14 Saturday Jan 2017
Posted in Baking, Cookies, Desserts, Easy, Entertaining
I am very thankful that I married someone who has family in the south. There are certain things I would have no idea about, such as boiled peanuts, sweet tea, Alabama white sauce, and Chess Squares. Good gracious, Chess Squares. Quite possibly one of the easiest and most decadent recipes I’ve ever made. Continue reading
28 Saturday May 2016
Posted in Baking, Cookies, Desserts, Entertaining
This is one of those desserts that you see on a lot of restaurant menus, because who doesn’t love a giant chocolate chip cookie? When I found Ned Ludd’s beloved skillet cookie recipe, I knew this was the one I wanted to try at home. The cookie gets nice and browned on the top, and you’ll think maybe it’s overbaked, but the crust crackles and below the chocolate chunks almost melt into the entire cookie making for a gooey, decadent dessert. Ice cream on top to contribute to the melty-gooey factor is a must.
Recipe
The Skillet Cookie
Adapted from Ned Ludd
Makes one 10-inch cookie, serves 4-6 as a shareable dessert
Ingredients
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup white sugar
½ cup dark brown sugar
1 large egg
¼ tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
1 cup chocolate chunks (can use dark, semi-sweet, milk, or a combo)
Flake salt for finishing (optional)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until well combined, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg, salt, and vanilla extract, and continue beating until combined. Add the flour and the baking soda and mix until just incorporated. Using a spatula, fold in chocolate chunks.
Flatten the dough inside a 10-inch skillet. It may seem like all of the dough won’t fit, but press it down until it’s nice and spread out, it will bake up nice! Bake for 27 – 30 minutes, or until the center is just set. Remove from oven and sprinkle with flake salt, if desired. Serve with a few scoops of vanilla ice cream and hot fudge sauce. Enjoy!
24 Thursday Mar 2016
Posted in Chicken, Easy, Entertaining, Main Dish, Restaurants, Seattle, Weeknight Meals
Tags
Chicken, cream, curry, Indian Food, major grey chutney, Naan, Rice
This is one of the easiest recipes in our arsenal and a total favorite! I wouldn’t know about the amazingness that is Major Grey Chicken Curry if it weren’t for my friends Ursula and Megan. They introduced me to Shamiana restaurant in Kirkland years and years ago. While everything is good there, we all agree that the Major Grey Chicken is a standout. When I started working right near Shamiana and could hit up their lunch buffet, my obsession got even worse…and my work days got a lot less productive when I was coming back from a lunch buffet so full I could barely move. I had to try to keep my trips there to a minimum but it was hard on some days!
This recipe is super easy to make at home and is perfect served with some rice and naan. In the future I’ll probably add some veggies to this curry to make it a more well-rounded meal. The original recipe I found online calls for chicken breasts but I’m pretty sure the restaurant uses thighs. I also like to cook my chicken almost all of the way through before adding it back to the curry where some of the recipes had you add the chicken when it wasn’t cooked all the way through. You could really use any chicken for this dish, such as leftover rotisserie chicken, whatever you have on hand!
Recipe
Major Grey Chicken Curry
Inspired by Shamiana Restaurant in Kirkland, WA
Serves 6
Ingredients
Directions
14 Thursday Jan 2016
Posted in Boozy, Entertaining, Thirsty Thursday
There’s nothing quite like a good homemade cocktail – it’s a lot more economical than going out and I’m not above drinking something fancy while wearing sweatpants.
The thing about homemade cocktails is they have to have few ingredients and be relatively simple to make. When I see a cocktail recipe I’ll typically dismiss it if there are tons of special liqueurs and ingredients. I’ll leave the flaming coffees to the professionals…I want something easy to make that is a little more elevated than mixing booze with soda. Usually all you need is alcohol + simple syrup + a mixer, the more natural and less sweet the mixer, the better!
11 Monday Jan 2016
Posted in Desserts, Easy, Entertaining
Tags
candied ginger, Crystallized Ginger, ginger, Icebox Cake, lemon, lemon curd, Marscarpone, raspberries, Refrigerator Cake, Trader Joe's, Wafer Cookies, whipped cream
I will repeatedly tell you that icebox cakes are one of the most versatile, easy, and impressive desserts you can make. All you need are thin wafter cookies, some sort of delicious filling, and a springform pan.
Proof that they are versatile: Chocolate Strawberry Icebox Cake and Peaches N’ Cream Icebox Cake
Proof they are easy: I am the new mother of a two month old and I managed to make this cake between feedings.
Proof they are impressive: It’s a cake you don’t have to bake…come on! It looks like a lot of work and it’s not. We served this to a party of 6 and everyone loved it! Continue reading
24 Thursday Dec 2015
Posted in Boozy, Breakfast, Entertaining, Holidays
When I was pregnant, I fantasized about having a fizzy Bellini around Christmas. Since my original due date was December 22nd, I was really hoping for a Christmas Bellini, it was all I wanted! Things have a funny way of working out, don’t they? Turns out I could have started drinking Bellini’s in mid-November, but of course, I didn’t get around to making one until Christmas anyways.
Recipe
Extra Boozy Bellini’s
By Baked Northwest
Makes 6-8 Drinks
Ingredients
Directions
Add the peaches, triple sec, vodka, peach jam, and lemon juice to a blender. Blend on high until smooth. You can add extra booze (or water) to the mixture if it’s too thick, the mixture should be a smooth, but slightly thick consistency. The goal is to have a nice boozy smoothie!
Add the mixture to a pitcher and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour. When ready, pour mixture into champagne flutes to fill about halfway. Top with Prosecco to serve.
24 Monday Aug 2015
Posted in Appetizers, Easy, Entertaining, Sauces
Tags
Chips, cream cheese, Dill Pickle, dip, Pickle, Pickles, sour cream
Here we go, a typical “pregnant lady” craving…Pickles. No, not with ice cream or anything bizarre, but transferred into a creamy dip to go with some salty chips. We’ve made this a few times and it’s always a winner, pregnant or not. For me, this rules over any onion dip I have ever tasted. And no one ever trash talks pickle breath, at least from my experience…
Recipe
Pickle Dip
Adapted from Smells Like Home
Makes about 2 cups
Ingredients
Directions
In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese, sour cream, pickles, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce together. Add a couple tablespoons of pickle juice if the dip is too thick and continue to add a little at a time until you reach your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add some fresh dill. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Serve with chips, crackers, veggies, whatever you like!
12 Sunday Jul 2015
Posted in Baking, Breads, Breakfast, Entertaining, Holidays
Tags
baked, baking, bun in the oven, buns, cinnamon, cinnamon rolls, sugar, sweet rolls
Cinnamon Rolls may be my ultimate weakness. It is hard for me to resist a soft, gooey, sweet roll when I wake up in the morning and am vulnerable…everyone is more vulnerable in the morning, right? I have been waiting for an “excuse” to find a good go-to cinnamon roll recipe for awhile. One you can tweak with fillings depending on your mood or the season, one that isn’t too complicated, one I’ll use over and over.
For this particular “occasion” I knew I wanted to make tinier rolls, maybe ones you could almost just pull out of the pan with your hands and eat in one or two bites…because they are so good you’ll probably have to eat them immediately with reckless abandon instead of taking the time to grab a plate. You can also choose to go the classier route and get a knife and fork…but that’s not something I’m doing much of these days because… Continue reading
19 Tuesday May 2015
Posted in Desserts, Easy, Entertaining
The Eton Mess is one of the easiest desserts on the planet, AND it can look totally messy and you don’t have to worry about it, because it’s already in the name and it’ll taste good no matter what! As you can see, I spilled all over my serving tray and everyone managed to survive…
This recipe also kicks off one thing I have always wanted to do – “Cook the Cover” of all of my favorite cookbooks! As you can see above, we are clearly channeling the cover of Ina Garten’s “How Easy Is That?” cookbook. And clearly Ina’s desserts had a little more cream in them than fruit…Oops! But hey, it’s a fun project, and strangely enough, I don’t think I have ‘cooked the cover’ of any of my other cookbooks. I mean, the recipe on the cover of a cookbook HAS to be delicious and foolproof, right?
19 Tuesday May 2015
Posted in Breakfast, Eggs, Entertaining
This tart was on the menu for my Mother’s Day Brunch this year. I wanted to make an egg dish that was easy and elegant, and this definitely fit the bill. With both mascarpone cheese and gruyere, it definitely comes out as a cheesy treat. When I baked the crust for 10 minutes on its own, it sank a bit, but the filling still worked great in the tart pan and we were left with a delicious and cheesy egg dish, even if the crust wasn’t perfect. In the future I would probably try to weigh down the crust, using this technique from All Recipes. Continue reading
