Breakfast Frittata

This past weekend we were very lucky to host the Fabbris for a fun-football-filled weekend (and other revelry). To help us prepare for tailgating, I wanted to make something simple for breakfast that was also satisfying... this frittata was the perfect thing. I wish I had a picture to add to this post, but once the frittata hit the table it was devoured pretty quickly! I had never actually made a frittata before, but I seemed to come up with an effective strategey that involves both stovetop and broiler cooking methods. The eggs didn't dry out, and the fillings were awesome! This is an easy go-to breakfast for any weekend morning, and it's delicious and hearty as well! Enjoy :o)

Breakfast Frittata

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

6 large eggs

2 tbsp milk or cream

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

2 strips bacon

1 link chicken or pork sausage, chopped into bite sized pieces (I'm into Al Fresco brand)

1/3 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup arugula leaves, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

3 tbsp. blue cheese

You will need a large, non-stick, oven proof skillet for this frittata. Preheat the broiler.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. In the large skilled, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove from pan and wipe out excess grease. Add the sausage and onion and cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes longer. Add the arugula and blue cheese. Pour over the egg mixture and make sure everything is covered. Sprinkle the mozzarella on top of the eggs. Cook over medium low heat for about 4 minutes or until the edges are firm but the middle of the frittata is still loose. Transfer the frittata to the oven and broil for about 3-4 minutes or until the eggs are set and the frittata is cooked through. Remove from the oven and slide onto a plate. Cut into wedges and serve! Yum!

The best part about this recipe is that you can use whatever fillings you like - keep it vegetarian, add extra meat or cheese, or experiment with some new combos. The method remains the same.

Croque Monsieur

Oh. Em. Gee. If you like grilled cheese, you will LOVE these sandwiches! Croque monsieur is basically a glorified French version of a kicked-up grilled ham and cheese sandwich. Layers of Gruyere cheese, ham, and decadent bechamel sauce get toasted together in a scrumptious, hand-held delight of a sandwich. (Can you tell how excited I am about this recipe?!). I first discovered "croque" at a restaurant called Aquitaine in the South End of Boston - they have a legendary brunch, and I found that each time we went (it was right around the corner from our old apartment, so we went every month) I never strayed from my good old croque with a side of watercress salad and a mimosa. Sometimes I got more adventurous and got the "croque duck", which I am sure had a much fancier name on the menu. Instead of ham, they used duck confit in the original sandwich... delightful! Is this sandwich diet friendly? No. Is it amazingly delicious? Yes! Hey, we all need to splurge every once in a while... or maybe once a year. Trust me, it's worth it. Enjoy! :o)

Croque Monsieur

Yield: 4 sandwiches

Ingredients

2 tbsp. butter

3 tbsp. flour

2 c. hot milk

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Pinch nutmeg

12 oz. Gruyere, grated (about 5 cups)

1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan

8 slices of good, rustic, crusty white bread

Dijon Mustard 

1/2 lb. thinly sliced black forest ham (from the Deli counter)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk together for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the hot milk and stir constantly until the sauce is thickened, about 4-5 minutes (should coat the back of a spoon). Remove the pot from the heat and add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup of gruyere, and all of the Parmesan. Set aside for later. 

Toast the bread - put on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes, turn, then bake for about 2 minutes more or until lightly toasted.

Spread a thin layer of Dijon on one side of half of the bread slices. Layer a quarter of the ham on each slice, sprinkle with half of the remaining gruyere, and top with a plain slices of bread. Arrange the sandwiches on a baking sheet and smother the sandwiches with the cheese sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining gruyere. Bake the sandwiches for 5 minutes. Turn ont he broiler and broil for 3-5 minutes or until the tops of the sandwiches are golden brown and bubbly. Cut each sandwich in half and serve warm. Yum! 

Adapted from Ina Garten

Oh-So-Easy Candied Nuts

This isn't even a recipe... it's more of a technique. I've had some pretty crazy salty/sweet cravings lately, so I decided to make some candied nuts. This delicious snack takes only minutes to make, and the result is walnuts covered in a salty, sweet and sticky coating. These are perfect as snack-on-the-go in a lunchbox or for anytime you need a little treat! Enjoy!

Oh-So-Easy Candied Nuts

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients

2 cups walnut halves, pecans, or other nut of your choice

1/3 cup maple syrup or agave nectar

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

In a large skillet over medium heat, add the nuts, syrup, and salt. Cook, stirring, until the syrup is thickened and caramelized.  Spread out the candied nuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet and allow to cool. Yum!

Homemade Marshmallows

Yep, I went there. I made homemade marshmallows. Our class was hosting a bake sale for an upcoming field trip and I thought it was a great opportunity to try these out - they were a hit! I am not a huge fan of storebought marshmallows (they are so powdery and plastic-y tasting) but these were soooo fluffy and delicious. My mind is spinning with ideas for the marshmallow batter - fluff and PB sandwiches, moonpies, mini marshmallows, Rice Krispies treats... oh man. I kept these simple with toasted coconut, but you could certainly just make them plain instead. If you have a stand mixer, you have to try these... yum!

Homemade Marshmallows

Makes 1  13"x9" pan

Ingredients

2 cups toasted coconut (toast in a dry pan until golden)

1 cup cold water (divided)

3 packages unflavored gelatin

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the gelatin and 1/2 cup cold water.  Allow to sit while you make the syrup.

Prepare a 13x9 baking dish by spraying with no-stick spray and then sprinkling with 1 cup of the toasted coconut. *

In a small saucepan, heat the remaining 1/2 cup water, sugar, salt, and corn syrup over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then raise the heat to medium high and cook until a candy thermometer reads 240 degrees F.

With the whisk attachment on, slowly (and carefully) pour the hot syrup into the gelatin on low speed. Increase the speed to high and whip for 15 minutes. Add the vanilla and whip to combine. 

Pour the marshmallow mix in the prepared pan. Using wet fingers, smooth the top of the marshmallow and then sprinkle with the remaining coconut. Allow to sit uncovered overnight to set.

The next day, cut the marshmallows into one inch squares and dust the sticky edges with confectioner's sugar. Enjoy!

* If you want plain marshmallows, mix 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar with 1/4 cornstarch. Spray the bottom of a 13x9 pan with no-stick spray and sprinkle with a layer of the cornstarch/sugar mix. Proceed with the remaining steps, omitting the coconut.

Adapted from Ina Garten and Alton Brown

Chicken Parmesan Burgers

Chicken Parmesan Burgers... yum! I read about this idea online but had a tough time finding a recipe that was easy and had enough flavor for me, so I just made up my own version! I took the best parts of chicken parmesan and the best parts of a delicious burger and smooshed them together into one glorious concoction. The best part about this burger? You get the flavor of chicken parm without the deep frying, so they are (almost) guilt free. I hope you enjoy these :o)

Chicken Parmesan Burgers

Makes 4 burgers

Ingredients

2 tbsp. olive oil

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp. fresh parsley, minced

3 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped (divided)

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

pinch cayenne pepper

1 lb ground chicken

1 egg

1/2 - 1 cup breadcrumbs

4 slices provolone cheese

4 ciabatta rolls

1/2 cup marinara sauce, heated

Melt 1 tbsp. of the olive oil in a medium skillet. Add the onion and sautee over medium heat until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and sautee 2 minutes longer. Stir in the parsley, 1 tbsp of the basil, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Remove from the heat.

In a large bowl, mix the chicken, egg, 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs, and onion mixture with your hands until well combined. If the mixture is too wet, add more breadcrumbs until the mixture stays together enough to form patties. Split the mixture into four equal parts and form each one into a patty 1 inch thick. Put on a plate in the fridge for 30 minutes for the flavors to meld.

To cook: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Heat the remaining oil on a grill pan or large skillet over medium high heat. Cook the burgers until golden brown on each side, approximately 4-5 minutes and then transfer to a cookie sheet. Finish cooking the burgers in the oven until they are cooked through and juices run clear. When the burgers are nearly done, distribute the remaining basil over each burger, then top with a slice of provolone and place under the broiler for 2 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

To assemble you can either spread the marinara on the rolls, or use it as a dipping sauce on the side. Either way works great! Yum! :o)

Fish in Parchment

Growing up, we frequently had fish in foil or parchment paper that was cooked in the oven or on the grill. In the little packets were the fish of the day, zucchini, onions, lemon, and anything else we had on hand. Recently I decided to play around with the flavors more to suit our cravings and this version was a huge success (says Andy!). This particular combination is Asian-inspired, but you can put almost anything in the packets with the fish and follow the same technique. The two major perks to this dish are 1) just throw away the paper for easy clean up and 2) it is a complete dish with protein, sides, and sauce all in one convenient packet! Have fun with it and experiment... enjoy :o)

Fish in Parchment

Makes 2 entree servings

Ingredients

1/2 - 3/4 lb. white, mild fish such as cod, hake, haddock, flounder, etc

1 cup green beans, ends trimmed and beans cut in half

1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms, stems removed

1 small red potato, sliced thin

1 small shallot, peeled and sliced into thin rings

1 clove garlic, sliced paper thin

Sauce

1 tbsp. tamari or soy sauce

1 tbsp. hoisin

1 tbsp. oyster sauce

1 tbsp. agave or honey

1 tsp. rice vinegar

1/2 tsp. toasted sesame oil

5 drops sriracha sauce

Materials: 2 pieces of parchment paper or aluminum foil, about 18 inches long.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Stir all sauce ingredients together and set aside. 

Assemble the packets: lay out both pieces of foil or parchment side by side on a flat surface. Layer half of the potatoes, shallot, garlic, beans, mushrooms and fish in the center of each paper. 

 Spoon half of the sauce over each packet.

Fold the packets by pulling up the long sides to each other and rolling down to the top of the fish, then tightly roll/pinch each side towards the fish as well to make a sealed packet. Make sure the packet is sealed well so the fish steams (staple shut if necessary).

 Put the packets on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 10-20 minutes (10 minutes for thin fish like flounder, 20 minutes for 1+ inch thick fish like cod or hake - adjust the cook time depending on the thickness of the fish you are using). You can also cook them on the grill, but I would recommend using only foil, and I think cooking time would vary by the grill, but it should work just fine.

Allow the packets to cool enough to handle, then rip them open and pour the whole packet out into a shallow or bowl - you will have more liquid than you started with so make sure your plate/bowl is deep enough. Yum! :o)

Crabcakes with Lemon Dill Sauce

I. Love. Crabcakes. Like, seriously love them. I think they are the perfect food, and they let me indulge in one of my favorite seafoods! After having a few not-so-awesome crabcakes here and there (too much breading, not enough crab, bland, etc). These crabcakes are my attempt to make a better crabcake at home. Sweet crab, crunchy veggies, and a thoughtful blend of seasonings make these crabcakes close to perfect. The trick is using fresh, lump crab meat. Yes, it is a little expensive, but this recipe makes around 15 cakes and can be used for several meals, or it will feed several people for dinner - just serve alongside a fresh salad and you're good to go! Enjoy :o)

Crabcakes with Lemon Dill Sauce

Yield: 15 crabcakes

Crabcake Ingredients

1 lb lump crabmeat, picked through (the fresher the better!)

2 green onions, minced 

2 tbsp. celery, minced

2 tbsp. red bell pepper, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tbsp. parsley, minced

1/4 tsp. salt

cayenne pepper to taste
2 tbsp. heavy cream

1 tbsp. dijon mustard

1 egg

1 cup panko breadcrumbs, divided

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

2 tbsp. butter, divided

canola oil

In a medium bowl, pick through the lump crab for shells, being careful not to break up the lumps too much.

In a small skillet, melt 1 tbsp. butter. Saute the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic over medium low heat until softened. In a small bowl, mix together the egg, mustard, cream, parsley, salt, and cayenne pepper. When vegetables are softened, turn off the heat and mix in the egg and cream mixture. Stir quickly to prevent the eggs from scrambling. Add the vegetable and egg mixture, as well as 1/2 cup of the panko, to the crab and fold in gently to combine. In a shallow bowl, mix together the remaining 1/2 cup panko and the parmesan cheese. Form the crab mixture into 12-15 patties* and coat in the panko and cheese mixture. At this point you can freeze crabcakes on a plate then put in an airtight container. Defrost before cooking. To cook the crabcakes, heat a small amount of butter and oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Sautee the crabcakes for 2-4 minutes per side until they have a golden brown crust. Serve with a drizzle of lemon-dill sauce (recipe below).

Lemon-Dill Sauce Ingredients

3 tbsp. mayonnaise

1 tbsp. lemon juice

2 tsp. dill, chopped (fresh or dried both work well)

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Mix together all ingredients. Allow to sit for 30 minutes before serving.

* Variations:

Make mini crabcakes by putting crabcake mixture into a mini-cupcake pan sprayed well with no-stick spray. Makes a great appetizer! Another great finger food is stuffed mushrooms - remove stems from large, white-button mushrooms and fill with some of the crabcake mixture. Bake at 400 for about 15 minutes until mushrooms are slightly softened. Yum!

A Bumble Bee Baby Shower!

Along with a ton of help from Andy and Mom T, we recently threw a baby shower in honor of my sister-in-law, Kylie who is expecting her first baby at the end of September (yayy!). They are not finding out the gender, so when we decided to have a shower the theme was important to keep in mind. After a little internet-inspiration, I decided to go with a bumble bee theme. It would be perfect in Summer, fun to work with, and yellow and white with pops of color. It turned out great!

Below I have some of the foods that were made. As recipes are posted I will link them here, so check back if you're interested!

 Cake pops and a diaper cake - I'm glad the sign came out so well! 

 Some homemade ricotta and store-bought fig jam dress up some toasted bread slices. Off to the right is some homemade honey butter (whip together 1 stick softened butter with 2 tbsp. honey) with honey from the Brewer's Farmer's Market.

 In the front are mini crab cakes with lemon dill sauce. On the 3-tiered platter there are chicken curry puffs and crab stuffed mushrooms.

 Caprese salad skewers (no recipe needed, just skewer basil, tomato, and mozzarella bites), bee cake pops, and spinach artichoke dip with crackers. (You can see some tissue paper poms and yellow chinese lanterns in the background - had to throw polka dots in there somehow).

 Panzanella - one of my go-to favorites!

 The whole table with the diaper cake centerpiece! I think I could make those for a living, they are so fun to put together and decorate, albeit a little time consuming :o)

 Red velvet bee cake pops - inspiration from bakerella!

Blueberry Pie

After our visit to Maine last weekend, Andy developed a strong craving for blueberry pie. We were able to pick up two large containers of fresh Maine blueberries so I could tackle the pie-making at home. I'll admit, pies are not one of my favorite things to make because I like to taste food and adjust as I go, but with a pie once it's in, that's it! Luckily, this pie came out perfect. I used a little less sugar than normal because the blueberries were super sweet, but it all depends on your fruit so adjust the sugar as necessary. Enjoy!

Blueberry Pie

Yield: 1 10-inch pie

Ingredients

4 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and dried

1/2 cup white sugar

5 tbsp. cornstarch

1 tsp. lemon zest

1 tbsp. lemon juice

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2 10-inch pie crusts, homemade or store-bought

1 egg, beaten

1 tbsp. white sugar

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a 10-inch pie plate with one crust and pinch edges to seal.

In a medium bowl, mix together blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, zest, juice, salt, and cinnamon. Pour into prepared pie crust. Cut the other pie crust into 3/4 inch strips and lattice the top. Pinch edges well to seal. Brush the exposed crust and lattice of the pie with the beaten egg, then sprinkle lightly with sugar.

Put pie on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven until crust is lightly browned. Adjust heat as necessary to prevent crust from getting too dark. Allow pie to cool completely before serving, otherwise you will have a runny mess! Serve with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or just as is! Yum! :o)

Bolognese Sauce

One of my goals is to create the perfect pasta sauce. I don't care if it's quick, time consuming, easy, hard, or complicated, I just want to create the perfect pasta sauce. While I love a good marinara, this bolognese was pretty darn close to perfection! By using a variety of meats, I was able to obtain a good depth in flavor. There are several ingredients, but all of them blend together to make a delicious meat sauce that sticks wonderfully to pasta - just toss in the pasta at the end and toss. As an alternative, use this sauce with ricotta and lasagna sheets to make a delicious meat lasagna! Enjoy :o)

Bolognese Sauce

Makes Enough for one 11x13 lasagna 

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 lb sweet Italian sausage (no casing)

1/2 lb ground beef

1/2 lb ground pork

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 medium onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 6 oz. can tomato paste

1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

1 cup beef stock

1 tbsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a large, heavy bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the sausage, beef, and pork and cook until browned and cooked through. Add the carrots, onion, celery, and a pinch of salt and cook until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 2 minutes more. 

Stir in the tomato paste to coat the meat and vegetable mixture. Once coated, add the beef stock and bring to a simmer. Allow the meat and stock mixture to simmer for 5 minutes or until it has reduced by about half. Add the crushed tomatoes and dried herbs (you could also use an Italian Herb seasoning blend here). Bring the sauce to a simmer, lower the heat to medium low, and cover. Cook the sauce at a light simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent the bottom from sticking or burning.

After the sauce has cooked for 30 minutes, remove the lid and season to taste with salt and pepper. Continue cooking with the lid off until desired thickness is reached, about 5 minutes.

Toss with pasta, or use in a lasagna for a yummy meal! :o)

Mascarpone Cream Stuffed Strawberries

While searching for some delicious bite-sized treats for a friend's baby shower at work, I stumbled across a great idea - strawberries and cream with a twist... the whipped cream is inside of the strawberries! No dipping required. To make these ahead of time, I knew the whipped cream wouldn't stand up on it's own without getting runny. My solution was to add some mascarpone cheese to the filling which would keep it thick without changing the delicious flavor in a bad way. The result was a success! Give these a try, they are delicious! :o)

Strawberries Filled with Mascarpone Cream

Makes approximately 2 dozen

Ingredients

2 lb. fresh strawberries

1/2 cup Mascarpone cheese, cold

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, cold

1 tbsp powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

Make the filling: using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat together the cream and mascarpone until thick. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat to combine. Mixture should be thick like whipped cream.

Assemble the strawberries: Cut the green tops off of the strawberries so they stand up straight. Starting at the tip of the strawberry, cut an X going 3/4 of the way to the bottom (don't cut all the way through). Using a piping bag with a medium star tip (or a baggie with the corner cut off) fill each strawberry with the filling. 

It's as easy as that! Enjoy!

Ricotta Cheese

Oh. My. Gosh. Homemade ricotta is amazing! I can't believe it has taken me this long to discover the glorious results of this cheesy delight. Ok, so before I made this I did a ton of research - I mean, taking on the task of making homemade cheese is a little daunting at first. What I realized in my research is that there are a lot of variations on homemade ricotta ingredients and processes. I took a gamble and tried the recipe listed below as variations of it kept popping up as being successful and delicious. My gamble paid off! The ricotta came out smooth, creamy, and slightly sweet. Sometimes the store-bought ricotta can be a little grainy and plastic tasting in my opinion, but this had none of those negative aspects at all. Truly yummy! This recipe made 3 baseball-sized balls of ricotta cheese, which was just enough for a big pan of homemade lasagna (yum!). Please try this recipe, it is so good! Enjoy :o)

Homemade Ricotta Cheese

Ingredients

1/2 gallon whole milk - organic ultra pasteurized if possible

2 cups buttermilk

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 tbsp. kosher salt

Hardware:

thermometer

cheesecloth (18 x18 in squares)

colander

kitchen twine

slotted spoon

Combine all ingredients in a large, non-reactive pot and place over medium low heat. Heat the mixture, stirring occasionally for the first 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, stop stirring, insert a thermometer, and allow the mixture to continue cooking over medium low heat (make sure mixture does not boil, so adjust heat as necessary). Heat the mixture to 190 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the temperature hits 190, remove the pot from the heat and allow to sit for 1 hour. 

While the milk mixture sits, prepare a colander by layering 3 pieces of cheesecloth inside.

After 1 hour, scoop 1/3 of the curds into the cheesecloth lined colander. Pull up the corner and sides of the cheesecloth and tie using some string. Repeat with the other two pieces of cheesecloth and the remaining curds. Hang the cheese bundles on a wooden spoon placed over a bowl and allow to sit at room temperature for 1 hour to drain. After one hour, move the cheese to the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.

The next day, cut open the bundles and enjoy!

Indian Butter Chicken

Well, I'm well on my way. This is my first successful recipe that I can check off of my 30 by 30 list. Yay!  (I also attempted the naan to go with it, but that recipe will require a little experimentation before it makes the list.) One of my favorite parts of the recipe is how little butter there actually is in it - I was mentally prepared to be using much more, so being able to use a small amount made me happy. This Butter Chicken recipe closely rivals that of our old local Indian restaurant in the South End, and I'm pretty sure I could eat all of it by myself. :o) Enjoy!

Indian Butter Chicken (Chicken Makhani)

Serves 4

 Ingredients

1 tbsp. peanut oil

1 shallot, finely chopped

¼ cup white onion, chopped

2 tbsp. butter

2 tsp. lemon juice

1 tbsp. minced garlic

2 tsp. minced fresh ginger root

1 tsp. garam masala

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 bay leaf

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)

½ c. plain yogurt

¾ c. half-and-half

1 6 oz. can tomato paste

¼ c. water

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp. peanut oil

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-size chunks

1 tsp. garam masala

1 pinch cayenne pepper

3 tbsp. golden raisins

3 tbsp. slivered almonds

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and shallot and sauté until the onion is translucent and softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in butter, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, garam masala, chili powder, cumin bay leaf, and cayenne and cook for one minute until fragrant.

Add the tomato paste and water, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the yogurt and half-and-half. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about ten minutes until slightly thickened.

In the meantime, heat 1 tbsp. peanut oil in a large skillet. Add the cubed chicken and sauté until cooked through, about 5 minutes. To the chicken, add 1 tsp. garam masala and 1 pinch cayenne pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken to the tomato sauce mixture and continue to cook for 5-10 minutes until flavors are blended. Add the golden raisins and almonds. Remove the bay leaves and adjust seasoning. Serve over basmati or jasmine rice, alongside naan bread.

30 by 30

While perusing some other food blogs out there, I stumbled across this wonderful idea to make a list of 30 foods I would like to make by the time I'm 30 - kind of like a cook's version of a mid-life "bucket list"!  Some of these foods I have made before, but for one reason or another they just weren't quite perfect, while other foods on the list I have never attempted at home. My goal is to try each dish on my list, and perfect the recipe as much as possible in order to use it again in the future. As I conquer these 30 foods, I will add the recipe to my blog and link to it from this list. If you have any recipes or tips for these foods, please let me know!

October of this year I will be 30. Wish me luck! :o)

30 by 30, grouped by meal type:
 Appetizers
1. Clams Casino (tried once, needs work)
2. Spanakopita
3. Hummus
Main Course

4. Gnocchi (tried before, epic fail. I don't give up without a fight)
5. Pizza Dough
6. Beef Stew
7. Duck, any way
8. Bolognese Sauce
9. Croque Monsieur
10. Rack of Lamb 
11. Chicken Satay

12. Indian Butter Chicken

13. Pesto
14. Lobster Bisque 
15. Ravioli 
16. Chicken Soup

Sides
17. Souffle (any type)
18.Ricotta Cheese
19. Homemade Bread
20.Potato Pancakes
21. Bearnaise Sauce
Desserts

22. Marshmallows

23. Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing
24. Brownies

25. Carrot Cake

26. Creme Brulee

27. Pudding

28. Cinnamon Rolls

29. Bread Pudding (still looking for the perfect recipe)

30. Cream puffs and/or eclairs

Truffled Celery Root Puree

Tired of the typical starchy side of mashed potato? Try mixing it up with celery root puree! Celery root (sometimes called celeriac) is an unattractive brown tuber that looks similar to a turnip or potato, but it tastes of a very mild celery flavor. Apparently it is not the root of the celery stalks that we are used to eating, but rather a close relative... who knew?? This puree is silky and tasty, and it is a perfect bed for a heavy meat such as braised short ribs or pot roast, as well as alongside lighter chicken or fish. Try it! :o)

Truffled Celery Root Puree

Makes 4 sides

Ingredients

1 celery root (approx 1 lb), peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 cup stock (chicken, veg, beef) or water

1 tsp salt

3 tbsp. chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

1/4-1/2 cup milk

1 tbsp. truffle oil

1 tbsp. parmesan cheese

1 tbsp. butter

In a medium saucepan, combine the celery root, stock/water, salt, onion, and garlic. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered until the celery root is very tender, approximately 20 minutes. Add a little more liquid and cook longer as needed until the celery root is tender.

In a blender, put the celery root with any remaining cooking liquid (there shouldn't be more than a few tbsps. at this point), and all the remaining ingredients. Puree until smooth. Adjust the amount of milk as needed to get desired consistency.