gingersnaps. Mine didn't firm up too well once sliced, and I had a hard time getting the crust out of the pan. Not totally sure what happened there. But we just called it "rustic" and got on with it. I served it with some heavy cream that I whipped a little sugar into until it came to soft peaks.

Strawberry Rhubarb Freezer Pie
Vintage Mixer

Yield: 1 Pie

for the pie filling (double or triple if you want to freeze multiple pies)
4 cups strawberries, sliced and dived in half
2 cups rhubarb, sliced
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
juice from ½ lemon (2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon vanilla bean extract (optional)
for the crust:
5-6 tablespoons unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted, plus additional for greasing pie plate
1 cup finely crushed gingersnap cookies (5 oz)
½ cup finely chopped pecans (2 oz)
⅛ teaspoon salt

Cook 2 cups of the strawberries and 2 cups of the rhubarb over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until they start to break down. Stir occasionally. Using a potato masher or fork, mash the fruit to break it up more. Add sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice and cook for about 3 minutes over medium high heat until mixture thickens.

Remove from heat and let cool.

Add remaining 2 cups sliced strawberries and stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla bean extract or beans from 1 vanilla bean pod.
Transfer to a freezer safe ziplock back and freeze for a rainy spring day.

To make the crust: Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Grease pie dish. Toss together all crust ingredients in a bowl with a fork until crumbs are moistened, or use a food processor to combine. Press the crust mixture evenly over bottom and up side of pie plate. Bake crust 6 minutes, then cool on a rack.
constructing the pie

Top cooled crust with defrosted strawberry rhubarb mixture. Chill pie until ready to serve. Before serving top with whipped cream.

Notes: the recipe is for one freezer bag pie but you may double the recipe so that you have two pies waiting for a perfect pie day.

Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars

Caramelized Onion, Mushroom, Apple & Gruyere Bites

June 21, 2013 by Ashley 1 Comment

We had some friends over for dinner, and I was itchin' to try out a new appetizer recipe. This took some time to put together, but it was oh so very worth it! I made the filling in the morning, covered it and put it in the fridge, and a few minutes before our guests arrived, I cut the pastry and assembled them. It worked out great! The sweetness from the caramelized onions and apples went so well with the cheese and onions. These are dangerous - they're nice and light and flaky, and just oh so perfect. I'll definitely make them again! They were a big hit with everyone at the table - even my toddler!

Caramelized Onion, Mushroom, Apple & Gruyere Bites
Table for Two (adapted from Williams-Sonoma)

Yield: approx. 30-32 bites | Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 65 minutes

2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 oz. baby bella mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 ½ granny smith apples, cubed into ½" cubes
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1 ½ oz. grated gruyere cheese
2 tbsp. chives, minced
½ tsp. dried thyme
1 package (1 pound) of frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats. Set side.

In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil and cook the onions (with 1 tsp. of salt) until they're golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove and set aside in a large bowl. In the same skillet, sauté mushrooms until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside in the bowl with the onions.

In the same skillet, melt the butter and add in the apples with the sugar. Cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and add to the large bowl with onions and mushrooms.

Add the cheese, chives, and thyme to the bowl and stir to combine the mixture well. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

With a pizza cutter, cut the puff pastry into 2-inch squares and place them on the lined baking sheets. Using a pastry brush, brush beaten egg on the squares.

Using a tablespoon, place filling in the middle of each puff pastry.

Bake for 25 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through and switching the baking sheet on the top rack to the bottom and the bottom to the top, until the pastry is golden brown and crisp.

Let the tarts cool a bit before serving, you don't want people to burn the roofs of their mouths!

Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars

Pork Fried "Rice"

June 17, 2013 by Ashley 2 Comments

I've used cauliflower to make gluten-free pizza before, and it was fantastic. But when I saw this post from my friend Ashley (who has an awesome name! Ha!) over at Quarter Life (Crisis) Cuisine for cauliflower as a low carb/paleo friendly way to make fried rice, I was intrigued.

I had one pack of bacon left from the three that I picked up at the wholesale club for my Father's Day bacon-palooza, so I figured now would be a good time to try this recipe out.

It was phenomenal! I couldn't believe how satisfying it was, even without all the carbs.

One thing I did to make this easier on myself was to use the food processor to grate/chop the veggies. Grating an entire head of cauliflower by hand on a box grater sounded like a form of torture to me. Messy, messy torture.

So I did it in batches in the food processor and it worked out great! I used it for the onion and carrots, too. Perfect.

This has just the right amount of Sriracha to give it a bit of kick. I ended up scrambling the eggs in a separate pan while the veggies were cooking, which was fine, since I threw in some extra to give to my son.

Next time, I'll scramble them in the pan before I start the bacon, that way I don't have as many dirty pans. I'm all about streamlining 😉

Father's Day: Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Hickory Bourbon BBQ Sauce

June 16, 2013 by Ashley Leave a Comment

Usually for Father's Day, we fire up the grill and make something tasty outside. The weather has been really wacky this year, though, so I decided to make one of our favorite Pulled Pork recipes. This time around, I used a new (to me) BBQ sauce from our go-to brand: Stubb's Hickory Bourbon BBQ Sauce. It was great!! The pork was spicier than I remember it being - so maybe I need to make a big batch of cole slaw to pile on the leftovers. Next time, I'll only use 1 teaspoon of cayenne I think. But hey, Dino and his dad loved it, and isn't that what Father's Day is all about? 🙂 I used a pork loin roast, because that's what I found at the store, and it was just fine. I let it marinate in the dry rub for 2 days this time around. Yum yum!

Pulled Pork
Cooks Illustrated

serves 6

Spice Rub:
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon dried oregano
4 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons table salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground white pepper
1 (6-8 pound) bone-in pork shoulder
½ teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
2 cups barbecue sauce

Mix all spice rub ingredients in small bowl.

Massage spice rub into meat. Wrap tightly in double layer of plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 3 hours. For stronger flavor, the roast can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Unwrap roast and place it in slow cooker liner. Add liquid smoke, if using, and ¼ cup water. Turn slow cooker to low and cook for 8-10 hours, until meat is fork-tender.

Transfer roast to cutting board; discard liquid in liner. Pull by tearing meat into thin shreds with two forks or your fingers. Discard fat.

Place shredded meat back in slow cooker liner; toss with 1 cup barbecue sauce, and heat on low for 30-60 minutes, until hot. Serve with additional barbecue sauce.

MacGourmet Rating: 5 Stars

Father's Day: Crispy Oven-Baked Bacon

June 16, 2013 by Ashley Leave a Comment

Along with the Spinach and Cheese Quiche this morning, I decided to finally try out making bacon in the oven. It sounded promising - just put it in a cold oven, turn it on and come back after a few minutes to perfectly crisp bacon without a big mess. And you know what? It totally delivered. So much so that I made 2 trays of it this morning, since I also needed bacon for a side dish for Father's Day dinner. The bacon was nice and flat, and perfectly crispy. I used Applegate Farms Natural Uncured Sunday Bacon, and it was divine. The bacon grease did get under the foil a bit, but it wasn't much of a hassle to clean up since all the solid bits that stuck were on the foil and not the pan. This will definitely be my go-to method for cooking bacon from now on!

Crispy Oven-Baked Bacon
About.com - Danilo Alfaro

1. Line a baking sheet with foil. This will make cleanup easier later.

2. Arrange bacon slices on the foil and place the baking sheet on the center rack of a cold oven. Close oven door. Turn oven on to 400°F. Walk away.

3. Come back 17 to 20 minutes later. As soon as the bacon is golden brown, but not excessively crisp, it's done. The exact time will depend on the thickness of the bacon slices, and also on how quickly your oven reaches the target temperature.

4. Remove the pan from the oven. Transfer the bacon to another sheet pan lined with paper towels to absorb the fat. You can pour the liquid fat into a heat-resistant container to save for other uses. I like to pour it through a strainer lined with cheesecloth to filter out any crunchy bits.

Tips:
1. Don't pre-heat the oven! Make sure the oven is cold when you put the bacon in.

2. Keep your eye on the bacon during the final few minutes of cooking to make sure that it doesn't burn. Also, remove the cooked bacon from the hot pan right away. The heat from the pan and the hot bacon fat will continue cooking the bacon.

3. You can slightly undercook the bacon, then cool it and freeze it in a zipper bag. Then, to reheat, cook two slices in the microwave on medium power for 30 seconds or so.

Variation: Dredge bacon in flour or corn meal before baking.

Variation: Sprinkle bacon with brown sugar or freshly ground black pepper before baking.

Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars

Mussels in a Coconut Chile Sauce (Thisri Kooman)

June 15, 2013 by Ashley Leave a Comment

I made this for the first time a few years ago, but wasn't able to find mussels and used little neck clams instead. I caught an ad for a sale on mussels over at Hmart, so I decided to give it another try. It was great, but I ran into a few... let's just call them issues along the way. Apparently I have bad luck with mussels, as the few times I've purchased them, even though they're already cleaned, they are a giant pain-in-the-you-know-what to prep. There are beards hanging on (and this time IN!!), they still need to be scrubbed, and lots of them aren't alive any longer. Ugh. Also, this time around, we were going to try to use fresh shredded coconut, but we ended up getting a young coconut which was impossible to shred (and apparently not something you can really do with them), and Dino ran out to get some unsweetened shredded coconut, since I only had sweetened. He ran to 2 different stores. With a cranky toddler. After 8pm. So, it was frustrating to say the least. But luckily this was still super tasty, and sopping up the broth with sliced baguette is pretty much one of the best things ever.

I don't know that I'll bother cooking with mussels at home again. I may try one or 2 more stores to see if I can get better quality mussels, but the places I've tried in the past are all really reputable, and shouldn't have issues like this. I think it's me. I have some sort of mussel curse 😉

Mussels in a Coconut Chile Sauce (Thisri Kooman)
660 Curries: The Gateway to Indian Cooking – Raghaven Iyer

This specialty from the Konkani-speaking community of Hindu Goa, along India’s west coast, could not be any easier to prepare. The delicate flavor of the mussels is enhanced by sweet coconut, and the chiles add a mellow pungency. Pass around hot steamed white rice so your guests can pour the delicious broth over it to savor every last drop.

Serves 4

5 pounds mussels, in the shells
1 cup shredded fresh coconut; or ½ cup shredded dried unsweetened coconut, reconstituted (see Note)
½ cup firmly packed fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
1 teaspoon coarse kosher or sea salt
2 large cloves garlic
2 fresh green Thai, cayenne, or serrano chiles, stems removed

1. Pile the mussels into a large bowl. Quickly go through them and discard any broken or cracked shells. Scrub each mussel (although the ones available at any supermarket are actually quite clean) and remove the beards (2 or 3 strands dangling from one end of the shell – rather like a straggly goatee or a pubescent boy’s chin). Tap the shell if it’s slightly ajar. If it closes shut, the mussel is alive and usable. If it does not shut, discard it, since this means it is dead. Plunk the prepared mussels into a colander and give them a good rinse.

2. Pour 1 cup water into a blender and add the coconut, cilantro, salt, garlic, and chiles. Blend, scraping the inside of the jar as needed, to form a puree.

3. Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a large stockpot over high heat. Add the mussels and cover the pot. Cook, shaking the pot occasionally so they cook evenly, until they all open up to reveal plump, off-white meat, about 5 minutes. Discard any mussels that remain shut.

4. Add the pureed mixture to the stockpot and stir into the mussel-flavored broth, which will now turn green. Ladle some of the broth over the mussels to baste them a bit as you cook, uncovered, until the broth has warmed up, 1 to 2 minutes.

5. Pour the mussels and broth into a large serving bowl, and serve.

Note: To reconstitute coconut, cover with ½ cup boiling water, set aside for about 15 minutes, and then drain.

Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars

Sweet-and-Sour Cucumbers

June 13, 2013 by Ashley 1 Comment

I love sweet-and-sour cucumbers. Whenever we go to a Thai restaurant, I pretty much eat all the cucumbers that come on the side, and drink up the juice afterward before I even start my main course.

Sometimes I let Dino eat a few, too.

So putting something like this together at home is nice, because I can make a lot and then I have enough to share. You know, because I'm generous like that 😉

This is a super quick way to make a crisp and tangy accompaniment for any meal. It's also great with my Thai Chicken Pizza.

Sweet-and-Sour Cucumbers
Ashley Covelli

1 English cucumber, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon sesame oil
kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

In a bowl, whisk together rice vinegar, lime juice, honey, sesame oil, salt and pepper. Add cucumber slices and stir to coat. Let sit for at least 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve.

Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars

Beef Larb

June 13, 2013 by Ashley Leave a Comment

Since I had such a good time coming up with a recipe for dinner last night using only items already in my kitchen, I decided that I wanted to do the same tonight. I once again gave Dino a choice of what protein I should cook with (his options were tofu, ground beef, tilapia or pork tenderloin) and tonight, he chose ground beef.

I took it out of the freezer to thaw and thought about what flavors I could combine once dinnertime came. I decided to take a stab at making larb.

One of my best friends from college loves dishes like this. Her parents are from Laos, so I sent her a quick text to ask if it would be blasphemous to serve it over rice noodles.

She recommended that I seek out a local store that would have sticky rice already prepared, but I wanted to make this meal without having to track down any extra ingredients that I didn't already have on hand, so I opted to steam some rice in the rice cooker instead. It was great.

I really need to trust myself more in the kitchen, as the flavors here were really wonderful together. I used some grass-fed beef from a local farm that I love.

The fresh herbs at the end liven it up, and the mix of fish sauce, chili sauces and lime juice add a nice complexity to the meat. I liked the addition of crunchy chopped peanuts on top.

This dish really hit the spot, and my toddler loved it, too! He's a pretty adventurous little eater, and that is pretty exciting 🙂

Fire Roasted Tomato and Black Bean Shrimp with Lime-Scented Quinoa

June 12, 2013 by Ashley Leave a Comment

In an effort to make sure I'm using up the items that I already have in my tiny kitchen, I decided that tonight, I'd make something for dinner using only things that I already had. I had a block of tofu in the fridge, and a bunch of different meat options in the freezer, so I decided to rattle off a list to my husband and tell him to pick one and that's what we would have for dinner tonight.

He picked shrimp. While they were thawing, I raided the pantry and picked a can of fire-roasted tomatoes and a can of black beans. I had some cilantro in the fridge that needed to be used up, and a big bag of quinoa that I got from the bulk bin at a local health food store.

So I was set - just did a bit of chopping, and dinner was ready fairly quickly. This turned out really well - the spice blend I went with was nice and complex without being overdone. I let the quinoa cook in the rice cooker while I made the main course, and dinner was done!

Fire Roasted Tomato and Black Bean Shrimp with Lime-Scented Quinoa

Easy Overnight Oatmeal Chia Breakfast Pudding

June 12, 2013 by Ashley 2 Comments

I finally found chia seeds a few weeks ago, and wasn't sure how I'd use them for the first time. There are so many great options out there. They are full of health benefits, and don't have to be ground up the way flax seeds to for your body to be able to absorb them. So when I came across this simple breakfast recipe that could be prepared the night before, I knew it would be the perfect way to get acquainted to chia seeds. This was super simple to assemble, and took minimal effort in the morning. Depending on what type of milk and sweetener you use, this can be a raw, vegan meal. I threw some sliced strawberries on top because it was kind of... not so pretty. I really liked the strawberry flavor with the banana, peanut butter and maple syrup, but Dino thought the strawberries were too much. I also probably put a little too much peanut butter on top. This made a very generous bowl of pudding - it was very filling. I didn't even finish all of mine, I stashed it back in the fridge for later. It was wonderful, and I'll definitely be making it again.

Easy Overnight Oatmeal Chia Breakfast Pudding
New Nostalgia

PM Ingredients
1 banana, mashed
⅓ cup regular oats*
⅔ cup almond milk (or regular, soy or coconut milk)
2 Tbls Chia seeds
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Mix all together in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

AM Ingredients
peanut butter or almond butter
maple syrup, honey or agave nectar

Add to taste and serve cold. Enjoy!

*Optional: use Gluten Free

Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars

Go-To Black Beans

June 11, 2013 by Ashley 2 Comments

Black beans and rice is one of my favorite side dishes. It's nice and hearty and super simple to prepare. When I bought Gwyneth Paltrow's book, It's All Good, this black bean recipe was one that immediately stood out to me. It claimed to deliver that restaurant quality flavor without hours of soaking and cooking. So I gave it a try tonight, and let me tell you - these beans are really surprisingly tasty for the little effort that's involved! The garlic and cilantro really permeate the beans nicely, and they get nice and thick from allowing the liquid to cook down a bit. This is a great and simple way to prepare beans that I'll definitely repeat. I can definitely see why she named it "Go-To Black Beans"!

Go-To Black Beans
It’s All Good – Gwyneth Paltrow

Serves 4 as a side dish

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
A 15 ½-ounce can black beans
4 sprigs of cilantro
A pinch of coarse sea salt

Heat the olive oil in a small pot set over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until just fragrant, 1 or 2 minutes. Add the cilantro, and the entire can of beans (including the liquid), and the salt and turn the heat to high. Once the beans begin to boil, turn the heat to low and simmer until the beans have lost their tin can flavor and aren't too watery, about 15 minutes. Remove the cilantro before serving.

Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars

Fruit Salad Ice Pops

June 9, 2013 by Ashley 9 Comments

If you need a wonderfully refreshing summertime dessert, look no further. Wow. These are awesome! I love fruit salad, and making it in frozen form was a huge hit with my friends and family. The white grape juice is a nice accent to the fruit flavors inside the pops, and it lets you see all of the beautiful chunks of fruit embedded within. I'll definitely be making these again and again - in fact, I have another batch in the freezer already!

My son was a little shocked at first - he wasn't expecting his fruit to be so cold, but he dug right in and ate the entire thing. He loved it!

Fruit Salad Ice Pops
Everyday Food 2011

Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes + freezing
Makes 8

1 peach, cut into ½-inch slices (½ cup)
2 kiwis, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch rounds
3 ounces blueberries (½ cup)
4 ounces strawberries, hulled and halved ( ¾ cup)
1 ½ to 2 cups 100 percent white-grape juice

Arrange some of each fruit in eight 3-ounce ice-pop molds, making sure pieces fit very snugly. Pour enough juice into each mold to just cover fruit. Insert ice-pop sticks and freeze until solid, 6 hours (or up to 2 weeks).

Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars

Chicken Salad Sliders

June 9, 2013 by Ashley 1 Comment

We had some friends over with their kids, and I wanted to make a few things for us all to snack on. One of the things I made was a slider version of my mom's chicken salad sandwiches. This time around, I used King's Hawaiian rolls, and they were great. They're definitely on the sweet side, though, and I think that because of the sweetness in the bread along with the pickles and Miracle Whip, I may try mayo next time.

National Doughnut Day: Vanilla Bean Baked Donuts

June 6, 2013 by Ashley 2 Comments

My very first job was as a cashier at Dunkin' Donuts. It was... interesting, to say the least. I was a 15-year-old who smelled like donuts 24/7. And thanks to my teenage metabolism, I really took advantage of the "eat all the donuts you want while you work!" policy at my store.

And while I loved it while I was there, after I moved on, I wasn't able to eat donuts for an entire year. I know... it got serious!

I finally caved and bought a donut pan a few weeks ago, but hadn't broken it out yet. My house doesn't have central air, so baking when it's over 90 degrees isn't really something I'm into. But over the last few days, it cooled down a bit. I was debating trying out one of the recipes I had flagged for my donut pan's virgin voyage.

Then, I saw that National Doughnut Day was coming up and took it as a sign from the foodie heavens that I was meant to break this pan in, STAT!

This recipe from The Faux Martha is one that I had all the ingredients on hand for, and wooooooah, were they good! It uses a mixture of AP and whole wheat flour, and is flecked with beautiful bits of vanilla bean and the warmth of freshly ground nutmeg.

These donuts are light and fluffy and smell beyond heavenly. I don't have a pastry bag, so I just used a zip-top freezer bag and cut the tip off.

So now that my first donut making experience was such a hit, I'm looking forward to trying out many, MANY more. Better pace myself... I mean, just look at that glaze. Hubba, hubba!

Looking for more donut recipes? Here are some of our favorites:

Asian Greens with Garlic, Ginger + Fish Sauce

June 6, 2013 by Ashley 2 Comments

This is a quick and flavorful way to enjoy greens. I love the depth of flavor that fish sauce adds to dishes, and it really brings this one to life. I served this with another recipe from her book, Savory Broiled Tofu, quinoa and a few mini bell peppers that I broiled as well. It was a great meal!

Asian Greens with Garlic, Ginger + Fish Sauce
It’s All Good – Gwyneth Paltrow

Serves 4

½ cup water
1 ½ teaspoons soy sauce*
1 teaspoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons neutral oil (like canola, grapeseed, or safflower oil)
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
3 teaspoons finely minced fresh ginger
1 pound Asian greens (tatsoi, bok choy, etc.), roughly chopped or left whole, whichever you prefer
A pinch of coarse sea salt

Whisk together the water, soy sauce, and fish sauce in a small bowl and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick pan over high heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until they just begin to sizzle, tilting the pan so the aromatics and the oil get a little bath, all in just 30 seconds. Immediately add the greens along with the pinch of salt to the pan and stir to coat the greens with the garlic and ginger. Add the reserved soy sauce mixture and cook just until the greens begin to wilt, about 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

*Optional: use Gluten Free

Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars

Seared Scallop Salad with Prosciutto Crisps

June 3, 2013 by Ashley Leave a Comment

Tonight's dinner was another quick and tasty recipe from the newest issue of Cooking Light. This comes together in a snap, and is nice, light and fresh. Scallops cook up in no time, and the tangy salad dressing adds just enough flavor without overpowering their innate sweetness. I really liked the addition of crisped prosciutto on top, and cooking that in the pan before the scallops added a nice bit of extra flavor to them. I used a mix of baby greens that included arugula, spinach and tatsoi. I enjoyed mine with a nice cold glass of Riesling.

Seared Scallop Salad with Prosciutto Crisps
Cooking Light June 2013

Be sure to pat the scallops dry to ensure an even sear. Also, if serrano ham is available, it makes a tasty substitute for the prosciutto.

5 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon minced shallots
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 cups mixed salad greens
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup sliced English cucumber
1 ounce prosciutto, thinly sliced
16 sea scallops (about 1 pound)
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1. Combine 1 tablespoon oil, cider vinegar, minced shallots, and Dijon mustard in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add salad greens, halved cherry tomatoes, and cucumber to bowl; toss gently to coat.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced prosciutto to pan; cook 3 minutes or until prosciutto is crisp; coarsely chop. Pat scallops dry with paper towels; sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt. Add remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil to pan; swirl to coat pan. Add scallops to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Place 4 scallops and ⅔ cup salad mixture on each of 4 plates; sprinkle with prosciutto.

Amount per serving:

Calories: 171
Fat: 7.1g
Saturated fat: 1.2g
Monounsaturated fat: 4.5g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.9g
Protein: 16.7g
Carbohydrate: 10.3g
Fiber: 2.3g
Cholesterol: 31mg
Iron: 1.3mg
Sodium: 493mg
Calcium: 18mg

Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars

Curried Pork Salad Wraps

May 29, 2013 by Ashley 2 Comments

This is the second recipe I've made from the newest issue of Cooking Light. It was a really nice, light dinner. I changed a few things - I used regular mayo and Greek yogurt. The pistachios I had were salted, but I thought that made it better. I really liked the crunch of the nuts and celery with the sweetness from the raisins. It was cool and creamy, and tasted great as a wrap! I served it with Mango and Avocado Salad with Balsamic-Lime Vinaigrette and it was a nice, light dinner.

Curried Pork Salad Wraps
Cooking Light June 2013

If you can't find lavash, try lower-sodium flatbreads or sandwich wraps.

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
2 teaspoons curry powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup chopped celery
¼ cup chopped unsalted, shelled, dry-roasted pistachios
¼ cup raisins
3 tablespoons plain fat-free yogurt
3 tablespoons canola mayonnaise
4 lavash flatbreads
8 butter lettuce leaves
12 (⅛-inch-thick) slices tomato

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add pork, curry, powder, and salt to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until pork is done. Let pork mixture cool slightly. Combine pork mixture, celery, pistachios, raisins, yogurt, and canola mayonnaise in a medium bowl.

2. Top each lavash with 2 lettuce leaves, 3 tomato slices, and about ¾ cup pork mixture, leaving a ½-inch border around edges. Roll up wraps, and cut in half diagonally.

Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars

Mango and Avocado Salad with Balsamic-Lime Vinaigrette

May 29, 2013 by Ashley 1 Comment

I had a coupon for $5 off a cookbook from a local wholesale club. I mean, I was clearly obligated to buy one, right? I actually don't own a ton of cookbooks. I learned this recently since we remodeled our studio, and I finally got to display my cookbook collection on the shelves above one of the desks. So a couple new ones won't hurt. Anyway, I chose Gwyneth Paltrow's new-ish cookbook after flipping through several contenders. I had heard good things about her recipes, and the book is just beautiful. The photography really is stunning. And her recipes are pretty darn healthy, which I love. This is the first recipe I chose to make from it, and it turned out great! I didn't spend the time slicing the mango and avocado all pretty and alternating it. I was worn out from a loooooong day in toddler-ville, a looming deadline for my part-time job, and a desire to get dinner on the table quickly. And it tasted just fine without the pretty plating. I had to go to a health food store to find rice syrup for the dressing. It was nice - not quite as sweet as agave or honey.

Mango and Avocado Salad with Balsamic-Lime Vinaigrette
It's All Good - Gwyneth Paltrow

2 ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced
2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced
Coarse sea salt
1 batch Balsamic-Lime Vinaigrette (recipe below)
A small handful of fresh basil leaves

Alternate slices of mango and avocado on a serving platter and scatter with a pinch of sea salt.

Drizzle with the Balsamic-Lime vinaigrette; tear the basil leaves and sprinkle them over the top.

Serve immediately.

Balsamic-Lime Vinaigrette

Makes about ⅔ cup

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons brown rice syrup
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Coarse sea salt
Freshly ground pepper

Whisk the vinegar, brown rice syrup, and lime juice together in a mixing bowl.

Slowly whisk in the olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Keeps well in a jar in the fridge for up to a week.

Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars

Vanilla Sugar

May 29, 2013 by Ashley Leave a Comment

I needed vanilla sugar to make these fantastic Naughty Rhubarb Scones, and I didn't have quite enough on hand.

Making your own vanilla sugar is really easy. You'll get better results with a good quality vanilla bean (I like Penzeys Madagascar).

This stuff tastes better if it has a chance to sit for at least a couple days, but it's just fine right after you make it. It's great sprinkled over fruit or even in your morning coffee.

Memorial Day: Grilled Italian Sausage and Peppers

May 27, 2013 by Ashley Leave a Comment

We fired up the grill late Monday afternoon, and made a super simple but delicious dinner. Dino grilled up two packs of Italian sausages - one sweet and one hot, along with some bell peppers (one red and one green) and two white onions. He sliced the veggies thickly and used the grill tray, which kept them from falling through into the fire. He grilled some corn on the cob, too, and toasted the potato rolls on the grill before assembling the sandwiches.

They were wonderful! His dad brought a Calabrese potato salad, which was the perfect addition to the meal. We got to enjoy sitting out on the patio in some of the most beautiful weather we've had recently. It was a wonderful way to end the long weekend.

Naughty Rhubarb Scones

May 24, 2013 by Ashley 5 Comments

To use up the remainder of my stash-o-rhubarb, I made scones. At a ridiculous hour. And then sat down with my husband, who made cappuccinos to go with them, and watched cartoons while devouring several. That's love. These scones are wonderfully fluffy, flecked with vanilla bean and rhubarb, and are just down right delicious. It makes a bunch, too, which is ~~dangerous~~ fantastic. I was almost out of vanilla sugar, but I had vanilla beans and granulated sugar, so I made a batch in the food processor before I got to work on the scones. We really loved them, and I'm sure they won't last long on this rainy weekend!

Naughty Rhubarb Scones
Food52 - Midge

Author Notes: My mom, who churned out many a tasty scone in her day, wasn't so hot on the idea of rhubarb in scones, "too tart, honey." Boy was she ever wrong. Rhubarb's tang is the perfect foil for the super rich scone (I subbed heavy cream for the milk and upped the salt in my mom's recipe, hence the naughty). You almost don't need jam, but if you went that route, strawberry would be a natural, and clotted cream for the full-on naughty experience.

Makes 12-16 scones

3 stalks rhubarb
2 ½ cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup vanilla sugar
⅔--¾ cups heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 425.

2. Slice rhubarb stalks ¼ " thick. Toss with 3 tablespoons of the sugar.

3. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together in large bowl or bowl of food processor.

4. Cut butter into flour mixture by hand (or whiz with food processor) until butter is the size of small peas.

5. Blend in ¼ cup of the sugar. Blend in sliced rhubarb. (If using the food processor, just pulse -- you want the slices left mostly intact.)

6. Blend in cream until a soft dough forms. (note: you may need to add more than ⅔ cup depending on the weather,etc.)

7. Transfer dough to floured surface and divide in half. To make triangular scones, flatten into 6-inch disks and cut each circle into 6-8 scones. Sprinkle with remaining sugar.

8. Arrange on ungreased cookie sheet and bake about 20 minutes or until reddish-brown on top.

Big Flavors : 5 Stars

Memorial Day Grilling Roundup

May 24, 2013 by Ashley Leave a Comment

First of all, thank you to all the servicemen and women out there. I have family and friends in many branches of the military, and I know it's an insanely demanding way of life. We appreciate you! Memorial Day marks the start of grilling season for a lot of people. Hopefully the weather will be nice, and we can all fire up the grill, kick back, relax and spend time with our friends and family. Here is a roundup of some of our favorite things to grill. How are you spending your Memorial Day?

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

2. Dill Chicken Paillards with Tomato-Dill Relish

3. Parchment Grilled Salmon with Lemon and Dill

4. Grilled Cheese and Tomato Stacks

5. Herbed Beef and Rice-Noodle Salad

6. Root Beer-Can Chicken

Strawberry Rhubarb Freezer Pie

May 23, 2013 by Ashley 7 Comments

Oh my goodness. I found the coolest thing to do with some of the recent batch of rhubarb that I picked up from the Farmers' Market. When I saw this post over at Vintage Mixer, I was floored.

Making a pie filling now to be enjoyed at some point in the future when I need a dessert fix? Sign. Me. Up. So I made the filling this afternoon and it's sitting in my freezer right now.

I may have licked the spatula, you know, for purely scientific purposes, and it tasted great! I hope I'll be up for baking the gingersnap crust when I end up making this pie, but I could always just thaw it out and pour it into a pre-made pie crust, too. Easy as (freezer) pie.

When I finally had an occasion where I wanted to make a quick dessert recipe, and I remembered that I had this beauty waiting in the freezer for me!

I had a store-bought pie crust in the freezer, too, but I was really curious to try out the gingersnap one that was posted with the recipe over on Vintage Mixer. Since I already had the filling ready, this was a cinch to put together.

The flavors were wonderful, sweet and slightly spicy from the gingersnaps. Mine didn't firm up too well once sliced, and I had a hard time getting the crust out of the pan. Not totally sure what happened there.

But we just called it "rustic" and got on with it. I served it with some heavy cream that I whipped a little sugar into until it came to soft peaks.

Strawberry Rhubarb Freezer Pie
Vintage Mixer

Yield: 1 Pie

Remove from heat and let cool.

Add remaining 2 cups sliced strawberries and stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla bean extract or beans from 1 vanilla bean pod.
Transfer to a freezer safe ziplock back and freeze for a rainy spring day.

Top cooled crust with defrosted strawberry rhubarb mixture. Chill pie until ready to serve. Before serving top with whipped cream.

Notes: the recipe is for one freezer bag pie but you may double the recipe so that you have two pies waiting for a perfect pie day.

Soy-Ginger Marinated Chicken Stir-Fry

May 23, 2013 by Ashley 5 Comments

This simple chicken stir-fry recipe is a great way to use up whatever veggies you have hanging out in the fridge. Serve over forbidden rice for extra fun!

Plate of Soy-Ginger Marinated Chicken Stir-Fry served over Forbidden Rice

I came up with this marinade as a way to use up some of the chicken that I had in the freezer.

It used ingredients that I almost always have on hand.

I used up some of the veggies and water chestnuts that I had in the house to bulk it up a bit and served it over forbidden rice that I cooked in the rice cooker.

It had a lot of flavor and we really liked it, but I definitely unintentionally overcooked it.

The color of the peas made me sad, and the chicken was a little dried out. Dang!

Ah well, it was good, but definitely not a stand-out in this house.

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Recipe for Soy-Ginger Marinated Chicken Stir-Fry

If you try out this recipe, please come back and give it a star rating and comment below. It helps other people find my recipes, and I'd love to know what you think of it!

Freeze Your Veggie Scraps to Make Stock in the Slow Cooker!

May 22, 2013 by Ashley 3 Comments

Save your veggie trimmings as you cook and stash them in the freezer - you can transform these goodies into your own homemade slow cooker veggie stock!

I've been saving bits of the veggies that I've been using over the last few months in a bag in the freezer (aptly dubbed "Stock Bits!") so that I could cut down on waste and also make something tasty out of food scraps.

The bag has been bursting at the seams for quite some time now, so I finally got out the slow cooker and dug the bag out of the freezer.

My bag contained a lot of veggie bits, including onion tips and tops (I didn't save the rest of the peels with them, because I use so many onions in the kitchen that it would basically just be onion stock - ha!), a few bell pepper stems and cores, some kale stems, carrot ends and peels, a few pieces of tomato stem (technically a fruit, but I thought it would work here), celery leaves and stems, shallot tips and tops, and some zucchini ends.

This process is super simple - I just filled my slow cooker with the contents of the bag (plus a little bit more that I had left from the Raw Carrot Avocado Soup that I made earlier today), filled it with water (it took around 10 cups to fill my slow cooker up to about 2 inches under the top), added a little bit of seasoning (I chose 2 dried bay leaves, 6 black peppercorns, ½ teaspoon mustard seeds and ½ teaspoon kosher salt). I set it on low and let it cook for 5 hours.

*Update 10.8.13 - I've made this a few times since, and have chosen to leave the seasoning OUT, as it can be adjusted to your taste later when you go to cook with it. I've found that this works better.

When it was done, I was left with a beautiful, amber colored stock. I strained out the solids and poured the stock into some containers, let it cool down, and popped it into the freezer.

Once they're completely frozen, I'll put the slabs of stock into a freezer bag for later use. It's so nice to have this on hand, and it really was pretty low maintenance! Plus, I didn't have to have a stock pot on the stovetop all day, heating up my kitchen.

Just a note: I found a good article over on The Kitchn about stock vs. broth. What I've made here is very lightly seasoned, so technically, it may be broth... but it's definitely not seasoned enough to be something you'd want to eat without some adjustments. So... I'm going to stick with calling it stock.

Avocado Mango Lime Chickpea Salad

May 21, 2013 by Ashley 2 Comments

This quick, flavor-packed salad is light and refreshing - a perfect, no-cook dish to make use of ripe avocados and mangoes.

Bowl of Avocado Mango Lime Chickpea Salad.

Avocados and mangoes have been on sale at the store lately, and they've been beautifully ripe. This is a good thing, but it also means that I need to use up what I buy so they don't get overripe.

I had a Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin cooking in the slow cooker all day, and I wanted to make an easy side dish to go with it.

I threw this salad together, and oh... my... goodness. It was fantastic! It's super simple to put together, and if you're working with really ripe fruit, it just melts in your mouth.

This was fantastic, and I'll definitely be making it again!

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Raw Carrot Avocado Soup

May 18, 2013 by Ashley 1 Comment

I've been trying to incorporate more raw food into our diet. It's especially tempting now that the weather is starting to warm up. The thought of preparing a meal without heating up the kitchen is very enticing. I find that a lot of raw recipes are smoothies and salads, but I wanted to look into doing more substantial. I've stumbled upon several really inspiring raw food websites, and this soup recipe looked bright and sunny and delicious. Plus, it uses a lot of produce that I tend to have on hand, which is always a bonus. It came together really quickly in the Vitamix, and the texture was beautifully silky. I liked the bit of spiciness that came from the raw onion and garlic, and it was a nice, refreshing lunchtime soup. I'm looking forward to trying out more raw recipes soon!

Carrot Avocado Soup
Raw on $10 a Day (or Less)

2 servings ~ $1.69 per serving

1 avocado, chopped ($.78)
4 carrots, peeled and chopped ($.40)
2 ribs celery, chopped ($.30)
½ medium onion, chopped ($.10)
1 clove garlic, pressed ($.05)
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons olive oil ($.40)
1 ½ cups water for blending
½ medium tomato, finely chopped($1.25)
1 green onion, sliced ($.10)
½ teaspoon olive oil

This soup is more hearty than I expected ... quite robust and satisfying, and super simple to make. Coarsely chop all the ingredients to make blending easier. In a blender, add everything but the tomato and scallion and teaspoon olive oil. Puree for a few to several minutes until very smooth. In some blenders, the soup will start to warm up a bit as it processes.

Garnish with chopped tomatoes and scallions, and drizzle with a bit of olive oil.

nutritional information:
calories: 481
fat: 42 gr
carbs: 28 gr
protein: 5 gr

Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars

CrockPot Sweet and Spicy Salmon

May 16, 2013 by Ashley 3 Comments

Before I came across this recipe, I had never even entertained the idea of making seafood in the slow cooker. It never crossed my mind. I was skeptical... but I just had to try it out. I'm so glad I did! This turned out fantastically! This is sweet and spicy and super tasty. The salmon flaked apart as easily as if I had cooked it in the oven. This was really easy to put together, and as long as you don't accidentally fail to fully seal one of the foil packets, ahem, you won't even have to clean your slow cooker afterward! It didn't look too pretty, but the flavor blew us away. I cooked mine on low, and one of the pieces was ever so slightly overcooked, so next time, I'll only cook them for 3 hours. I served this with some brown rice and Spicy Glazed Onions.

CrockPot Sweet and Spicy Salmon
A Year of Slow Cooking

2 largish pieces of salmon
2 T brown sugar
1 t paprika
1 t cumin
½ t crushed garlic
½ t oregano
½ t kosher salt
½ t red pepper
aluminum foil

In a medium-sized dish or small pan (I used a glass pie plate), combine all of your spices with the brown sugar

Spread out a length of foil on the counter for each piece of fish

Put each piece of fish in the center of it's own foil

Rub the top of the salmon with your spice and sugar mixture (it's okay to mound up the spice a bit, and it is fine to only rub the top)

Fold the foil over and crimp up the sides to make a contained packet

Put the foil packets into a dry crockpot

Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours, or on low for 3-5.

Serve with rice or quinoa and some steamed or roasted vegetables.

Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars

Apricot Soy Chili Glazed Shrimp with Quinoa

May 13, 2013 by Ashley Leave a Comment

I had some chili sauce leftover from when I made Slow-Cooker Beef Short Ribs last week.

I reached out to some friends to see if anyone had suggestions for using a partial bottle, and one of them told me that she had taken chili sauce, soy sauce, and apricot jam and poured it over shrimp, and cooked it all together for dinner one night for an Asian spin on shrimp.

I thought that sounded awesome, and I had all of those things on hand! So I took that idea and ran with it.

I added some garlic, onion, ginger, and bell pepper and served it over quinoa that I made in the rice cooker.

It turned out really tasty! The sauce was thick and sweet, and the shrimp were perfectly cooked.

I like using quinoa instead of rice now and then, and it went really well with the shrimp.

Overhead view of a plate of Apricot Soy Chili Shrimp with Quinoa.

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Supper Club: Iron-Skillet Succotash

May 11, 2013 by Ashley 1 Comment

This month's Supper Club theme was Southern, and I had a feeling it might be a heavy meal, so I set out to find a light(ish) recipe to contribute. I've never made succotash, and I got it in my head that I wanted to try it out. This recipe is really easy - it just takes a bit of time to chop all the veggies. I usually use olive oil when I'm sautéing veggies, but in this case, the butter adds a nice richness. I really enjoyed the flavor of the fresh marjoram, too. My only note is that unless you have a gigantic iron skillet, you're going to run out of room. I started it in one but had to transfer it to something bigger to fit everything. This was a nice, colorful addition to our meal!

Iron-Skillet Succotash
Bon Appétit November 2010

3 tablespoons butter
1 large white onion, cut into ½-inch pieces (about 2 ½ cups)
18 ounces medium zucchini (about 4), trimmed, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 large red bell pepper, cut into ½-inch pieces (about 1 ½ cups)
1 large orange bell pepper, cut into ½-inch pieces (about 1 ½ cups)
1 10-ounce package frozen lima beans or shelled edamame, partially frozen
1 10-ounce package frozen corn kernels, partially frozen
1 tablespoon minced fresh marjoram
Coarse kosher salt

The technique: Skillet-roasted
Cooking veggies over moderate heat for a bit longer than you would for a typical sauté helps meld flavors while retaining texture. The added benefit? Side dishes cooked on the stovetop preserve precious oven space.

Preparation
Melt butter in heavy large skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Add zucchini and peppers; cook until beginning to soften, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add lima beans and corn; cook until heated through, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. Mix in marjoram. Season with coarse salt and black pepper. Transfer succotash to large bowl and serve.

Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars

Strawberries with Cashew Cream

May 10, 2013 by Ashley 2 Comments

Have you ever had a rich, indulgent dessert that was actually healthy? What about one that was rich and creamy but didn't have any dairy? When I saw this recipe over at Chocolate Covered Katie, I was in awe. Could it really be that good? Had I stumbled across a way for my lactose intolerant husband to enjoy something rich and creamy without guilt? This stuff is amazing. I used ¾ c water and 1 ½ T raw blue agave syrup along with the vanilla and salt and it... was... AMAZING. I couldn't believe how rich it was! And you can even make a savory version of this to make cream sauces. It's been years since I've had fettuccine Alfredo, because of Dino's... condition, so I'm curious to try that out, too. This stuff just plain rocks. I highly recommend you make a batch, stat!

Cashew Cream
Chocolate Covered Katie

1 cup raw cashews or macadamia nuts (120g)
⅓ cup to ¾ cup water (depending on how thick you want your cream)

In a bowl, cover the cashews with water and let sit at least 3 hours (no longer than 8). Drain, then combine the drained cashews with the water and blend until very smooth (a full minute in a Vita-Mix, or much longer in a food processor, making sure to scrape down the sides occasionally). For a sweet cream, add pure vanilla extract, salt, and sweetener (if using ¾c water, add ⅛ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon vanilla. Also add 1-2 tablespoon sugar or maple syrup, or a pinch of stevia, or a few dates.) For a savory vegan cream, add a little salt and perhaps some lemon juice, miso, fresh or dried herbs, etc. This recipe lasts 3-4 days in the fridge, or it can be frozen. Makes up to 1 ½ cups.

Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars

Slow-Cooker Beef Short Ribs

May 10, 2013 by Ashley Leave a Comment

I had picked up a beautiful piece of grass-fed beef short ribs from the Farmers' Market a few weeks ago, and wanted to make something simple with it. So I found this recipe and thawed them out. This recipe took a bit of prep beforehand, which I usually try to avoid when I'm using the slow cooker, but this time around it seemed necessary. This turned out to be a superb meal! WOW! The flavor was nice and rich, and the meat was ridiculously tender. The short ribs I used had bones in them, but the meat melted right off. I had a piece that was around 1.5 pounds, so I used that but didn't cut the sauce recipe down. I didn't want it to burn while it was cooking all day. I served this with another loaf of No-Knead Crusty White Bread that I sprinkled a little vegetable ash salt, and another batch of Yellow Tomato, Avocado and Cucumber Salad with Fig Balsamic. It was a fantastic meal, and a great way to celebrate FRIDAY!

Slow-Cooker Beef Short Ribs
Food.com

Total Time: 9 hrs 10 mins
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 9 hrs
Serves 6

MizzNezz's Note: You won't believe how good these ribs are!!! I think we could have these every other night with no complaints! They're YUMMY!!!!

⅓ cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 ½ lbs boneless beef short ribs
¼ cup butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup beef broth
¾ cup red wine vinegar
¾ cup brown sugar
¼ cup chili sauce
2 tablespoons catsup
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon chili powder

Put flour, salt and pepper in a bag.

Add ribs and shake to coat.

Brown ribs in butter in a lg skillet.

Put in slow cooker.

In same skillet, combine remaining ingredients.

Bring to a boil, stirring.

Pour over ribs.

Cover and cook on low for 9 hours.

Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars

April Bloomfield's English Porridge

May 9, 2013 by Ashley 1 Comment

Oatmeal is such a nice, comforting way to start the day. I love steel-cut oats, but they take some time to prepare. I also enjoy regular oats, but they can be a little... meh. I mean, once you've had a bowl of beautiful, chewy steel-cut oatmeal, it's kind of hard to go back. So when I saw this recipe that called for a 50/50 mix of both types of oats, I was immediately interested. I had planned on making this at some point for the last few weeks, but finally got around to it today. It was really rainy and dreary outside, so it was the perfect bowl of comfort. This porridge is rich and creamy, and subtly sweet. I used maple syrup to sweeten it, and it was fantastic. My son really liked it, too. My husband won't get to indulge, since he's lactose intolerant. I wonder if this would be as good with soy or almond milk. Hmm... Anyway, this doesn't take a lot of time, just make sure you stay near the stove to stir it so you don't end up with oats stuck to your saucepan. I only used ½ teaspoon of salt - I figured I could add some later if it needed more. I let this simmer while I was prepping the beef stew for my friends, and it was great. My house smelled ridiculously amazing all morning!

April Bloomfield's English Porridge
Food52

Author Notes: This porridge is just right. Bloomfield calls for equal parts of two styles of oats, which means the steel-cut bits keep their pop, while the rolled oats melt around them -- and getting them to the perfect texture only takes 20 minutes. Cooking with half milk, half water is enough to make it feel rich and loving, without slogging you down first thing in the morning. This will seem like a lot of salt. But it won't be too much, because at the end you'll add something sweet and something milky and it will all live in harmony. Adapted slightly from A Girl and Her Pig (Ecco, 2012)

Serves 2 to 3

1 ½ cup whole milk, plus a few generous splashes
1 ½ cup water
1 ½ teaspoon Maldon, or other flaky sea salt (if using finer salt, start with ½ teaspoon and add to taste)
½ cup rolled oats
½ cup steel-cut oats
About 2 tablespoons sugar (maple, brown, or white) or maple syrup

Combine the milk, water, and salt in a medium pot (a 2-quart pot should do it) and set over high heat. As soon as the liquid comes to a gentle simmer, add both kinds of oats and lower the heat to medium. Cook the oats at a steady simmer, stirring frequently and lowering the heat as necessary to maintain the simmer. After about 20 minutes at the simmer, the rolled oats will have turned a bit mushy, while the steel-cut oats will be just tender and pop when you bite them. Taste for seasoning -- it should be on the salty side. Add sugar or syrup. Spoon the porridge into warm bowls and let it sit for a minute. Then carefully pour a little cold milk around the edges of each bowl, so it pools all the way round. Sprinkle a five-fingered pinch of sugar or drizzle the syrup in the center of each and let it melt, then serve right away.

Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars

Sweet-and-Sour Pork with Black Rice

May 7, 2013 by Ashley 2 Comments

This week, I'm trying to use up some of the items in my freezer... you know, to make room for more frozen goodies. Ha! When I buy pork tenderloin at the store, it usually comes in a 2 pound package that has 2 pieces of pork inside. I like using one and freezing the other. A lot of times, pork doesn't reheat too well (it tends to get dried out in my experience), so I don't like cooking 2 pounds at a time unless I'm cooking for a larger group of people. This recipe was just as good as it was the first time I made it (3 years ago yesterday! I guess early May is when I crave sweet-and-sour dishes!). I also had some black rice that I picked up at H-Mart a while back, and I decided to try making it in the rice cooker. It worked perfectly! I like to put a kitchen towel or paper towel between the rice cooker and lid, making sure it's not hanging over any of the electronics, when cooking to prevent that annoying starchy rice liquid from splattering all over my countertop. Black rice has some fantastic health benefits (helloooo, antioxidants!), and it's a nice change of pace from the typical white or brown rice that I serve. Plus, it looks cool. My toddler really enjoyed this meal, too, which is always a huge plus!

Sweet-and-Sour Pork
The New Holly Clegg Trim & Terrific Cookbook

Makes 6 servings

1 ½ pounds lean boneless pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat, sliced into thin slices
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce*
¼ teaspoon minced garlic
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (20-ounce) can pineapple chunks with juice
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
½ cup chopped green onions (scallions)
1 (11-ounce) can mandarin orange segments, drained
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 cups cooked rice

In a non-stick skillet, cook the pork over medium-high heat for 3 to 5 minutes, or until browned, stirring frequently. Add the tomato sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic and cayenne pepper, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the pork is tender.

Drain the pineapple, reserving the juice. To the pork mixture, add the pineapple, green pepper, green onion, and mandarin oranges; cover and simmer 5 minutes longer, or until the vegetables are crisp-tender.

Combine the cornstarch with the reserved pineapple juice, and stir into the pork mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and boiling. To serve, spoon the pork mixture over the rice.

*Optional: use Gluten Free

Nutritional information per serving:
Calories 366, Protein (g) 27, Carbohydrate (g) 52, Fat (g) 4, Calories from fat (%) 11, Saturated Fat (g) 1, Dietary Fiber (g) 2, Cholesterol (mg) 67, Sodium (mg) 339, Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 1.5 starch, 1.5 fruit, 1 vegetable

Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars

Wild Blueberry, Orange, Banana, Avocado Kale Smoothie

May 6, 2013 by Ashley Leave a Comment

Today's smoothie is full of antioxidants, vitamins and lots of tasty fruits and veggies. I really enjoyed this combination of flavors. This purple powerhouse is a naturally sweet, raw vegan treat.

Wild Blueberry, Orange, Banana, Avocado Kale Smoothie

Star Wars Day: Qui-Gon Jinn-Ger Snaps

May 5, 2013 by Ashley 3 Comments

I made this cookie dough on Star Wars Day, but didn't end up getting around to actually baking them until Cinco de Mayo. So... May the Fifth Be With You. Anyway.

I noticed that there were 2 errors in this recipe - it didn't mention that you need to use softened butter, and it directed you to use the sugar in 2 different places, which wasn't correct. So I fixed that below.

These cookies are nice and crispy, and the apricot filling goes really well with the spiced cookies. I used a small crescent moon-shaped cookie cutter that I had to make the cuts in the doors, which was great for a few reasons.

First of all, the cut out pieces of dough were the perfect size to ~~snack on~~ bake up separately for my toddler. Secondly, I tried the other method and it was a big hassle and didn't look very cool.

So it's not completely authentic to the movie, but I needed to save a little sanity here, people. It was a long weekend - we have been doing some remodeling around the house, and I just wanted to get these cookies baked in close proximity to this nerd holiday 😉

Also, note that I doubled the filling quantities because the original amounts were really skimpy. It made a lot more cookies for me than what the original recipe stated (which was 20), so it was definitely necessary.

Orange, Pear, Avocado Kale Smoothie

May 3, 2013 by Ashley Leave a Comment

It's been a while since I made myself a smoothie, so I picked up a bunch of kale from the store and decided to make a smoothie with some of the fruit that I had on hand.

For some reason, I feel compelled to add kale to 99% of my smoothies. It's a really great way to bulk them up and add some wonderful nutrients.

This one was nice and refreshing, and my toddler seriously loved it, too. Bonus!

Buttered Pasta with Peas, Egg and Garlic

May 2, 2013 by Ashley 4 Comments

Looking for something that you can make a big batch of to keep in the fridge for a picky toddler? This stuff has been on heavy rotation in my house lately. Buttered pasta has always been the perfect comfort food for me - simple, tasty and inexpensive. Back in college, I often cooked up some pasta, threw in a bit of minced garlic, parmesan cheese and butter and made a meal out of it. If I had any frozen peas hanging out, I'd add them, too. I still make it for myself sometimes when I'm feeling uninspired or just want something easy to make with ingredients that I always have on hand.

Once my son started eating solid food, I noticed that my mother-in-law was making something similar for him, but she was doing pasta and egg. How had I never thought of this before? You just drop an egg (sometimes I beat it in a small dish first) into the boiling water with the pasta and stir. It's a fantastic way to add extra protein to his diet, especially since he decides to be really picky at mealtimes occasionally now. He will almost always eat a LOT of this stuff. I'm talking more than he should be able to fit in his 17-month-old tummy. So on days like today, I make a big batch of this, put it in a giant bowl to share with him, and put the leftovers in the fridge for the week. When reheating, I usually add another teaspoon of butter to make sure the pasta doesn't dry out. He especially loves the tiny pasta shapes like these stelline and ditalini. The only drawback is that I can almost guarantee that I'll be finding little pieces of pasta all over the house for a few days afterward 😉

Buttered Pasta with Peas, Egg and Garlic
Ashley Covelli

Pasta of choice
Frozen peas
Egg, beaten if desired
Butter
Garlic Powder

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and peas and stir. Add egg and stir. Cook according until the pasta is al dente, stirring occasionally. It may take an extra minute or two since the frozen peas will lower the temperature of the water.

Drain pasta and add butter and garlic powder to taste. Stir until the butter melts and serve.

Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars