Honeycomb Apple Cinnamon Crostini

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THAT?! Where I use unique but commonly found ingredients and teach you how to cook with them! This week's ingredient is honeycomb! 

Grocery list:  

• 1 loaf French bread

• 1 stick butter - room temperature

• 1/4 cup honey, plus more for drizzling

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• pinch salt

• 2 apples - sliced (about 20 slices)

• 1/4 cup toasted walnuts - chopped

• Honeycomb - cut into small pieces

Directions:  

1. Preheat oven to 350. Slice French bread into 1/2 inch slices. You should have about 20 crostinis.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the butter, honey, cinnamon and salt. Spread a thick amount on each slice. Place an apple on the top of each. Place all slices on a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes. Turn oven to broil and let go 3 to 4 more minutes.

3. To serve, place crostinis on a platter and sprinkle with chopped walnuts. Drizzle with more honey and top with little pieces of honeycomb.  

CHEERS TO HAPPY EATING!!!  

Spicy Honeycomb Glazed Chicken Tenders

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THAT?! Where I use unique but commonly found ingredients and teach you how to cook with them! This week's ingredient is honeycomb!

Grocery list:

• 1 1/2 pound chicken tenderloins
• Kosher salt
• Pepper
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp hot sauce
• 1 1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• 1 tsp lemon
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flake
• Honeycomb - cut into small pieces

Directions:  

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Sprinkle chicken tenderloins liberally with salt and pepper on both sides.

2. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs and hot sauce. In another shallow bowl, mix together the Panko, garlic powder, and cayenne. Dip each tenderloin into the egg mixture, then into the Panko, covering both sides well with the mixture. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 15 minutes or until cooked through. 

3. While chicken is baking, make the glaze. In a bowl, mix together the honey, melted butter, lemon juice, and red pepper flake. To serve, put chicken on plates and drizzle the glaze over the top. then sprinkle pieces of honeycomb.

CHEERS TO HAPPY EATING!!!

What Do You Do with That: Honeycomb

Drop by my website every week to see an unusual, out of the ordinary, yet easy to find ingredient. I'll teach you about it, give you a quick flavor profile, and of course include several recipes and new ideas on how to cook with it!

With spring finally upon us, this week, the What Do You Do with That ingredient is honeycomb! You may have bought a jar of honey before and noticed a big chunk of wax in it. My advice to you: don't throw it away! Honeycomb is delicious and can be used in many ways. If you've never seen it in a jar and want to experiment with it, this time of year, you can buy it on its own. Check Whole Foods and specialty grocery stores to find it.

Recipes

Honeycomb Apple Cinnamon Crostinis

Spicy Honeycomb Glazed Chicken Tenders

Fig Toast with Honeycomb

Fun Facts

• Raw honeycomb is built by bees to store honey and pollen. It comes right from the beehive and can most definitely be eaten!

• Just like honey, honeycomb is healthy for you! It's good for cholesterol and the liver. Some even say it helps their allergies.

• Honeycomb is similar to chewing gum. It's has a waxy consistently with a sweet flavor. It takes awhile to chew, which slows down eating and can help you not eat as much.

• It's often found in the jar you buy your honey in but it can also be bought alone for about $25. May seem expensive but the good news is, honey doesn't really expire. It's best stored at room temperature and can be eaten for years. I've had my same honeycomb for about 3 years and am still eating it!

• It's most commonly used on cheese boards, smeared on toast, on other breads, and as a garnish.

Flavor Profile

• Sweet

• Waxy

• Floral

• Mouth-coating

What else to do with them:

Be creative! I like to add honeycomb to anything creamy - pudding, ice cream, light cheeses, yogurt, and as a topping for whipped cream. It's great spread on buttered breads of any kind or put on top of cakes, cupcakes, and all kinds of dessert. It's absolutely delicious as a sweet component for savory dishes like a salty pork or chicken. I also love it on top of breakfast favorites - homemade biscuits, waffles, pancakes, or oatmeal! 

Local Memphis Live: Cooking Segment 3/22/16

Local Memphis Live: Cooking Segment 3/7/16

Spiced Citrus Salad

 See full video with step by step instructions!

Grocery list:

• 1 lemon - juiced

• 1 tbsp white balsamic

• 1 tsp honey

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• 1/4 tsp red pepper flake

• Kosher salt

• Pepper

• 1/4 cup good-quality extra virgin olive oil

• 1 grapefruit

• 2 oranges

• 2 blood oranges

• 2 cups spinach and arugula mix - roughly chopped

• 1/2 red onion sliced thin

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, white balsamic, honey, coriander, red pepper flake, and a dash of salt and pepper . Whisk in the olive oil until imulsifed. Set aside.

2. Slice the grapefruit, oranges, and blood oranges into 1/4 inch rounds. For each round, cut the peel off, removing the skin and the pith. Lightly sprinkle slices with salt and pepper.

3. In a large bowl, add the spinach and arugula and toss together with 3/4 of the salad dressing, making sure all of the leaves are covered in dressing. Spread the spinach and arugula mix on a large platter. Top with the citrus rounds, layering the different colors. Add the sliced red onion and pour the remaining dressing over the top.

CHEERS TO HAPPY EATING!!!

Andrea's Cooktales - Series 2, Episode 16 - Homemade Truffle Gnocchi

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE!</iframe</p>

Andrea's Cooktales - Series 2, Episode 21 - Caribbean Seared Tuna w/ Mojito Sauce

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE

Andrea's Cooktales - Series 2, Episode 17 - Nenne's Pecan Pie

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL RECIPE!

Andrea's Cooktales - Series 2, Episode 4 - Fried Chicken 'N Corncakes w/ Pepper Jelly Syrup

GET THE FULL RECIPE HERE!

Seafood Pasta with Smoked Oysters

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THAT?! Where I use unique but commonly found ingredients and teach you how to cook with them! This week's ingredient is honeycomb!

Continuing my "What Do You Do with That?" post on Smoked Oysters, I wrote this recipe a long time ago, but this time I added smoked oysters. We had this for dinner last night and all I have to say is... Oh. My. Gosh.!!!!! This recipe is to die for!!! The smoked flavor from the oysters is soaked up by the pasta and comes out in every bite! Adding smoked oysters is a thrifty ($2 a can) way to add more seafood to your pasta without breaking the bank, and it makes it taste even better! 

Grocery list: 

• 1 pound fettuccine

• Kosher salt

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 2 large shallots - sliced

• Pepper

• 3 large garlic cloves - mined

• 1 tsp red pepper flake

• 1/2 tsp thyme - minced

• 1 cup white wine

• 1 pound shrimp - peeled, deveined, tails off

• 1 pound clams

• 3 oz can smoked oysters - drained and rinsed

• 1 lemon - juiced

• 1 tbsp butter

• 1/2 cup parsley - chopped

Directions: 

1. Boil fettuccine in a pot of salted water, using the package directions as a guide, until the pasta is al dente. Drain and reserve at least one cup of the pasta water. Set aside. 

2. In a large sauté pan heat olive oil over medium low. Add the shallots with a dash of salt and pepper and let cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until translucent. Add the garlic, red pepper flake, and thyme and cook for one more minute. 

3. Pour in the wine and add the shrimp and clams. Bring to a boil, cover, and then simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until clams open and shrimp is pink. Add the smoked oysters, lemon juice, butter, parsley, fettuccine, and about 1/4 cup of reserved pasta water (add more pasta water as needed). Stir together, let cook for about one more minute, and serve. 

CHEERS TO HAPPY COOKING!!!

Smoked Oyster Cracker Bites

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THAT?! Where I use unique but commonly found ingredients and teach you how to cook with them! This week's ingredient is honeycomb!

As weird (and maybe unappetizing) as these may sound, I'm gonna go down memory lane on this one and share a story with you. When I hated seafood and wouldn't touch it, my father-in-law had this appetizer at a holiday gathering. He is a crazy good cook - like one of the best - and Tres was able to talk me into trying these smoked oyster crackers. And guess what?! Little Miss Picky loved them! I've graduated from my picky stage (thank the good Lord above), and now I'll eat just about anything. But when I didn't think I'd ever like seafood, I liked these. And you will too! 

Grocery list: 

• 20-25 fancy, round crackers

• 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese - room temperature

• 1 (3 oz) package smoked oysters - drained and rinsed

• Hot pepper jelly

• Fresh dill

• Fleur de sel or Sea Salt

Directions: 

Spread a generous amount of cream cheese on each cracker and top with a single smoked oyster. If you don't have enough oysters for each cracker, cut larger ones in half to make extra. Spoon a large dollop of hot pepper jelly over each oyster. Top each with a sprig of dill and sprinkle of fleur de sel. Serve on a white platter for beautiful presentation. 

CHERRS TO HAPPY EATING!!! 

What Do You Do with That: Canned Smoked Oysters

Drop by my blog every week to see an unusual, out of the ordinary, yet easy to find ingredient. I'll teach you about it, give you a quick flavor profile, and of course several recipes and new ideas on how to cook with it!

This week, it's an ingredient that may scare you a little bit but it shouldn't because it's delicious! If it helps at all, the first time I had these I was the most picky eater on earth and refused to eat seafood. My father-in-law made the Smoked Oyster Cracker Bites appetizer, and Tres talked me into trying them. I'm not gonna lie: I loved it and it inspired my very first "What Do You Do with That?" post! 

Recipes

Smoked Oyster Cracker Bites 

Seafood Pasta with Smoked Oysters

Fun Facts

• They're at their freshest when packaged! Canned Smoked Oysters are usually steamed when they're fresh, smoked for extra flavor, and finally packaged in oil.

• They're easy to find! You can get them at just about any grocery store in the same section as canned tuna and crab.

• They're affordable! They are anywhere from $2 to $3 for a small can that will have anywhere from 20 to 30 small oysters in them.

• They're a lovely way to eat "rich" on a budget! They're just so darn fancy looking, and they have that slight fishy taste that makes you think of caviar. Now, let me get this straight, they are NOT the flavor of caviar, they just can be served similar and have that slight "ocean" taste.

Flavor Profile

• Meaty

• Smoky

• Slightly salty

• Slightly fishy

What else to do with them: 

You can do almost anything with smoked oysters that you do with any seafood. Try them in your seafood stew or soup the next time you make it. Replace your crab or tuna dip with a smoked oyster dip. Try them on a crostini or as a replacement for any basic oyster recipe. Or maybe do your next Oysters Rockefeller or Oysters Bienville dish using them!

Local Memphis Live: Cooking Segment 2/22/16

This week, I'm launching a video series on my blog: "What Do You Do With That?!" The series will feature common grocery store items that may be so odd you thought, "what in the world do I do with that?!" These may be items you have seen before but passed right over because you weren't sure how to use them in your cooking. I'm going to help you break that cycle and try new, unique recipes.  Each week I will feature a new ingredient with a flavor profile, 2 to 3 recipes to go with each, and other ideas on what to do with them. This is gonna be lots of fun! 

5 Tips for Perfect Healthy Soup

Get my Five Pepper Lemon Chicken Soup recipe here!!! 

Five Pepper Lemon Chicken Soup

I think we can all agree that winter may sometimes feel like it will never end, but it gets to a point where you know the seasons of spring, summer, and swimsuits are just right around the corner. I hate compromising or even considering giving up comfort food when my bones are still chilled, yet I know I need to pull it together in the body department. Tres and I are headed to Miami next week for the SOBE Wine and Food Festival and I'd hate to feel not-so-fabulous when I get in my 'kini. In the cases of quick diets and fasting, I always turn to soup!  Watch my 5 Tips on how to make the most perfect healthy soup!

Grocery list: 

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 large onion - diced

• 3 large celery sticks - diced

• 2 carrots - diced

• Kosher salt

• 3 garlic cloves - minced

• 1 tsp red pepper flakes

• 1 tbsp rainbow peppercorns - roughly grinded using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle

• 1 tsp Rosemary - minced

• 1 bay leaf

• 8 cups chicken stock

• Zest 2 lemons

• Juice 4 lemons

• 1 large Parmesan rind

• 4 cups spinach or kale

• 1/4 oz whole wheat spaghetti - torn into pieces (optional)

• Meat from the breast of a rotisserie chicken - shredded

• Parsley (optional), for serving

• Tomatoes (optional), for serving

• Freshly grated Parmesan (optional), for serving

• Extra Virgin Olive oil (optional), for serving

Directions: 

1. Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat and add the onions, celery, carrots, and about 1 tsp of kosher salt. Cook until veggies are translucent. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, grinded peppercorns, rosemary, and bay leaf. Sauté for 1-2 minutes until toasty and fragrant. 

2. Add the chicken stock, lemon zest, lemon juice, Parmesan rind, spinach, and spaghetti (if using) and bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Simmer and add the shredded chicken. Let simmer for at least 30 minutes but up to several hours. The longer it simmers, the better the flavor.

3. Serve in bowls and top with parsley, tomatoes, fresh Parmesan, and olive oil.

CHEERS TO HAPPY EATING!!! 

Rose Shortbread Cookies

I wrote this cookie recipe two Valentine years ago and it's taken me all that time to perfect it and feel like it was good enough to share! It's been delicious since the first time I made it but now it's absolutely amazing! I can't think of anything more romantic for Valentine's Day than the subtle flavor of rose in a dessert. You will LOVE these cookies!   

Grocery List: 

For the cookies: 

• 1 cup unsalted butter - room temperature

• 3/4 cup confectioners sugar

• 1/2 tsp vanilla

• 3/4 tsp rose water

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• 1/4 tsp salt

For the glaze:

• 1 cup confectioners sugar

• 2 1/2 tbsp heavy cream

• 1/2 tsp rose water

• Sprinkles (optional)

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the butter, sugar, vanilla, and rose water together with a hand or stand mixture until completely combined and fluffy. In a medium bowl, sift the flour and salt together and slowly add to the sugar-butter mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough comes together. 

2. Dump onto a clean, lightly floured surface and shape into a smooth, flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out. Using heart-shaped or circle cookie cutters, cut out cookies and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes until they start to brown on the sides. Let cool. 

3. Make the glaze by whisking together the confectioners sugar, heavy cream, and rose water in a medium bowl. If it's too clumpy and thick, add more cream. If it's too thin, add more confectioners sugar. Dip cookies in the glaze and sprinkle with red or pink sprinkles. Let the glaze harden before serving. 

CHEERS TO HAPPY EATING!!! 

Cherry Almond White Hot Chocolate

RECIPE: 

Grocery list (4-6 servings): 

• 2 cups fresh or frozen cherries

• 4 tsp sugar

• 1 cup white chocolate chips

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 4 cups milk

• 1 tsp almond extract

• Whipped cream, for garnish

• Toasted sliced almonds, for garnish

• Maraschino cherries, for garnish

Directions:

1. Put the cherries and sugar in a food processor and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Blend together and pour into a strainer over a bowl. Using a spoon, press down on the cherry blend to get as much liquid into the bowl as possible. You should have close to one cup of liquid. 

2. Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add white chocolate chips and heavy cream. Whisk until smooth then slowly pour in the milk, cherry juice, and almond extract. Whisk together and serve in mugs when warm. Garnish with whipped cream, almonds, and a cherry if desired.

CHEERS TO HAPPY DRINKING!!

Local Memphis Live: Cooking Segment 2/8/16

Video: Rosy Pisco Sour

The first time I had anything rose flavored, I was in Vegas and had a drink called Walk in the Garden. It tasted like absolute roses! I told myself I had to go home and start cooking with rose water, and since then, I break the rose water out to cook with every Valentine's Day. This cocktail is romantic and heavenly.

Grocery list: 

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp rose water 
• 3/4 cup ice
• 1 large lemon juiced 
• 3/4 cup Pisco 
• 1/4 cup grenadine 
• 4 egg whites 
• 2 dashes bitters 
• Rose petals (optional) 

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, bring the sugar, rose water, and 1/2 cup water to a boil over high heat. Take off the heat and let cool. 

2. Add the rose simple syrup to a blender with ice, lemon juice, Pisco, grenadine, egg whites, and bitters. Blend at the highest speed for about 20 second or until foamy. 

3. Pour into 4 lowball glasses and garnish with rose petals. 

CHEERS TO HAPPY DRINKING!!!