You heard me.

Homemade pistachio ice cream. And it couldn’t be easier! Unless you decide to by whole pistachios that are not already shelled…

Let me set the stage for you. We’re walking around Trader Joe’s on a very busy Saturday afternoon. People are shoving us left . . . → Read More: Pistachio Ice Cream]]> Pistachio. Ice cream.

You heard me.

Homemade pistachio ice cream. And it couldn’t be easier! Unless you decide to by whole pistachios that are not already shelled…

Let me set the stage for you. We’re walking around Trader Joe’s on a very busy Saturday afternoon. People are shoving us left and right so they can make their way to the dark chocolate and sea salt covered almonds (can you really blame them?!). There in front of us lie two options for our ice cream: whole pistachios or shelled pistachios. I instinctively go for the shelled pistachios.

“Not so fast,” says a familiar voice. Before I can stop him, John has picked up a bag of each and is examining which will offer us the greatest volume of pistachios post-shelling. After a few seconds, he concludes that we should buy the whole pistachios and remove the shells ourselves.

I whine a little. He says it’ll be fun. I whine a little more. Then we leave with a very large bag of whole pistachios, dark chocolate and sea salt covered almonds, and a container of chocolate chip cookies. Typical.

Directions
Phase one: The first thing that needed to happen was obvious: shell the pistachios. For some reason John thought he would be excused from this “fun” task, but don’t you worry, I set him straight. The two of us sat at our kitchen table removing shells for a loooong time. This wasn’t so bad. In fact, we had some nice bonding time. Until the pistachio shells started flying around the room (true story). Thankfully, we have a vacuum cleaner (read: dog) who helps to clean up. This was over a week ago and Jackson hasn’t been sick yet. I’m going to assume that means pistachios – and their shells – are able to be digested by canines. Phew.

“Do you think we should remove the skin, as well?” he asks. (John, not the dog.)

Um. Yes. Yes, I do. Unless we want bitter pistachio ice cream. Which we don’t.

Phase two: Remove pistachio skins. Easier said than done. Having little experience in this department, John and I sat at the table and tried to peel the skin off of each pistachio. It took me about 15 minutes to realize there must be a better way. Enter: Google.

*Handy dandy tip: bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add shelled pistachios, let soak for 1-2 minutes, then drain and place between a dish towel. Rub the towel back and forth to loosen and remove the skins. Whatever doesn’t come off with the towel should peel off relatively easily now.

Phase three: Ice cream!

Grind one cup of pistachios and 1/4 cup of sugar in the bowl of a food processor.

Bring milk and ground pistachio mixture to a boil in a heavy large saucepan, then remove from heat.

Whisk egg yolks and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in the hot milk mixture. Return the custard to the saucepan, then cook over low heat, sitrring constantly, about 10 minutes. The custard should thicken and leave a path on the back of a spoon when your finger is drawn across it. Chill until cold, about 2 hours.

Stir in 1 cup of whipping cream and chopped pistachios into the custard.

Process mixture in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to container and freeze.

Was it worth it?

I bet that most of you do.

Personally, well.. I’ve never been a huge fan of slow cookers. I think it’s because I was using a cheap one from Wal Mart that gave everything a distinct metallic flavor (a bad sign, I know). Now that . . . → Read More: Bourbon-Honey BBQ Chicken]]> Do you own a slow cooker?

I bet that most of you do.

Personally, well.. I’ve never been a huge fan of slow cookers. I think it’s because I was using a cheap one from Wal Mart that gave everything a distinct metallic flavor (a bad sign, I know). Now that we’ve moved up in the world of kitchen appliances — someone was kind enough to gift us this slow cooker last year for our wedding — I’ve been experimenting more.

I’m happy to report that this bourbon-honey bbq chicken (um, yum) tastes nothing like metal! In fact, it tastes like… bourbon and honey and bbq sauce. A winning combo, in my book.

Directions
You might not be prepared for how easy this recipe is. I’m giving you fair warning.

Combine all ingredients except for chicken into a slow cooker.

Stir to combine.

Add chicken breasts, turning once to coat in sauce.

Place lid on slow cooker, then set to “low” and walk away for 6 hours.

Congratulations, you’ve now made the easiest pulled chicken recipe ever!

I mean, you still have to shred the chicken, but even that requires next to no effort. If you stare at the chicken long enough, it might even pull itself apart. (I’d have a fork on standby, though, just in case.)

You should probably serve these with a vegetable or something resembling the color green. Salad, cole slaw, pickles, broccoli. Anything, really.

Make this chicken asap, guys! Then be sure to tell your family how you spent the day slaving in the kitchen to make this meal. Based on flavor alone, they’ll probably believe you.

Some of my friends had the genius idea to turn them into pretzel bites. And who doesn’t love finger food?!

So when I came across this recipe - pizza pretzel bites – it would not be an . . . → Read More: Pizza Pretzel Bites]]> Remember that time I made soft pretzels? They were good. They were really, really good.

Some of my friends had the genius idea to turn them into pretzel bites. And who doesn’t love finger food?!

So when I came across this recipe - pizza pretzel bites – it would not be an exaggeration to say that I squealed a little with delight and quickly informed John that I had to make them. Like now. And by “now”, I meant the upcoming weekend.

And I did.

And they were delicious!

These definitely require a bit of prep, but it’s so worth it. Again, not exaggerating.

Directions
First, we’ll have to make the dough.

Incredibly easy: combine water, sugar, yeast, and melted butter in a stand mixer. Let this sit for a few minutes (5 – 10, should do), until the yeast has activated.

Add salt and flour, then mix with the dough attachment, about 3 – 4 minutes. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a towel or plastic wrap, then place in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. I used a pastry cutter, which worked well.

Roll out each piece of dough into a rope, about 22 inches long.

Keep the dough covered with damp paper towels while you move on to the next step. Otherwise, the dough will form a hard outer layer.

Cut the dough into one inch pieces to form the pretzel bites.

I found the rolling-out and filling stages to be easier with the ingredients already prepped. Cut the pepperoni (or whichever pizza-style fillings you choose!) into small, bite-sized pieces.

Roll out each piece of dough.

Add some grated mozzarella. (Alternatively, you could buy mozzarella string cheese, cut ‘em into tiny pieces, and place inside each pretzel bite.)

Throw in some sliced pepperoni, as much or as little as you like.

Then fold over the dough and pinch the ends to seal.

Repeat with remaining dough (this is the part that takes a while…), then place on a baking sheet and cover with a damp paper towel.

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then carefully add baking soda. Boil the pretzel bites in the water solution, about 15 bites at a time, for 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon, then place on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper or Silpat. Brush the tops of the bites with egg wash and season liberally with salt.

*As a side note: in the past I’ve made pretzels by simply dipping them into a water-baking soda solution, not boiling them. One of my friends recently asked me which method was preferred. Dipping them is certainly faster and easier than boiling them, but both recipes work well and produce a mighty fine pretzel. Until I do a side-by-side taste test/comparison, I have no clear preference!

For the sake of experimentation, I placed half of the pretzel bites on parchment paper-lined sheets, and the other half on Silpat-lined sheets. The end result? No difference in how the bottoms cooked. All pretzel bites were crispy and delicious!

Further, I sprinkled half of the bites with kosher salt while the other half received a healthy dose of coarse sea salt. Here, there was a noticeable difference. If you’re looking to replicate that wonderful, salty pretzel that you can pick up from a street vendor or your favorite pretzel shop at the mall, use coarse sea salt. It’s crunchier, more flavorful, and well, it just generally gets my vote. Also, it looks fantastic.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown.

Here are the pretzel bites with kosher salt:

…and those with sea salt:

You’re drooling, aren’t you?

Even though these take a while to assemble, you are graciously rewarded with a mountain of pretzel bites. I was able to get well over 100 bites. That’s a lot of pretzel.

Serve with your favorite pizza sauce (here’s mine! I love this zesty, old school style sauce).

Seriously, what are you waiting for?!

Not only does it call for canned tomatoes (don’t be a skeptic — this makes your life super easy!), but other than a little knife work, everything gets thrown into a food processor, pulsed a few times, and that’s it.

That’s the . . . → Read More: Salsa]]> Are you ready for the simplest salsa recipe ever?

Not only does it call for canned tomatoes (don’t be a skeptic — this makes your life super easy!), but other than a little knife work, everything gets thrown into a food processor, pulsed a few times, and that’s it.

That’s the whole recipe. Combine ingredients, pulse, chill for an hour, eat.

I add extra chopped onions to the finished product because, well, I’m obsessed with onions.

The nice thing about this recipe is that it makes 8 cups of salsa.

The unfortunate thing about this recipe is that after a week you may realize you just ate 8 cups of salsa.

It’s not the salsa you should be worried about. It’s those damn chips and queso!

It’s not much to be proud of, really. It took me all of 30 seconds to throw together.

Combine sliced vanilla beans and plain vodka in a container. Store in a warm place . . . → Read More: Homemade Vanilla Extract]]> I realize this has nothing to do with the big game that’s taking place this weekend… but I made vanilla extract!

It’s not much to be proud of, really. It took me all of 30 seconds to throw together.

Combine sliced vanilla beans and plain vodka in a container. Store in a warm place and give the bottle a shake daily. In two months (or thereabouts), you’ll have the most intense vanilla extract ever.

Here it is on day 1:

Two months later:

A little darker, a lot more intense, and ready to contribute to many baked goods here at Tasty Retreat!

And the best part? Whenever you run low, just top off the bottle with more vodka. I can’t believe I had never made this before.

Not bad for a 30 second recipe, eh? Well, 30 seconds plus two months.

I had a weird, inexplainable craving for buffalo chicken wings.

Of course, at the same time I was also wanting eggplant parmesan and chocolate cake, but in the end the buffalo chicken won out.

I think I’m just excited for the Super Bowl (read: excited for Super Bowl eating!).

. . . → Read More: Buffalo Chicken Lasagna]]> It happened again.

I had a weird, inexplainable craving for buffalo chicken wings.

Of course, at the same time I was also wanting eggplant parmesan and chocolate cake, but in the end the buffalo chicken won out.

I think I’m just excited for the Super Bowl (read: excited for Super Bowl eating!).

This tastes exactly like you might expect. Chickeny, cheesey, spicy, pasta goodness. If you’re looking for a unique dish to highlight at your Super Bowl party next week, switch out the buffalo wings with some other flavor combination (these baked parmesan and garlic wings ought to do the trick) and make buffalo chicken lasagna, instead!

Directions
First things first: pick up a rotisserie chicken at the store. It’s easier than cooking off 2 or 3 chicken breasts in an oven (and costs about the same). Remove skin from chicken, then shred meat and set aside. (Feel free to use all white meat, but I went ahead and used the whole bird.)

Next up: pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add 1 tablespoon of salt. Add lasagna  sheets and cook according to package directions. (I used 12 sheets to make three layers, but you might need more or less depending on the size of the baking dish you’re using.)

Drain, set aside, then drizzle with olive oil so the sheets don’t stick together.

Preheat an oven to 400 F. In a medium saucepan melt two tablespoons of butter. Add two tablespoons of flour and whisk until combined. Continue to cook for 1 to 2 minutes to cook off the taste of the flour. Congratulations, you just made a roux!

Slowly pour in the milk, chicken broth, and cheddar cheese. Whisk until cheese has melted (this could take a few minutes).

Add hot sauce and ricotta cheese, then whisk a little more.

Spicy, delicious buffalo cheese sauce awaits. You’re welcome.

Spread a little sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. This one is 9×13.

Place a few sheets of pasta on top.

Then begin layering. Chicken, bleu cheese, and fresh scallions.

Drizzle more of the buffalo sauce on top (as little or as much as you’d like… there will be leftovers), then place another layer of pasta on top.

Repeat twice more until you have three full layers.

To the top layer add lots of grated cheese. A little mozzarella and some leftover cheddar and bleu cheese would be lovely.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the edges have turned a nice golden brown.

Top off with lots of fresh scallions, then dig in.

Serve with a big green salad on the side and ignore the fact that you’re eating way more cheese than is legally allowed in one sitting.

Melt in your mouth good.

But of course I know better.

This . . . → Read More: Chicken with Tomato-Herb Pan Sauce]]> Is anyone else confused by this uncharacteristically warm winter? We received a few inches of snow this past weekend, then yesterday it was 50 and sunny. On the plus side, all the snow has melted. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say warmer days were coming.

But of course I know better.

This dish is delightful. It’s light, but intensely flavored by the warm tomatoes and fresh rosemary. And ready in 20 minutes! Talk about an easy, healthy, weeknight meal.

Sautéed chicken with a light tomato pan sauce? Sign me up!

Directions
In a small bowl, combine ingredients for herbed butter: butter, garlic, salt, pepper, and fresh chopped rosemary.

Season chicken cutlets with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, then melt olive oil and 1 tablespoon of rosemary butter. Add chicken and cook for 3-5 minutes per side, or until fully cooked.

Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

Turn the heat on the skillet up to high, then add the tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes begin to char, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining rosemary butter mixture. Crush the tomatoes with the back of a spoon to help release their juices, then add white wine or chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the pan to release the brown bits. Cook for additional minute or two.

We served ours with snap peas and half a baked potato (loaded with lots of crispy shallots!). I’m telling you, healthy never looked or tasted so good.

The original recipe called for using tilapia instead of chicken, and oregano in place of rosemary. Feel free to mix and match however you’d like. Select a protein, flavor the butter mixture with whichever fresh herbs you love most, and revel in the simplicity of it all.

Like I said: delightful.

The assignment was to eat more veggies, right?

I wouldn’t go substituting these fritters for fresh greens every day of the week, but a little indulgence (read: oil) once in a while is never a bad thing!

Also, they’re damn tasty.

Directions Trim the ends off of two . . . → Read More: Zucchini Fritters]]> I nailed this, guys.

The assignment was to eat more veggies, right?

I wouldn’t go substituting these fritters for fresh greens every day of the week, but a little indulgence (read: oil) once in a while is never a bad thing!

Also, they’re damn tasty.

Directions
Trim the ends off of two medium zucchini. Using a food processor, grate the zucchini and one medium onion. Place in a medium bowl.

Toss 1 teaspoon of kosher salt in with the zucchini and onion mixture, then set aside for 10 minutes. Wring out the zucchini (these lil guys hold a lot of water) buy squeezing out small handfuls at a time in cheesecloth or a dish towel, then transfer to a clean bowl.

Don’t skip the above step, or you’ll end up with soggy fritters.

Add 1 large egg (lightly beaten), kosher salt, some fresh black pepper, flour and baking soda. Mix thoroughly.

In a large skillet (I used cast iron), heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Drop equal amounts of the zucchini batter into the pan, making sure not to overcrowd. (Overcrowding leads to a drop in the temperature of the oil, which then leads to longer/less precise cooking times and the absorption of more oil into whatever it is that you’re frying. In other words, don’t do it.)

Cook the fritters for 3 to 4 minutes, then flip and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.

Place the fritters on a paper towel lined plate to drain any excess oil, then season immediately with a little salt. Continue frying fritters until the batter is gone.

I kid you not, these were fantastic.

Why had I never made these before?! Simple, inexpensive, and husband-approved. Victory!

Don’t be.

I love a classic meatloaf and potatoes just as much as the next girl, but once in a while you need a little somethin’ somethin’ to wake up your taste buds.

Know what I’m sayin?

Ground lamb is one of my . . . → Read More: Lamb Kofte]]> Are you intimidated by working with “exotic” flavors?

Don’t be.

I love a classic meatloaf and potatoes just as much as the next girl, but once in a while you need a little somethin’ somethin’ to wake up your taste buds.

Know what I’m sayin?

Ground lamb is one of my favorite meats to work with. It’s obviously less expensive than whole cuts of lamb (leg, rack, filet, etc.), but still packs a ton of gamey flavor, which I love. Having recently made my mint fettuccine with lamb ragu (amazing, by the way), I knew I wanted to go in a completely different direction.

Enter: Middle Eastern fare.

Sure, there’s still mint involved — lamb and mint? match made in heaven — but the flavor profile here is decidedly warm and spicy, in that fantastic Middle Eastern kind of way.

So. If your dinner plans are up in the air tomorrow night, what will you be making?

That’s right. Lamb kofte!

Directions
Make the yogurt sauce first. Combine 1 cup of plain, low-fat yogurt with 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 2 tablespoons of tahini (if you’ve got it on hand). Mix, then chill in a refrigerator until ready to serve.

Kofte time. In a medium bowl, combine the ground lamb with the next eight ingredients (mint, onion, garlic, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, and cayenne).