recipes

Spiced Apple Walnut Bundt Cake

September 21, 2018 Leave a Comment

If we add fruit to our cakes, that makes them healthy, right? Right?? Let’s all just lie to ourselves this once. This spiced apple walnut bundt cake is worth lying to yourself about. What I love most about this cake is that it’s not too sweet. It’s actually perfect on the sugar-level, so much so that the frosting is totally optional. You could leave it out completely and still enjoy this cake. Maybe you just want a light dusting of powdered sugar. Or, you could go all out and douse this baby in some rich homemade salted caramel. I was originally gonna go that route, but I decided something a little creamy would satisfy my craving.

I love just about any desert that combines warm fall spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger, etc. with seasonal fruit, and toasty nuts. It hits every single note that I’m searching for and more. This apple walnut cake is ridiculously easy to make, and comes together very quickly. Just make sure you take your eggs out the fridge a good half-hour before you even start. But hey, sometimes we forget to do these things (I totally did), so check the recipe notes for a quick way to bring your eggs down a notch on the chill-scale.

My preference is to toast my nuts (heh) over the stove. It’s faster, but it’s also a little more dangerous because they get toasted FAST. You cannot walk away from this. If you’re too nervous to do this, simply pop them in the oven.

Feel free to use a variety of apples!

This cake is delicious AF! I made it on a Sunday, and it was gone by Tuesday. We’re a bunch of fatties, I swear.

If you want, you could shred the apples on a box grater. I actually may try that next time. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the apple chunks, but because I like to try different things to see which I like better, they’re getting grated next time. Pears almost made it into this cake, but I didn’t feel like working with them because they tend to release a lot of liquid, and I didn’t want a soupy cake. Take note of that in case you get the idea of adding pears or using all pears. Hell, it might work, give it a try and let me know.

Equipment Needed

5 from 1 reviews

Spiced Apple Walnut Bundt Cake

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Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

1 hour 30 mins

Adapted from Epicurious

Author: Chef Resha

Serves: 12-14 servings

Ingredients

3 large eggs, room temperature (SEE NOTES)
1 cup shelled walnuts, toasted and chopped
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
4 large tart apples (4 cups), diced
1¼ cups vegetable or canola oil
1 cup granulated sugar
¾ cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract'

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

4 ounces (half a package) cream cheese, room temperature
½ stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar, plus more if desired
¼ cup pure maple syrup
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon maple extract
*heavy cream or half and half to loosen to desired consistency (SEE NOTES)
pinch of sea salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Prepare a 12-cup capacity bundt pan with baking spray and set aside.
Either toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium-high heat, constantly swirling to prevent burns. You’ll know they’re ready when they become fragrant, about 3 minutes. Alternatively, spread the walnuts evenly on a cookie sheet and bake for 5-7 minutes. Let the nuts cool completely and chop medium coarse.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground ginger.
Peel, core, and cut the apples into ⅛ to ¼ inch dice.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a flat beater, add the eggs, oil, white and brown sugars, and the vanilla. Blend on medium speed for about a minute, or until fully combined.
Add the spiced flour mixture and beat on low speed for 20 seconds, just until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and fold any leftover pockets of flour into the batter.
Detach the bowl from the stand and with a large spoon/spatula, stir in the apples and walnuts. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a cake tester, wooden skewer, or long toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center.
Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. If using a straight sided pan, run a metal spatula between the sides of the pan and the cake. Invert the cake onto a wire rack that has been lightly coated with nonstick cooking spray and cool completely for about 1½ hours.

For the maple cream cheese frosting

Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth.
Add powdered sugar, syrup, vanilla and maple extract; beat until smooth.
Pour in half and half, or heavy cream to loosen to desired consistency (if you want). Add a pinch of salt to bring out the flavors. Pour or spread the frosting onto the completely cooled cake. You may have some frosting leftover, depending on how much coverage you want. If so, freeze the leftovers for another cake.
Enjoy! This cake stays moist 5 days at room temperature, up to 10 days refrigerated. Because it is made with oil, it can be enjoyed at room temperature or cold.

Notes

If you forget to bring your eggs to room temperature prior to preparation, simply place them in a bowl of warm (not hot!) water for about 5 to 10 minutes to take the chill off.

Use heavy cream or half and half to loosen your frosting if it's not as fluid as you'd like. As long as it tastes good, it really doesn't matter how it looks.

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Pizookie

September 13, 2018 Leave a Comment

I like to do fat things from time to time. Fat, decadent, gooey things. I also love to brown butter, it’s such a nutty treat to baked goods. This brown butter chocolate chip pizookie is something you need to make ASAP, especially since you’re probably going to be locked inside for a while with this hurricane approaching. You need basic ingredients, some good arm strength, and some patience. Although a few steps take some time, they’re worth it! What if you don’t want a whole skillet cookie? Then don’t make one. Just turn this dough into individual cookies (bake for about 10-12min) and you’ve got a really yummy alternative. However, because I like to do fat things, I had to turn this into a giant skillet cookie and serve it with lots of creamy cashew milk ice cream.

What the hell is a pizookie? It’s a big ass cookie baked like a pizza pie. Pizza Pie + Cookie = Pizookie. You can google the origin.

This recipe is very versatile, you can use it as a base to add in anything you’d like. Dried fruit, nuts, oats, etc. I kept it pretty simple, and the goo-factor wasn’t lacking. The only way it would have been better is if I had chocolate chunks instead of chips. Browning the butter isn’t “hold a gun to your head” necessary, but I highly recommend you do it. Browned butter really gives this cookie dough a deep, toffee flavor that you won’t be able to inject any other way. Speaking of, use REAL (unsalted) butter in stick form. Not that stuff in a tub, it’s not butter, so don’t play yourself.

Tips for browning butter

Don’t do it over high-heat. Butter contains water, and as it melts down and boils, that water starts to evaporate. Before it evaporates, it will cause the butter to boil and sputter everywhere, so you want to do this over a very moderately low temperature so you don’t injure yourself and/or make a huge mess.
If you can, avoid using a dark colored skillet or pot to melt the butter. It’ll be hard to determine what color it is, so try using stainless steel.
Once the milk solids start to turn a light straw color, the browning will happen very quickly. Swirl the pot/pan and keep an eye on it! Do not walk away. Put the phone down. Pay attention! As soon as the butter is a nice golden brown, add in the cold butter OFF HEAT. Let the hot browned butter melt the cold butter and set it aside.

Watch the video

Check recipe notes for how to turn these into regular, individual cookies. Enjoy!

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Pizookie

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

40 mins

Slightly adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Author: Chef Resha

Serves: 1 9" cookie pie

Ingredients

1¾ cups all-purpose flour (8¾ ounces)
½ teaspoon baking soda
14 tablespoons unsalted butter (1¾ sticks)
½ cup granulated sugar (3½ ounces)
¾ cups packed dark brown sugar (5¼ ounces)
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1½ cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9-inch baking dish or oven-proof skillet with nonstick baking spray. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
Heat 10 tablespoons butter in a stainless steel skillet or small saucepan over medium-low heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 2 to 5 minutes. Turn off heat. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted; set aside.
Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 60 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.
Spread dough into prepared 9-inch round baking dish, or oven-proof skillet. Bake until edges are golden brown and dough is set, about 17-22 minutes. If using smaller, individual cast iron skillet dishes, baking times will vary. If making regular cookies, SEE NOTE BELOW!
Let the pizookie cool for about 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

If you'd prefer to turn these into cookies, follow these instructions after #3

4)Divide dough into 16 portions, each about 3 tablespoons. Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, 8 dough balls per sheet. (Smaller baking sheets can be used, but will require 3 batches.)

5)Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.

Southern-Style Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey

September 10, 2018 Leave a Comment

I’ve been eating southern-style collard greens for as long as I can remember. My grandmother on my dad’s side (may she rest), used to whip them up special for me pretty much any time I wanted them. And I wanted them a lot. Both of my grandma’s killed it in the kitchen, and their knowledge poured into my mom, and now it’s all mine. I love pork, but I know there’s a handful of you who don’t eat it. This version is pork-free but it absolutely does not skimp on flavor. These greens remind me of the women I was raised by, and it’s very near and dear to my heart. We never measure anything, but of course I’m going to give you measurements to start off with, and adjust to your own personal liking.

The base of the broth is made with high-quality chicken stock, not broth. Be 100% sure you’re buying the best quality chicken stock if not using homemade. The stock is full of serious flavor, which permeates through the greens slowly, making them MELT IN YOUR MOUTH DELICIOUS! I repeat, make sure the chicken stock is the highest quality you can buy (if not make). Also, greens can be kinda bitter, so it’s important you learn to balance these flavors by giving it a splash of acid (apple cider vinegar, preferably with the mother), and a bit of sweetness (wildflower honey). What if you can’t find wildflower honey? Then use whatever you have access to. You’ll also want to add some heat to your greens, the level is up to you.

Low and slow is the best way to cook southern-style collard greens, in my opinion. No need to rush, this is a low-country kinda dish, so let these aromas permeate your kitchen and enjoy the end results. I first posted this recipe to my Instagram account last year, and folks have made it for their families during holiday season. Everyone who’s tried it so far has loved it, and I think that has a lot to do with how I instruct you to prepare it. I want you to really make this yours, so as always, taste as you go!

Southern-Style Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey

This is a collard green chopper. It’s not necessary if you’ve already pre-chopped your greens to bite sized pieces, but if you’d like to shred them even further, this comes in handy.

Once you take the neck and legs out, let them cool. Then carefully shred the meat from the bones and add it back to your greens.

I use two pre-made spices for this recipe, by The Gourmet Collection (links in recipe). I purchase mine from either Tuesday Morning, Marshall’s, or TJ Maxx. They’ve also been spotted at World Market. If you cannot find them, here’s the ingredients list for both, so you can substitute with what you have.

Smoked Paprika, Garlic, Chili & Chives Spice Blend

smoked paprika, garlic, onion, sugar, red bell peppers, tomato flakes, black pepper, chili, chives, lemon peel, oregano, rosemary

Garlic & Onion Spice Blend

garlic, onion, salt, soy bean, carrot, coriander, sugar, black pepper, red bell pepper, parsley, oregano, turmeric, cumin, sage, chives.

These were so amazing. If you’d rather use pork, such as hamhocks or fat back, etc. instead of the smoked turkey, feel free! I’ve made them with either protein, and they come out succulent no matter what.

Southern-Style Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey

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Author: Chef Resha

Ingredients

4 large bundles of collards, stemmed and chopped
1 stick butter (salted)
¼ cup olive oil
2 large leeks, chopped and rinsed thoroughly
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 bundle of fresh thyme, tied with kitchen twine
1 tsp herbes de provence
1 tsp garlic & onion mix (SEE NOTES BELOW)
1 tsp smoked paprika, garlic, chili & chives mix (SEE NOTES BELOW)
2 tsp - 1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 smoked turkey necks
2 smoked turkey wings
1 qt high-quality chicken stock (not low sodium)
3 cups water
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp wildflower honey

Instructions

these are eyeball measurements to get u started. please taste as u go and adjust to your liking.
the spice mixes I used are from The Gourmet Collection - found at Homegoods, Tuesday Morning, online, etc.
remove the stems from your collard greens. rinse them thoroughly to remove any dirt and sand. roll the leaves up and chop them into manageable pieces.
Sauté the leeks and onion in the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add kosher salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper. Cook until the leeks and onion are translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the thyme bundle, and smoked meat. Stir for about a minute to help the thyme release its flavor into the onion mixture. Pour in the chicken stock and water, then add the spice blends. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes with the lid on. Taste the broth mixture, season to taste/adjust. When you’re satisfied with the flavor, add the collard greens. Push them down and stir them around until they’re submerged. Cover and simmer on low heat for 1 hour. Add the vinegar and honey, and cook and additional 30 minutes to 1 hour or until the collard greens are melt-in-your-mouth tender and the smoked meat is falling off the bone. Taste and adjust thru each step.

Smoked Cherry BBQ Sauce

September 7, 2018 Leave a Comment

I know you’re looking for something to do with that bag of cherries in your fridge before they go bad. May I suggest you smoke them and make an incredible smoked cherry BBQ sauce? Nothing beats the infusion of sweet cherrywood laced all through meat, veggies, and in this case…cherries. Smoked cherries take about 2 hours on a very low 225-250 degrees, and they go from bright deep red to dull unsaturated version of themselves, color-wise. But trust me, the taste is amazing. The finished product comes together beautifully, and tastes amazing on your grilled chicken, baby back ribs, corn, lamb, jumbo shrimp, steaks — you name it. This sauce is that versatile. Sweet, spicy, smoky, it’s the perfect combination.

Not everyone has access to an outdoor smoker. Let me introduce you to a solution that could change your life — an indoor stovetop smoker. I own one, and I love it. Using it in conjuction with my oven allows me to have that great slow-smoky flavor without smoking up the house. Letting the chips smoke over an open flame for about 10-minutes, or until super smoky (whichever comes first) is all I need. Of course, nothing really beats an actual smoker, but the stovetop version is pretty stellar considering your possible limitations. You should absolutely check it out if you live in an apartment or condo, or some place you simply cannot lug around one of the big joints.

Let’s get into the good stuff…

Wash wash wash your cherries!

I’m using a cherry pitter here, it make’s the job easier.

see all those pits? we don’t want those in our sauce.

I’m using an electric outdoor smoker, set to 250 degrees. Cherrywood is my wood of choice here.

If you’re a fan of making your own sauces, this smoked cherry BBQ Sauce is a clear winner. This recipe is very adaptable to your own personal tastes. Not everyone likes their bbq sauce the same way. You may want more or less smoke, more or less sweet, more or less heat, etc. Use my measurements as “starting-off-points”, and continue to taste through the cooking process to adjust as you see fit.

here’s what they look like after 2 hours. they smell amazing!

so let’s get started on the sauce. pour some olive oil into a heavy bottom pot, add the onion and crushed red pepper.

add some salt (i’m using kosher)

Cook that down until the onions are softened, about 4 minutes. add additional oil if you need to.

throw in the onion powder, garlic powder, ground ginger, hatch chile powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, black pepper, and cumin.

mix mix mix, if the spices are sticking or burning, add a lil more oil.

after about 2 minutes, add the garlic, and stir it around for about 30 seconds.

pour in the wiiiiine!

stir it up until it’s thoroughly combined. let it cook for about a minute.

add in the ketchup, liquid smoke, apple cider vinegar, dark soy sauce, worcestershire, balsamic vinegar.

add the smoked cherries

stir it all around

throw in some brown sugar, honey, and a little molasses.

don’t forget the mustard, and maybe a little more cayenne if needed.

allow all of this to simmer for 30-45 minutes, tasting often and adjusting seasoning as needed. if you need more heat, add it. if you need more sweet, add it.

once it’s perfect, take a hand-blender and get to work! or, use a regular blender in batches. safely though, you don’t want this super hot stuff splashing you in the face. you can blend it until it’s the consistency you prefer.

this is how i wanted mine. smooth but somewhat textured. you can go smoother or chunkier, it’s up to you.

jar it up. it’ll stay yummy for up to a month in your fridge.

Make sure you also check out my Peach Bourbon BBQ Sauce, that one is amazing as well. Happy smoking!

Smoked Cherry BBQ Sauce

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

3 mins

Total time

23 mins

This Smoked Cherry BBQ Sauce goes great with everything.

Author: Resha from CarnalDish

Serves: 2 quarts

Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 cloves garlic, chopped
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon hatch chile powder
½ cup pinot noir
1½ cups ketchup
⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
¼ cup worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons honey (I used orange blossom)
2 pounds pitted dark sweet cherries, pitted
Wood chips for smoking (I used cherrywood)

Instructions

Preheat your smoker and wood chips according to manufacturer's instructions to 250 degrees. Set timer for 2 hours, if using electric. Place cherries in a medium-sized baking dish and smoke for 2 hours.
Meanwhile, in a large pot, saute the onions and crushed red pepper flakes in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat until softened, about 4 minutes. Add one teaspoon of kosher salt, and cook an additional minute. Add the black pepper, ground ginger, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder and smoked paprika. Drizzle in a little more oil if needed. Cook until the spices bloom and become fragrant, about a minute. Add in the garlic, stir and cook for 30 seconds. Pour in the pinot noir, and scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan, about 1 minute. Add the ketchup, yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, worcestershire sauce, dark soy sauce, and liquid smoke. Stir until combined. Add the smoked cherries and let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes. Add the brown sugar, honey, and molasses, stirring until well combined. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, tasting and adjusting often. When the sauce tastes perfect to your standards, remove from heat. Use a hand-blender to break down and smooth the sauce, or use a regular blender in batches. Puree until it's the texture you prefer. Pour the finished sauce in jars or tall plastic quart containers and keep in your fridge for up to a month. Alternatively, you can enjoy it right away on your favorite protein or veggies.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Thyme Cheddar Waffles

September 4, 2018 Leave a Comment

Buttermilk fried chicken is one of those things people always want to know how to make. I get it, it’s seemingly so simple, but it’s also just as easy to screw up. There are several factors that need to be on point in order for your buttermilk fried chicken to be stellar. First, oil temperature. Nobody wants a golden brown stunner that’s bloody and raw inside. Salmonella doesn’t taste good, I’d imagine. If your oil is too hot, it’ll brown before it actually cooks — and yes, this is something I believe everyone experienced this at least once in their lives. You’re not alone, there’s a support group out there somewhere. On the flip, if your oil is too cold, the coating will soak up too much grease and you’ll have soggy, oily chicken. Then there’s the seasoning factor. Nothing worse than battering up your chicken only to find the end result bland or TOO salty (for your liking). I like my chicken enjoyably salty, not “spike my blood pressure” salty. I want to taste it, but not an insane amount of it. Throughout the years, I’ve made really good fried chicken and really bad fried chicken. It’s one of those things you just have to keep trying until you master it.

Measuring while I cook isn’t something I naturally do, unless I plan on sharing a recipe. If I feel like sharing it with you, I’ll write down exactly what I did, and go from there. Give this buttermilk fried chicken recipe a try. There may be an ingredient or two that you don’t have, and that’s fine. Don’t cry about it, don’t get discouraged, just swap it for something else or leave it out. Recipes like this are flexible as far as individual tastes go, so what I like, you may not and vice versa. I’m always gonna encourage you to venture out on your own and develop flavors that make YOU happy. But this is damn good chicken. Probably my favorite fried chicken to date, and I’ve made some bomb chicken recently.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tips

First, don’t feel pressured to marinate your chicken for a full 24 hours. Sure, it won’t hurt at all, but in most cases it’s not necessary — especially if your craving for it forces you to have it the same day you dunked it in that tangy buttermilk. You can do this in as little as two hours for crazy delicious results. If you’re going to do the full 24 hours, don’t pre-salt the chicken as much. Just enough to season the buttermilk.
Chicken cooks more evenly when it’s room temperature. So before you plan on frying, take it out of your fridge and let it sit at room temperature for at LEAST 30-minutes, and no longer than two-hours. Your chicken should also be covered, either in a bowl with plastic wrap or inside of an air-tight ziploc bag. This will help keep outside evils from getting into your yummy yardbird and causing problems.
Our grandmothers didn’t use thermometers, but times have changed. You don’t want to risk frying up some beautiful salmonella, so please get a cheap thermometer so you can keep track of your oil temperature and the internal temperature of the chicken.
Fry your chicken in a vessel that’s designed to conduct heat evenly and stay hot. You could use an electric fryer, but if you don’t have one, use cast iron. Doesn’t matter if it’s enameled or non-enameled, cast iron is amazing for frying chicken — ask your grandma.
Now is not the time to be shy with the salt. Everyone loves that perfectly salty, crunchy bite of fried chicken. It’s arguably the reason why it’s so good in the first place. Ever had bland fried chicken? It’s an abomination, and a waste. Again, you’re not looking for “All I taste is salt”-salty, but “Ahh, this is delicious”-salty. The type of salt you use matters. I prefer a flaky kosher salt in my dredge, it adheres better, has a larger surface-area, and doesn’t sink to the bottom of your flour mixture as you’re mixing. That means the salt is actually gonna be on the bird in the end. Even though you salt the dredge, you want to also sprinkle just a liiiiittle bit on the finished product once it comes out of the fryer.

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In my humble opinion, a well-seasoned piece of fried chicken pairs best with a savory waffle. As I get a little older, I like things less sugary-sweet. Sure, you could pair your chicken with a sweet waffle, but I think a savory one works far better.

I’m using the King Arthur Flour Classic Buttermilk Waffle recipe as a base. I’ve been using it for years, and it’s really a great recipe if you don’t have time to make a yeasted waffle. What I love about the KAF recipe, is that it’s fully customizable. You can make it sweet, or savory. Just leave the sugar out, and add in your own preferred ingredients.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Thyme Cheddar Waffles

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Prep time

2 hours 30 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

3 hours

Waffle recipe adapted from KAF

Author: Resha from CarnalDish

Serves: up to 8 servings

Ingredients

For the chicken:

4 cups self-rising flour
⅓ cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons flaky kosher salt, plus more (Diamond Crystal or David's)
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder (I used Hatch Chile powder)
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ tablespoon smoked paprika
½ tablespoon black pepper
2 to 4 cups whole buttermilk (depends on how much chicken, SEE NOTE BELOW)
Chicken for frying
1 quart vegetable oil for frying

For the waffles

2 large eggs
1¾ cups whole buttermilk
8 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded cheddar
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
Maple syrup for serving

Instructions

For the chicken

Toss your chicken in kosher salt, enough to cover it. Place chicken in ziploc bags or a large enough bowl to fit it, and pour in your buttermilk. Don't add a ton of buttermilk here, just enough to coat it and allow it to penetrate the meat. Marinate the chicken for at least 2 hours and up to 4.
When ready to fry, make sure your chicken/buttermilk mixture comes to room temperature, at least 30. Combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and seasonings with a whisk, set aside. Heat your oil to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, gently and thoroughly coat the chicken in the flour mixture. Shake off the excess, and place each piece on a clean cutting board, or baking sheet. Allow the coating to adhere for about 15 minutes. Re-dredge the chicken one more time, and allow to adhere an additional 10 minutes. Once your oil has reached 350 degrees, gently place up to 6 pieces of chicken in the hot oil. Turn the chicken often to prevent concentrated burn spots, if necessary. This happens because any coating that sinks to the bottom cooks up fast and can burn onto the chicken, especially as you do it in batches. Fry the chicken until it's a deep golden brown, and registers at least 170 degrees internally for dark meat, and 160 degrees for white meat. You'll also know when your chicken is about done when the crackling sounds of the oil start to simmer down and lessen. The chicken will also kinda float to the top. Dark meat, particularly thighs and legs are notorious for cooking unevenly because of the way the meat is formed along the bone. If you find that your chicken is golden brown on the outside, and still pink in the middle, pop it into a 400 degree oven and cook until the juices run clear. This will prevent the outside from darkening too fast, which is what will happen if you continue to fry it.
When the chicken is done, place it on paper towels or a baking rack to allow excess oil to escape. Immediately sprinkle a very fine dusting of finishing salt over the chicken, not too much, just enough to punch up the flavor.
Serve with the thyme and cheddar waffles, and enjoy!

For the Waffles

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla.
In a separate bowl whisk together the dry ingredients.
Combine the wet and dry ingredients, stirring just until nearly smooth; a few small lumps may remain.
Spray your waffle iron with a non-stick cooking spray before preheating it. Cook waffles according to the manufacturer's directions. For an 8" round waffle iron, use about ⅓ cup batter; cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the iron stops steaming.
Serve immediately with the fried chicken and maple syrup.
Enjoy

Notes

You don't need the chicken swimming in a TON of buttermilk, just enough to coat each piece thoroughly. Start with 2-cups, and add more if you have a lot of chicken.

Creamy Garlic and Tomato Shrimp and Fontina Grits

September 1, 2018 Leave a Comment

Not too many people breathing free oxygen dislike shrimp and grits. If there’s anyone out there who doesn’t love this southern classic (for reasons other than allergies, and even then, I’m still skeptical), I want nothing to do with them. Shrimp and grits just go so well together. I’m not a fan of bland grits, or bland anything — so both components need to be good AF. If you’ve made anything of mine in the past, you know I’m big on flavor. The control is yours, though. I encourage everyone to TASTE AS YOU GO! You should never just follow a recipe and wait to taste it at the very end. No, that’s not how you cook. Hook it up to your liking.

I cook a lot. Almost every day…on Instagram. I had no intention of sharing this recipe, just with those who may happen to catch it on Instagram. But after talking to my boyfriend, we decided it’s time I start transferring those recipes to my blog. Today I whipped up some shrimp and grits. To be more specific: creamy, garlicky, tomato-based sauce with poached jumbo shrimp and poured that sexy stuff all over some insanely well-seasoned, super creamy fontina grits. Whew!! The only thing you’ll need after you eat this, is a nap.

My IG stories are like a little mini-vault of culinary joys and free knowledge. I’ve decided to start posting some of those videos here. Especially the meals that make it to my IG page. I’ll still utilize my IG Highlights for meals that don’t make it here. Now, I must warn you, I film my IG stories very candidly — there may or may not be some mild adult language. Anyway, let’s get into this recipe. I made this on a whim and did not write anything down, just whipped it up. I cook from the heart, as you will see in future videos. For this recipe, I’m gonna provide you guys with “starting-point-measurements”, because I think it’s important to learn your own palate by seasoning and tasting as you go. That’s one of the main ways I’ve learned how to cook, so that’s your homework. Trust me when I say, you’re going to love this super easy, super quick and hella flavorful shrimp and grits recipe.

Get the recipe

Watch the IG Story Clip

This recipe is super flavorful, and you won’t believe how fast it comes together. It tastes as if you’d been simmering it all day long, but I whipped it up in 10 minutes. You’d be a fool not to try this one.

Also, I kinda do this shrimp and grits thing quite well. Be sure to check out my other variations of it! Also, make sure you follow me on IG. I mostly share photos and videos of my food, my baby boy, products I love, and myself.

Creamy Garlic and Tomato Shrimp and Fontina Grits

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

35 mins

Author: Resha from CarnalDish

Serves: 2

Ingredients

For the shrimp

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon herbes de provence
5 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup sweet red pepper, diced
2 to 3 tablespoons tomato paste
⅔ cup low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup heavy cream
cayenne pepper, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and de-veined SEE NOTE BELOW
3 sprigs fresh thyme
fresh basil, for garnish (optional)
squeeze of fresh lemon juice

For the grits

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, or water
¼ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup coarse grits, or quick-grits (SEE NOTE BELOW)
pinch of baking powder (SEE NOTE BELOW)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon herbes de provence
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
cayenne pepper, to taste
black pepper, to taste
salt, to taste
⅓ cup shredded fontina cheese (can use cheddar)

Instructions

For the grits

In a medium-sized pot, bring the broth (or water, if using), heavy cream, butter, onion powder, garlic powder, herbes de provence, smoked paprika, cayenne, black pepper, pinch of salt (you'll add more later), and olive oil to a boil over high heat. If using coarse grits, add a super tiny pinch of baking powder. If using quick-grits, don't add the baking powder. Whisk until combined, and immediately add the grits. Reduce heat to low, and whisk for 1 full minute. Cover and allow them to cook, stirring occasionally, until creamy and tender -- about 10-15 minutes. If your grits need another tiny splash of cream, add it. Taste them and adjust the salt levels to your liking. Add a little more seasoning if needed. Once they're perfect, turn the heat off and stir in the cheese. Cover and set aside.

For the shrimp:

Meanwhile, in a medium-skillet, melt the butter over medium-heat. Add the crushed red pepper flakes, and herbes de provence. When the butter is hot and foamy, but not browning at all, add the diced sweet red pepper and garlic. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, and add the olive oil. Add the tomato paste, and cook until it deepens in color just slightly, about 3 to 4 minutes. Pour in the chicken broth and scrape any bits that might have accumulated on the bottom of the pan. Allow the broth to reduce for about 30 seconds, then pour in the heavy cream. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and allow the mixture to simmer for about 5 minutes. If the mixture is getting too thick (and it shouldn't be thick at all), add more broth to thin it out. Taste and adjust seasoning as you see fit. Once it's perfect, reduce the heat to low and add the raw shrimp. Allow the shrimp to poach until it's pink and fully cooked, which will depend on the size shrimp you use. Once the shrimp turns pink on all sides, turn off the heat. Freshen it up with lemon juice. Plate your creamy grits and pour the shrimp mixture on top. Garnish with fresh thyme, fresh basil, and maybe another squeeze of lemon juice.
Serve immediately, and enjoy!

Notes

If using smaller shrimp, adjust poaching time accordingly.

Baking powder helps soften the outer husk of the coarse grits/polenta (which are usually yellow), which helps it cook a LOT faster. If using quick-grits (they're usually white), you won't need to add the baking powder.

The Best Homemade Smash Burgers

June 2, 2018 Leave a Comment

If I were to open a small restaurant or food truck, it would be centered around burgers. I literally love burgers so much, it’s not even remotely funny. Guys…seriously…I have a problem. I love burgers more than anything else. They’re just handfuls of perfection. They hit every textural note I’m craving. If I go to a restaurant, the first area I scan is the burger selection. Burgers are my love, and the one thing I crave the most! It’s just so satisfying, rolling that tender juicy meat around in your mouth, coated with creamy cheese, a zesty sauce, buttered bun…maybe some toppings, maybe not. I love over-the-top burgers, and I love simple burgers. These are the best homemade smash burgers, period.

Although I love just about any kind of cheese on my burger, nothing melts like deli American cheese. Yeah, I said it. But it HAS to be the deli kind — not the American cheese in those flimsy plastic wrappers, the kind you have to ask them to slice for you at the deli counter. It melts better, tastes better, and you feel less guilty eating it. It’s worth walking up to the counter and letting them hook you up with a few slices. Do yourself a favor though, and ask for them to make it “two-slice thick”. These burgers are equally amazing with some good quality cheddar. You can use any kind of cheese you prefer.

As for beef, make sure you’re using an 80% lean, 20% fat blend. You could go leaner, but why? Seriously…why? The best thing about biting into a juicy burger is that it’s JUICY. That flagrant stream of fat running down your forearm and dripping onto your plate, and pooling in the corners of your mouth is what makes the burger experience worthwhile. Don’t play yourself.

What kind of bun should you use? Brioche or potato bun! There’s nothing more luscious than buttery brioche or potato bun, soaking up all the burger juices and melting into the entire sandwich. I mean, yeah you could absolutely use whatever you want, but I highly recommend brioche buns. Keep this burger simple, if you can. It’s mostly about the beef and the cheese. My favorite toppings for a smash burger are raw sweet onions, pickles, and a creamy burger sauce. Once again, use whatever you want — it’s your burger baby!

You don’t have to “smash” these. This recipe is good for ANY kind of burger base. The reason smash burgers are so popular, is because of their signature crust. When that flat nooks & crannies’ like surface area crusts up on a super hot cast iron pan, flavor happens. If you’re not into smash burgers, you can form these as regular patties, and cook accordingly. Do the world a favor, though — please don’t smash your burgers once they’re already flattened. You’re gonna just push all the juice out, and that’s a damn shame.

More CarnalDish Burgers

Thanksgiving Turkey Burger

All American Burger

Bacon Mushroom Swiss

The Best Homemade Smash Burgers

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Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

6 mins

Total time

36 mins

The CarnalDish Burger Juice is what makes these burgers so amazing!

Author: Resha from CarnalDish

Serves: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

CarnalDish Burger Juice

½ stick butter, melted
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
½ tablespoon fish sauce (trust me, adds a great depth of flavor)
a few dashes of liquid smoke

Burgers

1 pound ground chuck (80/20)
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Cheese, any kind you choose)
Brioche buns, buttered and toasted
Toppings of choice (try to keep it simple if you can)

Burger Sauce

¼ cup mayo
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup spicy brown mustard
2 minced garlic cloves
1 tablespoon white vinegar
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika
salt and pepper, to taste
pinch of sugar, to taste

Instructions

Mix all ingredients for the burger sauce, and set aside in the fridge. Mix all the Burger Juice ingredients together in a small bowl. In another medium-sized bowl, add the beef. Pour the Burger Juice into the beef, and gently break it up with a spoon or your hands and GENTLY mix thoroughly. Do not over-work your meat, be very very gentle with it. Once it's thoroughly mixed, scoop into 3-4oz sized balls. Cover the burger balls with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of a half hour. You want the meat to be super cold. You could also pop into your freezer for about 15 minutes.
When ready to cook, heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat until SUPER HOT. Drop a tiny sprinkle of water to test it, if it immediately sizzles and bounces around and disappears, it's ready. No need to add oil, there's plenty of fat in the burger. Remove your burgers from the fridge or freezer and sprinkle them with kosher salt and pepper. Place about 3 to 4 balls in the skillet, leaving room for them to be smashed down. After 30 seconds of searing, smash them all the way down until they can't be smashed anymore, with a large heavy skillet. Leave them alone and let them cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, or when the edges start to turn brown. Flip them over and immediately place a slice of cheese on top of each patty. When the cheese melts, they're ready, about 1 to 2 minutes longer.
Build your burger with the toppings of your choice and enjoy!

Crispy Smashed Garlic and Herb Potatoes

May 31, 2018 Leave a Comment

I think every household should keep a tub of duck fat in their fridge or freezer. The stuff is just luxurious. It’s like butter’s bougie cousin who shows up to family functions in a fur coat and kitten heels while everyone else is in jeans and flip flops. I do understand that it’s not as widely available as it should be, so if you absolutely cannot find duck fat, just keep it a butter thing. These crispy smashed garlic and herb duck fat potatoes are a great addition to your steaks, chicken, oceanic protein, etc. They’re even fabulous on their own.

This isn’t really a “recipe”, it’s more of a technique. Why isn’t it a recipe? Because amounts will always vary. I don’t even know how many potatoes I used here, I just adjusted the amounts of fat to potatoes as I saw fit. You’ll do the same. You can do this with one potato, two potatoes, three potatoes, or 20 potatoes — it truly does not matter. Adding duck fat to your potatoes is the adult thing to do, trust me on this.

I would sit here and yap about my undying love for the potato, but we’d be here all damn day, so let’s just get into it…

Crispy Smashed Garlic and Herb Duck Fat Potatoes

Boil your taters. I’m using little baby potatoes (red and gold), but you can use larger potatoes, just cut them into thick slices or large even-sized chunks.

Once they start boiling, add a handful of sea salt. Don’t use table salt, it’s just TOO salty and yuck.

When you can easily pierce the potatoes with a toothpick or fork, they’re done.

Gently smash each potato using the bottom of a glass, a potato masher, or a fork — just make sure you spray whatever you’re using with nonstick spray to make the process a little easier. Don’t mash them to smithereens, be gentle.

Melt some butter, you’re gonna have to eyeball this amount. I used a whole stick, and it was plenty for my potatoes. I even had some left over. Add about 3 tablespoons of duck fat to the warm butter and stir til combined.

Add a generous amount of fresh chopped garlic. You could mince it, too. Doesn’t matter.

Add some fresh thyme.

And some rosemary.

And some sage (optional)

Finally, add some salt and pepper to season it — if using unsalted butter.

Stir to combine.

Spoon a little of the butter/duck fat mixture over each potato. Don’t drown the potato! Just enough to coat it with a thin layer. Roast them for about 15-20 minutes or until edges are golden brown and crispy.

Once they’re crispy, add a generous dusting of freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese. You could use pecorino too. Don’t use the “dusty” cheese, make sure you grate it yourself, it’ll melt better.

Pop these under the broiler just until the cheese melts and turns a light toasty brown, about 2-5 minutes.

Fin.

They’re beautiful, and taste amazing. You will more than likely have leftover duck fat butter, so cover it up tightly and use it for another day. Although I used silpat to roast these, I recommend you don’t. You want the bottoms to get nice and crispy as well, so avoid using anything that can deter that. You could use foil instead if you’re adamant about easy clean up.

Crispy Smashed Garlic and Herb Potatoes

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Cook time

45 mins

Total time

45 mins

This is NOT a "recipe", because the amount of potatoes you use will vary. But here's an eyeball measurement based on what I did if you'd like to follow.

Author: Resha from CarnalDish

Ingredients

2 pounds baby potatoes (SEE NOTE BELOW)
Sea salt for the boiling water
5 tablespoons butter (unsalted or salted)
3 tablespoons duck fat (optional SEE NOTE BELOW)
5 garlic cloves, chopped or minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh sage, chopped (optional)
Fresh parmigiano reggiano cheese for topping
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Non-stick spray

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil, or leave un-lined. Spray the bottom with nonstick spray, set aside.
In a large pot, cover potatoes with cold water by 2-3 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat. When the water starts boiling, add a generous amount of sea salt (do NOT use table salt, it's too salty). Reduce heat to medium-high, keep pot uncovered, and allow potatoes to boil until fork tender - about 20-25 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt butter, and add duck fat. Stir to combine until duck fat is melted. Add garlic, thyme, rosemary, sage (if using), salt and pepper (if using unsalted butter). Stir until combined, and set aside.
When potatoes are fork tender, drain and let them cool about 5-10 minutes. Place potatoes on your lined/unlined baking sheet. GENTLY smash each potato using the bottom of a glass, a potato masher, or fork until potato bursts open and creates a craggy surface. Spoon a little of the duck fat butter mixture over each potato. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes or until each potato is golden brown with crispy edges and bottoms. Remove baking sheet from oven and shave fresh cheese over each potato. Turn on your broiler, and pop them back into the oven until the cheese melts and is lightly toasted.
Serve immediately.

Notes

If you're not using baby potatoes, I recommend Yukon Golds for this recipe because they keep their shape better. You could also use Russets if you prefer. Simply chop them into large chunks prior to boiling.

If using salted butter, watch how much additional salt you add to the finished potato (taste them first).

If you cannot find duck fat, you can use one whole stick of butter instead.

Broiled Crab and Corn Cakes

May 24, 2018 Leave a Comment

The worst thing you could ever do is go to a restaurant, pay about $20 for crab cakes, bite into them just to see that they’re full of bread. Did you just pay for crab flavored stuffing? No, you didn’t. You’re mad, you’re seething inside. You might even complain to the manager, and you’d be well within your rights to do so. It’s a shame how much bread folks stuff into their crab cakes. Sure, a little can hold it together, but a lot of restaurants just stuff so much into their crab cakes, the math just doesn’t add up. Jumbo lump crab meat is very expensive, and you deserve better. This broiled crab and corn cakes recipe is for those of you who are tired of paying alllll that money for crab cakes, only to get a few chunks of crab and tons of bread’y stuffing. I want to taste crab in my crab cakes, and so do you. Featured in this recipe is fresh corn, shaved right off the cob. If you don’t like corn, you can totally leave it out. It adds a nice sweetness that compliments the delicate and super expensive crab meat.

We start off by grinding our veggies down so that we’re not biting into huge chunks, and then sautéing them until they’re tender and lightly caramelized. Then, to “glue” the crab cakes together, we are using a method I learned similar to a chicken mousseline. We’re gonna puree some fresh peeled and deveined shrimp (the cheapest kind you can find), with a little heavy cream and make a sticky “glue” to hold the crab cakes together. Shoutout to ATK for discovering that little trick, it’s truly life-changing.

Although I love a good fried crab cake, for this particular recipe I wanted to broil them and keep them from being too greasy. Broiled crab cakes also seem to just allow the sweetness of the crab stand out without competing against a heavy oil.

I was in Wegmans, and I walked by one of the most beautiful things I’d ever seen — an Aloha pepper! Have you seen those before? They’re gorgeous! Marbled red and orange, with soft hints of yellow. I was like, “Oh I’m definitely using that for my crab cakes!” If you can’t find Aloha peppers, no sweat. Just use a red, orange, or yellow pepper instead. Green may be too strong a flavor, but if you LOVE green, by all means — do you.

Toss all the veg and herbage into a food processor.

Grind it up until it looks like this. You don’t want to puree it, so keep it at this size here.

Heat about a tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat, and saute the veg mixture. Add a little salt and pepper.

Cook them down until they’re softened and slightly caramelized. You’ll know it’s ready when you can see the pan starting to dry out and a thin sticky coating appears.

Toss the mixture into a bowl to cool.

Wipe out the pan until it’s dry, and toast some panko bread crumbs until golden brown, like this. Continuously toss them around so they toast evenly.

Toss the peeled and deveined shrimp into the food processor, along with the cream.

Pulse until finely ground and pasty, like this.

Toss the shrimp paste into the veg mixture.

Add the worcestershire, cayenne, Old Bay, mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Gently mix all of that around until it’s thoroughly combined.

Drain your juicy lump crab meat, and pick thru for any shells.

Combine the crab with the shrimpy veg mixture.

GENTLY fold the two together. Some lumps will get broken up naturally — and that’s fine, but your goal is to keep as many lumps in tact as you can.

Scoop out desired size balls of crab mixture. I’m using a half-cup measurer here. Just keep in mind if you go smaller, the cooking time will vary.

We’ve got six evenly sized cakes.

This is an insanely hot and flavorful habanero hot sauce that Kelis made and gave to me from an event we did. I’m using this as a base for my lemony habanero sauce to accompany the crab cakes. You can use any kind of sauce you want for yours.

Ok, so pick gently pick the crab cakes up and press the bottoms into the bread crumbs. If you have food gloves, this is easier to do.

Like so. This layer just helps the crab cakes from sticking and provides a nice light crunch element. If this isn’t your thing, you can totally skip it. The main focus here is the crab anyway.

Get a frying pan super hot, about medium high heat with a little oil. Place each cake down and let cook for 1 minute, then immediately move the pan into the oven. If you don’t have any oven safe cookware (get some, fast), you can just skip this step and put them on a sheet pan and THEN put them in the oven.

Perfect.

Tips for Better Crab Cakes

It’s possible you made more veggie and shrimp mixture than you may need. So, start with just a half cup of it to fold into the crab meat. If it’s holding together just enough to form balls, it should be fine. If not, add just a few tablespoons more until it looks like my mixture above, or until it’s holding together. If you have too much veggie and shrimp mixture, and then add your crab meat, you may find that they’re too difficult to work with. Remember, you can always add more, but it’s pretty damn hard to take it away.

The mixture will be moist, even when you have the perfect ratio of veggie/shrimp to crab. Whatever you do, don’t fry or broil them right away. They WILL fall apart. You must chill them for at least an hour so they keep their integrity. This method is not unique to just this particular recipe. Giving the cakes a quick chill would have to happen even if you made them the more traditional way by stuffing them with a bread’y binder.

If you prefer to fry your crab cakes, simply flatten the crab cakes into a hockey-puck shape, coat with bread crumbs and fry away. You still want to chill the mixture for a good hour because they will fall apart otherwise.

How will you know they’re done? Easily! Visually, wait until the tops of the cakes are golden brown. Take a quick look at mine for example. If you want to make sure they’re done foreal, take your instant-read thermometer and stick it directly in the middle of each cake. When the temperature registers 140 degrees, they’re done. This will take anywhere from 12-15 minutes under the broiler.

Items and Tools Used

All-Clad 12-inch Fry Pan

Thermapen Instant Read Thermometer

Duralex Glass Bowls

Cuisinart Food Processor

Broiled Crab and Corn Cakes

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Prep time

1 hour 30 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

1 hour 45 mins

Binder method adapted from ATK

Author: Resha from CarnalDish

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

⅓ cup fresh corn
¼ cup celery, chopped
¼ cup sweet bell pepper (I used an Aloha pepper, you can use red, orange, or yellow)
¼ cup onion, chopped (I used red onion, white or yellow is fine)
2 tablespoons parsley, torn
2 small garlic cloves, roughly chopped
5 ounces shrimp, peeled and deveined (use a cheaper shrimp for this)
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
¾ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
pinch of Cayenne pepper, black pepper, and kosher salt
¼ cup heavy cream
1 pound (16 ounces) jumbo lump crab neat (you can use regular lump), picked over for shells
½ cup panko bread crumbs
1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

Pulse celery, onion, and garlic in food processor until finely chopped, 5 to 8 pulses, scraping down bowl as needed. Transfer vegetables to large bowl. Rinse processor bowl and blade and reserve. Melt butter in now-empty skillet over medium heat. Add chopped vegetables, ½ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened and all moisture has evaporated, 4 to 6 minutes. Return vegetables to large bowl and let cool to room temperature. Rinse out pan and wipe clean
In a food processor, pulse the onion, celery, sweet pepper, corn, garlic, and parsley until finely chopped. Scrape down your bowl as necessary.
In a skillet, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute the veggie mixture until softened and lightly caramelized, and the liquid has evaporated. The mixture should be dry and sticking to the pan just slightly. Set aside in a large bowl to cool.
Wipe out the skillet, and place a half cup of panko bread crumbs over medium heat. Don’t add any fat to this, just toast the dry bread crumbs until lightly golden brown. Continuously stir so each crumb gets color. This will take just a few minutes. Alternatively, you can toast these in a preheated 375 degree oven for 2 minutes (keep an eye on them!).
Rinse out the bowl of your food processor, add the shrimp and cream, and pulse until it forms a paste. Scrape it out and add it to the veggies. Add the Worcestershire, dijon mustard, Old Bay, lemon juice, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Fold to thoroughly combine.
Drain your crab meat into a colander. Pick thru for any shells, and remove if you find some. Try not to pulverize your precious crab meat! Add the crab meat to the veggie/shrimp mixture (SEE NOTE BELOW). Gently, and I mean GENTLY fold this mixture together. Yes, some lumps will fall apart, and there’s nothing you can do about that, but TRY not to tear them all apart. It’s a good textural contrast to have some broken lumps against some whole lumps. Just don’t have it looking like canned tuna.
Scoop out some cakes. For 6 cakes, use a half cup scoop. For 8 cakes, use a ⅓ cup scoop. You can leave them dome-shaped, or flatten them into a hockey-puck shape if you’d like — there’s no wrong way. Place each cake onto a sheet pan or large plate, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for a good hour. After an hour, the cakes should be a little easier to pick up without tearing apart (I used food-grade safety cloves to pick mine up). Arrange a layer of the toasted bread crumbs on a plate, and gently press the bottom of each cake into the crumbs. Don’t apply too much pressure here. They will still be moist, and should be able to pick up the crumbs on their own. Just make sure there’s a nice protective layer of crumbs at the bottom of each cake. When all of the cakes are coated at the bottom, heat your skillet to medium-high. Add about a tablespoon or so of oil to the bottom. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the crab cakes. Let them fry at the bottom for just 1 minute, then place the skillet in the oven about 6-8 inches from the top of the pre-heated broiler. Broil the cakes until the centers register 140 degrees and the tops are golden brown, about 12-15 minutes.
Serve immediately with lemon wedges, and any other accompaniment you’d like. Enjoy!

Notes

Your veggie/shrimp mixture should only be 1 full cup. If you have more than that, don't add it to the crab meat or you'll find the mixture too wet and difficult to work with. Save it for another use.

I make these crab cakes all the time with different veggies, and sometimes without the corn. Because this is so focused on the crab, it doesn’t really matter if you leave a veggie out, or swap it with something else. I promise it will all taste amazing, because you made it.

Cinnamon Sweet Potatoes | Baby Food Basics

April 21, 2018 Leave a Comment

When I found out I was pregnant, I said “I’m gonna feed this kid GOOD!”. As soon as my precious little boy turned 5 months, we slowly introduced solids to his diet. He’s breastfed still, but his pediatrician recommended we start with rice and oatmeal cereal, so we did. He loved it, and didn’t have any reaction to it at all — thank God! I was kinda nervous about that, but glad it worked out. Then he told us when to start introducing other foods to his diet, like fruits and veggies. Fast forward to now, and Christian (who’s almost 8 months now) absolutely loves his fruits and veggies. He even loves chicken. One of the best things to feed your growing baby is organic sweet potatoes. Oh yeah, you are going to always give your kid organic everything. We don’t wanna fill their tiny little bodies with pesticides and other gross things. Always organic, and always wash your produce!

I’ve gotten numerous requests to start sharing baby food recipes, so I figured I’d start with the most basic one — pureed sweet potatoes with cinnamon. It’s delicious, sweet, filling, and contains so many great calories and good carbs for your baby. Sweet potatoes rarely cause allergic reactions to babies, in fact, they’re on the safe list. If you’re new to making baby food, this is a great one to start with. Sweet potatoes contain lots of rich vitamins and nutrients, and because they’re naturally sweet, babies really love them. They’re great for anemia, slow weight gain, etc.

Can I leave the skin on?

Sure! I didn’t do that this time though, because I knew I wasn’t gonna blend them. A great way to make this with the skins on, is to steam them. Slice them up, steam them until tender, and blend until completely smooth. Otherwise, make them the way I just did here. If your potato skins are very blemish’y, its best to just use the flesh only. Sometimes those blemishes are moldy and can run deeper than the surface.

To start your kid off, I highly recommend giving them a single fruit or vegetable at one time. For example, don’t immediately mix apples and carrots, because if your kid has an allergic reaction, you’d wanna know what caused it — the carrot or the apple? Also, you want to make sure they even like them. Christian hated apples at first, I couldn’t believe it! He eats them now, but that was the very first food we started him on and he was no here for it. So feed them one thing at a time, and wait about 3-4 days for any reaction. Your pediatrician will tell you the same thing. Once you go thru enough different fruits and veggies, then you can probably start blending them together. Christian gobbles sweet potatoes up like you wouldn’t believe. I mix a big spoonful with some organic pureed spinach, and a little rice cereal — he goes in! He absolutely loves the sweet taste of cinnamon in pretty much everything, but we didn’t start giving him cinnamon until he was 6 months old. If your kid is younger than 6 months, maybe skip the cinnamon or use just a little to see how they like it.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with either parchment paper, foil, or a silicone baking mat. Wash and scrub the outside of each potato, dry, and place on the baking sheet. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, and bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick easily inserts in the thickest part of each potato easily.

Let them cool for an hour.

Scoop out the flesh into a bowl.

Add a good pinch of cinnamon.

Whisk together to blend and break up the potatoes.

Either press the solids thru a fine mesh strainer, or use a high powered blender to pulverize the potatoes and break up those stringy bits. Some babies can gag on those.

I used a strainer, which was a headache. It definitely takes muscle and patience. I should have used my damn Vitamix or Baby Bullet.

We have puree!

He loves it.

“Mommy, why is there a big camera in my face?”

Store baby food in safe food containers, and refrigerate for up to 3 days. You can also freeze them for up to a month.

Perfect consistency.

There really isn’t a “recipe” for this, because you’ll make as much or as little as you want each given time. Make sure you store any leftovers in glass or BPA-free plastic containers. They’ll keep for 3 days in the fridge, or you can freeze and thaw overnight in your fridge as needed. We make big batches of his baby food and freeze it.

Cinnamon Sweet Potato Puree | Baby Food Basics

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

1 hour 5 mins

This is a great first food for your baby when they're ready to start eating solids.

Author: Resha from CarnalDish

Serves: 6 baby servings

Ingredients

Organic sweet potatoes, washed and scrubbed (see note below)
Cinnamon
water, to adjust consistency if needed
Olive oil

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet lined with foil, parchment, or a silicone baking mat. Drizzle each potato lightly with olive oil. Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the thickest part of each potato slides in easily with no resistance.
Let them cool for an hour at room temperature.
Cut each potato open and scoop out the flesh into a bowl. Add a good pinch of cinnamon, and whisk to break up the potatoes. If you have a high-powered blender, puree the potatoes. If you don't have a blender, just pass the potatoes thru a mesh strainer. This helps remove those stringy bits, as some babies strangle on them.
Store in containers or freeze.

Notes

If you'd like to leave the skins on, slice the potatoes and steam them until tender. Blend until smooth, adding either water or no-sodium chicken stock to adjust consistency.

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