KITCHEN COURSES

Every Thursday, Kate & Eric bring you recipes in four categories: Drink, (Hors) D'oeuvre, Dish, Dessert. Enjoy!

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Or, who knew corn and pasta went together? Fresh, delicious herb and sausage infused pasta great for late summer and early fall! It's Kitchen Courses with Kate & Eric, episode 8!

Ingredients: 

 4 ears of corn 

2 cups of grape tomatoes, halved

1 jalapeño, chopped 

1 white onion, diced

2 sausages

1 box of pasta

1 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 up of Half & Half (optional)

Pinch of salt

Parsley for garnish

Parmesan cheese for garnish 

Make it:

Prep the vegetables Chop the tomatoes, dice the onion, chop the jalapeño, and cut all the corn off the ears of corn.* Boil 4 quarts of water for the pasta.

Brown the sausages Break up the sausage and brown over medium high heat. Alternatively, cook the sausages and then chop. When browned, transfer to a new bowl. Keep this pot on the stove while you cook the pasta. 

Prepare the sauce In the pot from the sausages, add 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onion and jalapeño. Cook down for 5-7 minutes. Add a pinch of salt. Then add the corn. Cook down for 4-5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, toss it around. Let it cook down. 

Prepare the pasta Add a pinch of salt to the boiling water. Then add the pasta. 

Continue the sauce 2 or 3 minutes after the pasta has been cooking, remove 2/3 cup of the pasta water and add it to the sauce. It’ll help it break down. Add the sausage. 

 Finish the sauce Turn down to low. Add 1/2 cup of Half & Half. Cook down while the pasta finishes. 

Drain the pasta, toss Drain the pasta and then toss with the sauce. Mix it up to coat all the pasta with the sauce. 

Serve! Garnish with fresh parsley and shredded parmesan cheese.   

*Prep Tip: Put a mug, rim down, in a large bowl. Rest an ear of corn on the mug and use a knife to cut the kernels off of the corn. Easy!

Note: Want to go vegetarian? Skip the sausages! Or if you have an aversion to pork, use beef.

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In this episode, we cover an quick and easy way to do stuffed mushrooms (with or without crab). It's Kitchen Courses with Kate and Eric, episode 6!

Ingredients 

16 oz. button mushrooms

6 oz. (whipped) cream cheese

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons of chives

1 garlic clove, grated

Zest of a lemon

Salt 

Pepper

Old Bay or Smoked Paprika

Make It

Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Remove the stalks from the mushrooms; clean with paper towel or a dry kitchen towel. Don't clean the mushrooms with water, or they'll absorb the water! 

Set aside on a baking tray for later. 

In a bowl, mix the cream cheese, parsley, chives, the lemon zest, and grated garlic clove. Mix until fully incorporated. 

Add 2 pinches of kosher salt and ground pepper to taste. Mix. NOTE: If you used regular cream cheese, you might want to add a splash of Half & Half. 

Add the 1/2 cup of crab to the cream cheese mixture. Mix until incorporated. NOTE: You can skip the crab, or fill some mushrooms and then add the crab to the remainder of the mixture and finish filling the mushrooms, if you or some of your guests aren't big on seafood.

Using a small spoon, spoon the cream cheese mixture into the mushroom caps. Set on your baking tray (stuffing side up). 

Season with Old Bay or (smoked) paprika by just sprinkling lightly over each. 

Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes; your mushroom caps should be slightly soft and the juices should be flowing. 

Serve, and enjoy!

Tip: Save the mushroom stalks to use for other recipes, like soup.

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A magical peanut butter and chocolate concoction that's sure to delight: Buckeyes! It's Kitchen Courses with Kate and Eric, episode 22!

This dessert will make approximately 4 dozen 1" sized balls.

Ingredients: 

1.5 cups creamy peanut butter (do not use natural peanut butter)

1 stick salted butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups powdered sugar

9 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

3 tbsp shortening (crisco)

Make it:

Using your hands, mix the peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar in a large bowl. It will form a smooth but stiff dough. 

Shape dough into 1" balls and place on waxed paper-lined cookie sheets.

Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes to set.

Melt chocolate and shortening in a glass bowl in the microwave, stop every 30 seconds to stir. Continue until all chips are melted - this should take approximately two minutes. (Do not just microwave for two minutes straight, as this will scorch the chocolate.)

Use a toothpick to dip each ball in the melted chocolate until only a small circle is not covered. Return to lined sheet.

Place in refrigerator to set chocolate for at least 30 minutes.   

Serve and enjoy!

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Hot chocolate? With a splash of whiskey in it? In my Samus mug?

Yes, I shall be attempting more of Other M now.

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We hope you’ve got a great hot chocolate in that awesome mug - but if you find yourself wishing it was a little more special, try our hot cocoa mix recipe!

You can find the full recipe on YouTube (along with our delightful commentary). 

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(HORS) D’OEUVRE: Spinach Balls from Stuffing

or, It’s a Left Overs Month Hors D’Oeuvre

Ingredients

3 eggs

4 tbsp butter

10 oz frozen spinach, cooked and drained

1 cup stuffing crumbs or left over stuffing

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 diced onion

Make It!

1. Whisk the eggs

In a mixing bowl, crack open the eggs and whisk.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients

Add the remaining ingredients and mix it up with a spoon and possibly your hands.

3. Refrigerate

Cover the bowl and refrigerate for about 15 minutes to help it set up.

4. Make the balls

Retrieve the bowl from the refrigerator. Using your hands, make 1″ balls of the spinach mixture. Set on a baking sheet that you’ve greased with non-stick cooking spray (you may also wish to line it with foil).

5. Bake

Bake in your preheated oven for 15 minutes at 325°.

Serve!

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DRINK: Bourbon Cranberry Old Fashioned

or, It’s a Leftovers Month Cocktail!

NOTE: This drink is alcoholic, please drink responsibly.

Editor’s Note: The basis for this recipe came from GirlVersusDough.com, so be sure to check them out the original and other great recipes.

Ingredients (per each drink)

1 tbsp. cranberry sauce

1 tsp. (real) maple syrup

1 orange slice

2 oz of bourbon

2 dashes of bitters

Club soda or ginger ale

Garnish: Fresh cranberries, or cherries and orange quarters

Make it

1. Prep the base

Combine the cranberry sauce, the maple syrup, the orange slice and the bourbon in a glass. Muddle.

2. Top it off

Add the bitters, a couple ice cubes, and then top it off with club soda or ginger ale.

3. Garnish

Sprinkle with fresh cranberries.

Or skewer a cherry and wedge of orange on a toothpick, set on top.

Enjoy!

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DISH: Turkey Chili with Sweet Potatoes & Beans, and Hints of Cinnamon & Cocoa

or, there’s a recipe in here somewhere

NOTE: This recipe requires the use of a crock pot.

Ingredients

2 sweet potatoes

1 white onion

1 red bell pepper

2 garlic cloves

1 lb. of turkey

2 cans of beans (black and pinto, or kidney)

28 oz. can of diced tomatoes

16 oz can of stewed tomatoes

2 cups of broth or water

1 tbsp. chili powder

1 tbsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

2 heaping tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

1. Cut up the sweet potatoes

These are very dense, so make sure that it’s stable; and cut in half length-wise, then cut each half into three pieces, and cube those pieces (one inch pieces).

2. Dice vegetables

Dice the onion and the bell pepper, and mince the garlic cloves.

3. Brown the turkey

Brown the turkey in a pan with 1 tbsp. of olive oil at medium high heat for 5-7 minutes. Drain when done. Remove the turkey from the pan and set aside for now.

4. Sauté the onions, add garlic

Put the pan back on the heat with 1 tbsp. of olive oil and add the chopped onion. Sauté the onions until they’re slightly sweating; they should still be slightly crunchy. This will take 4-5 minutes.

Then add the chopped garlic and cook for 1 to 1.5 minutes.

5. Spice it up

Dump all of your spices (chili powder, cumin, pepper, salt, cinnamon, and unsweetened cocoa powder) into the pan with the onion and garlic. This will cook off the raw flavor.

6. Add the turkey back

Get the turkey that you set aside at the end of step 3 and add it back into the pan with all the onion and spices. Coat the turkey in this.

7. Crock it

Get your crock pot out and dump the contents of your pan into the crock pot. Then add the two cans of tomato products, the cans of beans (rinsed and drained), the sweet potato and the chopped bell pepper.

Cover with two cups of broth or water; broth will add more flavor (we used water). Get it until the liquid is just at the top of your ingredients; they don’t need to be drowning in it.

8. Cook it

Put the lid on, set it to high and cook for 4 hours. Or cook on low for 8 hours.

Serve!

Garnish with diced radishes (not listed in the ingredients above) and some tortilla chips! Maybe even add some cilantro!

TIP: If you’re not worried about it being dairy free, add some cheese!

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DRINK: Cider Zinger

or, use a version of these instructions that’ll fill up a glass for yourself

Ingredients

3 cups of apple cider

1.5 cups of whiskey

1.5 cups of ginger beer

1.5 cups of hard cider

1/4 cup of lime juice

3 tablespoons of lemon juice

9 dashes of bitters

1. Mix

Combine all of the above. Stir well.

2. Serve

Pour in a tumbler or high ball, over a nice ice cube. Garnish with a wedge of lime, lemon, or orange.

*TIP: Use some fancy frozen water, such as a large ice cube or a large ice sphere. Or just nerd out and use a Death Star ice sphere. They exist.

Note: Drink responsibly.

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Tropical Fruit Skewer with White Chocolate and Lime Zest

A tropical fruit skewer dessert, using pineapple and mango, with white chocolate drizzle and a zest of lime; or, holy crap this was delicious!

Serves 4 as prepared, but chop up more fruit to make more!

It's Kitchen Courses with Kate and Eric, episode 8!

Ingredients

1 pineapple, chopped

2 mangos, chopped

1 lime, zested and squeezed

1/2 cup white chocolate

NOTE: You'll need some (wooden) skewers before you start.

Make It

Chop your pineapple and mangos. 

Assemble the skewers by stabbing a piece of a pineapple onto a skewer, and then a piece of mango. Keep alternating until your skewer is full (and still has "handle room") - about 4 pieces of each. Our recipe will make 4 skewers. Set on a pan or baking sheet, something you can put in the freezer.

Zest a lime; set aside the zest. Cut the lime in half; squeeze lime over the skewers, being sure to get both sides. 

Cover and freeze for 4 hours. (You can freeze for less time if you prefer.)

Wait until ready to serve. 

Melt the 1/2 cup of white chocolate. Use a microwave, checking at about 30 second intervals; don't burn the chocolate. You want it to get smooth and drizzly. 

Remove the skewers from the freezer and drizzle with the white chocolate. Be sure to drizzle across the fruit pieces, rather than length-wise, as it'll make it easier to eat. Trust us.

Garnish with the lime zest.

Serve and enjoy!

TIP: Save even more time by buying pre-chopped fruit, such as a container of strawberry and pineapple, from your local grocery store. 

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DISH: Sausage & Corn Pasta with Tomatoes and Fresh Herbs

or, who knew corn and pasta went together?

Ingredients

4 ears of corn

2 cups of grape tomatoes, halved

1 jalapeño, chopped

1 white onion, diced

2 sausages

1 box of pasta

1 tbsp. olive oil

Pinch of salt

Parsley for garnish

Parmesan cheese for garnish

1. Prep the vegetables

Chop the tomatoes, dice the onion, chop the jalapeño, and cut all the corn off the ears of corns.*

Boil 4 quarts of water for the pasta.

2. Brown the sausages

Break up the sausage and brown over medium high heat. Alternatively, cook the sausages and then chop. When browned, transfer to a new bowl.

Keep this pot on the stove while you cook the pasta.

3. Prepare the sauce

In the pot from the sausages, add 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onion and jalapeño. Cook down for 5-7 minutes.

Add a pinch of salt. Then add the corn. Cook down for 4-5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, toss it around. Let it cook down.

4. Prepare the pasta

Add a pinch of salt to the boiling water. Then add the pasta.

5. Continue the sauce

2 or 3 minutes after the pasta has been cooking, remove 2/3 cup of the pasta water and add it to the sauce. It’ll help it break down.

Add the sausage.

6. Finish the sauce

Turn down to low. Add 1/2 cup of Half & Half. Cook down while the pasta finishes.

7. Drain the pasta, toss

Drain the pasta and then toss with the sauce. Mix it up to coat all the pasta with the sauce.

8. Serve!

Garnish with fresh parsley and shredded parmesan cheese.

*TIP: Put a mug, rim down, in a large bowl. Rest an ear of corn on the mug and use a knife to cut the kernels off of the corn. Easy!

Note: Want to go vegetarian? Skip the sausages! Or if you have an aversion to pork, use beef.

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Updates!

Hopefully, you guys noticed that last week’s episode included our shining faces for the first time–it’s something we’ll be continuing (although Eric kind of forgot to get some additional coverage to intersperse into the assembly of the recipe (he was distracted by trying a new camera setup)). And we’re continuing with some updated on screen visuals and a change with the intro. 

Enjoy!

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Crème de Cassis Cocktails - Kitchen Courses #5

This episode focuses on using crème de cassis to perk up a wine that maybe you don’t like as much as you hoped you would.

Kir

Simply add a splash of crème de cassis, and top off your glass with white wine.

Kir Royale

Simply add a splash of crème de cassis, and top off your glass with sparkling wine or champagne.

Communard

Simply add a splash of crème de cassis, and top off your glass with red wine.

Please remember to drink responsibly!

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Macerated Strawberries Over Angel Food Cake - Kitchen Courses #4

DESSERT: Macerated Strawberries Over Angle Food Cake

or, Sometimes It’s Okay to Use Pre-Made Items

Ingredients

1 Quart of Strawberries

1 Lemon

1-2 tablespoons Sugar

6-12 pre-made Angel Food Dessert Shells

Dash of cream

1. Chop strawberries

Remove the tops from the strawberries; dice or chop the strawberries to desired size and set in a pan.

2. Zest lemon

With a microplane, zest the peel of a lemon over your chopped strawberries.

3. Juice half the lemon

Cut the lemon in half; squeeze one half of the lemon over the chopped strawberries. (Catch the seeds in your hand!)

4. Add sugar

Add 1-2 tablespoons of sugar over the strawberry and lemon.

5. Stir

Stir it up; the lemon juice and the sugar will macerate the strawberries. (Optional: Crush slightly with a masher.)

6. Let sit

Let the strawberries continue to macerate; at room temperature, let it sit for 30 minutes, if consuming it later, cover and refrigerate. 

7. Serve

Use an appropriate number of angel food cake dessert shells for the number of guests you’re serving (6-12). Spoon strawberries over top and add whipped cream.

Or, do a more deconstructed version and break up the dessert shells and spoon strawberries over that, garnishing with whipped cream.

TIP: Lemon not soft enough? Microwave for 5 seconds, it’ll make it easier to squeeze it get the juices out. 

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Kitchen Courses gives you recipes classy enough to serve to your friends, but simple enough to throw together for yourself – every Thursday! 

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DISH: Sweet Potato, Roasted Tomato, Feta, Parsley, and Bacon Frittata

or, The One with the Smart Egg Shell Tip

(We had some audio issues in this episode - sorry in advance!) 

Ingredients

1 cup grape tomatoes

1/2 cup olive oil

Red chile flakes

Salt

Pepper

3 garlic cloves, smashed

2 sweet potatoes, skinned and cubed

2.5 tablespoons of flat parsley

2 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped

1/4 cup feta

6 eggs

Dash of cream

1. Chopped bacon

In a 10″ pan with an oven-safe handle (it’ll go in your oven later), prepare 2 slices of bacon. Chop when done. Save the grease in the pan for later.

2. Roasted tomato

In a small pan, combine: grape tomatoes, olive oil, red chile flakes, dash of salt, dash of pepper, and garlic cloves.

Roast for 30-35, until tomatoes are slightly blistered.

3. Sweet potatoes

Roast the sweet potatoes for about 45 minutes in a 400° oven.

Skin and cube when done.

4. Combine

In a medium bowl, combine the roasted tomato mixture with the cubed sweet potatoes, then add the parsley, bacon, and feta.

5. Whisk

Crack 6 large eggs in a large bowl, whisk. Add a pinch of salt and some cracked black pepper. Whisk. Add a dash of cream. Whisk.

6. Combine

Pour the roasted tomato and sweet potato mixture into the large bowl with the eggs. Gently mix.

7. Heat on stove

Using the same 10″ pan that was used to cook the bacon, heat the pan again in preparation for the egg mixture. Once ready, pour contents of egg mixture bowl into pan. Allow it to set up a bit.

8. Bake

Place the pan in pre-heated oven and bake for 10-15 minutes at 400°. Make sure the eggs are set, but not over done.

TIP: When cracking the eggs, have paper towel handy. Discard the shells onto the paper towel, and when you’re done, just bundle it up and toss. No mess!

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(HORS) D’OEUVRE: Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

or, Kate Knows Too Much About Ham

Ingredients

Prosciutto (1 slice per 2 servings)

Asparagus (2 per serving)

Olive oil

Pepper to taste

1. Cut

Cut each slice the prosciutto in half. Make enough for all your guests. 

2. Wrap

Wrap 2 asparagus in 1 of the half-slices of prosciutto. Set on a cookie sheet or similar oven safe pan. Repeat until you have enough for all you guests. 

4. Drizzle

Drizzle olive oil on the exposed parts of the asparagus, this will help brown it up. You might want to get some of the meat as well, as the prosciutto is a lean meat. 

5. Pepper

Add pepper to taste. 

6. Bake

Place the pan in pre-heated oven and bake for 10-15 minutes at 400°.

7. Serve and enjoy!

Garnish with a bit of lemon and some aioli for a perfect presentation. 

TIP: Try with other types of ham for a different flavor; just make sure the slices are thin enough for wrapping and baking. 

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DRINK: Hugo Cocktail

or, A Good Brunch Drink That’s Not a Mimosa or a Bloody Mary

Ingredients

Prosecco

Elderflower Syrup

Mint

Lime

1. Bruise a sprig of mint

Use your fingers to lightly bruise the mint to release the oils. Add to your glass. 

2. Add lime and Elderflower Syrup

Slice up a lime. Add one slice and 1 tablespoon of Elderflower syrup to your glass. 

4. Muddle

Muddling is the fun part (before you get to drink it).

5. Top off with Prosecco

Fill your glass with Prosecco. Mind the bubbles. 

6. Enjoy!

TIP: Enjoy at brunch. Drink responsibly.