The Cinnamon’s Spice

Woohoo - we’re married!!!!

For our wedding we made a delicious spice mix that all of our guests took home as a favor. We want to share some ideas with you of how to use it! It’s a cinnamon forward spice mix (DUH!) and it works with both sweet and savory ingredients, sprinkled or baked.

We hope you enjoy using it and we look forward to seeing your creations! Tag us on instagram, we’d love to see what you come up with. Use our hashtag #TheCinnamonsTable so we can see what you’ve made!

The Cinnamon’s Spice

6 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. all spice

1/2 tsp. coriander

1/8 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. ginger

Cinnamon’s Table Signature Oatmeal

The spice makes an otherwise bland oatmeal into something you will want to get out of bed a few minutes early to start the day with! Top with any of your favorite ingredients, all fresh and dried fruit works really well. 

Makes 2 bowls 

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (such as Quaker Oats Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats) 

1 cup milk (dairy or alternative) 

1 cup water 

1/8 tsp. salt 

1 tsp. Cinnamon’s Spice Mix 

• Combine ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3-5 mins, stirring occasionally, until thickened. 

• Drizzle over each bowl a tsp of honey or maple syrup and add toppings of your choice (we love sliced almonds, blueberries, or other fresh fruit) 

Easy Honey and Spice Cookies

So easy to put together and you can always freeze the cookie dough (well wrapped) so you can just bake as many or as few as you like! 

14oz/400g all purpose flour

7oz/200g butter

1 beaten egg

2 tbsp Cinnamon’s Spice Mix

3.5oz/100g granulated sugar 

2 tbsp honey

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

*Makes about 30 small cookies

• Rub the butter into the flour in a large bowl until you have fine crumbs. Stir in the beaten egg, Cinnamon’s Spice Mix, sugar, honey and cream of tartar. Stir until a soft dough forms, then wrap in cling film and chill for 20-30 mins.

• Heat oven to 350f/180C Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick, cut into rounds or festive shapes and bake for 10-12 mins on lined baking trays. Dip in melted dark chocolate, if you like.

Orange Spice Chicken Wings

These wings are a great idea for the festive holidays, the warming flavours of spice and orange work really well in this savoury dish! 

1lb/500g chicken wings

1 tbsp plain flour

1 tbsp oil

2tbsp Cinnamon’s Spice Mix 

1/2 orange juiced

1 tbsp honey

Salt and black pepper

• Heat the oven to 400f/200c 

• Put the chicken wings in a large bowl with plain flour and season well. Toss together to coat, then spread out over a large baking tray, drizzle with oil and cook for 40-45 mins, turning halfway through.

• When the chicken wings are nearly done, put the Cinnamon’s Spice Mix in a saucepan with the orange juice and honey. Warm gently, then pour over the chicken wings, toss together, and return to the oven for a further 10 mins or until sticky. Sprinkle with salt to serve. 

We hope you love Cinnamon’s Spice as much as we do!

With love,

The Cinnamons

The Best Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies

Well hello there! It’s been a while since I’ve posted here, but I’ve still been cooking/baking up a storm. Life got ridiculously busy and there have been so many changes (which I can’t wait to share with you all soon) and this blog of mine had to take a major back seat for a bit.

So, I shared these cookies on instagram yesterday and they were a huge hit! I also promised I’d come here to post the recipe, so here I am.

I love snickerdoodles, but I decided to amp up the flavor with the nutty flavor of brown butter (I know, I’m a brown butter addict) and brown sugar and let me tell you, they are decadent and you’ll never want to make them the boring original way again! ⁣
⁣
Traditional (read: boring) snickerdoodles are made with granulated sugar, but I found that substituting brown sugar for some of the granulated sugar gave me a more complex cookie. ⁣
Normally you’d roll the dough balls in a cinnamon sugar mixture, but I prefer to dust the top of the cookies with it instead because it intensifies the flavor and brings out the cinnamon even more.

If you make this recipe, I’d love to know how they turn out! Don’t forget to leave a comment and tag me on instagram @cinnamons_table!

Ingredients:

1c. or two sticks unsalted butter, browned and cooled * (see below for instructions)

1c. granulated sugar

½ cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 3/4c. all-purpose flour (can also use gluten-free)

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cinnamon Sugar Topping

4 tablespoons white sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

To make the browned butter:

Add butter to a wide heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat. As the butter melts, continuously whisk the butter around the pan. The butter will go from brown to burnt quickly, so stay close to the pan when you do this, whisking every minute or so. Continue whisking the butter over the heat until it is light brown in color. Once light brown and smells nutty, remove from the heat and pour into glass measuring cup to cool; will equal 3/4c. once browned.

For the dough:

• Cream together butter, 1 cup white sugar, ½ cup brown sugar. Scrape down sides of the bowl as needed until butter and sugar are well mixed.

• Add eggs and vanilla extract, continue to beat until mixture is pale and thick.

• In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and blend until just mixed.

• Chill dough for 45 minutes or overnight.

• Shape dough into balls about 1.5 Tablespoons in size. I use an ice cream scoop.

• Place dough balls onto parchment paper lined baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Take a flat bottomed glass cup and gently press each dough ball until flat (not too flat, but an evenly shaped cookie)

• Mix the 4 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon. Lightly dust each cookie.

• Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges are set and golden and centers are puffed.

Happy baking!

The Accidental Pasta Sauce

Sometimes the best meals happen when there’s no plan! A few weeks ago I was going through my fridge trying to figure out what to make for dinner using ingredients that were about to go bad. I guess I got really lucky with what I had, because it was all the right things for pasta sauce!

I start by heating olive oil until it shimmers, then add the garlic and sauté that for just a minute. I then add a half stick butter and toss in the shallots. I make sure to move them around constantly for a few minutes so that they don’t burn (yes, I’ve learned from that one time I burned shallots by walking away for just a few seconds). I found that letting the shallots caramelize gives this sauce something extra tasty, and who doesn’t love something caramelized?! When the shallots are caramelized, I add the tomatoes and let it all simmer for about 10 minutes. While everything is simmering, I bring a pot of water to a boil for my pasta. Once the water is boiling, I throw in my pasta and turn the heat down. Timing really depends on the type of pasta you use. Once the tomatoes soften a bit, I pour in the white wine and let it reduce. When everything has mixed well and the wine has reduced, I toss in the prosciutto and red pepper flakes. If you don’t like spice, omit the red pepper flakes. When the pasta is done, before I strain it, I like to ladle out about one cup of the pasta water and dump that into my sauce. Once the water has thickened with the rest of the sauce, I throw in the basil and stir constantly for a minute then take off the heat.

After making this sauce a few times to get it just right, I finally perfected it and I’m excited to share it with you all! It’s nothing crazy, but the flavors are just so, SO good. It was a total accident that it

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound pasta (Orrecchiette, or similar. Smaller pasta works best)

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 1 large shallot, thinly sliced

• 1/2 stick unsalted butter

• 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut long ways

• 1/2 cup white wine (I like using Pinot Grigio)

• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 3-4 slices of prosciutto, sliced into 1 inch pieces

• 5 large basil leaves, chopped

  1-2 ladles of pasta water

• *** optional *** Add a slice of parmesan cheese rind to the sauce after shallots cook though to give extra flavor.

Directions:

• Heat 2tbsp olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat

• Add in garlic, moving around consistently until soft

• Toss in shallots, moving around consistently so not to burn.

• Add 1/2 stick butter and mix in with garlic and shallots

• Caramelize the shallots for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally

• When shallots are caramelized, add in tomatoes and let soften for 10 minutes

• Start your pot of water for pasta. Bring to a boil, add pasta, then reduce heat until pasta is al dente (timing will depend on the type of pasta you’re using)

• Once tomatoes are soft, pour in white wine and reduce

• If you’re adding red pepper flakes, do so now along with the prosciutto

• Once prosciutto is cooked and slightly crispy, add in the pasta water and let simmer for a few more minutes, then remove from heat

• Toss in basil and mix

• Don’t forget to add freshly grated parmesan cheese!

This truly is a flavor filled meal and I really hope you enjoy it as much as I do! It’s become a favorite to make and a winner in my house every time. If you make it, please make sure to let me know how you like it! Use #CinnamonsTable so I can see your dish.

Enjoy!

Potato Tacos and Homemade Guacamole

Do you ever have a ton of potatoes that you don’t know what to do with? Yeah, me neither, ha! But, I made a recipe last week that called for a few russet potatoes and my boyfriend came home with a massive bag of them. Face palm. What’s a girl to do with 3974 potatoes before they go bad? Well, I’ve made breakfast potatoes, hasselback potatoes, and potato tacos, so far.

In the little city I grew up in, there’s this amazing hole in wall Mexican restaurant that has the best potato tacos. Well… my Mama’s are the best, but as far as from a restaurant, the ones from Patty’s are legit. During my senior year of high school, I would leave almost everyday for lunch and go to Patty’s and eat my weight in tacos or one of their absolutely giant burritos. Like, as big as my face, they are huge. Good thing I was dancing like 5 hours a day!

When I realized I had so many potatoes left AND it was taco Tuesday, I made the obvious choice to make tater tacos! They are super easy, but big in flavor and are sure to satisfy. They are also a great veggie option if you don’t eat meat or just want a meatless meal.

I also had several avocados to use that were going to go bad, so another obvious choice; guacamole! Why do avocados go from rock hard to soft and blah in a matter of one day?! I love them, but sheesh!! There’s something about homemade guacamole that just so much better than store bought. There’s a local, higher end Mexican restaurant in the city I live in now that makes really good guac and I've mastered their recipe at home. The secret to it is to make it chunky! I like it that way, at least. If you don’t, just mash the avocados up more.

My recipes for the potato tacos, the homemade seasoning I make, and also the guacamole are below!

For the taco seasoning:

1 tablespoon chili powder⁣

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder ⁣

1/4 teaspoon onion powder⁣

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes⁣

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano⁣

1/2 teaspoon paprika⁣

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin⁣

1 teaspoon sea salt⁣

1 teaspoons fresh ground pepper⁣

Mix together!

For the potato tacos:

6 corn or flour tortillas; heated or charred.

Avocado or Olive Oil ( I use avocado oil)

2 medium-large russet potatoes (thinly sliced or cut into one inch cubes)

Taco seasoning

Your choice of toppings; I like sour cream, lettuce, cilantro, and of course my guacamole.

Directions:

1. Thoroughly wash potatoes and dry completely. Slice potatoes into discos or cubes. I like to leave the skin on, that’s where the nutrients are!

2. In a large size non-stick pan or skillet, heat on high a 1/2 inch of oil.

3. Once oil shimmers, sprinkle half of the taco seasoning into the oil.

4. Carefully add slices or cubes of potatoes and lower heat to medium.

5. Make sure to not let the potatoes burn. Once golden brown on the bottom side, add the remainder of the taco seasoning.

6. Flip potatoes until the other side is golden brown.

7. Remove from pan or skillet and place on a paper towel lined plate.

For the guacamole:

3-4 very ripe, but not bruised avocados

1 large ripe tomato, diced

1/2 red onion, diced

1 small jalapeño, seeded and diced

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp red pepper flakes

2 limes

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cut avocados, take seed out, and scoop out.

2. Mash the avocado, but not too much ( or do if you don’t like it chunky).

3. Add the diced tomatoes, onions, and jalapeños, thoroughly combine.

4. Add in the garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, mix.

5. Squeeze the limes, half at a time to taste.

6. Make sure to mix well!

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment! If you make this meal, I’d love to know how it turns out! Use #cinnamonstable so I can see!

Enjoy!

First Day of Summer - Potluck Party

Happy Saturday AND Happy First Day of Summer!

I partnered with four wonderful ladies to do a “virtual potluck” collaboration, and it was so much fun! I’ve said it before and I’ll continue to say it, the foodie community blows me away every single day. Everyone is just so kind and supportive, and I feel truly thankful for each and every one of them.

I made Hawaiian Chicken Skewers and Fried Rice for the main dish… and it’s good! I marinated the chicken, peppers, and onions for 24 hours, so the flavor was insanely good! The best part about this dish is that it’s super easy to make for a large party, which makes it great for a potluck! Everyone did an awesome job and I wish I were able to taste everything in person.

Here is the menu:

Cocktail/Mocktail: Berry Rhubard Gin Fizz (@pinchpurrfect, find other fun recipes here!)

Appetizer: Chili Maple Hush Puppies (@cottonlemon)

Salad: Lemon Zucchini Salad with Basil (@thespicylemon, find other fun recipes here!)

Main Dish: Hawaiian Chicken Skewers and Fried Rice

Dessert: Fresh Strawberry Cake (@bakinginthebackgarden)

Does that not all look absolutely delicious? Follow them on Instagram, and check out their blogs! It would mean a lot to me if you supported them also!

If you’d like to make the Hawaii Chicken Skewers and Fried Rice, the recipes are below!

Serving size: 4 ( but can easily been doubled or tripled for a large party)

For the skewers and marinade:

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs

• 4 bell peppers (assorted)

• 2 medium red onions, sliced

• 2 cups medium chunks of pineapple

• 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce

• 1/4 cup water

• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

• 1/2 cup light coconut milk

• 1/4 cup pineapple juice

Instructions:

1. For the chicken, veggies: Combine the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, garlic, sesame oil, coconut milk and pineapple juice, then pour into a container or resealable bag. 

2. Add the chicken and veggies and marinate anywhere from 2-24 hours.

3. Heat the grill to medium. Remove the chicken, veggies and veggies from the marinade and add them to skewers, mixing in pineapple chunks; grill for 6-7 minutes on each side or until chicken is cooked through.

• *DO NOT FORGET TO SOAK WOODEN SKEWERS FOR AT LEAST 30 MINUTES BEFORE PLACING ON THE GRILL.

For the friend rice:

• 1 1/3 cups jasmine rice, rinsed well and drained well

• 1 1/4 cups coconut milk

• 1 1/4 cups coconut water or water

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil, divided

• 1 tsp sesame oil, divided

• 1 red bell pepper, diced (1 1/4 cups)

• 1/3 cup green onions, light portion, sliced

• 2 tsp minced garlic (2 cloves)

• 2 tsp peeled and minced fresh ginger

• 2 cups diced ham

• 2 cups diced fresh pineapple

• 3 large eggs

• 1/2 cup green onions, green portion, sliced

• 3 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro

• 1 Tbsp soy sauce, or more to taste

Instructions:

1. In a medium saucepan bring coconut milk, coconut water and salt to a boil over medium-high heat. 

2. Add in rice, cover and reduce heat too low. Let simmer until liquid has been absorbed, about 15-18 minutes. 

3. Remove rice from heat and let rest off heat for 10 minutes

4. While rice is resting, heat 1TBSP of olive oil and 1/2 tsp sesame oil in a 12-inch (deep) skillet or sauce pain over medium-high heat. 

5. Add bell pepper and light green onions to the skillet and sauce until peppers are tender, about 4 minutes.

6. Stir in garlic and ginger, then toss in ham and pineapple and let cook until heated through, about 1 minutes. 

7. Scoot everything in pan to one far side. Add remaining 1/2TBSP olive oil and 1/2 tsp sesame oil to now empty side of skillet.

8. Add eggs, season lighten with salt and scramble and cookie until just set. 

9. Add in rice, green portion of green onions, cilantro and drizzle in soy sauce, toss everything.

Enjoy!

x,

Jess

Let’s go to France!

Bonjour! If you’ve been following along, you’ll know that France holds a very special place in my heart because my Grandpapa was born and raised there. He loves France, but that’s honestly a massive understatement. I’m a self professed francophile (a person who is fond of or greatly admires France or the French), and will take any chance I get to create something that would make my Grandpapa proud. Which, if we’re being honest, is just about anything, ha!

This next bit is in my first blog post, but I’m just going to drop it right here for you to read again, or for the first time!

“My European background and exposure to many cultures as a child and adult continues today. It influences the way I combine ingredients and experiment with not only the flavors of the food, but also in how I present it to others. I want it to entice your palate but to also invite the other senses to partake--the smells and memories food evoke, the sounds food make during preparation, the combined textures that create a magical alchemy inside your mouth, and finally, the visual display, which creates the springboard from which to “dive in” and let the magic of the moment create new memories.”

“Dive in” is exactly what we did to that charcuterie board! For the first time in almost three months, I had two of my best friends over for a little girl time. We managed to plow our way through the charcuterie board and still have room for Coq au Vin later in the evening. I included a few of my favorite cheeses, including P’tit Basque. It’s a cheese from sheep milk and it is delicious. Funny story, I once told someone about it and they said “Cheap cheese? Why is it so good if it’s so cheap?”. I still think that’s so funny. We also had camembert, smoked gouda, goat cheese, gruyere, and a baby breakfast brie. I think I could eat cheese, bread, and meat any day of the week, for any meal, and be totally happy. Oh, can’t forget the wine… there’s always wine, of course. We started off with a light Rosé and ended with Beaujolais, my favorite!

Have you had Coq au Vin before? It means Chicken in Wine. It’s a traditional French meal, and my Mama used to make it around the holidays when I was a kid. This was my first time making it, and I’m actually pretty proud of myself! The flavors were delicious and the chicken was done perfectly. It’s basically chicken, mushrooms, carrots, pearl onions, and WINE! I used a wine from burgundy but I don’t remember which one it was. It’s a fairly simple meal that just takes a little time to put together.

I made another batch of French baguettes, because duh, it’s delicious! I still need to work on my bread game and perfecting the look of them, but the texture and taste was great!

I’ve been home from work the past two days because I’ve had vertigo.. have you ever experienced it? It’s absolutely awful feeling constantly dizzy. I can’t wait to get back to work tomorrow, I miss it! I hope everyone is having a wonderful week so far!

x,

Jess

Five Things

It’s been over a week since I posted here on my blog, but I’ve definitely been up to some fun things! And by “fun things”, I mean cooking up a storm.

Sometimes I forget I have an actual blog that I need to keep posting on. I’ve gotten so caught up in the social media aspect because I absolutely love that community. But, here I am to catch you up on all the things I’ve been making, baking, and eating!

This Rosemary Lavender Cake will forever go down in history as the Pac-Man Cake. Every time I see this picture I can’t help but to laugh. I remember being tired at the end of the day but wanting to get a picture of this, and I wasn’t in the right mind frame for a photo shoot. Thus resulting in a hilarious picture of a very delicious cake. I used this recipe from ForkItByKat and loved it. Up to that point I had never infused oil with herbs before, but since then I’ve done it a few times. Go check out her blog, her recipes are absolutely amazing.

2. When I starting thinking about what I wanted to do with the many apples I had, I thought I was going to make an apple pie. Then it turned into wanting to make a vegan apple tart. Then I wanted to make apple roses. My mind races with ideas sometimes. But, in the end it turned into being this beautiful savory apple tart with caramelized onions and sharp cheddar cheese. It was GOOD. Honestly anything with caramelized onions is my jam. It also looks like a piece of art and that’s something I can get behind. I wish had complete recipe to write up for you all but I didn’t jot anything down while I made it. So, I’ll just have to make it again; not the worst thing!

3. I continue to make a loaf, or sometimes two, over the weekend. Up until just a few months ago, I had never made bread before and that honestly blows my mind a little bit, seeing as I’m pretty sure bread is my soulmate. This photo I posted on Instagram caught the attention of another foodie and we starting the hashtag #ShowYourFoodieFace. Too funny! I can’t help it, I just love food!

4. Such a simple meal but has so much meaning behind it for me. If you’ve followed me on Instagram at all or even read my blog posts here, you’ll know that I'm very close to my Grandpapa. He’s 94 now and I haven’t been able to see him because of Covid. It’s been really hard and I miss him very much. Last weekend we were able to FaceTime and although I love seeing his face and hearing his sweet voice, I have to try really hard to hold it together, especially if he’s able to see me. I told him I was going to make soft boiled eggs for breakfast, or as I’ve called it since I was a little girl, “coco” (said in a French accent), and he got so excited! It was the first meal I ever learned how to make on my own; I was 5 or 6 years old when he taught me. The egg cracker you see in the photo was purchased in Paris about 5 years ago and looks exactly like the one I used as a kid at my Grandpapa’s house. I need to make coco for breakfast more often; it’s easy, delicious, and always brings a smile to my face.

5. Garlic Creamed Corn Chicken. Wednesday night was rough. I was exhausted from not sleeping well lately, and I was cranky from the heat wave we’ve been having. I should have listened to my boyfriend when he told me to take the night off from cooking, but when I get something in my head that I want to do, I won’t stop until it’s done. Definitely a blessing and a curse. This meal was good and the flavors were the best part, but I burnt the bacon and overcooked the chicken and when I asked my boyfriend for his honest review, I didn’t like what he said and got annoyed. Yay for tired and cranky reactions to things I’d normally not even think twice about, haha. I want to try and make this again because I truly think the recipe is great!

Tomorrow is Friday and I’m looking forward to the menu have planned for the weekend! I hope everyone has had a great week!

x,

Jess

Five Things

Happy Friday, everyone! My kitchen has seen some yummy things cooked and baked over the past week, so I thought I talk a bit about them. Not sure if this “Five Things” is going to continue to be every Friday, but it’s a good way to roundup at the end of the week.

1. This past week has been so amazing in the wonderful word of the foodie community on Instagram. I had no idea when I started my blog or food instagram account that I would encounter so many supportive and kind people. It makes the whole experience infinitely better. Talking with fellow food bloggers and connecting over our love of food and cooking has been such a sweet surprise. Most of the bloggers I’ve connected with live in the UK and now all I can think about is being able to travel again and having the best blogger meetup in London! I’m even currently working on a little collaboration with another food blogger who lives in Argentina, which should be a ton of fun!

2. BAGELS! I. Made. Bagels. So, while I know I want to make them again to tweak some things, my first attempt was much better than expected. They are also much easier than I thought they’d be to make and I’m so glad I just went for it! I used Trader Joe’s Everything But The Bagel seasoning for some of them, poppy seeds on others, and of course, jalapeño cheddar. The jalapeño cheddar were my favorite, with a little cream cheese spread on it. I'm drooling just thinking about it.

3. I’m out to make every kind of bread I possibly can and mix it up every time! Last weekend I made a jalapeño cheddar (I see a theme here) sourdough loaf and I can’t even begin to explain how yummy it is. Toasted with a bit of butter on it, YES. Dipped into tomato soup, YES. Made into grilled cheese with pepper jack and sharp cheddar, ABSOLUTELY YES. I’ll be making this one again at some point because how can I not? Also, if anyone ever wants a loaf, just let me know! I am more than happy to send one your way!

4. If cinnamon is in the title, I’m there. My last name is Cinnamon and I also happen to love the spice. When I found the recipe for homemade Cinnamon Toast Crunch from Half Baked Harvest, I quickly added it to my list of recipes to make. Those little squares pack a lot of flavor and I’m going to have to say, they are better than store bought. The cutting of the squares and making sure they were all spread apart on a baking sheet was time consuming, but also super therapeutic. This is one of those recipes you just need to try!

5. Polenta Pancakes. I love polenta, like so much. it’s super versatile and filling. Who knew frying them up in butter and adding maple syrup and powdered sugar would taste so good? If you did, I guess I’m late to the game. They are simple, easy, and taste really good. These would be great for a big party since many of them can be made at one time. Add some fresh berries on top and you’ve got yourself a breakfast that tastes like dessert.

I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend! I can’t wait to get in the kitchen and whip up some yummy things! I look forward to seeing what my fellow foodies come up with also!

Cornbread Breakfast Pizza

This is quite possibly one of my favorite breakfast dishes I’ve made, and it’s also been one of my most requested recipes. It’s so easy, like embarrassingly easy, but the final product is so good. The sweetness of the cornbread mixed with the egg and saltiness of the bacon is what I love most about it. Oh, and the cornbread gives it a little crunch, and who doesn’t love some texture to their food?!

It’s quick, easy, and was a hit in my home and it’s sure to be one in yours, too! It’s also a great one pan meal to make for a party or to bring to one. This is going to be my shortest blog post to date because there’s not much else to say! Just go make this already!

Ingredients:

1 box JIFFY corn muffin mix

1 egg

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

6 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces

6 eggs

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

2 green onions, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Using cooking spray, butter, or olive oil, grease a 12 inch oven-proof skillet.

2. Combine corn muffin mix, one egg and sour cream in a large mixing bowl. Stir until smooth. Pour batter into the greased skillet and bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden. You’ll need to use the back of a spoon to make sure it’s all one level!

3. While the cornbread is in the oven, cook bacon in a non-stick skillet until crispy. Remove and place on a paper towel lined plate.

4. Remove cornbread from oven once golden and top with cheddar cheese, making sure it’s even all the way around. Crack the remaining six eggs, evenly around the surface.

5. Bake until egg whites are set but yolks are runny, 15 minutes. If you prefer less runny yolks, leave in a few minutes longer. (I actually preferred having the yolks well done instead of a runny yolk dripping everywhere while trying to eat a slice)

6. Garnish with green onions, slice, and serve.

If you make this, please let me know! Tag me on Instagram using #cinnamonstable or @cinnamons_table

Enjoy!

Citrus Goodness - Key Lime Pie and Grapefruit Shortbread

Last weekend my boyfriend asked me if I’d make a key lime pie and at first I was a little shocked because he doesn’t eat a lot of sweets, and key lime pie isn’t one of those highly requested desserts. Or maybe it is.. I don’t know. It’s just not the first thing that comes to mind when I think of dessert. But, I made it for him and it turned out well. It was my first time making it, and after following this recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction, I will for sure be making it again. It was a simple process and the final product definitely satisfied my boyfriend. The crust consisted of not only graham cracker but also macadamia nuts. Mind. Blown. It was so dang good and the perfect dessert to serve on a warm day.

Now the meringue was a different story. I honestly just can’t win with making homemade toppings, haha. I didn't have cream of tartar and although I know there are substitutes and I did try using baking powder instead, it must wasn’t the same. The taste was amazing, but the consistency just wasn’t there. I’m making a mental note to put cream of tartar on my shopping list.

Moving on…

If you read my “Five Things” post last weekend that featured my lemon shortbread you know I loved it, so I wanted to try making more but with fresh grapefruit juice. These grapefruit shortbread were SO good, like, I had to seriously restrain myself from not eating them all in one sitting. Also, they are so dang pretty! I whipped up an icing on top that consisted of just powdered sugar and a few squeezes of fresh grapefruit juice. I used this recipe for both the shortbread and the glaze.

Trust me, you’ll want to make them. They are the perfect little treat to make for any party or to bring as a “never show up empty handed” gift, and are sure to be a hit. I bought some fun cookie cutters and now I can’t wait to make more. I want to experiment a bit with different flavors and textures while still staying with the traditional shortbread base. You know I’ll keep you posted on anything I try, whether it turns out well or not, haha.

I hope everyone enjoys this long, three-day weekend. It’s beautiful here in Southern California, so I'm hoping to get outside for a bit to enjoy the sunshine in between the kitchen fun I’ll be having!

Crockpot Chili Lime Chicken Tacos

I made chili lime chicken in my crockpot a couple weeks ago and realized I never posted the recipe. It’s another really great weeknight meal to make when you don’t have a ton of time to cook. Throwing ingredients in a crockpot in the morning and letting it all cook throughout the day is probably one of my top 5 favorite things. It always turns out well and it’s just so easy.

I used the chicken for tacos on Cinco de Mayo and they were darn tasty. A tad spicy, but I like it that way! You could always omit the peppers in adobo sauce if you don’t like too much spice, but I suggest you keep them.

Cilantro-lime rice has always been a favorite of mine and knew it would go well with the tacos. I had some extra coconut milk that I didn’t want to go to waste, so I added some in to the rice as well; it was super creamy and full of flavor. The rice is super easy to make; all you need is one cup of cooked white rice, a half cup of chopped cilantro, one tablespoon of lime juice and if you’d like to add coconut milk, a half cup of that or more to taste.

To be completely honest, I don’t remember where I found this recipe, so I can’t take credit for it. It’s one I’ve used many times over the past few years and just have it written down in my notes. Either way, it’s delicious and I urge you to make it!

Crockpot Mexican Chili Lime Chicken 

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs

• 1/2 of a small sweet onion diced

• 2 cloves garlic minced or grated

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey

• 2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, chopped (not the whole can, just the 2 chiles)

• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon oregano

• 1/2 teaspoon cumin

• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon salt + more to taste

• 1/3 cup salsa + more for serving

• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles

• juice of 1-2 limes

• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped

• 8 soft flour tortillas

• shredded cheese + guacamole + salsa for serving

Instructions

• In the bowl of your crockpot, combine the chicken, onion, garlic, brown sugar (or honey), chipotle chile peppers, paprika, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, salt, salsa and diced green chiles. Add 1/2 cup water, cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or on HIGH for 4-6 hours. Once the chicken is done cooking, shred with two forks and then stir in the lime juice and cilantro. Serve the chicken in warmed tortillas. Top as desired.

Enjoy!

Five Things

I spend so much time in the kitchen, so it only feels right to talk about the highs and lows of what goes on behind the scenes. For the most part, it’s all a lot of fun, but there are days when I make huge messes, completely screw up a recipe, or am quick to snap at my boyfriend for not reading my mind. Yes, I realize how ridiculous that last one is, haha.

Five things that happened in my kitchen this week:

1. Risotto. It’s delicious, it’s fairly simple, and if you don’t like it we can’t be friends. Kidding. It’s so versatile and can be eaten alone or paired with something else. I made chicken breasts tossed in Italian bread crumbs and freshly grated parmesan cheese, and the combination of flavors between the risotto and the chicken were super tasty. I had asked my boyfriend if he could take some photos of me that night in the kitchen, and also of the dish I made. I was a little grouchy and tired from not sleeping well recently and I totally snapped at him when he couldn’t read my mind about the ideas I had. He still got some great shots though, but I’m not surprised, he’s great at what he does.

2. Taco pie! Mmm mmm mmm. I made two different pies, both equally delicious with some slightly differences. Both had tortillas as a base, ground turkey with my homemade seasoning, and lots of cheese! In one of them I used refried beans, an extra layer of chunky salsa and just topped it with cilantro, avocado, and sour cream. The other one had black beans, only one thin layer of chunky salsa at the bottom to coat the tortillas, but topped this one with black olives as well as the cilantro, avocado, and sour cream. The black beans and black olives gave it such a different flavor and I think it was my favorite. It makes for a great weeknight meal that tastes good to keep eating as leftovers.

3. Lemon shortbread. So, on Wednesday, I came home from work and sat in my backyard to enjoy the awesome evening we were having. Orange County had some beautiful weather last week and I’ll take any chance I get to feel the ocean breeze and our awesome ocean view. My boyfriend was out surfing; the waves were also great last week and I encourage him to take advantage of it any time he can. I wanted to make him a little treat for when he got home and having a rough idea on when he’d be home, I decided on shortbread. I was inspired by the lemon tree in our backyard to add a little refreshing zing to the shortbread.

4. The idea to do a “dude food” weekend. My boyfriend also loves to cook and he’s pretty darn good at it, too. I wanted to include him in the planning and making of a few meals because he’s the master griller and smoker. Last year he bought a Traeger to smoke meat and since then he’s made my taste buds all kind of happy. My “dude food” weekend revolves around anything he wants to eat or anything dudes will like. Meals such as pork tostadas, steak salad, and roasted chicken are on the menu as well as a bacon, egg, and cheese frittata, and key lime pie. That last one was a request from him and honestly I can’t wait to eat it also.

5. Anthropologie: take all of my money! I’ve been building up my food styling props and Anthropologie is just simply the best place to find the most beautiful and great quality items. The hardest part is not needing a set of items and only needing to buy one plate or bowl. Don’t be surprised if you come to dinner and everyone has a different place setting! To be completely honest though, I like it that way. Eclectic should be my middle name! As long as it’s still aesthetically pleasing, I’m all about it.

I hope everyone had a great week and weekend!

Happy Mother’s Day

Crêpes a la Cinnamon

Happy Mother’s Day to all of the beautiful, wonderful, patient, hardworking, give-everything-you-have-to-your-children, but wouldn’t have it any other way moms out there.

My Mama lives in a different state which makes this day hard on both of us. I called her this morning, just like do every day… and then we talked a couple more times after that. It’s really not unusual for us to talk multiple times a day, there’s always something to be said. So many of our conversations revolve around food; she loves to tell me about the meals she’s making and of course I also share what I'm making. Food has been a big part of my life since I was young and I really owe that to my Mama. So many of my fondest memories include cooking; I’ve always loved to watch her create and I’m so thankful she would include me in the process.

One of the first recipes I learned to make was crêpes! In the Cinnamon household, crêpes have been made on special occasions, it’s tradition! My brother and I, before we could even reach the stovetop, would help make them. We’d stand on little stools, be handed a cup of batter, a spatula, and a small frying pan and she’d let us have at it. I’m typically the one that likes my crêpes to look perfect, while my brother likes to play around with shapes and designs. Honestly, I should try it his way sometime.

It’s no surprise when I look at the reasons why I love to cook; why the kitchen is an oasis; why food has a way of transporting me, that it brings me back to so many wonderful memories I have with my family, especially my Mama. I’ve always said she’s the world best cook and I will stand by that forever. She rarely follows a recipe and loves to do things her way, but I have not once eaten a meal she’s made and NOT liked it.

Mama… thank you for opening my eyes to the wonderful world of food. For never being afraid to offer me new foods when I was little, for teaching me about flavors and textures and that simplicity tends to be the secret to success. For exposing me to culture and how people eat in other parts of the world. For teaching me that it’s okay to not get it right the first time, but to never give up and to try again. These things can all be applied to other areas of my life and I am forever grateful for the way you and Dad raised me and Jordan. From food and music, to art and travel; we are the luckiest kids to have been exposed to so much. My views on the world and how I treat people is a direct reflection of the compassion, empathy, kindness, patience, wisdom, knowledge, and immense love I’ve received from the moment I was born. Thank you for being such a guiding light in my life, I hope you had a wonderful Mother’s Day! I look forward to the next time we see each other.. I have a feeling there will be A LOT of time spent in the kitchen, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Cheers!

Churro Waffles with a Spicy Cream Cheese Drizzle

The churro waffle stack you see above took me approximately 45 minutes to make because I accidentally ordered the smallest waffle maker known to man. Worth it? Absolutely.

These (extra) small waffles were covered in cinnamon-sugary goodness, and when I took my first hot bite, I swear I was transported to The Happiest Place on Earth. Yep, you guessed it, they taste just like a Disneyland churro. They were downright enchanting…see what I did there, eh, eh??

Moving on. I could have used maple syrup to pour over them, but per usual, I wanted to mix it up. I love cream cheese frosting and had what I needed to make it, so I whipped it up. But, my love for making things different got me thinking about how incredible the waffles would taste with a topping that has a slight kick to it. Enter the following; a dash or two of each: chili powder, cayenne, allspice, nutmeg, and of course, cinnamon. :)

Also, the waffles pair surprisingly well with rosé!

I will never be able to eat a churro without a spicy cream cheese drizzle. I mixed the cream cheese frosting, added my spices, and stuck it in the microwave for 15 seconds just to loosen up a bit. I will have to make the frosting again and measure exactly how much I use of each spice, but honestly, it’s really personal preference. Want it sweeter? Don’t add as much chili power or cayenne. Want to feel the kick? Add more of it!

For the waffles, via half baked harvest:

2 cups buttermilk

3 eggs

6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 tablespoon brown sugar 2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoons salt

4 tablespoons salted butter melted (or unsalted with a pinch of salt)

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

For the cream cheese drizzle:

1/2 cup softened butter

8 ounces cream cheese

4 cups confectioners' sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

If you want to add a kick to it, I would start with cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice first and just use one or two shakes of each. Mix those together and then add a shake of chili power and one of cayenne. Mix and add more to taste.

Please leave me a comment if you make this! I’d love to hear how it turns out.

Enjoy!

Cinco de Mayo!

Happy Cinco de Mayo AND taco Tuesday, everyone! Double the fun if you ask me. As I’ve mentioned before, tacos are my favorite food group and if I had the eat them all day, every day, for the rest of my life, you wouldn’t hear a peep out of me about it! Over the years of traveling to different states and cities, I’ve eaten some seriously delicious tacos. A few years back I visited Austin, Texas and basically ate my weight in tacos over the span of 48 hours. I distinctly remember eating a taco that was as much savory as it was sweet and refreshing and I’ve always wanted to recreate it. Rewind to a few days ago when I was planning my Cinco de Mayo menu, I was doing some taco research, as one does, and came across a recipe so similar to what I wanted to recreate. I’m not surprised it’s a recipe from my favorite food blogger, Half Baked Harvest. Have you seen her food photos?? Drool. Worthy.

Enter the spicy cider beer braised chicken enchilada/tacos with a sweet chili apple-pomegranate salsa. Except minus the enchilada part because I omitted the enchilada sauce. Yes, it’s as good as it sounds. Yes, you need to make it. Yes, it’s okay if you eat it all. Here’s the recipe, you can thank me later. Also, I let my chicken simmer in the sauce longer than the recipe calls for and I’m glad I did, it was packed with flavor.

The crunch of the apples and refreshing burst of flavor in the pomegranate arils in the salsa was such a great compliment to the spice in the chicken; it really balanced everything out. I love texture when eating a taco… like “oh, what’s that tasty little surprise crunch?”. Focusing on every bite, I could really taste every ingredient and I'm really happy with how they turned out.

I made a grilled Mexican street corn and quinoa salad as a side; it was equally as refreshing as it was satisfying. It’s also healthy, win-win! I can’t wait to make it again now that it’s definitely warming up in Southern California. It would make a great dish to serve for a large group of people because the recipe makes a lot and is also super easy to double. In fact, I’m adding that to my list of “summer party” foods!

Cinco de Mayo celebrations wouldn't be the same without a yummy and refreshing cocktail to pair with your meal! Half Baked Harvest came through, once again, with a killer drink! Honestly, I couldn’t even taste the tequila in it, which is a little dangerous, haha!

All of this can be made at any time, not just for Cinco de Mayo! I don’t think there’s ever a wrong time for tacos, a refreshing street corn salad, and a few cocktails!

Enjoy!

Cinco de Mayo Inspired Pizza

Pizza is one of those meals that can be eaten any time of the day. Or maybe I'm a complete weirdo for loving to eat it for breakfast, please tell me I’m not the only one! Either way, pizza is delicious and can be made so many different ways.

I decided to make a Cinco De Mayo inspired pizza and after I came across this recipe I knew I had found the one. With caramelized onions, chorizo, spinach and artichoke hearts, I was drooling just thinking about it.

I messed up my first batch of dough, which I still let rise and surprisingly I liked the way it turned out better than the batch done right. I didn’t let the yeast, water and honey sit until foamy in the first batch and went straight in with flour and olive oil. I figured “why waste it?”, and I’m glad I didn’t.

This recipe calls for the onions to sauté for about 20 minutes, but I wanted to let mine caramelize for about an hour and I think it added a ton of extra flavor to the pizza. There’s something so wonderful about caramelized onions…between the way they cook and smell to the way they compliment other flavors. I would put them on everything if I could. I also used my favorite soy chorizo from Trader Joe’s because it has just the right amount of spice to it and I knew it would be a nice addition to the pizza. It already calls for peppers in adobo sauce, so I didn’t want to overpower anything by using with regular chorizo. Instead of using fontina cheese, I used a mozzarella and cojita as a cheese layer and also a sprinkle of manchego on top once the pizzas were done and ready to eat. The manchego gives a nice bite to it!

I put my pizzas on a pizza stone and put them in a smoker to cook instead of baking them in the oven; I've realized it cooks the pizza evenly and gives the crust a little je ne sais quoi. I don’t know how to say that phrase in Spanish, or if there even is an equivalent to it, so you get a little French thrown in, too.

If you want a pizza that is unlike anything you’ve ever tasted, this is the one you want to make!

Enjoy!

Cheesy Taco Enchilada Casserole

I could eat Mexican food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day for the rest of my life and be completely satisfied. I mean, tacos are my favorite food group ;) As a kid, we had taco night fairly often and it was always my favorite. My mom is a master of putting a meal together that most people make in simple ways. Now, there’s nothing wrong with a basic taco, but adding different flavors and textures and using all of the accoutrements is the best part!

A couple nights ago I had a plan to make a skillet taco pie because I was craving tacos but wanted it all put together in a different way. I started looking around my pantry, saw a can of enchilada sauce and knew I wanted to do something a little different. I browned the turkey meat and added in some chopped onions and homemade taco seasoning. At that point I still wasn’t sure what I was going to make, but one quick thought later about a stacked enchilada dish I had at my favorite local Mexican restaurant, I had an “aha” moment… and that’s how this cheesy taco enchilada casserole was born. I would have loved to add avocado and sour cream, but my avocados were still rock hard, and I didn’t have any sour cream!

It’s simple, doesn’t take a ton of skill, and can easily be thrown together on a weeknight when you don’t want to think hard about what to make.

⁣

You’ll need:⁣

9x13 inch casserole dish

1lb ground turkey, browned ⁣(can use beef as well)

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

8 corn tortillas⁣

One 12oz can red enchilada sauce⁣

1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)⁣

3 cups shredded mexican blend cheese⁣

1 medium jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1 packet taco seasoning (or you can make your own)⁣

1/4 cup water

I make my own taco seasoning, here’s what I use: ⁣

1 tablespoon chili powder⁣

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder ⁣

1/4 teaspoon onion powder⁣

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes⁣

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano⁣

1/2 teaspoon paprika⁣

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin⁣

1 teaspoon sea salt⁣

1 teaspoons fresh ground pepper⁣

Mix together!

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

1. Brown your desired meat of choice and add chopped yellow onion.

2. Add taco seasoning and 1/4 cup water, mix. Let simmer for a few minutes.

3. Cover the bottom of your casserole dish with a thin layer of enchilada sauce.

4. Add two corn tortillas, side by side. (It’s okay of they overlap) Pour another thin layer of enchilada sauce on top of the corn tortillas.

5. Add layers of taco meat, beans, and cheese.

6. Repeat the process until you’ve used all 8 tortillas.

7. Add extra cheese on top and put in oven for 10-15 min, or until cheese is lightly baked.

8. Sprinkle chopped jalapeños and cilantro on top, bake another 5 minutes.

Add avocado and sour cream, or anything else that sounds tasty to you!

Enjoy!

⁣

Balsamic Glazed Chicken with Rosemary Potatoes

I wish you all could have smelled the aroma of this while it baked. If I could bottle up the scent, I one hundred percent would! One of my favorite parts of cooking is the process of what food smells like when it’s being chopped and then sautéed or baked. For example: the rosemary in this recipe; it’s so fragrant when being chopped fresh and then has the most wonderful redolence when put under heat.

The combination of meat and potatoes is hard to mess up and is also the perfect weeknight meal to make after work. It’s satisfying and easy enough to throw together. I would have liked to use red potatoes for this, but all I had were yellow dutch and truthfully, it still tasted so good. There’s just something about red potatoes and rosemary that make for a really delicious combination, so if you can, use them.

I knew I had chicken thighs, dutch potatoes, and rosemary, so I worked around those ingredients and came up with this recipe. Make sure you have a skillet that is oven safe because it’ll get baked at the end!

Ingredients:

Four bone-in, skin-on-chicken thighs

2 cups halved (or quarter if larger) baby red potatoes

2 sprigs fresh rosemary, plus 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped

For the marinade:

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

1 1/2 tablespoons dijon mustard

Kosher salt

Fresh ground pepper

Directions:

For the potatoes:

In a mixing bowl, toss halved baby red potatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil and chopped rosemary. Set aside.

For marinade and chicken:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

1. Combine all marinade ingredients and whisk until mixed well.

2. Add chicken thighs to the marinade, making sure they are well coated. Cover and put in fridge. If you don’t have a lot of time, 20 minutes will do, but letting the chicken marinade for an hour or longer is suggested.

3. Once chicken has marinated, heat olive oil on high in a skillet and transfer chicken thighs to skillet, skin side down.

4. Sear skin side down for two minutes, turn over and sear other side for two minutes. Tip: pour in a little of the remaining marinade to help keep chicken moist while it bakes and to add a little extra flavor!

5. Add potatoes to skillet, nestling them between chicken and top with rosemary sprigs.

6. Transfer to oven and bake until potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes*. If potatoes aren’t done yet, remove chicken from skillet and transfer to a cutting board.

7. Serve chicken and potatoes with drippings.

Notes:

*Every oven is different, so check your chicken after 25 minutes.

Enjoy! And please let me know if you make this recipe, I’d love to know how it turns out!

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

I’m not sure if my Nonnina would be shaking a finger at me for not making gnocchi the traditional way or if she’d be proud of me for trying something different! I’d like to think it’s the latter.

My Nonnina was raised in Messina, Sicily and that alone should explain my love of GOOD food… it’s in my blood! Italians are known for their pastas and sauces and the ways they mix flavors together. I feel so fortunate to have been raised with the influence of Italian culture, it plays a big role in the meals I make today. More often than not our home smelled like garlic and onions being sautéed and family parties had tables lined with from-scratch Italian meals that could have fed a small village.

Many years ago my mom made me a book of all my favorite recipes she makes. One of them is her recipe for brown butter sauce with sautéed garlic, tomatoes, and basil. It’s so simple yet explodes with flavor. Gnocchi (even when made with sweet potatoes) is rich and filling by itself, so the lightness of the brown butter sauce is a perfect compliment.

I took classic gnocchi and added a twist by using sweet potatoes. However, in keeping with traditional gnocchi, this Sweet Potato Gnocchi recipe has only three ingredients.

For the Gnocchi:

2 medium sweet potatoes

3 cups flour (1/2 for dusting)

3 teaspoons salt

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake sweet potatoes for 45-50 minutes, or until tender. You’ll know they are done when you can press a fork into them rather easily. Set potatoes aside on a cooling rack.

2. Combine the salt and 3 cups of flour. Flour a work surface and pour your mixture onto the surface. Make a well in the middle of the flour.

3. Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove the skin and place one by one in a potato ricer. If you don’t have a potato ricer, simply put them in a large bowl and mash with a fork. You’ll want little to no lumps.

4. Once all of the potato has been riced, flour your hands and begin working the sweet potato into the flour. Continue to work the mixture until it’s fully combined. You don’t want the dough to be sticky so keep adding flour until you get a nice dry dough. This could take more flour depending on the size of your potatoes.

5.Once fully combined, roll the dough into a ball and cut it into eight even pieces. Roll each piece into a long log that’s about 1/2 an inch thick. Cut pieces the gnocchi into 1 inch pieces. Gently toss each piece into flour to ensure that it’s dry and not sticky at any edges. Continue until you’ve cut out pieces from all of the dough.

6. You have the option of using a gnocchi board, or pressing a fork into each piece of gnocchi to create grooves.

To cook the gnocchi:

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Carefully place the gnocchi into the boiling water and then reduce to low/medium heat. Once the gnocchi have all risen to the top, use a slotted spoon and remove.

2. In a separate pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and transfer gnocchi to that pan.

3. Gently move the gnocchi around until lightly brown on each side. Turn heat off and let sit.

You can choose your sauce or topping, but this is one I used:

Brown butter sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 stick unsalted butter

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup chopped basil

1. Melt the butter on low/medium heat, stirring continuously; you don’t want your butter to burn.

2. Once the butter is melted and a light brown color, add olive oil, garlic and sauté. Again, you don’t want the butter or garlic to burn, so keep moving it around.

3. Toss in tomatoes, turn down heat and bring to a simmer.

4. Let simmer for 15 min, stirring every few minutes.

5. Add basil, stir, and let sit for another 5 minutes.

What I like to do is take the sauce directly from the pan it cooked in and pour it on top of the gnocchi. Then turn the heat on low, mix everything together and let that simmer for another few minutes so the flavors have a chance to combine with the gnocchi.

You can grate a little parmesan on top, and voila, you have a delicious meal!

Buon Appetito!

Eggs Benedict

If there’s one thing I’m missing right now, it’s being able to go to brunch! We’ve had some beautiful days here in Orange County and I’m craving the feeling of sitting outside at a restaurant by the beach, with a glass of champagne in hand, while talking and laughing with friends. Since that just isn’t possible, and who knows when it will be, I decided to make my go-to brunch meal at home this past weekend…Eggs Benedict! It is timeless because of its simplicity but I also love that there are so many other ways to make the dish with just a little creativity and knowledge of flavors and textures. I went a more simple route, but the combination of the flavors I used made every bite a so enjoyable.

First you’ll want to make your hollandaise sauce! I’ve added instructions below. It is easy to make, and on its own tastes like rich, creamy, lemony butter. I added a little kick to mine with a few shakes of cayenne pepper—it was so yummy! You’ll need butter, eggs, lemon juice, plus a little salt and pepper.

Traditionally, Eggs Benedict uses an English muffin as the base and Canadian bacon as the first layer, but I prefer using homemade bread and regular, crispy bacon instead. So make sure to have whatever kind of base and meat you want to use ready by the time your eggs are poached.

Poaching eggs is much easier than you’d think if you follow a few simple steps. With a little trial and error, I think I’ve figured it out. Fill a pot with water (about 4 inches), bring the water to a boil then reduce to simmer; you only want to see a few bubbles, not rolling. Add a splash (I use about a tablespoon) of distilled white vinegar, it helps keep the egg white together once in the water. A lot of recipes call for salt, but I found that when the egg is put into the water, the salt causes egg white wispies. This happens because salt adds density to the water and it makes more of the egg white float. So in my next attempt, I omitted the salt and as a result, there weren’t any egg white wispies. I like to crack the egg into a ramekin first, just to make sure I don’t get eggshell in the water. Once your water is reduced to a simmer, swirl a vortex using a spoon, moving clockwise. Very gently drop your egg into the water. Depending on how soft you want your egg yolk, set a timer between 3-5 minutes. Once done to your liking, use a slotted spoon and remove the poached egg.

Add your choice of meat to either an English muffin or choice of bread. Carefully move the poached egg and rest on top of the meat. Next, you’ll want a to give a generous pour of Hollandaise over all of that. You can top if off with whatever you like… I used fresh dill and chopped chives and sprinkled both on top. I also sliced an avocado to add the finishing touch. It was all very tasty and I can’t wait to make it again. I’m thinking I need to try to replicate the Kalua Pork Eggs Benedict I had in Hawaii in February!

I’d love to hear your favorite way to eat Eggs Benedict!

Ingredients:

2 English Muffins (or whatever kind of bread you’d like to use)

4 large eggs

4 slices Canadian bacon (of regular bacon)

Vinegar (just a splash!)

For the Hollandaise sauce:

4 tablespoons butter

4 egg yolks

1-2 tablespoons lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

For the Hollandaise sauce:

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. In a separate small bowl, beat the egg yolks. Mix in lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Add a small spoonful of the hot melted butter to the egg mixture and stir well. Repeat this process adding a spoonful at a time of hot butter to the egg mixture. Make sure to add the butter slowly so the eggs don’t curdle. Once the butter has been incorporated, pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Cook on low heat, stirring constantly, for just 20-30 seconds. Remove from heat and set aside.

Enjoy!