Cooking

If you’re looking for a simple yet delicious stock recipe, it’s well worth continuing reading to discover a stock recipe which was written by Ina Garten who is also known as the Barefoot Contessa. Who is well known for demystifying cooking and making cooking easy for individual individuals to master.

If you’ve ever been tempted to make your own homemade vegetable stock, you’re in luck as Ina Garten’s vegetable stock recipe only takes around 45 minutes to prepare and is sure to take your homemade soups and dishes to the next level. As a store brought stock will never off the same level of flavor as a homemade stock, which has been made from scratch!

Vegetable stock recipe Ina Garten:

Key ingredients:

– 1 large onion
– 2 pre-peeled carrots
– 1 celery stalk
– 1 large leek
– 3 cloves of crushed garlic
– 4 sprigs of parsley
– 4 sprigs of thyme
– 2 sprigs of tarragon
– 1 bay leaf
– 1 teaspoon of Himalayan rock salt
– 1 teaspoon of black pepper
– 3 quarts of water

Simple instructions:

1. Place all of your ingredients in a large pot

First of all, make sure to place all of the ingredients listed above in a large pot, that is not likely to overflow when your water starts to boil.

2. Bring your pot to a boil

Once your pot starts to boil, lower the temperature of your pot so that the water starts to simmer. Let your pot simmer for approximately 45 minutes. In order for your ingredients such as your herbs such as parsley and tarragon to infuse your water.

3. Let your pot of stock cool down

Next up, make sure to let your pot of freshly prepared stock cool down.

4. Strain your stock

Once your stock has cooled down sufficiently, it’s time to strain your stock from the ingredients in your pot. As you don’t want your stock to contain vegetables as vegetable stock is not a soup and should be a pure liquid.

5. Pour all of your stock into refrigerator safe containers

Once your stock has been successfully strained, make sure to pour all of your stock into refrigerator safe containers. So that you’ll be able to place your vegetable stock in your fridge until you need to use it.

How to use your vegetable stock:

1. Try using your vegetable stock to cook rice

Instead of using water to cook your rice, try using vegetable stock, instead of water to cook your rice as you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the flavor payoff.

2. Use your vegetable stock as a base for homemade soup

If you want to be able to prepare hearty soup without spending too much time slaving in your kitchen, it’s well worth using your vegetable stock as a base for your homemade soup. As an example, you can use vegetable stock as the basis for a walnut and mushroom soup or a hearty leek and potato soup.

So if you’re looking for an easy vegetable stock recipe to follow, you can’t go wrong following Ina Garten’s simple vegetable stock recipe outlined above!

Whether you’ve been a fan of the Barefoot Contessa for several years or you’re simply looking for a new root vegetable dish to try out, it’s well worth continuing reading to discover how to prepare the Barefoot Contessa’s delicious root vegetables.

How to prepare Barefoot Contessa root vegetables:

Ingredients:

The following recipe has been designed to create 8 servings. However, if you have fewer guests to serve or more guests to serve, feel free to halve or double the following ingredients, in order to suit your family or the size of your dinner party.

As an example, if you plan on serving 4 guests, you may only need 1/2 a pound of pre-peeled carrots while if you plan on serving 16 guests you may require 2 pounds of pre-peeled carrots.

– 1 pound of pre-peeled carrots
– 1 pound of pre-peeled parsnips
– 1 large pre-peeled sweet potato
– 1 small pre-peeled butternut
– 3 tablespoons of premium, high-quality olive oil
– 1 and a half teaspoons of Himalayan rock salt
– Half a teaspoon of ground black pepper
– 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley

Step by step instructions:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit

Before you begin dicing up your root vegetables make sure to pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. So that you won’t have to wait for your oven to heat up, once your vegetables are cut up nicely.

2. Cut all of your vegetables into 1.5-inch cubes

While you may be tempted to dice your root vegetables into1-inch cubes, keep in mind that your root vegetables will shrink in the oven. So you don’t want to dice your vegetables into pieces that are too small.

2. Cover two baking sheets with all of your chopped root vegetables

Your next step should be to cover two baking sheets with your root vegetables. However, make sure that each piece of your root vegetables is lying flat as if your root vegetables are piled on top of each other, they won’t cook through evenly. So remember, not to be tempted to pile all of your root vegetables onto a single baking sheet.

3. Drizzle your root vegetables with olive oil as well as your choice of herbs and spices

Your next move should be to drizzle olive oil over your root vegetables. Making sure not to be too heavy-handed when you’re drizzling olive oil over your vegetables as you don’t want to drench your root vegetables in olive oil.

Once you’re done, it’s time to season your root vegetables with your choice of herbs and spices. As an example, you can never go wrong sprinkling rosemary onto your root vegetables. Although you can also opt for lemongrass or thyme if you’re not fond of rosemary. Also, make sure to season your vegetables with Himalayan rock salt and black pepper.

4. Let your root vegetables cook for 35 minutes

After roughly 35 minutes your root vegetables should be thoroughly cooked and ready to cool down on your kitchen bench.

So if you’re keen to follow the Barefoot Contessa’s example and to create a mouthwatering, healthy dish, it’s well worth preparing her classic root vegetable recipe!

If you enjoy popcorn and pouring maple syrup onto your pancakes, you may be interested in creating maple syrup popcorn. If you’re interested at finding out what all the fuss is about, simply continue reading to discover a simple maple syrup popcorn recipe.

How to make maple popcorn:

Instructions:

1. Grease a large bowl with butter or oil

Simply grease the inside of a large bowl butter or oil and set your bowl aside for the time being.

2. Heat up a medium sized saucepan

Next, head up a medium-sized saucepan and pour your 1/2 of cup of authentic Canadian maple syrup into your saucepan. Heat your mixture at a medium setting. Make sure to bring your maple syrup starts to boil. Once your maple syrup begins to boil, make sure to lower your heat setting to medium-low. As you don’t want your maple syrup to accidentally caramelize or burn.

3. Use a cooking thermometer to ensure that your maple syrup reaches 236 degrees Fahrenheit

Once your maple syrup reaches 236 degrees Fahrenheit, turn of your element. In order to prevent your maple syrup from burning.

4. Pour your nuts and your popcorn into your large bowl

Now it’s time to pour your nuts and popcorn into the large bowl which you greased earlier. If you’re allergic to nuts or have loved ones that are allergic to nuts, simply omit the nuts from your recipe. As maple syrup popcorn tastes just as satisfying without nuts.

5. Pour your heated maple syrup over your popcorn and nut mixture

Lastly, carefully pour your heated maple syrup all over your popcorn and nut mixture. Make sure to pour your maple syrup carefully over each side of your popcorn mix, to ensure that your popcorn is well coated. Remember, that the popcorn in the middle of your bowl should be covered in maple syrup sauce, not just the top layer of your popcorn mixture.

6. Store your maple syrup popcorn in airtight containers

Once you’ve let your maple syrup popcorn cool down a little, make sure to store all of the popcorn which you don’t eat immediately in an airtight container. So that your popcorn will stay fresh.

If you want to share some of your maple syrup popcorn with your friends and family members, it’s well worth purchasing some party bags to scoop your popcorn into. In order to put a smile on your loved one’s faces!

Variations:

1. Consider adding a bit of honey to your maple syrup popcorn

While maple syrup is naturally sweet, if you love the taste of honey, you can try adding a teaspoon of honey to your maple syrup mixture. As your secret ingredient.

2. Place dried banana slices on top of your maple syrup popcorn

If you want to decorate your maple syrup popcorn, simply purchase a few dried banana slices which you can use to decorate your maple syrup popcorn.

So if your mouth has already started watering, thinking about biting down on your first mouthful of maple syrup popcorn, it’s well worth testing out the recipe listed above!

If you enjoy eating brunch on a lazy Saturday or Sunday morning and are interested in discovering new brunch ideas, simply continue reading to discover some brunch time dishes that you’re sure to love!

Delicious brunch ideas to try out:

1. Martha Stewart quiche asparagus

If you’re looking for a hearty dish which works just as well in winter as it does in summer, you may be interested in creating Martha Stewart’s quiche asparagus recipe. While asparagus is the hero of this particular dish, it also features leek and Gruyere cheese.

While you’ll want to use salt and pepper in your quiche asparagus, it’s also a great idea to use herbs that go with asparagus in your quiche. Examples of which include tarragon, thyme, dill, and oregano.

Once you’ve prepared your delicious quiche asparagus, it’s well worth creating a side salad to accompany your quiche. As an example, you can’t go wrong creating an avocado, lettuce, tomato, feta cheese, and olive salad, which you can then drizzle with lemon juice.

2. Breakfast burrito

If you’re fond of burritos, it’s well worth trying out a breakfast burrito. Ingredients which can commonly found in burritos include egg, sausages, spinach, avocado, and hash browns.

3. Corn waffles

Instead of making traditional corn fritters, you may want to try your hand at creating thick, tasty corn waffles. When it comes time to plate up your delicious corn waffles, make sure to place a bit of sour cream and avocado on your plate as well as a bit of homemade salsa.

4. Savory muffins

If you’ve invited a few guests over for lunch, you may want to bake a tray full of savory muffins. In order to ensure that your savory muffins impress your guests, make sure to place ham, corn, cheese, and tomato into your savory muffins and to add a few herbs and spices to your savory muffin mix.

If you’re vegetarian or plan on feeding vegetarian guests, simply leave out ham from your savory muffins. If you want to add a bit of extra flavor to vegetarian savory muffins, simply fry a few diced mushrooms, to add to your savory muffin mixture.

5. Banana and walnut pancakes

If you’re a fan of pancakes but are keen to try out a new pancake recipe, it’s well worth trying out banana and walnut pancakes. Which you can then douse with maple syrup. Just make sure that none of your friends or family members are allergic to nuts before you offer them some of your banana and walnut pancakes.

6. Salmon and cream cheese bagel

If you’re a fan of salmon, which is considered a superfood and one of the healthiest meats in the world, it’s well worth spreading cream cheese onto an open bagel and placing a few strips of salmon onto each side of your bagel. If you enjoy eating tomatoes, you may want to add a few carefully placed pieces of tomato to your salmon and cream cheese bagel.

So if you love enjoying lazy brunches with your friends, it’s well worth putting on your apron and testing out a few of the brunch ideas listed above.

If you’re a self-confessed foodie and enjoy thinking outside of the box when it comes to selecting snacks to serve your friends and family members, continue reading to discover a few creative snacks ideas that your loved ones will rave about.

Creative chocolate treats to impress your friends and family members:

1. Chocolate truffle balls

If you have a bit of a sweet tooth and are a self-confessed chocoholic, it’s well worth learning how to prepare your very own homemade truffle balls. Better yet, there are a wide variety of truffle recipes, which don’t require an oven and which are simply to follow.

If you’re interested in creating creative truffle balls, you may be interested in rolling your truffle balls in nuts, seeds or sprinkles before you place your truffle balls in your fridge to harden. Or if you’re a fan of white chocolate and prefer it to milk chocolate, you can also opt to use white chocolate to create your chocolate truffle balls.

If you’re planning to prepare a batch of yummy chocolate truffle balls for the kids in your family, it’s also well worth covering your chocolate truffle balls in rainbow colored sprinkles. Especially if you opt to create white chocolate balls as the bright colors of rainbow sprinkles, will stand out on white chocolate truffle balls.

2. Hot chocolate popsicles

On a hot day, it’s a great idea to cool down with a hot chocolate flavored popsicle. To make your very own homemade hot chocolate popsicles, simply prepare a few cups of hot chocolate. Then wait for your hot chocolate to cool down and pour your hot chocolate into silicone popsicle molds. In a few hours, your hot chocolate popsicles have frozen and will be ready to consume.

If you want to add a bit of texture to your hot chocolate, you may want to place some mint chocolate chips or miniature marshmallows into your hot chocolate molds. In order to give your friends and family members a little pleasant surprise.

3. Chocolate cake pops

If you’re looking to create scrumptious bite-sized chocolate treats, that are easy for guests of all ages to consume, it’s a great idea to create mouth sized chocolate cake pops. Which are ideal for occasions, when your guests aren’t looking to consume a whole slice of cake and would prefer a lighter treat.

Cake pops are also ideal for children and children’s birthday party’s as kids will be able to enjoy a treat, without consuming too much sugar.

4. Chocolate covered strawberries

If you’re looking for a chocolate treat which is simple to prepare and nearly impossible to mess up, it’s well worth creating your very own chocolate sauce, which you’ll then be able to dip fresh strawberries into. If you are preparing chocolate strawberries for an event, such as a party, it’s a great idea to place your chocolate dipped strawberries into your fridge. So that the chocolate covering your strawberries hardens.

So if you’re in the mood for a chocolate treat, it’s well worth preparing one of the tasty chocolate treats listed above.

If you’re looking for some dessert inspiration, continue reading to discover a handful of tasty dessert ideas, which you’ll want to try out!

Delicious desserts:

Meyer lemon sorbet:

If you’re looking to serve a fresh, citrus dessert, which contains few calories and which can safely eaten by your dairy-free friends, it’s well worth choosing to serve up a lemon sorbet.

Traditionally sorbets were served by restaurants to help customers cleanse their palates between dishes. As an example, it’s not uncommon to be served a sorbet after your main and before your dessert.

Chocolate brownie trifle:

While traditional trifles contain multiple layers of sponge cake as well as several layers of freshly whipped cream and custard, it’s well worth making a trifle which features layers of chocolate brownies instead of sponge cake.

French inspired macarons:

If you’ve ever been lucky enough to visit Paris, you’ll know that Paris boasts countless bakeries which specialize in selling macarons. What are macarons? Essential a macaron is a brightly colored meringue, which is yo-yo shaped and features ground almond powder as well as egg whites, sugar and icing sugar.

Although if you have your heart set on making your own macarons at home, it’s also worth purchasing a small bottle of food dye, in order to dye your macarons your favorite color. As in France, macarons are normally bright such as bright pink, yellow or blue.

Rainbow cake:

If you have a Pinterest account or follow food-focused accounts on Instagram or Facebook, chances are high that you’ve come across an impressive photo of an expertly baked rainbow cake. Rainbow cakes usually have 7 individual layers, with each layer representing a different color of the rainbow.

To bake a rainbow cake simply add food coloring to each layer of sponge cake which you bake and then spread cream between each layer of your rainbow cake. If you’re feeling fancy, you may even want to prepare some frosting, which you’ll be able to decorate the outside of your cake with.

If you plan on baking a rainbow cake for a special occasion, you may want to decorate the top of your rainbow cake with brightly colored m&ms or smarties.

Apple crumble:

If you’re looking for a dish that you’ll be able to prepare when you have a lot of apples to consume, it’s well worth learning how to bake a traditional apple crumble. Which is the perfect dessert to serve when you’re expecting visitors and which pairs perfectly with vanilla ice cream. Alternatively, you can also serve a hot apple crumble with freshly whipped cream. Which will melt in your mouth.

Rhubarb tart:

If you’re feeling adventurous, you may prefer to surprise your guests with a rhubarb tart. If you find the taste of rhubarb a little strong, don’t worry as baked into a tart rhubarb has a subtle flavor. Although you can always opt to squirt a bit of lemon juice onto your rhubarb tart to give your rhubarb tart a bit of extra sweetness.

So if you have a sweet tooth, it’s well worth trying out at least a couple of the delicious dessert ideas listed above.

If you’re sick of preparing plain sandwiches, don’t worry, simply continue reading to discover how to a few new mouth-watering sandwiches.

Mouthwatering sandwich recipes:

1. Rocket sandwich recipe

Instead of placing regular lettuce in your sandwich, try using rocket lettuce in your next sandwich. As an example, you can’t go wrong pairing rocket lettuce, with thinly sliced ham, sun-dried tomatoes and a few strips of fried halloumi. If you enjoy eating olives, it’s well worth adding olives to your sandwich to give it a salty kick.

2. Bruschetta recipe

Bruschetta is a traditional Italian sandwich which is simple to prepare. Simply cut a few slices of freshly baked artisan bread and top each slice of bread off with feta cheese and diced tomatoes. Make sure to garnish your bruschetta with a bit of garlic and to drizzle your bruschetta sandwiches off with balsamic vinegar. Which honestly is the best part of a bruschetta sandwich.

3. Grilled tofu sandwich recipe

Whether you’re vegetarian or simply enjoy eating tofu, it’s well worth grilling strips of tofu, which you can serve in a sandwich with grilled eggplant and freshly sliced tomatoes. Just be sure to sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper onto your tofu, to infuse it with a little extra flavor. If you’re a fan of spices, you may even want to fry your tofu strips with a sprinkle of chili flakes. Especially if you find tofu a little bland or tasteless.

4. Egg sandwich recipe

The best way to create a delicious egg sandwich is to create a traditional omelet, which you can then place between two pieces of fresh bread. If you want to create the best egg sandwich of your life, add some parmesan flakes to your omelet mixture as well as some shredded ham or chicken and some of your favorite vegetables such as corn and spinach.

5. Bacon and egg bagel

If you want to mix things up again, why not cut a bagel in half and place a few pieces of fried egg and a few strips of crunchy bacon into your bagel. If you’d like your bagel to have a bit of extra crunch, you can also turn your bagel into a traditional BLT bagel by adding lettuce and tomato to your scrumptious bacon and egg bagel. Which also happens to make an ideal breakfast choice.

6. Turkey sandwich recipe

To create a simple turkey sandwich simply place shredded turkey into a sandwich along with tomato, cheese and mayonnaise as turkey and mayonnaise go together like peanut butter and jelly.

7. Mexican inspired sandwich recipe

If you enjoy Mexican food on a regular basis, you may want to try creating a hearty sandwich which features black beans, avocado, salsa, and a few carefully placed tortilla chips. The beauty of this particular recipe is that you can easily add your choice of meat to your Mexican sandwich. Such as chicken, beef, fish or pork.

So if you have a craving for a sandwich, it’s a great idea to select one of the delicious sandwich recipes listed above.

If you’re a self-confessed chocoholic and are looking for some chocolate themed desserts to try out, it’s well worth continuing reading to discover a handful of delicious chocolate desserts to create.

Chocolate themed desserts to try out:

1. Chocolate cake with whipped cream frosting

If you’re looking to bake a classic chocolate cake, it’s well worth finding a chocolate cake with whipped cream frosting recipe, which features frozen whipped cream dollops. If you’re in charge of baking a cake for a special occasion such as a birthday or a dinner party, you can’t go wrong using whipped cream frosting to take your classic chocolate cake to the next level.

2. Chocolate mousse

If you’re looking to prepare a light chocolate dessert, you may want to prepare a light and fluffy chocolate mousse. Which you can then top off with chocolate sprinkles and your choice of berries such as strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries.

3. Chocolate lava cake

If you like the sound of preparing a chocolate cake which is hard on the outside and soft and gooey in the inside, it’s a great idea to prepare a chocolate lava cake.

4. Raspberry chocolate brownies

In order to add a tart, sweet flavor to your chocolate brownies, it’s a great idea to mix raspberries into your next batch of chocolate brownies. One of the bonuses about baking chocolate brownies is that you can choose to prepare brownies which have a cake-like texture or brownies which have a hard, fudge-like texture.

If you’re not a fan of raspberries, you can always add a bit of extra flavor to your chocolate raspberries by adding a sprinkle of nuts or coconut flakes to your chocolate brownie mixture.

5. Chocolate fudge

If you’ve never made your own homemade chocolate fudge, you don’t know what you’re missing out on. Better yet, preparing a batch of chocolate fudge is simpler than you may have thought and simply involves mixing butter, milk, sugar, and chocolate. If you want to get a little creative, you can also experiment with using white chocolate or dark chocolate, instead of milk chocolate, to create a batch of fudge.

6. Chocolate chip pancakes

If you’re looking to try out a new twist on classic pancakes, you can’t go wrong adding chocolate chips to your pancake batter in order to create mouth-watering delicious chocolate chip pancakes. Which you can then douse with chocolate fudge sauce.

7. Chocolate tart

While you may have created fruit tarts on the odd occasion, if you’ve never baked a chocolate tart, you’re in for a treat. As the chocolate filling of chocolate tarts perfectly pairs with a chocolate tart’s biscuit-like base. Your average chocolate tart recipe will feature a filling comprised of dark, rich chocolate, cream, and eggs and which is poured onto a sweet dessert pastry base.

8. Flourless chocolate cake

If you have friends or family members who are gluten intolerant, it’s well worth having a go at baking your first flourless chocolate cake. As you’ll be surprised at just how scrumptious, a flourless chocolate cake can be.

So what are you waiting for? Why not pick your favorite chocolate dessert listed above, in order to start baking.