Five Sauces to Know by Heart {Tyler}

This is the first in a series I plan to do of “Recipes to Know by Heart.” When it comes to cooking, there are many recipes I just know – I’ve developed them myself over the years or I’ve adapted recipes I’ve found elsewhere. I don’t even have to look them up anymore and they are such a regular part of my cooking routine. So I’m giving away my recipes for sauces, gravies, soups, and more. I hope you enjoy!

There are few things in the world better than a dipping sauce. You can use them for salad dressings or quesadilla fillings or to dip your chicken strips or wings in or, if they’re really good, you can always try bathing in them. Wait…that’s weird.

There are a few sauces I know by heart – I’ve made them so many times I just keep the recipe in my little mental recipe book to pull out whenever I need it. All of these sauces will stay good in the fridge for 7-10 days in a sealed container. I hope you find them useful and come back the next time you need the recipe for the best ranch, honey mustard, quesadilla sauce, Zax sauce, or barbecue sauce!

Ranch

It’s versatile, it’s yummy, it’s Southern, and it’s full of calories. What’s not to love?

Ingredients…

• 1 cup mayonaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper (more or less to taste)
• 4 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives
• pinch of dill
• pinch of oregano
• pinch of cayenne
• pinch garlic powder
• pinch onion powder
• dash of worchestershire sauce
• milk (add a little at a time until you reach the right consistency)

Directions…

1. Mince the garlic on a cutting board then work into a paste by putting a pinch of salt over the fresh garlic and mashing it with the side of your knife’s blade.

Chicken and Dumplings, Y’all {Tyler}

I’m doing that thing I hate. I’m going to tell y’all about a recipe that I used and how delicious it is and then just post a link to it. I know, I know, it’s annoying. Those of you who’ve I talked with about blogging know it’s my pet peeve; BUT, I’m getting ready to go to breakfast and I have a busy day ahead and I just really need y’all to make this damn recipe!

So, last night, after a fun weekend with friends that included I don’t know how many bottles of wine and an embarrassing number of shots, Eric, his friend Devan, and myself were all curled up into balls on each piece of furniture in our living room, wrapped in blankets, freezing and nursing hangovers. Of course that means I had to make chicken and dumplings. I did a quick Internet search and found a recipe from The Pioneer Woman. Now, while the woman annoys the ever-living crap out of me on her TV show, I am a fan of her blog and her recipes.

Her recipe for chicken and dumplings was pretty simple and super yummy.

I used boneless, skinless chicken tenders for mine. I did dredge them, as she suggested, and pan fried them before adding the veggies and water. I skipped over the apple cider she recommended, because we didn’t have any, but I’ll definitely add it next time I make this. I also used bouillon cubes instead of boxed or canned broth, because they take up less space in the cabinet and are easier to have on hand.

My favorite part are the dumplings! They have a mixture of flour and cornmeal, which, as the Pioneer Woman points out, helps them hold their shape and not turn into balls of gummy gunk. They were beyond delicious!

Check out the recipe and let me know what your favorite hangover foods are!

Until next time, stay hydrated and make wise choices,

Tyler

Recipe: Hibachi Chicken with Fried Rice {Tyler}

It’s time for a recipe, y’all! I posted a picture last night of the hibachi chicken I made for Eric and I and everyone was asking for the recipe, so I figured I might as well share it with everyone! This recipe is pretty simple and to the point. I’ve put it together over the past few years of cooking on my own and have mixed different recipes I’ve found online. Here we go!

Hibachi Chicken with Fried Rice

for 2

Roasted Sweet Potato & Brown Butter Risotto (and Contest Winner) {Tyler}

Anddddd, we’re back!

Sometimes, we forget to blog for a week, okay? But we still love you all and we’re sure you love us! Right…right?!

Anyway, last week was great – each of us celebrated Valentine’s with the person we love and we had our friends Rachael and Amy over with their hubbies for a super fun Valentine’s Dinner Party (pictures and details to follow next week)!

Now, to announce the winners of our contest with Erra Creations! Congrats to Casey and Lindsay! Thanks to everyone for entering.

 

And on to this week’s recipe! For Eric’s birthday AND for our dinner party this past weekend I made a roasted sweet potato and brown butter risotto that is DELICIOUS! Folks have asked for the recipe several times, so I thought I’d finally share it with you all. It’s adapted from a recipe I found over on the How Sweet It Is blog. I hope you enjoy!

Roasted Sweet Potato and Brown Butter Risotto

Chicken and Chorizo {Tyler}

A few weeks ago I was spending a lazy Sunday morning doing my absolute favorite thing: watching cooking shows. I happened upon the beautiful Nigella Lawson cooking in her quant and quirky UK-based kitchen. This particular episode was all about meals that are easy to put together in a hurry. I was excited to catch the episode at the perfect moment: Nigella was introducing a recipe for chicken and chorizo.

Chorizo, people.

If you have experience in the United States with this deep red and slightly spicy pork sausage, you’ve probably eaten Chorizo of the Mexican variety. This is actually my favorite kind of chorizo. It is made with ground pork, dried sausages, paprika, and a whole host of spices and other seasonings. It is delicious. I want to eat it on everything. EVERYTHING. There are also other varieties that tend to be a dried sausage that can be eaten without cooking – these are Spanish and Portuguese styles of chorizo.

So, when I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it at home. Since then I’ve made this dish on a regular basis with a few changes. It is delicious, easy, and super-filling.

Recipe after the jump!