Tasty Kitchen Blog » Erica Lea

No-Bake Granola Bars

Erica Lea — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 10:00:23 +0000

Here’s a great idea for a grab-and-go breakfast, school snack, or after-school treat. It’s no-bake too, perfect for those of you still battling summer heat. Enjoy this post from our archives!

I’m the type of person that, when I get hungry, I need to eat something immediately. Perhaps it’s just my imagination, but if I go too long without eating I start to feel sick. And cranky. So it helps if I stuff handy snacks into my purse to ensure I’m never in an emergency food situation.

These No-Bake Granola Bars, brought to us by Cheri, are a wonderful power snack for on-the-go. They’re filled with nutritious oats, nuts, dried fruit and honey. Plus they’re pretty tasty little treats.

Let me show you how to make them!

Here’s the ingredients you’ll need: rolled oats, nuts (I used pecans and pumpkin seeds), shredded coconut, dried fruit (I used raisins and figs), butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, honey and molasses.

Begin by chopping your nuts. The pumpkin seeds are nice and small so I didn’t chop them.

In a large skillet set over medium-high heat, toast the oats, nuts and coconut until fragrant. Make sure to stir often so it doesn’t burn!

Pour the toasted oat mixture into a large bowl.

If you’re using larger dried fruit you’ll want to chop it up as well.

Add the dried fruit to the oat mixture.

Stir to combine.

Place the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, honey and molasses in a small saucepan.

Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Pour the butter mixture over the oat mixture.

Stir until the oat mixture is evenly coated with the butter mixture. Set aside to cool a little.

Line a dish with plastic wrap. Spoon mixture into pan and press down to compact. I used an extra piece of plastic wrap to keep my hands clean.

Place in the refrigerator to firm up, about 30 minutes.

Once firmed, turn out onto a cutting board and cut into bars.

Wrap the bars individually with plastic wrap, parchment paper or wax paper. Now they’re grab-and-go ready!

Recipe notes:

1. These bars are just a hair too sweet for my taste. I cut the amount of sugar down to 3/4 cup, so next time I’ll try going down to 1/2 cup and using a full stick of butter. If you like your treats nice and sweet, this shouldn’t be an issue for you.

2. I might add a pinch of salt next time as well.

3. I love how customizable these are. You could come up with so many different flavor combinations by switching up the nuts and fruits you use.

Thanks so much to Cheri for sharing her recipe with us! Make sure to check out her blog, Kitchen Simplicity, where she writes many more delicious recipes. I may have to make her Quick & Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie for supper sometime.

Printable Recipe

No-Bake Granola Bars

by Cheri | Kitchen Simplicity on March 8, 2011 in Appetizers, Snacks

See post on Cheri | Kitchen Simplicity’s site!

4.50 Mitt(s) 6 Rating(s)

Description

Chewy No-Bake Granola Bars that are perfect to make with the kiddos. Prepare to never buy store-bought granola bars again.

Ingredients

2-½ cups Rolled Oats
1-½ cup Nuts, Chopped, I Used Walnuts And Pecans
¼ cups Shredded Coconut
½ cups Raisins
6 Tablespoons Salted Butter
1 cup Brown Sugar
1-½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
6 Tablespoons Liquid Honey
2 Tablespoons Molasses

Preparation Instructions

1. Toast oats, nuts and coconut in a large skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, stirring often. Remove to a large bowl and toss with raisins.

2. Place butter, sugar, cinnamon, honey and molasses in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and stir into oat mixture until evenly coated. Let sit just until cool enough to handle.

3. In the meantime, line a 7×11 inch pan with plastic wrap. Spoon mixture into pan, pressing down to compact. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up. Once firmed, remove from pan, peel away plastic wrap and slice into 16 bars (half lengthwise and then into 8). Wrap individually in plastic wrap or parchment paper, if desired. Store covered at room temperature.

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Newly-married Erica Kastner shares her wonderful recipes and amazing food photography on her blog, Cooking for Seven. She also writes about crafts and posts more of her beautiful photography in her personal blog, EricaLea.com. There really isn’t much that this amazing young lady can’t do, and we’re thrilled she does some of it here.

Tiramisu Ice Cream

Erica Lea — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 15:41:47 +0000

Hooray for ice cream season!

Of course, if someone were to make the argument that ice cream is a year ’round affair, I wouldn’t try to convince them otherwise.

This Tiramisu Ice Cream recipe, brought to us by Mira, may sound all fancy-schmancy, but the only difficult part is locating a couple of ingredients. Most supermarkets carry mascarpone, and Kahlúa is actually a very popular liqueur. I’ve been wanting to try it in cooking for years, and now I have a bottle to experiment with.

Side note: I like to pronounce mascarpone incorrectly on purpose to bug Reuben. I’m such a good wife.

For the base of the ice cream, you only need 5 ingredients: milk, cream, eggs (just the yolks), sugar, and mascarpone.

You’ll also need 4 ingredients to flavor the ice cream: Kahlúa (or any coffee liqueur), instant espresso powder, brewed espresso, and vanilla extract.

Start by heating the milk and cream in a saucepan.

Meanwhile, put your egg yolks and sugar into a largish bowl.

Whisk them together until the mixture is pale and frothy (mine never quite got to the frothy stage, but it did have bubbles).

Add the mascarpone.

Gently fold in the cheese with a rubber spatula or spoon.

Once the milk and cream are simmering, slowly add half a cup to the egg/sugar/mascarpone mixture. Make sure you whisk while you add the hot milk and cream!

Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the pot on the stove.

Turn the heat up to medium and cook until the custard coats the back of a wooden spoon. This should only take about 5-8 minutes. Don’t overcook the mixture and scramble your eggs! Not like I speak from experience or anything.

This step is optional, but I like to pour my custard base through a fine-mesh sieve to catch any bits that got a little too cooked.

See? Do you want that in your ice cream? I think not.

Once the custard cools to room temperature, cover and place in the refrigerator. Let it chill until it’s bone cold. I left mine overnight.

Now that your ice cream base is completely cold, it’s time to add the flavorings! A teaspoon of vanilla extract…

A teaspoon of instant espresso powder…

Just half a teaspoon of Kahlúa (or coffee liqueur of choice)…

And 1/4 cup of brewed espresso. Now you have layers of coffee flavors.

Whisk it all together until smooth.

Pour the custard into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

It only took about 20 minutes for mine to turn into a creamy, soft-serve consistency.

Scoop the ice cream into a freezer-safe container and freeze until firm. Or eat it straight out of the ice cream maker—I won’t judge!

Note: The mascarpone has a bit of a grainy texture. If you’re a stickler about perfectly smooth ice cream, you could always substitute another soft cheese that is creamier. I personally didn’t mind it, and my sister said that the graininess was reminiscent of real tiramisu.

If you like, you can dust the top of the ice cream with cocoa powder, or sprinkle with it with finely chopped chocolate. This gives it even more of a tiramisu vibe.

Thanks to Mira for sharing her recipe with us here on Tasty Kitchen. Stop by her blog, Cooking LSL, for more delicious recipes. Her Berries and Peach Pudding Tart sounds scrumptious.

Printable Recipe

Tiramisu Ice Cream

by Cookinglsl on April 20, 2015 in Desserts, Ice Cream

See post on Cookinglsl’s site!

0.00 Mitt(s) 0 Rating(s)

Description

Creamy, coffee-flavored frozen dessert to enjoy on its own or add it on top of brownies, crepes or cookies.

Recipe makes a little less than 1 quart. I used an ice cream maker with 1 to 1 1/2 quart capacity.

Ingredients

1 cup Whole Milk
1 cup Heavy Cream
3 Egg Yolks
½ cups Sugar
1 cup Mascarpone Cheese, At Room Temperature
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 teaspoon Instant Espresso Powder
¼ cups Espresso
½ teaspoons Kahlua Or Other Coffee Flavored Liqueur (optional)

Preparation Instructions

In a saucepan, combine milk and cream and turn on heat to medium-low. Heat milk until it is simmering.

In a deep bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar, until pale and frothy. Add mascarpone cheese and mix until combined. (Use a wooden spoon or spatula, don’t beat mascarpone with electric mixer).

Add ½ cup hot milk to the mascarpone mixture and whisk to combine. Pour mixture back in the pan with hot milk and mix to combine. Cook for 5–8 minutes on medium heat, stirring constantly, until custard it thick and covers the back of the spoon with a thin film.

Pour mixture to a bowl and let cool completely. Use an ice bath to speed up the process, or you can leave it in the fridge overnight.

Before you add mixture to ice cream machine, add vanilla, espresso powder, espresso and coffee liqueur.
Following manufacturer’s instructions for your ice cream maker, freeze until it resembles soft serve ice cream.

Transfer to a 9″x13″ in pan, lined with parchment paper, cover and freeze until firm. Serve and enjoy!

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Erica Kastner has always been one of our most cherished members of the Tasty Kitchen community. She shares her wonderful recipes and amazing food photography on her blog, Buttered Side Up, and she also writes about crafts and posts more of her beautiful photography in her personal blog, Simple Days. There really isn’t much that this amazing young wife and mother can’t do, and we’re thrilled she does some of it here.

Warm Strawberry Bacon Orzo Salad

Erica Lea — Mon, 01 Jun 2015 15:54:53 +0000

One of the things I love about cooking for the Tasty Kitchen blog is that it pushes me to try out new flavor combinations. Even if I’ve never tried or heard of a certain ingredient, if someone in the community uses it in a delicious-sounding recipe, I’m much more game to give it a go.

This recipe actually contains two ingredients that I had never worked with before: orzo and goat cheese. I like to think of orzo as rice-shaped pasta—not so scary. But I’m not gonna lie, the goat cheese had me a tad worried. I had eaten it before, but I’d never been brave enough to purchase it and put it into a dish. To my surprise, it went with the flavors really well and wasn’t overpowering.

This Warm Strawberry Bacon Orzo Salad, shared by TK member Jessica, is a lovely blend of sweet and savory. The hearty, salty bacon is balanced by the fresh strawberries. The orzo adds a bit of starch and the pecans and cheese just round out the flavors.

Here are the gorgeous, colorful ingredients you’ll need: orzo, bacon (chopped), pecans, red onion, garlic, spinach, strawberries, goat cheese, basil, and salt and pepper.

Begin by frying your bacon in a large skillet. I like to use a cast iron pan for this. When your bacon is nice and crispy, remove it to a paper-towel-lined plate, but leave the bacon grease behind.

Add the pecans and fry in the bacon grease until nice and toasty. Transfer pecans to the paper-towel-lined plate.

While the pecans are toasting, prep the rest of your ingredients: mince the garlic, slice the strawberries, and chop (or slice) the onion. You could also crumble the goat cheese if you have extra time.

After the pecans are finished toasting, add the chopped onion to the pan and fry until nicely caramelized.

Meanwhile, cook and drain your orzo.

Once the onions are soft and caramelized, add the spinach and garlic to the pan.

Sauté until the spinach wilts.

Add the strawberries and orzo and give it a stir.

Season with salt and pepper and add the bacon and pecans.

Take the skillet off the heat and add the crumbled goat cheese.

Spoon the salad into bowls and garnish with basil, if desired.

Notes:
1. Don’t overcook your orzo, or it will stick together. I cooked mine a bit too long and needed to rinse it with cold water to loosen it up.
2. I love that the strawberries don’t get too cooked—just enough to help their flavor meld a tiny bit into the rest of the salad.
3. You could also use other seasonal fruits in this salad. I think blueberries would work really well.
4. Even if you absolutely hate goat cheese, you should still give this recipe a try! You can leave it out or substitute it with another cheese. I think blue cheese or feta would be awesome.
5. This salad was really best fresh. It seemed to deteriorate quickly in the refrigerator for me.

Thank you very much, Jessica, for sharing this yummy salad with all of us! If you haven’t discovered Jessica’s blog, How Sweet It Is, make sure to head over and browse through her culinary creations. This Grilled Kale BLT Dip sounds really good to me.

Printable Recipe

Warm Strawberry Bacon Orzo Salad

by HowSweetEats on March 31, 2011 in Salads

See post on HowSweetEats’s site!

5.00 Mitt(s) 1 Rating(s)

Description

A warm salad loaded with strawberries, whole wheat orzo, sauteed spinach, garlic, caramelized onion, bacon, pecans, goat cheese and fresh basil.

Ingredients

½ cups Uncooked Whole Wheat Orzo
2 slices Bacon, Chopped
¼ cups Whole Pecans
½ whole Red Onion, Sliced
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
4 cups Raw Spinach
4 whole Large Strawberries, Sliced
1 ounce, weight Goat Cheese Crumbled
Fresh Basil, For Garnish
Salt And Pepper

Preparation Instructions

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add bacon. Fry until golden brown and crispy, then remove bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Add pecans to the skillet and toast for about 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally so they do not burn. Remove and drain on a paper towel. Set bacon and pecans aside.

In the meantime, boil a pot of water for orzo and cook according to package directions.

Add sliced red onion to the skillet with a sprinkle of salt and stir to coat with bacon grease. Saute over medium heat until onions are soft and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add in garlic and spinach and cook until spinach wilts. Add in strawberries and the cooked orzo and mix to coat. Season with salt and pepper, then add in pecans and bacon. Remove from heat and stir in crumbled goat cheese. Top with fresh basil to garnish if you’d like. Serve immediately. It tastes good cold too!

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Shrimp Spring Rolls with Sweet and Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce

Erica Lea — Mon, 27 Apr 2015 14:44:57 +0000

Sometimes, the mere fact that I’ve never tried a recipe before inspires me to make it. I see a fancy recipe and it gets my creativity going. But an unfamiliar recipe can also be quite intimidating. Take spring rolls as an example. A year ago, I saw a recipe that sounded delicious. I knew one day I needed to try my hand at them. I even bought the rice wrappers. But it all seemed very daunting, so I could never quite take the plunge.

Then I saw Lauren’s recipe for Shrimp Spring Rolls with Sweet and Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce, which included lovely spring vegetables. Erika encouraged me to make them and show you guys how they come together. Seeing step-by-step photos can sometimes open your eyes and explain a process in a way that words never quite can. That’s what we’re all about here on the Tasty Kitchen blog—empowering you to try delicious new recipes.

Let me take you through the steps of making spring rolls!

First of all, here are the ingredients that you’ll need:

For the rolls: rice noodles, shrimp, asparagus, spring roll wrappers, green onions, carrot, and cilantro.

For the sauce: smooth peanut butter, brown sugar (I used coconut sugar), dried ginger, garlic, Hoisin sauce (I used Julia’s recipe for homemade Hoisin sauce), cayenne pepper, and hot water (not shown).

Begin by soaking the rice noodles in cold water. Place a small pot of water on the stove to boil.

Now it’s time to prep your veggies! Slice the green onions, chop the cilantro, julienne the carrot (don’t laugh at my julienning skills), and mince the garlic.

To prep the asparagus, start by bending them in half. The woody end should snap right off! This makes me happy for some reason.

Slice the spears in half lengthwise. I found that a paring knife worked well for this job.

Once the water is boiling, salt it generously.

Add the shrimp to the boiling water. It will only take about a minute for them to cook! You’ll know they’re done when they’re pink and opaque.

Remove the shrimp to a bowl of ice water.

Add the asparagus to the now-empty pot. Cook until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes.

Add the asparagus to the bowl of ice water along with the shrimp.

Now put the rice noodles into the boiling water and cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, slice the shrimp in half lengthwise. I used my trusty paring knife for this job as well.

Whisk together all of the sauce ingredients. If it’s too thick you can always add more hot water. This peanut sauce is amazing. I would make these rolls just to have an excuse to dip something in it.

Have all of your ingredients at the ready.

Dip a spring roll wrapper into warm water. I like to use a skillet for this since it’s the right shape and diameter for the rice papers.

It takes a bit of practice to figure out how long to soak the wrappers. There’s a fine line between workable and so soft that it falls apart. Remember that it will continue to soften after you take it out of the water. Some advise you to dip it in the water very briefly, and others suggest going for about a minute. You’ll have to experiment to find what works for you.

Place the softened wrapper on a work surface. If you’re working on a porous surface (like a wood cutting board), I find that it’s easier to work with the rolls if the surface is a tad wet.

Lay the shrimp, pink side down, on the end of the wrapper nearest to you.

Place the noodles and then the asparagus on top of the shrimp.

Stack the green onions and carrots on top.

Add the cilantro on top of the stack.

Roll the end of the wrapper nearest to you upwards, like you’re rolling up a taco. Fold the sides in and finish rolling up the spring roll.

Isn’t it lovely?

If you’d like the shrimp to really show through the wrapper you can wait to add them until you’ve folded in the sides.

If you want to make an open-ended roll, place the ingredients on the wrapper vertically instead of horizontally. Then fold up the bottom of the spring roll. Finish by folding over one side and rolling it up.

Notes:
1) These spring rolls can easily be made gluten free if you make sure to use a GF Hoisin sauce.
2) Make sure you salt the boiling water very generously. When I made these a second time, I definitely added more salt.
3) I find it’s helpful to have a towel handy to wipe your hands on while you’re working with the rolls. This way the ingredients don’t get everywhere and the roll looks less messy.
4) These rolls can be quite sticky. I think it would be a good idea to have a bowl of water to dip your fingers in while you’re eating so your hands don’t stick to them. They’ll also stick to each other, so it’s best to leave some space between them on your serving tray.
5) To make these come together more quickly, you can prep your veggies, cook the shrimp and asparagus, and make the sauce ahead of time.
6) If you have leftovers, you can always make a salad. The peanut sauce is a delicious dressing.

Thanks so much to Lauren for sharing this recipe with us! I’m sure you’ve heard of her lovely blog, Lauren’s Latest. If not, make sure to give her a visit! Her Sweet Chili Hoisin Glazed Drumsticks look amazing.

Also, I am still learning the art of spring rolls. If you have any tips or tricks, please share in the comments!

Printable Recipe

Shrimp Spring Rolls with Sweet & Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce

by Lauren's Latest on November 2, 2011 in Appetizers

See post on Lauren's Latest’s site!

0.00 Mitt(s) 0 Rating(s)

Description

A yummy and healthy snack, appetizer or light lunch.

Ingredients

FOR THE SPRING ROLLS:
2 ounces, weight Rice Noodles
12 whole Shrimp, Peeled And Deveined (51-60 Count)
6 whole Asparagus Spears
12 whole Round Rice Spring Roll Wrappers
4 whole Green Onions, Sliced
1 whole Carrot, Peeled And Finely Julienned
½ bunches Cilantro, Chopped
FOR THE SAUCE:
2 Tablespoons Smooth Peanut Butter
1-½ Tablespoon Brown Sugar
⅛ teaspoons Dried Ginger
1 clove Garlic, Finely Minced
2 Tablespoons Hoisin Sauce
2 Tablespoons Hot Water
2 pinches Cayenne Pepper (adjust To Your Heat Level)

Preparation Instructions

Place rice noodles in a bowl and cover with cold water. Set aside.

Bring a small pot of water to boil. Salt water generously, drop shrimp in and cook until pink and opaque, about 1 minute. Remove them from the water (keep the pot of water – you’ll use it in a second) and place shrimp into a bowl of ice water.

Bend asparagus in half until the bottom woody end snaps off. Discard the woody end. Slice down the center of the remaining spear vertically to get 2 very skinny spears. Drop them into the boiling water and boil until crisp-tender, 2 minutes. Remove them from the water and place into the ice water with shrimp.

Drain the soaking rice noodles and place them into the boiling water. Cook until tender, about 7 minutes and then drain.

While noodles are cooking, slice shrimp in half lengthwise.

To assemble spring rolls, place one spring roll wrapper into very warm water until it softens up. Remove it from the water and place onto a work surface. Stack up shrimp, noodles, asparagus, green onions, carrot and cilantro on the bottom half of the wrapper. Then roll it up tightly, burrito-style and place on serving platter. Repeat until all wrappers have been filled.

For the sauce, mix all ingredients together until smooth in consistency. If the hot water doesn’t dissolve the sugar or create a smooth sauce, microwave the sauce for 30 seconds. Pour into a serving dish and place along side spring rolls. Serve cold.

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Korean Shrimp and Rice Porridge (Saewoojuk)

Erica Lea — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 09:00:07 +0000

Confession: my decision to make this porridge was based, in part, on my love of the Korean drama and culture. When I saw this Korean Shrimp and Rice Porridge (Saewoojuk) in Erica’s recipe box, I knew it needed to happen in my kitchen.

Juk is basically the Korean version of congee or rice porridge. Saewoo means shrimp. Juk is served to those feeling under the weather, since it is easily digested. But its merits reach far beyond healing powers. All of the flavors are simply delightful, and the possibilities for add-ons are endless.

I know what you might be thinking: a savory porridge sounds a bit odd. In reality it’s a delicious, comforting way to start your day.

Here’s what you’ll need: short-grained rice (I used sushi rice), sesame oil, garlic, carrot, shrimp, fish sauce, salt, green onions, roasted kim (seaweed), and lots of water (not shown).

Begin by rinsing your rice in several changes of water. Now the rice needs to soak for at least two hours, or overnight.

Once the rice has been soaked, drain it well. I used a fine mesh sieve for this. Set it aside for now.

Time to get cooking! Heat the sesame oil in a pot that’s set over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add the garlic, carrots, and shrimp. Sauté for about 30 seconds, stirring.

Add the drained rice.

Sauté for a few more minutes, stirring often.

Now it’s time to add the water. 7 cups. You heard me right. Just pour it in; trust me.

Bring everything to a simmer, turn the heat down to low, and cover the pot. Cook for 30 minutes. Your kitchen will start to smell wonderful.

Make sure to lift the lid and give it a stir every once in a while. Otherwise things can get kind of scorchy.

Add the fish sauce and salt. Give it a taste. I ended up adding more salt.

Ladle into bowls. Top with green onions and crumbled kim, and enjoy a satisfying breakfast (or lunch, or supper). My toddler absolutely loved this porridge. I need to make up another batch as soon as I can get my hands on some quality shrimp!

Notes:

1) If you don’t like your shrimp soft, I would suggest adding them during the last few minutes of cooking. They won’t have as much time to impart their flavor to the rice, however.

2) Unless you adore green onions, you won’t need to chop up three. We’re just not big onion people.

3) If you would like to turn this into a main dish, Erica suggests that you serve it with kimchi, broiled fish, japchae, sigeumchi namul (a seasoned spinach side dish), or kongnamul muchim (a soybean sprout side dish).

4) Next time I make this, I’ll use part chicken broth for the cooking liquid, to add more nutrients.

Thank you to Erica for sharing this recipe with the Tasty Kitchen community! If you enjoy international recipes, make sure to check out her blog, Apricosa and her TK recipe box, where she shares many types of dishes from different cuisines.

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Figgy Piggy Pizza

Erica Lea — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 10:00:59 +0000

First of all, the name of this recipe (brought to us by the lovely Christina) is just ridiculously fun to say. I have to admit that it influenced my decision to make this pizza. It also involves bacon, so I was basically obliged to cook it.

I loved the mix of flavors: the savory bacon, the tangy feta, and the sweet figs to balance it all out.

This little pizza would make a fantastic (fancy) appetizer for a dinner party. Granted, it will take some time and create a bit of a mess. But it IS surprisingly easy to make, and the list of (just ten) ingredients is actually quite reasonable:

Water (not shown), sugar, yeast, flour, salt, olive oil, cornmeal, bacon, feta cheese, and dried mission figs.

Place five tablespoons of water in a measuring cup.

Add the yeast and sugar. Give it a gentle stir and allow it to sit for a few minutes.

Once it starts to get foamy, you’re good to go. This could take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.

Now add your flour.

Give it a good stir.

Dump in the salt …

… and the olive oil.

Stir it all together until you have a shaggy dough. It will seem somewhat sticky.

Now place the dough on a floured surface and knead for about a minute.

What you have now is a ball of dough that’s no longer sticky.

Rub your measuring cup with some olive oil and plop the dough inside. Flip it so it’s coated with the oil. Leave in a warm spot of your kitchen until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Now it’s time to prep your topping ingredients. Chop up the bacon and thinly slice the figs.

Cook the bacon in a skillet until it’s not quite as crispy as you’d like. It will cook longer in the oven on the pizza. Make sure you reserve the bacon grease!

Once your dough has risen, turn it out onto your work surface a knead if for another minute.

Shape the dough (I used a combination of letting it drape over my fists and patting it out) and place it on a cornmeal-dusted piece of parchment paper. You can also just put it on a cornmeal-dusted pizza peel or cookie sheet, but I find it’s much easier to transfer the pizza to the oven if it’s on top of parchment.

Brush the pizza crust with some of the bacon grease you saved earlier.

Add the bacon.

Sprinkle on the feta cheese and pop that baby into a (very) hot oven until the crust turns golden brown.

Once the pizza is cooked to your liking, add the fig slices.

Pour any leftover bacon grease all over the pizza. Serve immediately.

Notes:

1. I held back on the feta because I thought it would be overpowering. We ended up adding more once the pizza was done. I would recommend being liberal with the cheese.

2. My husband was thinking of this as a traditional pizza, not an appetizer. So he thought that, while there were some awesome flavors going on, it was a tad dry. I think a drizzle of olive oil or balsamic reduction would be awesome.

3. If you really want to make this a speedy appetizer, you could make the dough beforehand, have the bacon cooked up and the figs sliced. Then you can slide it into the oven at the last minute and serve it piping hot to your guests.

Many thanks to fellow TKB contributor Christina for submitting this pizza. You’ve probably heard of her lovely blog, Dessert for Two. If you haven’t, make sure to check it out! She has lots of delicious-looking recipes.

Printable Recipe

Figgy Piggy Pizza

by DessertForTwo on May 13, 2014 in Main Courses, Pizza

See post on DessertForTwo’s site!

4.00 Mitt(s) 1 Rating(s)

Description

Homemade pizza for two topped with bacon, figs, and feta!

Ingredients

FOR THE DOUGH:
5 Tablespoons Warm Water (105-110 Degrees F)
½ teaspoons Sugar
½ teaspoons Dry Active Yeast
¾ cups Flour
¼ teaspoons Salt
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil, Plus More For Bowl
Cornmeal For The Baking Sheet
FOR THE PIZZA:
2 slices Thick Cut Bacon
3 Tablespoons Crumbled Feta Cheese
4 whole Dried Mission Figs, Sliced

Preparation Instructions

First, make the dough: In a 2-cup measuring cup, combine the warm water, sugar and yeast. Stir to dissolve. Let it sit for 5 minutes, or until foamy. If the yeast does not foam, it’s dead and you’ll need to start over.

Next, add the flour and stir. Then, add the salt and olive oil. Stir with a fork until a shaggy dough forms. Remove the dough from the cup and knead it a few times on a floured surface. As soon as you start kneading, the dough will come together and lose all the stickiness. Knead for about 1 minute. The dough should be easy to work with, pliable, and not sticky. Grease the measuring cup with a bit of extra oil, and plop the dough back in it. Turn the dough over once to coat it in oil, then let it rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, slice the bacon into lardons and fry in a dry skillet over medium heat until almost crispy. Don’t let it crisp all the way, because it will continue cooking in the oven. Drain the bacon on a paper towel. Reserve the bacon grease!

Preheat the oven to 400 F and place a pizza stone in the oven (if you have one). Alternatively, you could use a baking sheet coated lightly with cornmeal.

Flour your hands, and remove the dough from the measuring cup. Lightly flour the counter and knead the dough for 1 minute. Then, pat the dough out into a circle. Pick up the dough (just like you see them do in pizzerias) and let it drape over your two fists. Slowly start stretching the dough out in a circular motion around the edges to a diameter of 6″. You could also make an oblong shape, like I did for the photos.

Next, sprinkle cornmeal on a pizza stone or baking sheet. Place the dough on top of the cornmeal. Brush some of the leftover bacon grease on the top of the pizza, then top with the cooked bacon and feta.

Bake for 10 minutes, until the dough starts to brown. Cooking time will vary if you’re using a baking sheet versus pizza stone. Keep an eye on it. When it’s ready remove pizza from the oven. Top the cooked pizza with the fig slices, drizzle with a smidge more bacon grease, and serve immediately.

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Gingerbread Waffles

Erica Lea — Fri, 26 Dec 2014 16:10:17 +0000

“I’m making waffles for lunch. Would you and the kids like to have some?”

I basically knew the answer before my sister replied. Who in their right mind would refuse waffles for lunch?

My sister (who lives in the upstairs portion of our house with her hubby and kiddos) graciously offered to watch my little girl while I cooked. It’s a bit difficult to take photos while your toddler is wiggling your tripod. I whipped up a batch as quickly as I could (it takes a little time when you’re documenting each step) and called my sister and her kids downstairs to taste my creation.

We quickly devoured most of waffles. When I asked the kids if they liked them, they readily agreed.

This Gingerbread Waffle recipe, brought to us by the lovely Emily, is basically an excuse to eat dessert for breakfast (or any meal of the day). And I’m very much okay with that. But they aren’t sickeningly sweet. There’s plenty of wiggle room to customize the sweetness with syrup or powdered sugar.

Let me show you how I made them!

Look at these lovely ingredients: brown sugar (I used Sucanat), eggs, buttermilk (I used milk mixed with vinegar), molasses, butter, flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, and salt.

Begin by separating your eggs.

Mix the brown sugar and egg yolks together until smooth. Mine wasn’t very smooth since I used Sucanat.

Pour in the molasses …

Then the buttermilk …

… and finish off with the (melted) butter.

Stir it all together until it’s well combined.

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside.

Beat your egg whites until stiff peaks form. I’m pretty sure I went a little too far. I would suggest stopping on the softer side of stiff.

Gently stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

Softly fold the egg whites into the batter.

Preheat your waffle iron. Scoop about a third of a cup of batter onto each section (the amount of batter needed will depend on the size of your waffle maker).

Cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions. It took about 2 1/2 minutes to cook mine.

Serve hot with butter (duh) and maple syrup and/or a sprinkling of powdered sugar.

Notes:
1. If there was one thing (slightly) lacking in these waffles, it was the texture. I’m pretty sure it was because I beat the egg whites too long. I would definitely suggest erring on the softer side.
2. The texture and the taste actually improved as these sat. I reheated my waffles in a toaster.
3. I think whipped cream would be a lovely addition. I’m kicking myself for not thinking of it sooner. Oh well, guess I’ll have to make another batch.

Many thanks to Emily for sharing this recipe with us. I have been following her blog, One Lovely Life, for quite some time. There she shares more recipes and bits of her family life. Make sure you check it out!

Printable Recipe

Gingerbread Waffles

by emily {onelovelylife} on December 8, 2010 in Christmas, Holidays

See post on emily {onelovelylife}’s site!

4.60 Mitt(s) 5 Rating(s)

Description

Just like eating Christmas for breakfast. They’re even better with buttermilk syrup.

Ingredients

⅔ cups Brown Sugar
2 whole Large Eggs, Yolks And Whites Separated
1-½ cup Buttermilk (or Regular Milk Plus 1 1/2 Tablespoons Vinegar)
½ cups Molasses
6 Tablespoons Butter
2 cups Flour
3 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
2 teaspoons Ground Ginger
1-½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
½ teaspoons Salt
¼ teaspoons Ground Cloves
¼ teaspoons Ground Nutmeg
¼ teaspoons Ground Cardamom (optional, But Recommended)

Preparation Instructions

In a small bowl, mix brown sugar and egg yolks until smooth and creamy. Stir in buttermilk, molasses, and butter.

Into a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, salt, cloves, nutmeg, and cardamom.

In a glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks have formed.

Add liquid mixture into sifted dry ingredients and stir together. Fold in egg whites.

Cook according to waffle iron instructions.

(In my waffle iron, using 1/3-cup scoops, I made 16 waffles.)

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Caramel Apple Bread and Butter Pudding

Maple and Onion Jam

Erica Lea — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 09:00:53 +0000

I have to admit that canning is one of my biggest cooking fears. I’m probably the world’s biggest canning baby. The thought of putting food in a pot that builds pressure that could potentially blow slightly terrifies me. I know this is highly unlikely, but the complication of the process also scares me.

While I was reading over Veronica’s recipe for this Maple and Onion Jam, I noticed that she used the water bath method. Right away my apprehension was greatly reduced. All that’s required is processing the jam for 10 minutes in boiling water. It really is that simple.

The flavor of this jam is kind of amazing. I definitely wouldn’t say it’s strictly savory because it is quite sweet; it’s jam, after all. And it’s amazing on toast. Or grilled cheese. But I’ll get to that later.

Here are all of the lovely ingredients you’ll need: olive oil, sweet onions (I used some local Walla Walla onions), salt, pepper, thyme, maple syrup, and apple cider vinegar.

Step one: If you’re wearing mascara, make sure it’s waterproof, because we’re gonna chop a lot of onions. Does anyone else roll their eyes and do a little dance when their eyes start to smart? I’m pretty certain it helps.

I actually only needed two large onions to get the required eight cups of chopped onions. If you’re using small or medium onions, you will, of course, need more.

Now it’s time to cook down your onions. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.

Add your chopped onions and cook until the onions become translucent, about 10 minutes or so.

Add the salt, pepper, and thyme.

Isn’t it pretty?

Turn down the heat and cover your skillet. I don’t have a lid for my cast iron skillet, so I improvised and used the largest lid I had.

Once the onions have cooked for another 10 minutes or so, pour in the maple syrup. Oh yeah.

Cook uncovered for another 15 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated. I had to cook mine for at least an extra 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in the vinegar.

Ladle the jam into (sterilized) jars and screw on the lids.

Process in a (boiling) water bath for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the jars and allow to cool. I say, “Another one bites the dust!” when I hear the ping of the jars sealing. My toddler probably thinks I’m crazy.

I think this is the tastiest jam I’ve ever made. As soon as I open a jar, my kitchen smells wonderful. There are so many potential uses: on burgers, toast, as a relish for meat (pork pairs well), or fancy grilled cheese.

I made a grown-up grilled cheese with butter, thinly sliced apples, Havarti, bacon, and the onion jam. It’s one of the best things I’ve created in a while.

Notes:

I recommend filling your canning pot with water and turning on the heat first thing. It takes FOREVER for a large pot of water to boil.
As I mentioned before, you don’t need a special canning pot for water bath canning. All you need is a large, deep pot and a round rack to keep the jars off the bottom of the pan. I’ve heard that you can even use lid rings!

Many thanks to Veronica for sharing her recipe here on Tasty Kitchen. If you want to see more of her comfort-food recipes, stop by her blog, My Catholic Kitchen. Her Caramel Apple Bread and Butter Pudding sounds really good right now.

Printable Recipe

Maple and Onion Jam

by Veronica @ My Catholic Kitchen on December 11, 2012 in Canning

See post on Veronica @ My Catholic Kitchen’s site!

5.00 Mitt(s) 1 Rating(s)

Description

Maple and onion jam is sweet and savory. It makes a great foodie gift. You probably have all the ingredients in your pantry.

Ingredients

¼ cups Olive Oil
8 cups Sweet Onion, Quartered And Sliced Thin
2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
1 Tablespoon Thyme
1 teaspoon Black Pepper
1 cup Maple Syrup
¼ cups Cider Vinegar
5 jars 4-ounce Size Canning Jars With Lids And Rings, Sterilized According To Standard Safe Canning Practices

Preparation Instructions

In an 8 inch skillet (I use my cast iron) heat the olive oil and add the onions. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes or until the onions become translucent. Reduce the heat to medium low and add salt, thyme and pepper. Cover the skillet and cook for another 10 minutes. Increase heat to medium and add maple syrup. Bring to a boil and lower heat just a bit so you keep it at a simmer. Cook uncovered another 15 minutes. At this point most of the liquid should have evaporated. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the vinegar.

Ladle the mixture into hot sterilized canning jars (I used the 4 ounce kind) leaving a 1/4 inch head space. Wipe off the jar rims with a damp clean towel and adjust the lids. Process in a water bath for 10 minutes. Remove from the water bath and cool. Wait for the lovely ping of the lid when it seals.

This makes about five 4 ounce jars.

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Pollo en Salsa al Horno (Roasted Chicken in Sauce)

Erica Lea — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 13:47:16 +0000

I like to think of this dish as fancy fried chicken. It looks (and sounds) like it took some major slaving in the kitchen to achieve, when in reality it’s super simple.

Today’s recipe for Pollo en Salsa al Horno (Roasted Chicken in Sauce), brought to us by Tammy (aka San Pasqual’s Kitchen here on Tasty Kitchen), was one of firsts for me. I can’t remember having cooked traditional Spanish food before. What a lovely introduction! This was also my first time cooking with saffron. I am so glad that I did. The flavor is subtle but adds a beautiful touch of distinction.

Here are the step-by-step instructions so you can see just how easy it is to make:

These are all the ingredients that you’ll need: Chicken (I used thighs), wine, butter, flour onion, oil (I used coconut oil), saffron, salt, garlic and parsley.

First of all you’ll want to season your chicken with salt. Nobody wants to eat bland chicken.

Nest, coat it with the flour.

Heat your butter and oil in a large skillet.

Once your oil is hot, add the chicken. Careful! It’s gonna sizzle.

Cook until the chicken is nice and crispy and browned.

Transfer the chicken to a baking dish and preheat your oven to 350ºF.

Add the onion to the now-empty skillet of oil.

Meanwhile, as the onion is cooking, combine the parsley, garlic and saffron in a mortar.

Crush them all together.

Add the white wine and give it a stir.

Once the onions are nice and tender, stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for another 2 minutes. Nobody wants to eat raw flour.

Add the wine mixture to the skillet and bring it all to a boil.

Pour the sauce over the chicken in the pan. I switched to a larger pan so that the sauce would more evenly cover the chicken.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 35-45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

Make sure you serve with lots of the flavorful sauce! I cooked up some couscous as an accompaniment (I know it’s not traditionally Spanish, but it sure was delicious and perfect for soaking up the sauce).

Note: I used virgin coconut oil to fry the chicken. I would recommend using expeller pressed coconut oil or some other less flavorful oil so that the saffron will shine through more clearly.

Thank you so much to Tammy for sharing this recipe with us. Stop by her blog, San Pasqual’s Kitchen, for more international recipes. Her Arrosto All’arancia (Roasted Pork with Orange Sauce) looks heavenly.

Printable Recipe

Pollo en Salsa al Horno (Roasted Chicken in Sauce)

by San Pasqual's Kitchen on January 31, 2014 in Main Courses, Poultry

See post on San Pasqual's Kitchen’s site!

0.00 Mitt(s) 0 Rating(s)

Description

A remarkably tender chicken roasted in a saffron wine sauce. A Spanish wonder.

Ingredients

⅓ cups All-purpose Flour, Divided
4 pounds Chicken Parts
Salt
1 cup Sunflower Oil
2-½ Tablespoons Butter
1 Small Onion
1 clove Garlic, Peeled
2 Sprigs Fresh Parsley
1 pinch Saffron Threads
¾ cups White Wine

Preparation Instructions

Reserve 1 tablespoon of the flour.

Season the chicken pieces with salt and coat them with the remaining flour.

Heat the oil with the butter in a skillet. Add the pieces of chicken and cook over medium heat until browned. Transfer to an ovenproof casserole.

Preheat oven to 350º.

Add the onion to the skillet and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes. While the onion is cooking, crush the garlic, parsley and saffron in a mortar and mix in the wine.

Stir the reserved flour into the onions and stir continuously for 2 minutes. Add in the wine mixture and bring to a boil, stirring continuously, then pour over the chicken.

Put the casserole in the oven and cook for 35 to 45 minutes until chicken is cooked through and tender.

¡Que aproveche! Enjoy!

_______________________________________

Roasted Garlic and Olive Focaccia

Erica Lea — Mon, 16 Jun 2014 14:09:59 +0000

Is it weird that I get excited at the thought of this focaccia (please say it isn’t)? This Roasted Garlic and Olive Focaccia, brought to us by Sommer, is one that I’ll definitely be making again.

The beautifully light crumb is surrounded by a rich, almost buttery olive oil-soaked crust. And the tartness added by the Kalamata olives is brilliant. The roasted garlic is by no means overwhelming—it simply imparts a mellow hint of the flavor.

If you don’t care for extra virgin olive oil, this focaccia is definitely not for you. Because, let me tell you right now, there’s a LOT of olive oil in it. Excuse an evil chuckle.

The amazing ingredients: honey (I used natural sugar), yeast, olive oil, salt, roasted garlic, flour, pitted Kalamata olives, and coarse salt and pepper to taste.

First, we want to activate the yeast. Add a couple teaspoons of your favorite sweetener to 1/4 cup of hot water. Swirl it around to dissolve.

Add 2 teaspoons of active dry yeast and stir to combine.

Let the yeast activate. This should take about 10 minutes.

Pour the yeast mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add 1 1/2 cups of cold water …

3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil …

… and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt.

Mash up the roasted garlic with a fork and add it to the mixing bowl.

Turn your mixer on low and gradually add the flour. I like to use the paddle attachment to initially mix everything together.

Switch to the dough hook and knead the dough for about 10 minutes. It will be quite sticky. Oil the sides of the bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

Let the dough rise until quite puffy, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Make sure to oil your hand before punching the dough down, or you’ll get a sticky mess like I did. You can also just stick the bowl back on the mixer base and turn the machine on for a bit.

Pour a GENEROUS amount of olive oil into the bottom of a pan. I used a 9×13-inch pan. If you prefer a thinner focaccia, you can use a larger pan.

Plop the dough into the pan. At this point you’ll be thinking, “Wow, I used WAY too much olive oil.” Nope. You didn’t.

Push the dough out to the edges of the pan. Use your fingers to poke holes all the way through the dough.

Push the olives deep into the holes.

Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Cover and let the dough get puffy again, about another hour. In the last 20 minutes of raising time, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).

Bake the focaccia until nice and golden on top, about 35-45 minutes. If you decided to use a larger, more shallow pan, you should check the bread at the 30 minute mark.

Turn the dough out onto a wire rack to cool, or just let it cool in the pan. Slice and enjoy. Make sure to spread with butter. It’s the best.

Notes:

1. The focaccia was quite thick baked in the 9×13-inch pan. It was still lovely, just a bit different from what I am used to. I’ll probably bake it in a larger pan next time.
2. My husband didn’t care for the olives, but I adored them. If you’re not a Kalamata olive fan, you can always substitute your favorite olives, or just leave them out!
3. I think this would be lovely as a sandwich bread. I’m envisioning a chicken pesto panini …
4. Make sure you have a head of roasted garlic on hand before you start this recipe!

Thanks so much to Sommer to sharing her recipe with us. Make sure to stop by her blog, A Spicy Perspective, to discover more of her delicious recipes.

Printable Recipe

Roasted Garlic and Olive Focaccia

by aspicyperspective on February 21, 2013 in Breads, White Breads

See post on aspicyperspective’s site!

0.00 Mitt(s) 0 Rating(s)

Description

Easy to make and oh so delicious!

Ingredients

¼ cups Hot Water
2 teaspoons Honey
1 package Dry Active Yeast (2 Tsp Packet Size)
1-½ cup Cold Water
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil + Extra For Bowl And Dish
1-½ teaspoon Sea Salt
2 Tablespoons Roasted Garlic, Smashed
4 cups All-purpose Flour
⅔ cups Pitted Kalamata Olives
Salt And Pepper

Preparation Instructions

Pour the hot water and honey into the bowl of your electric mixer. Swirl the bowl around until the honey has dissolved and the water is just luke-warm. Add one package of dry active yeast and swirl around. Allow the yeast to foam for 10 minutes or so. Then add the cold water, 3 tablespoons oil, salt, and smashed roasted garlic. Using the bread hook attachment, turn the mixer on low and slowly add the flour. “Knead” on low for about 10 minutes.

Pull the dough away from the sides and rub the bowl down with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise for 1 ½ to 2 hours. Remove the plastic wrap and turn the mixer back on for 30 seconds.

Thoroughly oil a 9×13 or 11×15 rimmed baking dish. Press to dough to the edges, don’t be afraid to let your fingers puncture the dough—this will created the bumpy, rustic texture of traditional focaccia bread.

Once the dough is spread out, poke deep cavities in the dough and place an olive in each hole. Push the olives down far, otherwise they might pop out when the dough rises. Drizzle the top with more olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Cover the dough with a clean damp towel. Allow the dough to rise again for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the top is golden-brown. (If you used a 11×15 dish, it might be more like 30-35 minutes.)

You can leave the focaccia in the baking dish or turn it out for easy cutting.

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Roasted Garlic and Olive Focaccia

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