berries with coconut cream

>> Wednesday, June 22, 2011

berries with coconut cream

part two of my elegant man food menu is this simple summer dessert (first on the meal plan was garlic knots). with a little help from the store, this treat comes together in less than 5 minutes and serves 4.

check back tomorrow for the main course - it's pasta!

ingredients:
4 cups of your favorite summer fruit - peaches, blueberries, strawberries, cherries, raspberries
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1-8 oz. tub cool whip
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
sweeneted coconut flakes, for garnish

directions:
in a large bowl mix together fruit with lime juice. stir coconut extract into cool whip . serve fruit in dessert bowl, dollop with coconut cream and garnish with coconut flakes.

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garlic knots

garlic knots

warm garlic bread. can't beat it. these tasty carbs are part of my elegant man food menu that i'm writing about for my patch column this week. i gave my bachelor friend cooking lessons and he's now armed with skills to woo women with....garlic. check back later for the rest of the menu.
 
this recipe comes from kelly at just a taste blog.

ingredients:

1 lb. store-bought or homemade pizza dough, at room temperature
flour, for rolling out dough
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon finely chopped italian flat leaf parsley
kosher salt

directions:
preheat oven to 350 degrees.

line baking sheets with parchment paper.

divide the dough in half, keeping half covered under a kitchen towel. roll out the other half on a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin, creating a 10-inch square. if the dough is very stiff, use your hands to stretch it.

cut the 10-inch square in half with a sharp knife or pizza wheel to form two rectangles. cut each rectangle into 12 strips (the cuts should be made so that the strips are shorter and thicker, rather than longer and thinner).

tie each strip into a knot and then arrange the knots on the lined baking sheets. cover them with a kitchen towel while you repeat the rolling, cutting and tying process with the second half of the dough.

bake the knots for 5 minutes, then rotate the baking sheet and bake an additional 3-5 minutes until golden brown and fully cooked.

while knots bake, grate the garlic cloves using a microplane and combine with olive oil and butter in a small sauce pan over low heat. cook just until butter has melted and mixture is warmed. remove from heat and stir in chopped parsley.

immediately after baking, brush the baked knots with the garlic mixture and sprinkle with kosher salt. serve warm.

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homemade steak rub for dad

>> Thursday, June 16, 2011

sorry for the radio silence over here. i'm in costa rica this week with my sister living la vida loca. i'll be back sunday so hold tight foodies.

in the meantime i'm over at patch today sharing a delicious steak rub for father's day.  either bottle it up in a mason jar as a gift or heat up the grill and rub it on some steaks for your papa.  here's the link: http://clarendon.patch.com/articles/homemade-steak-rub-for-dad

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asian chicken salad with ginger dressing

>> Thursday, June 9, 2011


i'm over at clarendon patch today sharing an asian chicken salad recipe to cool you down during this heatwave.

check it out at http://patch.com/A-jfw7

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buttermilk ranch mashed potatoes

>> Wednesday, June 8, 2011


most people know about my obsession with ranch. i took my addiction to a whole new level when i combined this love with my other great love, potatoes, to make these buttermilk mashies.

the result? a garlicky-herbed concoction that has me contemplating whether i should go to ranch-rehab. my grandfather is on a no-carbs diet and he went back for thirds. that there says it all. hopefully the ranch clinic has room for two.

ingredients:
10 red potatoes (skin on), cut into 1-inch cubes
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon hidden valley ranch salad dressing & seasoning mix
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/2 cup light sour cream
salt and pepper

directions:
place the potatoes in a large saucepan, add enough water to cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. cook until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes - cooking time will depend on what size you cut the potatoes. use fork method to determine when they're ready.

once potatoes are cooked, drain in colander and return to pot. using a masher, mash until potatoes reach desired consistency - some like 'em creamy, some like 'em chunky. stir in buttermilk, ranch, chives, and sour cream. season with salt and pepper. garnish with more chives and serve hot.

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cake batter dark chocolate bark

>> Monday, June 6, 2011

stumbling across this recipe online (via how sweet it is) brought back the same feelings i had when i crossed the finish line after running a 10k in april - euphoric, over the moon, unstoppable, inspired. you get the idea.

i mean, cake batter, dark chocolate and sprinkles all in one bite?? this girl is a genius. i felt like i won the culinary jackpot after finding this. with only 4 ingredients, this recipe is so so easy and so so tasty. it's the perfect dessert to bring to a party because it looks elegant and fancy but really takes no effort to make.

ingredients:
6 ounces high quality dark chocolate
12 ounces high quality white chocolate
3 teaspoons yellow cake mix
sprinkles of your choice (at least 3 tablespoons worth or more)

directions:
melt dark chocolate either in the microwave or a double boiler. line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour chocolate on. smooth it with a spatula to the thickness you desire. pop in freezer for 20 minutes.

melt white chocolate. whisk in cake mix slowly, stirring well until no lumps remain. let it set for 3 full minutes (or at least until it slightly thickens). remove baking sheet with chocolate from the freezer and immediately pour white chocolate on top. sprinkle on sprinkles. freeze for 20 minutes.

once set, break into chunks. keep refrigerated.

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win a trip to paris via oh happy day


oh friends. this post makes me so happy to share. one of my favorite design blogs, oh happy day, is giving away a free trip to paris for two. here's the details from the blogger herself:

"I’ve put together a major giveaway that includes 7 night stay at Mama Shelter, the hippest boutique hotel in Paris. Roundtrip Airfare from the continental United States to Paris, France. And on top of that I will personally host* the winner for two days and take them around to my favorite spots in Paris."

enter your chance to win today at http://ohhappyday.com/2011/06/goes-to-paris

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italian herb and cheese fettuccine

>> Friday, June 3, 2011


i'm a sucker for anything new in the food world. i've been seeing commercials and advertisements all over the place for kraft's philadelphia cooking creme. it's one of their newer products that is being marketed as a spoonable version of cream cheese. it comes in four different flavors (original, savory garlic, italian cheese & herb and santa fe blend) and is designed to be stirred to casseroles, pasta dishes, and pizzas to add a little zing to your meals. i'm usually not one for processed foods but it was on sale at the grocery store this week so i picked it up and decided to try it out for myself.

i went with the italian herb and cheese blend and added it to fettuccine noodles and stir-fried vegetables. all and all it was pretty good. i ended up adding some of the pasta cooking water because i felt the sauce was a little too heavy/creamy. if you're in a pinch and don't have time to make your own cream sauce, i would say use this because it's quick and easy. but if you have the time i would make a sauce from scratch because nothing beats fresh ingredients.

ingredients:
1 lb fettuccine noodles
1 tub (10 0z) philadelphia italian herb and cheese blend cooking creme
1 lb turkey sausage, sliced thin
1 (16 oz) package frozen vegetable medley (any will do)
1/2 cup-1 cup reserved pasta cooking water
garnishes: parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes

directions:
cook noodles according to directions. reserve pasta water.

heat large skillet over medium high heat with evoo. brown sausages for about 7 minutes. add frozen vegetables, cover and let cook for about 5 minutes, until vegetables have thawed out. add cooking creme and noodles to skillet and stir together. add reserved pasta water, one ladle at at a time, until sauce is to your desired consistency. sprinkle with parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes. serve immediately.

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extreme makeover appetizer edition: bloomin’ onion bread

>> Thursday, June 2, 2011

i'm over at clarendon patch today where i posted one of the most amazing appetizers i think i've ever made - bloomin' onion bread.
 
check it out here: http://patch.com/A-hV9P

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