parsley-hazelnut pesto

i never know what to do with the large bunch of a parsley in my fridge that i’ve only used a small handful of. why not make a pesto out of it? this pesto is clearly different from a traditional pesto as the main ingredient is parsley, not basil. i also used hazelnuts instead of walnuts. what’s great about this is that even if you’re not going to eat it that night, you can freeze it for up to six months. moreover, this can be used as a dressing for a grain (as i did initially), on pasta, on top of crostini, baked on top of fish…should i keep going? what you use it for is up to you, but i definitely suggest making it.

the ingredients:

1 bunch of parsley (cut from the stems)

1/2 cup parmigiano regianno (plus more for serving depending on what you’re doing with the pesto)

1/4 cup of hazelnuts

1/4 cup of good olive oil

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

the method:

in a food processor, pulse the parsley, parmigiano, and hazelnuts until coarse (you don’t want a paste). from the top insert, add the olive oil as the machine is still pulsing. turn it off, and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

that’s it! the rest is up to you. but i would recommend serving this with more cheese when you decide what to do with it (so long as you’re not using it with fish).

here’s the latest:

seeing as though i had pesto leftover and opted not to freeze it, i made it again tonight with fresh cod.

the (second) method:

preheat the oven to 400.

season the fish with salt and pepper. rub the pesto on the fish, and top with some panko breadcrumbs. drizzle with a little bit of olive oil, and bake for 12-15 minutes, until the fish is firm to the touch. plate, and serve.

chocolate chip pretzel cookies

i’m into the chocolate pretzel thing today. can you tell?

the ingredients:

2 sticks unsalted butter (at room temperature)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 cup of pretzels (coarsely crushed)

2 cups (or 1 12 oz. package) of chocolate chips

the method:

preheat the oven to 375.

combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in small bowl, and set aside. in the bowl of an electronic mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars  until creamy. add the eggs, one at a time, and vanilla, beating well after each addition. gradually, add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture, and mix until combined. add the chocolate chips and pretzels, and mix once more.

drop about a tablespoon of dough onto your cookie sheets (each should fit around nine cookies), and bake for eight to ten minutes. allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, and then transfer them to rack to cool completely (unless you’d like to eat one warm with a glass of milk).

adapted from deb’s chocolate chips.

chocolate chocolate pretzel cookies

these kind of look like chocolate thumbprints. except, instead of the jam, there’s a chocolate-covered pretzel ball in the middle. and instead of the walnuts, they’re rolled in sugar. you get the drift. initially, i baked these so that the pretzel ball was inside of the dough and speckled some maldon flakes on the outside. the cookie itself was delicious. however, although i love salty and sweet, the flakes overpowered everything else. cue my second version. for this one, i pressed the pretzel ball into the center slightly so that it was still visible. then, i gently rolled each cookie in granulated sugar and a pinch of sea salt. the recipe reflects this version.

the ingredients:

1 cup sugar (plus a 1/4 cup more to roll the dough in)

1 cup brown sugar

2 sticks unsalted butter (at room temperature)

2 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs (at room temperature)

2 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 box of bag of chocolate-covered pretzel balls

a pinch of maldon sea salt flakes

the method:

in the bowl of electronic mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. in a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. blend well. add the eggs and vanilla, and mix until well combined. gradually add the dry ingredients. chill the dough for at least an hour before baking.

while the dough is chilling, mix the quarter cup of sugar and pinch of sea salt flakes.

preheat the oven to 350.

once chilled, scoop a tablespoon of dough at a time onto the cookie sheet until it’s full (i fit nine cookies at a time). press a pretzel ball into each cookie (just like above), and roll it in the sugar mixture. bake for seven to ten minutes, until set and slightly cracked. note: they will still feel soft if you press on them; don’t think that they’re under-baked. cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet (they will continue to bake here), and then transfer to a cooling rack. enjoy!

 dough recipe adapted from food and whine.

nutella swirl poundcake

the countdown to world nutella day continues! the celebration is heating up. literally. my poundcake is in the oven as we speak (or interact digitally). the batter was ah-mazing. the finished product? pretty darn delicious. however, the baking time from the recipe is completely off, so the final product was not up to par. i’ve made some revisions in terms of the baking temperature and time. hopefully, yours will be new and improved.

the ingredients:

cooking spray

2 sticks unsalted butter (at room temperature)

1 1/4 cups sugar

4 large eggs (at room temperature)

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 13-oz. jar of nutella

the method:

preheat the oven to 350. spray 2 (8 1/2 x 4 1/4 x 2 1/2-inch) loaf pans. note to self: the pan in the picture above is larger than what you should use. in a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs with the vanilla. in n another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

in the bowl of an electronic mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter with the sugar at medium-high speed until fluffy, about three minutes. with the mixer at medium-low speed, gradually beat in the egg mixture until fully incorporated. add the dry ingredients in three batches, beating at low speed between additions until just incorporated. continue to beat for 30 seconds longer.

with a rubber spatula, spread one-third of the batter in the prepared pan; then, spread half of the nutella on top. repeat with another third of the batter and the remaining nutella, and top with the remaining batter. lightly swirl the nutella into the batter with a butter knife. it only needs a few swirls, so don’t overmix!

bake the cakes for 45 minutes to an hour, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. when the cakes are done, allow them to cool for ten minutes. remove the cakes from the pans and set them on a cooling rack. allow the cakes to cool completely (about an hour). it will be hard to control yourself during this step, but this cake is worth the wait.

cut the cake into slices, and serve.

had mine baked under different circumstances, i would have cut it into dainty slices. no such luck, but i’ll show you the end result anyway.

courtesy of food and wine magazine.

garlic-butter crostini

who doesn’t like garlic bread? i know i do. this is my oh-so-fancy version.

the ingredients:

1 loaf of ciabatta

1 stick of unsalted butter (at room temperature)

2 tbsp. of fresh parsley (chopped)

3 cloves of garlic (minced)

freshly ground black pepper

maldon sea salt

the method:

preheat the oven to 375.

in a small bowl, mix all of the ingredients minus the sea salt. cut the bread into diagonal slices, and place on a rimmed baking sheet. using a butter knife (duh), spread a generous amount of the butter mixture onto each slice. bake for 10-12 minutes. towards the very end of the baking time, turn on the broiler for a minute or two (and no longer!) to achieve that golden brown color. i wouldn’t walk away from the oven at this point, or these will burn to a crisp. remove from the oven, and transfer the crostini to a serving platter. garnish with the maldon flakes, and serve.

spaghetti with filetto sauce

my mom used to make this sauce when i was a little girl, so the flavors are especially distinctive for me. i don’t have her recipe for it, so i decided to create my own. you must like prosciutto to make this. i had the most delicious prosciutto di parma that i’ve ever tasted a few nights ago, and it’s been stuck in my head ever since. thus, my filetto sauce was born. it’s very simple to make, and it’s even more flavorful to eat. i think i would do mama proud.

the ingredients:

1 lb. spaghetti

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 yellow onion

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes (i always use san marzano.)

1/4 lb. prosciutto di parma (cut into bite-size pieces)

1 scant tbsp. of fresh parsley (chopped)

1/2 cup parmigiano regianno

the method:

bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.

heat the olive oil in a large skillet. once hot, add the onions, and cook down a bit. add the salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, and cook until the onions are translucent. add the crushed tomatoes and the prosciutto. simmer over low heat (covered) for about 20-30 minutes.* add the parsley right before serving, and stir.

about ten minutes out, add the spaghetti, and cook until al dente. transfer the sauce to a serving bowl, and add the cooked pasta and 1/4 cup of the parmigiano. mix everything together, making sure the pasta is thoroughly coated with the sauce. garnish with the remaining 1/4 cup of parmigiano, and serve.

*this sauce can be made ahead of time. follow all steps up until this point, and simply reheat (and add the parsley) when you’re ready to cook the pasta. if you choose to make the sauce ahead of time, it should look something like this (although it won’t have the little green specks until reheated):

s’mores cookie bars

oh how i love s’mores. interestingly enough, i don’t love marshmallows on their own. but you can’t dispute the deliciousness of a chocolate-graham cracker-marshmallow combo. these fully support that claim.

the ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter (at room temperature)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 8 graham crackers)

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

2 king-sized milk chocolate bars

1 1/2 cups marshmallow cream (melted marshmallows won’t work for this one as they harden when they cool!)

the method:

preheat the oven to 350.

line an 8 x 8″ square baking pan with parchment paper (or you could just double the recipe like i did and use a 9 x 13″).

in a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light. add the egg and vanilla.

in a small bowl, whisk together the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, and salt. gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, and mix at a low speed until combined. divide the dough in half, and press half of the dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. don’t worry if it seems thin; the baking powder will help it rise.

place the chocolate bars over the dough in a single layer, and then top the bars with the marshmallow cream. finally, top the cream with the remaining dough by forming the dough into sheets with the palm of your hands (or a rolling pin) and laying it down. the dough will spread out as it bakes, so it doesn’t need to cover everything.

bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. if the top is browning too quickly, cover it with tin foil for the remaining baking time. cool completely before cutting into bars.

how about one more shot of the gooeyness? lord, have mercy.

courtesy of crepes of wrath.

chocolate peanut butter cupcakes

i’m into goodies inside of goodies. if you haven’t checked out my brookies, do so now. and then bake them. you’ll thank me for my bossiness afterwards. i was pondering experimenting with candy yesterday. given that chocolate and peanut butter is such a classic combination, i decided on peanut butter cups. thus, i borrowed a cupcake recipe from the barefoot contessa that complemented the idea perfectly and added a few elements to it, including a hidden peanut butter cup. trust me, it’s in there.

this recipe makes around 14 cupcakes.

the ingredients:

the cupcakes:

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (at room temperature)

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 large eggs (at room temperature)

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk, shaken, at room temperature

1/2 cup sour cream (at room temperature)

2 tablespoons brewed coffee

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 large bag of peanut butter cups

the icing:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup heavy cream

the method:

preheat the oven to 350. line cupcake pans with paper liners if you’re doing so.

in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and both sugars on high speed until light and fluffy, approximately five minutes. lower the speed to medium, and add the eggs one at a time. then, add the vanilla, and mix well. in a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, and coffee. in another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt (i combine dry ingredient with a whisk to make sure it’s done so thoroughly). on low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and the flour mixture alternately in thirds to the mixer bowl, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. mix only until blended. fold the batter with a rubber spatula to be sure it’s completely blended.

pour the cupcake batter into the slots so that it’s halfway up the sides. place a peanut butter cup in each, and pour a little bit more batter on top. the batter should come three-quarters of the way up. bake in the middle of the oven for around 20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean (try not to pierce the peanut butter cup here!).

stick the peanut butter cups in the freezer while you’re making the icing (this will prevent them from melting into a glob when you crumble them). place the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. don’t worry if the icing seems kind of hard; the cream makes all the difference. add the cream, and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth. now, crumble some of the peanut butter cups, and set aside.

when the cupcakes are done, cool for ten minutes, remove from the pans, and allow to cool completely before frosting.

frost each cupcake, and garnish with the crumbled peanut butter cups.

i know, i know. you’re dying to see what’s inside. here you go:

cupcake recipe courtesy of the barefoot contessa.

peanut butter nutella bars

no baking necessary! in the words of ina garten, “how easy is that?” for those of you who don’t know it yet, there is such thing as world nutella day. you heard me – a day solely dedicated to that chocolate-hazlenut deliciousness. to honor this wonderful creation, i’ll be on a bit of a nutella kick until then. let’s begin.

the ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

1 cup powdered sugar

3/4 cup chopped semi-sweet chocolate or chocolate chips

2 tbsp. nutella

the method:

in a medium bowl, combine melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, peanut butter and powdered sugar until well mixed. line an 8 x8 baking dish with parchment paper, and pour the mixture into it.

in a small saucepan (or carefully in the microwave), melt the chopped chocolate and nutella over low heat, stirring frequently to avoid scorching. i usually do this on 20-second increments in the microwave to avoid burning it. this might seem tedious, but it’s better than ending up with burnt, globby chocolate. once it’s smooth, pour over the peanut butter mixture, spreading to cover.

put the dish in the fridge, and allow to cool for at least an hour before cutting.

thanks to rootie tootie fresh and foodie.

hello (again), world!

i heart food has moved! welcome to the new stomping grounds. many more recipes to follow, and i look forward to sharing them with you!