 After a two week blog hiatus, it feels like I owe you a life update post.😅 But before I can do that, I need to take some time to sort through the over 900 hundred pictures that I took over the last couple of weeks.📸😬 I had the incredible opportunity to travel through England and Wales with my very best friends - and it was amazing. I can hardly wait to share the details of my trip with all of you.⚓️🚋 ✈️🎡
While I take a few days to pair down my vacation photos to under 100😉 I'll share a delicious biscotti recipe with you as a nod to airline that got us to and from England safely.✈️ 🏴 For those of you that may not be aware - the crunchy, gingery biscoff cookies that they serve on certain airlines also come in a creamy, delicious, sinfully addicting cookie butter version. (Think sweeter, smoother, more flavorful version of peanut butter.) If you've never bought a jar of cookie butter - you owe it to yourself to indulge at least once. It's amazing. Try it on toast, make a batch of biscoff granola bars and then give this cookie butter biscotti recipe a whirl.  Cookie Butter Biscotti 2 eggs 1/2 cup cookie butter 1/2 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups flour 3/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt
 Lay slices on cookie sheet and bake 10 minutes on each side at 325.
Ciao!
0 Comments
 Normally when it comes to recipes, I look for the quick, easy and healthy recipes. What can I say? I'm busy and I always want to eat healthier. With that being said... This recipe is none of those things.🤣 These French Baguettes took a little more than 2 days to make.😳 A lot of that time the dough was fermenting in the frig but I had to start prepping the dough 2 days before I wanted to eat these baguettes.🥖 And prior to that I watched a tutorial on how to properly roll and fold the dough (thank you culinary exploration). Safe to say "quick" and "easy" are off the table.😅 I also decided to invest in some specific equipment to make these French Baguettes (a baguette pan and a bread lame) which means it wasn't a "cheap" recipe either. Not to worry though - you can totally make this without those things. I just wanted to go all in on these baguettes so I could feel like a french baker.👩🏻🍳 😂 Right about now you're probably wondering why in the world anyone would ever want to make homemade French Baguettes.💁🏻♀️ Quite simply - these carbo sticks are the bomb!!!  I know all about the perils of white bread and I still want to make these homemade French Baguettes every week.😅 That should tell you how strongly I feel about this recipe. Eating a warm baguette is a sensory experience that's simple yet deeply satisfying. There's nothing like that crispy, golden crust that shatters in your fingers when you tear off a piece of warm baguette and a pillowy, soft inside that's chewy and tender - baguettes are perfect - pure and simple.🥖 As for me, there's no need to add butter or cheese, jam or even olive oil - I think they're best enjoyed in their most basic form. Contrary to most other recipes that I make as quickly as possible, bread making is an activity that slows me down. It centers me. So much preparation and care has to go into the process. It can't be rushed or hurried. I think all of the time that I put into baking this bread made the experience even more rewarding --- and delicious.  French Baguettes Poolish 150g bread flour 150g room temperature water 3g instant dried yeast Dough 303g of poolish 220g room temp water 13g sea salt 4g instant dried yeast 380g bread flour
 Reduce heat to 475 and bake for 20 minutes. Notes:
I have a steam tray in the bottom of my oven so I add a couple of ice cubes to create some steam. You can also add ice cubes to a small tray in the bottom of your oven if you like. I preheated my oven for about an hour before adding the baguettes. Hope you enjoy these as much as I did.😋 Ciao!  The very first hint of Fall weather hit this week so obviously, I started decorating my house with pumpkins, sipping cinnamon tea every afternoon and craving all the warm, hearty comfort foods.🎃 I'm probably jumping the gun on going all in on everything FALL because temperatures are expected to soar back into the 90's by the end of the week but for now - I'm embracing this new season.🍂 This Shells with Corn and Shrimp recipe with summer corn and fresh herbs feels summery and light while the pasta and creamy sauce makes it feel warm and comforting.🌿🌽 It's a Summer-All meal.😅 The perfect transition from summer to Fall recipe.  If your love language is carbohydrates - you need to try this recipe.😂 A nice big bowl of Shrimp with Corn and Shells and a piece of homemade french baguette on a sunny day with just a hint of crispness to the air is comfort food at it's finest.  Shrimp with Corn and Shells 1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed 1 3/4 teaspoons salt 4 Tablespoons butter 4 ears corn, kernels cut from cobs and reserved 1 onion, chopped 3/4 teaspoon pepper 3 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 cup white wine 5 cups water 3 cups shell pasta 1/2 cup half and half 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
 Ciao!
 August is corn season in Ohio and for the first time in years - I was there to experience (and by that I mean TASTE it) it for myself!🤣 🌽 Corn from the midwest is one of life's greatest pleasures.
The Ohio corn that we had last month will go down as some of the best corn that I've ever eaten. It was aMAZEing.🌽 😂  Fresh corn is one of the few vegetables that's good no matter how you prepare it. Boiled, steamed, roasted, grilled or even microwaved - it's all good. It's fun to experiment with different cooking methods and seasonings because really good corn is hard to mess up - no matter how I cook it. This smoked corn on the cob is a close cousin to Elote or Mexican Corn on the Cob. Think of it as elote corn without the cheese.💁🏻♀️😅 If you've never tried cooking corn on the cob on the grill - do yourself a favor and give it a try. It's delicious.  Smoked Corn on the Cob 3/4 cup mayonnaise 2 Tablespoons cider vinegar 2 teaspoons sugar 2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/2 teaspoon horseradish 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 8 ears corn, husks removed Soak wood chips or wedge in water for 2 hours. Place over charcoal and light grill.
 Place corn on grill and cook 18-20 minutes until tender.  Transfer corn to serving platter and brush with remaining mayonnaise mixture.
Ciao!  I just learned that the first Saturday in September is National Tailgating Day and now that I know - I feel the need to celebrate.😅 I live in a state where football and tailgating is taken very seriously.🏈 I'm grossly under qualified to give any advice on either of these topics but I still want to participate in National Tailgating Day so I'll just share one the recipes that I think would be a great tailgate food.😉 Any of you with more experience - feel free to let me know if Greek Orzo Salad would actually be good tailgate food.  This is one of my favorite salads. It makes a delicious side dish for fish and chicken. A bowl of orzo salad makes a quick, delicious, satisfying lunch. It's also healthy and flavorful dish to bring to a potluck or a tailgating party. I made this batch with whole wheat orzo to boost it's nutritional value. After all - it IS a salad.😂 The way I look at it - a helping of this healthy salad balances out the potato salad and cheese dip that I might consume at a tailgate party.  Greek Orzo Salad 1 cup dry orzo pasta 1 lemon, zested and squeezed ½ teaspoon oregano ¼ teaspoon sea salt 1 cucumbers, halved vertically, and sliced ¼-inch thick 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes 1 cup cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion ½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves Greek Dressing ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 garlic clove, minced ½ teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard ¼ teaspoon sea salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
 Drizzle dressing over orzo mixture just before serving.
 |
