Apr 11 2014

Looks Lovely! Crackled Easter Eggs

Posted by Betsy (TK) in Looks Delicious!

Dyeing eggs is a magical experience, whether you’re a little or big kid … or a forty-year-old one. There’s the vinegar smell of the bowls of dye, the delicate balance of the egg on the wire holder and the thrill of hunting for and finding your specially decorated egg. And let us not forget all that tasty egg salad.

We’re excited about making a beautiful bowl of multi-colored eggs, and Tasty Kitchen member Stephanie shared a new crafty and clever way to decorate them, courtesy of Real Simple. We love the vibrant colors of these Crackled Easter Eggs. We’re definitely trying this technique.

We hope you enjoy all your Easter traditions. Remember to browse our Easter recipes for more scrumptious food for your Easter feast.

Here’s the link to the printable on Tasty Kitchen: Crackled Easter Eggs

Apr 9 2014

Growing Herbs

Posted by Erika (TK) in Kitchen Talk

The birds are chirping, mornings come a little bit earlier each day, and that tickle in my throat is telling me that pollen is floating around in the air, bringing with it the promise of new life. Spring is finally here!

Many winter-weary folks have started flocking to garden centers, eager to begin work on their yards and planters. I love the garden center early in the season because the racks of herb plants are still packed, and the number of varieties that you can now bring home keeps growing. Varieties like chocolate mint, Thai basil, or my personal favorite, culantro, which I like to refer to as cilantro on steroids.

So let’s talk about herbs today! Tell us:

Do you have any tips for growing herbs at home?

I am, sadly, quite the pitiful gardener. But I keep trying, hoping that one day, I’ll be among those who have lush little pots of herbs on their kitchen windowsill, who never have to run to the store every time they need some basil for pasta, or cilantro for salsa. So I’ll be eagerly reading all your comments!

Betsy says to take the leaves off the top of the basil plant rather than the lower leaves to keep the plant growing fuller and not taller. (She also said she wasn’t quite sure and not to quote her, but sometimes I don’t hear well.)

Nanci adamantly warns never to plant mint in the ground or it will take over the world. She’d also love for someone to tell her how to grow cilantro, because it always seems to get tall and leggy and go to seed on her. (I’ll pretend I know what that means. Like I said, pitiful gardener.)

How about you? What advice do you have for growing herbs? Share your tips with us below!

Apr 7 2014

Creamy Chicken and Sun-dried Tomato Fettucine

Posted by Megan {Country Cleaver} in Step-by-Step Recipes

I love finding new inspiration on Tasty Kitchen. There is always new stuff to find and try. When I joined TK, I kept filling my Recipe Box with so many great community recipes that I just “had to try” but it dawned on me that I hadn’t actually made any of them! Tragedy! The first recipe I ever made from Tasty Kitchen was Creamy Chicken and Sun-dried Tomato Fettucine from Natalie Perry. The flavors all combined so beautifully and the sauce was addicting! I would eat it for days on end.

The ingredients in this dish are really simple and include fettuccine, jarred sun-dried tomato pesto (Natalie also has a recipe here in TK for a homemade version), goat cheese crumbles, spinach, marinated artichoke hearts, green onions, and salt and pepper. Shredding leftover roasted chicken into this pasta adds something nice to the dish, or keep it vegetarian for a Meatless Monday meal!

To start, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Prepare fettuccine noodles according to package directions. Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water for making the sauce. Pour the drained pasta into a large bowl.

Grab the pesto and chop the artichoke hearts. Now you’re ready to put this all together.

Stir the jarred sun dried tomato pesto, goat cheese, green onions, and artichoke hearts into the pasta and coat the noodles evenly. Add in some of the reserved pasta water if the sauce is too thick. Add in spinach and combine. The heat from the pasta will help the spinach wilt slightly. If you think it needs a little extra seasoning, add in a little salt and pepper to taste.

If you do add chicken, stir it in at this step and toss to coat the chicken in the creamy sauce.

Then serve! I always add a little more goat cheese to the top. The creamy tang is just too irresistible for words!

A big thank you to Natalie for this wonderful dish. Be sure to check out Natalie’s blog, Perry’s Plate, for more amazing recipes, including loads of paleo-inspired dishes. She’s just brimming with creativity and healthy eats!

Printable Recipe

Creamy Chicken & Sun-dried Tomato Fettucine

by Natalie | Perry's Plate on May 3, 2010 in Main Courses, Pasta

See post on Natalie | Perry's Plate’s site!

4.33 Mitt(s) 9 Rating(s) 9 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5

Description

Made with a homemade sun-dried tomato pesto and comes together in under 30 minutes!

Ingredients

8 ounces, weight Whole Wheat Fettucine (spaghetti Or Linguine Would Also Work)
1-½ cup Cooked Diced Or Shredded Chicken
1 cup Jarred Marinated Artichoke Hearts, Chopped
2 cups Chopped Fresh Baby Spinach (about 3 Big Handfuls)
⅓ cups Sun-dried Tomato Pesto (also In My Recipe Box)
1 whole Green Onion, Sliced Thinly
2 ounces, weight Goat Cheese, Plus More For Garnish
⅛ teaspoons Salt And Black Pepper (or To Taste)

Preparation Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add 2 tablespoons salt to the water, then add pasta. Cook according to package directions, until al dente. Meanwhile, prepare other ingredients.

When pasta is finished cooking, remove a cup of the pasta water from the pot and set aside. Drain remaining water and place cooked pasta in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and stir until the pesto and goat cheese have coated everything and the spinach has wilted. If it gets too thick and cumbersome, add reserved pasta water a few tablespoonfuls at a time to loosen things up. The pasta should be lightly coated with a sauce, but not watery.

Makes about 4 servings.

_______________________________________

Megan Keno is the writer and photographer of Country Cleaver, a food blog fueled by Nutella and images of June Cleaver—if June wore cowboy boots and flannel, that is. A self-proclaimed country bum, Megan creates from-scratch recipes that range from simple to sublime and how-to’s to build your cooking repertoire. But she couldn’t do it without the help of her trusty—and furry—sous chef, Huckleberry. He’s a world class floor cleaner.

Apr 4 2014

Skinny Crab Rangoon

Posted by georgiapellegrini in Step-by-Step Recipes

Ragoons, while always delicious, are not your typical go-to health snack. They are generally time-consuming and full of calories. This quick Skinny Crab Rangoon recipe by TK member Dara of Generation Y Foodie, however, takes about 15 minutes, and is only 41 calories per ragoon!

You’re going to start with wonton wrappers, lump crab meat, Worcestershire sauce, curry powder, ground ginger, cayenne pepper, reduced fat cream cheese, and washed and chopped scallions.

Heat the oven to 375˚F. Spray a muffin tin with olive oil spray and push a wonton wrapper into each tin.

In a mixing bowl, combine the crab (you have to make sure you bought lump crab) with the Worcestershire sauce.

Sprinkle in the curry, ginger, and cayenne pepper.

Add the cream cheese and mix it all together.

Fold in the scallions, mashing with a fork.

Spoon the mixture into the wonton wrappers.

Brush the ends of the wonton wrappers with water so that the tops can be sealed together.

Fold the wontons, sealing the edges with your fingers. Bake for 10 minutes or until the ends are slightly browned.

You can garnish these with some greens, and you’re ready to eat! These would make fantastic party food because they are bite-sized, classy-looking, and there’s no mess.

Thanks for the recipe, Dara!

Printable Recipe