Chicken Pot Pie

One of my favorite dishes since I was little has been Chicken Pot Pie. As a kid I did not really like vegetables and this dish gave flavor to carrots, parsnips and potatoes that made them more enjoyable to eat. I used to love this dish because the sauce makes it delicious and pairs well with puff pastry (one of my favorite foods!). I recently discovered putting biscuits on top of the chicken pot pie which is just as good maybe even better than puff pastry and that is saying a lot coming from me! I hope you enjoy this recipe for Chicken Pot Pie as much as I do!

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
1 Pound Chicken (cut into small pieces)
1 Medium Onion (Diced)
1/2 Cup White Wine
3 Carrots (peeled and chopped)
1 Parsnip (peeled and chopped)
2 Large Potatoes (Peeled and diced)
2 Cups Chicken Broth
2 Tablespoons Butter (melted)
5 Tablespoons Flour
1 Bay Leaf or 1 Teaspoon Thyme
Desired amount of salt
Desired amount of pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Cut the chicken and put it into a ziplock bag. Add 2 tablespoons of flour and salt and pepper to the chicken and shake well or until all the flour coats the chicken. In a big pot add the canola oil and once the oil is hot, sauté the chicken until browned. To the chicken add the onion and once the onion is softened, deglaze the pan with white wine.

Place the parsnips, potatoes, carrots, thyme, and chicken broth into the pot and let it simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened. In a cup, mix together the melted butter and 3 tablespoons of flour together and add this roux to the pot and whisk until full combined.

To make the Buttermilk biscuit topping use my Buttermilk Biscuit recipe. Pour the chicken mixture into individual baking dishes and top with the biscuit mixture and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Then enjoy!

Croque Monsieur

From the age of three to the age of ten I lived in London, England. During this time of my life my family and I would travel around Europe during vacation. Since it was very convenient, we would go to France for a few days as it was only a Eurostar ride away. France was the easiest place to travel, (and my parents favorite), we would go there at least once a year. Like all children I liked grilled cheese and other basic foods, so while in France I would always get a Croque Monsieur since it is the French version of ham and cheese. The other day I was thinking about different lunch foods and Croque Monsieur came to mind. I decided to make it for my dad and I for lunch. It is so simple to make yet so hearty and delicious. I hope you enjoy my recipe for Croque Monsieur!

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons Butter
3 Tablespoons Flour
1 1/4 Cup Milk (warmed)
1 Cup Gruyere Cheese
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1/4 Teaspoons Mustard Powder
a pinch of Nutmeg
8 oz Sliced Ham
4 Slices of White Sandwich Bread (toasted)

Pre heat the oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. In a small saucepan mix the butter and flour together to make a roux. To this add the warm milk and whisk together until the roux has dissolved. Next, add the salt 1/2 the gruyere cheese, pepper, mustard powder, and nutmeg to the béchamel and taste to check for seasoning.

Place 2 toasted slices of bread on a baking sheet and evenly spread a layer of béchamel. Put 2 slices of ham on top of the béchamel and then add a little more béchamel on top of the ham. Place another piece of bread on top of the ham, and spread another layer of béchamel on top. Then put as much cheese as you want on top.

Bake in the oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly, then enjoy!

Tiramisu

I have always been a coffee lover, since the age of five I would ask my mom if I could have foam from on top of her coffee. When I went to my friends house one day she offered me some tiramisu that her mom made. It left me speechless. It was so creamy and sweet yet had that slight coffee flavor that I adore. Since that day whenever I go to an Italian restaurant I always order the tiramisu because it is one of my favorite desserts. Yesterday, I was doing my homework and I started to crave tiramisu, so I went to the supermarket to buy the ingredients. It was so simple to make yet it tastes so decadent and complex. I hope you enjoy my recipe for tiramisu!

Ingredients:
6 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup whole milk
32oz mascarpone cheese (a substitute for this would be 24oz cream cheese, 1 1/4 cup sour cream, and 3/4 cup heavy cream)
3/4 cups espresso or strong coffee, at room temperature
1/4 cup brandy or cognac
30 to 32 crisp Italian ladyfingers
Dutch-process cocoa powder to top out off

Over a double boiler whisk together the 6 egg yolks and sugar until the sugar dissolves, which takes about 3 minutes. Then, add the milk and mix for about 10 minutes or until the custard thickens and becomes light and foamy. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and set in the bowl of ice water and whisk for abut a minute or until the mixture is cool. 

Using a spatula gently fold the custard into the marscapone, once almost combined use a whisk to smoothen out the mixture. Place the custard mixture into the refrigerator for about a hour to make it easier to work with. In a shallow bowl combine the brandy and the espresso together. 

Place the lady fingers into this mixture until soaked but not soggy and then place them in the same direction. Place about 1/3 of the custard on top of the lady fingers and repeat 2 more times but alternate the direction of the ladyfingers this time. Once all the ingredients are used dust cocoa powder on top of the Tiramisu and enjoy!

Turkey Burger

Recently, I have began to eat little to no red meat because it is not enjoyable to me. Since summer is coming to an end, my family and I decided to make burgers for the last time this season. They made themselves regular cheese burgers and I made myself a turkey burger. Turkeys burgers are so simple to make yet so flavorful. The burger is not dry because the soaked bread crumbs allow the burger to not dry out while baking. To me this turkey burger is just as good or even better than a regular burger because there is the added flavor from the herbs and it is not too heavy. I hope you enjoy my recipe for Turkey Burgers as much as I do!

Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 egg
1/2 tablespoon chives
1/2 tablespoon parsley

Pre heat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit  Mix the bread crumbs and buttermilk and let that sit for 2-3 minutes.

Add the salt, black pepper, chives, parsley, egg, and turkey to the breadcrumbs and mix until fully combined. Then, form the burgers and place onto a lined baking sheet. Cook the burgers for 25 minutes or until fully cooked.

Once done top with toppings of your choice and enjoy!

Peanut Butter Brownies

During the past year my friends and I have been making brownies a lot. Since we do not have the patience to use a double boiler to melt chocolate, we use a mix. About a month ago my moms friend suggested that we make brownies from scratch and ever since then I have wanted to. The other night I was home alone and was craving chocolate and peanut butter. I decided to find a brownie recipe and add peanut butter to it to satisfy my craving. I was amazed by how gooey and peanut buttery these brownies were. Whenever people came over they would all gush over the brownies. I hope you enjoy my recipe for Peanut Butter Brownies!

Ingredients:
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 pound semisweet chocolate chips
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3 extra-large eggs
1 tablespoons instant coffee granules
1 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup smooth peanut butter

First pre heat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Then, melt the butter, 1 pound of chocolate chips, and the unsweetened chocolate in a medium bowl over simmering water. Let the chocolate cool for 5 minutes. 

Whisk together the chocolate, eggs, instant coffee, and vanilla together. To the wet mixture add the sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk until fully combined.

Add the brownie batter to a buttered and floured 9x13 baking pan. Add the peanut butter into the mixture and use a knife to swirl the peanut butter into the brownie batter. 

Cook the brownies for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let the brownies cool and enjoy!

Vanilla Ice Cream

During the summer nothing sounds better than a cold cup of ice cream after a long day at the beach. In my town there are only two ice cream shops, which become boring after a while.  Instead of going to the same ice cream shop again, I decided to make my own vanilla ice cream. A few years back my mom bought a Cuisinart ice cream machine, which came with a recipe booklet with a recipe for vanilla ice cream. I followed the recipe and it came out fantastic! It tasted like it came from the shop, but in reality it was homemade. I hope you enjoy this vanilla ice cream recipe as much as I did!

Ingredients:

2 cups whole milk

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup sugar

A pinch of salt

1 whole vanilla bean, halved and beans scraped out

5 egg yolks

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a saucepan set over medium-low heat, whisk together the milk, cream, half the sugar, salt, and scraped vanilla bean (and the pod). Bring this mixture to a boil.

In a bowl mix the egg yolks and remaining sugar together until pale and thick.

When the cream mixture is at a slight boil add about 1/3 of the cream mixture to the egg mixture and whisk together. Once combined add the tempered egg mixture to the saucepan and stir constantly over low heat until the mixture thickens and can coat the back of a wooden spoon. The mixture must NOT boil or else the yolks will over cook and possibly scramble. 

If you want to get rid of the vanilla beans strain the ice cream through a strainer. Then, pour the mixture into a bowl and bring to room temperature. 

Add the vanilla extract and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Once cool pour the mixture into the ice cream machine. Then, freeze the ice cream for 1-2 hours to harden.

Serve and enjoy!

Lemon Snickerdoodles

In my high school there are two kitchens in which culinary classes are taught. I have been taking these classes ever since my sophomore year of high school, since they were not offered before then. I have always enjoyed cooking, but these classes helped me become a better chef and learn the proper way to cook and bake. Because of scheduling issues I can no longer take these classes but I am glad to have learned new skills and gain some amazing recipes. One of my favorites are the lemon snickerdoodles which are so simple yet so flavorful. The lemon adds an extra depth of flavor to a classic snickerdoodle. I hope you enjoy these amazing lemon snickerdoodles!

Ingredients:

Cookie Dough:
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon light agave
2 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Topping:
3 tablespoons sugar

Pre heat the oven to 375F. Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Then, add the egg, agave, lemon juice, and lemon zest and mix until combined. Next, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix until fully combined. If the dough is sticky chill for about an hour or until it firms up a little.

Roll the dough into walnut sized balls (I made mine a little too big) and roll in sugar. Place the cookies onto a lined cookie sheet and cook for about 10-12 minutes or until puffed and slightly cracked.

Let the cookies cool and enjoy!

Zucchini Chips

Recently Tasty videos have become very popular. These are video created by Buzzfeed and they record the process of making a recipe. These videos tend to be about a minute or two long. After watching a video on how to make zucchini chips I decided to make them myself. I followed the instructions from the Tasty video but I did use my own measurements and seasonings. I really enjoyed this recipe because it is an easy way to make vegetables desirable to younger kids and picky eaters. I like the fact that this recipe isn't that unhealthy, since these zucchini chips are just breaded zucchini that are baked not fried. I hope you enjoy my take on Zucchini Chips!

Ingredients: 

2 Green Zucchini 

1 1/2 Cup Bread Crumbs

1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese

1 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Pepper

1 Teaspoon Red Peper Flakes

1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

2 Egg

Pre heat the oven to 425 Fahrenheit. Cut the zucchini into thin slices and set aside. Beat two eggs in a bowl with a fork. In a separate bowl combine the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and garlic powder together. Dip the zucchini into the egg. Then, cover it in the bread crumb mixture and place on a lined baking sheet. 

Cook the zucchini for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. While cooking the zucchini flip them half way through to make sure that both sides are cooked. 

Serve with Dijon Aoli.

Enjoy!

Poached eggs with halloumi and roasted tomatoes

About a week ago while in New York City with a friend, we decided to go to Jack's Wife Freda for lunch. I have seen this restaurant a lot on Instagram and Facebook and it made we want to try it out. After waiting in line for an hour we finally got a table. I ordered the dish Poached eggs with roasted tomatoes and halloumi. It was one of the best breakfast dishes I have ever had! The tomatoes and halloumi go so well together and the eggs were runny and delicious. For days I would think about this dish and how good it was. After mentioning it to my parents they said that I should try to make it at home, so I did! It was so easy to make yet so decadent. I hope you enjoy my new breakfast favorite!

Ingredients: 
Pesto
2 eggs per person
1 large tomato (sliced thick)
1 package of halloumi cheese (sliced thick)
1 loaf of white sourdough bread
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Dash of vinegar
2 tablespoons of olive oil

First, bring a pot of water to a boil and add a dash of vinegar to it. Then, cut the tomato into thick slices so there is enough for each person to get 2 slices of tomato. Put the tomatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and salt and pepper each side. 

Cook the tomatoes at 425F for 20 minutes or until the tomatoes are concentrated and beginning to caramelize.

Next, slice the halloumi cheese into thick slices and then brush lightly with olive oil and grill for about 2 minutes on each side or until grill marks appear.

Then, slice the sour dough bread into thick slices and coat with olive oil and grill for about a minute on each side or until the bread is lightly toasted.

Once the cheese, tomatoes, and bread are cooked it is time to start poaching the eggs. Crack each egg  individually into a ramekin. Create a whirlpool in the water and then pour the egg into the whirlpool so that the white wraps around the yolk. Cook the egg for 3 minutes then remove with a slotted spoon and then place onto a piece of paper towel to remove the excess water from the egg.

Place the two pieces of tomato on the plate. Then put a piece of halloumi on top of the tomato. To the halloumi and tomato stack add a poached egg and put a spoonful of pesto on top of the egg.

Enjoy!

Shrimp Tacos

For years I have been going to a taco restaurant in my town called Bar Taco. Whenever I go there I get a shrimp taco! About a week ago I was talking to someone about food and she said that her granddaughter made these amazing soft tacos. I said to her, "that would be an amazing blog post!" After this conversation I was thinking about what type of taco to make and the Bar Taco shrimp tacos came to mind. Instead of copying their recipe I decided to add an asian twist by adding a little lime, and soy sauce to counteract the spice. I hope you enjoy my shrimp taco recipe!

Ingredients:
6 small flour tortillas
1 pound shrimp
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 of a lime (juiced)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt

First, remove the shells and the tail from the shrimp and cut into small thirds. Place the shrimp in a ziplock bag and add the garlic, brown sugar, chili powder, lime juice, red pepper flakes, olive oil, soy sauce, and salt. Shake the bag until the shrimp are completely covered. Let this sit for 20-30 minutes to marinate. Once marinated cook the shrimp in a pan for about 2 minutes per side or until fully cooked.

Heat the tortillas in a cast iron pan for about 2 minutes per side or until they start to brown. Once they are cooked add the shrimp to the tortillas and top with some guacamole and cotija cheese.

Serve and enjoy!