HOW TO COOK ARTICHOKES PERFECTLY EACH TIME

Here’s the perfect foolproof recipe on how to cook artichokes! These artichokes are boiled so that you get a tender artichoke heart (doesn’t get dry like baked/roasted artichokes!) and this is also the fastest and easiest way of cooking artichokes perfectly each time. These artichokes are also deliciously seasoned with sea salt and thyme, and paired with a garlic balsamic dipping sauce.
Did you know that California produces almost all of the artichokes consumed in the US? I grew up in California and artichokes are one of my favorite appetizers. Whenever I see it on a menu, I always order it! These artichoke appetizers usually packed with flavor like garlic, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice. How to eat it: you pull off one leaf at a time, dip it in a delicious mayo-based sauce, and scrape off the tender “meat” of it with your teeth. I could eat these nonstop.
There are different ways you can go about cooking artichokes:
Baking: You can bake a foil-wrapped artichoke in the oven, which gives it a lot of flavor, but it can get a little dry and dehydrated. Baking also takes the most amount of time compared to other cooking methods, and the length of time required for baking varies a lot depending on the size of the artichoke. It can be tough to balance the baking time required and avoiding dryness.
Grilling: If you have a grill, go for it! I’ve never tried this option before because it’s so much easier to cook artichokes in the kitchen without firing up the grill. But if you’re having a barbecue and the grill is handy, this is definitely something that you can try.
Steaming: This is a faster option compared to baking, but does require the proper steaming tools such as a steamer basket. Also, it’s not a foolproof method — you need to check occasionally to see if the pot needs more water, and steaming time can vary.
Boiling (my preference): This is the easiest and fastest method of cooking artichokes. Also, it’s foolproof (anyone can boil water) and works for all sizes of globe artichokes. Best yet, it results in a really tender and delicious artichoke heart without any of the dehydrated effects that you get from baked/roasted artichokes. This method doesn’t get as much flavor as you would from baking and grilling methods, but I find that it’s easy to season the artichoke post-cooking to get all of the flavors you want.

Ingredients
For the artichokes:

• 2 globe artichokes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, to taste

For the dipping sauce:

• 5 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

Instructions

1. Prepping the artichokes: Use a serrated knife to chop off the top third of the artichoke (it’s inedible) and cut off most of the stem, leaving about an inch of stem.
2. Cooking the artichokes: Add the artichokes to a pot of boiling water. Cover with a lid. Bring the water back to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until tender, about 30 minutes. The artichokes are done when you can easily insert a knife into the stem with no resistance. Drain the artichokes stem-up in a colander until they're cool enough to handle.

You can find complete recipes of this HOW TO COOK ARTICHOKES PERFECTLY EACH TIME in savorytooth.com

EASY PESTO SPINACH ARTICHOKE CHICKEN BAKE RECIPE

The answer to your quick and healthy weeknight meal dilemma! This Easy Chicken Bake recipe is filled with delicious pesto, spinach, artichokes, and tomatoes, all baked together for a healthy dinner that comes together in just minutes.
Let’s just start this post off by being honest…. This wasn’t supposed to be our dinner tonight.
It was an accident.
Actually, a very happy accident.
Strike that, a delicious accident.
I planned on staying in all day. I planned on bringing dinner to a friend who has just had surgery. I planned on making something else for dinner. Thank goodness plans sometimes fall to the wayside! I have MANY Easy Chicken Bake Dinner Recipes, and this one is the perfect new addition!
We have been sick FOREVER. I mean like someone in our house has been sick at all times for almost 3 months. It is ridiculous. Well today, I planned on staying in all day after a hectic start to the week. I was going to get some work done. Get some cleaning done. Be all around productive. Or at least pretend.
Then the littlest’s ear drum ruptured, so we had an unexpected trip to the doctor that took a huge chunk out of our day. The poor little guy is doing much better, and even though there is nothing I could have done, I feel like a bad mom.
So we get home, and now I have just a short window of time to get dinner together for my friend and less than half the window of naptime I usually get in which to make it all.
This sweet friend and her family eat healthy, almost towards Paleo. This always intimidates me a bit since I have never met a piece of gluten I didn’t like, but since trying the Whole30 diet last fall, I am much less afraid to make heathy and delicious meals in that direction.
{To clarify this recipe is not strictly paleo but it is certainly a balanced healthy meal that looks WAY fancier than the time it took to make.}
So anyway, I was going to make my very popular Italian Chicken Bake, but then saw the artichokes that I needed to use and inspiration hit. I whipped it up, put it in the oven, and it smelled SO good I knew that I was ditching my current dinner plans and making another pan of this Pesto Spinach Artichoke Chicken for our family dinner. {See ALL of my Easy Chicken Bake Dinner Recipes here!}
Then I decided it was a crime not to share, so I had to put it on the blog. The only problem was that there was a snowstorm outside and not enough light inside to take photos. So let me tell you what I did just for you guys…
I grabbed all of the ingredients, headed outside with them INTO the snowstorm, and proceeded to stand on our outdoor table with snow blowing all over me, my camera, the food, and everything so I could get enough light to share this recipe with you. So if things look a little wet in the pics below, you will know why. Please tell me you appreciate this!! Let me give you a little sneak peek of what this looked like…

INGREDIENTS

• 3-4 Chicken Breasts
• 6-8 Tbsp prepared pesto
• 1 cup fresh spinach leaves
• 2 roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 can marinated artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
• 6 oz mozzarella or Italian blend cheese.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 375F
2. Place chicken flat in the bottom of a baking dish.
3. Spread 1-2 tbsp pesto on each chicken breast (the more you like pesto the more you use! I just eyeball it!)
4. Layer on spinach, artichokes and tomatoes.
5. Cover top with cheese.
6. Bake on lower middle rack for 30-45 minutes or until the chicken is cooled through and the juices run clear.
7. Serve over rice or sauteed spinach.

You can find complete recipes of this EASY PESTO SPINACH ARTICHOKE CHICKEN BAKE RECIPE in thepinningmama.com

BAKED HONEY MUSTARD CHICKEN

Savory, juicy chicken baked in a zesty honey mustard sauce! Perfect for serving with your favorite veggies over noodles or rice.
Tell me you are fans of honey mustard sauce. Because I am a big fan. There are few things I would pour a boat-load of honey mustard sauce on. But then I’m a sauce person. The kind that needs fries with my ketchup and about a gallon of ranch for my chicken tenders.
So yeah, I love me some honey mustard sauce.
This is one of the easiest weeknight dinners I’ve ever made. All you have to do is whisk together a few ingredients for your sauce, pour it over the chicken, and let it bake for about 40 minutes. Ta-da! Juicy, savory chicken covered in a honey mustard glaze – a perfect, healthy chicken dish for serving along with your favorite veggies!

INGREDIENTS

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to even thickness
• ½ cup honey
• ½ cup yellow mustard
• ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
• salt and pepper to taste
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl whisk together honey, mustard, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
3. Toss chicken in the sauce to coat and place in your prepared dish. Pour remaining sauce over the chicken.
4. Bake for 30 minutes, then turn chicken over and bake another 10 minutes or until cooked through. Serve with with rice or noodles and your favorite veggies.

You can find complete recipes of this BAKED HONEY MUSTARD CHICKEN in lecremedelacrumb.com

HERSHEY S’MORES CUPCAKES

Hershey’s S’mores Cupcakes – delicious chocolate cupcakes with a  graham cracker crust, filled with light and fluffy marshmallow filling and topped with milk chocolate ganache.
If you have little kids, then you must know that the few days after a kid’s birthday party can be pretty difficult. Of course, since it is impossible that all the invited people can come on the day you planned, you can do nothing else but prepare for a few more visits of your dear friends. And if you are, besides all that, a food blogger, then you can’t risk your good baking reputation and not greet the guests with a sweet bite 🙂
Well if you have recognized what I’m talking about, then I will give my “wild card” for this kind of situation to you – cupcakes. Yes, in a very short time, and without much sweat, you will have a beautiful dessert on your table. A dessert which is very difficult to turn down. And if there are children, success is guaranteed. Simply, I haven’t seen a child that doesn’t lick all the frosting from the cake!

Ingredients
For the crust:

• 1 1/3 cup graham crackers crumbs
• 5 Tablespoon sugar
• 5 Tablespoon unsalted butter-melted

For chocolate cupcakes:

• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 6 tablespoons Hershey's Cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk- room temperature
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large egg-lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup boiling water

For marshmallow filling:

• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

For milk chocolate ganache:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 10 oz. milk chocolate-finely chopped
• 1/2 Tablespoon vegetable oil

Instructions
To make the crust:

1. Place rack in center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 F, line cupcake tins with 16 cupcake liners and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter and mix well with a fork.
3. Press about 1 1/2 Tablespoon of the mixture into the bottom of each cupcake liners and bake 6 minutes, then set aside to cool.

To make the cupcakes:

1. In a large bowl combine cocoa, sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. Add oil, milk, egg, and vanilla. Beat for 2 minutes with a hand-held electric mixer on medium speed, then add boiling water and beat to combine (batter will be thin). Divide batter evenly between cupcake liners over the crust (it should be 3/4 full)
3. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Set aside to cool in pan, then using a sharp knife or cupcake corer hollow out the centers of each cupcake(cut the top of each center and save for later to place it back onto the fillin).

To make marshmallow filling:

1. In a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water whisk together egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar, until sugar dissolves (be careful, the water shouldn’t touch the bottom of the bowl). Continue whisking over simmering water until egg mixture is warm to touch, then remove from heat and continue beating with the mixer until still peaks form. At the end add vanilla and mix well.
2. Transfer the filling to a piping bag with round tip or use plastic bag and cut off the corner and fill the cupcakes. Place back the tops from centers of cupcakes.

To make the ganache:

1. On a low heat in a small sauce pan melt chopped milk chocolate with 1/2 Tablespoon vegetable oil, stirring until it’s completely smooth. Remove from heat and add cold heavy whipping cream, stir well until it’s evenly combine. Using a spoon spread the ganache onto the cupcakes. If the ganache is to runny place it in the fridge briefly to set before top the cupcakes.
2. Store in the fridge.

You can find complete recipes of this HERSHEY S’MORES CUPCAKES in omgchocolatedesserts.com

Deliciously Sweet Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

Hey folks! I hope y’all had an amazing holiday weekend. I know I sure did. My family and I got to spend time with my lifelong friend and her family and it was fabulous. (You may recall my dear friend Jessica from a post I wrote last year. We made the cutest sign to announce her pregnancy.) While I was there, I picked up some great new recipes to share with you all. First on the list is this deliciously sweet Broccoli Cauliflower Salad. You guys are gonna love it. It’s a little sweet and a little salty from the bacon and it is oh so good.
This salad really takes no time to make. I turn the oven to 400 degrees and place the bacon on a foil lined baking sheet. I immediately place the bacon in the oven even while it’s preheating. Set the timer for 20 minutes and prepare the rest. I have everything all done and ready to go when the bacon comes out of the oven. 20 minutes is all it takes.

Ingredients

• 1 head broccoli, chopped
• 1 head cauliflower, chopped
• 1/2 lb bacon cooked
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Mix broccoli, cauliflower, bacon, and shredded cheese in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, and salt until well combined. Pour mayonnaise mixture over broccoli mixture and stir until well incorporated. Eat immediately or chill until ready to serve.

You can find complete recipes of this Broccoli Cauliflower Salad in easypeasypleasy.com

Homemade Twix Bars (Paleo, GF + Refined SF)

Happy Fri-YAY!!! It’s the weekend, and you deserve some celebratory chocolate for making it through the week. And today, we’re celebrating with HEALTHY(er) homemade Twix Bars.
Whaaaat? Healthy Twix? I know. Yes, this is for real. I made homemade Twix bars that you can eat guilt-free, because these pretty little bars are gluten-free, grain-free, refined sugar-free, AND vegan. A whole big pile of them, because you deserve nothing less. I had to make this recipe three times, because you know, testing and stuff. I also needed an excuse to eat more.more.more of these delicious goodies.
Now, let’s talk about how this homemade candy magic happens. The crust is made with coconut flour, which creates a cookie base that creates a texture most similar to shortbread of any gluten-free flour I’ve tried.
Unfortunately, because coconut flour is super absorbent and likes to be unique, no other flour would substitute well here. A little goes a long way with coconut flour though, so pick up a bag and you’ll have it around for a while (and you can make lots of Twix!).
The caramel filling is seriously super easy. It can be made in the microwave or on the stove, but you don’t even need to cook it; all of the ingredients just need to be melted together and fully combined before being poured over the cooled crust and left to set.

Ingredients
For the shortbread crust

• ⅔ cup coconut flour
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• ⅓ cup coconut oil, solid

For the caramel filling

• ½ cup creamy almond butter
• ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
• ⅓ cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

For the chocolate topping

• ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
• ¼ cup cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 14x5” tart pan or 8x8” square pan with coconut oil (I recommend lining the pan with parchment paper as well if your pan doesn't have a removable bottom).
2. Combine coconut flour and salt in a bowl. Add the maple syrup and stir until fully combined and crumbly. Add the room temperature coconut oil and mix until a large dough ball forms, pressing out any clumps of coconut oil. I used my hands at the end to bring the dough fully together.
3. Press the dough into the prepared pan. Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. Let cool completely.
4. For the filling, combine all of the ingredients in a small saucepan and heat until all of the ingredients are melted and throughly combined. Pour over the crust and let cool in the refrigerator until set before topping with chocolate layer.
5. For the chocolate topping, whisk together all of the ingredients and pour over the cooled caramel layer. Smooth evenly and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Let cool until set. Slice into 1-inch slices, or 16 squares. Keep stored in the refrigerator.

You can find complete recipes of this HOMEMADE TWIX BARS (GF, PALEO + VEGAN) in bakerita.com

Teriyaki Grilled Chicken and Veggie Rice Bowls

Here is a recipe I’ve been meaning to share for probably the last 3 years. It’s much like an entree I order at a local restaurant (Rumbi for anyone from Utah or Idaho) and I love being able to make it at home. I also love that this recipe doesn’t require any marinating and therefor it comes together pretty quickly, especially if you happen to have left over rice. Another great thing is that you’ll likely have some left over teriyaki sauce from this recipe to use for grilled chicken, salmon or beef the next day.
Whether it be a rice bowl, a noodle bowl, a loaded salad bowl, a big bowl full of pasta, a breakfast bowl (is that a thing? It should be!) – entree bowls are always just good comfort food and you can always count on them to be loaded with goodness! I recently read in article in New York Times about how bowls are becoming much more common place at dinner and it just makes sense. They can pack a lot in, they can be used for just about anything, they’re more couch friendly than a plate, and many foods often look better in a bowl then they do piled on a plate. I know I need to order more big bowls because I love the idea of dinner in a bowl…like this recipe here. So grab yourself some big bowls and fill them up with these perfectly delicious Teriyaki Grilled Chicken and Veggie Rice Bowls!

Ingredients
Teriyaki sauce

• 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 Tbsp packed light-brown sugar
• 3 Tbsp honey
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbsp)
• 1 Tbsp minced ginger
• 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch

Chicken, veggies and rice

• 3 1/2 Tbsp olive oil, divided, plus more for brushing grill
• 1 1/2 lbs bonless skinless chicken breasts
• Ground black pepper
• 1 medium zucchini, diced into half moons and quartered (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups matchstick carrots
• 2 1/2 cups small diced broccoli florets
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups white or brown rice, cooked according to directions on package (I prefer short grain brown rice)
• Sesame seeds, optional

Directions
For the teriyaki sauce:

1. In a small saucepan whisk together low-sodium soy sauce, 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp of the water, the brown sugar, honey, garlic, ginger and rice vinegar. Bring mixture to a light boil over medium-high heat. Whisk together cornstarch with remaining 2 Tbsp water, then add to sauce mixture in saucepan. Reduce heat slightly and allow to boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, set aside.

For the chicken:

1. Brush both sides of chicken with 1 1/2 Tbsp of the olive oil and season pepper (you won't need salt since the teriyaki sauce is plenty salty). Preheat a grill over medium-high heat (to about 425 - 450°F/220-230°C). 
2. Brush grill grates lightly with oil then grill chicken until center registers 160 - 165°F/ 70-73°C degrees on an instant read thermometer, about 4 minutes per side. Remove and let rest 5 minutes then dice into cubes.

For the veggies:

1. Heat remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, broccoli and carrots and saute 4 - 5 minutes until crisp tender.

To assemble bowls:

1. Layer rice into 4 bowls then top each with 1/4 of the chicken and 1/4 of the veggies. Drizzle desired amount of teriyaki sauce over tops (you'll have extra left over - use it for chicken or salmon the next day), sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve warm.

You can find complete recipes of this Teriyaki Grilled Chicken and Veggie Rice Bowls in cookingclassy.com