Hello friends! As many of you know, I'm always in the kitchen trying new recipes and figuring out how to make things work best for me. I've collected a few hacks and tips to share, and please let me know if you'd like to see more posts like this in the comments.
- Premade Crescent Rolls - These are a fridge staple at my house, and they're good for more than you may think. Some of our favorite uses are:
- Crescent Rings: You can look up Pillsbury's Taco Ring to get the specifics on how to make it, but we like to switch up the fillings, too. The taco version is great, and other popular variations include breakfast (scrambled eggs, crumbled turkey sausage, shredded cheese, green onion, etc.) and chicken pot pie (shredded chicken, cream of chicken soup, peas, carrots, etc.). We also like to use the reduced-fat crescents, just to make it a smidgen better for us.
- Nutella Croissants: These are ridiculously easy. Before you roll up the crescents as you normally would, spread Nutella all over the side that will be the inside, leaving the end (about 1/2 in.) plain so it sticks to itself. Bake as directed, and end up with either a decadent weekend breakfast or an impressive dessert that took you no time to make.
- Breakfast Pigs in Blankets: Similar to the Nutella croissants, just roll (or fold)your fillings into the crescents and bake. Some of our favorites are sausage links with cheese, turkey and pesto, and turkey pepperoni, mozzarella, and tomato sauce. These also make great snacks or appetizers.
- Leftover Barley Soup - This is the easiest soup I've ever made, and one of the tastiest ways to get rid of leftovers. Any time we have something like pot roast and veggies, Swiss steak, or roasted chicken or turkey, I make sure I pack up the leftovers. To make the soup, chop up the meat and any veggies, and throw them in a large pot with any gravy you may have. Add another 6-8 cups of liquid (either chicken stock, beef stock, or water) and 2 bay leaves, and bring to a boil. Add 2/3 cup of barley and simmer for 30 minutes, adding frozen veggies at the end if you like. Take out the bay leaves and enjoy!
- Easy Frosting - Personally, I hate it when traditional buttercream begins to harden and almost crust over as it sets. To solve that, I always make my frosting with 2 sticks of butter, 1 stick of shortening, a splash of vanilla, and 3 cups of powdered sugar. This frosting also takes really well to other flavors, so feel free to add coffee, reduced wine, salted caramel, any kind of nut or cookie butter, or just plain melted chocolate. All the flavor without the crust.
- Drying Herbs - Whether I'm picking herbs from my garden or buying a pack of herbs from the store, I always have more than I can use before they go bad. I like to dry anything that I don't want to waste by tying them in bundles with rubber bands or twine (inside paper bags for tiny herbs like thyme so the leave don't fall everywhere), and tie them to a coat hanger. I let them hang out until they're dry, them take the dried leaves off the stems for storing.
- Leftover Frittata - Another great way to get rid of leftovers is by making a frittata. At my house, we call this "Friday Dump Frittata," because we take a bunch of leftovers and dump them in a pan, then make a frittata out of them. To make a basic frittata, put your ingredients, seasonings, and 6 scrambled eggs in an oven-safe skillet and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until the eggs are set. Some of our favorites are:
- Buffalo Chicken: Shredded chicken, hot sauce, diced potatoes seasoned with ranch powdered dressing mix, green onion, and topped with cheese.
- Taco: Taco meat of any variety, green onion, bell peppers, diced potatoes, shredded cheese, and topped with your favorite taco toppings.
- Classic Breakfast: Crumbled sausage or bacon, peppers and onions, potatoes, cheese, topped with hot sauce.
I wish you all the best,
Erin
Hello friends! It's been a while since I shared a recipe, and I have some knockout Swedish meatballs I want to tell you about. These little guys have amazing texture and flavor, and are super easy to make. Here we go!
The Lineup:
2 lbs. ground turkey
1/4 cup dried minced onion
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 egg yolks
1/4 tsp allspice + 1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tbsp. parsley, chopped + more for garnish
salt & pepper, to taste
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
4 cups beef stock
3/4 cup sour cream
Egg noodles, cooked to serve
The Play-by-Play:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, line cookie sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Combine turkey, onion, Panko, yolks, spices, parsley, salt & pepper in a large bowl.
Roll meat mixture into 1 1/2 in. balls, place on tray. Bake 20 minutes.
3. While meatballs are cooking, melt butter in large skillet. Add flour to melted
butter, whisking 1-2 minutes. Slowly add stock, whisking constantly. Simmer about
3 minutes, until slightly thickened. Add sour cream and whisk to combine.
4. Take meatballs out of the oven, place directly into sauce. Cover and simmer 10
minutes.
5. Serve meatballs over egg noodles, top with extra sauce and parsley. Enjoy!
I wish you all the best,
Erin
Hello friends! I was recently scouring Pinterest for new dinner ideas, and a recipe for taco-topped baked potatoes caught my eye. I decided to take it one step further and double bake them, and it was a total success. I thought I'd share this new creation with you, because it's really just too good to keep to myself.
The Lineup:
4 large baking potatoes, scrubbed clean
Olive oil (about 4 tsp)
Salt & pepper
1 lb. ground turkey (ground beef works just as well)
1 packet taco seasoning
4 tbsp butter
9 scallions, chopped (I like the green tops, but use what you like)
Mexican blend shredded cheese (no measurement, it's whatever looks good to you)
Additional taco toppings (guacamole, sour cream, salsa, lettuce, tortilla chips, etc.)
The Play-by-Play:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. After cleaning the potatoes, poke
holes in them with a fork to release steam.
2. Place each potato on a large square of tin foil (I did this on my kitchen table so I
could spread them out and do them all at once), and drizzle about 1 tsp of olive oil
on each. Sprinkle each with salt and pepper, then rub oil and seasonings into skin,
just until coated. Snugly wrap each potato in the foil and place on a baking tray (I
also lined this with foil to save time later). Bake about 1 hour (this will depend on
the size of your potatoes, so just make sure they're soft to the touch before taking
them out).
3. While the potatoes are baking, fully cook and crumble your ground turkey. Once
cooked, prepare with the taco seasoning as directed. Once done, turn off heat and
cover.
4. Allow potatoes to cool in the foil about 5 minutes, then carefully remove foil and
place potatoes on foil-lined baking tray (I lined the same one I baked the potatoes
on) and cool another 5 minutes. Carefully cut each potato in half lengthwise and
face up on the tray.
5. In a large bowl, place butter, scallions, salt, and pepper. Carefully scoop out the
insides of the potatoes, leaving a small amount in tact to hold the shape, and place
the rest in the bowl, which will melt the butter. Mash up until smooth, and refill
the potato skins with the mash, smoothing out the tops.
6. Scoop taco meat (about 1/4-1/3 cup each) onto the potatoes, and top with
shredded cheese. Place back in the oven until cheese is melted.
7. Serve and top with additional toppings. Enjoy!
I wish you all the best,
Erin
Hello friends! I have another recipe for you, and I'm absolutely obsessed. These pitas make for a great weeknight dinner, but also produce amazing leftovers for lunch. Warning: Aside from being addictive, this is mostly to taste and depends on quantity, so I have almost no real measurements. Use your best judgement. It's the most fun way to cook, and makes for way less dishes to do when you're done.
The Lineup:
About 1 1/2 lbs. chicken breasts (depending on how many you're serving), cut into 1
inch cubes
About 1 cup lemon juice, divided
Garlic olive oil (or olive oil with minced garlic)
Oregano
Salt & pepper
About 1 1/2 lbs. red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup canola oil
1 egg white
6 peeled garlic cloves
Pita halves
Lettuce & tomato for topping, if desired
The Play-by-Play:
1. Marinate chicken in 1/3 cup lemon juice, 1/3 cup garlic olive oil, salt, pepper, and
oregano to taste. Refrigerate 2-24 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss potatoes in about 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup
garlic olive oil, salt, pepper, and oregano to taste. Roast approximately 30 minutes
until fork-tender.
3. In a blender or small food processor bowl, combine canola oil, 1/3 cup lemon juice,
egg white, peeled garlic, salt, pepper, and oregano. Blend until whipped and creamy,
1-2 minutes.
4. Light grill. Place marinated chicken on soaked bamboo skewers, grill until cooked
through, about 4 minutes per side.
5. If desired, brush pitas with olive oil and grill until warm.
*6. Assemble pitas with chicken, sauce, and toppings. Serve with potatoes. Enjoy!
Quick Play:
If you don't have access to a grill, the chicken can be cooked on a stovetop. The pitas also don't need to be grilled, just be sure to follow package directions before serving - most need to be microwaved before filling to make them more flexible. This chicken and even the sauce would also be amazing in a Greek salad. The sauce will make about 2 cups, so store the rest in the fridge for your later enjoyment.
The Playmaker: http://www.jocooks.com/main-courses/poultry-main-courses/marinated-chicken-spiedies-with-garlic-sauce/
I wish you all the best,
Erin
Hello friends! I recently was asked to cater a small bridal shower, so here's how I did everything from the menu and prep timeline to setting up my food stations, as easily as possible.
Menu: Bruschetta Bar, Pasta Primavera, Cannoli Dip with Pizzelle Chips, Sangria Cupcakes & Chocolate Salted Caramel Cupcakes
Recipes:
Bruschetta Bar
Crostinis: Slice French bread on the bias, brush with olive oil. Toast at 350 degrees for
5 minutes.
Bruschetta: Dice 3-5 tomatoes, removing seed pockets to avoid too much moisture. Add
1 clove crushed garlic, 1/4 chopped basil, 2 tbsp. olive oil, 1 tbsp. red wine
vinegar, and salt and pepper.
Whipped Ricotta: Whip 15 oz. part-skim ricotta with 1 tsp. salt.
Pesto: store-bought
Olive Tapenade: store-bought
Balsamic Berries: Reduce 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar over medium heat 8-10 minutes.
Combine with approx. 2 cups (total) blueberries, raspberries, and chopped
strawberries, and about 6 chopped mint leaves.
Honey & Walnuts: That's it. Easiest topping ever.
Pasta Primavera
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green zucchini, chopped
1 yellow zucchini, chopped
1 bunch asparagus, chopped
1/2 bunch broccoli, chopped
1 container mushrooms, chopped
1 bag spinach
1 container cherry tomatoes
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
Cayenne pepper
2 boxes pasta
Grated Parmesan
Juice of 1 lemon
1. Chop all vegetables (except spinach) to the same size. Drizzle with olive
oil, season with salt and pepper. Roast peppers, zucchini, and broccoli for 12 minutes,
tomatoes for 7 minutes, and asparagus and mushrooms for 5 minutes, all at 425
degrees.
2. Heat approx. 1 tbsp. oil in a skillet. Add spinach, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper.
Toss until spinach is wilted, remove from heat.
3. Cook pasta according to directions, drain. Mix in all vegetables, lemon juice, Parmesan,
salt and pepper to taste.
Cannoli Dip
15 oz. ricotta
8 oz. mascarpone
Splash vanilla
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
Dash cinnamon
1 cup mini chocolate chips
Pizzelle cookies for dipping
1. Whip ricotta and mascarpone until smooth, add vanilla. Mix in confectioners' sugar 3/4
cup at a time, add cinnamon. Fold in chocolate chips. Serve with pizzelles.
Sangria Cupcakes
1 box angel food cake mix
Zest of 1/2 orange
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup strawberries, chopped
2 cups red wine
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup shortening
1 cup butter
Splash vanilla
4 cups confectioners' sugar
Blueberries, strawberry & orange slices for topping
1. Prepare cake mix as directed, folding in zest and berries before scooping batter into
lined cupcake tins. Bake as directed, let cool.
2. Combine wine and sugar into small saucepan, bring to a boil on medium-high heat.
Reduce to medium-low heat 20-30 minutes, take off heat, let cool.
3. Whip shortening and butter together. Add vanilla and 1/2 cup wine reduction,
combine. Add confectioners' sugar 1 cup at a time, whipping until combined. Add pink
and purple food coloring, if desired.
4. Pipe frosting onto cupcakes, top with reserved fruit.
Chocolate Salted Caramel Cupcakes
1 box chocolate cake mix
1 box chocolate pudding mix
1 cup shortening
1 cup butter
Splash vanilla
1/2 cup caramel sauce
4 cups confectioners' sugar
Sea salt
1. Prepare cake mix as directed, adding pudding mix to cake mix before combining. Scoop
into prepared cupcake tins. Bake as directed, let cool.
2. Whip shortening and butter together. Add vanilla and caramel, combine. Add
confectioners' sugar 1 cup at a time, whipping until combined.
3. Pipe frosting onto cupcakes, sprinkle with sea salt.
Timeline: The shower was on a Saturday evening, so I prepped and made as much as I could on Friday. Friday morning, I started with the sangria cupcakes. While those were cooling, I chopped made the bruschetta, leaving out the basil until serving the next day. When the cupcakes were cool, I made the chocolate cupcakes with the same tins. With those in the oven, I chopped most of the primavera vegetables and put them into a bag and kept them in the fridge. Then I made the cannoli dip. After that, I made the balsamic berries, leaving out the mint until serving the next day. Then I made the red wine frosting, piped it onto the cupcakes, and left the fruit topping for the next day. Finally, I made the caramel frosting, topped the chocolate cupcakes, and sprinkled on the sea salt.
On the day of the shower, I made the pasta and kept it warm in foil pans placed in a towel-lined cooler. I also did finishing touches, like topping the sangria cupcakes and adding the herbs. I also didn't make the crostinis until the shower was about to start.
Setup: The shower was in a house, so I utilized the space I had to make food stations. On the kitchen table, I put down brown butcher paper and laid out my bruschetta bar. On the counter, I put the cupcakes and cannoli dip, and put the pasta on the stove. There was also and Italian wine tasting (which I was not in charge of) in the dining room. This all allowed people to grab what they wanted easily and kept it so that no one area was too congested.
That's it! I've never catered a whole event before, and this was really catering made easy. Everything was successful - Italian food done like this always impresses, and it's way easier than it looks.
I adapted the sangria cupcakes and cannoli dip from these blogs:
http://thefirstyearblog.com/sangria-cupcakes/
http://www.ifyougiveablondeakitchen.com/2016/02/06/easy-cannoli-dip/
The rest of the recipes are mine, so please credit Streamers of Consciousness if you use them elsewhere.
I wish you all the best,
Erin
Hello friends! I recently tried a new recipe based off of one I saw online, and it was delicious (the picture does not do it justice!). I changed it up a bit, so here's my take on an easy weeknight dinner.
The Lineup:
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
Approx. 2 cups chicken, cooked and diced or shredded
Pasta (the original says 8 ounces, but I used as much as I needed and didn't measure)
2 tbsp. butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. ranch dressing/dip powdered mix
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup mozzarella
Salt and pepper, to taste
Fresh chopped parsley or chives, optional
The Play-by-Play:
1. Start cooking pasta in liberally salted water for directed amount of time.
2. In a saucepan, melt butter and whisk in garlic, stirring until fragrant.
3. Add cream slowly to garlic butter, whisking until combined.
4. Add ranch mix and Parmesan to cream, whisk together. Add salt and pepper. Cover
over low heat.
5. When pasta is draining, add mozzarella to cream mixture to thicken and mix well.
6. Return pasta to pot, add in bacon, chicken, and sauce. Top with herbs, if desired.
Enjoy!
Quick Play: The original recipe is a casserole, but I decided to make it more like stovetop mac and cheese. To make things easier, I highly suggest using a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store (I used half for this and am using half for another recipe), and I always slice the bacon before it's cooked so it's ready to go as soon as it's done.
The Playmaker: http://damndelicious.net/2016/01/03/chicken-bacon-ranch-casserole/
I wish you all the best,
Erin
Hello friends! Today I have another recipe I made for dinner a few weeks back. My family is always going in different directions, so quick and easy dinners are our go-to. The problem is, quick and easy can become kind of monotonous. When I saw this on Pinterest, I thought it would be the perfect addition to our recipe arsenal.
The Lineup:
2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 lb. lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
Garlic powder, onion powder, salt & pepper (to taste)
1/4 cup steak sauce
1 cup beef stock
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
1 cup 2% milk
1 cup provolone cheese, shredded (I used provolone & mozzarella)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
4 buns or rolls, split in half*
The Play-by-Play:
1. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a large pan. Add ground beef and cook thoroughly, making sure
meat is crumbled. Season to taste with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and
pepper.
2. Add steak sauce and beef stock to ground beef. Bring to a bubble and cook about 2
minutes.
3. In a separate saucepan, melt butter and stir in flour. Cook about 1 minute until
thickened.
4. Slowly whisk in milk to butter and flour, bringing to a bubble.
5. Stir in cheese, mixing until melted. Remove from heat.
6. In a small pan, heat 1 tbsp. oil. Add peppers and onions, seasoning with salt and
pepper to taste, cooking until onions are caramelized.
*7. To bring sandwiches to the next level, split buns in half, lightly brush with oil, and
season. Put under oven broiler or grill, watching carefully, until crisp and warm.
8. Assemble sandwiches. Enjoy!
Quick Play:
The original recipe calls for onions in the ground beef, and has nothing about bell peppers. To keep the sandwiches more like Philly cheesesteaks, I decided to sauté the peppers and onions to top the sandwiches.
*Note: I completely forgot to take pictures of the finished product. The whole process went smoothly until I burnt the buns because they were on the lower rack of my oven (upon which everything burns), and then they spilled into my sink of dirty dishes because my hand was burning through my oven mitt. It was a very eventful 30 seconds, but the sandwiches were still great.
The Playmaker: http://joandsue.blogspot.ca/2012/07/philly-cheesesteak-sloppy-joes.html
I wish you all the best,
Erin
