Three Meals with Blue Apron- Part 2

Today we are making recipe number two from our Blue Apron meal box that was gifted to us by the girls at The Spoon and Pint. You might remember our first recipe, Kale and White Cheddar Quesadillas. Today we are making burgers- Shiitake Mushroom Burgers with Miso Mayonnaise and Roasted Sweet Potato to be exact. The Chef and I love a good burger and I'm super excited to try this Asian-influenced burger with garlic, shiitake mushrooms and hoisin sauce. I'm a little anxious about the miso mayo however. My prior experience with miso is limited to soup and I thought it tasted awful, but I'm approaching this with an open mind and willingness to try something new, so here we go......

The ingredients are-

10 ounces ground beef

2 potato buns

2 cloves garlic

1 scallion

1 sweet potato (1/2 lb)

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

2 teaspoons sweet white miso paste

1/4 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms

Prepare the ingredients and make the miso mayonnaise- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash and dry the fresh produce. In a bowl combine the mushrooms and 1 cup of HOT water; let stand for at least ten minutes. Halve the buns. Halve the sweet potato lengthwise, then slice thinly crosswise. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Cut off and discard the root end of the scallion; thinly slice, separating the white bottom and green top. In a bowl, combine the miso paste and mayonnaise; season with salt and pepper.

Roast the sweet potato- Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil. Place the sweet potato on the prepared sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; toss to thoroughly coat. Arrange in a single, even layer. Roast 16-18 minutes, or until browned and tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from oven, leaving the oven on, and transfer to a plate. Set aside in a warm place. Discard the foil.

Form the patties- While the sweet potato roasts, thoroughly drain the mushrooms (discarding the water) and transfer to a cutting board. Finely chop. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the ground beef, garlic, hoisin sauce and white part of the scallion, season with salt and pepper. Mix gently to combine. Using your hands, form the mixture into two 1/2 inch thick patties, transfer to a plate.

Cook the patties- While sweet potato continues to roast, in a medium skillet heat 2 teaspoons olive oil on medium high heat until hot. Add the patties and cook 3 to 5 minutes per side for medium rare, or until browned and cooked to your desired doneness, transfer to a plate and set aside in a warm place.

Toast the buns- Place the buns, cut side up, on the sheet pan and toast in the oven for  3 to 4 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned and crispy. Remove from oven and transfer to clean, dry work surface. 

Assemble burgers and plate your dish- Spread a layer of the miso mayonnaise onto the cut side of the toasted buns. Top the bun bottoms with the cooked patties. Complete the burgers with the bun tops. Divide the burgers and roasted sweet potatoes between two dishes. Garnish the sweet potato with the green top of the scallion.

So how was it? Delicious! The burger was so juicy from the added mushrooms. They really added a ton of moisture and flavor to the meat. The garlic, hoisin sauce and minced scallions (I minced the white part so they would mix into the burger more evenly) gave the juicy meat an Asian flavor. Remember how afraid I was of the miso? It was delicious!! It added a different level of flavor to boring mayo- lightly sweet, definitely savory. I think this might encourage me to try more miso recipes.

The only drawback was the one burger per person in the recipe. That's fine for me but The Chef is a growing boy- he usually eats a couple burgers. To make up for it we supplemented the sweet potato with an extra sweet potato and increased the olive oil accordingly. Also, after I took my picture I picked all the green scallion tops off the potatoes and put them on the burger as well- I highly recommend doing the same.

This meal was absolutely my favorite of the three and something I will make again, thanks to the enclosed recipe card!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free with no expectation that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe are of good quality and safe. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Who wants a Golden Ticket??

Who loves a good competition? Are you a home cook who loves the thrill of a good contest? Ever heard of the World Food Championship? Looking to grab a Golden Ticket for yourself? Oh friends, ohhhh friends.....have I got great news for you! Sinful Food is holding their first recipe contest and it's YOUR chance to score a Golden Ticket!! 

Ok first of all, let's talk about the World Food Championship. This annual cooking event welcomes cooks from all over the world to compete on the world's largest cooking stage. Known as the Ultimate Food Fight Experience, the WFC is an international competition in which everyone from top chefs to home cooks have a chance to fight their peers for huge prizes, up to $100,000! More than 30 food tv stars have had their careers launched by these competitions. Unlike many recipe contests, you have to win your way in to the WFC, by winning local and regional contests and eventually, a Golden Ticket. Believe me when I say this is big- it's BIG. The WFC is also filmed by A&E Network and is broadcast on FYI Network so people like me get to watch friends fight it out. I call the WFC the Olympics of Food, and it really is!!

For the 2017 competition, which will take place on November 8 through 14, in Orange Beach, Alabama and Sinful Food is giving one very lucky winner a passport to foodie heaven- a Golden Ticket.

So, back to the contest. Let's get the legal stuff out of the way-

OFFICIAL RULES

Celebrity Chef Jim Gray

The Sinful Food Recipe Contest is open to all AMATEUR home cooks. Celebrity Chef Jim Gray will be the judge of the contest. Recipes will be accepted from May 15, 2017 through June 15, 2017. Winners will be announced June 30, 2017. Contestants are limited to 2 recipes per person. Recipes must contain no more than 8 ingredients, not including Sinful Food olive oil. Recipes must be a main dish or main dish salad and must contain a minimum of 2 tablespoons of any flavor Sinful Foods olive oil. A color photo must be included with submission (Sinful Foods product NOT REQUIRED to be in the photo). Submissions should be emailed to tangerine0thyme@yahoo.com. Maximum TWO recipes per entrant.

First round recipes will be judged on 1- perceived taste, 2- creativity, 3- ease of preparation, 4- photo submission. 

The top ten recipes (chosen by contest sponsor, Sinful Food) will be forwarded to Celebrity Judge Chef Jim Gray. Chef Gray will then choose the top two recipes. Recipes will be judged for 1- Taste, 2- Creativity, 3- Ease of preparation, 4- Use of Sinful Food olive oil.

There will be ONE Grand Prize Winner and ONE Runner Up. The Grand Prize Winner will receive a 6 bottle collection of Sinful Food olive oil (Italian blend, jalapeno, rosemary, garlic, basil and wild sage), 1 Signature Seasoning Blend and a Golden Ticket spot representing Sinful Food at the World Food Championship- Chicken category along with the $300 entry fee paid by Sinful Food (all other WFC expenses are the responsibility of the competitor).

Runner up will receive 3 Sinful Food olive oils- your choice of flavors, and a Signature Seasoning blend.

Prizes will be shipped within 6 weeks after announcement of winners. In the event the Grand Prize Winner chooses not to compete at WFC 2017, the Golden Ticket will be awarded to the Runner Up and the Grand Prize Winner will receive the 6 oil pack and Signature Seasoning.

All entries submitted will be owned by Sinful Food and may be used on social media sites. Sinful Food will retain the right to change or modify any recipe at their sole discretion. Sponsor is not responsible for lost and/or late entries. All decisions final. By entering this contest you are agreeing to the above rules. No purchase required to enter contest.

Three Meals with Blue Apron- Part 1

We see the commercials on television all the time, those upscale membership clubs that deliver everything you need for a home cooked and somewhat bistro influenced meals. Very clever idea and a great way to get people cooking fresh and healthy food themselves, almost like cooking school in a box. The lovely ladies at The Spoon and Pint surprised The Chef and I with a three-meal package from Blue Apron so I didn't waste any time getting on the website and choosing our three menus. The choices were like dishes I'd order in a  restaurant but the recipes make it easy to prepare at home.

What did I choose? The first meal package I chose was the Shiitake Burgers with Miso Mayonnaise and Roasted Sweet Potato. Meal number two is Seared Chicken and French Lentils with Arugula and Feta Salad. The third and final meal is Kale and White Cheddar Quesadillas with Radishes and Fried Eggs. 

Opening the box was an experience as well. The box is packed with insulated lining and huge ice packs. All the ingredients are individually packaged and clearly marked. Produce is packed in plastic bags so you can clearly see what is in each bag. Eggs tucked safely in a cardboard carton. Meats are wrapped and packed separately from the fresh produce and knick knacks- the knick knacks are the small bits and bobs, like packets of spices, miso paste, mayo, cheeses and things like that.

Each recipe includes a recipe card with a picture and description of the finished dish, a list of ingredients with photos, and step by step directions on the back. It's almost impossible to make a mistake with these kits. The ingredients are packed in pre-measured amounts, all you have to do is assemble the ingredients and follow the directions, which also includes a picture of the steps. The very first step is to prepare your mise en place, and the rest just flows.

The first recipe we are going to share is the Kale and White Cheddar Quesadillas with Radishes and Fried Eggs. This recipe is a unique take on what many people consider a kid menu item, the quesadilla. Using corn tortillas instead of flour is the first difference- corn tortillas add a lot more flavor and texture, in my opinion. Next replacing the huge glob of cheese with healthy sauteed kale and a small amount of white cheddar makes this a lighter and much more nutritious dish. It comes with a seasoning packet that you can use to spice it up as much or as little as you want. The radishes, served thinly sliced, add an authentic touch to the dish and the fried egg on top is a modern and on-trend way to boost the protein in a dish that usually is served dripping with gloppy cheese and messy salsa. 

Let's take a look at the ingredient list-

2 eggs

4 corn tortillas

3 radishes

1 clove garlic

1 lime

1 bunch kale

2 tb creme fraiche

3 oz white cheddar cheese

1 tsp quesadilla spice blend*

*Ancho chile powder, Chipotle chile powder and cumin

Simple, clean and easy, right? Let's make quesadillas.

Prepare the ingredients- Wash and dry the fresh produce. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Remove and discard kale stems, roughly chop the leaves. Quarter the lime. Grate the cheese. Cut off and discard the stems and root of radishes, halve lengthwise then thinly slice crosswise.

The kale is so fresh and crisp- it's hard to believe this came
through the mail and wasn't picked from my garden.

Cook the kale- In a large skillet, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium heat until hot. Add the garlic and kale, season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, one or two minutes until the kale is wilted. Add 1/4 cup of water and up to 3/4 of the spice blend, depending on how spicy you'd like the dish to be. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently 3 to 5 minutes, or until the kale is wilted and the water had cooked off. Turn off the heat, stir in the juice of two lime wedges, season with salt and pepper.

Make the lime creme fraiche- While the kale cooks, in a small bowl combine the creme fraiche and the juice of the remaining lime wedges. Season with salt and pepper.

Assemble and cook the quesadillas- Place the tortillas on a clean, dry work surface. Divide half the cheese between two of the tortillas; top with the cooked kale and remaining cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Complete the quesadillas with the remaining tortillas.

Wipe out the pan used to cook the kale. Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil and heat over medium high heat until hot. Add the quesadillas and cook 2-3 minutes per side until the tortillas are browned and the cheese has melted. Place on two plates; set aside in a warm place.

Wipe out the skillet and heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium heat until hot. Crack the eggs into the pan, keeping them separate. Season with salt and as much of he remaining spice blend as you'd like. Cook 4 to 5 minutes until the whites are set and the yolks re done to your desired doneness. 

Season the radishes and plate your dish- Place the radishes in a bowl and drizzle with 2 teaspoons olive oil and salt and pepper. Toss to coat thoroughly. Top the cooked quesadillas with the radishes and fried eggs. Serve with the creme fraiche on the side. 

That was SUPER easy to prepare. So how did they taste? AMAZING. I'll be honest, I expected this one to be my least favorite of all the meals. I only chose it because the other three options were things I knew The Chef would not like or were salmon, and we all know how I feel about salmon. The kale was such an unexpected ingredient in a quesadilla but it was so delicious. The white cheddar cheese was just the right amount of cheesiness. I'm one of those rare people who thinks Americans use waaaaay too much cheese in cooking, it's cheese on everything, but these were just perfect. The seasoning packet added a nice heat without being too hot, the lime creme fresh added a nice creamy touch. It's quite common to find radishes in Latin dishes and they added the perfect crunch here. The egg took some coaxing on my part. I'm definitely not a runny yolk lover, but I was a big girl and ate most of my egg without complaining. It was good, but I would probably leave it off next time. All in all, this was a tasty and filling dish.

The packaged dinner clubs/memberships are a pretty cool idea really. I didn't have to grocery shop for anything at all and had a freshly prepared dinner in about 20 minutes. I like what Blue Apron stands for too. The company focuses on organic produce and meats, cage free eggs and sustainability. Our box contained a booklet with the story of Bill Niman, the well known California rancher who raises livestock, and shares his story and opinion on grass fed vs grain finished cattle. It was a great read and very informational. We also got an ingredient card focusing on olive oil, it's different types and a recipe for classic vinaigrette. Blue Apron is a great company with a great product and I'm sure we will be cooking with them many times in the future.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free with no expectation that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe are of good quality and safe. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Drinkin' on the Deck- City Girl's Wine Journal

Another summer is fast approaching and I'm soooo looking forward to spring and summer evenings sitting on the deck in the backyard of our little city house, busy traffic sounds, birds chirping in the tree overhead, dogs barking in the neighborhood. Our deck is small but cozy, screened from the neighbors by a bamboo screen. Potted plants- herbs and flowers, add ambiance and the shady spot is cool and comfortable. We don't have room for a table with a great big brolly, but we have chairs and a table, the perfect place to relax and set your cocktail. The Chef and I don't imbibe very often but on occasion a bottle of wine will be popped open, glasses poured, and calmness descends upon us. The Chef cooks at a trendy wine and small plates restaurant so we often get the inside track on new wines, what's popular, what's highly rated, what to drink, so I thought it would be a good idea to share a few of my favorites.

Some people are strictly white wine drinkers and others are die hard red drinkers. I have favorites on both sides of the vineyard fence. As you might know, Riesling tops the list of white wines for me, with Pinot Grigio as the runner up but I don't limit myself to just those two. I have had several Sauvignon Blancs that are fabulous, and an unoaked Chardonnay is quite pleasant. In Iowa you see a lot of wines made with Brianna or Edelweisse grapes, both of which are quite similar to sweet Rieslings. 

Gaga was a white blend from California that was a true delight to drink. I found this wine at Gateway Market and grabbed a couple bottles. This wine was so fruity and crisp- I served it well chilled. Like many other whites, it would pair great with lighter dishes, salad, seafoods, appetizers. It's a fantastic sit on the patio and sip wine.

Normally you don't keep whites for long, generally speaking they are better drank while young. However, this Robertson Gewurztraminer somehow snuck by me and hid in the back of the cabinet for a while. That was not necessarily a bad thing. It was a 2007 vintage that was eventually opened in 2014 and it was still incredibly delicious, almost a creamy sensation. The years had turned this German style wine quite a lot sweeter than it probably was originally. If you're at all like me and love Riesling, you'll love Gewurztraminer too.

Iowa has about one hundred fantastic wineries these days, and that means a whole lot of places to visit and tour, wines to sample, and many of the wineries also have restaurants. Santa Maria Winery in Carroll is a stunningly beautiful Italian villa style building with a beautiful tasting room and restaurant that turns out some incredible food. My favorite Santa Maria wine is hands down Bella Collina. It's a red blend of Iowa-grown grapes that's quite a bit drier than what many of my wine drinking friends prefer. I, however, love a great dry red. They pair well with steaks and grilled foods and some also make great sipping wines. 

Back to the Rieslings- Blue Fin was a nice California Riesling that I picked up not too long ago. Just the right amount of sweet for me, this was one of those wines I'd buy again and again. Nice sweet and acid balance this one is great for enjoying all by itself or with any dish you like.

Joseph Handler Riesling is my most recent wine purchase. I picked this bottle up at Trader Joe's and drank it the same day. Chilled in the freezer until almost slushy, it was so bright and fruity. Hints of sweet, not too acidic, I enjoyed this bottle immensely. This was NOT an expensive wine at all, in fact it was below $10 and well worth twice the price. Many people shy away from these cheaper wines but the reality is, price doesn't normally determine the quality of the wine. Take a chance on a cheap bottle sometime and you might find a new favorite.

If you want me to enjoy a Chardonnay, it has to be an unoaked Chard. I have never liked the flavor that oak brings to wines, especially whites. Some reds hide it well but in my opinion Chardonnay tastes like an old wet board when it's been aged in oak. Sunfish is a California Chardonnay that I fell in love with about ten years ago. I've enjoyed many bottles from many vintages over the years. It's great for recipes that have "dry white wine" as an ingredient. Chardonnay does have that tanniny dryness that some people don't like. Even thought this is a dryer white, it's still perfect for sipping on its own. 

A couple other great wines I picked up at Gateway Market were Raimat Castell de Raimat and Delish. Raimat is a rose wine, not something I normally pick, but a while back my friend Jessica and I decided to try some rose wines, so I grabbed this to take it for a test drive. I am not a rose fan. Sorry. I tried. Not that this wine wasn't a good wine, it's just not my thing. Much like moscato, white I really do not like, I just couldn't get into roses. Too acidy and not enough fruit forward. Now, the Delish Sauvignon Blanc was a winner. I love the green and grassy notes in Sauvignon Blancs and this one was so refreshing. I'd buy a case of this to keep on hand.

Our furkid Peanut came to us over the summer as a stray.
She is now a comfy and cozy housecat and we love her.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Sheet Pan Dinners- No Recipe Cooking

The idea of the sheet pan dinner is taking social media by storm. Foodie bloggers are raving about them, Pinterest is positively bursting with pins featuring sheet pan creations, and a quick scroll on your Facebook feed, I'll bet anything you will see at least one or two posts about them. They are such a great idea- totally homemade fast food that isn't junky and fried. Besides saving time, they save on cleanup too- you use one sheet pan. Period. Maybe a bowl, a knife and a cutting board. No stacks of pots and pans to wash after dinner? Sign me up!

Today we're going to look at the sheet pan dinner phenomenon and get some great ideas together. A few weeks ago The Chef and I were coming home after a short trip to Colorado. We arrived home late in the evening, road weary and hungry. Now, every kind of fast food you can think of is within a three block radius of our house- hamburgers, tacos, fish, fried chicken, coneys. We could have taken the lazy way out and just hit the drive thru (believe me, we're not health nuts and we DO sometimes succumb to the temptation) but that's not what we were wanting. Even though we hadn't been home for several days we still had some food in the house, easily the makings for a quick and easy sheet pan dinner.

Grabbing my big stainless steel mixing bowl I grabbed a few ingredients- a kielbasa, a couple potatoes, an onion, a couple stalks of broccoli and a cauliflower that needed to be used up very soon. All I had to do was scrub the potatoes- I never peel unless I'm making mashed, chunk the onion and potatoes, cut up the broccoli and cauliflower- dump everything in the giant mixing bowl. Drizzle some olive oil over everything, added salt, pepper, some herbs and a couple big tablespoons of grainy mustard- tossed it all together to coat everything evenly and spread it out on a sheet pan. 

Into the oven at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes and voila- dinner is served. So easy and minimal prep. This particular dish had a great kick from the mustard and the veggies had that lovely roasted thing going on that I love so much- the mix of texture, bits of char, still just enough crunch.

A few days later I was ready to do it again. Long days at work and nights I just didn't feel like dealing with cooking.....or dishes. This time I managed to scrounge up a pork tenderloin, a couple potatoes, a bunch of fresh asparagus, onion and a box of fresh mushrooms. I cut the pork into bite size cubes and tossed with olive oil and fresh herbs. It was delicious!!

Wanna know the best part? If you line that sheet pan with some heavy duty foil you don't even have to wash that! 

Need some ideas for your own super easy sheet pan dinner? For speed, always use a lean meat that you can cube into bite sized pieces. Chicken and pork work great. Sliced sausages are great too- stick with fully cooked sausage. There are some recipes around using bone-in chicken pieces but they don't cook in 30 minutes. Try one if you find one though! Any vegetable works great too. Sweet potatoes, regular potatoes- I love baby potatoes made this way. Carrots, beets, broccoli, just use your imagination.

A recent trip to Trader Joe's inspired yet another sheet pan dinner. They have such beautiful produce there I could not resist grabbing some haricots verts and rainbow baby carrots to make a fun and colorful weeknight dinner. 

Again, in the big mixing bowl I combined the beans, and the carrots, after cutting them in half lengthwise, about 4 cloves of chopped garlic, plenty of olive oil and seasonings, salt and pepper. 

In another small bowl I tossed the cubed pork tenderloin with olive oil, more chopped garlic and citrus barbeque meat rub. 

Spread the vegetables onto the sheet pan and add the meat to the top.

Again, into a 400 degree oven and about 30 minutes later- the carrots are perfectly tender, the beans still slightly crispy, the garlic sweetens and the pork was tender and juicy. So delicious.

I hope you give these ideas a try. You won't believe how easy it is to get a healthy and delicious dinner going with a minimum of fuss.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Garlic Shrimp with Fusilli

Mother Nature, you are not my friend anymore! What in the actual heck is going on with you? We've had almost no snow all winter, days and weeks in the 60s and 70s and now you're snowing on me again. So depressing and frustrating. The sneak peaks of spring weather really make me want to get outside and plant things. Fresh herbs, big pots of tomato and pepper plants, a few flowers here and there, edible of course, for spicing up salads. The only good thing about these cold and snowy days is I am forced to bundle up in the house and cook something. Soul warming dishes like pastas usually end up on the table on days like this and today we're making a quick pasta dish that features lots of shrimp and garlic, herbs and sauced with olive oil and butter instead of heavy red sauce. It's quick enough for a weeknight even.

For my protein I chose shrimp. Hey, I love shrimp. Even as a little kid I was more than likely going to order "fimps" when out to dinner with my parents. Shrimp is a seafood that's readily available and not terribly pricey. Make sure you use uncooked shrimp and not the pre-cooked, which will result in pasta with rubber garlic nuggets. Not what you're looking for at all. For most dishes I buy the size 41-50 shrimp. If you're not sure what this means, just ask at the fish counter or check the package if frozen. The number refers to the number of shrimp make up a pound. I find this size to be the best in recipes- they are bite size but not teeny like salad shrimp. Be sure to peel off the shells and legs and remove the black vein completely. You do not want to eat that. Always pat them dry with paper towels so they cook without steaming.

This recipe features Sinful Food garlic olive oil and Signature Seasoning. I have really fallen in love with these products and can't imagine cooking without them. The Signature Seasoning never gets put on my spice shelf- it sits right on my work area because I use it that often. Seriously guys, there is nothing this stuff doesn't taste great on. Nothing. The olive oil is beyond amazing with all that fresh garlic flavor and aroma. It's delicious in the simplest croutons to the most complicated French recipe. 

I also had been saving the imported fusilli I picked up at Graziano's when Mary and Angi and I went shopping there a few weeks ago. You can read all about that adventure by clicking HERE. 

The quality of this brand of pasta is just incredible. The pasta shape stays fully intact after cooking, it doesn't become too mushy too quickly, and it has a very fresh texture- almost as if it was freshly made and not a dried pasta. Believe me, I had to pry this out of The Chef's hands a number of times just trying to keep it for the right recipe. This was definitely the right recipe. Quite a few of my foodie and chef friends also recommended this brand and shared stories about the high quality and how much they love using this. Graziano's is absolutely the right place to get great imported Italian foods in Des Moines. I really need to get back over there and restock my pasta hoard.

Pan Grilled Garlic Shrimp with Fusilli

12 ounces uncooked shrimp

8 cloves garlic

3-4 tablespoons Sinful Food garlic olive oil

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

Sinful Food Signature Seasoning

1 lb fusilli pasta

Start a large pot of salted water to boil.

Remove shells (and tails, I prefer) from the shrimp and devein. Pat shrimp dry with paper towels and place on plate. Season generously with the Signature Seasoning.

Place the garlic on a chopping board and very finely mince. Set aside. Chop the herbs and set aside.

When the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving one cup of the cooking water. Keep warm.

Heat a large heavy skillet (cast iron is great) over high heat until very hot. Add a couple tablespoons of garlic olive oil. Add the shrimp, in a single layer. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until the shrimp are beginning to brown. Flip and cook on the other side another minute or two. Remove from skillet and keep warm. Add remaining olive oil to skillet, then add garlic. Reduce heat and cook, stirring constantly, for one minute. Add the crushed red pepper and thyme. Cook for a minute or two until garlic is tender but not brown. Add the stick of butter and half a cup of the pasta water. 

Bring to boil and cook until butter is melted and sauce is emulsified. Add the shrimp and parsley back into the sauce. 

Add the pasta, tossing to coat, adding additional pasta water if needed. Serve immediately.

You can get dinner on the table in under 30 minutes with a fast recipe like this. The pasta takes the longest to cook. Just grab some crusty bread to serve with, and a fresh salad. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored post." As a Brand Ambassador, the company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift or something of value. Regardless,  I only recommend products or services I believe are of good quality and safe. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Easiest Cake Recipe Ever

You know how sometimes folks will come home after a really crummy day, kick off their shoes, shrug off their work clothes, and relax with a nice cold adult beverage? For me it's not about the adult beverage. When I have had THAT kind of a day, all I really want is.......cake. Yes. Cake. Funny thing about cake, you usually have to make an entire cake. In our household of two, a whole cake usually goes to waste, so we don't often bake cakes. In desperate times I have been known to snag a cake slice or a cupcake from the local grocery store bakery, but alas, it's bakery cake, not the same. It's often a little on the dry side from being already sliced and the frosting is either that weird whipped stuff or a buttercream so overloaded with sugar it's crunchy. Not very satisfying. Times like these I long for the days of my childhood where cake heaven was just a few minutes away after a quick run through the Easy Bake Oven.

 Fear not, my friends, cake heaven is again close at hand. This really doesn't even qualify as a "recipe" in the truest sense- it's more like a cake hack that is super simple and super delicious. Are you ready for this? Freshly baked cake for one from the microwave. You can have cake in just 45 teeny tiny seconds!!!  Yes!!!

So how do you do this? Easy- grab two cake mixes- one must be angel food, the other can be any flavor you like. For my current batch of "instant cake" I used a chocolate fudge cake mix. Dump both DRY mixes in a big bowl and use a whisk to fully incorporate them together. Break up any clumps in the mixes. Spoon the mixture into a big, airtight storage container. To make a cake, grab a custard cup and add 3 tablespoons of the dry mix. Stir in 2 tablespoons water and mix with a fork til smooth. Pop in the micro and bake for 45 seconds. Done!

The little cakes are springy and light. The angel food cake mix, which is mostly egg whites, lightens the texture of the cake and helps it rise. Now you can dress up your cake however you like. A drizzle of icing, a scoop of ice cream, pile on some fresh fruit.

Last night while experimenting I made mine into a peanut butter lava cake by mixing the batter as usual but before baking, I added a big rounded tablespoon of peanut butter right on top. When it bakes, the batter rises up and encloses the peanut butter, which becomes all melty and happy. Invert on a plate and hit with a little whipped cream or ice cream. Delicious!  You can also use caramel sauce, chocolate truffles, cherry pie filling, Ferrero Rocher candies, mints- use your imagination. Anything that melts makes an easy lava cake and any other candies make a candy bomb cake!

My experimenting with instant cake is going to continue for sure. Stick around and see what I come up with!