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Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Thyme Cheddar Waffles

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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 and Waffles

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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Also, follow me on Instagram (I cook on my InstaStories often).

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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Waffle recipe adapted from KAF
Author:
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
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Serve with the thyme and cheddar waffles, and enjoy!
For the Waffles
  1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla.
  2. In a separate bowl whisk together the dry ingredients.
  3. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, stirring just until nearly smooth; a few small lumps may remain.
  4. 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.
  5. Serve immediately with the fried chicken and maple syrup.
  6. 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

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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

Shrimp and GritsShrimp and GritsShrimp and Grits

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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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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
  1. 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:
  1. 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.
  2. 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.

 

Shakshuka – Eggs in Purgatory

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Shakshuka is seriously one of the best culinary creations ever. Some call it “Eggs in Purgatory“, you can call it whatever you want — as long as you make it, and eat it, and hug yourself afterwards. What is Shakshuka (or Shakshouka)? It’s essentially eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce. Sounds simple enough, right? It’s super easy to make, and full of flavor. My version deviates from the traditional recipe, because I added sausage. Why? Because I had two links on hand and didn’t want them to go bad lol. Also, I’m grown and I do what I want in the kitchen 😀 Cheese is acceptable in many versions, ranging from feta to goat cheese…I didn’t have any of those, so I tossed in the last bits of whole milk mozzarella I had on hand.

Bottom line, this turned out to be fantastic.

You can leave the sausage out if you want, it’s totally optional. I took a shitload of pictures for this recipe, because I decided to skip it as a Youtube tutorial. So, I apologize for the pic heaviness and the load time, but I’d rather you see exactly what I’m doing so there are no questions later.

Start with an onion, as large as you want.

Start with an onion, as large as you want.

Dice that baby up.

Dice that baby up.

Like so.

Like so.

Add some oil to your cast iron skillet, over medium-heat.

Add some oil to your cast iron skillet, over medium-heat.

Add some paprika (hot, mild, or smoked).

Add the onion.

Add some paprika (hot, mild, or smoked).

Add some paprika (hot, mild, or smoked).

Here, I've added smoked and hot paprika.

Here, I’ve added smoked and hot paprika.

Add a big pinch of crushed red pepper -- as much as you can take. Don't be a punk.

Add a big pinch of crushed red pepper — as much as you can take. Don’t be a punk.

Add a generous portion of cumin.

Add a generous portion of cumin.

Add as much cayenne pepper as you can take.

Add as much cayenne pepper as you can take.

Move everything around, so that the oil coats all of the spices. This helps them bloom and released their amazing flavor.

Move everything around, so that the oil coats all of the spices. This helps them bloom and released their amazing flavor.

See, like this.

See, like this.

Oh! Don't forget the black pepper (as much as you want).

Oh! Don’t forget the black pepper (as much as you want).

Most importantly, don't forget the salt. I'm using Kosher. Start with a little, you can always add more later.

Most importantly, don’t forget the salt. I’m using Kosher. Start with a little, you can always add more later.

If your pan is a little dry, add a little more oil.

If your pan is a little dry, add a little more oil.

Nice and lubricated.

Nice and lubricated.

Take 3 roasted red peppers (either homemade or jarred), and chop them up.

Take 3 roasted red peppers (either homemade or jarred), and chop them up.

Like this.

Like this.

Add them to the onion/spice mixture.

Add them to the onion/spice mixture.

Move it around so everything mingles.

Move it around so everything mingles.

Add some garlic. I added 3 regular sized cloves here.

Add some garlic. I added 3 regular sized cloves here.

If you decide to add sausage, now is the time. So split that baby down the center and remove it from it's casing.

If you decide to add sausage, now is the time. So split that baby down the center and remove it from it’s casing.

I only used 2 links, you can add more if you want. It's your Shakshuka.

I only used 2 links, you can add more if you want. It’s your Shakshuka.

Make sure you break the sausage down as best as you can.

Make sure you break the sausage down as best as you can.

Add some dried parsley.

Add some dried parsley.

This is my favorite brand of dried herbs, they really "bloom" when added to hot foods.

This is my favorite brand of dried herbs, they really “bloom” when added to hot foods.

Cilantro is a traditional ingredient, even when added to the end of the dish, but I'm adding some dried here because I'm grown.

Cilantro is a traditional ingredient, even when added to the end of the dish, but I’m adding some dried here because I’m grown.

I rarely cook anything without my pantry-staple: granulated garlic. Add a little if you have it.

I rarely cook anything without my pantry-staple: granulated garlic. Add a little if you have it.

Like so.

Like so.

Can't neglect the other pantry-staple: granulated onion.

Can’t neglect the other pantry-staple: granulated onion.

Add some of that.

Add some of that.

Mix everything up and move it around.

Mix everything up and move it around.

Add about 2 tablespoons of tomato paste.

Add about 2 tablespoons of tomato paste.

Combine everything, let the tomato paste cook for about 1-2 minutes.

Combine everything, let the tomato paste cook for about 1-2 minutes.

Add your can of crushed or diced tomatoes. I used crushed because that's what I had.

Add your can of crushed or diced tomatoes. I used crushed because that’s what I had.

Mix everything up.

Mix everything up.

Add a very tiny pinch of sugar, white or brown. Obviously, I used white. Don't add too much, this isn't supposed to be sweet. A tiny pinch will balance everything though.

Add a very tiny pinch of sugar, white or brown. Obviously, I used white. Don’t add too much, this isn’t supposed to be sweet. A tiny pinch will balance everything though.

Cover loosely and let cook/reduce for about 15-30 minutes over low heat.

Cover loosely and let cook/reduce for about 15-30 minutes over low heat.

Or until most of the watery liquid is evaporated. We're almost there..

Or until most of the watery liquid is evaporated. We’re almost there..

Almost...

Almost…

See how I can push the sauce around and leave a trail? See how thicker it's gotten? That's perfect!

See how I can push the sauce around and leave a trail? See how thicker it’s gotten? That’s perfect!

Now, give it a taste. At this point you can add more of what you need. When it's perfect, get your eggs ready.

Now, give it a taste. At this point you can add more of what you need. When it’s perfect, get your eggs ready.

I cracked mine in a separate bowl just in case there were any shells.

I cracked mine in a separate bowl just in case there were any shells.

Create little wells in the sauce.

Create little wells in the sauce.

Then gently pour each egg into the wells.

Then gently pour each egg into the wells.

Add the cheese of your choice on top. I'm using whole milk mozzarella, it's so good.

Add the cheese of your choice on top. I’m using whole milk mozzarella, it’s so good.

Make sure the cheese is scattered around evenly.

Make sure the cheese is scattered around evenly.

With the heat still on low, cover and allow the eggs to cook and the cheese to melt.

With the heat still on low, cover and allow the eggs to cook and the cheese to melt.

Cook until the eggs are at your desired level of doneness. I like mine to be set with a creamy/custardy yolk. It's up to you, babe. Just remember to remove from heat about 2-3 minutes before your eggs are to your liking because they will continue to cook in the residual heat.

Cook until the eggs are at your desired level of doneness. I like mine to be set with a creamy/custardy yolk. It’s up to you, babe. Just remember to remove from heat about 2-3 minutes before your eggs are to your liking because they will continue to cook in the residual heat.

Once it's done, add some freshness. Either fresh parsley or fresh cilantro.

Once it’s done, add some freshness. Either fresh parsley or fresh cilantro.

Beautiful, huh?

Beautiful, huh?

Oh my Lord!

Oh my Lord!

Mmm...

Mmm…

Get some crusty bread and get ready to receive your blessing.

Get some crusty bread and get ready to receive your blessing.

Shakshuka - Eggs in Purgatory

Oh snap...

Oh snap…

Bruh!

Bruh!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Perfectly cooked. That yolk is creamy and custardy. Mmm! Mm!

Perfectly cooked. That yolk is creamy and custardy. Mmm! Mm!

Incredible. Go make this.

Incredible. Go make this.

Coco wants some but she can't have any. Ha!

Coco wants some but she can’t have any. Ha!

I served mine alongside my delicious Crusty No-Knead bread. I threw some rosemary and garlic into the loaf to give it more flavor. It turned out insanely delicious, and was a great accompaniment to the Shakshuka.

Take this recipe and make it your own. Taste as you go, and it’ll turn out as amazing as mine was. Enjoy!

Shakshuka with Sausage and Cheese
 
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Shakshuka aka Eggs in Purgatory, made with sausage and mozzarella cheese.
Author:
Serves: 4-8 servings
Ingredients
  • Olive oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2tsp - 1tbsp smoked paprika
  • 2tsp - 1tbsp hot or mild paprika
  • 2tsp - 1tbsp cumin
  • 1 - 2tsp crushed red pepper flakes (add more if you want it hotter)
  • 1 - 2tsp cayenne pepper
  • Kosher salt & black pepper, to taste
  • 3 roasted red peppers, chopped
  • 2 - 3 cloves garlic, minced or chopped
  • 2 or more sausage links, casing removed (optional)
  • 1tsp dried parsley
  • 2tsp dried cilantro
  • Granulated garlic, to taste
  • Granulated onion, to taste
  • 2tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 28oz. can crushed tomatoes
  • pinch sugar, to taste
  • 4 to 8 large eggs
  • ¼cup or more cheese (mozzarella, cheddar, feta, goat, or whatever you want)
  • fresh parsley or cilantro to garnish
Instructions
  1. Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-heat.
  2. Add onion, paprika(s), cumin, crushed red pepper flakes, and cayenne pepper. Stir around until incorporated. Add a big pinch of black pepper, and a good generous pinch of kosher salt and stir until thoroughly incorporated. Add roasted red peppers, and garlic. If using sausage, add it now and break it down with the back of a wooden spatula or spoon until finely crumbled. Toss in the dried parsley, dried cilantro, granulated garlic and granulated onion. Add the tomato paste and mix thoroughly, cooking it out for 1 to 2 minutes.
  3. Add the crushed tomatoes and mix everything until combined. Add a pinch of sugar, cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 15-30 minutes until most of the "watery" tomato liquid is evaporated. You want a somewhat thick sauce that will hold up. Give it a taste and adjust as necessary. It should be flavorful, and spicy.
  4. With the heat still on low, make wells into the sauce for the eggs to sit. Gently pour each egg into a well, careful not to break the yolk -- but if you do, nobody really cares.
  5. Add the cheese of your choice evenly to the surface, even into the eggs. Raise the heat to medium-low, cover and allow the eggs to cook to your desired doneness. This can take anywhere from 5-10 minutes. If you like your eggs a little runny, make sure you remove the pan from heat a few minutes before they reach that point because they will continue to cook in the residual heat.
  6. Once you're happy with the doneness of the eggs, remove the pan from heat. Add fresh parsley or cilantro and serve immediately with some good crusty bread.
  7. Hold onto your pants!
Notes
This is not an "exact measurement" recipe. You an use as much or as little of each ingredient you want. Please don't be afraid to flex your culinary muscle and go with the flow here.

 

Garlicky Shrimp Scampi over Creamy Parmesan Grits

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I honestly have no words for how insanely good this is. I just need you to stop whatever it is you’re doing and make this right away. It. Is. AMAZING! Fully adaptable, easily doubled, just damn good. The way that garlicky white wine butter sauce soaks into the grits, oh girl..please come get your life!

Polenta is notorious for taking a long ass time to cook. Not anymore. We can achieve creamy, tender and deliciously flavored polenta in less than 20 minutes. How? Well, we’re gonna add a little acid to help break down the outer husk of each coarse grain, making it softer and faster cooking. Science is a beautiful thing, isn’t it? If you’re using regular 5-min grits, you don’t need the baking soda. That variety is already designed to cook quickly.

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This recipe is extremely flexible, so check the notes below. There’s a ton of garlic in this recipe but it cooks down so that it’s nice and mild, not harsh and aggressive. Every damn thing about this is perfection.

shrimpscampigrits4shrimpscampigrits5

Holy mother..

shrimpscampigrits6

Listen, this recipe is serious. Seriously easy, and seriously delicious. The ONLY way you can screw this up, is you use a ratio of grits to cooking liquid than I told you, and if you overcook your shrimp.


Garlicky Shrimp Scampi and Creamy Parmesan Grits
 
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Please see video for cooking instructions. Notes are below.
Author:
Serves: 2 small servings or 1 large serving
Ingredients
For the grits:
  • ¼ cup heavy cream or half & half
  • 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
  • ½ tsp granulated garlic
  • ½ tsp granulated onion
  • ¼ tsp paprika
  • pinch of cayenne
  • ¼ tsp or so poultry seasoning
  • tiny pinch of baking soda (see note below)
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter
  • ½ cup polenta grits, not instant (see note below)
  • 2¾ cup chicken stock (see note below)
  • ¼ cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese, finely grated
For the shrimp:
  • *I’m giving you measurements based on what I used in the video. This is enough sauce for a full pound of shrimp. Only double this if you’re using more than one pound*
  • ½ - 1 lb peeled/deveined extra large shrimp (21/25 count), thawed
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp Kosher or sea salt
  • *water for brine
  • Kosher or sea salt & pepper to taste
  • Olive oil
  • ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • ¼ cup shallots, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp fresh garlic, minced
  • 2-3 tbsp unsalted butter, cold
  • ⅓ cup white wine (I used Chardonnay)
  • juice from half a lemon
  • 3 tbsp to ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
  1. Please see video above for cooking instructions. You can use as much or as little shrimp as you’d like. This recipe is enough for 1 large portion, or 2 smaller portions. See note below on how to double the grits for perfect results every time.
Notes for the grits:
  1. Bring seasoned cooking liquid to full boil, add grits, reduce heat to low, and whisk for 1 full minute. Cover and stir every 3 to 4 minutes until the grits are fully cooked, softened. Heat should remain on low during the entire cooking process. Keep the grits covered while they cook. Once they're done, add your cheese, stir and adjust seasoning. Cover and keep warm while you make the shrimp.
  2. This recipe can be used with regular 5-minute grits. If you use those, don't add the baking soda. The baking soda works better with polenta because it's a coarser grain. It takes a long time to cook, so the acid from the baking soda breaks it down faster so that they cook in less time. You will not taste the baking soda.
  3. You can use any liquid you prefer to cook the grits. Just make sure whatever you do, you use ¼ cup of grits to 1 cup of liquid. You'll get perfectly cooked, creamy grits every time.
Notes for the shrimp:
  1. Cook everything over medium heat. Add the red pepper flake to the hot oil so that it infuses, sauté your shallots for about 2 minutes. Add the shrimp, and cook for 1 minute on each side. Add the garlic and butter, lemon juice and wine. Cook an additional minute or two. Toss with parsley and enjoy.
  2. If you're using shrimp smaller than extra-large, you'll need to adjust the cooking time. They will take less time to cook, so plan accordingly. For this recipe I'm using 21/25 count, which means that there are about 21 to 25 shrimp per pound. I purchase my frozen shrimp from Costco because they don't use any unnecessary ingredients. It's just shrimp and salt. Frozen wild shrimp would be even better here. If you use frozen wild shrimp, you won't need to brine them at all.
  3. The sugar/salt brine helps to plumpen the shrimp so that they pop in your mouth. They only need to brine for about 20 minutes. Make your grits while they're brining -- time management!
  4. As you're cooking, add additional olive oil as necessary.
  5. Make sure your butter is cold, it will melt slowly and emulsify this sauce, making it nice and thick and substantial.
  6. If you don't like grits, you can pour this greatness over some pasta, rice, thick toasty bread -- whatever your heart desires.
  7. Enjoy!

Latte Glazed Mocha-Almond Cinnamon Rolls

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Good morning. If you’ve tried ANY of the cinnamon roll recipes posted here, then you already know these are about to be insane as well. These satisfy all of my cravings — buttery, doughy, cinnamon’y, chocolatey, nutty, espresso’y, glaze’y…mmmmm.

Mocha-Almond Cinnamon Rolls

The one thing you should know about these in particular is that conceptually, they may sound a little too sweet. However, they’re not at all. I scaled waaaay back from the normal amount of cinnamon/sugar I’d regularly use, and kept it modest. The chocolate I had on hand was semi-sweet chocolate chips. If you have chopped bar chocolate 60% cacao or higher, this would be even better. Chocolate chips melt but they keep their shape, whereas bar chocolate oozes wherever it lands. I highly recommend that over chips BUT these are still amazing with chips. Don’t use milk chocolate here, they’ll be entirely too sweet — unless that’s what you like. I started with just a cup of brown sugar vs. one and a half cups in the original recipe, and I still didn’t use the full cup. You can use a full cup, but use a bittersweet chocolate instead of semi.

Adding espresso powder to the dough itself is totally optional, I just loved the faint scent it gave. Everything about this recipe is totally adaptable to your level of sweetness and nuttiness, so please just use my measurements as a starting off point.

Allowing the dough to rise in the oven (turned off) with just the oven light provides enough gentle warmth for the yeast to activate. It took 2 hours for mine to double in size, and it came out perfect.

Make sure your butter is softened but still cool and somewhat malleable. It should be soft and waxy, not mushy and greasy. If it’s the consistency of a whipped butter, it’s too soft. If you have an instant-read thermometer, the butter should be between 65-70 degrees’ish. If you forget to take your eggs out in time for them to come down to room temperature, you can put them inside of a bowl filled with warm (not hot) water for about 10-minutes. Roll the dough out to a large rectangle, but don’t roll it toooo thin, use my video as a guide.

Make these cinnamon rolls! If you don’t have a stand-mixer, you can still make this dough by hand. You’ll just need lots of elbow grease to knead this for a good 10-15minutes.


Latte Glazed Mocha-Almond Cinnamon Rolls
 
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Serves: 8 servings
Ingredients
For the dough:
  • ¾ cup whole milk, heated to 110 degrees
  • 1 envelope (2¼ teaspoons) instant or rapid-rise yeast
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon espresso powder
  • 4¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup cornstarch
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
  • 12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) softened unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces
For the filling:
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons espresso powder
  • ½ cup toasted almonds, chopped
  • ⅓ to ½ semi or bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine (chips are fine)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 5 to 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
For the glaze (totally adaptable):
  • ¼ cup latte (coffee & milk)
  • 1 tablespoon heavy cream
  • ½ teaspoon espresso powder
  • 1 tablespoon corn syrup (optional)
  • ¼ teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 to 2 cups confectioners' sugar
  • tiny pinch of salt
Instructions
  1. To prep:
  2. Line the bottom of a 13- by 9-inch baking pan with foil or parchment paper. Grease foil or parchment paper and sides of the pan with baking spray. Also, grease a medium bowl to hold the dough when it's completed.
  3. For the dough:
  4. Whisk warm 110 degree milk and yeast in liquid measuring cup until yeast dissolves, then whisk in eggs, espresso powder, and vanilla extract. In bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook, mix flour, cornstarch, sugar, and salt until combined. With mixer on low, add warm milk mixture in steady stream and mix until dough comes together, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium and add butter, one piece at a time, until incorporated. I added my butter in 5 second intervals. Continue to mix until dough is smooth and comes away from sides of bowl, about 10 minutes. if after mixing for 10 minutes the dough is still wet and sticky, add up to ¼ cup flour (one tablespoon at a time) until the dough releases from the bowl. Turn dough out onto clean surface and knead to form a smooth, round ball. Transfer dough to prepared bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in turned off oven with oven light on (it allows enough gentle warmth). Let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
  5. For the filling:
  6. Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, espresso, cocoa, and salt in small bowl using a fork or your fingers to break up any large lumps. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Roll dough into 18-inch square, spread with 5 to 6 tbsp of softened butter, and sprinkle evenly with filling. Lightly press the filling into the dough. Sprinkle almonds and chocolate over cinnamon/sugar filling, and gently press into dough. Starting with the edge nearest you, roll dough into tight cylinder, pinch lightly to seal seam, and cut into 8 pieces using either a serrated knife or bench scraper. It's easier to cut the dough in half, then cut each side in half until you have 8 large rolls. For smaller cinnamon buns, cut the dough into 12 pieces. Transfer pieces, cut-side up, to prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a turned off oven until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
  7. For the glaze and to bake:
  8. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk glaze ingredients together. If mixture is too thick, add a little more latte or heavy cream, if too thin, add more sugar. Discard plastic wrap and bake buns until deep golden brown and filling is melted, 30-35 minutes. Cool for about 5 minutes then pour over some of the glaze. You may not have to use all of the glaze, I didn't. I stored the rest of the glaze in the freezer for later use. Serve immediately.
  9. *Make Ahead: After transferring pieces to prepared pan in step 3, buns can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for 24 hours. When ready to bake, let sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Remove plastic wrap and continue with step 4 as directed.
  10. *Reheat any leftover rolls in the microwave for 10 to 20 seconds.

 

Buttery “Buttermilk” Pancakes | A Kitchen Hack

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This is a quick recipe that you should keep on hand for those days you want buttery, buttermilk pancakes — but don’t have real buttermilk. Oh noes!! Don’t worry, adding a little acid to whole milk will pretty much give you the same result. I love my pancakes all kinds of ways, fluffy diner-style, griddle-style with the crispy-buttery edges, you name it, I’ll eat it. These particular pancakes are for those of you who’ve asked me over and over “Resha, how on earth do you get the crispy buttery edges??” Well, here you go. This is my method and it never fails.

When you add the vinegar to the milk, it will start to curdle almost immediately. Let it do it’s thing for 5-10 minutes before using. The pancake batter should be free of super large lumps, but smaller ones should still remain — they will cook out. Allowing the batter to rest 10-20 minutes will allow the flour to fully hydrate. This batter can be made a day ahead, but don’t let it sit in your fridge longer than 24 hours. Please use real butter for this recipe, if it’s in a tub, it’s probably not real butter. As a matter of fact, if it doesn’t SAY butter (salted, or unsalted) on the label, it’s definitely not real butter. The only time you should ever use fake butter is if you’re trying to watch your cholesterol or your doctor told you to do so, otherwise, don’t cheat yourself of fantastic flavor and results.

A few things:

  • Use just 1 tablespoon of vinegar per cup of milk. I made an error on the video, so ignore that.
  • You can use milk for this recipe without the vinegar — they’re still delicious
  • You can use real buttermilk (without the vinegar of course) — they’re even better
  • You can use a different acid, such as lemon juice, in place of the vinegar added to your milk — they’re still bomb
  • This recipe is extremely basic and flexible. Try adding different extracts, spices, citrus zests, and more.

Screen Shot 2015-09-27 at 6

Enjoy


Buttery "Buttermilk" Pancakes | A Kitchen Hack
 
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How to make buttermilk pancakes without real buttermilk
Author:
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup whole milk + 1 tbsp white distilled vinegar (SEE NOTE BELOW)
  • 1½ tbsp melted real butter, cooled
  • ½ tsp real vanilla extract
  • zest of 1 lemon (optional)
  • Butter & real maple syrup for topping
Instructions
  1. **Please see video for cooking instructions.
Notes
If you don't have white distilled vinegar, you can use real lemon juice in it's place.
1 cup of real buttermilk can be used instead of whole milk- minus the vinegar. The vinegar can be omitted entirely too, the pancakes will still come out delicious. Real buttermilk will also give the pancakes a puffier finish.
If you don't have an electric griddle or just don't want to use one, you can cook your pancakes in a non-stick skillet or griddle-pan over medium-low heat.
Recipe can be doubled, except for the egg. You'll still use just one egg if you double the other ingredients.

Leek, Sausage & Chanterelle Puff Pastry Frittatas

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I really like cute food. I eat with my eyes first, so if it’s cute, I’ll provide it with a barrage of awww’s while devouring it. This is one of those recipes you could totally make your own — that’s the whole idea, right? Due to the fact it’s been a deliciously fatty holiday (as it should be), I had some frozen puff pastry leftover and decided to throw some delicious eggy goodness in there and bake it pretty. If you don’t like mushrooms, you’re a weirdo — kidding! You can totally leave them out. You could swap out the expensive chanterelle’s for a more affordable button, shiitake, or portobello variety. You could use bacon instead of sausage, ANY kind of cheese you want — the possibilities are endless.

These are little buttery pockets of breakfast perfection. Eggs go with everything, but they pair especially well with a smokey sausage, wild mushrooms, sweet leeks and tangy, creamy cheese. When these start to bake, the egg mixture puffs up and lets you know it’s just about done. You can control how “done” you want these. I have found that my oven on 400 degrees makes the perfect mini-frittata in exactly 15 minutes. The eggs were creamy and cooked to perfection, they weren’t rubbery or dry at all. Moist goodness, almost quiche-like. My friend just sat there cussing and shaking his head, “Damn, these are so good! I gotta have another one”. Meanwhile, I could only scarf down one lol — his stomach is a lot more forgiving than mine. They were the perfect portion size and filled me up quite nicely.

Puff pastry is a great staple to keep in your freezer. They thaw in about a half hour at room temperature, and can be worked into damn near any shape, and you can put anything in them. A few notes when working with the buttery sheet of dough:

  • Work as fast as you can, because puff pastry is filled with butter and your hot little fingers might melt the dough if you over-handle it.
  • Keep your work surface, hands, and rolling pin (if using) lightly floured to prevent the dough from sticking.
  • If you experience any tears, dab your fingers in water and “glue” the dough back together. Quickly put it back in the fridge for a few minutes to secure your patch-job.
  • If your dough gets too warm and sticky, immediately throw it back in the fridge or freezer to get cold again — just for a few minutes.
  • Don’t let the dough get too warm — I cannot stress this enough. Keep the dough as cold as you can, or it won’t rise very well once it’s baked.
  • Yes, you can re-roll scraps.

Let’s get to it…

Thaw your puff pastry dough at room temperature until pliable (about a half hour, depending on the temperature in your kitchen). Flour your work surface, hands, and rolling pin and roll pastry out to a larger rectangle, making sure to connect the seams so it's all one piece.

Thaw your puff pastry dough at room temperature until pliable (about a half hour, depending on the temperature in your kitchen). Flour your work surface, hands, and rolling pin and roll pastry out to a larger rectangle, making sure to connect the seams so it’s all one piece.

With a very sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the sheet of dough into 6 squares (if using a jumbo muffin tin, cut into 12 squares if using a regular size muffin tin). Roll each square so that it's large enough to fit into your muffin tins.

With a very sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the sheet of dough into 6 squares (if using a jumbo muffin tin, cut into 12 squares if using a regular size muffin tin). Roll each square so that it’s large enough to fit into your muffin tins.

GENTLY fit each sheet of dough into the tin, careful not to rip it. Just make sure it's sitting at the bottom and pressed against the edges.

GENTLY fit each sheet of dough into the tin, careful not to rip it. Just make sure it’s sitting at the bottom and pressed against the edges.

Now that they're all snug as a bug, throw your pan into the fridge or freezer to keep cold while you cook everything else.

Now that they’re all snug as a bug, throw your pan into the fridge or freezer to keep cold while you cook everything else.

To prep your leeks, cut off the base and the dark green head. We only want to eat the light green and white parts. Score the outermost layer of the leek and peel off, it's usually bruised and beat to hell. We don't need it. Cut the leek in half, lengthwise then cut into thin strips. Wash thoroughly! Leeks have lots of natural sand lodged in between their layers. Rinse under cold water thoroughly, separating the leeks with your fingers. Alternately, you could soak the leeks into a bowl of cold water and let the sand/dirt fall to the bottom. Rinse and pat dry.

To prep your leeks, cut off the base and the dark green head. We only want to eat the light green and white parts. Score the outermost layer of the leek and peel off, it’s usually bruised and beat to hell. We don’t need it. Cut the leek in half, lengthwise then cut into thin strips. Wash thoroughly! Leeks have lots of natural sand lodged in between their layers. Rinse under cold water thoroughly, separating the leeks with your fingers. Alternately, you could soak the leeks into a bowl of cold water and let the sand/dirt fall to the bottom. Rinse and pat dry.

With a damp paper towel or kitchen cloth, gently wipe away the dirt from each mushroom. Cut off the woody ends and chop into bite-sized pieces.

With a damp paper towel or kitchen cloth, gently wipe away the dirt from each mushroom. Cut off the woody ends and chop into bite-sized pieces.

Cook the sausage and crushed red pepper in chunks, then break those chunks down a little more as they cook. Don't overcook the sausage, it will continue to cook in the oven. Just cook until there is no pink and minimal caramelization. Remove with slotted spoon, then add the leeks and seasoning. Cook down for about 4 to 5 minutes, just until they're soft. Remove with slotted spoon, then add the mushrooms. Let the cook for about 4 to 5 minutes.

Cook the sausage and crushed red pepper in chunks, then break those chunks down a little more as they cook. Don’t overcook the sausage, it will continue to cook in the oven. Just cook until there is no pink and minimal caramelization. Remove with slotted spoon, then add the leeks and seasoning. Cook down for about 4 to 5 minutes, just until they’re soft. Remove with slotted spoon, then add the mushrooms. Let the cook for about 4 to 5 minutes.

Mix the leeks, sausage and mushrooms together evenly in a bowl and let the mixture cool down for a few minutes. You don't want it too warm because it's going directly in the cold puff pastry.

Mix the leeks, sausage and mushrooms together evenly in a bowl and let the mixture cool down for a few minutes. You don’t want it too warm because it’s going directly in the cold puff pastry.

Meanwhile, whisk 6 large eggs in a bowl. Add the cream, salt, pepper, butter and mix thoroughly. Add the cheese last and gently fold that in. Don't overbeat your eggs, it'll overwork the proteins and give you rubbery eggs.

Meanwhile, whisk 7 large eggs in a bowl. Add the cream, salt, pepper, butter and mix thoroughly. Add the cheese last and gently fold that in. Don’t overbeat your eggs, it’ll overwork the proteins and make them rubbery.

Once the meat mixture has cooled, take your puffy pastry out of the fridge or freezer. Fill each cup evenly with the mixture.

Once the meat mixture has cooled, take your puffy pastry out of the fridge or freezer. Fill each cup evenly with the mixture.

Pour the egg and cheese mixture evenly inside each tin, careful not to let too much of it leak down the sides of the pastry.

Pour the egg and cheese mixture evenly inside each tin, careful not to let too much of it leak down the sides of the pastry. Brush the edges of the pastry with the egg mixture inside, just to get a nice shine.

About 15 minutes later, we have beauty.

About 15 minutes later, we have beauty.

Ermahgerdddd

Ermahgerdddd

Aren't they gorgeous? They're not just looks, either. They taste so good. You guys will enjoy this recipe. Very easy and fun to make.

Aren’t they gorgeous? They’re not just looks, either. They taste so good. You guys will enjoy this recipe. Very easy and fun to make.

The eggs are perfectly set, tender and buttery.

The eggs are perfectly set, tender and buttery.

Let them cool abut 10 minutes before removing them from the pan. They should remove pretty easily, but run a small paring knife along the sides to loosen just in case they stick.

Let them cool abut 10 minutes before removing them from the pan. They should remove pretty easily, but run a small paring knife along the sides to loosen just in case they stick.

Hey, baby.

Hey, baby.

Absolute adorableness.

Absolute adorableness.

Make these with your significant other, best friends, or kids, it’s a fun project to work on together. Serve this with a simple salad with a citrus vinaigrette, and thick tomato slices sprinkled with sea salt and black pepper. Yummm…

Leek, Sausage & Chanterelle Puff Pastry Frittatas
 
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Serve this with a simple salad with a citrus vinaigrette, and thick tomato slices sprinkled with sea salt and black pepper.
Author:
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
  • 7 large eggs
  • ¼ - ⅓ cup heavy cream, half & half, or milk
  • 2 tbsp frozen unsalted butter, diced (keep frozen until ready to use)
  • ½ cup white cheddar cheese, grated (see note below)
  • 2 tablespoons pecorino cheese, finely grated
  • 2 sweet or hot Italian sausage links, casings removed (see note below)
  • 1 - 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 - 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
  • 1 leek, sliced (white and light green parts only, save dark green for stock)
  • 1 cup chanterelle mushrooms, chopped (see note below)
  • 2 sage leaves, finely chopped
  • 3 sprigs thyme, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • pinch of red pepper flake
  • Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
For the puff pastry:
  1. Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees, middle rack in place. Thaw puff pastry according to manufacturer's directions. Flour surface and roll into larger rectangle. Depending on if you're using a jumbo-muffin tin or regular muffin tin, cut dough into 6 or 12 squares. Roll each square out large enough to fit inside each tin, with enough dough to hang along the sides. Work quickly, as puffy pastry can melt if your hands or environment is too warm. Pop it back in the fridge to keep it cold if you need to. Spray each muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray, then wipe most of it out with a paper towel. There is enough butter in puffy pastry to keep it from sticking, BUT we'd rather be safe than sorry. So wipe most of the non-stick spray off, keeping a very thin film of it in each tin. GENTLY press each square into a tin, making sure it's sitting at the bottom and along the sides. Be careful not to tear it. if you tear it, "glue" it back together with a wet finger and immediately pop it back in the fridge to harden. Continue until each square is in the tin, then place in the freezer while you cook everything else.
For the leek, sausage, and mushroom filling:
  1. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, and break into bite-sized chunks with a wooden spoon. Add the red pepper flake, balsamic vinegar, and cook until meat is no longer pink and balsamic vinegar is soaked into the sausage, about 4-6 minutes. Add the garlic, if using, and cook for just 30 seconds. Remove the sausage and garlic with a slotted spoon into a separate bowl, leaving behind the oil and rendered fat.
  2. Reduce heat to medium, add the leeks in an even layer and cook for 1 minute without stirring. Using the wooden spoon, stir the leeks around to pick up any browned bits stuck on the bottom of the pan from the sausage. Add salt and pepper and cook the leeks down until they're soft and translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove leeks with a slotted spoon into the bowl with the sausage.
  3. If needed, add 1 more tablespoon of olive oil to the hot pan, and add the mushrooms without stirring for 1 minute. Stir the mushrooms around to help them cook down just a bit and develop some great color, about 3-5 minutes. Add the fresh herbs and cook for just 30 seconds to let their flavors bloom. Remove the mushrooms and herbs with a slotted spoon into the same bowl with the sausage and leeks. Gently mix mixture together so it's evenly combined, then let cool in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes.
For the egg mixture:
  1. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream (or milk or half & half), pinch of sea salt and black pepper, parsley, and frozen diced butter until evenly combined. Do not over-mix the eggs or they'll come out rubbery. Finally, add the cheese and gently fold with the whisk. Set aside.
To assemble and bake:
  1. Once the leek, sausage and mushroom mixture is cool, take the prepared puff pastry out of the freezer. Evenly fill each cup with the mushroom mixture, then evenly pour in the egg & cheese mixture. Using a pastry brush, paint the edges of each pastry with a little of the egg mixture inside of each pastry.
  2. Immediately place inside of your hot oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of your muffin tin. Keep in mind, I used a jumbo-muffin tin and mine were done in exactly 15 minutes. If you're using smaller muffin tins, your baking time will probably be reduced by a few minutes. Keep an eye on it. Edges should be golden brown and eggs should be set with a very slight jiggle. Use your best judgement. When done, remove from oven and let cool inside the tins for 10 minutes before removing. Use a paring knife to help loosen the sides if necessary, gently use your fingers to turn each pastry to ensure it's not sticking, then pop them out and eat them. Enjoy!
Notes
Use ANY cheese, mushroom, or sausage you want/have on hand. The whole idea of a frittata is to use what you have available, don't feel obligated to use every ingredient here. Make this yours.

Waffles with Grilled Peaches & Blueberry Maple Syrup

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I made these waffles for my boyfriend on our anniversary, and I think it’s safe to say he isn’t going anywhere lol. They are absolutely divine. Grilled peaches adorn a tender, crisp, fluffy-yet-kinda-custardy waffle, followed by a sweet blueberry maple syrup that just seals the deal. Sign yourself up!

grilledpeachesncreamwaffles1

grilledpeachesncreamwaffles2

I know it’s been a long time since I’ve posted a recipe, and I have valid reasons or that — but who cares about those. Let’s just enjoy this, shall we? If you don’t know anything about me, just know that I adore comfort food — food made with love. It just tastes better. Also know that I love breakfast/brunch. Lastly, know all about my love affair with waffles. They’re sinful, delicious fluffy vehicles for butter, syrup and other goodies.

If you don’t own a waffle iron, I suggest you get yourself one ASAP. They’re awesome to have, and necessary for this recipe. If you don’t have a belgian waffle maker, no big deal! Just use whatever kind of waffle iron you have. I don’t think the waffle police are gonna come banging on your door, it’s not that serious — just know you’ll have more batter leftover. Oh, and can we talk about that blueberry maple syrup?? Listen, it’s one of those things you’ll find yourself making over and over, and with different berries. You can do this with raspberries, blackberries, you name it. It keeps well in the fridge for a while too. As far as grilling the peaches go, I used a grill-pan. I also left the skins on the peaches, but you can totally remove them if you’d like — it’s up to you. Make sure your peaches aren’t too mushy, they should be ripe yet firm. I garnished my finish plate with raspberries as well, just because I had them (and they’re gorgeous and yummy). We smashed this plate, and then smashed each other later. Yeah, it’s one of “those” dishes 😉

Waffles with Grilled Peaches & Blueberry Maple Syrup
 
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Serves: 2-4
Ingredients
For the waffles:
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp maple extract (optional)
  • ⅓ cup canola or vegetable oil
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp sugar
For the peaches:
  • 4 ripe peaches, halved and pitted
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
For the blueberry syrup:
  • 1 cup of blueberries (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 cup of pure grade-A maple syrup (do NOT use pancake syrup)
For the cinnamon-sugar butter:
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • pinch of salt
Instructions
  1. Get your waffle iron nice and hot according to manufacturer's directions, while you prep the ingredients. Don't spray it with nonstick spray until you're ready to pour the batter.
  2. Mash the softened butter with the cinnamon and sugar until well mixed. Place in the refrigerator to chill while you make everything else.
  3. In a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the maple syrup and bluberries to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium, and allow the berries to burst and extract their juices and infuse the syrup, about 10 minutes. The syrup will reduce slightly, and that's perfectly fine. Once the syrup has reached a dark, blue/purple tint, turn off the heat, cover and set aside. When the mixture cools slightly, strain the blueberries from the syrup and discard. You could also just leave them in there, it's up to you.
  4. In either a bowl or blender, beat the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, maple extract, and oil until frothy (if you choose to mix by hand, use some muscle). In another bowl, stir all of the dry ingredients together until well combined. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour the wet mixture into the well, then stir just until the mix is moistened. Avoid over-mixing. Set aside and prepare your peaches.
  5. Slice your peaches in half, and remove the pits. Lightly brush the inside of each halved peach with vegetable oil (1 tablespoon should be enough to brush on all 8 halves, but use your best judgement). Heat your grill-pan over medium-high heat, and place each peach, flesh-side down, onto the pan. Allow the peaches to heat thru and develop beautiful grill marks and are warmed thru -- about 5 to 6 minutes, depending on how hot your grill pan is. Set aside and tent with foil to keep warm.
  6. Spray your waffle iron with nonstick spray, and spoon about ⅔ cup of batter onto a hot waffle maker and cook until golden brown.
  7. Serve your waffles with the peaches, cinnamon sugar butter, blueberry syrup and enjoy.

 

Waffles with Grilled Peaches & Blueberry Maple Syrup
 
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Tender, crisp waffles adorned with juicy grilled peaches, cinnamon butter, and a delicious blueberry maple syrup. To die for!
Serves: 4
Ingredients
For the waffles
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp maple extract (optional)
  • ⅓ cup canola or vegetable oil
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp sugar
For the peaches
  • 4 ripe yet firm peaches, halved and pitted
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
For the blueberry syrup
  • 1 cup of blueberries (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 cup of pure grade-A maple syrup (do NOT use pancake syrup)
For the cinnamon-sugar butter
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • pinch of salt
Instructions
  1. Get your waffle iron nice and hot, while you prep the ingredients. Don't spray it with nonstick spray until you're ready to pour the batter.
  2. Mash the softened butter with the cinnamon and sugar until well mixed. Place in the refrigerator to chill while you make everything else.
  3. In a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the maple syrup and bluberries to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium, and allow the berries to burst and extract their juices and infuse the syrup, about 10 minutes. The syrup will reduce slightly, and that's perfectly fine. Once the syrup has reached a dark, blue/purple tint, turn off the heat, cover and set aside. When the mixture cools slightly, strain the blueberries from the syrup and discard. You could also just leave them in there, it's up to you.
  4. In either a bowl or blender, beat the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, maple extract, and oil until frothy (if you choose to mix by hand, use some muscle). In another bowl, stir all of the dry ingredients together until well combined. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour the wet mixture into the well, then stir just until the mix is moistened. Avoid over-mixing. Set aside and prepare your peaches.
  5. Slice your peaches in half, and remove the pits. Lightly brush the inside of each halved peach with vegetable oil (1 tablespoon should be enough to brush on all 8 halves, but use your best judgement). Heat your grill-pan over medium-high heat, and place each peach, flesh-side down, onto the pan. Allow the peaches to heat thru and develop beautiful grill marks and are warmed thru -- about 5 to 6 minutes, depending on how hot your grill pan is. Set aside and tent with foil to keep warm.
  6. Spray your waffle iron with nonstick spray, and spoon about ⅔ cup of batter onto a hot waffle maker and cook until golden brown.
  7. Serve your waffles with the peaches, cinnamon sugar butter, blueberry syrup and enjoy.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 4 Calories: 1380 Fat: 87g Saturated fat: 21g Unsaturated fat: 63g Trans fat: 1g Carbohydrates: 140g Sugar: 82g Sodium: 442mg Fiber: 5g Protein: 16g Cholesterol: 163mg

Butter Pecan Waffles with Spiced Bourbon Whipped Cream

8 Comments

The first bite sent me over the edge, and before I knew it I wolfed this baby down in less than five minutes with zero shame. These are incredible, and I’m not even kidding…

Butter Pecan Waffles with Spiced Bourbon Whipped Cream

This is by far my favorite waffle recipe — ever. They’re a lot less fussy than the yeast waffles I made with my fried chicken a while back, so you absolutely have to make these. They’re too easy not to make, and too damn delicious not to eat. Your significant other will thank you in so many wonderful ways lol 😉

The texture of the waffle itself is glorious — moist, fluffy, crisp and tender, all while being light and almost kinda custardy…almost. They’re absolutely delicious soaked with the buttery maple syrup and toasted pecans and the spiced bourbon whipped cream. Heaven in your mouth, indeed. Don’t take my word for it, just make this immediately and thank me later.

I actually didn’t add the pecans to my waffle batter, instead I sprinkled them on top later — however, if you want to add them to the batter please do. They’ll be delicious! I just didn’t have enough on hand to put them in the batter, in the syrup and then garnish on top later lol. I know, I know. You can use a regular waffle iron, I used a belgian iron — it’s the only one I have lol. These will make about 4 to 6 belgian waffles, but if you’re using a regular waffle iron, you may get more out of this recipe. You can halve it to make less.

Butter Pecan Waffles with Spiced Bourbon Whipped Cream
All the dry ingredients mixed together

Butter Pecan Waffles with Spiced Bourbon Whipped Cream
Eggs, vanilla, milk, and oil in the blender

Butter Pecan Waffles with Spiced Bourbon Whipped Cream
beat it up

Butter Pecan Waffles with Spiced Bourbon Whipped Cream
for about 20 seconds until it’s nice and frothy like this

Butter Pecan Waffles with Spiced Bourbon Whipped Cream
then combine with the dry and mix gently with a whisk or large fork, just until combined

Butter Pecan Waffles with Spiced Bourbon Whipped Cream
for the whipped cream: heavy cream, bourbon, vanilla and sugar

Butter Pecan Waffles with Spiced Bourbon Whipped Cream
whipped up nicely, then add a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg

Butter Pecan Waffles with Spiced Bourbon Whipped Cream
Stir those last 2 ingredients by hand with a spoon so that you don’t risk over-whipping the cream

Butter Pecan Waffles with Spiced Bourbon Whipped Cream
all done 🙂

Butter Pecan Waffles with Spiced Bourbon Whipped Cream
maple syrup, brown sugar, butter in the pool

Butter Pecan Waffles with Spiced Bourbon Whipped Cream
bring it to a gentle simmer and DO NOT step away because it will spill over if left alone.
simmer this for about 3 to 5 minutes, then stir in your pecans (or not lol)

Butter Pecan Waffles with Spiced Bourbon Whipped Cream
put it together and watch your life change

Butter Pecan Waffles with Spiced Bourbon Whipped Cream
so damn good..I went a little overboard w/ the whipped cream though lol

Butter Pecan Waffles with Spiced Bourbon Whipped Cream

Butter Pecan Waffles with Spiced Bourbon Whipped Cream

Butter Pecan Waffles with Spiced Bourbon Whipped Cream

Butter Pecan Waffles with Spiced Bourbon Whipped Cream

Oh sweet Lord…

Pecan Waffles
 
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adapted from Babble
Serves: 4 belgian sized waffles
Ingredients
For the waffles:
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ⅓ cup canola or vegetable oil
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • ½ cup chopped pecans
For the Butter Pecan Maple Syrup:
  • 1 cup real maple syrup (grade A)
  • 1 tbsp packed light brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • ¼ cup roughly chopped toasted pecans
For the Spiced Bourbon Whipped Cream:
  • 1 cup cold heavy cream
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 to 3 tsp bourbon
  • dash of cinnamon and nutmeg
Instructions
For the waffles:
  1. In a blender, beat the eggs, milk, vanilla and oil until frothy.
  2. In a large bowl, stir all of the dry ingredients together until well mixed. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour the wet mixture into the well, then stir just until the mix is moistened. Avoid over-mixing. Gently fold in the chopped pecans.
  3. Spray your waffle iron with nonstick spray, and spoon batter onto a hot waffle maker and cook until golden brown.
  4. Serve with a pat of butter, the butter pecan maple syrup and the spiced bourbon whipped cream.
For the Butter Pecan Maple Syrup:
  1. In a small saucepan over medium high heat, bring all ingredients, except the pecans, to a steady simmer then reduce the heat to medium low and allow to cook an additional 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the toasted pecans at the end. Remove from heat and serve on top of your waffles.
For the Bourbon whipped cream:
  1. In a stand mixer, or with an electric hand-mixer, combine the heavy cream, sugar, vanilla, and bourbon in a bowl except the cinnamon and nutmeg and whip until soft peaks form, about 3 to 5 minutes. Don't over-mix or it'll turn into butter.
  2. Once it's ready, sprinkle a tiny bit of cinnamon and nutmeg and stir by hand to incorporate. Serve on top of your waffles.
  3. This can be made a day or two in advance.

Red Velvet Pancakes with Maple Cream Cheese Glaze

23 Comments

I want to dedicate this recipe to my darling Luvvie. She is doing so well in life as a whole and she recently learned she’ll get to be on the red carpet at the Academy Awards! So to celebrate your “red carpet” moment, here’s a red velvet pancake recipe for you, Luvvie. I know how much you adore all things red velvet, so try this out — it’s super easy and all for you <3

Luvvie is one of those people that you want to be around and do great things for. Her heart is so big and full of love, but don’t get it twisted…she’s adorably ratchet too LMAO! I love her so much, and I can’t wait to support her in her future endeavors. Her website “Awesomely Luvvie” isn’t for the faint of heart, she’s hilarious and raw — but so very real. I don’t mind gushing over her as much as I am right now. I love where she’s going from here and she absolutely deserves all of it. This is for you, Luvvie…I love and appreciate you, and I’m so very proud of you!

Red Velvet Pancakes with Maple Cream Cheese Glaze

So anyway, bruh…red velvet pancakes…yea I had to do it. The pancakes themselves are very fluffy, moist but not too rich and not too sweet. They have a mild chocolate undertone, and the maple cream cheese glaze really helps set it off. If you want the pancakes to be sweeter, you could add another tablespoon or two of sugar, but if you plan on drenching them with a sweet cream cheese glaze, you may wanna chill on adding sugar to the batter — totally up to you. You don’t have to make the glaze, but if you have extra time and an extra bowl, I don’t see why not 😉

*Please be careful with the red food coloring. It WILL stain whatever it lands on, including you!

Red Velvet Pancakes with Maple Cream Cheese Glaze
Maple cream cheese glaze is all done

Red Velvet Pancakes with Maple Cream Cheese Glaze
I put the glaze in a small ziploc bag to pipe onto the pancakes, by cutting a tiny hole in the corner

Red Velvet Pancakes with Maple Cream Cheese Glaze
all of your dry ingredients

Red Velvet Pancakes with Maple Cream Cheese Glaze
In a separate bowl (or mixer), blend all of the wet ingredients until smooth

Red Velvet Pancakes with Maple Cream Cheese Glaze
like so…

Red Velvet Pancakes with Maple Cream Cheese Glaze
Then slowly add the dry stuff into the wet, and try not to over mix — but be sure to get all of the large lumps out

Red Velvet Pancakes with Maple Cream Cheese Glaze
Use a rubber spatula to incorporate the mix by hand so you don’t overwork the batter and create too much gluten

Red Velvet Pancakes with Maple Cream Cheese Glaze
I used an electric griddle and set it between highest 2 heat settings, and I also cooked these on top of a little butter..because that’s how I roll..

Red Velvet Pancakes with Maple Cream Cheese Glaze
YUM!!

Red Velvet Pancakes with Maple Cream Cheese Glaze

Red Velvet Pancakes with Maple Cream Cheese Glaze

Red Velvet Pancakes with Maple Cream Cheese Glaze

Red Velvet Pancakes with Maple Cream Cheese Glaze

Yeah, they’re pretty serious. I love them.

Red Velvet Pancakes with Maple Cream Cheese Glaze
 
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adapted from Food Republic
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Ghirardelli Unsweetened Cocoa Powder)
  • 1 egg
  • ¾ cup buttermilk
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp red food coloring
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 3 tbsp butter, melted
For the glaze:
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
  • 2 to 3 tbsp confectioners sugar
  • 2 to 3 tbsp heavy cream (or milk)
Optional garnishes:
  • Powdered sugar
  • Chocolate chips
  • Toasted pecans
Instructions
To make the glaze:
  1. Mix the cream cheese and maple syrup together until smooth, then add the confectioners sugar. Continue to mix until smooth. Add the heavy cream (or milk) and mix until smooth and creamy. You may need to add more or less of each ingredient to reach your desired consistency and sweetness.
For the pancakes:
  1. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar and cocoa powder in a large bowl.
  2. In another large bowl, beat egg with buttermilk, sour cream, food coloring and vanilla extract until smooth.
  3. Slowly whisk in the flour mixture, adding melted butter in gradually as well, until all lumps are out.
  4. Heat a large nonstick pan over medium heat, then drop in batter ¼ cup at a time to form pancakes.
  5. Flip when bottoms are set and bubbles are forming on top and cook until firm and fluffy all the way through.
  6. Drizzle your maple cream cheese glaze on top with a little butter, and garnishes if you decide to use them, and enjoy!

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