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Looks Delicious! Chocolate Treats

Posted by in Looks Delicious!

Tasty Kitchen Blog: Looks Delicious! Chocolate Treats

Chocolate Marshmallow Squares, submitted by TK member Rachael of Movita Beaucoup. Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake, submitted by TK member Fanny of Oh Sweet Day!

 
It’s Friday! Are you ready for the weekend? Do you have big plans? Sleep plans? Grill plans? Or maybe just “let’s see what the world throws at me” plans?

Whatever you have planned, I hope you squeeze in a little treat for yourself. I know I’ve been talking about soups and chowders lately, and can you blame me? We’ve been getting frost warnings all week and my tummy is definitely in an autumn chill mode.

But whatever the temperature might be and no matter how much soup I polish off my bowl, there’s always room for chocolate. Gooey, creamy, velvet chocolate. So I thought I’d share two recipes that I’ve been eyeing lately.

First are some decadent-looking Chocolate Marshmallow Squares from TK member Rachael of Movita Beaucoup. Let me tell you, these are no ordinary chocolate marshmallow squares. They’re built on a chewy coconut layer, followed by a chocolate walnut layer. Then you top that with a gooey marshmallow layer and drape everything in a chocolate icing layer. Holy cocoa goodness, Batman.

Have a hankering for some peanut butter with that chocolate? How about this Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake from Fanny of Oh Sweet Day! It has an Oreo cookie crust, a peanut butter cheesecake filling, and a chocolate ganache topping, all garnished with toasted peanuts. If cheesecakes scare you, have no fear! This is so simple to make: no water bath needed. The ganache over it means no one ever know about any cracks in the cheesecake.

Either of these will surely drive away the “I miss summer!” blues. I think it’s one of chocolate’s super powers—along with its power to shrink my jeans with single slice, but we won’t mention that here.

Have a great weekend, everyone, and save some room for chocolate!

You can find the printable recipes here:
Chocolate Marshmallow Squares
Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake

 
 

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Looks Delicious! Light Butternut Squash Risotto

Posted by in Looks Delicious!

Tasty Kitchen Blog: Looks Delicious! (Light Butternut Squash Risotto, from TK member Claire of The Realistic Nutritionist)

 
I love a good creamy risotto but sometimes I can do without an extra pat or three of butter or a fistful of cheese. This Light Butternut Squash Risotto gets much of its lusciousness from pureed roasted squash. TK member Claire adapted this recipe from Williams Sonoma but her version is lighter without sacrificing flavor.

Butternut squash is in season right now and this is a great way to feature it. Thanks, Claire! Check out her blog The Realistic Nutritionist for more of her recipes, home and crafts tips, and do-it-yourself projects!

Here’s the printable recipe: Light Butternut Squash Risotto

Happy Friday, everyone!

 
 

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Smoked Salmon Dip

Posted by in Step-by-Step Recipes

Tasty Kitchen Blog: Smoked Salmon Dip. Guest post by Georgia Pellegrini, recipe submitted by TK member Faith of An Edible Mosaic.

 
Thanks to TK member (and fellow TK Blog contributor) Faith, I am now addicted to this Smoked Salmon Dip. It is perfect for a party appetizer, or to keep in the fridge all week long as a snack. The smokiness from the salmon infuses into the cream cheese and sour cream over time and it keeps getting better.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: Smoked Salmon Dip. Guest post by Georgia Pellegrini, recipe submitted by TK member Faith of An Edible Mosaic.

To make it you will need: cream cheese, sour cream, lemon juice, minced red onion, minced fresh dill, pepper, finely chopped smoked salmon and salt

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: Smoked Salmon Dip. Guest post by Georgia Pellegrini, recipe submitted by TK member Faith of An Edible Mosaic.

In a medium bowl add the cream cheese, sour cream, and lemon juice.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: Smoked Salmon Dip. Guest post by Georgia Pellegrini, recipe submitted by TK member Faith of An Edible Mosaic.

Stir it vigorously until smooth.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: Smoked Salmon Dip. Guest post by Georgia Pellegrini, recipe submitted by TK member Faith of An Edible Mosaic.

Add the fresh dill, minced onion, and pepper and stir…

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: Smoked Salmon Dip. Guest post by Georgia Pellegrini, recipe submitted by TK member Faith of An Edible Mosaic.

Then fold in the smoked salmon.

Season with salt as needed and let it sit so the flavors develop. You can adjust with more lemon juice, salt, pepper, and herbs as needed.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: Smoked Salmon Dip. Guest post by Georgia Pellegrini, recipe submitted by TK member Faith of An Edible Mosaic.

Serve with your favorite crackers. I used flaxseed crackers and they were delicious.

You will love Faith’s recipe! Visit her website An Edible Mosaic to see other gorgeous recipes. She just moved to Kuwait with her husband, and we’re all looking forward to her posts from that beautiful country. Oh, and check out her book!

 
 

Printable Recipe

Smoked Salmon Dip

See post on Faith (An Edible Mosaic)’s site!
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Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 4

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Description

This creamy-textured, slightly tangy and smoky-flavored dip is the perfect easy appetizer.

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces, weight Cream Cheese, At Room Temperature (low-fat Is Fine)
  • ¼ cups Sour Cream (low Fat Is Fine)
  • 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
  • 2 Tablespoons Minced Red Onion
  • 1 Tablespoon Minced Fresh Dill, Plus More For Garnish
  • 1 pinch Black Pepper
  • 2 ounces, weight Smoked Salmon, Finely Chopped
  • Salt To Taste

Preparation Instructions

1. In a medium sized bowl beat together the cream cheese, sour cream and lemon juice until smooth.
2. Stir in the onion, dill and black pepper, and then fold in the salmon.
3. Taste and season with salt as desired.
4. Serve chilled with a little more fresh dill on top, along with crackers, sliced baguette, bagels, etc.

 
 
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There’s so much to say about Georgia, we don’t know where to start. Leaving Wall Street for the French Culinary Institute, followed by a stint at the Gramercy Tavern and La Chassagnette in France, her passion for food and food traditions are evident and inspiring. Visit her site at Georgia Pellegrini, where you’ll find more recipes, photos, learn all about her wonderful books Girl Hunter and Food Heroes, and enjoy her latest adventures.

 
 

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Let’s Talk Table Settings

Posted by in Holidays, Kitchen Talk

Tasty Kitchen Blog: Let's Talk Table Settings!

 
Let me start by saying this: Put me in a room and, in all likelihood, I will be the least crafty person in that room. And by crafty, I don’t mean slick or clever or sly, though that applies too. No, I mean Martha Stewart, Ina Garten, Katie Brown kind of crafty. My talent for finding innovative ways to use ordinary things does not extend beyond the usual MacGyver kind of application. Give me a handful of eucalyptus branches and I’m more likely to whittle them into arrowheads or door shims than arrange them in a pretty slender vase on a foyer table.

This week, I hope to bring together those like me with those of you who actually own slender vases and foyer tables. Although we’ll be talking about something that isn’t quite part of the meal, a well-presented table can still play a big role in bringing it all together. So our Kitchen Talk question this week is:

Do you have any tips to share for setting a beautiful table?

The holidays are coming up and I know we could all use some new ideas for making our beloved guests extra special even before the food emerges from kitchen and onto the dinner table.

 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: Let's Talk Table Settings!

As mentioned earlier, I have close to zero talent for setting a nice table, so my tips will be very basic. I like using chargers because I think they frame the plate nicely, and they help save space around the table when used in lieu of placemats. I also think pretty cloth napkins with a simple napkin holder are always a nice touch, along with cute place cards.

Nanci likes to go out into the garden and trim some branches with bright red berries and dark green foliage, or whatever is in season. Then she pops them into a nice vase.

Betsy shares, “Our mom used to bring in leaves from our magnolia tree, and arrange them around pretty white candles. Loved that!” She also likes doing a bunch of different colors and/or patterns of cloth napkins. Betsy loves color!

Ree loves color, too, and she prefers to rebel against all the earth tones associated with Thanksgiving and throw in purples, blues, and even bright pinks. “All the Thanksgiving food is very brown and, well, food-colored. Blues and purples are unexpected contrasts!”

 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: Let's Talk Table Settings!How about you? What are your neat little tricks for making your table look extra special? Come share! We’d love to hear your ideas.

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Red Lentils and Coconut

Posted by in Step-by-Step Recipes

   This Red Lentil Coconut Soup from TK member Casey was the first time I’ve made lentils with such complex flavor, and now I am never going back. The richness from the coconut milk along with the spices make it wonderful not just as a soup but also tossed into salads and with other […]

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Breakfast Taco Cups

Posted by in Step-by-Step Recipes

  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 […]

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Turkey Sandwiches

Posted by in Holidays, Looks Delicious!

How was everyone’s holiday? Good? Stuffed? Voices hoarse from all the talking and laughing and football cheering? Have tons of leftovers and don’t know what to do with them? In case you’re looking for ideas, here are two that caught our eye. They both call for turkey deli meat, but who says you can’t use […]

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Incredible 10-Minute Garlic Shrimp

Posted by in Step-by-Step Recipes

  Colleen is my new recipe hero. This Incredible 10-Minute Garlic Shrimp will hardly make it to the table; it is filled with such flavor, you’ll be eating it from the pan. It is also great served room temperature or cold the next day on salads.       To make it you will need: […]