Pork Wonton Recipe

I made pork tenderloin the other night and had quite a bit left over so decided to make wontons to have a little variety while we finished eating the meat the next day! This recipe is really easy to make and so delicious.

Ingredients:

Pork Tenderloin
1/2 bag of mini carrots (diced)
4 stalks of celery (diced)
1/2 small onion (diced)
wonton wrappers (1 pack)
1 egg

Directions:

1. Make sure pork is thoroughly cooked
2. Mix together pork, carrots, celery and onion into bowl

 

3. Mix 1 egg with water to form a slurry
4. Take a wonton and dip each of the 4 edges in egg slurry
5. Lay wonton flat and put a spoonful of pork mixture in one corner
6. Bring opposite corner of wonton to corner with pork and seal the wonton closed by pressing down on the edges so it looks like a triangle
7. Bring other two points on the triangle up and pinch together with third point so wonton is completely sealed closed

 

8. Heat about 2 inches of oil in a skillet to just below boiling
9. When oil is heated, drop wontons into oil and cook on each side for 3 minutes (until golden brown)

 

10. Serve with garlic chili sauce

Enjoy!
Kristin

Classic Macaron Recipe

Ok, I have tried a ton of different macaron recipes and this is the one where I have had the most success. It is a classic one without any additional flavors. I haven't tried to jazz it up yet but when I do I will update with what works.

Macarons

Ingredients
3/4 cup almond flour
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 egg whites at room temperature (I set them out on the counter for 3 hours)
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (I did two teaspoons because I make my own and it is not as strong)

Directions
1. In a large bowl mix together almond flour and confectioners sugar
2. Sift flour and sugar mixture through a fine mesh strainer
3. Take remaining clumps and run through a food processor to break them up and then sift again and discard any remaining clumps.
4. Mix egg whites in stand mixer on medium speed for two minutes (time this so you do not over or undermix)
5. Add in white sugar and mix on high speed for two minutes (time this so you do not over or undermix)
6. Add in vanilla and mix on high speed for thirty seconds (time this so you do not over or undermix)
7. Fold in flour and sugar mixture until no powder is visible and mixture is a little shiny  (this took about three minutes for me)
** the mixture should not be running but should slowly collapse when you fold it **
8. Put into piping bag and pipe into circles on lined baking sheet (I used silicone baking mats but I have also done this before with parchment paper)
9. Once macarons are in place, tap the baking sheet on the counter several times (and somewhat forcefully) to remove any air pockets
10. Macarons need to sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes to set up and should have a film on top before they are ready to go into the oven

11. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
12. Cook baking sheets (one at a time) for 5 minutes. Then, turn and cook for 4-5 minutes
** If they start to golden at all they are burned and will not have the desired texture on the inside **
13. Cool sheet before 5 minutes before lifting off macarons (do not try to move them before this and do not pick up with a spatula)
14. Place on cooling rack and add center filling
** I made my macarons two days in advance and added the filling the day before **
*** Store in an airtight container ***

Filling Option #1 - Vanilla

Ingredients 
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon of heavy cream
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract (i used 1 tablespoon because my extract is homemade and not as strong)


Directions
1. Soften butter to room temperature
2. Beat butter in stand mixer on medium speed for two minutes
3. Add confectioners sugar in 1/4 cup increments to butter and beat on medium speed. Scrape down the sides after each addition
4. Mix in heavy cream
5. Mix in vanilla extract

There is another really good filling recipe from Sur La Table that is a chocolate espresso ganache recipe but I haven't made it with these macarons yet. Once I do, if it is good, I will post it.

Kristin

Homemade Potato Fries

Today I had some leftover potatoes that I wanted to use up so I made some homemade potato fries for lunch. This was really easy and quick to do! Plus, they tasted like ones that you would get in a restaurant. So, I will definitely make them again.

Ingredients
4 potatoes
a bowl of cold water
seasoned salt
5 cups of oil

Directions
1. Peel and slice potatoes (I used my KitchenAid spiralizer tool for this but I have also done it by hand)

2. Soak potatoes in cold water and refrigerate for thirty minutes
3. Heat 5 cups of oil in skillet over medium-high heat (it should sizzle when you add a potato to test)
4. cook potato fries in batches so they have plenty of space (each batch is 5-6 minutes)

5. Remove from oil and put on paper-towel-lined plate and season with seasoned salt


Enjoy!
Kristin

Appetizer - Mozzarella Balls

So, I recently bought a bunch of fresh mozzarella balls at the grocery store because they were on sale and are delicious on salads! One of my favorite restaurants down the street makes fried goat cheese balls so I decided to try to make fried mozzarella balls as an appetizer to go with our Italian dinner last night. It was really easy to do!

Ingredients:
5 cups vegetable oil
Mozzarella balls (I had about 15 total)
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs (whisked together)
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
marinara sauce

Directions:
1. Dip mozzarella balls in flour and coat completely.
2. Dip coated mozzarella balls in egg mixture and coat completely.
3. Roll mozzarella balls in breadcrumbs and put on a plate.
4. Place plate in freezer for about 10 minutes to harden and set.
5. Put oil into pot and heat on high (about 8 minutes).
6. In small batches (I did 4-6 at a time) place the mozzarella balls in the oil for 4 minutes.

7. Put fried balls on plate covered with a paper towel and allow to cool (5 minutes).

8. Serve with marinara sauce!

This was really tasty and I think we will definitely make this again soon!

Kristin

Teriyaki Turkey with Jasmine Rice

Recently I have been eating a lot of ground turkey instead of hamburger meat. It is a little leaner and I really like the taste. This recipe is great since the majority of the ingredients I already have on hand in the pantry. I only needed to buy the turkey and green onions! It is also really quick and easy to make with minimal cleanup (so that is a major plus in my opinion).

Ingredients:

1 cup Jasmine rice

For turkey mixture
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 small onion (diced)
2 minced cloves of garlic
ground turkey (1 package = roughly 1 pound)

For sauce mixture
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 cloves garlic (minced) to mix with sauce
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

Added vegetables
1 head of broccoli chopped
1 bag of baby carrots chopped (i just put them in the food processor)
1/4 cup water

Garnish
2 green onions diced (green part only)

Directions:
1. Follow directions on package and cook 1 cup of jasmine rice
2. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add sesame oil.
3. Add diced onion and cook about 6 minutes.
4. In a small saucepan mix together soy sauce, water, red wine vinegar, brown sugar, granulated sugar, garlic and ground ginger on medium heat
5. In a small bowl mix together cornstarch and water until thickened
6. While stirring sauce,  slowly add in cornstarch mixture and stir frequently until sauce is thickened (you can add water if it becomes too thick)
7. Add minced garlic and ground turkey to diced onion in saucepan and stir frequently until mostly browned.

8. Add broccoli, carrots and 1/4 cup water to a microwaveable bowl with microwave lid and cook on high for two minutes.
9. Add vegetables to turkey mixture and stir for about 5 minutes so meat is completely browned.

10. Mix in sauce with turkey mixture.

11. Spoon over cooked rice.
12. Garnish with green onions and serve.

I think you could also add some peas or green beans if you have those on hand!

Thanks,
Kristin

Sausage and Cheese Nacho Dip/Baked Potato Stuffing

For the National Championship game earlier this week I made a sausage and nacho cheese dip to go with some lime tortilla chips that we had at the house. It is so simple to make and I put it together in the fondue pot (which is awesome since I always forget to use it). It is only three ingredients which makes it really easy and it's not healthy for you at all! We ended up having leftovers so I used those as the filling for a baked potato that we had for dinner last night. So, we ended up not wasting any of it which is a good thing. I think this is definitely a crowd pleaser when you are watching a sporting event!

Dip:

Ingredients
1 package ground sausage
1 block velvetta cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions
1. Brown sausage

2. add in velvetta cheese (cut into cubes)

3. stir in heavy cream until blended
* stir frequently and keep on low heat setting. Also, add more cream as needed for consistency

Baked Potato:

Ingredients
1 russet potato per person
sausage nacho dip

Directions:
1. preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. scrub potato clean under water
3. rub olive oil and sea salt on skin of potato
4. stab potato all over with fork so that you have tiny holes for baking
5. bake for 55 - 60 minutes
6. slice open and add sausage nacho dip to top for filling

Obviously, this is not healthy at all but it tastes amazing :-)

Kristin

Chili Recipe

So, I have made this chili recipe a half dozen times now and keep making small adjustments. But, I think I have finally gotten it the way I like it! The great thing about this crockpot chili is that it is so forgiving. So, I kind of dump whatever I have in the pantry in here. Since it has been snowing recently I haven't gone to the store as much so it is more of a hodgepodge. But, I think it turned out really well!

Ingredients:
1 pound hamburger meat (I use 93% lean)
3 cloves garlic (minced or grated)
1 small onion (chopped)
6 slices of bacon (chopped)
1 8 ounces can tomato sauce
1 can red kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can pinto beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can lima beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can yellow corn (drained and rinsed)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 splash of Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup flour
sour cream (for topping)
cheddar cheese (shredded from the block for topping)
tortilla chips (i like the lime flavored ones)

















Directions 

1. Chop onion and grate garlic and add to a skillet with a bit of olive oil over medium-high heat. 
    Cook until onion is translucent (about 8 minutes)
2. Add hamburger meat and brown completely (about 8-10 minutes)
3. Stir frequently so meat, onions, and garlic do not burn
4. In a separate skillet, add about 6 slices of bacon and cook (normally about 10 minutes on medium-high heat)
5. Add cooked bacon, meat, onion and garlic into crockpot
6. Mix in kidney beans, pinto beans, lima beans and yellow corn
7. Mix in brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, black pepper, oregano, cayenne pepper, salt, 
    Worcestershire sauce and 1/4 cup all purpose flour and stir thoroughly (if it seems too thick add 1/4 cup water)
8. Allow chili to cook on low for 2 hours so all flavors can blend
9. Serve with sour cream topping, grated cheddar cheese, and tortilla chips!

Assuming you have the spices in the cabinet the meal costs about $12 for four servings!

Also, I sometimes omit some of the spices and the beans if I am out and throw in something else instead.

Thanks,
Kristin

Crockpot Baby Back Ribs

Hi Everyone,

Happy Super Bowl Sunday! I have been using my new crockpot nonstop and we just made the best recipe for ribs. I would highly recommend trying this out (especially for social events)! It was really easy to prepare and to clean up and was ready in a relatively short amount of time. I got the recipe from a Slow Cooker cookbook from William Sonoma that I got for Christmas! I served this with vegetables and homemade bread.

Ingredients:

1 T olive oil

1 small yellow onion (finely chopped)

3 cloves of garlic (minced) 

1 cup ketchup (I used Heinz)

3 T Worcestershire sauce

3 T dry white wine (I used some chardonnay from my wine club: https://www.clubw.com/2ctss1w1q0).

1 t lemon zest (I omitted this the second time I made the recipe)

1.5 T fresh lemon juice

1.5 T brown sugar

1.5 t dry mustard

1.5 t chili powder

1 t ground cumin

¼ t celery salt

Salt

1 t hot-pepper sauce

5 pound baby back ribs (The second time I used regular back ribs that the butcher cut for me. This was the butcher’s recommendation and we could not tell a difference in taste. Also, they were very meaty and cost ½ the price of the baby back ribs)

Directions:

Sauce:

Heat in T of oil in a saucepan over medium heat

Add the onion and garlic to cook for about 5 minutes

Stir in the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, brown sugar, mustard, chili powder, cumin, celery salt, and a dash of salt.

Bring ingredients to simmer and then reduce heat to low and stir occasionally for 15 minutes.

Stir in hot pepper sauce (you can add in more than recommended for taste)

 Transfer to a bowl to cool (can be stored in refrigerator for up to 24 hours)

Ribs:

Cut the racks into individual ribs.

Preheat the oven to broiler and put a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet and arrange the ribs.

 Broil the ribs for 6 minutes per side (total of 12 minutes).

 Place the ribs in the slow cooker and add the sauce. Make sure ribs are coated evenly.

Cover and cook the ribs on low for 5-6 hours.

Transfer ribs to plates and pour on remaining sauce from slow cooker.

 Serve immediately!

Enjoy!

Kristin

Easy Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

Hi Everyone,

This week I made one my favorite desserts! I have been making this for years because it is incredibly easy and affordable to make. In high school my mom had this cookbook from the Cake Doctor that had this Chocolate Chip Cake and I make it pretty much every time that I needed a dessert for a function. I have included the recipe below and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

• Butter and flour for coating and dusting the Bundt cake pan
• 1 bar German Chocolate
• 1 box plain yellow cake mix
• 1 box vanilla instant pudding mix
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 large eggs
• 1 pkg. semisweet chocolate chips. (I buy the mini size)

Directions:

•  Preheat oven to 325 F. Butter and flour your baking dishes (I prefer a standard bundt cake dish, my mini bundt cake pans or loaf pans) and shake out the excess flour.
• Chop the chocolate bar into large chunks and place in a food processor or use a hand grater until the bar is finely grated. It is essential that it is finely shaved so that the bar is evenly distributed throughout the cake.
• Place the cake mix, pudding mix, milk, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl and blend with an electric mixer on low for 1 minute.
• Stop the machine and scrap down the sides and blend for another 10-15 seconds.
• Stop the machine and fold in the grated chocolate with spatula

• Place the mixer speed on medium and beat for 2 additional minutes.
• Turn off the machine and fold in the chocolate chips.
• Once distributed, pour the batter into the prepared pans. I prefer my mini Bundt cake pans!

• Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes for cupcake sized portions and 50 minutes for large Bundt cake pans. The cake should be golden and spring back slightly when pressed with a finger.
• Invert the cake and allow to cool completely (about 30 minutes) before serving!

Enjoy!

Kristin

Easy Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup Recipe!

Hi Everyone!

I am a little embarrassed that it has been so long since I have updated with a new recipe. But, we moved over Christmas and we have been really busy unpacking and setting up the new house (Pippa and Jasper are loving the bigger yard and pond!).

For Christmas my parents got me a new crockpot (I have been wanting this All Clad one for over a year and it was finally on sale and slightly more affordable) so I have been using it as much as possible!

Last night I made a new Chicken Enchilada Soup recipe mostly because I caught some kind of bug while traveling in Seattle and Columbus for the past two weeks and wanted soup. I didn’t take many pictures because it is was literally the easiest thing ever and just required combining ingredients!

Ingredients:

• 2 cans of diced tomatoes
• 1 can of black beans
• 2 cans of sweet corn
• 1 cup of rice (I used Arborio)
• 1 onion (diced)
• 3 chicken breasts
• 1 Tablespoon of cumin
• 1 Tablespoon of Chili Powder
• 2 cups of chicken stock

Directions:

1. Combine diced tomatoes, black beans, corn and diced onion in crockpot
2. Place chicken breasts across top
3. Add 2 cups of chicken stock
4. Mix in Cumin and Chili Powder
5. Cook on low for 6 hours
6. Stir in 1 cup of rice
7. Cook on low for 1 hour
8. Serve

Let me know what you think!

-         Kristin

Salted Caramel Chocolate Pecan Pie

Hi Everyone,

Happy Thanksgiving! About two years ago I got my monthly subscription of Southern Living (I have been a loyal reader since I was in high school!) and found the best chocolate pecan pie recipe. It is always a hit at parties and for the holidays. Since it is such a staple in my dessert rotation this time of year it made since that we would bring it as our contribution to Thanksgiving dinner. I have included the recipe below! Let me know what you think when you try it!

Ingredients:

Chocolate Filling:

1 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cup of melted butter

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup 100% cacao unsweetened cocoa

1 T light corn syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 large eggs

1 cup toasted chopped pecans

1 pre-made graham cracker pie crust

Salted Caramel Topping:

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup heavy cream

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 teaspoon table salt

2 cups toasted pecan halves

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Stir together 1 1/2 cups sugar, 3/4 cup of melted butter, 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup 100% cacao unsweetened cocoa, 1 T light corn syrup and 1 tsp vanilla extract in a large bowl.

• Add eggs and stir until well blended.
• Fold in chopped pecans.

• Pour mixture into pie shell.

• Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.
• Remove from oven to a wire rack.

• While pie cooks, bring 3/4 cup sugar, 1 T lemon juice, and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat.

• Do not stir and swirl ingredients occasionally until the sugar begins to change color (I did this for 8 minutes until the sugar turned to dark amber).
• As a side note: make sure to not walk away since the sugar can burn quickly once it changes color.
• Remove from heat and add cream and 4 T butter. Stir constantly until bubbling stops and butter is incorporated (about 1 minute). Stir in table salt.

• Arrange pecan halves on pie (I did this while the sugar caramelized).

• Top with warm caramel. (I only used about half of the caramel and saved the rest for some homemade icecream!)
• Cool 15 minutes and sprinkle with sea salt.

Enjoy!

Kristin

Seared Steaks & Sage Brown Butter Recipe

Hi Everyone!

Last night for dinner I found this recipe online for us to try. It turned out to be pretty tasty and we will most likely make it again! We were trying to mix it up before Thanksgiving tomorrow where we are going to be enjoying all of the traditional recipes. I had to make a few modifications to the recipe because Blue Apron likes to give you ingredients that are very obscure so the adjustments were determined based on what we could find at the grocery store. I really like my version and think it turned out really well.

Ingredients:

2 Steaks

1 green Apple

1 Head Cauliflower

1 Lemon

1 Red Onion

3 small red Beets

1 tsp dried Parsley

1 Bunch Sage

4 Tablespoons Butter

¼ Cup Pecan halves

Directions:

• Cut the cauliflower off of the stalk and then cut the head into small florets.
• Peel and medium dice the beets (wash your hands after so they don’t stain).
• Peel and small dice the onion.
• Pick the sage leaves off the stems and discard the stems and chop the leaves.
• Quarter the lemon.
• Core and medium dice the apple and toss with the juice of 1 lemon wedge to prevent browning in a small bowl.
• In a large pan, heat 1 tablespoon of butter on medium-high until hot.
• Add the cauliflower and beets and season with pepper then cook for 10 minutes.

• Add the apple and onion to the pan of vegetables and season with pepper and cook for 5 minutes.

• Add the pecans and cook for 1 minute to combine.

• Transfer to a large bowl and keep warm.
• Season the steaks with salt and pepper on both sides.

• In the pan, heat 1 tablespoon of butter on medium-high until hot and add the seasoned steaks.
•  Cook steaks for 5 minutes per side for medium.

• Transfer to a plate, leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan.
• Addd the butter to the pan of reserved fond and heat on medium until melted for 15 to 30 seconds, or until the butter foams.
• Once the foam subsides, continue cooking for 2 minutes and add the sage.
• Cook for 1 minute and turn off the heat.
• Stir in the juice of the remaining lemon wedges and season with pepper.
• Divide the finished hash between two places and add the steak. Top with the sage butter and parsley.

Enjoy!

Kristin