Cream Cheese Muffins | amybites.com

Cream Cheese Muffins

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Yeesh. The site is still a mess, I know. There’s still a chunk of posts I have to restore manually, one-by-one, and then of course the look of the site. Please try to ignore that and focus on these muffins. They’re my new favorites and I’ve been itching to share them.

Cream Cheese Muffins | amybites.com

These muffins are so simple, but so wonderful. One morning I was running late for work (story of my life) and totally forgot to eat breakfast, so I stopped by the deli to pick up a muffin. I saw cream cheese muffins, which is something I was totally unfamiliar with up to that point. My first reaction was, “Boring.” But something made me take a second look. I ended up trying it, and I was instantly obsessed. I knew I needed to make them at home. They’re super moist and slightly tangy from the cream cheese with a bright lemon zing, flecked with beautiful vanilla bean. Sweet but not too sweet, with a crunchy raw sugar topping. They’re the perfect breakfast or snacking muffin—so simple and delicious on their own, but easily enhanced with a spread of your favorite jam.

Cream Cheese Muffins | amybites.com

You can even put the jam in the muffins. I was intrigued by some blueberry-chocolate jam at the farmer’s market a couple weeks ago, so I bought it with the sole purpose of baking it into these muffins. And it was fab. Simply fill the muffin cups halfway with the batter, add a teaspoon of your favorite jam, and cover with the remaining batter. You can even stir fresh fruit into the batter! These muffins are simply the perfect base for your favorite fruit flavors. You must try them this summer.

Cream Cheese Muffins

Adapted from A Family Feast
Makes 12 muffins

  • 3 cups flour
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup low fat milk
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
  • ½ cup butter, melted and cooled
  • ¼ cup of turbinado sugar
  • Optional: ¼ cup of your favorite jam or preserves
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a muffin liner inside each opening of a muffin pan. Spray each liner lightly with non-stick cooking spray.
  2. Add flour, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl and whisk together.
  3. In a small bowl, combine sugar and lemon zest. Rub together with your fingers until well-combined. Add to flour mixture and whisk together.
  4. In a measuring cup, combine the milk and lemon juice and stir. Let sit for several minutes until slightly curdled.
  5. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the room temperature cream cheese until light and creamy. Add eggs and beat until smooth. Add milk mixture, vanilla bean paste and melted butter and mix thoroughly.
  6. In 3 batches, add the flour mixture to the cream cheese mixture, mixing after each addition until just incorporated.
  7. Using an ice cream scoop, spoon the batter evenly into the 12 prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops generously with the turbinado sugar. If using jam, fill each cup halfway and add about a teaspoon of jam, then top with the remaining batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the muffins are firm and just beginning to brown.

 

 

Welcome back.

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If you’ve tried to access the site at all in the past week or so, you may have been very confused. Something went off the rails on my server—I’m still not sure what happened, but my site was completely inaccessible since last weekend. I had a redirect set up to my Tumblr, so some of you may have gone there to find out what was happening. I’m super sorry for any inconvenience in trying to find recipes, and hopefully you were able to get a link from me on Tumblr or find them elsewhere on the internet.

I was troubleshooting constantly with no luck, until it was time to try my last resort: I was finally able to regain access to the site by basically starting from scratch. The good news is, I was able to restore most of my content and the site is actually accessible. I thought all was lost, so this is a huge relief. The bad news: I was only able to restore posts through this past October, so a lot of the more recent recipes are missing. Please bear with me as I go back and re-upload each of those posts individually. It may take a while.

Also, you may notice that the style and functionality of the site is pretty bare bones right now. In the process of trying to restore my content, it was necessary to completely wipe all of my theme and design settings. Again, please bear with me as I get the blog looking and working up to snuff again.

Thank you for your patience. I hope all will be back to normal soon.

Raspberry Cheesecake Ice Cream | amybites.com

Raspberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

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Today’s post is inspired by the lovely city of Toronto. Or, more specifically, a heavenly milkshake I had there. I just visited the city for the first time, and I’ve spent every night since I’ve been back trying to craft a “Toronto Eats” post for you—but I’ve just been stuck. So instead, I made some ice cream to further fuel my denial that I’m not still on vacation. Maybe I’ll get around to that post eventually, but I’m pretty sure we’d all rather talk about ice cream anyway. I usually save this kind of decadence for Sunday Sweets, but I couldn’t wait until next Sunday to share this. I’m sure you understand. Summer, schmummer—I’m more excited that it’s finally ice-cream-making season.

Raspberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

And this was an outstanding first batch of the season. This flavor is so light and fresh, but still creamy and indulgent. It’s truly the perfect way to welcome warm weather. The ice cream is sweet, creamy, and slightly tangy—just like good cheesecake should be. The hint of lemon and the zing of the fresh raspberries cut the richness of the ice cream and provide that bright, refreshing flavor. And of course, I couldn’t forget the crust—the graham cracker crumbs add a bit of texture and toasty deliciousness.

The ice cream base starts as a standard custard, but then we add the magic: cream cheese, vanilla bean paste, and lemon juice. The lemon juice is key—it doesn’t impart an extremely strong lemon flavor, but it provides an extra little tang that really gives the ice cream that distinct cheesecake flavor. Then, as the custard base chills, we whip up a super-quick homemade raspberry jam. Just throw some fresh raspberries, sugar, and some lemon in a pot, and about 20 minutes later…BAM! Jam! Then the base goes into the ice cream maker to churn away. When it’s ready, we layer the ice cream with our jam and graham cracker crumbs and freeze for a few hours before digging in.

Raspberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

Raspberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

Makes about 3 pints

Cheesecake Ice Cream

Slightly adapted from Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones

  • 5 large egg yolks
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1½ cups heavy cream
  • 1½ cups 1% or 2% milk
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon strained fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
  1. In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the yolks just to break them up, then whisk in half of the sugar (6 tablespoons). Put the cream cheese in another medium heatproof bowl. Set both bowls aside.
  2. In a heavy nonreactive saucepan, stir together the cream, milk, and the remaining sugar (6 tablespoons) and put the pan over medium-high heat. When the mixture approaches a bare simmer, reduce the heat to medium.
  3. Carefully scoop out about ½ cup of the hot cream mixture and, whisking the eggs constantly, add the cream to the bowl with the egg yolks. Repeat, adding another ½ cup of the hot cream to the bowl with the yolks. Using a heatproof rubber spatula, stir the cream in the saucepan as you slowly pour the egg-and-cream mixture from the bowl into the pan.
  4. Cook the mixture carefully over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it is thickened, coats the back of a spatula, and holds a clear path when you run your finger across the spatula, 1 to 2 minutes longer.
  5. Strain the base through a fine-mesh strainer into the bowl with the cream cheese. Whisk until smooth, then set the bowl into an ice-water bath, wash your spatula, and use it to stir the base occasionally until it is cool. Remove from the ice-water bath, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate the base for at least 2 hours or overnight.
    (In this recipe, it’s particularly important that the base is cold before proceeding to the next step, because otherwise the lemon juice will cause the mixture to “break” and lose its emulsion.)

Quick Raspberry Jam

Adapted from The America’s Test Kitchen DIY Cookbook
Makes about 1 cup of jam

  • 12 oz. fresh or frozen raspberries, thawed
  • ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh strained lemon juice
  • Zest of ½ lemon
  1. Place metal spoon in freezer to chill. Combine raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice and zest in large saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium. Mash fruit with potato masher until fruit is mostly broken down. Simmer vigorously until fruit mixture thickens to jamlike consistency, 15-20 minutes.
  2. To test for set point, remove saucepan from heat. Dip chilled spoon into jam and allow jam to run off spoon; jam should slowly fall off spoon in one thickened clump. If jam is runny, return to medium heat and simmer 2 to 4 minutes before retesting. Transfer finished jam to jar with tight-fitting lid, and let cool to room temperature before using in ice cream. Any extra jam can be covered and refrigerated for up to 4 weeks.

Ice Cream Assembly

  • ½ cup graham cracker crumbs
  1. When the custard base is fully chilled, add the lemon juice and vanilla and whisk to incorporate well.
  2. Freeze in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. While the ice cream is churning, put the pint containers you’ll use to store the ice cream into the freezer.
  3. When the ice cream is finished churning, take out the chilled pint containers and put a scoop of ice cream in the bottom of one (about ½ to 1 cup). Add a tablespoon or two of jam on top, along with a tablespoon or two of graham cracker crumbs. You can use as much or as little of each as you like. Then, repeat these steps until the container is full. Repeat this process with the other containers.
  4. When the containers are full, stick a knife or chopstick down to the bottom of each and swirl it around just slightly. At this point, you can eat as-is for a soft-serve texture, or press a square of parchment or waxed paper on top of the ice cream in each container and put the lids on tightly before freezing for at least 4 hours. Always let the ice cream thaw slightly before serving. Top with a graham cracker piece and enjoy.
Broccoli Pesto Pasta | amybites.com

Broccoli Pesto Pasta

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I hadn’t been feeling super inspired to blog for the past few weeks. Maybe it was the fact that it’s been cold and rainy and generally gloomtastic around here, maybe it was the fact that my mind was focused on other thoughts and my hands were busy doing other things. I had recipes and photos queued up to post, but no desire to talk about them. And maybe it’s the fact that spring has finally sprung, but I’m feeling excited to telling you about delicious food again. I’m also feeling really pumped about warm weather dishes. While I’m a soup-and-stew lady through and through, the cold and grey lasted a little too long this year, and I’m so ready to bust out the salads and sandwiches.

Broccoli Pesto Pasta

This is a great transition dish for that weird in-between period. With the bright, green, fresh broccoli “pesto” and baby spinach, it looks and feels super springy and light. But it’s still got that creamy, comforting, pasta thang going on. I think you could easily (and deliciously) serve this cold or at room temperature instead of warm, and it would be a refreshing dish even on the hottest of days. And despite a dubious April, it’s clear now that those days are comin’!

Broccoli Pesto Pasta

I made this a few weeks ago and absolutely loved it. I’m a broccoli freak, so it was no surprise to me. I threw in some spinach leaves at the end for extra green goodness, but you could also add them to the pesto itself. You could pretty much throw any other leftover greens into the pesto to add some extra flavor—arugula would be great, and you could even use basil to give it more of a traditional pesto flavor. The beauty of pesto is that you can really have fun with it—just play around and enjoy!

Broccoli Pesto Pasta

Adapted from Annie’s Eats
Serves 8

  • 1 lb. broccoli
  • 1 lb. short pasta
  • 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 small onion, finely diced
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
  • ½ tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ½ cup nonfat Greek yogurt
  • 2 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup baby spinach leaves, optional
  • Additional Parmigiano-Reggiano for serving, optional
  1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Meanwhile, chop the broccoli crowns into florets. Chop the stems into ½-inch discs. When the water is boiling, add the broccoli to the water to boil briefly just until fork-tender, about 3-4 minutes. (Alternatively, add a steamer basket above the water and steam the broccoli until fork-tender.) Remove to a bowl, leaving the water in the pot. (Use a skimmer or strainer to remove the broccoli if you boiled it.)
  2. Maintain the water at a boil. Add the pasta to the pot and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Reserve ½ cups of the pasta water and then drain the pasta well. Set aside.
  3. Return the pot to the heat. Add the butter and olive oil to the pot over medium-high heat, heating until the butter is melted.  Add the onion to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, red pepper flakes and salt and cook 1-2 minutes more. Return the cooked broccoli to the pan and cook 1-2 minutes more to heat through. Season with pepper to taste.
  4. Transfer the broccoli mixture to a food processor or blender. Pulse in short bursts, scraping down the sides as needed, until the mixture is finely chopped. Add in the greek yogurt and parmesan cheese and process until smooth.  If needed, add the reserved pasta water a little bit at a time just until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Season with freshly ground pepper to taste. In a large bowl (or in the pot), toss the pasta with the sauce.  Serve with freshly grated Parmesan.

Broccoli Pesto Pasta nutrition

Tomato Tortellini Soup

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Tomato Tortellini Soup

It’s been a rainy week he

re in Chicago. Several times, I’ve woken up in the wee hours of the morning to the sound of rain absolutely pounding on our windows and skylights. I slowly fall back asleep only to wake up a mere few hours later to the sound of my alarm…and rain still pounding on the roof. And not only is it rainy, but it goes from being semi-warm and spring-like to being puffy down coat weather within a day. ENOUGH! I am so ready for it to be consistently warm and sunny, and this is coming from a person that prefers to wear sweaters even in 90º weather, so you know it’s bad.

Tomato Tortellini Soup

My number one rainy day meal is tomato soup. Usually with grilled cheese. I won’t lie, I have a weakness for Campbell’s condensed, but sometimes I class it up a little with the homemade stuff. I’ve been wanting to make this creamless tomato soup from America’s Test Kitchen for a while—it uses bread to thicken it instead of cream!—but tomato soup isn’t hearty enough for me by itself. It needs something (hence the classic grilled cheese combo). And then it became clear: tomato soup and grilled cheese is a classic. Tomato sauce and pasta with cheese is a classic. Thus, cheese tortellini in tomato soup should be a classic. Obviously.

Tomato Tortellini Soup

Why hadn’t I thought of this before? I realize I’m not the first one to think of it, but it’s a new and groundbreaking thought for my little brain. Bear with me. It’s delicious. Thick, tangy, sweet tomato soup with chewy, carby, cheesy tortellini. I can’t think of a more perfect rainy day meal. And just in the interest of encouraging my laziness, this soup is an incredibly simple and quick meal that you can throw together even when you don’t feel like cooking anything. Plus, it’s a great vegetarian meal too (just use veggie stock). Bring on the rain…as long as I can bring soup.

Tomato Tortellini Soup

Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen
Serves 6

  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 onion, minced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
  • Pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 (28-oz.) cans diced San Marzano style tomatoes with basil
  • 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
  • 2 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed, torn into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 (9-oz.) package fresh cheese tortellini, such as Buitoni
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
  1. Heat 2 Tablespoons of the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, and bay leaf and cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes.
  2. Stir in the tomatoes with their juice. Stir in the sugar and bread, bring to a simmer, and cook until the bread begins to dissolve, about 5 minutes.
  3. Discard the bay leaf. Stir in the remaining 2 Tablespoons of oil and puree the mixture using an immersion blender until smooth (or transfer to a blender and puree in batches until smooth, then return to the pot). Add salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Stir in the broth and bring mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add tortellini and stir until all tortellini are immersed in liquid. Cover and simmer for 7 to 9 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until pasta is plump and tender. Ladle soup into bowls and top with chopped parsley before serving.

Tomato Tortellini Soup nutrition facts

Buttered Popcorn Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Buttered Popcorn Chocolate Chip Cookies

You guys. Can you even believe the title of this post? I know, it’s nuts. I made a mental note of these cookies when I saw them on Smitten Kitchen, and then the other day Joy posted them…but with the genius addition of chocolate. And like a siren song, they just called to me. You know I’m a fan of the sweet-and-salty, but these cookies take it

to a whole ‘nother level. The cookie base is not unlike a chocolate chip cookie, with dark brown sugar and butter. Then, a whole slew of buttery popcorn is folded in—it crumbles and crunches until it’s fully incorporated into the dough, and then we amplify that deliciousness with bittersweet chocolate chips. And then, after we scoop out the dough, we sprinkle each ball of dough with a smidge of Maldon sea salt just before baking. Can you handle it?!

Buttered Popcorn Chocolate Chip Cookies

The best part is, I simplified the heck out of these by using microwave popcorn. You know those single-serve 100-calorie popcorn packs they sell? I picked up some of the butter-flavored 94% fat-free ones at the store, and I popped two packs to use in this recipe. It took approximately 2 seconds of my time and effort to make them, and I liked that a whooole lot. However, you can certainly pop some on the stove top. Basically, you just need about 7 to 8 cups of your favorite buttery popcorn. Make it your way, but make it delicious, and these cookies will follow suit. And as a bonus, these cookies are only 74 calories a pop. Amazing. Get on it!

Buttered Popcorn Chocolate Chip Cookies

Buttered Popcorn Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from Joy the Baker
Makes 3 dozen cookies

  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • ½ cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 7 to 8 cups popped butter-flavored 94% fat-free popcorn (or 2 single-serve packs)
  • ½ cup bittersweet or dark chocolate chips
  • Coarse sea salt, such as Maldon, for sprinkling
  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF and line three baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. Remove and discard any unpopped kernels from popcorn and set popcorn aside.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in egg and vanilla and mix until incorporated.
  3. Add flour, baking soda, and salt to butter mixture and mix until just combined. Add in popcorn in three batches, allowing mixer to run on low and break up the popcorn or fold in by hand with a spatula. Fold in chocolate chips until just combined.
  4. Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop dough out onto prepared cookie sheets, leaving two to three inches between scoops. Sprinkle a few coarse sea salt flakes on each dough ball. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes or until cookies are golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Buttered Popcorn Chocolate Chip Cookies

Buttered Popcorn Chocolate Chip Cookies nutrition facts

Curried Lentils, Sweet Potatoes, and Chicken

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Curried Lentils, Sweet Potatoes, and Chicken

I’m on kind of an Indian food kick, in case you couldn’t tell. It all started with this pizza, and now I’m just throwing curry powder and garam masala in everything! I’m also on kind of a lentil kick. They’re just so healthy and filling and delicious, and I want everything to be made of lentils. So when I saw a link to a recipe in my Twitter feed that included the words “lentil” and “curry,” I was sold. Plus, it was slow-cooked, which is another one of my obsessions. I immediately went into the kitchen to start cooking. This may not be the sexiest-looking bowl of food ever, but it’s good and good for you.

Curried Lentils, Sweet Potatoes, and Chicken

This recipe is super simple, but extremely hearty. With just a few minutes of prep work and an afternoon of slow cooking, you’ll have 8 substantial servings that will stick to your dang ribs. I love taking a lunch to work that won’t leave my stomach growling by 3 p.m., and this stuff consistently keeps me full for the entire afternoon. I mean, it’s packed with lentils, sweet potatoes, and chicken, so it’s just full of protein and fiber goodness. The slow cooking causes the sweet potatoes and cooking liquid to just melt together and create a thick but smooth base for the lentils and chicken, which are incredibly tender, moist, and flavorful. And it’s a good thing this recipe makes a lot, because this stuff is even better leftover!

Serve with a wedge or two of naan for dipping and you’ve got yourself an incredibly satisfying and healthful meal. And as a bonus, this is a really economical dish—you get a lot of food from a minimal investment in cheap ingredients. Gotta love that.

Curried Lentils, Sweet Potatoes, and Chicken

Adapted from Real Simple
Serves 8

  • 1¼ cups brown or red lentils
  • 1½ pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and diced in 1-inch pieces
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 teaspoons curry powder
  • 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
  • 1¼ teaspoons kosher salt
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 to 1¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • For serving: plain greek yogurt, cilantro, naan bread
  1. In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the lentils, sweet potatoes, onion, garlic, curry powder, ginger, and salt. Add the broth and chicken breasts and turn to coat, submerging the chicken in liquid as much as possible.
  2. Cover and cook until the lentils are tender and the chicken is cooked through, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 6 hours.
  3. Before serving, shred chicken with tongs or two forks; it should fall apart easily. If a thinner consistency is desired, add water as necessary and bring back to a simmer before serving. Top with a dollop of greek yogurt, chopped cilantro, and serve with warmed naan bread.

Curried Lentils, Sweet Potatoes, and Chicken nutrition

Curried Chicken Tikka Pizza

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Curried Chicken Tikka Pizza

We have homemade pizz

a all the time. My boyfriend whips up the whole wheat dough in the bread machine, and when I get home from work, I toss it and top it and throw it in the oven. So easy. And so easy to love. But sometimes, the old standbys of pepperoni or turkey sausage get a little old. That’s when it

’s time to get a little crazy. Sometimes there’s white pizza, but sometimes it gets a little crazier. Like…putting Indian food on pizza and topping it with cheese. Guess what? It totally works. We loved this pizza! Arrivederci, pepperoni—this is our new favorite.

Curried Chicken Tikka Pizza

There’s a lot happening on top of this crust. It starts with chicken breasts coated in yogurt and spices: garam masala and curry powder. The chicken goes under the broiler while you start the sauce on the stove. With a mixture of tomatoes, ginger, spicy cayenne pepper, garlic, more garam masala, and a splash of cream for silkiness, this sauce is absolutely packed with flavor. Standard tomato sauce ain’t got nothin’ on this stuff: savory and spicy with so much depth of flavor. Then, the chicken is added back into the sauce and spread on the crust before being topped with mozzarella, red onion, and cilantro. Deliciousness awaits.

Curried Chicken Tikka Pizza

Curried Chicken Tikka Pizza

Adapted from Cooking Light
Serves 4-6

  • 12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
  • ¼ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala, divided
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • Cooking spray
  • ⅝ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can unsalted diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • ¾ lb. pizza dough, recipe follows*
  • ⅓ cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
  • 3 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (about ¾ cup)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves
  1. Preheat broiler to high.
  2. Cut chicken in half horizontally. Combine chicken, yogurt, ½ teaspoon garam masala, and curry powder. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with ⅛ teaspoon salt. Broil 5 minutes on each side.
  3. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Place tomatoes in a mini chopper; pulse until almost smooth. Add oil to pan. Add 1 ½ teaspoons garam masala, ginger, red pepper, and garlic; cook 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes; simmer 4 minutes. Stir in ½ teaspoon salt and cream; cook 1 minute. Cut chicken into pieces. Add chicken to pan; toss.
  4. Spoon chicken mixture on prepared crust. Top with cheese. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and top with onion. Return to oven and bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes, or until crust is golden and topping has browned slightly. Sprinkle with cilantro before serving.

*You can also use your own favorite crust recipe or a store-bought crust.

Bread Machine Pizza Crust

Recipe from Cuisinart
Makes (2) ¾-lb. pizza crusts

  • 1 cup water, at 80º-90ºF
  • ¾ teaspoon honey or sugar
  • 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2⅔ cups bread flour
  • 9 tablespoons whole wheat flour
  • 1¾ teaspoons yeast (active dry, instant, or bread machine)

Place ingredients, in order indicated by the manufacturer of your bread machine, in pan of bread machine fitted with kneading paddle. Run the machine on the dough cycle. When complete, remove the dough from the machine and place on a floured work surface. Divide dough in half and reserve one half for later use (place in a freezer bag and freeze or refrigerate). Toss or roll out to a 12-14″ circle. Transfer to a baking sheet covered in parchment paper or a pizza stone before adding toppings.

Curried Chicken Tikka Pizza nutrition

Guinness Mac n’ Cheese

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Guinness Mac n' Cheese

I know, I know, I’m super behind the times. All the food bloggers were posting their Guinness recipes and Bailey’s recipes weeks before St. Patrick’s Day, and here I am—posting one the week after. But listen: I like making holiday-themed food on holidays, not weeks before. And I’m sure as heck not waiting a whole year to share this recipe with you. It’s too good! So yes, I made this for our St. Paddy’s Day dinner. Yes, it’s March 20th as of this posting. Deal with it. Good mac n’ cheese is a year-round experience in this little corner of the internet.

Guinness Mac n' Cheese

I’m not a big drinker, especially of beer—but alcohol in food is something I can get behind. This tasty, light mac n’ cheese is infused with stout, and it’s a very prominent flavor. It doesn’t shrink and hide behind the sharp cheddar and melty American cheeses. There are layers to this dish; more so than most other mac recipes that are just cheese on top of cheese (which is also perfectly delicious, don’t get me wrong). With every bite, the cheese hits first. Gooey, cheesy goodness. Then, the rich, bitter stout hits on the finish. It’s a stellar combination. The Guinness cuts through the richness of the cheese and the cheese lessens the bitterness of the stout. A match made in heaven!

Guinness Mac n' Cheese

And that’s not all. There’s some spicy Italian turkey sausage in there too. I wasn’t sure about this particular addition, but the spiciness is totally welcome at this party. Necessary, even. The cheese and the Guinness are both very rich flavors, though in very different ways, so the slight kick the Italian sausage provides is the perfect counterpoint. You could, of course, eliminate the sausage for a vegetarian take on this dish—but I’d suggest adding a generous pinch of red pepper flakes for a similar effect. Try it next St. Paddy’s Day…or tomorrow. Or in July. No judgment.

Guinness Mac n’ Cheese

Slightly adapted from Cooking Light, April 2013
Serves 4 (serving size about 1¼ cups)

  • 7 ounces uncooked cavatappi pasta
  • 2 teaspoons canola oil
  • 4 ounces hot Italian turkey sausage
  • 2½ Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon dry ground mustard
  • ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup Guinness Stout beer
  • ⅓ cup 1% milk
  • 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
  • 2.5 ounces reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 2 ounces light processed cheese, shredded (such as Velveeta Light)
  • Parsley, for garnish (optional)
  • Cooking spray
  1. Preheat oven to 450ºF.
  2. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.
  3. While pasta cooks, heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Remove casing from sausage. Add sausage and onion to pan; cook 6 minutes, stirring to crumble sausage. Add flour, pepper, ground mustard, and salt; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in beer; bring to a boil. Cook 3 minutes or until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add milk and cheeses, stirring until smooth. Stir in pasta. Divide mixture evenly among 4 ceramic gratin dishes or ramekins coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450ºF for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Guinness Mac n' Cheese

Guinness Mac n' Cheese nutrition

Miso-Glazed Tofu with Carrot-Ginger Sauce

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amybites_tofu-title

There’s a great restaurant around the corner from my

apartment that used to have a miso-glazed tofu dish on their menu, and I was obsessed with it. Until it disappeared. NOT OKAY. I’m not even a big tofu person, but this dish spoke to me and made me fall in love with it. It toyed with my emotions. When I find something a like at a restaurant, I

order it every. Single. Time. I get attached. And then, as is the trend nowadays, restaurants are all “seasonal” and “farm-to-table” and all that crap, and dishes don’t stay on the menu very long. What’s a creature of habit to do?

MIso-Glazed Tofu with Carrot-Ginger Sauce

Make it at home, of course! All I had to go on was that there was a big block of tofu, it had some kind of miso glaze, and it was served over brown rice with a carrot-ginger sauce. So I whipped up a simple miso marinade and went to town. I must say that I got pretty darn close to the original. I cooked the carrots in a mixture of vegetable broth and rice wine and puréed them with grated ginger and a splash of half-and-half to make a thick, silky sauce. The tofu’s miso marinade has that very distinct miso flavor, with all the other components of the marinade creating salty and savory and sweet notes all at once. That, combined with the sweet and spicy carrot-ginger sauce and the nutty brown rice, makes a perfectly composed bite.

Miso-Glazed Tofu with Carrot-Ginger Sauce

Miso-Glazed Tofu with Carrot-Ginger Sauce

Serves 4

For the tofu

  • 2 Tablespoons yellow miso paste
  • 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons rice cooking wine
  • 1 Tablespoon agave or honey
  • 1 Tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 block extra-firm tofu
  • 1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil

For the carrot-ginger sauce

  • 1 teaspoon canola oil
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped shallot
  • ½ cup rice cooking wine
  • ½ cup vegetable broth
  • 3 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1 Tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger
  • 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon agave or honey
  • ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • Splash of half-and-half (optional)

Combine miso paste through soy sauce in a small bowl or baking dish and whisk until well combined. Slice tofu into 4 pieces and place in dish with marinade. Place in refrigerator for at least 20 minutes, then remove and turn tofu over to marinade the other side, and refrigerate for another 20 minutes.

While tofu is marinating, heat canola oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add shallot and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes until softened. Add the wine and broth and raise the heat to medium-high. Bring mixture to a boil. Add the carrots, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes or until carrots are fork-tender. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients (soy sauce through half-and-half). Using an immersion blender (or transferring to a blender), puree the mixture until smooth. Add additional broth or half-and-half until mixture reaches desired consistency.

Once the tofu has marinated, heat 1 Tablespoon of sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add tofu and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until well browned. Flip tofu and repeat until tofu is browned on all sides. Serve over brown rice with carrot-ginger sauce.

Miso-Glazed Tofu with Carrot-Ginger Sauce