recipe: foil potatoes with gruyere and goat cheese

I don't know about you, but at our house we like to take every opportunity to fire up the grill. Even in the middle of winter when it's snowing outside. Thankfully, it seems like Spring is here to stay so we don't have to freeze, which makes barbecuing much more enjoyable and gives me a reason to perfect my recipe for delicious foil potatoes on the grill.

I love to experiment and this is hands down, one of the best batches of foil potatoes I've made in a while. It's by no means anything spectacular or fancy but I love how the two very different cheeses add so much interesting flavor to simple potatoes.

To make these you will need the following:

Aluminum foil

1 gallon freezer bag

Potatoes, thinly sliced

Onion, sliced

Italian Seasoning

Garlic Salt

Pepper

Paprika

Olive Oil

Goat Cheese

Gruyere, grated (we love the cheddar/gruyere blend from Trader Joe's)

Take the freezer bag and add about 1-2 tbsp of olive oil to it, depending on the amount of potatoes you'll be using. Also add in all of your spices (ital. sasoning, garlic salt, pepper, paprika). No measurements here, so just a dash of each or however much you'd like. 

Add in your potaoes, zip it and shake it all well. 

Lay out large sheets of aluminum foil and spray with a bit of cooking spray.

Place a layer of potatoes down, add some onions and some gruyere cheese. Now add another layer of potatoes, onions and gruyere cheese over that. Lastly, cut some of the goat cheese up into slices or chunks (it's very creamy and soft, so whatever works). Place the goat cheese on top of the potatoes.

Now wrap up your foil packages tightly so that they can be flipped on the grill.

Place on the grill and cook until potatoes are done and cheeses have melted.

Delicious, I tell you!  

PS: I am no food photographer and I realize that these may not look all that amazing in the pictures, but I promise they do taste much better than they look ;) 

recipe: potato&leek cream soup

With Spring not really wanting to make an appearance around these parts yet, I've been cooking a lot of soups and stews lately. We love ourselves a good Chili and I have the most amazing recipe for a sausage and bean stew that has been a favorite for me growing up. Have I mentioned my Dad is a mean cook? Anyway, this time I thought I'd change it up with something on the lighter (color) side. 

This recipe is quite simple and quickly made. It only requires a few basic ingredients and for once will give you a reason to buy leeks at the store ;) I love onions so I basically adore leeks and I always like to put them into a quiche or tart as well.

Ingredients you'll need:

1 32 oz carton of (organic) vegetable stock

4 large potatoes

2 leek stalks (I use all of the white part and also some of the lighter green)

1 tbsp butter

1 cup of half&half 

1 pkg. cream cheese (i use neufchatel because it's lighter)

1/2 cup grated parmesan

salt+pepper to taste

water, in case you want your soup less creamy

optional: brown some ground beef and add into the soup

Add the box of vegetable stock to a large pot and bring to a boil.

Peel and cut up your potatoes. Add them to the vegetable stock and let cook. 

Meanwhile clean and cut up your leeks. Make sure to wash them because dirt will get in between some of the outer layers sometimes. 

Add a tablespoon of butter to a large skillet an add the leeks. Let cook until leeks start to get tender. 

Add the cream cheese, let melt and stir frequently. 

Now add in the half&half, parmesan and salt and pepper. 

Let everything cook until the leeks are nice and soft but don't forget to stir. 

Add the skillet mixture into your pot with the vegetable stock and cooked potatoes. Stir and remove from heat. Use a stick blender to blend the ingredients. I usually make sure to get all of the potatoes but leave some of the leeks whole. If you don't have a stick you can also use a regular blender just be very careful since the soup will be hot. 

Optional:

• Add as much water as you like to make the soup your preferred consistency.
• Brown some ground beef and add some meat to this meal. 

Enjoy! 

Would love it if you pinned it :)

recipe: guacamole grilled cheese

I don't know about you, but I love petty much anything that involves avocados. Whenever I make guacamole I make a ton and end up having to find other ways to use it than simply as a dip with pita chips. One of my favorite lunches is a simple guacamole grilled cheese that is quickly made and very filling. 

What you need: 

Guacamole (pre-made or homemade)

Bread

Fresh Spinach 

Mozzarella

A few cherry or grape tomatoes

Butter or Cooking Spray

First, sauté the tomatoes for a couple of minutes. Put aside. Spread some butter on the outsides of your bread or just use cooking spray. Layer your cheese on both insides of the bread, spread the guacamole on top and layer some spinach and tomatoes in between. Grill on a low temperature from both sides until cheese has melted.

Enjoy! 

recipe: chicken tikka masala

Ok friends, this is definitely a recipe you need to try out asap! I fell in love with chicken tikka masala a few months back and since I didn't have all the ingredients needed for a recipe I found online, my own version was quickly born. It's super easy to make and the spicyness can definitely be adjusted to your liking. 

You'll need:

a large can of diced tomatoes (16oz)

a few fresh tomatoes if you'd like, diced

1-1 1/2 cups of chopped mushrooms

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tsp minced garlic or 1-2 fresh cloves

1 bay leaf

1 clove

1/2 tsp paprika

1 1/2 tsp yellow curry powder, or more depending on your taste

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1 tbsp sugar 

salt and pepper 

1 1/2 cups half and half or heavy whipping cream

2 large chicken breasts, cut into chunks and seared in a pan

chop the onion and sautee it in some oil or butter. add in the garlic, chopped mushrooms and fresh tomatoes. let cook for a couple of minutes. 

add the entire can of diced tomatoes, sugar, all the spices (except for the bay leaf and clove) and stir well. 

add the half and half (or whipping cream). stir again. 

this is how I prevent losing the bay leaf and especially the clove in the sauce: carefully stick one clove in the middle of a large bay leaf and add it into the sauce. make sure not to stir too much now. 

let the sauce simmer for about 5-10 minutes. 

now remove the bay leaf and clove. taste your sauce and add more curry powder if you'd like. also add salt and pepper to taste. finally, add the chicken. 

i love to make this amazing trader joe's havest blend mix of quinoa, pearl cous cous and orzo. it's delicious. you can of course also make plain rice or a different side. 

dig in and enjoy! it's soooooo good :) 

recipe: oma's german sugar cookies

today's christmas cookie recipe is one of the easiest and yummiest ones you'll ever find. in the southern part of germany I come from we call them "austecherle". now go say that out loud once! awesome right?

with a name like that for a basic but fantastic, cut-out sugar cookie they naturally have to taste great :)

and trust me, they do! they remind me of my childhood and christmases past. great memories and yummy cookies, what more could you want? 

since your 'inner cookie lover self' won't allow you to just turn around and walk away now, I will let you in on all the secret ingredients. they're really extremely secret.

also, let your kiddos help. it's great fun for little helpers to cut out the cookies and decorate them.

bonus yay! (in case you needed more convincing): this is a recipe that requires the dirtying of only one measly mixing bowl and no electric mixer is needed at all. i love me an easy clean-up recipe. you know, just because we all have better things to do than cleaning up the kitchen all day long... (like blog reading, pinterest surfing, daydreaming, nail painting, baby cheeks squeezing... you  get the point.) 

ingredients: 

1 1/2 sticks of butter, softened

2/3 cup of sugar

1 egg

a dash of salt 

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

1/8 tsp. almond extract

1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

metric measurements:

150g butter

125g sugar

1 egg

a dash of salt

1 package of vanilla sugar or 1/4 tsp. liquid vanilla extract

1/8 tsp. almond extract

250g flour

1/2 tsp backing powder 

in a medium bowl combine all ingredients until they form a smooth dough. i use a wooden spoon to combine and then my hands to get everything mixed well and smooth. if your dough is still extremely sticky, add a little bit more flour. 

place dough in the fridge for 30 minutes. 

remove dough from fridge and roll out on a floured surface to about 1/4 - 3/8" thick. 

cut out cookie shapes and place them on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. 

brush some egg yolk over the tops, decorate with sprinkles, nuts or whatever your favorite may be (optional, they are great just plain).

place in a 350F oven (175C) and bake for about 10-12 minutes.

enjoy with some milk or hot cocoa. 

store in a metal tin or other airtight container. 

recipe: cauliflower crust pizza

you lovely instagram friends have asked for it, so here it is. 

a very simple recipe for cauliflower crust pizza. yum! 

for the crust:

one whole head of cauliflower
2 - 2.5 cups of mozzarella cheese, grated (or whatever cheese you prefer)
3 eggs
dried basil
optional: garlic

prepare two cookie/baking sheets by overing them with parchment paper and lightly spraying with cooking spray.

grate the entire head of cauliflower into a large bowl. you could also use a food processor for this.
grate the cheese into the bowl as well, add the eggs and sprinkle in as much basil as you like.
stir everything together well with a wooden spoon.

now divide your "dough" evenly between the two baking sheets and use a pancake turner or something similar to pat it down flat.

bake at 450 degrees for about 10-13 minutes.

now prepare your toppings

I like to just add some marinara sauce, mushrooms, zucchini, onions, spinach and cottage cheese (instead of ricotta). Just depends on what I have on hand. Mix some more basil into the cottage cheese too to make it more flavorful.

when the crust is done, add your toppings and place back into the oven for another 5-8 minutes. Just keep an eye on it so it doesn't get burned.

that's it! super easy and a great way to get some vegetables in your kiddos ;)

500 follower giveaway going up tomorrow!! don't miss it :)

recipe: sweet fall harvest casserole

sorry, i dropped off the face of the earth there for a few days... we've had a lot going on lately. 

i won't bore you with the details but most importantly, Jason is finally home for the off-season so instead of following my blogging duties I slacked off and snuggled up to my man, trying to make up for the past 6 months. i'm sure you understand :) 

if you follow me on instagram, which you totally should by the way ;), you may remember me posting a picture of this deliciousness and threatening to post the recipe here. well, those threats were real! 

be warned that you may never want to eat another fall dessert after this... ok, you were warned.

here is what you'll need for 8 servings and an 8x11 baking dish

ingredients: 

• 1/2 butternut squash
• 2 large apples
• cinnamon
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 pinch of salt
• 1 heaping tablespoon of flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp margarine or butter, melted

topping

• 4 ounces of vanilla wafers
• 1/4 cup margarine or butter, melted
• 1/2 cup brown sugar

preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C)

bring a large pot of water to a boil. while you're waiting, cut the squash in half. use a spoon to remove the seeds and peel the skin with a potato peeler. be careful not to chop your fingers off ;)

cut the squash into cubes and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. drain the squash and mash it well. 

peel the apples and slice them up. add a dash of cinnamon. set aside.

in the 8x11 casserole dish combine the mashed butternut squash, white sugar, vanilla extract, milk, dash of salt, flour, 2 tbsp melted margarine and eggs. mix it all well and bake in the oven for 25 minutes. 

in a mixing bowl prepare your topping by combining crushed vanilla wafers, brown sugar and melted margarine. i usually put the vanilla wafers inside a large freezer bag and use the rolling pin to crush them. pretty mess free. 

after 25 minutes remove from oven and layer apples on top. return to the oven for another 15 minutes. 

sprinkle topping over top and brown for 5 more minutes. 

enjoy!!!

recipe adapted from allrecipes.com 

lasagna soup

sorry for the bad picture. i hadn't really planned on blogging this recipe until a bunch of you instagram followers asked me to. so here it is and believe me it is delicious and tastes a lot better than it looks. this is a great recipe to add a bunch of vegetables into so feel free to adjust as you please. just make sure to maybe add some more liquid if you add a lot of extra vegetables. my toddler loved this and even ate all of the vegetables in it, which has been a struggle lately.

lasagna soup

ingredients

for the soup:

1 tbs. olive oil
1 1/2 lbs of sweet italian sausage (for any locals: i use giant eagle's sweet italian sausage because it is deliecious)
1 cup of chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 tbs. tomato paste
1 28-oz. can of diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1-2 large carrots, peeled and chopped or sliced
a handful of mushrooms, sliced (really however many you like)
1 zucchini peeled and cubed
1 container of chicken stock (about 4-6 cups)
8 oz. lasagna pasta broken into smaller pieces
some fresh basil if you have
salt and pepper, to taste

cheese mixture:

10 oz. ricotta
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
pepper, to taste

mozzarella cheese to sprinkle over top

preparation

heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. break up the sausage into bite sized pieces and brown it for a few minutes. add in the onions and cook until soft. add tomato paste and stil well. cook for another 3 minutes or until paste has turned a rusty brown color. now add garlic, italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. stir again.

add the diced tomatoes, bay leaves and the chicken stock. stir to combine. bring to a boil and add the carrots, let simmer for 20 minutes. now add the zucchini and mushrooms and simmer until both are soft. (about 10 minutes). add the basil, salt and pepper to taste, right before serving.

also cook your pasta separately when your soup is getting close to being done.
cooking the pasta separately will allow better storage for left-overs.

while pasta is cooking prepare the cheese mixture. in a small bowl simply combine all ingredients and mix well.

to serve, place about a generous tablespoon of the cheese mixture in a bowl and top with soup and pasta. sprinkle some mozzarella on top and dig in!

Source:  adapted from 300 Sensational Soups by Carla Snyder and Meredith Deeds, as seen in the February-April 2011 edition of At Home with Kowalski’s magazine

recipe: cinnamon pull apart bread

today i am sharing this recipe i found via sfb on how to make cinnamon pull apart bread.

it's a super easy recipe that does take a little preparation but has a delicious result. i made some small adjustments to the recipe as i was going along. 

for your dough you will need:

1 cup warm water (i used a little more as i was making the dough because it was too dry) 
1 envelope (1/4 ounce) active-dry yeast
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon honey
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups unbleached flour 
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

the original version only uses half of the dough recipe but i made the full amount and ended up with 4 small loaf pans.

for the filling you will need: 

3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) sweet cream butter, melted (i started out with this amount but had to add some more) 

vanilla icing:

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted (i added more because my icing was too runny) 1 1/2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

this will slowly form a dough you may or may not have to add more water to. mine was very dry so i added just a bit more. 

place your dough in a greased bowl, cover it with a towel and keep it in a warm place to let it raise for about 1.5 hours. i always put my dough in the oven on the keep warm setting, which is about 170 degrees fahrenheit. 

as i was cutting these i decided, since this is a pizza dough, they would also be great dipped in a little olive oil and italian seasoning, baked and then served with marinara sauce. yummo!

melt the butter and stir together the cinnamon and sugar. dip each piece in the butter (shake off excess) and coat with cinnamon sugar. 

arrange dough pieces in your greased loaf pans and bake at 375 degrees for abour 20-25 minutes. use a toothpick to test if it's done. 

super yummy! perfect for breakfast or as dessert or really any time of the day ;) they are also a great size to give to a friend as a sweet treat. 
Enjoy!

all images copyright the forge
original recipe taken from here