Month: October 2016

SRC – Pumpkin Maple Custards from Things I Make (For Dinner)

Well Dined | Pumpkin Maple Custards

It’s time for a seasonal post from the Secret Recipe Club!  Our theme was Fall Dishes and I was assigned Things I Make (For Dinner).  This blog is written by Sarah who, in addition to my name, shares my love of cooking, travel, and sleeping.

Fall means pumpkin for a lot of people, myself included, and I found a Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting that looked yummy.  For me, it also means apple; like this Apple Crisp or Apple Fritter Cake.  But what about something a little different, like Nutella Ice Cream? Or something savory like Tex-Mex Stuffed Butternut Squash?

In the end, there was one dish that caught my eye the most: Pumpkin Maple Custards.

Well Dined | Pumpkin Maple Custards

These custards are made with pumpkin, cream, milk, maple syrup, egg yolks, and spices.  Simple and delicious.  After the base is made, it is poured into ramekins and baked in a water bath, much like creme brulee. (more…)

Halloween Recipe Round-up

If you are in need of festive dishes, look no further!  I have collected my most relevant recipes onto one page for you.

Halloween Candy

Well Dined | Halloween Round-up

Halloween Candy Bark
Candy Corn Jello Shots

Apple Desserts

Well Dined | Halloween Round-up

Apple Oat Muffins
Salted Caramel Apple Hand Pies
Cheddar Apple Hand Pies

Black and Orange
More like green and orange, but you get the idea.

Well Dined | Halloween Round-up

Butternut Squash and Kale Mac and Cheese
Sweet Potato and Chard Gratin
Butternut Squash and Kale Pizza with Smoked Mozzarella and Bacon
Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna with Homemade Spinach Whole Wheat Noodles (more…)

ICC – Curry Carrot Soup with Coconut Cream

Well Dined | Curry Carrot Soup with Coconut Cream

This month for the Improv Cooking Challenge, our ingredients were Carrots & Curry.  I knew immediately that I wanted to make a soup, so I looked back through my archives and found three soup recipes that I’d previously made.  I used these three recipes to help me come up with a new one: Spiced Carrot Soup with Chickpeas and Tahini, Spiced Carrot Soup with Crispy Prosciutto, and Thai Pumpkin Soup.

Well Dined | Curry Carrot Soup with Coconut Cream

I started by cooking madras curry and grated ginger in olive oil (though it occurs to me now that I could have used coconut oil), then adding carrots, onion, and garlic.  I seasoned with salt and cooked for 15 minutes, until the vegetables started to brown.  Then I added chicken broth and coconut milk and simmered covered for 20 minutes.  You can use vegetable broth to make this vegetarian/vegan. (more…)

Avocado Rose Toast

Well Dined | Avocado Rose Toast

If you’ve been anywhere near Instagram, you know that avocado roses are all the rage.  Simple, elegant, beautiful.  Melissa (Smells Like Brownies) and I decided to try our hands at making them, and I think they turned out pretty well!

Watch this video to learn how to do it.  Melissa is much more coordinated than I am, so those are her hands you are seeing.

Well Dined | Avocado Rose Toast

Or you can follow these directions: Oil a cutting board and knife with olive oil. (more…)

SRC – Chicken, Bacon, and Ranch Slow Cooker Tater Tot Casserole from Cheese Curd in Paradise

Well Dined | Chicken, Bacon, and Ranch Slow Cooker Tater Tot Casserole

The Secret Recipe Club is coming to an end, you guys.  This is both very sad and a huge relief to me, as I have had so much fun exploring other blogs, but also felt a lot of pressure to meet the timeline.  There will be one more seasonal post at the end of this month, and one more regular post in November.  I was assigned Cheese Curd in Paradise this month, written by Ashley.

I actually couldn’t find a bio page on this blog, sorry Ashley!  But I could discern that Ashley lives in Wisconsin, has a son, and loves comfort food!  I found a ton of yummy looking stuff while scrolling through the archives.

The first thing a saw was a bunch of yummy looking dip recipes, like Creamy Spinach and Radish, Warm Bacon and Caramelized Onion, Crockpot Spinach and Artichoke, and Cheddar Bacon Ranch.

I also saw tons of casseroles, like Meatball Sub, Stroganoff, and Potato Chip Topped Tuna Noodle.

And slowcooker recipes, like Creamy Tex-Mex Chicken, and Swedish Meatballs.

And pasta recipes, like Homemade Beef-a-Roni, Bacon Cheeseburger Gnocchi Skillet, Creamy Chicken Pesto Gnocchi Skillet, BLT Tortellini Skillet, and Ham and Cheese Gnocchi Skillet (loving these skillet meals).

And some special occasion recipes, like Maple and Shallot Spaghetti Squash, Roast Duck with Wild Rice and Sausage Stuffing, Rack of Lamb with Caramelized Shallot and Thyme Crust, and Seared Scallops with Prosecco Herb Beurre Blanc.

I didn’t even get to the desserts, y’all!

In the end, I was torn between this Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken Tater Tot Casserole and this Chicken Bacon Ranch Tater Tot Casserole.  So I decided to combine them!  By which I mean, use ranch seasoning instead of the seasoning mix in the slow cooker casserole.

Well Dined | Chicken, Bacon, and Ranch Slow Cooker Tater Tot Casserole

It is hard to take good photos of casseroles, y’all, especially in the slow cooker.  But the slow cooker was what I loved about this.  Throw frozen tater tots, raw chicken, cooked bacon, onions, cheese, ranch seasoning, and milk into the insert and forget about it until dinner time.  Perfect.  I did feel like it was missing a bit of a creamy element, but I don’t know how sour cream would do in the slow cooker.

For ease an comfort, this just can’t be beat!  Enjoy! (more…)

Rainbow Cauliflower Bowl

Well Dined | Rainbow Cauliflower Bowl

Oh my gosh, this cauliflower bowl is so gorgeous, and filling, and satisfying, and yummy, and healthy, and low carb, and all the things.  It has a lot of different components, but they come together to make such a lovely whole.  Another successful vegetarian lunch with Melissa from Smells Like Brownies.

Well Dined | Rainbow Cauliflower Bowl

Start by making your cauliflower “rice” (actually, start by pickling some chard stems, which was done by Melissa before I arrived).  Place raw cauliflower into a food processor and pulse until chopped to the size of rice (a few larger pieces are fine) – 1/2 a large head will make 3-4 cups.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave for 2 minutes, just to soften.

Well Dined | Rainbow Cauliflower Bowl

Next, heat some coconut oil in a pan and add turmeric, cumin, a pinch of cayenne, and some fresh pressed garlic.  Cook for a bit to activate the spices, then add the cauliflower and stir to combine and heat through.  But don’t leave it on for too long – you want the cauliflower to have texture!  Make sure to season with salt and pepper. (more…)