Tag Archives: Butter

Date Night Dinner

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We all need a lil night to indulge. Some yummy food, a good bottle of wine, and a night in to cozy up with your hunny. This is the ideal dinner for a candle lit night at home. So get the DVD ready, grab some fresh flowers and get this meal on the table. Lucky for you, there is wine in this recipe so the bottle will be open before your significant other even comes over. I restrained and didn’t use garlic in this dish (for the obvious reasons involving kissing & bad breath), but most certainly will next time. Anyway, Serves 3-4 so you will have left overs unless you double-date it..

  • 4 boneless chicken breasts
  • 3 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
  • 2 Tablespoon of olive oil (I cut down to 1 tbsp. because I figured there was enough butter)
  • 2 Tablespoon of butter
  • 2 tsp. of fresh thyme leaves (you know if you have a herb garden or if you are normal and want to use 1/2 tsp. dried thyme)
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 3 Tablespoons heavy cream (subbed for the half & half I had in the fridge for coffee)
  • 1 1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

In a skillet over medium – medium/high heat melt butter and combine with olive oil. Prepare chicken breasts by sprinkling both sides with a little sea salt.
Saute the chicken breasts until golden and cooked through; remove and set aside. In the same skillet, saute the mushrooms until soft and starting to brown (5 minutes). Add the thyme, wine, and vinegar. Let the wine reduce, then add 2-3 Tablespoons of the half & half, and heat until warmed through. You can serve with a vegetable and some rice.

Chicken Marsala

Happy Eating, XO.

Rise & Shine Puddin’

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Ok so I have special place in my heart for bread pudding. It was my paternal grandfather’s favorite dessert. So I feel as if I am doing the family a disservice if its on a menu at a restaurant and I don’t order it. Having said that, this is a dessert that can either be amazeballs or really really crappy. I just don’t get it to be honest, however since that is the case I have always been afraid to make it in fear of the fact that I will end up making the crappy version (or that I should have gone to culinary school because I don’t know what the freak “place in a water bath” means? I mean don’t all baths have water? Whatever, I digress). Alas, I came across a recipe that not only seemed easy enough for a home cook to make, but also seemed fool proof at not sucking. I tried it out and just loved it. So much so, that I served it for brunch & looked like a culinary wizard (you know one that bathes their food & such).

Have at it and comment below. Jess and I just don’t have enough reading to do…so write us something! STAT.

  • 7-8* slices day-old bread (I am lazy and didn’t wanna have to buy raisins and cinnamon per the recipe’s instructions so I just used Pepperidge farm raisin cinnamon swirl bread. Best short cut ever, I’m a genius!)                                                  
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted                                                                     
  • 4 eggs, beaten      
  • 2 cups of half & half                            
  • 1/2 cup (white or brown) sugar (original calls for 3/4 cup & that was way too sweet for brunch, but if making as a dessert you can always increase the sugar, but again I left it at 1/2 cup).                                             
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup chopped (candied or regular) walnuts (optional since I know some of y’all have nut allergies)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Break bread into small pieces into an 8 inch square baking pan. Drizzle melted butter or margarine over bread. If using, sprinkle with the nuts now. In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Pour over bread, and lightly push down with a fork until bread is covered and soaking up the egg mixture. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly tapped. Top should look golden brown.

* the bread quantity varies only because I don’t know how custardy or solid you like your bread pudding. Everyone’s preference differs, so just eye ball it.

Happy Eating, XO.

I <3 You, Cupcakes

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It’s no secret by now – I love food, and I especially love baking. So it’s only right this Valentine’s Day I bake some yummy cupcakes! Some people go for chocolate covered strawberries, I go for chocolate on chocolate cupcakes. #NoShame. I bought a chocolate mold a few years ago just for the hell of it (shout out to Michael’s!), and as it turns out it makes perfect little hearts for cupcake toppers!

Chocolate Heart Toppers

  • 1 cup melted white chocolate
  • 2-3 drops of red food coloring (add more or less depending on the color you want)

Chocolate Cupcakes

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1⁄4 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 packet chocolate pudding powder (I replaced this with unsweetened cocoa powder bc, let’s be real, you’ll never use unsweetened cocoa for anything after this recipe.)
  • 1⁄8 tsp salt
  • 6 Tbsp butter, softened
  • 1 1⁄2 cup white sugar
  • 2 egg
  • 3⁄4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup milk

Icing

  • Pillsbury’s frosting in a can = no mess and just as good

Start on the chocolate hearts about an hour before hand so they have time to harden. Melt the white chocolate slowly in a sauce pan. Once it’s liquidy, add in the food coloring. (If it starts to score/harden after it’s already melted add a tiny bit of water to it and it will smooth right out again.) Pour in to the mold and stick in the freezer.

For the cupcakes, do the usual prep work: preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line the muffin pan with cupcake liners. Then sift together all of the flour, baking powder & soda, chocolate pudding powder, and salt.

In a separate bowl, mix together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Follow up with the eggs and vanilla. Then slowly add in the flour mixture and milk until completely combined. Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Valentine's Day cupcake

Happy Eating (and Valentines Day!), XO

Bougie Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

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One unusually chipper morning, I thought I’d be a little overzealous and make a fancy breakfast/brunch. I had tried these lemon ricotta pancakes in a cafe when visiting Sonia in Philly and have wanted to put my own twist on them ever since.  I have to say, they did not disappoint! They’re amazingly refreshing, and made for an awesome brunch.

  • 2 cup blackberries (or raspberries/mixed berries)
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 3 eggs – separate the yolks and egg whites
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp unsalted melted butter
  • 1 zested lemon
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the compote, cook the berries and maple syrup over medium heat until they start to get soft and saucy-like. (Around 3 minutes).

For the melt-in-your-mouth pancakes, whisk together the ricotta, flour, yolks, sugar, butter, lemon zest, and vanilla. Unfortunately, at this point you have to dirty another bowl (personally, I hate doing that). In another bowl beat the egg whites on high until foamy and fold in to the other mixture. Heat your griddle/pan to medium heat, and get to makin’ some pancakes!

When the pancakes are done, pour on a little compote and syrup (tastes good AND looks good). And Don’t forget your mimosa!

lemon ricotta pancakes

Happy Eating, XO

Weeknight Wonder

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Ok kids, the holidays are over. Back to reality, back to the grind. We need a quick weeknight dinner because cereal 3x a week just isn’t cutting it. If you want something filling & tasty in a hurry, this is your dish. Bust out that sage you bought for the Winter Warmth recipe and get crackin’ on this delight. Oh and for all you meat lovers…feel free to add a grilled chicken breast to the top when serving, but honestly if time is of the essence, the mushrooms will act as a great faux meat for one night.
  • 1 lb. penne pasta or fusilli (spaghetti just wont cut it since the pasta needs to be the same size as the mushrooms).
  • 1/2 cup of chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup of red wine (don’t act like you HAVE to open a bottle just for the recipe & weren’t pulling a Thirsty Thursday anyway).
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 shallot diced
  • 1 cup of mushrooms, sliced
  • sage, chopped
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp. butter
  • 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese, grated
  • (reserved pasta water)
While the pasta is boiling per packet instructions, reduce the broth & wine down to a sauce (will turn into 1/2 cup of liquid). Sautee the garlic, shallot, sage, & mushrooms (s&p to taste) in pan while stirring in the cooked pasta, wine reduction sauce, butter, and cheese. Thicken sauce with a bit of the reserved pasta water, will depend on desired consistency of sauce.
* The idea for this recipe came from a coworker that is doing http://www.thefresh20.com with her husband. Check it out, it seems like a cool & easy program. Equipped with grocery lists, recipes, and everything you need for healthy & fresh dinners for 5 nights of the week. *
Happy Eating, XO.