Chicken with Mustard Cream Sauce

It's the last day of 2015, readers! I hope 2015 treated you well and that 2016 treats you even better! 

Last night I made my final home-cooked meal of 2015 courtesy of my second culinary influence: Ree Drummond. I swear readers, her newest cook book, The Pioneer Woman Cooks Dinnertime is fantastic! You all need to pick up a copy for yourself and then gift a copy to all your friends and family. 

This dinner was quick, easy and only used one skillet! Who doesn't love an easy cleanup? 

Chicken with Mustard Cream Sauce 

4 chicken breasts, sliced in half 

Salt and pepper 

2 Tbsp olive oil 

2 Tbsp butter 

3 garlic cloves 

1 C brandy, white wine or chicken broth

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard 

1 Tbsp stone ground mustard 

1/2 C chicken broth 

1/3 C heavy cream 

Chopped parsley, for garnish 

I only used 2 chicken breasts so I halved the recipe. 

Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken. 

In a cast iron skillet (man mine has been getting a lot of use the last couple days), heat olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. Cook chicken 3 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken to a plate. 

Add minced garlic to skillet and stir it around so it won't brown. 

Cut off the heat and add the brandy, wine or chicken stock. I used a Pino Grigio. 

Turn the heat back to medium-high and stir. The liquid will bubble and deglaze the pan. Cook until the liquid has reduced by half, should take about 3 minutes. 

Add the mustards (yummy!). Whisk them around and let them bubble. 

Pour in the chicken broth and whisk the sauce. 

Pour in the cream, season with salt and pepper (mine only needed pepper). 

Pour over chicken breasts and add a sprinkling of parsley. 

The sauce had the great vinegar bite of mustard, the richness from the cream and paired so well with the crisp and juicy chicken. Oh Ree, you did it again! 

There was some leftover sauce in the pan and I had some frozen broccoli in the freezer so I dropped the heat down to medium, threw the broccoli in, stirred it around in the sauce and steamed it for 5 minutes. I also solved my no-lid-big-enough problem! I took a piece of aluminum foil and covered the skillet. 

I also had some Parmesan couscous in the pantry that came with us from Albuquerque so I paired that as well. 

This whole meal was absolutely sublime! Seriously, try this ASAP! 

I hope you spend the final day of 2015 well and stay safe out there, readers! 

Black Bean Burgers and Sweet Potato Fries

There are two culinary authorities I look up to: Julia Child and Ree Drummond, aka The Pioneer Woman. 

As of Christmas, I now own all of the publications (cookbooks and non-fiction) that Ree Drummond has released; the most recent being The Pioneer Woman Cooks Dinnertime. This cookbook is filled with dinner recipes, everything from soup and breakfast-for-dinner to freezer meals and even 16-minute meals! Seriously, who doesn't have 16 minutes to make dinner? It takes longer to order a pizza for delivery. 

It's day 2 of sticking to my New Year's Resolution, that's probably some sort of record. I should probably consult the Guinness people on this because I think I'm entitled to a full-page article for my great accomplishment. Anywho, for tonight's home cooked meal I looked for inspiration in my new (and quickly becoming my favorite) cookbook: The Pioneer Woman Cooks Dinnertime by Ree Drummond published 2015. 

Black Bean Burgers

2 cans seasoned black beans, drained 

1 C Italian bread crumbs

1/4 C grated onion 

1 egg

Salt and pepper, to taste 

1/2 tsp chili powder 

A few dashes of hot sauce, I used Frank's Red Hot sauce 

2 Tbsp butter 

2 Tbsp olive oil 

Hamburger buns, for serving 

Sliced cheese, for serving 

Mash black beans in a medium bowl using a potato masher. The recipe calls for a fork but I quickly abandoned that idea and traded it out for the masher. The key is to not over-mash. There should still be some texture to the beans. 

Add in the breadcrumbs, onion, egg and spices and stir until combined. 

Add in hot sauce of your choice and let sit for 5 minutes. 

Form the patties to be slightly larger than the buns, the patties do not shrink during cooking. 

The cookbook says this recipe yields 4 patties, however I would even say it could make as many as 8. The patties themselves were large and dense. 

Melt butter over medium-low heat and add in oil. Cook patties for 5 minutes or until a brown crust forms (yum!). Carefully flip the patty, top with cheese of your choice and cook for another 5 minutes or until heated through. Use a lid to assist in melting cheese, if necessary. 

Unfortunately I don't have a lid big enough to cover my cast iron skillet so my cheese was not as melty as I would've liked (sad life). 

These burgers were absolutely delicious and so simple to make! I cannot believe it! I also loved how moist they were. I've noticed that black bean and other non-meat patties can be very dry and fall apart but that definitely wasn't these! Oh my gosh I'm already dreaming of the next time I can eat these burgers. 

I HIGHLY recommend picking up a copy of ALL of Ree Drummond's cookbooks as they are all phenomenal. 

To accompany these fantastic burgers (seriously, I'm still drooling over here) I decided to make some sweet potato fries. Now call me picky but I believe sweet potatoes are sweet enough on their own and therefore I don't like to add anything else sweet. It's too overpowering, so I try to pair sweet potatoes with spicy or smoky flavors. 

Sweet Potato Fries

2 sweet potatoes, washed and peeled 

4 Tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste 

1/2 tsp smoky paprika 

Fill a medium-sized bowl with tap water. After peeling the potatoes, cut the potatoes into wedges. Place the wedges into the water for at least 3 hours. This step may sound strange but it really helps to cut the starch in the potatoes and help them cook a little faster. 

After letting the potatoes soak, preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Toss potatoes in 2 Tbsp olive oil and spices. 

Coat a baking sheet with the remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil.  

Bake for 30 minutes, flipping the potatoes after 15. 

I served these potatoes with sriracha-spiked ketchup. 

This meal was absolutely amazing and I definitely think everyone should try them as soon as absolutely possible. 

Huge thank you to my mother-in-law for the cookbook and to Ree Drummond for producing such amazing recipes for me to try! 

Feta Crusted Salmon and Cauliflower Steaks

Well readers, we arrived in Raleigh at 1:30 AM today, went to sleep at 3:00 AM and woke up at 10:30 AM. To say I'm beat is an understatement. However, to try to counteract all the decadent, fatty, hearty, full-of-love meals that Nate's parents treated us to, and to begin my New Year's resolution (to make more home cooked meals for my husband) I decided to make something I saw while watching the Food Network. 

Nate and I don't have cable television. If we can't pick it up on our rabbit ears or see it on Netflix we don't watch it, so while watching Food Network at my in-laws' I came across Valerie Bertinelli's  cooking show. 

During this particular episode, Valerie was preparing a meal for last-minute guests. She made salmon and bread but what really caught my eye was she made cauliflower steaks with a crunchy topping.  

Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Golden Raisins and Pine Nuts 

1 head cauliflower 

Olive oil 

Salt and pepper, to taste 

2 tablespoons sliced almonds (because I had them on hand and couldn't find the pine nuts at the store) 

1/4 C golden raisins 

1 Tbsp butter 

1/4 C fresh parsley (or 1 Tbsp dried because you don't wanna buy fresh) 

Preheat oven to 425. Clean cauliflower and cut the head vertically into 1/2 inch thick steaks. You will only get about 3 whole steaks out of a head. 

Drizzle olive oil onto a baking sheet and place steaks (and smaller florets) onto sheet and season both sides with salt and pepper. 

Bake for 20 minutes, flip after 10 minutes. 

While your cauliflower is roasting away, toast almonds (or pine nuts) in a medium skillet over medium heat until brown. Add in raisins and butter. Coat almonds and raisins in butter and cook over medium heat until raisins begin to plump up. Stir in parsley and remove from heat. 

Spoon onto roasted cauliflower. 

The cauliflower was crisp, flavorful and definitely filling. I wish I had made more (and had more stomach to put it in) 

I served this fantastic side with salmon. It has been so long since I have made salmon which, frankly is insane because it's healthy, it's delicious and it's so easy to make! 

This recipe I found using the Food Network In The Kitchen app. 

Feta Crusted Salmon 

2 2 oz salmon fillets 

Fresh thyme 

Olive oil 

1/2 lemon 

Salt and pepper, to taste

8 oz feta cheese 

3 oz white wine 

Preheat oven to 375. Place thyme in the bottom of a baking dish. 

Wash salmon and dry using paper towels. Coat both sides of the salmon with olive oil and lemon juice. Salt and pepper the meat side and crumble fresh feta cheese. Pour wine into the baking dish. 

Bake for 25 minutes.  

The salmon was flaky, tender and full of flavor. I would suggest garnishing with a wedge of lemon to bring out the freshness of the fish. 

The entire meal took about 45 minutes to prepare from start to finish and was most definitely one I will put into my regular dinner rotation and highly encourage you all to do the same! Enjoy, readers! 

Goddess and the Baker

Every time we visit Nate's parents we take a train to downtown Chicago and spend the day and this trip was no different! 

On Wednesday (December 23), we took the train bright and early to go to Millenium Park (home of "The Bean"), the Art Institute, the Willis Tower Skydeck and Macy's (formerly known as Marshall Fields). 

Unfortunately for us, the weather wouldn't allow us to go on the Skydeck at 10 AM as we had hoped (it was foggy), the Art Institute didn't open for another 30 minutes and there's only so long you can look at a reflective bean so we decided to stop into Goddess and the Baker for breakfast (and libations for one vacationing husband). 

Goddess and the Baker, located at 33 S Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60603 (there is a second location at Navy Pier) has a vast menu of breakfast favorites, comforting lunch sandwiches and a huge bakery case of delicious looking pastries. 

Decor: good. There's a coffee bar with a few single seats, a long table in the middle (you get real friendly with other patrons), and a few (like maybe 5) single tables lining the walls. The space has maybe 30 seats total. 

Food appearance: good. Some orders were served on silver trays while others were served on nicer plates but it all looked tasty (and was). 

Food taste: excellent. I adore a good bagel and lox and Nate's order was fantastic! The bagel was fresh and toasted, veggies fresh and the salmon was superb! I would've eaten his whole meal had he let me. I ordered a Croque Monsieur for myself. If you don't know what this is, first of all we can't be friends anymore and secondly, you need to be educated. A Croque Monsieur is the best ham and cheese sandwich your taste buds have ever known. Theirs was served on brioche bread with a crust of béchamel (aka mana of the Gods). I had to consciously stop myself from diving in mouth first. 

Service: good. This restaurant is a walk-up-and-order type so the interaction with employees is a little limited but the employees were friendly and helpful. Food was delivered in a timely manner.  

Cleanliness: good. Tables and spaces were turned over quickly so new guests didn't have to wait long for a place to sit. 

Total: 11/15

I would highly recommend visiting Goddess and the Baker the minute you are able to! Everything looked and smelled divine and I wish I had had a chance to go back before we left Chicago. 

La Voute

It's 3 days until Christmas and that means the annual Hart family Christmas dinner! Typically, this dinner takes place in downtown Chicago, however, earlier this year a boutique hotel opened up in Nate's hometown called La Banque. La Banque is located at 2034 Ridge Rd, Homewood, IL 60430 and is housed in what was a bank (hence the name). The hotel is also home to La Voute, a French inspired bistro and bar ran by chefs Dominique Tougne and Tomas Donnelly. 

La Voute definitely pays homage to the bank roots in the decor department (there is a giant bank vault door that serves an an entrance to the kitchen). 

Decor: excellent. La Voute seems like a perfect place to have a fancy meal, a girls' night out or to just have a couple drinks at the bar. Dark wood tables and chairs, servers in black chef coats, dim lighting. The atmosphere was one of elegance and decadence.

Food appearance: poor. This is where I believe La Voute faulters slightly. Water is poured from fancy decanters, servers recite you the specials of the night, and how is bread served to you? In a basket with checkered wax paper. The dichotomy between the elegance of the restaurant and this small detail I believe cheapen the experience. Why not put the bread in a linen napkin? They already use them for silverware. We ordered escargot and mussels to start out with. The escargot were served in the traditional escargot dish topped with puff pastry, which was a disaster. The pastry was undercooked on the bottom layer and was frankly a nightmare to deal with. Flakes of pastry littered the table. Mussels served in an individual steamer pot with two (yes, only two) pieces of bread as a side. What is the purpose of that? There was at least a pound of mussels in the steamer, why only offer 2 slices of bread? The second complaint would be the delicious lemony-garlicky-mussel-y broth could not be accessed because 1) there was not enough bread to soak it up and 2) they didn't offer a spoon. My father-in-law and brother-in-law ordered Grilled Calamari salad which was definitely not grilled. The entrees all looked delicious but their tastes will be addressed in the next section; same with the desserts. 

Food Taste: good. At $20+ per plate one would think (at least hope) that the food would be phenomenal. The food here was just so/so. The escargot was cooked well and buttery, but the puff pastry was unnecessary and distracting. The mussels were probably the best thing I would say we ate (and I don't even like mussels). 

The Calamari salad was not grilled, squid was over cooked, and the salad was nothing special. 

I ordered the Rack of Lamb, cooked medium rare (of course) and it was served with ratatouille and scalloped potatoes. The lamb was crusted in a pepper mixture, cooked perfectly and the ratatouille was perfectly seasoned and tender but the potatoes were a disaster. They were played to look like mashed potatoes but when cut into were just an undercooked, under seasoned mess. 

All other entrees ordered were nothing spectacular. We ordered two desserts: the Buche De Noel (Yule Log) and Apple Crisp. Both were delicious. 

The Buche De Noel was rich and chocolatey with a hint of banana gelee to cut the richness. 

The Apple Crisp was like the most buttery and decadent apple pie you've ever eaten. 

Service: poor. Our server was rude. Flat out rude. It was 7:00 PM on a Tuesday night (it wasn't busy, mind you) and he acted as if we should be honored to be served by him. If someone didn't order when he looked at them, he moved on to the next person. This resulted in two guests not getting drinks with the rest of the table. He also acted bored, as if he wanted to be anywhere but serving us. They also were unable to make Nate's grandma's order of Duck and Pear. It was 7:00 on a Tuesday. I find it hard to believe they sold out. 

Cleanliness: excellent. The hotel was immaculate, the restaurant and everything in it were clean. 

Total: 10/15 

After much deliberation, I must say I would probably not return to La Voute. I wouldn't want to spend top dollar for food and service that definitely doesn't deserve it. Their libations sounded good, but I probably wouldn't order any food. 

I guess, readers, use your judgment. It's possible these problems are all the result of growing pains but I know I will not be returning any time soon. 

Christmas Party

It truly is the most wonderful time of the year! Christmas is my favorite season, everyone is a little kinder, a little more generous and a little happier. It's almost like the colorful lights and Christmas trees make everyone remember a simpler, gentler and more care free time. Well readers, you should know by now that Nate and I adore throwing dinner parties and tonight is no exception! We decided to throw a formal dinner party complete with name cards, table cloths and lots of champagne. 

To take some of the pressure off of Nate and I, we asked our guests to each bring a side dish or a dessert (along with wine or champagne, of course). 

My contributions are a cheese plate appetizer and a snowy white layer cake for dessert. 

Cheese Plate 

My cheese plate consists of a wedge of Brie, aged sharp cheddar and my personal favorite, Jarlsberg cheeses. I'm serving these with water crackers and Concord grapes I picked up at the State Farmer's Market here in Raleigh. 

Snowy White Layer Cake 

1 C milk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 C unsalted butter

2 C sugar 

3 C Cake Flour 

1 Tbsp Baking Powder 

5 egg whites 

Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 8 inch round cake pans with parchment paper and grease with butter and flour. 

Stir together milk and vanilla. 

In your trusty stand mixer, cream the butter until fluffy and gradually add in sugar until well creamed. 

In a separate bowl, sift together flour and baking powder. 

Alternate adding flour mixture and milk mixture in batches to butter mixture and beat until well blended. 

In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. 

Fold egg whites into batter and pour into prepared pans. 

Drop the pans on the counter a couple times to get out any bubbles and bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick can come out clean. 

Vanilla Buttercream

1 C Butter

1/4 tsp salt 

1 32 oz package powdered sugar 

6-7 Tbsp milk 

1 Tbsp vanilla extract 

In your favorite stand mixer, beat softened butter and salt until fluffy. 

Gradually over medium-low speed add in the powdered sugar in intervals with the milk (i.e. Add powdered sugar, beat until combined, add milk, beat until combined, etc.) until all the powdered sugar and 7 tablespoons of milk have been added. 

Add in the vanilla extract and frost your cake using an offset spatula. 

I retrieved these recipes from Southern Living's book "Christmas All Through the South" which is a wonderful book full of Christmas stories, pictures of Christmas decorations and fabulous recipes. 

Nate decided to make a bison roast with roasted vegetables for our guests to enjoy. 

Irregardless

I've always heard it's important to date your spouse so Nate and I decided to implement a monthly date night. Monthly we switch off on who picks the date and november's date was mine and I wanted to treat Nate to a spectacular meal. 

I chose Irregardless located at 901 W Morgan St, Raleigh, NC 27603 because I'd only heard good things about the food and they had nightly live music. Another great thing about Irregardless is their expansive vegetarian menu! Vegetarian appetizers, dishes, and desserts, oh my!

Decor: good; the restaurant was bright and open with 2 dining rooms, a separate bar and a stage for musical acts to perform. Seeing as it was the beginning of Christmas season, it was also decorated accordingly and looked beautiful and welcoming. On the night we went, the live music was a husband and wife team who played jazz covers. It was a very nice accompaniment to champagne and bourbon. 

Food appearance: excellent. Every dish was beautifully plated, every drink expertly poured and created. Just look at it! 

Food taste: good. Nate and I decided to start off with mushroom fritters, off of the night's special menu. The fritters were fried but not greasy and came with an aioli that was spicy but the perfect compliment to the mix of mushrooms and made a great dressing to the salad garnish on the plate. I decided to order the poached salmon off the specials menu because it sounded fantastic, salmon poached in white wine, sautéed mushrooms, lemon sauce and some polenta. All sounded delicious separately but the end result wasn't very tasty. The salmon was delicious, the mushrooms were delicious and the sauce was delicious but when I took a bite with all the elements together there were just too many competing flavors going on and therefore, I wasn't completely satisfied with my dish. However, Nate's paella was phenomenal! The seafood was all fresh and perfectly cooked, the saffron rice was flavorful and all the elements of the paella were just amazing. 

Service: excellent. Our server was friendly, attentive and definitely added to our experience at Irregardless. 

Cleanliness: excellent. The restaurant was clean, tables were turned over quickly and there was nothing left in tables or on the floor. 

Total: 13/15

I would definitely return to Irregardless, I'll just stay away from the poached salmon special. Luckily for me, there were tons of other great looking dishes on their menu. 

High Tea Dinner Party

Well readers, if you have been reading my blog for any time at all you'll know that Nate and I love to throw a good dinner party! I love planning, decorating, dressing, conversing and feeling like the hostess with the mostess. 

Tonight's theme is high tea and as such, we have a three-course meal with accompanying teas (and dressing to the nines). 

The first course will be cranberry orange scones with "clotted" cream and lemon curd. 

Cranberry orange scones 

I got this recipe from Ina Garten, while I generally dislike her slightly conceited and pretentious demeanor on television ("if you can't find unsalted butter churned by virgin Latvian milk maids, store bought is fine") I must admit, the woman can cook and make some damn good recipes. 

4 1/4 C flour

1/4 C granulated sugar, plus some for sprinkling 

2 Tbsp baking powder 

2 tsp salt 

2 tsp fresh orange zest 

3 sticks unsalted butter, chilled 

4 eggs 

1 C heavy cream 

1 C dried cranberries 

1 egg beaten with 2 Tbsp water (for egg wash) 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and orange zest and cut in cold butter until the butter is cut into pea-sized chunks. 

In a 2 cup liquid measuring cup, combine 4 eggs with 1 C heavy whipping cream, slowly mix into the dry ingredients; the batter will be lumpy and sticky. 

Once combined, fold in dried cranberries and 1/4 C flour. 

On a well-floured surface, knead dough into a ball and roll out to 1/4 inch thick. Once rolled out, cut dough using your favorite biscuit ring and place on a silicone mat or a pan lined with wax paper. 

Brush the scones with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the tops of the scones are hard to the touch and golden brown. 

To accompany these fluffy and delicious  scones, I bought some lemon curd at Harris Teeter in the International Section and made some fresh "clotted" (whipped) cream. 

"Clotted (Whipped) Cream

1 pint heavy whipping cream  

The key to a good whipped cream is a very cold bowl. I always use a glass bowl and stick it in the freezer for at least half an hour prior to use. 

Once your bowl is cold, pour 1 pint of heavy whipping cream into it. Using your favorite hand mixer fitted with the beater attachment, beat until peaks form. This shouldn't take more than 10 minutes. 

This course was served with a Lady Grey tea (black tea), cream and lemons. 

For the second course, I decided to make a quiche with Jarlsberg and Gruyere cheeses. 

Quiche Au Fromage 

Of course I used my tried and true Julia Child recipe from Mastering the Art of French  Cooking, because Julia is queen. 

I began with the crust: 

2 C flour

1 tsp salt 

1/4 tsp sugar 

1 1/2 sticks of butter, chilled 

4 Tbsp shortening, chilled 

1/2 C cold ice water 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Combine flour, salt, sugar, butter (cut into 1/2 inch pieces) and shortening in a big mixing bowl.

Using a hand cutter (or food processor) cut in the fat until the butter forms small pea-sized balls. 

Add in the ice water and knead the dough until it just comes together. 

On a floured surface, knead fhe dough into a ball and roll out to the appropriate size for your tart or springform pan; however work quickly because the dough is difficult to manage the warmer it gets. 

Once dough is the desired size, place in pan and crimp the edges. Pierce the bottom of the dough with a fork to prevent it from puffing up. 

Using a piece of foil, line the unbaked crust and fill with rice or dried beans to weigh down the crust while par-baking. 

Bake the crust for 8-9 minutes to stiffen it up enough to handle the filling. 

Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 48 hours. 

The filling: 

4 eggs 

2 C heavy whipping cream 

1 1/2 - 2 C shredded Jarlsberg and Gruyere cheeses 

1/2 tsp salt

Pinch of pepper

Pinch of nutmeg 

In a bowl, whisk together eggs and whipping cream. 

After combined season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. 

Whisk in cheeses until combined. 

Pour into prepared crust. 

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown and set (doesn't jiggle when you move the pan). 

To compliment the richness of the quiche, Nate made a salad with fresh cherry tomatoes, basil and blackberries topped with a balsamic glaze. The freshness of the salad perfectly offset the rich decadence of the quiche. 

This course was served with Bouquet of Flowers (black tea), cream and lemons. 

The third and final course was a pumpkin spice cake topped with chocolate ganache. It was moist, rich and flavorful. Unfortunately we were all very full by this course so no one finished their piece. 

This course was served with Van Gogh Smiling (herbal tea) and lemons. 

Well readers, I hope you enjoyed reading about our High Tea dinner party and will be inspired to have one of your own! Happy eating! 

Pumpkin Bread

Ah readers, it finally feels like fall in the City of Oaks! It's raining, it's chilly and its Halloween week! 

To celebrate my favorite holiday/season, I decided to bake pumpkin bread (originally intended to be bars). 

Allow me to begin by saying, Pinterest Fails is definitely a thing. I don't know if people just slap things on Pinterest thinking "I don't need to recipe test, someone will try this recipe and do it for me!" or what is going on there but the recipe I used was for "Pumpkin Bars" and not "Pumpkin Bread" but it was definitely a bread. A very tasty and comforting bread, but bread none-the-less. 

The interesting thing about this cake is that there is no butter, no oil and no egg yolks. These things are all replaced by pumpkin purée and Greek yogurt. 

Pumpkin Bread 

1 15 oz can pumpkin purée 

2/3 C low-fat Greek vanilla yogurt 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

4 egg whites 

1 tsp baking soda 

1 C white sugar 

3 tsp baking powder 

2 C flour 

1/2 tsp salt 

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice 

Cooking spray 

Optional: 

1 C chocolate chips 

1/2 C sliced almonds 

1 C quick oats 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease your favorite cake pan or brownie dish with cooking spray. 

Mix pumpkin, egg whites, yogurt, vanilla and sugar until well combined. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice until it looks like a pancake batter. 

Now comes the optional ingredients. At this point I added in the 1/2 C sliced almonds and poured into my cake pan, where I then mixed the chocolate chips into half and the oats into the opposite half. 

Bake for 30 minutes or until you can do the toothpick trick. 

The bread was so moist and delicious! I brought a couple pieces to work to share and everyone loved it! I hope you enjoy it just as much as I, Nate and my coworkers did! 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I adore pumpkin. Pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin bars, pumpkin pie, and of course, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. 

I started using this recipe (retrieved from Pinterest) last year and it was a big hit among husbands and coworkers alike! 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies 

1/2 C unsalted butter, melted 

1/2 C granulated sugar

1/4 C light brown sugar 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

6 Tbsp pumpkin purée 

1 1/2 C flour

1/4 tsp salt 

1/4 tsp baking powder 

1/4 tsp baking soda 

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon 

1/4 tsp nutmeg 

1/4 tsp cloves 

1/4 tsp allspice 

1/2 C (or an entire bag) of chocolate chips 

In a medium bowl, cream melted butter, sugar, vanilla and pumpkin purée until smooth. 

In a larger bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and spices. 

Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients using a rubber spatula and combine completely. Fold in chocolate chips. 

Let the dough chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. This step is crucial! The dough is very soft and chilling helps it set up. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a silicone lined or parchment paper lined baking sheet, roll out and portion out cookies to be 1 Tbsp-1 1/2 Tbsp dough balls. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes. They will look soft and underbaked but leaving them in the oven for longer will dry them out. 

Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before transferring onto a cooling rack to completely cool.  

I hope you all enjoy these pumpkin-y, chocolate-y and all around tasty cookies as much as I do, readers! 

Sierra Nevada Mills River

Last weekend Nate and I visited the Sierra Nevada brewery located at 100 Sierra Nevada Way, Fletcher, North Carolina 28732. 

In addition to their beautiful brewery and delicious beers (seriously, go there and take a FREE brewery tour; 18 oz of FREE samples of beers plus behind-the-scenes knowlege and experiences), the Sierra Nevada property also bosts a taproom with a full-service restaurant. 

Decor: excellent. The brewery obviously spared no expense when designing the taproom because it was simply beautiful! 

Food appearance: excellent! Food was served tapas style, so everything was shareable and came out when ready. Food was beautifully and artistically plated. 

Food taste: excellent! I wish I had had 

another stomach with which to eat with. We ordered the duck fat fries, beet salad and apple cinnamon ice cream. The beet salad made me, I hate to admit it, like beets. I do not typically care for beets. Roasted, pickled, put in a stew; I dislike them all equally but these beets were so delicious and paired so well with the tangy goat cheese, sweet balsamic and crisp micro-greens that I almost didn't want to share. The duck fat fries were double fried in duck fat, topped with duck con feit, coated with melted cheddar and drizzled with hot sauce aioli with a side of raspberry mustard for dipping. These fries were nothing short of heavenly and no words can do them justice. The ice cream was a nice way to end the meal; chunks of cinnamon apples running through vanilla ice cream, what's not to like? 

http://www.sierranevada.com/brewery/north-carolina/taproom

Cleanliness: excellent. The brewery operates like a well-oiled machine, they receive so many visitors a week that they know how to please. The smallest details are handled quickly and efficiently so no problems with cleaning here. 

Service: excellent! Our servers were friendly, knowledgable and definitely made sure we had exactly what we needed to be happy. 

Total: 15/15

Well Sierra Nevada, you have definitely won me over! From your beers I didn't even know existed (still drooling over the Narwhal Imperial Stout), to your gourmet food menu (I'm coming back for the sweetbreads!), I vow to return to the Mills River Location as often as I can to enjoy your hospitality. 

Macaroons and Sipping Caramel

One of my weaknesses is macaroons. They're so dainty, decadent and most of all, delicious. 

I had read online about a patisserie in downtown Raleigh with a menu that looked downright fabulous, so a couple weeks ago I dragged Nate to go with me! 

Lucettegrace is located at 235 South Salsbury St, Raleigh, North Carolina 27601.

Decor: good. The storefront has 2 large windows letting in plenty of natural light making the space airy and bright. In addition to the natural light, there is also a lot of exposed pipes and artwork on the walls. 

Food appearance: excellent. While we didn't partake in their full menu (click the link below) their pastry case looked divine. They had eclairs, macaroons, cakes, tarts and basically everything you'd ever want. 

http://www.lucettegrace.com/menu

Food taste: excellent! We each got 2 macaroons; I chose the lavender blueberry and pumpkin passion fruit while Nate chose the pistachio raspberry rose and the almond cheesecake. They were divine! We also got their pumpkin spice eclair to split. It was basically a pumpkin pie and an eclair had a baby. And that food baby was incredible. I also got some sipping caramel, think of the taste of a Werther's Original caramel. Got it? It was exactly that. But liquid. 

Cleanliness: excellent. The store was clean. 

Service: good, the staff was friendly and willing to help us with our needs. 

Total: 13/15 

I would love to go back to Lucettegrace again for their full menu and also all their delicious pastries. I would encourage you all to try it out yourselves too! 

Taco Tuesday Soup

Well readers, my absolute favorite season is upon us! Yes, I'm of course talking about fall! Snuggly sweaters, warm scarves, cloudy skies and cozy teas and cuddly days. Oh, and soups and stews. 

This recipe I adapted from my Sissy's recipe for Taco Soup. The best part about this recipe? You make it in a slow cooker. The only effort required is browning the turkey and opening the cans. 

Taco Soup 

2 Tbsp olive oil 

1/4 yellow onion, diced 

1 garlic clove, minced 

1/2 lb ground turkey

1/2 Tbsp Mexican oregano 

1/2 tbsp red chile powder 

1/2 tbsp onion powder 

1/2 tbsp garlic powder 

Salt and pepper, to taste 

1 can diced tomatoes with chiles, not drained

1 can fiesta corn, drained

1 can black beans, drained

1 can white kidney beans, drained 

2 C chicken stock 

In a skillet over medium heat, sauté onion and garlic in oil until onions are translucent. Add turkey and cook until brown. 

In your favorite 6 or 8 quart slow cooker, combine all canned goods, turkey mixture and stock. 

Turn your slow cooker on low and cook for 6-8 hours. 

Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese  and/or sour cream and serve with tortilla chips! If you like a little extra spice, as Nate and I do, throw some pickled jalapeños on top and enjoy!

Enjoy the Taco Soup and enjoy your fall, readers! 

Roasted Pepper Tart (Pie)

One of my fantastic customers at my job grows peppers and gave me a huge bag homegrown peppers (yay!) and the vegetarian cookbook I've been using (What's Cooking Vegetarian by Jenny  Stacey) had a recipe for roasted red pepper tart! Score!! 

I was given a variety of different peppers so I grabbed one of the biggest peppers (as well as one red and one orange bell pepper that I already had). 

Roasted Red Pepper Tart 

The pastry: 

1 1/4 C flour 

Pinch of salt

6 Tbsp butter (or 3 Tbsp butter, 3 Tbsp shortening) 

2 Tbsp pitted green olives, diced 

3 Tbsp cold water 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Sift flour into a bowl, mix in salt. Cut in butter and/or shortening until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. 

Knead in olives and water until dough sticks together. 

Roll out onto floured surface and transfer into tart (or pie because you don't have a tart) pan. Poke fork holes into crust. 

Par-bake crust for 10 minutes and refrigerate. 

The filling: 

1 red pepper 

1 orange pepper

1 green pepper 

2 Tbsp olive oil 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

2 eggs, beaten 

2/3 C milk

1 Tbsp basil 

Salt and pepper, to taste 

1 C mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Cut peppers in half and remove seeds and veins. Mix together oil and garlic and brush onto the outside of the halved peppers. 

Roast peppers in the oven for 20 minutes or until the peppers begin to char and blister. 

Let peppers cool slightly and slice into strips. 

Arrange the peppers in the bottom of the crust. 

Beat together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper and basil. Pour mixture on top of the peppers and top with shredded cheese. 

Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. 

The taste:

The crust was perfectly crisp and had a tasty brine-y bite from the olives. The roasted peppers were slightly sweet and the filling was so rich and meaty I didn't even miss the fact there was no meat. 

I would definitely recommend making this tart (pie) as soon as you possibly can! 

Garbanzo and Vegetable Casserole (Soup)

Happy Wednesday, readers! Sorry for the hiatus! I've been very busy being a functioning adult (aka I got a job and work a lot now). Despite this newfound functioning, tonight I got home early enough to treat my hubby to vegetarian meal from our new favorite vegetarian cookbook! 

Garbanzo Bean and Vegetable Casserole (Soup) 

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 red onion, sliced 

3 cloves garlic, minced 

8 oz spinach 

1 fennel bulb, cut into eighths 

1 red bell pepper, diced 

1 Tbsp flour 

1 can garbanzo beans, drained 

3 3/4 C vegetable stock 

6 Tbsp dry white wine 

1 tbs ground coriander 

1/2 tbsp paprika 

Salt and pepper, to taste 

Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Sauté onions and garlic, stirring occasionally for 2 minutes. Add in spinach and cook for 4 minutes or until wilted. 

Add in fennel bulb and pepper, cook for 2 minutes. 

Stir in flour. 

Add in the rest of the ingredients, cover and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes. 

I call this a "soup" rather than a casserole because it is very liquidy. I followed the recipe exactly without deviating so I think the recipe-writers should've named this recipe differently. 

I will confess that this recipe wasn't my favorite. At all. Ever. I would probably not make it again but you're more than welcome to try this recipe. Perhaps you'll have better luck with this than I had. 

Vegetable Toad-In-The-Hole

Continuing the theme of weekday vegetarianism, tonight's dinner is Vegetable Toad-In-The-Hole. What is a toad-in-the-hole? I must confess I didn't know myself so I consulted the Google. According to Wikipedia, "a toad-in-the-hole is a traditional British dish consisting of sausages in Yorkshire pudding batter and served with vegetables and onion gravy." 

I once again used what is quickly becoming my new favorite cookbook for weeknight meals: What's Cooking Vegetarian by Jenny Stacey. 

Vegetable Toad-In-The-Hole 

The filling: 

2 Tbsp butter 

1 white onion, cut into eighths 

2 garlic cloves, crushed 

2 oz baby carrots, cut lengthwise 

2 tomatoes, seeded and cut into chunks 

2 C green beans 

1 can corn (I used fiesta corn because it was on hand) 

1 Tbsp whole-grain mustard 

Mixed herbs 

Salt and pepper 

In a large (very large and deep) skillet over medium-high heat, sauté onion and garlic in butter for 2 minutes. 

Mix in carrots, tomato and green beans. Cook for 10 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, "mixed herbs" (personally, I believe this is the cookbooks way of saying "go crazy", I used herbs de Provevce and herbed poultry seasoning) and mustard. 

Spoon into the middle of the batter and bake for 30-35 minutes. 

The batter: 

3/4 C flour, sifted 

Pinch of salt

2 eggs, beaten 

3/4 C milk 

2 Tbsp whole-grain mustard 

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400. 

In a medium bowl, combine flour and salt. In a smaller bowl, combine eggs, milk and mustard. 

Combine wet ingredients with dry ingredients and let sit for 5 minutes. 

Pour oil into a 9X13 baking dish and place into 400 degree oven for 5-10 minutes. Remove from oven and slowly pour batter into the pan.

I made this recipe exactly as the cookbook said, however I would make the following changes: the vegetables weren't very browned after 38 minutes in the 400 degree oven so I would suggest also adding 5 minutes under the broiler to achieve crispy and brown goodness. The flavor of this dish was absolutely divine (Nate got seconds and even licked his plate because it was so good!) so definitely try out this recipe, readers! You won't regret it!  

Spicy Potato & Lemon Casserole

Something that you may not know about Nate and I is that we were both vegetarians. I was a vegetarian for roughly 8 years and Nate for 16 years (he was raised vegetarian). During my vegetarian days I felt much healthier, lighter, nourished - so Nate and I decided to begin eating a vegetarian diet during the week. Luckily for us, while we were visiting Sissy in Virginia a few weeks ago we found a vegetarian cookbook (in near mint condition) at a DAV thrift store (for those not in "the know" the DAV is a thrift store that benefits disabled American veterans). 

The book: What's Cooking Vegetarian by Jenny Stacey 

The recipe: Spicy Potato and Lemon Casserole 

Servings: 4

1/2 C olive oil

2 red onions, cut into eigths 

3 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tbs ground cumin 

2 tbs ground coriander (or coriander seeds) 

Pinch of cayenne pepper (I love spice so I definitely will add more next time I make this recipe)

1 carrot, thickly sliced 

2 small turnips, quartered 

1 zucchini, thickly sliced 

1 lb potatoes, thickly sliced 

2 lemons, juice and zest (personally I think 2 lemons was a little much, I'd use 1-1 1/2 if I were you)

1 1/4 C vegetable stock 

2 Tbsp cilantro, fresh or dried (I used dried) 

Salt and pepper, to taste 

In a casserole pot over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add the red onions and sauté for 3 minutes, continuously stirring. 

Add garlic to the pot and cook for 30 seconds. Mix in the spices and cook for 1 minute. 

Add the carrot, turnips, zucchini, and potatoes. Stir to coat in olive oil. 

Add lemon juice, zest, stock, dried cilantro and salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 1 hour or until vegetables are tender. 

If using fresh cilantro, chop and garnish casserole prior to serving. 

I would not call this recipe a "casserole" as much as it is a stew, which frankly was perfect for the fall weather blowing into Raleigh today (I had to sleep with a quilt on my bed got the first time in months last night!) I served this with a roll to soak up the fantastic broth left behind after all the tender vegetables were devoured. 

Hope you enjoy this recipe, readers! And look forward to many more (hopefully) tasty recipes from What's Cooking Vegetarian! 

Sunday's Are For Brunches

In the (almost) three years that Nate and I have been dating, I have never cooked for my in-laws. Weird, right? So this trip I decided to cook them brunch. But what should I make? I wanted to stay in the Southern realm due to my newfound residency (got my drivers license and registered to vote!) but I also wanted it to be easy to make and that everyone would enjoy. 

I consulted my Southern Living Feel Good Food cookbook that my Sissy bought for me as a housewarming gift (thank you, Sissy!) and found a recipe that was definitely brunch approved: Lemon Poppyseed Waffles with Blackberry (blueberry) Maple Syrup. 

Lemon Poppyseed Waffles 

2 C all-purpose baking mix 

1-2 Tbsp poppy seeds (I used 1 1/2 Tbsp but you can always use more. Or less.) 

1 Tbsp lemon zest 

4 Tbsp butter, melted

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 1/4 C cold club soda 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the baking mix, poppy seeds and zest. 

In a smaller bowl, mix together butter, egg and club soda. The club soda helps the batter to remain light and fluffy, resulting in light and fluffy (not to mention delicious) waffles. 

 

Mix dry with wet ingredients and let sit for 3 minutes. 

Heat your waffle iron according to factory instructions and grease with non-stick spray. Fill waffle wells with 1/4-1/2 C of batter and cook for 5-7 minutes. 

Blackberry (Blueberry) Maple Syrup 

1/2 C pure maple syrup 

12 oz blackberries (we used blueberries because the State Farmer's Market we shop at had fresh blueberries for super cheap but no blackberries in sight)

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice 

1 Tbsp lemon zest 

This recipe is really simple: mix all ingredients in a bowl. Really, that's it. No other effort required. We put the leftover syrup in a mason jar in the fridge to infuse the syrup even further for future use.

These heavenly waffles were served with baked bacon, and fresh Brie cheese (also picked up at the State Farmer's Market)  with crackers. I truly enjoyed having my in-laws here this weekend (and showing off my culinary chops). Enjoy your first day of football, readers! I know my fantasy team could use a couple wins today! 

42nd Street Oyster Bar

My in-laws are visiting us in Raleigh and it's been a very fun and full weekend of exploring! 

Yesterday, after a very full day of museums, walking around downtown and being touristy, we opted for a late dinner at 42nd Street Oyster Bar. 

42nd Street is located at 508 W Jones St, Raleigh, NC 27603. The resturant is a little strange on the outside. Look for lots of neon signs and extremely packed parking lot and you're there. 

Walking into the lobby is reminiscent of walking into a 50s diner but the resturant is nothing of the sort. You know those sculptured fish they have on the walls of aquariums? They have those here (you're greeted by a hammerhead shark and if you know me at all, you know I was immediately hooked; no pun intended)!  The oyster bar has an extensive liquor menu with wines (some of which are their own brand), beers and specialty cocktails . Nate ordered a mojito and I ordered their Nashville Manhattan, which was excellent and made me feel classy. The resturant opened in 1931 with a daily rotating menu of the freshest seafood selections from around the area. 

Decor: good. The resturant is nautical themed, which is a little overdone but it is an oyster bar and seafood resturant. The space has 3 spacious dining areas as well as a large raw oyster bar. The dress is "business casual" according to the hostess whom took our reservation, however quite a few patrons were a tad under dressed. 

Food Appearance: excellent! The raw oysters are served on the half-shell with all the traditional fixings; oysters Rockefeller and pimento cheese oysters were served up on a huge platter, shrimp cocktail were served in a chalice with a wedge of lemon and fantastic cocktail sauce and entrees looked delish. 

Food taste: excellent! The oysters Rockefeller had the smokiness of bacon (aka God's gift to man), nuttiness from good-quality Parmesan cheese and the taste of the ocean from the oysters. The pimento cheese oysters basically just tasted like pimento cheese, but is that really even a problem? I decided to order the Pan Seared Ahi Tuna sesame seed crusted and served rare with a garnish of wasabi and ginger sauce. The tuna was a beautifully deep red rare (the only way to eat ahi tuna in my humble opinion). The sauces were a little difficult to detect in my opinion because there was so little of them but the flavor of the tuna was so pure and fantastic that the sauces may have overshadowed the flavor of the fish itself anyway. My only knock for my entree would be that the accompanying side salad looked straight out of a bag of "romaine mix" salad. Nate ordered the crab legs. The meat was sweet and tender but boy did he work for his dinner last night! It took him a good 45 minutes to eat all his crab legs and the majority of that time was spent cracking. His side was the 42nd Street Oyster Bar's 1931 recipe of cheese potatoes. These were the creamiest and smoothest potatoes I've ever put in my mouth which is both good and bad. I personally like my potatoes to have a little texture. These extremely smooth potatoes were covered in a layer of cheddar cheese. Mama Hart ordered her oysters on the half-shell (which came in 6 different varieties from around Virginia and North Carolina), I must confess that I didn't try any of these but she said they were all very good and tasted of the sea. For her entree she ordered the peel-and-eat half-pound of spicy shrimp. These shrimp were not veined (which I asked her about halfway through her plate, resulting in her veining them herself prior to eating). She said they were tender and the flavor was excellent but she would've preferred them to be split and veined for easier eating. My father-in-law ordered shrimp and grits (a recommendation from our server) and had the following notes: grits were a little too thick for his taste and he would've liked a side of red-eye gravy to use for flavor. 

Service: excellent! Our server was helpful, attentive, friendly and definitely good at what she did. Glasses were never empty for long, empty plates were taken quickly, and we definitely left happy. This service could possibly be the best I've experienced in Raleigh. 

Cleanliness: good. The resturant appeared clean; tables were cleaned quickly but I didn't check out the bathrooms. However one thing that I found a little unsavory would be the cleaning crew wheeling the trash cans through the middle of the resturant. Personally I think this practice should be reserved for AFTER the patrons have all left. 

Total: 13/15 

42nd Street Oyster Bar was definitely a fantastic spot for a dinner with family. It was upscale yet accessible and comfortable. I highly recommend checking it out when in Raleigh. 

Zucchini Bread

Being unemployed is difficult. I have no motivation to leave the house. Or the couch. I'm very depressed. 

One way i've been using to combat my depression and loneliness is to bake a loaf of zucchini bread! I've never actually had zucchini bread before so I was intrigued by it. What does it taste like? Is it sweet? Is it savory? Does it simply taste like zucchini? 

Zucchini Bread 

2 small zucchinis, grated 

1 1/2 C flour

1/2 tbs baking soda

1/2 tbs baking powder 

1/2 tbs ground cinnamon

1/3 C walnuts

1/3 C oil 

2 eggs 

3/4 C sugar 

3 Tbsp apple sauce 

Preheat oven to 350. 

Grate zucchini and squeeze out any excess liquid. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon). 

In a separate large bowl, cream oil, eggs, sugar and applesauce using a hand mixer. 

Mix together wet and dry ingredients, fold in zucchini and walnuts. 

Pour batter into greased loaf pan and bake for 50-55 minutes or until it can be stabbed with wooden objects and come out clean. 

Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes, take out of loaf pan and let cool for an additional 20 minutes.