recipe: eggnog (faux) latte

it's getting chilly here in chicago, and while it's not quite time for christmas decor, i thought i'd sneak a little cheer in with an eggnog latte. minus the steamed milk and espresso, because who has that equipment laying around? this makes enough for one if you're greedy, two if you're just looking for a little taste of warm deliciousness.

ingredients:
1 cup eggnog
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup double-concentrated coffee
nutmeg & cinnamon

directions:
combine eggnog and milk in a mason jar. close it up, and start shaking! shake for 60 seconds, then remove the lid. microwave 60 seconds. remove, close it up and repeat - but only heat 45 seconds this time, and watch that it doesn't bubble over! pour the coffee into a deep mug, then pour the eggnog mix in. sprinkle with nutmeg and cinnamon, and enjoy!

recipe: texmex stuffed bell peppers

ingredients:
shredded chicken from 3 large/4 medium chicken breasts
1 jar salsa (15 oz)
1 packet taco seasoning (or equivalent amount homemade)
1 bag shredded cheddar
3-4 bell peppers

directions:
in a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, salsa, taco seasoning and 1/2 the bag of cheese, and mix well. remove the tops and insides of all bell peppers, then slice in half lengthwise, creating little bowls from each half. fill each pepper half with the chicken mix, then top with desired amount of cheese. bake at 350 degrees fahrenheit for 20-30 minutes.

recipe: butterbeer.

i love a good harry potter moment, movie or film.  i would love to spend a day or two at harry potter world, but that's a little far away and a lot more money than i'm inclined to shell out at the moment.  so instead, i headed to google and found myself a recipe for butterbeer!

this was simple and sweet (literally. really sweet.) and you best believe i will be making it again soon.  a few notes:
(1) clarified butter doesn't exactly mix with chilled soda, but once you add the foam on top you really won't notice. i wasn't able to find imitation butter flavor at any regular stores, but ghee is readily available (at least at trader joe's), so i went that route. real food ingredients ftw?
(2) this stuff is best very chilled. as in, i would chill the "foam" for 20-30 minutes before serving next time. possibly even in the freezer.
(3) small portions are best. this stuff is seriously rich, so consider splitting the portions. if you do this, the extra "foam" goes really well with strawberry pie.

butterbeer ingredients:
6 12 oz bottles chilled cream soda
3 tsp imitation butter flavor, or 2 tbsp clarified butter (ghee)

"foam" ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream
6 tbsp sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp imitation butter, or 3 tsp clarified butter (ghee)

directions:
in a large bowl, whip the heavy cream on medium high speed for 3-4 minutes until it starts to thicken.  add the sugar and continue whipping until soft peaks begin to form, another 3-4 minutes (or as needed).  stir in the vanilla and imitation/clarified butter, then whip for another 30 seconds or so, until soft peaks form.  let set out 6 large glasses. place 1 tsp clarified butter (or 1/2 tsp imitation butter) in each class. pour the sodas into each glass, over the butter.
spoon a generous portion of foam on top of each glass, then mix gently. if you aren't going for the "look", you can spoon the foam into the bottom of the glass before pouring in the cream soda. serve immediately.

recipe: one-pot chicken lo-mein

ingredients:

1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast

12 oz. linguini

4 medium carrots, peeled

2 medium red bell peppers

2 bunches bunch green onions

4 cloves minced garlic

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. corn starch

1 tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

4 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup water

2 tsp. evoo

directions

cut all veggies into thin, 3-inch strips. chop chicken into small chunks. break the linguini in half. add all ingredients to a large stock pot, liquids last. cover the pot and bring to a boil. once boiling, stir and reduce to just above a simmer. cook, covered, for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and liquids have cooked off.

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original recipe here. this goes really well with sweet chili sauce, and could probably handle quite a few varieties of vegetables...i'm definitely adding broccoli next time!

recipe: cold artichoke heart, chicken & red pepper pasta salad

ingredients
16 oz. can artichoke hearts
olive oil, salt & pepper
12 oz. jar roasted red bell peppers
2 tbsp. capers, drained
1 lb chicken, marinated
1 cup balsamic vinaigrette
2-4 tbsp whole grain dijon mustard
1 box pasta

directions
preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. prepare a pot of pasta. cook chicken in your desired method - grilled, baked, etc. drain roasted red bell peppers and artichoke hearts. chop artichoke hearts into small pieces, then place in a bowl and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. spread artichoke hearts in a single layer on a lined baking sheet, and roast for 20 minutes. chop bell peppers into bite-sized pieces, and add to the original bowl, along with the capers and cooked pasta. add the chicken and artichoke hearts once cooked. mix balsamic vinaigrette and dijon mustard, to taste. pour dressing over ingredients, and mix well. chill, then serve!

recipe: spinach-garlic-sundried tomato meatballs

ingredients

1 1/4 lb ground turkey or beef

2 cups chopped baby spinach

1 handful sun-dried tomatoes

2 heads roasted garlic

1 large egg, beaten

1 tsp. sea salt

dash black pepper

2 tbsp. olive oil

directions

preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with foil. squeeze out cloves from roasted garlic into a large bowl, and crush to spread. add all other ingredients to bowl, and mix together with hands until completely combined. scoop out equal sized portions to make meatballs, and place them on the baking sheet. place in oven, bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooked through.

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if you haven't experienced the wonder that is roasted garlic, do yourself a favor and try it. bake up a double batch, use half in the meatballs and then spread the other half on toast...sourdough is always a good option. enjoy along with your favorite beverage {i'm presently hooked on fevertree brand ginger beer...spicy and delicious!} as a tasty reward for your hard work making dinner!

recipe: packet grilled radishes

ingredients
16-20 oz. radishes
2 tbsp. butter
2-4 cloves garlic
salt, pepper & garlic powder to taste

directions
slice radishes, then dice garlic cloves and butter into small pieces. place all ingredients onto a double layer of foil. sprinkle with salt, pepper & garlic powder, and mix. fold foil into a secure packet. grill for 20 minutes or until radishes are tender.

recipe: gazpacho

ingredients
2 large ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 48 oz. can tomato juice
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 seedless cucumber, seeded & chopped
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 jar roasted red bell peppers, drained & chopped
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. hot sauce (optional)

directions
add half the solid ingredients and all liquid ingredients to a blender. blend until nearly smooth. add remaining solid ingredients to blender and pulse until desired texture. salt & pepper to taste. cover & chill 4+ hours before serving. best when served with a heaping helping of avocado!

recipe: cinnamon walnut bread

it's been a while since i made this cinnamon walnut bread, but i've got the walnut butter {homemade!} ready to go for tonight. walnut butter isn't ideal for producing a tall, sandwich-size bread, so don't expect a lot of rise in the loaf. but! combined with the flavor, the petite size of this loaf makes a slice perfect for a sweet snack.

 

recipe: overnight pumpkin chia granola pudding

i know this is my second pumpkin recipe in a row, but there's pumpkin in the fridge, so a girl has to get creative. i am not the biggest pumpkin person - you won't find me sipping a pumpkin spice latte - but when my creative efforts turned out this delicious concoction i had to share. don't mind the goldenrod color going on, that's just what happens when you mix pumpkin and yogurt.

recipe: pumpkin spice cream cheese muffins

the below recipe for pumpkin spice muffins is great - and pretty darn healthy - on its own. but in celebration of fall, i decided to throw something decidedly unhealthy-but-delicious in the mix. and oh, baby. pumpkin spice cream cheese muffins? yum. don't blame me if you eat them all in one go.

full disclosure: the photograph is of a mug-cake version of this. this is because for my first attempt at these, i followed someone else's directions and kept the batters separate. while that might work with a more traditional pumpkin spice batter, it wasn't quite the thing for my coconut-flour based batter. so, i experimented the next night with a mug-cake portion, mixing the two batters. much better. the recipe for the pumpkin cream cheese muffins reflects that tweak!

recipe: vanilla mug cake & toffee sauce

who can resist a double dose of dessert? this is one of my favorites since i made the effort to eat healthier...vanilla mug cake & toffee sauce! this mug cake may be one of my favorites i've made. it's only seven ingredients - six if you skip the optional baking powder - and it is full on delicious. throw on those berries and it's like strawberry shortcake, but without guilt! what's not to love? oh, do note that step re greasing the mug - it's crucial when it comes time to clean up. and the toffee sauce... ahh. i adapted tastelove&nourish's recipe for this glorious sauce {so good you can eat it off the spoon!}.  this sauce, on top of this mug cake, is exactly what i have been looking for to create the ideal- almost-clean yet still delicious -sticky toffee pudding stand-in to appease the cravings for that divine dessert that have been plaguing me since i left london. mix the two and enjoy!