Child of the Wild Blue Yonder: recipe

Earthy Spinach "Pesto" with a bonus Recipe Download

delicious 1:02 PM

Josh and I almost always have some sort of leafy green in the fridge. I like them for salads, dinner dishes, and even smoothies. This time around we had a bunch of spinach.

Driving home from Nashville, I noticed a handful of billboards announcing how much the average American wastes (this wasn't the first time I had noticed this...) and I'm really trying to commit to using everything that we buy. So, the spinach being a couple days old, was ready for new life in this super tasty, earthy, and lightly bitter "pesto."

Pesto is so easy to make, and pairing it with dishes seems almost endless.

(and wine... pair it with wine...)

What You'll Need:

-1 or 2 Large Cloves of Garlic

-1 Heaping Cup Spinach

-1/4 Cup Walnuts, chopped and roasted

-2 1/2 Tbsp Parmesan

-3 1/2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1. Heat the oven to 400º F. Roast the chopped walnuts until fragrant. This doesn't take much time at all, 5 minutes at most.

2. In a food processor, or blender, add the olive oil, spinach, garlic, parmesan, and once the walnuts have cooled, the walnuts! Blend until a paste has formed.

Toss this in pasta, top off meat with it, maybe use it in place of sauce on a pizza or a flatbread? Whatever you choose, enjoy! :)

Bonus: Click Here!

PDF download: Mediterranean Lemon Chicken

This download is an index card sized recipe card download for the lemon Chicken that Josh

and I enjoyed with our Spinach Pesto!

Pesto is made with simple ingredients, but it creates a variety of flavors that'll satisfy your tastes buds without a doubt!

We paired our spinach "pesto" with lemon chicken, and roasted potatoes. I had actually bought asparagus to go with this meal specifically, and somehow completely forgot to make it! :( However, I was still satisfied with the meal.

Don't forget to download our free recipe card! It's a pdf download, and it'll fit perfectly onto an index card! Not to mention, that lemon chicken was amazing with the Spinach "Pesto!"

Tell us what you think - or comment below what you'd pair it with?

As always, enjoy!!

White Wine & Mushroom Cream Sauce

cream sauce 9:54 AM

This is a sauce that you're going to want to put on everything; from pasta, to chicken, pork, or even mashed potatoes. It's very versatile, and so good you're not going to want to put down the tasting spoon. Although this sauce is a fairly basic cream sauce, it really takes on a lot of delicious flavor from the wine, and mushrooms. It's worth a taste.

Josh and I just recently drove up to Chicago to celebrate my aunt and uncle's Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary. A three course meal was included, and of course, the delicious dinner was very inspiring. I've got to say, I think food might be the language of love for some couples. My Ciocia (aunt) made an entire table of sweets to feed the guests; it's no wonder they've had 50 years of happiness together.

I love food, and I like to express my love for others with food. I'm very lucky that Josh and I have this mutual adoration for all things tasty - he's the best collaborator I could ever ask for.

What You'll Need:

-2 Cups Baby Bella Mushrooms, sliced

-1 Large Clove Garlic, minced

-1/4 Cup White Onion, diced

-3 Tbsp Butter (split)

-A Pinch of Salt and Pepper

-1 Cup Heavy Cream

-1 Cup Chardonnay (or your favorite white wine)

-2 Tbsp All Purpose Flour

-1 tsp Fresh Parsley, minced

-1 tsp Fresh Basil, chiffonade for garnish

1. Heat 1 Tbsp butter in a medium sized frying pan over medium high heat, add garlic stirring constantly until it is fragrant. Add the onion, stir occasionally for about 3 minutes, and add mushroom, and 1/2 Cup wine and season with salt and pepper. Allow to simmer.

2. While simmering, grab a sauce pan and melt 2 Tbsp Butter, adding Flour and whisking consistently until a paste forms. Add in the heavy cream, the rest of the wine, parsley, salt and pepper, and the mushroom mixture along with all the liquids. Stir everything together and bring to boil, continuing to stir until it sets at the desired consistency.

3. Use sauce on your favorite dishes, top with fresh basil for an additional delicious flavor. :)

Very basic ingredients treated properly will create beautiful, tasty flavors. :)

Enjoy!

Tangy Asian BBQ Sandwich

asian barbecue 1:09 PM

A little bit crunchy, nice and saucy, and absolutely delicious. This tangy vinegary sauce will leave you wanting more than just one sandwich. Pulled chicken smothered in an Asian BBQ sauce, with a vinegar based slaw on top is the right way to eat this BBQ sandwich.
The other night, I was scrambling trying to figure out what to make for dinner. I had the last bit of a ketchup bottle sitting in my fridge and realized that a barbecue sauce was the perfect way to use the rest of it up. Luckily it was pretty quick and easy to whip up before Josh got off work so he came home to a tasty treat.

What You'll Need:

For the Slaw:

- 1 Cup Coleslaw mix

-1 tsp Rice Vinegar

-1/4 tsp Fresh Ginger, grated

-1/4 tsp Sesame Seeds

-Pinch Garlic Powder

-1 tsp Soy Sauce

-Splash of Chili Sesame Oil

-Pinch of Salt and Pepper

For Chicken:

-1 Large Boneless Chicken Breast

-Salt and Pepper, to taste

-1 tsp Chili Sesame Oil

Barbecue Sauce:

-1 Large Clove Garlic, minced

-2 tsp Cilantro, minced

-1/2 tsp Fresh Ginger, grated

-1 tsp Chili Sesame Oil

-1/4 Cup Rice Vinegar

-1/2 tsp Sambal Oelek

-2 tsp Hoisin Sauce

-1 tsp Soy Sauce

-1 Tbsp Honey

-1/2 Cup Ketchup

-1/2 Lime, juiced

-1 Green Onion, sliced

-1/4 tsp Pepper

Recipe makes 2 or 3 sandwiches

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350º F. Mix together the vinegar, oil, soy sauce, and all the spices for the slaw. Add the mix to the cole slaw, and stir together until everything is coated. Cover the bowl with saran wrap, and put in the fridge for use later.

2. Heat 1 tsp of sesame oil in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Add in the garlic, stirring until fragrant.

3. Add the ketchup, vinegar, honey, lime juice, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, Sambal Oelek, as well as the cilantro, ginger, and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to simmer for 5 minutes. Add in the green onion, and stir in. Allow to simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

4. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tsp sesame oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, cook till charred, about 5 minutes on each side.

5. Transfer the chicken into a small high walled baking dish. Slice into the chicken three times, about a 1/2 inch into the meat, and cover the chicken with the barbecue sauce. Place the chicken in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes.

6. Make sure the chicken is fully cooked, at least 165º F. Pull the chicken and mix it with the barbecue sauce, ensuring that it is totally coated.

7. Using a bun of your choice, we used a ciabatta roll, assemble the sandwich with chicken, and a heaping amount of coleslaw. Enjoy!

Banana Split French Toast

breakfast 9:45 PM

Hello, everyone! We're back!

Sorry for being MIA for so long- with the holidays we just found to be too busy to make room for posting. However, we are back, and more inspired than ever after having a little bit of time to relax and refresh.

It's very rare that I crave something sweet; I'm totally a savory-loving kind of girl, and Josh is my opposite, he has a zealous sweet tooth. This time around, I was really craving something sweet. It was time for dinner and I'm a firm believer that "breakfast for dinner" may be one of man kinds' greatest innovations. That's when this meal came to be: Banana Split French Toast!
My grandma (Babcia, in Polish) would always serve fresh fruit with breakfast, I consider it an essential. After deciding that French Toast is what I had my heart set on, Babcia's heaping helpings of fruits inspired me to head in this direction. Of course, this meal can be enjoyed at any time of day. Crave on, my culinary friends, and enjoy as you please.

What You'll Need:

(for French Toast)

-A Loaf of White or Wheat Bread (your favorite)

-4 Large Eggs

-1 Cup Milk

-1 tsp Vanilla Extract

-1 Tbsp Butter

(for Icing)

-1 Stick of Butter, softened (1/2 Cup)

-4 Oz Cream Cheese, softened

-3/4 Cup Powdered Sugar

-1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

(Toppings)

-Chocolate Syrup

-Bananas, halved or sliced on a bias

-Strawberries, sliced

-Walnuts

-Rainbow Sprinkles

1. Add the cream cheese and butter to a mixing bowl. Use either a standing mixer, or a hand mixer, and beat until smooth and creamy. Add in the vanilla extract, and gradually add in the powdered sugar until everything is combined. Set the frosting aside so it continues to warm, and remain pliable.

2. Add milk, eggs, and vanilla extract into a bowl that is wide enough to dip the slices of bread in. Beat the ingredients together until combined. Dip the bread in, soaking each side, and set on a plate until ready to use.

3. Heat the butter in a frying pan. Add the toast, and cook on each side, until slightly browned. It shouldn't take too long, maybe 5 minutes on each side at most.

4. Cut up the fruits once ready to use! Drizzle or spread the frosting on top of the toast, add the fruits, chocolate syrup, and top with walnuts, and sprinkles!

(I think that whipped cream would also be amaaaaazing on this...)

Make the frosting first; you'll want to set it aside to soften even more.

And here is the KitchenAid! Lucky me, right!? Yeah, I'm totally aware that Josh has given me the best Christmas present EVER.

Here's the obligatory, "everything involved" picture. Also, how can I not include it, fresh fruit is just so aesthetically appealing.

Dip each slice, soaking both sides. Set the bread aside for frying!

Assemble, and enjoy.

White Chocolate Dipped Cardamom "Snow Balls"

baking recipe 8:49 PM

It's getting frighteningly close to Christmas... If you're anything like me, you're ill prepared, and probably have over half of your list of gifts yet to combat. One thing that I know I can always look forward to during the holiday season is cookies! Whether it's eating, or baking cookies, I'm happy to take part. So here we go again with the baked goods; these are flakey, delicious cookies based off of a basic shortbread with a twist to add even more holiday flavor. Lastly, it is dipped in white chocolate to make this treat even more decadent.

This recipe is very easy, and requires minimal effort. Use either a hand mixer or standing mixer to mix the ingredients.

What You'll Need:

-1 Cup Unsalted Butter (softened)

-1/2 Cup Packed Brown Sugar

-2 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour

-1/4 tsp Cardamom

-1 tsp Orange Extract

-Pinch Salt

-11 oz White Chocolate

-Sprinkles (optional)

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350º F. In a bowl off to the side whisk together the flour, cardamom, and salt. In a large bowl, beat the butter until it is smooth. Add in the brown sugar, and continue to beat together the ingredients until they appear smooth and combined.

2. Add in the orange extract, followed by the flour. Beat over low speed until a slightly crumbly looking dough forms.

3. On a lightly floured surface knead the dough for a few minutes. Add flour if the dough sticks. Separate the dough into bite sized balls and layer on a baking sheet. Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes, or until slightly golden and cracking.

4. Let cool completely on a cooling rack. Add a small amount of water to a saucepan and bring to a boil. In a heat safe bowl, add the white chocolate and place on top of the hot water. Allow the chocolate to melt, stirring frequently. Don't let any water into the bowl with the chocolate. The secret to melting chocolate is to go for lower heat. Dip in the cookies immediately, and transfer to baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Put in the fridge until the chocolate has dried.

Cream the butter before adding in the brown sugar.

Then combine the sugar.

Add the flour and beat until a crumbly dough forms.

Knead together the dough and form bite sized balls from the dough.

Bake at 350º F for approximately 10 minutes.

Dip the "snow balls" in melted white chocolate...

Throw on some sprinkles to make the cookies even more festive!

Christmas "Confetti" Shortbread Cookies

baking 5:38 PM

I love Christmas, it's an excuse to bake cookies all day while listening to the classic crooners - I really love the old Christmas songs... there's nothing like Nat King Cole or Dean Martin and the smell of shortbread cookies in the oven.
Today, Josh and I put up my Christmas tree. It's kind of a ritual for me to play Christmas music, admire all my ornaments, and bake cookies on a day as festive as this!
These shortbread cookies are so easy, and using some sprinkles in the dough really adds to the holiday appeal of the cookie.

What You'll Need:

-1 Cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, softened

-2 Cups All Purpose Flour

-1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar

-1 tsp Vanilla Extract

- 1/4 Cup Sprinkles

1. Whisk together flour and salt in a small bowl.

2. In a separate large bowl, add in the butter, cut into Tbsp cubes. Use a hand mixer to beat the butter until it's smooth. Slowly add in the powdered sugar, and beat this together until it is smooth and kind of white. Add the vanilla and beat until everything is mixed together.

3. Add the flour mixture to the bowl and beat it on low speed. The mixture will look kind of crumbly, but the dough should come together when you squeeze it between your fingers. Add the sprinkles, and just mix them in with a wooden spoon until everything is incorporated.

4. Split the dough into two, and form two disks. Cut two sheets of plastic wrap, and cover them with flour. Wrap the dough in the plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least an hour.

5. Once the dough is ready to be handled, pre-heat the oven to 325º F. Roll out the dough to be about a 1/4 inch thick. I left the dough in the plastic wrap by leaving some loose edges for the dough to expand into. If you remove it from the plastic wrap, make sure you lightly flour your rolling pin. Cut out the cookies, I used a shot glass because it was the perfect little round size.

6. Bake the cookies at 325º F for about 15 minutes, or until the bottoms and edges of the cookies are golden. Let them cool before enjoying.

Cut in the butter and whip it to a creamy texture

along with the powdered sugar and vanilla extract

Beat in all of the ingredients and mix in the sprinkles.

Separate the dough into two separate disks, and refrigerate for at least an hour!

Bake, cool, enjoy. :)

Happy Holidays :)

Gilmore Girls Inspired "Pizza Pie"

easy 6:13 PM

The Gilmore Girls reboot is going to be on Netflix in just a few days, if you're a 90s kid like myself, you're probably really excited for this! I remember watching Gilmore Girl's on my sick days home from school, and since Netflix picked up Gilmore Girls I'm not ashamed to say I've binge watched a bit...
The inspiration for this dish is a whole lot of Sookie, some of Luke's Diner, and the girls love of junk food. Bring all of that together to create a to die for "pizza pie!"

Although Josh isn't a fan of Gilmore Girls, he did not complain once while we ate our pizza pie, and played Gilmore Girls in the background, (I'm pretty sure that's a sign that the food was good!)

So you can either buy a crust, a puff pastry would probably do best, or make one. Here's how I made mine, I recommend making your own, because you don't want to miss out on the flakey goodness of a pie crust. This is a simple pie crust, but keep in mind that you'll need to put it in the freezer for at least an hour.

What You'll Need:

-3 Cups All-Purpose Flour

-1 tsp Salt

-1/2 Cup Vegetable Shortening

-1/2 Cup Butter

-8 to 10 Tbsp Ice Cold Water

1. In a large bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Cut in the butter and shortening using either a dough cutter, or 2 forks/knives, until the mixture kind of resembles a course, grainy mixture.

2. Add in the ice water, one Tbsp at a time, mixing with your hands until dough forms.

3. Separate the dough into two almost equal parts. It's important that one half is slightly larger so that it spreads enough to cover the entire base of the pie pan.

4. Place each dough ball onto plastic wrap covered in flour, flour the top of the dough ball and place another large piece of plastic wrap on top. Do this with both dough balls. Roll out the dough until it is large enough to take on the shape of the pie pan, the other dough ball just has to be large enough to cover the top.

5. Place the larger pie crust, while still wrapped, into a pie pan and into the freezer. Make sure the top crust is left on a flat surface, and placed in the freezer. Leave these in there for an hour, and you can store it in there for up to 24 hours.

When you've gotten to the point where you are ready to make your pie, make sure you pre-bake the crust in a 375º F oven for about 10 minutes, or until the edges start to brown. Take a fork to the pie crust and poke some holes in the bottom before you cook it, this insures that it will cook evenly. If there are any bubbles in the crust, pop them.

Cut in the flour, and shortening until a grainy mixture has formed. (Pictured below!)

Make sure to flour the plastic wrap before you

place the dough on it.

Freeze the dough for at least 1 hour before making the pie.

Moving on to the filling for the "pizza pie!"

What You'll Need:

-1/2 Cup Fresh Basil, chiffonade

-3 Cups Tomatoes, seeded and diced into 1/2" cubes

-2 Cups Mozzarella, diced into 1/2" cubes

-1/2 tsp Pepper

-1/4 tsp Salt

-1 1/2 tsp Olive Oil

-2 Cloves Garlic

-1 1/2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

-1 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese

-Crushed Red Pepper, to taste (optional)

-1 Egg White for egg wash, 1/4 tsp water

1. Chop the basil, mozzarella, and tomato, add everything into one bowl. Add in the salt, pepper, garlic, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, parmesan, and crushed red pepper (if you so choose,) and mix all of the ingredients together until everything is evenly coated.

2. Spoon in all of the ingredients into the base of of the pie crust. (Make sure that you've pre cooked the pie crust if you've followed my pie crust recipe.)

3. Take the top half of the crust, and cover the pie. Fold the crust under itself and press it to the bottom crust. Cut the top crust a few times, and make a quick egg was and brush the top of the pie.

4. Bake the "pizza pie" at 375º F for about 50 minutes to a little over an hour, make sure the crust becomes slightly browned. Allow the pie to sit for at least 20 minutes before diving in.