Tag: friday eats

Lemon Berry Napoleon – Is It Good, Why Is It Called Napoleon?

Who here has tried to make three-tiered deserts, cakes included…it’s a little hairy at points, amiright? This week’s recipe by Home.Made.Interest was my first attempt at a three-tier dessert that WASN’T a cake…spoiler alert: I opted to make it two because #scarycustard.

This week’s recipe to try is a Lemon Berry Napoleon. Is it good and why is it called Napoleon? Keep scrolling for the recipe, some helpful first-time bake hacks, and if it makes the cut for recipes I make more than once. Oh, and what will the Hubs say? His review is down near the bottom, too!

The Recipe:

  • 2 sheets Puff Pastry
  • 2 1/4 tsp Powdered gelatin, , unflavored
  • ¼ c Warm water
  • 2 c Heavy Cream
  • 4 Tbsp Powdered sugar
  • 10 oz Lemon Curd
  • 1 c Strawberries
  • 1 c Blueberries
  • 1 c Blackberries
  • 1 c Raspberries
  1. Preheat oven to 425F.
  2. Lay thawed puff pastry sheet on a floured surface and roll it out into a 12x 12 inch square.
  3. Cut the square into three 12 inch x 4 inch strips and prick them all over with a fork.
  4. Place the puff pastry strips on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
  5. Repeat for second puff pastry sheet.
  6. Cover dough with plastic wrap and place back in refrigerator to chill for at least 20 minutes.
  7. Once chilled remove baking sheets from refrigerator and place in over.
  8. Bake for 10 minutes until the dough begins to turn golden brown then place another baking sheet directly on top of the dough and continue baking for another 6-7 minutes.
  9. Remove the top baking sheet and finish baking for 6-7 minutes or until pastry is golden brown.
  10. Remove the puff pastry sheets from the oven and while they are still warm trim the edges of the puff pastry and cut the strips in half making each one 6 inches x 4 inches (approximately).
  11. Cool completely.

LEMON MOUSSE

  1. While the puff pastry cools make the lemon mousse.
  2. Fill a small bowl with the warm water and sprinkle the gelatin over it letting it dissolve.
  3. Whip the heavy cream until it forms soft peaks then add the powdered sugar and the gelatin.
  4. Continue to whip until it forms stiff peaks.
  5. Gently fold in the lemon curd mixing until it is fully incorporated.

ASSEMBLY

  1. You will use 3 puff pastry pieces for each Napoleon.
  2. Spread lemon mousse over the bottom piece making it about 1/2 inch thick. Top with the next piece and repeat.
  3. Top the third layer of puff pastry with lemon mousse and place on a baking sheet.
  4. Do this for all of the puff pastry and then place your 4 Napoleons in the refrigerator to firm up.
  5. Before serving top with fresh berries.
  6. Enjoy!

Baking Hacks:

  1. If your custard feels unreliable maybe knock down your layers to two instead of three, there’s no shame in modifying. Also, if you give zero shits about if it holds all three puff pastry layers then go for it! I had to bring this to a party and have it sit outside of the fridge for an hour or two so I was suspicious of the third layer.
  2. I cut the 6×4 inch puff pastry rectangles in half to make it a more manageable bite. The shape ended up being more square.
  3. Folding in the lemon curd knocked a bit of air out of the whipped cream, and I think it’s because the curd was stiff coming out of the jar. If I were to make it again I think I would scoop all of the curd out of the jar and into a separate bowl, stir the curd up so it gets fluffed (?) up and then fold into the whipping cream to keep it airy. If you try this idea, let me know if it makes a difference, I’m hopeful!
  4. If you’ve never decorated the tops of flimsy puff pastry layers with multiple pieces of fruit, give yourself grace. It’s not going to look IG cute your first go, and it’s okay 😉

Is It Good?

And would I make it again? Not unless it was requested. No offense to the puff pastry but it’s a damn mess and a pain in the ass to assemble, lol.

Wait, why is it called Napoleon?

Per usual it depends on who you ask, but according to most it has nothing to do with the French conquerer. Instead, “Napoleon translates into “thousand leaves” for its many flaky layers of pastry surrounding its custard cream,” and you can read more about it here if you’re curious.

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Taste Test: Upside Down Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls

This Friday’s Taste Test recipe is Tasty’s upside down banana bread cinnamon rolls. How could I NOT make these? *In my Chandler Bing voice. Banana bread is my freaking favorite. I could eat a whole loaf with no guilt, seriously.

You know what banana flavor is awful? Can you guess? I’ll tell you at the end, think about it 😉 Anyways, will I love the shit out of this recipe because I love banana bread so much? Scroll to see if it made the cut!

But first, a quick reminder I’m not a food blogger. There will be no flour-dusted cutting board photos in-between hefty paragraphs filled with adjectives. The word foodie sends an awful noise of nails on a chalkboard down my spine.

I only want to share the recipe and what I learned when baking or cooking it for the first time. The act of making food for others is how I show love, and it’s my fun time. Trying to make something for the first time is always exciting for me because you either nail it or you don’t.

Here we go:

THE RECIPE:

1 cup whole milk

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1/2 stick

¾ oz instant yeast, 1 packet

⅓ cup granulated sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

3 ripe bananas, mashed 

4 ½ cups all-purpose flour, divided

2 tablespoons oil

FILLING

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
CARAMEL SAUCE 

½ cup unsalted butter, 1 stick

1 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ cup honey

1 cup walnuts, chopped
  1. In a large, microwave-proof bowl, combine the milk and melted butter. Microwave for 40 seconds, until the milk mixture reaches 110˚F (45˚C). Add the yeast, then let sit for 10 minutes.
  2. Add the granulated sugar, salt, mashed bananas, and stir.
  3. Add 3½ cups (435 g) of flour, ½ cup (60 g) at a time, stirring between each addition.
  4. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for 3 minutes, adding more flour ¼ cup (30 g) at a time if the dough is sticking to your hands or the surface. Form the dough into a ball.
  5. Add the oil to clean large bowl and place the dough in the bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or overnight, until doubled in size.
  6. Once the dough has risen, roll it out to a ¼-inch-thick (6-mm) rectangle about 18×12 inches (20×30 cm).
  7. Make the filling by mixing the melted butter, granulated sugar, and cinnamon together in a small bowl.
  8. Spread the filling evenly over the dough. Roll up the dough and slice into 15 1½-inch (4-cm) thick slices (discard the ends).
  9. Make the caramel sauce: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, brown sugar, salt, vanilla, and honey. Keep stirring to prevent the sugar from sticking to the pan. Bring to a gentle boil, then remove the pan from the heat.
  10. Pour the caramel sauce into a 9×12-inch (23×30-cm) baking dish and sprinkle the walnuts on top of sauce. Arrange the rolls in the dish so there are 3 rows of 5 rolls.
  11. Cover with plastic wrap and let the rolls rise for 15 minutes, in a warm place.
  12. Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚C).
  13. Remove the plastic wrap and bake the cinnamon rolls for 40 minutes, or until light golden brown.
  14. Let cool for 20 minutes, then invert the rolls onto a serving platter. Leftover cinnamon rolls can be stored up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave or oven.

MY FINDINGS:

  1. I used all 4 1/2 cups of flour, the recipe calls to mix 3.5 and then add 1/4 cup as needed while kneading but it is the stickiest dough EVERRR so it took all 4.5 cups.
  2. The yeast

WOULD I MAKE IT AGAIN?

Maybe. The verdict is still out. Everyone BUT me was in love with them. 😂

Have you tried this recipe, too? What did you think about it? Tell in the comments, belowwwwwwww.

ps: It’s yogurt. Banana flavored yogurt taste like spoiled mayonnaise. Woof, just think I barfed a little…my bad!

pss: The original recipe can be found here.

banana bread quotes

 

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Taste Test: Baked Alaska

This Friday’s Taste Test is the Baked Alaska which is considered a unicorn in the dessert world because you don’t see it much anymore. What makes this recipe a challenge is the damn meringue.

Molding the layers of ice cream is the best part! You feel like a sculptor of foods and it’s satisfying to know you’re creating layers of goodness. An easy cheat to making the cake bit is using a white cake box mix. And you best believe I did this cheat 😉

I made this for Christmas at my Father In Law’s house, and I failed miserably. So miserably it’s comical. Never in my life had I ever made meringue and after 15-ish minutes of hand mixing the egg whites I called it good…big mistake.

As you can guess the meringue DRIPPED down the sides as everyone watched. You can’t win them all folks. Scroll to see if it made the cut and the photo proof evidence how terrible it came out.

But first, a quick reminder I’m not a food blogger. There will be no flour-dusted cutting board photos in-between hefty paragraphs filled with adjectives. The word foodie sends an awful noise of nails on a chalkboard down my spine.

I only want to share the recipe and what I learned when baking or cooking it for the first time. The act of making food for others is how I show love, and it’s my fun time. Trying to make something for the first time is always exciting for me because you either nail it or you don’t.

Here we go:

THE RECIPE:

2 quarts vanilla ice cream, softened
1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
8 egg whites
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup white sugar
  1. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch round mixing bowl or deep 8-inch square container with foil. Spread ice cream in container, packing firmly. Cover and freeze 8 hours or until firm.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8×8 inch pan.
  3. Prepare cake mix with egg and almond extract. Pour into prepared pan.
  4. Bake in preheated oven according to package instructions, until the center of cake springs back when lightly touched.
  5. Beat egg whites with cream of tartar, salt, and sugar until stiff peaks form.
  6. Line a baking sheet with parchment or heavy brown paper. Place cake in the center. Turn molded ice cream out onto cake. Quickly and prettily spread meringue over cake and ice cream, all the way to paper to seal. Return to freezer 2 hours.
  7. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
  8. Bake the Alaska on the lowest shelf, 8 to 10 minutes, or until meringue is lightly browned. Serve at once.

MY FINDINGS:

  1. If using a hand mixer, whip the egg whites until you have carpal tunnel…seriously. My recommendation would be to only make meringue if you have a stand mixer because 1) easier on the wrists 2) it’s quieter, hand mixers are LOUD.

WOULD I MAKE IT AGAIN?

Yes, but not until my ego has healed. It was pretty delicious tasting, dripping meringue or not.

Have you tried this recipe, too? What did you think about it? Tell in the comments, belowwwwwwww.

pss: The original recipe can be found here.

 

baked alaska baking quote julia child

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Taste Test: Low Carb No-Bake​ Peanut Butter​ Coconut Cookies

This week’s #TasteTest recipe is a low carb no-bake peanut butter coconut cookie. I’m not on a diet but sometimes I like to try these low carb ‘treats’ just to see if they’re as good as they look. Do you think it’ll make the cut? Scroll to find out!

But first, a quick reminder I’m not a food blogger. There will be no flour-dusted cutting board photos in-between hefty paragraphs filled with adjectives. The word foodie sends an awful noise of nails on a chalkboard down my spine.

I only want to share the recipe and what I learned when baking or cooking it for the first time. The act of making food for others is how I show love, and it’s my fun time. Trying to make something for the first time is always exciting for me because you either nail it or you don’t.

Here we go:

THE RECIPE:

  • ⅔ cup natural peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut flake
  1. Place the peanut butter and coconut oil in a medium microwaveable bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir to combine. Add the vanilla and stir.
  2. Add the unsweetened shredded coconut flakes and mix until evenly coated.
  3. Dollop the mixture on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Each cookie should be around 1½ inches (4 cm) wide.
  4. Freeze until solid, about 15-20 minutes. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container or bag.

56.03g total carbs 37.5g dietary fiber 18.53g net carbs/per serving 18.53g/8 cookies = 2.31g net carbs per cookie

MY FINDINGS:

  1. It is goopy and will spread all over the place, don’t make your scoops too heaping because it WILL run all over the place, haha.
  2. My trick would be to accidentally put sweetened coconut flakes in instead of unsweetened. Just say ‘oops’ so it counts as accidental.

WOULD I MAKE IT AGAIN?

Not a chance in Hell. I would make these with Jiffy and sweetened coconut flakes though…

Have you tried this recipe, too? What did you think about it? Tell in the comments, belowwwwwwww.

ps: The original recipe can be found here.

no bake peanut butter coconut cookies

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Taste Test: Molten Churro Bombs

This week’s #TasteTest recipe is molten churro bombs which is code for fried drops of heaven filled with chocolate. Apparently, once you click on one recipe by Tasty you will be FLOODED with recipes on your timeline. The name alone would make anyone stop the scroll…

Do you think it’ll make the cut? Scroll to find out!

But first, a quick reminder I’m not a food blogger. There will be no flour-dusted cutting board photos in-between hefty paragraphs filled with adjectives. The word foodie sends an awful noise of nails on a chalkboard down my spine.

I only want to share the recipe and what I learned when baking or cooking it for the first time. The act of making food for others is how I show love, and it’s my fun time. Trying to make something for the first time is always exciting for me because you either nail it or you don’t.

Here we go:

THE RECIPE:

    • 1 cup water
    • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1/2 stick
    • ½ cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons, divided
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 cup all-purpose flour
    • 3 large eggs
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 18 milk chocolate truffles
    • oil, for frying

  • CINNAMON SUGAR COATING

    • ½ cup sugar
    • 2 tablespoons cinnamon
  • SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
    • 1 piping bag, with a small closed star tip
  1. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the water, butter, 2 tablespoons sugar, and the salt, and bring to a boil.
  2. As soon as the mixture begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the flour. Using a wooden spoon, stir until the dough comes together to form a ball, about 1 minute.
  3. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes before proceeding to avoid accidentally cooking the eggs.
  4. Mix in the eggs, 1 at a time, fully incorporating each egg before adding the next. Then add the vanilla.
  5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  6. Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a closed star tip.
  7. Pipe 18 1½-inch (3 cm) spiral rounds onto the baking sheet. Top each with a milk chocolate truffle. Pipe the dough in a spiral to cover the truffles, being careful to completely seal the chocolate. Immediately transfer the tray to the freezer and freeze for 1 hour, until solid.
  8. Heat the oil in a deep pot until it reaches 350˚F (180˚C).
  9. Fry in batches of 4 until nicely browned, about 3 minutes, turning so they fry evenly. Drain on a cooling rack, or paper towel-lined plate and dab off any excess oil.
  10. Combine the remaining ½ cup sugar (100 G) and the cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll the warm churro bombs in the mixture to coat.

MY FINDINGS:

  1. No piping bag, per usual. A good ‘ol Ziploc freezer bag with the end cut worked just as well.
  2. When you mix the eggs in one by one it takes a while for them to mix in with the dough, don’t panic, just keep stirring. *in my Dory voice
  3. The recipe mentions 3 minutes at 350, but mine took closer to 4 minutes to get a golden brown look. A good tell was when they began to float, mine would float a little past 3 minutes and then I’d leave them in its oil bath for 30 more seconds.
  4. Also, don’t wait until they’re completely cool to dunk them in cinnamon sugar, the coating won’t stick as well if they don’t have a little hot oil still on them.

WOULD I MAKE IT AGAIN?

 

The Hubs didn’t feel the same way….here’s his review.

Yes! The melty chocolate makes for a good dipping sauce. Who wouldn’t like to dip fried cinnamon sugar bread into gooey chocolate? Hellooooo. I also feel obligated to say Hubs did not appreciate the chocolate, he’s a purist who believes the original recipe shouldn’t be messed with…but that if the chocolate was solid he might get on board. You can’t see me but my eyes are rolling, again because they rolled when he said it, too. Haha.

Have you tried this recipe, too? What did you think about it? Tell in the comments, belowwwwwwww.

ps: The original recipe can be found here.

Everything you have ever wanted, is sitting on the other side of fear.-16

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Cheesy French Onion Chicken

This week’s taste test recipe is a cheesy French onion chicken recipe I found on Tasty. This recipe has minimal steps AND ingredients, it can all be done in one SINGLE  pan. If I could insert an Oprah gif (the one where she’s telling everyone they get a car) I would put it right here because one pan clean ups are my FAVORITE kinds of recipes…but will it make the cut?

In the honor of full disclosure I will tell you I’ve never been a fan of French onion soup…but my Hubs loves French onion so I made it knowing if I hated it he’d probably love it and would devour the leftovers.

But first, a quick reminder I’m not a food blogger. There will be no flour-dusted cutting board photos in-between hefty paragraphs filled with adjectives. The word foodie sends an awful noise of nails on a chalkboard down my spine.

I only want to share the recipe and what I learned when baking or cooking it for the first time. The act of making food for others is how I show love, and it’s my fun time. Trying to make something for the first time is always exciting for me because you either nail it or you don’t.

Here we go:

THE RECIPE:

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

1 tablespoon dried parsley

1 tablespoon butter

6 large onions, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon fresh thyme

1 cup beef stock

2 cups gruyère cheese, shredded

bread, sliced and toasted, to serve
  1. In a bowl, add the chicken thighs, salt, pepper, garlic, dried parsley, and olive oil, and toss until evenly coated.
  2. Add the chicken to a skillet on medium-high heat. Sear until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook the other side of the chicken, 2 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
  3. Preheat oven to broil.
  4. Add the butter, sliced onions, salt, and pepper to the same pan, stirring occasionally until softened. Reduce heat to low and cook until they are deeply caramelized, about 1 hour.
  5. Add thyme and beef broth and bring the mixture to a simmer.
  6. Add the chicken on top of the onions, and sprinkle with Gruyère cheese.
  7. Broil for 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden brown.
  8. Serve over bread.

MY FINDINGS:

  1. I didn’t have the time frame to reduce the onions down for an hour, it ended up being 30-ish minutes instead which was still flipping awesome.
  2. No parsley or thyme in my cabinet like I thought (wasn’t going back to the grocery store, again) so I found a spice blend floating around the pantry called “Pasta Sprinkle” and used it instead. It contained Mediterranean oregano, California basil, and minced garlic.
  3. If you’re curious about how much cheese I used, it was the e.n.t.i.r.e. block for good measure 🙂 My Hubs says you can never use enough cheese, haha.

WOULD I MAKE IT AGAIN?

 

HELL TO THE YES, IT WAS BOMB-DIGGITY! It is easy to make and packed full of flavor. It’s going in my rotation for dinners, for sure. Fun Fact: if you ditch the bread it’s Keto and/or low carb.

Have you tried this recipe, too? What did you think about it? Tell in the comments, belowwwwwwww.

ps: The original recipe can be found here.

Everything you have ever wanted, is sitting on the other side of fear.-14

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Poppy’s Creme Brûlée

Did you read today’s Taste Test recipe and tense up a little bit? I wonder why it’s made out to be such a difficult dessert to try, maybe it’s the fancy top hat above the ‘u’ that makes it seem way to fancy to try? Let me tell you, I’d rather make Creme Brûlée any day over that damn bread that gave me bruises!

I got this recipe from my Dad (aka Poppy). He made it on Paint maybe a decade ago and emailed it to me. I kid you not, he made it for me on Paint and it is carefully preserved in my cooking binder between two plastic sheets.

But first, let’s recap in case you don’t know my rules…

I’m not a food blogger. I share recipes I’ve tried and if I’d make them again. I hate the word foodie and hefty paragraphs filled with adjectives about the recipe, and photographs that have dusted flour and cutting boards.

You can expect the recipe I used, helpful tricks or what not to do and a couple (probably one) real shots of what it looked like when my bake came out of the oven.

The Recipe:

4 Tablespoons granulated sugar

2 1/2 cups heavy cream

6 egg yolks

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

What you need:

Mixing bowl, wire whip, ramekins, pyrex oven pan, heavy bottom saucepan, thermometer, torch spark, and wire sift.

  1. Gather supplies/ingredients. Get some water boiling and heat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Heat 2 1/2 cups heavy cream in a heavy bottom saucepan until it reaches 175 – 180 degrees and remove from heat.
  3. Meanwhile place 6 egg yolks, 4 Tablespoons sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in mixing bowl and whisk until frothy.
  4. Remove 1/4 cup of the hot heavy cream and slowly pour into egg mix while whipping vigorously to temper egg mix. Repeat with another 1/4 cup.
  5. Slowly pour entire tempered egg mix into heavy cream while whipping with might. Scrape bowl well with rubber spatula.
  6. The mixture will be frothy on top. Use a skimmer to remove the froth. Be sure to let liquids pass through simmer back into mix before dumping froth. Repeat until very little froth is left.
  7. Place 4 ramekins into your baking pan and fill pan with water until the water reaches halfway up ramekins. Pour approximately 2/3 cup of mix into each ramekin.
  8. Bake in over for 20 – 25 minutes. When sides are firm but the center is slightly jiggly the custard is done. Remove from oven and leave in water pan for 10 minutes. Place in fridge and chill for about 4 hours.

To Serve:

  • Sprinkle 2 teaspoon of sugar over top of the Brulee and lightly shake the ramekin back and forth to get an even coat.
  • Brown sugar with a torch. The tip of the flame that is yellow is the hottest part. Sugar should meet flame at top of the yellow tip. Use a right to left back and forth motion starting at the top and work your way down as sugar carmelizes.
  • Note: I like to serve it with a whipped cream rose and strawberry fan on the side or on a plate with a spoon. You can also serve whipped cream on top of Brulee wit
  • h a sprinkle of raspberries, too.

My Findings:

  1. Do not dump all of the hot heavy cream into the egg mixture, it will curdle the eggs. You need to have patience and not rush the tempering.
  2. If you don’t have a small wire sift to skim the top, use a spoon and carefully de-froth the top.
  3. The boiling water is for the water surrounding the ramekins before it enters the oven. I think the boiling water help keep it at an even temp. in the oven and it takes longer to bake if you don’t use heated water, don’t quote me but that sounds right.

Would I Make It Again?

Hell yes. It’s easier than it looks (and sounds). I remember being so nervous I was going to fuck up the tempering I was SUPER and ridiculously slow at it. I never thought the mixtures would ever be melded as one…so find a happy medium, you don’t have to be a psycho like I was the first go around and you can’t dump half or all of it in one or two shots.

Have you ever tried to make Creme Brûlée? How’d it turn out? Tell me in the comments.

Creme Brûlée quotes or sayings

Come be my friend on Instagram. I’m hilarious.
This is my Dad’s recipe that he wrote up on Paint for me some 10 years ago. I have no idea where it came from or if it has his own tweaks.

 

 

Tuscan Kale Soup

Usually, I’m not down for attending cooking classes at kitchen supply stores or ‘we do team building events!’ type places. The work is done for you and at some places, you can’t take the leftovers home, so if you took a 3PM class and weren’t quite hungry, you can’t take your’s home for later. Speaking from experience, bitterly.

Then I went to The Wine Artist with my MIL and they let you drink wine while making your dinner and I’m 100% certain that made the whole cooking in a group thing, more enjoyable. The menu that night was also bomb, the theme was Under The Tuscan Sun.

So, today’s Taste Test recipe you most definitely want to try this weekend is the Tuscan kale soup.

But first, let’s recap in case you don’t know my rules…

I’m not a food blogger. I share recipes I’ve tried and if I’d make them again. The word foodie and hefty paragraphs filled with adjectives about the recipe annoy me. Oh, and photographs that have dusted flour and cutting boards.

You can expect the recipe I used, helpful tricks or what not to do and a couple (probably one) real shots of what it looked like when my bake came out of the oven.

The Recipe:

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1-pound spicy Italian ground sausage

1 onion diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

4 garlic cloves minced

1 (14.5 oz) can white cannellini beans

4 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 bunch of kale, roughly chopped with stems removed

Toppings: parmesan cheese

  1. Heat oil in a large pot. Add sausage and cook until no longer pink. Add in onions and carrots and saute for a few minutes until onions are soft. Add garlic and continue to cook for a few minutes.
  2. Add in beans, chicken broth, water, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes and stir together. Cover and bring to a boil. reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
  3. Add in kale and continue to simmer for 10 minutes or until kale and vegetables are tender. Taste and adjust seasoning, as needed.

My Findings:

  • The easiest and most impressive soup you’ll ever make.
  • I ate this for lunch every day for a week, there is such thing as too much kale for the system…but I’d probably make a big batch and do it all over again #noragrets bwahaha.
  • During the class, we also pan-fried baguette slices for dunking purposes…best idea ever

Would I Make It Again?

I think you know my answer. If it rains, I’m making this soup. If I want soup, I’m making this one, and if I need to bring something somewhere and wait until last minute, I’m bringing this damn soup. SO SO good.

under the tuscan sun quote about cooking

Come be my friend on Instagram. I’m hilarious.
Originally recipe from The Wine Artist in Lake Forest, CA.