‘Recipe’ Articles at Sweetnicks

Recipe: Pavlova

January 5, 2021 · Sweets

A little time consuming, but super simple and using ingredients you likely have on hand already … let’s make Pavlova!

Once I get a random thought in my head, it’s hard to shake. I don’t know that I’ve ever given pavlova much thought, but a friend posted a picture of a pavlova she made last week, and all the sudden I couldn’t get it out of my head. With a reasonably chill weekend before our holiday break ended, a lazy Sunday at home proved to be the perfect time to make it.

Pavlova has Australian and New Zealand origins and got its name after Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova. It dates back to the early 1900s. The recipe my friend used was from The Home Cook’s Kitchen, and I used that one as well. It uses typical pantry ingredients and is very quick to make. The only hard part is keeping it in the oven without peeking for three hours! Ok, I admit I may have peeked once. I’m only human after all.

Mine didn’t have a natural indent in the top, but that is likely due to how I shaped it before popping it into the oven. Once it was time to pull it out, I sliced up some fresh strawberries and served them alongside pieces of the pavlova. A light crispy meringue shell, gooey sticky marshmallow cream center, and sweet ripe strawberries … it was a perfect sweet finish to our weekend.

…

Recipe: Salmon Croquettes

July 12, 2020 · Clean Eating, Fish & Seafood, Whole30

Just six dollars worth of canned salmon, a few pantry ingredients, and 15 minutes, and you’ll be enjoying these tasty Salmon Croquettes in no time flat.

Some days, I see a recipe online, print it and put it in a stack, only to discover it years later, still unmade. Some days, I see a recipe online, and make it the same day.

These days, it’s all about motivation and my memory. Both of which have peaks and valleys lately.

And this recipe? Happened to see it in the morning, and since I only needed one ingredient to make it, I actually had it made and was chowing down on it that same afternoon.

Trust me, it doesn’t happen too often.

The recipe originally comes from Defined Dish, and I made two small tweaks to it. It is so simple to make – all you have to do is mix a few ingredients in a bowl, form the croquettes shape, and fry them up.

Whether you’re on Whole30, love salmon, or just want a quick and easy meal for the hot summer months, I don’t think you can go wrong with this one. Enjoy!

Hungry for more salmon recipes?
This is another super simple one, and perfect on the grill.
A delicious salad with smoked salmon and buttery croutons from Joy the Baker.
I forgot all about this creamy pasta with smoked salmon … gonna have to add it to my list.
And lastly, for now, my tried-and-true favorite Smoked Salmon Dip.

…

Recipe: Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

June 29, 2020 · Sweets

Can homemade cinnamon rolls be “quick and easy” to make? Turns out, the answer is YES!

When my oldest was in the 12-14 year range, he hung out at the mall a lot, and more often than not, he would scarf down a cinnamon roll from Cinnabon while he was there. Although he doesn’t really have a sweet tooth, that was one of his few indulgences.

His days of aimlessly wandering the mall are mostly long gone, but the occasional craving for a cinnamon roll still pops up, so when I spied a recipe for homemade cinnamon rolls, I was intrigued.

Baking many different breads (along with gardening) has been a sort of therapy for me over the past few months. Basically after years of passing by any recipe that had yeast in it, I am now making all the recipes that have yeast in it. When the world seems so heavy and upside down, the idea of putting a few simple ingredients into a bowl and letting it do its thing is about all the energy I can muster.

True to its promise, these cinnamon rolls were very simple to make. Although they have to be left alone to rise for a bit, you can make them when you wake up and still be enjoying a leisurely breakfast.

One last note: I usually get really put off by recipes that are LONG, but don’t let that deter you. It may be long, but it’s still simple, and the result are soft pillowy bits of deliciousness slathered in cream cheese frosting.

…

Recipe: Nutella Stuffed and Rolled French Toast {TikTok}

May 15, 2020 · Narrative

If you like Nutella and you like French Toast, you’ll love this mash-up of Nutella Stuffed and Rolled French Toast.

So my kids introduced me to Tiktok a little over a year ago, and I’m not gonna lie, I’m a little hooked. First, I love that it’s something we can enjoy as a family – I try to find good “Tiktok locations” to shoot their short videos in, and every once in awhile, they let me be in it. While the app may have been intended for a much younger crowd, the demographics are really all over the place. Between kids lip syncing and doing short choreographed dances, to the #humanizethebadge movement featuring cops doing the dances, to even recipes and hair tutorials, there is literally something for everyone. My favorites are the videos that make me laugh until I cry.

And yes, I said recipes. We’ve made a riff off the Stackers from Taco Bell, a new breaded chicken recipe, an egg wrap sandwich situation, and this Nutella Stuffed and Rolled French Toast.

Both of my kids love Nutella (we’ve going through a jar a week here!) and French Toast, so I figured this mash-up would be right up their alley, and I was right. It’s so quick and simple to prepare, you can be enjoying it in no time flat too. I didn’t measure, and most Tiktok recipes don’t include measurements, but have included the basic guidelines below – it’s super simple. Be sure to drop a comment below if you try it out! Any TikTok recipes you’ve liked that we should be trying?

…

Recipe: Cheesy Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms

April 9, 2020 · Narrative, Vegetables

Big juicy mushrooms stuffed with spinach and cheese … a perfect appetizer or, heck, just make it a meal!

Truth be told, there is no way my kids will eat these (spinach! mushrooms!), and for a long time, I just didn’t make things that I knew they wouldn’t eat, which means I missed out on a lot of my favorite things. No more. I make what they like, and I make what I like too. Sometimes there is overlap. Sometimes there isn’t. And sometimes, they get curious and try what I’m making for me, and truth be told, those are solid wins right there.

And so here we are with my stuffed mushrooms. They didn’t have any interest in them, and that was fine. One batch made a few lunches for me, and they are super simple to make, reasonably healthy, and downright delicious. I mean, that moment when you bite into the mushroom and all the juice runs down your chin? That’s it, right there.

Let’s get to the recipe.

…

Recipe: Jammy Tomato Sauce

February 25, 2020 · Narrative

An unusual mix of ingredients comes together to make one of my new favorite recipes … let’s make Jammy Tomato Sauce.

Truth be told, I wasn’t looking for another recipe for tomato sauce, because I have several I rely on already, and really, how many recipes for the same thing do I need?

Apparently just one more.

The word “jammy” in the title intrigued me, followed by a few of the ingredients, namely anchovies and the balsamic vinegar reduction.

I modified the ingredients slightly, as one does, and put the pot on the stove on a recent Sunday afternoon. After about an hour, I snuck a taste. Mmmm. And several hours later, I couldn’t stop eating it straight up from the pan.

Just typing these words about it is making my mouth water all over again.

Anchovy haters, don’t be alarmed, I’m right there with you. Can’t stand them either. But I’ve also cooked with them often enough to know that they melt when heated, and truly impart a little bit of magic in the finished dish. (Great dishes with anchovies where you’re none the wiser: Pan Seared Steak with Anchovies and Lime, Linguine with Green Olive Sauce and Zesty Breadcrumbs, Roasted Cauliflower Spread, and Panzanella to name a few)

The sauce is thick and rich with a hint of a seafood taste as the finish. Although the original author suggests thinning the sauce for a few uses, I didn’t.

I served it with homemade meatballs.

With ravioli.

Slathered onto grilled sourdough bread.

And topping homemade pizzas.

All the things. It’s seriously that good.

Make it and come on back and let me know how much you loved it.

…

Recipe: Falafel Spiced Turkey Burgers {Whole30}

February 18, 2020 · Narrative, Whole30

Those hints of falafel seasoning mixed with ground turkey serves up one delicious bite after another – let’s make Falafel Spiced Turkey Burgers!

I love falafel, and its seasoning, so when I saw Molly Yeh make these Falafel-Spiced Turkey Burgers on a recent episode of Girl Meets Farm on Food Network, I made a mental note to go look up the recipe. There was only one problem … I was doing a round of Whole30, and her recipe wasn’t completely Whole30-compliant. A couple small tweaks and changes and here we are … a crazy delicious Turkey Burger recipe that is packed with flavor and kid-approved! My oldest loved them, and some mornings, I even crumbled a few pieces into my scrambled eggs. So freaking good, guilt-free, quick, and healthy. I loved them so much I actually made the recipe four times over the course of ten days! Winner, winner, turkey dinner!

…

Recipe: Triple Veggie Skillet {Whole30, Paleo}

February 3, 2020 · Narrative, Whole30

Healthy, filled with vegetables, and a delicious way to start your day. Let’s make this Triple Veggie Skillet.

I did my sixth round of Whole30 (where you give up dairy, alcohol, grains, legumes, and sugar for thirty days) last month, and even though it’s over, I’m still going strong with most of the guidelines. To be honest, I just feel better when I do, and although I’ve brought back my coffee light and sweet, I’m just going to keep on keeping on. Feed yourself good food, and you feel good. Sometimes it really is that simple.

So with that in mind, I spend a few hours on the weekend to prep food and meals for the week. It’s a huge key to my success on Whole30, and just sets me up for a much easier week food-wise.

Yesterday afternoon, I made this Triple Veggie Skillet for breakfasts this week. This morning I paired it with two eggs up and avocado, and it truly was one of the most satisfying breakfasts I’ve had in a long time. I made mine with tomatoes, potatoes, and spinach, but you could certainly mix-and-match the vegetables with others. Super simple to make, using basic ingredients, I just don’t think you can go wrong with food cooked in bacon grease. Am I right? ;)

…

Recipe: Roasted Garlic Mayonnaise {Whole30}

January 10, 2020 · Narrative

The smell is heavenly, the taste is light, let’s make some Roasted Garlic Mayo!

You likely have heard me extol the virtues of homemade mayonnaise before … it’s so light and lemony and downright delicious that after the first time I made it, I never had store-bought again. Plus it’s so much healthier! Since you’re making it yourself, you KNOW the ingredients that are going in it, and it’s clean eating at its finest, and Whole30 and Paleo to boot. Now we’re “kicking it up a notch,” as Emeril used to say (is he still around and cooking?), with this divine Roasted Garlic Mayo.

First let’s talk about the health benefits of roasted garlic all on its own … to name a few, it’s nutritious, has been shown to reduce blood pressure, it can reduce the length of the common cold, lowers the risk of heart disease, and improves bone health (and so much more!).

Oftentimes, if the oven is going to be on for half an hour, I’ll pop in a bulb of garlic to roast, squeeze out the roasted cloves and keep it in a container in the fridge so I always have some on hand (put in small container and cover with olive oil and they’ll be preserved for about two weeks). You can spread some with butter or ghee on a toasted baguette, add to a veggie stir fry, and pop into the mayo recipe below. I also sometimes it eat just straight up! I used to frequest a restaurant (and even got engaged there!) called The Garlic Rose. Garlic was, as you can imagine, infused in some way into every dish they served and it was as amazing as it sounds. What YOUR favorite way to use roasted garlic?

…

Recipe: Pasta Bolognese

December 4, 2019 · Narrative

Thick, rich and hearty, this Bolognese sauce is perfect for a lazy Sunday supper, or to stockpile in your freezer.

I sometimes see posts making fun of how bloggers will write four paragraphs as a preamble to the recipe, when all readers really want is the recipe. I do sometimes feel that way too, but in the interest of a happy medium, let’s do a few lines of a brief description and get right to the star of the show … this Bolognese Sauce.

I got this recipe from an old friend a million years ago and have tweaked it along the way and the end result is a thick and hearty pasta sauce that will warm you from the inside out. This is one of those recipes that you take a small taste from the pot to see if you have to adjust your seasonings and then you find yourself going back for more. Three meats, carrots and onions, a couple other simple ingredients and a low simmer for just under two hours. I usually double the batch and freeze half of it to save me on a busy weeknight. Add some garlic bread (this one is a favorite) and a nice green salad and you have the perfect simple and delicious meal for company.

Enjoy!

Pasta Bolognese
Recipe courtesy of Cate O’Malley

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 large carrot, finely diced
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
½ pound ground sirloin
½ pound ground pork
6 oz. pancetta or prosciutto, diced
1 small can of tomato paste
1-1/2 cup milk
2 cups dry white wine (sauvignion or fume blanc)
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Oregano
Parmigiano-Reggiano, for grating

In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic and carrots and sweat over medium heat until the vegetables are translucent and soft but not browned (10-15 minutes). Add the beef, pork and pancetta and stir into the vegetables. Add it over high heat, stirring to keep the meat from sticking together until browned. Add the tomato paste, milk, and wine and simmer over medium-low heat for 1-1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally. Season with thyme, salt and pepper to taste.