Hot Crab Dip with Old Bay Seasoning Serves 10 Ingredients: 8 oz. whipped cream cheese, softened – $2.19 3 scallions (about ¼ cup), chopped fine – $0.99 ½ of a red bell pepper (2/3 cup) , chopped – $1.07 a heaping ½ cup grated Monterey Jack cheese – $1.09 ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese –[…]
Pear, Pancetta & Gorgonzola Quiche with Toasted Walnuts
Pear & Gorgonzola Quiche with Toasted Walnuts Serves 8-10 Ingredients: 4 oz. diced pancetta (or bacon) – $3.69 1 extra-large shallot, diced – $0.79 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter – stock 1 Tablespoon brown sugar – stock 2 large ripe pears; 1 pear cut into chunks, 1 sliced thinly – $1.99 4 eggs, lightly beaten –[…]
Classic Chickpea Hummus
Classic Chickpea Hummus Makes about a pint Slightly adapted from Simply.Food Ingredients: 15-oz can of chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed – $1.29 1 clove garlic – stock 2 tablespoons water – stock 1 tablespoon olive oil – stock 3 teaspoons tahini (sesame seed paste) – $4.79 2 teaspoons lime juice – $0.59 Freshly[…]
Quiche with Caramelized Onions, Mushrooms, and Ham
Quiche with Caramelized Onion, Mushrooms, and Ham Serves 6 as an Entrée Note: I cut back the amount of mushrooms and onion for the specifics of this recipe, but we highly recommend that you make a much larger batch of the duxelle of shrooms and onion for other dinners. I freeze single serving sizes and[…]
Rosemary and Sea Salt Sweet Potato Chips
Rosemary and Sea Salt Sweet Potato Chips Slightly adapted from Gastronomical Sovereignty Ingredients: 1 large sweet potato – $0.89 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil – stock 1 Tbsp dried rosemary, chopped into bits – stock 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed or run through a garlic press – stock Coarse sea salt –[…]
Cinnamon-Spiced Lamb Meatballs with Tzatziki
Mariel here. A lamb recipe right after Easter? Sure, why not! After finishing two deadlines for work, I’m short on words today, but I will say this: these are incredibly easy to make, everyone in my family inhaled them, and they work equally well rolled into a pita or speared by toothpicks. Make them, they’re[…]
Curried Pork Potstickers with Soy-Ginger Dipping Sauce
Mariel here. Many moons ago, my husband and I spent an incredible year living in Hong Kong. We were in our mid-20s, unmarried and unmoored from all those wonderful anchors of adulthood. Feeling restless and in search of adventure, we both decided to part with our jobs and experience life away from the east coast,[…]
Empanadas Stuffed with Lamb, Sweet Potatoes, and Montrachet
Mary Anne here. These were created in the heat of July, when Mariel still had the glazed look of a zombie, and Lil Man was on a feeding frenzy 18 hours out of 24. In need of quick meals that could be delivered as fast as take-out, I conjured up these “emapanadas,” which more than[…]
Roasted Grape and Blue Cheese Bites
Mariel here. I’ve always been an insatiable fruit fiend. My father is very much the same way so I suspect I picked up this trait from him, but even as a tot, I’d reach for a real plum over a sugar plum – a party trick that must’ve made my parents just brim with pride.[…]
Tex-Mex Pizza with Chorizo and Black Beans
Mary Anne here. Yesterday Mariel and I shared our mutual sorrow at having so little time for our beloved blog. But before you feel tooo terribly sad over our negligence, it’s actually a time to celebrate! My gorgeous girl and her fabulous husband have moved to the ‘burbs…and just a mere mile from this madre.[…]
Roasted Garlic and White Bean Dip with Fresh Basil
Roasted Garlic and White Bean Dip with Fresh Basil Makes about a pint Ingredients: 1 head of garlic – stock 19-oz can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed – $1.39 6-8 medium-size fresh basil leaves – $2.50 Plenty of freshly ground black pepper – stock ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (plus some for brushing[…]
Asparagus Galette with Gruyere Cheese
Mary Anne here. A galette is a term used to describe various types of flat, round or free-form breads and cakes. In this recipe, it’s used to describe more of a tart-like dish, while my Potato and Canadian Bacon Galette serves as a tart but actually bakes en casserole. Now that I’ve cleared that up…[…]
Healthier Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Healthier Spinach and Artichoke Dip Serves 8-10 Ingredients: 5-oz clamshell of fresh baby spinach – $3.00 8-oz block of reduced fat cream cheese, softened to room temp – $1.69 1 cup (8-oz) fat-free plain yogurt – $1.78 1½ cups part skim mozzarella, shredded – $2.79 14-oz can of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped – $2.99[…]
Asian Chicken Salad Tartlets
Asian Chicken Salad Tartlets Makes about 50 Tartlets Note: The chicken salad can be prepared the day before. Fill the tartlet shells with the salad just before serving. Ingredients: 1¾ lbs. cooked chicken (about 4 cups), cut into small cubes – $4.99 3 packages frozen Phyllo tartlet shells – $5.07 ½ cup peanut or canola[…]
Honey & Butter-Glazed Pretzel Bites with Roasted Garlic
Mariel here. Every morning, I head out onto the mean streets of NYC and pound it out on the pavement for a full hour. Rain or shine, snow or wind, this daily jog helps clear my head and de-stress my perpetually anxious soul before hunkering down for an honest day’s work. It also has the[…]
Chile Con Queso aka Tex-Mex Style Nacho Cheese Dip
Mary Anne here. Super Bowl Sunday is upon us, and this year I may actually watch the game as my New York Giants tackle the New England Patriots! Usually it’s all about the grub…and the commercials. My cheering section of the Ellicott-Rittenhouse team plans to keep up our spirits no matter what happens on the[…]
Roasted Tomato and Garlic Crostini
Roasted Tomato and Garlic Crostini Makes about 20 crostini Ingredients: 3 medium beefsteak, jersey or vine-ripened tomatoes, quartered and seeded – $3.98 3 cloves of fresh garlic, minced 1 teaspoon sugar – stock ¼ teaspoon salt – stock Freshly ground black pepper – stock 2 Tablespoons olive oil – stock 1 Tablespoon Balsamic vinegar –[…]
Sun-Dried Tomato Caprese with Smoked Mozzarella
Sun-Dried Tomato Caprese with Smoked Mozzarella Tip: You can prepare this up to 2 days before. Bring the tomato mixture back to room temperature before serving. Store the toasted baguette rounds in a sealed plastic container. Serves 10 Ingredients: 4 ozs. sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil – $2.49 2 cloves garlic, minced – stock 1[…]
Crispy Kale Chips
Mary Anne here. This fall, I spent a glorious eight hours up north in horse country with my favorite girl, Mariel. I just love those quiet, mom-daughter days. On this particular adventure, we stopped for coffee on the way and, while sipping from our paper cups, we perused the goodies at a local farm stand.[…]
Gourmet Pizza with Gruyere, Crispy Prosciutto and Caramelized Onion Puree
Mariel here. New York City is home to several famous slices, but it’s clear many Manhattanites have grown tired of the usual mozzarella-marinara combo. You can’t toss a garlic knot without hitting a menu touting “gourmet” or “artisan” ‘za. I’m all for it – everything tastes better when cradled by crispy, fluffy dough. Since the[…]