heykyle:

dinnerwasdelicious:

Honey-Pomegranate Mulled Wine

Something happens at midnight on Thanksgiving that makes it feel like winter. Maybe the turkey hangover raises your basal body temperature and makes outside feel colder or maybe it’s just, you know, nostalgia and shit. This year, here in Chicago, it feels extra blustery and we needed a drink to help us warm up.

Wine on its own is never a bad choice, but drinking it sweetened with honey and pomegranate juice, warmed gently and made fragrant with cinnamon and clove is quite possibly the best choice on the fucking planet.

While we wouldn’t recommend using gut-rot-boot-leg-drink-it-in-college-with-straw-two-dollars-for-a-jug-not-that-we’re-speaking-from-experience hooch, this is a great recipe for lower end red wine. Merlot is great, Cabs are delightful but we’re particularly fond of Trader Joe’s brand Old Vine Zinfandel for this recipe.  

Honey-Pomegranate Mulled Wine

• 1 bottle Red Wine
• 2 cups Pomegranate Juice
• 1 Cinnamon Stick- Mexican cinnamon is particularly nice
• 1 tbsp Whole Cloves
• 1/4 cup Honey

Combine all of the ingredients in a large heavy pot, like a dutch oven, or your crock-pot. Stir well to dissolve the Honey. Slowly warm over low heat, without boiling. Keep it barely hot all day, topping up with more wine, juice, and honey, for guests, or down it in one go. No Judgement.

Serve in mugs or thick, heat-safe glass, with a big plate of gingersnaps.

Fuck this looks good.

My friends are like, really fucking talented.

(Source: dinnerwasdelicious)

stevedusa:

Southern memories - Shrimp étouffée

Years ago I was studying in the south. Don’t ask me why but one year I was invited to a Thanksgiving gathering by a classmate who has family resides in Georgia.

Before that I have never had or even heard of shrimp étouffée. However that entire evening most I had was no turkey, but her grandma’s shrimp étouffée.

I end up asking her for the recipe the next day. Being if not one of the nicest grandmas I’ve ever met, she didn’t hesitate and wrote down a copy of the recipe.

Fast forwarding to today, as I was cleaning my belongs few weeks ago and I found the recipe card hidden in one of my notebooks. I decided to pick it back up and make this classic French / Southern dish.

PS I’ve been making it for a few weeks at various locations. So far feedbacks are “I WANT SECOND HELPINGS” so that should be a good sign I suppose :)

Now to the ingredient you will need… keep in mind I’m making amount enough for 4 servings or two dinners for me.

“Wet” Ingredients:

• Celery, chopped
• Onion, chopped
• Bell pepper, chopped
• Green onion, chopped
• Parsley, chopped and roughly minced
• Garlic, chopped and minced
• Shrimp, raw and peeled
• Half stick of unsalted butter

Dry/Canned Ingredients:

• Can of diced tomato in juice
• Can of chicken broth OR clam juice
• Flour

Seasoning:

• Tobasco
• Salt
• Black AND White Pepper
• Cayenne Pepper
• Cajun Seasoning

Refer to the picture in the post for how much you might need. I only used HALF of that bell pepper but if you like bell pepper, by all means use any amount you like.

Also for green onion and parsley, you might want to use it accordingly. Those are what she referred as “seasoning agents” so use accordingly. As for garlic? go nuts if you love garlic; use a little if you are not a big fan.

Cooking:

• Melt butter over LOW heat in a sauce pan. It is CRITICAL to make the roux in low heat. I have supplied a picture of the flame I’m using on my stove as a yard stick. 
• Add 1/4 cup of flour into the melted butter. Stir right away and mix into a paste.
• Keep the paste spread out (it will do that by itself) and covers the entire bottom of the sauce pan. Stir and mix every 90 minutes or so.
• After 10 minutes or so the mixture will (or not, depends on how much butter you put in there) thicken up slightly and darken a bit, as soon as you smell a nutty aroma, prepare to add the chopped vegetables.
• Turn heat up slightly after adding the vegetables. Stir and let it sweat.
• After the vegetable became soft and slightly shiny, add dry seasoning (except Tobasco).
• Stir and mix well, then add diced tomato and juice first. Stir and add the broth or clam juice to thin the mixture. Add splashes of Tabasco to taste. Add salt if needed.
• Bring to a broil. Reduce to low heat and simmer, covered for 5 - 10 minutes. Stir once a while.
• Turn up the heat to medium and add shrimp. Stir for at least 3 minutes or shrimp has turned pink AND slightly curl up a little. Don’t cook it too long or it’ll be hard to chew but make sure you cook it thoroughly to avoid food poisoning.

And done! Serve over rice, add chopped parsley and garlic, even dashes of cayenne pepper to taste if desired.

Now I just need a cup of sweet tea. Gawd I miss the south.

(via geekycubil)

screw-it-and-eat-everything:

Whole Grain Pumpkin Pancakes

2 cups white whole wheat flour (or unbleached all-purpose flour)


1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder


1/2 teaspoon baking soda


1/3 cup natural granulated sugar (evaporated cane sugar)


1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice*


1 1/4 cups organic buttermilk
1 cup pumpkin puree**


2 large organic eggs, lightly beaten


2 tablespoons butter, melted (melt in the pan skillet you are going to use)
butter, to serve (and for pan)

To make the pancakes combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, spice and salt in a large bowl. Add the buttermilk, pumpkin, eggs, and melted butter. Stir all the ingredients until they are just combined. Don’t worry if the batter is a bit lumpy, you don’t want to over mix.

Heat your skillet, pan, or griddle to medium-hot and brush it with a bit of butter. Test for the right temperature. If a drop of water dropped onto the pan starts to dance, you are in the ballpark. Pour about 1/3 of a cup of batter into the skillet. Wait until the pancake bottom is deep golden in color, then flip with a spatula and cook the other side until golden and cooked through. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve with Apple Maple Compote

.

Makes about 12 large pancakes.

**pumpkin pie puree is different from pumpkin pie filling. Both are in the same section of the grocery store, so be sure to get the plain pumpkin!


Apple Maple Compote

This is just about the most simple thing ever, hardly a recipe at all.

Apples
Butter
Cinnamon 
Maple Syrup

Firstly, I’d plan on using about 1/2 an apple per person. Cut the apple into slices. 

Next, add a pat of butter to a medium sized pan, enough to coat the entire thing. Next, add the apples to the pan and sprinkle the cinnamon over. Let the apples get soft, turning them over once, and sprinkling the other side with cinnamon. Add enough maple syrup to cover the apples. Let it bubble away for a minute or so. Pour over warm pancakes.

(via keviinmeow)

rocketfists:

cutebronto:

Deep-Dish Chocolate Chip Cookie for One

Ingredients (1 serving)

• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 Tbsp unrefined granulated sugar, such as evaporated cane juice
• 1/2 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp beaten egg, preferably organic (cover & chill remaining beaten egg for tomorrow’s cookie cup… you will be making another one!)
• tiny splash pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 Tbsp whole wheat pastry flour (can substitute with 3:1 of cake flour and all purpose flour)
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• tiny pinch salt
• heaping 1 Tbsp grain-sweetened chocolate chips, such as Sunspire

Instructions

In a small ramekin or microwavable cup, combine softened butter and both sugars; stir well with a spoon. Stir in beaten egg and vanilla extract. Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Microwave on high for 35-40 seconds. Let cookie rest at room temperature for about 10 seconds before devouring.

Nutritional Information:

253.2 calories, 13.8 grams fat, 8.4 grams saturated fat, 2.9 grams fiber, 17.5 grams sugars, 2.4 grams protein

Hey Canadians, if you guys get bored of your mug-cake.

(via otakumon)

bearguy77:

Chipotle Chicken Corn Cakes

2 large cans chicken, drained

1/2 to 1 can corn, drained

1/2 cup corn meal

1/4 cup flour

1 Tbsp milk (more or less)

Chipotle Tobasco to taste

salt and pepper to taste

2 Tbsp butter or vegetable oil

In a large bowl shred chicken with a fork or your hands.  Add corn meal, flour, corn.  Stir to mix.  Add milk; stir.  Add Chipotle Tobasco, salt, and pepper to taste.  Stir.  In a pan, melt the butter or heat the oil.  Form chicken mixture into small patties and place in the pan, cooking over medium-high heat until brown on both sides and hot all the way through.  The patties are soft so TURN CAREFULLY; they will firm with cooking.  Serve with barbecue sauce or ketchup OR make into sandwiches with some tomato, lettuce, pepper jack cheese, and chipotle mayo. Makes about 8 patties.

This is another of my creations.  Just made it up on the spot.  In hindsight I’d add more seasoning and maybe some cheese.  Still, I thought they were pretty good.  I’m just eating them as is with barbecue sauce.