Category Archives: Appetizing Apps

Fall Stew

Posted on by

Guys, I miss football. I miss Fall. I mean if its going to be this cold I’d rather us be back in Fall than pretend to be in Spring. There aren’t any flowers, the showers are more like snow, and there just isn’t great spring food. I mean there is good Spring food, but not mouth watering great. Although I will say to stay tuned for an Easter Sunday themed blog post with yummy tea party sandwiches and snacks. (shameless blog plug) Anyway, point being I am going to eat like its still Fall and still can before summer comes around and I need sultry salads, fruits, and iced tea. Ok so back to this divine stew. I can’t even tell you how flipping good it is. There is this amaze balls Italian market near my work and not only do I get lunch from there AT LEAST 2x a week, but I always pick up tasty imported items from Italia whenever I can (aka last time I was there I picked up truffle butter AGAIN, whatever, Jess said we don’t judge here). Anyway, Tredici is the bomb.com for all the delish food they have on their regular menu, but they also have daily specials. This puppy was debuted in September and it made its way back once a month throughout the fall and I miss it so. I decided I must re-create it and have it available all year round. (or I’ll die, because I love it THAT much).  Ok melodramatics aside, I don’t think I can say I replicated the magical stew 100%, but this is pretty darn close, say 99.9% for all you math nerds. Anyway, it satiated my hankering for this delish stew and I hope it does the same for you! (ha “stew”, “you”, rhyming, happy camper, belly full).

  • 2 tbsp. of olive oil
  • 12 oz. hot Italian sausage, cut into small chunks (I just did droppings of the sausage by cutting out the casing, that lets the stew grab on to all the spices of the sausage).
  • 12 cipollini onions peeled (pearl onions can be substituted)
  • 1 ½ cups crushed tomatoes (Cento is my fav canned brand)
  • 3 cups low-sodium chicken stock
  • ½-oz bundle of herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, sage or oregano (there is a trio packet that’s sold at my grocery store, saves time & money so I just used that. It was parsley, thyme, and oregano)
  • 1-  2 ½ pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1-inch chunks (again I buy the pre-prepared stuff from Trader Joe’s)
  • 3 carrots, peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces (I hate cooked carrots but I left them in and just fished them out so I could get the flavor but not have to eat them. I know I am a child).
  • 3 parsnips, peeled and cut into 2-inch long sticks
  • 1 fennel bulb, trimmed and cut in half
  • 12-15 Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Fall Stew

Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Add sausage, stirring until the sausage breaks into small pieces and is no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, set aside. Raise heat to medium high, add onions. Then cook, stirring until golden, 5 to 6 minutes. (At this point, I put the sausage and onions in the slow cooker and added the remaining ingredients. Stir to mx.)Add tomatoes, stock, and herbs. Simmer over medium heat until liquid starts to thicken, 20 to 25 minutes. Add sausage back and the squash, carrots, parsnips, and fennel. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.  Add Brussels sprouts now and cook, covered about 5 minutes more. (or cook on high in the slow cooker for 4-5 hours if not doing it stove top). Remove cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid thickens, 10 to 15 minutes more. Adjust seasonings and serve warm. This will serve 4 – 6 people based on if you are making this a meal or a 1st course.

Happy Eating, XO

SXSW

Posted on by

Guys, we need to stop having #fomo just because we aren’t in Austin. I re-created the feel of being down there by coming up with these sumptuous lil appetizers. You know because us grown ups have people over for drinks and apps on the weekends. Anyway, I went real southwestern with my home-made corn cakes, topped with spicy andouille chicken sausage & a dollop of my avocado sauce. It was sweet, spicy, creamy, crunchy, and filling. Everything you’d want to coat your stomach with before a night of cocktails. Plus, if you drink enough it will be way easier to pretend like your actually at SXSW.

  • 1 can of creamed corn (400 grams)
  • 2 cups of de frosted frozen corn
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar (I suggest sharp since its more flavorful, but go with whatever you have aka I may have just used leftover Mexican blend from fajita night, don’t judge)
  • 1/2 of a red bell pepper chopped small (should be around the same size of the corn kernels).
  • 1 tsp of baking powder
  • 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flower
  • 1/2 cup of milk
  • 2 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. dried parsley flakes
  • 2 tsp. onion powder (I would even say thinly sliced green onion would be fab for this recipe, but I had to improvise with what was in my pantry. I am trying it with that next time though because this is a definite repeat dish).
  • salt & pepper to taste

Mix the creamed corn, eggs, chopped red pepper, corn, baking soda, flour, and milk. Then fold in the spices & cheese. Then in a sauté pan heat vegetable oil at medium to high heat (you don’t want to scorch the corn cakes, but if the oil isn’t hot enough you wont get a nice crisp on the cakes). Use a large tablespoon to measure out the corn cake mixture evenly in the pan. Meanwhile, I sliced the store bought sausage and threw it in the oven at 350 degrees to roast & crisp up as I made the corn cakes. I’d say about 10-15 minutes (but mine were fully cooked, in case yours are raw increase the cooking time to 20-25 minutes or when browned). Fry spoonfuls of the batter until bubbles appear at the top & flip (like you would do with pancakes).  Allow to cook on the other side and then in a paper towel lined platter, cool the corncakes so the excess oil is absorbed. No one wants to be able to taste the grease, but they do want crispy & yummy corncakes. The batter should make about 15 corn cakes (varies based on size). Layer with a slice of the warm sausage and a cold dollop of the avocado sauce. Nosh your face off.

photo

Happy Eating, XO.

Deviled Eggs with a Mexican Flair

Posted on by

Ok, so here’s my dirty little secret – I’ve never actually made deviled eggs before this recipe. I really really love them, but for some reason thought they were a lot harder to make than they are. There’s that, and also the fact that I was terrible at making hard boiled eggs. (Yes, I know. I started a food blog and couldn’t boil an egg. We all have our vices…). But hold the tisk tisk-ing, because I overcame both and made some super easy and delicious deviled eggs. Look ma! I finally made my own deviled eggs!

  • 6 hard boiled eggs
  • 1/2 of an avocado (I used the other half of the avocado from our BLT(EA) recipe)
  • 1 tsp of finely chopped cilantro
  • 1 tbsp of finely chopped red onion
  • 1 tbsp of lime juice
  • A pinch of salt and pepper
  • A pinch of paprika per egg

Take the yolks from the hard boiled eggs and combine with all of the ingredients except paprika. Be sure to blend it until creamy. Scoop spoonfuls back in to the eggs and dash on the paprika.

If you want something a little more spicy, try blending in some chili pepper or finely chopped jalapeno. Can’t wait to make these again for margarita night!

Mexican style deviled eggs

Feliz Comiendo, XO

My Taste Buds’ Soul Mate: Spinach Artichoke Pizza

Posted on by

I wish I could describe to you the love I have for this pizza. I love it almost as much as truffle oil. Almost. And for any other pizza lover out there (or foodies, or even those who don’t really love food but you of course need to eat – aka EVERYONE) this pizza is for you.

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup butter
  • 2 tbsp cream cheese
  • ¾ cup shredded parmesan cheese
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1½ cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 1 pack of frozen spinach
  • 1 can of drained artichoke hearts, chopped
  • 1 tubes of pizza crust (I tend to use Pillsbury, but anything works)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and cook the crust according to the directions on the tube. Then in a medium saucepan on low heat add all of the creams – heavy cream, butter, and cream cheese.  Add in the parmesan and garlic powder and let simmer for 15 minutes, occasionally stirring. 

In the meantime, cook the frozen spinach. Once cooked and drained, add it to the simmering sauce. When it’s fully combined, spread on to the pizza crust, and top it with the artichokes and mozzarella. Bake for 15 minutes/ until the cheese is golden brown. Last step – fall in love with the deliciousness.

Artichoke spinach pizza

Happy Eating, XO

Truffled Crostini

Posted on by

Now, you all know our obsession with anything truffle and I was lucky enough to get an assortment of truffle goodies from Jess for Christmas. Ranging from truffle salt, to truffle honey, to actual black truffles themselves. I was so excited to see all the unique dishes I could make with my new treats & did a quick experiment for this Saturday night’s wine induced festivities. See below for my quick, no cook appetizer/snack that was almost finished before I could post the photograph to our Instagram account! Make sure you like the photo, especially because my friend Caitlin’s Kate Spade salt & pepper shakers are the star of the show 🙂

  • Store bought (obvi from Trader Joe’s, like I shop anywhere else) toasted baguette chips (the base of the crostini).
  • Marscapone cheese (you can actually use ricotta cheese as well, but I had left over marscapone in the fridge and so I just used that vs. making a trip to the store). I smeared about 1 tbsp. on each piece.
  • Truffle honey (the smallest drizzle you can do, since the truffle is a very strong flavor. I used the back of the tablespoon I was using for the cheese to drizzle a tsp. worth of the honey on each piece).
  • Blackberries (I suggest cutting them in half because of the way they will fit on the crostini & you don’t want the fruit to over power the other flavors).

I add a pinch of sea salt and black pepper before adding the halved berry on top. It’s just that easy! No cook apps are my fav. They are quick to put together, require minimal clean up, and are also easy to transport.

Happy Eating, XO.