How to Pick a Perfect Watermelon {+ 101 Amazing Watermelon Ideas}

Knowing how to pick a perfect watermelon isn’t a magic trick. Just remember: Girls are sweeter, size matters, and your Mama was probably right.

The picture above is one of my all time favorites. It was taken on a sweltering July night in the summer of 1995, in my Uncle Russel’s backyard in Maryville, Missouri. The little girl on the left looking straight into the camera grew up to be a dedicated, compassionate teacher, and her sister is now a talented photographer with a gift for capturing light. This image recalls one of my fondest memories from their childhood, and the second best watermelon I’ve ever eaten in my life.

For the record, the best watermelon I’ve ever eaten was on the shores of Spirit Lake in the shadow of Mount St. Helens, a few years before she blew her top. It was the first of my “coming-of-age” summers, and I still remember the boy I was sitting with. (His name was Shawn, and he was beautiful.)

Coincidentally, the third best watermelon I’ve ever eaten was, like the second, grown and eaten in Missouri… and even as I type that, it occurs to me that my summer memories are as entwined with the feels and flavors of ripe watermelon as a field of vines in the late summer sun.

How to Pick a Perfect Watermelon

Hey, remember that summer we had that mealy, grainy, flavorless watermelon? How ’bout we go find one just like it and relive the moment!
~ No One Ever

If you’re like me, eating watermelon isn’t always just about eating watermelon. Sometimes, one cool, juicy bite can take you back to times and places and loved ones long gone, and bring them into clear focus for a sweet moment. No one wants to a mealy, grainy, flavorless melon – it cheats you out of both the moment and the memory.

Here are a few easy tips to help you pick a perfect watermelon:

Check the “Field Spot.”

The yellow spot, known as the field spot, is the place where the watermelon rested on the ground as it was growing. The yellower the spot, the riper the melon. A ripe watermelon will have a creamy yellow or orange-yellow spot. If the field spot is white or very pale yellow, choose another melon.

Look for “Webbing.”

When you see weblike brown spots on the watermelon, it means that bees touched the pollinating parts of the flower many times. The more pollination, the sweeter the fruit.

Avoid bumps & blemishes.

Other than webbing, note any lumps, dents, soft spots, or other irregularities. If the melon you’re considering is covered with blemishes or bumps, choose another.

Girls are sweeter.

Did you know that there are male and female watermelons? Male watermelons are more elongated, usually bigger, and can have a flat, watery flavor. Female watermelons are usually rounder and sweeter.

Size matters.

Don’t go for the biggest or smallest melon in a group: try to choose an average sized melon that feels heavy for its size. A ripe watermelon will feel heavier than one that is less ripe. (I use this trick for choosing oranges, too.)

Check the tail.

If your melon still has its tail, check to be sure it has dried up. If it’s still green, it means the watermelon was picked too early. Similarly, the surface of the melon will turn from shiny to dull when the melon is ripe.

Thump it!

Your Mama knew what she was doing! Go ahead and give it a good knuckle-thump, and then take note of how it sounds. You want to hear a deep, hollow sound. If the sound is dull, the fruit likely isn’t quite ripe.

Now that you’ve picked out your perfect watermelon, here are 101 things you can do with it!

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My Favorite Cookbook: Viktor from Fashion Corner {Guest Blogger Series}

August 26 By Renée ♥ 2 Comments

Isn’t is amazing how food brings people together? Today we welcome our farthest reaching guest blogger thus far – Viktor Milevski of Skopje, Macedonia! Viktor, who is part of the blogging team at Fashion Corner, is sharing his favorite cookbook with us (along with two great appetizer recipes!), as well as a good reminder of how important (albeit sometimes tricky) it is to keep our food traditions alive.

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This post may contain affiliate links.

For as long as I can remember, it has been our family tradition to host Sunday dinners to a different group of guests. The guests order of these dinners was simple; every first Sunday of the month our relatives would come by, and every third Sunday of the month our friends. These dinners required much preparation since there always were ten to fourteen people gathered, sitting on couple merged tables in the living room. We were serving way more than enough food and overeating was usual, especially since we come from the Balkans. It’s a common thing here, so having less food on the table can sometimes be offending.

The best part (which I enjoyed the most) was the food preparation, which lasted for hours. Every one of us had a part in it, with my dad playing the main Chef role. Without him, we simply couldn’t make those dishes that great. It was a great time because we were always picking one new recipe to prepare, among the traditional ones. This served as a new challenge, boosting the family spirit in getting work organized and done.

But (in every great story there is one but) unfortunately, when my dad went to work abroad, this tradition ceased. We had to cancel all the dinners we were hosting since we were seeing him only one weekend a month. That’s is not enough time to spend with the family, and still cook the same recipes and host two dinners. The tasty dinners, the family and friends gatherings, and the great moments of cooking together as a family were almost gone.

Until, few months ago I decided to get things back on track once again.

Knowing that we wouldn’t have as much time as before for organizing the dinners, I had to find a solution where we could prepare food faster and serve twice as many people. The solution was very simple, once I found “The Essential Fingerfood Cookbook.” The book provided us with recipes that are delicious, easy to digest and prepare. Our favorites are the bruschetta, which can be made with many different ingredients, and when chosen wisely, provide all the necessary nutrients for healthy meal.

This also solved the problem for inviting more people: since every recipe in the cookbook is about finger food, the treats are bite-sized and can be consumed while standing. This meant no chairs and extra tables were needed, leaving much more free space.

Thanks to this cookbook, now we have a new tradition. The dinners turned into parties – no more merged tables, chairs, dishes, or leftovers. Just one table full with different bruschetta and wine. I must admit that, in the beginning, it was hard to break with the Balkan tradition of always sitting at the table to eat, but after couple parties, everyone got used to it. Now I can surely say that they love it. So that’s how this one cookbook got all the good moments back to our family. All thanks to the “The Essential Fingerfood Cookbook.”

My Favorite Cookbook: Viktor from Fashion Corner {Guest Blogger Series}

Mushroom & Parsley Bruschetta

Servings 6 servings

Author Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

French bread stick or Italian loaf
7 oz Mushrooms
3.5 oz Goat cheese
Parsley
Olive oil

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400° F.
Cut a large French bread stick or Italian loaf into 1/2 inch slices. Brush the slices with olive oil on both sides and put them in the oven. Bake until golden on both sides
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a small frying pan, and fry the mushrooms until just tender.
Spread the goat cheese on top of every bread slice.
Chop the parsley and spread it on top of the goat cheese.
Add the mushrooms and finish it with some pepper.

Tomato & Basil Bruschetta

Servings 6 servings

Author Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

French bread stick or Italian loaf
2 medium tomatoes
10 fresh basil leaves
Olive oil

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400° F.
Cut a large French bread stick or Italian loaf into 1/2 inch slices. Brush the slices with olive oil on both sides and put them in the oven. Bake until golden on both sides.
Chop the tomatoes into small cubes and spread them on the bread slices.
Chop the basil and spread it on top of the tomato cubes.
Add some olive oil on top.

About Viktor: Viktor Milevski is a perfectionist by nature, big enthusiast, great chef, blogger and a beer lover. Find out more about him on his blog Fashion Corner!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they will help us keep this site up and running – and (relatively) ad-free!! Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

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My Favorite Cookbook is an ongoing Guest Blogger series. If you are interested in writing a post for this series, you can find submission guidelines here. (Please note that you do not need to be a food writer or blogger to submit a post.)

Potluck-Worthy Big {Cuban} Salad with Spicy Maple-Lemon Cashew Sauce

August 12 By Renée ♥ 6 Comments

Loaded with roasted veggies, healthy grains, savory beans, and two delicious dressings, this Big Cuban Salad will be a crowd-pleasing favorite at home or at your next potluck!

Earlier this summer, while I was putting together my How to Build a Buddha Bowl post, I came across an amazing recipe for Cuban Quinoa Bowls on one of my favorite food blogs, HeatherChristo.com. It quickly became my go-to Bowl combo, and I’ve been making variations on it for a couple of months now.

Recently, I decided to go BIG and take a Buddha Bowl to a potluck. I wasn’t sure how it would be received, because I’ve observed that people at parties tend to stick with what they know; often leaving new, unfamiliar foods (particularity those that come with blatant hippy undertones) to wither like wallflowers at a sock hop. (No, I’m not really that old.)

As it turned out, my Big {Cuban} Salad was definitely not a wallflower. In fact, it was a surprisingly huge hit, and I left the party with a empty bowl and a feeling of accomplishment.

To make this big, beautiful salad, the first thing you need is a vessel to put it in. I use a pasta bowl that customarily serves as our everyday fruit bowl. It’s very large and shallow, with a flat bottom and lots of open space to showcase the color and beauty of all the ingredients.

Speaking of ingredients…

At first glance, the ingredient and instruction list below may appear a little daunting, but don’t let looks throw you. It’s actually very easy to put together, and the results will make you the belle of the ball at your next potluck.

Watch this → I made a cool little video to show you how it all goes together!

Note: I like to make all the ingredients the day before and chill them, then assemble everything the day I plan to serve it, but that’s just me. This salad is great whether you assemble it with warm ingredients or cold – it’s just a matter of personal preference.

Serve up this is crowd-pleasing Big Cuban Salad with Spicy Maple-Lemon Cashew Sauce at home or at your next potluck!

Potluck-Worthy Big {Cuban} Salad with Spicy Maple-Lemon Cashew Sauce

Author Renée ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

Quinoa

1/2 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 green onions minced

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

1 large sweet potato 10-12 ounces, peeled and cut 1/2 cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Black Beans

1 cup cooked black beans =1 can, rinsed & drained
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 large onion chopped fine
1/2 large red sweet pepper
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Cilantro-Avocado Dressing

1 large avocado
2-3 tablespoons vegan sour cream or regular if you don't care about it being vegan
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon lime zest
Juice of one lime

Spicy Maple-Lemon Cashew Sauce

1/3 cup cashews
1 cup very hot water
2 clove garlic
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Pinch kosher salt

Additional Ingredients

5-6 cups salad greens
2 cups Cherry Tomatoes halved

Instructions

Place 1/3 cup raw cashews in a small bowl and cover with very hot water. Set aside to soak while you make the sweet potatoes, quinoa, and black beans.

Seasoned Quinoa

Combine vegetable broth, cumin, minced garlic, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
Stir in quinoa and cover. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove from heat. (Keep lid on.) Allow quinoa to sit for 15-20 minutes. Fluff with fork and stir in chopped green onions.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Preheat oven to 400°F.
In a gallon-sized Ziploc bag (or large bowl) toss the cubed sweet potatoes with the cinnamon, ginger, and olive oil until evenly covered.
Pour sweet potatoes onto an unlined heavy metal sheet pan. Lightly sprinkle evenly with kosher salt.
Put in oven and roast sweet potatoes for about 10 minutes, then toss gently and return to oven for another 8-10 minutes, until fork tender. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Black Beans:

While Sweet potatoes are roasting and the quinoa is finishing up, sauté finely chopped 1/2 onion in olive oil until translucent. Add minced garlic clove and chopped red pepper and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until onion begins to turn brown.
Add black beans, cumin and salt and cook for 5 more minutes, until beans are tender.
Set aside and allow to cook completely.

Cilantro-Avocado Dressing

Combine all ingredients and blend with a small beverage or immersion blender until smooth. It should be about the same thickness and consistency as a good milkshake.
If mixture is too thick, add a little extra water.

Spicy Maple-Lemon Cashew Sauce

Remember those cashews you started soaking at the beginning of all this?!? Drain them, and throw them into a blender with the remaining Cashew Sauce ingredients. (i.e., garlic, red pepper flakes, olive oil, lemon juice and maple syrup.) Puree on high until smooth. Season to taste.

ASSEMBLY

Evenly distribute greens in the bottom of very large, flat-bottom bowl.
Mound Quinoa in the middle.
Arrange the following in concentric circles radiating from the middle; ½ black beans, roasted sweet potatoes, ½ black beans, tomato halves.
Drizzle liberally with Cilantro-Avocado Dressing, Spicy Maple-Lemon Cashew Sauce.
Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve remaining Spicy Maple-Lemon Cashew Sauce on the side.

^{Disclosure: This post may contains affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they will help us keep this site up and running. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!}

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Smoked Salmon Pastry Cups

February 22 By Renée ♥ 6 Comments

These Smoked Salmon Pastry Cups {with marscarpone & fresh dill!} are deceptively easy to throw together, and perfect for any gathering.

Wild-caught Alaskan salmon is, by far, my favorite animal-based protein. Salmon is sustainable, delicious, and perfect for any occasion – from elegant wedding reception to late night pajama party.

Besides being a delicious and environmentally conscious choice, few foods contribute so much to your health as [wild caught] Pacific salmon. Salmon has a long list of proven health benefits:

Provides a good source of vitamins, proteins, and minerals
Helps maintain insulin levels in the body
Reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease
Improves memory and efficacy of brain functions
Helps prevent macular degeneration
Reduces risk of colon, prostate and kidney cancers
Aids in maintaining healthy skin and hair

Salmon can even help you sleep!

In the upcoming weeks, I’ll be featuring a number of delicious salmon recipes, and I thought I’d kick off the party with these luscious little easy-to-make salmon canapés.

Smoked Salmon Pastry Cups

Course Appetizer

Author Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

Salmon Filling

8 ounces marscarpone cheese*
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Dash Worcestershire sauce
Dash hot pepper sauce or Sriracha
6 ounces smoked salmon chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest

Pastry Cups

2 sheets puff pastry barely thawed
1 egg beaten

Instructions

Salmon Filling:

In a medium bowl, whip together marscarpone, whipping cream, Worchestershire sauce, and hot pepper sauce until smooth and light.
Fold in chopped salmon, dill, and lemon zest.
Put filling into a pastry bag and set aside. (A Ziploc bag will work too.)
Pastry Cups
Preheat oven to 400° F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Lay puff pastry out on a floured surface. DO NOT ROLL OUT!
Cut one puff pastry sheet into small circles, about 1 1/2 - 2 inches across. Put these circles on the prepared baking sheet.
Cut the second puff pastry sheet into small circles (the same size). Cut a small circle out of the middle of each one of these circles. Save the small circles!
Brush each of the circles on the baking sheet with beaten egg.
Place one "donut" pastry circle on top of each of the egg-washed circles.
Brush the top of the donut circles with egg-wash.
cut small decorative shapes from remaining puff pastry, to be used as garnish.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack. Allow to cool completely.
Pipe each pastry cup full of filling. Garnish with fresh dill and small pastry shapes.

Recipe Notes

Yes, you can substitute cream cheese. 🙂

I use every bit of puff pastry dough that I can. You can use the extra dough to create lovely little garnishes and accents!

Chocolate Fountain Tips & Tricks… {Some Learned the Hard Way}

July 7 By Renée ♥ 15 Comments

^{This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.}

A few weeks ago, we hosted a little celebratory gathering for our graduating senior. Usually when I host a get-together, I get totally carried away making all kinds of party food, but life has been throwing us a few curves lately, and so I decided to keep things simple this time. And what could be simpler than a chocolate fountain, right?

We did a lot of things right. I’ll share those chocolate fountain tips in a minute, but this is the most important thing I can tell you about using a chocolate fountain, so if you don’t read anything else, read this:

When you are hosting a party and plan to use a chocolate fountain, the wind is not your friend.

Ever.

Say it with me… “The Wind is NOT my Friend.”

Even when you think it is only a little wind, and no one will notice. Because guess what? You’re wrong! The chocolate will notice.

And so will the laws of physics.

Location, Location, Location

Besides the actual chocolate itself, location is the single most important factor in the success or failure of your chocolate fountain. Consider heating and air conditioning ducts, traffic flow, pet access, wind, rain, bugs and small children when choosing where to set up your fountain. Also, be careful about where you lay the electrical cord: if someone were to trip on it, it could have dire consequences for your entire party.

Once we moved everything inside, everything flowed like Willy Wonka’s Chocolate River.

On the Level

Before you ever pour a drop of chocolate into your fountain, make sure it is level. As in, plumb bubble-up level. Once again, melted chocolate is all about the laws of physics.

Prepping the Chocolate

Although I was tempted to buy more expensive chocolate, I decided to go with good old Tollhouse Semi-sweet Morsels, for a couple of reasons: they are low in milk solids, they are available at Costco in huge bags for a decent price, and they taste delicious when you melt them.

In order to get the chocolate to flow properly, you need to mix it with oil. (I know – you just squinched up your nose and said Eww.) But I stumbled onto the perfect solution: unrefined coconut oil.

A ratio of one tablespoon of coconut oil per cup of semi-sweet morsels works perfectly and tastes delicious.

Even if your fountain has an internal heating element (most do), do not attempt to melt your chocolate in the fountain. Heat your chocolate together with your coconut oil for 40 seconds at a time in the microwave, stirring after each interval and repeating until completely smooth. Only then is it ready to pour into your fountain. Follow the directions that come with your chocolate fountain to determine how much you will need to start out. (We used a small fountain, and it took about two pounds of chocolate to start off)

#ChocolateFountain Tip ♥ 1 Tbls #CoconutOil: 1 cup #ChocolateChips = Smooth, Delicious Perfection Click To Tweet

Preheat, Prime & Prep

Preheat your fountain before adding the chocolate. When you have the fountain filled and running, let it run for a minute or two and then turn it off. Wait a minute or two and then turn it back on. This will help get any air bubbles out of the tube and auger system. Also, be sure to take the time to set up a second batch of chocolate for when you need to refill the fountain later.

Dippity-Do’s

We had lots of delicious choices for dipping: Bananas, Pretzels, Pineapple, Cream Puffs, Marshmallows, Pound Cake, and lots of Strawberries.

After the Party’s Over

If that bit about the Wind not being your friend is the most important point in this post, then this is the second most important:

No matter how tired you are – clean the fountain right away.
DO NOT, under any circumstances, “leave it for tomorrow.”

If you wait until the next day, the chocolate will harden up and it will take you ten times as long to clean.

I hope you have great success with your party planning, and if you learn some new chocolate fountain tips, please be sure to come back and share them with us all in the comments!

^{Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!}

Citrus Pasta Salad with Grapes & Red Walnuts

June 25 By Renée ♥ 8 Comments

An orange-honey dressing makes this sweet and savory Citrus Pasta Salad pop with summer flavor.

In my former life as a small acreage farm-wife, our house stood in the middle of an old walnut orchard. There were a couple hundred trees: mostly standard English walnuts grafted onto Black Walnut stock. But at the top of the orchard there were five trees that had a unique strain that had been developed by the original owner, who called them Sunshine Walnuts.

The quality that distinguished our Sunshine Walnuts from others was that they lacked the bitterness that is found in most commercial walnuts, which made them perfect for baking, salads, and so on. (Apparently, I have a very high sensitivity to bitter, and avoid it whenever possible.)

Alas, having moved away from the farm, I had just about given up trying to find a sweet, non-bitter walnut until stumbled across some red walnuts.

Red walnuts are a fairly recent creation. They are not genetically modified [i.e., non-GMO]; rather, they were created using natural methods, by grafting Persian red-skinned walnuts onto larger and creamier English walnuts. A handful of walnut growers grow red walnuts, and distribute them across the country. You can probably find them at your local Whole Foods. However, if you can’t find them, don’t sweat it – before I found them, I’d been making this salad for years with old-fashioned brown walnuts.

This Citrus Pasta Salad makes a great potluck dish, and can easily be adapted for vegetarians. Plus, Mr. B gives it a glowing endorsement: the first time I made it for him, he said (between bites), “Oh, Baby, you can make this any time!”

Citrus Pasta Salad can be made with regular walnuts, or sliced almonds, or really whatever suits your fancy, but the color and flavor of the red walnuts is really wonderful if you can find them.

5 from 1 vote

Citrus Pasta Salad

Course Salad

Author Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

Salad

8 oz rotini cooked and drained
1 lbs roasted turkey julienned (optional)
4 oz. mozzarella cheese cubed 1/4"
1 lb red grapes
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or sliced almonds
2 stalks celery chopped

Citrus Dressing

2 whole oranges
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup vegetable oil
Dash of salt

Instructions

To make Salad:

Combined cooled pasta with turkey (optional), cheese, grapes and almonds.
Pour Citrus Dressing over pasta mixture and refrigerate. (I like to reserve a little of the dressing to drizzle on just before serving.) Toss before serving.

To make Citrus Dressing:

Zest one orange. Juice both oranges (about 2/3 cups orange juice), and combine zest, juice, honey and salt in a blender. Blend until smooth. While blender is running, slowly add oil.

Crazy Delicious {Chocolate Peanut} Butterfingers Bars

April 28 By Renée ♥ 16 Comments

NOTE: The title of this post is NOT hyperbolic. These Butterfinger Bars are truly Crazy Delicious!

Ever belong to a social set or a book club or a church group or whatever, and whenever there is a food-related event, that one lady always brings that one thing that you just cannot pass up, no matter how hard you try? That thing that you keep making excuses to go back to the buffet table for? That thing you literally stand and calculate just how much you can take and still remain socially acceptable? (“Er… this one is for {vague head-gesture toward crowd}…um…. bye…gotta… {mumble, mumble} go…”)

For me, Butterfinger Bars are that thing.

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

And my friend Kelly is that lady who makes that thing.

Author Kelly Nelson is bright, energetic beyond words, and one of the most positive people you will ever meet. She enjoys life on ten-acres of prime horse property in Cornelius, Oregon with her husband, children, and lots of horses. Kelly has traveled far and wide, and her experiences in England, France, Egypt, Israel, West Indies, Mexico, and across the United States sparked a love of history, adventure, and exotic places. All that traveling led to the inspiration behind her debut novel, The Keeper’s Calling, the first book in her four-book series, The Keeper’s Saga. Her most recent book, Love’s Deception, was released earlier this year.

Kelly has a generous soul, and was kind enough to share her Butterfinger Bar recipe with us, for which I am so grateful. I’m not so sure Mr. B feels the same way though: The last time I made these for him, he said (with his mouth full as he lifted another one out of the tray), “Please, please don’t make these again any time soon. I can’t stop eating them.” When he came home today to another pan-full, he just heaved a heavy sigh and pulled out a knife.

5 from 2 votes

Butterfinger Bars

Yum, all the way.

Course Bar Cookie

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Author Kelly Nelson

Ingredients

¾ C. butter softened
¾ C. sugar
¾ C. brown sugar
¾ C. peanut butter
¾ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 ½ cup flour
1 ½ cup quick oats

Topping:

3/4 cups creamy peanut butter
1 to 1 1/2 cups Dark Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge works just fine too.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375° F.
In an electric mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add 3/4 cup peanut butter, baking soda, salt, vanilla and eggs and mix well to combine. Stir in flour and oats.
Spread mixture on greased cookie sheet, and bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.
Let cool until slightly warm. Spread 3/4 cup peanut butter over warm cookies on sheet. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes.
Warm the frosting in a microwave for 30 seconds. Stir with a spoon until it has an even consistency. Drizzle warm chocolate frosting on top and use the back of a spoon to spread it evenly.
If you have teenagers in the house, stand back or prepare to be trampled.

Recipe Notes

Tip: It is much easier to spread the dough with wet hands than a spatula.

As you can see, I used chunky peanut butter for the batch I made for this post; however, smooth peanut butter works equally well. It is just a matter of preference. And yes, I did take half of these pictures on my back deck on a sawdust covered workbench. Because that’s what food bloggers do sometimes.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. (Rest assured though, we will NEVER recommend anything we don’t believe in just to make a buck. We like to sleep at night.) Anywho, while clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they will help us keep this site up and running – and (relatively) ad-free!! Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

Easy Butternut Samosas {Recipe}

January 13 By Renée ♥ 11 Comments

Mollie Katzen’s Moosewood Cookbook was my first vegetarian cookbook. (If you are a vegetarian-leaning sort of person of a “certain age,” there’s a good chance it was your first, too.) Opening the cover on Moosewood is like taking a step back in time: hand-lettered pages are filled with wonderful, rich, easy-to-prepare vegetarian recipes, wrapping you in a comforting, laid-back-to-your-roots granola sort of vibe.

Moosewood Cookbook | The Good Hearted Woman

My current copy of The Moosewood Cookbook (15th Anniversary Edition) is now already twenty-five years old.

These Sweet Potato Butternut Samosas are inspired by one of my favorite Moosewood recipes. The most obvious change I made was to magically change the peas (which I hate) to butternut squash (which I love), and the white potatoes to sweet potatoes because I think they go with the butternut better. I also added some curry powder and a shake of nutmeg to boost the butternut squash.

These little pillows of delicious make a great appetizers, or you can make them bigger and serve them as savory hand-pies. Either way, be sure to serve them with some dipping sauces.

(For Food Bloggers Only: Well, of course I did not take these pictures in my powder room because the sun set way too early the day I made them and I haven’t made the investment in good lighting yet. Who does that?!?)

5 from 1 vote

Butternut Samosas

Ingredients

Dough (Mooswood Traditional)

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup plain soy yogurt
or...

Dough (Easy Way. Not Vegan.)

2 sheets of Puff Pastry

Filling

2 sweet potatoes about 5-6 inches each
1 cup cubed butternut squash 1/4 inch cubes
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic minced
1 Tablespoon grated ginger
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. curry powder
dash freshly ground nutmeg
1 tsp kosher salt
2 Tablespoon lemon juice
Cayenne to taste

Moosewood Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup cider or rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup water
3-4 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 clove garlic minced
1 tsp. kosher salt

Mint Chutney

1 cup fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger chopped
Juice of 1/2 a lime
1/4 cup water
Salt
Pepper
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 tsp. mustard seed

Instructions

Dough

I use frozen puff pastry. Really easy, and much faster. And yes, it’s probably not as healthy for you as some options…but it tastes fantastic! However, if you want to be all authentic (or keep it vegan) use the recipe from The Moosewood Cookbook:
Mix the flour and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center, and add the yogurt. (If you aren’t worried about it being vegan-worthy, you can use an equal amount of buttermilk instead.) Mix first with a spoon, and then with your hand to form a smooth dough. Add extra flour if you need to keep the dough from being sticky. Knead for about five minutes, then cover while you make the filling.

FIlling

Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1-inch pieces. Put them in a saucepan, cover with water, and boil until potatoes are tender. Drain. Mash very lightly – just break them into pieces. You want them to be very chunky: not a smooth mash.
In a large skillet, saute cubed butternut squash in olive oil until it just begins to soften. Add onion, and stir until squash is tender and onion is very soft.
Add garlic, ginger, mustard seeds, coriander, curry, nutmeg and salt. Stir over medium heat for a minute or two to release the flavors of the spices.
Combine squash mixture with potatoes. Stir in lemon juice. Cool at least 15 minutes before filling pastries.

Assembling Pastries

This is where I completely go off the map. If you want to create authentic looking samosas, Fine Cooking has fantastic instructions for assembling traditional samosas.
I use puff pastry and cut 9 circles from each sheet using the rim of a large glass. Take each little circle and roll it out until it is about 3 1/2 inches across. Put a heaping tablespoon of the filling in the middle, wet one half of the edge, and fold it over to form a little half-moon.
Press down all around the open edge to seal. Do this 17 more times. Bake at 425° for about 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Moosewood Dipping Sauce

Place all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until sugar dissolves. Simmer 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Mint Chutney

Put mint, cilantro, ginger, lime, water, salt and pepper in a food processor and process until it becomes a sauce. (It’s OK if there’s still little leaf bits.) Heat olive oil in skillet. Add mustard seed and fry until you hear popping. Add mustard seed to sauce. This can be served separately, but I like it mixed in with the Dipping Sauce.

Note: I couldn’t find the Moosewood Dipping Sauce recipe in the current (40th Anniversary) edition, and it is delicious, so you’re welcome.

Hint: Spread the leftovers bits of pastry on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with sugar and bake while you assemble the samosas. It will take about 15-20 minutes at 425°.

Disclosure: Post contains an affiliate link.

Do you have a cookbook that you continue to go back to year after year for inspiration?

Raspberry-Almond Baked Brie {in Puff Pastry}

December 8 By Renée ♥ 8 Comments

This classic, four-ingredient Raspberry-Almond Baked Brie in Puff Pastry is always a crowd-pleaser at any holiday gathering!

My niece and I share a love of Celtic history, warm hugs, musty bookstores, and baked brie; of the latter, this Raspberry-Almond Baked Brie is one of our favorites.

This no-stress, easy-to-make appetizer is a total crowd-pleaser at any celebration. It holds up well if it needs to be transported, and brings just the right amount of “fancy” to practically any occasion.

This recipe lends itself to countless variations. You can swap out the raspberry jam for something seasonal. Or how about orange marmalade, or apricot, or Marion Berry? Or leave out the almond paste and use cranberry sauce to create a new holiday tradition.

We like to serve this with apple slices and hearty, whole grain crackers.

Raspberry-Almond Baked Brie

Ingredients

1 wheel of brie
1 sheet of puff pastry I use Pepperidge Farm
3 - 4 ounces of almond paste See Note
1/4 - 1/3 cup raspberry jam
1 egg white gently whisked

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°.
Defrost puff pastry according to direction. Lay one sheet evenly in the bottom of a glass pie plate.
Slice the brie wheel horizontally as shown. Separate the layers.
Roll the almond paste into a circle slightly larger than the brie wheel and about 1/8-inch thick.
Use the brie container to cut a round of almond paste. (Or just use the brie as a guide and cut around it with a knife.)
Layer the almond paste circle in between the two brie circles.
Spread the raspberry jam evenly on top.
Using a pastry brush, apply a thin layer of egg white wash to the inside edges of the puff pastry. This will help to seal it together when you gather the edges.
Gather the puff pastry together at the top of the brie wheel and twist gently to seal.
Carefully slice off the big knot of pastry on the top. Use the extra pastry to create decorative shapes for the top if you wish.
Apply an egg white wash to the entire pastry.
Bake in preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown.
Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Serve with crackers or sliced apples.

NOTE: You can find almond paste in the baking section of your grocery store, usually near the canned pie fillings. You can also make it from scratch, but I’ll save that for another time. 🙂

Easy Paella a la Aneto {Recipe}

October 22 By Renée ♥ 4 Comments

The folks from Aneto traveled all the way from Barcelona, Spain to Seattle, Washington to share their product at the International Food Bloggers Conference [IFBC] last month, and each time I had the occasion to speak with them throughout the weekend I became more and more impressed with their dedication to quality and their passion for their product. But “fancy words won’t feed the bulldog,” as my Dad might have said, so once I got home, I started to experiment. I wanted to find out if their product was as good as they claimed.

Before I go any farther, I should tell you that I am very sensitive to “processed taste”: the intermingled flavor of box or can, preservatives and flavor enhancers – to the point that I avoid nearly all prepared soups, stocks, and broths, as the high water content seems to absorb such processed flavors without fail. So it was with pleasant surprise that I found Aneto’s Valencian Paella Base to taste as close to “homemade” as I have experienced from a processed product in very long time. This shouldn’t be surprising though: the ingredient list – completely devoid of anything chemical-sounding or unpronounceable – reads like a card from your great-grandma’s recipe file: Chicken broth made with water, chicken, onion, carrot, cabbage, leek, celery, and sea salt. Sauteed vegetables made with rabbit, duck, tomato, virgin olive oil, ferraura beans, garrofon beans, snails, saffron and rosemary. That’s it.

Traditionally, Valencian Paella is cooked over an open fire, fueled by orange and pine branches. This cooking method produces an aromatic smoke which infuses the paella. I really liked that Aneto’s Valencian Paella Base is seasoned such that some of this old-world flavor finds its way into the paella, even when cooked on top of a modern stove.

Paella with Aneto | The Good Hearted Woman

Easy Paella {Recipe}

Course Main Dish

Servings 8 servings

Author Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil divided
8 oz Spanish-style chorizo cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 lb skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1" pieces
4 garlic cloves minced
1 medium onion coarsely chopped
1 red or yellow bell pepper coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 1/4 cups short-grain white rice I use Arborio rice
2 1/2 - 3 cups Aneto Valencian Paella Base I found that I needed more
1 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads
1 lb medium shrimp shelled and deveined, tail attached
Chopped Italian parsley

Instructions

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet or paella pan over medium-high heat. (I used a heavy-duty wok, and it worked perfectly.) Add chorizo and chicken and stir until chorizo is golden and chicken is cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside.
Add remaining tablespoon oil, garlic, onion and bell pepper to pan. Add paprika and saute for 5 minutes, or until peppers and onion are golden.
Stir in rice, broth and saffron, and bring to a rolling boil, uncovered. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 8-10 minutes..Stir in the shrimp and cook, covered, until shrimp are cooked through, about 4 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in cooked chicken and chorizo. Cover with a kitchen towel and let stand about 5 minutes more, or until all of the liquid is absorbed.

Recipe Notes

Simmering time will vary, depending on what kind of rice you use. Also, you may need to add additional stock or water as I did. Just be careful to not stir too much or you will end up with a very runny risotto instead of paella!

Mr. B loved this paella so much that he took it in his lunch every day for a week straight! Which reminds me – Paella is traditionally a party dish, and you can easily feed a small army with one batch!

A few words about Saffron:🎶 🌻 I’m just wild about saffron. 🎶 (If you are over 40, you just smiled.) Anyway, did you know that saffron is the single most expensive cooking ingredient on the planet? More expensive per ounce than truffles or good French wine. And TOTALLY worth it! You can make this recipe without the saffron, or you can substitute in turmeric, but really, there is nothing in the world that tastes like saffron except, well – saffron. (Just to keep Karma happy, when purchasing saffron, please be sure to look for an organic, Fair Trade product.)

Aneto products can be found at Whole Foods and online at Amazon.com (Affiliate link).

Disclosure: As an IFBC 2014 attendee, I received free Aneto products and the cool apron pictured above. As always, all opinions are my own.

Knowing how to pick a perfect watermelon isn’t a magic trick. Just remember: Girls are sweeter, size matters, and your Mama was probably right.

How to Pick a Perfect Watermelon

Here are a few easy tips to help you pick a perfect watermelon:

Check the “Field Spot.”

Look for “Webbing.”

Avoid bumps & blemishes.

Girls are sweeter.

Size matters.

Check the tail.

Thump it!

Now that you’ve picked out your perfect watermelon, here are 101 things you can do with it!

Beverages [Kid-Friendly]

Beverages [Adults only]

Frozen Treats

Salads

Salsas

Soups, Skewers & Savory Dishes

Watermelon Mix [Sweets, Party Food & Misc]

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Mushroom & Parsley Bruschetta

Ingredients

Instructions

Tomato & Basil Bruschetta

Ingredients

Instructions

Loaded with roasted veggies, healthy grains, savory beans, and two delicious dressings, this Big Cuban Salad will be a crowd-pleasing favorite at home or at your next potluck!

Potluck-Worthy Big {Cuban} Salad with Spicy Maple-Lemon Cashew Sauce

Ingredients

Quinoa

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Black Beans

Cilantro-Avocado Dressing

Spicy Maple-Lemon Cashew Sauce

Additional Ingredients

Instructions

Seasoned Quinoa

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Black Beans:

Cilantro-Avocado Dressing

Spicy Maple-Lemon Cashew Sauce

ASSEMBLY

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These Smoked Salmon Pastry Cups {with marscarpone & fresh dill!} are deceptively easy to throw together, and perfect for any gathering.

Smoked Salmon Pastry Cups

Ingredients

Salmon Filling

Pastry Cups

Instructions

Salmon Filling:

Recipe Notes

Location, Location, Location

On the Level

Prepping the Chocolate

Preheat, Prime & Prep

Dippity-Do’s

After the Party’s Over

No matter how tired you are – clean the fountain right away. DO NOT, under any circumstances, “leave it for tomorrow.”

An orange-honey dressing makes this sweet and savory Citrus Pasta Salad pop with summer flavor.

Citrus Pasta Salad

Ingredients

Salad

Citrus Dressing

Instructions

To make Salad:

To make Citrus Dressing:

NOTE: The title of this post is NOT hyperbolic. These Butterfinger Bars are truly Crazy Delicious!

Butterfinger Bars

Ingredients

Topping:

Instructions

Recipe Notes

Butternut Samosas

Ingredients

Dough (Mooswood Traditional)

Dough (Easy Way. Not Vegan.)

Filling

Moosewood Dipping Sauce

Mint Chutney

Instructions

Dough

No matter how tired you are – clean the fountain right away.
DO NOT, under any circumstances, “leave it for tomorrow.”