Around here, we really love quiche. It's just one of those things that's super quick and easy to throw together, and even easier to heat up later in the week when you don't feel like putting any effort into cooking. I'm actually surprised I don't have more quiche recipes here... but it's probably because I use the same base each time and just toss in whatever ingredients I have laying around. I'm going to try to post more of the combinations though - just because the base is the same, doesn't mean you guys won't appreciate a new combination!

This particular one came together Saturday afternoon. I made and baked the crust in the morning, chopped up some bacon I had cooked earlier in the week, and then filled and baked the quiche later in the day, after running errands. Prepping everything ahead of time made it come together really quickly, and then dinner was ready in a jiffy. I used to buy frozen crusts from the store, but I'm kicking myself for it now. Homemade crusts are just so much tastier, they require only three ingredients (okay, four if you count salt), and they really take no time at all to put together. One of these days I'll make a proper recipe post for pie crust. In the meantime, just use whatever you have!

Smoked Gouda, Bacon, Spinach, & Red Pepper Quiche

• 1 pie crust, store-bought or homemade
• 1/2-pound thick-cut bacon
• 1 small yellow onion
• 1 small red pepper
• 1 big handful baby spinach
• 1 cup grated smoked gouda
• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Line a 9" pie plate with your crust, trimming or folding in the edges to your liking. Prick the bottom of the crust a few times with a fork, and freeze the crust for about half an hour. Then par-bake the crust in the oven for about 8-10 minutes, pricking with a fork again if the center has started to bubble up. If the sides of the crust have shrunk, just use a spatula to gently flatten them back up the side of the pan. Set the crust aside to cool.*
Turn the oven down to 350°F.
Lay the bacon out on a sheet pan, placing the slices side-by-side. Bake for about 18-20 minutes, or until the bacon is cooked through but not dark. Drain the grease from the pan, (I usually fill a small bowl with it, refrigerate it, and then spoon it into the trash later; you can also reuse it for cooking!), and set the bacon aside to cool. Once cool, dice the bacon and set aside.*
Chop the onion and red pepper - you can go the large dice route, or chop them slightly longer like I did. In a bowl, combine the chopped onion and pepper, spinach, diced bacon, and the smoked gouda. Mix everything together with your hands, then pour it all out into your par-baked crust. Flatten everything down so that it doesn't surpass the top edge of the crust.
In that now empty bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. Pour the mixture over the rest of the ingredients, and carefully place your pie plate in the oven. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the filling doesn't jiggle and looks set. Allow to cool slightly before cutting, and enjoy!


* The crust and bacon can both be baked ahead of time. I usually buy a whole pound of bacon and bake it off, then use it throughout the week as needed. And the crust can be made a few hours in advance too. Then all you have to do later is get all the veggies ready, whisk up the eggs and milk, and you're all set!

Also worth noting: I rarely eat the quiche straight out of the oven. I find it much easier to slice later, so I'll usually make it in the morning in anticipation of reheating it for dinner later. Letting it sit really allows the filling to set completely. Leftover quiche keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge, and can be reheated in the oven at 350°F for 15-20 minutes.

Read more...

I've been really into making soups lately- they're quick, simple, and you really don't need more than a few veggies and some water to make a delicious soup. Plus, they warm your belly, you get a large yield, and they're super easy to reheat later! One of the bakeries I used to work at had four rotating soups each day, and one of my favorites was a Tuscan White Bean Soup. I've been trying to get Shawn and I to eat less meat lately, so I thought it would be fun to recreate one of my favorite veggie soups!

This one is great because you probably have most of the ingredients on hand already. (I always have carrots, celery, onion, and garlic in the fridge, and I stock up on beans when they're on sale.) To make it vegetarian, just swap the chicken broth for veggie broth - I just don't like store-bought veggie broth because it's often too carrot-heavy.

Tuscan White Bean Soup

recipe makes approximately 3 quarts

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium sweet onion, small dice
• 3 carrots, small dice
• 4 stalks celery, small dice
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 2 cans great northern beans, drained and rinsed
• 1-1/2 quarts chicken broth
• 3 cups swiss chard or kale, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil and add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic, cooking until the vegetables have softened and the onion starts to appear translucent. Add the tomatoes, beans, and broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat and add the swiss chard and all the spices. Adjust spices to taste. Once the swiss chard has wilted, the soup is ready to eat! Top with grated parmesan cheese and serve with bread, if you'd like.

This soup keeps well for about a week when stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Or, pour it into a large ziplock bag and freeze it flat for easy storage and quick defrosting.

Read more...

I hope you all had an awesome Thanksgiving! We spent it with Shawn's mom, his brother, wife, and their 3-month old baby. It was our first time meeting our nephew- what a curious little dude! He was all smiles and laughter. I'm pretty sure I've stated it here before, I'm not usually a fan of babies... but he captured my heart a little bit - maybe because he's family! I can't wait until he gets a little older though... right now he weighs as much as our cats do. (Okay, I realize we have chubby cats, but still!)

I meant to get this recipe posted before Thanksgiving, but that clearly didn't happen. Oh well, if you still have leftovers in your fridge, give this a try. If you ate them all already, give this a try anyway! It's inspired by a salad I had from Trader Joe's. Their version left a little something to be desired though, so I made my own. I'm a fan of hearty salads - if I'm going to eat a salad, it needs to be filled with all the things... protein, something sweet, something tart, and something crunchy. This salad has all of those things, and it's perfect for this time of year!

Thanksgiving Salad

Makes enough for 4 large salads*

• 3 small heads romaine lettuce**
• 3 big handfuls baby spinach
• 1 pound chicken or turkey breast
• 3 cups brussels sprouts, chopped into quarters
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled & diced
• olive oil, to drizzle
• salt and pepper
• 3/4 cups sliced toasted almonds
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• lemon vinaigrette***

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lay chicken/turkey breast on a sheet pan- salt and pepper both sides and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil. Do the same thing with the brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes on a different sheet pan. Bake until chicken/turkey reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and until the veggies start to brown and soften, approximately 30 minutes.
Chop the romaine and baby spinach into bite size pieces and toss into a large mixing bowl. Top with chopped chicken/turkey, roasted brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes, almonds, and dried cranberries. Drizzle with desired amount of lemon vinaigrette. Toss the salad until coated, and enjoy!


* If you're like me and just want to have salad ingredients on hand for yourself for the week... I prep the chicken and veggies ahead of time, and store them all in separate containers. Then I can assemble a salad for lunch as needed. I got 4 lunches out of these ingredients, hence the 4 salad yield.

** You can use any salad greens you like - I usually go for arugula or spring mix, but organic romaine was on super sale the week I made this, so that's what I bought!

*** I usually make my own salad dressing, but I was lazy this time around. Besides, why mess with a good thing?

Read more...

As a baker, the question I get asked most often is, "What's your favorite thing to bake?". Well, the answer is quite simple, really... my favorite thing to bake is my favorite thing to eat! I'm pretty easy to please when it comes to sweet treats, mostly because I'm really not that into sweet treats. (Yep, I said it.) Don't get me wrong, I like a good breakfast pastry every now and then, but when it comes to desserts and snacky things? I'm satisfied with a handful of fruit, or a few pieces of a chocolate bar. But, I also love a good cookie... they're simple, and quick to make, and I don't feel toooooo bad eating a handful of them. So a simple batter, with some pieces of chocolate scattered throughout - that's my favorite thing to bake!

While I was working on the new blog layout, I realized that my recipe for chocolate chip cookies is kind of outdated! I've tweaked it a bit since that was posted, and since it's a weekly staple in our house, I thought I should do you all a favor and give you the updated recipe. The old one is good too, but I think the new one is better. The major differences are - a higher baking temperature, a little bit more flour, and homemade brown sugar. Yeahhhhhhhh.


I was telling Shawn this morning that I make some kick-ass recipes, but I am not a food photographer. I really just shudder at the thought of staging food for the sake of photography - there's nothing at all wrong with food photography! I'm amazed by the photos other people take for their recipe posts, but the whole set up is just not my idea of a good time. And this has kept me from posting as many recipes as I would like to. I feel like every year I make a grand statement that I'm going to post more recipes, and every year I fall flat because my pictures just aren't good enough. You know what? I have to get over that. So, I'm not going to go out and buy a bunch of plates, napkins, and utensils to make my photos fancier, so what? I feel like there's kind of an appeal to just seeing a big pile of cookies on a plate, or dinner rolls still cooling on the pan they were baked on. My photos may not be anything special, but you can bet your ass the recipes that accompany them are well worth making!

Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup homemade* brown sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 & 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Beat the butter and brown sugar together until fluffy and pale yellow in color.
Add the egg and vanilla extract, mix until fully combined.
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt, then mix those into the batter until just combined.
Mix in the chocolate chips.
Scoop dough into 2-tablespoon sized balls, flatten them slightly with your palm, and place them in rows about 2 inches apart on your prepared sheet pans. I usually fit 15 on each of my pans.
Bake for 12 minutes - well, that's the magic number with our current oven. Do a test batch, and adjust the time as needed if you want them more or less crispy. I judge by color, so I look for a pale golden brown and then I pull 'em. Let them cool on the sheet pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack... or straight into your mouth.

The cookies keep well over night when stored in an airtight container, though honestly, if you have any left over, you're really not living life correctly.


Wanna know a secret? The un-baked dough keeps really well in an airtight container stored in the fridge. When you're ready to bake 'em, just set up your sheet pans and let the dough come to room temperature while your oven preheats, then bake as directed. If you're like us, you'll just have a constant batch of cookie dough on hand for those days when you feel like baking a few off on a whim....


* You don't have to use homemade brown sugar... but it's so easy to make, so why wouldn't you?!
Here's how you do it: Combine 1 cup of white sugar with 2 tablespoons of molasses, and let your mixer/hand beaters/whatever beat the two together until next thing you know, you're looking at beautiful fluffy brown sugar. If you want darker brown sugar, add a touch more molasses. Lighter brown sugar? Well, you'll have to start over for that one ;) And that's it! You can even make a larger batch ahead of time; just store it in an airtight container and give it a shake before you use it. I don't buy brown sugar anymore unless I'm in a pinch, or need a ton of it!

Read more...

I'm not sure how food bloggers do it.... lasagna is a damn tasty food but it's near impossible to take an attractive photo of. But seeing as I made this two weeks ago, there's no more lasagna left to photograph, and I don't want to put off posting this recipe any longer, so these sub-par photos will have to do! The recipe is worth it though, so bear with me.

Savory cooking is still relatively new to me... I was always comfortable roasting vegetables and cooking pasta, but making sauces and more complete dishes is only something I've been doing for the past year or so. Needless to say, this was my first time ever making lasagna. It's just one of those dishes I had never thought to make before, but it's actually quite simple!


I grew up eating Costco lasagnas - the giant 9x13" frozen ones that could easily feed a large family. We didn't have them very often, so it was always exciting to come home and see it out on the counter, waiting to go into the oven. The waiting was the hardest part - the bake time took well over an hour or two! We would usually alternate between meat and vegetable lasagnas, but I remember being partial to the vegetable ones. I mean, how can you go wrong with ricotta, mozzarella, and vegetables?!

Shawn and I don't buy much frozen food at all; our freezer is strictly for ice, frozen vegetables, and ciabatta pizza crusts we toss in there for easy dinner nights. We try to cook fresh and cook at home 5-6 nights of the week. I hadn't even thought about lasagna for years until a friend of mine mentioned one she had recently at Reading Terminal Market. Suddenly, it occurred to me that it had been years since I'd had lasagna, and gosh-darn-it, why couldn't I just make some myself? So I did. And it was amazing, and delicious, and... well, just everything I wanted it to be. So here's the recipe!

Side note: The cauliflower sauce requires a blender or food processor... don't do what I did and spill the sauce all over the counter while trying to remove the pitcher from the blender base... Somehow the blade part of the pitcher got detached from the glass part and when I lifted it up, gravity forced all the sauce down. Oops. When I told Shawn later, he said "Ew! So we're eating counter sauce?!" Yummy yummy counter-flower sauce.

Vegetable Lasagna

1 package dry lasagna noodles
1 package baby spinach
2 medium zucchini, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small head broccoli, chopped
1 tablespoon neutral oil
salt and pepper, to taste
2-3 cups shredded mozzarella

Cauliflower Sauce (inspired by Pinch of Yum)
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon butter
5 cups cauliflower
6 cups vegetable broth
salt and pepper, to taste
parmesan, to taste

Ricotta Mixture
2 pounds ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
4 ounces parmesan, grated
salt and pepper, to taste

- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Boil the cauliflower in vegetable broth until the florets become tender. Reserve 1 cup of the liquid before straining.
- While the cauliflower is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan. Add the zucchini, onion, and broccoli and cook until everything has softened and the onion is almost translucent. Add the spinach in handfuls and cook until wilted. Season to taste, and set aside.
- In a blender, add the cooked cauliflower, garlic, and butter, and blend until smooth. Add the reserved vegetable stock to mixture in small amounts, until you reach a sauce-like consistency. Grate some parmesan into the sauce, and season to taste.
- Boil the lasagna noodles as indicated on the package.
- While the noodles are boiling, make the ricotta mixture by mixing all the ingredients in a large bowl until smooth and combined.
- Now you get to assemble the lasagna! In a 9x9" pan, spread a little bit of the cauliflower sauce - just enough to cover the bottom. Top this with a layer of lasagna noodles. Spread a thin layer of the ricotta mixture atop the noodles. Then spread a layer of the cooked vegetables atop the ricotta. Sprinkle a little mozzarella cheese atop the vegetables, and then start over again. Layer sauce, noodles, ricotta, vegetables, and mozzarella until you reach the top of your pan. (I think I ended up with 3-4 layers.) Your final layer should be noodles, and a sprinkle of mozzarella. Wrap the top of the pan in foil and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the foil and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes, or until the cheese on top is melted and browned. Let the lasagna rest for a few minutes before cutting into it.
- Enjoy!

Side note: If you don't have a blender, you could just make this without the cauliflower sauce and double the ricotta cheese mixture. But the sauce kinda makes this recipe, so I recommend borrowing a blender from a friend, like I did!

Read more...

The other day I was walking through the produce aisle of our local grocery store and I saw some leeks. The first thought that popped into my mind was "potato leek soup!!". I didn't buy them that day, but I did mention them to Shawn and the first thing he said was "potato leek soup!", so then it was decided. I would make potato leek soup.

And so I did! And it was delicious, of course. It brought me back to my childhood... dinner sitting around the circular table in the kitchen with my family, my mom ladling pureed vegetable soup into our bowls and topping each with a dollop of cream. Little did I know then how gosh-darn simple it is to make soup like that! If I had known, I would have made this a long time ago. Now, I don't have five mouths to feed, and I had a borrow a friend's blender, but I think my mom may have been on to something because we've been eating soup all week!

Potato Leek Soup

Adapted from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 large leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced
1 quart vegetable stock
salt and pepper, to taste
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup light cream
minced parsley

- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped leek and potato and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are soft and fragrant.
- Add the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and break apart easily.
- In small batches, carefully transfer the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. (If the vegetables are tender, this will take just a few seconds for each batch.)
- Return the blended soup to a pot or large bowl. Add the cream, lemon juice, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Portion out into bowls and top with a dollop of cream and a sprinkle of minced parsley.
- Enjoy!

Psst! I still can't get the 'Leave a Comment' link to show up on the blog's main page, but comments still work! Just click on the title of a post and scroll down to the bottom of the post, the comment blurb is right down there ;)

Read more...

I was going to post something today reflecting about having turned 28 a week ago, but I just don't have much to say about it. One year older, one year wiser, just like last year... I have bigger expectations for the year ahead, and I see a few changes ready to be made, but it's nothing I can quite put into words yet.

So, in lieu of a reflections post, I'm making brownies today and sharing the recipe here. This is just a re-post from an abandoned food blog collaboration amongst friends. I figured I may as well move some of the better recipes over to this space - enjoy!

This is my favorite brownie recipe ever. For me, the perfect brownie should be super indulgent. None of that dry cakey-ness that passes for brownies at the super market. The perfect brownie should have an ever so slightly crunchy 'skin' on the exterior that leads way to chewy melt-in-your-mouth chocolate goodness inside. It's ok if there are chocolate chips in there, but the base of the brownie should really be able to stand on its own.

Before I became a baker my favorite brownie mix was Ghiardelli's- those brownies embodied what a real brownie should be. Then I set foot in the kitchen and for years I absolutely loved the brownie recipe in Tartine- the use of chocolate in them instead of cocoa powder made for intensely rich brownies. But then these fell into my lap mouth and it's been a love-affair ever since. The brown butter adds a touch of nuttiness and the espresso just strengthens that chocolate flavor ten-fold. These are everything a brownie should be. The only terrible thing about them is that they fill your home with amazing chocolate aroma and then you have to wait for them to cool down before you can indulge!

Browned Butter Espresso Brownies

(Slightly adapted from Bon Appetit)
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons espresso or strong coffee
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare an 8x8" square pan by lining it with foil.

- Melt the butter in a small saucepan; use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir the butter around occasionally. The butter will begin to boil, once this happens keep an eye on it and stir more frequently. The bubbles will get very big and then start to shrink back down and you'll start to see brown specks making their way up to the top. Once the brown specks appear start to scrape the bottom of the pan. When the butter is a light golden brown color, (this shouldn't take more than a minute or two) take the saucepan off the heat.

- In a large mixing bowl combine the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt with a whisk. Stir in the browned butter, making sure to scrape all the brown speckled goodness out from the bottom of the pan as well. Stir everything well with your wooden spoon or spatula and add the vanilla extract and espresso (or strong coffee), stirring well to incorporate. Add in the eggs and stir well to combine. Add the flour and stir just until incorporated.

- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the top starts to crack slightly. Let cool completely before cutting.

- Enjoy! Brownies will keep for a few days in an airtight container; they'll keep even longer in the refrigerator.

Read more...

I can no longer claim to be a baker who knows nothing about cooking. Ever since delving into the world of line cook-ery, I've felt inspired to cook more intricate meals at home. As my creativity in the savory side of the food world slowly expands, stuffed peppers have quickly become a staple in our household. It's true, I can't seem to step away from the oven. It's my comfort zone!

Stuffed peppers are great because they make it easy to feed a group of people, with minimal effort. While our "group" is usually just the two of us, that just means that we get to be creative with leftovers. The filling reheats super well and we've used it as taco filling, meat sauce with more rice or with pasta, or just on its own for a quick bite around lunchtime.


I actually made the poblano crema to go alongside some fried fish tacos I made last week, but I made so much of it that we've been enjoying it with all of our dinners. Of course, I forgot to garnish these peppers before taking a photo because I made the peppers in the afternoon in preparation for dinner, so I took photos after stuffing them but then refrigerated them until later in the evening when they would actually be consumed. Hence, naked peppers. But, regardless of the missing photographic evidence, make the poblano crema!!! Trust me, it's delicious.

Turkey Stuffed Peppers with Poblano Crema

inspired by this recipe from Blue Apron
serves 4, with extra filling left over
1 pound ground turkey (I use turkey burger meat)
1 cup rice, cooked
4 bell peppers
1 poblano pepper
4 cloves garlic
1 large yellow onion
4 tablespoons tomato paste
4 teaspoons cumin
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I use Trader Joe's Mexican blend)
1-2 limes
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
2/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup good mayonnaise

- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Once the oven reaches 500 degrees, roast the bell peppers and poblano pepper with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Roast them just until the skin starts to darken and peel, about 20 minutes. Turn the oven down to 400 degrees and set the peppers aside to cool.
- While the oven is preheating, mince the garlic and dice the onion. Heat a little olive oil in large frying pan and cook the garlic and onion until soft and almost translucent. Stir in the tomato paste and cumin. Then, add the ground turkey, stirring occasionally until cooked through.
- Once the turkey is cooked, turn off the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the rice and water and stir until everything is combined. Then stir in the cheese.
- Use a paring knife to core the bell peppers. Cut an opening around the stem and remove the seeds inside the pepper. Use a spoon to fill the peppers with the turkey and rice filling, making sure to pack as much filling in as you can. Top with additional cheese, if desired. Put the stuffed peppers back in the oven for 15 minutes.
- While the peppers are baking, make the poblano crema. (You'll need a food processor for this.) Remove the core and seeds from the roasted poblano pepper. Chop the poblano into large chunks to help the food processor break it down more easily. Add the sour cream, mayonnaise, and juice of one lime to the food processor and run until the pepper is completely broken down. Add more lime juice if the consistency is too thick.
- When the stuffed peppers are done baking, place each one on a plate, top with poblano crema and a sprinkling of chopped cilantro, and enjoy!

Read more...

Over the next few weeks, I'll be sharing some recipes from my old recipe blog, Between Three Kitchens. That blog hasn't been used in years, so I figured it's about time I move those recipes over to here since I'd like to bulk up the recipe section on this blog. Enjoy!

Granola bars are an awesome snack - they're portable, filling, and they kick that mid-day sweets craving right in the mouth! But store-bought granola bars often come with unnecessary added sugars and preservatives; things I really try to avoid. So when my sister made these oh-so-simple and actually-good-for-you granola bars, I just had to follow suit. She didn't use a recipe, so I made it up as I went along and made sure to write down the process so that I would be able to share it here. The only thing you need (aside from the ingredients) is a food processor. I used my mother's ancient Cuisinart; it still works like a pro even after all these years. If you enjoy things like granola bars, sauces, nut butters, and dressings, food processors are an investment well worth making.

Chewy Granola Bars

- 3/4 lbs pitted dates
- 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter (preferably with no added sugar)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup cranberries
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Put the dates in your food processor and pulse them until they are completely pulverized and form one big mass. Add the peanut butter and honey and pulse to incorporate. Add the coconut and oats and pulse until one big ball of granola 'dough' forms (see photo below). At this point I transferred the dough to another bowl and worked in the cranberries and chocolate chips using a spatula, but you could also pulse them in with the food processor if you prefer (I wanted to keep the chocolate chips intact). Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper and press the dough into it until uniformly flattened. Cover with plastic wrap or parchment paper and refrigerate until firm, about 20-30 minutes. Once firm, cut into 8 bars and store in an air tight container in the refrigerator; enjoy at your leisure!

The perfect granola bar consistency!
The beautiful thing about these granola bars is that you can add whatever fruit and nuts you desire. I used cranberries and chocolate chips because that's what I had around, but things like almonds, hazelnuts, and dried cherries would work just as well! Or you could take a tropical spin on it and add dried pineapple, mango, and big coconut flakes. And if you don't like peanut butter, almond or sunflower butter will work just as well! I really love versatile recipes like this.


A naked but delicious granola bar.
This recipe is so easy, you'll find yourself making it at least once a week if you happen to have the ingredients on hand. It's also perfect for summertime because it's no-bake! No one wants to turn the oven on when it's 80+ degrees outside... not even this baker! Let me know what flavor combinations you decide to try!


The finished product, all dressed up.

Read more...

I was cleaning out our freezer a few weeks ago and discovered a giant ziplock bag filled with blueberries I had frozen last summer and completely forgotten about. I don't remember what I had the intention of doing with them at the time, but last week, muffins sounded like a good idea. And since blueberries and lemons are a great pairing, I threw some lemon into the mix as well. Can't go wrong with lemon blueberry muffins for breakfast! Shawn was particularly happy because he has been asking me to make muffins for a while. He doesn't like bananas, so my favorite muffins don't work for him.

Unfortunately, when I went to find my go-to basic muffin recipe, I could not find my recipe binder anywhere! Shawn and I looked around the apartment for a half hour or so, until we eventually gave up. I'm definitely bummed because that binder has all of my recipes in it. Yep, every single recipe that I have been making for the last 7 years or so. And I really have no idea where it could possibly have run off to. Last I remember, it was sitting on the bookcase next to some cookbooks, and now it's no longer there. Perhaps this is a chance to start fresh? But man, there were some really damn good recipes in there! And I definitely don't remember them all from memory.


Still determined to make muffins, I looked to King Arthur Flour for a basic muffin recipe and found one that is pretty darn close to the one I was using. The muffins turned out delicious! But I still haven't tracked down my recipe binder....

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

slightly adapted from King Arthur Flour
makes 6 jumbo sized muffins
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil
2 eggs
2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen; I used ones I froze last summer)
zest of one lemon
turbinado sugar

- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Line a muffin pan with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. In a small bowl or pitcher, combine the milk, oil, and eggs. Whisk until completely combined.
- Stir the blueberries in the dry ingredients until they're fully coated. Then fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, making sure not to over mix! You may see a few bubbles of flour, but that's okay; over mixing the batter will lead to tough muffins.
- Use a spoon or a large scoop to fill the muffin liners 3/4 full. Sprinkle about a teaspoon of turbinado sugar* atop each muffin. Lower the temperature of the oven to 400 degrees** and bake the muffins until golden brown on top, about 15 - 20 minutes.
- Let cool completely. Enjoy!

* The turbinado sugar helps give the muffins a nice crunchy top. You can skip this step if you don't want the extra crunch!
** Baking the muffins at such a high temperature may seem odd at first, (it did to me) but it's the heat that activates the baking powder and gives the muffins that beautiful domed top that you want!

Read more...

Quiche is one of my absolute favorite things to make and eat. I will never understand people who prefer frittatas because, um, hello?! A frittata is basically a quiche minus the crust, and the best part of quiche is the crust! People are silly.

Dumping some vegetables and meat inside an (almost) perfectly laid out buttery crust, whisking up a few eggs with some milk and cream in a bowl and pouring it over top, and then sticking the whole mess in the oven for forty minutes.... making quiche is just that easy! And chances are, there will always be leftovers. So all you have to do the next day is reheat, and eat! Super simple. Super delicious. Super awesome.


My go-to quiche is quiche lorraine, which is basically just bacon, ham, and swiss cheese filled. But it's summertime, and we have all these wonderful vegetables at our disposal so I thought I'd make an exception this time and go a different route with my fillings. I had to turn the oven on to cook the quiche anyway, so I figured I might as well roast everything up beforehand for extra flavor. Worth it! Of course, I still added bacon and pancetta because, well, it's bacon! And pancetta! But if you're not keen on either of those things, you can just stop reading this blog omit them and stick with the vegetables.

Just ignore the mess that is my kitchen counter in the photo below. That's just how things are done here. Lots of mixing bowls. Egg shells in the sink. A gin cocktail (or two) with lime. A nectarine to snack on after I spill egg mixture all over the counter. It's all good!

Roasted Summer Vegetable Quiche

1 pie crust (I always cheat and use Trader Joe's frozen)
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 medium yellow squash, sliced
1 small yellow onion, sliced
3/4 cup corn (I used frozen, but fresh would be awesome too!)
1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/4 pound of bacon
1/4 pound of pancetta, cubed
2 handfuls of shredded swiss/gruyere mix
6 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 green onions, chopped
pinch of nutmeg
salt and pepper, to taste

- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Slice all your vegetables and spread them out across a sheet pan. Drizzle oil and top with a sprinkling of salt and pepper, use your hands to coat all the vegetables. Roast for 25-30 minutes, or until the vegetables are cooked through and the corn is starting to look crispy.
- While the vegetables are cooking, line your pie pan with the pie crust. Trim the edges, or fold them under for a nice thick side crust. Then place the lined pie pan in the refrigerator to set up while you get everything else ready.
- Cook your bacon and your pancetta. I cook my bacon in the oven (I lay it out on a sheet pan and bake it for 15-20 minutes), but if you prefer to cook it over the stove, then do that! Cook the pancetta in a small pan on the stove until it's crispy. I also like to drain the fat from both the bacon and pancetta once they're done cooking. Once your vegetables and meats are cooked, let them sit on the stove or counter to cool down slightly.
- Turn the oven down to 350 degrees. In a medium-sized bowl whisk the eggs, milk, and heavy cream until thoroughly combined. Add in a pinch of nutmeg, salt, pepper, and the chopped green onions, and whisk some more. In another bowl, toss the vegetables, bacon, and pancetta. Pull the lined pie pan out of the refrigerator and alternate layering the vegetables and cheese until the pie pan is filled. Pour the egg/milk mixture over top (but don't over-fill it like I did, or you'll have a mess on your hands!) and safely transfer the pan to the oven.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the center of the quiche is set. Let cool for a bit before cutting into it. Enjoy!

* Can't eat a whole quiche in one day? No worries! It's the perfect thing to keep in the refrigerator and heat up as needed! My preferred method of re-heating is in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, but the microwave works just as well if you're in a pinch (the crust just won't be as crisp). Seriously though, having a quiche in the refrigerator makes lunch and dinner so easy. *

When your husband doesn't want quiche for lunch because he had quiche for dinner the night before, but you could care less because, QUICHE... you find a happy place between quiche and salad that you can both agree on.

Read more...

Last week I told you I'd be sharing this recipe with you.... well, last week came and went and there was no recipe to be seen. So here it is! Better late than never, right?

Make these. You will never eat Nutella any other way ever again. Unless you're really into Nutella, like I am... then you'll probably continue to slather it on anything you can get your hands on. But still, make these. And then make these again. And again. And next thing you know... you'll be out of Nutella. And muffins. Oops!

4-Ingredient Nutella Brownie Muffins

1 egg
1/2 cup Nutella
5 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup chocolate chips

- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Using a spatula, beat the egg, Nutella, and flour together until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Portion out the batter into 12 mini muffin cups (or 6 regular muffin cups) and bake for 12-15 minutes, until set in the center. Let the pan cool on a wire rack.
- Enjoy! (They're even better the next day!)

Read more...

You Ain't Seen Muffin Yet!

When I'm developing a recipe, I search for similar recipes online and piece together various aspects from my favorites until I have something that looks like what I'm envisioning. Of course, this works better for savory recipes than it does for baking (you know, the whole science thing and all...), but having 7+ years of baking experience under my belt, I feel pretty comfortable doing it. The recipes don't always turn out the way I hope, but it always gives me a good base that I can then tweak as needed.

I used this process when I set out to make a healthy banana chocolate chip muffin. I took a little from recipe A... a little from recipe B... mixed in a few elements that I knew I had in the pantry... and this recipe was born. Absolutely zero tweaking needed! It's always satisfying when things bake up exactly how I'm picturing on the first try.


These muffins are amazing! They're bonkers delicious! And they're healthy, I think. After all these years I'm still not really sure what qualifies something as truly healthy, but anything that's filled with whole wheat flour, bananas, oats, coconut oil, and millet can't be too bad for you.

Whole Wheat Banana Choc Chip Muffins

makes 8 jumbo-sized muffins
3 small ripe bananas
1 large egg
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil **
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup almond milk **
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons millet
1/2 cup chocolate chips

- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with paper liners.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flours, oats, baking soda, salt, and millet. In a large bowl, mash up the bananas and mix in the egg, sugars, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and almond milk.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Using a scoop or a spoon, fill the muffin liners 3/4 full. Bake for 25-30 minutes* and let cool completely. Enjoy!

* This bake time is for jumbo-sized muffins (the only proper way to eat a muffin, in my opinion!); if you're using a regular sized muffin pan they will probably need closer to 20 minutes. They are done baking when you press the center lightly and they spring right back up.

** If you don't have almond milk or coconut oil at home, feel free to replace with whatever milk you have and/or a different neutral oil, like canola. I just prefer coconut oil and almond milk!

Read more...

Pasta bolognese has always been one of my favorite meals, and it's one of two things I always want to eat on my birthday, that's how much I like it! It takes a little planning though, so I don't often get a chance to make it since during the week I'm more of a "what's in the fridge/cabinet that can be done in half an hour or less?" kinda cook.

Shawn and I stopped buying beef about a year ago - we've replaced it with ground turkey breast and we also eat a lot of pork, mostly in sausage form. We'll still eat the occasional hamburger when we're out and about, but for the most part, red meat is pretty much entirely out of our diet. I used to pick on turkey because I thought it was flavorless, which, well... it is. But that means you get to flavor it any way you want! It's like the tofu of meats. Ew, that doesn't sound good... but if you eat tofu, you know what I mean.

Anyways, here's a recipe for a somewhat "healthier" bolognese that I made a while back when I was in a pinch. I knew I wanted to make bolognese, but I only had ground turkey in the fridge. So I picked up a few sausages and cut the casings off to add a little fat to the dish. And it was delicious! We also usually eat brown rice pasta or quinoa pasta, but I splurged on some fancy noodles for this dish. I mean, come on, it's bolognese! You can take away the beef, but don't fuss with those noodles!

"Healthy" Pasta Bolognese

1 large sweet onion, cut small dice
2 large carrots, cut small dice
3 stalks celery, cut small dice
3 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
1/2 pound ground turkey
1/2 pound ground sausage
1 cup red wine
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil
salt, to taste
ground black pepper, to taste
1 pound pasta
parmesan
fresh parsley

- Heat a little olive oil in a large pan over medium heat and cook the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic until the onions soften and are almost translucent.
- Add the ground turkey and sausage and cook until no pink remains.
- Pour in the wine and tomatoes and add the herbs, salt, and pepper to taste. Bring the sauce to a simmer and lower the heat, letting everything simmer until the sauce has reduced to your desired thickness. (I usually let it cook for 30-45 minutes; the longer it cooks, the more flavor the sauce develops.)
- When your sauce is almost done, boil a pot of water for the pasta. To plate, spoon pasta into a bowl, spoon bolognese sauce over pasta, and top it off with freshly grated pecorino or parmesan and fresh parsley.
- Enjoy!

Read more...

I have some awesome cookies to share today! Well, I'm sharing the recipe... because cookies can't be shared through the internet... yet. (Perhaps they're working on that?!) My parents got me these amazing dinosaur cookie cutters for Christmas. I'm not sure where they bought them, but I tracked them down for you. (You're welcome.) Of course I had to find the perfect recipe...


...something that would puff up ever so slightly without spreading, at risk of losing the shape of the cutters. Something that would be solid enough to hold in your hand, and be topped with icing. My first thought was sugar cookies, but Shawn does not like sugar cookies, so even though I could easily eat a whole batch myself, I thought I'd be nice and make something to share. Then my mind went to gingerbread cookies, because those also fit the bill. But I wasn't in the mood for gingerbread...


...so I looked to the one person whose recipes have never failed me. More specifically, I looked in her book first. And there, in the sweets section, was just the recipe I needed! I would share that version here today, because that's the version pictured here... but I'm not going to, because Deb's book is awesome and I encourage you to buy a copy for yourself.

Instead, here's a tweaked version of the recipe that I came up with at Shawn's brilliant suggestion. He took one bite of a cookie and amidst eating it said something about "oohmneffghad key lime pie mmshnfgah...", and these iced key lime pie fossil cookies were born. Of course, you don't need dinosaur cookie cutters to make this recipe... but they're highly recommended if only for entertainment value!

Iced Key Lime Pie Fossil Cookies

adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook
for cookies:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
zest of one lime
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cups sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

for icing:
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon lime juice

- Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and lime zest in a bowl and set aside. Beat the butter and sugar together in a mixer or with hand beaters until light and fluffy. Add the egg and the vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients in gradually, until combined. Gather the dough into a ball, flatten, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until mostly firm; about an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll the cookie dough out to about 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut into desired shapes and bake on a parchment lined cookie sheet for approximately 10 minutes, until the edges are firm and the centers are slightly puffed. Let the pan cool on a wire rack.
- While the cookies are cooling, make your icing by whisking the powdered sugar and lime juice together until smooth. Add more liquid if the icing is too thick, or more powdered sugar if it's too loose. Once the cookies are cool, use a spoon to drizzle icing on top of the cookies.
- Enjoy!

Let me know if you make these, or if you know of any other awesome cookie cutters!

Read more...

I recently watched my way through every single episode of Good Eats on Netflix. Alton always covers so much in each 20+ minute episode... it's really amazing the amount of history and information he manages to pack in! It makes it easy to re-watch episodes because there's no way I can grasp all of that information in one viewing. One of my favorite episodes is The Ballad of Salty and Sweet... it's my favorite flavor combination, so of course I paid attention to the episode! Surprisingly, he started off talking about grapefruit.

I love grapefruit! But I've always just sprinkled a bit of granulated sugar on top and had at it. Alton explains that in doing this, you're just covering up the bitter fruit with sugar and not actually changing the flavor profile at all. He suggests broiling it and then topping it off with a pinch of salt. I won't go into the science behind it, (for that you can watch the episode), but the salt works to bring everything together into one sweet juicy grapefruity mess.

Broiled Grapefruit

1 ruby red or pink Grapefruit
1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
pinch of sea salt

- Turn on your broiler.
- Slice the grapefruit in half, then use a paring knife to cut around it and between the segments.
- Sprinkle the sugar atop each half, making sure to cover the fruit evenly.
- Leave under the broiler until the sugar is melted and glossy, about 5 minutes.
- Once out of the broiler, sprinkle a pinch of salt over each half, and enjoy!

Try it! I'm never eating grapefruit without broiling it ever again!

Read more...

It's recipe time!!!

I promised a few of you the recipe for those brioche buns I made a few weeks ago, so here it is! There's nothing more to say except: make these... you will not be disappointed. Oh, and making bread takes patience and planning, so make sure you have plenty of that.

Brioche Hamburger Buns

(Recipe from The Clever Carrot)
makes 8 buns
1 cup warm water (warmer than your body temperature, but not scalding!)
3 tablespoons warm milk
2 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
2½ tablespoons sugar
1 large egg, beaten + 1 egg for egg wash
3 cups bread flour
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons salt
2½ tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

In a measuring cup or small bowl, combine the water, milk, yeast and sugar. Whisk, then let stand until frothy, about 5 minutes. (My yeast mixture rarely bubbles, but don't worry if it doesn't, your dough will still rise!)

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add both of the flours, salt and butter. Using the paddle attachment, mix the ingredients until the butter is the size of crumbs. Stir in yeast mixture and 1 beaten egg. Run the mixer on medium-low speed until a dough forms and pulls away from the sides; be patient, this will take about ten minutes.

Shape the dough into a rough ball and return it to the bowl. (I also swipe a lightly oiled paper towel around the bowl before putting the dough back in.) Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place until it has doubled is size. This could take anywhere from 1-3 hours, depending on how warm your kitchen is. Check the dough every half hour or so.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Once the dough has doubled in size, use a dough scraper or a knife to divide the dough into 8 equal parts. To shape the dough into balls, pull the sides of your dough up towards its center and pinch everything together, flip the ball over and roll it with both hands until it is smooth. (This process is hard to describe in words... here is a great video to show you what I mean.) Transfer the buns to a parchment lined baking sheet, placing them 2 to 3 inches apart. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let them rise in a warm place until puffy, approximately 1-2 hours. They should be a bit smaller than the size you ultimately want them... they will get even bigger in the oven. I actually let mine sit a touch too long and they over-proofed slightly!

To make the egg wash, beat the remaining egg with a splash of water. When the buns are finished rising, gently brush them with egg wash. Preheat your oven to 400 F. and place a shallow baking pan on the oven floor. Before the dough goes in, fill the pan with a little bit of water. This will help create steam in the oven, which will help keep the bread moist. Bake until golden brown all around, about 15-20 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

---

* Even though warm, fresh baked bread is one of the most delicious things in the world, it is important to let the buns cool to room temperature before cutting them because bread keeps cooking even after it is out of the oven. If you cut into it too early, you'll ruin the best part of it- the soft doughy insides! So make these buns ahead of time. If you won't eat all 8 buns in one sitting, they freeze very well. Just pull them out in the morning and warm them back up in the oven for a few minutes once thawed.*

Read more...

Coconut Granola

Today, I have a recipe for you! For a multitude of reasons, I've decided to stop using Between Three Kitchens as my recipe blog, and I'm switching back over to here. Mainly because I was the only person using that blog (despite the fact that there are three four of us attached to it, and also because any time I've linked to a post on B3K over on this blog, it didn't seem as though many of my readers were going over there. So scratch that! I'll save you the extra step; let's make some granola right here in this kitchen! This feels more like home anyway.

I've actually posted a recipe for granola before, but that's not the one I've been using for the last two years. (Whew, didn't I tell you that the recipe page needs an update?!) If you compare that recipe to the one below, you'll find that they're actually pretty similar, because let's face it, granola is granola. If you want the science behind granola, then definitely take a peek at that post, otherwise, just go ahead and make this one!


You'll need a scale for this recipe. I apologize if you don't own a kitchen scale (you should totally get on that - here's mine!)... I've never actually gone through and measured this particular recipe with measuring cups because weighing it is so simple and leaves me with so many less dishes to clean! Just two bowls and a spatula.

Also, you may notice that there are almonds in the photo but not in the recipe... that's because I had a handful of almonds to use up so I just tossed them in there. Feel free to do the same! If you do throw in some nuts, and you find that your mixture is too dry after adding the wet ingredients, just add more coconut oil a tablespoonful at a time, until it just sticks together. If you want to add raisins, craisins, or dried cherries, toss those in once the granola has cooled - dried fruit puffs up and dries out in the oven, so definitely don't bake it with the granola!

Coconut Granola

15 ounces rolled oats
3 ounces shredded coconut
6 ounces all-purpose flour
4 ounces brown sugar
pinch of salt
6 ounces coconut oil
6 ounces honey

- Preheat the oven to 300ºF.
- Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Combine the coconut oil and honey in a small bowl, and heat in 30 second increments until coconut oil is fully melted. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula (or your hands!) until fully combined.
- Spread the granola mixture across a rimmed sheet pan covered with parchment paper. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden. Make sure to stir it around every ten minutes. The granola hardens as it cools, so the biggest 'done' factor you're looking for is the color!
- Store in an airtight container and it will keep for weeks... I can't say how many, exactly, because mine never lasts that long!

Enjoy!

Read more...