Nutella Cream Tart

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What better way to start out the new year than with a Nutella tart? Yep. That's precisely what we did on New Year's Eve. I was tasked to bring a dessert to the New Year's Eve party, and how could I resist making a Nutella dessert? Well, to break up the Nutella-monotony; I brought this Brown Butter Ice Cream, which was also a big hit. Thanks to Megan's Cookin for posting this recipe. It is so, so, so good. It isn't a heavy dessert, but smooth and silky. You can definitely taste the Nutella, but I think the flavor of this hazelnut spread is taken down just a tad by the addition of cream cheese, heavy cream, and sweetened condensed milk. Yeah, this isn't a pie you want to eat if you've made New Year's resolution to eat healthier or get in shape, but once you do meet your resolutions this is the perfect tart to celebrate with! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
Pie Crust:

• 25-30 chocolate wafers, crushed
• 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• Pinch of salt

Filling:

• 1 3/4 cups heavy cream, divided
• 1 cup nutella
• 3/4 cup (6 ounces)cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup plus 2 Tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
• dark chocolate shavings, for garnish

To make the pie crust; add the chocolate wafers to your food processor and process until the cookies are fine crumbles. Melt your butter and add a pinch of salt. Then combine the cookie mixture with the butter. Press into your 9 inch tart pan. Place the tart in the freezer and start your filling.

To make the filling; combine the nutella, cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk in your standing mixture.  Mix until combined but don't over-mix. Take out a medium bowl, and add in 3/4 cup of the heavy cream. Then using an electric hand mixer beat until the heavy cream forms soft peaks. Gently, fold in the whipped cream into the nutella mixture until it's well combined. Take out your tart from the freezer, and gently spoon the nutella mixture over the crust. Whip the remaining cup of heavy cream until it forms soft peaks. Gently, spread this on top of the nutella mixture. Refrigerate for a couple hours, or overnight.

Grandma Spencer's Strawberry Spinach Salad

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Yesterday was my dad, the "Big Man's", birthday.  In our family we don't go all out or anything for birthdays, but we did all head over to Mom and Dad's house to have a nice family dinner.  Mom had to work late yesterday and my offer of making dinner was turned down because it would've apparently taken too much time so we ended up ordering pizza for dinner.  As a nice little side to go along with our pizza I decided to make this strawberry spinach salad.

This salad is a family favorite.  When we were kids (well maybe not my brother who also wouldn't eat ketchup) we would always gobble it up even though it was full of spinach!  My Grandma Spencer used to always make it and it was a recipe that we made sure to get from our grandpa once she had passed away.  Now we make it for special dinners every once in a while or it's also great to take to pot lucks as well. 


And in case you were wondering, there was no cake for dessert, Dad is not a big cake person.  Instead we had brownies, his all time favorite.  My sister Avery made the brownies and added pecans to half of them because that's the way dad likes them.  (Well Dad would prefer the whole pan have nuts but some other people in the family are picky.)  
Ingredients

• 12 oz fresh baby spinach
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons cider or raspberry vinegar
• 1-2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons minced green onion
• 1 teaspoon salt
• dash of pepper
• 1 pint strawberries, sliced

Directions

1. Combine oil, vinegar, sugar, green onion, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.  Refrigerate for a couple of hours (or longer.)
2. Toast sesame seeds at 350 degrees for about ten minutes (150 for about 5 minutes in a toaster oven.)
3. Toss spinach, sesame seeds, dressing, and strawberries in a large bowl.  Enjoy!

Grandma's Beef Stew

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Last month, I made a post about how to plan a soup party. This evening, as I was making beef stew for dinner, I realized I forgot to include that recipe in my list of favorites for a soup party. I decided I’d post this recipe now.

Stew is wonderful any time of the year, but especially when it’s cold outside. Okay…here in Dallas, it’s not exactly cold…at least by Midwest standards..but it’s still somewhat chilly. So tonight the stew really hit the spot.

I got this recipe from my grandmother when I was a teenager, and have fond memories eating it at her house when I was growing up. I’ve made it for my own family a lot over the years, and it’s one of my husband’s and sons’ favorite meals. You may enjoy this recipe too.

GRANDMA’S BEEF STEW

4 lbs. beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes (cube when beef is semi-frozen, for easy cutting!)
4 T. oil
5 cups water
2 large yellow onions, sliced thinly
3 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 ½ tsp. garlic powder
3 bay leaves
1 T. salt
2 tsp. granulated sugar
2 tsp. paprika
½ tsp. black pepper
¼ tsp. ground cloves
2 lb. bag carrots, peeled and sliced in ¼-inch slices
3 lbs. potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ to ¾ inch cubes
2/3 cup water
1/3 cup all purpose flour

Brown beef cubes in oil in large Dutch oven. Then add 5 cups of water and the onions, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, bay leaves, salt, sugar, paprika, pepper and cloves. Let simmer over stove, uncovered, for an hour. Remove bay leaves. Add carrots and potatoes. Cover pot and cook for another 30-40 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. At the end of the cooking time, blend 2/3 cup water and flour together in a small bowl. Pour into stew and blend in and stir another 2-3 minutes—until stew is thickened. Makes about 10 to 12 large servings.

Enjoy!
~Becky

Hot 'n Spicy Crock Pot Chili

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I said it before...and I'll say it again: I love my crock pots! (I say "crock pots" plural, because I have seven of them, in varying sizes. I use them all, often multiple crock pots for one meal. The main entree might go in a large 6 1/2- or 7-quart crock pot, and then I may have several side dishes cooking in the smaller or medium-sized crock pots. If I've got a large crowd coming over, I might have both of my two 7-quart crock pots cooking the same main entree such as roast beef.)

Cooking in a crock pot is an easy and stree-free way to entertain. You start the food cooking in the morning (You can even do all your advance food prep the night before and put the filled crock pot in the fridge until cooking time), and have very little, if any, food prep to do before your guests arrive (which means you can be relaxing beforehand!). And if it's a chilly day outside, you have the added plus of taking in all those wonderful smells coming from the kitchen all day.

I took advantage of my crock pot this past weekend. As I mentioned in previous posts, we had a Super Bowl party this past Sunday. We also had overnight, out-of-town guests coming over Saturday evening. I already had a lot to do Saturday night, with getting ready for the Super Bowl party. There wasn't going to be a lot of "free" time Saturday evening for fixing a big dinner. So my crock pot came to the rescue....again! I used my large crock pot, and made crock pot chili...which was enough for about 12 people. On the side we served sour cream, shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, diced onions, and Fritoes. Our guests brought corn bread and tossed salad. It was a very yummy...and filling meal. I made up the chili the day before--on Friday--and kept it in the fridge until Saturday morning. It cooked all day Saturday, and about 6 pm when our guests arrived, dinner was ready!

The recipe I use for chili is one that I adapted and tweaked from the small recipe booklet that came with my West Bend crockery cooker. Here it is:

3 lbs. lean ground beef
2 ½ cups chopped yellow onions (3-4 large onions)
2 ½ cups chopped green bell pepper (3-4 large bell peppers)
3 tsp. crushed garlic
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies, drained
4 (28-oz.) cans whole tomatoes (undrained), cut up
2 (15 oz.) cans dark red kidney beans, drained
2 (15 oz.) cans light red kidney beans, drained
4 T. chili powder
1 T. ground cumin
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. cayenne pepper

Brown ground beef with onion, green pepper and garlic in large skillet over medium heat. Drain excess grease. Transfer mixture to crock pot. Add remaining ingredients; stir to blend. Cook on low heat setting for 8 to 10 hours.

Enjoy!

~Becky

Ombre St. Patrick's Day Garland

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I have a little last minute St. Patrick's day project to share with you. I wasn’t planning to decorate for St. Patrick’s Day. The last two days I have been sitting on the couch next to a sick little boy. I wasn’t allowed to leave his side except to get him more juice. I think I have seen Toy Story at least 20 times over the last two days. As much as I love my son, a woman can only watch toys come to life so many times. So on one of my juice runs, I checked out my felt stash. I found four different shades of green and a cream that I thought would be cute for a some St. Patrick's day décor. I set out to make an ombre garland. The perfect project for those sitting on the couch days.
I used this as the stencil to help cut out my shamrocks. I cut out 8 of each color. I cut 40 shamrocks. I would have loved to run over to my sewing machine to sew this together quickly. Since I wasn’t allowed to leave the couch. I just used embroidery thread to connect all of the shamrocks. It didn’t take as long as I thought it would. This project may be coming a little late this year. I will definitely be keeping it for next year too!

turning lemonade into lemons since 1983

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I don't know if any of you watch New Girl, but I catch it as often as I can, and for primarily one reason: Nick Miller, played by the laugh riot known as Jake Johnson. The character is hilariously pessimistic, curmudgeonly, and cynical, and when given the chance to ad lib, Jake consistently delivers laugh after chortle after guffaw.


He (or the writers)(or some combination of those) is responsible for my title, and I have every intention of citing it often in my life.

There is a connection here, and it's lemons! While raspberry lemonade may be a summer beverage, raspberry lemonade cupcakes are appropriate any time of year. I made lemon cupcakes and filled them with lemon curd. The raspberry (and, if you ask me, best) portion comes in the swiss meringue buttercream frosting. It's slick and delicately-hued and absolutely delicious.


There really is a nice balance between the tart curd and the sweet frosting. I like the play of textures, too--thick, creamy filling seems to go nicely with a fluffy cake and a light-as-air topping. Don't take my word for it, though--bring the flavors of summer into your house to bid farewell to 2012!

Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:
Cupcakes:

• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest (from 3 lemons)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs, room temperature

Lemon Curd:

• 3 egg yolks
• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1-1/2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, cold
• 1 teaspoon freshly-grated lemon zest

Frosting:

• 2 large egg whites
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup butter, cut into tablespoons, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup raspberry preserves

Directions:
First, make the lemon curd:
In a heavy saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, cream, and butter and cook over moderately low heat, whisking constantly, 5 to 7 minutes, or until mixture just reaches a boil. Strain the curd into a bowl and stir in the zest. Cover the surface of the curd with plastic wrap and chill at least 4 hours and up to 2 days.

To make the cupcakes, first preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line standard muffin tin with paper liners. Whisk together flour and salt. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl every few minutes. Add citrus zests. Reduce speed to medium, and add vanilla. Add eggs, three at a time, beating until until incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in four batches, beating until completely incorporated after each.
Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full; tap pans on countertop once to distribute batter. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 10 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely.

To make the frosting, combine egg whites and sugar in the heatproof bowl of a standing electric mixer set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk constantly by hand until mixture is warm to the touch and sugar has dissolved (the mixture should feel completely smooth when rubbed between your fingertips).
Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Starting on low and gradually increasing to medium-high speed, mix until stiff (but not dry) peaks form. Continue mixing until the mixture is fluffy and glossy, and completely cool (test by touching the bottom of the bowl), about 10 minutes.
With mixer on medium-low speed, add the butter a few tablespoons at a time, mixing well after each addition. Once all butter has been added, scrape down sides of bowl with a flexible spatula and switch to the paddle attachment; continue beating on low speed until all air bubbles are eliminated, about 2 minutes. Add preserves and beat until combined. Stir with a flexible spatula until the frosting is smooth. Keep buttercream at room temperature if using the same day, or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month. Before using, bring to room temperature and beat with paddle attachment on low speed until smooth again, about 5 minutes.

To assemble the cupcakes, carve out a cone-shaped bit from the top of each cupcake. Squirt or spoon in some of your lemon curd. Top the curd-loaded cupcakes with the frosting and eat!

salad shmalad

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WHY, oh why is the mushed and molded combination of chicken, fruits, nuts, and vegetables called chicken salad? Is it because of the mayonnaise? It's misleading to me, for when someone tells me they're going to serve chicken salad, I don't necessarily know whether I should expect a bed of greens with grilled chicken sitting atop it or the aforementioned mixture. Methinks a distinction is needed.


Muddled chicken? Chicken mishmash? Potpourri of chicken? I dunno, but someone should come up with something. I guess the same applies to tuna salad, egg salad, and ham salad. For some reason, I'm okay with potato salad, perhaps because no meat is involved (unless it's a really good potato salad and there's bacon in it...).


You all already know that I take issue with the names of many foods, but what really matters in the end is the taste. This is a marvelous version of a lunch classic. One of the best things about it is its adaptability--if you don't have any craisins, raisins or fresh grapes would be just fine. Basil too expensive right now? No problem! Use parsley or cilantro. A pear can easily replace the apple and walnuts are just as tasty as pecans. Personalization is fun!

So I'm starting off 2013 with a relatively nutritious recipe. Don't get used to it.

Potpourri of Chicken
Ingredients:
Makes about 6 servings

• 4 cups shredded poached chicken
• 1 stalk celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 4 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1 apple, peeled, cored, and chopped in a small dice
• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• 1/2 cup craisins
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped basil
• 1 cup mayonnaise, or more or less to achieve desired consistency
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• 2 teaspoons salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
In a mixing bowl, toss together the chicken, celery, scallions, apple, pecans, craisins, and basil. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper to taste. Add to the chicken and mix gently until combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Grandma's Beef Stew

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Last month, I made a post about how to plan a soup party. This evening, as I was making beef stew for dinner, I realized I forgot to include that recipe in my list of favorites for a soup party. I decided I’d post this recipe now.

Stew is wonderful any time of the year, but especially when it’s cold outside. Okay…here in Dallas, it’s not exactly cold…at least by Midwest standards..but it’s still somewhat chilly. So tonight the stew really hit the spot.

I got this recipe from my grandmother when I was a teenager, and have fond memories eating it at her house when I was growing up. I’ve made it for my own family a lot over the years, and it’s one of my husband’s and sons’ favorite meals. You may enjoy this recipe too.

GRANDMA’S BEEF STEW

4 lbs. beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes (cube when beef is semi-frozen, for easy cutting!)
4 T. oil
5 cups water
2 large yellow onions, sliced thinly
3 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 ½ tsp. garlic powder
3 bay leaves
1 T. salt
2 tsp. granulated sugar
2 tsp. paprika
½ tsp. black pepper
¼ tsp. ground cloves
2 lb. bag carrots, peeled and sliced in ¼-inch slices
3 lbs. potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ to ¾ inch cubes
2/3 cup water
1/3 cup all purpose flour

Brown beef cubes in oil in large Dutch oven. Then add 5 cups of water and the onions, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, bay leaves, salt, sugar, paprika, pepper and cloves. Let simmer over stove, uncovered, for an hour. Remove bay leaves. Add carrots and potatoes. Cover pot and cook for another 30-40 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. At the end of the cooking time, blend 2/3 cup water and flour together in a small bowl. Pour into stew and blend in and stir another 2-3 minutes—until stew is thickened. Makes about 10 to 12 large servings.

Enjoy!
~Becky

Hot 'n Spicy Crock Pot Chili

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I said it before...and I'll say it again: I love my crock pots! (I say "crock pots" plural, because I have seven of them, in varying sizes. I use them all, often multiple crock pots for one meal. The main entree might go in a large 6 1/2- or 7-quart crock pot, and then I may have several side dishes cooking in the smaller or medium-sized crock pots. If I've got a large crowd coming over, I might have both of my two 7-quart crock pots cooking the same main entree such as roast beef.)

Cooking in a crock pot is an easy and stree-free way to entertain. You start the food cooking in the morning (You can even do all your advance food prep the night before and put the filled crock pot in the fridge until cooking time), and have very little, if any, food prep to do before your guests arrive (which means you can be relaxing beforehand!). And if it's a chilly day outside, you have the added plus of taking in all those wonderful smells coming from the kitchen all day.

I took advantage of my crock pot this past weekend. As I mentioned in previous posts, we had a Super Bowl party this past Sunday. We also had overnight, out-of-town guests coming over Saturday evening. I already had a lot to do Saturday night, with getting ready for the Super Bowl party. There wasn't going to be a lot of "free" time Saturday evening for fixing a big dinner. So my crock pot came to the rescue....again! I used my large crock pot, and made crock pot chili...which was enough for about 12 people. On the side we served sour cream, shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, diced onions, and Fritoes. Our guests brought corn bread and tossed salad. It was a very yummy...and filling meal. I made up the chili the day before--on Friday--and kept it in the fridge until Saturday morning. It cooked all day Saturday, and about 6 pm when our guests arrived, dinner was ready!

The recipe I use for chili is one that I adapted and tweaked from the small recipe booklet that came with my West Bend crockery cooker. Here it is:

3 lbs. lean ground beef
2 ½ cups chopped yellow onions (3-4 large onions)
2 ½ cups chopped green bell pepper (3-4 large bell peppers)
3 tsp. crushed garlic
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies, drained
4 (28-oz.) cans whole tomatoes (undrained), cut up
2 (15 oz.) cans dark red kidney beans, drained
2 (15 oz.) cans light red kidney beans, drained
4 T. chili powder
1 T. ground cumin
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. cayenne pepper

Brown ground beef with onion, green pepper and garlic in large skillet over medium heat. Drain excess grease. Transfer mixture to crock pot. Add remaining ingredients; stir to blend. Cook on low heat setting for 8 to 10 hours.

Enjoy!

~Becky

Roasted Green Beans with Goat Cheese

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I don't know about you, but after all the great eating through the holidays, I am ready to get back to "real" food - and lots of fruits and veggies. So today I bring you a wonderful way to prepare green beans. Green beans are one of my favorite veggies, and they rocket to the top when roasted with some garlic and topped with goat cheese. It is a wonderful combination! I ate this for dinner one night, but it's also delightful paired with any meat.

Start by trimming the green beans and then laying them out on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil


then sprinkle with garlic


and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 15 minutes until beans are tender, then transfer them to a serving platter and sprinkle with lemon juice and lemon zest. Crumble the goat cheese over the beans.


Serve immediately and enjoy your veggies!


One year ago: Cheesy Broccoli Cauliflower Ham Casserole
Two years ago: Bourbon Chicken
Three years ago: Cheesy Ham and Noodle Casserole

Get more great ideas at Hearth and Soul, Whole Foods Wednesday, Whatcha Whipped Up, What's Cooking Wednesday, Wednesday Extravaganza, Wicked Good Wednesdays.

Roasted Green Beans with Goat Cheese

1 lb green beans, ends trimmed
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 tbsp goat cheese
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
1 tsp. lemon juice

Place the green beans and garlic on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast at 425 for 12-15 minutes until the green beans are slightly toasty and tender. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and drizzle with the lemon juice. Top with the goat cheese and lemon zest and serve immediately.

Alison's Quiche

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So, for the past couple years I've been going to a co-worker's Ornament Exchange party. And, every year that I've been she's made this Quiche recipe as part of her brunch menu. The first year I tried it I was pretty leery since I'm not an egg person. But, I have to admit that I really liked it. So, if you are not a big egg person I bet you will love this recipe. It doesn't taste real eggy (is that a word?) but it has that fluffiness you can expect from a cooked egg. Plus, you use a pie crust, which, if I'm being honest is my favorite part. And, you also throw in your favorite veggies and/or protein such as ham. I think that if you are a big egg person then you should really love this recipe. Give it a try and I'm sure you won't regret it. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup veggies of your choice, diced (Mushrooms, Green Pepper, Onions, Asaparagus)
1/2 cup cooked diced ham
3 eggs
1 cup Half and Half
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cups shredded swiss cheese
2 tbsp flour

Cook your vegetables in 2 tablespoons of butter until nice and soft. I used green peppers and onions. Set aside. Since I used diced pre-cooked ham I didn't bother sauteing them.
Next, take a medium bowl and mix the eggs, half and half, salt, and pepper. Then, mix the flour with the cheese in a medium bowl. Now, take out your packaged pie crust; pour in the veggies and diced ham. Add in the cheese and then carefully pour the egg mixture over the cheese. Place the quiche on a baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Then, drop your oven temperature to 325 and bake for an additional 30 to 35 minutes. The quiche is ready when a knife inserted doesn't come out runny. Let stand for a few minutes before serving.

Breakfast Potatoes

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For Christmas 2012; I wanted to do brunch with my Dad. On tap for my menu; were these Swedish tea rings, this quiche, and breakfast potatoes. I found the recipe for breakfast potatoes from The Pioneer Woman's blog. My friend, Sara, swears by her recipes, so I figured I couldn't go wrong with it either, right? Right. It was very simple to make; and I even added cayenne and paprika pepper to kick it up a notch. I wish I had made more bacon, because I would have added crumbled bacon to it, as well. My only gripe was that I wish the potatoes were crispier, but I think it's because I used white potatoes instead of the red potatoes she suggested in her recipe. Oh well. They were still quite tasty. Overall, brunch was a success!
Ingredients:
4 whole (to 5) Large Red Potatoes
1 whole Onion, diced
1 Tablespoon Vegetable Or Canola Oil
1 Tablespoon Bacon Fat
Salt And Pepper, to taste
Red And Green Bell Peppers, Diced (optional)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2 tsp paprika (optional)
crumbled bacon (optional)

Wash your potatoes and throw in a large pot and boil until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain the potatoes and then dice 'em up. Set aside. Take out your onion and dice 'em up. Take out your saute pan and in the bacon fat and oil. I just used regular ol' bacon fat, because I can. Set the temperature to medium-high and add in the diced onion. Just as the onions are beginning to brown this is the time to throw in the diced potatoes. Stir and cook the potatoes for a couple minutes. Then kinda crowd your potatoes together and pat down with your spoon. Let sit for several minutes without stirring. Feel free to sprinkle some flour at this point. You can also add in the cayenne and paprika peppers if you so desire. The pan should be hot enough to crisp the potatoes but not so hot it'll burn 'em. Cook for several minutes and then flip with a spatula. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to your desired seasoning. And, keep cooking to your desired crispness. Enjoy!

Tilapia Meuniere

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Man, I just love a delicious sauteed fish. I feel like I'm starting to get a little better at cooking fish. Maybe it's because I'm finding really yummy recipes. I used to think the only time I could eat decadent, smooth, tasty fish was at fancy restaurants,but thanks to this recipe from Barefoot Contessa I don't need to drop $30 for a decadent fish. Now, I can make it at home for about $8. This recipe is super easy and very tasty. I highly, highly recommend that you give her recipe a try. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 fresh sole fillets (I used tilapia), 3 to 4 ounces each
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Take out your fish and pat dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle salt on one side of each fish. Take a plate and add the flour, salt, and pepper. Add the fish to the flour and shake off any excess flour. Take out your saute pan and set it to medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons butter. Once the butter starts to brown in the pan; add two of the 4 fish. Lightly brown one side; gently turn over the fish and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add some of the lemon zest on top of each fish, and then add the lemon juice to the pan. Gently remove the fish from the pan and place on a plate. Pour the juice from the pan on top. Warm in a 200 degree oven, and do the above to the remaining 2 fish. Remove the fish from the oven and serve. Enjoy.

Nutella Buns

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Sigh. I really need to stop with the whole Nutella situation. I think I have a problem, and it's probably time I seek help from Nutella Anonymous. I'm sure such a program exists. I mean; I know I'm addicted to this stuff, and I am pretty positive others are, too. Sigh. Well, here you go. Another delicious Nutella recipe. I found this particular recipe from Saveur and decided to try it the other night. OMG. Straight out of the oven it was simply divine. I inhaled one right before I was to eat my dinner. The next day was good, but definitely not as tasty as straight out of the oven. I would suggest warming them in the oven if you eat it the following day. I'm sorry. Please don't be mad at me for posting another heavenly Nutella recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 (¼-oz.) package active dry yeast
¼ cup, plus 1 tsp. sugar
½ cup milk
9 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 eggs
4 cups flour, plus more for dusting
¾ cup brown sugar
⅔ cup coarsely chopped pecans
1½ cups Nutella
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Take out a small bowl and add the yeast, 1 tsp sugar, and 1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees). Stir and let sit for 10 minutes or until the yeast mixture is nice and foamy. Meanwhile, take out a small saucepan and pour in the milk and bring to a simmer. Turn off the heat and set aside for 5 minutes. In a mixing bowl, add 4 tbsp softened butter, remaining sugar, salt, yeast mixture, and 2 eggs. Stir in the milk and add the flour a little at a time. I actually ended up using all 4 cups. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead by hand for about 3 minutes. Place in a lightly-greased large bowl and then set it in a warm oven (85 degrees) so it can rise for a couple hours or until doubled in size.

Once the dough is about ready to be pulled from the warm oven, take out a small sauce pan and add the brown sugar and the remaining 4 tablespoon of butter. If you are using the pecans add them to the saucepan. Once the brown sugar and butter is melted; pour this into a 9x13 baking dish. Set aside.

Once the dough has doubled in size; remove from the oven. Now, set the oven temperature to pre-heat at 375. Then, punch down the down and let rest for a minute or two. Roll out the dough into a 15x20 rectangle. Carefully, spread the Nutella around the dough while leaving an inch border around the edges. Take your remaining egg and lightly whip. Then using a brush, dip into the egg wash and spread along the 1 inch border. Carefully, roll the dough into a log and cut using a sharp knife into 12 rounds. I think I got about 8 or 9 rolls out of the dough. Transfer rounds cut side up to the baking dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon if you are using and place in the oven. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the rolls are a nice golden color. Once ready, remove from the oven and let cool for a couple minutes. Serve inverted on a plate and drizzle with the syrup from the baking dish.

Grandma Spencer's Strawberry Spinach Salad

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Yesterday was my dad, the "Big Man's", birthday.  In our family we don't go all out or anything for birthdays, but we did all head over to Mom and Dad's house to have a nice family dinner.  Mom had to work late yesterday and my offer of making dinner was turned down because it would've apparently taken too much time so we ended up ordering pizza for dinner.  As a nice little side to go along with our pizza I decided to make this strawberry spinach salad.

This salad is a family favorite.  When we were kids (well maybe not my brother who also wouldn't eat ketchup) we would always gobble it up even though it was full of spinach!  My Grandma Spencer used to always make it and it was a recipe that we made sure to get from our grandpa once she had passed away.  Now we make it for special dinners every once in a while or it's also great to take to pot lucks as well. 


And in case you were wondering, there was no cake for dessert, Dad is not a big cake person.  Instead we had brownies, his all time favorite.  My sister Avery made the brownies and added pecans to half of them because that's the way dad likes them.  (Well Dad would prefer the whole pan have nuts but some other people in the family are picky.)  
Ingredients

• 12 oz fresh baby spinach
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons cider or raspberry vinegar
• 1-2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons minced green onion
• 1 teaspoon salt
• dash of pepper
• 1 pint strawberries, sliced

Directions

1. Combine oil, vinegar, sugar, green onion, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.  Refrigerate for a couple of hours (or longer.)
2. Toast sesame seeds at 350 degrees for about ten minutes (150 for about 5 minutes in a toaster oven.)
3. Toss spinach, sesame seeds, dressing, and strawberries in a large bowl.  Enjoy!