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The Muffin Tin Cookbook: Fun and Easy Meals Your Family Will Love (Plus a Fish Tacos Recipe)

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The Muffin Tin Cookbook

A while back, I was sent a wonderful cookbook to review, The Muffin Tin Cookbook: 200 Fast, Delicious Mini-Pies, Pasta Cups, Gourmet Pockets, Veggie Cakes, and More!

Love it, love it, love it.

Cooking is more than just one of my favorite hobbies and pastimes – it’s a passion that I love greatly.  Even now, I’m sitting at my desk in my home office – working in a frenzy of  keyboard tapping and brainstorming, breaking only for much needed sips of coffee.  Yet all I can think about is what I’m going to cook for supper, what my next dessert will be, and wondering when I can try out a new stuffed chicken recipe I saw yesterday.

Cooking, baking, cooking, baking, cooking, baking… a peek inside my brain.

Given the fact that it’s something I love so much, I want others to get the same kind joy from cooking as I do. I think that’s one of the reasons I get so excited about fresh, fun, and creative new cookbooks like The Muffin Tin Cookbook.  Not only are new cookbooks a complete joy ride for me in my amusement park of a kitchen, I know that other foodies will get a huge kick out of them as well.

I also like to see cookbooks filled with recipes that people will actually make! Recipes that don’t call for you to visit a foreign country and bring back an extract you can only find there – then stir it into a broth using the feather of a virgin peahen… Please. Every single recipe in  The Muffin Tin Cookbook is one you’ll make and make again.

Another thing I like to see in a cookbook is plenty of recipes that are quick and easy.  A lot of people have to work outside of the home AND come home and cook supper. People who have a limited amount of time to work with don’t need fussy recipes. They need recipes that can be thrown together quickly, cooked in a flash, and don’t require a lot of cleaning up afterward. The Muffin Tin Cookbook is a dream come true for someone looking for such recipes.

Since the recipes on Get Cooking are gluten-free (as are all of the recipes I personally make and eat – health reasons), I will point out that this is NOT a “gluten-free cookbook.”  Many of the recipes call for flour and a host of other foods off limits to those of us why have to eat gluten-free. HOWEVER, as with most cookbooks in my collection and recipes I find in the wild, I simply make the necessary substitutions.

Book Description

Muffin Tins—They’re Not Just for Muffins Anymore

There’s nothing you can’t make in a muffin tin—and we’re not talking merely muffins. All you need is a muffin tin, paper liners, and this ingenious, one-of-a-kind cookbook, and you can whip up delicious dishes that are as easy to prepare and serve as they are good to eat.

From quick-serve appetizers and sides to gourmet entrees and desserts, you’ll find an amazing variety of mouthwatering options for your dining pleasure, including:

  • Shrimp Cakes with Cilantro Lime Dipping Sauce
  • Egg Crescent Pockets
  • Deep-Dish Pizza Cups
  • Cornmeal-Crusted Mustard Chicken with Sweet Potato Coins
  • Duchess Potatoes
  • Zucchini, Corn, and Tomato Cups
  • Mini Ice-Cream Cakes

The best part (besides the tasty goodness): It’s fast, easy, mess-free, and provides built-in portion control. Kids will love to help you make them—like cupcakes, only better for your family!—and leftovers are as easy as popping the muffin-meal into the microwave.It just doesn’t get any better than The Muffin Tin Cookbook . . . your next memorable meal is just a muffin tin away! – From Amazon

Fish Tacos Recipe

3 pieces tilapia, about 3-4 ounces each, cut in half
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
Salt and Pepper
6 taco-size flour tortillas
Light sour cream, chopped green onion, chopped tomato, lettuce, and salsa for serving

  1. Place the tilapia, chili powder, cilantro, oil, lime juice, and salt and pepper in a bowl and allow to marinate 1/2 an hour, in the refrigerator.
  2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and prepare 6 jumbo muffin cups by spraying with cooking spray.
  3. Push one taco tortilla down into each cup and press any sections that bubble out against the sides.
  4. Place 1 piece of marinated tilapia in each cup and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, depending on thickness of fish, until cooked through.
  5. Serve with toppings.

Taco tortillas are smaller tortillas and are just the right size to line jumbo muffin cups. Lemon juice can be substituted for the lime juice.

Muffin Tin Recipes

There’s an entire chapter in The Muffin Tin Cookbook devoted to Breakfast – a time of the day when few of us have unlimited time. Recipes in the Breakfast chapter include:

  • Egg Crescent Pockets
  • French Bread French Toast
  • Grits Casserole
  • Cheese Danish Cups
  • Bagel Sausage Sandwiches
  • And More!

Other chapters include:

  • Appetizers and Snacks (Asian Dumplings with Dipping Sauce, Spiced Pecan Cups, Hot Pretzel Bites…)
  • Beef and Pork (Mexican Meatloaf, Sloppy Joe Cupcakes, Taco Mini Pies…)
  • Chicken and Turkey (Teriyaki Turkey Cups, Chicken Tortilla Pies, Italian Chicken…)
  • Seafood (Salmon Cakes, Deviled Crab Tarts, Shrimp with Polenta…)
  • Potatoes, Rice, Pizza, and Pasta (Candied Yams, White Pizzas, Stuffed Gnocchi…)
  • Vegetables ( French Onion Pie, Edamame in Rice Paper Cups, Cherry Tomato Cups…)
  • Muffins and Breads (Corn Muffins, Monkey Bread, Peanut Butter & Jelly Muffins…)
  • Desserts  (Hot Chocolate Muffins, Lemon Pound Cake, Apple Cupcakes..)

Each recipe indicates the size of muffin tin needed.  As the author says on page 8, “Keep in mind that you can make your dishes any size you like, but you will need to adjust cooking time up or down accordingly (if you make a bigger cup than the recipe suggests, baking time will be longer; if you make a smaller cup baking time will be shortened).”

Please see The Muffin Tin Cookbook  for more information.  When giving cookbook reviews, I like to suggest the sort of cook that the cookbook in question is “ideal” for.   Although this cookbook is PERFECT for busy cooks, it’s just as fun and enjoyable for those of us who are simply busy cooking!  It would make an excellent gift idea for someone who’s new to the world of cooking – maybe even in a bag with a brand-spanking new muffin tin.

150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches Cookbook

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Is anyone even half as ready for autumn and winter as I am? Don’t get me wrong, I love a lot of things about summer – baseball, fresh produce, songbirds at my bird feeders that aren’t there in cold weather, grilling out, and so on. Summer’s awesome in every way… but, having said that, autumn and winter are super special.

As a foodie, the cooler months make me think of soup, stew, chili, casseroles, chai tea lattes, and (of course) Halloween goodies, Thanksgiving dishes, and Christmas baking… how could a foodie NOT love this time of year???

I may be one of the biggest soup fanatics in the world, which is one of the reasons I’m excited about a new cookbook I was sent to review: 150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.

Naturally, grilled cheese sandwiches are perfect all year. We certainly eat them year-round in our house. In fact, we’ve been known to enjoy grilled cheese sandwiches at all times of the day and night.  Talk about a delicious comfort food.  Cheesy deliciousness that comes together pretty darn fast – sign me up.

150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches is a perfect guide to getting extra creative with this wonderful comfort food.  Although the modern version of the grilled cheese sandwich dates back to 1920 (when it became popular during the great depression, for obvious reasons), these delicious and inexpensive delicacies are currently a popular trend in cooking.  I think one of the reasons is the fact that they aren’t expensive to pull together.  I think the popularity of food trucks has also helped revive this wonderful sandwich.

Some people are even calling the grilled cheese sandwich the “new burger.”  The fact that so many people are eating less meat is another reason these sandwiches are so wildly popular.

From the Back Cover: A grilled cheese sandwich is classic comfort food and it’s enjoying an incredible resurgence in popularity. These fabulous recipes all begin with the grilled cheese we all know and love, and then from there, creative twists showcase just how incredibly versatile this sandwich can be.  The recipes reflect an almost endless and delicious variety of choices that include simple and timeless as well as gourmet and artisanal. From breakfast to dessert, there’s something for everyone in this book.

Another reason grilled cheese sandwiches are so popular is, let’s face it, they’re fast and easy to make.  You can have a warm, delicious, and comforting meal in a matter of minutes. This is one of the reasons they’re so popular with bachelors, college students, and beginner cooks.

Whether you enjoy your grilled cheese sandwiches with soup (one of my favorite meals), chips, or alone, nothing beats a great grilled cheese sandwich.

As I’ve probably mentioned on the food blog, when I had to totally give up wheat and gluten a number of years ago (health reasons), it threw my cooking persona into a tailspin. Imagine everything you are accustomed to cooking and baking for your family and yourself thrown out the door. Then finding yourself having to start over, pretty much, and discover a whole new way of both cooking and eating.

BUMMER!

It’s a hideous predicament for anyone but for an avid cook and food blogger who was extra keen on homemade breads, cornbread, cakes from scratch, pies, etc.. it knocked me on my backside for a bit. However, I (honestly) found out that many aspects of gluten-free food are actually as good as their gluten-y counterparts and some are even better in many ways.

For example, for whatever reasons, gluten-free fried catfish is actually better.  Don’t ask me why (please), but the combo of rice flour and yellow cornmeal makes the best fried catfish in the world. Trust me, this is a personal favorite and something I’ve been cooking since I was allowed to touch the stove.

Grilled cheese sandwiches have been another pleasant surprise (along with French Toast, for that matter). Gluten-Free bread, in my opinion, makes them even better. I think it’s because they’re denser and, sometimes, thicker, than regular bread. Then again, Texas Toast is a great way to go with grilled cheese sandwiches.

150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches includes so many creative, fun, and delicious recipes you won’t stop until you’ve made them all.  The cheese combinations, along with the additions of complimentary ingredients will boggle your mind.  I cook every single day (and have for years) and consider myself to be really creative in the kitchen, but even I found myself saying, “Ooooh, I would’ve never thought of that...”  One of the combinations that was wildly new to me was the one given in the recipe below.  I wouldn’t have ever invited Muenster Cheese to a grilled cheese party, but this recipe has me slapping myself for the oversight.

The recipe below is from the cookbook and is outstanding. I love it alongside tomato soup or chili and have been known to have it simply with a large dill pickle and Funyons.

I know how to live, after all.

Classic Grilled Two Cheese

Author: Alison Lewis
Serves 4

8 slices white or whole-grain bread (1/2 inch/1 cm thick slices)
2 TBS butter or margarine, softened
4 oz Muenster cheese, thinly sliced
4 oz Cheddar cheese, thinly sliced

Instructions

  1. Brush one side of each bread slice with butter.
  2. Place on a work surface, buttered side down.
  3. Top 4 bread slices equally with Muenster and Cheddar cheeses.
  4. Cover with remaining bread slices, buttered side up, and press gently.
  5. Place sandwiches on preheated panini grill or in a large skillet over medium heat and cook, turning once if using a skillet, for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown and cheese is melted.
  6. Serve immediately.

When it comes to grilled cheese sandwiches, you have to really be careful with cheese combinations. Make the wrong move and the result will be thisclose to gross. You also have to be careful with what fillings you add and how you treat the bread. Again, the wrong move can leave your taste buds borderline depressed.  In this wonderful and fun cookbook, Alison Lewis has done all of the hard work for us and taken all of the guess work out of our hands.  We’re left with a ton of delicious recipes and combinations that’ll make us the Queen or King of Grilled Cheese.  Whether you use a Panini or Sandwich Press or a favorite skillet, you WILL use these recipes again and again and again.

Below are just some of the recipes included in 150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches:

  • Roast Beef with Asiago and Watercress
  • Grilled Steak and Blue Cheese
  • Italian Tomato-Basil Bread
  • Hot Bacon Swiss Crostini
  • Havarti and Cucumber Sandwich
  • Grilled Spinach, Pepper Jack, and Bacon
  • Warm Peanut Butter Power Wrap
  • Italian Salami Panini
  • Sweet Pepper Relish
  • Hummus
  • The Pilgrim
  • And many, many, many more.

See 150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches for more information and to order your copy today… just in time for soup season!


Discover Five Delicious Dishes from the South of France

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by Mike James

If you’re thinking of travelling to the South of France, one of the cultural things you’ll be keen to sample is the local cuisine. French cooking is not world renowned for nothing – however be prepared to discover that there’s a huge difference between haute cuisine served in upscale fine dining establishments and the country’s regional cuisine provençale, which tends to be simpler, more rustic and altogether more wholesome.

Dishes you’ll be encountering in restaurants in the Provence will be heavily influenced by the produce that’s readily available in the region you’re in.

Recipes from south-eastern France tends to centre around olives, tomatoes and garlic – Aioli and Tapenade being used widely – and the local cuisine bears many similarities to that of its Italian neighbour. Fish and seafood is popular on the coast, and Bouillabaisse is a stand-out fish soup that you simply must try.

In the southern central region of France, look for cheeses such as Cantal and Bleu d’Auvergne, which come from the Auvergne and the Massif Central. The famous chicken recipe for Coq Au Vin is another regional dish that originates here.

In south-western France, look out for rich delicacies such as duck dishes Confit De Canard and Foie Gras, as well as oysters, truffles and prunes. Wash it all down with a nice bottle of full bodied Bordeaux wine all is well with the world.

While you let your palate experience all the wonderful flavours of regional French cuisine, look out for these 5 strange sounding dishes that you’re likely to find on the menus of just about every self-respecting southern French restaurant. You simply haven’t been to France until you’ve sampled them!

  1. Bouillabaisse

Marseille is the undisputed seafood capital of Provence, and Bouillabaisse is the city’s most famous dish. More of a main course than simply a soup, there are 2 varieties: Bouillabaisse du Ravi is made with 6 different types of fish and is the better known dish, while Bouillabaisse du Pêcheur only contains 3 types of fish and is typically served at lunch rather than dinner. The spotted weaver, tub gurnard, European conger, red scorpionfish, burbot and John Dory are just some of the fish varieties available locally to go into this fantastic dish.

  1. Cassoulet

Originating in the area around Toulouse and Carcassonne, Cassoulet is a slow cooked white bean and meat stew that is prepared in a heavy earthenware casserole dish (cassole). There are countless sub-regional variations. In Carcassonne, mutton and sometimes partridge is added, while duck, pork or goose meat may be used elsewhere. The Toulouse version is made with the famous Toulouse sausages, pork, mutton and duck confit, with breadcrumbs on top. As warming comfort food goes, it just doesn’t get any better.

  1. Pipérade

A mouth watering dish from the Basque region of south-western France, Pipérade is based on a spicy sauce of tomatoes, onions and sweet peppers cooked in olive oil. Garlic tends to be added more liberally the further towards Spain you go. The sauce is typically added to cooked meats or eggs – and is often served as one of the many local variations on the Spanish omelette theme.  A delicious choice for everyone, but also a good choice for vegetarians if you can steer clear of any cooked meats.

  1. Pissaladière

Don’t be put off by the comedy name – this oven baked pizza-esque tart is the ultimate French street food and typical of Nice. Salty, intense and extremely moreish, Pissaladière takes its name from pissala, a pungent anchovy and sardine paste, which simply means ‘salted fish’ and is spread over the base of the tart. Topped with the sweetest caramelised onions, black olives and anchovies – though no tomatoes or cheese – this is as close as you can get to pizza without crossing into Italy. Do not miss this treat!

  1. Ratatouille

If you’re not a meat eater, don’t despair. This easy vegetarian dish is popular all over Provence, the Mediterranean and beyond. Tomatoes, aubergines, peppers, onions and courgettes form the base of this recipe, with garlic, olives and herbes de provence featuring heavily to create a gorgeous veggie stew. Often accompanied by pasta or rice and topped with melted Gruyère cheese, individual chefs may also decide to add their own flair to the dish – using mushrooms, eggs or – do ask!! – lardons (bacon bits).

 

Article provided by Mike James, an independent content writer and wannabe foodie – rarely straying from a juice diet, however for the information in this post, South France Holiday Villas were consulted.

300 Best Homemade Candy Recipes (Review)

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300 Best Homemade Candy Recipes

The Definitive Collection of Candy Recipes!

I was recently sent a great candy cookbook to review, FILLED with some of the best recipes of all time. I was actually planning to save my review of 300 Best Homemade Candy Recipes: Brittles, Caramels, Chocolate, Fudge, Truffles and So Much More  for September because I wanted to tell you all about it right before Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas baking.

Then, this morning, it hit me – what if you’d like to try out some of these recipes over the summer before making candy for your family and gifts.

Besides, is it ever the wrong time to make candy?

I’ve read a lot of candy cookbooks in my time (I even own a couple of great ones), but I’ve never seen a collection of candy recipes quite like this one.  Not only does this cookbook contain every type of candy you can imagine, it has a lot you could never even begin to mentally conjure up!

One of my favorite things about 300 Best Homemade Candy Recipes is the fact that each recipe has ingredients you can easily find – no matter where you live, you won’t find yourself asking, “Will my store even have that… and, if not, what am I going to use for a substitute???”

The recipes are also highly do-able, for any level of cook – newbies and veterans, alike.  The step-by-step instructions are crystal clear and the author includes countless tips and advice that can only come with experience.

Even though I’m a chocoholic and am more fudge and divinity obsessed than anyone has a right to be, the first recipe I actually looked for when the cookbook came in the mail was for a childhood candy I remember my mom making – “Potato Candy.”   It’s hard to find the recipe and on the few occasions I have come across Potato Candy recipes, they’re never “quite” like I remember.

I’m THRILLED to say that I found exactly what I was looking for on page 104 –  the Potato Candy recipe I remember and I’m beside myself with happiness!.  It’s called “Potato Pinwheels” and has the exact ingredients I remember using when I made this candy with my mom – a cooked potato, vanilla, confectioner’s sugar, peanut butter, and pecans (or walnuts or peanuts).

300 Best Homemade Candy Recipes

 

Tuxedo Fudge (left) and Chocolate-Cherry Creams and Elegant Sparkling Strawberries (right)

 

Some of the 300 Candy Recipes Include:

  • Elegant Sparkling Strawberries (Gorgeous for Christmas!)
  • Buckeyes
  • Golf Balls
  • Potato Fudge
  • Classic Pecan Roll
  • Caramel Pecan Roll
  • White Taffy (and other taffy recipes)
  • Glass Candy
  • New Orleans Roasted Pecan Pralines
  • Mom’s Divinity
  • Cherry-Nut Nougat
  • Peppermint Taffy (also a must for Christmas)
  • Brown Sugar Taffy
  • Chocolate Fudge Recipes
  • Five-Minute Fudge
  • Christmas Fudge
  • Candied Citrus Peel
  • Peanut Butter Fudge Recipes
  • Creamy White Fudge
  • Pumpkin Fudge (A Halloween tradition)
  • Creamy Orange Fudge
  • Coconut Fudge
  • A lot of other fudge recipes!
  • Martha Washingtons
  • Coconut Bonbons
  • Kentucky Bourbon Balls
  • Spiced Pecans
  • County Fair Nuts
  • Toffee
  • Lollipops (again, great fun for Halloween)
  • Old Fashioned Popcorn Balls
  • Microwave Caramel Popcorn
  • Carnival Candied Apples
  • Old-Fashioned Caramel Apples
  • Simple Barks (White Chocolate, Chocolate-Nut, Cherry Almond…)
  • Chocolate Coconut Drops
  • Chocolate Marshmallow Turtles
  • Triple Delight Pecan Patties
  • Chocolate Peanut Clusters
  • Rocky Road
  • Heavenly Hash
  • Caramel-Nut Marshmallows

And the list goes on and on and on and on.

300 Best Homemade Candy Recipes

Marry Me Toffee (left) and Lollipops (Right)

Book Description:

The step-by-step candy bible for home candy-makers.

With hundreds of recipes for mouthwatering candies, chocolates, pralines, crèmes, fudges, toffee, holiday treats and no-bake cookies, this candy cookbook covers the traditional to the exotic.

Complete with easy-to-follow instructions and 75 step-by-step photos, this is a treasure trove of information and inspiring recipes. Although many are intimidated at the thought of making candies at home, Jane Sharrock shows how to master a few basic principles that every candy maker should know. She makes it easy to produce delicious goodies in the home kitchen.

See  300 Best Homemade Candy Recipes for more information. This is definitely a cookbook you’ll want to have in your candy-making hands long before Halloween and Christmas. This is going to be our most delicious holiday season ever.

 

Spices & Seasons by Rinku Bhattacharya

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Spices and Seasons Cookbook by Rinku Bhattacharya

Spices & Seasons: Simple, Sustainable Indian Flavors

Over the years, as a food blogger, I’ve had the opportunity to review many wonderful cookbooks. The fact that I collect cookbooks has made this opportunity even sweeter, as every collector worth their salt LOVES nothing more than adding to their collection.  Although I’ve collected cookbooks since I first cracked an egg, my newest cookbook (Spices & Seasons: Simple, Sustainable Indian Flavors) is quite unlike any other in my collection. This is the first Indian Cuisine cookbook I’ve ever owned.

It’s not that I don’t love Indian food – far, far from it! I’ve just been intimidated by this exotic cuisine,  assuming the various flavors must call for spices I’d have to fly across country to find. A fear of heights (and, thereby, flying) rules that out, so I simply allowed any Indian food I enjoyed to take place in restaurants.

I don’t have to do that anymore!

In her beautiful cookbook, Rinku Bhattacharya has proven that you CAN create delicious, fresh, fantastic, and memorable Indian flavors in your own kitchen.  What’s more the recipes are as fun and exciting to create as the food is to eat.

I think that’s why I’m extra excited about this particular cookbook – it introduces new flavors and techniques to even the most veteran foodies.  Take it from me, my kitchen experiences a lot of cooking – to the tune of DAILY – so it’s accustomed to a wide variety of aromas and flavors and combinations of aromas and flavors.  But each time I make a recipe from Spices & Seasons: Simple, Sustainable Indian Flavors, my kitchen and I experience something new and beautiful.

Do I even have to tell you how exciting that is?!

Pineapple and Citrus Chicken Wing Kebabs

The first recipe I made from this beautiful cookbook was the Pineapple and Citrus Chicken Wing Kebabs (page 23) – pictured above. I didn’t have any drumettes on hand, so I just cut up the chicken I did have. I can’t wait to try it with drumettes, though.  My chicken was also skinless, and I’m anxious to try this recipe WITH skin.  It was absolutely delicious, though.  The cilantro, ginger, turmeric, and pineapple made beautiful music together and my taste buds danced on and on.

While cooking has never been boring to me, it can sometimes become commonplace.  

Let’s see, let me mash the potatoes before I take the chicken out of the oven..  

When I made the Classic Mint Chutney, it occurred to me that I’d NEVER made a chutney before. As soon as I made (and tasted) it, though, I was automatically calculating the next time I’d be doing so. The flavors were so exquisite and unique – my family and I couldn’t stop talking about it.

Mint Chutney

In fact, each recipe I’ve made from Spices & Seasons has been a huge hit in our home – one that we enjoy seeing, eating, and talking about.  Even recipes that I have made countless times are given a fresh new twist – like Stir-Fried Asparagus, for example.  Asparagus is my husband’s favorite vegetable, so suffice to say I’ve cooked more asparagus that you could ever hope to count. It just now occurred to me that if I had all the money I”ve spent on asparagus over the years, I could buy my husband a boat.

A big boat!

I had never made asparagus with ginger, though, and it honestly woke up flavors I never knew existed in asparagus.

Stir Fried Asparagus with Garlic

That’s part of the beauty about Rinku Bhattacharya (click the link for the author’s blog) recipes – they allow you to experience cooking AND food in a fresh new way.  It isn’t an overstatement to say that your love of cooking will be reawakened.  You’ll find yourself inhaling the exotic new aromas that fill your kitchen and feel a special kind of pride when your family raves and raves about the exotic flavors you created.

Best of all, the recipes are simple and easy to follow.  And you don’t have to hop a flight to India for the spices and seasons.

Some of the recipes in Spices & Seasons

  • Roasted Bell Pepper Chutney
  • Pineapple and Citrus Wing Kebabs
  • Roasted Spice-Rubbed Cauliflower Wedges
  • Fragrant Brown Lentil Soup
  • Masala Omelet Frittata
  • Chickpea Flour-Crusted Fish
  • Red Wine and Chili Pork Curry
  • Brined Turkey with Pomegranate Apricot Glaze
  • Chicken Orzo Pilaf
  • Whole Wheat Flatbreads
  • Chicken in a Creamy Yogurt Sauce
  • Quick Fix Lovely Red Spinach Tofu
  • Herb and Spice Roasted Chicken
  • Pineapple and Ginger Spiced Ham
  • Saffron Rice Pilaf with Cashew Nuts
  • Zucchini, Lemon Thyme and Onion Flatbreads
  • Fresh Ginger Apple Chai Cake
  • Saffron Pistachio Rice Pudding
  • Maple and Yogurt Custard (I have a date with this one Saturday)
  • MANY spice blends, Indian Relish, marinades, and rubs.
  • And a lot more recipes that’ll knock your socks off… maybe I should say they’ll knock your apron off.

About the Author

Rinku Bhattacharya is a native of Kolkata, India, currently living in a house with a vibrant backyard in Hudson Valley, New York with her husband and two young children. Rinku s practical, sustainable approach to Indian cooking, is showcased on her blog, Cooking in Westchester, and her Journal News column Spices and Seasons. Rinku has been teaching recreational cooking classes for the past nine years and also partners with the local, Down Home Markets to offer seasonal Indian cooking demos. She is author of The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles (Hippocrene Books, 2012). Rinku has also written for the Poughkeepsie Journaland several online sites, and appeared on CT Style television a few times.
This beautiful cookbook (such gorgeous photographs!) includes more than 150 wonderful recipes you’ll use again and again.  As someone who has to now strictly follow particular dietary guidelines (gluten free), I strongly appreciate the fact that many vegetarian and gluten free options are  included. Recipes are marked GF and V, which I think is particularly thoughtful and helpful.  A reminder, however – when a recipe is marked GF, always check out the individual products you choose.  For example, if soy sauce is listed as an ingredient, if you don’t buy gluten free soy sauce (Tamari Soy Sauce), your recipe will not be GF.
In addition to gorgeous photographs and off-the-charts delicious recipes, I also enjoy the author’s many tips and her priceless advice. Her warm personality and passion for Indian cuisine come shining through and you feel as though she’s right there beside you. Her energy and passion are palpable.
I just wish I could get a copy of this wonderful cookbook in everyone’s hands.  The recipes are fun and exciting to create and the food is flavorful, delicious, and exciting to eat.  That’s a lot of excitement waiting to be had!
While I can’t get a copy to every single person who reads this review, I CAN do the next best thing:
  • Point you to Spices & Seasons: Simple, Sustainable Indian Flavors on Amazon. This is one cookbook you’ll want to add to your collection right away.  I just can’t say enough good things about it.
  • The publisher has given me the green light to give one copy away to one lucky reader.  Simply leave a comment below – that’s all you have to do!  I’ll write the names on pieces of paper, fold them up, and will have a member of my family pick one at random. The publisher will then send the lucky individual their own copy. Simple as that.  I’ll announce the winner in the comments below this weekend. Good luck!

The giveaway has expired (congrats to the winner!), but this beautiful cookbook is available on Amazon… so be sure to grab your copy right away.

Stir-Fried Asparagus with Garlic and Sesame Seeds

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Stir Fried Asparagus with Garlic

Last week I posted a wonderful Mint Chutney recipe from Spices & Seasons, a new cookbook by Rinku Bhattacharya that I’m completely obsessed with.  I have (so far!) made six different recipes from Spices & Seasons and each has rocked my world… or as I more commonly call it, my kitchen.

The recipe below (Stir-Fried Asparagus with Garlic and Sesame Seeds) is one I made last night.  I served it with Salisbury Steaks and it totally upstaged the beef and that’s not easy to do.

I didn’t have any sesame seeds on hand, so I simply left them out of the equation. Sure, they’d have looked elegant, but there’s no way they could have made the asparagus any more delicious. There are so many amazing flavors going on here that you’ll make this recipe again and again.

And again.

While the flavor is the most important thing about this recipe, I also love the fact that it’s a pretty quick recipe to put together – yet it tastes like you spent hours on the project! Don’t you just love recipes that pull that off?

Tamari Soy Sauce (Gluten Free)
If you want to make the recipe Gluten Free, simply replace traditional soy sauce (which is not gluten free) with Gluten Free Tamari Soy Sauce (pictured above).

Personally I prefer Tamari Soy Sauce and would use it EVEN if I could eat gluten. I use it in place of regular soy sauce in all of my recipes and, each time, I think, “This is actually better!”

A lot of cookbooks, magazines, and food blogs will categorize a recipe as “GF” (Gluten Free) when soy sauce is an ingredient. Some don’t realize that traditional soy sauce is not gluten free (after all, who’d suspect gluten to be hiding in there?!) and others simply assume that those of us who eat gluten free will automatically choose gluten free soy sauce.  Either way, just a reminder – always read labels for yourself.  If you’re eating gluten free (like me) for health reasons, you need to be especially cautious. Gluten is in a billion and one places you’d never expect it to be!

And now for the AMAZING recipe!

Note: For the best results, be sure to use good maple syrup instead of…. oh, I dunno… Aunt Jemima or Log Cabin!

Stir-Fried Asparagus with Garlic and Sesame Seeds

1 tablespoon oil
1 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 pounds asparagus, trimmed
1 tablespoon soy sauce (Tamari for gluten free)
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon sesame seeds

  1. Heat the oil in a wok or skillet on medium heat for 1 minute.  Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and ginger and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
  2. Add the asparagus and saute’ well for 1 minute.  Mix in the soy sauce and cover and cook for 5 minutes, until the asparagus is tender but crisp.
  3. Stir in the maple syrup and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
  4. Place the asparagus on a serving dish and sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving.

Tips and Tricks from Rinku Bhattacharya:

  • This recipe also works well with green beans.
  • One tablespoon of dried unsweetened coconut can be added instead of the sesame seeds.
  • “I like to use a combination of white and green asparagus for the variation of colors, but either one would be fine on its own.”

Also See: Read my Spices & Seasons Cookbook Review!

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract

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Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate chip cookies are America’s favorite cookies to bake,  share, and (especially!) eat.  I’ve always loved making each batch a little different from the previous batch, just to keep things deliciously interesting.

Adding various nuts and/or peanut butter chips or white chocolate morsels is a easy way to experiment with different flavors. Another easy and flavorful to switch things up is to use different vanilla extracts.  The sweet, creamy flavor of Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract adds a whole new dimension to chocolate chip cookies and it’ll blow you away.

Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

1-1/2 c. butter, softened
1-1/4 c. white sugar
1-1/4 c. brown sugar
1 T. Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract
2 eggs
4 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1-3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1-12 oz. pkg. semisweet chocolate chips. (2 c.)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix butter, sugars, vanilla and eggs in large bowl. Stir in flour, soda, salt, baking powder and cream of tartar. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop with a #40 scoop (looks like a metal mini ice cream scoop) or a rounded measuring tablespoonful about 2 inches apart onto an ungreased insulated baking sheet. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until light brown. Cool slightly: remove from baking sheet. Cool on wire rack. Makes about 4 dozen crackly, chewy-crispy bakery-style cookies. They are wonderful!

A few tips you might want to try to put your own spin on these wonderful cookies:

  • Switch the chips: Instead of using 2 cups of semisweet chocolate chips, try using white chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, or a combination of all three. Using coarsely chopped baking chocolate instead of chips will add a gourmet feel to the recipe.
  • Make it nutty: Try adding 1 cup of coarsely chopped nuts to the batter. Pecans or walnuts are a classic addition, while macadamia nuts or pistachios add a bit of a nontraditional flair.
  • Salt the tops: Baked goods aren’t just about the sugar; salt amplifies the flavors in even the sweetest recipes. Sprinkle the tops of your cookies with coarse sea salt just before baking to bring out the flavors of the brown sugar and chocolate in this recipe. Try using a smoked sea salt for an extra-special touch.
  • Build a sandwich: Pair this recipe with your favorite ice cream flavor for the perfect ice cream sandwich, or spread them with buttercream frosting for a cookie sandwich treat. Use a peanut butter frosting for that classic chocolate and peanut butter combination that everyone loves.

Recipe and Photo Credit: Nielsen-Massey Vanillas and Renee Hartzler.

Classic Green Mint Chutney Recipe

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Mint Chutney

Mint Chutney – Recipe from Spices & Seasons by Rinku Bhattacharya 

I’ve always loved listening to the radio while driving – ever since my parents reluctantly allowed me to start driving at 17, simply because they didn’t think they could put off the inevitable any longer. Music had always been something I enjoyed a lot. A few years back, though, I decided there was nothing for me on today’s radio, so I stopped even bothering to turn it on.  Then Adele hit the scene and made me excited about music again. She was fresh, exciting, and delightfully different from everything else.

She woke music up.

I often think about world cuisines along the same sort of lines.  If we were to eat the same things over and over and over again, our culinary lives would become just as stale, uneventful, unexciting, and bland as music had become pre-Adele.  Mixing things up for your family, as well as your own taste buds is a deliciously smart thing to do.

I home schooled our daughters all the way through school and when they were growing up, I’d incorporate whatever region we were studying into our family meals.  Hmm, I guesss that’s why they were extra excited whenever we studied Italy. It wasn’t my lessons, it was my food!

I still love to incorporate as many “tastes of the world” into our meals as possible and Indian food has become a new obsession. When you try different cuisines, you discover a whole new world of flavors and tastes and when it comes to Indian food, it’s an uncommonly beautiful experience.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be telling you more about a new cookbook that’s making my quest for fresh and exciting recipes and meals as easy as it gets. The book is Spices & Seasons: Simple, Sustainable Indian Flavors by  Rinku Bhattacharya. I’ll share a few recipes with you from the book and you’ll soon see that this is a cookbook you simply must get your hands on.

Mint Chutney and Flatbread
The first recipe is for something I had honestly never made before, Chutney.  Don’t let the word Chutney intimidate you and, by all means, don’t let the word mint turn you away. If you’re anything like me, you only think of mint as something beautiful in your herb bed and pleasant in your tea.  I’m so narrow minded when it comes to mint that I was tempted to leave the mint out of this recipe! Seriously, I thought, “Hmph. Mint goes in tea, I’ll just replace it with nice innocent parsley.”

I can be so ridiculous like that.

In the end, good common sense won out and I left the recipe as it was intended to be prepared, and it knocked my socks off.  The flavors are so intense, fresh, unique, and delicious. Trust me, you don’t want to replace the mint in this recipe – this is a perfect 10 recipe and I can’t wait to make it again.

I ate mine (of course) with Gluten Free Rice Crackers (Nabisco’s Gluten Free Rice Thins are won-der-ful) but I provided flat bread for everyone else. Everyone loved it and they, too, can’t wait for me to make it again!

Classic Green Mint Chutney

(VE, GF)

Green mint chutney is a classic, popular staple, omnipresent next to snacks, particularly in the summer months. This recipe is a very simple free-form variation of the classic recipe. There are other creative variations using tomatoes, green mangoes, and the works, so I encourage you to create and innovate to suit your fancy. Mint by itself in this recipe can have a bitter aftertaste, so it is tempered with cilantro. You can mix and match other herbs as desired. This chutney can be used as a condiment or sandwich spread, or can be added to sauces.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Makes: 2 cups

1 bunch cilantro leaves (about 3 cups of leaves; tender stems can also be used in this recipe)
2 bunches mint leaves (about 11⁄2 cups)
2 green Serrano chilies
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1⁄2 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 teaspoon black salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons oil (such as mustard or canola)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

  1. Place the cilantro, mint, green Serrano chilies, cumin powder, salt, black salt, sugar, oil, and lime juice in the bowl of a blender.
  2. Grind mixture until smooth. This chutney will keep for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator, but the color will darken due to the lime.

 Mint Chutney and GF CrackersTips and Tricks:

It is important to ensure that the mint leaves used for this chutney are tender or they tend to add a bitter taste to this condiment.

This chutney can be mellowed by adding 11⁄2 tablespoons of yogurt or coconut milk as a vegan option. If adding yogurt you can skip the lime juice.

Another variation is to add some blanched peanuts or almonds.

Ideas for Serving the Chutney: Flatbread, grilled shrimp, crackers, toasted bread wedges…

Edits:

Wolfgang Puck 8-piece Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl Set

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Wolfgang Puck 8-piece Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl Set with Silicone Bases

 

I never thought I’d ever use the word “gorgeous” to describe mixing bowls, but that’s the only world that’ll do for these beauties.  The Wolfgang Puck 8-piece Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl Set with Silicone Bases has forever changed the way I think about mixing bowls.

We ordered a set from HSN a few weeks ago and I fall a little more in love with them each time I use them.

They’re getting a special treatment that no other mixing bowl set has ever gotten – they’re allowed to stay out of the cabinets… in plain view! Quite frankly they’re too pretty to hide away.

Among other things, I’ve used my bowls for…

  • marinating meats
  • tossed salads
  • cake batter
  • coleslaw
  • waffle mix
  • storing cookies
  • mixing granola

Each time I use them, I think of someone else I’d love to buy a set for.

The bowl stays in place while you’re mixing, so you don’t have to chase it around the counter or hold it securely in place.   I also love that the snug-fitting lid eliminates the need for aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or (tackier, still) wobbly saucers placed on top of the bowl.

Been there, done that, died a little inside.

I’ve actually ordered several things from HSN lately that I’ve loved wildly. I’ll be letting you know about a “Miracle Pan” tomorrow that I have NO IDEA how I ever lived without.

These aren’t sponsored posts, paid for reviews, or even affiliate posts – I’m just anxious to share something with you that I know you’ll love as much as I do.  Be sure to click through the following link and learn more about the Wolfgang Puck 8-piece Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl Set with Silicone Bases.

What You Get

  • 7.25qt mixing bowl with lid
  • 4.75qt mixing bowl with lid
  • 3qt mixing bowl with lid
  • 1.5qt mixing bowl with lid
  • Use and care manual
  • Manufacturer’s 5-year limited warranty

Wolfgang Puck Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls with Silicone Bases and Lids

 

Adorable Ceramic Pig Dish

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Oval Pig Dish

Apparently a lot of you… like ME… are completely obsessed with pigs. Whenever I show you something pig-licious I’ve fallen hard for, I  hear from other pig lovers who are just as crazy about it as I am.

The adorable Pig Oval Dish, above, is my latest pig find and he couldn’t be any cuter if it was his job.

You can find this beautiful hand-crafted, hand-painted ceramic dish through Amazon – for around $10.

Click through the link or image for more information.