Pumpkin Beer Float

My friends and I hit up BevMo on its opening day and we found Pumpkin Spice Beer. Being someone that is in love with everything that is pumpkin, I thought I had finally found the beer for me! ...it wasn't so great. :( Many of you may know that I'm not the biggest fan of beer, but I do try!  I'm always down for tasting beers, in hope that one of these days, I'll find the right beer for me. Until then, I'll just put ice cream in it! (for suggestions, try this website which has reviews of how different beers pair with ice cream!)

Root Beer Float!
1 bottle of beer
2 small or 1 large scoop of vanilla ice cream

I feel dumb giving these directions, but whatever... Pour beer over ice cream that has been scooped into a tall glass. Enjoy! :)

Filet Mignon and Steamed Artichoke

Ok, don't freak out quite yet. This is probably my favorite dinner to make, not only because it is delicious... but because it's cheap!! Yes, I said it...cheap! The trick is to find the good deals. I shop at Albertsons, and when the Filet Mignon is on sale, you can find two good sized steaks for around $6.00. Now, artichokes are generally expensive, but knowing when and where to buy them is the key. Normally, they range from $3-5; however, I get them from Trader Joe's for $2, which is the price they are when they're on sale somewhere else. SO... total, the meal is $8.00, for two people. You can't beat that at any restaurant!

For the artichoke: rinse with water, cut off the stalk, close to the leaves.  Steam it for 30-45 minutes, or until the leave easily pull away with tongs. Pair with some mayo or melted butter! :)

And for the steaks: season both sides with any steak seasoning or seasoning salt. I use an indoor electric grill, but of course, you could always use a regular grill.

Grill on med-hi heat for about 5 minutes on each side, depending on how cooked you want them. Don't move them around too much, because you want to seal in the juices! mmmmm :)

Voila!

Rosemary Asiago Cornmeal Crackers

As if you couldn't tell by my last post and this one, I'm kind of in a cracker mood lately! I didn't realize they were so easy to make! I bought some roasted garlic hummus to eat them with...yummyyyyyy :) It looks like a lot of ingredients, but it's a real easy recipe.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup corn meal
3/4 cup flour (plus 1/4 cup for dusting)
1 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup grated Asiago cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 c butter (melted)
2 Tbsp milk...maybe more?


Preheat Oven to 325.

In a medium size bowl, mix together corn meal, flour, baking powder, cheese, salt, and rosemary.
Slowly add in the melted butter and keep stirring.
The mixture will be a bit clumpy, so add in the milk one Tbsp at a time, until the dough is firm enough to make a ball out of.
Dust some flour on a clean, flat surface, and roll out the dough until it is 1/4 inch thick.
Cut out small cracker shapes from the dough and place on a cookie sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes, then flip each cracker over and bake for another 10 minutes.

mmm...crackers!

Parmesan and Herb Crackers

This recipe is a lot easier than you would think! I feel sort of like "Sandra Lee" from food network, because the main ingredient is store bought! hehe :)

Ingredients:
1 packaged pie crust (thawed, if previously frozen)
1/2 tsp salt
dried herbs (I used poultry seasoning, which is a blend of thyme, sage, and a few others)
1 Tbsp melted butter
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 shot glass (for making the cracker pieces...or other fun things not listed in this recipe)

I don't have pictures for the instructions, but they're so easy, you'll hardly need them!

Preheat the oven to 350.

-Start by laying out the pie crust on a cutting board or solid surface.
-Brush the melted butter onto the dough, just enough to lightly cover it.
-Then, sprinkle on the salt, herbs and cheese until the top is evenly coated.
-Using a rolling pin, roll over the dough so that the cheese and salt are pressed down into the dough.
-Lastly, carefully cut out circles using the shot glass, or any other small circle cutter, wasting as little dough as possible.
-Lay the pieces on a cookie sheet (they wont spread, so you don't have to worry about them being too close)
-Bake for 18 minutes, or until the tops are a golden color.
(These crackers are very flaky, so be careful as you bite into them!)

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Meringues with Eggnog

The reason I have linked these two recipes together is because one calls for 3 egg whites and one calls for 3 egg yolks. Why not make them both at the same time? hehe!

Pumpkin Spice Meringues

3 egg whites
1/4 tsp Cream of Tartar
pinch of salt
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Directions: Preheat the oven to 275

In a glass bowl (anything but plastic), beat egg whites, cream of tartar and salt until they form stiff peaks.

(not my picture, but good enough)

Slowly add in the powdered sugar and spice while continuing to whip with the beaters.  Place the mixture in a quart sized zipper bag and cut a small hole in one corner. Pipe small little droplets onto a greased baking sheet or one lined with parchment paper. Bake in the oven for about an hour, or until they seem to have stiffened (poke one!) Once these have cooled, they'll be much easier to pry off the baking sheet.  Store in the fridge, not on the counter, or they will get chewy!

Eggnog

3 egg yolks

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup cream (I use fat free half & half)

2 cups milk

Cinnamon and nutmeg (to taste)

Directions: (so easy!!)

Mix the ingredients in a bowl with a fork in the order listed above.  Bring the mixture to a light bubble in a pan on the stove, no more than medium heat. Let cool, sprinkle with cinnamon, and serve in a mug with your meringue cookies!

Enjoy!

Chicken Adobo

So.... I've been a bit MIA for a while. Summer school and work has been keeping me busy lately! But rest assured, I have some new recipes to share! Also, you may have noticed the new color and layout. It's almost Autumn, and anyone that knows me knows that I adore Autumn. Some call it an obsession, including me.

Chicken Adobo

Ingredients:
4 Boneless, skinless, chicken thighs
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 clove garlic (chopped)
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 bay leaf
pepper (to taste)...typically, Adobo calls for peppercorns, but I'm not a big pepper fan.
1 small onion (diced)
1 bunch of Swiss chard or Bok choy

 Start by marinating the chicken thighs in the soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic, bay leaf, and pepper in a tightly sealed zipper bag.  Let stand in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Saute the onion in a large skillet with a small amount of oil until they are soft.

Next, add in the chicken and marinade and cook on medium heat until it begins to bubble. Turn the heat down and simmer until the chicken is cooked (about 15 minutes).

Meanwhile, chop up the greens into pieces, and add them in to the chicken

After the greens have wilted, plate the chicken on top of white rice with the veggies, and spoon the sauce from the skillet over the chicken.

 Enjoy!