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Slow Cooker Apple French Toast Casserole

Posted on January 7, 2013 by Kaitlin

I love recipes that make it easy to serve a bunch of people with minimal effort. A slow cooker is usually a go-to for those types of recipes but I’ve never considered using it to make breakfast before. The Ninja Cooking System is the perfect tool for it though. They sent over this recipe for an Apple French Toast Casserole and I couldn’t wait for the weekend to come so I could make it. This recipe makes 8 servings so it would be great for breakfast for a larger group but I also packed up the rest of my servings to reheat during the week. Ingredients: ½ cup butter 2 Granny Smith apples, cored and chopped 1/2 cup chopped pecans 1/2 cup chopped walnuts ½ cup packed brown sugar ½ cup pure maple syrup 1 loaf challah bread (about 1 pound), cut into cubes 6 large eggs 2 cups vanilla almond milk (or normal milk) 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon vanilla extract Pinch salt Confectioners’ sugar

Butternut Squash Agnolotti Pasta Salad with Walnuts, Golden Raisins, and Snow Peas

Posted on July 11, 2012 by Kaitlin

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you might have picked up on my obsession with pumpkin and butternut squash. I attempt to limit my gourd intake to the September and October months, but every now and then I still need my fix outside of those months. Butternut squash seems to be more socially acceptable, especially in pasta form. Buitoni’s Butternut Squash Agnolotti is the perfect way for me to have this delicious ingredient year-round. Agnolotti is just a type of ravioli. This specific agnolotti is a “half-moon pasta filled with oven-roasted butternut squash, Impastata Ricotta, aged Parmesan and Grana Padano cheeses, accented with amoretti cookie crumbs. I traditionally use a brown butter sage sauce with butternut squash ravioli because they are a perfect pair. I wanted to try something a little different with this agnolotti, so I instead made a cold pasta salad. It has been so unbearably hot in Philadelphia that I thought this would be a perfect (and timely) twist.Also, don’t forget to enter my giveaway to win a bunch of Buitoni goodies and free Buitoni pasta! Ingredients: 1 package of Buitoni’s Butternut Squash Agnolotti ½ cup butter 1 shallot, chopped 1 tablespoon fresh … Continue reading →

Grilled Tomato Orzo Salad in a Tomato Bowl

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Kaitlin

We have been having such a warm spring in Philadelphia. So if the weather is going to pretend it is summer, I will as well! To me, summer means tomatoes, corn, pesto, pasta salad, and of course, grilling. Lipman Tomatoes, a business-to-business company that has been supplying tomatoes and other vegetables to grocery stores and restaurants for 70 years, is about to launch a consumer-focused brand and website. Lipman contacted me about developing a recipe to celebrate their launch, which is the perfect opportunity for me to give into my “summer fever”. I decided to make a Grilled Tomato Orzo Salad served in a Tomato Bowl. (Update: the site is now live! Check out my recipe here!) Lipman sent me an awesome assortment of their tomatoes. I decided to use the grape tomatoes for grilling, and the Vintage Ripe (a beautiful heirloom tomato) as my tomato bowls. The assortment also came with some cherry tomatoes and plum tomatoes so expect me to be on quite the tomato kick in the coming days! Ingredients: 4 large Vintage Ripe tomatoes 1 cup orzo 4 cups vegetable broth 1 pint grape tomatoes 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 corn on the cob (or 1/3 … Continue reading →

Guest Post: Gourmet Turkey Burger with Island Slaw from Positively Cooking

Posted on March 8, 2012 by Kaitlin

I have another amazing guest post for you today! Adrienne, from Positively Cooking, agreed to share one of her delicious recipes with us. Positively Cooking is chock full of delicious and nutritious meals that use easy to find ingredients. Her Gourmet Turkey Burger with Island Slaw is not only beautiful (I mean, look at these photos) but it is a healthy and delicious meal as well. Check out her recipe below and be sure to pop over to Positively Cooking to see all of the other mouth watering recipes her blog has to offer! A savory, juicy burger is pretty hard to beat. When that burger is full of nutrients, easy on your waistline, easy on your budget, and needless to say tastes delicious, a burger is near impossible to beat. Using ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen, I have developed my Gourmet Turkey Burger w Island Slaw from my own personal cravings for a filling, tasty meal. You don’t need to wait until sweet summertime to enjoy burgers from the grill. Since I am an Ohio girl (and stuck inside during the winter months… ugh), I grilled mine stovetop on a griddle and also tried it on … Continue reading →

Sauteed Spiced Pears with Walnuts Over Ice Cream

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Kaitlin

This recipe is a result of having all of the ingredients in my kitchen, and my endless sweet tooth. Pears hold up really well to being cooked so I thought they would be great with traditional baking spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves) and some walnuts for crunch. I also had a bit of ice cream left in my freezer so I used the pears and walnuts as a topping. Ingredients: 1 bosc pear, peel, cored, and cut into slices 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg A pinch of cloves 1/4 cup walnuts 1 scoop French vanilla ice cream To make, add the butter to a saute pan over medium low heat. When melted, add the walnuts and mix to combine. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves and mix to combine. Add the pear slices, mix, and cook for 10 minutes or until softened but still holding its shape. Add ice cream to a bowl. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pears and walnuts on top of the ice cream. Serve immediately. If you want, you can allow the pears and walnuts to cool a bit. I like slightly melted ice cream so I wanted to top it … Continue reading →

Pesto Pasta Salad

Posted on July 1, 2011 by Kaitlin

I am in a pasta salad making mood, so I decided to make one more batch for this weekend. I am going to assemble most of the pasta salad when I arrive though, I think it will taste best when freshly mixed. I already made one pasta salad for this weekend, but I have a bunch of these ingredients on hand from other recipes and I don’t want them to go bad over the long weekend. I used a recipe from My Recipesas a base and substituted ingredients I already had. Ingredients for the pesto: 1 or 2 bunches of packed fresh basil 1 bunch of packed fresh parsley 4 garlic cloves, minced Juice and zest from 1 lemon 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/3 cup walnuts (or toasted pine nuts) 1/2 cup olive oil 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese Ingredients for the salad: 1 box gemelli or other short pasta 1 small container plain 2 percent Greek yogurt 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved 3 small cucumbers, sliced 1 red onion, chopped 1/2 cup feta cheese Cook the pasta according to the “al dente” directions on the package. Drain and run under cold water. Set aside. … Continue reading →

Roasted Beets with Tahini

Posted on June 29, 2011 by Kaitlin

There is a restaurant in Philadelphia called Zahav that serves modern Israeli food. I went there for my birthday last December, and am still thinking about their tasty hummus and absolutely fantastic salatim, a selection of 8 little salads that you scoop up with their house baked laffa. All of the salads were really delicious, but the pureed beet salad was by far the happiest surprise offered. So when my CSA share came with beets this time around, I knew exactly what I was going to make… or try to make at least. I basically made a hummus, substituting in roasted beets for the chickpeas. My version is probably not all that close, to the one served as Zahav but I’m still happy with the results. Ingredients: 1 bunch of beets (mine came with 5) 2 tablespoons tahini The juice and zest of 2 lemons 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon cumin 1 tablespoon olive oil Salt and pepper, to taste Walnuts, for topping To roast the beets, preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Remove the tops, wash to remove all dirt, and arrange on a baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and add a generous amount of salt. … Continue reading →

Garlic Scape Pesto

Posted on June 14, 2011 by Kaitlin

This week, I received Garlic Scapes with my CSA half share. What the heck is a garlic scape you may ask? When garlic is growing, the scape is the green shoot that pops out of the earth. Farmers need to trim these so that the garlic can continue to grow. But the actual green shoot also packs in a bunch of garlicky goodness, although more mild and with a touch of grass smell. The scapes are kind of scary looking but I was willing to try using them, who knows when I’ll come across these again! Because they are a more delicate version of garlic, scapes are best used raw. I came across a recipe for Garlic Scape Pesto on the blog In the Kitchen and on the Road with Dorie which seemed like a good way to use a bunch of the scapes. I substituted walnuts for the almonds, mainly because my poor boyfriend is allergic and I didn’t want to mistakenly serve him something with almonds in it. I also cut the recipe in half to test it out, I can always make more later! Ingredients: 5 garlic scapes, finely chopped 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan 1/4 cup … Continue reading →

Pear & Arugula Salad with Walnuts & Parmesan

Posted on May 3, 2011 by Kaitlin

I found a recipe for Fig & Arugula Salad with Parmesan and really wanted to try it, but figs are not in season until September-ish. Comments for the recipe suggested using red pears as a substitute, so I tried it out. I also didn’t have any shallots so I nixed those, and added in some walnuts for a bit of crunch. Ingredients: 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 red pears, peeled, cored & chopped 6 cups trimmed arugula (about 6 ounces) 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup (1 ounce) shaved fresh Parmesan cheese A handful of walnuts Combine the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and salt. Whisk to combine. Very exciting photo, I know Peel pears. Cut in half and remove the seeds and stem. (You can use a melon baller or just a spoon) Chop into bite-size pieces. Add the pear pieces to the vinaigrette and toss to coat. Cover and let marinate for 20 minutes. In another bowl, add the arugula. You can add raw walnuts, or if you’re up for it, saute them in some butter until fragrant. Remove and place on a paper towel to … Continue reading →

Vegan Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Butternut Squash and Apple with Candied Walnuts

Posted on March 11, 2011 by Kaitlin

New York Times recently had an article with a recipe from Carmen Quagliata, the executive chef at Union Square Café. The recipe was for a perfect winter dish: Vegan Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Butternut Squash and Apple with Candied Walnuts. Usually when searching for Brussels sprouts recipes, bacon is almost always included, so I was happy to find a somewhat healthy alternative. I thought Ash Wednesday would a great to try out this recipe for dinner. Ingredients for Brussels sprouts: 1 ½ cups Brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved 2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch asymmetrical chunks 2 cups (about 1 large) Honeycrisp, Cortland, or Granny Smith apple, cored and cut into 1-inch asymmetrical chunks (my local market was out of these options so I used two Pink Lady apples) 1 shallot, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices 2 tablespoons olive oil 5 fresh sage leaves Salt and freshly ground pepper ½ tablespoon maple syrup Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. While it is heating up, prep your Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, apples, and shallot. To trim the Brussels sprouts, cut off the rough white stem and then cut the sprout in half. If any outer leaves fall off discard them … Continue reading →