Creamy Gruyère Pasta

So easy, quick, and delicious! We will be making this again for sure! next time, might add some chicken.

Original recipe credit: https://www.girlgonegourmet.com/creamy-gruyere-spaghetti/

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

2 T. grated Parmesan (used shelf stable kind)

1/2 T. olive oil

coarse ground pepper, to taste

5 oz. linguine (also think it would be good with farfalle)

2 T. butter

1 T. flour

1 c. 2% milk

1 tsp. herbes de Provence

1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

1 c. grated Gruyère

~ 2 c. fresh spinach (didn't measure, just added the amount I thought looked right)

Directions:

1. Cook linguine according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, combine the Parmesan, olive oil, and a couple of pinches of pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.

3. In a medium pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Once frothy, stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for around a minute.

4. Slowly stream in the milk, whisking constantly while doing so. Do NOT let the milk boil (reduce heat if needed).

5. Stir in the herbes de Provence and Kosher salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. Stir in the cheese until it has fully integrated in the sauce. Add the spinach and stir until wilted. Remove from heat.

7. Turn on the broiler. Once the pasta is ready (and drained), stir the sauce in with it. Transfer to a broiler-safe pan/dish. Top with the reserved Parmesan mixture and transfer to oven.

8. Broil for around 2 minutes, or until topping starts to brown a bit. Remove from oven, serve, and enjoy!

3 Cheese Stuffed Portobellos

Oh seriously mmmm! Made these to accompany the chicken drumsticks, yet after tasting the portobellos, declared I'd happily have a plate of just those for dinner! I'm hoping I can duplicate my results/recipe, as I didn't really measure anything (I started with measuring, but the mushrooms were not as big as expected after initial baking, so had to adapt). Below are my best guesses for the amounts.

Ingredients:

4 portobello mushrooms, stems removed and gills scraped out

olive oil (no idea how much of this total), divided

salt and pepper, to taste

~1 oz. each: mozzarella, Parmesan, and Asiago cheeses, shredded

2 small garlic cloves, minced, divided

zest from 1/2 of a lemon

chopped basil and curly parsley (~2 T. total), divided

~1/3 c. panko

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Brush portobellos all over with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Place mushrooms on a baking tray, stemmed side down. Bake for 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the filling: in a small bowl, combine the cheeses, 3/4 of the minced garlic, lemon zest, around 2/3 of the basil and parsley, ~1/2 T. of olive oil, and salt & pepper (to taste).

3. For the topping: in another small bowl, combine the panko with remaining garlic, remaining basil & parsley, and ~1 T. olive oil.

4. Once the mushrooms have baked for 20 minutes, remove from oven and turn over. "Fill" each with a fourth of the filling (cheese) mixture. Return to oven and bake for 5 minutes.

5. Remove from oven and switch oven to broiler setting (high). Top each mushroom with a fourth of the topping (panko) mixture. Broil for 1-2 minutes, until panko begins to brown. Remove from oven, serve, and enjoy!

Pressure Cooker Chicken Drumsticks

YUM. These drumsticks are easy and fantastic, 10+/10 all the way! We will be having these on the regular for sure!

Original recipe credit: https://littlesunnykitchen.com/instant-pot-chicken-drumsticks/

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 T. salt

3/4 tsp. pepper

10-12 chicken drumsticks (I did not measure weight; most were average to large)

~1 T. olive oil (I did not measure, had to actually add a little during second batch)

~1 T. butter (same note as olive oil)

1 c. chicken broth

1 T. cornstarch

1 T. water

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix together the paprika, dried oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

2. Sprinkle this mixture to coat the chicken drumsticks as evenly as possible.

3. In the pot of the pressure cooker, heat the olive oil and butter together using the sauté function. Once it is heated, brown the chicken (about half of it fits, so you will need 2 batches). Transfer to a plate.

4. Turn off the sauté function. Place the trivet in the cooker, then add the chicken broth. Arrange the chicken atop the trivet (I let the bone/handle end hang down through the trivet for some pieces to let them fit better).

5. Close/lock the cooker and set the valve to "sealing". Set for "poultry" (high) for 10 minutes of pressure. Once it has finished, let the pressure naturally release.

6. Once the pressure releases, transfer cooked chicken to a plate and remove the trivet. Turn on the sauté function.

7. In a small cup, stir together the cornstarch and water. Add this mixture to the sauce in the pot and stir to combine. Let simmer for around 5 minutes, or until desired thickness is achieved.

8. Serve sauce with chicken and enjoy!

Amazingly Awesome Chocolate Cake From Scratch!

Entry in progress...hang tight!

I rarely make cakes from scratch, as I like boxed cakes just fine and don't always have a lot of time to make from scratch...or so I thought. This cake has changed my mind. It really did not take all the much longer to put the ingredients together, and honestly--it is the best chocolate cake I have ever had! Not just the cake itself, but also the frosting! This will also be my go-to for chocolate frosting going forward. It's so perfectly balanced and not too heavy on the buttery-ness (I say this because MANY frosting recipes are too greasy/buttery for my taste). I hope you will give it a try!

And yes, you have to use self-rising flour for this. If you don't have self-rising flour, don't try this recipe.

Link to my YouTube "making of the recipe" video: https://youtu.be/Nz8X0You6EE

Original recipe credit: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/self-rising-chocolate-cake-recipe

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

for the cake batter--

6 T. salted butter, softened

6 T. canola oil

397g (2 c.) sugar

63g (3/4 c.) dutch-processed cocoa powder

1 tsp. vanilla extract

4 large eggs, room temperature

312g (2 3/4 c.) self-rising flour

1 1/2 c. water

for the frosting--

149g (1 3/4 c.) dutch-process cocoa powder

397g (3 1/2 c.) powdered sugar, divided

1 c. heavy cream

2 sticks (1 c.) unsalted butter, softened

1/8 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three 8" round cake pans (original says you can do two 9" instead; will post here if I ever try it that way).

2. For the cake batter-- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter, canola oil, sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract until they form a smooth paste.

3. Beat in eggs one at a time.

4. Add the flour and water in small additions, alternating between them, beginning and ending with flour. Mix at the end until smooth/combined.

5. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans, smoothing tops gently with the spatula. If desired, tap pans gently on counter a few times to pull out some any bubbles (I did not do this).

6. Bake cakes for 30-35 min, until fork/toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

7. Cool in pan for 5 min, then loosen edges with a spatula and turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

8. Once the cakes have completely cooled, prepare the frosting: start with sifting the cocoa powder plus 170g (1 1/2 c.) of the powdered sugar into a bowl.

9. Bring the heavy cream to a simmer (I did this in a pan on the stove; you may opt for microwave instead).

10. Pour the heavy cream into the sifted cocoa/powdered sugar mixture, whisking as you pour it in. The mixture will look grainy at first, but will gradually get smoother. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

11. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter, salt and remaining 227g (2 c.) of the powdered sugar.

12. With the mixer running on low speed, add the cocoa mixture a spoonful at a time (I used a soup spoon) until it is all incorporated. Once all has been added, beat at medium sped for 1 minute.

13. Frost the cake, serve, and enjoy!

Sherry Lemongrass Glazed Duck Breasts

Suuuper yum! If you love duck breast like we do, you have to try this recipe! If you haven't ever had duck breast, this is a great first recipe to try. I served it with simple roasted red potatoes (seasoned only with salt and pepper, tossed in olive oil), and a side salad--perfect! The only issue I have with this recipe is that it takes quite a bit of time to prepare the lemongrass (be sure to plan for this); once you have that, the rest is easy :)

Link to my YouTube "making of the recipe" video: https://youtu.be/gN8v87EMUnQ

Original recipe credit: https://www.harvestyourown.ca/get-cooking/sherry-lemongrass-glazed-duck-breast/

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

1/2 T. canola oil

1/6 c. finely chopped shallots

heaping 1/2 T. chopped fresh ginger

1/2 c. lemongrass (tender inner part), finely chopped

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. sherry vinegar

2 duck breasts

salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, heat canola oil over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, for around 3 min.

2. Add the ginger and lemongrass. Stir and cook for around 1 min,

3. Stir in the sugar and sherry vinegar. Increase heat to bring to a boil. Keep at boil, stirring occasionally, and boil until reaches syrupy consistency (not sure how long, as I tried just simmering as original recipe said, was not getting there, so I increased heat to boil, which finally worked. Will update when I make next time.)

4. Meanwhile, score the duck breast skin in a cross-hatch pattern (be careful to only cut skin, not meat!) Season with salt and pepper (to taste), then place skin side down in a skillet (I used and recommend cast iron). Use low to medium-low heat to render the fat and slowly cook the duck breasts. Let cook until skin is crisped and browned (at least 8 min; mine took closer to 12 min). Turn breasts over and cook on other side until desired doneness is reached (I went around 5 min, which made mine close to medium).

5. Drizzle breasts with sauce to serve. Enjoy!

Poutine Wraps

During my trip to Québec in October, I finally got around to trying the legendary dish: poutine. And I became a fan right away. It is so freaking good...at least the ones I had were. Poutine comes in many varieties, and like any dish, is not the same from chef to chef. At any rate, when I came across this recipe, I just had to try it. And oooh am I ever glad I did! The poutine part itself is awesome, so if you don't feel like having the extra calories of making a wrap of it, you can omit that.

Link to my YouTube "making of the recipe" video: https://youtu.be/rVVmdI2kFKQ

Original recipe credit: https://www.cuisineathome.com/recipes/lunch-dinner/poutine-wrap/

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

~5 oz. frozen fast-food style (shoestring) French fries, cooked according to package directions

1 T. canola oil

8 oz. skirt steak, cut into thin strip/slices

salt and pepper, to taste

1 c. (~4 oz.) sliced button mushrooms

1 T. minced garlic

1 T. tomato paste

1 T. all-purpose flour

1/4 c. dry sherry

1/2 c. low-sodium beef broth

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

2 T. crème fraîche

1 T. chopped fresh parsley

1/2 c. (~2 oz.) cheddar cheese curds

2 burrito-sized flour tortillas (10")

Directions;

1. In a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat, heat the canola oil, then add the skirt steak. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until meat has lost most of its pink (or all, if preferred). Transfer to a plate and set aside.

2. Add the mushrooms to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for around 3 min.

3. Add the garlic and tomato paste. Cook, stirring constantly, for around 1 min.

4 Sprinkle flour over mixture, stir to combine and cook for around 1 min.

5. Deglaze pan with the dry sherry. then add the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to simmer, stir occasionally, for around 3 min.

6. Remove from heat. Return steak to pan, stir to coat. Stir in the crème fraîche, then the parsley, and finally the cheese curds.

7. Place half of French fries to line center of tortilla, then top with half of the poutine mixture from the pan. Roll wrap up to close, serve, and enjoy!

Marbled Chocolate Chip Cookies

In the mood for a new twist on chocolate chip cookies? Here you go! These are very good, though I wouldn't put them above regular chocolate ship cookies (I mean, kinda hard to beat those :)) And I would make these again for sure. The marbling part when making the dough balls is a bit messy, be warned.

Link to my YouTube "making of the recipe" video: https://youtu.be/lLeHKJiN8dI

Original recipe credit: https://www.verybestbaking.com/toll-house/recipes/marbled-chocolate-chip-cookies/

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

270g (2 1/4 c.) all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1/3 c. baking cocoa powder

1 c. white morsels

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate morsels

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F.

2. In a small bowl. stir together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter, sugar, and vanilla extract, until light and fluffy.

4. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.

5. On slow speed, mix in the reserved dry mixture.

6. Divide dough in half. In one half, mix in the cocoa powder, then stir in the white morsels. Stir the chocolate morsels into the other half.

7. For the dough balls, scoop about 1/2 T. of each dough, then roll gently together into one ball (it will look like half-and-half). Place dough balls 1.5" apart on baking sheets.

8. Bake for 9-11 minutes (my dough balls were a little large, so I went the full 1 min). Let cookies rest on sheet for a couple of minutes after removing from oven, before transferring to cooling rack. Enjoy!