Lane, Author at With Two Spoons

Prosciutto, Shallot, and Arugula Pizza

February 1, 2016 By Lane 1 Comment

Homemade pizza, and specifically Prosciutto, Shallot, and Arugula Pizza, was on the menu for this past weekend. We spent a lovely weekend relaxing at our cabin, which means pajama days, family time, movies and of course, a lot of cooking. While at the co-op earlier this week, I asked my youngest what he wanted for dinner this weekend, and he replied “Homemade Pizza!”.

This is another one of my favorite ways to get my kids into the kitchen. My kids have been making their own pizzas since they were very young. I make up a batch of dough in the morning and when it gets closer to the time we are going to start making the pizzas, I prepare everyone’s preferred toppings. Everyone gathers around and stretches their own dough, adds their own sauce “decorates” their pizzas and then anxiously awaits the finished product. Since it’s a meal so easy to customize, it’s perfect for even the pickiest of kids!

For my son, homemade pizza means a pizza with pineapple chunks and mozzarella cheese. For my daughter, who will not touch cheese, it means a pizza with a ton of sauce and heaping mounds of pepperoni. It’s a little more complicated for my husband and I. On our very first date-almost 21 years ago-we went out for pizza. The big problem then was that I was a vegetarian, and he had not yet met a vegetable he was willing to put on a pizza. That first we night we settled on a cheese pizza, yep, plain cheese pizza. I am happy to report we have come a long way since then! Tonight’s masterpiece was one of our favorites-Prosciutto, Shallot, and Arugula Pizza. (I am happy to report, I am no longer a vegetarian, and my husband is no longer afraid of vegetables)

In order to make Prosciutto, Shallot, and Arugula Pizza, I crisp up some prosciutto in the oven. I always make a little extra since this goes so well on salads, pasta and just to munch on. I also caramelize some shallots in butter, which gives the shallots a sweet, rich taste, plus a few shallots always get crispy and are perfect for garnish. This pizza also features goat cheese and parmesan cheese for depth of flavor, although if you don’t like either of these two ingredients, never fear, you could always substitute all mozzarella cheese instead. Arugula finishes this pizza off with a hint of pepper and a beautiful green color. Prosciutto, Shallot and Arugula Pizza satisfies all of my pizza cravings with each perfect salty, peppery, crunchy bite.

So no matter if you like the same toppings we do, or something completely different, this recipe is for you. You can modify it to please any preferences. And it’s a great recipe to get the kids involved in-after all, kids are always more likely to eat foods that they helped prepare! You never know, you may even get lucky and inspire your older kids to keep on cooking-and make dessert! (My daughter, inspired by my time in the kitchen this weekend, spent her afternoon making us frosted brownies!)

Prosciutto, Shallot, and Arugula Pizza

A savory pizza perfect for homemade pizza night! This recipe looks really complicated, but once you've made it once, you'll see just how easy it is, and better yet, how easily it is modified to suit anyone's preferences! Plan ahead, though, as the dough needs 1-2 hours to rise. (The prep time listed below is mostly waiting for the dough to rise!)

Course pizza

Prep Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 3 hours

Servings 1 14 inch pizza with dough left over for a second 14 inch pizza

Author Lane Patten

Ingredients

1 envelope instant dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 1/2 cups bread flour
2 ounces prosciutto
1 tablespoon butter
1 large shallot sliced-when sliced it will form rings, try to separate these rings
1 Tablespoon cornmeal
1 Can/jar of pizza sauce our favorite is Muir Glen Organic
2 ounces goat cheese
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
2 handfuls of arugula leaves

Instructions

Place instant dry yeast into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
Add water, sugar, salt and olive oil.
Turn mixer on and slowly add flour until dough forms a ball.
Place into a lightly oiled bowl or plastic ziplock bag lightly oiled with olive oil
Allow dough to rise for at least 1-2 hours, or until dough doubles.
Split dough in half (for 2 14-inch pizzas). You will use one half of the dough for the remainder of the recipe-save the second half to make pizzas for the kids!
When dough has 30 minutes left of rising (or you are 30 minutes from cooking your pizza), preheat oven to 400ºF
Place proscuitto slices on a sheet pan (since my prosciutto comes in a 3 ounce package, I always crisp the whole 3 ounces, extras are useful!)
Place into 400ºF oven for 10-15 minutes until crispy (keep an eye on this, burnt prosciutto is not good and thinner slices cook faster).
Melt butter in a small skillet.
Add shallot slices and caramelize at low heat, stirring frequently for about 15 minutes or until golden brown and fragrant. Remove from heat.
Turn oven up to 450ºF with pizza stone inside.
Remove warm pizza stone and sprinkle with cornmeal (you may use less than 1 tablespoon).
Stretch pizza dough (half of total recipe above) until it is in a circle (rustic is fine!).
Spread desired amount of sauce onto pizza dough (I use no more than 1/2 cup-otherwise crust gets soggy).
Sprinkle crumbled prosciutto onto pizza.
Sprinkle cheeses (goat cheese, mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese) over dough.
Place in 450º oven for 15-18 minutes or until cheeses are melted and crust is golden.
Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.
Sprinkle arugula leaves over middle of pizza.
Garnish with caramelized shallots.
Slice and enjoy!

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

January 29, 2016 By Lane 1 Comment

What sounds better to eat on a snowy evening than Chicken Wild Rice Soup? All I have heard about this week, on social media, TV, radio, everywhere, is tales of the blizzard. Blizzards don’t normally catch my attention since I do live in Minneapolis, where a blizzard is a pretty common winter experience. This one, though, where the drifts were over my head in New York and they had more snow than us in Washington D. C., seeped into my subconsciousness. Frankly, I was kind of jealous (for a few minutes), because it feels like we haven’t gotten much snow lately! So today when the flakes started coming down (much more gently here than on the East Coast), I was inspired to make one of my favorite cold weather foods. Chicken Wild Rice Soup is one of those foods that, in my mind anyway, has it all-vegetables, protein and that always comforting cream.

Chicken Wild Rice Soup was one of the first foods I ever cooked for my husband. I had him over to my tiny apartment while we were dating, and I made a pot of something very loosely resembling Chicken Wild Rice Soup. Did I mention before that when I met my husband I did not cook? At all. What in the world tempted me to make chicken wild rice soup? One of the world’s great mysteries! Sadly, my attempt was a flour-y, chunky, overcooked chicken disaster. I’m positive I do not have enough space in a blog post to explain what went wrong, but suffice to say, it is a testament to my husband’s love for me that he choked some down (and married me anyway).

Luckily, fast forward 20 years since our “dating” days, and I think I now have this one down. I poach my chicken so it does not get dry or overcooked. I use homemade stock (you surely can use store bought and I promise it will still be good, but if you have homemade stock-this is the place to use it!). I use the traditional Minnesota wild rice. And, although almonds may seem like a strange addition to a soup, I can attest to the fact that they are the loveliest addition, think crunch and flavor all in one bite. So, if the snow is falling in your area, or you are in need of a comfort food, try this one.

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

A creamy, vegetable packed bowl of comfort!

Course Soup

Author Lane Patten

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1 finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup sliced carrots
3/4 cup all purpose flour
8 cups chicken stock I used homemade, store bought would work equally well, divided
2 cups of cooked wild rice
1 1/2 pound chicken tenders or chicken breasts
2 teaspoons salt divided
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh italian parsley
1 teaspoon ground black pepper divided
1 cup of slivered almonds
3 1/2 Tablespoons cooking sherry
2 cups half-and-half

Instructions

To Poach Chicken: Place chicken tenders (or chicken breasts) in a saucepan with 2 cups of chicken stock, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper.
Simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.
Allow to cool.
Chop chicken to be used in soup.
To Make Soup: Melt butter in a dutch oven or large stock pot.
Stir in the onion, celery and carrot and sauté for 7-10 minutes or until soft.
Add the flour and stir until mixed in.
Slowly add 6 cups of chicken stock, stir continuously while adding.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer.
Add the rice, chicken, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, curry powder, mustard powder, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper, almonds and sherry.
Add the half-and-half.
Simmer for 1-2 hours until all flavors have melded.
Serve and enjoy!
Note: If reheating, you may need to add a small amount of stock to thin the soup, it does thicken upon cooling.

Cranberry Orange Rolls

January 22, 2016 By Lane Leave a Comment

Confession time: when a friend recently suggested making Cranberry Orange Rolls as a breakfast dish for our cabin weekend, I didn’t immediately jump at the idea. I mean, cranberries in January? I only seem to appreciate cranberries around Thanksgiving, and after that, well, I’m not usually thinking about those tart little fruits. We typically plan all of our meals for cabin weekends in advance, sharing recipes and making long lists of things we need for our cooking adventures. So a few days later when my friend texted to tell me she couldn’t find cranberries, I was secretly a little relieved. I was ready to hit up my recipe stash and find something I considered a more traditional winter staple – warm, doughy, and filled with cinnamon or maple, or even apples.

With my list in hand, I headed to my local co-op where, lo and behold, what did I find staring at me when I walked in? You guessed it, piles of fresh cranberries. Fresh organic cranberries. So I did what any good friend would do and I tucked away my old recipes and I bought those cranberries.

It turns out sometimes friends just know best, because after my first bite of these perfectly tart and sweet rolls, I knew I may have a new favorite breakfast dish. Traditional cinnamon rolls are great, but these jewel toned beauties are on a whole new level. The recipe, adapted from Deb Perelman’s amazing blog Smitten Kitchen, is a total keeper. Lesson number one: always trust your friends. Lesson number two: never count the cranberry out, it just may surprise you!

Cranberry Orange Rolls

A tart and sweet iced roll, perfect for starting your day out right! This recipe is an overnight recipe so you will need to plan ahead.

Servings 12 rolls

Author Adapted from a recipe by Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

Dough:
4 large egg yolks we saved the whites for an egg bake we made the next day!
1 large whole egg
1/4 cup sugar
6 Tablespoons butter melted
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 of the zest of one large orange the other 1/4 will be used for the filling
3 and 3/4 cups of all purpose flour
1 packet of instant rapid rise yeast
1 teaspoon olive oil
Filling:
1 cup fresh cranberries
I cup light brown sugar
1/4 of the zest of one large orange
1 and 1/2 Tablespoons of butter
Icing:
3 and 1/2 Tablespoon of freshly squeezed orange juice
2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Place egg yolks, whole egg, sugar, butter, buttermilk and 3/4 of the orange zest of one large orange into the bowl of a stand mixer.
Whisk ingredients together until well combined.
Add 2 cups of flour, yeast and salt to dough, stir until combined.
Switch to the dough hook.
Add remaining 1 and 3/4 cups of flour and knead dough for 5-10 minutes.
Scrape dough into a oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
Allow to rise until doubled (approximately 2 and 1/2 hours).
In a food processor, pulse the cranberries with the brown sugar and leftover orange zest (1/4 of total orange zest from large orange) until coarse. (you may need to scrape the sides of the food processor with a spatula until all of the cranberries are coarsely chopped).
Melt the butter and set aside.
Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured countertop until it is a 18 inch by 12 inch rectangle.
Brush the dough with the melted butter.
Spread the cranberry-brown sugar-orange zest mixture over the dough.
Roll the dough into a long log, being careful to keep the cranberry mixture inside the dough.
Cut the log into sections, halving the log until you have 12 even sections.
Carefully arrange the sections in the baking dish, with even spacing between them.
Cover with plastic wrap and place baking dish into refrigerator (to rise overnight).
The next morning take rolls out of the refrigerator and allow to warm to room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Bake rolls until golden, approximately 30 minutes.
Whisk the orange juice with the powdered sugar until smooth.
Spread the icing over the warm buns.
Serve and enjoy!

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

January 15, 2016 By Lane Leave a Comment

My 4 year old son has been asking me to make Roasted Red Pepper Hummus for ages. Mostly because we always run out of our store made hummus, previous to our next trip back to our local co-op. It is one of his favorite healthy snacks, especially served with sliced cucumbers. In the past I had been hesitant to try making hummus at home. I had been really intimidated by the whole process, especially when my friend, who I consider a great cook, told me that hummus was the one thing that she always preferred store-bought. This did not bode well for me, who has been cooking for a much shorter amount of time than she has!

One day after cleaning out my pantry, I discovered I had several cans of chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) and an unopened jar of tahini (Who else has a pantry full of random ingredients? The organization of the pantry was obviously overdue!). What else would I make other than hummus? First there are the chickpeas. You can certainly used dried chickpeas, but this takes much longer. Since using dried chickpeas takes some planning (and an overnight soaking), I decided to use canned chickpeas. Honestly, I don’t think you can tell the difference when it comes to hummus. Tahini is a paste made from toasted sesame seeds. This can also be made at home, but I find it easier to buy this in a jar. At my local co-op you can find tahini in jars located near the peanut butter. In the closest big box grocery store to my house, you can find tahini in jars in the ethnic foods section, near other mediterranean foods. If you live in an area where ethnic foods are difficult to come by, tahini can always be ordered on amazon. I use an adjustable measuring cup to measure my tahini (truth be told this is one of my most used kitchen tools, a must have for any kitchen. I got mine from Cooks of Crocus Hill in St. Paul-a fabulous local cooking store, but this could also be ordered on amazon). I also like a little bit of spice, so I use the full one-fourth teaspoon of cayenne, but you could start with a pinch if you were concerned about your hummus getting too spicy. One of the really important parts of the recipe is the actual processing of the hummus in the food processor. There are multiple times when the recipe calls for processing of a minute or more. Don’t skimp on this. This lengthy processing times are what add air and makes the hummus light and creamy. By taking shortcuts you can certainly make a faster hummus, but by adhering to the lengthier processing times, you will make a tastier hummus!

I considered my friend’s words to be be a challenge accepted. It turns out that there are many fabulous hummus recipes out there and I think I stumbled upon the one that actually makes a roasted red pepper hummus that is better than store bought!

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

This is a hummus sure to please even the pickiest of hummus eaters!

Author Adapted from a recipe found on inspiredtaste.net

Ingredients

2 red bell peppers
1 can of chickpeas 15 ounces, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup tahini
1 garlic clove minced
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Chopped red pepper parsley, pine nuts (optional, for garnish)
Veggies cut for serving suggestions: cucumbers, carrots, broccoli, grape tomatoes, pea pods
Crackers for serving

Instructions

Slice the peppers so that they will lie flat.
Place peppers skin side up on foil lined baking pan.
Roast the red peppers by broiling the peppers (place rack close to broiler) until skin has charred, approximately 10 minutes (check at 5 minutes so you do not burn the peppers!)
Place the steaming peppers into a glass lock container and seal. (A ziploc bag can be used as well)
Wait 20 minutes, until skins loosen.
Peel skins from peppers and discard skins. Put peppers aside.
Combine lemon juice and tahini in a food processor. Process with the metal blade for 2 minutes. Scrape sides and process an additional minute.
Add the olive oil, garlic, cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt. Process for 1 minute.
Scrape sides and process an additional minute.
Add half of chickpeas and process for 2 minutes.
Add remainder of chickpeas and process for 2 minutes until smooth and creamy.
Turn food processor on and add roasted peppers through chute, process until smooth, approximately 2 minutes.
Check consistency, if too thick, slowly add water until preferred consistency.
Place in a serving bowl and drizzle with olive oil.
Garnish with chopped red pepper, parsley, and pine nuts (optional)
Serve with cut vegetables or crackers.

Peanut Butter Cup Bars

January 10, 2016 By Lane 3 Comments

I spent the weekend making Peanut Butter Cup Bars. Simple ingredients, simple recipe, no oven involved. This is one of my very favorite recipes, not only because of its simplicity, but because of the fact is that it gets my kids into the kitchen every time. In the interest of full disclosure, these particular peanut butter cup bars pictured above were actually made by my 4 year old with only some minor help from me. My journey to the kitchen was so much later in life, that I’m hoping that by getting my kids into the kitchen early in their lives, I will spark their interest in cooking.

I have 2 kids, currently aged 13 and 4, and when it comes to food and kids in the kitchen, I have learned a lot of lessons between number 1 and number 2. When my now teenager was tiny, I was in the throes of my education and training. That meant long days, long nights and meals that involved the path of least resistance. Our then toddler wanted butter noodles for dinner 7 nights a week? Sure-we could handle that, we had a fast casual Italian joint down the street. I’m not sure I knew where my kitchen was back then, and I’m pretty sure that even if I could have found my kitchen, I wouldn’t have known how to make noodles anyway! No surprise that food rapidly became an issue with my firstborn, as her preferred menu involved very few types of foods and none of them could be considered nutritious.

When I started my full time job, one of my new colleagues asked me what we liked to eat for dinner. Unfortunately, my honest answer did not impress her, to say the least. Who would be impressed by our crazy array of fast food dinners? From that day forward, my colleague (now one of my great friends) vowed to teach me how to do better. She encouraged me to cook, encouraged me to try new recipes (even if they were simple desserts like these Peanut Butter Cup Bars) and encouraged me to do a better job of feeding my family. In my free time, I took some demonstration cooking classes, tried tons of new recipes and read cookbooks like novels (I’ve actually developed quite a cookbook addiction, but that it is a whole other conversation). I rapidly improved my skills and discovered a true passion for cooking.

When I had my second child, many years after the first, I was in a different place in my life. I had more time, more energy (it’s all relative, right?) and much more in my repertoire. I got smart, and fed my youngest child whatever we were eating, and what we were eating had vastly improved by then. He greedily ate everything including the garlicky pureed beef stew I fed him, the beet borscht his Polish nanny fed him, and the various vegetables we insisted he have at every meal. I also learned that getting my kids into the kitchen with me was a great way to get them enthusiastic about trying new foods. There was so much they could help with-dumping, mixing, spreading, crushing. My 13 year old, initially very finicky, is now exploring her own talents in the kitchen and her palate has greatly expanded (she now orders salmon everywhere we go-and together we can make a fabulous salmon at home!). My 4 year old tells people he’s going to be a “daddy chef” and asks me to put his apron on him so he can help me cook. Now, this Peanut Butter Cup Bar recipe certainly isn’t a healthy recipe, and it certainly won’t give your kids any nutrition, but it is so easy and gives my 4 year old such a sense of accomplishment to be able to make a dessert that everyone enjoys. It is a great recipe to start getting your own kids into the kitchen with you! And who knows, maybe if you get them interested in making dessert, helping you make vegetables will soon follow!

Peanut Butter Cup Bars

This is a delicious, no-bake bar, perfect for making with the kids!

Author Lane Patten

Ingredients

1 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
1 Cup Butter
2 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar
2 Cups Crushed Graham Crackers
1 1/2 Cups 12 ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Instructions

Mix peanut butter, melted butter and powdered sugar in a large bowl.
Stir in crushed graham crackers.
Spread peanut butter mixture in a 9 x 13 pan.
Melt chocolate chips, stirring frequently to ensure the chocolate doesn't burn. (This can be done using a double boiler over low heat, or using a microwave on medium power, stirring every 30 seconds until melted)
Spread melted chocolate over peanut butter mixture.
Refrigerate until chocolate is hardened.
Cut into squares, serve and enjoy!

Poached Egg and Beet Salad

January 3, 2016 By Lane 2 Comments

Happy New Year! 2016 is going to be the year of great eating. To start us off right, here is a poached egg and beet salad that I discovered by mistake, but what a fabulous mistake it was! I tossed together a few things from my refrigerator which came together to create perfection!

My love of beets only goes back a few years, but it is an intense love. I find beets to be a beautiful food-perfect for the addition to salads, bruschetta, or even to eat on their own. In my quest to share beets with the world, I served them to some friends while on a girls weekend. Despite their loud protesting, they happily ate their beets (and a kale salad also, although that is a post for another time!). Although neither of them will admit that they were converted to beet lovers, I know that they were, and the mantra for the rest of the weekend was “beets and kale”!

I made some roasted beets for a Christmas celebration, however there were some left over. Chopping and combining them with some mixed greens, parmesan cheese and pistachios made a great salad. Going one step further and adding a poached egg, made the salad perfect! Poaching eggs is much easier when you use silicone egg poaching cups (I do), but if you don’t have these, the recipe below is for poaching eggs without any special equipment. The runny yolk creates a great dressing and provides some additional protein. Here is also a link to help you troubleshoot if you are having difficulty poaching eggs.

I used a simple drizzle of Siracha to complete this salad, but a balsamic glaze would have worked perfectly as well. Simple, healthy, beautiful, the way all food should be (well, maybe not always the healthy part…)! Enjoy!

Poached Egg and Beet Salad

This is a simple, healthy, and beautiful salad, full of antioxidants and protein.

Course Salad

Servings 4 serving

Author Lane Patten

Ingredients

4 Small to Medium Beets I use a mixture of red and gold, but you could use all one color,
4 Eggs
1 Teaspoon White Vinegar
4 Cups Mixed Greens
4 Tablespoons Pistachios
Shaved Parmesan
Salt and Pepper to taste
Siracha or Balsalmic Glaze for Dressing

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425ºF.
Drizzle beets with olive oil and wrap with aluminum foil to form a tight foil packet (I place each color in a separate foil packet to keep the colors from bleeding together).
Place packets into preheated oven and roast for 1 hour or until fork tender (start checking them at 45 minutes as each oven is slightly different).
Cool beets, peel and dice into small bite sized pieces.
While beets are roasting in the oven, boil water with 1 teaspoon of vinegar in a medium sized pot.
Crack each egg into a separate ramekin or separate small bowl.
After water is boiling, turn down to a fast simmer, swirl water and slowly pour in each egg, while water continues to swirl.
Simmer for 2-3 minutes or until egg whites are set (you can simmer longer if you like your yolks firmer).
(if you are using egg poaching cups, please use the directions that came with them, as you will need to cover your pot and the cooking times will be longer)
Remove eggs from water with a slotted spoon and cool on a paper towel lined plate.
Place 1 cup of mixed greens into each of 4 bowls.
Top each bowl with an equal mixture of the red and gold roasted beets.
Add 1 tablespoon of pistachios to each bowl.
Top each bowl with a poached egg.
Garnish with shaved parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste and your preferred dressing.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

December 27, 2015 By Lane 2 Comments

For me food is memory. Some foods trigger fond memories and this Buffalo Chicken Dip is one of them. We have pretty crazy day jobs and we are required to take yearly exams to remain up to date. So, as all good friends do, we always have a little party right after we are finished. After all, if you have to take a tough exam, at least you should get to have fun afterward, right? Our Chilean friend brings the empanadas, our friend from Surly Brewing brings the beer, and one of our other friends brings this fabulous Buffalo Chicken Dip. It has now become a standard that I look forward to year after year. In fact, it is my treat for a job well done!

I can not lie, this is not the most healthy recipe I make. For those who don’t care, I always serve it with bread which is a great way to soak up all of the goodness. Fritos Scoops are also a pretty fabulous way to eat this dip. For those of who are little more conscious about their calories, celery makes a great vehicle to get this dip into your mouth.

I was unable to make it to the exam party this year, so I don’t know if the Buffalo Chicken Dip was there or not. But I missed the dip so much, I served it for my family’s Christmas Day appetizer party. It was a huge hit and I have a feeling that this dip is now going to be a regular on my family’s table as well. More fond memories in the making!

I’ve starting sharing this fabulous (and so easy) dip recipe, and it would be a great addition to anyone’s New Year’s Eve party menu. After all, who doesn’t want to start the year with fond memories? Plus, every once in a while you just need a treat. A comforting, spicy, creamy, treat. And this is it.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This is a hearty, warm dip served best with bread, Fritos or celery sticks!

Author Adapted from a Recipe given to me by Ann Raymond

Ingredients

Rotisserie Chicken I usually use just the white meat, but you could certainly use both the white and dark meat, chopped into small pieces
12 oz Blue Cheese Dressing
1 cup Buffalo Sauce I usually use Frank's
2 8 ounce packages of Neufchatel Cheese you could also use Cream Cheese
4 ounces Blue Cheese Crumbles
Baguette sliced, for serving
Fritos Scoops for serving
Celery Sticks for serving
Parsley chopped, for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Mix chicken, dressing, buffalo sauce, Neufchatel cheese and blue cheese crumbles in a large bowl.
Place the mixture in a 2 quart casserole dish or a 12 inch cast iron skillet.
Bake for 20 minutes until hot and bubbly.
Serve with bread and celery sticks

A Fabulous Winter Salad

December 20, 2015 By Lane 8 Comments

Need to bring a winter salad to a gathering? This Winter Salad will brighten anyone’s table!

Recently, I was asked to bring a salad for a dinner at a friend’s house. The morning of the event, I still did not know what I was going to bring. To me, salad is a summer-ish food and despite my deep love for all things salad, I just had a mental block. While looking for a good winter salad option I stumbled upon Melissa D’Arabian’s Pomegranate, Squash and Apple salad from her cookbook Supermarket Healthy. (To be honest, I stumbled upon two of her fabulous salads, but the other salad is a topic for another post!) …

You Don’t Have to Be Rich to Give Generously

December 15, 2015 By Lane 7 Comments

It’s that time of year for Gift Giving…and we’ve got you covered! Give generously, these options won’t break the bank!

If you’re like us, the Holiday Season brings invitations to a wide variety of celebrations and events. The struggle to find the perfect host or hostess gift is real! Often you just need a little something to give, but you’d like it to be unique, fun and most importantly useful. Here are a few simple (and mostly local!) host/hostess gift ideas for the foodies in your life. Give one, or give generously and make a basket containing all of them! You’ll be invited back every year – we promise….

An obsession pays off…

December 9, 2015 By Lane 15 Comments

For years I’ve been obsessed with finding the perfect tomato soup. Obsessed. Every year as the weather turns colder, my attention turns towards the pursuit of that pinnacle of tomato soups, the one you want to make over and over again, and every year I am disappointed. I have tried cream based soups, broth based soups, and even a vegan soup with cashews used instead of cream, but I have not found THE soup…until now. …