Quick Hit: Escalloped Corn

There's a program on the Cooking Channel called "The Best Thing I Ever Ate". The premise is simple, chefs and other culinary world personalities sit down and talk about their favorite meal or dish. Where they had it, what was in it - and why it's their all time favorite.

This afternoon's 'quick hit' blog post borrows from that concept. One of my favorite dishes of all time is a speciality of my mom's - escalloped corn. It's been a holiday / family gathering staple for as long as I can remember and it's absolutely one of my favorite things to eat. If I could find a way to eat it for three meals per day, I likely would. It's the perfect blending of creamy, corn flavor with a crisp flavorful outer crust. All in all, it's one of my favorite all time dishes.

After 'borrowing' the recipe from my mom, I set out to recreate this tasty fall treat myself. (I should note, nothing about this recipe is seasonal - I simply refer to it as a 'fall treat' because it always seems to make appearances around the holidays).


The Recipe: Mom's Escalloped Corn

What You'll Need:

2 Cans Creamed Corn
2 Eggs (Beaten)*
1/2 Cup Milk or Half and Half
1/2 Cup Club Crackers (ground fine) plus an additional 1/4 cup ground for topping.


* Does anyone else see the phrasing "Eggs, beaten" in a recipe and imagine a detective interrogation scene? "Okay eggs, start talking or will start busting heads"  - then you proceed to 'beat them up'....

Yeah, me either...

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Spray a large glass baking dish with non stick spray and then add the contents of the bowl to the baking dish. Spread into an even layer, then top with another 1/4 cup of ground club crackers.

Place the dish into the oven and allow to bake for 45 minutes, or until the edges have turned golden brown and the dish is 'set' (there should be little to no movement if you lightly jostle the dish - that's how you can tell it's cooked through).

Serve with a pinch of salt and pepper and a small bit of butter. Enjoy!

Stew Season!

Good evening everyone! Anyone who does a lot of cooking at home has likely found they eventually reach a point with a given dish that they no longer need a recipe. Perhaps you’ve tried so many variants of roasted chicken that you can simply recreate your favorite from memory, or maybe you’re so well versed in the world of burritos that you simply create your own on the fly – whatever the dish, experience has given you a foundation in which to become creative and confident in your culinary ability.

For me, that dish is the wide world of soups and stews. I’ve tried so many variants of classic soups and stews that I no longer turn to a cookbook to create my own warming fall treat. Instead, I stand in the kitchen and just begin to collect what calls to me.

For those that don’t cook for themselves too often or that are just jumping in to cooking, this can seem like a daunting task. However, as true with most things in life (outside of skydiving) – practice makes perfect. As you experiment and learn, you’ll certainly have some duds or things that don’t quite go your way – but the knowledge you’ll pick up will be more valuable in the long run than any recipe could ever be.

Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with using and following a recipe – we do it quite often on the blog. My point is, be sure to use these recipes and guides as a learning tool to build the skills you’ll need to eventually branch out and create your own dishes. Cooking becomes even more fun when you’re not only making the dish, but responsible for its contents as well.

As the cool fall winds are moving in, I found myself craving a hearty beef stew. So, I set out to the kitchen to cook up what my mind was craving – the result was one of the best stews we’ve made on the blog to date. Check it out;

The Recipe: Hearty Country Beef Stew

This is an Out of the Culinary original recipe

What You’ll Need:

1 Pound Beef Stew Meat (Cubed)

¾ - 1 Pound Baby Red Potatoes (Cubed)*

1 Cup Frozen Green Beans

1 Cup Frozen Peas & Carrots

1 Can (10-12 Ounces) Low Sodium Beef Broth

1 Can (14.5 Ounces) Diced Tomatoes, Drained**

1 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

1 Bay Leaf

1 Tablespoon Flour

* I prefer my stews to have thick, hearty potato pieces. I typically quarter my baby red potatoes and leave them at that. You are free to dice the potatoes as fine as you’d prefer as the cooking times will largely stay the same.

** For the longest time, I couldn’t understand why beef stew recipes insisted on including tomatoes. “I want a rich, beefy flavor” I thought to myself. “Why in the world would I add an acidic product to cut that flavor?”  As such, I largely ignored the tomato portion of most stew recipes, thinking it was unnecessary. I finally relented and added tomatoes to a stew a couple of years ago and found what I had been missing all of this time. The tomatoes don’t detract at all from the beef’s flavor – in fact, they add to it. Just another example of using experience to learn from your past mistakes. (This is a long way of saying, don’t skip the tomatoes!)

Begin by placing a large dutch oven over medium high heat and adding the stew meat. Cook the meat until it is browned on all sides and you can no longer see any pink coloration, 5 to 10 minutes.

You may be asking yourself, “Why brown the meat when we’re just going to let everything simmer in the pot anyway?” Excellent question! The answer can be found in the science of browning meat. When we brown meat, we create an outer crust by searing the meat on intense heat. This crust does two things, it transforms the outer flavor of the beef and creates a sort of barrier that locks in much of the moisture. By browning the beef beforehand, you’re enhancing the flavor and insuring that your beef will be soft and juicy when the stew is finished. If you left the beef raw and simply let it cook within the stew, you’d boil it, making it tougher and more likely to be dried out and bland.

Once you beef is browned, add the frozen vegetables and the Worcestershire sauce. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables have softened and the sauce ahs worked its way into the beef. Next, stir in the canned tomatoes, allowing the mixture to simmer for 3 to 5 minutes before moving on to the next step.

Add the potatoes and beef broth to the pot. If the broth does not cover the all of the ingredients, fill the broth can with water an add as much or as little water to the pot until the liquid just barely covers the top of all the ingredients. Because we’re making a stew, we want the liquid level to be a bit lower than if we were making a soup.

Give the pot a stir to make sure all of the ingredients are incorporated. Add the bay leaf and cover the pot. Bring it to a simmer and allow the stew to cook for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the simmer is too vigorous (you want a gentle bubble, not an aggressive boil) reduce the heat.

After the first 30 to 45 minutes, remove the lid from the pot, stir the stew and return it to a soft simmer. Let the stew cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes. (By removing the lid, we’re letting some of the excess moisture escape. Since I like my stews to be nice and thick, we need to get excess moisture out of the pot. If you like a ‘runnier’ stew, simply leave the lid on for this step).

Before serving, fish out the bay leaf and stir in the tablespoon of flour. This will thicken the broth and tighten the overall stew. Serve warm and enjoy!

The Results:

Few things top a nice, filling stew on a cool fall day. Loaded with a variety of vegetables, flavorful beef and a flavorful broth (thanks, in part to the tomatoes), this stew is beautiful in its simplicity. Full of flavor, light on calories (250 per cup) and super easy to make – this ‘off the cuff’ creation easily climbs to the top of our all time favorite stew list. Use it as a guide or as simple inspiration to create your own fall stew!

That’s all we have for you this week. Look out on Sunday for another special post, followed by a series of new recipes next week. Until then,

~Cheers

Delightful Vegetarian Fritters

Good evening everyone!  By pure coincidence, Tyler and I both did vegetarian dishes this week.  I think choosing to have a meatless meal once (or twice or more) a week is not that bad of an idea.  It's all a matter of choosing what ingredients that suit your tastes and make a recipe that sounds delicious.  With that, tonight I've chosen a recipe that not only sounds tasty, but one ingredient in particular has become one of my new fall favorites.

The Recipe:  Spaghetti Squash Fritters with Sriracha Mayonnaise
Original Recipe Found In:  Cooking Light, October 2013

What You'll Need:
1 (2 Pound) Spaghetti Squash*
1 (8 Ounce) package Baby Spinach
1/2 Cup Panko
2 Tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan Cheese
1 Tablespoon minced Garlic
1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1/4 Teaspoon Baking Powder
2 large Egg whites
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil, divided
5 Teaspoons Canola Mayonnaise
2 Teaspoons 2% Reduced-Fat Milk
1 Teaspoon Sriracha (or other hot chile sauce)
1 Teaspoon Cider Vinegar

*This is not our first waltz with spaghetti squash, in fact, the first time we used it was almost two years ago.  If you care for a flashback, here's our first journaling on spaghetti squash.

To start, cut the squash in half lengthwise.  All varieties of squash tend to be a little difficult to handle when cutting, so I advise caution when doing so.  Once cut, scoop out the seeds and any remaining innards of the squash and discard.  Place the squash halves, cut sides up, on a microwave safe plate.  Cover with a damp paper towel.  Put in the microwave and cook on high for twenty minutes or until tender.  Take the squash out of the microwave and let stand for 10 minutes.  Once cooled, scrape the inside of the squash with a fork to remove the spaghetti-like strands until it measures four cups.

Next, heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the spinach to the pan and cook for two minutes, or until the spinach wilts.  Place both the squash and the spinach on a clean dish towel and squeeze until both ingredients are barely moist.  Place the spinach and squash on a butting board and coarsely chop until well mixed.  Place these ingredients in a large bowl.  Next, add the panko, Parmesan cheese, garlic, black pepper, and baking powder to the large bowl and toss well to combine.

In a medium bowl, add the egg whites.  Beat the eggs with a mixer at high speed until soft peaks begin to form, about five to seven minutes.  Once the eggs are done, gently fold the eggs whites into the squash mixture until all the ingredients well combined.

Using a 1/4 cup dry measuring cup, fill with the squash mixture.  Place the cup upside down in your hand and gently pat the mixture until it forms a 3/4 inch thick patty.  Repeat the process with the remaining squash mixture, forming ten patties total.  Next, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of oil and swirl to coat.  Once the skillet is heated, add five patties to the pan and cook for three to five minutes on each side, or until browned.  Transfer the patties to dish and cover to keep warm.  Add the remaining oil to the skillet and cook the remaining patties.

In a small bowl, add the mayonnaise, milk, Sriracha, and cider vinegar and mix well to combine.  Serve with the fritters and enjoy!

The End Result:

If you've never had spaghetti squash, this is great introduction to this tasty and under appreciated vegetable.  Granted the squash doesn't have much of a flavor, but pairing it with spinach and cooking it in olive oil makes it taste superb.  If you are concerned about the patties being cooked through with the limited time given, don't be.  They will be completely warmed through and taste even better.  The olive oil actually gives a nice flavor crunch to the outside of the fritters that vegetable oil or even canola oil could stand up to.  The real kicker is the sauce.  If you don't like really spicy condiments, I would use the sauce sparingly, but when added, it really adds more depth to the fritters that I don't think another sauce could handle.  Overall, a great dish that's worth a shot to try in your kitchen tonight!

Thanks for swinging by tonight.  Stop in on Thursday for a brand new recipe.  Until then,

~Cheers!

Meatless Monday: Lentil Edition

Good evening everyone! Every so often, we like to partake in the 'meatless Monday' movement. For those who are not familiar, it's the simple concept of removing one meat based dish from the menu each week. There are benefits to going vegetarian one day a week, including lower grocery bills (vegetables are considerably cheaper than meat) and better nutritional value per calorie.

This week, we're returning to an old favorite - lentils. Lentils get a bad wrap in the vegetable world. I'm not sure if it's because they need a better PR firm, a new agent who can get their name out there or if they just ticked off some king pin in the vegetable promotion industry and have been blacklisted - but whatever the reason - lentils are looked at like a third world citizen when it comes to the culinary world.  

Rather, lentils are looked at unfavorably in the at-home culinary world. Those that cook with the little legumes know that they pack great nutritional value and are actually quite tasty. The challenge is getting others to give them a try.

We've cooked with lentils before (HERE) and enjoyed the great, earthy flavor (think, dark beans) that they provided. The key is cooking lentils like rice, but considering their flavor profile to be that of a kidney or black bean - understand those two concepts and a whole new world of culinary fun is open to you. A world that includes recipes like this:

The Recipe: Lentils with Fried Eggs
Original Recipe Found In: Food Network Magazine, October 2013

What You'll Need:
(Serves 4)

3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
4 Large Shallots (Finely chopped)
3 Stalks Celery (Finely chopped)
3 Sprigs Thyme
1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
1 1/2 Teaspoons Sugar
14  Ounces Canned, Diced, Fire Roasted Tomatoes
15 Ounces Lentils
2 Teaspoons Dijon Mustard
2 Tablespoons Parsley
4 Large Eggs
Pita Bread (For serving)


I'd first like to note that the original recipe calls for canned lentils, which are a bit different than dried. We have dried on hand, so it was important for us to follow the instructions on the bag to prepare the lentils PRIOR to using them in the recipe. Canned lentils are already softened and "damp" (for lack of a better word) so they can jump right into the recipe as instructed. If you're using dried, take the extra steps ahead of time to prepare them for the recipe.

To begin, heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large dutch oven or high sided skillet (medium high heat). Add the shallots, celery, thyme and a pinch of salt and cook until the shallots begin to brown, roughly 5 minutes. Make sure to stir the mixture occasionally to promote even cooking.

Next, stir in the sugar along with the red wine vinegar and 1/4 cup of water. Allow the mixture to simmer until the water is nearly evaporated - 5 to 10 minutes.

Add the tomatoes (drained of the liquid from the can) and increase the heat to high. Bring the mixture to a simmer and allow it to cook for 3 minutes before stirring in the lentils along with a cup of water. Return the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium and cook until the lentils are soft and cooked through. (Remember, if you used dried lentils, they will already be soft - because you cooked them ahead of time - so they will only need to be heated through here).

Once soft, stir in the mustard and allow the mixture to cook for another 5 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper and remove from heat. Keep the pot covered to keep warm while you prepare the eggs.

Melt the remaining butter in a large non stick skillet over medium heat. Break each egg into a small bowl, then slide it into the skillet. Cook until the whites set, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve the fried egg on top of the lentils and with a few pieces of pita bread. Sprinkle with the parsley and enjoy!


The Results:

Lentils are versatile, we learned that much when we first used them almost two years ago. Tonight, they proved that again. The combination of the lentils' earthy flavor with the base (tomatoes, mustard, shallots) made for a rich, almost "Italian meets American country" flavor.

It's the egg and pita that truly complete this dish, however. The egg almost acts like the meat of the dish, adding a bright contrasting flavor that all blends beautifully with the pita bread, which serves as the perfect ambassador of both ingredients.

THe flavors of this dish are rich and refreshing - they're somewhat difficult to put a firm label on, but they can certainly be called "delicious". If you're in the mood for something new and adventurous on the menu, be sure to give this vegetarian dish a try.

Did I mention it's only 300 calories? (Bonus!)

That's all we have for you this evening. Maggie will take to the kitchen tomorrow night with a brand new recipe to share. We'll follow that up with another recipe on Thursday and yet ANOTHER post on Sunday. It's another big week, so be sure to stop back in and see what we have cooking! Until then,

~Cheers

Better Brown Betty

Hello again everyone! Today officially marks the first day of fall, and that means that certain fruits and veggies are hitting their peak. One fall baking staple in particular, the apple, is at its prime this time of year. We recently made a trip to a local orchard (full post on that coming soon) and had our pick of some absolutely loaded honey crisp apple trees.

We came home with nearly 3 dozen apples and set out to use some of them to make up some great baked treats. Our first recipe was an adaptation on the classic apple brown betty.

The Recipe: Apple Brown Betty
Original Recipe From: The Complete America's Cookbook

What You'll Need:

For the bread crumbs: 
4 Slices High Quality Sandwich Bread (Torn into quarters)
3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
2 Tablespoons Packed Light Brown Sugar

For the filling: 
1/4 Cup Packed Light Brown Sugar
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1 1/2 Pounds Granny Smith Apples (Peeled, cored, cubed)
1 1/2 Pounds Golden Delicious Apples (Peeled, cored, cubed)
1 1/4 Cups Apple Cider


To make the bread crumbs, combine the bread pieces, butter and brown sugar in a food processor and pulse until the mixture becomes coarse (5 to 10 pulses). Transfer the mixture to a 12 inch skillet and toast the bread crumbs over medium heat until they become golden brown, this takes between 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the crumbs to a paper towel lined plate and set aside for later.

To make the filling, combine the brown sugar and other spices in a small bowl. Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter in a 12 inch skillet over high heat. Stir in the granny smith apples and 1/2 of the sugar mixture. Distribute the apples evenly across the skillet and allow them to simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the apples have become tender and golden brown, transfer them to a small bowl and set aside.

Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet and repeat the previous process using the golden delicious apples and the remaining sugar mixture. After the apples have become golden brown, add the apple cider to the skillet and stir with a wooden spoon to work up any browned on bits. Allow the mixture to simmer until the cider thickens slightly - this takes an additional 5 to 7 minutes.

Here's where we went 'rogue' from the original recipe. The original instructions tell you to return the other apples to the skillet with the golden delicious apples and to top with the bread crumbs. Sounds nice in theory - but unless you're using a supremely high sided skillet, it's a disaster waiting to happen.

We opted to avoid a stovetop apple catastrophe and instead broke out a deep sided baking dish. Set the oven to 350 degrees and combine the apples in the baking dish, topped with the breadcrumb mixture. Place the baking dish in the oven, and allow the mixture to bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the breadcrumb topping turns a deep golden brown.

Remove the dish from the oven and allow it to rest for 15 minutes before serving with ice cream or cool whip. Enjoy!

The result:

It's apples, plus brown sugar and a breading - baked and topped with something sweet. We don't have to tell you now this turned out, we all know it's delicious!

Local Review: Tacopocalypse

One of the great things about living in the Des Moines metro area is how youthful and vibrant the city has become over the past 5 to 10 years. The city has developed by growing and innovating, expanding and embracing its second ranked (nationally) farmer’s market, while focusing on and bettering its plentiful bike trails, adding new shopping options, and highlighting its beautiful downtown and riverfront area.  All of this progress has occurred alongside a boom of local culinary exploration and innovation. Des Moines and the surrounding metro has become a hotbed for young, entrepreneurial chefs to debut their creations.

These factors are why Des Moines typically ranks in the top 10 for cities to live in – especially for young professionals. It’s one of the biggest reasons Maggie and I enjoy making the short jaunt downtown or around the metro – there’s just so much to see when it comes to Des Moines.

Obviously, our favorite part of the city is its culinary offerings. We’ve tried a handful of the small restaurants, street vendors and other food purveyors and have found each to be a delightful experience. Up until this point, we had been content to share the restaurants with friends and our own personal social media platforms – but we hadn’t been giving the local eateries any “ink” on the blog.

That’s about to change.

Starting now and continuing for as long as we see fit, we’ll be featuring a local restaurant or eatery that deserves some extra attention. We’ll cover the prices, the décor and (most importantly) the food. We think it’s a great way to share the awesome culinary world of our community with our readers. Not from Des Moines or even the state of Iowa? No biggie, hopefully you can take these menu items and maybe find some inspiration to create something unique at home or even use these places as motivation to go out and find your own local establishments making up their own fresh and fun food.

Our first entry is actually the most recent restaurant we visited, the awesomely named: Tacopocalypse

Image courtesy of Tacopocalypse's Twitter Account 

Tacopocalypse.com

621 Des Moines St. 

Des Moines, IA 50309

We’d had been hearing great things about Tacopocalypse for some time, but had yet to make the journey to Des Moines’ East Village to actually try the much discussed joint for ourselves. Saturday we decided to correct this atrocious wrong and set out for some Mexican inspired culinary adventures.

Tacopocalypse is a joint that would fit right in on Food Network’s “Diner’s, Drive-Ins and Dives” (Say what you want about Guy Fieri – we like him, most don’t -  but the show does give some great attention to smaller joints doing cool things). Tacpocalypse current storefront is the true definition of a “hole in the wall” and I mean that in every positive and praising way possible.

The modest front is accentuated only by a lone banner, bearing the name of the restaurant. The modesty continues inside as well, as the space is decorated only by bare brick and old wooden floors. The chairs and tables are basic wood, painted in neutral grays and blacks. They blend perfectly with the ‘warehouse / casual dive bar’ vibe. The space is relatively small, with roughly a dozen tables (that’s a ballpark, I forgot to actually count) spread across the room. It makes for a cozy, more causal dining experience and despite the fact that each table was filled while we were there, the place never felt crowded.

The ‘back of the house’ features the counter, which sits ahead of the small kitchen. (It’s always cool when you can see your dish being whipped up right behind the counter).  A large chalkboard menu hangs over the counter and is easily the best decoration in the joint – simply because it features the delicious menu items cooking up a few feet ahead of you.

Prices are extremely fair, ranging from $2 per taco to $8 per burrito. Maggie ordered the “Burrito of the day” which featured brisket, fresh rosemary, fried rice and spinach and was topped with house queso and a fried egg. (Obviously the burrito of the day is a rotating menu option that will vary depending on the…well…day…you’re there. So, don’t look for this one on the menu EVERY time you stop in).

I ordered the “I can’t believe it’s not breakfast burrito” which contained chorizo, eggs and fried potatoes, all covered with a white gravy and house ground sausage.

The 'burrito of the day' in all of its glory

First, let me definitively say – yes, the burrito is EXACTLY as big as it looks in the picture. I’d call it huge, but I feel that’d be selling it short. It’s a massive amount of food, so you are certainly getting your money’s worth for the modest $8 price.

Maggie was blown away by the burrito of the day – she particularly liked how the fresh rosemary accentuated the dish – adding a little freshness and lift without overpowering the final flavor (which is REALLY easy to do with rosemary). The house made queso was a huge bonus as well, Maggie referred to it as easily the best queso she’s had (and this is a girl who enjoys her Mexican cheese – she’s darn near an expert).

The “I can’t believe it’s not breakfast burrito” was equally worthy of praise. My favorite part was actually the tortilla. It’s so easy for a great burrito to be ruined by a thick, heavy or chewy tortilla. Tacopocalypse tortillas are light, flaky and don’t weigh down the dish. (In fact they –gasp- add to it!)

The chorizo within my burrito is worthy of its own blog post, but no one wants to read 800 words on a spicy sausage, so I’ll try to keep it short. It’s tough to find a good chorizo, even harder to order one on a menu. Chorizo can range from “burn off your face hot” to “ground beef with chili powder added” bland. There’s a range at play that can give chorizo a bad name – run into one of its too spicy or too bland counterparts and you’ll think bad things of the sausage for years to come.

Tacopocalypse's chorizo should be the ambassador to those unfamiliar with the Mexican staple. It was the perfectly blend of spicy (but not overly hot) sausage. It was full of flavor, accentuated the eggs and potatoes nicely and added just enough heat to let you know this wasn’t your everyday meat filling. I’m a big fan.

We left stuffed to the gills and gurgling with delight. There’s much more to the menu, and we will certainly be back to try all of it. The staff was great, while the atmosphere was simple and perfect for the laid back crowd that was continuously flowing in.

If you’re in the Des Moines metro and looking for a great burrito – the ‘best of list’ has to start with Tacopocalpyse. Check this place out!

Banana Bread On Steroids

Good evening everyone!  Tonight's recipe is going to be a smidge different than what Tyler mentioned last night.  Due to a technical difficulty (an ingredient going bad,) I'll be presenting an incredibly delicious dessert.  As we've mentioned before, we try to focus our blog with healthy recipes that are easily duplicatable.  Every now and then, it's fun to create dishes that you can indulge yourself in.  Tonight's recipe is one of those kinds of recipes, especially if you love the combination of peanut butter and chocolate.

The Recipe:  Nutella Swirled Peanut Butter Banana Bread
Original Recipe Sourced From:  www.pinterest.com

What You'll Need:
3 very ripe Bananas, mashed
1/2 Cup creamy Peanut Butter
1/4 Cup Canola Oil
1 Egg
1/3 Cup White Sugar
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1.5 Cups white Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
1.5 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
3/4 Cup Reese's Mini Cups (if you can't find those, Reese's peanut butter chips will do in a pinch)
1/3 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
3 Heaping Tablespoons Nutella

To start, preheat an oven to 350.  Prepare an 8x4 inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together.  Slowly whisk these ingredients together.  Next, in a stand mixer, add the bananas, peanut butter, oil, egg, white and brown sugars.  Turn the mixer on to the lowest speed and mix these ingredients together until everything is well combined.

Next, slowly pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until everything is just combined - the batter will be very thick but resist the temptation is over mix.  Add the Reese's mini cups and the chocolate chips.  With a spatula, fold the cups and chips into the batter until just combined.

After the batter is well mixed, spread into the prepared loaf pan.  Drop the three tablespoons of Nutella on top of the batter in a row.  Poke a knife into the batter and swirl the Nutella into the batter.  Next, place the pan in the oven and bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes clean.  Every oven is different, so adjust the cooking time if necessary.

Transfer the bread from the oven to a cooking rack.  Let the bread cool in the pan for thirty minutes.  Cut up slices of the bread, serve, and enjoy!

The End Result:

Oh my goodness!  If you are a fan of banana bread, or any type of chocolate/peanut butter flavorings, this is the treat for you!  It mixes all the different flavors from the bananas, the chocolate chips, and peanut butter into one flavorful combination.  The banana flavor is almost a little overwhelming, but the other ingredients help to balance it out.  I was a little disappointed that the Nutella didn't get a bigger flavor spotlight, considering there was three tablespoons of it.  But overall, it's a hearty, delicious recipe, if you want to enjoy a boost to the generic banana bread.

Thanks for joining us this evening.  Check back next week as we continue to showcase recipes and share some of our local eateries.  Until then,

~Cheers!

Potatoes, meet Sloppy Joes

Good evening everyone! We’re back after our annual week long hiatus (sorry for not making any proclamation regarding this on the blog, but we’ve found it’s not the best idea to announce “Hey, we’re not going to be home for a week” to the whole world).

After our break we’re feeling rejuvenated and ready to get back to healthy cooking and blogging. We’ve got a bunch of brand new recipes on the docket, but even better we have a new variety of posts we’ll be rolling out over the coming weeks.

We’re making a greater effort to be more engaged with our community, the greater Des Moines metro, than we have been in the past. That means we’ll be featuring reviews of local eateries (Des Moines is LOADED with great independent restaurants and food lovers) and more posts about products, processes and tip and tricks (alongside our usual recipe regime).

We’re revamping our ‘staff’ as well. (Okay, not really. The staff is still just myself and my wife, Maggie – but we’re changing roles within the blog. I’m going to be doing a majority of the writing, while Maggie has taken full control of our social media presence. We plan to be MUCH more interactive with our readers and community from here on out. Maggie will still be writing her own weekly recipe posts, but reviews, special posts and other unique entries will return to my domain).

Enough with the housekeeping – let’s get to cooking!

***

Crisp cool winds are now in the air, and many of the local trees are starting to pick up touches of color. We have damp, cool mornings with moderate afternoons and chilly evenings; that can mean only one thing: fall is upon us.

Long time readers will know this already, but fall is our favorite culinary season. Gourds, apples and other fun ingredients hit their prime and the menu can shift to soups, stews or other creative warming creations. Tonight’s recipe is one such creative creation. It blends a classic fall staple – the potato, with another fall sandwich favorite – the sloppy joe. We cut the calories by swapping beef for turkey, but the dish is still full of rich flavor. Want to try it for yourself? Then let’s get cooking!

The Recipe: Sloppy Joe Baked Potatoes

Original Recipe Found In: Food Network Magazine, October 2013 Issue

What You’ll Need:

(Serves 4)

4 Russet Potatoes (Scrubbed clean)

4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter

1 Small Onion (Diced)

1 Carrot (Diced)

1 Stalk Celery (diced)

1 Pound Lean Ground Turkey

½ Cup Ketchup

½ Cup Sweet Chili Sauce

1 Tablespoon Chile Powder

¼ Teaspoon Garlic Powder

½ Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese (Low fat)

Begin by piercing your potatoes in a few places (3 to 5 “prods” per spud, try to evenly distribute the pokes across the potato) and place them on a microwave safe plate. Heat until the potatoes are tender, making sure to turn them once during cooking. This takes about 3-5 minutes per potato. Heating all 4 will take 15 minutes, cooking two will take about 8 minutes.

While your potatoes are ‘baking’, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large (12 inch) non stick skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery (or ready made mirepoix mix if you can find it – it’s the same thing) and cook until the vegetables are tender and the onion is translucent. This takes between 5 to 7 minutes.

Next, add the turkey and a pinch of salt and pepper to the skillet with the veggies. Using a wooden spoon or silicon spatula, break up the turkey into smaller pieces. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the turkey is evenly browned and no longer pink. Stir in the ketchup and chili sauce, along with ½ cup of water and the chili powder and garlic powder. Stir well to evenly incorporate all of the ingredients, then allow the mixture to simmer until everything is cooked through – an additional 5 minutes.

To prepare the dish, split your potatoes in the center with a knife. Fluff the insides of the potato with a fork, and place a tablespoon of butter in the center of each potato. Top with a heaping spoonful of the sloppy joe mixture. Top with the shredded cheese, serve and enjoy!

The Results:

This recipe falls under one of my favorite categories. It looks like a guilty pleasure comfort food. It tastes like a guilty pleasure comfort food. When in reality, it doesn’t have to be a guilty pleasure at all. The rich sloppy joe flavor is fantastic, and the substitution of turkey for the beef does little to change the flavor of a traditional sloppy joe. Draped over a perfectly fluffy potato, these flavors all blend beautifully for a savory and filling dish. The best part is that the recipe clocks in at only 450 calories per potato. See? No guilt at all!

That’s all we have for you this evening. Maggie will take to the kitchen on Thursday with a brand new recipe featuring a unique use for one of fall’s best products (think: gourds). We’ll follow that with a special apple based recipe on Saturday.

Next week we’ll have posts on a can’t miss taco joint in Des Moines, a review of some great cuisine at a nearby ballpark and another tasty treat recipe featuring bananas. This is all in addition to our usual recipes for the week! I told you we were ramping things up!

Until tomorrow,

~Cheers

Light, Yet Incredibly Flavorful

Good evening everyone!  Here on the blog, we love to experiment with different ingredients and concepts when cooking with those ingredients.  It always surprises me when those recipes turn out and taste incredible.  That's exactly what I'm doing tonight and trust me, you'll want to experiment with it too.

The Recipe:  Hazelnut-Crusted Halibut with Roasted Asparagus
Original Recipe Found From:  www.myrecipes.com

What You'll Need:
1 Tablespoon Butter
2 Teaspoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, divided
4 (6 Ounce) Halibut fillets, skinned
1 Egg White, lightly beaten
1/2 Teaspoon Salt, divided
1/2 Teaspoon Pepper, divided
1/2 Cup finely chopped Hazelnuts
2 Garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 Pound Asparagus, trimmed
1 Teaspoon chopped fresh Thyme

To start, preheat an oven to 400 degrees.  Also, heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with the butter and one teaspoon oil.  While both of these begin to heat up, prepare the fish.  Brush the tops of the fish fillets with the beaten egg white and sprinkle evenly with a 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Sprinkle the tops of the fish with the chopped hazelnuts and press gently, yet firmly to adhere the nuts to the fish.

Once the skillet is heated, place half the fish, with the nuts side down, in the skillet.  Cook the fish for three to five minutes or until the nuts are browned.  Carefully, turn the fish over and continue to cook.  Cook for another three to five minutes, or until desired degree of doneness.  To prevent any burning, slide the skillet off the burner, gently pick up the fish to place on a clean plate, and cover to keep warm.

By now, the oven should be preheated and you can begin to prepare the asparagus:  combine the remaining olive oil, garlic, and asparagus on a baking sheet, coated with an even layer of cooking spray.  Toss all these ingredients until well combined.  Sprinkle the remaining salt, pepper, and thyme on top of the asparagus.  Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and cook for eight to ten minutes, or until crisp tender.  Serve the asparagus with the fish and enjoy!

The End Result:

The fish was cooked perfectly, flakiness and all.  If you want a little boost of flavor, gently spritz with lemon juice, but not enough to completely soak.  But the real star of this dish was the chopped hazelnuts.  I don't cook (or eat, except when it comes to Nutella,) with hazelnuts to warrant using them. But the hazelnuts on top of this fish?  Phenomenal!  They still have a bit of nuttiness, but when they are warmed, they taste great.  The asparagus was quite delicious also.  Roasting in olive oil, garlic, and thyme made them super flavorful and a great alternative to any "standard" vegetable.  Such a great combination, paring the fish and asparagus together, and for only 356 calories, it's a worthy dish to cook in your kitchen tonight!

Thanks for joining us tonight.  Tyler will swing by tomorrow for a very unique spin on a taco.  Until then,

~Cheers!