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This Spicy Buffalo Chicken Dip is a MUST at any Super Bowl party!
I’m obsessed with Buffalo anything at the moment! It has just enough heat to keep me coming back for more but not enough that I know when to walk away. You feel me?
I couldn’t even get a quick photo op before Rez stole a taste! Unreal!
Let me break this down for you. Three words; simple, inexpensive and delicious.
With a small list of accessible ingredients (some you likely already have) this recipe is an absolute breeze to pull together! To really make your life easy, buy a roasted chicken from Whole Foods or your local grocery store and the dip will practically make itself!
Serve with veggies for a lighter approach to this indulgent dip!
This dip is what I like to refer to as ‘what’s up’. It’s one of those dips you take a nibble of (perhaps unsure) tilt your head back, reflect and say ‘yaaaa, that’s what’s up’! I can just picture my friends laughing as they read this post while simultaneously dialing my hotline to tease me.
Double dipping while taste testing at home is fair game right? Don’t judge! I dare you to dip just once!
Feel free to add some grated jack or cheddar cheese on top if that’s your jam! I decided the dip was indulgent enough and kiboshed the extra cheese I intended on using. I surprisingly didn’t miss it at all. HONESTLY! This dip is a little all-star without it!!
I hope you guys enjoy! xx
- 2 cups roasted chicken, shredded
- 1 8oz package of cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup buffalo sauce (I use Valentinas Extra Spicy)
- ½ ranch dressing
- 1 small can fire roasted diced green chilies
- 1 green onion, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
- celery sticks and tortilla chips for serving
- Beat cream cheese+buffalo sauce+ranch dressing+until smooth. I prefer to use an electric mixer but you can certainly do it by hand. It's really important that the cream cheese is softened to minimize lumps.
- Mix in the shredded chicken and diced green chilies
- Bake at 375 for 20 minutes (check halfway through because oven temperatures vary)
- Sprinkle with green onion
- Serve piping hot with celery sticks and tortilla chips
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Icelandic Smoked Trout Dip with Skyr
One of my girlfriends recently returned from a holiday in Iceland and it sparked my interest. What is the food like there? When I think of Nordic food, I think of the cliché pickled herring and Rose Nylund’s cringeworthy recipes from The Golden Girls. But seriously, I had very little knowledge of their culinary scene so I did a little internet creeping to find out some popular foods in Iceland. Of course I found the expected smoked fish and pickled herring but it became abundantly clear there was one traditional favorite: Skyr. Skyr for breakfast, skyr for lunch, skyr for dinner…you get the point!
Between the smoked trout and skyr this dip is a protein powerhouse!
Skyr is Iceland’s version of Greek yogurt and it has been a staple in their cuisine for over a thousand years. It is believed that Icelanders first started making skyr when settlers from Norway arrived in the 9th century. Yaaaa guys, THAT long! I think they’ve got this covered.
It has the consistency of a thick yogurt, with a mildly tart flavor. It’s super high in protein and has virtually zero fat or artificial sweeteners. AMEN! Because skyr contains live active cultures it must be consumed within 5 days of opening, so keep this in mind when you buy it.
I found Siggi’s Icelandic Skyr at Whole Foods and have to say, I’m really happy with it. I will definitely be adding this to my grocery list. It’s a healthy product you can feel good about eating and I can see me using this in my recipes.
This Icelandic Smoked Trout Dip with Skyr is great to make when entertaining because it’s healthy, delicious and different. Spice things up and add this new dip to your list of tricks in the kitchen!
Enjoy! xx
- 8 oz skinless smoked trout filets, broken into ½ inch pieces (approximately 2 cups)
- ¾ cup Skyr (a thick Icelandic style yogurt)
- ¼ cup crème fraîche
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp prepared horseradish, drained
- a medium sized dill pickle, finely diced
- ¼ cup fresh dill, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup green onions, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
- 1 tbsp capers, strained
- freshly ground pepper
- flakey Icelandic sea salt
- Using an electric mixer, beat skyr, crème fraîche, horseradish and Worcestershire sauce. Transfer mixture into medium bowl. Stir in smoked trout, dill pickle, green onion, capers and fresh dill. Season with freshly ground black pepper and flakey Icelandic salt.
- Let dip chill in the fridge for 1 hour prior to serving.
- Serve with endive leaves, sliced cucumber, celery sticks or crackers.
You can find Siggis Skyr Yogurt at Whole Foods but you can sub greek yogurt in a pinch.
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Pistachio Crusted Baked Brie with Honey is the epitome of comfort food.
Pistachio Crusted Baked Brie with Honey is better than you could ever imagine it would be. Have you ever taken a bite of something incredible and you involuntarily do something ridiculous to express how delicious it is? Dramatic hand gestures? A favorite catch phrase? Random inaudible sounds of pure joy? Well get ready, because this is one of those times. You’re welcome.
This recipe is so simple and oh so delicious. 15 minutes start to finish and virtually zero cooking. Pistachio Crusted Baked Brie with Honey is such a versatile dish. I picture serving this up for my girl friends over wine, a tapas style dinner at home or as an afternoon snack on a chilly day.
I’ve been busy studying for my annual re-qualification exam and drills. As flight attendants, we have to do this once a year and it’s always super stressful! Why? Because if you don’t pass, you no longer get to fly the friendly skies. That’s right; your job is on the line. This will be my 5th annual and you would think it gets easier, but it doesn’t.
Quickly pulse shelled pistachios in the food processor. Don’t pulse too much. You want pistachio pieces, not pistachio dust!
I woke up a couple of nights ago shouting my evacuation commands. In my dream, I was evacuating an aircraft with a fire in the cabin and my exit was blocked due to water. Just lovely! My fiancé was terrified but quickly realized what was going on. If you’re close with any flight attendant I’m sure you’re aware; we can go a little crazy when our annual training creeps up.
Anyhoo, the next day I was exhausted from lack of sleep and didn’t have the energy to cook. I wanted something low maintenance, quick and warm for dinner. I opened the cheese drawer (because cheese is always the answer) and found a piece of wild mushroom brie. Boom! That’s where this idea spiraled from.
Make sure to coat all sides of the brie with honey. This will make it easier for the the pistachios to stick to the brie.
It’s better to have an entire wheel of brie because it helps keep the ooey-gooey-goodness inside, but I wanted to use what I already had in the fridge. Remember, lazy and tired? No grocery store tripping for this lady. Just keep in mind, an entire wheel looks prettier and more put together. If you’re entertaining; I would suggest going that route.
Remember not to go overboard with pulsing the pistachios. A quick pulse is all you need. You still want the texture of the pistachios. Pistachio dust is not what you’re going for with this recipe.
I served this with fresh bread, prosciutto, apple slices and green grapes. It was such a great, casual dinner! You can’t go wrong with a 15 minute, easy peasy dinner that tastes like a million bucks!
I hope you love this comforting recipe as much as I do xx
Enjoy this slathered on fresh warm bread or with apple slices for a healthier approach.
- 1 wheel of brie, size can vary but I generally use a small one
- ½ cup good quality honey
- ⅓ cup shelled pistachios
- crusty bread or sliced apples for serving
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Pulse pistachios in the food processor for a couple of seconds. You want to break down the pistachios but you still want texture. You do not want pistachio dust!
- Heat the honey in the microwave for 30 seconds. Pour over the brie cheese, making sure you cover all sides.
- Start sprinkling the honey covered cheese with pistachios. It's not a big deal if they don't all stick; just try the best you can.
- Top with pistachios and bake in the oven for 10 minutes
- Let it cool for a few minutes and then serve with bread or apple slices
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Classic Basil Pesto is my all time favorite recipe!
If you were to ask what food I could eat for the rest of my life, I would most definitely cut you off by saying ‘anything pesto!’. I’m OBSESSED and don’t foresee this changing anytime soon. I love classic basil pesto sooo much that when I get a dog, I’m going to name him pesto! Cute right? You must have a seriously good personality to rock a name like Pesto!
All jokes aside, classic basil pesto is so delicious and you can put it on anything. After a few years of force feeding my partner pesto recipes, I’m happy to say he loves it almost as much as I do. You can’t go wrong with a classic basil pesto pasta or on home made pizza but lately I’ve been enjoying it over roasted vegetables, spread on fresh baked bread, in salad dressings and dips.
USE FRESHLY GRATED PARMEGIANO REGGIANO FOR BEST RESULTS
This recipe yields one cup of prepared pesto. If you’re not planning on enjoying the pesto right away, make sure you cover it with a thin layer of olive oil. This will keep it from turning brown and add longevity to your green pesto. Make sure the jar is sealed tightly and keep in the fridge for 3 days. I make this recipe a couple of times a month and normally double the recipe.
If you’re planning to freeze your pesto, don’t mix in the grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Wait until the pesto is defrosted and you’re ready to eat it, then mix it in. Parmigiano Reggiano loses a lot of its flavor once grated, so freshly grated parmesan will make for a more flavorful Pesto.
GET MAXIMUM SHELF LIFE BY STORING PINE NUTS IN FREEZER FOR UP TO 3 MONTHS
The ratios in pesto differ slightly depending on your specific taste. After making this recipe a few times, you’ll know how to make ‘your perfect pesto’.
Have fun! xx
- 3 cups basil(preferably sweet basil), packed
- ⅛ cup pine nuts, toasted
- ⅛ cup walnuts, toasted
- 2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
- ¾ cup GOOD Olive Oil
- ½ cup Parmesan, freshly grated
- ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- Combine all ingredients except for olive oil and parmigiano reggiano in the food processor and pulse.
- With the motor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the feed tube and process, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed,
- Transfer to bowl and stir in parmigiano reggiano. You can also add parmigiano reggiano to food processor but I prefer the consistency of stirring it in.
- If freezing, transfer to an air tight container and drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top. Add the parmesan when you're ready to eat the pesto, after de-thawing!
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Edamame & Arugula Spread is a great alternative to the popular Bruschetta
Crostini has always been one of my favorite go to appetizers. They’re easy & quick to make and are a heartier cocktail hour food. If you’re coming over to my house odds are there will be some cocktails or wine involved. I always want to have some appetizers on hand to soak up the alcohol. Don’t judge! I confess that normally I make my heirloom tomato bruschetta but I felt like switching things up. This Edamame & Arugula Spread was the perfect option!
Your edamame should look like this before adding to the food processor. Remember to remove the beans from the shells!
Arugula is in season right now and I love it’s peppery, bold taste. It’s part of the cabbage family and contains a HUGE amount of lutein, an antioxidant that helps maintain healthy eyes, skin and heart. Arugula doesn’t keep very well so try to buy it and use it up within 2 days, 3 max
I use arugula on its own in salads or in addition to another greens. I love it in soups, on homemade pizza or in my pasta. My absolute favorite is subbing it for basil to make a spicier pesto! When cooked, arugula wilts like spinach so keep that mind when experimenting in your kitchen.
Try this spread over baked parmesan crisps instead of baguette for a different approach.
Enjoy this for breakfast and switch up your routine!
- 1 cup shelled fresh or frozen edamame
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus additional for drizzling
- 1 cup packed baby arugula, divided in 2 piles
- ¼ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ⅛ tsp pepper
- ¼ cup mint to garnish
- olive oil for drizzling
- sliced baguette
- Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle.
- If edamame is still in the pod make sure you take the beans out of the pods before using. Very important!!
- Cook edamame beans in salted boiling water, uncovered, until tender, 3 to 4 minutes, then drain and transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking.
- Pulse edamame beans in a food processor until very coarsely chopped, then transfer half of mixture to a large bowl.
- Add ¼ cup olive oil, ½ cup arugula, parmigiano reggiano, lemon zest & juice, ⅛ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper to edamame in processor and purée until smooth.
- Add smooth mixture into the bowl with chunky edamame..
- Coarsely chop remaining ½ cup arugula and gently fold into edamame mixture.
- Cut bread 16 diagonal slices (1/3 inch thick) from baguette and put in a 4-sided sheet pan. Drizzle with remaining tablespoon oil. Bake until pale golden and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Spoon edamame mixture onto baguette toasts, then drizzle with oil and top with mint.
I buy the pre-shelled edamame from Trader Joes. You can find both fresh or frozen edamame beans and they are inexpensive.
Don't skip out on the mint as garnish!! This is not a garnish you want to miss out on. It really brings the recipe all together for me.
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Olive Tapenade with Rosemary & Basil. A simply addicting appetizer!
YUM! This olive tapenade makes me want to dance. It’s so freaking good! I just can’t deal. This is DELISH served on Baked Parmesan Crisps, alongside a cheese platter, slathered on crusty bread or on slices of cucumber for a healthier approach. I made this the other night to have with a cheese platter and it was just as good as I remembered.
It’s important to use mostly black pitted olives and only a small amount of kalamatas, because kalamata olives are high in sodium. Also, the regular black olives tend to be less expensive, so thats always a bonus!
The hot mustard and garlic give this tapenade a nice little kick, but the anchovy paste is truly my secret weapon. When used properly, anchovy paste really adds something extra special to a dish. It’s often that one ingredient you just can’t put your finger on. The biggest mistake people make, is of course using too much of it. This stuff is POTENT, so use a little bit at a time when cooking. It’s possible to cook with anchovy paste and not have fishy tasting food; just chill on the tube dude.
This is a great make ahead option for a party or appetizer and it is super easy to make. There is actually no real cooking involved in making this tapenade. All you have to do is add the ingredients together in a food processor and voila!
Hope you like it! xx
- 1 small can black olives, drained
- ½ cup kalamata olives
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp dry roasted pine nuts
- 2 tsp hot mustard, such as dijon
- ½ tsp anchovy paste
- 1 tsp rosemary, minced
- 2 tbsp basil, loosely chopped
- Pulse garlic, pine nuts and 1 tbsp olive oil for 30 seconds
- Add black olives, ½ of the kalamatas, hot mustard, anchovy paste, rosemary & basil and pulse until smooth, adding EVOO slowly.
- Add remaining half of kalamatas and quickly pulse
- Serve with crackers or bread
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This Tzatziki takes me back to Greece!
When my fiancé & I went to Greece it was a dream come true! For almost two decades, traveling to Greece had been #1 on my bucket list. I dreamt of sunsets in Santorini, getting lost in the winding white alleyways, drinking ouzo in a taverna on the caldera and eating the best greek food of my life. I had been patiently impatiently waiting until I met ‘the one’ so to speak, because it seemed like such a romantic place and I didn’t want to go with just anyone. Luckily, when Rez came along he was quick to want to make that dream come true and we started planning an epic euro trip that would include the Greek islands for my birthday.
Elia (Olive) beach, Mykonos
I have no idea how much Tzatziki we consumed while in Greece but it was a lot! Rez was totally in his element, feeling so at home with the familiar foods from childhood. The Tzatziki in Greece was so thick & creamy and was always served on a shallow plate; never in a bowl.
Straining yogurt is an important part of making traditional Tzatziki
Why could I never get it quite right at home? What was I missing? I usually ended up with a runnier Tzatziki, most certainly not the thick spread I was served in Greece. After asking around at a few of the smaller tavernas, I learned that they were straining their yogurt to make a yogurt cheese. It’s similar to a soft cream cheese. The Lebanese culture also does this to make labneh. Ideally, you would strain it for up to 48 hours, but you can cheat and speed up the process for this recipe (I do it all the time). You just need a strainer, cheesecloth and a large bowl to catch the liquid as it drops from the yogurt.
The yogurt will shrink in size by half when strained. If the recipe called for 1.5 cups of strained yogurt, you need to start with 3 cups.
Cut cheesecloth into 6-8 18 inch pieces and layer them in the strainer. Sit the strainer inside the bowl to catch the liquid as it drips from the yogurt. Pour the yogurt into the center of the cheesecloth and pull up the sides of the cloth, bringing the ends together at the top and tying with a string. Place in the fridge and let it sit for an hour.
In the meantime, grate your cucumbers. No need to peel them, just go ahead and start grating. You must use English cucumbers or the small Persian cucumbers for this recipe. Don’t use the wide, regular cucumbers because they are waxy and will give your Tzatziki a bitter taste. Put the grated cucumber in a another strainer and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp sea salt to help draw out the moisture from the cucumbers. If you’re in a rush, you can press down on the cucumbers to speed up the process. If you’re not in a rush, leave cucumbers in the fridge overnight or for 10-12 hours for best result.
Tzatziki, Olives and Fresh Baguette are great to serve your friends over cocktails.
After an hour take it out of the fridge and check the liquid in the bowl to make sure no yogurt is leaking. If there is yogurt in the bowl or coming out of the cheesecloth, it means you’re not using enough. If this is the case, cut a few more pieces of cheesecloth and tie with another string. No biggy!
If you’re trying to speed up the process, you can gently start ringing out the liquid. You can repeat this every half hour of so depending on how much of a rush you’re in. Ideally, you would be able to keep it in the fridge with the cucumbers, overnight or for at least 10-12 hours. The longer you let it sit, the thicker it will be!
Fresh Mint & Dill are suggested for this recipe but dried herbs can be used in a pinch! Just make sure to leave Tzatziki in the fridge for longer to let the dried herbs soften into the spread.
Remove the yogurt out of the cheesecloth and voila Thats how you make yogurt cheese. It’s freaking simple eh? It just requires a little bit of your attention but its so worth it. If you want to do almost no work at all, leave it in the fridge for at least 24 hours so the liquid will drain out naturally.
Now all you have left to do is add all the other ingredients: cucumbers, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, dill and mint.
Kalí óreksi! xx Greek
- 1 large English cucumber or 5 Persian Cucumber, unpeeled and grated
- 1½ cups strained full-fat Greek yogurt (roughly 3 cups unstrained)
- 2 large garlic cloves, finely minced
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and more for drizzling
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp fresh dill, minced
- 3 tbsp fresh mint, minced
- Cut cheesecloth into 18 inch pieces and layer them in the strainer (I suggest using 6-8).
- Put yogurt in the middle of the cheesecloth. Make sure you have a bowl under the strainer to catch the liquid. Gather the access cloth of the sides and tie at the tie with string. Put in the refrigerator.
- Check after 1 hr to make sure the liquid dripping from yogurt is only slightly milky. If there are pieces of yogurt in the bowl, it means you're not using enough cheesecloth. In this case, add a few more layers and tie with another string.
- Grate your unpeeled cucumbers and put into a strainer. If you're using English cucumber, make sure you remove the seeds first.
- Add ½ tsp salt to the cucumbers to draw out the moisture. Leave it in the fridge overnight along with strained yogurt for 10-12 hours. If you're in a big rush, you can use your hands to press down on the cucumbers.
- The next day remove the yogurt and cucumbers from the fridge and combine in a medium sized bowl. Add remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix them all together.
- Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Serve in a shallow plate and garnish by drizzling olive oil, olives and fresh herbs.
To speed up the straining process for both the cucumber and yogurt, you can sprinkle a little kosher salt on top to help draw out the moisture.
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Oftentimes simplicity is best
Bruschetta reminds me of childhood summers in Nova Scotia, Canada. I know I know, that’s not the first thing you think of when you think about Nova Scotia but I have so many memories of being on summer vacation and chowing down on some bruschetta. Even now after making this recipe hundreds of times, that first bite still bring me back home.
I’m too pretty to eat..
When I was growing up, we had a fairly large garden on our property. My parents both loved to garden and you could often find them outside working together when the weather was nice. As a result, we always had an abundance of tomatoes and fresh basil in the summertime. Luckily my brother Matt & I loved garlicky bruschetta, because my mum made it almost daily! She could stretch a dime into a dollar and I really admire that about her, as I get older especially.
TOMATOES & BASIL ARE ONE OF MY FAVORITE FOOD COMBINATIONS OF ALL-TIME
I would strongly recommend this recipe to someone who isn’t the most confident in the kitchen. Having to cook for other people can be stressful, so try to keep it simple so you can relax and enjoy yourself. The ingredients are minimal and preparation is simple. It’s very low maintenance appetizer and a great option for entertaining.
Reliving my childhood two pieces of bruschetta at a time!
Lately I’m really liking this for breakfast served with sliced avocado and a little bit of sea salt & fresh pepper.
Enjoy! xx
- 2 medium heirloom tomatoes, diced
- ½ cup basil, minced
- ½ cup parmiagiano reggiano, grated
- 2 scallions(white and light green parts only), thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp good quality extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
- baguette of your choice sliced into ½-1 inch slices
- Pre heat oven to 400 degrees
- Mix ingredients together in a large bowl
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This allows the flavors to marry and intensify.
- Line a baking sheet with tinfoil to allow for easy clean up.
- Slice baguette into ½- 1 inch slices, depending on preference. Place them on the lined baking sheet.
- Using a slotted spoon, spread mixture on sliced baggette. Be careful not to put too much mixture on the baguette or it will be difficult and messy to eat.
- Sprinkle parmigiano reggiano
- Bake for 5-10 minutes depending on the size of baguette. Be sure to check after 5 minutes and see if they are done.
- Serve on a platter with a light sprinkling of fresh basil.
- Enjoy!
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