T-minus 5 minutes to guests’ arrival and you’re putting out the shrimp cocktail and realize – there’s no cocktail sauce! Or you just want to be a show off and be able to say you made your own cocktail sauce. Either way. This 90 second cocktail sauce recipe is perfect for shrimp cocktail and, I gotchu.
You know I love recipes that you can customize yourself, I’m all about that you-do-you-boo-life. So, scroll down, grab the recipe, memorize the proportions and then you do you!
When it comes to Thanksgiving, there are few things better than: 1. a recipe you can make ahead of time and 2. a recipe that comes together in 15 minutes.
Enter: cranberry sauce. Though I hate to admit it, I was most definitely a canned cranberry sauce kind of gal – you know, the one that still maintains the shape of the can when you dump it on a plate. But a few years ago, I finally made my own cranberry sauce after learning just how easy it is. It’s actually one of the few recipes I can just hold in my head and repeat year after year.
Perks of fresh cranberry sauce: it just tastes SO fresh. You don’t really need anything special for this recipe, though a citrus zester is handy for the orange peel garnish. It’s a $10 tool and certainly one I reach for at least once a month.
You’ll also want a pot with pretty high sides – I use my stock pot to make this cranberry sauce – because it WILL foam up. And if you’re pot is too small…well…you know.
Also. Even if you don’t love cranberry sauce, it still looks festive on your table! Breaks up all the brown, ya know?
4 Ingredient Cranberry Sauce
Yield: 2 cups | Prep Time: 2 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes + cooling time
Ingredients
1 lb bag cranberries
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
Juice of 1 orange
Orange zest, for garnish
Directions
Combine all ingredients except orange zest in a pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Watch the pot the whole time and continuously stir to help break up the cranberries. When the cranberries start to foam, lower the heat very slightly and watch that your pot does not overflow. Once the foam subsides and cranberries are a mix of jelly-like liquid and crushed cranberries, remove from the heat and allow to cool. Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with orange zest!
It might not feel like spring outside, but the season is in full swing in the market! It’s artichoke season, so get those kitchen shears ready, because you’re going to need to make artichokes straight away. Cleaning artichokes feels a little work intensive the first time you make them, but after once you’ll get it and you’ll be craving artichokes regularly!
I’ve always loved a light vinaigrette, especially one that’s a little creamy. And I’ve finally cracked the code – dijon mustard is the secret to this vinaigrette!
Everyone needs a good dressing recipe in their back pocket, and I swear I could put this on everything – from salad to fish to meat to veggies. I’ve made this twice this week already and it’s only Wednesday!
Creamy Vinaigrette Recipe
Yield: Appx 1/4 c. | Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
1 large garlic clove, zested (or minced if you don’t own a zester)
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
3 tbsp dijon mustard (the smooth kind, not grainy)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp white wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Combine all ingredients and shake it like a polaroid picture!
You can adjust the ingredients to your liking. If you want a thinner consistency, add water 1/2 tsp at a time.
A few years ago, my mother made lamb lollipops for Christmas, which surprisingly was the first time I had ever had lamb! It was so delicious – so buttery and just the right size.
I have to confess, I’m not a huge fan of ham, so when I started creating the Easter menu, I knew I was going to feature lamb. It really was the base for my menu and I built out each course from there. Doesn’t “lamb lollipops” sound so much fancier than “lamb chops?” It is, though, one in the same. We’re just going to roll with “lollipops” over here.
These lamb lollipops cook up quickly and are marinated for several hours in lemon juice, mustard, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. They cook up so fast, too! With everything else prepared, you’ll be putting fresh lamb on the table before you can even say, “Amen!”
Warm, cheesy, tangy, flaky…downright dreamy. This asparagus tart recipe is perfect for your spring and Easter gatherings and is irresistible served warm and super tasty at room temperature.
I promise the only regret you’ll have with this recipe is wanting to eat it all! It’s so simple it’s almost a sin to even call this a recipe. You can change up any aspect of the recipe, change the cheeses, use a different veg – it’s all up to you!
The balsamic glaze I added at the end really helped to finish the dish, just add right before serving if you decide to serve this tart at room temperature!
Serve up this Asparagus Tart with an arugula salad, Lamb Lollipops and Lemon Loaf for dessert! Get your Easter table ready here!
Easy Asparagus Tart Recipe
Yield: 6-8 servings | Time: ~35 minutes
Ingredients:
Pastry dough, thawed.
1/4 c grated Gruyere cheese
1/4 c whole milk ricotta cheese
1/2 tbsp lemon zest (optional!)
salt, pepper to taste (salt might depend on the cheese you choose)
optional: balsamic glaze to finish
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400°
Roll thawed pastry dough onto parchment lined baking sheet
Score pastry dough in a rectangle to make the area that will be the “crust,” about 1/2 inch from the edges. Poke the base with a fork generously to prevent the puff pastry from, well, puffing up too much. Bake dough for 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, trim and blanch your asparagus. Drain well.
While pastry and asparagus are cooling, combine cheeses, lemon zest if using, salt and pepper. Mix well. Gently spread cheese mixture evenly on tart, leaving crust without cheese.
Top with blanched asparagus. Bake for 12 minutes or until crust is golden-brown and cheese is melty delicious.
Let cool for a few minutes and cut into slices. You’ll need a very sharp knife or a very sharp serated knife to cut the pastry without the crust falling apart.
Note: Frozen pastry dough typically comes with two sheets of dough. This recipe can easily be doubled to utilize both sheets of puff pastry. make sure to separate them from each other if you are going to thaw both sheets of pastry dough.
Happy first day of spring! I’m ready for all the cute bunnies, asparagus, artichoke hearts and LEMONS. Lemon everything. It’s like the pumpkin spice of March, April and May.
For Easter, I’m planning to make my lemon loaf, which I thought would be fun to dress up with a few slices of candied lemons. They’re so quick to make – just a few minutes of prep and into the oven for about 45 minutes.
I mean, hey, spring! Amirite?!
All you need is a mandolin to get your thin, even slices of lemon and about 3-4 tablespoons of sugar.
Quick & Easy Oven Candied Lemons
Yield: About 24 slices, depending on size of lemons and thickness of slices.
Time: ~50 minutes
Ingredients:
2-3 lemons, sliced with a mandolin
3-4 tbsp of sugar
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 250°.
Line pan with parchment paper.
Thinly slice lemons and arrange on pan.
Generously top each slice with sugar, which will absorb into the lemons.
Bake for about 45 minutes until the lemons are covered with a sugary glaze.
Let cool and enjoy – easy peasy lemon squeezy! xo
so here we are – finally – at my very first food post. when i set out with this blog it was always something i wanted to include. i cook all the time and yesterday picked up my phone to snap some pictures and share a recipe for the most delicious squash soup i’ve ever had.
pardon the pictures – maybe some day i’ll get around to sharing some in higher quality.
let’s get to it (after the jump)!