Category Archives: Videos

Oreo Truffle Halloween Cats

Nothing says Halloween like Black Cats and nothing says delish like Oreo Truffles. Yup, that’s right. This is the Truffle Love Child of Double Stuff Oreos and Cream Cheese. Just do yourself a favor and don’t leave yourself alone with them for long….or it’ll be bad luck– (for your waistline!)

Here, kitty kitty!

Oreo Truffle Halloween Cats

1 package of Double Stuff Oreos

1 8oz package of full-fat cream cheese

Lollipop sticks

1 package of dark chocolate melting wafers

Candy Confetti

Candy Eyeballs

Gourmet Writing pen

*block of styrofoam

Whip together Oreos and cream cheese in food processor until batter is smooth.

Put truffle batter in freezer for 2 hours

Ball up batter into golf-size balls and insert lollipop sticks

Melt Cake Art dark chocolate wafers in double boiler on low heat

Insert cat ears (Cake Art’s candy confetti) into truffles and dip in melted chocolate

Stick on candy eyeballs and nose while chocolate is still wet

When truffles have dried, use Cake Art Gourmet Writer to draw on whiskers and/or eyeballs

*It’s helpful to use a block of Styrofoam to stick your truffles in to dry them!

Smoked Gruyere & Guinness Potato Soup

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Beer and Cheese, why yes please!

Boozy and Smoky usually brings up visions of a dive bar. For me, I think Potato Soup.

Potato soup was my grandmother Ronnie’s specialty– and spending summers and Christmas vacations in Connecticut, it didn’t matter whether it was 90 degrees or -9 below zero— I always requested her potato soup. She didn’t add the bacon, cheese or BEER to her soup, so I just decided to up her game a bit. Hope you don’t mind, Ronnie!

Boozy, Smoky Potato Soup

Ingredients

4 Idaho baking potatoes
½ Vidalia onion chopped
3 chopped garlic cloves
1 Tb butter
¼ cup flour
¾ cup Guinness beer
2 cups of half and half
2 tsp Worcestershire
1 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup smoked Gruyere cheese (plus more for topping)
Cooked and crumbled bacon (bake strips at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, blot with paper towel and then crumble)
Chopped chives

Instructions

Peel and chop 4 Idaho baking potatoes.
Boil water in a large soup pan or dutch oven and toss potatoes in—simmer until tender, 20-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, chop up ½ of a large Vidalia onion with 3 chopped garlic cloves and saute in 1 Tb butter. Stir for about a minute on medium heat until onion and garlic gets light golden in color.
Add ¼ cup of flour and stir for one minute.
Add ¾ cup Guinness beer, 2 cups of half and half, 2 tsp of Worcestershire, 1 tsp of ground mustard and 1 tsp of kosher salt. Stir until mixture thickens, 3-4 minutes.
When potatoes are soft, drain them and set aside 2 cups.
Take rest of potatoes and mix with onion/garlic/Guinness mixture. Add one cup of chicken stock.
Put soup in blender or food processor in 2 batches (don’t fill too high or blender will explode!) and blend till smooth.
Pour soup back into soup pan/dutch oven and add the 2 cups of softened potatoes. Add 1 cup of smoked gruyere cheese shredded. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
Top with crumbled bacon, chopped green onions and more gruyere.

http://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2013/09/boozy-smoky-potato-soup/

Meaty Monday: Buttermilk Thyme Chicken Thighs

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What’s up, tender juicy chicken thighs?

This is my new favorite way to prepare chicken! In the past, I’ve used buttermilk for frying chicken, but since I’m trying to keep things ~~extremely~~ relatively healthy, I decided to branch out into the buttermilk marinade style. The buttermilk really tenderizes the chicken beautifully. This is inspired by a Rachael Ray recipe that used a portion of the marinade for salad dressing (and that’s put aside BEFORE you marinate the chicken!…We’re not prepping a salmonella salad, y’all!)

Try my version– it’s fabulous and super easy. And, it’s perfect if you’re low-carbing.

Marinade:
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup full fat mayo
2-3 Tb fresh thyme
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp kosher salt

Chicken:
1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into chunks
1 Tb butter
1 Tb olive or canola oil

Whisk together and set aside 1/2 cup to use as salad dressing.

Cut up boneless skinless chicken in chunks or strips and soak in remaining marinade for 2 hours in fridge. Heat up a grill pan on medium/high with 1 Tb butter and 1 Tb oil. When pan is hot, put chicken chunks in (don’t crowd them) and grill for about 7 minutes per side on medium heat. Don’t move them around in the pan too much– let them sit and sizzle so they get that yummy, crunchy, caramelization!

1 pound of chicken pieces will require 2 batches of grilling. Replenish with more butter/oil before grilling second batch.

Serve with a salad tossed with the leftover dressing. Top chicken with a few sprigs of thyme before serving.