Food

Name: Jumbo Blueberry Muffins
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 32 min
Total time: 47 min
Yield: 8 jumbo muffins
Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour; 1 tbs baking powder; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 tbs unsalted butter, (room temperature); 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar; 2 eggs; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt; 1 pint blueberries, (reserving a few for topping muffins); Zest of 2 lemons; Turbinado sugar, (for topping muffins)

Jumbo Blueberry Muffins

July 19, 2018 by laurenpacek 2 Comments

These Jumbo Blueberry Muffins are BIG, full of sweet blueberries, tangy lemon zest, and have domed tops that are also crunchy (thanks to the addition of turbinado sugar)!

Sometimes a regular sized muffin just will not do. Sometimes you want a big ass muffin like you’d get in a coffee shop. Know what I’m saying? When that desire strikes, look no further than these Jumbo Blueberry Muffins.

The recipe is based on one that I’ve used before (see these Bakery Style Double Chocolate Muffins). Naturally, I swapped out chocolate for fresh, sweet blueberries and zingy lemon zest.

You may have started to catch on, based on recent posts in the past, but I’ve taken to photographing some of the major ingredients in my recipes. These blueberries deserved a chance to shine on their own!

Of course, you can always make regular-sized muffins from this recipe. I’ve included baking instructions (as the times will vary) for both regular and jumbo muffin varieties.

5 from 1 vote

Jumbo Blueberry Muffins

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

32 mins

Total Time

47 mins

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 8 jumbo muffins

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt
1 pint blueberries, reserving a few for topping muffins
Zest of 2 lemons
Turbinado sugar, for topping muffins

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line muffin tins with paper liners (or spray with cooking spray) and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together for a couple of minutes.
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla and mix well.
With the mixer on low speed, alternate between adding the dry ingredients and yogurt.
On low speed, fold in the blueberries and lemon zest.
Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tins, filling them all the way to the top. Top with some extra blueberries and turbinado sugar to make them look extra pretty.

If making jumbo muffins (makes 8)

Bake the muffins at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes.
Reduce the temperature to 375 degrees F and bake for 22 more minutes, or until slightly browned on top and a toothpick/knife, when inserted in the center of each muffin, comes out clean.

If making regular-sized muffins (makes 18)

Bake the muffins at 400 degrees F for 5 minutes.
Reduce the temperature to 375 degrees F and bake for 15 more minutes, or until slightly browned on top and a toothpick/knife, when inserted in the center of each muffin, comes out clean.
Cool in the pan for a couple of minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely

Homemade Thin Crust Pizza Dough

July 10, 2018 by laurenpacek Leave a Comment

“You can’t make everyone happy. You’re not pizza.”

Anyone else familiar with that quote? I think it rings pretty true. In my experience, pizza is almost universally liked. And honestly, what’s not to love? It’s a vehicle for getting melty cheese (and tasty toppings) into your face.

Though it’s obviously very easy to pick up the phone and order a pizza. You can’t beat the convenience. But I’d also like to make a case for whipping up your own homemade pizza! You can make it exactly the way that you want and you’ll feel like some kind of wizard when it turns out amazing. Or at least that’s how I feel when I make basically anything that involves yeast.

I have been making this homemade pizza dough on the regular for a couple of years now. It’s easy to make, consistently turns out well, and can be used for plenty of things besides pizza (stombolis, pepperoni rolls, etc.).

Plus, you can throw whatever toppings onto it that your little heart desires. I often stick with pizza sauce a medley of cheeses, but lately have been adding some prosciutto and roasted veggies (see the picture below). You really can’t go wrong, though.

This recipe is modified from this one from The Kitchn.

Homemade Thin Crust Pizza Dough

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

12 mins

resting time

1 hr 30 mins

Total Time

27 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 2 pizzas

Ingredients

2 tsp active dry yeast
3/4 cup water, lukewarm
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tbs olive oil
kosher salt
pizza toppings of your choice

Instructions

To make the dough

Combine the yeast and water in a small bowl and set it aside for 5 minutes.
Add the flour and salt to a stand mixer. Whisk to combine.
Add the water/yeast to the flour. Using a wooden spoon or stiff spatula, stir until things have just started to combine.
Using the dough hook attachment, knead the dough until it forms a smooth, slightly tacky ball that springs back when you poke it (about 10 minutes). If the dough sticks to your hands, add a tablespoon of flour at a time until it’s easier to work with. Try to avoid adding too much flour if you can.
Spray a medium-sized bowl with cooking spray, transfer the ball of dough into it, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to sit for about an hour to an hour and a half, or until it has doubled in size.

To prepare the pizza

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set them aside.
Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll it into a thin, 10- to 12-inch round (or whatever shape your heart desires). Place the rolled out dough onto the prepared baking sheets.
Brush the crust lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with kosher salt.
Top the dough with the toppings of your choice! I used marinara sauce, a medley of shredded cheeses, strips of roasted bell peppers, and prosciutto.
Bake the pizzas until the crusts are golden brown and the cheese is melted, about 12 minutes. Slice and enjoy!

Firecracker Pudding Cookies

July 4, 2018 by laurenpacek Leave a Comment

These Firecracker Pudding Cookies are soft, sweet, and all dressed up for the Fourth of July. Happy birthday, America.

I know I post about pudding cookies pretty often (go ahead and take a look). But there’s a good reason for it. They are consistently delicious! Plus I think that they come out being good looking cookies just about every time, too. There’s nothing wrong with an ugly cookie (provided that it tastes good), but ugly cookies aren’t exactly photogenic for a food blog.

Pudding cookies are also endlessly customizable. Switch up the mix-ins and pudding flavors to suit your needs. I obviously went red, white, and blue for the Fourth of July, but you can switch things up for any holiday or occasion.

This recipe is adapted from one found on Crazy for Crust.

Firecracker Pudding Cookies

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

11 mins

Chilling time

1 hr

Total Time

26 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 24 cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
3.4 oz (1 box) instant vanilla pudding mix
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup red, white, and blue sprinkles
3/4 cup red, white, and blue M&Ms, plus more for pressing into the top of the cookies

Instructions

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar on medium speed. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth.
Add the pudding mix, baking soda, and kosher salt. Mix until combined. Add the flour. Mix again until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl as needed. Add the sprinkles and M&Ms and mix on medium-high speed until they are well distributed throughout the cookie dough.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop ~1.5 tbs balls of dough onto the prepared cookie sheet. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour.
When you’re ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the chilled balls of cookie dough on the prepared baking sheets, approximately 2 inches apart. Bake 9-11 minutes, or until the edges just start to turn brown.
Remove the cookies from the oven and press additional white chocolate chips into the warm cookies, if desired. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

Basil Vodka Gimlet

June 25, 2018 by laurenpacek 2 Comments

This Basil Vodka Gimlet takes a classic cocktail (usually made with gin) and turns it on its head. Basil vodka is flavorful and refreshing, and makes this drink perfect for summertime sipping.

Remember the Basil Infused Vodka that I shared with you not that long ago? This cocktail makes excellent use of it!

Simply combine some of that vodka, a bit of simple syrup (preferably homemade–it’s so easy!), and fresh lime juice in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake until very cold, and strain into a rocks glass with ice. Make sure to garnish with some more fresh basil, too! Not only does it look pretty, but the extra basil aroma when you take a sip is really nice.

Make sure to take advantage of the abundance of fresh herbs during the warmer months by making one of these gimlets. These drinks will keep you satisfied (and a little tipsy) all summer long!

5 from 1 vote

Basil Vodka Gimlet

Prep Time

5 mins

Course: Beverage, Cocktail

Cuisine: American

Servings: 1 cocktail

Author: Lauren Pacek

Ingredients

2 oz basil-infused vodka, see notes
1 oz simple syrup, see notes
3/4 oz fresh lime juice
fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Instructions

Add the basil-infused vodka, simple syrup, and fresh lime juice to a cocktail shaker filled halfway with ice.
Shake until very cold and strain into a rocks glass with ice.
Garnish with fresh basil.

Recipe Notes

Notes:

The recipe for Basil-Infused Vodka can be found here
The recipe for simple syrup can be found here

Mixed Berry Chia Seed Jam

June 6, 2018 by laurenpacek 4 Comments

This Chia Seed Jam is made with a medley of berries–in this case, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries. It tastes like fruit, and nothing but. Probably because it’s made of almost nothing but fruit!

Another thing that I really like about this jam is that it is lightly, and naturally sweetened. You can use honey, agave nectar, or maple syrup: whatever suits your tastes. I used agave nectar, only because that’s what I had in my pantry. Truthfully, you may not even need to sweeten yours. It mostly depends on your personal preferences and the ripeness of the berries that you use. I recommend tasting the jam once the berries have broken down and deciding whether to sweeten it at that point.

Unlike typical jams, which are thickened with the help of pectin, chia seeds do the heavy lifting here. Chia seed jam is a little looser than jam you’d buy from the store, but it’s still plenty spreadable.

So far, I’ve spread it on biscuits (I’ll be sharing those with you later in the week) and stirred it into Greek yogurt. Use it wherever you’d typically use jelly or jam!

5 from 1 vote

Mixed Berry Chia Seed Jam

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

15 mins

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: American

Author: Lauren Pacek

Ingredients

4 cups berries of choice, chopped if needed
1 orange, juiced
honey, agave nectar, or maple syrup, to taste
3 tbs chia seeds

Instructions

Add the berries and orange juice to a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring and squishing the berries occasionally until they have broken down a bit.
Add sweetener, to taste, if desired. Stir to combine.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the chia seeds. The jam will thicken quickly as it cools.
Refrigerate in airtight container.

Pressure Cooker Chicken Ropa Vieja

May 25, 2018 by laurenpacek Leave a Comment

This Chicken Ropa Vieja is so great for so many reasons. It’s super flavorful without being fussy in any way. It’s super versatile, too: serve it on its own, over rice, in a taco, and so on. The last option is a little less traditional, given that Ropa Vieja is a Cuban dish, but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It also comes together really quickly thanks to it being prepared in an electric pressure cooker. And since the weather is already too hot here in North Carolina, being able to whip this up in a pressure cooker is a double blessing in that you don’t have to worry about heating up your kitchen.

This is quickly becoming a favorite in my house. It’s up there with my Three Ingredient Slow Cooker Taco Chicken, Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken, and Pressure Cooker Carnitas. And that’s saying something, because I make and enjoy those three dishes a lot.

Fun fact: “ropa vieja” translates to “old clothes”! The dish gets its name because the shredded meat (usually beef, but in this case, chicken) resembles torn, old clothes. The more you know…

This recipe is adapted from one found on Budget Bytes.

Pressure Cooker Chicken Ropa Vieja

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

40 mins

Total Time

50 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Cuban

Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tbs oregano
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
black pepper, to taste
15 oz. can of diced tomatoes
3 tbs tomato paste
kosher salt, to taste

Instructions

Mince the garlic and set it aside.
Slice the onion into half-moons and cut the bell peppers into strips. Set aside.
Place the chicken breasts in an electric pressure cooker. Top with the garlic, spices, and sliced onions and peppers.
Add the can of tomatoes (with juices) and tomato paste.
Place the lid on the pressure cooker and lock it. Cook for 25 minutes on high pressure. Allow the pressure to release naturally.
Shred the chicken with two forks. Salt to taste.
Serve the ropa vieja in a bowl, over rice*, in tacos, etc.

Recipe Notes

Notes: This ropa vieja is great served over my Cilantro Lime Rice!

Iced Chai Lattes

May 21, 2018 by laurenpacek 4 Comments

Since the weather is warming up, I’ve had to trade my morning mug of hot tea for homemade iced chai lattes. I usually consume my morning caffeine at my desk at work, right after I get there. However, it’s just not that relaxing to come in from the hot hot outdoors and drink a hot beverage.

Fortunately, these Iced Chai Lattes are delicious, caffeinated, and cold.

I used to get iced chai lattes from Starbucks, loved them, and assumed that they were really complicated to make. But, as it turns out, they’re just… get this… spiced black tea and milk.

So simple!

It’s also pretty cool that you can use whatever spices in whatever proportions that you like. I use a pretty traditional chai blend, but do go a little heavy on the cardamom (I love it!). You can also make them as sweet (or not) as you like using your preferred sweetener.

5 from 1 vote

Iced Chai Lattes

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

35 mins

Total Time

40 mins

Course: Beverage

Cuisine: American

Author: Lauren Pacek

Ingredients

6 cups water
1/2 cup sugar, see notes
2 3-inch cinnamon sticks
4 star anise
2 inches fresh ginger, peeled
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp coriander seeds
10 whole cloves
2 tsp cardamon seeds
8 teabags black tea
milk, see notes

Instructions

Combine the water, sugar, and spices in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat.
Bring to a boil, and allow the mixture to simmer for 10 minutes.
Turn the heat off and add the teabags to the saucepan. Allow the tea to steep for 20 minutes. Remove the tea bags and allow the tea to cool completely.
In whatever proportions you desire, pour the cooled tea over ice and top with milk.

Recipe Notes

Notes:

You can increase or decrease the amount of sugar to suit your tastes. I've used both brown and white granulated sugar with success.
I have used cows milk and almond milk. I can't speak to how these iced lattes turn out when using another kind.

Looking for more treats that feature chai flavors? Check out these Chai Spice Chocolate Chunk Muffins!

Garlic and Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

May 17, 2018 by laurenpacek 4 Comments

These Garlic and Rosemary Roasted Potatoes provide so much reward in return for very little effort. They make a wonderful side dish–we love to eat them alongside grilled flank steak. Although I’ve also been known to whip some up for a lazy weekend breakfast or brunch. Please trust me when I tell you that they’re excellent when topped with a runny egg!

These potatoes really require very little effort or skill in the kitchen. They’re so easy! Just chop some small potatoes, toss them with olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper, and roast them in a very hot oven.

Then all you’ll have to do is toss them around a few times during their cooking time to make sure that they get lovely and brown all over. Before you know it, you’ll have a delicious, versatile side dish that the entire family will love.

5 from 1 vote

Garlic and Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

40 mins

Total Time

45 mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: 4 people

Author: Lauren Pacek

Ingredients

2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs fresh rosemary, minced
small red or fingerling potatoes, quartered
1 tbs olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil, spray it lightly with cooking spray, and set it aside.
Mince the garlic and rosemary and place them in a gallon zip top bag.
Chop the potatoes and add them to the bag, as well.
Add the olive oil, salt, and pepper to the bag. Zip it closed and toss everything around until the potatoes are well-coated with oil, rosemary, and garlic.
Put the potatoes on the baking sheet in an even layer.
Roast for 40 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender and slightly browned. Use a spatula to toss potatoes around on the baking sheet every 15 minutes or so, to ensure even browning.

Recipe Notes

Notes: These potatoes are also lovely when using a mixture of fresh rosemary and fresh thyme. Dried herbs can also be substituted, but you will want to use a smaller amount of dried herbs than fresh.

Pomegranate Margaritas

May 3, 2018 by laurenpacek Leave a Comment

These Pomegranate Margaritas are tart, not too sweet, and would be perfect for sipping on Cinco de Mayo. Although, now that I’m looking at these photos again, I think they’d make a pretty fantastic Christmas-time cocktail, too, given the color palette and all.

Okay, let’s be real, they’d be great no matter what time of year it is.

I’d highly recommend serving these alongside some Pressure Cooker Carnitas or Slow Cooker Taco Chicken. Serve them up taco-style, in a burrito or quesadilla, or just on their own. Maybe alongside some Cilantro Lime Rice?

Pomegranate Margaritas

Course: Beverage, Cocktail

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Servings: 1 cocktail

Author: Lauren Pacek

Ingredients

lime wedge for rimming the glass, optional
coarse salt or sugar for rimming the glass, optional
2 1/2 oz pomegranate juice
2 oz tequila
1 oz triple sec
1/2 oz simple syrup, see notes
1/2 lime, juiced
pomegranate arils, for garnish
lime wedge, for garnish

Instructions

Rub a wedge of lime around the rim of a margarita or rocks glass. Turn the glass upside down and press the rim into the coarse salt or sugar. Add ice to the glass. Set aside.
In a cocktail shaker with ice, combine the pomegranate juice, tequila, triple sec, simple syrup, and lime juice. Shake until very cold and strain into the prepared glass.
Garnish with pomegranate arils and a lime wedge.

Recipe Notes

Note:simple syrup can be found here The recipe for .

Looking for more tequila-based cocktails? Try these Apple Cider Margaritas, Mexican Moscow Mules, or a Pomegranate Palermo! In keeping with the pomegranate them, these Pomegranate Champagne Moscow Mules ain’t bad, either!

Pasta all’Amatriciana

May 1, 2018 by laurenpacek 2 Comments

This Pasta all’Amatriciana takes me right back to our trip to Italy. I can vividly remember sitting across from Sean in a small Roman restaurant, eating this pasta.

This is one of the things that I really love about food. Sure, at its most basic, food fuels us and can be quite delicious. But it can also function as a time machine, transporting you to treasured memories past.

After seeing photos pop up on my Facebook feed during the 1-year anniversary of our trip to Rome and Florence in mid-March (click the links to see pictures!), I got to thinking about how I hadn’t really drawn on any culinary inspiration from our trip and applied it to my own cooking. This must change.

Enter: Pasta all’Amatriciana. It sounds fancy (and can be a little tough to say), but is actually really simple to make. Sauté some guanciale or pancetta (I used pancetta) in olive oil, add some spices, then add crushed tomatoes and simmer for a bit. That’s basically it. All that’s left is to cook some pasta, toss it with the sauce, and top generously with cheese.

I have plans to make some other classic Italian pasta and sauce combinations, as well as an idea about basil and honey ice cream that’s based on some amazing gelato that I ate in Rome. Stay tuned!

This recipe comes from Bon Appétit.

Pasta all'Amatriciana

Cook Time

45 mins

Total Time

45 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
4 oz guanciale, pancetta, or unsmoked bacon, diced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
28 oz crushed tomatoes
kosher salt, to taste
12 oz dried bucatini or spaghetti
1/4 cup Pecorino Romano, finely grated

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add guanciale/pancetta/bacon and sauté until crisp and golden.
Add the red pepper flakes and black pepper, stirring to combine. Add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are soft.
Add the crushed tomatoes and reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens (15-20 minutes).
While the pasta sauce simmers, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season the water with salt. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until 2 minutes before al dente.
Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta.
Add the drained pasta to the sauce in the skillet and toss vigorously with tongs to coat.
Add about 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water and cook until the sauce coats the pasta and the pasta is al dente, about 2 minutes. You can add a little more pasta water if the sauce is too dry.
Transfer the pasta to bowls and top with cheese.