Classic Pot Roast with Parsley Gremolata

I had an unexpected visit from my parents the weekend before spring break due to a death in our family – my great aunt Theresa. She lived in Roanoke, so my parents came to Blacksburg for a couple of days before her funeral. Everyone who met my aunt Theresa was captivated by her spunky attitude and positive outlook on life. She was one amazing woman. I have seen her at the Houck family reunion in West Virginia every year in August since I was a baby, and always loved being embraced by her like she hadn’t seen me in forever. Luckily, my sister, Morgan, and I really got to know her this past reunion as we were one of the first people to arrive in West Virginia. We had dinner with our Nanny and Papa, two of our cousins, and our aunt Theresa and listened to them tell stories about their childhood and past family reunions. It was such a treat. One story in particular really shocked me. When Theresa was in her forties she had a surgery to remove nodules on her throat, but the surgeon accidentally cut her vocal cords. Most people would be outraged if this happened to them, but my aunt Theresa just accepted that it happened and lived her life to the fullest with no animosity towards the surgeon. Although this accident changed her voice drastically and limited her career choices, she battled through all of the obstacles that came her way with strong faith in the Lord and His plan for her. I only wish I could have seen her more before she passed away. From what I learned at the funeral, she was also a gourmet cook. I have a feeling we would have had lots of fun in the kitchen together.

I miss you aunt Theresa, and the Houck reunion won’t be the same without you. You influenced so many people throughout your life. Thank you for being such an inspiration to my family and me.

Click here and get to know the beautiful lady I am talking about.

When my parents walked in the door that Friday evening, I had this pot roast cooking for them. It made the house smell amazing! It’s a delicious one-pot meal and warms the soul. I served it alongside a simple salad with a lemon vinaigrette, and of course I had dessert made as well – homemade salted caramel bread pudding and vanilla ice cream. It was a fun night. That weekend before heading to Roanoke for the funeral, we hiked to the Cascades, I showed them my favorite bakery and café in Blacksburg called Our Daily Bread, and went out to a nice dinner when Morgan got here on Saturday evening. Although it wasn’t under the best circumstances, it was wonderful to be around not only my immediate family, but also to see my second and third cousins that I usually only see once a year. I hope everyone enjoys this recipe!

Classic Pot Roast and Parsley Gremolata: (adapted from Ina Garten)

Prep Time: 30 minutes          Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes          Servings: 8

FOR THE POT ROAST:

• 1 (4 lb.) boneless beef chuck roast (the recipe says to tie it, but I didn’t know how to and also didn’t realize I was supposed to tie it until after it came out of the oven…oops)
• Salt and pepper
• All-purpose flour
• Olive oil
• 4 carrots, chopped
• 2 onions, chopped
• 4 stalks of celery, chopped
• 3 leeks, chopped and cleaned thoroughly
• 1 1/2 lb. fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise
• 5 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 cups red wine (I used a Cabernet Sauvignon)
• 2 tablespoons Cognac
• 1 (28 oz.) can whole plum tomatoes
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• 3 branches fresh thyme
• 2 branches fresh rosemary
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 whole cloves
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

FOR THE GREMOLATA:

• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Dash of crushed red pepper flakes
• Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 325°.

Pat the beef dry with a paper towel. Season the beef all over with salt and pepper. Dredge the whole roast in flour, including the ends. In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the roast and sear for 5 minutes on each side, until nicely browned. Remove the roast to a large plate.

Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the Dutch oven. Add the carrots, onions, celery, leeks, potatoes, garlic, and salt and pepper and cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned. Add the wine and Cognac and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, bouillon cube, and salt and pepper to taste. Make the sachet d’epices (or bouquet garni or sachet bag) by placing the thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, and cloves in cheesecloth and then tying the cheesecloth with kitchen twine to make a bag. Place the sachet d’epices into the pot. Put the roast back into the pot, bring to a boil, and cover. Place in the oven for 2 1/2 hours, until the meat is fork tender. Turn the heat down to 250° after about an hour to keep the sauce at a simmer.

Remove from oven and stir in fresh chopped parsley. Remove pot roast from Dutch oven and place on a cutting board to slice. Serve with all the vegetables and the sauce. Top with the gremolata.

Enjoy!

love, maddie

Poblano Jalapeno Chili

Waking up to snow on the ground is getting pretty old. I think there is a reason I grew up so close to the coast – I’m really not a fan of cold weather. And cold to me means below 50°. You could say this has been a harsh Blacksburg winter. Walking across the drill field with the brisk wind beating against your face at 8 o’clock in the morning isn’t my cup of tea. However, speaking of tea, this cold weather gives me an excuse to have more hot cocoa in one winter than the normal person drinks in a lifetime. Since I’m trying to look on the bright side of things, another positive to the freezing cold is that you get to cuddle up on a couch with a hot bowl of soup – or more specifically – a bowl of this poblano jalapeño chili.

One of my classes this semester is Purchases, Production, and Management. Some of you may know that I was very excited about this course as one of the required texts for the class is THE Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer. How cool is that? Instead of reading about capital budgeting decision methods, the time value of money, or stock valuation (which unfortunately I still have to read about), I am reading about how to make a roux and that 1 pound of dried pasta yields 3 pounds of cooked pasta. I get excited just thinking about it. Another cool awesome part about this class is that there is a “lab” associated with the lecture. Most labs deal with beakers and Bunsen burners, but my food lab deals with chinois strainers and butter. Lots of butter. Anywho…I get to cook in this lab every Monday from 9:05 to 1:50.  About 5 hours of nothing but cooking. And one of the greatest perks to this class (besides getting to cook) is that we eat whatever we make that day for lunch – and get to take home the leftovers. I forgot my tupperware on the first day, but I won’t make that mistake ever again. Now back to the chili…

Poblano Jalapeño Chili: (adapted from Cooking Light)

Prep Time: 30 minutes          Cook Time: 40 minutes          Servings: 8

• 1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
• 2 jalapeño peppers, chopped
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 poblano or pasilla peppers, chopped
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 12-ounce Mexican beer (I used Corona)
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups tomato sauce
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 15-ounce can kidney beans
• 1 15-ounce can pinto beans
• 1 15-ounce can black beans
• 1 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes
• cheddar cheese, shredded (optional)
• plain greek yogurt or sour cream (optional)
• cilantro (optional)
• radishes (optional)
• scallions (optional)

Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook until browned. Remove beef from pan, drain. Wipe pan clean.

Add oil to the same Dutch oven. Saute jalapeños, onion, poblano, and garlic. Saute 10 minutes or until onions are tender. Add beer. Scrape pan to loosen brown bits. Cook until half of the beer evaporates. Add chili powder, cumin, and salt. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in beef, tomato sauce, broth, beans, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer.

Cook uncovered for 30 minutes. Ladle chili into bowls and top with optional garnishes (cheddar, yogurt, cilantro, radishes, and scallions).

Enjoy!

love, maddie

Swiss Chard & Goat Cheese Galette

I have a small obsession with Martha Stewart cookbooks. Specifically her baking ones. Martha Stewart Cookies, Martha Stewart Cupcakes, and her newest book, Martha Stewart Pies & Tarts travel with me every time I leave Blacksburg to go back home for a weekend or break because you never know when you need to make strawberry cupcakes or the most scrumptious milk chocolate cookies. I love Martha’s most recent cookbook because it has a great combination of sweet and savory pies and tarts. The following recipe is a delicious savory galette (pronounced gah-let) with a homemade whole-wheat crust that has a lovely addition of oats. Inside the galette are layers of caramelized onions, goat cheese, Swiss chard, and it’s topped with pine nuts & golden raisins.

I made this as an appetizer for a dinner party my mom was having with 6 of her friends. They were celebrating a 50th birthday and I obviously wanted to help make some most of the food. I had always wanted to try this recipe because I am in love with goat cheese, so I told my momma I would contribute an appetizer – as well as sweet potato biscuits, butternut squash lasagna, and espresso caramel bars. It turned out to be a big hit! The crust is literally to die for…so buttery and flaky, and the whole-wheat flour and oats make it feel really hearty.

Swiss Chard & Goat Cheese Galette: (adapted from Martha Stewart)

Prep Time: 30 min. (1 hour 30 min. of idle time)          Cook Time: 35 min.          Servings: 16 slices

For the Crust:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick cold butter, cut into small pieces
• 3 ounces cream cheese
• 1 large egg yolk, plus 1 large egg yolk, for egg wash
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream, for egg wash

For the Filling:

• 3 cups Swiss chard, washed, stems removed
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, sliced thin lengthwise
• S & P to taste
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• 6 ounces fresh goat cheese, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
• 2 tablespoons golden raisins

In a food processor, pulse flours, oats, and salt to combine. Add butter, cream cheese, and 1 egg yolk, and process until dough just comes together, 15 to 20 seconds. Press dough into a disk. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate 1 hour or up to 1 day.

Roughly chop the Swiss chard. Saute the chard in EVOO until wilted and season with S&P; place in a bowl and set aside. Saute the onions in EVOO until caramelized and add thyme; place in a bowl and set aside.

Mix goat cheese and heavy cream until smooth. Stir in nutmeg and season with salt and pepper.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a 12-inch round, 1/4 inch thick. Arrange onion mixture evenly over dough, leaving a 3-inch border around edge. Spread goat-cheese mixture over onion mixture, and top with chard mixture. Fold in edges of dough, and press down gently to seal. Transfer tart, on parchment, to a rimmed baking sheet. In a small bowl, beat remaining 1 egg yolk with remaining 1 tablespoon cream; brush exposed dough. Refrigerate until dough is firm, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake until crust is golden, 35 to 40 minutes. With 5 minutes left, sprinkle pine nuts and raisins on top of galette. Serve warm or at room temperature.

love, maddie

Applesauce Cinnamon Oat Muffins

Bad news. School starts tomorrow. Even worse news. I have an 8 am on Mondays and Wednesdays and a 9:30 am on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If you know me well you probably know that I’m not very good at sleeping in late. To me, 9:30 is sleeping in. However, what I am not used to is waking up at 6:45 and walking across the drillfield in the crisp, cold, 15° air plus wind chill in Blacksburg. Ouch. I remember staying the night at my cousin, Hayley’s, house and laying in bed at 8:30 in the morning waiting for Hayles to wake up. After about 9 I knew she probably wouldn’t be waking up until 10 or 11, so I usually got out of bed and went to play video games with her little brother, Jack. I’m sure I’ll be missing my sleep this semester, but hopefully I’ll make it. Unfortunately, I will be hitting the snooze button a lot, so I probably won’t have time to eat my usual ginormous bowl of cereal and I would get sick of grabbing the same old cereal bar every morning.  Don’t worry about me though because I thought of a healthy and easy solution! Applesauce cinnamon oat muffins. I can make them on Sunday and have them for the rest of the week. They use whole wheat flour, oats, applesauce, and only a little bit of canola oil and brown sugar, so you don’t have to feel guilty about eating them. I pop mine in the microwave for 10 seconds before I eat one so they taste like they’re fresh out of the oven.

I made these for the first time when I was still at home over Christmas break and literally had one for breakfast every morning for the next 7 days. On the 7th day, it had become a routine. I opened up the container, grabbed a muffin and a napkin, microwaved it for 10 seconds and then devoured it. However, I didn’t realize until after I had inhaled the first half of the muffin that there was a little green dot on the muffin liner. I hadn’t put anything green in the muffins, and just when I was wondering what it was, I looked on the bottom of the muffin and saw a nice patch of mold. My mind was starting to make me think that I was about to be sick, but my mom reassured me that I would be okay. Lesson of the day: these muffins are good for about 5-6 days and if you want to be a daredevil on the 7th day, make sure you check the bottom of your muffin.

Applesauce Cinnamon Oat Muffins: (adapted from Taste of Home)

Servings: 16 regular muffins or 32 mini muffins          Prep Time: 15 min.          Cook Time: 18 min.

Muffins:

• 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup milk (I used skim)
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 egg white

Topping:

• 1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400°. Mix dry ingredients (oats through salt) in a bowl. Create a well in the middle of the bowl. Pour wet ingredients (applesauce through egg white) into the well. Stir wet ingredients trying to keep them in that well. Mix wet ingredients into dry until just combined, do not over-mix! Fill greased muffin pan or muffin tins with batter 3/4 of the way full. In another bowl mix the topping ingredients together and sprinkle over each muffin. Bake for about 18 minutes for regular muffins and about 12 minutes for mini muffins. Check with a tooth pick to see if it is cooked through. Enjoy!

love, maddie

Pecan Bars

These pecan bars are my go-to dessert during the winter. Thanksgiving, Christmas, really any day from November to January. They are so buttery and delicious and only uses 5 ingredients! I saw Claire Robinson (5 Ingredient Fix) make these on Food Network one day and have not wanted to try another recipe for pecan bars since – even Ina Garten’s or Martha Stewart’s. And that’s saying something. This year, I made these bars for Thanksgiving, my Nanny’s Christmas party, and one day just because I was craving them. Believe me when I tell you that these pecan bars are perfect and you will have a very hard time walking by them in the kitchen and not sneaking one (or ten) of them during the day.

Prep Time: 25 minutes          Cook Time: 1 hour          Servings: 25-30 bars

Crust:

• 1 1/2 sticks butter, cold and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

Filling:

• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 13 x 9 baking dish with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Blend flour, brown sugar, and salt in a food processor. Place cold butter in food processor and blend until it resembles the texture of sand. Add 2 tablespoons of cold water as needed to have dough come together. Press dough into bottom of baking dish in an even layer. Bake for 20 minutes.

Cream butter, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the corn syrup, flour, and pecans and mix until well-combined. After the crust has cooled spread the filling on top of the crust. Make sure not to press or spread too firmly or the crust will break. It is okay if some of the crust is not covered because the filling will melt evenly once it is placed in the oven. If it does not spread evenly by itself just take the baking dish out in the middle of cooking time and spread it with a spatula. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

To serve, remove from the baking dish and cut into squares with a sharp knife. Enjoy!

love, maddie

Peanut Butter Cookies with Hershey Kisses

Is it weird that I’m already listening to Christmas music? Or that my roommate and I watched Elf last night? To say that I love the holiday season is an understatement. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and Christmas is a close second. You might ask why. Besides the music, Christmas movies, and general cheer that comes around during the holiday season, what really conquers my heart is the food. If you didn’t already know, I am kind of a food addict. I always feel the need to check my Food Gawker app on my iPhone for new recipes, look at the 50 food blogs I follow, watch Food Network, and read my cooking magazines. So when Thanksgiving and Christmas roll around…well…I’m in quite a euphoric state. I pretty much say “Catch ya next semester” to schoolwork and “Hello my love!” to researching for new recipes to try this holiday season. Enough with my embarrassing addiction to all things food…let’s get to these cookies.

One thing that I will always have to have around the holidays are peanut butter cookies with Hershey kisses. My grandmother (Mom’s mom) used to make these every Christmas and whenever I think of these cookies I think of her. She passed away when I was in high school after a long battle with cancer, but I will be sure to carry on her tradition of making these cookies every Christmas. Not only are they delicious, but they are probably the easiest thing in the world to make. Grandma knows best.

Four ingredients are all you need to make these cookies. Yes four. Peanut butter, sugar, egg, and Hershey kisses. Even the measurements are as easy as pie to remember! Personally, I think these cookies are best straight out of the oven when the cookies are still warm and the chocolate is slightly melted. Omg they’re so good. I always found it odd that this peanut butter cookie recipe doesn’t have any butter or flour in it, but the texture and taste of the cookie is perfect! If you like a chewy cookie I would start to check on them while they’re baking after 5 minutes. However, if you’re like my Momma and prefer crunchier cookies I would leave them in for the whole 7 minutes.    

Peanut Butter Cookies with Hershey Kisses: (little maddie’s original)

Prep Time: 10 minutes          Cook Time: 6-7 minutes          Servings: 20-25 cookies

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 20-25 Hershey kisses, unwrapped

Preheat oven to 375°. Place peanut butter, sugar, and egg in a mixing bowl. Beat until well incorporated. Grab about a spoonful of cookie batter and form into a little ball with your hands. Place on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper. Gently press down on the cookie to flatten out the top. Bake for about 6-7 minutes. Once they are baked, immediately place a chocolate kiss in the center of each cookie and gently press down. Enjoy!

love, maddie

Shortbread Cookies

Please ignore the Halloween sprinkles. I know it’s November 11th. Just act like you’re still gearing up for trick or treating and picking out your Halloween costume. I made these for the Spanish class I teach at a local elementary school here in Blacksburg. We meet every Wednesday for an hour, and since October 31st was on a Wednesday this year, we had a Halloween-themed lesson! I brought in these goodies and taught them lots of fun Halloweeny words in Spanish like la bruja for witch and la calabaza for pumpkin. These kids range from Kindergarten to 4th grade, so let’s just say they’re a handful…but SO much fun. I honestly considered switching my major (for the 6th time) and applying to the education program here at Tech because I’ve enjoyed teaching these little ones so much! But then I thought about how much I love food…so I didn’t.

Unfortunately, one of the students in the class is allergic to all dairy products – and this is unfortunate because I have an infatuation with butter, which is a dairy product, which is also a main ingredient in shortbread. Another student has a nut allergy. My baked goods options were restricted. I went to a natural foods store and looked for “dairy free butter” (such a sad time for me) and found Earth Balance vegan butter sticks. Two reasons I love butter: 1) it doesn’t cost $7 like the vegan stuff & 2) it’s butter. But I digress… This recipe could easily be switched between vegan and regular shortbread (only the butter changes). It’s a super easy process plus it uses just 4 ingredients – let me show you!

Shortbread Cookies: (vegan option from Food Allergy Mama)

Prep Time: 15 minutes          Cook Time: 20 minutes          Servings: 14 cookies *

• 1 cup butter (or dairy free butter)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 300°. In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in flour and salt and mix until dough forms. I had to bring my dough together with my hands, but I’m not sure if it was because of the vegan butter. If your dough doesn’t come together very easy in the mixing bowl, just pour the mixture onto the countertop and form it with your hands. Roll out the dough onto a floured board until 1/4 inch thick. Using a cookie cutter (or any other kitchen tool), cut out the cookies and place on a baking sheet. Decorate with sprinkles if desired. Bake for 20 minutes. Enjoy!

*Dough can be rolled out less to have a thicker shortbread, but it will make less cookies.

love, maddie

Slow Cooker Beef Brisket with Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Carrots

Well this post is about two weeks late! Oops… I can’t tell you how hard it is to study for exams worth 20% of your final grade and complete homework assignments when all I want to do is cook, bake, blog about it, and of course eat whatever I made. Oh well, there’s not enough money in my bank account to support all of my culinary aspirations any way. For those of you who don’t know, I’m kind of developing an obsession with my slow cooker (well it’s not even mine, it’s Anna’s mom’s but it’s in our kitchen). If you haven’t checked out my post for chicken tikka masala in the slow cooker, go get the recipe and make it for dinner! So yummy. It seems to me like the slow cooker is making a comeback. Everywhere I look in the foodie world, people are finding ways to make traditionally non-slow cooker dishes in the slow cooker. Why? Because it’s so easy! This beef brisket took probably 15-20 minutes to prep and then you just throw everything in the slow cooker and forget about it. It’s a pretty amazing invention.

And the mashed potatoes…so delicious and guilt-free. While I did have to put in some butter into these mashers (I mean you can’t not put butter in mashed potatoes), I used greek yogurt as a substitute for sour cream to make them extra creamy without the fat. And fresh grated parmesan cheese – I’m talking about the expensive kind too – it just tastes so comforting. But wait! There’s more (channeling my inner infomercial salesman)! If those carrots don’t make you a believer just by looking at them, let me quote one of my taste-testers (aka Kevin) who said “these carrots taste like candy.” Yeah. Candy. And no, I did not put sugar on them – just EVOO, salt, and pepper. Do you want the recipes yet?

So here is what goes in the slow cooker: your browned brisket, the deglazed pan of beef broth + drippings + garlic, celery, brown sugar, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, dijon (or any other kind) mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and paprika. Oh yeah and S&P. For me, it’s kind of a long list of grocery items, but the flavor is definitely worth it! And if you have everything but one ingredient, don’t bend over backwards and go to the grocery store. Just improvise and be your own cook – use what you have!

Don’t those look heavenly?! And I hope you noticed I got the nice parmesan cheese. Now onto the carrots…

Slow Cooker Beef Brisket: (adapted from Haute Apple Pie)

Prep Time: 20 minutes          Cook Time: 8 hours          Servings: 4 -6

• 2 tablespoons EVOO
• 1 3-4 lb. beef brisket
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 cups beef broth
• 4 stalks of celery, cut into large pieces
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 6 oz. can tomato paste
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• S & P to taste

Heat EVOO in a large skillet. Brown brisket on all sides. Half way through, put the garlic in the pan. After brisket has cooked about 8 minutes, take out of the pan. Put beef broth in the pan to deglaze and scrape the bottom of the pan. Simmer for two minutes. Place brisket in the slow cooker along with the broth mixture. In a bowl, combine the ingredients from brown sugar through S & P. Place this mixture in the slow cooker. Add the celery. Cook on low for 8 hours. Once done, remove from slow cooker and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes: (adapted from Haute Apple Pie)

Prep Time: 10 minutes          Cook Time: 20 minutes          Servings: 4-6

• 5 medium russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup plain greek yogurt (I use Chobani)
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• S & P to taste

Place potatoes in a big pot of water. Bring water to boil and cook potatoes for about 20 minutes (or until fork tender). Drain potatoes. Mix potatoes with remaining ingredients (you can use a beater, masher, or just a spoon). Taste to make sure the seasonings are right.

Roasted Carrots:

Prep Time: 5 minutes          Cook Time: 30 minutes          Servings: 2

• 4 large carrots, peeled
• 2 tablespoons EVOO
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

Preheat oven to 400°. Place carrots on a baking sheet (I lined mine with foil – no clean up). Drizzle with EVOO and season with S & P. Roast for 25-35 minutes (or until browned and tender).

To serve: Place a dollop of mashed potatoes on plate, top with sliced brisket and some of the cooking sauce. Place roasted carrots on the plate. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley. Enjoy!

love, maddie

Brown Butter Pumpkin Cupcakes

“This might be the best thing I’ve ever tasted.” My friend, Megan, wasn’t joking. These are insanely good. The first time I made these cupcakes was last year for a tailgate and they were a huge success. The recipe is really simple and I can’t even describe how delicious they really are. I know you probably have been seeing a lot of pumpkin recipes lately, but this is one recipe you have to try! No mixer is required, which means easier cleanup. And I’m not sure if you have ever tried brown butter before, but you should. It’s life-changing. The brown butter is in the cake and the icing. SO YUMMY! This cake is moist and fluffy and the warm spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove perfume the cake with the taste and smell of fall. I literally was making noises when I ate this cupcake – it’s so soft and feels like real comfort food. Y’all are gonna freak out.

Here is the process of making the liquid gold – brown butter…

Brown Butter Pumpkin Cupcakes: (from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes)

Prep Time: 25 minutes          Cook Time: 20 minutes          Servings: 20 cupcakes

• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350°. Put butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Swirl around occasionally until it turns golden brown (about 10 minutes). Place brown butter in a separate bowl to cool. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. In another bowl, mix cooled butter, pumpkin puree, both sugars, and eggs. Gradually stir in the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Mix just until combine (do not over-stir, or else you will get a tough cupcake). Place batter in cupcake tins (about 3/4 full) and bake for 18-20 minutes. Let cool before icing the cupcakes.

Brown Butter Icing: (from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes)

• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons milk, if needed

Brown butter using the same method as you did for the cupcakes. Take off heat and place butter in a separate bowl. Mix butter with powdered sugar and vanilla. If needed, add milk a little bit at a time. You want the consistency to be thin enough to spread, but not runny. Place a 1/2 – 1 tablespoon of icing on each cupcake and spread around the top of the cake. Enjoy!

love, maddie

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

Want something easy to make for dinner tonight? This is your dish. It’s about all I order in Indian restaurants now. The first time I had it I was out to eat with my second (or third?) cousins at an Indian restaurant in Blacksburg called India Garden. The two girls (ages 15 & 13) knew more about Indian food than I did. They go to an Indian restaurant in Charleston about once a month and said that I had to get the tikka masala. Guess what I ordered?

This dish – which is actually one of Britain’s national dishes – has a whole bunch of warm spices in it. Garam Masala, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, and chili powder will warm you from the inside out. Perfect for the chilly air that’s coming through Blacksburg right about now. And my favorite part about this recipe…virtually no cooking! You literally just get all the prep work done (takes about 15 minutes), then throw everything in the slow cooker and forget about it until dinner time. I made it for Kevin and I on Friday night (no, of course he didn’t eat the green bell peppers – more veggies for me!), and had enough left overs for lunch Saturday and today!

Some tips and tricks for this recipe: I definitely recommend using fresh ginger. I know I could never cook enough Indian or Asian food to use the whole ginger root before it spoiled, so what I do is peel the whole root and then place it in a Ziploc bag in the freezer. It keeps for months and whenever you need it for a recipe just grate it right from the freezer. Super easy! Also, if you don’t want to load on the fat and calories, then skip the heavy cream like I did and just add in more greek yogurt. It gives just as much creaminess and richness as heavy cream except it’s way better for you. Last tip: if you don’t like really spicy food, just add a little bit of the chili powder (or cayenne pepper – whatever you have on hand).

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala: (adapted from Cooking Classy)

Prep Time: 15 minutes          Cook Time: 4 hours          Servings: 4 generous servings

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite size pieces)
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced or grated
• 1 jalapeño, diced (take seeds out if you like it mild)
• 1 15 oz. can tomato puree
• 2 cups plain greek yogurt (divided in half)
• 2 tablespoons EVOO
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Garam Masala
• 1/2 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon chili powder (or cayenne pepper)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 bell peppers, sliced
• 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
• Prepared basmati, jasmine, or white rice
• Chopped cilantro, for serving

In a large bowl, combine onions, garlic, ginger, jalapeño, tomato puree, 1 cup of yogurt, EVOO, lemon juice, Garam Masala, cumin, paprika, salt, cinnamon, pepper and chili powder. Stir completely. Pour half of sauce mixture into the bottom of a slow cooker, then add in diced chicken and cover with remaining sauce. Add in bay leaf. Cover slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours (or low for 8 hours).

In a bowl, whisk remaining 1 cup of yogurt with cornstarch and pour into the slow cooker. Also add the sliced bell peppers (you don’t want them to be flimsy, so allow them to cook for 5-10 minutes). Stir gently until well combined. Allow mixture to cook while you prepare the rice. Remove bay leaf and serve over rice and top with cilantro.

love, maddie