Growing up in Dallas, my favorite childhood memory was going to Neiman Marcus with my Grandmother and her sister, to enjoy popovers, strawberry butter, and warm broth. For years I have tried to recreate the famous popovers I enjoy so much, but have had plenty of batches that never “popped”. I seem to have the best results when my milk is warm, eggs are at room temperature, the batter rests an hour and the oven is piping hot. It might seem like a tedious process, but I promise the results are well worth it! To create strawberry butter I mix softened butter and a little no sugar added strawberry jam in a food processor. I have tried using fresh strawberries and frozen strawberries but the best results are when the butter is mixed with jam. My next popover adventure will be figuring out how the Polo Bar created caramelized onion and gruyere popovers. Enjoy! xoxo

Images via Alex Phillips.

Print Popover Recipe.

3 1/2 cups milk, warmed

4 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

6 large eggs, room temperature

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Warm milk in the microwave for 2 minutes. Sift flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl.

Beat eggs with an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on medium speed for about 3 minutes. Eggs should be foamy and pale in color. Turn down the mixer to low and add warm milk. Gradually add the dry mixture and beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Let batter rest for 1 hour at room temperature.

Spray Teflon-lined popover pan with nonstick spray. Fill the popover cups just slightly below the top with batter, place the popover pan on top of a cookie sheet, and transfer to the oven. After 15 minutes of baking at 450 degrees, turn the oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake for another 30 to 35 minutes. Popovers should be a deep golden brown color on the outside and airy on the inside. Serve popovers hot with strawberry butter.

A few weeks ago I made chicken verde enchiladas and a friend pointed out that I have never shared my recipe. To be honest, I had never shared this recipe because, well, I kind of make it up every time. I finally took the time to write it out as I went but this recipe is very easy to modify. I have swapped poblano chile for hatch chile, corn tortillas for flour tortillas, and cotija cheese for Monterey jack cheese, all substitutions still make amazing chicken verde enchiladas. Enjoy! xoxo

Images via Alex Phillips.

Print Chicken Verde Enchiladas Recipe.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 poblano chile, seeded and chopped
8-10 medium tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed
12oz green chiles, chopped
½ cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed, meat shredded
1 cup red onion, chopped
2 tablespoons Mexican seasoning
Corn tortillas
1 cup Cotija cheese, finely grated
Preheat oven to 425°. Drizzle olive oil over poblano chile, and tomatillos on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until vegetables are soft and browned for about 20 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and add green chilies, cilantro, lime juice, and purée until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
In a medium bowl, mix chicken, red onion, and Mexican seasoning (I use Morton & Bassett Mexican Blend Seasoning). Spread 1/2 cup green sauce across the bottom of a 13×9″ baking dish. Warm corn tortillas, so they do not crack when rolled.
Working one at a time, fill the center of each corn tortilla with the chicken mixture and fold one side over filling, then continue to roll the enchilada onto itself. Place tightly seam side down in the prepared baking dish as you go. Top with remaining green sauce and Cotija cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and let the top brown for about 5-10 minutes.

I have a huge sweet tooth, so when I see a new cake recipe online, I am eager to test it out for myself! This blood orange olive oil cake was no exception and after a few iterations, it is a new favorite. This cake is the perfect balance of sweet and tart, but adding fresh whipped cream will make this cake more sweet than tart. If blood oranges are not in season, you can substitute for tangerines instead. Enjoy! xoxo

Images via Alex Phillips.

Print Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake recipe.

4 – 5 medium blood oranges or tangerines

1 1⁄3 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1⁄2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt

3 tablespoons Grand Marnier

1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 large eggs

1 1⁄4 cups extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with Bakers Joy. Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper and smooth it to eliminate air bubbles.

Slice oranges as thinly as possible, positioned on its side, shaving off rounds that are no thicker than 1⁄8 inch. The thinner the slices, the softer the pith will become while baking keeping the cake from being too bitter. Reserve the ends of the oranges for squeezing juice. Arrange the orange slices in an overlapping pattern across the bottom of the pan and set aside.

Squeeze the reserved ends of the blood oranges into a medium bowl until you have 2 tablespoons of juice. Add 1⁄3 cup of the sugar to the bowl with the juice and whisk until you have a smooth slurry. Pour the slurry on top of the arraigned oranges.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt to combine and eliminate any lumps. In a small bowl, stir together the Grand Marnier, orange zest, and vanilla extract and set aside. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and the remaining 1 cup sugar starting on low to break up the eggs and gradually increasing to high, until the mixture is very light, thick, and pale, and it falls off the whisk back into the bowl in a slowly dissolving ribbon, about 5 minutes.

With the mixer still on high speed, gradually stream in the oil and beat until fully incorporated and the mixture is even thicker, it will be slightly reduced in volume. (Adding too much oil too soon will overwhelm the eggs and cause the mixture to break.)

Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the Grand Marnier mixture in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

Gently pour the batter over the blood orange slices, making sure not to disturb them, and smooth the top. Transfer the cake to the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 350°F. Bake until the top is golden brown, and the center is firm to the touch, 35 to 45 minutes.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool for 15 minutes. Remove the outer ring, invert the cake onto a wire rack and remove the circular base, and carefully peel away the parchment. For the best flavor and texture, wrap the cake in plastic and let it sit at room temperature for at least a day before serving.

Recipe adapted from Claire Saffitz.

Winter weather makes me want to eat soup for every meal! This Chicken and Rice Soup is the perfect way to stay warm and get a healthy serving of veggies and protein. I often add peas, bell pepper, or any other extra vegetables I have on hand to the soup. I also often use rotisserie chicken to make this simple soup even easier to throw together. This recipe makes a large serving that is perfect for dinner and leaves enough leftovers for lunch the next day. Enjoy! xoxo

Images via Alex Phillips.

Print Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe.

1 cup of rice

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 cups celery, chopped

2 cups carrots, chopped

2 white or red onions, chopped

2 Tablespoons garlic, minced

28 ounces diced fire-roasted tomatoes

2 cups shredded chicken breast

64 ounces low sodium chicken broth

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon thyme

Cook rice according to instructions and set aside. In a large pot, heat olive oil and cook celery, carrots, onion, and garlic until tender. Add roasted tomatoes, shredded chicken, and chicken broth. Season with salt, pepper, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add cooked rice and serve warm.

I have to give Alex credit for being the “idea guy” in the kitchen. He is constantly coming up with crazy menus and requesting things, like lasagna, on a whim. After insisting multiple times that lasagna was too time-consuming, I caved and start working on a less time-consuming recipe. Most classic lasagna recipes call for a bechamel and ragu sauce, but I don’t know anyone who really has time to prepare sauces all day long. I cut the bechamel and left the cheese as is and turned the ragu sauce into a modified version of my classic tomato sauce. I prefer beef, but you can easily substitute the ground beef in the sauce for ground pork or a combination of the two. Enjoy! xoxo

Images via Alex Phillips.

Print Classic Lasagna recipe.

1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped

1 white onion, coarsely chopped

ade3 cloves of garlic pressed

1 plum tomato

6-8 large black olives

1 teaspoon drained capers, rinsed

2 Tablespoons Italian Seasoning (oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, onion, parsley, and sage)

1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin

1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1⁄2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2  lb. ground beef chuck (10% fat)

3 tablespoons triple concentrate tomato paste

15oz crushed tomatoes

8 oz. dried lasagna noodles

1 lb. ricotta

12 oz. low-moisture mozzarella, coarsely grated (about 3 cups)

Purée bell pepper, onion, garlic, tomato, olives, capers, Italian seasoning, cumin, black pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes (optional) in a blender or food processor until mostly smooth.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high. Cook beef, tomato paste, and blended mixture breaking up the meat and stirring often until liquid is evaporated, and meat is starting to brown, 20–25 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes and let simmer on low until lasagna is ready to assemble.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook noodles, stirring often, until very al dente, about 4 minutes (noodles will finish cooking in the oven). Drain noodles and stack them flat in layers, separated by parchment.

Lightly oil a 13×9″ baking dish. Spread a heaping cupful of sauce in the dish. Lay a single layer of noodles over the sauce. Spread 1 cup of sauce over the noodles. Season ricotta with salt and pepper; evenly spread half of the ricotta over the sauce. Scatter one-third of the mozzarella over top. Repeat the layering process. Finish with remaining sauce, followed by remaining mozzarella. Cover with a lightly oiled piece of foil.

Bake lasagna until bubbling around the edges, 40–45 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees. Uncover the lasagna and continue to bake until the top is golden brown, 15–18 minutes more. Let sit 15 minutes before serving.

Sweet Potato Casserole is always a part of our family’s Thanksgiving meal! I know a few people who top their sweet potatoes with marshmallows, but I personally prefer crispy brown sugar pecans as my topping. This side dish could almost belong on the dessert table with the crisp sugar topping but this casserole is too good to pass up. Check out my Cranberry Sauce, Pumpkin Pie, and Pecan Pie recipes to complete your Thanksgiving meal. Enjoy! xoxo

Images via Alex Phillips.

Print Sweet Potato Casserole recipe.

2 1/2 cups cooked mashed sweet potatoes – about 3 potatoes

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup melted butter

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

3/4 cup milk

1/3 cup flour

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup melted butter

1 cup chopped pecans

Peel, cut, and boil sweet potatoes until tender. Mash potatoes and mix with sugar, eggs, baking powder, vanilla, butter, lemon juice, and milk until well combined. In a separate bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, butter, and pecans until well combined. Pour sweet potato mixture into a casserole dish and top with brown sugar mixture. Bake at 375 for 25-30 mins until the topping is crispy. Best served warm.