Forking Up

Hey y'all, sorry for the lack of recipes here lately. You'll see some new content shortly, as I've been compiling my Austin Food Blogger Alliance City Guides this month. But with a new job and holiday season finally coming to an end, it's been tough to try and make time to cook!

As you may have noticed, I've been re-posting a lot from my old blog. So there really is no excuse for not setting aside five minutes to edit. I apologize and will try to be better!

I'm attempting a low-ish carb diet with my husband--we'll see how long we last--and I figured this recipe from my Whole 30 attempt a few years back would be a good one to revisit. It's healthy, full of flavor, and very fulfilling. My husband even likes it, despite suspect green things in the mix--however, I had to make his portion outside of the squash (a sort of mini-meatloaf) because he still refuses to eat THAT veggie. Baby steps.

Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash

• 2 Acorn squash
• 1 lb mild sausage, ground (or just dissect some that come in the casing)
• 1 small apple, cubed
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1/2 cup mushrooms, diced
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp sage (fresh is best)
• 1 handful of kale, stalks removed and pulled into tiny bits
• 1/4 cup craisins/dried cranberries (no sugar kind)
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup almond meal
• salt and pepper, to taste

Topping (optional)
3 tbs ghee
1 tsp truffle oil (optional)

-Cut, core, and roast acorn squash (lightly brushing with olive oil and adding a pinch of salt, pepper, and ground sage) at 400 degrees for 20 mins.

-Meanwhile, brown sausage. Set aside, reserve drippings. Heat drippings (plus a bit of olive oil or coconut oil if there's not enough) and add garlic and onions. Cook until onions are transluscent.

-Add apple, mushrooms, kale, and craisins. Cook until kale is soft, then add to sausage. Let cool to room temp.

-Add egg and almond meal, mix well. You may need a bit more or less--you want to be able to shape it into a ball.

-Stuff cavity of acorn squash with balled meat (hehe) and cook for an additional 15-20 minutes, until meat is firm (TEE-HEHE).

-In a small pot, heat ghee and truffle oil. Drizzle on top of stuffed squash.

Note: To make mini meatloaves, simply ball meat and cook on a greased cookie sheet for the same amount of time.


*Can be any squash you like! Zucchini might work well, or butternut

(Note: this originally appeared on my old blog, which no longer exists.)

Most recipes I make are new recipes. Something I've never tried, with new ingredients or using new techniques. Often, I end up with something that may or may not be tasty, but definitely isn't photo-worthy. When the stars align and somehow it all comes together and I create a recipe that is a success both taste-and-visually? It's cause for celebration.
As was the case with this jaeger schnitzel (weiner schnitzel with mushroom sauce). Before I left western Massachusetts, I had a divine meal at a German restaurant and got this amazing dish. Ever since, I'd been toying with it in my mind to make it tummy-friendly to avoid any sort of gluten bloat.

When it works, it just works. This meal is incredible. Next time I'll toy with trying to make spaetzle, but I didn't quite have the time this go around. I left in the dairy, even though that doesn't always agree with me, and the flavor was definitely worth it.
The directions are a little involved, but overall it's a very easy recipe! I had most of these things on hand, too, so the whole process took about 20 minutes. A great idea for a quick, easy, DELICIOUS dinner :)


Jaeger Schnitzel (Gluten Free)
(Inspired by this recipe)

• 4 large boneless, skinless pork chops, pounded thin with a mallet to 1/4" thickness
• 1 cup almond meal
• 3 tbs gluten free flour
• 2 tsp cajun seasoning or cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• 1 egg
• 2 tbs butter
• 1 tbs olive oil

For the Sauce

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 tbs butter
• 1/5 cups mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup white wine (I used chardonnay)
• 1/2 cup + 2 tsp heavy cream
• 2 tbs corn starch
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 3 tbs parsley, freshly chopped

-Melt 2 tablespoons butter with olive oil in skillet.

-Mix together almond flour, salt, pepper, and cajun seasoning in one bowl. Spread gluten-free flour on a plate. Lightly coat each thin chop with the gluten free flour, then dip into the egg wash, and finally coat generously with the almond meal mixture.

-Place breaded chops two by two in your skillet and cook each side until crispy--about 3-4 minutes per side. Put on a paper-towel lined plate and keep warm while you prepare the sauce.

-For the sauce: cook onion until translucent and add sliced mushrooms, let cook until the mushrooms are just soft.

-Add broth and wine, cook until steaming. Add 1/2 cup of the cream, bring to a boil and simmer for several minutes.

-Mix remaining 2 tablespoons of cream with 2 tablespoons of corn starch. Add slurry to mushroom mixture and bring to a boil, stirring vigorously to avoid clumps. Add parsley, salt and pepper to taste.

-Serve with mushroom sauce spooned over cutlets. Traditionally with a potato side dish, or as I've done here with a big helping of buttered peas.

I threw this together one night because I seem to hoard red peppers whenever they're on sale, and my recipe-to-red-pepper ratio seems to be off, meaning my fridge is always full of them. Not that I'm complaining...


Roasted Red Pepper Soup

• 2 large red peppers
• 1 head garlic
• 1 small onion
• 1 can petite diced tomatoes
• 2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable if you'd like to go vegetarian)
• 1 tbs sherry vinegar
• 2+ tbs olive oil
• crushed red pepper
• salt and pepper

-Prick holes in peppers and rub with olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Cut off the top of the garlic so that tops of cloves are exposed but still hold together. Drizzle garlic with olive oil and cover with tin foil and place on baking sheet. Place baking sheet in an oven heated to 400 degrees F and bake for about 20 minutes, turning peppers halfway, or until peppers begin to blister.

-Meanwhile, over medium heat, heat 2 tbs olive oil in a saucepan and add the onion and crushed red pepper. Cook until onion is translucent. Add the tomatoes and vinegar.

-When peppers are fully cooked, let cool until safe to touch and peel off skin and discard seeds. Add to the pot, along with the garlic (which you can get out simply by squeezing it). Add the chicken broth and let simmer for about five minutes.

-Puree with an immersion blender or in batches in a standing blender. Cook a few more minutes over medium heat, then serve with a dollop of sour cream.

Does anyone else feel like they need a week off to recuperate from the holidays? After two weeks of back and forth travel and the stress of the holiday season, piled on with other various stressors, I am beat.

It's been unseasonably cold in Austin and I've been a grumpy stress ball for most of it. But, with the new year begins new things, and the warmer air is already setting in again, so hopefully things will settle back to some sort of normal soon.

Cooking, for the past few years, has always been my "me time"--a time to relax and experiment with flavors and make something amazing while letting my brain just chill. Lately, it's been a chore I've needed to push around my schedule for, and I've succumbed to short cuts and quick fixes. Instead of using it as my own personal therapy, I've avoided that. I need to get back.


Travel means lots of meals on the road. While I'm not complaining, I do miss my kitchen. This week I am committing to three home-cooked meals. So, I'm pulling out this recipe--formerly published on my last blog--because you can't get much more unique than cocoa balsamic vinegar. The savory and sweet combination is just perfect. Reduced with some wine you have a delicious topping for any sort of pork.



Grilled Pork Sirloin with Cherry Cocoa Balsamic Compote

• 2 pork sirloin steaks
• 1 cup golden cherries, pitted and halved
• 3 tbs sugar
• 1/4 cup Boyajian Cocoa Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/4 cup moscato wine
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2+ tbs Boyajian garlic oil, optional

-To begin, I rubbed the pork sirloin steaks with the garlic oil and salt and pepper and let them sit while my grill pan heated. Season pork steaks as you'd like, and grill until cooked through.

-While pork is cooking, combine all remaining ingredients in a saucepan and cook over high heat, until cherries burst and release their juices. Reduce heat and let simmer until reduced by half. Taste, and add more or less liquid if desired.

-Serve compote over pork.

Do you live in an area of the globe that's chilly during the holidays? Isn't it great to sip a cocktail that warms you from the inside out when there's a chill in the air?

So, I don't live in a place like that anymore. These cocktails still hit the spot. When the AC is on and I'm snuggled up in my PJs, I sip on one of these cocktails and close my eyes and can almost picture snow on the ground.


If you're like me, your liquor cabinet isn't as robust as you might like. However, with Torani syrups, you can amp up your cocktail game in a big way. For the following recipes I used White Chocolate, Blood Orange, Belgian Cookie, and Caramel syrups. I definitely suggest getting a few pumps for easy access. You could even make a cool cocktail station for a party with various flavors lined up.


I portioned these out for single servings, but I imagine they'd be wonderful in three separate crock pots, decorated with holiday flair on your party table! To make a big batch, it's easy enough to adjust. However, be careful with flavorings and spices. Err on the side of not a total 1:1 ratio for larger portions. Add slowly, tasting between additions. For example, if you're making 10 times as much of the Hot White Chocolate, add 2 pumps at a time of White Chocolate Syrup and taste to make sure the flavor isn't too concentrated.



White Hot Chocolate

• 1 cup milk
• 1tbsp heavy cream
• 1 pump (~1 tbsp) Torani White Chocolate syrup
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 oz vanilla vodka

-Heat milk and cream to desired (hot!) temp and stir in the rest of the ingredients. Serve with whipped cream and a dash of nutmeg or cinnamon.


Mulled Wine

• 1 cup sweet red wine
• 1 tsp mulling spices
• 1 pump Torani Blood Orange syrup
• 1/2 oz blackberry brandy

-Mix together the wine and mulling spices. Heat in a small saucepan or in the microwave until hot. Let the wine heat, then let sit for a few minutes to let the flavors blend. Re-heat if needed, and stir in the remaining ingredients.

Caffeinated Cookie

• 1 cup coffee, brewed
• 1 tbsp heavy cream
• 1 half pump Torani Belgian Cookie syrup
• 1 half pump Torani Caramel syrup
• 1 oz whiskey

-Mix all ingredients in a mug and serve while the coffee is still hot.

If you're like me and wait until the last second to do EVERYTHING... then thank goodness for make-at-home gifts. Like peanut brittle. Or any kind of nut brittle! It's classy, tasty, and just about everyone loves it. Plus, despite it being a bit temperamental, it really is a quick and easy treat to put together.

I didn't have any corn syrup on hand, but I found an awesome recipe for peanut brittle without corn syrup, and I didn't even need to dig out my candy thermometer! Score.


Dipped in bittersweet chocolate or put in a Christmas tin, it makes a good last minute gift for just about anyone.

Peanut Brittle, Sans Corn Syrup
(Recipe from Average Betty)

• 3 cups peanuts (or any nut you'd like!)
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tbs butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

What do you do when you...
1. Love Christmas
2. Love getting gifts for friends and family
but
3. Are two thousand miles away from family and therefore need travel-friendly options
and
4. Are pretty broke at the moment?

Our first Austin Christmas back in 2013

Answer: Melt lots of chocolate in the microwave and try to be as careful as possible.

I am a messy, accident-prone cook. I discovered this while living at home with my parents: I can go over the kitchen five times with every cleaner I can think of and I will STILL miss a glaringly huge area that I somehow just didn't see. I decided that I would try to keep my mess as contained as possible and create stovetop-only goodies since I've had more than enough kitchen foibles already, using as little kitchen space as possible for this endeavor.

Enter: white chocolate covered Oreos.

Chocolate dipped Oreos are one of my favorite candy-counter goodies, despite the fact that they are SO easy to make at home. Simply melt chocolate, dip Oreos, top with candy. BOOM. Done.

I amped up the Christmasy-factor here by using HEB* brand Christmas Sandwich Cookies--Oreo-knockoffs with a peppermint flavored, red center--and dipping them in Almond Bark white chocolate AND topping them with crushed candy canes. The result is something that tastes amazing, feels fancy, and costs about $5 total for four packs of five cookies.

*HEB is a grocery store out here that I am in LOVE with. The organic and gluten free selection is vast AND affordable, and if you roam around midday on a weekday you can make yourself a lunch out of the free samples. Plus the in-store coupons are incredible. Definitely my favorite supermarket of all time, maybe only second to my favorite local shop back in MA.

December in Austin: 70 degrees and sunny!

Peppermint Bark Oreos

• 1 Pack Christmas-themed or Peppermint flavored Oreos
• 2 16oz bags white chocolate chips OR 2 packages white chocolate almond bark
• 2 candy canes
• 1/2 tsp peppermint extract (optional)

-Pulverize candy canes in a food processor or use a hammer and a ziplock bag

-Melt white chocolate according to directions (I typically do a minute half power, stir, then 30 second half power increments but this will depend on the brand) gently fold in peppermint extract.

-Dip Oreos and turn until well coated. Place on wax paper in a cookie sheet. Continue for entire pack.

-Before chocolate has set, sprinkle candy cane dust on top of cookies. Place cookie sheet in fridge and let harden for ten minutes.

PS. I also made nut brittle, pistachio bark, puppy chow, and fudge for gifts. Which would you like me to post recipes for?