Cherry Crisp

This cherry crisp was so delicious! And easy. It uses frozen cherries so you can make it anytime. I loved the almonds in here. I also added a bit of almond extract to the cherries. 

Cherry Crisp

adapted from Valerie's Kitchen 

36 ounces frozen dark cherries, no sugar added, thawed (3 12-ounce bags)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, optional
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, divided
3/4 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup sliced almonds, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, cut into 1-inch slices

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9- x 13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, toss cherries with lemon juice, vanilla and optional almond extract. Add granulated sugar and ¼ cup flour and stir to combine. Pour into the prepared baking dish.

2.  In a medium bowl, combine remaining 1 ¼ cups flour, oats, brown sugar, ¼ cup sliced almonds, and salt. Work in the butter with a pastry blender or fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over the fruit. Sprinkle with remaining almonds.

3.  Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until topping is golden brown.

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Salted Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

These were some of the best chocolate chip cookies I've ever had! The brown butter really adds something, and the recipe is pretty easy, using common ingredients, and no chilling of the dough. The flavor and texture is just perfect. 

Salted Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

1 cup (227 g) salted butter
1 ¼ cups (265 g) packed light or dark brown sugar
½ cup (106 g) granulated sugar
2 large (100 g) eggs
1 large (20 g) egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cup (426 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon table salt
2 cups (340 g) semisweet chocolate chips
Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling (optional)

1.  Line two half sheet pans with parchment paper; set aside.

2.  For the brown butter, cut the butter into pieces and add to a 10-inch skillet (preferably light-colored so you can see easily when the butter has browned). Heat over medium heat, stirring as the butter melts so that it cooks evenly. As the butter continues to cook, constantly and slowly stir with a silicone spatula. The butter will foam, sizzle, bubble, and after a few minutes (anywhere from 5 to 8 minute), the solids in the butter will begin to turn golden. Brown butter can burn easily, so don't walk away!
When the butter solids are browned and golden and it smells caramelly and fragrant, immediately remove the skillet from the heat and pour the butter into a large bowl.

3.  For the cookies, to the bowl with the brown butter, add the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Stir to combine. Let the mixture sit until just barely warm or cooled to room temperature, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla, and stir until well-combined and the batter is light and creamy. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix until a few dry streaks remain. Stir in the chocolate chips until evenly combined. Let the batter rest while the oven preheats.

4.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. (Make sure the oven is preheated fully before baking the cookies – if the oven isn't hot enough, the cookies will likely spread while baking.)

5.  Scoop the cookie dough into 2-tablespoon size portions (I use a #40 medium cookie scoop) and roll into balls. Place several inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 11 minutes until the cookies are just set around the edges and a bit crackly on top. For super soft and chewy cookies, don't over bake.

6. Immediately out of the oven, sprinkle a few grains of sea salt on each cookie, if desired. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

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Easy Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

I love this recipe. I've made it about 3 times, and am about to make it again soon. It's different from other slow cooker Indian food recipes I've made because you chop the raw chicken first, not shred it after cooking. I love the ease of those shredding recipes but I like the taste and texture of this recipe more. It's still an easy and low-work recipe. If you don't want to chop chicken, you can buy it pre-chopped in some stores. I double this recipe when I make it so we have leftovers for lunch. I don't always double the chicken, but just increase it a little bit. I also don't double the butter, but just increase it to 5 or 6 tablespoons.

Easy Slow Cooker Butter Chicken 

adapted from An Edible Mosaic

15 ounce can tomato puree
6 to 8 large cloves garlic peeled and crushed*
1 tablespoon freshly-grated ginger* (can use ginger-garlic paste in place of garlic and ginger*)
1 1/2 tablespoons coconut sugar or light brown sugar
4 teaspoons garam masala
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon smoked paprika 
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs trimmed of fat and cut into bite-sized pieces (I use chicken tenderloins or breasts)
1 large onion, finely diced (about 2 to 2 1/2 cups finely diced)
8 cardamom pods, cracked open
2 cinnamon sticks
1 bay leaf
4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 teaspoon ground fenugreek optional (I used 1/2 tsp fenugreek leaves from Amazon)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Optional Garnish Suggestions

Fresh cilantro leaves for garnish
Fresh lime wedges for garnish
Prepared basmati rice
Naan

1.  Add the tomato puree, garlic, ginger, coconut sugar, garam masala, salt, smoked sweet paprika, coriander, cumin, cayenne pepper, and black pepper to a slow cooker, and whisk to combine. Add the chicken, onion, cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, and bay leaf, and stir to coat the chicken, spreading it out evenly. Scatter the butter pieces on top.

2.  Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours or on LOW for 4 to 5 hours. At the end of cooking, stir in the fenugreek, cream, and lemon juice. Serve garnished with fresh cilantro and lime wedges, along with prepared basmati rice and/or naan if desired.

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Everything Bagel Seasoning Mix

Some of my fam has become very fond of Trader Joe's Everything Bagel Seasoning lately. We've been putting in on weekend breakfasts of avocado toast, and in my case, cottage cheese with fresh cherry or grape tomatoes. It's so good on those things! We used up our last bottle a bit ago, and living overseas, couldn't easily get more. So I found a recipe online and tried it. It's very good! That batch is almost gone now, but luckily, a friend in the States send me a supply of the seasoning that should last a while- so exciting! But this recipe is great if you can't buy it already made. 

Everything Bagel Seasoning

adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon dried minced garlic*
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon dried minced onion
2 teaspoons flaked sea salt or coarse salt

In a small bowl, combine the poppy seeds, sesame seeds, dried garlic, dried onion, and salt. Stir until well combined. *If your garlic and onion bits are too large, you may need to blend them quickly in a mini food processor. Store in a sealed jar or container.

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Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup

I loved this soup! This is the first recipe I ever made in my Instant Pot.... that I bought almost 10 years ago. Lol! I've been scared of it. My husband has used it from time to time, but I didn't take the plunge until a friend gave me this recipe and super-simple instructions that made me feel more confident in making it. It was super helpful and I made this soup twice recently! It makes a LOT, so the 2nd time I made it, I reduced the broth down to 2 cups. It still made a lot and was a little thicker this way, which I also liked. Go ahead and use 4 cups if you want more soup. 

Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup  

adapted from Six Sister's Stuff

3 boneless chicken breasts, skinless
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce
1 onion, diced
1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, diced
15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
15 ounce can corn, do not drain
19 ounces red enchilada sauce
4 cups chicken broth (use 2 cups for a thicker soup)
salt and pepper, to taste
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup sour cream
sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, for garnish

cilantro, for garnish

tortilla chips, for garnish

1.  Put everything in the pot except the heavy cream, sour cream, and garnishes. Put the lid on. Move the vent knob on top to “seal”. Press the “manual” button and reduce (the 30-minute time that will show on the front) to 20 minutes. 

2.  After 20 minutes is up on the Instant Pot, move the knob on top to “vent” and let all of the steam out. Shred chicken in the pot using 2 forks. Stir in heavy cream and sour cream.

3. Serve with the garnishes and enjoy. :) 

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Risotto Carbonara

This risotto recipe was SO good. The fam enjoyed this one. The photos are of the leftovers, and I think all of the pancetta was picked out by that point, lol. So it doesn't look very carbonara-y, but it is. (You can use either smoked pancetta or guanciale for this.) 

This was a bit too salty with all that cheese, but delicious. Next time, I'd use unsalted broth and add a bit of salt to taste. Also, there are onions in this recipe. If you are a Carbonara purist, this probably isn't for you, anyway. :) They sell eggs in Italy that have extra-yellow yolks for homemade pasta and other things. I did not use them for this recipe because I didn't have them on hand, but I would next time. 

Risotto Carbonara 

adapted from Delicious Australia

2-4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, as needed
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
200g smoked pancetta OR guanciale, finely chopped
2 eggs, plus 3 yolks
2 cups (160g) finely grated parmesan, plus extra to serve
250g arborio rice
5 cups (1.25L) low-sodium chicken stock* 

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1.  Heat oil in a large non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and bacon and cook, stirring, for 15 minutes or until onion is completely translucent and bacon is fragrant and the fat has rendered.

2.  While the onion is cooking, combine eggs, yolks and parmesan in a bowl. Season with freshly ground black pepper.

3.  Stir rice into onion mixture and cook for 1 minute to coat the grains, then add stock*, 1 ladleful at a time, stirring at each addition, for 20 minutes or until all the stock has been used and rice is al dente. Remove from heat and cool for 2 minutes, then add egg mixture and stir for 2-3 minutes to create a rich, creamy risotto. Return to low heat for 1 minute, then remove from the heat. If you used unsalted stock, taste for salt and add some if necessary. Scatter over extra parmesan and freshly ground black pepper to serve.

Note: To reheat any risotto, use a nonstick pan on the stove on medium-low heat. Add some water or broth (or milk, if you want it creamier) and stir with a silicone spatula until heated. Add more liquid as the risotto soaks it up, until the risotto is warm enough. You want it to remain creamy. 

*This was too salty for me even with the reduced-sodium stock, and I even used 4 cups broth, 1 cup water. It was because of the amount of cheese. I would either reduce the cheese next time (gasp!) OR use more water with my stock, OR unsalted stock and then add salt to taste. 

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Slow Cooker Baked Beans

I loved these baked beans, and they were nice and easy to put in the slow cooker. The flavor was great with the bacon. My bean-loving kids enjoyed this. It makes a large quantity and would be great for a potluck or BBQ. 

Slow Cooker Baked Beans

adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

6 slices bacon (regular or thick cut), diced
1 cup small diced onion
2 cans (15-ounces each) pinto beans
2 cans (15-ounces each) navy beans
¾ cup ketchup
⅓ cup (71 g) brown sugar
¼ cup molasses
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon dijon or yellow mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika

1.  In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon and onion until the bacon is cooked through and starting to crisp and the onions are translucent, 5-7 minutes. Drain excess grease.

2.  Rinse and drain only two cans of the beans. Add the rinsed and drained beans to the skillet along with the two cans of undrained beans. Stir in the ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and paprika.

3.  Transfer the beans to the insert of a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours until bubbling and slightly thickened. They'll thicken up more as they cool slightly. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed.

**Oven Directions (I haven't made these in the oven btw): Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Transfer the baked beans to an oven-safe 9X13-inch dish and cover with foil. Bake for 1 hour. Uncover and bake for 15-20 more minutes until bubbling. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes. They'll thicken up more as they cool slightly. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed.**

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