Recipes

Sugar-Crusted Cocktail Party Brownies

Oct232012

These brownies are the perfect thing to bring or serve at a cocktail or dessert party. They meet all the criteria necessary for appropriate cocktail party eats:

Can be eaten with one hand – check!
Not messy – fudgey & rich, but no napkin necessary
Approachable, but a little more special than the usual – the extra sugar topping gives them an edge on your everyday brownie
Ample servings – this recipe makes a whole sheet pan worth of treats

The key is to use really good quality chocolate and not to over bake them. They are sure to be a hit!

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· Filed Under: Recipes, Sweets · Tagged With: brownies, chocolate, cocktail party, dessert

Slow Cooker Red Beans & Rice

Oct182012

Can you tell that I’m a little obsessed with my slow cooker? This puppy gets some major use around our house. And you are going to love this recipe! It’s so simple that my 2-year old seriously did 90% of the work. Next time you don’t think you have time to make dinner, take 5 minutes in the morning and pop this in (and 20 seconds to soak the beans the night before), and you will be rewarded with a delicious, comforting meal that’s practically ready to go when you walk in the door. What makes this recipe extra special is the added ham hocks, which you can shred and leave in or remove once they are done cooking. You could also do sausage if that’s more your speed, but I love the smokiness from the ham.

If you want to make this super easy, heat up some frozen pre-cooked rice. The rice in the bag that you microwave is an option too, but personally, it gives me the hebegebees. Best option – get yourself a small rice cooker. I love ours and it takes out all the guesswork. Rice, water, hit button, (wait 20 minutes), done. Enjoy!

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· Filed Under: Dinner, Recipes, Slow Cooker · Tagged With: beans, dinner, rice, slow cooker

Rao’s Lasagna

Oct112012

Where did Fall go? I feel like it’s already Winter outside! After 7 years in NYC, I’m still a Floridian at heart, so I don’t exactly welcome the colder months with open arms. A warm, comforting meal like this lasagna makes it a bit better though. Lasagna is not a weeknight kind of meal. Although none of them are difficult in the least, there are numerous steps and it does takes a bit of time to get to the finished product. But it’s so worth it. And this recipe makes enough to feed an army, so you will certainly have leftovers to put in your freezer for a second meal (unless you are, in fact, feeding an army).

I have had great luck making many of Rao’s famous dishes at home, and this is another classic to add to the list. I love this recipe because it has a meaty, flavorful sauce that is in perfect balance with the salty bite of the Pecorino Romano. If you like, make extra sauce and freeze it to serve with pasta. It’s delicious.

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· Filed Under: Dinner, Recipes · Tagged With: dinner, Italian, lasagna, Rao's

Tuscan Ribolita with Tomato Garlic Bread

Oct52012

Originally posted on Culinary Wannabe – this is one of my favorites!

We have had a busy week packing up the fam to head down to GA for my little brother’s wedding, so I thought I would share one of my all time favorite Fall go-to’s that I’m sure you will love. This soup is loaded with veggies and beans, possibly making it the healthiest thing I’ve posted to this blog thus far. But that’s not the reason I love it – I love it because it tastes amazing!! It’s a slow cooker recipe, so the prep is a cinch. Go ahead and whip up a bowl of this delicious and soul satisfying soup this weekend. And even though there already are some scrumptious little bread pieces in there, I just can’t have a bowl of soup without some crusty bread to dip into it. So here’s my recipe for tomato bread – so yummy and the perfect compliment to this soup.

Hope everyone is off to a great Fall!

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· Filed Under: Dinner, Recipes, Slow Cooker · Tagged With: beans, bread, dinner, slow cooker, soup

Cooking the Blogs

Oct32012

I’ve been cooking up a storm lately, and a lot of my new recipes are courtesy of amazing food blogs. Please go and check out these sites to get the recipes for the below dishes. They are all winners and have been big hits with my family & friends.

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
Picky Palate —> Very dangerous for anyone with a sweet tooth!

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· Filed Under: Dinner, Recipes, Sides, Sweets · Tagged With: cookies, dessert, dinner, Pasta, Salad, Sides

Fig Tart with Mascarpone Cream

Sep212012

As promised, here is the beautiful fig tart recipe courtesy of one of my favorite cookbooks, The Winemaker Cooks. If you’ve never checked out this book, I would highly recommend it. It’s beautiful enough to be a coffee table winner, and the recipes themselves are fresh and delicious.

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· Filed Under: Recipes, Sweets · Tagged With: dessert, figs, honey, mascarpone, tart

Rosemary-Crusted Standing Rib Roast with Red Wine Gravy

Sep162012

So I’m about to hit you with the most amazing Sunday dinner roast ever. Yes, it is pricey, but it is so worth it. This is my husband’s favorite meal, and pretty much the only thing that he requests on a regular basis. He claims it actually makes him emotional, it’s that good. As long as you buy a good cut of meat, your work is pretty much done. You just cover it in a little rub, let it roast away, then whip up a quick gravy using the drippings. We are talking out-of-this-world flavor. Although working with a cut of meat that is on the pricey end can be intimidating (you don’t want to mess it up!), I’ve made this at least 5 times, and it’s always come out perfectly, except for the one time that I tried to use a less expensive cut. Still good, but not as amazing as usual. Trust me – splurge a little for a special dinner!

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· Filed Under: Dinner, Recipes · Tagged With: meat, Prime Rib, roast, rosemary, standing rib roast, Sunday dinner, the winemaker cooks

Mocha Chocolate Icebox Cake

Sep52012

This is my absolute favorite summer dessert right now. It’s totally over-the-top, with layers of chocolate chip cookies and coffee & chocolate flavored whipped cream. I guarantee you will be running back to the fridge to grab more! It’s so simple to make – just a little whipping and layering, then leave it in the fridge overnight to soften the cookies (this is by far the hardest part). I recently brought this to a bbq and everyone loved it, so I promised I would post the recipe here. I can’t say enough good things about this cake, it’s so delicious!

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