Archive for the ‘Cooking’ Category

Mmm Peach & Raspberry Crisp!

Mmm Peach & Raspberry Crisp!

Ina Garten is by far our favorite Food Network chef. She’s always cooking up something fresh, easy and delicious and leaves us always wanting more from the self-proclaimed Barefoot Contessa.

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This weekend we decided to try our hand at a peach raspberry crisp that turned out to be soooo delicious that we just had to share it with you! Since peach season is just about over, if you’re unable to find them, you can always substitute a different fruit.

Serves:

10 servings

Ingredients:

* 4 to 5 pounds firm, ripe peaches (10 to 12 large peaches)

* 1 orange, zested

* 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

* 1 cup light brown sugar, packed

* 1 1/2 cups plus 2 to 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

* 1/2 pint raspberries

* 1/4 teaspoon salt

* 1 cup quick-cooking oatmeal

* 1/2 pound cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the inside of a 10 by 15 by 2 1/2-inch oval baking dish.

Immerse the peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds, then place them in cold water. Peel the peaches and slice them into thick wedges and place them into a large bowl. Add the orange zest, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons of flour. Toss well. Gently mix in the raspberries. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes. If there is a lot of liquid, add 1 more tablespoon of flour. Pour the peaches into the baking dish and gently smooth the top.

Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, salt, oatmeal, and the cold, diced butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the butter is pea-sized and the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle evenly on top of the peaches and raspberries. Bake for 1 hour, until the top is browned and crisp and the juices are bubbly. Serve immediately, or store in the refrigerator and reheat in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until warm.

Enjoy!

Epicurious on the Go

Epicurious on the Go

epicuriousapp

Recently we came across a great iPhone app that will change your life….well cooking life that is. Courtesy of the people who bring you Epicurious, their iPhone app (also for the iPod touch) is so great,  you’ll get off your tush  and to the store in search of ingredients for the recipes.

We downloaded the app (for free!) a few weeks back and have been experimenting with the recipes since. What’s particularly great about this app is you can search for recipes by ingredient, meal type, cuisine – you name it. There are even categories for weeknight dinners, healthy snacks and cocktail recipes. For instance, we have a bottle of elderflower concentrate we want to include in a cocktail, we searched “elderflower’ and voila – up came a handful or cocktail recipes we could create with elderflower as an ingredient. Love it!

As for the other features? The app gives you the ability to save recipes in your virtual recipe box and transfer ingredients into a shopping list. Can you say genius? Perfect for the girl on the go who is trying to spread her culinary wings. We’re seriously addicted to this app, in fact, we just created a shopping list for three weeknight dinners we want to try. Now it’s just a matter of gathering the stamina to hit Trader Joe’s after work… le sigh.

Southern Food Done Right!

Southern Food Done Right!

While down in Atlanta the other week we took the opportunity to have ourselves some food with Southern flare & boy were we in for a treat. Two Urban Licks & One Midtown Kitchen, both owned by Concentrics Restaurants, were delicious and brought a delightful array of flavors that used Southern basics like grits and brisket, but not ignoring fresh produce and a unique perspective on dish preparations.

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We totally recommend these restaurants the next time you’re down in Georgia. It was our first time & Atlanta is beautiful! If you’re lucky enough to try Two Urban Licks or One be sure to check out our favorite dishes of the meals:

Two Urban Licks:
Empanada
Spring Salad
Pulled Pork & Peaches

One:
Smoked Brisket with Grits
Calamari

One was also kind enough to share the recipe for one of our favorite meal elements! Check out this delicious, refreshing & unique side salad idea below!

Watermelon Sweet Corn Salad

Diced seedless watermelon
Fresh corn, cut off the cob (ONE chefs hit the corn lightly on the wood grill to enhance the sweetness, but it is also great raw)
Halved cherry tomatoes
Fresh cilantro and scallions
Extra virgin olive oil
Lime juice
Salt and pepper

Toss all ingredients and serve as a side dish

photo courtesy of Delta Sky Magazine

Recipe We Love: Roasted Corn and Goat Cheese Enchiladas

Recipe We Love: Roasted Corn and Goat Cheese Enchiladas

Below is a recipe that’s one of our favs and fairly easy to make. A perfect summer dish that has great flavor and saves well. Pick up some fresh corn from the farmer’s market and get cooking!
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Ingredients:

  • 1 medium white onion finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1-1/2 cups fresh corn kernels
  • 2 fresh Anaheim chilies seeded and chopped
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup crumbled mild goat cheese
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • For enchiladas:
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 8 corn tortillas
  • 20 ounce can mild enchilada sauce
  • 1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
  • Sour cream
  • Chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

  1. Sauté onion in butter in a saucepan until translucent then stir in corn, chilies, water and cumin.
  2. Simmer covered for 5 minutes.
  3. Remove cover and simmer until liquid evaporates stirring occasionally.
  4. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream, goat cheese and black pepper.
  5. Preheat oven to 375 then heat oil in skillet and add tortillas one at a time.
  6. Fry 10 seconds per side then blot excess oil off with paper towels.
  7. Spread 1/3 cup enchilada sauce in bottom of a rectangular baking dish.
  8. Fill each tortilla with 1/3 cup cheese filling and roll to enclose filling.
  9. Arrange seam side down in baking dish then pour remaining enchilada sauce over top.
  10. Sprinkle with pepper jack cheese then bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
  11. Top with sour cream and cilantro then serve immediately.

Balsamic and Berries – Simple Summer Treat

Balsamic and Berries – Simple Summer Treat

GetThumbnailYesterday on our way home from the gym, we walked by our corner store and couldn’t help but notice the incredible summer fruit on display. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries,watermelon – the list goes on and on. We decided to take home a few different types of berries to make our favorite simple summer dessert courtesy of the Barefoot Contessa Ina Garten. This recipe is super simple and requires minimal ingredients/prep time. We suggest it for a night in or if you are hosting a fab summer dinner party.

* sidenote – we also love balsamic vinegar, which this recipe calls for. It seems like a strange ingredient to pair with berries and sugar, but trust us – this sweet treat is to die for.

Very Berry Fruit Salad

Ingredients:

  • 1 Pint strawberry hulled and cut in half
  • 1 Pint blueberry
  • 1 Pint raspberry
  • 1 tablespoon good Balsamic vinegar
  • ¼ cup Sugar
  • fersh Mint for garnish

Method:

  1. Place 6 glasses in the refrigerator.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the berries, vinegar and sugar. Stir gently. Cover securely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
  3. Spoon the berries into the chilled glasses. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint
Serves: 6
Preparation: 5mins

Cooking(chilling): 30mins

*recipe and photo courtesy of Ina Garten

Taste the Best of the Summer

Taste the Best of the Summer

williams sonoma taste of summerThis weekend, Williams-Sonomas across the country are hosting a special tasting event to celebrate the pleasures of summer! Head to your local store this Saturday, June 27th to discover the season’s freshest flavors with:

• Hourly demonstrations of our exclusive products for summer flavors.
• Samples of our favorite summer
specialty foods, including cool drinks, ice cream, zesty barbecue sauces and rubs, and our exclusive line of foods from Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc restaurant.
• Simple recipes for Fourth of July barbecues and picnics.

There is no need to register in advance for Taste the Best of Summer. Find your nearest store here!

Our mouth is watering already- we love Williams-Sonoma!

Our Favorite Standby Dinner Dish

Our Favorite Standby Dinner Dish

71017847You know those nights when all you want is a good, home-cooked meal that will leave you satisfied and frankly, feeling pretty darn good about your skills in the kitchen? We don’t have those nights too often (not good, we know), but when we do and our creative skills seem to be a lakin’, we turn to our favorite standby of all time: Asparagus & Prosciutto Pasta.

One word comes to mind when we think of this dish: A-MAZ-ING. It’s the ultimate in comfort food as far as we’re concerned & while it definitely won’t make your waistline any trimmer, it will leave you full and frankly, really happy. It comes inspired by our very favorite cookbook as well.

So here’s how to do it. (Might we mention we also love it because it’s so easy?!)

Cook your desired amount of pasta (our favorite is Fusilli) and when it is about half way done get started on your add-ons and sauce like so:

Add one teaspoon of olive oil to a skillet and place small slices of asparagus (they should be slivers about the size of a dime and about a 1/4 inch thick) into the pan.

Monitor the asparagus closely and as it gets tender, add 1/2 cup of heavy cream to your skillet.

Throw in a dash of salt & pepper to the mixture and begin to stir in parmesan cheese (shredded works best). Once your sauce has reached its desired consistency (you want it to be cheesy and thick, but not sticky, so make cream and/or cheese additions as necessary), turn off your burner.

Once your pasta has finished, add it into the large skillet and place 1/4 cup of sliced or torn prosciutto into the mix.

And that’s it! so few ingredients and so easy, but our absolute fav.

Do you have a standby dish? Tell us what it is! As you can tell, we could probably afford to add a few to our repitoire!

photo courtesy of YumSugar

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