Butter

Brioche French Toast

April 11, 2020 by Dana

One thing that the 2020 Quarantine has brought my family is more delicious breakfasts together. Where we used to only have the weekends to sit down together as a family for breakfast, we now have everyday!

I posted my Summer Berry Stuffed French Toast recipe a while back, and that is a bit more complicated of a recipe. If you are making French Toast for a crowd, I would totally go with the Stuffed French Toast. It is way over the top and has gotten rave reviews from my friends. If you are making French Toast for just your family to enjoy, then this Brioche French Toast is for you! It is a classic French Toast recipe that my kids and husband all love. We like to serve our French Toast with a sprinkle of powdered sugar, real maple syrup, and whipped cream.

Brioche French Toast Tips and Tricks

There isn’t anything particularly amazing or different about this French Toast recipe except the bread choice. I have tried to make French Toast with several different types of bread, and some have failed. My biggest fail was trying to make French Toast with sprouted grain bread. Obviously, sprouted grain bread is healthier than any white bread however let me just say it does not yield a French Toast worth the cooking time. Hard and eggy tasting is what I got. My kids didn’t want to touch it with a 10 foot pole and neither did I!

After that I learned my lesson. If I wanted to make French Toast, then I should use the bread that yields the best end product and enjoy it. A friend of mine mentioned using a Brioche loaf for a French Toast bake, so next time I was at the grocery store I picked one up. My friend was so right, Brioche is the perfect bread for French Toast for a few reasons:

The bread is very moist to begin with so you get a fluffy inside.
It has a bit of a sweetness to it already.
It is easy to slice up yourself for the perfect not too thick but not too thin slices.
With a hint of brown sugar and egg, the outside cooks into that perfect crust we all love.

For cooking, I use a cast iron skillet or my outdoor flat top grill. Both of these options yield the same result.

*We have found Brioche loaves at all of the grocery stores we shop at. They are in the bakery section, not the bread isle. We have always found that they are wrapped in clear white cellophane and usually have a liner on the bottom of them. Ours have never been sliced which is perfect.

Sticky Sesame Apricot Chicken

January 20, 2018 by Dana

This may not seem very interesting to most people, but something really epic happened to me today. I FINALLY found maternity jeans that I don’t hate. AND… I got new shoes. 3 pairs! AND… a new bra. AND… a few other nice shirts to get me through the rest of my pregnancy. Life is good. I look like a normal human being again. It feels good!

If anyone ever tells you a new pair of jeans that fit right isn’t life changing, please have them reference this. IT IS. This baby bump and Mama are so happy!

When I arrived home from my epic shopping adventure, food was necessary. Walking around the mall is exhausting when it feels like there is a bowling ball, that may or may not pop out at any time, between your legs. So I put together this Sticky Sesame Apricot Chicken and sat down!

What I really love about this Sticky Sesame Apricot Chicken recipe is it combines so many flavors. The apricot preserves I used are a bit tart. Mix that with the sweetness of brown sugar, and the saltiness of soy sauce….and you have the perfect combination! I’ve mentioned my Jasmine Rice cravings, and this recipe did not disappoint! It goes great over a giant heap of perfectly cooked Jasmine Rice, and some additional soy sauce on top. 🙂

Recipe Tips

I mentioned this in my Honey Mustard Garlic Chicken recipe as well, but when coating chicken it really helps to get everything in place before you start so you don’t have to continually wash your hands and then reach for the forgotten items. I’ve only done this a million times before I started telling myself over and over again to get everything in place before starting!
Use one hand to dip in the egg, and then the other to coat in cornstarch. If you try to use the same hand you will have a hot mess! After working in restaurants and coating about a million pieces of chicken, sometimes this still isn’t second nature to me. The temptation to dip with the same hand is still there! haha
This is a base recipe. If you like more salty, add more soy sauce! If you like more sweet, add more brown sugar!

Sundried Tomato Feta Baked Salmon

January 19, 2018 by Dana

Friends… this one is no joke. This Sundried Tomato Feta Baked Salmon is the best salmon I have ever made! Not only does it taste absolutely amazing, it is SO EASY to make. I repeat SO EASY.

I have mentioned, I am about to pop. About to pop as in numerous strangers have asked me if I am having twins. The conversation usually goes something like this:

Stranger: “Oh my, when are you due?”

Me: “March.”

Stranger: “Wow, I thought you were going to say next week! Are you sure there is only one in there?”

Me: “Yes, I’ve carried all of my kids like this.”

Stranger: “Your belly is really low! Thank goodness you are all belly! This must be your first child!”

Me: “No, I actually have 4 boys already.”

Stranger: *Now completely stunned. “My word you have your hands full.”

Me: “No shit.”

Ok so maybe I just smile and walk away, but seriously folks if one more person tells me I have my hands full. It is just a statement that has no answer. It is awkward. It is annoying. Find a more encouraging statement!

**Pregnant rant over. Just leave the preggo ladies alone from now on.

Moving on to this Sundried Tomato Feta Baked Salmon. It is really all of my pregnant dreams come true. PLUS it is healthy and provides little unnamed babe with lots of healthy fats and proteins. I can’t say my diet has been entirely healthy throughout my entire pregnancy, but this is a meal that I can feel good about. It doesn’t even hurt my back or the rest of my body to make because it literally takes minutes to throw all the ingredients on the salmon, wrap it up in the foil, and bake! Instant pregnancy cravings gratification!

Recipe Tips

There isn’t much to say about this recipe because it is super simple. The main tip I would suggest is making sure you generously season your salmon before baking. I used coarse kosher salt.
I always look for sundried tomatoes that don’t contain sulfur dioxide. Mine came in a jar in oil and seasonings and were perfect because they weren’t super dry after being baked. I found the jarred ones in the healthy-ish section of the grocery store. The sulfur dioxide commonly added to the bagged ones is only there for color retention.
If you are feeling adventurous, a squirt of lemon over this salmon would probably be a delicious addition!

Chocolate Ganache Brownies

January 16, 2018 by Dana

Hands up if you like a big old chocolate explosion of a brownie? These Chocolate Ganache Brownies are just that… Rich, decadent brownies topped with a delightfully creamy ganache. Basically Little Debbie on steroids. 🙂

Truth: In high school I worked at a buffet. We used to make boxed brownies and slather them with canned frosting. We didn’t even cover them up at night and I would still eat them, all dried out 3 days later, especially if the soft served ice cream they also had was involved. Brownies + Frosting = Heart Eyed Emoji.

Fast forward to when I went to Pastry Arts school. I realized there was a much, much better way to achieve this type of frosted brownie. GANACHE. The epitome of chocolate awesomeness. So versatile, so deliciously smooth and pretty. You can put it on cakes, pour it over desserts, and yes… you can also frost brownies with ganache.

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, you may want to show someone some love by whipping up a batch of these brownies as dessert. If your Valentine is into a super fudgy, semi-sweet chocolate brownie, then this recipe is perfect!

Valentine’s Day to me this year means my baby is almost full term. When I saw the Valentine’s Day stuff popping up at all the store’s my mind just kept telling me… you are one day closer. Keep going. It is almost over! 🙂 Being a mom of 4 boys already and being pregnant has been… well… hard. Everything hurts, I’m out of breath, my body is just tired of being pregnant. But alas, one day closer… one day closer.

Recipe Tips

This recipe is super easy, yet super easy to totally bomb. Take it from me, I’ve done it before!

Please, for the love of all things… line your 8×8 inch brownie pan with parchment paper. It will change your brownie life forever. More importantly, it will give you a nice little slab of perfect brownies that you can easily pull right out of the pan and top with your ganache.
If you are wondering who on earth bakes brownies in such a small pan, you are not alone my friend! Generally I scoff at all of the recipes that suggest a dinky little 8×8 pan. I have 4 and a half kids and a husband. I’m not here to waste my time making 9 brownies. HOWEVER…. these brownies are extremely decadent and one brownie will suffice. This is the ONLY brownies you will see coming out of my kitchen in an 8×8 pan. If you happen to be feeding your own little army and feel you might need more, go ahead and double the recipe and use a larger pan.
Ganache is super easy to make, but does require some cooling time. When you first mix your ganache, the consistency will not be right to put on the brownies immediately. You will need to put your ganache in the refrigerator until the consistency becomes thick and spreadable.
When cutting your beautiful Chocolate Ganache Brownies, there is a method to the madness. First, using a large chef knife is the best way to get a perfectly cut brownie. Second, running the knife under hot water and wiping it off before each cut will ensure you don’t mess up your ganache. I know, I know… tedious… however… aren’t they beautiful?!?! What I’m really saying is don’t take a butter knife and run it through your ganache topped brownies and expect it to look the way mine do. THEY WILL BE A HOT MESS.

*Brownie recipe borrowed from this here wee little website. 🙂 I have attempted several times to make this recipe “my own” by switching things out. What I learned is if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The original recipe is perfect.

Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Pot Pie

March 13, 2017 by Dana

This Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Pot Pie post has been a long time coming! I haven’t mentioned too many times on the blog that I am from a small town in Central Pennsylvania. I grew up about 45 minutes north of Harrisburg. I’m no world traveler, however I do know a lot of people think of chicken pot pie as a literal pie with chicken and vegetables in it. I always thought of Chicken Pot Pie as the Pennsylvania Dutch version. I like to call it the “soup kind.” 🙂

Truth be told, growing up we really didn’t have any family recipes. My parents weren’t the kind to make dinner and have the family sit around the table. I have no idea why, but I do cherish these moments with my own family now. I wish I could say this was a generational type of recipe, passed down from my Grandmother, but it really isn’t! My grandmother is Polish. What I remember her making were traditional Polish dishes. Very few times have a seen her cook anything else, mostly because we see her at large family gatherings where family members expect the good Polish stuff!

So the cat is out of the bag. This was not passed down to me by anyone. This is my own recipe that I created as an adult who wanted to eat traditional PA Dutch pot pie. I grew up eating it in the elementary school cafeteria, and it was awesome! This is a quicker version of some traditional recipes because I am not making my own noodles and stock.

Around here most grocery stores carry these noodles, however I have no idea if grocery stores elsewhere carry them. You can purchase them on Amazon here.

Recipe Tips

If you have ever made a homemade soup, you will be very well prepared to make this because the recipe is pretty much identical to a soup recipe. I do cook the noodles in the broth, which helps all of the flavors come together, and thickens up the broth a bit.

For the chicken, I just roasted my chicken in the oven prior to making the pot pie. I have in the past, boiled my chicken and made a homemade stock, then prepared the pot pie from the stock. I’ll just be honest and say I like this version better. It is easier and tastes the same, if not better to me. Slow cooking broth all day is a great thing to do if you have the time, but lately I haven’t. I wanted to share a chicken pot pie recipe that tastes great, but doesn’t take hours upon hours to make! To make this even quicker, you could pick up a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store and cut out the roasting step. Your family will never know!

Homestyle London Broil

March 2, 2017 by Dana

I used to get all kinds of annoyed when my husband would bring home a piece of meat from the grocery store labeled “London Broil.”

What. Do. I. Do. With. This. Thing. I went to pastry arts school, remember?

So I took a few different approaches as any aspiring chef wife would. I think it went something like marinating, grilling, ovening. Marinating it to death for 24 hours just praying this thing doesn’t die on me. Praying a second time that my husband stops buying these things because.. why!?!?! Just get a cut of meat I know what to do with already! Are there not a dozen other choices there?

Then, after the first epic fail, the unthinkable happens. My husband comes home with not one, but two London Broils. In my head I’m thinking, didn’t we realize we don’t like these things the first time? This time I thought maybe I would just put it in a crock pot and see what happens. What could really go wrong in a crock pot? Could it die again in there? Could I burn the house down? Will he stop this nonsense already and just bring home a chicken breast next time?

The moment of truth came at a friends house, because I had a photo shoot in the morning and was running so low on time that I threw the two London Broils in a crock pot with roast seasoning and carrots and hoped for the best. We showed up and I warned everyone I had no idea what was going to happen when I took the lid off of this thing. Everyone assured me that it would be fine, they would love me even if this was harder then a brick. My husband sliced a piece and to my surprise it was good!

Most recently, I got really brave and actually purchased one BY MYSELF at the grocery store. Literally I went to Giant and went directly to the meat section without passing go and picked myself up a brand new and shiny London Broil that I was going to go home and turn into a delicious dinner.

Seriously, who am I anymore!?!?!

When I Figured Out This Whole London Broil Thing

What I realized was that a London Broil was very similar to the cuts of meat they label as roasts or rump roasts. I noticed them to be a bit leaner, with a lot less marbling throughout and less fat on the outside as well. What I also noticed was that they are priced HALF THE PRICE of the roast cuts. Maybe my husband was on to something here?!?! They are almost always on sale. The London Broil I purchased was $7.00 and it was almost 3 lbs of meat. So winning when you have 4 kids!

I used my dutch oven that regularly collects dust inside my cabinet to make my Homestyle London Broil because I have a wonderful double burner on my gigantic stove so I figured, why not? It turned out to be the perfect way to cook my Homestyle London Broil because I was able to start it on the stove, browning both sides as well as my onions. Then slow cook it in the oven for a few hours, and to finish pop it right back on my double burner to make a delicious gravy out of the broth. I need to use this method more often because it was super easy!

Recipe Tips

I always say this when preparing meats but if you don’t have any course kosher salt in your life you need to get you some! It can take a just fine meal and make it so much better! I generously seasoned my London Broil with a mix of course kosher salt, cracked black pepper, onion salt, and granulated garlic. It is THAT EASY. Generously is the key word, do not be afraid to semi-coat your meat in the spices, just make sure you don’t over-do the onion salt due to the fact that you are using course kosher salt and beef stock as well.

All of those little bits and pieces and lovely brown color you get when cooking your onions is what I call flavor building. You can’t flavor build like this in a crock pot, that is why I didn’t just throw my ingredients in one. I would say you could totally use this recipe in a crock pot but the best way to do it would be exactly how the recipe says.

I just used a fork to pull apart my meat and it fell apart so easily. When making the gravy, I did not remove the meat. The stirring around helped pull apart the meat as well.

I did season to taste after everything was finished with just a pinch more salt and pepper. As with any recipe, if you feel it may be a tad bland, season to your own taste!

Products from Amazon.com

Coconut, Strawberry, Chocolate Chip Scones

February 15, 2017 by Dana

I’m so very much still in the Valentine’s Day spirit over here with these Coconut, Strawberry, Chocolate Chip scones! Or maybe, just maybe.. I had some strawberries and chocolate left over from my Salted Chocolate Covered Strawberries so I decided to put them to good use! <3 <3

Speaking of the Valentine’s Day spirit, I blogged about our Shrimp and Parmesan Strip Steak yesterday. It was our family Valentine’s Day meal and it was delicious! Valentine’s Day is always a great reason for me to go above and beyond in the kitchen and we had a great day. My husband also ate about 4 of these scones, so I’d say they were a hit!

Speaking of the scones, strawberry and chocolate are always a winning combo! I remember one of the first weeks in pastry arts school our chef asked us to think of some flavors that we’d like to put together in some cream puffs. I have no idea why but I was so nervous about it! I thought all day about what I wanted to make and at the end of the day all I could think of was strawberry pastry cream in the middle and chocolate on top. I was almost embarrassed to tell the chef that this is what I thought up. It just seemed to be too obvious of a choice.

And the chef was super happy about it and was like absolutely a great combination!

Never. Doubt. Yourself. 🙂

Sometimes it is totally fine to go with something safe!

Coconut Milk

So I feel like canned coconut milk is one of the best kept baking secrets! I have used it in everything from cookies to cupcakes to these scones and LOVE IT. I use it as a substitution in so many recipes and I have yet to have anything totally fail on me. If you are substituting coconut milk into a recipe have no fear, your final product will NOT take on an extremely coconut-ty flavor, and you may not even notice any coconut at all.

I also used the coconut milk in the glaze, which I felt was a bit more coconut then the scones themselves. If you are not a fan of coconut I would just omit it all together and use sour scream in the recipe, and regular milk in the glaze.

I know everyone thinks of the non-dairy coconut milk when you mention those two words, however the canned stuff is so much better in terms of ingredients. Yes, it is a fat source (I use the light version). However there are only 3 ingredients in the Native Forest Canned Coconut Milk that I used! 3 ingredients! They are organic coconut, water, and organic guar gum. If you have ever checked out the ingredient list on a carton of coconut milk they are quite lengthy.

Shrimp & Parmesan Strip Steak

February 14, 2017 by Dana

Last minute Valentine’s Day dinner alert! This Shrimp & Parmesan Strip Steak is restaurant quality food at home and so easy. Pair it with some simple mashed potatoes and wine and you will never miss the hustle and bustle of going out to eat!

So my Valentine and I (my husband!!) don’t get to go out to eat all too often because we have 4 kids and it is just too much of a hassle. I would much rather have a special dinner at home with the kids and save the stress of getting a babysitter, having our youngest cry the ENTIRE time the sitter is here, and waiting for an hour for a table at a crowded restaurant. Don’t get me wrong, time away is wonderful, refreshing, and a must for parents. However today I want to show my whole family I love them instead of just my husband. So we are staying home. 🙂 Welcome this Shrimp & Parmesan Strip Steak!

Seasoning the Steak

This recipe starts with a standard grilled strip steak. You can totally substitute any cut of steak you’d like! My only recommendation would be to stay away from any thin cuts. I used strip steaks because while on the phone at the grocery store and not really paying attention I just put something that looked decent in the cart. When I got home my husband immediately asked:

“What kind of steak is that?” Such a man question!

Hell if I know. Seriously. haha

So it was actually strip steak and it was perfect for this recipe!

When grilling steak I always use the same combo of spices and there is one key ingredient. COURSE kosher salt. When seasoning any cut of meat, this is what I use to really bump up the flavor. Along with the course kosher salt I used a really nice mix of granulated garlic, onion salt, and cracked black pepper. No need to get crazy when seasoning a steak!

Grilling the Steak

To be honest, this seems so simple. Yet both my husband and I have at different times totally messed it up! Depending on who you ask about the best way to grill a steak, you may get different answers!

My answer would be (what works for me) is to put the grill on low to moderate heat on one side, and put the other side of the grill a bit hotter. Once I get nice grill marks and a bit of golden char around the outside, I flip it to the not as hot side and be patient. I like my steak at home to be medium well. It does take a bit of time to get that nice and golden brown, crispy around the edges steak. One time I Googled “tips for grilling steak” and what I found were a ton of pictures of rare steaks and suggestions that 3 minutes per side is about the time you’ll need.

So wrong for me!

Indeed I found that I needed quite a bit more time per side. I have never actually timed it. Once I start seeing char around the edges, I flip. I guess for me it is more of feeling and looking, than timing. After I have flipped my steak I go based upon feel to know when the steak is done. If you push on it and it is still springy, its not medium well. If you push on it and it is firm, its done. Don’t go too far though! Look and feel, look and feel. 🙂

Since I’m so bad at this whole giving directions to grill a steak… here… go check out what Bon Appetite says! haha

The shrimp part of the recipe is super easy. Put butter, salt, and white wine on top of pre-cooked shrimp and you are done! 🙂

I used frozen shrimp so I defrosted the shrimp in water first. Then I drained the water and added the butter, white wine, and salt.

To finish the dish, I simply put the shrimp on top of the grilled sirloin, and added my shaved parmesan/asiago blend that I bought pre-shaved at the grocery store. Next, I put it under the broiler for just long enough that the cheese was melted and starting to brown.

Buttery Garlic Parmesan Rolls

August 31, 2015 by Dana

I believe the name of these delicious rolls speaks for itself! These buttery, garlicky, parmesan cheesy, carb-o-licious rolls are perfect to eat with your next Italian dinner or just by themselves, because yes, they are that good. Slather on some extra butter, melt some provolone cheese on top, or just eat them plain, you can’t go wrong…I promise!

The real reason I baked these delicious babies up is because my son has a complex about his bread at school now. Yes, the 3rd grade pressure is really getting to him! I asked him if he wanted a sandwich in his lunchbox and his first question was “Well what bread are you using?” We pretty much only eat Food for Life Ezekiel bread because it is the best store bought bread I have found. I totally love the Ezekiel bread because it is loaded with natural nutrients and tastes great. It doesn’t include any ingredients that I can’t pronounce and it doesn’t contain any preservatives. My son is more of a processed, packaged bread lover (because I can’t shield him from everything!) so I’ve resorted to making my own breads and skipping the processed, unnecessary ingredients in store bought white breads and rolls (I also add in whole wheat flour).

Did you know that some brands of shelf stable breads can even include hidden trans fats??? I KNOW! Ridiculous! The hidden source will be labeled as mono-and-diglycerides, which can be found in a ton of processed foods. I’ve seen it in everything from dips, to ice creams, to most processed breads. I have even seen it in grocery store “bakery” breads, also know as “We are just pretending to bake this but in fact it came in frozen and isn’t really the fresh product you thought you were buying.” Those “bakery” breads can be super misleading because they look homemade but if you take a gander at the ingredients sometimes they are even worse then the pre-packaged stuff. I have looked and looked for a grocery store that carried a bread that doesn’t contain anything weird and I have only found ONE option at Wegman’s, their organic sourdough bread. I’ve noticed that it has been sold out every week so maybe Wegman’s will take the hint and come out with more options! That would be awesome!

With that being said, I wanted my son to be able to take something he wasn’t embarrassed about and would actually eat so here it is. 🙂 I settled for using mostly bread flour (King Arthur’s brand) and stone ground whole wheat flour which created a really nice end result. Bread flour has never failed me to create the perfect roll, so I highly recommend using it in this recipe. I baked the rolls in pie pans (10 per pan) right next to each other because I like that pull apart aspect I get from doing it like that, but you could certainly separate them and bake them on a sheet tray or in a rectangular pan.
*Recipe adapted from Almost Famous Breadsticks by Foodnetwork.com

Honey Mustard Baked Salmon

August 10, 2015 by Dana

Ahhhh… what a beautiful piece of Salmon! Not only is this salmon beautiful, it is SO TASTY and SO EASY!

I grabbed inspiration for this recipe from my Crockpot Honey Mustard Chicken recipe because the flavor combo in that recipe is just spot on! I can easily say it is one of my all time favorite Crockpot recipes, so if you haven’t checked that recipe out yet it might be time to do that. 🙂 I’m telling you… you won’t be disappointed and seriously… does it get any easier?

Speaking of easy, there are a few consistent questions/comments I expect from people I chat with regarding cutting processed foods:

Isn’t it really time consuming? I just don’t have any time in my busy schedule for cooking!
Isn’t it really expensive? I just can’t afford to eat like that!
How do you get your kids to eat like that? I just know my kids would never touch that food!

This recipe really addressed the first point… Isn’t it really time consuming to cut processed foods? Do I spend my entire day in the kitchen just to make sure my family isn’t consuming a bunch of processed crap? In short… the answer is no. I absolutely do not spend a ridiculous amount of time in my kitchen everyday, and on days that I do it is because I have chosen to (I can get cooking ADHD at times). When I feel like I’ve spent a long time in the kitchen I usually plan the next day to spend almost NO time in the kitchen. This is exactly when I pull out recipes like this Honey Mustard Baked Salmon that take less than 5 minutes to prepare + baking time (that I spend preparing a side). If you kind of hate cooking, or you really are super busy and just don’t have a ton of time to spend preparing meals then this recipe is your solution. Mix 3 ingredients, pour over salmon, wrap in foil… viola!

Chicken Parmesan Alfredo

April 22, 2015 by Dana

Have I told you lately how much I LOVE my cast iron skillet? Yes, it’s true. A few years ago I traded in my non-stick cookware for all stainless steel and cast iron. It did take me a while to get used to not burning stuff to the bottom of them like EVERYTIME but after adjusting my heat (much lower!) I realized I didn’t need those chemical laden pots and pans after all! 🙂

Today I’m sharing this chicken parmesan recipe that goes to a whole new level by adding a super yummy Alfredo sauce to the pasta and lots of mozzarella cheese before baking it in the oven to get that nice, crusty mozzarella we all love. The best part is I used my wonderful cast iron skillet to get a nice, crispy piece of chicken without a deep fryer or any unhealthy oils. If you don’t own a cast iron skillet no worries, you can do this in just about any sauté pan, however I do love the results I get from my cast iron. Just take a look and you’ll understand! Now that’s a piece of chicken to be proud of!

Another thing I love about his recipe is the versatility. If you are short on time and don’t feel like taking the extra steps to make the Alfredo sauce you can absolutely toss your pasta in extra red sauce and call it a day. Sometimes I go the red sauce route, sometimes I go the Alfredo route. Sometimes I even toss my pasta in extra red sauce AND ricotta cheese and that is delicious too. Either way you will end up with a dinner your family will love!

Whenever I use a convenience product like the panko bread crumbs I used in this recipe I always caution folks to READ INGREDIENTS! These are the products most notorious for adding a bunch of crappy ingredients that don’t need to be there just for the sake of keeping the product on a shelf for years without it going bad. I get so frustrated with brands like Progresso who willingly put profit and production above ethics. When it comes down to it, there should be no reason any breadcrumb product contains ingredients like partially hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup. When I started reading labels one of the first products I immediately threw away were the breadcrumbs that had been lingering in the back of my pantry forever. That alone should have indicated to me that something just wasn’t right with the product to begin with. Since that time I’ve experimented with making my own breadcrumbs (which works wonderful too!) but this time I opted for an organic panko product I’ve found in most mainstream grocery stores (check their organic section).

Here’s the product I used as well as my favorite cast iron skillet! 🙂

*This is a bulk listing.

Parmesan, Mushroom and Rice Soup

October 25, 2014 by Dana

Dana Carvell (3BoysUnprocessed)

Parmesan. Mushrooms. Rice. Because everything is better with cheese! 🙂

I’ve made mushroom soup a ton of times. I can easily say THIS Mushroom soup should get a big blue ribbon that says #1, and maybe even one of those little gold star stickers because it is by far my favorite mushroom soup… ever!

Not only is this soup really delicious, it is packed with nutrition and antioxidants. Yes, I just said antioxidants. I know, I know, I’m going to get all healthy-person talk right now but bear with me because you might just want to try something new at the end of this! Black Japonica rice is hands down my new favorite ingredient to use. It has a really nutty and unique flavor (without being totally overbearing) that gives this soup just a hint of earthiness that goes perfectly with the mushrooms. Not only that…. it isn’t bleached and processed or fortified with a bunch of nutrients. It doesn’t need that crap, because it is just perfect the way it is. Anything that leaks color into a soup like this rice is amazing because color=antioxidants. I love, I love I love! If you don’t have black rice on hand, check the organic section of your local grocery store, I’m sure it will be there. I used Lundberg brand. There’s a handy-dandy link at the bottom of the post so you know what it looks like! Wild rice would be a great substitute for black rice if you’d like to go that route as well.

I mean really, this color! 🙂

So what else makes this soup really amazing? Whole grain mustard. Again! I know, I know. WHY more whole grain mustard? Hasn’t every recipe I’ve recently posted contain it? To be honest, maybe. I know for sure my Sweet-Fire Chilli had a little mustard in it, and I threw it in some Mac n Cheese the other day, and well it is just awesome so please expect to see a lot more of it! It just makes everything good. That’s all.

I served this soup with grilled cheese sandwiches (Ezekiel bread, butter, cheese), and my family loved it! Nothing says *breezy fall day* like soup and grilled cheese sandwiches so this was a perfect fall dinner. Veggies + Antioxidant rich rice + Grilled Cheese = Yum!

*This listing is for 6 bags of rice, in the grocery store it is far less expensive. 🙂

Homestyle Sweet Potato and Chicken Soup

October 8, 2014 by Dana

Sweet Potatoes. Nutritious. Delicious. Cheap. Versatile. AMAZING!

But seriously… this soup. The perfect balance of sweet and savory in a big, warm mug waiting for you on the table with a pretty fall decoration in the middle and a pumpkin spice latte on the side! In my house you can go ahead and just throw that pretty fall decoration on the floor and rip it apart because if you haven’t noticed I have 3 boys. They do that. A lot. Well, basically I should just take my pretty decorations and throw them in the trash myself because that’s where they’ll end up. That will save me the hassle of having to clean anything up, right? Boys!

One thing I LOVE about this soup is the color that comes out of the carrots and sweet potatoes to make it the perfect fall orange. Of course, being the only woman in my house nobody else cares about the beautiful color of my soup, so I have to make pictures like the following to bask in my orange glory while others cheer. Is this happening? Please… anyone… someone out there in internet-land, do you care that my soup is orange? Please say yes! 🙂 Please give me a big *nice soup* while we both glance at that pretty bowl!

Thanks, you just made my day! Now I can get over the fact that I will not be displaying any pretty fall decorations on my table until the baby is 18. That’s 17 years of decoration-less fall’s I have yet to endure. But hey, at least I have my orange soup!

And can we talk nutrition for a second because this soup ain’t no rice cake (thanks Blake Shelton for that one). Sweet potatoes = one of the most nutritious foods in the world. That’s right, it tops many other foods labeled “super foods” so I think that makes it even more acceptable to eat numerous bowls in one sitting while burning my mouth because I’m too impatient to wait for it to cool down. Totally acceptable! Until I’m old and have no taste buds left. Then I’ll have to go to restaurants and asks the cooks to heat my soup up over and over and over again until it is boiling in the microwave and my old ass is finally happy. Sound like a real life scenario? That’s because it is! I know, I know, the old people always get a bad rap but seriously I can’t even tell you how many times a day this happened while I was cooking in restaurants. So remember folks, wait until your food cools down or you’ll be THAT old person some day!

*No old people’s feelings were hurt in the making of this post. 🙂

And one more thing.. I found these crackers today. TWO ingredients! 100% whole wheat and salt. Ummm helllllooo healthy cracker I’ve been looking for forever. Thank you for coming into my life today so I could dip you in my soup and take pictures of it. Things always work themselves out perfectly, don’t they?

*I used my Homemade Chicken Stock in this recipe.

Creamy Lemon Basil Shrimp Pasta

September 30, 2014 by Dana

This pasta though! Move over fancy-pants Italian restaurants because this pasta just swooped in to remind everyone cooking Italian food at home is SO EASY! That’s right, if you have 25 minutes and a few fresh ingredients then you are on your way to this delicious pasta soaked in a creamy sauce, and topped with fresh basil and parm cheese. You in?

Of course you are in or you wouldn’t be here, gawking at that pour shot like a 13 year old boy with a ~~nudie mag~~. I mean, not that I was ever a 13 year old boy or anything, but I was just thinking.. well.. ya know what forget I ever said that and let’s get back to the food porn!

And now…. it is food blogger confession time brought to you by 3Boys Unprocessed! Confessions are as followed:

This pasta is not whole wheat
I’m not as excited about this post because it isn’t a cupcake
I’ve recently become obsessed with cupcakes
Did I mention the word cupcake?

Yes, you read that correctly. I’m using refined pasta but baking whole wheat cupcakes. That totally makes sense doesn’t it? Hmm… I know, I know it’s totally crazy but just let me go on with my crazy self and let’s all pretend they are both whole wheat so I can feel a little less crazy.

My refined pasta was imported from Italy and had a sparkly and official “Italy” sticker on the bag. You know, like the best sticker EVER that we all longed for in Elementary School. A seal of approval, if you will. I looked at it EVERY TIME I was at the grocery store, longing for it’s beautiful ridges to take pretty pictures of and plop some big bad shrimpies on top of. Last time I was at the grocery store somehow it ended up accidentally falling into my cart and I totally thought it was whole wheat when the cashier swiped it over that cool scanner. You know, because my kids were yelling about wanting coloring books and other crap they throw near the cash registers to lure all the parents into buying. Even though I totally said NO WAY to the coloring book, somehow the pasta slipped by my radar. Ok, truth is, it looked cool so I bought it! A slight lapse in Real Food judgment but hey, we are all human right?

And about those cupcakes… you see I was always kind of obsessed with cupcakes (hence a big ol’ pink cupcake tattoo on my foot), but my cupcake obsession was lying dormant for a while I was on an ice cream binge.. I mean eating healthy. 😉 I kid, I kid! The ice cream binge never happened but babies did and I just haven’t had all the time in the world to bake pretty things. Now I have a food blog as an excuse so the cupcake madness just might be back for good!

Now that all my dirty food laundry is aired I guess we can get back to this creamy and delish pasta that could be served up for any occasion, including a Monday night! You can totally throw a curve ball in your life by making this epic pasta on a Monday and surprising your spouse like you are newlyweds or something. Remember, it only takes about 25 minutes to put together so throwing this together on a weeknight is do-able and easy!

Just a little FYI, I used a homemade chicken stock that I did not season yet. If you are using a boxed stock, check the ingredients for MSG (labeled MSG, autolyzed yeast, yeast extract) and choose a stock that is lower in sodium and doesn’t contain anything you wouldn’t put in your own stock. If you are interested in making your own (super easy I promise!) check out my post on Everything you Need to Know About Making Your Own Chicken Stock.

And then that pesky sauce went all up on the side of my sauté pan to ruin this beautiful picture. Please ignore and maybe it won’t happen again! 😉

Pumpkin Spice Granola Clusters

September 7, 2014 by Dana

Pumpkin. Spice. Granola. Clusters.

Yes… fall has arrived. It is now time to re-create every recipe I’ve ever made to fit somewhere into the cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg craze I’m about to embark on. 😉

Two things today:

1. How creepy are people at the grocery store with backpacks? Is it just me or does a man wandering around the isles, but not actually picking anything up, scream

“I’m about to blow the roof off this place any second.”

I mean really, if you want to scare a large crowd of stay at home moms and old people then wander around with a backpack and no cart. Likely everyone will scatter and look for the nearest Exit sign, then you don’t have to fight the crowd. Being creepy might have some perks, but I wouldn’t know because I’m about a -10 on the creepiness scale.

Upon seeing the creepy backpack guy I really just wanted to say

“Man, I just have to know. What’s in the bag? A machine gun? A bomb? A butcher knife? Ohhh.. it’s just your work clothes. Right, exactly what I had in mind. Thanks for clearing that one up. Now if you could kindly grab a cart and not corner me near the checkout that would be fantastic.” And that was all she wrote. 😉

2. I found a really awesome yogurt. Maple Hill Creamery Vanilla Creamline Yogurt. It is beyond my wildest yogurt dreams and so, I kindly took a picture of it so you could love on it too. Usually I purchase plain yogurt, but this vanilla cup intrigued me because it said Creamline. Plus it was about 50 cents cheaper then the other organic yogurts so I gave it a go. Boy, was it good!

Why is it so good, you ask? Here is my humble old opinion on yogurt, so fasten your seatbelts folks! Most low fat yogurts take away the fat, but add a ton of refined sugars. What is the point of that exactly? You got me! I have no clue why Americans think full fat dairy is the devil, but I’m here to be the low fat yogurt voice of reason. Just eat the real thing, it is so much better, and doesn’t require 26 grams of sugar to make it taste good. In fact, this yogurt only has about 4 grams of added sugar and it is creamy, tangy, and delicious without being overly sweet. Top it with the Pumpkin Spice Granola Clusters and you have yourself one of the most enjoyable breakfasts in the world!

*This is NOT a sponsored post. I just love this stuff! In fact, here it is in all of it’s cute tree on the cup glory!

I’m about to get all “health foodie mom” on everyone so please, if you are over that phase in your life or just don’t care skip to the recipe!

We don’t buy boxed cereals at the grocery store, and if we do we buy the organic/better ones that are pretty much just a treat for the kids. I know, I know, some of you may be thinking what the what!?!?! But it is true. The fact is most cereals are just candy coated, GMO junk food. Most boxed cereals even contain BHT, which is banned in most of the world (Hello FDA where are you?) They are no way to start your day… like ever! Yes, they might be fortified but if you are eating right in the first place you don’t need fortified junk food. With the organic/better cereals that aren’t fortified I’ve noticed they contain a whole lot of nothing so that is why I give them to my kids as a treat, not necessarily a breakfast. If you are trying to cut the crap out of your life, then here are my breakfast suggestions:

Homemade granola (because a lot of the grocery store granolas have a ton of unnecessary, added ingredients.
Eggs
Oatmeal (1/2 cup oats, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup milk, cinnamon, 1 tsp pure maple syrup, blueberries=the best oatmeal ever!!)
Ezekiel muffins/bread with butter
Fruit/Yogurt
Whole wheat pancakes, waffles
Pumpkin Spice Granola Clusters and yogurt 😉

So there you go. A whole bunch of reasons not to eat a bowl-o-crap and a few suggestions of what to eat instead. Phew, I’m glad I got that off my chest! Ok, I promise I’m done and here is the recipe. Just an FYI, this recipe contains 2 egg whites. That means it will be crunchy, plus pack a bit of protein. Perfection I tell ya!

100 Days of Real Food Cookbook Review

August 28, 2014 by Dana

I’ve been a huge fan of Lisa Leake of 100 Days of Real Food for quite some time. Lisa’s blog was actually the first real blog that I followed, so I am honored to be reviewing her book today!

First, I’m going to have to bring out the warm fuzzies for a minute because like I said, Lisa is awesome! Not only is she super classy (because she doesn’t even bat an eye at the drama people bring to her peanut butter posts), she is what I would call a Real Food Pioneer. Before Lisa, I’m not sure that people were really throwing around the term “Real Food” as much as they are today. That speaks volumes about how much she has accomplished through her blog, and is super inspiring.

Now I’m going to fan-girl out a little because Lisa SIGNED my book. *insert teenage-girl-pitched scream here* Yes, I’m officially cool! Ok I’m not but please don’t burst my bubble while I’m fan-girling (and don’t get a restraining order either) 😉

So what makes Lisa’s book so awesome you ask? Everything! The book is broken up into two parts so I’m going to discuss my thoughts on both parts because… well I like to pretend like I’m organized sometimes. Just go with it. I promise I know what I’m doing, I’m a food blogger with a signed booked. That means I’ve got it together, right? Right.

Part One: The Plan

Although I love the recipes in Lisa’s cookbook, I find Part One to be the MOST important part of this book. Lisa goes through everything from how to read ingredient labels, to understanding the sugar content of packaged foods, to going through ingredient lists from popular products. The stuff she packed into part one is so valuable because it is a great tool for helping other people understand where you are coming from if you’d like to start changing the way you look at food. The information is also a great tool for beginners. One of the biggest questions I get is “Where do I Start” and Lisa’s cookbook goes over ALL of that. It even includes a 14 Week Mini-Pledge for those on the fence about Real Food in their life, and a tracking chart for progress. Lisa also talks about portion sizes, how to shop at Farmer’s Markets, and all of the tricky labeling companies use to confuse people about the ingredients in packaged foods. If you can think of a Real Food question, Lisa probably covers it in Part One.

I can’t tell you how many times I would have loved to have a “handbook” to show people what is actually in processed foods and why the ingredients aren’t what I want my family to consume. When people you know just don’t get it, this book is the perfect solution. Here are a few other highlights from Part One:

Identifying Artificial Sweeteners
Why Low-Fat Products are Not Real Food
How to Find “Real” Eggs
More Tips on Reading Labels
And MUCH, MUCH, more!

Even for someone like myself who is a food blogger already living an unprocessed life, I learned a lot from Part One and was reminded just how awesome it is to be eating real food. Believe me, when I looked at the pages that contained the ingredients in all the processed foods that a lot of people are still consuming on a daily basis, I was reminded of why I choose a Real Food, Unprocessed life.

Part Two: The Recipes

What I love most about the recipes in Lisa’s book is that they are all relatable to the everyday family. This isn’t the GOOP, or a super fancy and out of your league lifestyle book. It is a down to earth approach to making meals that your family will love. There wasn’t one recipe that I looked at and thought “What the heck is that ingredient?” There were a ton of recipes that I thought my kids would just gobble up (especially the Macaroni Casserole), and every recipe was accompanied by a beautiful picture. I mean seriously, there isn’t anything NOT to like about these recipes because… well… just take a look at a few of the recipes I will be adding to my Real Food Bucket list:

The Best Pulled Pork in the Slow Cooker
Veggie Pancakes
Teriyaki Flank Steak Salad
Cinnamon Apple Chips
Southwest Chicken Wraps

I have already tried one of the recipes, which far exceeded my expectations. The recipe I went straight to was the Cinnamon-Raisin Quick Bread, which was pictured in one of the lunchbox idea pictures. Lisa spreads cream cheese in the middle of the bread and serves it as a sandwich, which goes perfectly with the bread. She also suggests using it to make French Toast which I might just have to try tomorrow morning!

I should admit, this recipe calls for applesauce and I have NEVER tried baking with applesauce. Boy, I must have missed the “Knowers That Applesauce Makes the Best Quick Bread” club because the bread was so light, fluffy, and texture-ific. I made the bread in both a loaf pan and muffin tins and of course I took pictures of the muffins because their tops were bangin’. You know how I feel about those muffin tops! Overall, I loved the recipe and am sending a muffin in my son’s lunchbox tomorrow. My husband also highly recommends the muffins slathered with sunflower butter (had to throw that in there just incase the peanut butter haters are upon us). 😉 😉 But really, he did slather it with sunflower butter immediately and proceeded to eat half of the loaf.

Of course you can also throw some raisins around and put two liners on your muffins. I did, and it was really fun. Not to mention, it made for a great picture to show off those muffin tops!

Everything Else You Need to Know About The 100 Days of Real Food Cookbook (From 100 Days of Real Food)

No white flour or any refined grains are used
No sugar or any refined (or artificial) sweeteners are used
No recipes call for packaged foods containing more than 5 ingredients
Familiar and easy-to-find ingredients are used (you probably already have most of them on hand!)
71 recipes are (or can easily be) Gluten-Free
79 recipes are (or can easily be) Vegetarian
49 recipes are (or can easily be) Dairy-Free
42 recipes are Freezer Friendly (my secret weapon when it comes to packing wholesome school lunches!)
A beautiful color photo is included with each and every recipe
70% new recipes – not previously published on the blog

If you are not familiar with who Lisa Leake is, this video describes her family’s journey and gives you a look into their life. Her book is also ON SALE NOW in stores and on Amazon.com. I’ve attached a link for your linking pleasure. Be sure to get one for yourself and gift one to a friend in need of some Real Food inspiration!

Thank you so much Lisa for inspiring all of us to change the way we think about the food we are eating, and a big congrats on your book dreams coming true! Make sure you check out the recipe for Lisa’s Cinnamon-Raisin Quick Bread as well!

Whole Wheat Banana Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling

August 20, 2014 by Dana

I’ve been gawking… foodgawking that is! One thing I’ve really been gawking are all of those cutesy desserts covered in sprinkles galore. I’ve always loved sprinkles because they are cute, colorful, and well, they can make ugly things look pretty. However, once I grew up and realized what sprinkles actually were we kind of had a falling out. How could they have been lying to me this whole time? Pretending to be cute when in reality they are chemical bombs covered in artificial colorings! We’ve been broken up for quite some time now, and every time I see a sprinkle my heart sinks a little more. Until now!

I have no idea why it took me so long to realize that there ARE naturally dyed sprinkles out there, and they were right in front of my sprinkle-less little eyes this whole time. I’ve passed by them time and time again, never looking twice at their vegetable dyed awesomeness. One day when my kids weren’t screaming for Annie’s crackers (yes I do fall victim to those stupid bunnies sometimes too) I had a moment of clarity in the grocery store for the first time in over 7 years. All of a sudden there they were… the sprinkles I have been longing for all this time, so I scooped them up for $1.99 and was on my merry way home to think of reasons to use them.

Naturally I thought I’d be using the sprinkles for cupcakes but when I made these banana muffins I thought they needed a bit of a sprinkle face lift. My husband said “Don’t waste sprinkles on muffins” but seriously, he’s no food stylist so I started sprinkling, and how cute are these!?!? Muffins are no longer the “ugly cupcake” or the “stepchild of cupcakes” or the “duff” (totally not explaining that one if your not familiar with that term 😉 ), but they are now holding their own on the cuteness scale. These muffins are worthy of being a healthy classroom treat, or the lunchbox item all the kids are secretly longing for. We’ve re-invented muffins here people and I’m loving these!

What I love most about these muffins is they aren’t just cute muffins… they are healthy muffins! I don’t play the “whole wheat” game that is actually half whole wheat and half refined flour. What is the point of that again? Not only are these muffins whole wheat, they are also naturally sweetened which is almost always my goal when baking. On top of that they have a rich and creamy center with just enough cream cheese to make you feel like your eating something dreamy and decadent. Even better then all of that, they are so easy to make. Simply mix wet, mix dry, and combine just until mixed and bake.

Muffin Tip: I always fill my muffins to the top of the liner because nobody likes a muffin without tops!

*If you are looking for naturally dyed sprinkles here are the ones I used. It is a bulk pack but if you love sprinkles as much as I do it might be worth it!

Cajun Shrimp and Broccoli Pasta

August 10, 2014 by Dana

My husband went away for an over-night trip with friends and dropped one of my boys off at his Meme’s house on the way. Boy, did my house seem eerily quite! I don’t know if any other moms can relate but don’t things seem so weird even if just one child is gone? Sheesh it was like I was on a vacation from my life or something! So naturally, I decided it would be a great time to cook a spectacular meal seeing I was dealing with a 1 year old who could obviously care less, and a 7 year old who was convinced I was trying to hide copious amounts of broccoli in his food (it was parsley!!) Off to Wegman’s I went to purchase the biggest, most beautiful wild caught shrimp I could find. I came home and slathered those babies with a creamy sauce, cheese, and generous amounts of Cajun seasoning and boy did I ever feel bad that the rest of my family was gone when I sat down to eat this meal!

I mentioned that naturally the baby would care less about this pasta. How wrong did he prove me when he was begging and begging for more! Not only did he beg for more, he continued to climb into his high chair over and over until I fed him more pasta. Then when he was done with that he grabbed his brother’s plate off the table and proceeded to park his little tushy on the floor and have a little feast by himself! How could I really be mad at that cute little face covered in sauce though? 🙂 Plus, he was eating broccoli so that made Mama happy!

For the noodles in this dish I used whole wheat lasagna sheets and cut them in half (they were really narrow to begin with). I have been looking for whole wheat lasagna sheets for the longest time and was finally able to find some! Funny how a product that is so widely used is so hard to find in whole wheat. Regardless, you can use any pasta you’d like for this dish because the pasta doesn’t really make the dish. I did enjoy a different type of noodle in this but if you want to switch it up a whole wheat rigatoni or penne would work fantastic! I used 8 ounces of pasta total.

Here are the Steps I Took to Cook this Meal:

Cook the Pasta: I used 8 ounces of lasagna noodles, you can use any kind of pasta you’d like!
Season and Roast Broccoli: Sprinkle broccoli generously with Cajun seasoning and roast in the oven for about 25 minutes while you are cooking your other ingredients.
Boil the shrimp: Self explanatory! After you boil the shrimp peel them if needed.
Make the sauce.
Layer in skillet.
Bake.
Be Amazed at How Delicious it Was! Ok this is bordering on being a gimmicky catch phrase food bloggers use, but seriously it is really good!

The quicker way to do this would be to boil the pasta, and within the last few minutes throw in the shrimp and broccoli. I prefer oven roasted broccoli so that is why I didn’t do that, but if you are looking to save time this would be the way to do it!

Balsamic and Bleu Steak Alfredo

July 27, 2014 by Dana

Yesterday was my mom’s birthday and since her friends and co-workers took her out to eat I decided to cook her a meal at home. With 3 young kids going out to eat is an ordeal every…single…time! I know anyone with kids has sat through an excruciating meal at a restaurant thinking “I’m never doing this again” the whole time. One kid is yelling, one kid is under the table, and the other one has to pee… at that very moment you promise yourself NEVER AGAIN! Yet somehow…. someway… you end up right back in that situation, reminding yourself again why going to a restaurant with kids is a horrible idea. On top of that, I know when I go out to eat trying to find something with real ingredients is nearly impossible unless I’m going somewhere that specializes in real food, and I don’t know of any places like that in my area. There are a few small cafes that I trust for some things, but most “from scratch” kitchens still use some ingredients I don’t use at home. The great thing in my situation is that I know how to cook restaurant quality food at home, from scratch with ingredients I don’t feel guilty about eating. This Balsamic and Bleu Alfredo recipe did not disappoint!

I admit, this idea came from Olive Garden’s menu (don’t get me started on their ingredient lists and unethical marketing). My husband’s company had a Christmas party there last year and just about everyone ordered the dish that inspired this recipe. I don’t quite remember what they called it but the flavor combination was a bleu cheese Alfredo sauce, steak, and balsamic reduction. My version of this meal is definitely upscale, from scratch restaurant quality, but hey, Olive Garden gave it a good shot!

I started this recipe by making a balsamic reduction to put on my sirloin before I grilled it. I admit, this part of the recipe stinks, literally, but open a window in your kitchen and have at it! Making a balsamic reduction is really easy and is a flavorful addition to meals, fresh veggies, and even fruit. If you’ve never made a reduction before the name speaks for itself. All you are doing is reducing a liquid into a sauce-like consistency that would coat the back of a spoon when held sideways. Look for a vinegar that contains only naturally occurring sulfites and no preservatives!

After I made the reduction I trimmed the fat from my sirloin, cut it into chunks, and then used a tenderizer to flatten the sirloin a bit. I did this because it makes it a heck of a lot easier to grill, and the acidity from the balsamic reduction will work wonders in all of the little nooks the tenderizer impresses on the meat. Once I had all of the chunks cut and thinned, I GENEROUSLY sprinkled the meat with garlic powder, freshly cracked black pepper, salt, and whole wheat white flour. I really emphasize the word generously because if you don’t season your meat correctly, this dish will be lacking in the flavor department as far as the meat is concerned. You want to see a coating of garlic powder and black pepper on every piece of meat. This will ensure that your meat is not under flavored.

I used a cast iron grill pan to “grill” the sirloin, and it worked wonderfully. When I use cast iron, I always heat it up over medium heat in advance. Once it is nice and hot, I melt some ghee (clarified butter) on the pan, and reduce the heat to low. A temperature that is too high will increase the chances of sticking and that is never a good thing. I would recommend NOT to purchase a grill pan with a non-stick surface because some of the chemicals they use on the non-stick cookware are highly questionable. By using cast iron and a pat of ghee, there is no need for any additional chemicals to prevent sticking. If you’ve tried cast iron and had problems with sticking in the past, don’t give up! Reduce your heat and your sticking problems will probably be resolved.

Back to the sirloin! 🙂 Once my sirloin was on the grill I gave each piece a nice drizzle of balsamic reduction, and ohhhhh they were so sticky and delicious! Once I drizzled the balsamic on I turned every piece to get a nice coating and allowed each piece to cook for 2-3 minutes per side. You should have a really sticky, flavorful outside and a tender inside. It doesn’t get much more flavorful then this!

For the Alfredo sauce, I knew I didn’t want to over-do the bleu cheese. I purchased a serious block of bleu cheese a few weeks ago, and I knew I wanted to make an Alfredo sauce with it. The only thing is, my bleu cheese is powerful. It is super stinky and super tangy so a little bit goes a long way. I only used about an ounce of bleu cheese in the recipe, but some bleu cheese’s are different. If your not getting a good hint of bleu cheese in your sauce, go ahead and add more.

*If you are looking for a high quality, relatively inexpensive cast iron grill I highly recommend the brand Lodge! Here is a link to the grill pan I used.

Pina Colada Cupcakes with Fresh Coconut

July 12, 2014 by Dana

I picked up a fresh coconut at the grocery store and wanted to make a treat for the kids with it. We had an interesting time opening it, but it wasn’t as hard as people make it sound! It did require a large chef knife and a hammer but hey, it’s all in a day’s work I guess! My husband opened it and my kids loved the fresh and cool water inside. Even the baby was downing it like it was going out of style. There was about 2 1/2 cups of water in the coconut so we drank a little bit, and saved the rest for the cake. I mentioned in my Whole Wheat Black Raspberry Shortcake post that my husband had picked up a Cooking Light Desserts magazine for me while he was at the grocery store. Although I don’t agree with their stance on substituting low-fat and potentially harmful ingredients (like Cool Whip) for the real deal, I did find a lot of inspiration in the magazine. When I make desserts I try to find a balance between super sweet and bland, and these cupcakes fell right in the middle, and were absolutely delicious. There is a perfect balance that can be achieved by using real and fresh ingredients, whole wheat flour, and a nice fluffy homemade meringue icing that doesn’t skimp on flavor. When you use real ingredients, you don’t need cups upon cups of sugar to make a dessert amazing. These are truly “from scratch bakery style” and can be made for far less then what you would pay at an upscale bakery ($2-3 EACH!). I wanted to show you exactly how I filled these cupcakes just incase you have never done it before. All you need is a melon baller or the underside of a piping tip. I simply press each end of the melon baller into the cupcake very gently, and when I have impressed a circle in the middle I scoop it out. If you are worried about messing up your cupcakes don’t sweat it, because nobody will see what is underneath the fluffy meringue icing. It took me a few tries to get a really nice circular hole in the middle of my cupcakes, so just keep in mind practice makes perfect when it comes to baking.

Nothing compares to the light fluffy meringue style icing on these cupcakes! It is truly the perfect icing for any dessert because it is not sickeningly sweet. It is so beautiful and glossy, and pipes very well. It holds up well in the refrigerator for a day or two, so these are a cupcake that can be made the day before your event. To make a meringue style icing you will need a sugar thermometer which can be purchased at a crafty store, restaurant store or online. The sugar thermometer just clips to the side of your sauce pan and allows you to see exactly what temperature your sugar is. You will be looking for about 250 degrees, or soft crack, for this recipe. I started whipping my egg whites about 3-4 minutes into cooking my sugar and the timing was perfect. The egg whites were reaching stiff peaks when my sugar was reaching 250 degrees, which is what is ideal. If your whites are at stiff peaks and your sugar isn’t to 250 degrees yet, simply turn them off until your sugar is ready.

Here is the meringue on the cupcakes before I put any garnish on them.

With this icing you can really garnish it however you’d like, or leave it as is which is pretty too! To garnish these I toasted the fresh coconut flesh in the oven in larger chunks. I decided I wanted to set these apart from all the other cupcakes I’ve seen that just use shredded coconut. I love the look of the slightly toasted coconut chunk and the fresh pineapple. The umbrellas can be found at Party City or online for pennies, so if you are planning a luau or party the umbrellas make an inexpensive and cute decoration. We recently had a luau for my baby’s 1st birthday so I have a whole box of umbrellas to use!

* You an find the items you might need to make these cupcakes here. 🙂

The Meringue Icing (Adapted from Cooking Light)

Ingredients:

4 large egg whites + 2 Tbsp raw cane sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar (or a squirt of lemon juice)
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup raw cane sugar (I use Woodstock Brand)
1/4 cup water
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
fresh toasted coconut flesh (for garnish or topping)

Directions: Combine 1 cup raw cane sugar and 1/4 cup water in heavy bottomed saucepan and mix. Attach sugar thermometer to pan, and turn burner on high heat. Once you have turned your heat on, do not touch your sugar! Cook sugar to 250 degrees. While sugar is cooking put 4 large egg whites and 2 Tbsp raw cane sugar in bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Turn mixer on medium-high speed and whisk whites to stiff peaks. While whites are whisking, sprinkle in 1/4 tsp cream of tarter (or squirt of lemon juice) and 1/8 tsp salt. I have made meringue without the cream of tartar or lemon and it will turn out just fine without this ingredient if you do not have it on hand! When sugar reaches 250 degrees and whites are at stiff peaks, continue whisking whites on medium speed and slowly pour sugar into whites while increasing the speed slowly to high at the same time. Make sure you are pouring sugar in a slow, steady stream. Some sugar may get stuck to your bowl, and that is fine. When your sugar is combined allow to mix for another 30 seconds-1 minute. Add vanilla extract to finish.

Fresh Pineapple Curd

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh pineapple, diced small or pureed
1/4 cup raw cane sugar
juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup water
6 large egg yolks (leftover from your meringue and cake)
2 Tbsp whole wheat pastry flour
2 Tbsp cold butter, in small chunks

Directions: If you’d like a smooth curd blend pineapple in a food processor, then strain through a mesh sieve. Also, omit water. Follow the rest of the directions the same. I left my pineapple in small chunks for a chunkier filling. Combine pineapple, sugar, lime juice, and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until sugar dissolves and pineapple changes color, about 8-10 minutes. When pineapple is tender and can be broken apart you may shred it if desired. Whisk egg yolks and flour in a separate bowl, and temper yolks using your pineapple mixture. Do this by adding a little bit of pineapple mixture to your eggs at a time, while whisking continuously. When eggs are warm, add eggs into saucepan and continue to whisk until mixture is thick. If your mixture is not thickening, give it more heat. Pour mixture into heat safe bowl and add chunks of cold butter. Stir until butter is melted and combined. Refrigerate until ready to use. Be sure to place plastic wrap directly on top of curd or you it may develop a skin on top. *I can’t seem to attach a link but here is the original recipe: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/fresh-coconut-cake-10000001973648/

Creamy Parmesan Peppercorn Cauliflower

July 9, 2014 by Dana

I am almost embarrassed to say this, but I ate almost all of this! My husband stepped outside to talk to the neighbor and I kept going back for more, and more, and more. Then finally when there was 2 pieces left I had to remind myself he had to at least give me his opinion on the recipe!

Everything about this recipe makes it delicious…especially the crunchy outside the cauliflower gets when you roast it. This is a recipe that could really wow a dinner party! The texture is just right, the cauliflower looks beautiful, and who doesn’t love cheese! Your friends will think you secretly went to culinary arts school or something when they taste this cauliflower because it is THAT good. Plus, cauliflower isn’t exactly the first side you think of when planning a dinner, but this s a great outside the box recipe to show people veggies can be delicious. I really wanted a good shot of the sauce, and here it is. Tell me that isn’t a beautiful sauce! I love the specks of paprika (secret to making roasted cauliflower look nice), and peppercorns.

This is a two step recipe. The cauliflower is prepared by seasoning it and tossing it in olive oil, then roasting it n a sheet tray in the oven. The sauce is prepared on the stovetop, then the cauliflower is tossed in the sauce to finish it off. The sauce only takes 5 minutes to put together, so I just waited until the cauliflower was just about done roasting to start the sauce, that way it wasn’t sitting around waiting for it’s buddy to come out of the oven. 🙂 Also, just to note, using 1 head of cauliflower makes enough for about 2 people. If you are cooking for more, I would suggest doubling it.

Classic Alfredo and Herb Sauce

May 29, 2014 by Dana

I don’t know anybody who doesn’t love a good pasta dish. This recipe is simple to make, takes only a few minutes, and can’t be beat by ANY jarred version. My toddler loves this served with whole wheat penne pasta and topped with sautéed mushrooms and eggplant (I’m eggplant obsessed). I love it topped with spicy chicken or even fish. All around, it goes great with any vegetables or protein, which makes it one of my go-to recipes.

Maple Dijon Grilled Salmon

May 20, 2014 by Dana

I like to keep things simple with Salmon because it is so good on it’s own. I use a cast iron stove-top grill for this recipe and it is perfect because the best part of this salmon are the flavorful drippings underneath the salmon! When I remove the salmon I scrape the goodness from the grill and put it right on-top of the fish. It makes this recipe that much better!

If you have never cooked with a cast iron griddle/grill before it does take some trial and error with temperatures. I’ve found the best thing to do is start very low, allow your grill to heat and if you need more heat turn it up little by little. Salmon is very delicate and the last thing you want to do is burn your fish to your grill in the first 2 minutes! Take it easy and you will have perfect result !

If you are on the market for cast iron cookware I highly recommend the brand Lodge. They have some really nice pieces that will last a life-time if you take care of them. Before doing anything with cast iron read up on how to take care of it. I’ve learned the hard way what to do/not to do with cast iron and replacing pieces is such a waste! Here is a link to the grill I use (I love it).

Pinned It, Did It! Hasselback Potatoes

May 15, 2014 by Dana

I saw these potatoes on Pinterest and immediately showed my husband. Of course they looked delicious, but were they everything Pinterest cracked them up to be? The vote is in…. drumroll please…. YES! They were absolutely awesome for so many delicious reasons!

How I Did It

First, I should say I used red potatoes. I saw a variety of potatoes being used but my husband grocery shops and he picked red potatoes so red potatoes it was!

Second, I used butter instead of olive oil. Sometimes I do toss potatoes in olive oil before baking but I wanted to put slices of butter between the potatoes because it looked cool! I didn’t put butter between every slice, I onlyput 3 really thin pieces in each potato.If you want to do this make sure your butter is cold or it might not work out so well.

Third, I saw a few different spice mixes but I went with good ol’ fashioned kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper.

Fourth, I baked them in a cast iron skillet and this was the key to getting this really amazing, crispy bottom that made them some of the best potatoes I’ve had. I wouldn’t even consider making them without the cast iron skillet!

Cutting the Potatoes

To get your slices spread apart like an accordion for a nice, crispy finished product you need to slice ALMOST the whole way through. If you don’t go far enough your potatoes wont spread apart, but if you go too far you’ll slice through the potato. So you see, it is kind of an art that takes practice. My slices weren’t as thin as I could get them, so next time I’ll keep that in mind. I also accidentally sliced through one or two potatoes but it was no big deal, I just stood the slices up next to the others and it was fine. I realized toward the end that if I angled my knife I had a better idea of when to stop cutting. Overall, there were a few imperfections but they were still amazing and will be our new go-to potatoes!

Butter

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Coconut Milk

Seasoning the Steak

Grilling the Steak

Part One: The Plan

Part Two: The Recipes

Everything Else You Need to Know About The 100 Days of Real Food Cookbook (From 100 Days of Real Food)

Here are the Steps I Took to Cook this Meal:

The Meringue Icing (Adapted from Cooking Light)

Fresh Pineapple Curd

How I Did It

Cutting the Potatoes

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