Jennuine

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Recipe: Banana Bread Waffles with Bourbon Pecan Maple Syrup

- February 18, 2016

When I go grocery shopping, I always buy two bunches of bananas -- one for the kids to snack on and one to just sit and go nearly black with brown-sugary overripeness. That way, we're always ready to make our favorite banana bread on demand (recipe HERE ). A few weeks ago, the family was in a waffle mood, so I grabbed one of my on-the-verge-of-decay bananas and set to work on creating a banana bread inspired waffle. A few Sunday breakfast's worth of tinkering proved a success. Here is my recipe for light, crispy, banana-bready waffles with a delicious pecan syrup to gild the lily. Enjoy! Banana Bread Waffles (makes approximately 12 individual Belgians) 1 large egg, separated 1/4 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 overripe banana 3/4 cup cake flour pinch of salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder a pinch of ground cinnamon 1 Tablespoon brown sugar 1/4 cup buttermilk Step 1: Whip egg white to medium pe

Recipe: The Best, Foolproof Scalloped Potatoes Au Gratin

- January 31, 2016

This recipe is a favorite of my culinary students. It is so easy, and makes the perfect, quintessential, creamy, cheesy potato casserole of American comfort-food fame. True scalloped potatoes consist primarily of thinly cut potatoes in a white cream sauce, whereas potatoes au gratin feature buttery potatoes beneath a cheese and/or breadcrumb crust. Scalloped Potatoes Au Gratin is a hybrid -- the best of both worlds. It is what many of us in the U.S. grew up with and knew as Potatoes O' Gratin. So, without further ado, here is the easiest and most delicious recipe I think you'll find for the creamy, cheesy, golden, bubbly potato dish of legend: Scalloped Potatoes Au Gratin Prep Time: 15 minutes Baking Time: 45-55 minutes 1 1/4 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes, washed, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick (approx. 2 large) 3 Tablespoons butter, plus 1 Tablespoon for buttering the pan 2 Tablespoons diced sweet yellow onion 1 Tablespoon all-purp

Recipe: Spicy Avocado Crab on Wonton Chips

- January 09, 2016

Here's a little recipe I came up with over the holidays while brainstorming quick, easy and delicious appetizers to teach at my Holiday Appetizers Workshop . I was inspired by classic California Roll Sushi that features crab, avocado and cucumber. Instead of cucumber, I used fresh chives for just a hint of onion to offset the sweet crab and avocado. The crab salad comes together in just a few minutes and can be portioned on top of crispy wonton chips or served in a bowl as a self-serve dip. Spicy Avocado Crab on Wonton Chips 8 oz. package imitation Crab, flake style* 1 small avocado, peeled and cubed 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil 3-4 Tablespoons Sriracha mayonnaise** A squeeze of fresh lime 1 Tablespoon finely chopped chives, plus more for garnish 1/2 package round wonton wrappers (or square wrappers trimmed with a circle cookie cutter) black sesame seeds for garnish Step 1: In a food processor, pulse crab until fine (approx. 15 seconds).

Free Kids Superhero Valentines -- Stuck on You

- January 05, 2016

I have four kids, which, come Valentine's Day, means bucketloads of candy and junk find their way home from school. *sigh* To help cut down on cavities and landfill, I decided to come up with a fun, but sneakily practical valentine for the kids to give to all their classmates last year. These Marvel superhero bandaids came from the Dollar Tree, so they were very budget-friendly. The kids loved them because they're superhero-themed and they sure beat the icky old skin colored bandaids that we grew up with. My parent-friends appreciated them, because they were one of the few things their kids got that they didn't toss in the trash as soon as the novelty of the Valentines Day haul had worn off (around 10 minutes). Win * Win Here's how you can make your own: Stuck on You Bandaid Valentines FREE hang tag (Download HERE ) Cardstock or Photo Paper Plain cellophane treat bags (4x6)** Bandaids (3 per

My Family's Favorite Soup: Chicken Corn Chowder with Wild Rice

- December 30, 2015

Soupety, Soup, Soup Soup! It's a comfort food for all seasons. This soup is a cozy sweater, a warm blanket, a hug. This soup is what happens when mom's homemade chicken pot pie kicks off its crusty exterior and gets comfortable in a bowl. Make it! Chicken Corn Chowder with Wild Rice Prep time: 15 minutes Total time: 1 hour Yield: 6-8 servings 1/2 Tablespoon Onion powder 1/2 Tablespoon Garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon Dried thyme 1/2 Tablespoon Dried parsley 1/2 Tablespoon Seasoned Salt (like Lawry's or Penzey's) Pinch of Smoked Paprika 1/2 Tablespoon Kosher Salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 2/3 cup long grain rice 1/3 cup wild rice 6 cups chicken stock or broth 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, ¼” dice 10 Tablespoons salted butter 1 cup peeled and diced (¼”) carrot 1 cup diced (¼”) celery 1 cup diced (¼”) onion 1 can (approx. 15 oz.) corn, drained 3 cups whole milk Step 1: In a small bowl, combi

Recipe: How to Make Your Own Citrus Cured #Salmon

- December 06, 2015

Hello there, friends! I know, I know. It's been a while. My job as a high school Culinary Arts instructor has kept me very busy. Best Job Ever! But I do missing sharing my recipes and creative endeavors here. Yesterday I branched out from teaching high school students and taught a 5-hour Holiday Appetizer Class in my classroom through our local Adult School. I'm happy to announce that over the next two weeks, I'll be sharing some of my favorite recipes! I'm starting with one of my all-time favorite recipes: Citrus Cured Salmon. I love smoked salmon, lox and gravlax, but it' so expensive. Last year I started experimenting with making my own house-cured salmon. I started with a recipe from Martha Stewart by way of Michael Ruhlman. Over time I've adapted the recipe and have come up with a formula that comes out amazing every time. This cured salmon takes just two days to complete and is a million times better t

Recipe: Kawasaki Chicken Lettuce Wraps #GlutenFree #Sriracha

- July 15, 2015

Light, healthy,and absolutely delicious -- our Kawasaki Chicken Lettuce wraps were inspired by a sushi specialty at one of our favorite (now defunct) Japanese restaurants in Carmel, CA. The Kawasaki roll featured a tempura fried prawn with sushi rice, fresh avocado and spicy mayo, wrapped in a butter lettuce leaf. Our version features a crispy, oven baked chicken strip with an almond meal crust -- lots of protein, no gluten. It's become a family favorite that we've enjoyed weekly over the summer. We serve it up taco-bar style: all the components plated separately so everyone can build their own to their liking. Kawasaki Chicken Lettuce Wraps 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 1/2" strips (approx. 16) 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1/2 Tablespoon sriracha 1 1/4 cups almond meal 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon garlic powder a few cranks of freshly ground pepper 3 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 2 Tablespoons olive oil 2 ripe av

How to Host a Family Camp-In {Making Memories with #DarkForDinner} #ad

- July 06, 2015

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Dixie for IZEA . All opinions are 100% mine. #DarkForDinner Lights off Phones exiled No TV You, me, Family Talk, listen, Be Camp Out (Inside) Camp In? Fire Crackling Candles Flicker Faces light up Smiles Laughter Time moves slowly Unplugged Unencumbered No expense High Yield Investment Family Time #DarkForDinner This past Sunday, July 5, my family fulfilled their promise to go #DarkForDinner with Dixie. We didn't spend a dime. Our labors amounted to moving the coffee table off to the side of our living room and firing up the BBQ. Sounds simple, right? Yet this Sunday dinner turned out to be a really big deal. A new summer family tradition was born -- The Camp-In. As I anticipated, there were moans and groans when I presented four kids, ages 10-18 with the idea of turning off the lights and all electronics for dinner. But something sort of magical happened once we powered

Family Camp-In Recipe: S'more Kisses For the Dixie
#DarkForDinner Movement #ad

- July 02, 2015

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Dixie for IZEA . All opinions are 100% mine. Last weekend, my youngest daughter and I spent some one-on-one time in the kitchen coming up with a new cookie recipe inspired by the classic summer camping treat -- S'mores. There is nothing in this world more important to me than family time. How about you? It's summertime, and we hear a lot about grand summer road trips, traveling by air or by sea to explore other lands and cultures, and lazy days on a river or lake followed by nights under the stars in inside a tent. These summer family getaways are no doubt memorable, but not always within our grasp. Fortunately, it doesn't take a lot of money, a week off of work, or even a tank of gas to make special family memories with those you love most. All it takes is a little imagination, and that's why on Sunday, July 6, we're going #DarkForDinner with an indoor camp-out -- a Camp-In . On Sunday, June 14

Recipe: The Perfect Peach Cobbler

- June 12, 2015

Continuing along on my peach-fueled trajectory... ...today I bring you one of my all-time favorite desserts: Peach Cobbler! Forget pie. That's right. You heard me. Forget pie. This cobbler is so buttery, crispy-crumby, cakey, ooey-gooey and profoundly peachy that you can forget about that old Plain Jane . Just try it. Thank me later. Perfect Peach Cobbler For the peaches 4 cups fresh, ripe peaches (peeled, sliced and diced) 1/2 cup granulated sugar 3 Tablespoons cornstarch For the cobbler topping 1 cup unsalted butter (that's 2 sticks), softened (plus a TB butter for buttering the pan) 2 cups granulated sugar 2 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour 2.5 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 Tablespoons raw or organic sugar (slightly larger grain that regular) Vanilla bean ice cream Preheat oven to 350°F Butter a 9"x9" baking dish and set aside

Recipe: Heavenly Fresh Peach Fritters

- June 09, 2015

Well, isn't this peachy? Finally -- a post that's not a throwback project or made from squid! Right? Summer is definitely my favorite time of year for fruit. In a word, PEACHES! I'd be hard-pressed to find anything more ambrosial than a perfect summer peach. When the peaches are at the peak of their season, I become a sticky-fingered, nectar-chinned, peach-perfumed glutton. Those few fuzzy Venus of botanica that make it past my greedy grasp are reborn in cobblers, pies and cocktails. This year, on National Doughnut Day, I decided to pay homage to the fairest of fruits by making peach fritters. These fritters are ethereally light. The nectar of the peaches intensifies inside the pillow of cinnamon kissed dough as it develops a golden, crispy exterior in the hot oil. The warm fritters are blanketed in a buttery glaze that will have you lusting after a second before finishing your first. Heavenly Peach Fritters (Yield 8-10) (adapted from About.c