Smoky Sweet Potato and Spinach Nests with Bacon and Eggs

My good friend, @trixiestix, got me the sprializer/slicer attachment for my KitchenAid stand mixer. I was thrilled because it was not something that I would have bought for myself. I've been trying it with several types of vegetables, and sweet potatoes have been my favorite so far. This recipe comes together quickly and is perfect for a weeknight meal. I spiralized the sweet potatoes over the weekend, and kept them refrigerated, which saved some time.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 sweet potatoes, spiralized
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
3 c. baby spinach
3 eggs
1/4 c. cheddar cheese
4 slices center-cut bacon, cooked and chopped

Directions

1. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute for 3-5 minutes, until just starting to brown. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. Add the remaining teaspoon of olive oil. Add the sweet potatoes, paprika, red pepper flakes, and thyme. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the bottom of the pan becomes too dark, add a few tablespoons of water and scrape the bottom of the pan.

3. Stir in the spinach until wilted.

4. Heat the oven broiler to high. In the skilled, separate the mixture into 3 mounds. Make a well in the center of each mound and crack an egg in each well. Sprinkle each egg with salt and pepper. Add the cheese.

5. Broil for two minutes or until the egg whites are set. Sprinkle with the chopped bacon.

Chicken and Root Vegetable Curry

We're finally starting to get some cooler weather here in Florida. As soon as it's cool enough leave to the windows open, I love to make aromatic dishes then you can smell all throughout the house, and outside. This braise is ready in under an hour, and will make your kitchen smell amazing.

Ingredients:

4 skin on bone in chicken thighs

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. butter

10 red potatoes, quartered
2 large parsnips, peeled and cut into one inch pieces
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into one inch cubes

1 yellow onion quartered
2 Tbsp. tomato paste

3 Tbsp. red curry paste
1 14 oz can lite coconut milk

1/2 c. chicken broth

1/4 c. fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped.salt and pepper

Directions: 

1. In a dutch oven, or other large pot, heat the butter and oil over medium-high heat.
2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in the pot, skin side down. Cook for five minutes, then flip chicken and cook for another five minutes. Remove from pot and set aside. 
3. Remove some fat from the pot, leaving 2 Tbsp in the pot. Add the potatoes, parsnips, sweet potato, and onion. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to brown. 
4. Stir in the tomato paste and curry paste and cook for 2 minutes. 
5. Add the coconut milk and chicken broth, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. 
6. Remove the skin from the chicken, and return it to the pot.
7. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and cook for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
8. Remove the chicken from the pot. Shred the chicken, discard bones, and stir it back in to the pot. 
9. Sprinkle individual servings with cilantro or parsley.

Chicken, Zucchini, and Tortellini Soup

I was browsing the aisles of the supermarket this weekend, and one refrigerated case had chicken breast, tortellini, and zucchini in it. The combination of those ingredients seemed meant for a soup, so I developed this recipe last night. It's fairly easy and comes together quickly. The longest part is chopping the vegetables.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 carrots, sliced into  1/4 inch slices
1 celery rib, diced
1 onion, chopped fine
1.5 tsp. salt , divided
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 c. dry white wine
4 c. chicken broth
1 lb chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced into 1/2 inch slices
1 nine ounce package of refrigerated tortellini

Directions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat. 
2. Add carrots, celery, and onion. Add 1/2 tsp. salt. Cook for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are just beginning to brown. 
3. Add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. 
4. Add the wine, scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. 
5. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
6. Sprinkle chicken breast with remining salt and pepper. Add to the broth.
7. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. 
8. Add the zucchini and tortellini, then cook for another 10 minutes uncovered. Serve.

Getting Ready for Fall: Smoky Pumpkin Soup with Chicken

 As autumn approaches, the in-season produce changes from zucchini and corn to vegetables like butternut squash and pumpkin. Unfortunately in Florida, the end of September sees temperatures in the high 80's and low 90's. In hope of bringing the cooler temperatures here a little quicker, I created this soup recipe. The bacon, paprika, chipotle, and cumin add smoky flavors that offset the sweetness of the pumpkin. While you definitely could cube the chicken and cook it in the soup, I like the texture better with shredded chicken. You can use shredded rotisserie chicken breast, or cook the chicken and shred it, which is what I did. 

Ingredients

4 strips bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

5 cups chicken broth

1 15 oz can pumpkin (Not pumpkin pie filling!)

1 chipotle in adobo, chopped

2 tsp. smoked paprika

1 tsp. cumin

1 lb. cooked chicken breast, shredded

1/4 c. flat leaf parsley, chopped

Directions

1. In a Dutch oven or other large pot, cook the bacon over medium low heat until the bacon is crisp and the fat renders. Drain the bacon on a paper towel lined plate and reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings.
2. Add the reserved bacon drippings and 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the pan.  Add the carrots, onions, and celery and saute for 8 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
3. Add  the garlic, tomato paste, paprika, and cumin. Cook for two minutes.  
4. Mix in the pumpkin and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Whisk in the chicken broth, bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
6. Puree until smooth with a hand blender. 
7. Add chicken and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. 
8. Serve, sprinkled with chopped parsley and bacon.

Chocolate Coconut Bites with Salted Caramel Sauce

I've been getting monthly deliveries from The Hatchery for past few months. They provide small samples of lots of different ingredients - everything from tea seed oil to white chocolate peanut butter.  When I received a jar of CC Made Caramel Sauce, I knew I wanted to do something with it other then drizzling over ice cream.

These cookies are crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. The chocolate, coconut, and caramel flavors are amazing together.

Ingredients

3/4 c. powdered sugar

1/2 c. granulated sugar

3 Tbsp. flour

3 Tbsp. unsweetened, dutch processed cocoa powder

2 large egg whites

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
1/4 c. caramel sauce
Kosher salt

Directions

1. Stir the sugars, flour, and cocoa powder together. 
2. Whip the egg whites to soft peaks using a whisk or mixer. Add the vanilla and stir until incorporated. 
3. Slowly add the sugar mixture and mix until combined.
4. Fold in the coconut.
5. Place tablespoon sized dollops on two parchment linked baking sheets. Bake at 325F for 22 minutes, rotating the baking sheets at 11 minutes. 
6. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 
7. Microwave caramel sauce until it is a pourable consistency. Place in zip top bag. Cut off a small corner of the bag and drizzle sauce over the cooled cookies. 
8. Sprinkle a pinch of kosher salt over the cookies.  
9. Store in an airtight container. 

Apple Cranberry Crock Pot Oatmeal

I first prepared oatmeal using steel cut oats a few weeks ago. I love the texture, but the few recipes that I tried did not have a lot of flavor. I like using my slow cooker so I can start the oatmeal before I go to bed, and have a hot breakfast ready for me when I wake up, and enough to last the rest of the week. 

I had a lot of apples and pears in my house this weekend so I made some apple pear butter, and then used it in this Apple Cranberry Crock Pot Oatmeal. I'm sure store bought apple butter would make the oatmeal taste just as good. This recipe produces about 8 cups of cooked oatmeal.  If you don't have apple cider, replace it with an additional cup of water. Make sure to use the cooking spray so the oatmeal doesn't stick.  I like to use Reynolds slow cooker liners, which makes cleanup easier. 

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 2 c. steel cut oats (I used Bob's Red Mill) 
• 1 c. apple cider 
• 1 c. dried cranberries, chopped
• 1/4 c. maple syrup
• 1/2 c. apple butter
• 6 c. water 
• 1 tsp.cinnamon 
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• Chopped walunts (optional)

Directions

1.  If using a slow cooker liner, place in slow cooker.  Spray thoroughly with cooking spray.
2. Place all remaining ingredients in slow cooker. Stir to combine.
3. Cook on low for 7 hours, with the lid on. 
4. Remove lid. The oatmeal will appear very wet and loose. Stir for about 30 seconds, being sure to scrape along the edges. The texture will change to that of typical oatmeal. Top each serving with chopped walnuts, if desired.   

The Make Ahead Cook - Chicken Tagine

As I continued to cook my way through the America's Test Kitchen Make Ahead cookbook,  I decided to make Chicken Tagine. This is a North African dish using chicken thighs, dried apricots, and olives. It's a braised dish, meaning that they meat is first browned, and then simmered in liquid until finished.

The dish starts by browning skin-on chicken thighs. The chicken is removed, and onions and other aromatics are browned. A spice mixture is added, which immediately makes the kitchen smell amazing! Broth and the browned chicken are added, along with carrots. The dish is simmered until the chicken reaches 160F. Prior to serving, olives, cilantro, dried apricots, and lemon juice are added.

This dish was the first time I have ever tried olives.  The flavor of the olives worked well in this dish, but I don't think I would eat them on their own. I served this over couscous, which absorbed the juices from the chicken. The recipe can be found here.  Enjoy!

The Make Ahead Cook - Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables

While I do not make New Year's resolutions, I do think it's important to set goals for myself. So I decided to buy a cookbook and make everything in it. It doesn't matter if its something I normally wouldn't make or an ingredient that I may not like or haven't tried. I'm determined to get through the whole book. I hope to learn some new techniques, try different ingredients, and explore various cuisines.

I went to Barnes and Noble and browsed the cookbook section. I decided on the Make Ahead Cook by America's Test Kitchen. It has over 150 recipes and various types of cuisine. The book is broken up into different sections such as meals that you can prepare and then finish cooking the next day, slow cooker recipes, meals that you can freeze, and meals that you can, prepare, put in the refrigerator and finish later. I decided to start off with Roasted Chicken and Root Vegetables.

I've made one-pan chicken and vegetables before. It's good, but the vegetables really don't get crisp. They sit in the chicken juices, get steamed, and taste greasy. This recipe resolves that issue. Instead of using a whole chicken, a cut-up chicken is used. The individual chicken pieces give off less moisture. After the chicken is done, the vegetables go back in the oven for one last blast at high heat, which gives them great color and flavor. I used parsnips, potatoes, shallots, and Brussels sprouts. The vegetables and chicken marinate in herbs and olive oil for a few hours, then are roasted in the oven. You can view the complete recipe here.

Prepping the vegetables

Placing the Brussels sprouts towards the center of the pan prevents overcooking

White meat in the middle of the pan ensures it stays moist.

Spiced Oven Fries

This is an easy and tasty side dish. It is fast to prepare, uses pantry staples and goes great with roasted beef, pork, or chicken.

Ingredients 

• 4 russet potatoes
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1.5 Tbsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
   
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Slice the potatoes into 1 inch wide planks, then slice the planks into 1 inch fries. 
3. Place the fries on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the spices and oil on the baking sheet.  Mix well, ensuring every fry is coated with both oil and spices. 
4. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes until brown and crisp.

Thanksgiving Day Tips and Grandma's Stuffing

Over the past 10 years, I have cooked Thanksgiving dinner many times. It is one of my favorite days of the year. I love family and friends getting together and sharing a good meal. Here are some tips that will help you have a great Thanksgiving dinner:

• Make a list and a schedule. Determine everything you want to make and when each item need to go into the oven or cook on the stove top.
• Print out recipes for everything you're going to cook. This will help keep you organized and you can make sure that you have all the ingredients you need.
• Make sure you move the turkey from the freezer and refrigerator a few days early so it can thaw. 
• Thanksgiving dinner is not the time to experiment. Use recipes that you are familiar with and that you made in the past.This will help alleviate any Thanksgiving disasters.
• If guests want to help, let them.There is no reason why you need to make the entire meal yourselves. Let guests bring appetizers, wine, side dishes, or dessert.
• Don't feel like you need to make everything yourself. There's nothing wrong with buying a pre-made pie or salad in a bag.
• If you don't have one, buy a meat thermometer. The little pop-up timers in turkeys are incredibly inaccurate.
• Buy a carving board. A carving board is the one that has a channel around it to catch any juices.
• Also purchase an electric knife. It comes in very handy when it is time to carve turkey.
• Let the turkey rest for at least 30 min. before carving. Don't tent with foil or the skin will not remain as crisp.

Below is a recipe for my grandmother's stuffing.  All of the ingredients are pretty common, and they taste amazing together in this recipe. I am a firm believer in stuffing the turkey, but if you don't want to do that you can certainly bake this in a casserole – with some chicken or turkey stock added if needed to keep it moist.

2 onions, chopped

3 stalks of celery chopped

1 loaf of white bread

3 Italian pork sausage links, removed from skin

1 to 2 eggs

Italian seasoning

chicken broth

seasoned breadcrumbs

salt and pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 250°F. Dice the bread into 1 inch cubes. Bake for 30 to 60 min. until the bread is dried, but not browned.
2. Browned sausage in large skillet over medium-high heat. After fat renders, and onion. Cook for 5 to 8 min. until brown.
3. And celery to skillet. Cook for 3 to 4 min. And bread cubes to pan and mix thoroughly. Cook for 3 to 5 min., then and 1 to 2 cups of chicken broth until bread i just moistened.
4. Scraping pan to remove any browned bits. Cook 10 min. over low heat, stirring constantly.
5. Play stuffing mixture in large bowl. Beat in one egg (two if a large turkey). Stir in Italian seasoning. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If stuffing is too moist, and bread crumbs

Slow Cooker Pulled Sesame Chicken with Broccoli

Although this recipe is mostly done in the slow cooker, it starts on the stove. Since browning never happens in a slow cooker, this recipe starts out on the stove top. The chicken and aromatics are given a quick saute to develop flavor.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil, divided
2 lbs. bone-in, skinless chicken thighs
1/3 c. low sodium soy sauce
1/4 c. honey
3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, grated
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp. sriracha sauce
1 heaping Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 c. chicken broth
2 Tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted
2 scallions, sliced in 1/2 inch pieces
3 c. broccoli florets

Directions

1.  In a large skillet, over medium heat, add 1 Tbsp. sesame oil. After letting it heat for a few minutes, add the chicken thighs. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and saute for 5 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned. Remove chicken thighs from pan and place in slow cooker.  

2.  Add the garlic, ginger, and onion to the skillet.  Saute for 6-8 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add to the slow cooker along with any liquid in the pan.  

3.  In a small bowl, whisk the soy sauce, honey, rice wine vinegar and sriracha together.  Pour over the chicken. 

4.  Place cover on slow cooker and cook on low for four hours.  

5.  Remove chicken from slow cooker (it should be very tender).  Shred the chicken and discard the bones (or save them for stock).  

6.  In a small bowl, add the cornstarch to the chicken broth. Whisk to dissolve.  

7.  Add the cornstarch mixture to the slow cooker along with the broccoli florets. With the lid off, cook on high for 20 minutes or until the mixture thickens.

8.  Stir in the shredded chicken and the remaining 1 Tbsp. of sesame oil. Top with sesame seeds and scallions.

Artichoke, Arugula, and Prosciutto Pizza at Home - The Basics

I love making pizza at home. It's easy to do, doesn't require a lot of hands on time, and tastes much better than anything delivered from a restaurant chain.  It also allows me to experiment with new vegetables, cheeses and sauces. 

My local supermarket makes a great pizza dough, so that's my starting point. I have made the dough myself in the past, and it tastes just the same, so I'd rather use store bought dough and focus on really good toppings. 

Here are some tips for making a great pizza:

• Take the dough out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before you plan on getting started cooking. I try to do an hour if I can. Letting it come up to room temperature will make it much easier to work with. 
• Don't rush rolling and stretching the dough. If it starts to spring back after you roll it, leave it alone for five minutes (start prepping your other ingredients and try again. 
• Sprinkle your work surface and the top of the dough with a little flour before rolling. This should prevent the dough from sticking to the work surface or your rolling pin. Picking up the dough and moving it will also prevent sticking. 
• When rolling the dough, use gentle pressure. If you press down really hard, the dough will likely stick. 
• If using vegetables, try to remove excess moisture. Squeeze frozen thawed vegetables in a clean kitchen towel or saute vegetables with a lot of moisture (zucchini, squash, onions.)
• Break out a ruler.  If the recipe states to roll out the dough to a certain size, match that size. Otherwise your pizza may be too thin and tear, or too thick and bready. 

Here's the recipe for Artichoke, Arugula, and Prosciutto Pizza, adapted from cookinglight.com. I never had artichokes before this.  For the pesto, you can buy some already made, or see this post for a quick and easy pesto recipe. 

Ingredients:

Cooking spray

1 tablespoon cornmeal

1 lb. pizza dough

2 tablespoons pesto

1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1 (9-ounce) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and drained

1 ounce thinly sliced prosciutto

2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

1 cup baby arugula leaves

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions 

Position oven rack to lowest setting. Preheat oven to 500°

Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray; sprinkle with cornmeal. Roll out dough into a 14 x 10-inch rectangle and place on baking sheet. 

Spread the pesto evenly over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over pesto. Place baking sheet on the bottom oven rack; bake at 500° for 5 minutes. Remove pizza from oven.

Pesto and mozzarella on the dough.

Coarsely chop artichokes. Arrange artichokes on pizza; top with sliced prosciutto. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Return pizza to the bottom oven rack; bake an additional 6 minutes or until crust is browned.

Place arugula in a bowl. Drizzle juice over arugula; toss gently. Top the pizza with arugula mixture. Cut the pizza into 4 (7 x 5-inch) rectangles; cut each rectangle diagonally into 2 wedges.

Adding the artichokes, prosciutto, and parmesan.

Indian Spiced Brussels Sprouts (or Cute Curried Cabbages)

I was trying out a tandoori chicken recipe and wanted to make a vegetable to go with it. I decided to mix some of the spices used in the chcken together with some Brussels sprouts...it was a hit!

Ingredients

 1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
1 Tbsp. honey
1 lb. Brussels sprouts, halved, with outer leaves removed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. Mix together the coriander, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, salt and pepper. 
3. Drizzle 2 tsp. vegetable oil and the spices from the previous step over the Brussels sprouts.
4. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. 
5. Mix the remaining teaspoon of vegetable oil with the honey. Drizzle over the Brussels sprouts and roast for another 4 minutes.

Zucchini and Tomato Tortellini with Cheesy Bread Crumb Topping

I planned on making a lazy dinner tonight - just some pasta and sauce. As I was putting the groceries away, I realized I had a good combination of ingredients that I could use to crate a meal with several fresh vegetables that would take only a little bit longer than my original idea. Enjoy! If you make it, leave a comment letting me know what you thought of it.

Ingredients

2 slices pancetta, diced
4 tsp. olive oil, divided
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
1 medium zucchini, cubed
20 grape tomatoes, halved
1 package dried tortellini
1/3 c. shredded Italian blend cheese
1/4 c. panko bread crumbs
1/4 c. fresh basil

Directions

1. Cook the tortellini according to package directions. Reserve 1/3 of the cooking water before draining. 
2. Heat 2 tsp. olive oil in a broiler safe skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and sauté for 5 minutes, until crisp. Remove pancetta from pan and let drain on paper towels. 
3. Add the onion and garlic to the pan. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. 
4. Add the zucchini and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Preheat broiler.
6. Deglaze the pan with the reserved cooking water, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. 
7. Add the cooked tortellini to the pan. Mix well to combine.
8. In a small bowl, mix the cheese, bread crumbs, and remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil sprinkle over the tortellini mixture. 
9. Place pan under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes, until topping is golden brown. 
10. Remove from oven and top with pancetta and torn basil. 

Ridiculously Easy Blended Coffee Drink

I hate to even call this a recipe...I just threw some ingredients in a blender and whirred it up, but it came out really tasty and frothy.

Ingredients

1 c. cold brewed coffee
3/4 c. milk
1 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. ice
nutmeg

Directions

1. Blend the first four ingredients in a blender on high for two minutes.
2. Pour into a glass. Sprinkle with nutmeg. 

Cultured Butter - Less than an Hour Hands on Time

Flipping through my America's Test Kitchen DIY cookbook, I found a recipe for cultured butter that sounded intriguing. Adding yogurt into the cream introduces bacteria which gives it some tang. I was surprised how easy it was. When I make my family's Christmas cookies this year (Vanilla Kipfels) I may try using homemade butter.

Ingredients

4 c. heavy cream
1/3 cup Greek yogurt (the recipe recommends Stonyfield Farms Greek Yogurt - I used the lowfat one.
1/4 tsp. salt  (optional)

Directions

1.  Make sure the cream and yogurt are at room temperature. Place the two in a large container, cover, and shake well. Remove the container and cover with a kitchen towel. Leave out in a location around 75 degrees for 18 to 48 hours until the mixture is thickened to the consistency of yogurt. Refrigerate for about 2 hours until the temperature of the mixtures is 60 degrees.
2. Place 4 cups of ice water in the refrigerator (you'll need this after the cream is whipped.) Line a fine-mesh strainer with a triple layer of cheesecloth and place the strainer over a large bowl. 
3. Place the cream mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Cover the stand mixer with plastic wrap - this is to prevent splatters, and there will be some! 
4. Whip on high speed until the cream separates into butter and buttermilk. You'll see spatters starting to hit the plastic wrap. It took about 3 minutes to get to this stage for me. 
5. Strain the butter through the cheesecloth. Push down gently with a spatula, then gather up the ends of the cheesecloth, gather the butter into a ball, and squeeze. The goal is to get rid of as much buttermilk as possible, as it can make the butter turn rancid quicker. 
6. Place the butter into a large bowl. Pure 1/3 c. of ice water over the butter, and use a spatula to mash the butter against the side of the bowl. Drain the liquid and repeat a few more times until the water runs clear. 
7. Transfer to a container for storage. I split my butter into two logs. One got wrapped in parchment and stored in the freezer. The other went into the fridge.

Dried Herbs - From Garden to Jar in Under Five Minutes

I have an abundance of rosemary growing in my herb garden. While I'm glad that it's thriving so well, there's not much that you can do with a lot of it at once, since too much in a dish can be overpowering.

I decided to dry some of it. I found a great video online that demonstrates a quick way to dry herbs.

1. Lay the herbs in a single layer on a paper towel.

2. Cover with another paper towel and microwave for two minutes.

3. After microwaving, the herbs are very dry and brittle. Transfer them to a piece of parchment paper.

After microwaving, the herbs are dry and crush easily.

4. Pull the dried herbs from the stems (they should fall off easily) and crush between you fingers.

The parchment allows easy transfer to a jar.

5. Pick up the ends of the parchment and transfer the dried herbs into a clean, dry container.

6. Store, tightly sealed, in a cool, dark location.

Almond Mini Tarts

A friend of mine forwarded me a recipe for pecan pie tarts. It looked rather bland, but  a good starting point. After a few tweaks and substitutions, I came up with the recipe below. The almonds provide crunch, the edges are a little crisp, and the browned butter provides a great toasty flavor. This makes 18 tarts.

Ingredients

3/4 c.  almonds
1 stick of butter 
1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 c. packed light brown,sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
Dash cinnamon

Directions

1. Grease 2 mini muffin tins. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Toast the almonds in  a dry skillet over medium heat until they are light brown and you can smell them. Remove from heat and place in a medium sized bowl. 
3. Melt the butter over medium heat. Continue to cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter begins to brown and has a nutty aroma. Let cool slightly, then add to bowl with the almonds. 
4. Stir in the flour, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt and cinnamon into the almond-butter mixture until combined.
5. Add to muffin tins, filling each cup about 3/4 of the way full. 
6. Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. 
7. Let cool 15-20 minutes, and enjoy!

Orange Creamsicle in a Glass

Ingredients:

1 c. Sierra Mist soda
2 shots Pinnacle Whipped vodka
1 shot orange juice

Directions:

Mix ingredients in a glass with ice. Enjoy!

Aw Shucks - A Fast Way to Remove Corn Husks and Silk

Removing the husk and silk from corn can be a pain. The silk never comes completely off, even when you use one of those brushes, and then you're pulling it out of your teeth.

I found this video tip which uses the microwave to create steam between the corn and husk. You then just shake/squeeze the corn and it comes out, silk free. I tried it last night and it worked great! I then grilled the corn, which tasted great slathered with some butter. Try it next time you're going to make some corn!