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Jan 30, 2021

Chocolate Croissants (Pain au Chocolat)

These chocolate croissants (pain au chocolat) are perfect for sharing over breakfast with a cup of coffee. 

Chocolate Croissants stacked on a plate





This is my favorite dough for making croissants and pastries. It doesn't require a weekend's worth of work, and the dough is very easy to work with. 

Jan 28, 2021

White Bean and Artichoke Heart Dip

This white bean and artichoke heart dip is loaded with bright fresh flavors. It's super easy to make and it's a flavorful and nutritious snack. 

White Bean and Artichoke Heart Dip with whole grain cracker





This white bean and artichoke heart dip recipe is a revamp of the typically mayonnaise or cream cheese loaded version. Instead of mayonnaise, the recipe combines nutritious and protein rich white beans with Greek yogurt to add all of the creaminess you crave in an artichoke dip. 

Jan 26, 2021

Whipped Spelt Bread

This whipped spelt bread is called "whipped" because you beat the dough at high speed before refrigerating overnight to let it ferment. The resulting bread is full of flavor. 


Whipped Spelt Bread oven spring




This bread is a combination of bread flour and whole spelt flour, along with water, salt and yeast. 

Jan 25, 2021

Bacon Cheddar Muffins

These Bacon Cheddar Muffins are cheesy and bacony and made with three types of grains, including wheat, corn, and rye. 

Bacon cheddar muffins topped with chives






Bacon and cheddar cheese are pretty much a marriage made in heaven. In fact, one of my favorite sandwiches is bacon and grilled cheese. 

Jan 24, 2021

Sheet Pan Roasted Chicken and Potatoes

This recipe for sheet pan chicken with roasted potatoes makes an easy and hearty dinner for your family. 


Sheet pan chicken with potatoes in a bowl






With roasted potatoes and onions tossed in lemon, whole grain Dijon mustard, rosemary, and thyme, along with a moist and flavorful roast chicken all cooked together on one pan, this is wonderful Sunday night dinner.

Jan 20, 2021

Oatmeal-Applesauce Cake

This Oatmeal-Applesauce cake is the perfect excuse for having cake for breakfast. 

Applesauce cake with apple topping






Your first bite of this cake will remind you of taking a bite out of an apple. Your second bite will remind you of a bowl of oatmeal. 

Jan 18, 2021

Yellow Cake Baked Oatmeal

This yellow cake baked oatmeal is sure to be a hit at your next breakfast or brunch. It's so good, you could probably almost pass it off as a dessert... like an oatmeal cobbler. 

Yellow cake baked oatmeal with peaches and raspberries

 




This baked oatmeal is a mixture of butter, milk, quick-cooking oats, eggs, and yellow cake mix all topped with peaches and raspberries. Yes, yellow cake mix. Trust me. 

Port Braised Short Ribs (Instant Pot)

These port braised short ribs are a snap to make in the Instant Pot. They are beefy and fall off the bone tender. 

Instant Pot braised short ribs with potatoes




Beef short ribs are one of the most flavorful cuts of beef. They are amazing braised until they fall off the bone, and the meat is also delicious ground and added to burgers (the most flavorful burgers ever). 

Jan 17, 2021

How to Make Popcorn in a Wok

Making popcorn in a wok is a great way to both season your carbon steel wok and make amazing popcorn. 

Popcorn in bowls




I have always liked making my own popcorn in a pot. While microwave popcorn is pretty convenient, freshly popped "real" popcorn is so much better. Plus, you can make enough for a crowd and the only ingredients are corn, oil, and salt (unless you add your own flavorings).

Liège Style Waffles

Liège Waffles are a sweet, chewy, buttery, thick waffle made with a brioche-like yeasted dough.

Liège Waffles are a sweet, chewy, butter, thick waffle make with brioche-like yeasted dough






 Liège Style Waffles require an overnight rise, and are filled with pearl sugar, which gives them a sweet taste and a caramelized crust.

Jan 16, 2021

Toasted Oats Bread

This toasted oats bread is flavored with toasted oats that have been soaked overnight before incorporating them into the dough. The toasted oats add such a wonderful nutty flavor. 

Toasted Oatmeal Bread slices




This toasted oats bread is wonderful sliced and buttered, eaten with soup, and toasted for breakfast. 

Alphabet Soup (Sopa de Letras)

This alphabet soup, with a homemade tomato base and loaded with alphabet shaped pasta, is a comforting and delicious soup that reminds me of my childhood. 


Alphabet soup




It was always a treat when my mom would add alphabet pasta to tomato soup. Of course, the soup was Campbells', which is another nostalgic ingredient. 

Jan 15, 2021

Crispy Shrimp Triangle Spring Rolls

These crispy shrimp triangle spring rolls are an elegant and delicious appetizer that your guests will love. Pass these crispy shrimp triangle appetizers and watch them disappear.

Triangle crispy shrimp

 

 


These crispy shrimp triangles are a wonderful "company worthy" appetizer. They are also amazing served as part of a dim sum feast. 

Jan 12, 2021

Beef and Sweet Onion Dim Sum Pandas

Beef and sweet onion dim sum pandas: a sweet bread dough filled with a delectable beef and sweet sautéed onion mixture and steamed until the bread is puffy and the filling is succulent.  

Beef and Sweet Onion Dim Sum in a Steamer





These little dim sum buns with panda faces were so fun to make and totally delicious to eat. I had originally wanted to fill them with char siu (Chinese barbecue pork), but I decided to try this hearty combination of bef and sweet onions. 

Jan 11, 2021

Shortbread Jam Cookies with a Streusel Topping

Shortbread jam-filled cookies with a streusel topping....  French vanilla sablé dough topped with jam and ringed with a buttery cinnamon vanilla streusel. 


Shortbread Jam Cookies




My favorite type of cookie is anything shortbread or sablé. Some of my favorites include pecan butterscotch shortbreads, hazelnut shortbreads, cornmeal sablés, and lemon vanilla shortbreads

Jan 10, 2021

Chocolate Pots de Crème

These chocolate pots de crème are rich, creamy, and decadently chocolate. 

Chocolate Pots de Crème




The first elegant dessert I ever made was pots de crème. It was a similar recipe to this one in that it didn't require baking. 

Jan 8, 2021

Deli Rye English Muffins

These deli rye English muffins take the nook and cranny-ness of English muffins and combine it with the flavors of your favorite deli rye bread. 

Deli Rye English Muffins

 




These English muffins are wonderful fork split, toasted, buttered and topped with an over easy fried egg for breakfast. They are also delicious toasted for your favorite deli-style sandwich for lunch. 

Jan 6, 2021

Chinese Tea Eggs (Marbled Tea Eggs)

Marbled Chinese tea eggs are a fun snack to make and serve. 

Chinese Tea Eggs

 



According to my (way too many) Chinese food cookbooks (the list of cookbooks is after the recipe), in China and Taiwan, marbled tea eggs are sold in tea houses and food stalls. Evidently, they also can be found everywhere in Taiwan, both in convenience stores and roadside stands. In the U.S., you can sometimes find them in dim sum restaurants and Chinese bakeries. 

Jan 3, 2021

Slow Cooker Asian-Style Pot Roast

This slow cooker Asian-style pot roast couldn't be easier to make, and the resulting beef is so melt-in-your-mouth tender. 

Slow Cooker Asian Pot Roast in a bowl




The beef is succulent and tender and the sauce is delicious. I also ladled the sauce over the optional carrots that I tossed into the slow cooker for the last hour. You could also add any other root vegetable you like.