Thick, rich, sweet and salty—it’s everything you’ll find in a teriyaki sauce. But it may not be the syrupy bottled sauce you’re used to. I’m using a traditional Japanese recipe for the sauce used to baste some type of meat, like chicken, as it is cooked over high heat to create a succulent, flavorful dish. This sauce, whether you use it for basting or as a sauce for a rice bowl, only uses four ingredients and requires very little prep, but produces a rich, deeply flavorful sauce full of both bright and salty notes. It’s really unlike anything you’ve tried from a bottle!…
Simple Weeknight Pasta
Sometimes you just need a big bowl of pasta, am I right? I know I do. Whether it’s regular pasta, whole wheat pasta, gluten-free pasta, Paleo pasta—there’s something about a big bowl of noodles in front of you that makes the evening more comforting (and more delicious). This simple weeknight pasta is full of layers of flavor from fresh and dry herbs, really good Parmesan cheese, garlic, good olive oil, and salt and pepper—that’s it! It’s done in under 20 minutes, and you can use it as a base for any type of protein (or not) and even additional vegetables. It’s also perfect with a simple side salad, like the winter citrus salad from a few posts back, and maybe some wine and either a good movie or TV show while you cuddle under a blanket or maybe put some candles on the table. Warm, comforting and delicious—this recipe for simple weeknight pasta is perfect for unwinding from a busy day!…
Warm Summer Berry Compote
This summer on the blog is, apparently, all about berries. I made a berry compote to top a sweet cornbread for Fourth of July a few weeks ago and let me tell you, it was a miracle any of it made it to the top of the cornbread. It took a lot of self-control not to eat the entire pot with a spoon. It’s like eating the filling of a berry pie, which is really my favorite part.
This compote is also super, super simple to make. I know, I always say that. But, really, all you do it pour whole berries into a pot, squeeze honey over them, turn on the heat and let them simmer down to sweet, sweet goodness. It’s sweet and slightly tart and bursting with berry flavor.
So good!
You can use this berry compote:
- In pie
- In a hand pie or turnover
- Spooned over ice cream
- Mixed into a milkshake or smoothie
- Frozen in a homemade Popsicle
- Over grilled angel food cake or pound cake
And, really, this compote is just as good on its own, served warm in a bowl with just a spoon.
And although I’m making this with fresh summer berries, frozen berries are also a perfectly good option! (You can get more information on choosing summer berries at the store in last week’s blog, by the way.) Also, I’m adding a few ideas for add-ins that aren’t needed, but add some extra layers of flavor.
- 2 cups of fresh or frozen mixed berries (like blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, and cherries)
- 3 Tbsp. honey
- 1 tsp. cinnamon (optional)
- ½ tsp. vanilla (optional)
- 1 tsp. lemon zest (optional)
- Pour the berries in to a heavy-bottomed pan and squeeze 3 tablespoons of honey over top. Stir to combine.
- Turn the heat to medium-low and let the berries simmer, stirring frequently, for about twenty minutes, or until the berries are melting and the liquid is reduced and thickened. Don’t let it go too long or you will burn the berries.
- Serve.
Tada! That’s it. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. I think I’ll go make some more, actually.
‘Till next time! (Sneak peek: next week I’ll be posting a recipe for you to serve these berries over…)
Cheese-Filled Mini Crescent Dogs
Next week is March Madness, and it’s always an event in our house. We go to my husband’s friend’s house and watch basketball, eat, laugh, and play Cornhole. It’s a lot of fun and my husband and his friends have been doing it for years.
Everyone also brings food, and this year my husband came up with a great idea—to bring mini crescent dogs filled with cheese! It has everyone’s favorite game foods all in one: cheese, hot dogs, and a doughy outside. What’s best beside the taste? Like most of my recipes, they’re really quick and easy to make.
And on Monday, I’ll be posting two sweet-and-savory dipping sauces to go with these crescent dogs!
Quick-and-Easy Game-Time Recipe
In all honesty, we were originally going to make our own pretzel dough to make pretzel dogs, but, like most people, we’re busy. We both work, we’ve have packed weekends, and there just isn’t enough time. So I’m taking a short-cut for this recipe and using ready-made crescent roll dough. Someday I promise I’ll publish a pretzel dog recipe, but for now, this recipe is perfect when you want party food fast!
A note: For the cheese, I used sticks of cheddar versus a block. It was a lot easier to cut them that way. I cut them in half horizontally, then in half again vertically, then cut those in half vertically, then in half vertically again, and finally one more cut in half horizontally so I ended up with small pieces of cheddar, like so:
I did a bit of experimenting and, even though the difference was small, small pieces like these made for easier stuffing and rolling.
- 1 can of pre-made crescent dough
- 1 package of hot dogs
- 4 to 5 sticks of cheddar, or a block of cheddar (I just found sticks to be easier)
- Preheat oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with either parchment paper or foil.
- Cut each hot dog in half, then cut through each half length-wise but do not cut all the way through. You’re trying to make a small pouch for the cheese.
- Cut the cheese sticks in half horizontally, then cut each half vertically, then vertically again, and vertically one more time, and finally horizontally, until I had small pieces of cheese.
- Stuff each cut hotdog half with two small pieces of cheese.
- Take out the pre-made crescent dough, separate the triangles and cut each triangle in half length-wise (you want two triangles).
- Stretch the crescent dough slightly, then wrap each cheese-stuffed hotdog half with a triangle, covering the open side with the longest end of the triangle.
- Place each wrapped hot dog on the baking sheet and put into the oven for about 15 minutes, or until the dough is lightly browned and the cheese is melted.
- Let cool for five minutes and serve!
And that’s it! These cheese-filled mini crescent dogs are not only perfect for game-time, but they’re perfect for party trays and fun treats for the littles in your family.
And don’t forget to check back on Monday for the dipping sauces!
‘Till next time!