Crack Crackers
My mom makes these every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas and remind me of home with each bite. They are lovingly referred to as “crack crackers” because they are SO. ADDICITIVE.
Kathy’s Crack Crackers
Ingredients
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 tablespoon dill
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/3 cup olive oil
2 16oz packages regular Cheeze-Its
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 300
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the dressing mix, dill and garlic. Slowly whisk in the olive and and mix until evenly combined. Add the crackers and toss to coat.
3. Separate the crackers between two cookie sheets and bake for 30 minutes, stirring ever ten minutes.
4. When the crackers are browned but not burned remove from the oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheets.
How to Poach an Egg
Sundays should be savored. They are the day of the week we should take time to do the things we enjoy and be with the ones we love. Whether that means going for a hike or staying in to read a good book, Sundays are perfect for taking it easy.
Sticking with this theme, I love to make Sunday breakfast. In my family, Sunday breakfast is a cornerstone of the week. Growing up, Sunday's meant poached eggs and toast. For as long as I can recall, my dad has made perfectly poached eggs for my mom, sister and me every Sunday. We prefer our poached eggs jammy, chopped and mixed with butter, salt and pepper.
When it comes to poaching eggs, there are two main ways of doing it. One way is with an egg poaching pan and the other is simply to drop them in a swirling pan of boiling water. Both methods yield deliciously poached eggs with velvety yolks.
Poaching eggs can be intimidating but its really not. Just boil, swirl, drop and scoop. Poof, you're done and you look like a boss. Here's my latest Sunday morning favorite: Poached Eggs with Arugula and Toast. What's your favorite breakfast?
Breakfast Salad with Poached Eggs
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 cups arugula
Crusty bread
Butter
2 Eggs
white vinegar
Directions
In a small bowl whisk the olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Toss the dressing with the arugula and set aside.
Place the buttered toast on a plate, top with the arugula and set aside.
Fill a wide, low pan about two-inches deep with water and 1/2 teaspoon vinegar and bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.
As the water comes to a gentle boil, crack an egg gently in the middle of the water Simmer over medium high heat for 6 minutes or until the white around the yolk has set. Scoop egg out with a slotted spoon, nestle it gently on top of the salad and toast.
Crispy Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Brussels Sprouts, like beets, get a bad rap. My dad is one example of the knee-jerk reaction people tend to have to the delightful little cruciferous cuties. This recipe aims to convert haters to lovers. It is easy, light and satisfying. Oh, and there's bacon to really make it divine.
Bacon Confit Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients
3 slices bacon
1 lb brussels sprouts, washed and halved
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450
Heat a heavy cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add the bacon. Reduce heat and cook slowly to render the fat. Cook until crispy, remove from pan, cool, crumble and set aside.
Add the brussels sprouts to the pan and toss with the rendered bacon fat. Cook for 5 minutes, then transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper and toss.
Pour the brussels sprout mixture to a large cookie sheet and arrange in an even single layer. Bake for 10 minutes, stir and bake an additional 10 minutes or until the brussels sprouts are tender. Remove from oven and toss with the crumbled bacon.
Gorgonzola and Pear Stuffed Pork Chops
Anthony was away for a week to visit his family in Singapore, leaving the animals and me to fend for ourselves. Because Anthony doesn't eat pork, I usually take advantage of his time away to get my fix. This week was no different. I ate real bacon, pork chops and pork loin. I cooked with rendered bacon fat and had a delicious BLT.
My favorite meal, however, the stuffed pork chops I made. These bone-In chops were seasoned and stuffed with pear, sage and gorganzolabefore being seared and baked in a heavy cast iron skillet. The result was tender, melt-in-your-mouth pork chops that hit all my favorite marks. Salty, savory and sweet in one bite.
Pear and Gorgonzola Stuffed Pork Chops
Ingredients
4 thickly cut bone-in pork chops
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
2 T olive oil, divided
1/4 C white wine
2 pears, washed, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
8 Fresh sage leaves
salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
Preheat the oven to 300.
Carefully cut a pocket into the side of the pork chops. Make sure the cut is even and goes as deep as possible.
In a heavy cast iron skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute until soft. Add the white wine and cook until the onions are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and mix with the cheese.
Carefully stuff the pork chops with the onion and cheese mixture, followed by slivers of pears and sage. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Add the remaining olive oil to the cast iron skillet and heat over high. When the pan is very hot, sear the pork chops 3 minutes, flip and sear the other side for two minutes.
Place the pork chops in the oven and allow to cook until the internal temperature reaches 150.
When the chops are done, remove them and allow to rest at least five minutes before serving.
Caramelized Onion and Potato Fritatta
Everyone needs at least one great breakfast recipe in their arsenal. Sweet or savory having a go-to recipe for the morning is not only impressive but gratifying.
For me, this is it. I love eggs and this is savory, light and simple. I almost always have the ingredients on hand and I can saunter around the kitchen while it finishes in the oven. The result is light, fluffy and delicious. What else do you need on a cozy Sunday morning?
Caramelized Onion and Potato Fritatta
Ingredients
6 Eggs, separated
1/4 C ricotta
2 onions, sliced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and black pepper
1 large russet potato, sliced thinly
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 oz. crumbled goat cheese
1/4 c cheddar cheese, shredded
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 300
2. In a small bowl, combine the egg yolks, ricotta, goat cheese and half the cheddar. In the bowl of a stand-mixer, whip the egg whites to soft peaks - about 2 minutes.
3. In the bowl of a stand-mixer, whip the egg whites to soft peaks - about 2 minutes.
4. In a heavy skillet, heat half of the olive oil. Add the onions and season with salt, pepper and thyme, sauté until the onions begin to caramelize - about 5 minutes.
5. Arrange the potato slices in an even layer on the bottom of the pan.
6. Fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture and pour evenly into the pan.
7. Add remaining cheddar cheese and bake in the oven until the middle is firm but not collapsed – about 12-15 minutes.
8. Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.
Hand Rolled Pasta
A few summers ago, I found myself stranded on an island with my family during a gnarly spring storm. With nothing to pass the time, I looked around for something to cook other than lobster and clams. My mother-in-law had given me a pasta roller that Christmas and it had made its way to the island that weekend, so I settled on trying my hand at fresh pasta. As wind and rain pounded the cedar shingled cottage, I settled into our humble kitchen and began what would become an obsession.
By obsession, I mean flow charts, several afternoons of pasta making and rolling and so, SO many carbs. After all of this, I emerged with some pretty dope pasta skills and a great standby recipe. Fresh pasta isn't exactly a weeknight meal. From start to finish, I usually have close to an hour (or more) invest in a batch of dough. Despite the time commitment, there is a healing element that comes with working with dough that I love.
Of all the pasta Anthony and I have made together, ravioli is my favorite. Using the ravioli stamp my mom bought me years ago, we have made ravioli stuffed with lobster, spinach, cheese, onions, chicken, and so much more. Savory ravioli? Done. Sweet ravioli? Duh. Spicy ravioli? All day, every day.
With the holidays in full swing, Anthony and I have been busy rolling pasta and stuffing ravioli that we will give our family and friends for Christmas.
So far, we have made close to 100 ravioli and two pounds of dry shapes. The real star though, is the lobster ravioli and lobster packages. With lobster, shallots and ricotta these boys are rich and pure decadence and turned out remarkably well.
Rolling enough pasta and ravioli to gift as gifts for 8 people takes time, patience and love. Making dough is easy and stuffing ravioli is simple with the right technique and you can always find time to make things for yourself but finding time to make this much pasta, knowing I will not eat any of it, was the biggest challenge of all!
As we rolled however, I had time to reflect on who we were making these gifts for. My parents, my sister and brother-in-law. Anthony's mother and our friends. For me, these are people who have seen me through so many passages in my life, each of them leaving their mark and impression on me. I do not live close to most of my family but we remain close in each other's hearts and I cannot wait to see everyone this year.
Lobster Ravioli
Ingredients
For the Dough
2 cups flour
2 whole eggs
4 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
For the Filling
1 T Olive Oil
2 C Chopped Shallots
1 1/4 lbs. cooked lobster meat
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 tablespoon fennel seed, toasted and ground
zest of 2 lemons
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon thyme
3 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup parmesan cheese
Directions
1. Make the dough:
o In the bowl of a stand-mixer, combine the flour and salt. Using the hook blade, slowly mix in the eggs and knead until a shaggy dough is formed.
o Turn off the machine and carefully knead the dough by hand in the bowl until it comes together into one piece.
o On a light floured work surface, knead the dough until it comes together. Wrap in plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest in the refrigerator for one hour.
2. While the dough is resting, heat the olive oil in a heavy pan. Add the shallots and cook over medium high heat until they just begin to brown. Transfer to a mixing bowl and turn off the stove.
3. Pulse the lobster in a food processor until it is finely chopped, add to the shallots and stir. Stir in the pepper, fennel, lemon zest, nutmeg and thyme and add the parmesan and ricotta. Stir until the mixture is even and smooth.
4. Divide the dough into four pieces. Press the dough into small discs and roll with a rolling pin. Pass the dough through a pasta roller until the desired thickness is reached. (I go to 4 on my Kitchen Aide attachment)
5. Lay a pasta sheet flat on a lightly floured surface and cut in half. Set one half aside and lightly wet the other. Using a teaspoon, form the filling into 1-inch balls and arrange on the dough. Cover with the other sheet of dough and press the dough tightly around the balls of stuffing. Cut either with a stamp, pastry cutter or knife.
6. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and plunge the ravioli into the water. Once the ravioli float, remove from the water with a slotted spoon and serve with an herby browned butter and parmesan cheese.
Classic Marinara
Homemade marinara is one of the easiest sauces to make and is truly worth the [tiny] effort. This dish, when made from scratch, has amazing flavor and consistency and takes only a few minutes to pull together. Even better, the ingredients are pantry staples that you most likely have on hand so you can easily come home and throw dinner together with minimal effort any night.
Classic Marinara
Ingredients
¼ C olive oil
8 garlic cloves
28oz can tomatoes
1 C water
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp crushed red pepper
Directions
1. In a low and wide skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Stir in the garlic when hot and stir until aromatic, roughly 30 seconds.
2. Add the tomatoes to the skillet and immediately add water to the can, swirl and pour into the sauce. Stir in the herbs and red pepper. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until thickened.
3. Optional: Add the sauce to a blender and roughly chop to create a smooth consistency.
Spiced Blueberry Hand Pies
It is no secret to those who know me that I absolutely love pie. Sweet, savory, freeform or meticulously styled, I love it all. I have been trying to hone my baking skills lately and have turned to pie on a number of occasions. What I have found from trying recipes including this great one with vodka from Cook's Illustrated that tends to be my standby. With a solid foundation, anything is possible.
This year, I was responsible for bringing pie to Thanksgiving at my cousin Jen's house. Wanting to stretch the imagination a bit and do something new, I scoured the internet for inspiration. I wanted something unique and admittedly a little showy. I found two that fit the bill; Cranberry Chiffon by from Saveur and Crème Brulee Pie from Erin McDowell on Food52.
I am happy to report that I tried both this year at Thanksgiving and they were a success. Naturally, I had to bring the Crème brûlée pie to Jen's house so her kids and I could play with the obligatory blow torch. There are other ways to brûlée some sugar but a blow torch is 1 - the easiest way and 2 - the most fun way.
I have been trying to use up some blueberries leftover from the summer. Sticking with the pie theme, I opted for spiced blueberry handpies. For those of you unfamiliar with hand pies, they are basically pop tarts for adults. I wanted something flakey, handheld and complex in flavor. The blueberries, cinnamon, lemon and chili powder (yes, chili powder) combine to make a great filling.
Spiced Blueberry Hand Pies
Ingredients
1 pie disc
1.5 C. frozen blueberries
3 T. sugar
1 T. ginger
1 T. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/8 t. chili powder
zest of 2 lemons
a pinch of salt
1 egg
1/4 C. heavy cream
Directions
Preheat the oven to 300
Roll out the dough into 9 inch circle 1/4" inch thick.
Toss the blueberries with the sugar, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, chili powder, lemon zest, and salt until evenly mixed.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and cream.
Cut the pie dough into 8 even sections and coat with the egg mixture.
Spoon the blueberry mixture onto the dough wedges, top with more dough and seal around the edges with a fork.
Brush the tops of the handpies with the remaining egg mixture and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 30 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
Bone Broth
There are few things as versatile, easy, cheap and carefree as homemade bone broth. For years, I was a slave to boxed broth and bouillon. I was addicted to the convenience, flavor, shelf life and well, salt. I am a fan of roasting entire chickens. Even though I knew I should use the bodies for stock, it always seemed like such a chore. I had made it in the past with leftover kitchen scraps and it was delicious but who has time to stand over a stove and stir chicken body around a stock pot? Not me!
I fell back in love with bone broth when I started making Pho. The broth in pho is the star. Sure, an egg, freshly grilled chicken and garnish is nice but when you really have good pho, it’s all about the broth. This revelation inspired me to approach this idea to every broth I make.
By playing around with different herbs, spices and aromatics, I soon realized that broths can be wildly versatile. Once you have the basic recipe down, you can get creative with how your broth tastes. Try a basic chicken stock like the one below, or the one I make for my Pho that has a spicy and slightly sweet flavor. Once you try chili with a homemade beef broth, your life will change forever.
One last thing to love about making homemade stock: It can be completely free. Every time I roast a chicken, I carve the entire thing and throw the carcass in a Ziplock and freeze it. Then, as I prep things like whole carrots, celery and onion, I throw the ends into another bag and freeze those. When it comes time to make the stock take both bags out, empty them into a pot and start adding your spices. Almost free.
Here are the basics.
Chicken Bone Broth
Ingredients
1 chicken carcass
1 cup roughly chopped carrots
1 cup roughly chopped celery
2 onions, quartered
3 garlic cloves
3 T salt
1 tsp black peppercorns
½ tsp white peppercorns
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 bay leaves
Directions
Using butchers twine, make a small bouquet with the herbs.
In a large stock pot, combine all of the ingredients for the broth, cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1½ hours. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl