Mummies

So this isn't necessarily a recipe but more of an inspiration for a meal Nate and I make annually for Halloween - Mummies. If you have any form of social media or own a television I'm sure you've seen these advertised this time of year but I highly recommend making these for a fun theme meal whether you have kids or not!

Mummies

1 can Crescent dough
4 all-beef hot dogs
*4 Lightlife meatless dogs (obviously these are not required if you're not of the veggie persuasion)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Cut each Crescent triangle into strips and wrap around hot dogs until they are covered in a criss-crossing pattern. Repeat until all hot dogs and dough are used. Space evenly on the foil-lined sheet.

Bake the mummies for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. I would also recommend rotating the sheet halfway through the cooking time.

Top the mummies with your favorite hot dog accoutrements (yellow mustard for the win) and enjoy with the ever sophisticated frozen crinkle cut french fry.

Stay tuned for Scary Shrimp Scampi!

Cadaver Crab Cakes with Spicy Remoulade

Happy Sunday, readers! I feel like I need to stop apologizing for the lack of posting regularity - it's probably not going to get better. We are almost at one of my favorite days of the year! So we are almost at the end of my creepy-named meals but I definitely still have some up my sleeves so prepare yourselves!

I've been trying to challenge myself to make recipes I've never made using the myriad of cookbooks in my cabinet, so Wednesday night I decided to challenge myself to make crab cakes from my Daphne Oz The Happy Cook cookbook.

Cadaver Crab Cakes with Spicy Remoulade

 The Remoulade:
1/2 C mayonnaise
1 garlic clove, grated (or pressed if you're lazy like me)
1 1/2 Tbsp capers, roughly chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp whole-grain mustard
1 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp finely chopped chives (I omitted these)
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 Tsp hot sauce (I definitely added more than that)
1 1/2 Tsp lime juice
1/2 Tsp salt
Freshly cracked pepper

The Crab Cakes:
1/4 C mayonnaise
1 egg
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tsp seafood seasoning
1/2 Tsp salt
1/2 C breadcrumbs
8 oz jumbo lump crabmeat (I used plain, old canned crab, drained)
1 Tbsp olive oil

To make the remoulade, whisk together all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate until use.

For the crab cakes - whisk together mayo, egg, lime juice, seafood seasoning and salt. Add the breadcrumbs and crab meat and combine. I ended up having to add a little more breadcrumbs because my mixture was a little too wet to stick together properly. Form the mixture into 4 equal-sized flat patties.

In a skillet over medium heat, brown the patties in olive oil for 4-5 minutes per side or until golden brown and crisp.

Top each cake with a healthy portion of the remoulade and enjoy! As you can see, I served these cakes with the classiest of side dishes - frozen crinkle cut fries.

I was able to get exactly 4 cakes and they were delicious! The flavors were spot on, the remoulade was creamy, cool and flavorful! I think these crab cakes would be even more excellent if I were able to find jumbo lump crab for a reasonable price.

Stay tuned for more recipes!

Zombie Zucchini Meatball Sliders

So I really tried to get all these blogs out last night but I had been typing so long my fingers and wrists started getting sore and my eye lids began to droop so I gave up and went to sleep. So I'm finishing off the blog-marathon today!


My final recipe I needed to catch up on was something that frankly I was skeptical about but I'm happy to report it worked out well! A few weeks ago for a catered lunch at work, I had ordered BBQ for the office. I was the unofficial office hero. I ordered Carolina pulled pork, BBQ chicken, macaroni and cheese, hush puppies, coleslaw and banana pudding. In addition to all this food, the caterers also gave us 36 potato rolls. After the lunch was over and all the little scavenger people who weren't in the meeting filled up their plates and to-go containers I was left with an unopened bag of potato rolls. While I could've used these rolls to make some duck friends outside, I decided to instead be selfish and use them for my own enjoyment in the form of slider rolls!


I have always loved sliders, they are perfect for tricking your body into thinking you're eating more than you actually are. You wouldn't eat 3 whole burgers (well, maybe you would but I wouldn't) but 3 sliders I don't give a second thought to! Plus who doesn't think little food is just adorable?


Since beginning my pescatarian lifestyle, I have scoured Pinterest for recreations of my favorite non-vegetarian recipes. I happened to come upon a recipe for zucchini meatballs and immediately wondered how these two things could possibly be similar at all but I'm happy to report that zucchini are an excellent meatball-maker.


Zombie Zucchini Meatball Sliders

3 medium zucchinis, grated and dried
Salt, to taste
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 C fresh basil, sliced into thin ribbons
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 C seasoned breadcrumbs
3/4 C shredded parmesan cheese, divided
Salt and pepper, to taste
12 potato rolls, cut in half
1 C marinara sauce
Giardinera, for serving


Using a medium grater, grate zucchini into a kitchen towel-lined bowl. Season zucchini with salt and toss with your hands. Pull the sides of the towel over the zucchini and squeeze out any excess moisture, this will help the balls stick together.


Transfer the dried zucchini into a clean bowl and add in garlic, basil, egg, breadcrumbs and 1/4 C of the parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Form the mixture into 1/4 C patties and set aside. I ended up with exactly 12 patties.


Spray a skillet over medium-high heat with cooking spray and cook patties until they are golden brown on both sides. I let mine go roughly 5 minutes per side.


While your patties are cooking, line a 9X13 casserole dish with the bottom halves of your potato rolls. Put about 1 Tbsp of marinara sauce on the bottom of each roll. Place cooked patties on top of the marinara and top with another 1 Tbsp of marinara and a sprinkling of cheese (I had some pepper jack in the fridge that was on the verge of turning so I cut it into quarters and used it on some of the sliders as well). Repeat with remaining patties.


Broil your assembled sliders on high for 2-3 minutes to melt the cheese. Remove from the oven and top with the top half of the roll and broil for another 2 minutes (as you can see from my picture, I let mine go a little too long).

If you're like me and can't imagine eating food without some sort of pepper on it, before devouring your little sandwiches, remove the top bun and put on some giardinera or pickled jalapeno for a spicy and briny bite.


I was feeling lazy so we ate these sandwiches with some salt and vinegar potato chips. They did however go exceptionally well with the homemade hopped hard cider Nate made and we broke into!


Enjoy your Tuesday, readers! Stay tuned for more great recipes to come!

(Casket) Cheesy Grit and Ale Soup

This recipe I got from Cooking Light magazine which Mama Hart so graciously subscribed for me. I love this magazine! The recipes are clear and concise, their Facebook videos are fun to watch and the articles are informative. I made this recipe on Saturday for dinner before Nate and I went off to watch a Halloween movie double-feature at a local park and it was the perfect fix for a chilly fall day.

(Casket) Cheesy Grit and Ale Soup

2 Tbsp butter
1/2 large onion, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 C 2% milk
12 oz brown ale
1 1/2 C vegetable broth
1 1/2 Tsp salt
*3/4 C grits (the original recipe calls for stone-ground)
3 C shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tsp cornstarch
1/2 Tsp cayenne pepper
2 Tsp Dijon mustard
1 Tsp Worcestershire sauce
Popcorn, for serving

In a large stock pot over medium heat, saute onion, celery and garlic until softened. Stir in milk, beer, broth and season with salt. Using an immersion blender, liquefy the onion and celery (you'll thank me later). I did not liquefy my soup and had large chunks of onion and celery in my otherwise smooth and creamy soup. It wasn't the most ideal.

Bring the mixture to a simmer and whisk in grits and stir occasionally until thickened.

In a bowl, toss together cheese, cornstarch and cayenne pepper. A 1/2 C at a time, stir in cheese making sure to allow the first batch to completely melt before adding more. After all the cheese is added in and melted, mix in mustard and Worcestershire sauce adjusting seasoning accordingly.

I choose to top my soup with popcorn because there is an adorable tavern-style restaurant Nate's grandma frequents that tops their beer-cheese soup with popcorn and it just adds the perfect little crunchy bite to the soup.

We were able to get about 8-10 C of soup out of this recipe and the flavors of the soup keep getting better as they sit in the fridge marinating.

Ghostly Guinness and White Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese

Here we are, post 3 of 5! Chugging right along here and watching Donnie Darko a great film if you've never seen it. It's on Netflix, watch it immediately or we're no longer friends. I'll wait.

Ghostly Guinness and White Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese

1 lb macaroni or other shaped pasta
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
2/3 C Guinness stout
1 1/2 C 2% milk
1/2 C half and half
1/2 Tsp salt
1/4 Tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 oz jalapeno cream cheese (or plain if you're not of the spicy persuasion)
3 1/2 C shredded white cheddar cheese
Crunchy topping (recipe to follow)

Prepare pasta according package instruction. 

In a 6 qt dutch oven over medium-low heat, melt butter and add in flour. Whisk together and allow to achieve a delicious golden color. Add in beer, milk, half and half, seasonings and mustard. Bring the mixture to a simmer and allow to thicken for several minutes.

Add in cream cheese and 2 1/2 C of the shredded cheddar cheese. Whisk until smooth. Toss the pasta into the cheese sauce and stir to combine.

Top the macaroni and cheese with the remaining shredded cheddar and the crunchy topping. Stick under the broiler for 3 minutes or until the breadcrumbs are golden brown.

Crunchy Topping for Ghostly Guinness and White Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese

1 Tbsp butter, melted
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/2 C panko breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Combine all ingredients together in a bowl.

This macaroni and cheese was rich, delicious and yielded about 8 cups of macaroni and cheese for Nate and I to enjoy! We ate it Friday night and this evening for dinner and still have about a cup and a half serving leftover in our fridge for Nate to enjoy for lunch this week.

Garland Raleigh

Hello again, readers! We gotta stop meeting like this, it seems like you were just here and now you're back again! Well, since I know you're at the edge of your seat just waiting to hear what's next I'll clue you in!

At the beginning of the school year, Nate and I decided to get together and make a weekly lunch date due to the fact his schedule would not allow us to eat dinner together on a nightly basis. Friday we decided to go to Garland Raleigh. You may or may not recall my post about the Moroccan-Inspired Chickpea Bowls I made back in early September, don't worry, I put in a hyperlink so you can refresh your memory! Anyway, these bowls were inspired by a single bite of Garland's Moroccan "Hummus". Since I had the single fateful bite I've thought about going to the restaurant for a heaping plate of my own and I finally did it!

Truthfully, prior to learning Garland was a restaurant, I would walk by it on my lunch hour and assume it was a nightclub. Garland is only open for lunch Wednesday through Friday and the exterior of the building is covered in mirrored glass. I think you can understand my confusion. Fun fact: their upstairs neighbor "Kings" is actually a live music venue. Garland is located at 14 W Martin St, Raleigh, NC 27601.

Garland Raleigh

Decor: the inside of the eatery was beautiful and rustic. A lot of dark woods and unfinished fixtures, two large windows provide natural light and the walls are adorned with large murals and paintings. It's the perfect combination of eclectic and chic. Walking into Garland you'd think you were in Chicago or New York - not Raleigh. We were seated toward the front of the restaurant but it definitely appeared to be larger than you'd think. I may be wrong, but it appeared there was another room off the main dining room. The bar was also beautiful and I plan to go back there for a drink very, very soon.

Food appearance: food looked good but I wouldn't necessarily say it was groundbreaking presentation or anything.

Food taste: I ordered the Moroccan "Hummus" and Chili Peanut Cucumber Salad lunch combo for a whopping $11 and was frankly shocked at 1) how much food I was given and 2) why I've never eaten here before! The hummus was served warm with the chickpeas whole and tasted utterly magnificent! I can't even identify the spices used other than they were spicy and there was definitely clove. Everything was tied together with house-made crema and fresh cilantro! The "hummus" is served alongside crisp tortilla strips but I just scooped mine up with a fork and eat the tortilla strips by themselves with a squeeze of fresh lime juice. The salad was a mix of lettuce, cilantro and mint tossed in a chili-lime vinaigrette and topped with crushed peanuts. I've never had a salad that left me salivating before, but this one certainly did. I'd order this massive amount of food again at first chance!

Nate ordered the Garland Pork Tacos which were the marriage of Korean BBQ meets Mexican street food. He was shocked that 3 small tacos filled him up so much.

Service: our server was a little less attentive toward the end of our visit but I will attribute that to it being the end of service and her trying to leave after her shift on time. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt.

Cleanliness: again, it was the end of service so there were a number of dirty tables and place-settings at the bar, but I attribute that to it being the end of the lunch hour.

I would love to return to Garland for lunch and again for dinner, drinks and a Sunday brunch. Their menus are diverse and sound scrumptious.

Beasley's Chicken and Honey

So I've been doing plenty of cooking, but not a whole lot of blogging, which I'm sure you've undoubtedly noticed - so prepare yourself for a slew of posts tonight! You're welcome! I hope you had no plans for this evening because I'm about to take around 20 or so of them! YAY ME! So let's get crackin'!

As you are my loyal fans, I'm sure you popped over to this post because you just read all about my Poltergeist Green Chile Posole (in a Crock Pot) and heard about my lunch trip to Beasley's Chicken and Honey. Now I'm sure your first thought is "Lindsey, as a pescatarian why are you going somewhere that has chicken in the name?" Well, I'll tell you: veggie sandwich. It may sound odd that a restaurant that's famous for it's fried chicken has a truly phenomenal vegetable sandwich but Beasley's delivers.

I've been to Beasley's four times now - twice as a meat-eater and twice as a pescatarian and all times were sublime! Beasley's Chicken and Honey is located in the heart of downtown Raleigh at 237 S Wilmington St, Raleigh, NC 27601.

Beasley's Chicken and Honey

Decor: Beasley's is a very small restaurant. Comfortably, I would be surprised if it sat more than 30 or so guests. There is a large L-shaped bar, a long communal table in the center of the restaurant and smaller tables surrounding. The menu is written on chalkboard on the walls and everything is a mix of industrial and rustic-farmouse style.

Food appearance: Ashley Christensen's name is on it so you know the food looks as delectable as it tastes. Food is served on silver platters, plain white plates and drinks are in mason jars.

Food taste: Tuesday's lunch was the Veggie Sandwich (served a la carte) and a side salad. This vegetable sandwich is so good even my non-vegetarian boss ordered it instead of the chicken! The sandwich is stuffed with alfalfa sprouts, ripe avocado, Hoop cheddar cheese, and thick slices of tomato on two slices of buttery toasted bread slathered with horseradish mayo. Now if you're not salivating there's something seriously wrong with you. The vegetables were fresh, the bread crisp and buttery and the horseradish mayo tied everything together like a big bow!

The salad was a mix of lettuces, cucumbers and juicy pieces of tomatoes tossed in a red wine vinaigrette! A cool thing about Beasley's (besides everything) is that all the sides available minus the gravy on the mashed potatoes are vegetarian! I've never been to a more vegetarian-friendly chicken joint in my life!

Other menu items of note are the Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich (delish), the Chicken Biscuit topped with sweet honey and the Pimento Macaroni and Cheese Custard which is every bit as decadent as it sounds. My other boss ordered the Chicken Pot Pie, which looked more like a chicken soup featuring a flaky thin crust but she said it was good.

Service: Despite the chaos that was ensuing from the filming of the Travel Channel episode in the center of the restaurant, service was excellent! No glasses were empty, dirty plates were not left long and our server even bosed up my leftovers himself! I've never been disappointed with any of the service I've received at any of the AC brand restaurants and Beasley's is no exception.

Cleanliness: Every time I've visited the restaurant, everything's been neat and tidy so I can't attribute their exceptional cleanliness to the fact they were filming there but I'm sure it helped!

I would recommend anyone a trip to Beasley's to absolutely anyone in the Raleigh area or anyone anywhere even close to the Raleigh area! Really, it's that good! Look for the back of my head coming to a television tuned to the Travel Channel near you!

Poltergeist Green Chile Posole (IN A CROCK POT)

Hello readers! I hope you're having as phenomenal a day as I am! Why is it so excellent you may ask? Well, today is my 1 year anniversary at my company! I brought doughnuts to share with a select 12 people, my lovely bosses took me out to lunch at Beasley's Chicken and Honey (look for a review coming your way soon!) and I will maybe possibly be featured in a Travel Channel episode of Food Paradise! On top of all this greatness, I got flowers delivered to me today as a thank you from a client for working overtime. What a day!


Anyway, last night after a particularly difficult cycling and core sesh (by the way, I'm getting abs for the first time in my life thanks to these bi-weekly sessions), Nate and I rushed home to devour dinner before heading off for a night of trivia (we didn't actually go to trivia, but that was the plan). Have I praised the Crock Pot enough lately? No, I haven't. THE CONVIENENCE PEOPLE! Buy yourselves one, heck, buy yourselves a fleet of them! I came home, stirred the stew and BAM! Dinner in less time than it takes to say "gee my abs and hips hurt from cycling." Wanna know my secrets? I'll tell you! But first - a brief lesson in posole because I'm sure few people out of the Southwestern part of the United States have any idea what it is.


Posole is a delicious New Mexican stew made with hominy, garlic, pork or chicken and green or red chile. It's perfect for chilly fall nights, hearty holiday dinners or curing any sort of ailment.*


*These claims have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration.


Poltergeist Green Chile Posole (In a Crock Pot)

2 10 oz cans hominy, drained
1 garlic clove, minced (or a few dashes of garlic powder if you're lazy)
1 C roasted and chopped Hatch green chile
1 1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 C vegetable stock
1/4 C water
1/2 C sour cream


In a 6 qt greased Crock Pot, stir together hominy, garlic, chile, and cheese. I did this the night before I wanted to cook so I stuck my crock in the fridge overnight.


When you're ready to turn your Crock Pot on, stir in the vegetable stock and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. If you are not of the vegetarian persuasion, you can also add in 2 whole chicken breasts. The low and slow method is great for making sure your hominy obtain the perfect chewy texture, and if you're a meat-eater, will make sure the chicken gets the perfect juicy and fall-apart consistency.


10 minutes before serving, add in the remaining 1/4 C of water and sour cream.


I served our posole with tortilla chips but fresh flour tortillas are the more traditional accompaniment. This recipe yielded about 4 2-cup servings of hearty stew. I had one bowl and was stuffed! This stew is perfect for chilly fall nights to be spent in your cozy pajamas watching scary movies with your significant other...or your cat. Totally up to you, I won't judge.


Stay tuned for a restaurant review and a casserole recipe! Happy eating!

Goulish Balsamic Onion and Pear Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

I am horrible, yes I am fully aware! But I have a great excuse - my life has been chaos. Work has been hectic, I'm trying to lose another 6 pounds and I'm pretty sure I'm functioning on about 4 hours' sleep per night. It's not been great, as you can probably tell. But I won't let that bring me down! It's the beginning of the holiday season (just think about that a moment, do you already feel behind?), it's my favorite month and Raleigh finally got the fall weather memo so all-in-all things are looking up!


I made this meal on Wednesday of last week and I am still drooling about the flavors! It was elevated comfort food, which is really the best type of food. So let's get to it, shall we? I adapted this recipe from The Happy Cook cookbook by Daphne Oz and I must say I was impressed by the ease of the recipe and just how delicious everything was!


Goulish Balsamic Onion and Pear Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

1 Tbsp butter
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced into rings
1/4 Tsp salt
Freshly cracked pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp aged balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
4 slices whole wheat or multi-grain bread (I used Fit&Active 45 Calorie Multi-Grain)
2 Tbsp mayonnaise, room temperature
1 C cheese, grated (I used a Transylvania Cave Cheese soaked in red wine)
1 semi-ripe pear, peeled, cored and thinly sliced


Melt the glorious butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Toss in the onions and allow to soften for 8-10 minutes. I personally like when onions are slightly burnt so I let mine go a little longer.


Season with salt and stir in the vinegar and sugar. The idea is to let the vinegar get syrup-y and coat the onions (I'd eat this by itself if we're being honest here). Remove from the pan and set aside. Wipe out the skillet with a moist paper towel and replace on the burner over medium heat.


Spread 1 side of each slice of bread with the mayonnaise (not sure why...but this creates a better crust than the typical buttering method of grilled cheese-making). Place the mayo-side down in the pan and top with 1/4 C of the grated cheese, half of the onions, half of the pear slices, top with 1/4 C of cheese and top with another slice of bread mayo-side up. Repeat with remaining ingredients.


Cover the skillet with a lid and allow the cheese to melt and bread to crisp for 5 minutes. Flip and repeat.


The onions were succulent and acidic, the pears added a meaty-bite and the cheese was phenomenal! The Transylvania Cave Cheese was salty like a parmesan with the perfect richness from the wine ah! It was great and I should've bought more than one block. And the crust on the bread was the perfect combination of greasy and crunchy (in all the best ways).


I enjoyed this sandwich with a bowl of Well Yes! Cambell's Tomato Carrot Bisque (of course topped with more cave cheese). Nothing like a grown-up classic of a childhood favorite meal to lift your spirits, eh?


Tonight I'm making Posole in the Crock Pot so I'll report back on how that goes. Happy Monday, readers!

Creepy Linguini with Clam Sauce

Happy Monday, readers! We're at the beginning of another week and are once again chugging along to the weekend - GO US! Yesterday was spent purging our spare closet of stuff we haven't looked at in 2 years, football watching, bourbon drinking and exercising. After a quick gym sesh, I came home and made Ree Drummond's Linguini with Clam Sauce from her original The Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbook and the only thing "creepy" about it was how simple the recipe was! I've said it before, and I'll say it 100 times more, I love Ree Drummond, but not in a creepy stalker way. Her recipes are short, sweet and to the point. She's just an everyday woman feeding her family and I love that. So Ree, if you ever see this blog, thank you for being so awesome and if I ever go through wherever it is in Oklahoma you reside, I'm going to stop at the Merc and thank you personally.


Linguini with Clam Sauce

1 lb linguini
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter, divided
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 10 oz cans clams, juice reserved
3/4 C dry white wine
1/2 lemon, juiced
3/4 C heavy cream
2 Tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
Shredded parmesan cheese, for garnish


Cook pasta according to package instruction and set aside.


In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute the garlic and clams for 3 minutes in the olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter. Add in the wine and allow to reduce for 2-3 minutes. Add in the remaining Tbsp of butter and allow to melt.


Squeeze in the lemon juice and stir in the heavy cream. Allow the sauce to boil and thicken, using any reserved clam juice to thin it out if necessary. I didn't use any of my reserved juice at all.


Remove from heat, toss in the fresh parsley (which will smell amazing), season and stir in the parmesan cheese. Pour the sauce over the cooked noodles and toss to combine. I highly suggest adding in more parmesan cheese because why not?


I have always been a little skeptical about canned meats and seafood (they smell like cat food and no one can deny it) but this dish was delicious! The sauce was luscious and citrusy, the clams had that amazing flavor only seafood has (you know the one) and the linguini was the perfect vessel for all the goodness.


I paired this dish with some leftover Boo Bread from one of last week's dinners and a glass of red wine (yeah, I know red wine is a weird pairing for seafood, let me live my life) and settled in for a night on the couch with my main men (Nate and the cats).


Stay tuned for some more tasty Halloween-themed meals coming up!

Monster Mushroom Risotto

As promised, the other post I have neglected to post earlier, however this dish I made last night so I'm not quite as behind as the artichokes (I made those on Tuesday night...oopsies).

This recipe I adapted from Rachel Ray's 30-Minute Get-Togethers cookbook and was absolutely divine! The risotto had the perfect texture, the flavors were meaty and deep and it was creamy beyond belief!

Monster Mushroom Risotto

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 quart vegetable stock
1 quart water
3 oz dried porcini mushrooms
2 C Arborio rice
8 oz fresh baby portabella mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed and coarsely chopped
1/4 C dry sherry
8 fresh thyme sprigs, removed from stems and chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 C shredded parmesan cheese

In a large saucepan, bring dried mushrooms to a boil in the vegetable stock and water. Boil for 10 minutes to reconstitute mushrooms.

In a deep skillet (I actually used a small stock pot), saute garlic cloves in olive oil and butter for 2 minutes. Add the rice to the skillet and toast for 2 minutes. Add in the fresh mushrooms and saute for 2 more minutes.

Pour in the dry sherry and stir. Allow the rice to soak up the liquid. 1-2 ladles at a time, add the mushroom broth to the skillet, stirring constantly. Continue adding in broth, being sure to allow the liquid to fully absorb before adding in more.

Remove the dried mushrooms from the broth and roughly chop. Add them to the skillet.

The risotto is done when the rice has achieved the perfect al dente texture and appears creamy. According to Rachel, the ideal cooking time for risotto is 22 minutes, I wish I had timed myself. However, my risotto didn't require the entire saucepan of broth so just be aware of that.

Once your risotto is done, remove from heat and add in the thyme, salt, pepper and parmesan cheese. As I said, this risotto was velvety, flavorful and definitely filling. I think the only change I would make to this recipe would be I wouldn't eat the dried mushrooms after using them to flavor the broth. The dried mushrooms unfortunately take on a rubbery and chewy texture rather than the soft and succulent texture of the fresh mushrooms.

Stay tuned for more tasty recipes and as always, thank you for taking the time to read my humble blog.

Horrifying Steamed Whole Artichokes, Spooky Salad and Boo Bread

Happy Sunday, readers! So I've been severely slacking in the posting department and for that I sincerely apologize - this week at work was ridiculously busy and after I got home I didn't want to do anything other than cry in the fetal position. But it's the weekend! I am relaxed, refreshed and ready to update you on my cooking!

As you may or may not know, I am big into theme dinners and October is the perfect opportunity to make EVERY dinner a theme dinner (see the title of this post). So let's get to it, shall we?!

Horrifying Steamed Whole Artichokes

2 whole artichokes
1 lemon, divided
3 garlic cloves, sliced
Fresh herb sprigs (I used thyme, oregano and basil)
Water
4 Tbsp butter, for serving
Salt and pepper
Lemon juice, for serving
Shredded parmesan cheese, for serving

If you've never worked with whole artichokes before, BE CAUTIOUS! The leaves are very sharp and have an affinity for stabbing palms and fingers. Now, being cautious, cut off the top half of the artichoke using a serrated knife. The goal is to expose the purple leaves in the center of the artichoke. Repeat with remaining artichoke.

Rub the cut side of the artichoke with a halved lemon. Slice the remaining lemon half into rounds.

In a large stock pot lined with a steamer basket, arrange lemon slices, garlic slices and herb sprigs on the bottom of the steamer basket. Place artichokes cut-side down on the herbs.

Using a liquid measuring cup, pour enough water into your stock pot until it begins to cover the bottom of the steamer basket.

Cover the stock pot and steam the artichokes over medium-high heat for 40 minutes or until outer leaves can be easily removed.

Remove the artichokes from the steamer and place on a plate cut-side up. Pour about 1 Tbsp melted butter over the top of each artichoke and sprinkle with salt, pepper, squeeze of lemon juice and shredded parmesan cheese.

Dip the leaves in the remaining melted butter.

Spooky Salad

5 C spinach leaves
1/4 C chopped walnuts
1/4 C dried cranberries
1/4 C shredded parmesan cheese
Oil and balsamic vinegar, for serving

In a large bowl, mix together ingredients and top portions with a fruity olive oil and an aged balsamic vinegar, or another dressing of your choice.

Boo Bread

3 C all purpose flour
1 3/4 Tsp salt
1/2 Tsp active dry yeast
1 1/2 C room temperature water

In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt and yeast. Pour in water and mix using a wooden spoon. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to proof on your counter for 12-18 hours.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees with a 4-6 quart covered dutch oven inside. Once the oven and dutch oven are 450 degrees, remove the dutch oven and sprinkle the bottom with corn meal or flour to prevent the bread from sticking.

Flour the top of the dough and form into a ball being careful to not overwork the dough. Drop the dough ball into the dutch oven and cover with the lid. Bake the bread covered for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove the bread from the dutch oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Allow to cool completely before slicing.

My bread was unfortunately over-proofed and as thus, it didn't rise as much as I had hoped. The flavor of the bread was delicious, almost like a sourdough and was crusty enough to sop up the leftover lemony-buttery goodness on my plate.

This dinner was absolutely magnificent and fit the bill for a spooky October theme meal! I urge all of you to give it a try! Stay tuned for Mushroom Risotto!

Lobster Tail Thermidor

Alright, so I know I promised the next recipe I posted would be the steamed artichokes and I had every intention of doing just that but I came home to make them on Thursday night and my artichokes were moldy and gross. Thus my plan was thwarted. BUT I bought more artichokes and come Hell or high water, I'm making them tomorrow with a crusty bread.


Anyway, so the following is a recipe from Rachel Ray's 30-Minute Get-Togethers cookbook for Lobster Tail Thermidor that I made last night to celebrate Nate and my date-aversary. Nate and I began our relationship on September 27, 2012 (goodness that seems like a long time ago). Now that we're married we don't make a big to-do over our date-aversary but still like to remember it fondly with a nice meal and (of course) a glass or two of champagne.


While I was cooking this delicious lobster dish I couldn't help but to think back on how far I've come in my cooking - Nate can attest that when we first got together five years ago I couldn't cook much more than boxed macaroni and cheese, dinosaur chicken nugget stir-fry (yes, this is a real dish I would make), and the occasional penne in olive oil. I was truly a novice and couldn't even dream that I'd make something as sophisticated as lobster tail.


According to the internet-machine, Lobster Therimdor "is a French dish consisting of a creamy mixture of cooked lobster meat, egg yolks, and brandy, stuffed into a lobster shell. It can also be served with an oven-browned cheese crust." Thank you, Google. My dish, I suppose, was not traditional Thermidor because it didn't contain egg yolks or brandy, but was still darn tasty!


Lobster Tail Thermidor

2 4 oz lobster tails
4 Tbsp butter, divided
1 small white onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp flour
Splash dry white wine or sherry (I used white wine)
1/2 C 2% milk
1/3 C grated white cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 Tsp paprika or seafood seasoning (I went the seafood seasoning route)
2 Tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp breadcrumbs
lemon wedges, for garnish


Bring a pot filled with 3-4 inches of water to a boil. Poach the lobster tails for 8 minutes and run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Using kitchen sheers, cut away the soft underside of the lobster tail. Cut a slit down the top of the lobster tail and scoop out the meat, try to keep the shell as intact as possible for serving. Cut the cooked lobster into large chunks and set aside.


In a deep skillet over medium heat, sauté onion in 2 Tbsp of butter for 5 minutes. Melt the remaining 2 Tbsp of butter and add in the lobster meat and sauté for 1 minute. Whisk in the flour, white wine, milk and seasonings. Remove from heat and add in the cheddar cheese to melt.


Arrange your lobster shells in a shallow casserole dish and fill them with the deliciously creamy mixture. Top each tail with 1 Tbsp bread crumbs and 1 Tbsp parmesan cheese shreds and broil on high for 3 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.


The lobster meat was tender, the sauce was creamy and rich and the whole dish was just luxurious! If lobster tails weren't so expensive, ($20 for 2 at my local grocery store) I would eat this meal weekly.


Happy date-aversary, Nathan. I love you forever.

Now, really stay tuned for steamed artichoke hearts and crusty bread!