Savory Archives | Page 2 of 3 | Bake With a Grain of Salt

Thai Red Curry with Shrimp

Made with a creamy coconut base, this Thai Red Curry with Shrimp is flavorful and packed with vegetables. Omit the shrimp and you’ve got a simple, fully vegetarian dish! One pot meal!

Thai Red Curry is a delicious item from the vast flavors of Thai cuisine. It’s even more delicious with shrimp! The meal can be made in one pot, and it can be vegetarian without the shrimp.

If you want to make the vegetarian person, you’ll want to skip the first part of the recipe. It includes the instructions for cooking the shrimp.

Season the shrimp with the grated ginger, garlic, salt, chili powder, and olive oil. Cook it in a pot for a few minutes on each side and then put the shrimp aside.

Saute the onions until translucent and pour in the coconut milk and curry paste. Stir thoroughly to incorporate the paste into the coconut milk. Then add the water, soy sauce, sugar, and rice vinegar. Add the salt, chili powder, and crushed red pepper. Cook on a low heat.

While that’s lowly simmering, cut the potatoes into chunks, cover them with a wet papertowel and microwave for 4.5 to 5 minutes. This will help you avoid having to boil the potatoes before they go into the curry. They don’t need to be fully softened, they’ll cook for a bit in the curry.

I recommend red potatoes because their sweetness really compliments the flavor of the curry really well.

Toss in the green beans, red bell pepper, and potatoes into the curry. Cover and cook until the potatoes are soft enough to pierce with a fork.

Once the potatoes are soft, taste the curry and adjust for seasoning to your preference. You can add water here if you think the curry is too thick. Add in the shrimp and cook together for a few minutes.

Serve the Thai Red Curry with Shrimp over a bowl of your favorite grain of rice. I eat this with jasmine rice, I like how fluffy and soft it is.

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Thai Red Curry with Shrimp

Made with a creamy coconut base, this Thai Red Curry with Shrimp is flavorful and packed with vegetables. Omit the shrimp and you've got a simple, fully vegetarian dish! One pot meal!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: Seafood

Servings: 6 – 8 people

Calories: 375kcal

Ingredients

Shrimp

1 Pound Shrimp (deveined)
1 tsp Ginger, grated
1 Large Garlic Clove, grated
½ tsp Kosher Salt
¼ tsp Chili Powder
2 tsp Olive Oil, divided

Thai Red Curry

½ Yellow Onion, sliced
1 tsp Ginger, grated
2½ Cups Coconut Milk
3 Tbsp Thai Red Curry Paste Thai Kitchen has a vegan paste!
¾ Cup Water
2 tsp Kosher Salt
2½ tsp Soy Sauce
2½ tsp Rice Vinegar
2½ tsp Raw Cane Sugar
1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
½ tsp Chili Powder
½ Pound Fresh Green Beans
2 Medium Red Potatoes, chopped skin on
1 Red Bell Pepper, sliced

Instructions

Shrimp

Season the shrimp with the salt, ginger, garlic, chili powder, and ½ tsp olive oil.
Heat 1½ tsp of olive oil on a wok or pot.
Cook the shrimp 3 minutes on each side.
Put aside in a separate bowl once finished.

Thai Red Curry

Chop the potatoes up into chunky cubes and cover with a wet paper towel. Microwave for about 4.5 – 5 minutes. You wont have to boil them if you do this!
Add a small dash of oil to the pot and sautee the onions until slightly translucent.
Add the coconut milk and red curry paste and stir until fully incorporated.
Add the water, soy sauce, sugar, and rice vinegar.
Add the salt, chili powder, and crushed red pepper.
Cook on a low heat for a few minutes.
Toss in the potatoes, green beans, and bell peppers.
Cover and cook on a simmer until green beans have softened and the potatoes can be pierced with a fork.
If your curry is too thin, then cook uncovered to let it evaporate. If it's too thick, add some water.
Add in the shrimp and serve over a bowl of rice!

Check out some of my other Asian inspired dishes!

Hotteok (Sweet Korean Stuffed Pancakes)

Japanese Strawberry Shortcake

Panko Crusted Tenders with Spicy Sticky Asian Sauce

Thai Red Curry with Shrimp

Foil Baked Santa Fe Chicken

Perfectly seasoned chicken smothered in mixed veggies and salsa. Baked in foil and served hot and steamy. Foil Baked Santa Fe Chicken is an easy go to meal for lunch or dinner!

Foil Baked Santa Fe Chicken is a great hands off dinner option for those who want a simple yet incredibly tasty meal. The chicken breast comes out incredibly tender and the veggies are perfectly cooked, all topped with gooey cheese.

Chicken breasts tend to be a little too thick for my preference when I bake them. You have a few options for this recipe. The first is to tenderize the chicken, the second is to trim the fattest part of the chicken so it lays a little thinner, or you can just bake the full breast as is, but the baking time may be increased around 10 minutes.

Marinate the chicken for an hour with the salt, chili powder, garlic, cilantro, and cumin, olive oil, and lemon juice.

If you can find a New Mexican or Santa Fe chili powder, that would be perfect. But Mexican chili powder works just as well.

Chop the onion and bell pepper in long thin strips. I used a red onion and a yellow bell pepper because I find that they are sweet and even still a little crunchy.

Cut the cherry tomatoes lengthwise and add the corn and beans.

Mix the veggies together and season lightly with salt and pepper.

Place the chicken on a square of aluminum foil and layer half the veggies on each breast. Then top with picante or chunky salsa.

I recommend using a picante because it’s less liquidy. Use your favorite chunky salsa as an alternative.

To wrap the chicken properly, bring together two sides of the foil and fold over twice like above. Then roll the sides up and place on a baking tray to catch any potential leakage.

Bake for 25 minutes (or around 35 if you’re using a full thickness chicken breast). Once it’s baked, open the packets and sprinkle cheese on. Bake with the foil open for another couple of minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Top with slices of jalapeno and fresh cilantro and enjoy!

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Foil Baked Santa Fe Chicken

Perfectly seasoned chicken smothered in mixed veggies and salsa. Baked in foil and served hot and steamy. Foil Baked Santa Fe Chicken is an easy go to meal for lunch or dinner!

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Marinating TIme1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: 2 Servings

Calories: 335kcal

Equipment

Aluminum Foil

Ingredients

Chicken Marinade

2 Chicken Breasts lightly tenderized or thinned, refer to notes above
1 Clove Garlic, minced or grated
4-5 Sprigs Cilantro, finely chopped
½ tsp Kosher Salt
1 tsp Chili Powder Mexican or New Mexican
¼ tsp Cumin
1 tsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Lemon Juice

Mixed Veggies

½ Large Yellow Bell Pepper, sliced
½ Red Onion
½ Cup Cherry Tomatoes, halved lengthwise
½ Cup Fresh or Frozen Thawed Yellow Corn
½ Cup Black Beans
¼ Cup Chunky Salsa or Picante Sauce
½ Cup Shredded Mexican Cheese

Instructions

Chicken Marinade

Depending on the thickness of your chicken breast, you may want to flatten the fattest bit or even slice some of the thickness off. You want the thickest part of the chicken to be level with the center mass of the chicken. If you don't want to make these adjustments, your baking time may increase up to 10 minutes.
Season the chicken with the salt, chili powder, cumin, oil, cilantro, and garlic, and lemon juice.
Cover and let sit in the fridge for an hour.

Assembly

Preheat oven to 350°.
In a bowl, mix together the bell pepper, onion, corn, tomatoes, and beans. Salt and pepper lightly.
Cut two 10 by 10 squares of aluminum foil. Spray lightly with cooking spray.
Place a chicken breast on each square. On top of a baking sheet (you will need this to catch any liquid that may leak)
Spoon half of the vegetable mixture over the each chicken breast.
Scoop ⅛ cup of chunky salsa or picante on each of the chicken pieces.
Bring two sides of the foil together and fold over twice, refer to photos.
Seal the foil fully and bake for 25 minutes (may need 35 depending on how thick your chicken is)
After the chicken is cooked, open the packets and sprinkle on the cheese and bake for another five minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
Serve and enjoy hot!

No Cream Tuscan Salmon

30 Minute Meal, One Pan, No Cream Tuscan Salmon

I love one pan meals and I love 30 minute meals. Enter: No Cream Tuscan Salmon!

The trick for this quick and simple recipe is to prep all of your ingredients before you begin cooking.

This recipe calls for skin off salmon. I know that in the photos I use skin on salmon, but trust me, you’ll want it off. Skin on looks better in photos, but it’s a nuisance eating around the skin with a dish as saucy and creamy as this one.

Sear you salmon for 4-5 minutes on the bottom, and 1-2 minutes on the top and sides. Put the salmon aside on a plate while you make the sauce.

Add some more oil if you need it and saute the garlic until fragrant make sure you’re on a medium low heat.

Making sure the pan isn’t too hot, add the milk and seasonings and whisk constantly so the milk doesn’t burn.

So, how do you get creamy No Cream Tuscan Salmon? Flour. Whisk in 1 tablespoon of flour in half increments until the sauce becomes thick. You really want to ensure that the pan isn’t too hot or the flour will clump. Whisk thoroughly and constantly.

At this point, the sauce may feel too thick, so add in the spinach. Any of the liquid seeping from the spinach will help prevent the sauce from becoming too thick.

The ideal sauce consistency is when you can drag your whisk through it and it doesn’t immediately come back together.

At this point, place the salmon back into the pan and increase the temperature and cover with a lid.

This will cook the salmon more and the lid will prevent the sauce from evaporating and getting too thick.

Enjoy the this dish with some pasta or spaghetti. This recipe has enough sauce for 4 fillets.

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No Cream Tuscan Salmon

30 Minute Meal, One Pan, No Cream Tuscan Salmon

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: 2 Servings (Enough Sauce for 4 fillets)

Calories: 675kcal

Ingredients

2 Salmon Fillets skin off
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 Cloves Minced Garlic
1 Cup Milk
1 Tbsp Flour
½ tsp Dried Basil
½ tsp Dried Oregano
1 tsp Fresh Parsley
1½ Cup Fresh Chopped Spinach
½ Cup Fresh Grated Parmesan
⅓ Cup Sun Dried Tomato
Crushed Red Pepper to taste

Instructions

Salt and pepper the salmon fillets after patting them fully dry.
Heat up the olive oil on a pan on medium to medium high heat.
Depending on the size of your pan, you may need more oil. You'll want to make sure there is a solid thin layer of oil on the pan or your salmon will shred.
Sear the salmon for 4 – 5 minutes on the bottom side of the salmon, move the salmon every now and then so it doesn't stick.
Sear the top of the salmon for 1 – 2 minutes. Sear each side for 1 – 2 minutes.
Put the salmon aside on a different plate.
Top off the oil on the pan if you need some and sautee the garlic on a medium low heat.
Add the milk, dried oregano, dried basil, crushed red pepper, ½ tsp salt, crack of black pepper, and parsley.
Whisk in ½ Tbsp of flour thoroughly. Once fully incorporated, whisk in the other ½ Tbsp.
Whisk constantly and turn the heat up to medium to allow the mixture to bubble a thicken.
Add the grated parmesan and continue to whisk.
Toss in the spinach, the water from the spinach will make sure the sauce doesn't thicken too much. Stir.
Place the salmon back in the pan and spoon the sauce over the fillets.
Sprinkle in the sundried tomatoes cover with a lid for a few minutes.
Enjoy alone or with some pasta!

Creamy Spinach Artichoke Dip

Creamy Spinach Artichoke Dip is truly one of the best, well loved dishes around! This recipe stays true to the classic creation but offers a unique way to achieve creaminess.

Creamy Spinach Artichoke Dip is one of those recipes you find at every restaurant; Italian ones, Mexican ones, and even American ones. But which cuisine does it originally belong to. From what I could tell from my research the recipe hails from Mediterranean origins.

I kept that in mind as I began to formulate a recipe for this dish. Many of the recipes I saw included some mixture of cream cheese, mayo, sour cream, mozzarella, and parmesan.

The cream cheese is what makes the dish creamy.
The mozzarella makes is stringy.
The parmesan gives it a salty bite.

Okay. So what does the mayo contribute? What about the sour cream? I couldn’t really think of a unique way that these two ingredients contributed to the recipe that another ingredient couldn’t also do.

Enter Ricotta cheese. Ricotta cheese offers the same moisture that mayo and sour cream do but is more true to the Mediterranean origins of the dish.

When you’re prepping your ingredients, make sure your artichoke hearts and spinach have been fully drained and excess liquid squeezed out. I got a can of whole artichoke hearts that I sliced after draining but you can get precut ones if you prefer. I used precut frozen spinach, but cutting the whole leaves yourself works all the same.

While your oven is preheating cook the onion and the garlic until translucent and fragrant. Add the spinach and artichoke hearts in and move constantly so they don’t burn but any excess liquid is cooked off.

This also imparts more flavor in the artichoke hearts.

Remove from heat and immediately season with salt, pepper, and the optional crushed red pepper.

Add the cream cheese, ricotta cheese, half the shredded mozzarella, and shredded parmesan and mix thoroughly.

At this stage, you can give the dip a quick taste and salt or spice the mixture more depending on your taste preferences.

Grease an oven safe baking dish (pie sized) and evenly spread the mixture inside. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on the top and bake for 22 – 25 minutes or until the mozzarella is lightly browned.

Enjoy the Creamy Spinach Artichoke Dip with your favorite tortilla chips or crisps!

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Creamy Spinach Artichoke Dip

Creamy Spinach Artichoke Dip is truly one of the best, well loved dishes around! This recipe stays true to the classic creation but offers a unique way to achieve creaminess.

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American, Mediterranean

Servings: 8 – 10 servings

Calories: 185kcal

Equipment

Oven safe baking dish (pie sized)

Ingredients

10 oz Frozen Spinach thawed and squeezed out, whole or chopped
1 14 oz Can of Whole Artichoke Hearts drained and chopped
6 oz Cream Cheese
½ Cup Ricotta Cheese
⅓ Cup Grated Parmesan, packed
⅔ Cup Shredded Mozzarella, divided into ⅓ cups low moisture
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
½ Yellow Onion, diced
1½ tsp Kosher Salt
½ tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
1 tsp Olive Oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°.
Drain and chop artichoke hearts.
Thaw and squeeze out spinach. Chop if it is not prechopped.
Finely mince the garlic and dice the onion.
In a pan, heat the olive oil and cook the onions until translucent.
Add in the garlic and cook lightly.
Toss in the spinach and artichokes and cook until any remaining liquid is gone. Wait until some of the artichoke pieces have very lightly browned.
Transfer the above mixture to a large bowl and add in the salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper.
Mix in the cream cheese, parmesan, ricotta, and ⅓ of the mozzarella.
Transfer to an oven safe dish, about 8 inches wide, and top with the remaining ⅓ mozzarella.
Bake for 22 – 25 minutes, until the mozzarella has melted and browned a bit.

Panko Crusted Honey Mustard Salmon

A thirty minute meal from start to finish! Panko Crusted Honey Mustard Salmon is perfect for those who love salmon and for those that are a little iffy about it!

I know, I know. Panko and salmon isn’t really a new or groundbreaking combination. But there are some unique additions to this Panko Crusted Honey Mustard Salmon recipe that make it one that stands out.

The best part is that this recipe will only take 30 minutes from start to finish and there is enough down time for you to be able to get some sides ready as well! Who doesn’t love a 30 minute meal?

For this recipe, you can use any salmon. By that I mean any size filet and skin on or off. I recommend using the freshest salmon you can get, so if your local grocery store has a fishmonger you should head there to get your fish.

For this recipe, I used 4 ounce fillets with skin on. Your cook time will vary by a couple of minutes depending on your preferred doneness, fillet size, and whether or not there is skin. I baked my salmon for 18 minutes which allowed for the meat to remain juicy and flaky but for the panko to brown and crisp properly.

Local honey is great, but I’m sure most of you already know that. Use Dijon Mustard, not the regular yellow mustard we all use on burgers and hot dogs. The flavor is much better and it cooks much more nicely.
Fresh rosemary is ideal for this recipe but if you can use dried rosemary instead.

Lightly oil the salmon and focus most of it on the bottom of the salmon so it doesn’t stick to the pan. This is where the skin on comes in handy!

Once you make the honey mustard mixture, spread about half of it on the tops of the salmon. This will be a runny mixture so work a little at a time. If any of it runs off, spread it along the sides of the fillet.

Panko Crusted Honey Mustard Salmon glazed

Use the remaining honey mustard to mix with the panko mixture. And then layer that wet mixture over the salmon.

Panko Crusted Honey Mustard Salmon topping

Don’t worry about making the panko wet or about it getting soggy. It’ll have enough time to crisp up in the oven.

Pack the wet panko mixture onto the top of the salmon.

Bake for anywhere between 18 – 22 minutes. My salmon was cooked by 15 minutes but I wanted more browning to my panko so I baked it for 18 total minutes. Don’t worry about overcooking it if you stay withing that 18 – 22 minute time range.

Enjoy your Panko Crusted Honey Mustard Salmon with a side of sauteed vegetables. Check out my recipe for Garlic and Herb Compound Butter! It’s perfect for sauteeing!

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Final Panko Crusted Honey Mustard Salmon

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Panko Crusted Honey Mustard Salmon

A thirty minute meal from start to finish! Panko Crusted Honey Mustard Salmon is perfect for those who love salmon and for those that are a little iffy about it!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: 2 Fillets

Calories: 420kcal

Ingredients

2 Salmon Fillets (skin on or off) I used 4 oz fillets, skin on
1 tsp Olive Oil
3 Tbsp Panko
3 Tbsp Grated Parmesan
½ tsp Finely Minced Fresh Rosemary or dried (fresh is better)
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1 tsp Smoked Paprika
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Garlic Powder
2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 Tbsp Honey

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°. Prepare a baking sheet with foil.
Mix together the panko and the parmesan along with the salt, pepper, smoked paprika, rosemary, and garlic powder.
Mix together the dijon mustard and honey.
Lightly oil the salmon fillets and place them on the foil lined baking sheet.
Use a little less than half of the honey mustard mix to spread on the tops of the salmon.
Mix the rest of the honey mustard mix into the seasoned panko parmesan mixture.
Pack the now wet panko mixture onto the tops of the salmon of fillets. Make sure that its packed down and that there are no gaps on the salmon tops.
Bake for 18 – 22 minutes depending on prefered doneness and until the panko is golden brown.
I baked the salmon for 18 minutes.

Sun Dried Tomato Pesto

A super easy recipe for AUTHENTIC homemade sun dried tomato pesto. Eat on your favorite toasted bread or with some pasta!

Spicy Sweet Corn Disks

Spicy seasoning for sweet corn disks sauteed with onions and a dash of lemon juice! The perfect snack or accompaniment for a main entree. A 10 minute dish!

Honey Soy Chili Shrimp

Spicy, tangy, a little sweet, and full of flavor! Honey Soy Chili Shrimp is an easy Asian inspired dish created with ingredients that most home cooks have.

Quick and Easy Guacamole

The easiest guacamole out there!

No Cream Carrot Ginger Soup

Simple and straight forward. Packed with flavor. You’ll be sure to love this No Cream Carrot Ginger Soup. 30 minute meal and fully vegetarian!

No Cream Carrot Ginger Soup is super healthy and super tasty. It’s full of fresh ingredients and a great way to get veggies into your meal.

The recipe is incredibly straightforward and only requires a medium to large pot and either a blender or an immersion blender.

Ideally, you will want the freshest ingredients you can find. Make sure you get healthy and fragrant ginger.

You can use already peeled and cut baby carrots, or peel your own full carrots. Either option works, you just want to make sure that the pieces are cut to uniform sizes.

Sautee the garlic and ginger first, followed by the onions and the seasonings.

Add the carrots, vegetable stock, and water and bring to a rapid bowl. Turn down to rapid simmer and cover. Cook until the carrots are soft, about 25 minutes.

Overall, it’s kind of hard to taste and salt as you go for this recipe, so be prepared to taste and adjust as soon as you blend your soup.

Once the carrots are soft, you want to either blend with an immersion blender or in a regular, strong stand blender. If you use an immersion, you’re not guaranteed to get as smooth of a soup so I would recommend a regular blender.

Don’t overfill your blender or you might run the risk of it spilling over so don’t be afraid to blend in separate batches.

As soon as it’s blended and back in a big bowl or pot, you can season to taste with more salt or pepper.

In general, blender soups are incredibly easy to make. No Cream Carrot Ginger Soup is no exception to that.

They’re all about the flavor and can be customizable. If you prefer a sweeter soup, leave it be. Or you can add more cumin and some cayenne for a bit of a kick and some extra heat.

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No Cream Carrot Ginger Soup

Simple and straight forward. Packed with flavor. You'll be sure to love this No Cream Carrot Ginger Soup. 30 minute meal and fully vegetarian!

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Servings: 6 – 8 bowls

Calories: 100kcal

Equipment

Blender or immersion blender.

Ingredients

1½ Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Medium Yellow Onion
2 Cloves Garlic finely chopped
2 Tbsp Fresh Grated Ginger
1½ lbs Carrots peeled and chopped
2 Cups No or Low Sodium Vegetable Stock
2 Cups Water
¼ tsp Paprika
¼ tsp Ground Nutmeg
½ tsp Cumin
¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper
1½ tsp Kosher Salt

Instructions

Peel and chop the carrots, Chop onion, grate ginger, and chop garlic.
In a medium pot, cook the garlic and ginger in the olive oil.
Add the salt, black pepper, paprika, cumin, nutmeg, and onions and cook until translucent.
Add in the carrots, 2 cups of vegetable stock, and 2 cups of water.
Bring to a rapid simmer and cook until the carrots can be pierced with a fork. About 8 – 12 minutes.
Blend the mixture until smooth. You might have to do this in batches, depending on the size of your blender.
Use caution, the mixture will be VERY hot!
Take this opportunity to add salt if you think it needs more. Enjoy!

Spicy Salty Snack Mix

Spicy Salty Snack Mix utilizes unique flavors to create a wonderful homemade alternative to the store bought stuff! It’s super easy to make, which is great because it’s a super addicting snack!

You might be wondering, “what even is Spicy Salty Snack Mix?” Well, perhaps it’s kind of a vague name but you’re gonna have to take my word for it. It’s such a good, simple, TASTY snack.

You hardly have to do any cooking. It’s mostly just heating up the cereal so that it’s warm and extra crunchy.

Make sure to use plain, unflavored cereal for this recipe.

This is a savory snack so any sweet cereal wouldn’t work.

Be sure to get corn flakes but rice chex cereal. Chex cereal also comes in the corn variety (among other types of sweet and flavored cereal). This recipe is formulated to work with the rice version, however you can use the corn chex cereal one if you prefer.

Rice cereal is a airier and crispier than corn cereal. Corn flakes aren’t as heavy as corn cereal so those are fine.

When my mom used to make this snack mix in the past, she would roast her own peanuts and cashews. She would also roast whole garlic cloves. I loved it as it was but it took longer to make and the garlic flavor wasn’t as uniform.

Using garlic powder ensures that the garlic flavor is evenly distributed and using preroasted nuts is really the better option. You can choose to use unsalted roasted cashews and peanuts but you might want to add more salt to the final recipe if that’s the case.

Make sure the cereal is toasted (but not browned) so that it makes it easier for the oil to coat it. Mixing the oil first will help the spices coat the cereal thoroughly.

Kosher salt is the best salt to cook with but the grains are a bit too large for this snack mix so you’ll want to grind it.

To make ½ teaspoon of ground kosher salt, you need 1½ teaspoon of regular kosher salt. In a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, grind the salt to a fine powder.

You can even do this with a blender or a food processor, but you’ll need a bigger batch of salt.

Once the salt is ground, measure out 1/2 teaspoon and you’re good to go!

Add the nuts at the very end and toss thoroughly one last time.

Make sure the cereal mix is fully cooled before you transfer it to an airtight container. It’ll get soggy if it’s not brought back down to room temperature.

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Toss this Spicy Salty Snack Mix occasionally so that the spices and seasonings don’t settle to the bottom.

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Spicy Salty Snack Mix

Spicy Salty Snack Mix utilizes unique flavors to create a wonderful homemade alternative to the store bought stuff! It's super easy to make, which is great because it's a super addicting snack!

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: 10 – 12 Servings

Calories: 180kcal

Ingredients

4 Cups Plain Corn Flakes Cereal unsweetened, unsalted
4 Cups Plain Rice Chex Cereal unsweetened, unsalted
½ Cup Roasted Peanuts lightly salted
½ Cup Roasted Cashews salted
1½ Tbsp Olive Oil
½ tsp Ground Kosher Salt instructions included
½ tsp Chili Powder
½ tsp Garlic Powder
¼ tsp Cumin

Instructions

Spicy Salty Snack Mix

In a large, heavy bottom pan lightly toast the rice cereal and corn flakes to make them crispier. Move them around often so they don't brown.
In ½ Tablespoon increments, toss the olive oil in the cereal mix to ensure that all the cereal is lightly coated with oil.
Toss in the ground salt (instructions below and above), garlic powder, cumin, and chili powder and mix thoroughly.
If you find that the cereal needs more oil, add ¼ to ½ Tablespoon and toss more.
Add the nuts and enjoy! Let cool completely before storing in an air tight container.

Ground Kosher Salt

Kosher salt tends to be the best salt to cook with, but the larger grain size won't allow it to mix into the cereal snack properly.
To make ½ teaspoon of ground kosher salt, you need 1½ teaspoon of regular kosher salt.
In a spice grinder or mortar and pestle grind the salt to a fine powder.
You can even do this with a blender or a food processor but you'll need a bigger batch of salt.
Once the salt is ground, measure out ½ teaspoon and you're good to go!

Sun Dried Tomato Pesto

A super easy recipe for AUTHENTIC homemade sun dried tomato pesto. Eat on your favorite toasted bread or with some pasta!

Sun Dried Tomato Pesto! The extra flavorful younger sibling to the classic green basil pesto. This recipe is as authentic as it gets and stays true to the Italian classic!

This recipe requires a food processor (or a high powered blender) but aside from that it’s pretty easy.

sun dried tomtato pesto ingredients photo

It’s really important to get high quality ingredients for this recipe. Make sure you have the freshest basil leaves you can find.

Don’t get pre oil soaked tomatoes, you won’t be able to control the amount of oil you have in the final product. This recipe is formulated to be used with dry sun dried tomatoes.

I used raw / unroasted / unsalted pine nuts for this recipe as well.

The most important thing to keep in mind is the quality of your parmesan. Please don’t use pregrated parmesan, the quality is not there at all. Make sure to get parmigiano reggiano in a wedge shape.

Roasting the red bell pepper is really important to impart really good flavor in the pesto. You should do it on an open flame if you can, or on a grill, but if not then you can roast them in an oven at 450 for 15 minutes.

Once the red bell pepper is roated, peel the skin off so you get really tender, sweet smelling flesh.

Blitz the ingredients in intervals, begin with the bell pepper, garlic, and soaked tomatoes. Then add the pine nuts, black pepper, and salt. Blitz again, and add the grated parmesan, basil, and crushed red pepper. Blitz!

Finally, stream in the remaining olive oil while the processor is going.

At this point you can add more crushed red pepper, salt, or black pepper according to your taste preferences!

Store the finished sun dried tomato pesto in an air tight glass container. But make sure not to seal the lid before the pesto is completely cooled. If not, you may run the risk of getting mold in your pesto.

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Sun Dried Tomato Pesto

A super easy recipe for AUTHENTIC homemade sun dried tomato pesto. Eat on your favorite toasted bread or with some pasta!

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 12 Servings

Calories: 175kcal

Equipment

Food processor (if not, high powered blender)
Air tight jar or container

Ingredients

1 cup Sun Dried Tomatoes
¼ Cup Pine Nuts
5 Cloves Garlic medium to large, peeled
¼ Cup Grated Parmesan
1½ tsp Kosher Salt
¼ tsp Cracked Black Pepper
¾ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil divided ½ and ¼
1 Red Bell Pepper
½ tsp Crushed Red Pepper
10 leaves Basil large leaves

Instructions

Soak sun dried tomatoes in ¼ cup olive oil.
On an open flame on your stove top, roast the red pepper until the skin is charred and black. (if you dont have a gas stove top, roast the bell pepper at 450° in an oven for 15 minutes)
Peel the charred skin off of the roasted bell pepper.
In a food processor, blend the roasted red pepper, oil soaked tomatoes, and garlic until fully chopped. (it'll be chunky)
Add the pine nuts, black pepper, and salt and blitz again. (it'll still be chunky)
Add the grated parmesan, basil, and crushed red pepper and blitz once again. (still sort of chunky)
Turn on the food processor (or blender) and continuously stream in the remaining ½ cup of olive oil.
Blend for a solid minute.
Add salt to taste and enjoy!
Let cool fully before storing in an air tight glass jar in the fridge.

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Garlic and Herb Compound Butter

This garlic and herb compound butter is perfect for sauteeing with vegetables, basting your meats, as a pad of finishing butter, or spread on bagels or to toast for homemade garlic bread!

Hello to all of my fellow butter lovers!!! As someone who loves to bake, I love butter and I value the place it has in the kitchen. Now I’m not trying to say that butter is boring, BUT we can always add to it. Enter: Garlic and Herb Compound Butter.

This compound butter (also similar to a finishing butter that you would see on a cooked steak) is packed with garlic and herbs. As the garlic and herbs mix with the butter and sit in the fridge for a while it allows the butter to soak up all the flavor.

Have you ever seen those garlic bread loaves at your grocery store with the butter pre-spread, all you need to do is bake them? That’s what you can do with this butter as well! Say goodbye to frozen garlic bread and hello to the fresh loaves!

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Use this butter as a marinade for any meat, to slather and baste your steaks, or to saute with your vegetables!

Here are some recipe tips and notes that are crucial to ensure you get the best flavor and quality out of your garlic and herb compound butter.

Butter Tips:

I used Kerry Gold butter for this recipe. Now, I don’t always use Kerry Gold butter but this brand of butter is incredibly rich and has a wonderful flavor which is perfect for this recipe! If you can’t use this brand or can’t find it where you are, look around your grocery store and find the best quality butter there is.

This recipe also uses salted butter. I would prefer you all use salted butter for the recipe but if you get unsalted butter, add 1/2 tsp of Kosher salt to the mix.

Herb Tips:

Make sure you use fresh herbs! The flavor is much better that way because dried herbs usually need to be cooked or rehydrated to has as much flavor. Just be sure to finely chop the herbs.

Storing Tips:

You can either store the butter in an airtight jar. Or you can store it in a log, wrapped in parchment paper.

To wrap in parchment paper you should make a rectangle of parchment and place the butter in the center. Pat it down into a rectangle shape and begin to roll the paper.

Refrigerate the butter for at least an hour before you cook with it and continue to store the butter in the fridge.

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Garlic and Herb Compound Butter

This garlic and herb compound butter is perfect for sauteeing with vegetables, basting your meats, as a pad of finishing butter, or spread on bagels or to toast for homemade garlic bread!

Prep Time5

Cook Time5

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: 8 tablespoons

Calories: 101kcal

Ingredients

½ Cup Kerry Gold Butter (room temperature, soft) read recipe notes above regarding alternate butter
2 Cloves Finely Chopped Garlic
1 tbsp Finely Chopped Fresh Parsley
1 tbsp Finely Chopped Fresh Oregano
t tbsp Finely Chopped Fresh Rosemary
½ tsp Cracked Black Pepper
½ tsp Kosher Salt (only if using unsalted butter)

Instructions

Make sure to use room temperature butter.
Finely Chop garlic cloves, rosemary, oregano, and parsley.
In a bowl mash together the butter, chopped herbs, chopped garlic, and black pepper with a spoon until fully combined.
Either store in a jar or roll into a log on parchment paper. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before use.

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Cheesy Asparagus Parcels

Asparagus smothered in a garlic butter all wrapped in a cheesy pillowy pastry cushion! These Cheesy Asparagus Parcels are the PERFECT side dish to impress!

I like cheese, I like asparagus, and I like puff pastry. If you guys do as well then you’ll be sure to love these Cheesy Asparagus Parcels.

To be honest, I was a little skeptical about the combination of asparagus and puff pastry. But I started to think about artichoke spinach puffs. Well, those are green veggies, cheesy, and wrapped in pastry and those taste delicious. So I decided to push through with this recipe!

Make sure your asparagus as super green and super healthy. Some people prefer the thinner stalks and some prefer the fatter ones. Here, I’ve used the fatter ones, but you can choose whichever you prefer.

This recipe calls for store bought puff pastry. (store bought puff pastry is great! I love the Pepperidge Farms puff pastry) Aside from the thawing process, you don’t need to roll or reshape the pastry sheets. Just unfold it and cut it into square quarters.

The asparagus should be tossed in a garlic butter before assembly but I’m including the above photo to show how the parcels should be assembled.

The type of cheese you end up using is optional BUT I think pepperjack cheese is the best option. The flavor compliments the buttery texture of the puff pastry and the cheese is extra gooey as it bakes.
IF you want a little heat, you can add a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes before you wrap the parcels up.
Don’t forget to sprinkle some kosher salt on the puff pastry after you give it an egg wash.

Pro tip! Use the egg as glue for the portion of the parcel where one side of the pastry overlaps with the other. If not, your parcels won’t stay intact and they’ll split open as they bake.

OOEY GOOEY CHEESE

Enjoy your Cheesy Asparagus Parcels as a side dish or make a smaller version of them for a potluck and they’ll surely be loved by everyone!

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Cheesy Asparagus Parcels

Asparagus smothered in a garlic butter all wrapped in a cheesy pillowy pastry cushion! These Cheesy Asparagus Parcels are the PERFECT side dish to impress!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: 4 Parcels

Calories: 325kcal

Ingredients

20 Stalks Asparagus (about 1 pound)
1½ Tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted
1 Clove Garlic, grated
¾ tsp Kosher salt, divided
¼ tsp Black Pepper
4 Slices Pepper Jack Cheese
.5 tsp Crushed Red Pepper (optional if you want a kick)
1 Package Puff Pastry (fully thawed)
1 Egg, beaten

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Cut off some of the stem of the asparagus, I usually cut about .5 to 1 inch off depending on the stalk.
Melt the butter and stir in the grated garlic, ½ teaspoon of kosher salt, and ¼ tsp of black pepper. (if you want a little more spice, you can add the crushed red pepper to this mixture)
Generously coat and toss the asparagus in the garlic butter mixture.
Unfold the sheet of puff pastry so it lays flat on a clean surface. (there is no rolling required)
Cut the pastry in half horizontally and vertically so you have four pieces. Arrange them so they are sitting diagonally.
Lay a slice of cheese on each of the four pieces (the slices should be a little smaller, which is exactly what you want)
Lay five stalks of asparagus on each parcel. The stalks should be centered on the parcels to they stick out evenly top and bottom. The asparagus should also be arranged with a layer of three and a layer of two stacked on top.
Brush the part of the pastry that is exposed around the cheese with the beaten egg.
Then fold the side corners of the pastry squares over each other. Make sure to brush some of the beaten egg where the overlap, it'll act as glue.
Brush the outside of the pastries with the egg.
Sprinkle the remaining ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt on the pastry parcels.
Bake for 20 minutes at 400°.