Maybe I’m extra excited because of these red wine chorizo bites. Honestly, they’re kind of ridiculously delicious. They’re also insanely easy to make. Read: perfect for a Halloween Party, Thanksgiving, Christmas party, tree decorating, New Year’s Eve party, or for an impromptu holiday get together.

Or you could make them on a random day (today!), pour yourself a glass of wine and call it dinner. Trust me, I would never judge.

STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO MAKING RED WINE AND HONEY GLAZED CHORIZO BITES:

1. Slice up some deliciously spicy chorizo and put it in a pan with a splash of olive oil.
2. Sear that chorizo until it looks almost charred.
3. Pour some honey and red wine into the pan. (I used Cavit Select Red Blend and it was delish)
4. Let the ‘sauce’ bubble away until it transforms itself into a sweet and sticky glaze.
5. Eat!

NOTE:

If you like to be super OCD organized for your party (like me!) then you can sear the chorizo and pour the honey and wine into the pan. You can set it aside on your stove until peeps arrive then turn the heat on again to quickly reduce the sauce into a glaze.

Red Wine and Honey Glazed Chorizo Bites

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• Author: Kristen Stevens
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 36 bites

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Description

Chorizo bites are coated in a glistening honey and red wine sauce to be one of the most delicious appetizers you will devour this upcoming holiday season.

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Ingredients

Units USM

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 lb. chorizo sausages (sliced 1 inch thick)
• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
• 2/3 cup Red Wine
• 1/3 cup honey
• A pinch of each: smoked paprika and black pepper

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Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and saute, stirring a few times, until the chorizo browns on both sides, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, red wine, honey, and a pinch of smoked paprika and black pepper to the pan. Bring the pan to a boil and continue to boil until the liquid reduces to a glaze thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 3-5 minutes. Don’t reduce it too much as it will thicken as it cools.
3. Serve with toothpicks for easy nibbling.

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Appetizer
• Method: Glazing
• Cuisine: Mexican Inspired

Keywords: chorizo, chorizo recipes, red wine glaze, glazing, honey glaze, sausage recipes, mexican recipes, spanish recipes, finger food, nibbles

The post Red Wine and Honey Glazed Chorizo appeared first on Honest Cooking.

It’s cocktail time! And since the leaves are turning color and the temperature is dropping, I thought this spiced cranberry hot toddy would be the perfect thing to warm us up.

This easy hot toddy recipe starts by simmering cranberry juice with wintery spices like cinnamon, cloves, and orange. Then add some bourbon, sit back, put your feet up, and sip your tasty hot toddy.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS SPICED CRANBERRY HOT TODDY

• Warm, cozy spices.
• Cinnamon laced sugared rim. ? this is as good as it sounds.
• Healthy cranberry juice and no refined sugar puts this firmly in the healthy drink category. Please tell me you think the same.
• Bourbon. ‘Cause bourbon really is the best.
• But if you don’t think so, swap some spiced rum, whiskey, or even vodka.
• It’s super easy to make. If you can put some spices and cranberry juice into a pot then you can make this.
• Bonus: as the cranberry juice and spices simmer, your house will smell AMAZING.

HOW TO MAKE A HOT TODDY
A basic hot toddy recipe is nothing more than whiskey, honey, lemon juice, and hot water. With respect tradition, we think this spiced cranberry hot toddy is much better.

The wintery spices make this version perfect for this chilly season. And since it’s almost as easy to make as the original, there’s no reason not to treat yourself.

1. Add the cranberry juice and spices to a pot.
2. Simmer simmer simmer.
3. Sweeten with some maple syrup.
4. Pour some bourbon into a glass and top with the spiced cranberry juice.

If you want to get fancy, mix a little sugar with some cinnamon and rim your glass before you pour in your cranberry hot toddy.

See those pretty glasses up there? They are part of the Balance Series cocktail glasses that ZENS sells on their website. I love how clean and fresh they look.

They’re doubled walled glasses which means you can serve your cranberry toddy in them and pick them up without worrying about the glass being too hot to hold.

And since they’re glass, they let the beautiful red cranberry color shine.

I know I’ll reach for them again and again this winter. And there’s a pretty darn good chance that someone will be opening a box from ZENS this Christmas. Just sayin’.

I always opt for cocktail glasses that are on the small size as I don’t like too much mix in my drinks. These glasses are the perfect size for a cranberry hot toddy as they’re not too big. They’re a little bigger than an espresso cup which means you can add an ounce of bourbon and top with the spiced cranberry juice without worrying about watering down the bourbon.

If you like your cocktails a little less boozy, ZENS sells the Balance Series Highball Glasses that are taller so you can add more spiced cranberry juice.

The taller version is also a great size if you want to skip the bourbon and turn this into a virgin cranberry hot toddy.

PLUS, they’re giving away a beautiful tea set. Enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

HOW TO MAKE CRANBERRY HOT TODDIES FOR A CROWD
This cranberry hot toddy recipe makes 32 small (2-ounce) drinks which makes it perfect for a party. Here’s how to do it:

1. Make the spiced cranberry juice then strain it.
2. Add the bourbon to the pot. Pop in a couple of orange slices to pretty it up.
3. Put a ladle in the pot and let your guests serve themselves.

So easy!

PS. If you love cranberry cocktails, make sure to check out our Christmas Cranberry Margarita!

Cranberry Hot Toddy

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• Author: Kristen Stevens
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 32 - 2 ounce cocktails

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Ingredients

• 4 cups unsweetened cranberry juice
• 1 mandarin orange (sliced)
• 2 – 3-inch cinnamon sticks
• 1 – 2-inch piece of ginger (thinly sliced)
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves
• 5 star anise
• 1/2 – 1 cup maple syrup (more, to taste)
• 2–4 cups of bourbon (depending how strong you like your cocktails)

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Instructions

1. Pour the cranberry juice into a medium-sized pot. Add the mandarin orange slices, cinnamon sticks, ginger, peppercorns, cloves, and star anise and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Strain the juice to remove the spices.
2. Add a 1/2 cup of maple syrup to the pot. Taste and add more maple syrup, to taste.
3. Pour 1 ounce of bourbon into your glass and top with 1 ounce of the spiced cranberry juice.

Notes

If you can’t find unsweetened cranberry juice, use cranberry cocktail and omit the maple syrup.

If you’d like, sugar the rim with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon mixed with 1 tablespoon sugar.

Make a big batch by adding 4 cups of bourbon to the spiced cranberry juice and let guests serve themselves.

If you like a less strong cocktail, use 1 ounce of bourbon and 2 ounces of spiced cranberry juice.

The spiced cranberry juice will keep for at least a week in the fridge.

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Category: Cocktail

The post Cranberry Hot Toddy appeared first on Honest Cooking.

We’re taking the traditional combination of bratwurst and sauerkraut and adding the sweetness of apples to create a perfect balance of flavors.

Apart from its obvious deliciousness, this dish also has a rich history dating back to ancient times. Sauerkraut, which is finely shredded cabbage fermented by various lactic acid bacteria, was a staple food for sailors in the 18th century as it is a great source of vitamin C and helps prevent scurvy. Today, sauerkraut is a popular ingredient in many traditional dishes, particularly in Germany and Eastern Europe.

Here, we’re taking sauerkraut to the next level by adding the sweetness of apples, creating a perfect balance of flavors that adds another dimension to the dish. The bratwurst, a type of German sausage made from pork or veal, adds a satisfying meaty textur, and the mashed potatoes, made with organic apple juice, add a comforting sweet side to the meal.

Sauerkraut and Apples with Bratwurst

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• Author: Kristen Stevens
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings

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Ingredients

For potatoes

• 1/2 stick butter, room temperature, cut into cubes
• 1 lb. potatoes (diced (can sub sweet potatoes))
• 2 tbsp organic apple juice
• salt and pepper to taste

For sausages and sauerkraut

• 1 tablespoon butter (use ghee for Whole30)
• 8 bratwurst sausages
• 3/4 teaspoon each: salt and pepper
• 2 cups organic apple juice
• 1 large onion (sliced)
• 3 cups sauerkraut (drained)
• 1 red baking apple (sliced)

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Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a large, non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the bratwurst and cook until brown on both sides, about 10 minutes.
2. While the bratwurst are browning, place the diced potatoes or sweet potatoes in a medium-sized pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Drain then add the salt, pepper, butter and 2 tablespoons of the North Coast Organic Apple Juice and gently mash. You want to keep some chunks.
3. When the bratwurst is brown on both sides, remove it from the pan then add the onion. Cook until the onion begins to brown then add the sauerkraut and mix well. Add the bratwurst to the pan then pour the remaining 2 cups of Apple Juice over the top. Cover the pan and cook for 20 minutes. Remove the cover and cook for another 10 minutes, or until the pan is mostly dry.
4. Nestle the apple slices around the bratwurst and cook for 5 minutes more.
5. Serve the bratwurst and sauerkraut over the potatoes.

Notes

The best apples for this recipe are gala, ambrosia, or fuji. A scoop of sour cream on the side makes this extra awesome.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Category: Main, Side
• Cuisine: American, German, German-inspired

Keywords: bratwurst, comfort food, sauerkraut, sausage, winter food

The post Sauerkraut and Apples with Bratwurst appeared first on Honest Cooking.

These baked Stuffed Sweet Potatoes are piled high with toasted walnuts, fresh herbs, and crunchy pomegranate seeds. A drizzle of easy to make tahini sauce takes them over the top. They’re a healthy side dish or main course vegetarian recipe. They’re also naturally vegan + gluten-free + paleo + Whole30 compliant.

November 13th was World Kindness Day, but I don’t think being sweet should come around only once a year. I’ve made us this stuffed sweet potato recipe so we can all be a little sweeter today, and all year round.

What I’ve done is combine two of my favorite things into one stuffed sweet potato recipe:

1. Baked sweet potatoes. Are you as crazy about them as I am? I love their natural sweetness and their versatility. Seriously, there are not many things that can be both spiralized into pasta and baked into a pie.

We eat a lot of sweet potatoes around here. My quick count turned up 25 sweet potato recipes on the blog!

2. Herb and walnut salad. I have no idea why this isn’t a stand-alone recipe on the blog. I love the combination of fragrant mint and parsley mingling with nutty toasted walnuts. I’ve thrown a few handfuls of pomegranate seeds in there, too. They always feel festive this time of year, and I love the little crunch they add.

Even though these stuffed sweet potatoes would dazzle a holiday table, there’s no reason to save them just for the Christmas season. We’ll be eating them all winter and into the spring. As long I can find pomegranates in the grocery store, these babies are mine.

When I served these at dinner the other night, my handsome man made the best comment. He said they were like little presents that you had to unwrap. I couldn’t agree more. Before digging in, you peel back the ‘wrapping paper’ to find the sweet and delicious gift inside.

These stuffed sweet potatoes are the perfect recipe to share with friends. Invite over your besties and let them unwrap the pretty ‘presents’ on their plates.

I have a confession to make. Are you ready? I haven’t always loved sweet potatoes. Gasp!

Growing up, the only way sweet potatoes were served was in a casserole. It was that super sweet casserole that everyone has at Thanksgiving and Christmas. The one loaded with brown sugar and sometimes even marshmallows. Even as a kid, I found it so sickly sweet that I couldn’t eat it.

No one ever mentioned that there were other ways to eat sweet potatoes. My first non-casserole experience was having them as fries. I LOVED them that way, and still do.

Then a Thai food restaurant sold me on sweet potatoes in red curry. I was starting to learn that there was a whole world of delicious ways to cook with sweet potatoes out there.

It’s a good thing. Sweet potatoes are both convenient and healthy. On an ‘I don’t want to cook night’ I’ll throw a couple sweet potatoes and some chicken into the oven and call that dinner. Even though it’s as simple and easy as it gets, I feel good knowing it’s healthy. Did you know that a medium sweet potato is just a little over 100 calories and is packed with vitamin A and fiber? I love that part!

On more adventurous nights, I’ll pull out my spiralizer and turn sweet potatoes into spaghetti-like noodles. Or I’ll slice them thin and bake them into nacho chips. And other times I’ll mash them like potatoes. They’re amazingly versatile so I never tire of them.

Back to these stuffed sweet potatoes …

There’s something about these flavors and textures that work so well together. Mint loves a little sweetness, and the creamy sweet potatoes give that naturally. Both the walnuts and pomegranate add a little crunch, but each in their own way.

The tahini lemon sauce brings it all together. This simple sauce is as delicious as it gets. It’s creamy without having to use any dairy and bursting with flavor.

I recommend drizzling enough on top to make the stuffed sweet potatoes look pretty, then serving the rest on the side. You’re definitely going to want to smother these, but they don’t look as nice when they’re drowning in sauce.

Click here for the recipe for these stuffed sweet potatoes.

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For even more sweet inspiration, check out this video.

The post Pomegranate, Walnut and Mint Stuffed Sweet Potatoes appeared first on Honest Cooking.

This ice cream is a little different than the other five bazillion ice cream recipes I have made. (Only the tiniest bit of number exaggeration.) This one is extra special because it is SO FREAKING EASY TO MAKE.

Sorry for yelling at you. It’s just that I’m so excited about this recipe.

This is truly the easiest No Churn Ice Cream Recipe there is. I mean sure, most recipes can be made without an ice cream maker. But those no churn ice cream recipes involve a tedious process of scrapping the ice cream every hour until it freezes. When it’s summertime and there are oceans to swim in, parties to plan, margaritas to drink, and burgers to flip, who has time to scrape ice cream every hour? Not me!

This is completely different. I’ve used a little trick (otherwise known as whipping the cream) which makes the creamiest ice cream ever with absolutely no effort.

Summertime magic happening right here.

I’ve used Hills Bros Salted Caramel Cappuccino to make this ice cream. Yep, I sure did. It’s actually doing double duty in both the ice cream and the salted caramel syrup.

Honestly, it’s the best hack ever for easy salted caramel. No standing over the stove with a candy thermometer in hand. No fretting over burning the caramel. Just sugar + cappuccino + a little water. Boil and done. Fist bump.

Truth: I like the Hills Bros salted caramel hack better than regular caramel in this recipe. Normally, caramel goes hard and overly chewy when it’s cold. You know, like stuck in your teeth chewy. No one wants that! THIS caramel sauce stays soft and melts in your mouth with the ice cream. It’s the way caramel + ice cream should always be.

Celebrate summer by making this recipe and then enter to win a supply of cappuccino below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

No-Churn Salted Caramel Ice Cream

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★★★★

4 from 2 reviews

• Author: Kristen Stevens

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Description

This easy no-churn salted caramel ice cream is the ultimate summer sweet. It’s super creamy and cool and has a jolt of cappuccino hidden in its ingredeints.

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Ingredients

Salted Caramel Syrup:

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup Hills Bros. Salted Caramel Cappuccino
• 3 tablespoons water

No Churn Ice Cream:

• 2 cups whipping cream
• ½ cup Hills Bros. Salted Caramel Cappuccino
• ½ can condensed milk (see notes)

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Instructions

1. Line a dish (I like to use a loaf pan) with parchment paper and let the ends drape over the sides.
2. In a small pot over medium heat, bring the sugar, ? cup of Hills Bros. Salted Caramel Cappuccino, and the water to a boil. Let it continue to boil for 5 more minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and set it aside to cool.
3. Pour the whipping cream into a large bowl. Using electric beaters, beat the cream until soft peaks form. Sprinkle the ½ cup of Hills Bros Salted Caramel Cappuccino over top and beat on low until it is incorporated. Fold the condensed milk into the whipped cream.
4. Using one heaping tablespoon at a time, drizzle the cream with the salted caramel syrup. Fold the cream, then drizzle another spoonful. Save a little for the top.
5. Pour the cream into the prepared dish and drizzle with a little extra syrup. Freeze until firm, about 3-4 hours.
6. Let the ice cream sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Notes

If you have a major sweet tooth, you can use the whole can of condensed milk, but we found it too sweet for us that way.

• Category: Dessert, Ice Cream

The post No-Churn Salted Caramel Ice Cream appeared first on Honest Cooking.

Creating a killer cheese board is all about having lots of variety. Having a hot-out-of-the-oven element is perfect for the holiday season. Try this melty pomegranate baked brie with pistachios and honey.

If we’re ever at a party together and you think you’ve lost me, look towards the cheese board. I’ll be the one with crackers loaded with cheese in both hands, doing a terrible job at anything resembling cool and hip.

Adding a hot, home cooked element to your cheese board is always fun. I went with a pomegranate baked brie because there is no such thing as too much baked brie. It’s a super simple recipe that basically involves pouring a splash of brandy over a wheel of brie, baking it for 12 minutes, then sprinkling on some pomegranate seeds, pistachios, and drizzling it with honey. It’s the perfect combination of cheesy/ savory/ and sweet.

1-2-3 Step by Step Guide to Making Pomegranate Baked Brie

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Tear a roundish piece of parchment paper large enough to hold the Brie so that it comes partly up the sides of the cheese. Crumple the parchment into a ball then flatten it out again.

2. With a sharp knife, cut the top off of the round of Brie.

Place the Brie onto the parchment paper and then onto a baking sheet. Pour the brandy over the top. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes, or until the Brie is very soft and melty.

3. Remove the Brie from the oven.

Sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds and pistachios and drizzle with honey. Serve immediately.

Pomegranate Baked Brie Cheese

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★ 5 Stars ☆ ★ 4 Stars ☆ ★ 3 Stars ☆ ★ 2 Stars ☆ ★ 1 Star ☆

No reviews

• Author: Kristen Stevens
• Total Time: 14 minutes
• Yield: 1 cheese

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Description

Put this at the center of your next cheese board, and watch it disappear quickly as your guests dig in to warm cheese, topped with brandy, pomegranate, pistachios and drizzled with honey.

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Ingredients

• 1 round of Brie
• 1/2 tablespoon brandy
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
• 1 tablespoon pistachios
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Crackers or baguette (to serve)

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Tear a roundish piece of parchment paper large enough to hold the Brie so that it comes partly up the sides of the cheese. Crumple the parchment into a ball then flatten it out again.
2. With a sharp knife, cut the top off of the round of Brie. Place the Brie onto the parchment paper and then onto a baking sheet. Pour the brandy over the top. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes, or until the Brie is very soft and melty.
3. Remove the Brie from the oven and sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds and pistachios and drizzle with honey. Serve immediately.

Notes

Have the rest of your cheese board plated so that when the baked Brie comes out of the oven you can pop it on the board and serve it right away.

• Prep Time: 2 minutes
• Cook Time: 12 minutes
• Category: Appetizer
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Keywords: baked brie, cheese appetizer, cheese board, brie cheese, pistachios, cheese and crackers, holiday entertaining, holiday food, baked cheese

The post Cheese Board Star: Pomegranate Baked Brie appeared first on Honest Cooking.

Now that it’s officially autumn, all I want to do is eat pumpkin every day in every possible way.

I’m fighting this whole transition into fall and winter thing, as I do every year as though I think it will stop it from happening. I *might* have mentioned that I’m not a big fan of the getting cold and totally cold seasons. I’m sipping on hot tea wrapped in a blanket as I write this.

You see those magical swirly chocolate pumpkin brownies? There’s a secret ingredient in there.

Ok ok, I won’t make you guess. I’ve snuck in my newest favorite tea. That’s right, there is tea in these brownies. Sweet Harvest Pumpkin tea, to be exact. It tastes like pumpkin pie. Swoon.

Brownies often have boiling water mixed into the batter to bring out the flavor of the cocoa and help it dissolve. I’ve swapped the water with a cup of tasty hot tea for extra sweet pumpkin flavor.

Want to try another fun recipe for the season? Check out these Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride Scones! Recipe here.

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• Author: Kristen Stevens
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 0 About 12 servings

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Ingredients

• 1 bag of Sweet Harvest Pumpkin Tea
• ¾ cup 6 ounces dark chocolate chips
• 11 tablespoons butter (divided)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1½ cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon each: ground ginger and cloves

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Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9×11 inch baking dish. Bring 1½ cups of water to a boil then pour over 1 bag of Sweet Harvest Pumpkin Tea in a large tea mug.
2. Melt the chocolate chips with 3 tablespoons of the butter in a small pan over medium-low heat. Melt the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter in another small pan.
3. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and sea salt in a medium sized bowl. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar for 1 minute. Add the 8 tablespoons of melted butter, 1 cup of the brewed tea (drink the rest!), and vanilla and beat well. Add the bowl of flour all at once and beat until just combined.
4. Divide the batter evenly between 2 bowls. Stir the melted chocolate into one of the bowls. Add the pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves to the other bowl and mix well.
5. Pour ¾ of the chocolate batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top. Add ¾ of the pumpkin batter and gently smooth the top, trying not to mix the batters. Dot the remaining chocolate and pumpkin batters on top then take a knife and run it through the batter 3 or 4 times lengthwise and across the pan to create a marbled effect.
6. Bake the pumpkin brownies in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the brownies cool for 30 minutes, then flip the pan to remove them and slice them into 12-16 pieces.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Category: Baking, Dessert

The post Harvest Pumpkin Brownies appeared first on Honest Cooking.

One Pan Potato Chicken Gratin is a remake of the famous classic. We’ve snuck in extra veggies by replacing the traditional butter and flour heavy sauce for a rich and cheesy cauliflower sauce, then nestled in some crispy skinned chicken and kale for a delicious and easy to make dinner recipe.

I’ve got a one pan dinner recipe for you today because it’s October, it’s getting chilly, and easy comfort food is where it’s at. This is all about feel-good potatoes, crispy-skinned chicken, and the creamiest cheese sauce ever.

It’s everything your wildest, cheese sauce filled fantasies are made of. Only it’s not quite. You should know me better than that. There’s no butter, no flour, no cream, and only a handful of cheese in here.

Please don’t run away! I pinky swear promise that you won’t notice that this is a HEALTHY chicken potato gratin recipe.

I went back to that much loved Vegan Cauliflower Alfredo recipe and gave it a bit of a non-vegan tweak. Spoiler alert: I added cheese.

Then I baked some potatoes, nestled in some chicken, and poured that cheesy cauliflower sauce all over so it wound itself around all the potatoes. Because we all know that cheese + potatoes + awesome.

For another delicious potato recipe, check out this gluten free potato farl bread.

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No reviews

• Author: Kristen Stevens
• Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings

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Ingredients

• 2 lbs. mixed red and white potatoes (cut into bite-sized pieces)
• ½ white onion (roughly chopped)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ head cauliflower (roughly chopped)
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 3/4 cup grated white cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 8 bone-in chicken thighs
• 2 cups kale (packed)
• ¼ cup red onion (thinly sliced)

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Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Toss the potatoes and onion with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, thyme, and sea salt in a casserole dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until they begin to soften.
2. While the potatoes are baking, prepare the rest of the recipe. Add the cauliflower and chicken stock to a medium-sized pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the cauliflower is soft. Transfer to your Vitamix or a food processor and blend on high until smooth. Pour the sauce back into the pot and add the cheese. Stir until the cheese melts.
3. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Dry the chicken with paper towels and sprinkle the skin side with a little sea salt. Place skin side down and cook until the skin is crispy and brown. Work in batches if needed.
4. Once the potatoes begin to soften, remove the casserole from the oven and pour the cheesy cauliflower sauce over the top. Add the kale and mix well. Nestle the chicken thighs into the casserole and bake until the potatoes are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
5. Sprinkle the red onions over the top during the last few minutes of cooking.

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Category: Main

The post One Pan Potato Chicken Gratin appeared first on Honest Cooking.

A vegetarian poutine is made easily with a butter chicken gravy, but no chicken. Baked fries + cheese curds + delicious gravy = heaven.

Take a pile of fries loaded with cheese and smothered in gravy .. how could you beat that? Turns out that if you want the best poutine ever you should smother the fries in butter chicken gravy.

I wish I could say I was the genius who thought of this killer combo first. I was inspired by a little pub in Whistler Village. A few weeks ago, my handsome man and I went for some après snowboard burgers and we found butter chicken poutine on the menu. We didn’t order it (crazy, I know!) but it’s been spinning around in my head ever since.

The recipe starts with hand-cut fries that are baked until crispy. While the fries are in the oven, you make an easy butter chicken sauce (minus the chicken) that you use in place of the traditional gravy. Once the fries are crispy you cover them in cheese curds and smother them in the butter chicken gravy. Eat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

Plus, I love cooking with potatoes. I love how easy they are to make, and how versatile they are. When we’re in a hurry I’ll make quick, smashed potatoes as a side, but if we’re entertaining I’ll turn them into duchess potatoes or smoky roast potatoes.

The US Potato Board is calling them the 9th Wonder of the World … I think it’s a great name! Check out their site for some more healthy and nutritious potato recipes:

For another delicious potato recipe, try these Bombay Spiced Potatoes:

Butter Chicken Gravy Poutine

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★ 5 Stars ☆ ★ 4 Stars ☆ ★ 3 Stars ☆ ★ 2 Stars ☆ ★ 1 Star ☆

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• Author: Kristen Stevens
• Yield: 4 servings

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Description

Doused in a butter chicken gravy, minus the chicken, these crispy potato with cheese curds have just taken vegetarian poutine to the next level.

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Ingredients

For the poutine:

• 4 medium russet potatoes (scrubbed and cut into ¼ inch strips (no need to peel them))
• 1 teaspoon grapeseed oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 teaspoons corn starch
• 1 cup cheese curds

For the butter chicken gravy:

• 1 teaspoon grapeseed oil (or another neutral flavoured oil)
• 1 yellow onion (roughly chopped)
• 1½ teaspoons chopped ginger
• 3 garlic cloves (crushed)
• 1½ teaspoons garam masala
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ teaspoon coriander (ground or seeds)
• ½ teaspoon cumin (ground or seeds)
• ¼ teaspoon fenugreek (ground or seeds)
• ¼ teaspoon chili powder
• Seeds from 2 cardamom pods
• 1 – 14– ounce can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon almond butter
• 1 tablespoon dairy or coconut cream
• 1–2 tablespoons brown sugar (to taste)
• Optional: 1 tablespoons plain yogurt
• Sea salt (to taste (I like about 1 teaspoon))

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Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 – 11×13 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Rinse the fries well under cold running water. Dry them with a clean dish towel. Place them in a large bowl and pour the oil and salt over top and mix them together using your hands. Add the corn starch and toss so that each of the fries are coated.
3. Lay the fries on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Make sure there is a little room between each fry so they crisp well. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes, turning halfway through.
4. Make the butter chicken gravy while the fries cook.
5. Once the fries are crispy, place them on a plate and cover them with cheese curds. Pour the gravy over top and serve right away.

To make the butter chicken gravy:

1. Add the grapeseed oil to a medium sized pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until they are quite brown, about 10 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
2. Add the garam masala, turmeric, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, chili powder and cardamom seeds to the pan and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes and ½ cup of water and scrape the bottom of the pot to remove any brown bits. Bring the pot to a boil then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Pour the sauce into your blender and blend on high until smooth. Be careful as the steam from the hot liquid can push your blender lid off. Return the sauce to the pan and stir in the remaining ingredients. Taste and salt as needed.
4. Keep warm on low heat until the fries are ready. Once the fries are crispy top them with the cheese curds and pour the butter chicken gravy over top. Serve immediately.

• Category: Appetizer, Main

The post Butter Chicken Gravy Poutine appeared first on Honest Cooking.

Besides being super frickin’ cute, mini peppers are also incredibly sweet and extra packed full of flavour.

Were you wondering why the peppers are skewered with not one, but two, wooden skewers? I promise you it’s not overkill. If you only use one skewer something really annoying happens: they twirl around every time you flip them and they’re nearly impossible to grill them perfectly. It’s a big problem, I know.

Here’s why you want to make the minty tzatziki sauce: It’s tangy and delicious and perfect for the sweet grilled mini peppers. The mint makes it extra fresh tasting. It’s easy to whip up in just a couple minutes. It’s a great way to use up some mini (or some big) cucumbers that are in your fridge.

If you fire up the BBQ this summer to make some Mini Grilled Peppers make sure you snap a pic and tag @theendlessmeal on Instagram so I can see!

Grilled Peppers with Tzatziki Sauce

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★ 5 Stars ☆ ★ 4 Stars ☆ ★ 3 Stars ☆ ★ 2 Stars ☆ ★ 1 Star ☆

No reviews

• Author: Kristen Stevens
• Yield: 4 servings

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Description

Mini peppers packed with sweet flavor are skewered, grilled and served with a minty tzatziki sauce for cool as a cucumber flavor.

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Ingredients

For the minty tzatsiki:

• ¼ cup Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 1 mini cucumber, finely grated and squeezed of all liquid (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1½ teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt

For the mini peppers:

• 16 mini peppers
• ½ teaspoon olive oil
• A pinch of sea salt and a few grinds of pepper

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Instructions

1. Preheat your grill to medium high. Lay 8 wooden skewers on a plate with a little water.
2. Combine all the minty tzatsiki ingredients together in a medium sized bowl and mix well.
3. Toss the peppers with the olive oil, sea salt and pepper then slid the peppers onto the skewers, using 2 skewers for each row of peppers (so they don’t twirl around when you flip them).
4. Grill the peppers for 5 minutes, or until they’re soft and have nice grill marks on them, turning once.
5. Serve the grilled peppers right away with the minty tzatziki on the side. Note: Don’t worry about the seeds when you eat them. Just pick the pepper up by the stem and eat the whole thing (minus the stem).

• Category: Appetizer

The post Grilled Peppers with Tzatziki Sauce appeared first on Honest Cooking.

In this dish, there’s the (dairy-free!) sunflower dill pesto that gets all of its creamy deliciousness from toasted sunflower seeds, and a little touch of mayo. It’s big on flavour and full of good for you stuff like seeds and herbs and lemon. There’s no need not to go all sauce crazy with this one.

Then there’s the salmon. It’s pan seared to crisp the skin then finished for a few minutes in the oven at a low temp so it stays very tender. As always, the only trick here is to not over cook it.

Aaaannd the broccoli. OMGoodness the broccoli. It’s very similar to the Roasted Broccolini recipe I created a while back, only it’s much simpler. And it’s broccoli, not broccolini. What happens when you broil it for a few minutes on high heat is the florets get all crispy and get this deliciously nutty thing going on. Once you make it this way you might never be able to eat broccoli any other way again.

Did I also mention that you can be sitting down to eat this feast in just 30 minutes? What are you waiting for?

So if the big trick with cooking pan seared salmon, or any king of fish, is not to over cook it, then how do you know when it’s done?

The 100% most reliable way is to get yourself a handy little gadget called an instant read thermometer. Fish is cooked through when it reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius). Once it gets over this temperature it will start to dry out and become something that no one wants to eat.

While you’re waiting for your instant read thermometer to arrive in the mail there are a few tricks you can use to make sure you don’t overcook your salmon. When the salmon is cooked through you’ll see that it changes to a lighter colour. Depending on the type of salmon you bought that could mean anything from dark pink to creamy pink.

If you see any white foamy looking stuff on your salmon it’s time to stop cooking it. The white stuff is protein that has been pushed out of the salmon and is coagulating on the surface. A small amount will sometimes be seen on even perfectly cooked salmon, but overcooked salmon will have a lot of it.

The last thing you can do to test if your salmon is done is to take a fork and see if the flesh flakes away easily. If it is undercooked the flesh will hold together firm and if it is overcooked the flesh will be tough and pull apart in chunks. Perfectly cooked pan seared salmon will flake easily and look like it does in the pictures.

If you make this pan seared salmon make sure to snap a pic and tag @theendlessmeal on Instagram so I can like and comment on your pictures!

Salmon with Sunflower-Dill Pesto Sauce

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★ 5 Stars ☆ ★ 4 Stars ☆ ★ 3 Stars ☆ ★ 2 Stars ☆ ★ 1 Star ☆

No reviews

• Author: Kristen Stevens
• Yield: 4 servings

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Description

Pan seared salmon, drizzled with a creamy pesto sauce and served with a side of crisped broccoli for a dreamy dinner in no time.

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Ingredients

For the creamy sunflower pesto:

• ¼ cup toasted sunflower seeds
• ¼ cup basil leaves
• ¼ tablespoons fresh dill
• ¼ tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice, from ½ lemon
• 1 tablespoon chopped green onion (about 1 stem)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise

For the broccoli:

• 1 head of broccoli, sliced into small florettes – keep as much as the stem intact as possible
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

For the salmon:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 4 salmon fillets
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
• Sunflower seeds and dill, for garnish

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to broil with a rack at the very top. If you know your oven broils very hot, as some do, lower the rack one notch. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2. Place the sunflower seeds, basil leaves, dill, olive oil, lemon juice, green onion and garlic in a small blender. ( A Magic Bullet works great.) Blend until everything is smooth and creamy. Pour the pesto into a small bowl and stir in the mayo. Season to taste with sea salt. If you’d like you can thinken the pesto with a little water to make it more drizzle-able.
3. Lay the broccoli on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle over the sea salt and put it in your oven on the top rack. Let it roast for 10 minutes, or until it is dark and crispy. It will smell like it is burning a little, this is ok!
4. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium high heat. Season the skin of the salmon fillets with a little pinch of salt and pepper and put them in the pan, skin side down. Let them sear for 3 minutes, or until the skin has begun to get crispy.
5. Lower the heat in the oven to 320. Open the door and let the oven cool down for about 1 minute. Put the fish in the oven and let it finish by slowly baking, for about 5 more minutes. You want the salmon to reach an internal temperature of 140 degrees. It will flake easily and still look very moist when it is done.
6. Serve the salmon with the pesto over top and the broccoli on the side. Sprinkle a few sunflower seeds and dill sprigs over top, if you’d like.

• Category: Main, Fish

The post Salmon with Sunflower-Dill Pesto Sauce appeared first on Honest Cooking.

Where do I even begin with this chicken? It’s tender, flavourful, simple to make and it’s drizzled with a 5-minute, dairy-free mustard cream sauce. It’s rubbed with Maille’s walnut and white wine mustard which, if you haven’t tried it yet I’d suggest getting yourself a bottle asap. It has a nutty and earthy favour with a tiny touch of sweetness. It reminds me a little of black garlic. I wanted to keep things simple with this recipe in order to really highlight the flavour of this very special mustard. It’s very strong and assertive and bold-flavoured dreamy.

My two favourites are the walnut mustard and Maille’s extra special on-tap white wine mustard. Maille has a line of 5 on-tap mustards that are poured into earthenware pots and sealed with cork stoppers. The on-tap white wine mustard that I received was extra creamy and very strong. It’s unmistakably Dijon, but about 100x better than any I’ve ever tried before. I was tempted to eat the whole bottle, one tiny little spoonful at a time, but came to my senses just before the green beans went on the BBQ.

On-tap mustard + green beans + walnut mustard chicken = 1 awesome dinner.

Pop quiz: How many flavours of gourmet mustard does Maille make? Choices: a) 1 b) 4 c) 34

If you guessed 34, you win! I promise to share my grilled mustard chicken with you. Hurry over quick to collect your prize; this chicken’s too good to last long.

Delights of Dijon — Grilled Walnut-Mustard Chicken

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★ 5 Stars ☆ ★ 4 Stars ☆ ★ 3 Stars ☆ ★ 2 Stars ☆ ★ 1 Star ☆

No reviews

• Author: Kristen Stevens

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Description

Earthy with a touch of sweetness, simple grilled chicken is rubbed with a bold walnut and white wine mustard sauce and served beside matching green beans.

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Ingredients

For the walnut cream sauce

• 1/2 cup toasted walnuts (see notes)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Maille walnut white wine mustard
• 1 small clove garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

For the mustard chicken:

• 4 chicken legs
• 2 tablespoons Maille walnut white wine mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons finely minced parsley
• 1 tablespoon finely minced thyme
• Chopped walnuts, freshly cracked pepper and parsley, to garnish

For the green beans:

• 4 handfuls of green beans
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon Maille on-tap white wine mustard

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Instructions

1. Preheat the grill to medium low.
2. Place all of the walnut cream sauce ingredients in a blender and blend on high until it everything is smooth and creamy. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper.
3. Rub the chicken legs evenly with the Maille white wine mustard. Sprinkle the chicken with sea salt, parsley and thyme. Place the chicken legs skin side up on the bbq and let then grill for 15 minutes. Flip the chicken legs over and let them cook for another 5-8 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
4. Toss the green beans with the olive oil and sea salt. Pop them on the grill once the chicken has been on for 15 minutes. Let them grill for 5-8 minutes, or until they are tender but still crisp and they have many have grill marks on them. Toss the beans with the Maille on-tap white wine mustard an serve immediately.
5. To serve: Drizzle the chicken with the walnut mustard sauce and sprinkle some chopped walnuts over top and the green beans on the side.

• Category: Main
• Cuisine: BBQ

The post Delights of Dijon — Grilled Walnut-Mustard Chicken appeared first on Honest Cooking.