Chocolate Pumpkin Cream Macarons

Like chocolate? Like pumpkin? Like cookies? ....then this just might be your favorite fall friend.  A soft crunch on the outside with a creamy filling in the middle, this cookie combines my recipe for Nutella French Macarons with a pillowy pumpkin cream filling.  Give these simple French macarons a go...Bon appetit fall!

A Canvas for your “Palate”: Ricotta Gnocchi (with Turkey Meatballs)

A soft, light texture combines with a savory, sweet heartiness to make this the perfect contrast of taste and texture.  Serve it all year round – as a pillowy summer pasta drizzled with fresh basil pesto or a hearty winter comfort topped with your favorite ragout.    Ricotta gnocchi, a year-round canvas for your palette of sauces.

Apple Rum Raisin Bread Pudding with Cinnamon-Streusel Topping

What’s a classic, comforting dessert to you?  For some, it’s warm apple pie that grandma used to make; for others it’s a classic cookie or family Irish soda bread recipe (shout out to my fam); and for many it’s warm, rich bread pudding.  For me, bread pudding was never on the table.  It wasn’t a staple in my Irish mother’s recipe box, so I’ve grown up brushing aside what I thought was a sweet, mushy mix of stale bread.  However, when the next work food throw-down was excitedly announced as bread pudding, I decided to see what all the fuss was about.  My approach was to take the classic, comfort dessert flavors that I love, and turn them into a bread pudding.  Thus, I took plump raisins from my Mom’s soda bread, apples from my favorite apple pie, alcohol from my Irish side, and cinnamon streusel from my German side.  And what did I create…a first place Apple Rum Raisin Bread Pudding with Cinnamon-Streusel Topping.  Bread pudding, NOW a classic and a comfort for me too!

Classic Scones

Many have asked, what’s in a name?!  Well, I think the more important question truly is, what’s in a scone?!  Just like a person, you can’t judge a scone by its name or appearance…it all depends on what’s on the inside.  For some, it’s buttermilk.  For some, it’s cream.  For others, it’s the latest health food ingredient (applesauce, acai berry, you name it!).  But for me, it’s a classic Irish family recipe that starts with my grandmother telling you to “take off all your rings and bracelets because you need your hands!”  Buttery and warm, fruity but not too sweet, rustic and homey, this is my family’s recipe for perfect scones.  Judge for yourself, I think you’ll find that my family is delicious on the inside! 

Cheesecake

 One’s too rich.  One’s too dense.  One’s too creamy.  This one?... Just right! This recipe is a combination of a nutty, buttery crust and a creamy, fluffy, rich (but no too rich) filling.  Top with berries, dollop with chocolate, or keep it plain and simple.  In the accented words of my German gramps in reference to anything he ever made, “It’s the best one I ever made!”

The New Meatball Sub – Spaghetti Squash & Meatballs

Perhaps one of my favorite comfort foods, this dish scores high all around from taste, to texture, to nutrition, to versatility.  Vegetarian?  Swap the meatballs.  Vegan? Hold the cheese. Gluten-free? No pasta, no problems.  Tender roasted spaghetti squash creates the vessel for a piping hot marina sauce, tender meatballs, and serve up your very own meatball “sub”.

BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders

The most likely workouts happening on Super Bowl Sunday are by those on the field and by the slow cooker in the kitchen.  The Pats (shout out) and the Giants have got the prior taken care of, but who’s going to work that slow cooker?  With a little help from a pork roast, a tangy BBQ sauce, and some sweet buns, your slow cooker is going to get a great workout and your going to get a savory reward.  Go Pats!

Berry Crumbles

Cold outside? How about a winter warm-up?  These individual berry crumbles are warm, delicious, and the perfect end to a chilly day.  An example of a healthful "dessert flip", this recipe combines loads of sweet, warm berries and a touch of decadent crumble topping.  Cozy-up to a crumble tonight!

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.