Confetti Tuna Salad Sandwich

Tuna salad is definitely one of those love-or-hate food items. It's right up there with licorice, mushrooms, oysters, and that weird Miracle Whip stuff that I've never tried (so strange).

I happen to be a tuna salad fan, so that's what I'm bringing you today... sorry haters (cough, cough my husband). Similar to my roasted eggplant sandwich, this is another make-ahead-to-bring-to-work staple. In fact, the tuna is even more delicious to eat after it sits in the fridge over night than it is immediately after you make it!

For those of you - like my husband - who'd rather a chicken salad sandwich than a tuna salad sandwich, feel free to sub in one boiled, shredded chicken breast for the tuna. It works just as well (or even better depending on who you ask)! This also can be a great, healthy lunch option... Just sub regular mayo for low-fat or vegan mayo. And, if you're feeling super adventurous, you could even make little lettuce wraps in lieu of bread!

Hope you enjoy!

Confetti Tuna Salad Sandwich

Ingredients

Makes 2 Sandwiches 

• 1/4 cup red bell pepper, finely diced
• 1/2 tablespoon of cilantro, minced (I used 1 tablespoon, but I really like cilantro!) 
• 1 dill pickle, finely diced (I used a spicy dill pickle) 
• 1 tablespoon red onion, minced
• 1.5 tablespoons mayonnaise 
• 1 5 oz. can of solid white albacore tuna in water, drained 
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 slices of your favorite bread (I used whole grain) 

Instructions

1. Stir your bell pepper, cilantro, pickle, red onion, mayonnaise and tuna together in a medium-sized bowl. Add in a dash or two of salt and pepper to taste. 
2. Divide tuna mixture evenly onto two slices of bread and assemble sandwich. 
3. Enjoy! 

A Few of My Favorite Things: Kitchen Edition!

Earlier last week, I sent my husband this picture:

Not exactly the most beautiful shot of my kitchen, but Anthony has been in busy season for about 10 weeks now (he's an auditor) and getting home around 1am, so I occasionally send him photos to remind him of what our house looks like in the daylight. I think the caption on this particular picture was: 'look, I cleaned!'

Although it's a little on the smaller side (and I'm just noticing now that the light bulb is out, whoops), I do love our kitchen! It's my special place in our apartment to create, clear my head, and concoct some delicious treats!

There are lots of items in this particular room (many of which are in this picture) that I'm obsessed with. In fact, the other day my friend emailed me to ask if I had a few recommended kitchen items for her to add to her wedding registry... I responded with ehhhhhh about 20 things.

These are a few of my favorite things (Sound of Music, anyone?) in no particular order:

1. Cuisinart's 9 Cup Food Processor: This is like the Samurai sword of food processors. I use it for pesto, bean dips, salsa, pie crust, and about a million other things.

Photo courtesy of Macys.com

2. KitchenAid Ultra Power 4.5 Quart Stand Mixer: My favorite kitchen item. Hands. Down. Yes, it's a mixer, but it does SO many other non-mixer-like things. Plus, I've started collecting some attachments like the pasta maker, which opens up a whole other world of possibilities! My KitchenAid mixer is this beautiful red color, but it literally comes in about every color you could dream of.

Photo courtesy of Target

3. Everything Le Creuset: If I had endless dollars to spend on cookware, a good portion of it would be spent on Le Creuset. The quality of their products is unbeatable, and it's worth the money (my mom has had her Le Creuset cookware for years and years!). If you're looking for an item to start out with, I'd recommend the Signature Deep Skillet. 

Photo courtesy of Le Creuset

4. Counter block: My version is by John McLeod, but I think a good counter block can come in handy in any kitchen. It's large and heavy duty, so you can cut multiple things on it at once (makes life easier when you're cooking chili, for example). Just don't immerse it in water and be sure to buy the oil that goes along with it. Trust me. I learned the hard way that when it's too saturated with water it'll split.

Photo courtesy of Williams Sonoma

5. Wusthof's 7" Santoku Knife: Although it's not your typical 'chef's knife,' this is the knife I grab from the block 95% of the time. The grip is perfect, and it slices and dices quickly and efficiently!

Photo courtesy of chefsresource.com

6. All-Clad Stainless Steel Essential Pan: It's called essential for a reason. This pan can be used to make sauces and stir-fry, to saute, and much much more. It's a great starter pan if you're looking to gradually build a collection of All-Clad (and, similarly to Le Creuset, these last for-ev-er).

Photo courtesy of Williams Sonoma

7. Breville Juice Fountain Plus: When Anthony and I were considering a juicer, we didn't want to spend a ton of money because we weren't 100% convinced that we'd use it too often. That being said, we came across this basic model from Breville and figured it was a decent enough price to make the investment. Since purchasing, we use it all the time and it's absolutely worth every penny. 

Photo courtesy of Williams Sonoma

8. Brushed Stainless Steel Spice Rack: Because you need to organize your spices. It'll change your life.  

Photo courtesy of Williams Sonoma

9. unwind candles: These candles are made of soy wax and are crafted in recycled wine bottles. My favorite is their 'teakwood' scent. It smells like an amazing mix of musty cologne and the beach... I love it so much that there's one in our kitchen and in our bedroom :) 

Photo courtesy of unwined

10. Storage jars: I bought 5 of these jars in all different sizes from Ikea to keep on the counter. They're filled with ingredients that I use a lot in order to save me the effort of having to take stuff in and out of the pantry constantly (e.g. flour, sugar, salt, brown sugar, etc.). Best part about this purchase? Even the largest jar is under $5!

Photo courtesy of Ikea

11. Keurig Storage Drawer: I always thought that the K-Cup carousel was the most adorable thing to store your coffee... until I realized that it takes up way too much space on an apartment counter top. This storage drawer was the perfect solution! It fits 36 cups and goes right underneath the coffee maker... Leaving you with plenty of extra counter space for other things (like your spice rack, right?) 

Photo courtesy of Target

I could go on for days, but I'll stop at 11 for now. There's definitely going to be a 'favorite things kitchen edition' round two in the future. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day... Have a wonderful week! 

It's Getting Darker Later... You Know What That Means!

On the rare occasion that I don't take the train home from work, I sometimes hop on the bus from Port Authority back to New Jersey... It's quite the walk, but I don't really mind because I get to stroll by some of the most iconic sights in NYC like the Empire State Building, New York Public Library, Times Square (although I don't like this area 99% of the time), Grand Central, and Bryant Park (just to name a few!)

The other night I was walking to the bus and snapped this gorgeous pic that I thought I'd share with you all:

So pretty, right?!

Not only was the sky an amazing pink which reflected off the Bank of America Tower, but, MORE IMPORTANTLY it was still light outside at 6pm! You know what that means, team? We're getting closer to warmer / longer days and breezy summer nights!

Take that as motivation to make it to the weekend (it's supposed to be a whole FORTY-FIVE degrees here in NYC)!

Truffle Mushroom and Aged Goat Gouda Arancini

Finally it's March! This winter seems like it's dragged on FOREVER and I think I speak for a majority of the Northeast when I say that I'm glad to see it go!

Luckily I got to take a break last month and travel to sunny Florida for Disney World's runDisney weekend. Two of my friends and I ran the Royal Family 5K… it was a hoot! We basically spent the entire weekend acting like five year olds. Here's a pic of us with Cindy and her handsome prince after we crossed the finish line: 

And I stopped for a shot with a character from my favorite Disney movie ever along the course. My mom happened to find a similar shot of me with the Beast over ten years ago… 

Anyway, enough chit chat… on to today's recipe! 

I've been loving arancini lately. They're small, appetizer-sized fried balls of risotto that can be found on the menus of lots of Italian restaurants around NYC.

My sister happened to give me this amazing truffle salt from Williams Sonoma for my birthday last month, so I figured I'd make a truffle mushroom arancini (side note: if you're looking for a good read on truffles, check out this article from the New York Times). 

Who knew that truffles form at the root of oak and hazelnut trees… 

Couple things about this recipe… If you don't feel like buying truffle salt, no worries! Regular salt will do. Also, if you can't find goat gouda, regular gouda will suffice. 

Happy frying! 

Truffle Mushroom and Aged Goat Gouda Arancini

INGREDIENTS

makes 16 

• 1 cup arborio rice (risotto rice) 
• 2 tablespoons salted butter
• 3 cups low sodium chicken broth 
• 1 cup baby bella mushrooms, finely chopped (about 4 mushrooms)
• 1/4 cup yellow onion, finely minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced 
• 1 cup aged goats milk gouda, shredded 
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 eggs, beaten 
• 1/2 tablespoon truffle salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup panko
• 1 cup seasoned Italian breadcrumbs
• Vegetable oil for frying(see below) 
• Marinara sauce for dipping

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small saucepan, heat chicken broth over medium heat. Once it's heated, keep it simmering over low heat. 
2. In a separate, medium-sized saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add arborio rice to the pan, and sauté until rice becomes translucent, about 2 minutes. 
3. Add chicken broth to rice, one cup at a time, stirring constantly. Once the first cup of chicken broth is absorbed, add the second, and so on. Once all three cups of broth have been absorbed by the rice, transfer the rice to a large bowl to let cool. 
4. While rice is cooling, add the second tablespoon of butter to a skillet and melt. Once melted, add onions and garlic to the skillet and sauté for a minute or two, until translucent. Add mushrooms to the skillet and sauté until cooked, about 10 minutes. Add the mushroom mixture to the arborio rice, and allow to COMPLETELY cool (otherwise you'll end up with scrambled eggs when you add them in!). 
5. While rice is cooling, begin heating your vegetable oil. Pour vegetable oil into a medium saucepan, enough that the oil measures about 4 inches deep. Using a liquid thermometer, heat to 350 degrees. 
6. In a separate dish, combine panko and breadcrumbs. 
7. Once rice and mushroom mixture is cooled, add in gouda, parmesan, eggs, truffle salt and pepper. Using your hands, roll the mushroom mixture into one-and-a-half inch balls, then roll in the breadcrumb mixture. 
8. Place balls (very carefully) into hot oil and allow to cook through, about 2 minutes. They should be a golden brown color when finished. 
9. Remove with a strainer and place on paper towels to cool. 
10. Serve with marinara sauce and enjoy! 

Nilla Wafer Truffles

Anyone remember the Nilla Wafer?

Yup, these guys.

If you don't know them you should get to know them. Nillas are normally a supporting character in dessert... Sometimes as an ingredient for pie crust, or crumbled as a layer in banana pudding. But truth be told they're sooooooo delicious on their own. Buttery, crispy, and perfect for dunking, I think it's Nilla's time to shine again.

These little chocolate nuggets of Nilla are delectable and an absolutely adorable treat to give to your Valentine this month! Feel free to decorate them however you choose... they're yummy anytime of year!

First we crush up a pack of Nilla Wafers in the food processor...

Then we add them into a bowl with some cream cheese, confectioners sugar, and melted butter. You mush them together with your hands (unfortunately they just don't come together in a mixer... hands are a must).

Then they get rolled into little balls and 'chill' (pun intended) in the freezer for a little while.

While the Nillas are chillin', we melt some chocolate for some dippin'...Then we dip...

Tada! B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L Valentine's Day treats for your honey!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Nilla Wafer Truffles

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pack (11 oz) of Nilla Wafers
• 7 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup confectioners sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Sprinkles for decorating (optional) 

DIRECTIONS

1. Empty your package of Nilla Wafers into a food processor, turn it on, and let it run until the Nilla Wafers turn into fine crumbs. 
2. Empty the Nilla crumbs into a large mixing bowl. Add your cream cheese, confectioners sugar, and melted butter. Mix WELL WITH YOUR HANDS (an electric mixer just doesn't work) until the combination turns into a dough-like consistency (see picture above). 
3. Roll the Nilla 'dough' into 1-inch balls. Store the balls in a Ziploc bag and put them in the freezer to chill (about one hour). 
4. About 5 minutes before you're ready to take your Nilla truffles out of the freezer, put your chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Place the bowl in the microwave and microwave the chocolate until it melts, about 3-5 minutes (varies depending on your microwave, so keep an eye on it). 
5. Take your Nilla truffles out of the freezer. Submerge each ball in the melted chocolate, one-at-a-time, then scoop out with a fork and place on a sheet of parchment paper. (click here for a great video that has a fun technique for perfectly dipping truffles) 
6. Immediately, while the chocolate is still soft, top with your sprinkles. 
7. Let the chocolate coating harden, about one-hour. 

Doggy Birthday Cake

 

Yesterday was our little doggy's first birthday... Well, at least we think it was...

When we adopted Paisley from the shelter (shout out to North Shore Animal League in Long Island!), they had noted on her paperwork that her guesstimated birthday was April 3rd. We then took her to the vet who told us, based on the amount of teeth she already had, that she was about two months older than we thought... putting her birthday at February 3rd.

So, February 3rd it is!

Over the course of the four months that Paisley has been living in our home, she's already given us enough laughter to last a lifetime. I couldn't let her birthday go by without making her a 'cake'!

I posted the above picture of my peanut butter doggy cake on Twitter and a friend asked that I share it on Beta's Bites... so here it is!

The recipe comes from this book, which you can purchase on Amazon here (it comes with three adorable little bone-shaped cookie cutters!):

This particular cookie is found on page 42, and is called 'MacDuff's Peanut Butter Holiday Shortbread.' Paisley totally loveddddd it!

Below I've posted the recipe as it reads in the book, but I'll tell you how I made the cake pictured above. I quartered the recipe for the cookies, rolled out the dough, and used a large, heart-shaped cookie cutter to make two cookies (you can't see it in the picture, but the 'cake' actually has two layers). I then baked them on foil in the oven for the recommended 15 minutes at 400 degrees. When the cookies were cooled, I spread half a tablespoon of peanut butter to stick the two layers together on top of each other. I then used another dab of peanut butter to stick a little treat on top for additional decoration.

We then sang her Happy Birthday (of course) and let her have a small piece of the 'cake'... The whole thing would be too much even for a large dog!

MacDuff's Peanut Butter Holiday Shortbread

INGREDIENTS

Makes about 55 biscuits using a small cookie cutter

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky) 
• 3/4 cup milk

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and baking powder
2. In a small bowl, whisk peanut butter and milk until smooth
3. Make a well in the flour mixture and gradually stir in peanut butter mixture until well blended 
4. Use hands to work dough into 2 pliable balls. The warmth from your hands will help make the dough more workable. 
5. Knead each dough ball on a floured surface, about 2 minutes
6. With a rolling pin, roll dough between 1/4" and 1/2" thickness. 
7. Cut with K-9 Biscuit Cutter and place on a baking sheet, lined with foil. 
8. Bake 15 minutes at 400 degrees
9. Cool on a rack and store in sealed, plastic bags in the refrigerator. 

Boozy Bites: Del Diablo

For 2014, I figured it might be fun to switch things up a bit and add some guest recipes and posts to Beta's Bites! Truth be told, I have lots of friends and family who have a whole host of amazing recipes of their own that need to be shared with the blogging world... plus I'm sure all my blabbing gets boring after a while!

What better way to kick-off our series of guest recipes than with some booze?

So this is my friend Brendan.

He's one of my husband's childhood best friends and happens to be engaged to one of my best friends from college, Jenelle (bet you can take a guess at how they were introduced?!) They're both wonderful and will be getting married this July in Connecticut... needless to say we're SUPER excited to be participating in their festivities.

Since Brendan and Jenelle live less than a mile from Anthony and me, we spend quite a bit of time at each other's humble abodes. One day when we were at their house, Brendan whipped out a bottle of vodka from the fridge and declared that they had infused it with some jalapenos and that he and Jenelle wanted to make us a new drink... Of course, we didn't object.

The drink that he made was inspired by a cocktail offered at Dos Caminos in Manhattan called 'Del Diablo.' It's tasty, it's strong, and it has an incredible kick of jalapeno that will knock your socks off.

Now you'll need at least a week to allow the vodka to be infused with the jalapeno, so be patient!

Thanks for the delicious recipe, Brendan! Cheers!

'Del Diablo'

INGREDIENTS

Makes 2 Cocktails

• 1-liter bottle of vodka
• 3 jalapeno peppers, diced (keep seeds if you like your vodka on the spicier side, otherwise discard)
• 2 oz. pineapple juice
• 2 oz. passion fruit juice
• Fresh pineapple to garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Drop your diced jalapenos in the bottle of vodka. Allow to sit in the freezer for at lease 1 week. 
2. Remove vodka from the freezer. Strain 4 oz. of vodka into a shaker. Add the 2 oz. of pineapple juice and 2 oz. of passion fruit juice. Add ice to the shaker, cover, and shake well until combined. 
3. Separate mixture into two glasses over ice. Garnish with pineapple if desired.