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Can I get a brrrrr? This winter is pretty atrocious, and there is no end in sight. Cooking at home helps; at least if you are near a hot stove you are warm for a bit! Easy recipes that combine fun bursts of flavor are getting us through these cold nights, and I whipped up the below with Chatham cod from Red’s Best that I picked up at the Dorchester Winter Farmers Market. I have been in a huge seafood mood lately, so if you have a favorite seafood recipe, especially one that is hearty, feel free to share it in the comments!

This recipe started with some thinly sliced potatoes and chorizo in a nonstick frying pan.

sliced potatoes

I added a tiny bit of olive oil, and I cooked the chorizo and potatoes until sizzling. I really wanted the potatoes to have a crunchy crust, and I just about got it. Next time I would definitely cook the potatoes a few more minutes.

Chourico

chorizo and potatoes

Once the chorizo and potatoes were almost done, I added in four crushed garlic cloves and a can of crushed tomatoes, then mad room for the cod in the pan.

Chatham Cod with Chorizo

I put the whole thing into a 37 degree oven until the cod was flaky and the tomatoes were bubbly. It did not look very pretty, as you can see, but it was a dynamite dinner!  It cheered me up on a particularly blue Sunday. This meal was tasty and filling; I didn’t even want a snack later that evening!

I have been finding myself snacking big time at night, then regretting it, so I am trying to make more satisfying dinners and to stay away from the refrigerator at night unless I am actually hungry. I just want this winter to end. In the meantime, I’ll be hunkering down with food and wine and a fireplace.

How are you coping with this endless winter, if you live in a cold area? Any fun recipes you have been working on?

Tags: Chatham, chorizo, cod, dinner, Food, healthy comfort food, healthy cooking, recipe

There is little better than a hearty meal paired with a good glass of wine and someone you love, a good book, or a favorite TV show. (Hey, I love spending time with others, but I adore my “me time” just as much!) It’s even better when said hearty meal is simple and whipped up from what’s in the fridge. On a dreary recent evening, I took advantage of a few fine ingredients in the house to make a one-skillet meal that included some delicious Spanish wine, in the meal as well as in the glass.

food and wine pairing

This skillet was all about the ingredients. I don’t generally buy tomatoes in the winter, but I had a major tomato craving and went for these beauties from Backyard Farms, a company I came to know through a blogger event a couple of summers ago.

Backyard Farms tomatoes

The other ingredients? A red onion, chorizo, white beans, and whole wheat couscous. I started off by heating the chorizo and onion on medium until sizzling and browning an then added in the chopped tomatoes and white beans, letting everything simmer until combined.

chorizo skillet

In a separate pot, I cooked up the couscous. I just love pearl couscous; it’s a cozy touch to a meal.

whole wheat couscous

The final piece of the skillet was a glug of good Spanish red wine by Pena do Lobo. The grape the wine was made with is Mencia. The wine was lush and fruity with a slight herbal note to it, and it was a nice little addition to the skillet.

Pena do Lobo wine

When all was said and done, we had a nice little bowl of white beans, chorizo, and tomatoes and a soul-warming red wine. Add in a fire, and the night was complete. Meals like this, with a little music for kitchen dance parties, make me want to cook again!

Happy Friday! Do you have any fun weekend plans? In addition to more work around our new house and some projects on the condo we are selling, I have a birthday outing and a brunch outing. Bring on the weekend!

Tags: chorizo, comfort food, cooking with wine, Food, food and wine pairing, food and wine pairings, recipe

So much for that New Year’s diet, eh? This weekend I hosted family for brunch, and I decided to make a decadent cake featuring chocolate, coffee, and Irish whiskey for the occasion.

With all that’s been going on, I have barely cooked in my new kitchen. Heck, the kitchen, like most of the house, isn’t even fully unpacked yet! We’re getting there though, and normal little things like spending a Saturday morning puttering around the kitchen are starting to make the place feel a bit more like home.

I wanted to make something with a bottle of Slane Castle Irish whiskey that we received as a housewarming gift, and this cake was absolutely perfect.

whiskey chocolate cake ingredients

First, a glimpse at some of the ingredients that made it so stellar. . . I LOVE sour cream in cakes!  Slane Castle is a favorite whiskey, nice and smooth and full of flavor.

old kitchen

Our kitchen is a stark contrast to the modern one in the condo we moved from, but I love its charm and the views into the backyard.

kitchen window

This cake recipe had a number of different steps; it wasn’t super difficult but did require lots of bowls and pots. It also called for a stand mixer to whip the butter and sugar, but I did just fine without.

melted chocolate

As with many of my baking escapades, I ended up short on cake batter and was only able to partially fill my bundt pan. I followed measurements exactly, so I am not sure how this happened. I just kept an eye on the cake, and it ended up being finished about 15 minutes earlier than the recipe called for. Unfortunately, while I was tapping the cake out of the bundt pan, it broke into a few pieces, and presentation was not what I had hoped. I salvaged the cake by slicing it into easily servable slices, perfect for topping with homemade whipped cream.

Irish whiskey chocolate cake

I made the cream simply by whipping heavy cream in my Ninja blender.  I love unsweetened whipped cream, and it is so easy to make!

This cake was dense, chocolate-y, and decadent, like a chewy brownie with a kick of whiskey and coffee. I would not hesitate to make it again for a brunch or other occasion, especially when a chocolate lover is involved!

 

Chocolate Whiskey Cake Recipe

For the cake:
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
  • 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 1 3/4 cups cake flour
  • 1/2 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup Irish whiskey
  • 1/4 cup brewed coffee, at room temperature
  • 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 3/4 cups packed light brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature

Source: Yummly

Tags: baking, cake, chocolate, home, home cooking, recipe, Slane Castle Whiskey, whiskey

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