At the end of the growing season I am always left with a ton of basil. A great way to preserve the leaves is to keep them in the fridge, covered in olive oil and salt. They will keep for many months this way. I use them in any cooked dish that won’t mind a little extra oil. They are great in a stir fry, mixed with roasted meat and veggies, or in one my favorite dishes, Ezekiel’s chicken.
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Deb’s decadent hot chocolate mix lives up to its name. It gets the decadence from using dark chocolate in addition to cocoa powder. The dark chocolate is ground in a food processor or finely chopped so that it perfectly melts when you add hot milk. It’s not too sweet so you can really taste the chocolate, and it has a thick and creamy texture. I expect nothing less from Deb of Smitten Kitchen. She is my favorite food blogger and taste bud kindred spirit. This hot chocolate mix is definitely gift worthy and takes about 10 minutes to make. Deb has some ideas for cute packaging and mixing in other flavors on her site.
Did you know you can save up food scraps and make a killer broth out of them? We’ve made a habit out of keeping a freezer bag for scraps we would otherwise throw out: bones, shells, carrot peels, celery butts, onion skins and pieces, and herb stems. These are all the ingredients needed to make a delicious stock. Obviously, stock tastes like what you put in it. You can mix it up as much as you want or try to stick with a theme, such as seafood stock with shrimp shells, fish bones, and complimentary herb stems. Or you could take a traditional chicken, carrot, celery, onion, and herbs approach. The finished stock is tasty enough to drink hot and seasoned with salt and pepper. You can also use it as a base for miso soup or other kinds of soup, or use in any recipe that calls for stock.
This lovely recipe consists of chicken smeared with a salty, umami mix of miso paste, honey, butter, and rice vinegar, and roasted with whatever veggies you have on hand. This time, I used broccoli and little red potatoes. It is such an easy, healthy, and delicious meal, it has become a regular at our dinner table. Or dinner bar to be more accurate, since we usually eat at our gorgeous live edge pecan bar.
This cranberry sauce is nothing like the cranberry sauce from a can. It’s sweet and tart and has the texture of a soupy jam. My mom made this for Thanksgiving every year when I was growing up. For me, it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without it. I didn’t like it much as a kid, but fell in love when my tastes buds grew up. It’s too good to eat only on Thanksgiving! The recipe is very quick, easy, and delicious.
Preserved radishes are so simple to make and can elevate a dish from ordinary to gourmet with very little effort. They soak in soy sauce and become crunchy, salty, and umami with a ginger kick. Ordinary cheese and crackers transforms into an appetizer that will impress your guests and delight your taste buds. I also like them in salads, on sandwiches, and in miso soup. The soy sauce ends up nicely flavored too, and can still be used in other dishes.
This shrimp and grits dish is deeply satisfying comfort food. It’s a lot lighter than it tastes though. Grits/polenta recipes often use butter, milk, or cheese for richness and creaminess. Tip: you don’t need these things for rich and creamy grits. All you need is cornmeal and good tasting broth. The little bit of pork in this recipe certainly adds some richness, but it’s a small amount with a big payoff.
Fermented carrots are super yummy, like carrot pickles. They make a great healthy snack, side dish, or addition to salad. They are packed with vitamins and gut-friendly bacteria. Different herbs and spices can be added to flavor them however you like. I often use dill, which gives them a familiar and approachable dill pickle-like flavor. This time, I used spicier ingredients with a Tex-Mex flair: hot peppers, garlic, onion powder, mustard seeds, and oregano.
I’ve loved chocolate milk since I was a little girl. I still drink it once a week or so as a special treat. Homemade chocolate syrup is so easy to make, and you probably have all the ingredients in your pantry: cocoa powder, sugar, salt, and vanilla. If you want to make it fancier, you can add espresso powder, which gives a boost to the chocolate flavor. I didn’t use it this time, but trust me, it’s a fantastic addition if you happen to have it. The syrup is still chocolatey delicious without it though!
I stuffed this little pie pumpkin full of ham, cheese, onion, and basil and it was delicious! Most stuffed pumpkin recipes I’ve seen include bread and milk or eggs. I wanted something lower carb and less rich. Something that felt decadent but still fit within my diet. So I left out the bread and milk, and I think it’s better this way. The flavors of each ingredient really came through.
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AuthorMy name is Hillary. This blog is about the everyday food I prepare in my kitchen, with tips and recipes for easy, wholesome, and diet friendly meals. I have been chanting "cheese please!" since I was a toddler, although lately I've cut back on dairy. Archives
June 2018
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