Jason

December 21, 2016 By Jason

Steakhouse Creamed Corn Recipe

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We partnered with Swiss Diamond® and Better than Bouillon® Bases to share some of their latest products including the Prestige Cast by Swiss Diamond.

Steakhouse Creamed Corn Recipe

As a serious steak eater (and chef as well), I consider myself really knowledgable about meat. I have worked at several steakhouses and now I enjoy steakhouses as a customer. Part of the true steakhouse experience is most definitely the sides that you choose with your particular cut of meat.

While I am a huge fan of potatoes, I always like to try some sort of vegetable. Creamed Corn happens to be one of my favorite all time sides. I really love it. My favorite steakhouse stopped making creamed corn and it was a sad day for foodies everywhere. Luckily the manager was nice enough to write the entire recipe down for me in a restaurant quantity.

Well I promptly lost that recipe which led me to research creamed corn online. I checked out a ton of websites and I must have read 50 recipes before I finally decided to just make my own. I knew what I liked. I know what my family likes. This Steakhouse Creamed Corn Recipe or some variation should seriously be in every steakhouse. It is rich and hearty with an amazing corn taste.

Steakhouse Creamed Corn Recipe

Ingredients

2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
2 1/4 cups half & half
2 tsp Louisiana Hot Sauce
1 tsp Better than Bouillon® Roasted Garlic Base
1 tsp Better than Bouillon® Roasted Chicken Base
1 Tbsp fresh chopped thyme
* black pepper to taste
1 Tbsp all purpose flour
8 ears corn, corn cut off the ears
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup grated Gruyere cheese

Directions

In an oven safe pot, melt the butter over a medium flame. Add the onion and pepper. Saute until the vegetables soften.
Add the half and half to the vegetable saute. Whisk in the Louisiana Hot Sauce, Better than Bouillon® Garlic and Chicken bases, fresh thyme, and flour. Simmer for 3-4 minutes.
Wisk in the cheese and mix until it is melted and incorporated. Fold in the corn and season with black pepper to taste.
Sprinkle a little grated Parmesan cheese over the top of the corn and then bake at 400 degrees for approximately 30 minutes.
Enjoy!

About Prestige Cast by Swiss Diamond

Prestige Cast by Swiss Diamond features careful design and manufacturing in a durable line of cast iron products that boast even heat distribution on the cook top and in the oven. Each lid features a moisture retention system where nodules on the underside of the lid collect moisture and then return it to the meal during the cooking process.

I was impressed with the quality of the Prestige Cast casserole. It has a well constructed feel and the enamel coat was flawless. Additionally, I found that the pot heated very evenly on both the stove top and in the oven. Swiss Diamond hit the nail on the head with the Prestige Cast cookware. They look great, and best of all perform great as well. I think you will love this durable cookware line.

Prestige Cast Features

Lids produce a “rainforest effect”
Machine Casting for consistency in shape and high quality results.
PFOA Free, PTFE Free, CA65 and LFGB Certified for Lead and Cadmium
Exceptional thermal conductivity from base to rim
Cast Stainless Knobs
Large handles for use with an oven mitt
High-quality enamel finish that prevents rust
High Chip Resistance•High thermal shock resistance
Cooktop to oven versatility

The Swiss Diamond Knife

Swiss Diamond also sent a chef knife from their Prestige line. Now I am picky about knives. I want quality steel. The knife should be balanced. The knife should feature a full tang. And finally, at the end of the day the knife must be comfortable in my hand.

The Swiss Diamond Prestige chef knife ticked every single one of my boxes. The knives are made from ice hardened German Steel and they feel fantastic in the hand. The build quality is superb. This is a solid, well made knife that has quickly become my go to blade in the kitchen.

Better Than Bouillon®

We were sent these Better Than Bouillon® blendable bases to incorporate into our recipes. They are made from meat, poultry, seafood and vegetables giving a richer, more robust flavor than ordinary bouillons. You also find:

No added MSG
low or no fat
lower sodium
1/3 less salt than ordinary bouillons

The Better Than Bouillon® blendable bases are the perfect compliment to the majority of my dinner time cooking, and I already plan to purchase more. I like these bases because they manage to be convenient while tasting great.

I use a base of some sort almost daily while cooking. It is a great way to add flavor to a dish. Whenever a recipe calls for water, I ask myself if it would be more appropriate to use a base to up the flavor. I would say that I end up adding a base to dishes better than half of the time. I use Better Than Bouillon® bases when doing this because they have a nice clean flavor and are not overly salty, which is important. An over salted dish is difficult to fix. I want my flavors in balance, which Better Than Bouillon® consistently delivers.

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December 7, 2016 By Jason

Lemon Curd Trifle Recipe

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Lemon Curd Trifle Recipe

If you like lemon or lemon curd, you’re in for a treat! This recipe layers lemon curd, whipped cream, and lemon curd pound cake (baked with lemon curd) for a sweet and sour dessert sure to satisfy any sweet tooth. Make your own whipped cream for a truly decadent dessert that will leave everyone asking for a second helping AND the recipe. We hope that you love our Lemon Curd Trifle Recipe.

To start, you have to use my wife’s amazing lemon curd recipe which makes the perfect base for many of the recipes she shares on her site. Lemon curd lovers will delight! This recipe took years of development and might just be the most perfect lemon curd recipe around. Ask anyone. Then make it for yourself and you will see.

Lemon Curd Trifle Recipe

Ingredients

1 cups heavy whipping cream
3/4 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons honey
1 lemon curd pound cake, cubed
3 cups lemon curd

Directions

In a mixing bowl, combine the heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, and honey. Beat with a mixer on high speed using the blender attachment until whipped cream forms, about five minutes. Set aside.
In a glass dish or individual glass dishes, layer the cubed pound cake, lemon curd, and whipped cream.
Serve immediately, or refrigerate up to one hour to make ahead.

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November 30, 2016 By Jason

Dark Chocolate Macadamia Nut and Raspberry Blondie Recipe

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Dark Chocolate Macadamia Nut and Raspberry Blondie Recipe

This fresh dish is a perfect way to boost your essential fatty acids, iron and use those delicious yet rarely used beet greens (that you’re already paying for)! We hope that you love our Dark Chocolate Macadamia Nut and Raspberry Blondie Recipe.

Dark Chocolate, Macadamia Nut and Raspberry Blondie

Ingredients

1 cup + 2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons white sugar
1 egg
1.5 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup macadamia nuts
½ cup large dark chocolate bits or chunks
1 small package fresh raspberries
¼ cup pure maple syrup

Directions

Preheat oven to 335 degrees.
Wash your raspberries and lay them out on a paper towel to dry, tops down to make sure they fully drain then set aside.
Cream sugar and butter together, add in eggs and vanilla. Sift and combine dry ingredients before slowly adding into wet mixture. You may add the chocolate and nuts in now or wait to top the bar half way through baking. When dough is formed press into your oven safe baking dish. With all of the butter in the dough, you do not need to grease the dish. You will want the raw dough to be about one inch thick and even across the dish.
When oven is ready, bake uncovered for about 20 minutes. Check dish, adding chocolate and nuts (if not already mixed in). Cover and bake another 10 to 15 minutes. The center will take longer to bake so check it every now and then with a tooth pick. You will really be able to smell the difference once it has cooked through. Please note baking times will vary wildly based on the dish the blondie is in. I used an oval baking dish with a lid that is about 3 inches deep, 4 inches across and 6 inches long.
Once out of the oven run a knife along the edge of the dish to ensure the two have slightly separated from one another. Let cool completely before removing from the dish. Top with dry raspberries and drizzle with pure maple syrup.

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November 23, 2016 By Jason

Pumpkin Pie Coffee Creamer Recipe

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Pumpkin Pie Coffee Creamer Recipe

With pumpkin-flavored sweets in high demand this time of year, it’s no surprise that many food companies offer a seasonal version of their product in pumpkin during the autumn and winter months. Pumpkin Spiced Latte, anyone? While many coffee creamer brands sell a pumpkin creamer, most are masked by coffee’s strong flavor. This Pumpkin Pie Coffee Creamer Recipe is a homemade version combines real pumpkin puree with cream and spices for a rich, pumpkin creamer!

When choosing a pumpkin puree, select pure pumpkin. Pumpkin pie filling is typically canned as a “ready to use” product in pumpkin pie, and is not ideal for this recipe.

Pumpkin Pie Coffee Creamer Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
coffee
ice

Directions

In a small pot, stir together the heavy cream, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin pie spice.
Over low heat, warm the mixture to “steep” all the ingredients. Be careful not to heat the ingredients too much.
Remove the liquid from the heat, add in the sweetened condensed milk, and stir to combine. Refrigerate to cool.
Combine the cooled creamer with coffee and ice and serve.

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November 16, 2016 By Jason

Miniature Pumpkin Pies

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Miniature Pumpkin Pies

Pumpkin may be the quintessential food and flavor for all Autumn recipes. Every year as the weather begins to cool and the leaves begin to change, pumpkins start popping up at farmers’ markets, grocery stores, and roadside stands, and flavored sweets begin to take on this seasonal, favorite flavor. We hope that you love these Miniature Pumpkin Pies as much as we do!

If pumpkin is the flavor that best represents the season, pumpkin pie stands out as the obvious hero of Autumn desserts. While tradition calls for the classic pumpkin pie with whipped cream, this dessert is often full of sugar; so much so, in fact, that we lose the real flavor of pumpkin to sweetness!

Miniature Pumpkin Pies

Yield: 4 pies

Ingredients

Dough/Crust:

1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick butter, cut into small cubes
2 tablespoons cold water

Filling

1 15-ounce can of pure pumpkin puree
2 eggs
14 ounces of sweetened, condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie seasoning

Whipped Cream

1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Combine the flour and salt in a bowl, then cut the butter into the dry mixture using a pastry cutter or fork.
Add in the cold water and form the dough (more water may be necessary depending on a number of factors such as humidity, age of flour, etc.).
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Remove dough from refrigerator and unwrap. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to approximately 1/4 inch thickness.
Gently press the dough into the wells of a cupcake pan, then trim away any excess.
In a separate bowl, combine all of the filling ingredients and mix well. Evenly divide the filling ingredients among the cupcake pan wells with the dough lining.
Bake at 350°F for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pies comes out clean. Allow the miniature pies to cool completely.
For the whipped cream, whip the heavy cream, vanilla and sugar vigorously until the desired stiffness of the cream is achieved. Serve over pumpkin pies. Will keep in refrigerator for 24 hours.

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November 9, 2016 By Jason

Cherry Thumbprint Cookies Recipe

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It’s cookie season, right? It seems that I make way more cookies in the fall and winter than I do for the rest of the year. We make them as gifts and give them away to friends. This Cherry Thumbprint Cookies Recipe is super simple to make and it always turns out the most delicious cookies.

You can also play around with flavorings and other fruits to add to this recipe. We have used strawberries, a berry mix, cinnamon apples and more to this recipe. The results were amazing. Make certain that the fruit has a good, strong taste so that the flavors do not get lost.

Cherry Thumbprint Cookies Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup softened Butter
1/2 cup Sugar
2 cup Flour
Cherry Pie Filling
1 cup Powdered Sugar
1-2 tsp Milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.
Cream together butter and sugar.
Mix in flour (dough will look crumbly).
Roll dough into round balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Make thumbprints in each dough ball and fill with your a cherry from the pie filling.
Bake for 15 mins until edges start to get lightly brown and cookie sets up.
Allow to cool on cookie sheet for 15 minutes.
Mix powdered sugar with milk to make a thick glaze.
Place in corner of zipper bag and clip corner to pipe.
Pipe perpendicular lines across cookie to decorate.

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November 2, 2016 By Jason

Copycat Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits Recipe

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Copycat Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits Recipe

As a southerner, you have to know that biscuits are an everyday staple here in Atlanta and pretty everywhere else that touches Southern ground. Biscuits are available everywhere and no recipe is more beloved to anyone out of the south than these Copycat Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits Recipe.

These biscuits are great for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Add bacon, egg and cheese for a new twist on an old breakfast fave. They go with pretty much any dinner or lunch recipe and can even be made into a savory, portable lunch sandwich.

Copycat Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits Recipe

Ingredients:

BISCUITS

2 1/2 cup Bisquick baking mix
4 tbsp cold Butter
1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated
3/4 cup cold Milk
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder

TOPPING

2 tbsp Butter, melted
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp Dried Parsley Flakes
pinch Salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400.
Combine Bisquick and cold butter. Leave larger pieces. There should be small chunks of butter pea sized.
Add cheddar, milk and 1/4 tsp garlic.
Mix by hand until combined, but don’t over mix.
Drop 9 equal portions onto greased cookie sheet.
Bake for 15-17 minutes or until tops are lightly browned.
Melt 2 tbsp butter in a bowl.
Stir in garlic powder and parsley flakes.
Spread garlic butter on top of biscuits.

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October 26, 2016 By Jason

Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe

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Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe

As the weather gets a little cooler, I start making soups. There is something so universally soul warming about a good bowl of soup, isn’t there? This Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe is one of the best we’ve tried and we keep getting requests to make this soup for friends.

I always make a double batch of this soup along with some homemade Irish Soda Bread. I freeze half in individual portions so they are in our freezer and available to everyone.

Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 chopped Onion
1/4 cup melted Butter
1/4 cup Flour
2 cup Half and Half
2 cup Chicken Stock
2 large bunches Broccoli
2 Carrots
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
8 oz shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Cut carrots into small strips.
Break apart broccoli florets into small pieces.
Saute Onion in 1 tbsp of melted butter until transparent.
Make a roux using remainder of melted butter and flour. Cook about 5 minutes over medium heat.
Add in half and half stirring constantly.
Add in chicken stock and simmer for 20 minutes.
Add vegetables and cook for 25 minutes over low heat.
If you want a smooth soup, at this point puree in a blender and return to heat or use immersion blender.
Add cheese and nutmeg.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

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October 19, 2016 By Jason

Glazed Strawberry Baked Donuts Recipe

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Mmmm…donuts. Donuts are something that make me so happy and I have a feeling that most people feel the exact same way. This Glazed Strawberry Baked Donuts Recipe turned out absolutely delicious and everyone that we have made them for has asked us for more. You know how much we love dessert and this recipe does not disappoint.

Glazed Strawberry Baked Donuts Recipe
(yields 12)

Ingredients:

Donut batter

2 cup Flour
3/4 cup Sugar
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Salt
3/4 cup Milk
1/4 tsp Lemon juice or White Vinegar
2 beaten Eggs
2 tbsp melted Butter
1 cup chopped Strawberries
2 tbsp Smucker’s Orchard’s Finest Strawberry Preserves

White Glaze

2 cup Powdered Sugar
3 tbsp Milk
1/4 tsp Vanilla

Pink Glaze

1 cup Powdered Sugar
1/2 tbsp Milk
1 tbsp Smucker’s Orchard’s Finest Strawberry Preserves
1/4 cup chopped Strawberries

Directions:

Add lemon juice to milk (buttermilk substitute).
Preheat oven to 42 and spray donut pan with non-stick spray.
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt in large bowl.
Add milk, eggs and butter. Stir just until well mixed. Fold in 1/2 cup strawberries.
Fill each ring about 2/3 but make sure it doesn’t top center hole.
Bake about 8 minutes, until tops rebound when pressed. Leave donuts in pan for about 5 minutes.
Remove from pan and set on cooling rack.
In a small bowl just big enough to dip donuts, combine glaze ingredients and stir until smooth.
Dip top of donut in glaze. Hold above bowl allowing excess to drip off.
Place donut on wax paper or return to cooling rack. Wait for glaze to set.
In another bowl, combine 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 tablespoon milk and strawberry preserves and mix well.
Gently spoon red glaze over white glaze.

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October 12, 2016 By Jason

Pork Dry Rub Recipe with Printable Labels

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Pork Dry Rub Recipe

As meat eaters, we love nothing more than a good dry rub for our favorite meats and this is something that we tend to make a lot. We love grilling meats and trying new spices. I love to experiment with different flavors and spices while really trying to pull out the flavors of the meat. We hope that you enjoy our Pork Dry Rub Recipe.

However, it is important to note that all spices and all meats are most definitely not created equal. Creating the perfect dry rub to season your meat is always a process or trial and error. It is important to take not only your own tastes into account but to also consider what spices will really bring out the flavor of the meat.

We made this dry rub with every day meat eaters in mind. Really it is a dry rub recipe that everyone will love. While the spices are simple, they are spices that will add flavor to whatever pork you are cooking and they are spices that most people are familiar with so these flavors are not new to anyone. In addition, this is great to make as a gift for that barbecue lover. Print out our handy labels and affix it to your spice jar (we suggest one with a screw lid) then add it to a gift basket with grilling tools or to a gift certificate for your favorite meat place and you have the ultimate meat lovers gift.