Homemade Sriracha Salt

I have a friend who loves sriracha, and what do you get for your sriracha-loving friend who already has everything rooster-related? Sriracha salt, I say. I have never flavored salt before and was worried it would be difficult, but honestly, it was so easy. I got the recipe from Radical Possibility and it makes one cup of salt. Keep an eye out for tons of other salt flavors in the future!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Last night was the annual Great Cookie Exchange at my house. I baked some chocolate peanut butter oatmeal cookies that were decadent and filling, to say the least. These cookies aren't too difficult to make, but have a bunch of ingredients, so make sure that you have everything you need on-hand before you start! This recipe is a alteration of one over at Kitchen Treaty and makes 18 cookies.

Holiday Butter Cookies

For my office holiday party, I volunteered to make some cookies. This can feel like a lot of pressure, since everyone has a certain idea of what holiday cookies are, and can be really picky about it. Also, a quick disclosure: I haven't been to the grocery store in a few weeks, so my cupboards aren't overflowing with baking options. I decided to go with this recipe for butter cookies because it is a simple, easy-to-make recipe and it's super-likely that you have all of the ingredients in your house already. This recipe makes a baker's dozen and was adapted from this recipe. Enjoy!

Cinnamon-Infused Rum

Infusing alcohol is super-easy because it involves a very passive recipe. Really, you just need to decide which kind of alcohol you'd like to use and which flavors you think would go well with that. I've seen a lot of standard flavors (cinnamon, apple, vanilla, etc.) and a lot of more "wild" flavors (rosemary, pickle, elderberry, etc.). Since this was my first infusion experience, I decided to stick with a standard cinnamon rum. I ended up making about six pints of rum for holiday gifts and a little leftover for myself.

One-Pot Chili Mac

This comfort food is especially comforting when you're just tossing things together from your pantry. I have a few different chili recipes up on this blog already, so feel free to make this with one of them or with your own special chili recipe. Enjoy!

Guest Post: Ange's Shortbread Cookies

My lovely friend, Melissa, wrote up this guest post that is perfect for the cold weather and the holiday season. Not only does the recipe sound good, but I have tasted it, so I can vouch for its buttery, flaky deliciousness. Remember, if you also want to guest post, please don't hesitate to contact me. Enjoy!
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I have always been a “cook” not a baker, when it comes to the time I spend in the kitchen. In fact, the idea of baking anything, especially cookies, would cause a reaction in me similar to when you say Brussels Sprouts to a four-year-old.  Ick.  It was so time-consuming and exact... ugh.  But suddenly something happened… maybe it was all of the delicious desserts seen in every magazine and tv show, maybe it was my Great Aunt’s years of scratch pies calling me home. Whatever it was, I finally started baking.  And the more I baked, the more I loved it.  And found out that baking is EASY. And the exacting nature of baking turned it into a challenge to try more and more difficult items and accomplish it and do it well.  The feeling of finishing a beautiful, complicated homemade cake could never compare to anything I put together on the stove for dinner. So, I guess I call myself a baker now and I love it! 

My friend Ange has been making this shortbread recipe for us for years. And every time she shows up with a plate of it the entire plate will be devoured in a matter of minutes, all of us picking the crumbs off the plate with our fingers when whole cookies are gone.  Shortbread is such a classic, simple, delicious taste and something I’ve never made before, so I thought I would give it a shot.  And, yep, Easy!  Turns out I’ve actually been making shortbread for a while now, I just called it crust and didn’t think about it being the same thing.

Holiday Gift Guide: Quirky Kitchen

One of my favorite things when I'm cooking is to use adorable cooking tools. Trust me; it makes hanging out in a kitchen for hours much more bearable. Here's some of my favorite items to make your kitchen as cute as possible.

Potato Latkes

Happy Hanukkah! The official food of Hanukkah is potato latkes (potato pancakes). My awesome Jewish friend, Rebecca (the same friend that taught me how to make hamantaschen last year), hosted a latke party tonight to celebrate Hanukkah. There are two main ways to make latkes - bird's nest-style and pancake-style - and we made both! Enjoy & happy Hanukkah!

Slow Cooker Herb Stuffing

Why is stuffing primarily a Thanksgiving dish? I mean, it uses up leftover bread (extra points for that, for sure) and is a truly delicious and filling side dish. I am totally an advocate of year-round stuffing. For Thanksgiving dinner this year, I was busy cooking other things, so I tossed all of this in the slow cooker (Stirring occasionally? I think I can handle that) and let it do its thing. This recipe was inspired by A Year of Slow Cooking & fills a 4-quart slow cooker. Enjoy & happy Thanksgiving!

Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes

It's Thanksgiving time again, which means wanting to make all the food, but really not having enough time to do so. If you remember, last year I made cheddar and cranberry cream cheese biscuits and a leftover Thanksgiving pizza. This year, I'll be making my (in)famous hash brown casserole, a holiday couscous salad, homemade stuffing, and these incredibly decadent slow cooker scalloped potatoes. I adapted this recipe from An Oregon Cottage and it makes an entire 4-quart crockpot full of cheesy potatoey goodness. Enjoy!

Best Food Blog - Two Years in a Row!

Tuesday night was the annual Mobbies award ceremony and I am psyched to say that I won for Best Personal Twitter and Best Food Blog! EEEEEEEEEEEE! Thank you thank you thank you to anyone & everyone who voted for me! I was up against some serious competition for both categories (and I urge you to check out all of the other blogs; they're so great!). So, yes, I am completely overwhelmed with how much I love y'all right now.

Winner's Circle (Photo taken by Steve Ruark)

Mushroom & Spinach Lasagna

Lasagna is a huge comfort food for me. This was a great way for me to get rid of some extra produce in my fridge while at the same time filling my belly with delicious pasta. This recipe is based off one from smitten kitchen (whom I love!) and will make one 9x13" pan.

Homemade Vegan Sushi

Let me dispel some myths for you, quickly. First off, vegetarians & vegans can totally eat delicious sushi. Second, rolling your own sushi at home is actually not that difficult! Once you get everything chopped & ready, you can make a bunch of rolls quickly & easily. Before last night, I had never made my own sushi, but my friend was having a sushi party (which is an amazing idea, by the way) and it really got me out of my comfort zone. We all brought tons of ingredients (veggies, fruits, crushed wasabi peas, fish, tofu, cream cheese, etc.) and went at it! Below is a really simple recipe to get you through your first roll. Once you do that, go crazy & see what kind of new sushi recipe you can come up with! Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Three-Bean Chili

I made some chili for a friend's work competition early last month. It was super-easy, since I just put it in my slow cooker all day and let it go. To make it stand out amongst the competition, I used cocoa powder (think mole sauce) and three different kinds of beans (since I wasn't using any meat). This recipe makes about five full servings.

It's Mobbies Season!

It's that time of year again: Mobbies season! For those that aren't aware, The Mobbies are an annual Baltimore Sun-promoted social media and blogging competition. Last year, I was lucky enough to win Best Food Blog (woooooo!). This year, I've been nominated again!

If you have a moment, please click through the link, log in (you can do it through Facebook, if that's easiest for you), and vote! Everyone can vote once per day between now and November 19th to choose your favorite blogger out there. Here's what I've been nominated for:

Best Food Blog -- Let's Give Peas a Chance
Best Personal Twitter -- @annmariebrok

Click on the image above or follow this link and vote today!

Please feel free to vote for me in any or all of these categories; it'd be much appreciated!

xoxo,
Ann Marie

Brie Pastry Bites

This is the easiest & most delicious appetizer I've made in a long time (probably since my last brie appetizer). There are a lot of ways to make this a little more homemade than I did, but honestly, if you're going for quickness & convenience, I suggest sticking to this recipe. It makes 16 servings and is loosely based off of this recipe from Tablespoon.

Kale, Barley & Chickpea Soup

It's that time of year: kale season. If you're a CSA member, that's all that you've been getting in your share. It's all over the stores, the farmers markets, and now, in your slow cooker. This recipe is easy and makes about four servings. Enjoy!

Cucumber Sandwiches

I recently made these cucumber finger sandwiches for a friend's baby shower (hence the duck-shaped bread). This recipe is so simple that I'm not sure I even need to write it out, but they were such a hit that I wanted to share the love. These sandwiches are a great meatless addition to a party spread or even as an everyday lunch. This recipe makes about 12-20 sandwiches, depending on how you slice them.

Black Bean Vegetable Soup

Break out your slow cooker for this one. Low & slow is how I chose to make this black bean soup, for a few reasons, but the biggest being that I didn't want to have to watch the soup while I was watching Battlestar Galactica. I know, I know. This recipe makes about four servings & is perfect for the cooler temps that we've been experiencing lately. Enjoy!

Baked Brown Sugar Peaches

What a dessert this is! It's so sweet and delicious that you probably won't realize that it's only about 100 calories per peach. That means you can eat like, a million of them. This is the perfect end-of-summer dessert and I highly suggest you go pick up the last of the fresh peaches at your farmers market immediately to make this! This recipe serves one (adjust equally to serve more) and was originally found at The Kitchen is My Playground.

Garlic Butter Spaghetti Squash

I've made approximately one million spaghetti squash recipes in the past few months, and I'm not stopping now. I picked up a small squash for this awesome recipe with two of my favorite things: garlic and butter. This recipe serves two and was inspired by a recipe over at livelovepasta.

Corn Salsa

This is a copycat recipe of Chipotle's corn salsa (one of my favorite toppings to get at Chipotle!). Make a bunch of this and keep it on hand for tacos, salads, or even to snack on by itself with some tortilla chips. This recipe makes a small bowl, but feel free to change what you need to make a batch to fit your needs.

Slow Cooker Lentil Tacos

I went to the beach with a group of 15 friends this weekend and I offered to cook dinner for everyone. The main conundrum was that I wanted a meal that could feed everyone (meat-eaters and vegetarians alike) and that wouldn't require me to sit inside and cook all day while everyone else was lounging in the sun. Enter: the slow-cooker. Tacos also allow for everyone to customize their meal. I made a ton of lentils for this (I had to use a 6-qt slow cooker), but half (or even quarter) the below recipe for a smaller yield. This recipe is based off of the great one over at Kitchen Belle.

Apple & Honey Grilled Cheese

L'Shana Tova! It is officially Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) and it is traditional to eat apples and honey in celebration, so your new year is sweet. I decided to do something a bit different this year and made mini apple & honey grilled cheese sandwiches. This recipe makes four mini sandwiches (serves two people).

Potato Fajitas

This is one of those 'I have too many CSA items and don't know what to do with it all' posts. Not to mention, my sister, who lives in Kansas, just told me that she is hosting a Mexican food party this weekend & I am super-jealous so, that is how this dinner was born. Luckily, fajitas are one of the easiest - and most delicious - ways to use up a ton of produce (if you have zucchini, squash, or any other hearty produce, toss those in too!). The recipe below was used to feed two hungry folks. Enjoy!

Roasted Garlic Deviled Eggs

It's that time of year again: Deviled Egg Pageant! I know you've all been on the edge of your seat, waiting to see what I'd make for this year's competition. If you remember, last year I totally won for my dill & stone ground mustard deviled eggs. This year, I decided to move toward something a little different: roasted garlic deviled eggs.

I didn't win my entered category, but I did get an honorable mention for eggs "Just Like Grandma Used to Make." Now that's a compliment. This recipe uses a dozen eggs (so the yield is 24 deviled eggs), so be sure to adjust for the amount that you want to make.

Homemade Trade: Vegan Kimchi

Kimchi is a staple in Korean food, and is totally worth making yourself because you can control the flavor. Essentially, you just need cabbage and patience. I made this kimchi for the homemade trade club (last time I made coconut almond granola, remember?). This version is completely vegan, meaning, unlike a lot of Korean-imported kimchi, it doesn't use fish sauce. My recipe is based on this helpful recipe from Greatist, and makes 24 ounces of kimchi (I split it up into six 4-ounce containers). I look forward to eating this as a side dish or snack, as they do in Korea, or even in a grilled cheese, or a quesadilla, which sounds crazy/delicious. Enjoy!

Cinnamon French Toast

Reasons that I'm writing this post: (1) French toast is delicious. (2) I made some beautiful-looking French toast this weekend and took photos of it. (3) I wanted to post something this week and it looks like French toast is it.

So, you may not need a French toast recipe, but if you ever find yourself with amnesia, or teaching a toddler to cook (Is that the age that people let kids around a skillet? Just kidding -- kind of), then I got you covered. This recipe feeds two.

Leftovers Club: Overnight Oats

Overnight oats have become increasingly interesting to me. I decided to throw some together and send them off for my Leftovers Club post this month. You can essentially add anything to your overnight oats, but because I was sending it out, I couldn't put in any fruit (or anything that couldn't ship, for that matter). Not to fear: I made chocolate, coconut & almond overnight oats! This recipe makes one serving (and was inspired by this post).

Roasted Vegetable Salsa

I came into a large bounty of fresh vegetables this week, and started brainstorming all of the foods that I can make with them before they go bad. I settled on salsa because it's delicious, easy to share, and uses a ton of veggies! This recipe makes two jars' worth. Enjoy!

Baked Spaghetti Squash

I've made a couple spaghetti squash recipes before and, when I was given a fresh garden squash from a good friend this week, I almost made one of the ol' faithful recipes. I'm glad I decided to go rogue and try something new. This recipe was delicious, portioned, and easy to make. Oh, and spaghetti squash is much healthier to eat than spaghetti noodles! I got the idea for this recipe from a food blog called Cooking with my Kid; the only differences are that my recipe is meatless and I cooked it on my own (no kids here!). My recipe makes two servings.

Me vs Myself: A Mac & Cheese Competition

My awesome friend hosted a get-together at her house this weekend, where she hosted a rib competition and a mac & cheese competition. It was going to be my partner & me competing against each other for the mac & cheese competition, but I ended up making both of our recipes for the competition, so it was literally a win-win for me. I made two delectable recipes: a truffle cheddar mac and a beer & gruyere mac (yes, I did choose the ingredients based on the fact that they rhymed). The beer & gruyere won the competition, but I'll let you choose what you think is the tastiest! I hope you enjoy.

Leftovers Club: Gouda, Parsley & Sun-Dried Tomato Muffins

I was a bad blogger this month because I didn't post my Leftovers Club post in time. I did still make a delicious recipe and will still send it to my Leftovers partner (remember Ruthy from Omeletta? We were paired again!). These muffins are super-savory and best when they are warm with some butter. I got this recipe from Taste for Adventure, and it makes 12 muffins.

Sweet Summer Corn Un-Pudding

For the Fourth this year, I decided to make corn pudding (what's more American than corn, I ask you?). Of course, after I had already cooked it all the way, I realized that I forgot to add milk. So, it came out as more of a sweet corn quiche or something (I'm calling it 'un-pudding'). After tasting it, I decided to still bring it to the party I was headed to, and it was actually a hit. This one was adapted from a recipe over at NPR Food. This recipe makes one 8x8 pan.

Spinach, Mushroom & Cheese Crepes

I can't believe that I have been writing this blog for a year-and-a-half and have never blogged about crepes. First off, I LOVE CREPES. Like, I probably have an unnatural obsession with them. There was a time when I first moved into my own apartment that I ate Nutella crepes every morning. Coincidentally, I gained a lot of weight then, too. But that brings me to my second point: I've been making crepes long before I really knew how to cook much else. I guess it's because it's a pretty easy recipe and most (if not all) of the ingredients are things that people just happen to have in their cupboard at any given time. It's important to note that I am not a "fancy" crepe maker. I don't own a griddle or one of those crepe-smoother-outter things (which are apparently called 'batter trowels'), but don't worry -- they will turn out tasty with or without the extra equipment. This recipe makes one thicker crepe (which is what I made for myself) or two thin crepes.

Spinach, Scapes & 'Shroom Pizza on a Cauliflower Crust

The past two weeks I've received the following items in my CSA share: zucchini, cucumbers, spinach, arugula, garlic scapes, cauliflower, and radishes. I feel like I've been making pizza a lot lately, but they are a great way to showcase all of the new produce I've been getting! This pizza incorporates three of this week's items, pretty well, if I do say so myself. The pizza's base is a cauliflower crust (the first time I blogged about it was for a Kale & Pistachio Pizza). I hope you enjoy! This recipe makes a pizza the size of a 9" x 13" pan.

July: My Month of 'Eating In'

After reading an interesting series of articles on Food Riot, I became more and more enthralled with the idea of 'eating in' for an entire month. I do like to make my own food, but let's be honest -- I eat out a lot. My eating out has a lot to do with two things: convenience (hey, if I'm out & about all day, I'm not heading home for a meal) and the fact that I love (!) trying new foods. But, hey, I like a good challenge, at least I'm not doing it for an unreasonable amount of time (hey, lady in NYC that has been eating in for two years!), and I think it'd be great for my budget/my cooking skills to try this for an entire month.

I love eating as much as this little turtle does.

Homemade Trade: Coconut Almond Granola

I joined a group called Baltimore Homemade Trade, organized by the lovely Martine (who just guest-blogged this recipe for me). Each month a group of folks get together and trade homemade goods (check out the end of this post for a photo of all of the awesome things I left the event with!). For our inaugural month, I was debating between three or four recipes when I settled on this delicious coconut almond granola. I chose this for two reasons: I ran out of time to make some of the other things on my list, and I am obsessed with pairing almond & coconut flavors. This recipe makes 3 cups of granola and is based off this recipe from Kath Eats Real Food.

Strawberry Honey Ricotta Muffins

Remember the awesome guest blog that Martine (from Stuffed Grapes) recently shared? Well, I returned the favor. Go check out my recipe for Strawberry Honey Ricotta muffins over at her blog (and roam around while you're there -- she has a lot of great recipes).

Thank you, Martine, for hosting my guest post & I hope everyone enjoys it!

Garlic Scapes, Shiitake Mushroom & Goat Cheese Pizza

I have so many exciting things to share with you! First & foremost, I am now a shiitake mushroom farmer. My partner & I bought a mushroom-growing kit and last week, we harvested our first batch (about thirty mushrooms!). Keep an eye out because I am going to dedicate an entire post to this exciting venture. Second, my CSA with One Straw Farm began last weekend! Each Saturday, we meet them at one of the farmers' markets and pick our four produce items for the week. Not only that, but we have resolved to make a new recipe each week with something that we picked up. This week, we got strawberries, broccoli, radishes, and garlic scapes. In case you weren't already aware, GARLIC SCAPES ARE MAGIC. The pizza below incorporates the incredible garlic scape and our homemade mushrooms. I can't take any credit for this recipe; my partner whipped up this entire pizza. Trust me -- if you can get your hands on some scapes, be sure to make this!

Guest Post: Old Bay Cheese Crackers

This weekend, I want to welcome a good friend, Martine, as my guest blogger. She's an amazing (!) cook & is always trying something new in her kitchen. In fact, be sure to go check out her awesome vegetarian food blog. I am thrilled that she offered to guest blog for me (and keep an eye out because I'll be guest blogging something for her this month too!).
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Despite being born and raised in Maryland, I've never eaten crab. What can I say? I was a bit of a picky kid, and then I became a vegetarian fairly early in life. And you know, when I hear people gushing about crab season, I think I'm probably better off not knowing what I'm missing. As a way to cope, I've convinced myself that what everyone's actually excited about is just using the crabs as a vessel to consume hypertension-inducing quantities of Old Bay.

Like any Marylander, I'll pour Old Bay over my french fries and popcorn. I'll put it on anything involving eggs. I'll dump it in a bloody mary, and I even used it to infuse vodka for holiday gifts last year. I brought a can with me when I studied abroad in college because I couldn't bear the thought of five months without it.

And yet, non-Marylanders just don't seem to have the same fervor for my spice blend of choice. My main squeeze Andrew, who is from Ohio, claims that his mother has had the same dusty can in her kitchen cabinet for "probably like twenty years." How does that happen?

Old Bay and sharp cheddar is one of my favorite combinations, so it only made sense to add it to a zippy cheese cracker. I like to use the 30% less sodium version, but the regular will work -- you just will want to start at 1/2 a teaspoon and give your dough a taste test before adding more, because the cheese is very salty as well. This recipe is adapted from smitten kitchen's cheese straws.

Leftovers Club: Peanut Butter Bread

This month for Leftovers Club, I made peanut butter bread and it is magical! It tastes a little like a peanut butter cookie, but not as dessert-y (or, as my partner suggests, "It tastes like victory.") I suggest eating it warm and topped with butter, topped with jelly (your own PB&J!), topped with Nutella, topped with cinnamon apples, topped with vanilla ice cream or simply by itself. The possibilities! I got the recipe from Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice and it makes one loaf. My Leftovers Club partner (Dan from Platter Talk) will be very happy!

 

Baked Mozzarella Sticks

This recipe for baked mozzarella sticks is the best because baking is less messy than frying & makes eating cheese sticks (a little) more healthy. This recipe came from Skinny Taste and honestly, I was worried because there are lots of fail photos from people trying to recreate this recipe (the key is to make sure that they are frozen when you cook them). So, just follow the directions below & you'll be enjoying delicious mozzarella sticks in no time!

Liebster Questions

Last night, I was challenged by the lovely Kate over at Sunshine & the Bear to participate in an adorable blogging tradition called the Liebster award (liebster means 'dearest' in German). In doing so, you nominate five dearest bloggers to answer six questions of your choosing & pass the challenge on. It gets bloggers connected to each other, to their readers, and to age-old tradition (dating all the way back to the yesteryear of 2010). I'm totally flattered that Kate chose to challenge me, so make sure to stop over at her blog & check out her answers (& the blogs of the other four bloggers she chose!). I hope you enjoy reading my answers!

The face behind the blog

Avocado Summer Salad

This is a delicious, protein-rich meal that is easy to pack up for lunch at work, a party side dish, or a snack in the middle of the day. Serve by itself, with tortilla chips, or roll up into a flour tortilla as a taco or burrito.  Feel free to add cayenne pepper, or homemade taco spice into the mixture as well to make it a bit spicier. This recipe is my own, but it does remind me of Sweet Potato & Spice's Cowboy Caviar. (Also, a quick disclaimer: the light in my kitchen went out so the lighting makes the photos look different than what I normally shoot.)

Sweet & Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

A few weekends ago I went to the amazing Birroteca & ordered spicy roasted chickpeas for an appetizer. The entire table devoured them within minutes! They were spicy with a sugary, salty taste to them and we were all in love. I've been since looking for a similar recipe and I think I found it in The Lean Green Bean's blog. This recipe is really easy to make & doesn't cost very much at all. My rendition makes enough for about two to three people to finish in one sitting.

Leftovers Club: Chocolate Stout Brownies

Beer & brownies are two of my favorite things, but I know I probably shouldn't eat an entire batch of brownies (which is what will inevitably happen). Thank goodness for The Leftovers Club! This month, I'm paired with Ruthy of Omeletta (seriously, go look at her blog; everything looks delicious!). I hope she enjoys the rest of these fluffy, chocolatey hint-of-beer treats. This recipe is loosely based off of an amazing one from the Craft Beer blog and makes one pan on brownies.

Balsamic Strawberry Spinach Salad

This is a lovely salad that will get you in the mood for warmer weather. Not to mention, it's really easy to throw together, this recipe makes enough to share, and it's healthy. Enjoy!

Guest Post: Row House Gardening

My friend, Steve, has an awesome vegetable garden that he tends to every year and because he currently lives in a row home, I've become pretty interested in how he is so successful with it (I tried some of the veggies from last year & they were great!). He's taken the time to outline how he plants and tends to his garden throughout the warm months, and hopefully he will be back throughout the growing season to give us updates and tips!

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Spring! Finally a chance to get outside and enjoy some warmer weather. That’s actually how I got started with my garden a few years ago. Being a transplant from Texas, where there are essentially nine months of summer followed by three months of not-summer, by mid-March I’m getting antsy to get outside and do SOMETHING. While March is generally too early to plant annuals and vegetables in Maryland, I can at least get the indoor part started and get to work on my planting areas outside (…errr, not that that’s actually happened yet).

Like many in Baltimore, my wife and I live in a pretty standard-sized row house with a small backyard. My planting area basically consists of an 8’x 4’ raised planter (which was super easy and very inexpensive to build even without any carpentry skills), a 7’x 11’ in-ground planter and about a dozen large plastic tubs which I use for everything from lettuce to carrots and radishes. The tubs are 10 to 20 gallon containers and if you know a landscaper, you can probably get them for free, as they’re commonly discarded after the trees or large shrubs which they contain are discarded. You might even ask at Lowe’s, Home Depot or a local nursery if they have any extra. Help keep some plastic out of a landfill and grow a plant in it instead!