Author: Hannah

Peanut-Butter Date Bites

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I am never never NEVER one to support recipe trends where people say, “WOW THESE ZUCCHINI CHIPS TASTE JUST LIKE POTATO CHIPS”. No, they don’t, and they never will. Stop lying to yourself and just eat a potato chip. But anyways, I have seen around the inter-webs people creating mini-desserts with dates, so I decided to make my own little creation. I am not going to agree with those people that these dates taste just like Snickers, because they don’t, but they are damn good. They are the perfect bite for when you want a little something sweet after dinner.

Ingredients

  • Peanut Butter
  • Dates, pitted and split on the side
  • 1/2 Cup Chocolate chips
  • 1/3 Cup Half & Half, or Milk, use what you have and use more if needed
  • Chopped Almonds or Walnuts
  • Flaky Sea Salt

Let’s Get Cooking

If your dates aren’t pitted, be sure to do that now. Prep a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Cut a slit on one side of all the dates.

Using a spoon, place a small amount of peanut butter into the date, making sure it is enough that the date can still slightly close.
Once all the dates are stuffed, melt the chocolate + half and half in a microwave-safe bowl at 30-second increments until combined. Coat the stuffed dates into the chocolate, it’s going to be messy, but it’s okay.

Place onto the parchment paper, and top with the chopped walnuts/almonds and sea salt.

Place in the freezer for 12 hours.

ENJOY! It’s hard to eat just one

Made with Love,

Hannah

Winter Minestrone

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Another day another soup. Perfect for a cozy winter weeknight, this Minestrone from the Barefoot Contessa takes advantage of all the winter veggies, making you feel as though you are getting your daily intake. Ina recommends that you serve the soup with garlic bread and extra parm.

Ingredients

  • Olive Oil
  • 4 oz Pancetta, 1/2 in diced, [I also used bacon]
  • 1 1/2 Cup Chopped Yellow Onions
  • 2 Cups 1/2 in Diced Carrots, 3 carrots
  • 2 Cups 1/2in Diced Celery, 3 Stalks
  • 2 1/2 Cups Butternut Squash, diced and peeled
  • 1 1/2 TBSP Mince Garlic, 4 cloves
  • 2 TSP Chopped Fresh Thyme
  • 26 oz Canned/Boxed Chopped Tomatoes
  • 6-8 Cups Chicken Stock
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • Salt + Pepper
  • 1 15oz can Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 Cups Cooked Small Pasta
  • 8-10oz Fresh Baby Spinach
  • 1/2 Cup Dry White Wine
  • 2 TBSP Pesto

Let’s Get Cookin

Heat 2 TBSP olive oil over MED heat in a large dutch oven.

Add in the pancetta and cook over MED-LOW heat, for about 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the onions + carrots + celery + squash + garlic + thyme and cook over MED heat, cooking until the vegetables begin to soften.

Add in the tomatoes + chicken stock + bay leaf + 1 TBSP Salt + 1-1/2 TSP Pepper. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat and simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf and add in the beans + cooked pasta and stir well to combine.

Add in the spinach + white wine + pesto. Take a taste test and add more salt if needed.

Serve with extra parm cheese & a drizzle of olive oil.

Made with Love,

Hannah

Spicy Salmon Airfryer Bowls

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As we can tell from the recipes on this blog I love rice. It is just as universal as a potato; it can be breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Due to being in the interrum before the new year, grocery shopping is really one of the last things I want to do. In my house, I never fail to have rice and some sort of vegetable on hand. That is where these rice bowls really come in handy. Past-Hannah picked up a salmon filet at ALDI [she was thinking ahead] so I decided these spicy salmon airfryer bowls would be the perfect week-night meal. Being that it is only me, it also makes the perfect work-day lunch.

Ingredients

  • 1 Salmon Filet
  • 1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
  • 1 TBSP Honey, I used Hot Honey, but use whatever you have
  • 3 TSP Sriracha
  • 1 TBSP Rice Wine Vinegar
  • 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
  • 1 TSP Grated Ginger
  • Cooked Rice
  • Cleveland Kitchen Kimchi, or your favorite
  • 1/2 Cucumber, sliced
  • 1/2 Avocado, sliced
  • 1 TBSP Cream Cheese, cubed
  • Fly by Jing Chili Crisps, possibly my new favorite thing
  • Any additional toppings: Nori, Egg, Sriracha

Let’s Get Cookin

Start with a small bowl and combine soy sauce + honey + sriracha + rice wine vinegar + garlic + ginger and mix well. Place salmon in the bowl skin side up. Let marinate for at least an hour. Once done, remove from the bowl and pat dry. Cut the salmon into bite-sized pieces.

Preheat the air fryer to 350F. Either line with parchment paper or add a little olive oil to prevent sticking. Cook in batches if you need to, frying for about 8 minutes.

While the salmon cooks prep your toppings.

Once the salmon is done, build your bowl!

Staring with rice + a little extra soy sauce and sriracha + cucumber + avocado + salmon + kimchi + cream cheese + Sichuan chili crisps [my new obsession, they aren’t wrong when they say you can put it on everything].

Made with Love,

Hannah

Cooking w/ Friends: Kate’s Cinnamon Swirl Zucchini Bread

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Cinnamon is one of my favorite spices in the kitchen. It makes you feel all warm and cozy inside. Though I prefer cooking with friends to be a recipe we made together in the kitchen; I was alongside the baking of this bread via Snapchat. Kate shared this cinnamon swirl zucchini bread with me this past weekend from Shugary Sweets which features a lovely drizzle overtop. Kate mentioned that it is perfect for using up the zucchini in the fridge before it goes bad. She also provided some baking tips, like cutting down the baking time to 50 min. I am grateful for Kate to allow me to use her recipe while I am trying to get back to the real world following my trip.

Ingredients:

For the Bread:

  • 4 Cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 Cups Sugar
  • 2 TSP Baking Powder
  • 1 TSP Baking Soda
  • 1 TSP Salt
  • 2 Cups Shredded Zucchini
  • 2/3 Cup Unsalted Butter, unsalted
  • 1 TBSP Cinnamon
  • 1/2 Cup Milk
  • 4 Large Eggs

Cinnamon Swirl:

  • 1 Cup All Purpose Flour
  • 1 Cup Light Brown Sugar, packed
  • 1 Cup Unsalted Butter, melted
  • 1 TBSP Cinnamon

Glaze:

  • 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
  • 2 TBSP Milk
  • 1 TSP Cinnamon

Let’s Get Bakin’

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Prep two 9in loaf pans with parchment or spray, or just hope for the best.

In a large bowl combine all the ingredients for the bread, stirring until combined well.

In a seperate bowl, combine the cinnamon swirl ingredients until mixed well.

Pour half the bread batter into the pans, then add on top half of the cinnamon swirl batter. With a knife or tooth-pick, gently swirl together the two batters. Repeat this again, swirling the batters together.

While the breads are baking, whisk together the glaze ingredients.

Bake for 50 minutes and let cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan.

Once cool, drizzle the glaze over the bread.

Made with Love,

Hannah

Spicy Tuna Dip

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This spicy tuna tip is perfect for a holiday appetizer. The tuna is from Wild planet foods which you can find at Walmart, the tuna is caught sustainably and the product is quality! Check out the reel from my Instagram, @ahangryhannah for the how-to on an already simple recipe! Serve with crackers or chips.

Ingredients

  • 1 Clove of Garlic, minced
  • 1 Package of Cream Cheese, room temp.
  • 1 Can Wild planet foods Albacore Tuna, no need to drain!
  • 1/4 Cup Sour Cream
  • 3 TBSP Old Bay
  • Juice of 1 Lemon
  • Salt + Pepper
  • Squeeze of Sriracha
  • Parsley to Garnish

Let’s Get Cookin’

Combine the cream cheese + tuna + sour cream + old bay and mix well.

Squeeze in the lemon, add in the salt + pepper + sriracha, and mix well again making sure there are no clumps from the cream cheese.

Feel free to add in a little extra old bay and sriracha as needed.

Garnish with parsley and enjoy!

Made with Love,

Hannah

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

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Recently, one of my coworkers asked when I would be bringing in dessert again. I love bringing in my baking creations to share with my teammates and so since it was requested I thought it would be prime time to make something that screams “AUTUMN”. What stood out to me the most from this recipe from Eating Well was the gingersnap crust. I love gingersnaps and I was so excited to try it out rather than the boring and bland graham cracker crust. I have to say this is going to now be my go-to crust, and maybe even my new Thanksgiving pie!

Ingredients

  • 8oz Gingersnap Cookies
  • 1/4 TSP Salt, divided
  • 3 TBSP Melted Butter
  • 3 8oz Packages Reduced-Fat Cream Cheese, softened
  • 1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar
  • 4 Eggs
  • 15 oz Unseasoned Pumpkin Puree
  • 1 TBSP Vanilla Extract
  • 2 TSP Pumpkin Pie Spice (Nutmeg, Ginger, Cinnamon)

Let’s Get Bakin’

Preheat the oven to 325F

Coat a 9in springform pan with butter. Tightly wrap the outside of the pan with foil, making sure to cover the bottom and sides.

Grab a small sauce pan and fill with water, bring to a boil.

In a food processor or blender, pulse the gingersnap cookies and 1/8 TSP of salt. Once finely ground, drizzle in the butter and scrape down the sides as needed. Make sure all the crumbs are all softened. Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan and about 1/2in up the sides. Place in the freezer.

Clean the food processor/blender and then combine the cream cheese + sugar + eggs + 1/8 TSP Salt and blend well until smooth. Remove 1/4 cup of the batter and reserve. Add in the pumpkin + vanilla + pie spices to the remaining mixture and process until smooth.

Pour the pumpkin batter into the chilled crust. Drizzle the reserved batter over the top and run a knife through the batters to swirl together.

Place the pan in a roasting pan [I used a baking sheet]. Pour in the boiling water to come up about 1in up the sides of the springform pan.

Bake the cheesebake until set around the edges but the center is slightly wiggly, about 1hr 30 min.

Remove from the oven and let the cheesecake cool in the wter bath for about 1hr.

Remove from the water bath and remove the foil, refridgerate for atleast 3 hours before serving.

Serve with whip cream if you desire & enjoy!

Made with Love,

Hannah

Potato Leek Soup

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It’s November, which means it’s time for hearty, soul-warming meals. This soup from Alison Roman gives you everything you need in a soup, the texture from the potatoes, the grassiness from the dill, and the creaminess from the sour cream, it’s perfect. I love the extra vinegar-iness as the finish for a little something special on the palate.

Ingredients

  • 2 TBSP Olive Oil or Unsalted Butter
  • 2 LBS Waxy Potatoes, fingerlings, sliced about 1/2″ thick
  • 2 Leeks (the whole thing) chopped and rinsed well
  • Salt + pepper
  • 6 Cups Vegetable Broth
  • 1 Large Bunch of leafy greens, [kale, swiss chard, spinach] stems removed and torn into bite-sized pieces
  • 1/4 Cup Sour Cream + more for serving
  • 1 TSP White Wine Vinegar
  • 4 Scallions, thinly sliced
  • 1 Cup Dill, coarsely chopped

Let’s Get Cooking

Before getting started be sure to really WASH the leeks, a lot of sediment gets caught in the leaves and you want to make sure to get it all clean. Let the leeks sit in a bowl of water, while you are prepping the rest of the ingredients.

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy bottom pot over MED-HIGH heat. Add in the potatoes + leeks + salt + pepper.

Stir occasionally until the leeks are bright green and have started to break down about 5-8 minutes. Add in water + bouillion/broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the potatoes have started to fall apart and the broth has reduced, about 30-40 minutes. Smoosh a few of the potatoes with a wooden spoon [or whatever] to thicken the soup a little more.

Add in your greens and stir them into the soup, wait about 3-5 minutes and allow them to wilt. Add in the sour cream + vinegar and let simmer for another minute. Season with more salt + pepper + more vinegar if you’d like!

Serve the soup in bowls and top with more sour cream + LOADS OF DILL + more black pepper. I also liked another dash of vinegar.

Serve with some crispy crunchy bread, optimal for dipping!

Made with Love,

Hannah

Crispy Fried Chicken

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Next to cheese fries and a few other amazing things, fried chicken is up there in my top 5 favorite foods. There is nothing better than that perfect crispy breading, and juicy meat, and you can’t forget all the delicious sides that go along. I found this Hot Honey at ALDI and I knew I had to have it with some fried chicken. I learned a life-changing trick from Meg’s Everyday Indulgence that makes sure the breading stays on the chicken while frying. I make this after pickle brining the chicken for 24 hours. You can always omit that or marinade with buttermilk. Serve this fried chicken up with your favorite sides, like mac & cheese, french fries, or a side salad.

Ingredients

  • 16 oz Pickle juice
  • 1 Cup Water
  • 2 Smashed Garlic for Brine
  • 1 LB Chicken cut of choice, I used drumsticks, can use thighs or breast
  • 3 Large Eggs
  • 1/3 Cup Water
  • 1 Cup Hot Sauce
  • 4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 TSP Salt
  • 2 TSP Pepper
  • 2 TSP Paprika
  • 1 TSBP Cayenne Pepper
  • Berryhill Hot Honey [can buy at ALDI]
  • Peanut or Vegetable Oil for fryer

Let’s Get Cooking

In a large bowl, place the pickle juice + garlic + 1 cup of water and add in the chicken. Cover with foil and place in the fridge to rest for 24 hours. Drain chicken from brine and pat dry when ready to use.

In a bowl, whisk together the eggs + water + hot sauce and set aside.

On a large plate, whisk together flour + salt + pepper + paprika + cayenne.

Dredge the chicken in the flour, then egg wash, then flour again and place the chicken on the wire rack or baking pan and let rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. Meg ensures that this allows the breading to stick to the chicken and she is absolutely right!

Heat the frying oil to 350F and work in batches frying the chicken for about 15-18 minutes or until cooked through.

Drizzle over with hot honey when warm and enjoy.

Made with Love,

Hannah

Fall Tortellini Skillet

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When I make lunches for the week I love a dish that can be thrown together in one pan and be done. This recipe from Julia’s Album features roasted fall vegetables and chicken that makes for a perfect one-pan meal. I changed up the spices a little on the butternut squash, taking inspiration from my dad’s “Crack” Roasted Butternut Squash. Just because it’s your lunch for work doesn’t mean it has to lack flavor. For one person, this makes more than enough for 5 days.

Ingredients

  • 3 Cups Butternut Squash, peeled, seeded, cubed
  • Olive Oil
  • 1 TBSP Chili Powder
  • 1 TBSP Nutmeg
  • 1 TBSP Cinnamon
  • 1 TBSP Ginger
  • Honey
  • Salt + Pepper
  • 12 oz Brussel Sprouts [I used frozen Brussel sprouts, you can roast them off if you’d like]
  • 9 oz Cheese Tortellini
  • 1 lb Chicken Breast, cubed
  • 1 TSP Smoked Paprika
  • 2 TBSP Olive Oil
  • 3 TBSP Butter
  • 5 Garlic Cloves, minced
  • Fresh Thyme

Let’s Get Cooking

Start with preheating the oven to 400F.

In a large bowl toss together the butternut squash + 1 TBSP Olive Oil + Chili Powder + Nutmeg + Cinnamon + Ginger + Salt + Pepper + drizzle with honey. Once coated well, spread on a lined baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes.

You can roast off the brussels sprouts, cut the ends off and in half, with olive oil and salt and pepper for 20-30 minutes in the 400F preheated oven with the squash. I used frozen brussels sprouts in the microwave to save some time.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the tortellini per package instructions. Drain and set aside.

In a skillet, add the 2 TBSP of olive oil. Add in the chicken breast when the oil heats. Season the chicken with paprika + salt + pepper. Cook the chicken through and remove from the pan when done.

To the same skillet add butter + 1 TBSP Olive oil + garlic, and cook until garlic softens. Add in the cooked tortellini and coat with butter. Add in the roasted vegetables + chicken and mix until everything is well distributed.

Top with fresh thyme and enjoy.

Made with love,

Hannah

Cooking with Friends: Claire/Alison Roman’s Pantry Pasta

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I came to see Harry Styles for his first night in Chicago on Thursday, as I landed, I learned that it was postponed until Monday. After my emotional breakdown at the airport and I changed my whole life around, I decided to stay until Monday to see my man. Thanks to the generosity of my friend Claire, I stayed with her all week and she introduced me to Alison Roman. Not sure if I was living under a rock, but I am so happy to learn about her because she has some beautiful recipes. We decided to make Alison’s Pantry Pasta, with a Claire flare. I am considering this as the first post in an upcoming series on the blog; “Cooking with Friends”. These posts will showcase awesome recipes brought to me by my friends! First up we have this amazing pasta recipe that truly does utilize whatever we have in the kitchen.

Ingredients

  • 4-6 Garlic Cloves
  • 1 Lemon, Halved
  • 1/3 Cup Olive Oil
  • 1 TBSP Olive Oil + 1 TBSP Chili Oil [or just 2 TBSP Olive Oil]
  • 2 Large Shallots or 1 Medium Onion, finely chopped
  • 1 2oz Tin Anchovies [we didn’t have]
  • 2 TBSP Capers, finely chopped
  • Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
  • 12 oz of whatever Pasta you have
  • 1 Cup Herbs, Oregano, Parsley, Chives, finely chopped
  • 1 Cup Pasta Water
  • Parmesan or Pecorino for serving

Let’s Get Cooking

Grab a large pot of water and boil, season it heavily with salt

Finely chop one garlic clove and place it in a small bowl. Thinly slice the remaining garlic.

Chop the lemon in half and squeeze half into the small bowl with the chopped garlic, season with salt and set aside.

Heat the 1/3 cup olive oil in a large skillet over MED heat. Add in the shallots and thinly sliced garlic, and season with salt & pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until lightly browned at the edges. Add in the chopped capers + crushed red pepper + anchovies [if you have], stirring to encourage everything to melt into the oil. Set aside.

Cook the pasta until just al dente. Using tongs, transfer the pasta into the skillet along with about 1 cup of pasta water. Cook the pasta, stirring often until the sauce has thickened. Add in the herbs [whatever you have] + lemon and garlic + an additional squeeze of lemon juice.

Sprinkle over some parm & enjoy!

Made with Love,

Hannah