Tasty Kitchen Blog » A Cozy Kitchen

Whole Wheat Honey Oatmeal Bread

A Cozy Kitchen — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 13:58:01 +0000

There’s simply nothing like fresh homemade bread. Despite knowing the powers of “homemade,” I usually leave bread as a grocery-store purchase but when I came across this Whole Wheat Honey Oatmeal Bread recipe by TK member Stephanie (a she recipe adapted from White On Rice Couple), I was enamored with the combination of oats, honey and whole wheat flour. When this loaf came out of the oven, I immediately made a commitment to myself to bake more bread. This bread yields a loaf that is slightly sweet in flavor, hearty in texture and utterly delicious when eaten warm.

To get started, you’ll need: water, honey, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, oats, butter and salt.

You can make the dough in a stand-up mixer if you have one, but if you don’t, you can make this whole loaf by hand. This dough is actually very easy to knead by hand. It won’t leave you sweating like other doughs.

Combine the water and milk in a microwave-safe bowl and nuke it for 30 to 40 seconds, until the mixture is warm. Then pour in the honey.

Sprinkle the dry active yeast atop the milk mixture and allow it to get nice and foamy, about 10 minutes.

Add the whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour.

Pour in the melted butter and oats.

Mix all of the ingredients together until the dough forms.

If you’re using a stand-up mixer, you can knead the dough using the dough hook for 10 to 15 minutes. If you’re using your hands, you can simply knead the dough on a heavily floured surface for 15 minutes until the dough transform from sticky to nice and smooth.

When you’re done kneading, transfer it to a clean bowl and cover it with a tea towel to rise for 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

After the dough is done with its first rise, this is how it’ll look.

Punch it down and transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Shape it into an 8-by-8-inch square.

Roll up the dough …

And then transfer it to a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan, seam-side down. Cover the loaf again with a tea towel and let it rise for 30 minutes, or until the dough reaches the edges of the pan.

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Sprinkle the oats on top of the loaf and transfer it to the oven to bake for about 45 minutes. You’ll know when the bread is done when the loaf’s top is dark brown and the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Allow the loaf to cool to room temperature and then slice it up!

This bread is a beauty when it comes out of the oven. It’s ideal for everything from your weekday sandwiches to a snack with a cup of coffee. I personally enjoyed a slice with a smear of salted butter and a drizzle of honey. It was perfection.

Thanks for sharing the recipe, Stephanie! Go check out her blog, Girl Versus Dough, for more of her recipes.

Printable Recipe

Whole Wheat Honey Oatmeal Bread

See post on Stephanie | Girl Versus Dough’s site!

5.00 Mitt(s) 6 Rating(s)

Description

Whole wheat sandwich bread made with oats and honey and a whole lot of yum.

Ingredients

1 cup Water
1 cup Milk
2-¼ teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
2 Tablespoons Honey
2-½ cups Whole Wheat Flour
2 cups Bread Or All-Purpose Flour
1 cup Rolled Oats, Plus More For Topping Loaf
4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Melted And Cooled Slightly
1 Tablespoon Salt

Preparation Instructions

Pour water and milk into a microwave-safe bowl; heat 30 to 45 seconds until warm (about 115ºF). Pour into the bowl of a stand mixer.

Add yeast and honey. Let sit 10 minutes until yeast is foamy.

Stir in flours, oats, butter and salt. Using a dough hook, knead on medium speed 6 minutes until dough is smooth, elastic and only slightly sticky (alternatively, knead by hand 10 to 15 minutes on a lightly floured surface until smooth, elastic and only slightly sticky). Keep dough in bowl and cover with a tea towel. Let rise 1 hour until doubled.

When dough is doubled, punch down and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Press into an 8-by-8-inch square, then tuck in sides slightly and roll up into a log. Transfer to a lightly greased 9-by-5-inch loaf pan, seam-side down. Cover with a tea towel and let rise 30 to 40 minutes until dough reaches the edges of the pan (but not doubled).

Heat oven to 400ºF (375ºF if loaf pan is dark or nonstick). Sprinkle oats on top of risen loaf. Bake 40 to 50 minutes, rotating halfway through baking, until loaf is deep brown on top and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Remove from loaf pan and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Adapted from White On Rice Couple.

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Adrianna is the lovely lady behind the scrumptious blog A Cozy Kitchen. It’s filled with all kinds of mouthwatering recipes and gorgeous photography. Whether you’re in the mood for something vegetarian or meaty, fancy or pure comfort, light or decadent, there’s sure to be something there for everyone.

Breakfast Taco Cups

A Cozy Kitchen — Wed, 09 Oct 2013 10:00:20 +0000

Breakfast, hands down, is my favorite meal. I can’t think of a better day than one that starts with a stack of pancakes, and I’ve been known to put an egg on any dish to make it more “breakfast-y.” When I came across this Breakfast Taco Cups recipe from Bev Weidner, I knew it would be a winner. Who wouldn’t want a taco for breakfast?! And its “cup” form makes it super cute for serving at a party or brunch. As someone who is a texture enthusiast, my favorite element of these Breakfast Taco Cups is the crunch factor.

To get started, you’ll need: corn tortillas, spinach or kale, eggs, salt, cheddar cheese, cherry tomatoes, red onion, red bell pepper, bacon and avocado.

Coat the ramekins with cooking spray or rub them with olive oil.

To make the corn tortillas a bit more pliable, nuke them for 15 seconds or so. Mine kept tearing when I tried to layer them in the ramekins, so I simply cut a small slit out of the center and made them into cone-shapes. It worked like a charm.

Start by placing a few leaves of spinach into each tortilla cup.

Next, crack an egg into each cup and top with a dash of salt.

Top each egg with a handful of cheese, four tomato halves, a few slices of red onion, red bell pepper and a sprinkling of bacon bits.

Place another handful of cheese atop the cups and transfer them to a baking sheet to bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

When they come out of the oven, the tortillas will be crispy, the egg runny and the cheese all melty.

These make a perfect breakfast for a breakfast gathering. Or you could take my lead and eat two in one sitting. You’ll enjoy them, trust me.

Thanks, Bev, for the great recipe! Visit her blog Bev Cooks and you’ll see why she’s easily one of my favorites.

Printable Recipe

Breakfast Taco Cups

by Bev Weidner on March 26, 2013 in Breakfast

See post on Bev Weidner’s site!

0.00 Mitt(s) 0 Rating(s)

Description

Now you can have your taco and eat it too. Or something.

Ingredients

6 whole Taco-sized Corn Tortillas
2 cups Chopped Kale (or Any Other Green You Have On Hand)
6 whole Eggs
1 pinch Coarse Salt
½ cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
12 whole Cherry Tomatoes, Halved
⅓ cups Thinly Sliced Red Onion
⅓ cups Diced Red Bell Pepper
3 slices Bacon Cooked Crisp And Crumbled
½ cups Diced Avocado
½ cups Salsa
½ cups Cilantro Leaves, For Garnish

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Stack the tortillas on top of each other on a plate and give them a quick zip in the microwave, for 15 seconds. This warms them so they’re more pliable and easy to maneuver.

Lightly coat 6 individual serving size ramekins with cooking spray. Place a tortilla inside each ramekin, kind of folding it in. Layer a few kale leaves in the bottom of the tortillas, then crack an egg in each cup. Sprinkle a teeny teeny bit of salt on each egg. Then layer with cheese, 4 tomato halves, sliced onion, red bell pepper, and bacon. And more cheese. Put ramekins on a baking tray.

Slide tray in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the egg whites are set and the yolks are nearly done. Go a little longer if you want them hard cooked. Mine weren’t soft by any means, but not totally done, which I love.

Garnish with avocado, cilantro leaves and a little drizzle of salsa. You could even add sour cream if you want!

Go crazy.

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Asparagus Quiche with a Spaghetti Squash Crust

A Cozy Kitchen — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 14:05:19 +0000

Is there anything more perfect and pretty for a Sunday brunch than quiche? Probably not. But let’s be honest, if you’re going for easy, making a quiche ain’t it. On most Sunday mornings—when I’m still trying to wake up—pastry dough isn’t something I want to deal with. So when I saw this recipe from Claire, I was definitely intrigued. This quiche’s crust isn’t made with a traditional pastry dough; instead it’s made using roasted spaghetti squash, making it not only a bit more fuss-free, but also healthier.

Let’s get started!

You want to start the quiche process already having roasted the spaghetti squash. Roasting squash is easy enough: Preheat your oven to 400ºF, line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper, slice the squash in half, place it face down and put it the oven for about 20 minutes.

When it’s done, it’ll be very tender. Start with scooping out the seeds, and then scrape the squash with a fork.

Transfer the spaghetti squash to a bowl and set it aside.

In a medium pan, add a bit of olive oil, the diced onion and sauté for a few minutes. Top the onion with the minced garlic.

Next, trim and cut the asparagus into 1-inch pieces.

Add the asparagus to the pan and cook until slightly tender.

While the asparagus is cooking, crack the eggs in a bowl, add the milk and Swiss cheese.

Next, add some salt and pepper and whisk the ingredients together.

When the asparagus/onion mixture is cooked and you have the egg mixture ready to go, it’s time to get the quiche ready for the oven.

Press the spaghetti squash into the pie dish, lining it evenly all along the bottom and the sides.

Pour the egg mixture into the pie dish.

And then top it all off with the sautéed asparagus and onion mixture.

Transfer it to the oven and bake until it’s golden and delicious.

Spaghetti squash is definitely in season right now, but as we go through fall, I can see it working beautifully with different types of squashes, like acorn or kabocha. Thanks again to Claire for this beautiful and simple recipe. I’m going to enjoy this recipe for many brunches to come! Visit her blog Just Blither Blather for more recipes from this talented and engaging young blogger.

Printable Recipe

Asparagus Quiche with a Spaghetti Squash Crust

by Claire on April 26, 2012 in Casseroles, Main Courses

4.00 Mitt(s) 4 Rating(s)

Description

A quiche perfect for supper in spring!

Ingredients

13 ounces, weight Asparagus
½ Small Yellow Onion
2 cloves Garlic
1 teaspoon Olive Oil
5 Eggs
1 cup Milk
1 cup Swiss Cheese
½ teaspoons Salt
¼ teaspoons Pepper
3 cups Cooked Spaghetti Squash (1 Small Squash)

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Cut off the woody ends of the asparagus. Chop the onion, mince the garlic, and cut the asparagus spears into 1-inch pieces. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat, and saute onion and garlic for several minutes, until the onion is soft. Add the asparagus and continue to saute until the asparagus has turned bright green and is soft but not limp.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, cheese, salt, and pepper.

Grease a pie pan. Press the cooked spaghetti squash to the sides and bottom of the pan, forming an even crust. Pour the egg mixture into the pan. Add the asparagus, onion, and garlic on top of the egg mixture; be sure it sinks in.

Bake for 40 minutes until quiche is firm. Enjoy!

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Lemon Ricotta Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

A Cozy Kitchen — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 14:40:04 +0000

The markets are overflowing with summer squash and zucchini right now. With their arrival, you’ll also find their pretty and delicate flower: the squash blossom. I love them on everything from pizzas to inside quesadillas with melty cheese. But my favorite way to consume them, hands down, is fried. While I’ve had them prepared this way at numerous restaurants, for some reason it has never dawned on me to simply do this myself. That was until I stumbled upon Miss Delish’s recipe for Lemon Ricotta Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms.

Let’s get started!

Stuffing squash blossoms with cheeses like ricotta or goat cheese is pretty common. This recipe is definitely more special because there are two types of cheeses, loads of lemon flavor and fresh basil.

To start, you’re going to finely grate the Parmesan-Reggiano, mince up some basil, zest a whole lemon …

And squeeze its juices into a bowl of ricotta. Salt and pepper to taste and it all together.

Whenever I cook with squash blossoms I like to remove their stamens or pistils. If you open up the flower, you’ll find them on the inside base of the flower. After their removal, transfer the blossoms to a colander, rinse them with water, and gently pat them dry with a paper towel.

Begin to stuff the blossoms with the ricotta mixture. I used about a 1/2 teaspoon per squash blossom. If your blossoms are bigger, you might be need a full teaspoon. Just be sure to not overstuff them. They should be able to close at the top all on their own.

Once the blossoms are stuffed and ready to go, you want to heat up your oil. While the oil is heating up, it’s batter time!

The dry ingredients go in a bowl, along with the soda water. A quick mix and the batter is ready.

Dip, swirl and allow any excess batter to run off of the squash blossoms. A thin coat of batter is all you need.

Gently transfer to the hot oil and fry about 2-3 minutes on each side. And that’s it!

These squash blossoms have a lovely zing in the ricotta due to the lemon zest and lemon juice, but I still love serving them with a few wedges of lemon. Oh, and don’t forget good sea salt. I’m a particular fan of big flakes of Maldon sea salt, but really any salt will do just fine.

When you cut into these cute things, you’ll be met with gooey, warm ricotta that has so much flavor. Simply lovely. Though they’re fried, they’re still light and perfect for the warm weather.

Thanks so much, Jill, for this recipe. It’s really lovely. I’m sure you’ll love it as much as I did. Go check out her blog Miss Delish for more yumminess and some beauty tips, too!

Printable Recipe

Lemon Ricotta Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

by missdelish on September 7, 2011 in Appetizers, Vegetable

See post on missdelish’s site!

0.00 Mitt(s) 0 Rating(s)

Description

Fresh zucchini blossoms stuffed with a lemony ricotta filling, lightly battered and fried until crisp.

Ingredients

1 cup Ricotta Cheese
¼ cups Parmesan Cheese
1 whole Lemon, Juiced And Zested
¼ cups Chopped Basil
Salt And Pepper, to taste
12 whole Medium Zucchini Blossoms
1-½ cup Flour
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1-½ cup Soda Water
Vegetable Oil, For Frying
More Lemon Slices For Serving

Preparation Instructions

In a bowl mix together the ricotta cheese, Parmesan, lemon zest and juice, and basil and then season with salt and pepper to taste.

Fill each of the zucchini blossoms with the ricotta mixture and make sure to squeeze the petals around the filling to secure it in place. Set aside.

In another bowl mix together the flour and baking powder, then carefully whisk in the soda water. Set aside.

In a heavy bottom pot or pan, heat about 2 inches of oil over medium high heat until shimmering. Dip the flowers in the flour mixture and turn them to coat completely. Fry in batches for 2 minutes per side until golden and crispy. Remove to a plate lined with paper towel and immediately season generously with salt.

Wait a minute to pop one of these in your mouth, don’t be like me and scorch off all of your taste buds because you are impatient.

Serve with lemon slices to spritz over top. Enjoy!!

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Cornmeal Buttermilk Cake

A Cozy Kitchen — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 14:29:33 +0000

I love baking cakes for friends’ birthdays. I mean, what’s not to like; it’s a celebration of being given one more year, there’s presents, smiles all around, and cake, of course! Today I present you with a cake I made for no celebration at all—simply the celebration of a random Thursday. I encourage you to do this, too. I made the cake, took it over my friend’s house and we ate it. All. Go Thursday!

To start baking baking this Cornmeal Buttermilk Cake (from Tasty Kitchen member Kelly), you’re going to start by sifting all of the dry ingredients together.

Set the dry ingredients aside, and turn your attention to the wet ingredients. Mix together the melted butter, buttermilk, vanilla and eggs, until everything is nice and smooth.

Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. You’re going to mix this until it’s just combined; big lumps are perfectly fine.

Next, pour the batter into the two prepared cake pans. The recipe calls for two eight-inch pans, I used two nine-inch pans because that’s all I had. If you use the eight-inch, just know that your cake will be a tad bit taller. Definitely a good thing!

Transfer the cake pans to your preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until a skewer placed in the center comes out clean. While your cake is baking and cooling, make the frosting!

Melt some chocolate. Oooh!

Be sure to allow the chocolate to come to room temperature before throwing it in a bowl with the room temperature butter.

Grab your hand-mixer and beat the two together until they’re nice and creamy, and totally combined.

Next up, add the cocoa powder and powdered sugar, and mix once more. Then pour in the buttermilk, slowly, and mix a little bit more.

When your cake is cool, transfer the first layer to a cake stand or plate. I like to line mine with pieces of parchment so frosting doesn’t get all over the place.

Add a few heaping tablespoons to the center of the first cake’s layer, pushing the frosting to the outsides of the cake, and smoothing it out.

Place the second layer atop the first.

Add more frosting to the top, smoothing it out, and using the excess frosting from the top to cover the sides.

I had these ridiculously girly confetti heart sprinkles in my pantry, so I decided to use them. I bet a variety of sprinkles would work out just great. Or, you could simply stop here and serve it up!

I placed the sprinkles on the outside of the top, going in a circular direction. Nothing fancy here!

Slice it up! And serve with a big glass of milk. That’s a must!

This cake has great texture from the cornmeal and the buttermilk adds a lot of moisture. It’s definitely earned its way into my regular cake rotation, for sure! A big thanks to Kelly for this lovely cake recipe–it’s a keeper! Go visit her blog Evil Shenanigans for more of her, well, evil (yet incredibly delicious) shenanigans.

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Meyer Lemon Ricotta Cookies

A Cozy Kitchen — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 10:00:03 +0000

When I saw this recipe from TK member The Church Cook, I thought I was buying into a lemon-flavored shortbread cookie experience. Oh no, my friends–these Meyer Lemon Ricotta Cookies were better than a typical shortbread cookie—times four hundred thousand. These cookies are soft and pillowy; they walk the the line—perfectly—between tart and sweet.

Spring is in the air. It’s upon us, and what better way to embrace it than baking up a batch of these light and zesty cookies. I made these twice: once using Meyer lemons (my grocery store still has them stocked), and then a second time using regular lemons. Both times resulted in utter deliciousness.

Let’s dive in!

Start by mixing all of the dry ingredients together: all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt.

Slice the lemon. Get it ready.

Next, beat the sugar and butter together until nice and fluffy.

Add the eggs.

And then the ricotta. (We’re almost there!)

Fresh lemon juice is added in.

And lastly, the lemon zest.

Fold in the dry ingredient mixture and mix until it just comes together. No overmixing.

Using a cookie scooper (or two teaspoons), drop the cookie dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.

These cookies spread a bit so make sure they’re not super close together.

Transfer them to a preheated oven (set to 375ºF) and bake for 15 minutes. While they’re baking, make the glaze!

To a medium bowl, add the powdered sugar, fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. Yum! Mix it all together until it’s nice and smooth.

When the cookies are cooled to room temperature, drizzle the glaze on top. Get all Jackson Pollock with it—it’s fun!

Allow the glaze to set for 2 hours before serving. But, I mean, if you wanted to serve the cookies while the glaze is all gooey and delicious, I doubt anyone would mind.

I’m excited to try these cookies with different types of citrus, like pomelos, cara cara oranges, and maybe blood oranges. The possibilities are endless!

Big thanks to Kay for this delicious and easy cookie recipe. It has officially earned its way into my treasure trove of great cookie recipes. It should be in yours, too. Go visit her blog, The Church Cook. She has really good recipes, I’m telling you.

Printable Recipe

Meyer Lemon Ricotta Cookies

by The Church Cook (Kay Heritage) on June 24, 2011 in Cookies, Desserts

See post on The Church Cook (Kay Heritage)’s site!

5.00 Mitt(s) 6 Rating(s)

Description

Lemony cookies you will love!

Ingredients

FOR THE COOKIES:
2-½ cups All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1 stick Unsalted Butter, Softened
2 cups Granulated Sugar
2 whole Eggs
1 whole (15-ounce) Container Of Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
3 Tablespoons Fresh Meyer Lemon Juice (regular Can Be Substituted)
1 teaspoon Meyer Lemon Zest (regular Lemon Zest Can Be Substituted)
FOR THE GLAZE:
1-½ cup Powdered Sugar
3 Tablespoons Fresh Meyer Lemon Juice
1 teaspoon Lemon Zest

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

For the cookies: In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In your large mixer bowl, combine the butter and the sugar. Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients. Do not over mix.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 2 tablespoons for each cookie) onto the baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.

For the glaze: Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon about 1/2-teaspoon onto each cooled cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread the glaze. Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours. Pack the cookies into a decorative container.

Make Ahead:
Measure out dry and wet ingredients separately and it makes it so easy on the day of baking. Or bake the cookies and freeze them. On the day of serving, make and glaze the cookies at least a few hours ahead.

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Jalapeno Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms

A Cozy Kitchen — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 11:00:18 +0000

The holiday season is upon us, my friends. Parties, gatherings and festivities galore! I love a good party, and I love a potluck party even more. Stuffed mushrooms are one of my favorite dishes to bring to gatherings. They’re easy to assemble, their bite size shape makes them perfect for guests to eat as they mingle, and who can deny their deliciousness. In particular, these Jalapeno Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms from TK member Kelly of Evil Shenanigans caught my eye. I’ll be honest, the title of the recipe had everything to do with my curiosity. Cheese? Yes. Bacon? Double yes. And spicy, too?! Triple yes.

Let’s get started!

Grab a small bowl and toss the panko bread crumbs with the melted butter.

Clean the mushrooms and remove their stems. Go ahead and dice up the stems and set aside. We’re going to use them later!

Dice up the jalapeno, yellow onion and garlic. Triple threat!

In a saute pan, cook the diced bacon until golden brown and crispy.

Add the jalapenos, onions, garlic …

… and diced stems.

Cook the mixture for five minutes, or until the vegetables become translucent.

This is when the fun starts!

In a medium bowl, mix up the cream cheese and shredded cheddar cheese. Once it’s all mixed, add the warm vegetable/bacon mixture and toss.

Place the mushrooms on a lined baking sheet.

Using a tablespoon, scoop the mixture into the mushroom centers.

Lastly, top each mushroom with a bit of the buttery panko mixture.

I ended up with a bit more mixture left so I ended up getting fifteen mushrooms out of this recipe. I’m definitely not complaining!

Bake the mushrooms for 20 minutes, or until the tops turn a golden brown and the cheese starts to ooze out the sides.

I have big plans for making this again (I’m doubling the recipe next time), taking them to a party and watching as they disappear. This will happen—guaranteed!

Thank you to TK member Kelly for the easy-breezy, amazing recipe. Also, check out her blog, Evil Shenanigans. It’s filled with delicious, comforting dishes! (And if you want to learn more about her and where her blog gets its name, check out her Tasty Kitchen Blog feature.)

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Broccoli Cheddar Soup

A Cozy Kitchen — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:21:45 +0000

Broccoli cheddar soup will forever make me think of those cold college nights when my friends and I would head to Panera to eat copious amounts of soup in bread bowls. It was one of those college activities we did since Panera was super inexpensive, pretty delicious and one of the only restaurants open past 8pm in our teeny-tiny college town. I’ve been wanting to recreate one of my favorite college memories for as long as I can remember, so when I came across this Broccoli Cheddar Soup recipe from TK member Crystal, I knew it was mine for the taking.

Let’s get started, shall we?

You’ll need to steam some broccoli (I’ll admit I totally forgot this step and it turned out great!), finely dice some onions, and shred two different types of cheeses: extra sharp white cheddar and extra sharp yellow cheddar.

Next you’re going to add the broccoli to a food processor and pulse until it’s the consistency of a meal.

In a large stock pot, melt the butter and add the onion. You’ll want to cook them until they’re translucent. Mine took 5 minutes or so.

Then add the 2 tablespoons of flour and mix with the butter and onion mixture. You’ll create a bit of a roux.

Next up, add the cream and milk, being sure to stir constantly.

Then the beef stock.

I had some vegetarian friends coming over so I opted for vegetarian stock; it worked wonderfully.

After you’re done mixing in the milks and broth, gently stir in the pulsed broccoli

And then the yellow cheddar …

And then the white cheddar …

Are you getting excited yet?

Mix it all together and then do a little taste test. I actually ended up adding about a handful extra of each of the cheese. I was going for extra cheesy!

Add some salt and pepper if you feel like it needs it. Mine needed about a teaspoon of salt and pepper.

If you don’t feel like doing the bread bowl thing, then your soup is totally ready to be served.

If you do, grab the bread. I used a whole wheat sourdough.

Cut a circle in the top of the bread.

And take out the center, creating a bowl.

Ladle the soup into the center of the bread bowl until it’s full.

Top with a small handful of cheese … and dinner!

This soup was everything broccoli cheddar should be: it’s rich, thick, savory, and cheesy beyond belief, which makes it perfect for those cold nights we have in our near future.

Thanks again to TK member Crystal, for this delicious tasting soup.

Printable Recipe

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

by uumom2many on February 1, 2010 in Creamy Soups, Soups

See post on uumom2many’s site!

3.25 Mitt(s) 8 Rating(s)

Description

Soup so thick it sticks to a spoon. Tastes like liquified Broccoli and Cheese. This recipe makes 2 liters of soup. Enough for a big hungry family.

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons Salted Butter
2 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Onion
2 Tablespoons Flour
2 cups Beef Broth Or Bouillon
3 cups Whole Milk
1 cup Heavy Cream
1-½ cup Extra Sharp White Cheddar Shredded
1-½ cup Extra Sharp Yellow Cheddar Shredded
4 cups Steamed Broccoli Pulsed Into A Meal

Preparation Instructions

Melt butter in a large stock pot. Add onion and cook slowly until limp. Stir in flour and cook for 3 minutues, stirring. Slowly add the stock, milk and cream, alternating until all are combined. Heat to boiling, stirring frequently. Stir in the cheese and broccoli (see note below). Keep stirring until the cheese is completely melted. Add salt and pepper to taste.

The longer this soup sits, the thicker it gets, until you end up with a soup that won’t fall off a spoon.

Note: to prepare the broccoli, steam until tender and pulse in a food processor until you get a meal-like consistency.

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Scalloped Hasselback Potatoes

A Cozy Kitchen — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 13:47:51 +0000

“Scalloped” is an attractive word, isn’t it? When I hear it I think of several things: first, there’s scallops, as in the seafood—totally delicious. Then there’s the scalloped shape that can live on the edge of a pair of shorts or on the collar of a woman’s blouse—always pretty and dainty. And of course scalloped potatoes also comes to mind, which carries my imagination to a land of crispy potato skins drenched in a sea of cheese and cream. I can think of no better place to exist, actually. So when I came across TK member Shelbi Keith’s recipe for Scalloped Hasselback Potatoes, I knew we were going to become fast friends. I couldn’t have been more correct.

The first players up are: a few Russet potatoes (I’m sure other varieties will work equally as well), Parmigiano-Reggiano and butter.

Start by scrubbing your potatoes good and clean.

Then, using a sharp knife, make slices across the potato, being sure to stop before you reach its bottom. If you’re scared of cutting too far, a good technique is resting the potato in a wooden spoon. The spoon will actually prevent you from going all the way through!

Cut up your butter. Using super cold butter makes it easier to slice and to shove in the potato. I recommend sticking it in the freezer for bit.

Then do the same with the Parmigiano-Reggiano. No freezer tip for this one. It’s fine as is.

Next, open the potatoes’ crevices and shove the parmesan and butter, alternating between the two. Transfer them to a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. (I skipped the pepper.) Drizzle a little olive oil on top of the potatoes and they’ll be good to go.

After they’re stuffed with butter and Parmigiano-Reggiano, you want to bake them at 400ºF for about 45 minutes to an hour. I found mine were done more at the hour mark.

When they’re done baking, you’re still a few minutes away from cheesy gloriousness!

First you have drizzle the heavy cream atop the potatoes …

And then add the shredded cheddar and bake for an addition 10-15 minutes.

They’ll come out looking all cheesy and inviting. Like this.

Transfer them to your plate. Of course, you can serve them just like this. They’ll be amazing.

But isn’t everything better with a dollop of sour cream? Yes, yes I think so.

This recipe is a total winner. It’d be perfect as a main dish accompanied with a salad, or as a side dish to, say, a roast chicken? The cheese and cream make this meal cozy and comforting, which is perfect for those chilly, brisk autumn evenings. Thank you, Shelbi Keith for this delicious recipe. It’s earned a permanent place in my recipe box! It should be in yours, too. Be sure to check out Shelbi’s blog Look Who’s Cooking Now.

Printable Recipe

Scalloped Hasselback Potatoes

by Shelbi Keith on June 7, 2011 in Potatoes, Sides

See post on Shelbi Keith’s site!

4.83 Mitt(s) 12 Rating(s)

Description

Cheesy, creamy, potato-ey!

Ingredients

2 whole Golden Potatoes
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 piece (about 2 Inches Long) Parmigiano-Reggiano, Sliced Thinly
⅛ teaspoons Garlic Powder
¼ teaspoons Kosher Salt
2 teaspoons Olive Oil
¼ cups Heavy Cream
¼ cups Cheddar Cheese Blend

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Scrub potatoes.

You need 2 wooden spoons with handles of the same width. Place a spoon on each side of the potato and start slicing the potato into thin slices. The spoons will stop the knife from cutting all the way through the potato.

Slice the butter into thin pieces. Alternate the butter and the parmesan, stuffing them in between the slices of the potato. Season the potato with garlic powder and kosher salt. Drizzle the potato with olive oil.

Bake at 400ºF for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle heavy cream over the potatoes. Top with cheddar cheese.

Place back in the oven for 10-12 more minutes. Remove and serve!

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Adrianna and Caroline are the lovely ladies behind the scrumptious blog A Cozy Kitchen. It’s filled with all kinds of mouthwatering recipes and gorgeous photography. Whether you’re in the mood for something vegetarian or meaty, fancy or pure comfort, light or decadent, there’s sure to be something there for everyone.

Best Carrot Cake of All Time

A Cozy Kitchen — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 12:17:45 +0000

There’s nothing quite like a moist piece of carrot cake speckled with a variety of coconut, nuts, dried fruit and carrots. Carrot cake truly does make my heart pitter-patter. And what I love most of all is that the bits of shredded carrots make the entire thing healthy, right? Right?

Regardless of whether that last statement is actually true or not, there’s plenty of reasons—healthiness aside—to make this carrot cake. Like its appropriate title, this was in fact the best carrot cake I’ve had to date. Big-ups to TK member Kpurwin (who adapted it from Southern Living) for providing us with such an honest and delightful recipe.

To kick off this carrot cake endeavor, you’re going to start by lining (and greasing) your cake pans with wax paper. This makes for easy carrot cake extraction later on.

Time to get all of the dry ingredients together: all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Do a little sift action and set aside.

Next up, the wet ingredients. Start with the sugar.

Add the eggs and vanilla.

Lastly, add the buttermilk. And then, using a hand mixer, beat everything together until completely blended.

Add the flour mixture in a few batches and beat, on low, until juuuust combined.

Let’s be honest. The best part about carrot cake is all the stuff it’s studded with. Let’s start with the coconut and pecans. And if you’re all out, substituting almonds is totally a good idea.

Add the grated carrots and cubed pineapple. Everyone will thank you later for this.

Transfer the batter to your two lined and greased cake pans. That’s some gorgeous looking batter, isn’t it?

Stick it in a preheated 350ºF oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until an inserted wooden pick comes out clean.

While it’s baking, turn your attention to the buttermilk glaze. It’s a breeze. Add everything to a saucepan (minus the vanilla) and cook until it reaches a boil and just mix. And then add the vanilla at the end.

Right when your cakes come out of the oven, pour the buttermilk glaze over them. This will give them a good dose of extra awesomeness.

You’re gonna wanna spread it all around evenly, making sure the entire cake is coated and smothered in it.

Let the cake cool completely and come to room temperature. While it’s doing its cooling-down action, you can get started on the cream cheese frosting.

Pretty standard stuff. Just add everything to a bowl and beat until completely smooth.

After your cake is done cooling, you’re going to transfer the first layer of the cake to a big plate or cake stand. You can line the cake stand by placing squares of parchment underneath the cake. Then when you’re done icing your cake, all you have to do is remove the parchment squares, and tadaaa! Clean cake stand.

Place a big scoop of icing on top of the cake. This would be a perfect time for an off-set spatula, but since I have a kitchen that eats things, my big spatula had to do.

Just be sure to lay it on thick! You want a good layer of icing in between the two layers.

Gently place the second cake atop the first one.

Evenly distribute icing on the top and on the sides. If you want to get fancy, you can stick this in the fridge so the icing can set and then add on one more even layer of icing.

OR you could be lazy and, taking a knife, swirl on a second layer of frosting.

Take the parchment from the sides and you’re set to present, eat, and devour your carrot cake.

As promised, this recipe really is for the best carrot cake ever. There’s loads of texture, plenty of moistness and the combination of the buttermilk glaze and cream cheese frosting absolutely result in the best carrot cake of all time. This carrot cake deserves a place in everyone’s recipe box/arsenal.

Thank you Katy and Christine for creating two towers of heaven! Visit their site Young and Hungry for more of their recipes.

Printable Recipe

Best Carrot Cake of All Time

by kpurwin on November 24, 2009 in Cakes, Desserts

See post on kpurwin’s site!

4.80 Mitt(s) 25 Rating(s)

Description

A buttermilk glaze quickly poured over hot cake layers and allowed to cool results in the moistest cake you’ve ever had! It’s finished, appropriately, with a cream cheese icing.

Ingredients

FOR THE CARROT CAKE:
2 cups All-purpose Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Soda
½ teaspoons Salt
2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
3 whole Large Eggs
2 cups Sugar
¾ cups Vegetable Oil
¾ cups Buttermilk
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
2 cups Grated Carrot
1 can (8 Oz. Can) Crushed Pineapple, Drained
3-½ ounces, weight Flaked Coconut
1 cup Chopped Pecans
_____
BUTTERMILK GLAZE:
½ cups Sugar
¾ teaspoons Baking Soda
¼ cups Buttermilk
¼ cups Butter Or Margarine
½ Tablespoons Light Corn Syrup
½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract
_____
Cream Cheese Frosting
¾ cups Butter Or Margarine, Softened
11 ounces, weight Cream Cheese, Softened
3 cups Sifted Powdered Sugar
1-½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Preparation Instructions

CAKE:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 8-inch (or 9-inch) round cakepans with waxed paper. Lightly grease and flour the waxed paper. Set pans aside.

Stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

Beat eggs, sugar, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Fold in grated carrot, pineapple, coconut, and pecans. Pour batter into prepared cake pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center come out clean. Drizzle Buttermilk Glaze evenly over layers; cool in pans on wire racks for 15 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on the top and sides of cake.

BUTTERMILK GLAZE:

Bring sugar, baking soda, buttermilk, butter or margarine, and light corn syrup to a boil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Boil, stirring often, for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth.

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