Yesterday I went to the farmer’s market here in Stone Harbor, NJ. I love farmer’s markets and possibility of all the good things to eat.  I want it all – fresh vegetables, loaves of crusty bread, and juicy rich fruit that I can bring to the beach. Summer produce is one of my favorite things  – and today’s recipe for garlic scape pesto pasta salad has lots of summer veg. I admit, some of the ingredients are more spring vegetables (asparagus, peas, garlic scapes) and so slightly out of season. However, this recipe is worth sharing anyway. 

If you’ve stuck with me beyond gushing about vegetables, let me tell you why I really love this recipe. It’s the mozzarella. Mozzarella might be my favorite food. For real.

I believe that when people go to the grocery store they sometimes buy themselves a treat. Maybe it’s a soda, a candy bar, or a trashy magazine. For me, it’s a ball of mozzarella. I buy it for myself when I’ve had a great day. And I buy it for myself when I’ve had a bad day. Sometimes I take that ball and eat it like an apple. Or perhaps, I’ll slice it and eat pieces little by little. If I’m feeling really fancy, I’ll make a caprese salad and sprinkle flaky salt on top. I love mozzarella.

And the small globes of soft, creamy, milky mozzarella make this garlic scape pesto pasta salad really special. Yes, fresh seasonal vegetables are delicious and good for you. Sure, pasta is delicious and filling. And duh, pasta salad is a staple of summer time cook-outs and parties. But add balls of cheese and you’re truly stepping up your game. Have I talked enough about cheese? I think so. Let’s move on and talk about garlic scape pesto.

I like this pasta salad also because it’s not coated in mayonnaise. “Salads” that are basically sloshing around in a mayo soup skeeve me out. Instead, this recipe retains moisture through garlic scape pesto. It’s just like regular pesto, but instead of basil you use garlic scapes.

What are garlic scapes? They’re the flower bud of the garlic plant and they’ve got a lovely garlic flavor without being as bitter as raw garlic. Although the Nickelodeon green slime color of garlic scape pesto might not be so appetizing it’s really delicious. And besides, you’ll feel good for eating some veggies. Make a big batch for this recipe and then use any leftover to coat cauliflower florets and then roast them. SO GOOD.

Ok so get to it. Make this for your next summer party and people will thank you for stepping it up with something so delicious and perfectly straddling the line between feeling healthy and indulgent.

Adapted from Epicurious and Five Heart Home.

Messy level: I hate calling this a four spoon recipe because I feel like that could put people off. The method is really simple, so please consider making this! But unfortunately, you’ll need a few pots, pans, and a food processor. That’s a lot of dishes. Sorry folks.

Garlic Scape Pesto Pasta Salad

 

Print

Prep time

25 mins

Cook time

12 mins

Total time

37 mins

 

Author: Cooking is Messy

Serves: 6

Ingredients

Garlic Scape Pesto

• 10-12 large garlic scapes, roughly chopped
• ⅓ cup/ 45 grams pine nuts
• ⅓ cup/ 35 grams finely shredded Parmesan cheese
• ⅓ cup/ 78 milliliters olive oil
• salt and pepper

Pasta salad

• 1 pound/ 454 grams orecchiette
• 8 ounces/ 230 grams pancetta, cut into small bite sized pieces (I bought the pre-cut package from the deli counter)
• 1 pound/454 grams asparagus spears, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1½ cups/ 225 grams frozen peas
• 8 ounces/ 230 grams small mozzarella balls
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Put the garlic scapes, pine nuts, and Parmesan in the food processor. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Turn it on and let it go until you have a chunky puree.
2. With the processor running, slowly pour in the olive oil. Let it go until it all comes together in a thick sauce. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if need be.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water. Then add the orecchiette. Cook until al dente, according to package instructions.
4. While the pasta is cooking, heat a skillet over medium heat. Cook the panchetta until crispy, about 5-7 minutes. Drain on a paper towel.
5. Four minutes before the pasta is done throw the asparagus into the pasta pot and give it a stir.
6. One to two minutes before the pasta is done throw the peas into the pasta pot and give it a stir.
7. When the pasta is done, drain it in a colander. Then put the pasta, asparagus, and peas into a large bowl.
8. Add the mozzarella and pancetta to the large bowl.
9. Put one cup of the garlic scape pesto into a small bowl. Then stir in the red wine vinegar and the olive oil. Stir until smooth.
10. Mix the pesto in with the pasta. Add more pesto if you think it looks too dry.
11. Serve as a main or a side dish.

3.5.3226

The post Garlic Scape Pesto Pasta Salad appeared first on Cooking is Messy.

The last two weeks my fridge has been filled with greens. Greens like lettuce, pea shoots, kale, chard, and dandelion greens. It’s a great problem to have. All these greens force me to try new recipes. They’re a sign summer is here and I love that. And sure, I like the somewhat self-righteous feeling of eating my vegetables. At the same time, let’s be honest friends…there’s a limit to how much salad, sauteed greens, and green smoothies I can eat. My appetite and my palate need a change. Enter, this dandelion mojito. 

I found this recipe idea from the Bitten Word. Immediately, I wanted to make something similar. I liked the idea of using the leaves of a weed to make something fun and delicious. Also, Ryan and I were having our friends Ryan and Shane over for pizza night, so I knew I’d have a captive audience who’d be open to testing a cocktail.

This was my first encounter with dandelion greens. Let me tell you they are biiiiiiiiiiiitter! Have you ever had wine with a lot of tannins; where all the moisture feels sucked out of your mouth? That’s how I felt when I munched on a raw dandelion green only that feeling lasts way longer. If any of you out there eat dandelion greens raw, please tell me more. What do you put on them? How can you stand it!?

To cut the bitter taste, I blanched the dandelion greens first. Blanching is quickly boiling the greens and then shocking them in an ice bath. This step is totally optional. If you like bitter flavors, forgo this and go straight to making simple syrup and blending the ingredients.

Some people really enjoy bitter flavors. I feel, as an adult, I’m supposed to shy away from sugary drinks but I’m not quite there yet. For me, the blanching did the trick. The greens still had their flavor, but subtle, enjoyable, and didn’t take over my mouth.

This recipe is truly a lovely summer cocktail. It has all the characteristics of a mojito (rum, lime, sugar) but with the unique twist of dandelion greens instead of mint. The slight bitter taste from the greens is grown up, refreshing and springy. The lime, rum, and sweetness doesn’t hurt either. What started as a hard to eat leaf, turned into a really easy drinking cocktail. I loved it.

The boys seemed to like it too. From time to time, Ryan, Ryan, and I talk about opening a pizza restaurant and we discussed having the dandelion mojito as a signature cocktail on our menu. So I’ll call that a win. Hope you’ll give it a try too. Either in your kitchen, or maybe in our future restaurant…

Adapted from the Bitten Word.

Messy level: The dandelion mojito is a little unusual because it’s not that clean to make. You’ll need a pot for blanching, a pot for simple syrup, and a blender to make puree, and then a sieve to separate the solids. Admittedly it’s a little bit of work. But it’s the kind of yummy cocktail you could charge $12 for… or at the very least impress some friends at a dinner part.

Dandelion Mojito

 

Print

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Author: Cooking is Messy

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 bunch dandelion greens (~3/4 cup thinly sliced greens)
• ¼-1/3 cup agave, more or less depending on taste
• ½ cup water
• 4 limes, plus more for garnish
• 1 liter, seltzer water
• white rum, optional

Instructions

1. Optional step if you want to reduce the bitterness of the greens: Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the dandelion greens and let boil for 30-45 seconds. Use tongs to remove the greens from the water. Submerge the greens into a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Dry greens as best you can.
2. Remove the stems and roughly chop the greens.
3. Combine agave and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Once simmering, remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. (Note: if you like sweeter drinks you can add more agave to the water, but don't go more than ½ cup)
4. Blend the dandelion greens and agave syrup using an immersion blender, blender, or food processor (Note: I used an immersion blender because the amount of stuff was too little for my blender to get it)
5. Pour the puree into a fine mesh sieve set over a bowl. Use the back of a spoon to press out the liquid. Dispose of the solids that don't go through the sieve. Some solids will get through, but they're tiny and it's ok.
6. Juice the 4 limes into a pitcher. Through the lime rinds in after the juice. This will add more flavor.
7. Pour the dandelion puree and seltzer over the limes. Taste. Adjust with added lime juice or agave if you want it more tart or more sweet.
8. Add rum directly to the pitcher if you'd like. I prefer to keep it separate so it can be added to the tastes of you and your guests. I went with about ½-3/4 of a shot glass per 8 oz glass.
9. Serve over ice and with a lime wedge for garnish.

3.5.3226

The post Dandelion Mojito appeared first on Cooking is Messy.

It’s Labor Day, which pretty much marks the end of summer. School has start, pumpkin spice lattes are back, and the weather is a bit cooler (for now). To mark the end of summer, I’ve got a recipe for an Old Bay shrimp boil. I think it’s a pretty great end of summer transition meal. It’s perfect for dumping out on a table during a barbecue on a hot summer day. However, it’s also lovely bubbling on your stove and served in a bowl to warm you up on a slightly crisp fall day. 

I’m from Maryland, so it’s no surprise that I love seafood and Old Bay seasoning. I put Old Bay on everything, but on seafood it’s the best. Steamed crabs with Old Bay is my favorite thing to have in the summer. Absolute favorite. But, it’s a bit more of a to-do than a shrimp boil. Enter this shrimp boil. This recipe combines my love for seafood and Old Bay plus it’s crazy easy to make with less fuss and expensive.

And I’ll be honest, sometimes seafood can be pretty expensive. I am crazy for peel and eat shrimp (I ate a pound of it by myself on vacation) but it’s not cheap. This shrimp boil though can go pretty far without breaking the bank because of the addition of corn, potatoes, and sausage. Each bowl-full has a lot going on, so you don’t need a ton of shrimp to satisfy. You get just enough seafood alongside other hearty yummy foods.

My biggest endorsement for this recipe is that it is so simple to make. All you do is chuck everything into a pot at various intervals and just let it happily simmer away. It’s low maintenance for a party or even for weeknight dinner. Best part? You don’t even have to use dishes if you don’t want to. Cover your table in newspaper, drain the pot and bring it to the table, dump it all out, and dig in. Could not be easier!

I do have one important recommendation. It’s vital. Use the biggest pot that you have when making this recipe. I used a 5 1/2 quart Dutch Oven and it was barely big enough. Everything was bubbling right up to the edge of pot. I was lucky and it didn’t overflow. So learn from me and use the biggest pot available!

Adapted from OldBay.com.

Messy level: If you use a large enough pot, the cooking should not be messy. The messiest part is the eating. This is a meal best eaten with your bare hands, so be sure to have a lot of paper towels handy.

Old Bay Shrimp Boil

 

Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

Author: Cooking is Messy, adapted from Old Bay

Serves: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• 8 cups/ 2 quarts water
• 12 ounces/ 355 ml beer
• ¼ cup/ 85 gramsOld Bay Seasoning
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 4 medium red potatoes quartered
• 1 large onions cut into large chunks
• ½ pound smoked sausage cut into 1 inch pieces
• 4-6 ears fresh corn shucked and cut into 3" pieces
• 2 pounds unpeeled jumbo shrimp

Instructions

1. In a very large pot, bring water, beer, Old Bay, and salt to a boil.
2. Stir in the potatoes and onions to the pot and cook for 8 minutes.
3. Add the sausage, stir and cook for 5 more minutes.
4. Next add the corn and cook for 8 more minutes.
5. Add the shrimp. Stir in so it is mixed all the way through. Cook for 4 minutes.
6. Remove from the heat. Drain cooking liquid. Serve directly from the pot into bowls. Alternatively, cover your table in newspaper and dumb the contents of the pot and eat the food directly using your hands.
7. Season with more Old Bay if needed.

3.5.3208

The post Old Bay Shrimp Boil appeared first on Cooking is Messy.

I’ve spent most of this weekend camped out in my apartment because it is wildly too hot outside. Far too hot to do anything. Even walking outside is too much. Last weekend though, the weather was actually pretty nice. I ventured not only outside of my apartment, but I went to visit Star Hollow Farm in Pennsylvania. That farm is where I got the tomatillos for this tomatillo salsa. 

My friend Anna’s family owns Star Hollow and I’ve been wanting to visit for awhile now. It’s something I kept saying to her, and she kept saying “let’s do it,” and then we never planned it. Last weekend, it all aligned. I rented a car and drove us out to beautiful rural Pennsylvania. Over the years Anna has told me so much about the farm, her family, and their dog Lucy that I felt like I knew them and the place already. It was a friendly, warm and inviting weekend. I had such a great time.

It was wonderful to get out of the city and be surrounded by beautiful green space. And at night, there were so many stars and we could see the Milky Way! During the day I got to eat raspberries straight off the bush (is it called a raspberry bush?!), I watched chickens pecking at the grass, grilled vegetable kabobs, and saw the most massive tomato plants. I didn’t know tomatoes could grow so tall! Also did you know they could be so colorful? I saw red, yellow, green and even purple tomatoes. Purple!! I didn’t know those existed. Additionally, I saw where my tomatillos came from.

I really like the way tomatillos look. I like the dry, almost papery husk. And I enjoy the way the round fruit bursts out of that skin. I don’t know what to do with tomatillos besides make salsa – but the salsa they make is excellent. Chips and salsa are the perfect food in this hot weather. That’s mainly because I can’t be bothered to eat anything too warm during this insane weather.

This recipe is adapted just slighly from a Rick Bayless recipe for roasted tomatillo salsa. Yes, you will have to turn on the oven. Ick, I know, it’s too hot for that. But it’s not for very long and it’s worth it. The tomatillos get blackened which gives them a sweetness and a lovely slightly bitter char. And in the oven they’ll burst and become super juicy which is also really delicious. After a quick stint in the oven, everything gets blitzed in the food processor and you’re done. Quick, easy, yummy. Perfect for this hot summer weather.

Adapted from Rick Bayless.

Messy level: Low mess. When you roast the tomatillos they will burst, ooze, and slightly stick to your baking sheet. The juices and tomatillos will scrape off easily into the food processor. From there the processor does the work for you. However, I hate cleaning the food processor so for that reason I have to give this two spoons instead of one.

Tomatillo Salsa

 

Print

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

15 mins

 

Author: Cooking is Messy, Adapted from Rick Bayless

Serves: 1 cup

Ingredients

• 1 small white onion (or half a large one)
• 8 ounces/ 226 grams tomatillos, husked and washed
• 1 jalapeno, stemmed
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 10 sprigs of fresh cilantro
• Salt
• juice from half a lime

Instructions

1. Turn on the broiler to high. Let it heat up for 5-10 minutes.
2. Blitz the onion in the food processor. The onion is ready when it is in small bite-sized pieces.
3. Put the tomatillos, jalapeno, and garlic on a rimmed baking sheet and broil for 5 minutes.
4. Using tongs, flip everything over and roast it on the other side for another 5 minutes. They are ready when things are soft and blotchy and blackened.
5. Let everything cool slightly then transfer to the food processor with the onion.
6. Add the cilantro, lime juice and ½ teaspoon of salt. Blitz until everything is well mixed.
7. Taste and adjust salt, lime juice, and cilantro levels if desired.
8. Serve with chips.

3.5.3208

The post Tomatillo Salsa appeared first on Cooking is Messy.

Did you know that you can buy chicken in a can? I just learned this! In the packaging, it looks just the same as tuna in a can. I grew up with tuna in a can so it doesn’t seem weird to me. And, I’m not sure why it’s different, but canned chicken somehow feels… unsettling. However, home cooks I trust have told me it’s perfectly good.

But the reason I even learned about canned chicken though, is because I became obsessed with making buffalo chicken dip. 

I got tunnel vision on buffalo chicken dip a few weeks ago when Ryan and I were on our family vacation to the beach. In fact, I think we all got kind of addicted to it.

Ryan’s sister Tia brought her boyfriend John. And John brought buffalo chicken dip. He brought it in a giant tray with instructions for reheating. At first we thought it was too much dip. That we’d need to have people over and share it with our friends.  Then as the week went on we ate it. We ate it all. We brought it the beach, served it as a pre-dinner snack, and when it was gone we talked about making more.

Needless to say, there was a lot of us shoving our mouths full of dip and exclaiming, “this is so good!” I asked John to text his mom for the recipe, which he did, and she quickly got back to him. I kept calling this “John’s mom’s recipe,” which for some reason gave us the giggles. But I promised when I finally made it I’d give her full credit and not call her “John’s mom.” So here it is: Thank you Melissa! This recipe is delicious.

I did adapt the recipe somewhat. I made it a bit spicier with lots of Buffalo wing sauce and I added way more chicken. And that brings me back to canned chicken. It’s a fast and convenient way to get shredded chicken for the dip. However, I enjoyed making my own shredded chicken because you have more control. You can make thing shreds, fat chunky shreds, whatever you like to suit your taste. I also recommend making your own because I think it has a richer, bolder chicken-y flavor.

So, for the recipe itself I’ll give instructions for how to prepare shredded chicken. If you’re going to use canned then you’ll be able to skip a few steps. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this recipe for your next party, vacation, or whatever. Personally, I loved bringing it to work for lunch. It made me excited to run to go to the refrigerator every day I had it. Ryan and I have already eaten the first batch I made. Now I think I’l need to make more.

Adapted from a recipe shared by Melissa.

Messy level: Shredding your own chicken is messy good fun. You’re going to get your hands dirty pulling apart chicken. When I think about it, it makes me feel like a horrible animal tearing a chicken apart. But it also was a stress relief and so satisfying to see a few chicken breasts turn into a heaping mountain of shredded chicken. However, my friend Kim did say instead of using your hands and a fork you can use a food processor.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

 

Print

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

1 hour

 

Serves: 10 servings

Ingredients

• 1½-2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (results in 5-6 cups shredded chicken)
• water or chicken broth, enough to cover the chicken in a large pot.
• 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1½ cups Buffalo Wing Sauce
• 1 cup ranch dressing
• 8 oz/ 226 grams cream cheese, softened

Instructions

1. Put the chicken in a large pot. Cover with water or chicken broth. Bring to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
2. Use tongs to remove chicken from the pot. You can save the water/broth for making a stock if you'd like.
3. Put the chicken on a cutting board and let it sit until cool enough to handle.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.
5. Using two forks, or a fork and your hands, pull the chicken apart into shreds. You can make the shreds as thick or thin as you like, but think about what would work best for scooping onto a chip. [Alternatively I'm told you can put the hot chicken into a food processor and pulse it to get a good result]
6. In a large bowl mix together the cheddar, buffalo sauce, ranch dressing, and cream cheese. Try to mix it as well as you can so you don't have giant lumps of cream cheese.
7. Add the shredded chicken to the bowl and stir until well coated.
8. Transfer the mixture to a 9x13" pan.
9. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, or until bubbling.
10. Let cool just slightly, then serve warm with chips.

3.5.3218

The post Buffalo Chicken Dip appeared first on Cooking is Messy.

It’s hot. So wildly hot here in DC. What about where you are? Are you melting away this summer? Because I am.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the heat. The bright sun, the warmth on my skin, excuses to eat ice cream, and daylight late into the night. But also, my plants are starting to wither, I’m sweating at 8am on my walk to work, and I’m intimidated by a whole Saturday free because I want to go outside, but it’s so sticky! The key is, you gotta have ways to cool off. Go to the pool, sip frozen cocktails at happy hour, get a popsicle, or make this really yummy recipe for sparkling limeade. 

I like the limeade idea especially after being out all day. It’s great to come home, sit on the sofa, put my feet up, and drink this bubbly cold beverage while my body gets back to neutral. It’s nice too because it’s got a bit of a kick. Sure, it’s sweet but the limes are so tart and the seltzer gives it a little bite. You can totally make this recipe with plain water, but I love the bubbles from the seltzer. I think bubbles make all drinks a little more fun and special. Plus, it just adds a more interesting texture and flavor. All in all, this sparkling limeade is a really lovely pick-me-up that I think will add some zest to the summer heat.

The slight drawback to this recipe is that you need all the limes to get even one cup of limeade. However, a few months ago I got a citrus juice press thing (the orange thing in the photo above) and it is SO MUCH FUN. It squashes the limes (or lemons) and squeezes out tons of juice. Your end result is flattened hockey pucks of limes which I think are really funny looking. Also, I like the juice press because it doesn’t make a big mess and it doesn’t take a lot of work from me. Last endorsement for the juice press, I heard on the America’s Test Kitchen podcast that they tested different kinds of handheld juicers and the juice press was the most efficient for squeezing out the most juice. So, I recommend getting on as they’re cute and less than $10.

A great thing about this recipe is that in addition to making limeade you’ll also make simple syrup. What’s simple syrup you say? It’s basically sugar dissolved into water and makes a sweetened liquid that mixes easily into cold drinks. This recipe will make more than you need for the limeade. That’s good because you can save the excess and people can add extra sweetener later if they like. As well, it stays good in the fridge for about a month so you can add it to cocktails, iced coffee, or other juices.

And for a little extra excitement, you could pop in some herbs or fruits and infuse the simple syrup with a different flavor. The possibilities are endless friends! I’ve made lavender simple syrup and strawberry simple syrup, both of which are good with lemonade and limeade. I’ve also been itching to do a rosemary simple syrup and creating some kind of herbal grapefruit cocktail. Get creative, try it out, and stay cool this summer.

Messy level: Super clean with minimal dishes. You do have to juice a bazillion limes and that can get sticky but you shouldn’t end up with a messy kitchen at the end of this recipe.

Sparkling Limeade

 

Print

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

45 mins

 

Author: Cooking is Messy

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Simple syrup

• 1 cup/ 235 ml water
• 1 cup/ 200 grams sugar

Limeade

• 1 cup/ 235 ml lime juice (from about 12+ limes)
• 1½ - 2 cups/ 350-470 ml seltzer water
• ¾ cup/ 175 ml simple syrup
• ice
• lime wedges for garnish

Instructions

1. Put sugar and water in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat and stir until sugar dissolves.
2. Increase the heat and bring sugar and water to a boil. Lower the heat back to medium and let it simmer for three minutes.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool. Transfer simple syrup to a glass container, seal it, and store in the fridge until cold.
4. If you haven't already, juice your limes. Then, add the lime juice to a pitcher.
5. Add 1½ cups of seltzer water to the pitcher.
6. Add ¾ cup of simple syrup to the pitcher.
7. Stir everything in the pitcher and taste. Adjust to add more seltzer of simple syrup until you get your desired balance.
8. Serve in a glass filled with ice and garnished with a lime wedge (optional)

3.5.3208

The post Sparkling Limeade appeared first on Cooking is Messy.

Happy Friday! The weekend is here and I’ve been having dreams of grilling and going to the pool. And yet… it’s supposed to rain. In fact, it poured down on me during my walk home. Sigh. Perhaps instead I’ll have to remember back to last weekend when it was hot and beautiful. Last weekend Ryan and I made burgers and hot dogs and a delicious fruit salad in a watermelon pig. Yeah, that’s right. I made a watermelon into a pig. Why have regular fruit salad slopped on your plate when you could lovingly scoop it out of a pretty pig container?!

Ok, but for real, why did I make a watermelon pig? Because I love pigs. They have been my favorite animal since I was a little girl. And ever since I have collected all things pigs – toys, figurines, slippers, socks, kitchen utensils. It’s the kind of thing that when my friends and family see something with a pig on it, they buy it for me. And when I was a kid, I told my parents I wasn’t going to eat pork anymore and I largely kept to that for nearly two decades. I even once made up a joke about pigs. Let me preface and set the scene by saying I was about four and I only half remember this joke. The rest is reconstructed from my mom’s memory. Anyway, I told the joke to my mom, who called me while I was home with the babysitter.

Mom: Hi ladybug [yes she calls me ladybug]

Me: Hi Mom. Wanna hear a dirty joke?

Mom: Terrified pause… Ok.

Me: Once upon a time, a pig fell in the mud!

What follows is awkward and relieved laughter from my mom. Hysterical laughter from me because apparently the idea of a big fat pig falling in mud and it splashing everywhere is super funny to four-year-old me. And get it, it’s a dirty joke because the pig is in the mud?! So clever, I know. I’m still this funny today.

All of that to say if it’s pig related I’m into it.

But also, it’s summer and all the delicious fruit is available. I literally impulse bought fruit at Harris Teeter. I bought strawberries because they are my favorite (and I’ve been into making homemade whipped cream recently). I had a grapefruit in the fridge, plus of course the watermelon insides. The impulse buying part came from the kiwis and golden raspberries. I just love the green color of kiwis and the starburst of black seeds in the middle. And the golden raspberries are so pretty! They were too interesting not to buy. I didn’t notice a huge difference in taste, but I liked how their color appears simultaneously showing and understated.

The best part though is that this is super easy to make and looks really cute. All you really have to do is hollow out the watermelon, use the top to make the ears, nose, and legs, and then fill with fruit. It’s an adorable centerpiece for your summer barbecue, pool party, or weekend fun. Plus you know, it’s healthy and refreshing and that’s good too.

Inspired by a photo I saw on Instagram, but I don’t remember whose. So sorry I can’t give credit!

Messy level: For someone like me who is a super mess in the kitchen, and not good at detail work, this is really pretty easy and neat. When I was scooping out the watermelon I did get juice all over the counter and that made it sticky. Still, that’s easy to clean and not a bother.

Watermelon Pig Fruit Salad

 

Print

Prep time

15 mins

Total time

15 mins

 

Fruit salad in a watermelon pig. To fill a small watermelon I used 3 kiwis, half a carton of strawberries, one carton of raspberries, one grapefruit, and ¾ of the watermelon.

Author: Cooking is Messy

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 watermelon
• 2 chocolate chips (or 2 blueberries)
• toothpicks
• variety of fruit cut in bite sized pieces, enough to fill a watermelon

Instructions

1. Use a sharp knife, and holding it so the blade pierces the watermelon at about a 45° angle, cut out a lid from the top of the watermelon. You want the lid to be about 1-2 inches down the watermelon. If you've ever carved a pumpkin, think about what it's like to cut a lid there, and do the same thing here.
2. Save the lid to make the pig's features. First cut out a large oval for the pig's nose. Then cut two triangles for ears and four rough rectangle-like shapes for legs. You can also cut a piece for the tail if you'd like.
3. Take a spoon and scoop out the insides of the watermelon. Put the watermelon flesh in a large bowl and pour out any watermelon juice that is accumulating in the bottom of your watermelon shell. [Note, you can scrape the watermelon pretty clean or you can leave some on the edges if you want to]
4. Using a toothpicks, connect the nose on one end of the watermelon. Then use more toothpicks to connect the ears at the top near the edge of the opening and the four legs around the bottom. The watermelon is not being held up by the legs so the legs don't have to be perfect. Just place the legs so it looks like the pig is standing.
5. Use your knife to carve out two small eye holes above the nose. Wedge in the pointy end of chocolate chips into these holes - now you have eyes. [Alternatively you can use toothpicks and blueberries to make eyes.]
6. Take the reserved watermelon flesh and cut it into bite sized pieces. Cut any other large fruits you're using into bite sized pieces (bananas, strawberries, apples, melon, kiwi, etc.).
7. Throw in any other fruit you have that doesn't need to be cut (grapes, raspberries, blueberries, etc).
8. Mix all the fruit together and then pour it into your watermelon pig.
9. Place on your table and serve.

3.5.3208

The post Watermelon Pig appeared first on Cooking is Messy.

It’s wasn’t until my mid-twenties that I realized it was possible to season corn. I thought the only thing you could do with corn was put butter on it. Then, on Christmas my cousins were visiting and they wanted to watch the hilarious and ridiculous movie Nacho Libre. The movie is about a monk who secretly moonlights as a wrestler and sometimes when he and his sidekick are about town they eat a seasoned Mexican corn on the cob. That movie has stuck with me in many ways, and one of them is that corn doesn’t have to be plain. 

Corn on the cob is one of those great tastes of summer. It’s August though, so summer is starting to wind down and I’ve been thinking about what foods I want to have (or over indulge on) before the season is over. Corn was definitely one of them. I associate corn on the cob with meals outside – either a crab feast at my parent’s house or outside on a patio at the beach.

I think about coming home from a day out in the sun, shucking the fresh corn and no matter how careful you are strands of silk always get on the floor. Then, when it’s time for dinner and you take just one cob to start with. As the sun starts to set, everyone is full and happy. There’s a glow from the sunset and a glow from eating and drinking a bit too much and you pick at the leftovers. And then you do it, go for just one more corn on the cob. Because why not? Soon corn will be out of season and you’ll have to wait for summer again. And now I really want to go the beach and have a feast outside.

In the summertime I love grilled corn because you can get those caramelized burnt kernels that are a little crispy and taste sweet and bitter at the same time. I don’t have access to a grill though, so I had to try something different. The whole aim of this corn experiment was to season the corn, so I definitely couldn’t boil it if I wasn’t herbs to stick to the corn. So, I decided to roast the corn.

Of course, roasting means that I then have to turn the oven on. And turning on the oven makes the whole apartment hot – but that just adds to the authentic summertime feel right? But, roasting them you can get a little bit of that caramelized flavor during cooking. There won’t be any char, but I did have some areas where the kernels got darker and sweeter.

Now classic butter is a great addition to corn on the cob. It served me well for nearly 25 years. But this recipe takes butter and amps it up a notch. Spicy cilantro lime corn on the cob might sound like it’s doing a lot – but it’s a great combination. The taste is fresh and bright from the citrus and herbs but with a nice tingly cayenne pepper heat that lingers on your lips. The flavor is bold but not at all overpowering so it’s easy to pair with other foods. And of course, there’s still loads of butter.

Most importantly, this corn is so easy to make. All you do is mix the seasonings into the butter, slather the butter onto the corn, and then roast the corn. It’s easy people! It elevates the basic recipe for corn on the cob to something a little bit more special, and something great to serve to family and friends. So make some corn, get outside, and enjoy these last few weeks of summer.

Adapted from Food Network.

Messy level: You aren’t going to have to do many dishes with this recipe. However, I found that actually making this recipe can be quite messy. I think it’s easier to mix the butter and seasonings with your hands and then also use your hands to slather it on the corn. For me, that makes the seasoned butter more uniform and allows you to completely and lavishly cover the corn. Few dishes, but greasy hands. It’s a trade off.

Spicy Cilantro Lime Corn on the Cob

 

Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

• aluminium foil
• 6 ears of corn
• 1 stick/113 grams of butter
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• 1 lime, zested and juiced
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C.
2. Rip off six sheets of aluminium foil. Make sure each sheet is large enough to wrap up an ear of corn. [Note: You can do this step later, but it's best to do it early so you can put the buttered corn directly onto the foil and not anywhere else]
3. Remove husks and silk from ears of corn.
4. In a small bowl, using your hands or a fork, mix together the butter, cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, salt, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. Mix until everything is uniformly blended.
5. Divide the butter in 6 equal pieces. It will be about 1⅓ tablespoons for each piece of corn. Slather each ear of corn generously with the butter mixture.
6. Wrap each cob individually with aluminium foil.
7. Place on a baking sheet. Leave at least 2 inches in between each cob. If you crowd the cobs it will take longer to cook.
8. Bake the cobs in the oven for 30 minutes. The corn will be hot and steaming!
9. Remove from the aluminium foil and let cool slightly. If you'd like more flavor, sprinkle a little extra cilantro, zest, cayenne, or salt on top of the corn - whatever will please your palette!

3.3.3077

The post Spicy Cilantro Lime Corn on the Cob appeared first on Cooking is Messy.

Guys, today I have a lovely salsa recipe as well as a little gush about Saltedtv.com. I’ve become kind of obsessed with Salted. Basically it is an online cooking school with hundreds of videos presented by 75 professional chefs (some of whom I’ve even heard of before). And it’s where I got today’s recipe for pico de gallo. Since joining a week ago, I’ve spent practically every break during work watching videos and they have everything. Everything I need to know and everything I didn’t know I wanted to know. 

The first video I watched was about how to make an omelette. An omelette is one of those things that seems easy but takes secret finesse and practice. After watching the video I went home and made omelettes for dinner. They didn’t come out perfectly, as I broke them taking them out of the pan – but they were perfectly yellow and fluffy which is something I haven’t done before. Usually, my omelettes get over cooked and browned on the outside. So see, I’m learning, which is exciting.

There are also courses on simple things like coring an apple, trendy things like using a spiralizer (which I both scorn and covet), and difficult things like how to stuff chicken wings. You can search videos by ingredient, chef, type of dish, and my favorite – mood. If you are feeling adventurous, romantic, or playful you can search for that!

Finally, in addition to one-off videos they also have courses with videos that go together. They have introduction courses and courses specific to a cuisine or holiday. I watched a course on grilled cheese, which may sound silly but my mind was blown. I had never thought of putting cheese outside the sandwich too. There are a bunch of other reasons I like this site, but I don’t need to go on and on. In short, I think Salted is totally brilliant. If you’re intrigued and curious about joining, consider doing so through the links in this post or the image in the side bar. I would great appreciate it because if you do join through those avenues, I’ll get a small commission for referring you. Oh and also, if you join you’ll get one month free and then after that it’s just $9.99 per month.

Ok, no enough of that and now on to pico de gallo. The other day Ryan and I watched Jamie Oliver’s TED talk and it got us thinking about healthy snacks and lunches. We talked about it a bit and decided we should try to incorporate more healthy, easy, vegetable heavy-recipes into the blog and into our diets. So, that evening as I laid in bed, I brainstormed recipe ideas and thought of salsa. Sure, not a whole meal but it’s easy, healthy, and vegetable based. About ten minutes later when I was 80% asleep Ryan came to bed and said, “I think you should make salsa.” From my groggy state I said, “I was just thinking that.” To which, Ryan said something surprised and confused because I was basically asleep so how could I be thinking about salsa? But, I liked that we were in sync so I was definitely going to make salsa. 

I went online to Salted and found a video tutorial for pico de gallo. Not only did I learn how to make this dish, but I learned an interesting fact. Pico de gallo means “rooster’s beak.” Originally people ate this with their hands using a pinching scooping movement that looked like a beak.

Anyway, I love this kind of salsa because it’s so simple but wonderfully delicious. I love the big chunks of vegetables, the crunch from the onions, the heat from the jalapenos, and just the overall bright flavor from using fresh vegetables. The salty mushy tomato gunk that’s in most jarred salsa can’t hold up to freshly made pico de gallo. Ryan and I had this with taco salad for dinner and plain with chips for snack. While I was cooking I put a little bowl out for snacking and Ryan said, “I’m so happy! This is delicious!” I’m not sure if there is higher praise. Also, this is the easiest thing ever to make. All you have to do is chop and stir. So, what are you waiting for? Go make this right now. Seriously, I’ve made it twice in 24 hours and it’s nearly all gone.

Messy level: This is even neater than a one spoon recipe. All you have to do is chop and mix. Practically no mess and everything can go in the dishwasher afterward. It’s hassle-free and sure to be a crowd pleaser. What is better than that?

Pico de Gallo

 

Print

Prep time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

Serves: 2-4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 plum tomatoes, ¼ inch chop
• ½ red onion, diced
• 2 jalapenos, seeded (optional) and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup of chopped cilantro leaves
• juice of ½ lime
• salt, to taste

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl mix together the tomatoes, onions, garlic, and half of the jalapenos.
2. Once all of that is well mixed add the cilantro and lime, gently stir together.
3. Taste. Do you want it spicier? Add the rest of the jalapenos.
4. Taste. Do you want a little more zip? Add some salt, about ¼-1/2 teaspoon should be fine.
5. Stir so everything is well mixed.
6. Serve as a garnish or with chips as a salsa.

3.3.3077

The post Pico de Gallo appeared first on Cooking is Messy.

Happy (almost) Fourth of July! I’m a little homesick at the moment because I know I’ll be missing out on the celebrations, fireworks, barbecues and crab feasts my friends and family are having at home. However, just because I’m abroad doesn’t mean I can’t have a great celebration. Ryan and I are traveling to Scotland for a week long vacation so I’ve got nothing to complain about. And we had some pre-holiday celebration in our flat thereby bringing a little piece of the USA to our place. My friend Kym sent me a bunch of decorations, I bought some stars and stripes socks and earrings, and I made a beautiful American flag inside surprise cake. I’m actually crazy proud of this cake and I’ve been showing photos of it to my friends for the last few days.

I really like the idea of surprise inside cakes. From the outside the cake looks wonderful and then the surprise decoration on the interior makes a good thing even better. I’ve only had a cake like this one other time, and that was when I made a checkerboard cake for my nephew Boden’s birthday. But, I’ve seen some amazing things on Pinterest and in cookbooks. I’ve seen Halloween cakes with a pumpkin inside, birthday cakes that are like pinatas with candy spilling out of the middle, and polka dot pattern cakes. People can make such amazing cakes!! I think inside design cakes should be come more of a big thing. They look great and just aren’t as difficult to master as they seem.

Now for the 4th of July I know there are lots of great food you can make. Of course you have the classic burgers and hot dogs, a few savory sides, and those red white and blue rocket popsicles (I miss those!) – but why not get even more patriotic with your food? Online you can find a wealth of ideas like cutting watermelon into star shapes, using blueberries and strawberries to make a flag pattern on a sheet cake, or throw red white and blue sprinkles on some sugar cookies. But making a fancy inside flag cake is perfect for the holiday because you’ll likely have lots of people to share it with. And hopefully, those people will ooh and aah over how great your cake looks. While they’re all impressed, you’ll know that making this cake wasn’t actually such hard work!

So as not to overwhelm myself when I made this, I used boxed vanilla cake mix. I’m not the greatest cake baker and I wanted to worry about construction not taste. Feel free though to use your favorite white or yellow cake recipe. The version I made is the most basic and all you’ll need is three layers of cake: one white (un-dyed), one red, and one blue. This will result in a cake with two white stripes, two red stripes, and one blue square. If you want more stripes just make more layers of cake. I think if I did it again I’d do one more layer of red cake and that way I’d have three red stripes and two white. Also I’d love to try mixing white sprinkles into the blue cake and see if they’d look a bit like stars.

But anyway, without further ado here are the tools you’ll need:

• a circular cake pan (I used 6″ pan because I wanted more height in each layer)
• a knife
• a circular lid/cutter/bowl
• gel food coloring in red, blue, and black
• frosting (2 store bought containers should do it, or your favorite recipe)

Gel food coloring gives the cake a rich opaque color without having to use a ton of dye. I used Wilton brand dyes and needed about 1/4 teaspoon of the red and blue dye and then added about 2-4 drops of black to each. You don’t have to use black but it makes the color deep and dark instead of a light pastel hue.

To get three layers of cake you’ll need either 2 boxes or 1.5 stanard cake recipes. You will have extra cake that doesn’t go into the final product. That’s hardly a problem through, right? Who gets mad about extra cake? Now, back to baking. Make one plain undyed layer, one blue layer, and one red layer. Let them cool completely before cutting. Cut the white and red layers in half lengthwise. Using a bowl, lid, or something else circular, cut a hole in the middle of the blue layer. I used something that was about 3.5″ in diameter – this means that the blue part of my flag will be slightly smaller than 50% of the flag’s length. Remove the inside of the blue layer and set aside. You don’t need it. Using that same circular tool, cut a circle in one red layer and in one white layer. Remove the outside of that red and white layer, you don’t need it. For the construction of the flag you should now have the follow:

• 1 blue donut layer of cake
• 1 red small circle
• 1 red large circle
• 1 white small circle
• 1 white large circle

Let’s put it all together! Place the large while circle on a plate or cake stand. Frost the top of that layer, then top with the large red circle. Frost the top of the red layer then put the blue donut on top. Frost the inside edges of the blue donut. Put the small white circle inside the blue donut. Frost the top of the small white circle. Place the small red circle on top. Use your knife to cut off any cake that is sticking up above the blue layer. Frost the whole outside of the cake. You will likely have unsightly crumbs stuck in your icing. That’s ok!

Once everything is frosted put it in the frige for 15-20 minutes. Once that first layer of frosting is firm, spread another layer of frosting on top. This second layer is your neat and pretty layer. Then decorate the top of the cake as you like with sprinkles, icing, sparklers or whatever. I used extra crumbs from the scrap pieces of cake I didn’t use.

You’ve done it! See, that wasn’t so hard. Sure it takes a bit of time, but it’s totally worth it. Now serve your cake, watch the fireworks, and have a great evening.

If you’d like to watch how to make the video, below is a 2 minute video I made.  Hope it helps!

Messy level: By no means will this create an explosion in your kitchen. However, since you have to make three layers of cake, cut them, assemble them, and frost them there is a good bit of stuff that will splatter, spill and need to be washed. Nothing too stressful, but it’s not a one bowl clean up job either.

How to Make an American Flag Cake

 

Print

Ingredients

• 1-3 circular cake pans (I only have one, three would make things quicker)
• 2 boxes of vanilla cake mix OR 1.5 of your favorite vanilla cake recipe (you need 3 layers of cake)
• red gel food coloring
• blue gel food coloring
• black gel food coloring (optional)
• knife
• lid/bowl/cutter that's smaller in diameter than your cake pan
• 2 containers of frosting OR enough homemade frosting to ice a large cake
• sprinkles and decorations as desired

Instructions

1. Prepare the batter for your cake according to the box or recipe directions. Evenly divide the batter into quarters. Use a scale if you have it or eyeball it if you don't. [Note: Even though you're only going to use 3 out of 4 layers make all 4. If you use all that batter to just make 3 layers I don't think the cakes will come out well.]
2. Leave one quarter plain.
3. Add ¼ teaspoon red food dye and 1-3 drops black dye to one quarter of the batter. Mix and check to see if it's a color you like. Adjust the color until you have your perfect balance.
4. Add ¼ teaspoon blue food dye and 1-3 drops black dye to one quarter of the batter. Mix and check to see if it's a color you like. Adjust the color until you have your perfect balance.
5. Do what you want with the last quarter. Maybe leave it to bake until last then if one of the other layers comes out crazy you can use this as a replacement.
6. Bake the cakes according to the box or recipe directions.
7. Remove the cakes from the oven and let cool completely.
8. Once cool, cut the red and white cakes in half lengthwise.
9. Using a bowl, lid, or cutter cut out a circle from the middle of the red and white cakes. The hole would be about ⅔ the diameter of the cake. So if you use a 6" cake pan, cut a circle that's about 3.5-4" in diameter. Discard or set aside the outer rings, you won't need them. Set aside the small circles - you do need those. [Note: If you get confused about the cuts see the photo above in the main body of the post]
10. Using that same bowl/lid/cutter cut a circle out of the middle of the blue layer. Set aside the inside circle. You don't need it.
11. Place the large white layer on a plate or cake stand. Frost the top of that layer.
12. Place the large red layer on top of the frosted white layer. Frost the top of the red layer.
13. Put the blue donut ring layer on top of the red layer. Frost the top and inside of the blue ring.
14. Put the white small circle layer inside the blue ring. Frost the top of the white circle.
15. Put the red circle on top of the white circle. Cut off any excess red cake that is sticking above the blue layer.
16. Roughly ice the whole cake. Don't worry if crumbs are in the icing.
17. Put the cake in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes. This is to chill the icing.
18. Once the icing is slightly hardened, frost it again. This layer should be your pretty layer.
19. Decorate the cake as you desire.
20. Serve and watch your friends and family be amazed.

3.3.3077

The post How to Make an American Flag Cake appeared first on Cooking is Messy.