Category Archives: Recipes

Curried Butternut Squash Stuffing

Maple Sweet Potatoes with Caramelized Onion and Bacon

Can’t. Stop. Eating. These.

I already posted a great sweet potato recipe this week, but I had a couple leftover taters in my kitchen, so I decided to improvise with another version. I like this one even better. OHMYGOD. I couldn’t stop eating them out of the pan! Adding in a bit of Grade B maple syrup gives them a decadent, slightly sweet finish to compliment the savory sage and bacon. OHMYGOD.

Ingredients

2 large sweet potatoes (peeled and diced)

6 pieces of cooked, crumbled bacon

1 medium onion cut into thin rings

1 Tb butter

1 Tb olive oil

1/4 cup brandy

1 tsp kosher salt (plus more to taste)

2 Tb Grade B Maple syrup

2 Tb fresh sage chopped

Directions: Toss peeled and diced sweet potatoes in boiling water for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Bake bacon at 400 for 10 minutes until crispy. Drain and crumble.

Heat up a frying pan on medium heat with oil and butter. Put onions in when butter gets bubbly with 1 tsp kosher salt. Saute for 20 minutes until softened and beginning to brown and caramelize. Add in 1/4 cup brandy and crank up heat for a couple minutes. Then turn heat back down and cook off alcohol, another 15 minutes. Add in softened potatoes and crumbled bacon. Stir in the 2 Tb of Grade B Maple syrup to coat everything. Garnish with fresh sage.

I dare you to try not eating them straight outta da pan. OHMYGOD.

Meaty Monday: Smack Yo Mama (it’s so good) Jambalaya

Baked Cod in Parchment with Mediterranean Tapenade

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Substitute in any white fish you like…

Earlier this summer, I had the chance to cook with one of the most inspiring women I know….Deb Shigley is a published author (check out her book The Go-Getter Girl’s Guide) a regular on the Today Show, incredible wife and Mom to 3 (yes, 3 kiddos!) and host of her own cooking blog In Deb’s Kitchen. Together, we whipped up one of my favorite fish recipes, Baked Cod in Parchment paper with a Mediterranean Tapenade. Fish en papillote, if ya wanna get fancy. Watch the video to see the intricacies of wrapping fish, folks….

Ingredients

For each 4-oz cod fillet you’ll need:

A pat of butter

Sprig of Fresh Thyme

Slice of lemon

Splash of white wine

Sea Salt

Black Pepper

Parchment Paper

1 Egg, beaten (to seal parchment paper)

For the tapenade:

2 fresh garlic cloves
1 roasted red pepper (jarred)
2 Tablespoons chopped sundried tomatoes in oil

Handful of green olives
handful of kalamata olives
1 Tablespoon capers

Crumbled goat or feta cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place your piece of parchment paper (about 9 X 12 in.) on the counter or cutting board. Arrange one cod fillet in the top center of the paper. Add a pat of butter, sprig of thyme, splash of white wine and lemon slice on top of the fish and season with sea salt and pepper. Using a pastry brush, paint a line of egg wash around the perimeter of the paper, about 1/2-inch from the edge. Fold paper in half to seal in the fish like an envelope. Starting from the bottom left corner, fold and roll the paper over itself in 1/4 inch sections, continuing along the edge toward the bottom right corner until you’ve sealed the fish in its little parchment paper pocket. Transfer each parchment packet to a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

For the tapenade, place all ingredients except the goat cheese into a mini-processor. Pulse about 15-30 seconds, until blended but still very chunky (if you pulse too long the tapenade will get soupy). Transfer tapenade mixture to another bowl and top with a handful of crumbled goat cheese. Remove fish from its parchment packet when ready and plate. Spoon a few tablespoons of tapenade on top of baked fillet.

Enjoy!

HOLY *&%# WTF Bars

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Might be the best dessert EVER.

HOLY *&%# WTF Bars. Why the profanity, you ask? Because that’s what came out of my man’s mouth when he tasted these….They are hands down, one of the best desserts ever. And they’re legendary in my family. Many years ago, they were nicknamed, “Nancy Reagan Bars,” and that’s actually still what everyone in my fam calls them.

Weird, right? Let me explain.

The story my Mom tells is that back when Ronald Reagan was elected in 1980, all of the living First Ladies were asked to submit a recipe to the Washington Post. Nancy wasn’t exactly known for her culinary skills, so Mom was intrigued by her submission: Vienna Chocolate Bars.

Nancy Reagan…kisses and a recipe that if you don’t try, Mr T would say, “I pity the fool!”

I’ve made a lot of cookie recipes– this one is unique because of the layers of shortbread, raspberry jam, chocolate and a whipped nut merengue on top. It sounds high maintenance, but these ~~badmuthafuckas~~ dessert bars are surprisingly easy to pull together. The only thing I changed was adding white chocolate chips (in addition to the regular chocolate morsels.)

The recipe has been a must-have in my family for the last 33 years. Check out how it looks in my grandmother’s cookbook, Recipes from Ronnie’s Kitchen…now that’s worn with L.O.V.E. (and some smeared butter).

My Mom’s contribution to my Grandmother’s family cookbook

Warning: Prepare for exclamations of HOLY *&^% WTF is this??? when friends and families get a taste of the delish.

Ingredients

2 sticks butter

2 1/2 cups flour

2 large egg yolks

1 1/2 cup sugar divided

4 egg whites

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels

1 cup white chocolate morsels

1 (10oz) jar of seedless raspberry preserves

2 cups of ground nuts (I like walnuts best in this recipe and just pulse them until they’re finely ground in the food processor.)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.

Layer 1: Cream 2 sticks of butter with 1/2 cup of sugar. Add egg yolks one at a time. Then add flour until combined. Press batter into the bottom of a greased jelly roll pan or a 9×13 cake pan. It will be soft and a little crumbly but will spread out easily to cover the bottom of the pan.

Spread shortbread dough into pan and bake at 350 for 15-20 min.

Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes until golden. It looked like this when I took it out of the oven.

The shortbread layer gives these bars a buttery crunch

Layer 2: Spread jelly on cooled shortbread. Then top with chocolate chips.

Layer 3: Beat 4 egg whites with 1/4 tsp salt until stiff. It took about 2-3 minutes with an electric hand mixer. Then fold in 1 cup sugar and the 2 cups of ground nuts.

Beaten egg whites with nuts and sugar folded in

Gently spread nut/egg white mixture on top of chocolate chips. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Baked to perfection

And, then, the next morning, I was like, “HOLY *&%# WTF??!!!”

Apparently, someone (fitting the description of a 6’3, 240lb dude) got up in the middle of the night for a ~~feeding~~ snack.

Warning: Night feedings may occur

Chocolate Chipotle Chili

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It’s an award winner, y’all!

I always come back to this chili recipe…not just because it’s won two awards, (let me just brag for a minute!) but because it’s That. Damn. Good. This week, I sent the recipe to a girlfriend of mine who made it for a potluck party. She promptly declared– and I do quote: “Oh dear God, Parker. I’m not kidding. That’s the best chili I’ve ever tasted! And I live in Texas. I’m giddy with excitement to take it tomorrow!”

I never get tired of hearing ~~applause~~ compliments for my recipes— mostly just because it makes my heart happy to share food, and for me, it’s sharing pure L.O.V.E.

The show-stopper ingredients in this chili are the hint of chocolate (1 Tb cocoa) and the chipotle peppers. Once you brown all the ingredients and combine, you can let it simmer on the stove or in a crockpot on low for about 3 hours, but don’t keep it going in the crockpot all night or it will dry it out. Just put it in the fridge and thin it out in the morning with a bit of beef stock.

Just let it simmer in the crockpot for 3 hours on low, but not overnight.

Ingredients

Lots of ingredients, but so worth the effort!

2 pounds ground beef (sometimes the butcher will label it “chili mix”– the beef is thicker than regular hamburger meat)

1 pound spicy sausage (I use Jimmy Dean HOT sausage)

3 Tablespoons butter

2 medium or 1 large yellow/white onion diced

4-5 garlic cloves diced

2 jalapeno peppers diced (not seeds)

2 cans Rotel tomatoes (original)

1 (6 oz) can of tomato paste

1 can of red beans with juice (Kidney)

1/4 cup honey

4 Tablespoons BBQ sauce

1 Tablespoon Tabasco sauce

4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (diced with seeds), plus 4 Tablespoons of sauce

1 12 oz bottle amber beer

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 Tablespoon Cocoa

2 cups of beef stock (I prefer using “Better Than Bouillon” paste. You boil 2 cups of water and add 2 Tablespoons of the paste and mix.)

2 Tablespoons Cumin

4 Tablespoons Chili powder

1 Tablespoon Garlic powder

1 Tablespoon Onion powder

2 Tablespoons Paprika (Hungarian/spicy is best)

2 Tablespoons Brown sugar

1 Tablespoon Cayenne pepper

1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt

2 Tablespoons Black pepper

4 ears corn on cob, cut off cob

Bunch of Scallions chopped to garnish

Shredded cheese to top

Directions: In a large saucepan, brown chili meat and sausage. Do not drain. In a separate frying pan, melt butter and saute onion, garlic, jalapeno and corn until soft, 5-7 minutes. Add to beef saucepan and stir to combine. Add all the spices to the beef mixture and saute over medium heat until combined…Pour in everything else and simmer for 2-3 hours! Top with chopped scallions and shredded cheese!

Love Jambalaya and Chili? Try my Chili-laya recipe too!

Ready to dive in…

Turkey Cranberry Salad…Leftover Turkey Heaven

Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Pistachios and Sage

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Savory, smooth, crunchy and delish!

Who doesn’t love the Southern classic Thanksgiving sweet potatoes with marshmallows and pecans? Since I’ve been trying to ~~keep my ass in skinny jeans this holiday season~~ cut down on sugar, I was inspired to come up with a savory version that cut the sugar without cutting out the flavor. Meet Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Pistachios and Sage…

Ingredients

3 sweet potatoes (peeled and diced)

8oz container of whipped cream cheese

1/2 stick melted butter (4 Tb)

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 cup heavy cream or half-n-half

3 roasted garlic cloves (roasted in jackets at 400 for 15 minutes, drizzled with olive oil)

Chopped fresh sage

1/2 cup toasted, crushed pistachios

Directions: Boil sweet potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and add the rest of ingredients to your mixer. Blend until smooth. Top with sage and pistachios.

OMG Bars

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Coming back for more? Thought so!

When I posted the above pic on Facebook, my friend Ashley from the laugh out loud witty + pretty website commented that she made something similar and called them “Orgasm Bars.” These super sweet morsels of decadence should be considered “MULTIPLE Orgasm Bars” cuz you’ll be, um, coming (back to the kitchen) for a second helping.

Ingredients

1 stick butter

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 cup chocolate chips

Chocolate syrup

1 cup butterscotch chips

1 cup toffee bits

1 cup sweetened coconut shreds

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Directions: Melt butter and mix with graham cracker crumbs and press down into an 8 x 8 inch pan. Add chocolate chips and then drizzle with chocolate syrup. Top with layers of butterscotch chips, toffee bits and coconut. Pour the can of condensed milk on top.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until golden. Straight outta the oven with some vanilla ice-cream? Fuhgeddaboutit.

But I actually liked them best right out of the fridge the next morning. OMG Breakfast Bar? Climax to my day…

Gooey, melty, choco-toffee-butteryscotchy delish

Meaty Monday: Chipotle Turkey Roll with Guaco-Cream

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Trifecta of Delish: Cheesy, Spicy, Crunchy!

Phyllo dough is the NeNe of Culinary Housewives– super high maintenance, super rich, but oh-so-worth the drama.

Making the filling for this is easy, so get that over first, so you can concentrate on the dough!

$$$ NeNe would agree. $$$

Filling:

1.3 pound package of ground turkey

Spice Mixture (recipe below)

1 cup chicken stock

1/2 block (4 oz) of full-fat cream cheese

3 Tb adobo sauce (from a can of chipotles)

1/4 cup (handful) of chopped fresh cilantro

Spice Mixture:

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions: Brown turkey meat (do not drain) and add spice mixture with the chicken stock. Simmer for 10 minutes on low to combine and reduce broth. Add cream cheese, adobo sauce and cilantro, stir until cream cheese melts and combines with turkey mixture.

NOW PAY ATTENTION, LOVELIES. Here’s the phyllo fun….

Phyllo– (pronounced FEE-lo, by the way, which I botched for years…I thought it was FIE-lo) is paper thin sheets of unleavened dough. You get it in the freezer section near the frozen pies/pastries at the grocery store. Let the package defrost for an hour or two before you attempt to use it.

You’re going to need 10 single phyllo sheets and a stick of butter melted. Yes, a whole stick. It’s worth it, I promise.

It’s easiest to use a large baking sheet with tin foil that is sprayed with some cooking spray. Then lay out your first sheet of Phyllo. Using a spoon, or a basting brush, drizzle some butter on the phyllo sheet. It doesn’t have to be even, just get it around all four corners and some in the middle.

Spread some butter over the first sheet of phyllo– a basting brush makes it easy

Then, add a second sheet, brush on more butter. Add a third sheet, brush on more butter. Add a fourth sheet, and so on and so on, till you get ten, (yes, 10!) sheets of buttered phyllo piled on top of one another. It’s OK if the sheets rip a little, they’re all going to be baked in a layer so no one will notice if there’s a tear.

Layer 10 sheets of buttered phyllo dough

Next, take that creamy, chipotle turkey mixture and spoon it out lengthwise, close to the edge of phyllo so you can start to roll it up.

Spoon out turkey mixture onto phyllo off center, closer to the edge

Then, start to roll up the phyllo dough burrito style…be gentle, cuz it’s a delicate process!

Gently, now…start to roll the phyllo

End with seam side down and brush with a little more butter on top of the roll.

Now you’re turkey roll is ready to bake, baby!

Once you have your turkey roll buttered (again)! Bake at 350 for 20 minutes until browned.

I serve it with some guaco-cream on the side. The fresh garlic gives it a real kick and is the perfect companion to the turkey roll. Here’s that recipe:

Guaco-Cream

Mix in food processor:

1 avocado

2 garlic cloves

1/2 lime

pinch of kosher salt

1 tsp honey

Scrumptious on a plate