Hungree Girl

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Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:50:18 -0400

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Salted Chocolate Chip Cookie. I can now die happy.

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 22:41:17 -0500

Salted Chocolate Chip Cookie. I can now die happy.

Chocolate Dipped Macaroons, NOMNOM

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 22:21:24 -0500

Chocolate Dipped Macaroons, NOMNOM

Chocolate dipped coconut macaroons, literally edible pieces of...

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 13:07:01 -0500

Chocolate dipped coconut macaroons, literally edible pieces of paradise

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 15:00:25 -0400

YO!?? Stop drooling at these pix and let me get a word in. I’mma make it short, and I’mma make it sweet *duh* but I got something to say. These are going in the category of my ultimate successes. If the show “Best Thing I Ever Made…” called me today and asked me to be on it, well, I’d make these. So, if you work for that show you might want to dial me NOW. They’re pumpkin-y. They’re cinnamon-y and nutmeg-y. They’re gushing brown sugar goodness. They are absolutely ridiculous in the best way possible. These cinnamon rolls are the equivalent to Christmas; basically they turn an ordinary day into the best day of the year simply because of their nature. I’ll give you a quick description, and then set you free to indulge in this eye candy. I’m not trying to sound like a car salesman, but these are easier then they look and you really can make these. The dough is smooth and buttery, full of pureed pumpkin and spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger that make it taste insanely cozy. The inside is sticky sweet, as the brown sugar gooeyness oozes and peeks out from every possible crevice. I think I’m in love.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls *recipe by Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients
4 tbs unsalted butter
1/2 cup whole milk, warmed
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (a 7 gram envelope)
3 1/2 cups flour, plus extra for rolling
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
2/3 cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
oil for coating bowl

Filling
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Glaze
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 tbs milk
2 cups powdered suar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Recipe: Make the dough. Melt the butter in a saucepan. If desired, brown it for extra flavor (keep cooking for a few minutes of medium heat after already melted and it will turn golden brown and become a nutty flavor). Remove from heat and set aside.
Combine your warmed milk with your yeast and let sit 5-7 minutes —should be a bit foamy when done.
In a large bowl combine flour, sugars, salt and spices. Add the butter, yeast-milk mixture, pumpkin, and egg. Mix until well combined using an electric mixer. Mix for about 3 minutes until it really comes together. Scrape into a well oiled large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set asia for 1 hour to let it rise, it should double.
While rising, line the bottom of two 9 inch round cake pans with parchment paper. Butter the paper and the sides of the pan.
Assemble the buns: Scoop the dough onto a VERY well floured surface. With a rolling pin, roll the dough in a large rectangle, about 16X11.

Melt 1/2 stick of butter and brush it evenly over the dough.

Stir together filling ingredients and sprinkle the mixture evenly over the dough.

Starting on a longer side, roll the dough into a tight spiral. Ya its messy, but it will taste delicious regardless…loook at me rolling up

into a big log.

can we just eat it now?

With a sharp serrated knife, using absolutely no pressure, softly saw the log in a back and forth motion into 1 inch sections.

beauteous

Divide the buns into 2 prepared pans. Sprinkle with any sugar that fell of onto the counter, cover with plastic wrap and let rise another 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 25 minutes.
While baking make the glaze.Beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat. Mix in the milk until it achieves desired thickness.
Remove the buns from the oven and drizzle with glaze. Try and restrain yourself from eating 8.

cinnamon brown sugar bubbling goodness…also my new computer background tehe

oh baby

glaze time.

1 bun for me

heart. stopping. now.

its very flashy

and now a peek inside…

some for me, and some more for me

thank you for watching a slideshow of me make-bake-demolish this

i’m BUN-dles of fun

xoxo

hungreegirl.

Pumpkin Bread

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 14:59:29 -0400

The pumpkin party continues with a fall classic: pumpkin bread. It’s extremely dense and moist, taking on a cake–like quality that regular bread lacks. Flecks of typical pumpkin pie spices like ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg accompany a strong pumpkin flavor, think banana bread minus the banana and replaced with pumpkin. This bread is the absolute definition of fall. Eat it plain. Warm it up and slather some butter on it with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Turn it into French toast. If you’re like me, you can do all three. But honestly, it doesn’t matter what you do with it, because it’s just so FREAKING good. It’s also the ultimate fall present too. If you’re feeling like you want to brighten up someone’s day, double this recipe or use muffin tins instead and you will make some people VERY happy. I’m thinking about making this recipe in bulk and standing on the main stretch of campus and handing some muffins out. Talk about making friends. Maybe Romney or Obama should adopt this strategy. While the polls are close, if they were to start bribing people with these, I have a feeling they’d win some people over and totally take the lead….now that’s what I call politics.

Pumpkin Bread/Muffins *recipe slightly adapted from My Baking Addiction

Ingredients

one 15 oz. can pumpkin puree, 1 1/2 cups

4 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup water

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbs maple syrup

2 1/2 cups sugar

3 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp nutmeg

Recipe: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease your loaf pan or muffin tins. In a bowl fitted with an electric mixer, combine pumpkin, eggs, oil, water, vanilla, maple syrup and sugar. Beat until well blended. Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Gradually stir them into the pumpkin mixture until just mixed. Pour batter into prepared bans. Bake for 60-70 minutes (for loaf, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf/comes out clean. If using muffin tins, cook about 12 minutes.

like i mean come on…

HELLO beautiful

okay fine i’ll have a slice…or three

and the next day its FRENCH TOAST TIME…

oh and yes, topping it with cinnamon whipped cream is a requirement

and yes it’s so warm it may fall off

but you can make do and scoop it back on. I have faith in you.

pumped 4 pumpkin season

xoxo

hungreegirl.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 14:58:43 -0400

The final recipe in our saga of pumpkin glory. Don’t cry too much, there will surely be plenty more pumpkin recipes to come considering I have a list as long as the Nile river. Bread Pudding is a personal favorite dessert of mine. Why? 1) because its extremely versatile and can be flavored/topped/mixed with literally anything my heart desires 2) takes 10 seconds to put together 3) has a balance of textures both soft and moist while still maintaing a crispy crunchy top that I just die for. I’ve done my fair share of bread pudding creations. Mine have ranged from banana nutella to dark chocolate sour cherry and none of disappointed. When I hopped on this pumpkin craze, I figure I’d throw it into some bread pudding. OH am I glad I did. The pumpkin, fall spices, and white chocolate make for a pudding that’s out of this atmosphere. The pumpkin also lends it’s beautiful orange color to the dessert which makes it that much more beautiful. I thought about making a white chocolate sauce to pour atop each piece, but when I tried it plain I decided to refrain. It’s too good to mess with.

Pumpkin White Chocolate Bread Pudding

Ingredients
1 french baguette, crusty and preferably a little stale
2 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
1 15oz. can pumpkin, about 1 1/2 cups
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbs cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

Recipe: Cut the bread into 2 inch pieces. Arrange it into a casserole dish so the whole dish is covered. Stacking is encouraged. In a bowl, combine the eggs, cream, and milk. Whisk until eggs are well beaten. Furiously whisk in the pumpkin and sugar. Once well combined add the spices. Sprinkle your white chocolate chips on top of the bread and use your hands to distribute them throughout the chunks, leaving some on top. Pour the pumpkin mixture over the bread. Make sure you coat EVERY piece of bread with the orange liquid (nothing worse then dry spots in bread pudding). Use your hand or a wooden spoon to press down on the top of the bread to ensure that each piece gets soaked. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350. Bake bread pudding for about 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. It should be fluffy, crusty on the top, and moist but not seeping liquid in the center. Let it rest for 10 minutes then cut yoself a piece.

ohhhBABY

pumpkin perfection.

ya i’ll have a piece

i’m stuck on this pic…

neesh so cute loves bread pudding!

raya love pumpkin pudding too.

puddin is precious

xoxo

hungreegirl.

A Brunch Production

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 14:57:56 -0400

Hungree Girl catering is officially open for business. Yes I’ve done events before like birthday parties and date parties, but now its official. A few days ago my friend Connor called me and asked me to cater a brunch for his frat and their alumni. I agreed and we decided on a menu that was actually the ultimate carb fest; the perfect meal for a long day of heavy heavy drinking. At first, I was told it was for 40 people, a pretty large number to cook for considering the size of my kitchen. Well, as the event neared closer, the number grew, to somewhere around 150. Casual, right? I set to work, staying up late the night before and rising with the sun on the morning of to ensure that these hungree people would get FRESH from the oven quality stuff. I mean, how dedicated am I? Well, 10 lbs of homemade granola, 200 blueberry and pumpkin muffins, and a giant pan of french toast bread pudding later, brunch was ready to be served. While I was skeptical/extremely nervous at first, I’m so glad I was basically forced into doing this *Thank you Connor* because I love when people who read the blog get to try some of the goods. If you had some, YAY, if you didn’t, stay tuned. A surprise is coming. Look below for some pix!

got muffins?

some very hungree boys

my kind of table

the cinnamon swirl french toast bread pudding

is this real life?

casual saturday brunching

hungree girl loving brunch

open 4 business!

xoxo

hungreegirl.

Grilled Cheese Galore

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 19:19:00 -0400

When its rainy and gross outside, there are a few things that are necessary *at least for moi* to do.
1: wear something bright and colorful to contrast with the disgusting dreariness that is outside.
2: drink 3 cups of coffee sweetened like ice cream because that sugar boost is the only thing keeping me moving.
3: have a grilled cheese party.
Okay so feel free to skip steps 1 and 2, even though I recommend both, but you can’t pass up step 3. There’s something about oozing melty cheese on buttery pan toasted bread that pairs perfectly with a rainy day. Maybe because it takes all the warmth missing from life on these days and bundles it into a sandwich. Ya, thats it. This is the mentality my brother and I (and later Cole) all have, and we decided to take advantage of the opportunity and have our own grilled cheese party. For us, this meant taking our favorite cheeses, favorite toppings, and going to town between bread. They were delicious. We started off with a picnic style one; granny smith apple, brie, turkey, and honey. Then we eased our way in to our play on grapes and cheese, with brie and grape jelly. Finally we finished with the crème de la crème of grilled cheeses: cheddar, swiss, mozzarella, bacon, and garlic butter. Jake liked the apple best, and Cole liked the bacon one. Me? I liked them all equally. After reading those descriptions, I have a feeling your rainy days will become associated with grilled cheeses too.

Apple, Brie, Turkey, & Honey Grilled Cheese

Ingredients
2 slices rustic country bread
4 thick slices brie cheese
1/2 granny smith apple
2 slices turkey
2 tbs butter
1 tsp honey
generous pinch of salt

Recipe: Heat a small skillet on the stove. Once hot, add the slices of turkey and warm each side, about 30 seconds each side. Spread butter on both sides of each slice. Arrange two slices of cheese on each piece of bread. drizzle one side with the honey. Sprinkle the salt on the honey. Add the apple in a flat line. Lay the warm turkey on top of the apples and add the other piece of bread with brie to close the sandwich. Put the sandwich in the skillet and cover with a lid. Brown each side of the sandwich for about 1-2 minutes, until golden brown and the brie is melted.

rain rain go away

come back so we can have another grilled cheese day

Brie & Jam

ingredients
2 slices rustic country bread
2 tbs butter
2 tbs grape jam, or your own have
4 thick slices brie

Recipe: Spread both sides of each slice of bread with butter. Spread 1 tbs of jam on each piece of bread. Lay 2 pieces of brie on each slice and sandwich together. Put the sandwich in the skillet and cover with a lid. Brown each side of the sandwich for about 1-2 minutes, until golden brown and the brie is melted.

me showing off my ideal crisp/buttery perfection

i brie-lieve. do you?

3 Cheese, Bacon & Garlic Butter

Ingredients
2 tbs butter, softened

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 clove minced garlic

2 slices rustic country bread
1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar
2 slices mozzarella cheese
4 slices bacon
2 slices swiss cheese

Recipe: In a bowl combine the butter, garlic powder and garlic and mix together. Spread the butter evenly on both sides of each slice of bread. Cook the bacon in a skillet to the crispiness of your liking. On one slice of bread, arrange shredded cheddar, followed by mozzarella, the 4 slices of bacon, and followed by the swiss cheese. Close the sandwich with the other slice. Put the sandwich in the skillet and cover with a lid. Brown each side of the sandwich for about 1-2 minutes, until golden brown and the cheeses are melted.

okay ya its a heart attack between bread

this is the devil’s sandwich…but i’m the devil’s advocate so its cool.

hungree siblings geting cheezyyyy

hungree 4 rain (aka grilled cheeses)

xoxo

hungreegirl.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Snickers Cake

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 12:27:47 -0400

Okay even I know I crossed the line on this one. In fact I went so far, I can’t even see the line. Oops? For Stephanie’s birthday, how could I not make a cake inspired by her Snicker’s obsession? Well I couldn’t, so that’s just what I did. Using the chocolate-peanut-caramel candy as inspiration, I set forth to create a cake that would capture the infamous combo in every bite. Layers of chocolate cake are sandwiched between fluffy smears of peanut butter frosting. The whole cake gets a hearty coating of the pb frosting and then gets an insanely heavy drizzle of melted chocolate and caramel. When you look up sinful in the dictionary, a picture of this cake is showed as the definition. After I finished decorating it I couldn’t look away. I stared and stared. I mean LOOK at it, how can you not? Its every good dream I’ve ever had mixed together and served on a plate. If you don’t have time, no need to go homemade on the cakes, dressing them up with the fix-ins does them enough justice. If snickers aint yo style, pick your favorite candy bar and try this yourself. But then again, who doesn’t love snickers…?HAPPY birthday to my baby steph!

Chocolate Peanut Butter “Snickers Cake”

Ingredients

5 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 stick melted butter

2 cup 60% bittersweet chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla

3 tbs cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

a pinch of salt

1/4 cup milk

Peanut Butter Frosting

2 sticks butter, softened

8 oz cream cheese

1 jar skippy cup powdered sugar

3 tbs heavy cream

4 1/2 cups powdered sugar

To top:

1 cup chocolate chips, melted in microwave for two 30 second intervals, stir after first

1 cup caramel sauce

Recipe: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk the eggs and sugar together. Whisk in the butter. Melt the chocolate over a double boiler (or in the microwave) until smooth and creamy. Mix this into the batter, along with the vanilla and cocoa powder until well combined. Gradually whisk in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Make sure to scrape the sides and get all the dry bits on the side incorporated. Slowly mix in the milk. Grease two 8 or 9 inch cake pans and evenly distribute the batter between them. Bake for 25-35 minutes until the top is set and firm or a tester comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool. Once room temperature, remove from pans and put in the freezer in pan for about 20 minutes to cool if your frosting them soon after.

Frosting: In a bowl fitted with an electric mixer, cream the butter and cream cheese. Add in the peanut butter and mix until well combined. Add the heavy cream and gradually add in the powdered sugar on low. Once mixed in, turn to high power and beat for 4 minutes until light and fluffy.
Assembly: Slice each cooled, COLD (easier to cut when stored in the freezer for a little) in half horizontally. Arrange one half of one cake on serving platter. Smear with a generous amount of frosting. Top with another layer, and repeat. Finish with frosting on top and then frost the sides as well, smoothing with butter knife or spatula. Drizzle with melted chocolate and caramel.

ohhhhhh ya

and then there are layers…

oh HI. Is this real life?

pinch me pleeze

snickeringly sinister

xoxo

hungreegirl.

Upside Down Apple Spice Cake

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 13:45:11 -0400

I know it seems far away, but Thanksgiving is actually right around the corner. Thinking about Thanksgiving already? am I crazy?! No. Just hungree for my favorite holiday of all time, duh. Well, this is a recipe that I’d like to have on my Thanksgiving dessert table. It captures the flavors of the fall harvest, warms your soul, and would be the perfect table companion for a pumpkin pie. So yes, we all love apple pie, but we love apple cake too, especially this one. A dense apple spice cake is baked on top of a layer of fresh apples and a brown sugar caramel sauce. When the pan is flipped, you are treated to the breathtaking view of a gentle layering of caramelized apples, dripping their brown sugar juiciness onto the sides of the cake. It’s beyond. Especially the next day for breakfast with a cup of hot chocolate/coffee/tea. Ya, I know, you want it.

Ingredients
5 apples, skins ON
3 sticks butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2/3 cup sour cream

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 tbs maple syrup

2 tbs molasses

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp each: ground nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp ginger

Recipe: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice 3 of the apples into thing rings. Grease a springform pan. Arrange the rings in a a circular pattern, covering the bottom of the pan. In a saucepan, melt 1/2 stick of butter. Once melted, add 1 cup brown sugar. Stir over low heat for about 3 minutes, until it thickens and starts to bubble. Pour this caramel mixture over the apples on the bottom of the pan, set aside.

Chop the remaining 2 apples into 1/2 inch pieces. Melt the rest of the 1/2 stick of butter in the same caramel pan. Once melted, add the diced apples. Cover, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, cream the remaining 2 sticks butter and sugar in a medium sized bowl until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the sour cream, syrups, and vanilla and beat for 3 minutes. Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl (flour, baking powder, salt, spices) and gradually add to wet mixture on low and mix until well combined. Stir in the diced softened apples by hand. Pour the batter over the caramel covered apples in the spring form pan, making sure the sides are well greased.
Cook in the oven at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes, until center is set. Put a baking sheet under the pan in case the caramel leaks. Let rest for about 15 minutes before removing spring form. EAT a massive slice with a warm cup of coco/tea/coffee.

wowww.

talk about fall perfection

oh so you want to come to my Thanksgiving?

i thought you might

fall away

xoxo

hungreegirl.

Vanilla Cupcakes

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 23:39:12 -0400

So now that I’m officially settled in my new kitch, it’s time to get down to business. That quinoa was like the warm up, and now we’re really digging our heels into the legit thing. When you think of house warming what do you think of? Unless you’re thinking of cupcakes, then you’re wrong. To me, cupcakes are home. Nothing greets you better then a simply sweet, utterly delicate, classic vanilla vanilla cupcake. Since this is my new homecoming, I wanted to welcome myself in the sweetest way possible, and these cupcakes seemed like the perfect idea. Everyone else around me seemed to think they were a good idea also, because they disappeared QUITE quickly. One of the plusses about being at school is that I’m surrounded by a million hungree people all the time. If you’re not one of those who gets my updates saying that I have fresh cupcakes and need people to eat them, then you should probably try and be friendly and get on that level. You’ll thank me for this advice once you are.

Vanilla Vanilla Cupcakes, makes 12

Ingredients

3 eggs

8 tbs sugar

1 stick melted butter

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

a pinch of salt

6 tbs milk

frosting:

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened at room temperature

4 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

3 tbs heavy cream

Recipe: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk the eggs and sugar together. Whisk in the butter and vanilla until well combined. Gradually whisk in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Make sure to scrape the sides and get all the dry bits on the side incorporated. Slowly mix in the milk. Fill greased cupcake holders or cupcake liners 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 12 minutes until the top is golden brown or a tester comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool.

For the frosting: In a bowl fitted with an electric cream the butter. Gradually add the powdered sugar and on slow speed mix it in. Once mixed, add the vanilla and heavy cream. Whip on high for 5 minutes until light, fluffy, and about double in size.

FROST GENEROUSLY AND TOP WITH SPRINKLES GALORE.

tell me this doesn’t make you want to be my friend?

sprinkle dem biatches up

now this is how you say, WELCOME TO YOUR NEW HOME!

make these cupcakes….and pretty hungree girls will come.

hot hungree boys know how to do cupcakes in style too

home is where the cupcakes are<3

xoxo

hungreegirl.

Lobster Roll

Sat, 08 Sep 2012 10:57:11 -0400

Okay I have to finally come to terms with the fact that summer is over. This means bye bye juicy peaches, summer strawberries, sweet corn, and lots of lobster. I don’t know if you’ve heard, but this summer lobsters were available like no other. Large lobsters were being sold all summer long for less then $6 a LB! Think about getting a 2 lb. lobster at a restaurant and then think about the $38-$44 it will set you back. Yes, you are being ripped off. ANYWAYS, this post isn’t a lecture, its a celebration of lobstah love. There is nothing like eating a cold and luscious lobster roll on a hot day. I don’t know where you’re currently residing, but if it’s anywhere like Philadelphia, walking outside is absolutely unbearable/must only be done to get to the grocery store. SO, while it may not technically be “summer” let’s use the heat as an advantage to enjoy that one last lobster roll. We had a lobster bake at my house and with leftover lobster, this is what you need to DO. A potato roll gets pan toasted and buttered and topped with some real lobster salad. Not too much mayo, WAY too much lobster, and a lot of love, this is the lobster roll that will require someone to roll you home.

Lobster Roll, serves 2

Ingredients
meat of 2 lobsters, about 1 1/2 cups of lobster meat, both claw and tail, COLD
2 tbs mayo
juice of 1 lemon
1 celery, diced thinly
salt
pepper
chili powder
cayenne pepper
garlic powder

2 potato rolls/hot dog buns
3 tbs butter

Recipe: Cut or gently tear the lobster meat into large, hunky chunks. DON’T SHRED. It’s all about the meat baby.

Combine the lobster with the rest of the ingredients. Season with the spices to taste and set in the fridge while you prepare the rolls.
Melt the butter in a skillet. Once totally melted, place the rolls face down in the pan. They should toast after about 2 minutes and become a nice buttery golden brown.

Spread the lobster salad evenly between the two rolls. ENJOY.

ya.

this is lobstah love

live. love. lobster

xoxo

hungreegirl.

Chicken Cacciatore

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 17:18:03 -0400

I know I already have a recipe posted for this, but I like this one better. It’s spicier, offers more of a flavor kick, and is just downright divine. Chicken Cacciatore, also known as “Hunter’s Chicken” is a hearty, soul-warming Italian dish that has a comfort level of 1,000. Eating a plate of this atop spaghetti is the more delicious equivalent of you eating Cup-O-Noodles on the couch wrapped in a blanket. It’s a rich tomato based sauce flecked with vegetables and chicken that is super flavorful. You’ll want to drink the sauce part as soup, and if you can learn some self control and resist doing this, sopping the sauce up with a good piece of sourdough bread is THE move. I made this as the last meal for my family before I went off to school. It was my sayanora hungree meal and according to them, it killed it.

Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped finely
red pepper flakes
1 vidalia onion, chopped in rough chunks
1 red pepper, chopped in rough chunks
3 portabello mushroom caps, chopped in rough chunks
2 large carrots, sliced into thin rounds
1 cup dry white wine
balsamic vinegar
1 12 oz. can puréed tomatoes
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup kalmata olives, pitted
salt
pepper

pasta for serving

Recipe: Clean your chicken. In a large skillet with raised sides, heat some olive oil, enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Once hot, hard the chicken breast. Cook each side on high for about 4 minutes, until lightly brown and seared but not cooked through. Set the chicken aside on a plate. Add the garlic and as much red pepper as you’d like to the oil. Cook for 2 minutes, until the garlic is light brown. First add the onions, let them get a nice sear and they will start to become tender. Next add the red peppers, cook for 2 minutes. Then add the mushrooms and carrots and cook until all is slightly tender, about 4 more minutes. Add the white wine and deglaze the pan. Once the alcohol is added, all of the brown bits will come off the bottom and you want all that flavor. Let wine reduce by half, about 3 minutes. Add a dash of balsamic, the puréed tomatoes, chicken broth, and olives and simmer on high for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut your not fully cooked chicken into large chunks. After the 15 minutes of simmering, add the chicken into the pot, cover, and cook for 25 minutes on medium high.
Serve over pasta with parmesan cheese.

check dat OUT

try and cacciatore me

xoxo

hungreegirl.

Cinnamon Raisin French Toast

Sat, 25 Aug 2012 11:18:03 -0400

When I was little I was one of those weird kids that loved going to school. Strange, I know. I loved getting dressed in non-matching totally color non-coordinated outfits, putting bows the size of my body in my hair, and carrying around my hot pink *obviously* backpack. I think another reason I loved going to school was because of breakfast. Whether it be a pile of fluffy pancakes, some cheesy scrambled eggs, or grandma’s famous french toast, breakfast was totally my favorite part of the school day. My favorite breakfast memory is of Cinnamon Raisin Toast. My mom would buy multiple loaves at a time because we ate so much of it and I remember running downstairs only to be greeted by the warm welcoming aroma of cinnamon deliciousness swirled with the scent of melting butter. If one were to open up my stomach between the ages of 5 and 13, one would be bound to find at least 100 loaves of cinnamon raisin bread…tehe. Well, I decided to take my favorite breakfast to the next level by making it french toast style. Let me just say, it’s a good thing my mom didn’t do this because I probably wouldn’t have been able to fit in the school desks.

Cinnamon Raisin French Toast

Ingredients
4 slices cinnamon raisin bread
1 egg
1/4 cup whole milk
1 tsp cinnamon sugar, plus more for garnish
1/2 tsp vanilla
powdered sugar
syrup

Recipe: In a mixing bowl whisk the egg, milk, 1 tsp cinnamon sugar, and vanilla until well combined. Lay the bread slices in the bowl making sure to coat each piece evenly. Let the bread soak for about 5 minutes. Heat a large skillet on the stove with 2 tbs butter. Heat until the butter is melted and spread it around, coating the entire pan with melted butter. Using tongs, remove the soaked bread pieces and put them in the pan. Brown each side for about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and top with syrup, powdered sugar, and more cinnamon sugar.

you would like school too if you had this to start your day

hubba hubba

officially hungree 4 school

xoxo

hungreegirl.

Spaghetti with Marinara, Cherry Tomatoes, and Spicy Sausage

Fri, 24 Aug 2012 00:44:20 -0400

Nothing screams family like a massive bowl of hearty pasta. That was my mentality for dinner the other night. I’m getting ready to head back to school and was feeling sentimental towards my family and wanted to make them a dinner that would evoke feelings of warm love and home. And that’s just what this dish does, with a little kick of course. A deliciously simple marinara gets a jolt from some spicy sausage and some fresh golden and red cherry tomatoes that become meltingly tender and burst with flavor. Tossed with an al dente spaghetti and this dish will start gracing your table at least once a week.

Spaghetti with Marinara, Cherry Tomatoes, and Spicy Sausage, for 6

Ingredients

2 16 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes (total is 4

2 tbs olive oil

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 vidalia onion, finely chopped

handful of fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

salt & pepper to taste

1 cup assorted cherry tomatoes, whole

3 spicy pork sausage (or sausage of your choice)

1 box of spaghetti

Recipe: Heat a large skillet with the olive oil. Once hot, add the garlic and vidalia onion and cook until translucent, about 7 minutes. Meanwhile, puree the canned tomatoes (with juices) in a blender/food processor until smooth. Once the onions are translucent, add the pureed tomatoes and roughly chopped basil to the skillet. Turn the heat down to low and cover and cook for atleast an hour. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Follow the pasta instructions and set aside.

Meanwhile, make the sausage. You can do this in one of two manners. You can grill the sausage outdoors on a grill until they’re nicely charred and cooked through, or you could cook them on a stovetop and add the pan juices into the sauce for a super sausage-y flavor. Once cooked, slice each sausage into rounds. Add cherry tomatoes and sausage to the sauce and let simmer for 5 minutes, just until the tomatoes look like they are going to burst. Toss with the pasta and serve with parmesan cheese.

ummm…ya. if this doesn’t scream FAMILY i don’t know what will

sweet ‘n spicaAYyyYY

xoxo

hungreegirl.

Truffle Mushroom Ricotta Tart

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 14:54:49 -0400

One of the to-do’s on my bucket list, inspired by Ali the most truffle obsessed person I know, is to go truffle hunting with pigs in the forests of France. A little far-fetched? Maybe. But hey it’s my list and I do what I want. Well, if you weren’t aware, truffles are very hard to come by and extremely expensive. In the culinary world, they’re the equivalent to diamonds: rare, coveted, and a girl’s (or maybe just my) best friend. While truffle lovers like myself can’t have easy access to fresh truffles, we are able to get by with truffle infused ingredients like truffle salt and truffle oils. Two ingredients that pair beautifully with that intense nutty truffle flavor are mushrooms and cheese. Playing off of this delicious combination, I decided to make a savory tart featuring homemade ricotta cheese, seared mushrooms, thyme and drizzles of truffle oil. Honestly, it was perfection. The lightness of the ricotta contrasted flawlessly with the rich earthiness of the mushroom’s juices. Sprinkled with fresh thyme and truffle oil, and this tart was just KILLING it.

Truffle Mushroom Ricotta Tart

Ingredients

For pastry

1 ½ cups flour

8 tbs butter, cold

salt

5 tbs chilled water

8 large button mushrooms, sliced thinly

lots of olive oil

2 cups ricotta cheese (I used homemade, recipe from previous post http://hungreegirl.blogspot.com/2012/07/homemade-ricotta-cheese.html)

1 tbs fresh thyme

2 tbs truffle oil

kosher salt

Recipe: For the pastry crust, cut the butter into small pieces. In an electric mixing bowl, combine the flour and the butter and mix until little ball shapes are formed. Add the salt and water and mix just until the dough comes together. Shape it into a ball with your hands and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Roll out your crust into a thin circle, about ¼ of an inch thick, and lay it in your greased pie/tart pan. Fold a rustic crust, using the edges that hang over and folding them back on top. Bake for about 15 minutes, until golden. If it starts to puff up, use the back of a wooden spoon to pat it back down. Remove from the oven and prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Put a large skillet on the stove and heat to a very high heat. Once hot, coat the bottom with olive oil, about 1 tbs. Once the olive oil starts to smoke, add the mushrooms and sear them in batches, making sure not to crowd them!! If you crow them they will steam and won’t sear properly. Cook all mushrooms and set aside on a plate.

Now you are ready to assemble, make sure oven is at 350 degrees. Drizzle 1/2 tbs of truffle oil over the crust. Next, spread the ricotta in an even layer on top of the oil drizzled crust. Pat it down slightly so the whole crust is covered. Lay the mushrooms down over the ricotta. Arrange the mushrooms how you like, trying to cover the whole tart. Drizzle with 1 tbs truffle oil (or more for a richer flavor), sprinkle with fresh thyme and salt. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes, until the tart is set and the mushrooms have baked into the ricotta. Remove from oven, cool and cut yo’self a big slice.

i break 4 perfectly seared mushrooms.

okay what’s not to like?

ya this didn’t last long…like COME ON

my Sous-Chef for the day, Chef Sam

truffles i’m coming 4 you

xoxo

hungreegirl.

Simple Bread Loaf with Salted Honey Butter

Tue, 14 Aug 2012 10:24:26 -0400

It’s been a while, I know, but I am BACK from vaycay and ready to bake/cook/eat my heart out at home for these last two weeks of summer. SO GET READY. As summer comes to a close I want to celebrate the good things in life. Well, there are few things in life that are better then homemade, fresh baked bread.There is absolutely nothing that can beat tearing into a still-warm-from-the-oven, freshly baked loaf and slathering it with some butter. Fresh baked bread is to me as trouble is to Lindsey Lohan; we can’t stay away or stop once we start. This recipe produces a simple loaf that is delicate, rich and slightly crumbly. Smothered with a salted honey infused butter, my eyes literally dropped out of my head as I watched the butter melt and tuck itself into every crevice and eager crumble of the bread slice. This recipe, however, does have a downfall: it disappears way too quickly.

Simple Bread Loaf with Salted Honey Butter *bread recipe from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tbs granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
1 1/8 tsp yeast
3/4 cup whole milk
4 tbs butter, softened
1 egg
1 egg yolk

Salted Honey Butter
1 stick softened butter
1 1/2 tbs honey
1 tsp kosher salt

Recipe: Combine 3/4 cup of the flour, all the sugar, salt, and yeast in a bowl fitted with an electric mixer. In a saucepan, heat the milk and butter until warm, about 100-110 degrees. The butter does NOT have to be totally melted. Once warm, add the milk mixture into the dry ingredients. Beat slowly for 2 minutes, until it comes together. Add the eggs and 1/2 cup of the flour and mix for about 2 more minutes. Add the remaining flour and mix for 2 minutes on low. Scrape the sides of the bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
After 1 hour, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Transfer your risen dough into a greased and floured loaf pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 15 minutes, then take off the plastic wrap and let it rise for 15 more minutes. Bake for about 35-45 minutes or until a tester inserted comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes, then remove loaf onto cooling wrack. If you can wait, let it rest for 5 minutes. But hey, who can actually wait?
For the butter: Mash all the ingredients for the butter in a bowl until well combined. Add more honey to make sweeter. Slather on bread or eat plain…enjoy.

this is better then Christmas morning/1of the 8 nights of Chanukah

those three slices are my tasting slices. You need at least three to get the full taste.

and then comes the honey butter…somebody get me out of my own house

happiness looks like this.

BAH

bread ‘n butter baby

xoxo

hungreegirl.

Sugar Cookies

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 16:32:36 -0400

In my world, Sugar Cookies = love. There’s just something about a simple Sugar Cookie that somehow translates into real feelings. It’s got a simple message; it’s a gift that is purely sweet. For this reason, I just had to make sugar cookies for two occasions, because when people eat these they know you love them. The first: visiting the summer camp I worked at for the past 2 years and the second: celebrating Paige’s second-to-last day of work. So, I made some dough, baked the babies, and had my GREAT gals Sara and Nicole over to help me decorate. It was actually a scene from a 5 year old’s birthday party as the three of us sat at my counter hovered over our cookies in concentration. But HEY it’s really fun and actually soothing. So, make a batch, find some friends, and have a cookie decorating party of your own.

Sugar Cookies *recipe by Judy Rosenberg

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 1/2 tbs unsalted butter, cold, cut into 12 pieces
1 large eg
1 tbs vanilla extract

glaze *mine
4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup heavy cream
juice of 1 lemon

Recipe: In a bowl with an electric mixer, combine all of the dry ingredients and mix. Then, add the butter into the flour mixture and mix on medium for about 40 seconds, until the dough resembles coarse meal. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until it comes together, about 30 seconds. Remove the dough from the bowl, knead it for a few seconds. Divide it into two slabs, wrap each one in plastic, and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove one slab of dough from the fridge and place it between two pieces of plastic wrap, rolling it out with a rolling pin about 1/8 of an inch thick.
Remove the plastic wrap and use a cookie cutter to cut shapes and transfer the cookies too a greased baking sheet. Repeat with second slab, then reroll and cut out the scraps.
Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden but the middle is still white.
Cool on a baking sheet.

For the glaze: Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl. If using food coloring, divide the glaze among bowls and whisk in drops of food coloring. One the cookies have cooled, decorate and then place cookies in fridge to speed up setting time of the glaze, until they harden.

my two star helpers Nix and Saddle

decorating partAyyyY!

our BEAUTIFUL creations

my fave cookie

Paige’s almost-end-of-work surprize <3

sugar screams love

xoxo

hungreegirl.

Lemon Meringue Pie

Thu, 02 Aug 2012 15:36:57 -0400

Lately my days have been pretty interesting. Now that I’m done working, I usually wake up, do some errands, work out if I can motivate, and then spend the afternoon making some kind of concoction. Not a bad set-up, right? I recently made a list of all the things I want to make before the summer is over and believe me when I say it is delightfully and deliciously long. Well when it came time to make my afternoon concoction, I closed my eyes, pointed my finger on the list, and it landed on a Lemon Meringue Pie. When I think of Lemon Meringue Pie, I think of an edible heaven. Its got a crunchy crust, a thick luscious lemony filling, and a glossy finish of meringue. Listen to me when I say, this is terrifically tantalizing. Picture eating lemon flavored clouds and then you will have SOME semblance of what this magical wonder tastes like. While I had never made it before, it is beyond easy, and takes more patience then skill. So follow the recipe, whip it up, and sink into bites of silky lemony goodness.

Lemon Meringue Pie *filling & meringue recipe by Judy Rosenburg, slightly adapted

Ingredients
crust
10 graham crackers, crushed into crumbs
1/2 cup crushed walnuts
3 tbs melted butter

filling
6 tbs cornstarch
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup plus 2 tbs sugar
3/4 cup lemon juice
3 large egg yolks
3 tbs unsalted butter
1tbs grated lemon zest

mereingue
6 large egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Recipe: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. For the crust, combine the crushed walnuts and graham cracker crumbs with the butter until all moistened. Pat into an even layer in a greased 9inch pie pan. Bake for 10 minutes, until golden and crispy. Remove from oven and set to the side.
For the filling: Dissolve the cornstarch in the water in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the sugar and cook the mixture over low heat, whisking constantly until it thickens, about 5 minutes.
Add the lemon juice and egg yolks and simmer, stirring occasionally, so the egg yolks cook, about 5 minutes.
Strain the custard into a medium size bowl and stir in the butter and lemon zest. Let cool for 10 minutes and then pour the custard into the pie crust. Place in the fridge over night or for at least 4-6 hours.
Once the pie is completely chilled, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. For the meringue, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until frothy, about 1 minutes. Add the sugar and cream of tartar and beat on high for about 1 minute and 30 seconds, until the meringue is shiny and holds stiff peaks.
Use a rubber spatula to spread the meringue over the pie and use the back of a spoon to make peaks. Cover the edges of the crust with aluminum foil and bake the pie in the center rack of the oven for about 15 minutes, until the tips and ridges are golden.
Remove pie from oven, let cool to room temperature for 30 minutes, and then refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serve cold, and use a skinny knife that’s been run under warm water to cut.

PS. this is a VERY photogenic dessert, so get ready.

its just so PRETTY

clouds.

clouds I’d approve of if the weatherman said they were in the forecast.
and it’s just SCREAMING for someone to eat it. This is where Saddle and I came in and conquered.

a lil slice of paradise. you’re lucky i like to share.

just LOOOOOOVING lemon

xoxo

hungreegirl.