Guides Recipes

Winter Cocktail Recipes

December 23, 2016

Now that we’re well into the winter season, there’s nothing like a boozy holiday drink to save the day. Holiday cocktails are the best way to cap off a long day of traveling or holiday clean-up, and basically the only way to get through those family feuds. Of course, like most delicious things in life, it helps to have a little guidance.

Let’s all try to stay sane this Christmas, k?

On Forty-One Gran’ma’s Hot Cocoa – Makes 1 Serving

Chocolate + Alcohol = Happiness

Spiked hot chocolate is the perfect example of an adult take on holiday traditions. While it would be simple to grab the nearest booze and pour it right into your hot cocoa, you, holiday warrior, are better than that. Leave it to the pros at One Forty-One in Charleston, currently serving up a healthy dose of mint and chocolate like your most trusted neighborhood girl scout. Bitter orange cognac brandy, cool and sweet candied peppermint vodka, and a dollop of whipped cream make Gran’ma’s Hot Cocoa the best hot cocoa around.

1oz Grand Marnier
1 oz Dixie Mint Vodka
2-3 dashes of Fee Brother’s Black Walnut bitters
6 oz hot cocoa
mint whipped cream topping
garnished with a Vienna finger

Magnolia’s Egg Nog – Makes 12 servings

The only egg nog I’ll drink!

Magnolias serves a super indulgent eggnog during the holiday season that doubles as dessert. With cloves, vanilla bean, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom, it’s that perfect combination of sweet and spice. Plus, dark rum gives Magnolias’ eggnog a special twist, along with a dollop of whipped cream.

Magnolias’ recipe has been perfected by Pastry Chef Andrea Upchurch, and is perfect for holiday parties, or even just treating yourself at home. It’s only “eggnog season” for a few weeks out of the year, so why not get in the holiday spirit while sipping eggnog that actually tastes good!

4 1⁄2 cups whole milk
3 1⁄2 cups heavy cream
5 each whole cloves
1 each vanilla bean (split & scraped)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1⁄2 tsp ground nutmeg
1⁄4 tsp ground cardamom
1⁄4 tsp fine sea salt
1 dozen egg yolks
1 1⁄2 cups sugar
2 1⁄4 cups dark rum
Directions:

Combine milk, cloves, vanilla bean & seeds, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, half of sugar, and salt in a saucepan. Heat on medium-low till the mixture comes to a heavy simmer. In a large bowl whisk together egg yolks and other half of sugar until light & fluffy. Whisk hot milk mixture slowly into the eggs. Pour mixture back into saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for approximately 2-3 minutes, or until thick. You do not want the mixture to simmer or boil. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Stir in the heavy cream and rum. Put mixture in a metal container on an ice bath to cool completely.

High Wire Cider Wassail – Makes 12 Servings

Get warm in my tummy!

Although it doesn’t tend to get too cold in Charleston in the winter (it’s all relative, baby), it helps to get more in the winter spirit with a hot toddy! I love this recipe that’s a take on my mom’s classic cider wassail, using some locally-made High Wire whiskey. Enjoy!

1 quart apple cider
2 cups High Wire bourbon whiskey
1 cup orange juice
1 cup DOLE® Canned 100% Pineapple Juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
2 cinnamon sticks (3 inches)
Dash ground cinnamon
Dash ground cloves

Combine all of the ingredients in a pot and ring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover, simmering for 25 minutes. You can also cook in a slow cooker by combining all ingredients and simmering on low heat for 4-6 hours.

Random Fodder Recipes

Poogan’s Smokehouse Spiced Banshee Cocktail Recipe

August 19, 2016

I don’t usually drink cocktails when I’m eating BBQ (beer feels more right to me), but I was talked into trying one of the fabulous cocktails last time I visited Poogan’s Smokehouse, and boy am I glad I did! Their cocktail menu is varied to please any palate, and artfully crafted so you know you’ll enjoy whatever you order.

Photo Credit: Holger Obenaus

I was fortunate enough to get the inside scoop on one of their amazing cocktails, the Spiced Banshee (their take on a Painkiller). It features locally-made Striped Pig spiced rum, banana sherry, pineapple, housemade curry bitters, and nutmeg. Garnished with nutmeg and a few slices of banana chips, the cocktail offers the perfect balance of sweetness and spice made for sipping on the beach – or simply from an air conditioned barstool to escape Charleston’s humid summer weather.

Photo Credit: Tammy Davis

In the words of cocktail ace (and beverage director at Poogan’s Smokehouse) Kyle DeGolyer,

“We wanted a tropical drink that didn’t fit the mold of the typical painkiller or pina colada. I glanced at a chef’s recipe one day and saw all of the spices that went into our dry rub and bbq sauces and that got me going. We don’t use an abundance of curry anywhere but that is where I ended up after figuring out the drink needed some body and spice. There weren’t any curry bitters readily available on the market and honestly the curry bitters are the best part. I have used them with gin and peaches, lime and scotch, you name it. It’s fun to see where a drink can go off of just one flavor.”

Ingredients

1.5 oz. Striped Pig spiced rum
.75 oz. banana infused sherry
4 dashes housemade curry bitters
1 oz. pineapple juice

Method

Shake hard and strain into a collins glass. Garnish with banana chips and cinnamon.

Photo Credit: Leslie McKellar

2 Comments

Recipes

Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe

August 1, 2016

First, there was pomegranate. Then there was kale. Now, the newest superfood craze to sweep the nation is turmeric. While I was hesitant to jump on board the previous craze(y) trains (kale is sour, bitter, and chewy, and pomegranate is like a weird alien fruit that takes 3 hours to extract like 15 nibs…no thank you), I’m 100% ready to join the turmeric cult. Not only is it orangey-yellow (which happens to be my favorite color of the moment), but it’s also prevalent in Thai and Indian cooking (which happen to be my favorite cuisines).

It’s just so colorful and pretty!

Whilst stumbling down the rabbit hole that is recipes-on-the-Internet, I found a pretty cool turmeric power smoothie recipe, which I tried and was delicious. Inspired, I set out to make more foods with turmeric in order to really reap the health benefits of this alleged superfood. Since I’ve really been craving Indian food lately (but I don’t know anyone who will actually go eat it with me), I decided to make my own version of chicken tikka masala.

Pictured: most of my friends (coughlaurencough).

This recipe from Allrecipes.com is one that I used to use in college (the first time was when we rented Slumdog Millionaire and wanted to really get in the spirit of things) and really enjoyed, so I thought I’d use it as inspiration for a slightly modified and not at all authentic (probably) recipe.

Ingredients

The marinade

2 cups Greek yogurt
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp freshly minced ginger
4 tsp season salt
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

The sauce

1 tbsp ghee or clarified butter
3 cloves of garlic
1 medium jalapeño pepper
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp salt
1 8-ounce can of tomato sauce
1 8-ounce can of coconut milk
cilantro to garnish (optional)
Basmati rice or naan bread for accompaniment.

Instructions

I mixed together the yogurt and marinade spices and then folded in the chicken breast chunks until they were nice and coated. I covered with plastic wrap and let it marinade in the fridge for about 3 hours.

The word “folding” in recipes always makes me giggle.

10 minutes before the chicken is ready to come out of the fridge, mince 3 cloves of garlic and dice the jalapeño (discard the seeds, unless you’re into that kind of thing). Add the ghee to a large frying pan on medium heat. When the ghee melts, toss in your minced garlic and jalapeño and sauté for about 1 minute.

It doesn’t look like much yet, but it’s getting there!

Add in the spices from the sauce ingredients and stir to coat. Take the chicken out of the fridge and using a slotted spoon (to remove excess yogurt), add the chicken to the frying pan. Cook for about 8 minutes, or until the chicken looks to be cooked completely, stirring frequently.

Much like me in the sun, it gets redder as it simmers.

Stir in the tomato sauce and coconut milk until thoroughly combined. Once the mixture comes to a boil, turn the heat to low and let simmer for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Consider covering your pan, as it may splatter. (If you’re making basmati rice to serve the tikka masala with, this would be a good time to start cooking that so they’ll both finish about the same time).

I’m really into brown rice right now.

Once the chicken is done and the sauce has thickened, serve over rice or bread and garnish with cilantro.

Ta da!

To easily make this recipe vegetarian, simply replace the ghee with olive oil and the chicken with tofu, and omit the marinating process.

How do you incorporate turmeric into your diet?

You can find more great recipes and product reviews from our friends at the Village Bakery.

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Random Fodder Recipes

Molli Sauces Review

June 2, 2016

One of our goals for the summer is to try and cook more & post more recipes on the blog. We’ve been practicing honing our cooking skills by ordering Blue Apron to learn to cook with new techniques and styles. So when we were offered an opportunity to try Molli, a new brand of authentic Mexican cooking sauces available at Southern Season, we jumped at the chance to try cooking something new! We both tried the sauces and are offering our take below:

Yucatan Mojo Marinade

All of my favorite carbs.

Dish: Grilled Pork with Fried Yucca, Tostones, and Rice & Beans

The Yucatan Mojo Marinade was described as being a “unqiue medley of European, Mexican, and Caribbean flavors.” The ingredients were simple, “Water, Fresh Garlic, Lime Juice, Orange Juice, Salt, Cinnamon, and Spices.” Although the website has a number of recipes available, I was really craving fried yucca, so we decided to create our own recipe. We marinated the pork overnight in the Yucutan Mojo Marinade and then put it out on the grill.

Big grill, little pork.

I followed a few recipes I found on Pinterest for the Fried Yucca and Tostones, put rice in the rice cooker, and opened up a can of black beans (which I added a few spices to in order to make it feel more homemade). It’s the easiest dinner I’ve ever made.

Even though deep frying things terrifies me.

The pork was really juicy and flavorful and I liked that there was a nice hint of cinnamon and lime juice without being overpowering. Overall, I thought it was a perfect complement to our dinner menu, and since it was extremely easy to make, I can see myself making this a lot more over the summer.

-Gallimore

Morelos Cooking Sauce

Why is Mexican food so hard to look pretty?

I cannot tell you how refreshing it is to read the ingredients of something and not see it wrap around the entire package. I’m excited that Molli is not only using natural ingredients, but they are also trying to stay as true to the authentic recipes. I love that each sauce/marinade comes from a certain region/area of Mexico and highlights a recipe from the area.

Dish: Beef Picadillo with Quinoa and Avocado

I cooked with the Mölli Morelos Cooking Sauce that’s based off of the State of Morelos, Mexico. The recipe I made was beef picadillo and was SO easy. I used a recipe that they suggested, but I modified it a bit (I didn’t have a potato and I cut it in half since I was just feeding me instead of 6).

Does anything smell better than cooking onions and garlic? No.

I had it with quinoa because I didn’t have any rice and I had a side of avocado because, AVOCA-DUH.

Beef. It’s what’s for dinner.

The ease of this dish alone would make me make it again. But the flavor was great, not too spicy even though it has chipotles in it. I think this dish would be great in a taco or with some eggs over it. One of the other recipes they suggest is Huevos Rancheros, which I bet would be delicious. I only used half of the bottle in this recipe, so I will definitely be using it in another recipe.

Flavorful without being too spicy!

-Turnquist

Mexico City Cooking Sauce

Get in mah belly.

Dish: Chicken Grillers with Spanish Rice

The Mexico City Cooking Sauce, made with Arbol chile and tomatilla was marketed as being “full of fire & spice,” much like Mexico City itself. Since I was really craving a wet burrito-type dish, and I had a lot of flour tortillas that I needed to use, this seemed like a match made in heaven. We sautéed chicken and onions in a pan and then simmered them with the Mexico City Cooking Sauce for about half an hour.

Simmering things is my favorite cooking method, because it is super easy and 100% effective.

Once that was done, we divvied up the chicken/onion mixture into flour tortillas, folded them up, and put them on a hot cast iron skillet and used a grill press to keep them together while it grilled. We took them off after a few minutes and topped with some of the leftover sauce from the pan, along with some cheese, sour cream, and a squeeze of lime juice. We cooked the rice in the rice maker with a jar of salsa so that it got a pretty red-orange color. I had been a little worried about how spicy the sauce was going to be, but it ended up being very mild. I actually put a little hot sauce on the burrito to spice it up a bit. Although not as spicy as I thought it was going to be, the tomatillos gave the sauce a nice citrusy and sweet flavor which worked really well with the chicken.

-Gallimore

All in all, we thought these sauces were a good find for making some easy and flavorful dinners. Using them as a base is a great start for a homecooked, Mexican-inspired meal. Check ’em out!

Note: We received free product and compensation to try this product, but that does not impact the integrity of this review

1 Comments

Recipes

Spinach-Stuffed Bacon-Wrapped Bell Peppers and Corn Crack Succotash

July 13, 2015

Summer is in full swing, and I’ve been feeling inspired to cook more lately. Now that my CSA has finished, I’ve been looking for a good source of local veggies, and I actually found a great option in Harris Teeter.

Hello, freshness!

The ‘Teet has really been stepping up its local produce offerings lately, and they even feature veggies from Freeman Farms on my very own Johns Island (which is great because the HTs in Charleston are open 24-hours, where as most of the farm stands close around 5). I still feel good about supporting local farms & artisans, while having the convenience of shopping at a grocery store.

Local is better, y’all!

Corn Crack Succotash

Sydney cracked corn, and it was delicious.

Ingredients

4 ears of corn
1/2 cucumber, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
1/2 yellow squash, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1/2 vidalia onion, diced
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions

Boil, roast, or grill your corn on the cob until cooked thoroughly. Run under cold water and remove from cob.
Lightly saute the squash, onion, and green pepper in a frying pan.
In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, cheese, and spices and mix together thoroughly. Fold in the corn and sauteed veggies and mix until everything is coated. Chill and serve.

Spinach-Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Bell Peppers

I guess wrapping the vegetables in bacon negates their health properties, but… don’t tell me how to live.

Ingredients

4 green bell peppers cut into 1.5 inch strips
1 vidalia onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 jalapenos, seeded and diced
1 clove garlic
2 cups spinach, chopped
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 lb bacon in strips, cut in half
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: shredded parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Saute onions, red pepper, jalapeno, garlic, and spinach 3 minutes or until soft.
In a bowl, combine the cooked veggies with the cream cheese and mix until fully incorporated.
Stuff green peppers with cream cheese mixture. Wrap with bacon strip half
Bake in oven for 10 minutes or until bacon is crisp.
Top with shredded parmesan cheese.

We’re already wrapping it in bacon, might as well add cheese!

Ever since my move to Johns Island and my participation in the Lowcountry Local First Eat Local Challenge this year, I’ve tried to make a point to shop local and support local agriculture as much as possible, and I’m happy that Harris Teeter is helping me with that goal! Now, if only I had someone to help me eat some of these bacon-wrapped peppers…

1 Comments

Recipes

Bacon Pasta Primavera & Apple-Goat Cheese Salad with Blueberry Vinaigrette

April 15, 2015

When I signed up for the Lowcountry Local First Eat Local Challenge, I was really excited to be able to try out some new recipes using local ingredients. I recently signed up for a CSA from Ambrose Farms (which I’ll talk about in a separate review) and received my first box last week. It was packed full of delicious and yummy goodies, like arugula, sweet onions, collards, asparagus, swiss chard, and more.

I’ve got a pocket, got a pocket full of swiss chard.

Living on Johns Island, I’m lucky enough to have access to such wonderful places in terms of fresh fruits and vegetables, like the Johns Island Farmers Market, Stono Market, and Blackbird Market, as well as a number of little stands and farms from which to buy fresh produce.

All the tomatoes are belong to me.

Using what came in my CSA, as well as some other goodies I found at the markets, my good friend Sean and I came up with the following recipe that’s about 95% local.

Bacon Zoodle Primavera

Bacon Pasta Primavera

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 40

Total Time 55

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Ingredients

1/2 lb Bacon chopped - I used the salt cured from Blackbird Market
2 Pete's Sweet Onion diced - From my Ambrose Farms CSA
1 Shallot diced - From Blackbird Market
1 Green Pepper chopped - From Johns Island Farmers Market
5 Tomatoes chopped - From Stono Market & Johns Island Farmers Market
1/2 lb Okra - From Blackbird Market
3 Zucchini - From Blackbird Market
2 tbsp Olive Oil - I used Holy Smoke
Salt & Pepper - this was the only non-local thing I had in the mix

Instructions

Sauté the onion, bacon, shallot, and green pepper in a sauce pan until the bacon renders down.
Add the tomatoes and let it simmer for about half an hour.
While the sauce is simmering, shred the zucchini using a spiralizer until it resembles thin noodles.
Lightly sauté the zucchini in some olive oil for about 5 minutes (if you don't like zucchini, use your favorite pasta).
Serve the sauce over the zoodles and enjoy with a little freshly grated parmesan!

Keyword zoodles

Apple-Goat Cheese Salad with Blueberry Vinaigrette

Apple-Goat Cheese Salad with Blueberry Vinaigrette

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Total Time 15

Ingredients

1/2 lb arugula - From the Ambrose Farms CSA
1 Apple of your choice chopped - my favorite is honeycrisp. This one was from NC
1 oz Goat Cheese crumbled - I used a smoky goat cheese from Blackbird Market
1 Heirloom Tomato chopped - from Blackbird Market
1/4 cup Blueberry Balsamic Vinegar - From Lowcountry Olive Oil
3/4 cup Olive Oil - I used Holy Smoke

Instructions

Rinse the arugula and pat it dry.
Chop if you prefer smaller pieces of lettuce.
Combine the arugula, apple, tomato, and goat cheese in a bowl.
Using a food processor or immersion blender, blend the olive oil and balsamic vinegar together until fully incorporated. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss to coat.

And voilá! You have a perfectly delicious and happily local dinner for you and friends! I also served it with a side of tomato pie, which I bought from Blackbird Market earlier that day because I am an impulse shopper and it sounded so good. And it was absolutely amazing, I’d highly recommend it.

And it tastes as good as it looks!

Recipes

Baked Brie With Jezebel Peaches, Coffee-Rubbed Skirt Steak, and Grilled Mexican Corn Salad

June 5, 2014

Because of my recent travels and adventures having friends in town (and my general laziness), I’ve been going out to eat a lot lately. Like, way more than I should. Although I love going out to eat (no doing dishes!), I was recently inspired to try some new recipes after perusing the June edition of Southern Living Magazine, which focused on southern food (you should really go pick it up and take a look), so I decided to make a night of it and spoil myself with a southern feast.

My goal is to make all of the recipes in this little book by the end of the summer.

My goal is to make all of the recipes in this summer cookbook by the end of August.

I had some brie that was given to me by the folks at Jarlsberg during the Food Film Festival last month, so I figured this would be a good opportunity to make use of it with the “Baked Brie With Jezebel Peaches.”

I’m a fan of any kind of cheese, basically.

The recipe called for a 13.2 oz round, and although mine was about half that size, I decided not to halve any of the other ingredients, and I thought it turned out great. I served it with Keeblers Assorted Toasteds crackers, and it was a big hit. I loved the combination of flavors. It was tangy and creamy and crunchy and fruity all at once. I’d definitely make this again; I imagine it would be a great hit at parties!

So melty.

For the main course, I decided to go outside of my comfort zone and try the “Coffee-Rubbed Skirt Steak,” which looked delicious in the magazine. I’ve literally cooked steak one other time in my life, so I thought this would be a good learning experience. The first thing that I learned is that I have no idea how to buy steak at the grocery store (it took me 10 full minutes to realize that skirt steak and flank steak are interchangeable. I’m bad at reading directions). Once I’d gathered all of the ingredients, I trimmed some of the fat off the steak, made the rub and let it sit for the required time while I prepared the side dish.

Rubbin’ meat like a pro.

Since I don’t have a grill at my apartment, I decided I would cook the steaks in my cast iron skillet, like they’d done when I went to that cooking class at Southern Season. The problem is that the cuts of meat I’d chosen were too big to fit in the skillet together, and in retrospect I should’ve cooked them one piece at a time, but I’m stubborn and decided I would make it work cooking them both together.

So. Much. Meat.

I somehow managed to both burn and undercook the steaks (kind of impressive, actually), and ended up sticking the whole skillet in the oven to finish cooking them. They came out somewhere around medium-well in color, but well done in texture. When trying the steak, I thought it tasted really flavorful, but was a bit chewy. Lily loved it and ended up eating all of the leftovers, so I guess that’s a good sign! I’d definitely try this recipe again with a grill and someone who actually knew how to cook steak.

Did I cut it right? I don’t even think I know how to do that. Yikes. I’m doomed.

The biggest hit of the night, though, was the “Grilled Mexican Corn Salad.” When I was making the corn, I was a little weirded out about rubbing ears of corn with mayonnaise, but it actually turned out really deliciously. Again, since I didn’t have a grill, I put the corn in the oven at 450 and let them bake for about 13 minutes before I took them out to cut the kernels from the cob to make the salad.

Apparently my oven cooks by neon light.

The flavor of this dish was so unique, and I loved how light and refreshing it tasted with the fresh herbs, lime juice, and crispness of the corn straight off of the cob (rather than canned or frozen). Plus I’m a huge fan of any dish with feta cheese in it.

I love corn straight off the cob. It’s just so much better.

The meal was delicious and as fun to eat as it was to make. With the exception of the snafu with the beef–which was really just my own personal shortcoming (what did I even learn in that semester of culinary school, anyway?!–the evening went off without a hitch, and we enjoyed our meal with a nice bottle of malbec out on my porch. Southern living really is the best kind of living.

The finished product. Not pictured: the half a bottle of wine I drank to destress from cooking that steak.

1 Comments

Recipes

Pepper Jelly-Stuffed Pimento Cheese Cookies

January 17, 2014

This photos and baking finesse of this post come from my mother. The commentary is mine.

Yes, I know the title sounds strange, and you’re probably thinking “there’s no way those taste good,” but believe me, oh, ye of little faith, they’re actually pretty yummy. I adapted a Southern Living recipe to make these based on what I already had lying around the house. There’s only 5 ingredients (6 if you count the parchment paper), and they’re pretty easy to easy to make.

Ingredients

1 cup flour
1 cup refrigerated Palmetto cheese, original flavor (or your favorite pimento cheese)
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
1/4 cup butter, softened
4 tablespoons One Screw Loose raspberry merlot cracked pepper jelly (or whatever your favorite it)

Instructions

1. Gather all of your ingredients. I also grabbed a nice craft beer to drink while I was baking. This isn’t integral to the baking process, but it sure makes time go by faster.

Ok, so the beer isn’t “technically” an ingredient.

2. Beat together flour & pimiento cheese at medium speed for about 1 minute.

I use the food processor for pretty much everything. But a mixer would work, too.

3. Use a food processor (or a knife if you don’t have one) to chop up your pecans super fine. If you like nuts in cookies, then you can probably leave them a little coarser, but I like it better like this.

I like that beer even better.

4. Add pecans and butter to the flour & pimento cheese mixture and beat until blended.

Is this blended enough? Idk. Drink!

5. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours. If after 2 hours it still isn’t very doughy, you might want to add a little more flour or stick it in the freezer for a hot minute.

tick tock tick tock

6. While the dough is chilling, this is a good time to do the dishes and finish your beer (and maybe pour yourself another while you wait)

The beer is the important part. I can’t stress that enough.

7. Preheat oven to 400°. Place dough on a well-floured surface, and roll to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut dough into equal-sized rounds with a 2-inch round cutter (or a wine glass if you don’t have one of those).

Yes, that is 2 open cans of beer in the background. Don’t judge.

8. Arrange half of rounds 2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

Am I strategically placing the beers in every shot? Yes. Yes I am.

9. Spoon 1/2 tsp. of whatever jelly you’re using onto center of each round, and top with remaining rounds.

LIKE A LITTLE PIMENTO CHEESE JELLY SANDWICH, YOU GUYS.

10. Press the edges together to seal.

I used a fork. Cuz I’m cool (read: lazy) like that.

11. Bake at 400° for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets 10 minutes; transfer to wire racks, and cool completely (about 30 minutes).

They kind of look like those meat pies from Sweeney Todd…

My only complaint about these is that they end up tasting a lot like Cheese Straws, so they’re a little dry, even with the jelly-filled inside. Maybe I added too much flour? …I was drinking, so I don’t remember clearly. I’ll continue playing with it in the future. I might even try the jalapeno Palmetto cheese next time!

The faucet was integral in my baking process, as it was way easier to wash my hands when I had dough all over them. If you haven’t entered to win a free Delta Touch2O Faucet yet, head on over the the giveaway page to get started. This thing is awesome! You have 2 more days left to enter, so go for it.

Recipes

Tina’s Leftover Skillet Bake

July 20, 2013

This recipe comes from my mom, the queen of making leftovers fun again. Enjoy this Greek-inspired chicken and potatoes recipe!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup OLIVE OIL – for lightly frying
2 GARLIC CLOVES – minced
1 SWEET YELLOW ONION – chopped
1 JALAPENO – seeded and chopped
3 or 4 POTATOES – best with leftover baked potatoes, cooled
1 or 2 cups CHICKEN – cooked and chopped
1/2 cup FETA CHEESE – or as much as you like
1/2 cup PARMESAN CHEESE – or more if you want

Instructions:

Heat the OIL in a fry pan. Add the GARLIC CLOVES, the ONION, and the JALAPENO. Saute until they are soft and smell yummy.
Add the POTATOES and CHICKEN. Fry for 10-12 minutes until it all starts to brown a little.
Remove from the heat. Add the FETA CHEESE and the PARMESAN CHEESE. Stir until well mixed and slightly melted.
Get your FORK and dig into this pan of YUMMINESS !!

Tina is an amazing cook… not such a great photographer, though.

Recipes

Moroccan Chicken with Tomato Lentil Couscous

May 9, 2013

This is a guest recipe from my mom, since I’m going to be out of town for the next two weeks. Enjoy!

So I had a hankering for something Moroccan, because I’m obsessed with Moroccan food and found some ideas online. Violá, Moroccan Chicken Tina’s Way.

Ingredients

1 Bag of Perdue Frozen CHICKEN TENDERLOINS (the raw ones)
2 Envelopes from a box of SAZON GOYA SEASONINGS. This is found in the Hispanic section of any grocery store. Just use 2 envelopes from one box, not two boxes of the stuff for-crying-out-loud.
1 Large ONION, diced
4 Cloves of GARLIC, minced
4 CARROTS, diced
4 CELERY Stalks, diced
1 1/2 Tablespoons Ground GINGER
1 Teaspoon Ground PAPRIKA
1 Teaspoon Ground CUMIN
1 Teaspoon Dried OREGANO
1/2 Teaspoon Ground CAYENE PEPPER
1 Teaspoon Ground TURMERIC
OIL for sautéing. I use Canola. You use Olive.
1 (14.5 ounce) Can Swanson’s CHICKEN BROTH- or use whatever broth
2 Cans of GARBANZO BEANS
1 (8 ounce) Can TOMATO SAUCE
1 Box of Near East’s TOMATO LENTIL COUSCOUS

Instructions:

Slice open the top of the bag of CHICKEN and fill it with cool water. Let it sit for 10 minutes.

These flash frozen CHICKEN pieces do not need to be thawed to cook them but they need to be a little pliable to be able to chunk’em up without slicing off a finger.

After about 10 minutes, maybe 15. Chunk up those TENDERLOINS, and pop’em into a fry pan. Sprinkle on the SAZON GOYA SEASONING ENVELOPES and add enough OIL to sauté them for however long it takes til they’re done. Remove CHICKEN from the pan and set aside for a minute. We’ll get back to them.

To the frying pan add enough OIL to sauté the ONION, CELERY, CARROTS, & GARLIC til the CARROTS are tender ’cause they take the longest. Mix together the GINGER, PAPRIKA, CUMIN, OREGANO, CAYENE PEPPER, & TURMERIC. Sprinkle on these veggies. And sauté a minute longer.

Add the CHICKEN back into the frying pan. Mix everything up in there. Then add the CHICKEN BROTH, the GARBANZO BEANS and the TOMATO SAUCE. Simmer for about 20 minutes.

Tomato-Lentil Couscous

Take a look at the Directions on the side of the box of Near East’s TOMATO-LENTIL COUSCOUS. (If this is more then you want to know then stop right here and make rice instead)

Ingredients (Sometimes it’s better not to know)

Couscous (Precooked Semolina), Precooked Lentils, Tomatoes (Dried), Salt, Autolyzed Yeast Extract (Dried), Molasses (Dried), Garlic (Dried), Onions(Dried), Paprika Spice Which Imparts Color, Natural Flavors, Honey (Dried), Celery (Dried), Spices, Calcium Chloride (Natural Source).