Category: Foodie Friday

Foodie Friday | ninigoesdigi

nini2

Hello everyone, and welcome to another edition of our always-popular Foodie Friday series here on The Digital Press blog! This week, we are excited to be featuring Nini of ninigoesdigi. Nini joined The Digital Press as a permanent designer this past year, and therefore this is her first feature on the blog. We are so excited to have her sharing her recipes with us, as she loves to cook and has whipped up some really unique things in her kitchen this week!

Nini

What are those yummy things you see, above?

  1. Ham Mousse
  2. Quiche (without pastry)
  3. Gateau au Chocolat

Ham Mousse

INGREDIENTS

  • 250 g of white ham
  • 400 ml (2 cups) of fresh cream (divided in 250 ml + 150 ml to be used separately)
  • 6 g of gelatin (soak it in a little bit of cold water – this time I tried with only about 2 g to see if it was less hard and I prefer that texture. You will need to test and see what you prefer)
  • salt and pepper to your taste (depending on the saltiness of the ham too)

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Cut  away the hard bits (hard gristle) the white ham might have. I take out the white soft greasy parts too. I only keep the pink meat of my ham 😉
  • Put 250ml of liquid fresh cream in a saucepan with the ham cut into small pieces on medium heat. Don’t let it boil. Take off the heat once it starts make bubbles.
  • Place that mixture in your blender, or like me, mix with a hand mixer until smooth. Add the gelatin. I am not patient so when the recipe said “blend 10 minutes until smooth” I totally didn’t follow through lol. Just blend as desired until you think it is smooth enough for you. Scrape the mix from the sides too so that everything gets well blended.
  • Cool the mixture by placing your bowl or saucepan on an icy bain-marie (water bath). Slowly mix with a spatula to cool it down evenly.
  • Whip the rest of the fresh cream so it gets to be the same consistency of the ham mixture (about 80% of normal whipped cream).
  • Add the cream and ham mixture to the cooled mixture in the bain marie and mix gently together. If it is not seasoned enough for you, you can add salt and pepper to your taste.
  • Pour into a bowl and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Special note: this amount makes quite a bowl of ham mousse so maybe you could try half of it first, if you are concerned it will be too much.
I love to spread it on a slightly toasted baguette pieces, or fresh baguette. One suggestion: if you have a French baguette that is 1 day or 2 days old, spray a bit of water on your slice before you toast it. It will help bring back the good crunchy outside/soft inside taste, like a fresh baguette.

Quiche (without pastry)

INGREDIENTS

  • 200 g of diced bacon
  • 3 eggs
  • 500 ml of milk
  • 100 g of flour
  • 140 g of grated Gruyère / but for the one on the picture I used grated Parmesan
  • salt (to your taste but depends also on the bacon) + pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Brown the bacon bits in a pan.
  • Spread them in a cake pan/mold (about 24cm, and buttered).
  • In a pitcher/bowl, mix the flour, the eggs one by one, the milk, 140 g of grated cheese, or Parmesan like I did. Pour the mix on top of the bacon.
  • Bake for about 40 minutes at 180°C or 200°C (350°F/390°F) depending on your oven you might need more or less time. Take a look sometimes to see if it’s not too burnt! lol

Special note: I usually make this when I have guests, for a party and I use silicon mold with many divisions. That’s why in my picture I have serving sized  bits of quiche (some round, some square). Perfect for an appetizer, no? Since there is no pastry/pie at the bottom you can make as many shapes as you like. But don’t forget to adjust the cooking time if they are smaller than a whole pie. I loved using the Parmesan instead of some other grated cheese. The cheese taste was delightfully  stronger.

Gâteau au Chocolat

INGREDIENTS

  • 200 g of black chocolate (70%)
  • 125 g of butter
  • 100 g of flour
  • 8 to 10g of baking powder (I usually put 10g)
  • 4 eggs (separate yolks and whites)
  • 200 g of sugar
  • 1 pinch of salt

INSTRUCTIONS (20 mins preparation time)

  • In a saucepan melt the chocolate with the butter. Remove from the heat and pour in the flour and the baking powder. Mix well.
  • Pre-heat your oven to 180°C (350°F)
  • In a bowl beat the yolks with the sugar until they whiten. Mix with the chocolate.
  • Beat the whites with a pinch of salt. Add them to the chocolate, mix slowly so that the meringue doesn’t break too much.
  • Pour the mix in a mold that has been buttered and floured.
  • Put in the oven for 30 minutes. Check around the end of the cooking time by sticking the cake with a knife to see if it comes out dry. I actually don’t mind it to be a little humid as it means the outside is cooked but the middle is still a little moist. Yum! Be careful that the top of the cake doesn’t burn too much. If you think it’s too cooked but need to add a few more minutes because the inside is not yet cooked, add a layer of foil on top.
  • Let it cool before you turn it out.

Special note: This is my all-time favorite. I use French cooking chocolate that I bring back from France or that my mum kindly sends me to Japan. It is a 70% cacao chocolate bar. I tried with the cooking chocolate selling in common Japanese supermarkets but it got super greasy… I don’t know why. Maybe there was too much fat in that chocolate? But I won’t make that mistake twice.

These recipes all sound fabulous, and definitely easy enough to pull off! Please share in the comments if you try the recipes, and let us know what you think of them!

Meanwhile, as is always the case with our designer feature weeks — they come with a fantastic week-long sale and a special Free-With-Purchase offer. You’ll be excited to know that the entire ninigoesdigi shop at The Digital Press will be marked down 30% throughout her feature week (sale prices will be valid through 11:59pm ET on Thursday 2/15)… and if that weren’t good enough news, she will also have the following Free-With-Purchase offer available in her shop all week long as well — spend $10 in the ninigoesdigi shop at The Digital Press and get the following brand-new FULL KIT completely FREE!

small avi

About the author Stefanie is a member of The Digital Press creative team and a stay at home mother of three older children living in Cape Town, South Africa with her hubby of 29 years, two of their three children and 4 Siamese cats. She loves photography, traveling and digital scrapbooking, documenting the good and the ordinary everyday.

Foodie Friday | Julia Makotinsky

Hi everyone! It’s Friday, and as always that means it’s time for another edition of our Foodie Friday series here on The Digital Press blog! This week, we’re featuring Julia Makotinsky who recently jointed The Digital Press as a permanent design team member. Therefore, as this is Julia’s first blog feature here at TDP, I have asked her to give a brief introduction.

Julia was born in Moscow, Russia… but now resides in New York in the USA, where she has lived for a little over 25 years. She graduated as an illustrator from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, and then later began designing digital scrapbook kits in 2008. She says, “learning as a designer is a never-ending process. But designing is my passion — and not only digitally. My style is mostly hand-painted/sketched and illustrative, and I do love to sketch. I am a night owl and quiet evenings are the time when most of my creativity begins. I love to drink black tea with lemon or fresh mint. I also love to ski, I love living right by the ocean, I love riding my bicycle in summer, and I love reading books and flipping actual paper pages (rather than kindle). “

If you have not checked out Julia’s store here at The Digital Press yet, you are in for a wonderful surprise! Her extraordinary and unique art features prominently in her designs, which are also highly colorful.

Julia also loves to cook… and says, “we Russians are big on cooking — especially during holidays — and most of our food is very colorful, both in taste and calories! 🙂 I prefer more healthy choices, lately, however.”

Here’s a look at two of Julia’s favorite recipes, and one of mine…

What are those amazing, delicious-looking items you see up above?

  1. Herb Crusted Salmon with Arugula Salad
  2. Oven Baked Chicken
  3. No-Bake Date Slice

Herb Crusted Salmon with Arugula Salad

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 salmon fillets (6oz each)
  • 1 heaping tablespoon coconut flour
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley (or dried, if you have on hand)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • salt and pepper, to taste

FOR THE SALAD

  • 2 cups arugula
  • 1/4 red onion, sliced thin
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • salt and pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  • Place salmon fillets on a parchment or foil lined baking sheet.
  • Top your salmon off with olive oil and Dijon mustard and rub into your salmon.
  • In a small bowl, mix together your coconut flour, parsley, and salt and pepper.
  • Use a spoon to sprinkle on your toppings on your salmon and then your hand to pat into your salmon.
  • Place in oven for 10-15 minutes or until salmon is cooked to your preference.
  • While the salmon is cooking, mix together your salad ingredients.
  • When salmon is done, place salmon on top of salad and consume.

Oven Baked Chicken

In Julia’s words “This is my girlfriend’s recipe… and all of our friends absolutely love it, I’ve cooked it myself at my house many times, but I still prefer hers. It’s the easiest recipe ever and the best part there is no measuring involved!”

INGREDIENTS

  • Chicken thighs or entire legs (thigh and drumstick) fatty part cooks best so chicken breasts won’t work
  • salt and pepper
  • minced garlic from the jar

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Place chicken into oven pan, sprinkle each piece with salt and pepper working it into chicken, use your hands to smear it on all sides.
  • Do the same with minced garlic even going under the skin.
  • Cover the entire pan with aluminum foil on top and place in the oven for an hour.
  • After an hour remove the foil and using  a spoon baste each piece of chicken with the juice that came out of the pieces. Place them back into the oven uncovered for another hour, basting occasionally as required.
 “That’s it! It takes 2 hours to cook all together but it’s sooooo delicious and juicy inside and crisp outside, and can be served with any side dish of your choice such as mashed potatoes, salad, pasta etc.”

No-Bake Date Wafers

“This was my own favorite biscuit recipe growing up as a child. My mum used to prepare it whenever she needed something quick to take out. Now we only prepare this at Christmas, due to the sugar content… but I still love it.” ~Carolyn

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 cups puffed rice or Rice Bubbles
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 oz margarine
  • 1 large lemon (juice and rind)
  • 1/2 pound chopped dried dates
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 Tablespoons unsweetened desiccated coconut.

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Line biscuit tin (rectangle app 12″ x 7″) with paper then sprinkle half of coconut over base.
  • Cook dates on stove top (medium heat) until soft with sugar, butter and lemon rind. (This will take app 15 minutes)
  • Remove from stove and add all remaining ingredients (except coconut).
  • Spread mixture over coconut in lined tin then sprinkle remaining coconut over firmed down biscuit.
  • Cool in fridge before cutting into squares.

I hope that you have enjoyed these new recipes from Julia and myself. Let us know if you decide to try one of them, or if you have any questions!

Meanwhile, it wouldn’t be a designer feature week without a fantastic sale and a special Free-With-Purchase offer! Not only is Julia’s entire shop marked down 30% OFF throughout her entire feature week (sale prices will be valid through 11:59pm ET on Thurs 2/15)… but she also has the following Free-With-Purchase offer available in her shop all week long, as well — spend $10+ in Julia Makotinsky’s shop at The Digital Press and get the following item completely FREE!

AvatarAbout the author  Carolyn lives with her partner and 2 rescue dogs on 5 acres of paradise in the hinterland of the Sunshine Coast, Australia. Her camera, along with an assortment of lenses, is never out of sight. When not taking photos, she loves cooking and gardening and, of course, scrapbooking.

Foodie Friday | Jimbo Jambo Designs

Hi everyone! It’s Friday, and as always that means it’s time for another edition of our Foodie Friday series here on The Digital Press blog! This week, we’re featuring Aga of Jimbo Jambo Designs. This amazing designer has already been featured twice (if you want to learn even more about her, you can find her first feature article from October 2016 HERE, and her second feature article from May 2017 HERE).

In addition to creating super fun and inspiring templates, she has many other talents as well… including cooking! Let’s discover the three fabulous recipes she will be sharing with us today…

What are those yummy things you see, above?

  1. Chicken in Garlic and Orange Juice
  2. Gazpacho Andaluz
  3. Strawberry Crumble Cake

Chicken in Garlic and Orange Juice

INGREDIENTS

  • 4-6 pieces of chicken
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon curcuma
  • 2  clove of garlic
  • a bit of rosemary and cayenne (pepper) if you like spicy food.

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Season chicken with oregano, salt and pepper, to taste; set aside.
  • Melt butter in a large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken, sear both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side; set aside.
  • Mix all ingredients and heat up without boiling and leave to cool.
  • Add chicken and toss to coat. Cover and marinate at least 3 hours up to overnight in the refrigerator.
  • Place into oven and roast until completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 180 degrees C, about 25-30 minutes.

Gazpacho Andaluz

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 kilo of ripe tomatoes (with an accentuated red color)
  • 1 green pepper Italian type (about 60 grams)
  • 1 piece of cucumber (about four fingers wide)
  • 1 piece of onion (about 100 grams)
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
  • 1 small spoonful of salt
  • Optional: 1/2 green apple (for example a Golden) and cold water

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Wash tomatoes, apple, cucumber and pepper well. Let it drain. If you want you can remove the tomatoes’ skin.
  • Remove the corner and seeds from the pepper, cut it into four or five pieces and put it with the tomatoes.
  • Peel the clove of garlic and put it with the rest of the vegetables.
  • Take the piece of onion (peeled) and cut it into three or four pieces. Add to the blender jar.
  • Take a piece of cucumber about four fingers long and peel it. Cut it into four or five pieces and to the blender.
  • Now that all the vegetables of the gazpacho are in the glass of the blender we will turn it on (well covered) and we will leave it working until there is no piece of vegetable left (the time will depend on the power of the blender).
  • Now add the salt, the oil, and the vinegar. I advise you to start with three tablespoons of vinegar and to rectify (adding more) to your liking. Give the blender five seconds and try. Rectifies of salt and vinegar to taste.
  • makes 4 glasses (1 liter)

Strawberry Crumble Cake

INGREDIENTS FOR CRUST

  • 200 g of wheat flour or spelled or oat flour
  • 50 g of rice or potato flour
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 150 g butter (cold)
  • 50 g sugar
  • 1 egg

INGREDIENTS FOR CRUMBLE

  • 150 g of wheat flour
  • 50 g of rice or potato flour
  • 50 g sugar
  • 125 g butter (cold)

INGREDIENTS FOR FILLING

  • 800 g strawberries
  • 3 tablespoons of potato flour
  • powdered sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Put baking paper in a form of a size 24 x 34 cm.
  • Put into the bowl both flours, add baking powder, sugar, cut into pieces butter and an egg. Rub your fingers with the rest of the ingredients into a small crumble, then quickly knead the dough by combining the ingredients into a homogeneous sphere. Place the bottom and a piece of the side of the mold with the dough. Punch the bottom with a fork and put in the fridge. Heat the oven to 180 degrees C.
  • Place the baking tray with the dough in the oven and bake for 15 minutes for a pale golden color. Take out the dough, but do not turn off the oven.
  • Crumble: pour the flour into the bowl, add the sugar and cut into pieces cold butter. Rub the butter with the rest of the ingredients with your fingers until you have a crumble (small pastry crumbs).
  • Strawberries: cut into smaller pieces (eg into quarters), put in a bowl, mix with potato flour.
  • Put the strawberries on top, put the crumble on top and put in the oven. Bake for approx. 35 – 40 minutes for a golden color. After baking sprinkle with powdered sugar.

All of those recipes look amazing, right? Aga is a world traveler, and it definitely shows in the foods she prepares! I love them! Unfortunately, I won’t be able to try the gazpacho because I’m allergic to raw tomatoes… but I hope you’ll tell me in the comments if it’s as tasty and delicious as it sounds!

And of course, it wouldn’t be a designer feature week without a fantastic sale and a special Free-With-Purchase offer! Not only is Aga’s entire shop marked down 30% OFF throughout her entire feature week (sale prices will be valid through 11:59pm ET on Thurs 2/8)… but she also has the following Free-With-Purchase offer available in her shop all week long, as well — spend $10+ in the Jimbo Jambo’s shop at The Digital Press and get the following item completely FREE!

ChloéAbout the author  Chloé is in charge of PR and communication for her small town by day, is a digiscrapper “by night,” and a photographer whenever the light is beautiful. She lives with her man and fur-babies in a small town of Alsace (in the northeast of France), where she loves to read, watch good TV shows (TWD being her absolute favorite), and just hang out with her friends — no matter if they are close by, online, or away in her Swiss hometown. She recently became quite obsessed with Bullet Journaling, FLyLady and Zero Waste.

Foodie Friday | Rachel Hodge

Hello! Welcome to The Digital Press blog today for another fun edition of our always-popular Foodie Friday series!

I’m Robin, and this week we are featuring TDP Designer Rachel Hodge, and peeking into her kitchen to learn a few of her favorite recipes. This is actually Rachel’s third feature on The Digital Press blog (if you want to learn even more about her, you can find her first feature article from April 2016 HERE, and her second feature article from March 2017 HERE).

Rachel has some amazing recipes to share with us this week. Take a peek…

So, what are these delicious things you see pictured above?

  • Scalloped Potatoes
  • Afghan Cookies
  • Spiced Treacle Gingerbread

Scalloped Potatoes

About this recipe, Rachel says, “I love me a good scalloped potatoes recipe! This one is super easy and super tasty… and it’s a family favorite in my house.”

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 large potatoes, thinly sliced
  • 1 onion, sliced finely
  • 1 cup grated cheddar (for those who are also in Australia, I use the dairylea block)
  • 1-1/2 cups cream
  • 2 teaspoons chicken stock

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F)
  • Arrange a layer of potato slices in a baking dish and then top with a layer of the sliced onions.
  • Set aside half the grated cheese (this will be for the top layer) and then sprinkle some of the remaining cheese over the onion.
  • Continue this layering until all the potato and onion is used.
  • In a separate bowl gently mix the cream and chicken stock together then pour over potato and sprinkle with the rest of the grated cheese.
  • Cover and bake for 40 minutes, or until potato is tender.

Afghan Cookies

When I asked Rachel about this recipe, she replied, “Oh my gosh, these are the best! This is a favorite I love to have with a coffee or cup of tea. This is sweet, crunchy, and chocolatey… what’s not to love?”

INGREDIENTS

  • 220g butter (at room temperature)
  • 90g caster sugar
  • 185g plain flour
  • 30g cocoa
  • 60g crushed cornflakes

FOR THE ICING

  • 2 cups icing sugar
  • 1 heaped tablespoon cocoa (approx. may need a bit more or less, depending on how rich you like the icing)
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter
  • Water
  • Flaked almonds

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Grease an flat oven tray and preheat oven to 180 C (356 F)
  • Beat butter and sugar till pale and fluffy.
  • Add the flour, cocoa and cornflakes and mix together.
  • Scoop a small amount (around a tablespoon’s worth) onto tray, repeat till mixture is gone and then bake for around 15 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and cool
  • ICING: While cookies are cooling, make the icing. Mix the icing sugar and the cocoa together, add the butter and enough water to make a thick paste consistency.
  • Ice with the chocolate icing and place flaked almonds on top.

Spiced Treacle Gingerbread

While describing these cookies, Rachel wrote, “This is my favorite gingerbread recipe because it’s not a hard recipe (like a lot of them can be), and the flavor is spot on — especially with some chocolate M&M’s added on.“

INGREDIENTS

  • 140g unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 treacle
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups plain flour
  • 1/4 cup self raising flour
  • 3 tsp ground ginger
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate soda

FOR THE ICING

  • 1 egg white
  • 1/3 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 cup icing sugar
  • Food coloring

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Lightly grease two baking sheets. Beat the butter and sugar with electric beaters until light and creamy, then beat in the treacle and egg. Fold in the flours, spices and baking soda. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, knead for 2-3 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 10 minutes.
  • Divide dough in half and roll out first half in between two sheets of baking paper to about 4mm thick. Repeat with 2nd half, and lay each on a tray to chill for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 340 F.
  • Use cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes, place on trays and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool before icing.
  • ICING: Whisk egg white till foamy. Add the lemon juice and sugar and beat till glossy. Add desired food coloring, then place in piping bag (or a small plastic bag with the tip cut off in one corner), and ice away…

Don’t all of these goodies look delicious?! After simply seeing these pictures, my youngest son has asked to make them this weekend. I’m sure he will love these as much as Rachel does!

Meanwhile, it wouldn’t be a designer feature week without a fantastic sale and a special Free-with-Purchase offer… so you’ll be excited to see what Rachel has in store for you! Not only is her entire shop marked down 30% OFF throughout her entire feature week (sale prices will be valid through 11:59pm ET on Thurs 2/1)… but she also has the following awesome deal available in her shop all week long, as well! Spend $10+ in Rachel Hodge’s shop at The Digital Press and get the following bundled collection completely FREE…

Robin

About the author  Robin is a member of the creative team here at The Digital Press. A wife of 25 years and a mom of 4 crazy children (3 in college and 1 still at home), she says that her life occurs mostly in the car as she transports said crazy kids to their many, many homeschool activities. When not driving, Robin loves to make her family cringe by pulling out her camera again (and again, and again…).

Foodie Friday | Dunia Designs

Hey gang, and welcome to this week’s edition of our Foodie Friday series on The Digital Press blog. Have you guys been trying the recipes so far this year? I’ve definitely found a few gems that have made it into the permanent rotation at our house. And it’s always nice to get easy fresh ideas at the end of a week, right?!

This week I talked with Dunia of Dunia Designs, and together we came up with a couple of our favorite recipes. We each have a favorite “lighter meal” recipe we’d like to share — both of these could work for either lunch or dinner — and then I wanted to share my very favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, as well! I know, I know, chocolate chip cookies have been done. But these seem to come out perfect every single time, and I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve searched for ways to ensure that happens (I think the secret of this recipe lies in the different types of flour that are used)!

This is actually Dunia’s third feature here on the blog; if you’d like to learn more about her, check out her previous articles from September 2016 and from April 2017.

Today, however, we’re all about the food (!)… and so without further ado, here’s a look at what we’re cooking up…

[ photo credits: [1] & [3] TDP creative team member Shannon Collier, [2] TDP designer Dunia Acuan ]

So, what are these delicious things you see pictured above?

  • Salmon Nicoise Salad
  • Sonoma Chicken Salad
  • Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

SALMON NICOISE SALAD

This is a recipe that I (Shannon) found on cookinglight.com but I’ve adapted it to include one more element — roasted potatoes. Since I like to make a meal that will last for a couple of days, I make of the “pieces” of this recipe separately, and store them separately in the fridge, and then when it comes time for another meal, I’ve got everything I need ready to assemble. I hope you like it!

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 (8-oz.) pkg. French green beans (I’ve also used fresh)
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 (12-oz.) salmon fillet, about 1 in. thick
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 head butter lettuce, torn (about 6 cups)
  • 3/4 cup chopped English cucumber
  • 1/2 cup fresh yellow corn kernels
  • 1-1/2 ounces pitted kalamata or Niçoise olives (about 1/4 cup)
  • 4 small radishes, cut into 1/2-in. wedges

FOR THE POTATOES (I revised the recipe & added)

  • 2 cups chunked red potatoes (about 2 medium potatoes)
  • 1 tablespoon Penzey’s Northwoods seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

FOR THE DRESSING

  • 2-1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 3/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard

INSTRUCTIONS

  • I start with the potatoes since they take a bit of time and can been cooking while you prepare everything else. Preheat oven to 375 F. Leaving the skins on, cut potatoes into bite sized pieces. Toss the potatoes and onions with the seasoning until well coated. Then toss with the oil. Pour the potatoes into a 13×9 baking dish and place in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes during that first half-hour. Then, bake uninterrupted for an additional 30-40 minutes (or until potatoes are nice and brown).
  • While the potatoes are cooking, bring a medium saucepan filled with water to a boil. Carefully add eggs to pan; cook 6 minutes. Add green beans; cook 2 minutes. Drain; plunge eggs & beans into a bowl of ice water. Let stand 3 minutes; drain. Peel eggs, and cut into quarters.
  • Heat 1-1/2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Sprinkle fish with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Add fish, skin side down, to pan; cook 7 minutes. Turn, and cook 3 minutes. Remove fish from pan; break into large flakes with a fork.
  • To make the dressing, combine remaining 2-1/2 tablespoons oil, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper, vinegar, parsley, and mustard in a bowl.
  • Divide lettuce among 4 plates; top evenly with eggs, beans, cucumber, corn, olives, radishes, and fish. Drizzle with vinaigrette.

 

SONOMA CHICKEN SALAD

This one is from Dunia’s kitchen, and is one of her favorites. She told me that it is actually one of the recipes that Whole Foods uses and she was really excited to discover the recipe for her own use at home.  I’m so excited to try it, as well!

INGREDIENTS

Dressing

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  • 5 teaspoons honey
  • 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Salad

  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 3/4 cup pecan pieces, toasted
  • 2 cups red seedless grapes, halved
  • 3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

  • In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, honey, poppy seeds, salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use. This can be prepared up to 2 days ahead.
  • Preheat the oven to 375 F. Place chicken breasts in one layer in a baking dish with 1/2 cup water. Cover with foil, and bake 25 minutes until completely cooked through. Remove cooked chicken breasts from pan, cool at room temperature for 10 minutes, then cover and refrigerate until cooled.
  • When the chicken is cold, dice into bite-size chunks and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in pecans, grapes, celery and reserved dressing.

 

PERFECT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

As I mentioned earlier, these tend to come out perfectly for me every time… not too flat, perfectly soft, and chewy… ooooh I could eat a whole plate of them! Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons cake flour
  • 1-2/3 cups bread flour
  • 1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
  • 1-1/4 cups unsalted butter
  • 1-1/4 cups light brown sugar
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
  • 1-1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks, at least 60 percent cacao content
  • Sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
  • Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds.
  • Drop chocolate pieces into batter and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.
  • When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.
  • Scoop six 3-1/2 ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, about 13 minutes.
  • Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough… or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day.

 

Both Dunia and I hope you enjoy these recipes! Let us know if you give them a try.

And of course, because Foodie Friday is also a designer feature, Dunia is throwing a fantastic sale in her shop and also offering a special Free-with-Purchase item for all purchases of $10+ from her store. Her entire shop is marked down 30% OFF throughout her entire feature week (sale prices and FWP offer will both be valid through 11:59pm ET on Thurs 1/25).

If you spend $10+ in the Dunia Designs shop at The Digital Press you’ll get the following product completely FREE!

ShannonAbout the Author  Shannon has been completely addicted to digiscrapping since she began in early 2016 (though she’s been a scrapper since 2000). Her early morning ritual of a few quiet hours of scrapping while sipping a chai tea is her favorite part of each day. She is also the owner of a web design company, and when she’s not at the computer designing websites or digiscrap layouts, she’s probably hiking one of the local mountains in her hometown of Phoenix, Arizona. 

Foodie Friday | KimB

Welcome to another edition of our Foodie Friday series here on The Digital Press blog!

This week, we are featuring KimB, and peeking into her kitchen to learn a few of her favorite recipes. This is Kim’s third feature on The Digital Press blog (if you want to learn even more about her, you can find her first feature article from June 2016 HERE, and her second feature article from February 2017 HERE).

According to Kim, “ These are totally South African recipes and family favourites that are used when we have guests over who end up staying for dinner.”

[ photo credits: [2] Rhodesquality.com, [3] Lovingitvegan.com ]

So, what are these delicious things you see pictured above?

  • Lasagna Soup
  • Sweetcorn Bread
  • The Don Pedro

LASAGNA SOUP

This recipe is one that I, Erin, recently found via a friend on Facebook.  It is perfect for warming up on a cold winter day, or enjoying al fresco on a breezy summer evening.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

  • 2 TBSP olive oil
  • 2 28 oz cans of organic fire roasted tomatoes
  • About 4 TBSP organic tomato paste
  • About 4 cups chopped yellow onion
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic or 4 cloves minced
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 4 tsp oregano
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 8-12 cups chicken stock
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • fresh basil
  • 1 package of your favorite pasta

FOR THE TOPPING

  • One small bag Italian cheese mix
  • 1- 15 oz container ricotta
  • Italian seasoning
  • Salt pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Heat olive oil in a large stock pot
  • Add onions and garlic and sauté until nice and fragrant
  • Add beef and cook until brown (drain if needed)
  • Add seasonings and tomato paste and cook on medium stirring until the paste turns a nice rusty reddish brown color
  • Add tomatoes,  broth, bay leaves, salt and pepper to taste
  • Bring to a boil and then let simmer 30 mins
  • Cook pasta separately until al dente
  • Mix together the cheese topping ingredients in a seperate bowl
  • Build each bowl with some pasta covered in broth and topped with a huge dollop of the cheese mix!
  • Add fresh chopped basil as a tasty garnish.

SWEETCORN BREAD

About this recipe, Kim says, “I cook this when I need to whip up something quickly without having to worry about finding or following a recipe as it is quick and easy and a super delicious crowd pleaser! ”

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

  • 500 g (4 C) self-raising flour
  • 5 ml (1 t) salt
  • pinch of smoked paprika
  • 60 ml (4 T) melted butter
  • 3 eggs
  • 375 ml (1½ C) plain yoghurt
  • 1 x 410 g can Cream Style Sweetcorn
  • 125 ml (½ C) grated cheddar cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

  • In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt and paprika.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk the melted butter, eggs and yoghurt together and stir in the tin of Cream Style Sweetcorn.
  • Pour the sweetcorn mixture into the flour mixture and mix with a wooden spoon to bring together into a soft batter.
  • Spoon the batter into a loaf pan that’s greased and floured, and sprinkle the cheese over the top.
  • Bake in a preheated oven at 170°C for 30 – 45 minutes or until baked through.
  • Serve warm

 VARIATIONS

  • Add 2 Tbls chopped chives/spring onions(green parts) or any herbs of your liking/ cooked bacon or ham / chillies or jalapeños
  • Or serve with JAM for a sweet version.

THE DON PEDRO

Kim says “Nobody is exactly sure where the ‘Don Pedro’ originated from, but it’s one that all South African’s love to drink and it’s so easy to make.  It’s a grown up milkshake/ dessert cocktail usually served in a stemmed wine glass but any glass will do. Some call it a cocktail and others a dessert.. I can drink it anytime! LOL”

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

  • 1 cup good quality vanilla ice cream
  • 2 shots Kahlua
  • 2 tablespoons cream (or milk for a less richer version)
  • Grated chocolate or flake for garnish
  • Short straw

INSTRUCTIONS

  • In a Blender – Blend the ice cream until soft and creamy
  • Add the liqueur and cream/milk and blend until smooth.
  • Pour into a stemmed glass/ or jam jar for a modern twist.
  • Grate chocolate over top for garnish and serve with a short straw

 VARIATIONS

  • Add a swirl of chocolate syrup around glass inner for a ‘sexier’ look… or …replace the chocolate with sprinkled cinnamon.

Well I don’t know about you, but I am ready for a good meal!

Meanwhile, it wouldn’t be a designer feature week without a fantastic sale and a special Free-with-Purchase offer… so you’ll be excited to see what KimB has in store for you! Not only is her entire shop marked down 30% OFF throughout her entire feature week (sale prices will be valid through 11:59pm ET on Thurs 1/18)… but she also has this awesome deal in her shop all week long, as well! Spend $10+ in the KimB shop at The Digital Press and get her brand-new (just released today!) TA DA : Kit completely FREE!

Erin is an artsy crafty kind of girl who is currently dabbling in far too many things, but is working hard to enjoy every moment of it, while avoiding the rain, which is difficult due to living in the land of many rains. She is slowly learning to use her smart phone to capture all the fun little bits of life that would otherwise go unremembered in the busy craziness that is raising a family!