Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut butter, egg, sugar, salt. ‘nough said.  This is the simplest, least processed, and perhaps most delicious peanut butter cookie you can make.  Whether you’re gluten-free or just carefree, mix up a batch and savor a good old fashion p.b.c.

Decadent Chocolate Cake

Chocolate cake fan?  If so, this is the cake for you.  Moist, decadent, and velvety.  Top with your favorite chocolate buttercream or cream cheese frosting and devour. Perfect for any occasion…birthday, anniversary, new job or in this case, a job well “done” for my Penpal.

Rum Raisin Baked Apples

Fall is definitely here.  Time for warm favorites and comforting classics.  Why not end the meal with a classy twist on the baked apple. Rum soaked raisins spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, orange zest and brown sugar warm the soul and spice up a classic. Top with a dollop of vanilla ice cream and mmm...

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Warm up with this fresh, flavorful, fiesta fare.  Shredded chicken combined with classic Mexican spices served up with crisp tortilla chips and a dollop of guac...perfect for a SoCal soul anywhere.

Nutella French Macarons

French Macarons – classy, luscious, and surprisingly easy.  These beautiful little morsels of tender meringues and creamy nutella combine a few simple ingredients to create not just a dessert but a delicious adventure to a warm Parisian bakery.  Got a few minutes…take your sweet tooth to Paris!  

Strawberry Lemon Meringue Pie

  

Craving tart and sweet, creamy and silky, decadent and easy?  Try this summertime pie complete with a silky, tart lemon filling, topped with sweet berries and a luscious meringue all resting atop a buttery graham cracker crust.  Hi Summer!

Honey Beer Bread

What’s better than fresh baked bread? Not much, unless of course you add a dash of honey and bottle of beer to the mix.  Got 30 minutes?  Well, then you’ve got fresh, warm, and delicious bread.   This easy and tasty loaf takes less than five minutes to prepare and combines some of the finest/easiest ingredients…flour, honey, and beer.  Thought you couldn’t bake…just crack open a beer. Cheers!

Can you can? Blackberry Jam

Apparently, yes! I can can!  Thanks to my beautiful teacher, Miss Holly Larson, I successfully canned by first batch of jam.  Not only was this my first batch, but it was fresh picked from the vine and boiled down into sweet deliciousness, sealed tight, and tempting my taste buds in less than three hours.  With the right equipment, a bit of time, and some fresh berries…you can have delicious, homemade jam in no time. Just remember, “Yes, I can!”

Rosemary-Onion Focaccia Bread

Think making bread is hard?  So did I…that is until I ventured to make my own focaccia .  Take a simple olive oil bread dough base, top it with sweet sautéed onions and garlic and a sprinkling of rosemary, and you’ve got focaccia…crackly, warm, sweet and salty straight from your very own oven.

Garlicky Lemon Chicken

Craving a bright, light summer meal with ingredients you already have?  Try this easy lemon chicken, pan-sauteed in a light white-wine lemon butter sauce.  Top with spicy arugula, sweet summer tomatoes, and a shaving of parmesan.  A summer dinner…straight from the pantry!

From Amateur to Master: Pasta Carbonara

51 Porter is graduating!  We’ve come a long way from amateur undergrads to full-on masters.  In the next few weeks, the three of us will be graduating and what better way to celebrate a degree from a nutrition school than by EATING!  We kicked off our celebrations with a classic Italian dish – a simple yet rich pasta carbonara.  Carbonara takes basic ingredients – eggs, Parmesan, bacon – and turns them into a creamy swirl of mouthwatering tenderness.  Soft, supple noodles in a creamy coat complement a salty bacon crunch (converting even a household of vegetarians).  

Pasta Carbonara…perhaps it’s just another way to take something amateur and turn it into a master.  Cheers!

5 Minute Chocolate Souffle - Honestly!

Got a late night craving for something warm, chocolate and gooey, but don't want to bake a whole cake (because we all know what happens when there's extra chocolate cake in the house...)? We've got just the solution: The 5-Minute Chocolate Souffle! Plus, the 5 minutes includes preparation and baking time, how awesome is that? No patience needed, just a few ingredients and a microwave. 

Happy January Birthdays! Funfetti with Raspberry Cream & Cream Cheese Frosting

 

Try this combination of a classic funfetti cake filled with raspberry cream and topped with a cream cheese frosting...the perfect way to say Happy Birthday to anyone this winter, including Erin, Adee, Carrie, Lesley...and anyone else out there! :)

Swiss Chard & Potato Soup with Poached Eggs

It’s a little chilly outside (approximately 7 degrees), so it’s time for a little pick-me-up/warm-me inside! Warm up with this spicy combination of wintery greens and potatoes pureed into a creamy soup and topped with a poached egg and arugula pesto. Armed with a piece of your favorite crusty bread for dipping, this soup is sure to keep you cozy.

Balsamic Roasted Butternut Squash & Mushrooms with Pasta

Need to warm up this winter?  Try this simple pasta that combines a savory roasted butternut squash puree with sautéed mushrooms, spinach, and balsamic.  Top with a sprinkle of Parmesan and a dollop of ricotta.  The perfect warm-me-up pasta!

Lemon, Ricotta, Chocolate Tarts

Ricotta cheese has a sweet side.  A classic Italian dessert flavor, ricotta cheese can be  stuffed in cannolis, layered in cheesecakes, drizzled with honey.  Using the last of my homemade ricotta, I combined honey, nuts, lemon juice, and a dash of nutella in a crisp, buttery phyllo shell for a sweet twist on this savory staple.

Candied Citrus

Use the whole fruit, nothing but the fruit,…and maybe a little sugar. This is a great way to use up any citrus peel (orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit). Literally, all it takes is water, sugar, and leftover peel! A beautiful garnish, a sugary sweet, and a great way to use up whole fruit!

Tartines

     

Living in Europe, I learned a lot…the bread is amazing, the cheese is unbelievable, and the combination of the two is perfection. One of my favorite restaurants was a simple café known as Le Pain Quotidien (The Daily Bread). Starting in Brussels and maintaining its classic, warm, crusty European tradition as it expanded, Le Pain Quotidien prides itself on this classic combination of bread and cheese atop the tartine. “Tartine” is a fancy name for an open-faced sandwich. Sweet or savory, plain or toasted, classic combos or modern twists, enjoy a tartine today (perhaps le tartine quotidien)!

Homemade Ricotta

Close your eyes. Picture a cloud. Now take a bite out of it. Now open your eyes, combine four simple ingredients and poof…you’ve got delicious, creamy, fluffy ricotta right before your eyes! Really, it’s that easy.

Swedish (& Italian) Meatballs

Are they Swedish? Maybe. Are they Italian? Perhaps. Are they delicious? You be the judge! J Try this Italian pesto twist on classic Swedish meatballs. You can use chicken, beef, pork, soy protein, or any combination. Swedish or Italian…these meatballs are delicious! (Adapted from Martha Stewart).

Happy New Year From 51 Porter!