January 19, 2013
Calling all Pinterest lovers! I’ve added a new functionality to the site where you can scroll over every image (except for on the homepage), and a “Pin It” button will appear in the top right corner for easy pinning.
You can find me on Pinterest at @justataste, and please feel free to add your Pinterest profiles in the comments field below so I can follow you!
Posted by Kelly Senyei on January 19, 2013
January 16, 2013
What a weekend it was in the NFL playoff round. Three out of the four teams I was hoping would advance on the road to the Super Bowl ended up losing, leaving New England as my sole surviving team this season. Tom Brady, once again, you’re my main man. Take us to the top, Tommy.
For all those also left drowning their sorrows after 16 quarters of passing around the pigskin, this Super Bowl Chipotle Chili con Carne is for you. It’s a satisfying, stick-to-your-ribs type of chili. Less beans, more beef, and a bit of bacon fat to top it all off. And those little chocolate footballs in the background up above? You’ll have to wait until next week to get your fingers on that extra-special Super Bowl-themed sweet finale.
Posted by Kelly Senyei on January 16, 2013
January 13, 2013
There are some weeknights when I arrive home from work so famished I have all I can do not to make a meal out of the nearest bag of Doritos Jacked Smoky Chipotle BBQ chips (ahem, my guilty food pleasure). And on those nights, I turn to either 30-Minute Mongolian Beef or these Chicken Roulades with Tapenade and Prosciutto. I shared the basic technique for roulades in last week’s newsletter, and I was asked to post this specific recipe. Ask and ye shall receive!
“Tapenade” is just a fancified French word for puréed olives, olive oil and a variety of other add-ins. I make mine with Kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes, garlic and lemon zest, which is then spread on thinly-pounded chicken breasts before being topped with a slice of prosciutto and rolled into a flavorful bundle. A quick sear in olive oil and the chicken roulades are ready for slicing. Dinner is served, and that bag of Doritos Jacked lives to see another day (and by “day,” I mean “a few more hours.”)
Posted by Kelly Senyei on January 13, 2013
January 9, 2013
Last week, homemade butterscotch got the best of me. But I promised today’s recipe would star nutrient-packed leafy greens. And that it does. It also happens to star bacon, and more specifically, warm bacon vinaigrette. Leave it to me to transform kale—thou holiest of all trendy superfoods—into a salad with bacon drippings as a sidekick.
There’s just something about a warm bacon vinaigrette that makes people weak in the knees, and relaxes uptight leafy greens just to the point where they bend at the bite while retaining their crunch. This dressing features a quick mix of warm, rendered bacon fat with minced shallots, tangy apple cider vinegar and a dollop of Dijon. And then it’s time to let that salad freak flag fly, as you toss in the likes of toasted nuts, shredded parmesan or dried cranberries—all ready for a bacon bath. I’ll leave you with that thought. A bacon bath.
Posted by Kelly Senyei on January 9, 2013
January 2, 2013
I had grand plans today to share what I touted in last week’s newsletter as a recipe starring “nutrient-packed leafy greens.” Instead, my lack of willpower has resulted in Easy Homemade Butterscotch Sauce. Leafy greens. Butterscotch sauce. Same thing, right? New Year’s weight loss resolution-makers, shield your eyes.
In researching what goes into a successful—and incredibly simple—butterscotch sauce, I discovered countless discussions across the interwebs about butterscotch versus caramel. To summarize: A butterscotch sauce is made with brown sugar, while a traditional caramel sauce is made with white sugar.
I’ve caramelized sugar a million times and a thousand different ways—white sugar, brown sugar, butter, no butter, bourbon, whiskey, cream, vanilla. This recipe is hands-down the winner when it comes to a fast (10 minutes!) and easy sauce for ice cream sundaes. I tested the recipe with light and dark brown sugar, and the dark variety inevitably won out for its deeper molasses flavor and intense amber color. I also opted for large-flake sea salt to balance out the sweetness. And the texture? Silky smooth, and totally eat-it-with-a-spoon-worthy.
Posted by Kelly Senyei on January 2, 2013
