Tag Archives: Food

Honey + Cinnamon Whipped Goat Cheese Dip

7 Replies

On Tuesday, I talked about my love of wine and chocolate. Together, separate, any way is fine.

cheese1

Today, I’m going to talk about wine and cheese. Just as I love wine and chocolate, I think wine and cheese are a perfect pair.

honey

On my 22nd birthday, Greg and I had a very nice little wine and cheese night together. It was so much fun and is one of my very favorite memories.

honey1

I remember the two of us going to the store and choosing different types of cheese and then different types of savory + sweet spreads and then fruits and crackers to put the cheeses and spreads on. We really didn’t know what we were doing — we’re not cheese or wine experts — but we had a lot of fun doing it.

cinn

We took everything home, made it look pretty on the table, poured some wine and started to enjoy our food.

dip

We tried all different combinations of cheese, fruit, crackers and wine. I remember snacking all throughout the night. It was the perfect birthday dinner.

dip1

This dip was inspired by that night.

dip2

I love goat cheese. And I think it goes great with fruit. Just like in this salad. So I thought, why not make it into a dip for fruit. Why not add some sweet honey and spicy cinnamon!

berry3

To like this dip, you definitely have to like goat cheese. Even with the added sweetness, it still has that tangy goat cheese flavor.

berry

Served with fruit and crackers, this dip is delicious. Enjoying it with a glass of wine is even better.

berry1

I enjoyed eating it on its own but also garnished with some fruit jam and chopped pecans.

plate



Honey + Cinnamon Goat Cheese Dip
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
Ingredients
  1. 10 ounces goat cheese
  2. 1 tablespoon honey
  3. 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  4. Pinch of salt
  5. 1/4 cup pecans, toasted + chopped
  6. Fruit jam/preserves, if desired, for topping
  7. Crackers + fresh fruit, for serving
Instructions
  1. To toast the pecans, place 1/4 cup pecans in a skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until nuts become fragrant and slightly browned. Remove from heat and chop.
  2. Place the goat cheese in a food processor and process for about 30 seconds, or until almost "whipped." Add the honey, cinnamon and salt and process up to another 30 seconds, until dip is light and fluffy.
  3. Place dip in a bowl and top with fruit jam or preserves and chopped pecans. Serve with fresh fruit and crackers.
  4. Enjoy!
Notes
  1. I prefer this dip topped with both jam and chopped pecans. I like to serve it with honey wheat crackers and fresh strawberries, but use what you prefer.
The Dreaming Foodie https://www.thedreamingfoodie.com/
 

Chocolate + Wine Truffles

8 Replies

This post is dedicated to my best friend.

amandanme
(A blurry phone photo of us from a couple of years ago)

She is a friend who, no matter how long it’s been since we have seen each other, when we’re together, we can talk for hours without realizing where the time has gone.

Cork

She has been my best friend for 23 years! Yep, I have know Amanda since the day I was born (maybe 2 or 3 days after I was born?)

Bottle1

Even though we now live far apart, our time spent together is so much fun! It’s so nice to have a friend like her.

Bottle

Why do I dedicate this post to her? Well, other than her being an all around amazing person and friend, I know that we share a great love of wine and chocolate!

Sprinkles

This recipe is so perfect!

sprinkles1

Literally, what could be better? A smooth ball of chocolate that has wine in it? Yes please!

truffle1

These truffles are chocolate-y, rich, smooth and have just the right punch of wine. The added sprinkles give a nice little crunch.

truffle

One (or two) of these and a glass of wine = the perfect way to end a day! I promise that these will satisfy even the greatest chocolate craving.

truffles

You can find the recipe here.

truffles1

Thank you How Sweet It Is for this recipe!

Enjoy!

Mini Mushroom Pot Pies

11 Replies

Remember when I showed you my walk through Rittenhouse Square?

ramekins

Well, the same day I took that walk, I ate something so very delicious.

vegs

I ate at the Metropolitan Cafe, right next to Rittenhouse Square. I stopped in and ordered a mini mushroom pot pie and a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice. It was so good. I knew from my first bite that I wanted to make my own.

vegs1

After several attempts, I have this to share with you. This may be my new (for now) favorite meal.

pot

The flavor of the mushroom part is unbelievable. It sort of reminds me of Thanksgiving.

final2

And I’m loving puff pastry right now. The IMperfectionist in me is loving how messy but beautiful it looks. And it’s just the perfect puffy little topping for the mushrooms.

final

For any non-mushroom lovers out there, you still have to try this! Leave out the shrooms and swap in something else. How about zucchini or butternut squash! Or meat if that is what you please.

final1

This dish is healthy, fulfilling, creamy (with no butter or cream!) and flavorful. I hope that you get to enjoy this meal!

Method:

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 medium shallots
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 large carrots
1/2 of a red pepper
16 oz. mushrooms
2 large handfuls of fresh spinach
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground thyme
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
Salt and pepper
3 Tbsp. flour
1.5 c. vegetable broth
6 puff pastry squares, with a hole poked in top
1 egg white

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400*. Prepare six 7-ounce ramekins, or any dish that you choose to use.

Dice the shallots, carrots, red peppers and mushrooms all to about the same size.

Add olive oil to a pot over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook for about two minutes, to flavor the oil. Add the diced shallot and a pinch of salt. Stir, then cook until soft, about 4-5 minutes. Add diced carrots and red peppers, stir and cook an additional five minutes. Add the thyme, nutmeg, pepper and additional salt if desired. Add the spinach and stir everything together. Cover the pot and cook about 2 minutes, or until spinach is wilted.

Add the flour to the pot and gently stir to incorporate. Next add the broth, adding a little bit at a time and stirring well to be sure you’re getting all the chunks of flour out. Cover and let simmer for about 3 minutes.

Ladle the mushroom mixture into ramekins and top with puff pastry squares. Brush the puff pastry with egg white.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until pastry has puffed and is golden brown.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin + Cinnamon Muffins

3 Replies

I still have break brain. And I don’t know what to do.

muffin

I’ve only been back to class a few days since spring break, but I’m having trouble finding my groove.

cinnamon

These muffins gave me comfort during a week of discomfort. My mind has been all over the place, but at least I had these to enjoy. 🙂

spoon flour

The smell of these alone was enough to warm me up. The sweet cinnamon scent was incredible. It filled my apartment and made digging in immediately unavoidable.

liners

These muffins are soft, sweet and full of rich cinnamon flavor. The pumpkin flavor is subtle, but compliments the cinnamon perfectly.

cuttingmiddle

If you make these muffins, I hope that they bring you as much comfort as they brought  me.

muffins

Method:

Dry:
3/4 c. whole wheat flour
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt

Wet:
1 c. pureed pumpkin
1 c. milk (I used almond)
1 egg
1/4 c. butter, melted and cooled
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Cinnamon Filling:
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 c. butter, melted and cooled

Topping:
1/4 c. chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 400*. Line and grease 12 muffin liners in a muffin pan.

Add dry ingredients to a bowl. Mix with a whisk until well combined.

In a separate bowl, add wet ingredients. Mix with a spoon. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until well combined.

In a third bowl, add cinnamon filling ingredients. Mix until a thick paste forms. Set aside.

Fill each muffin liner with a spoonful of batter. I used a mini ice cream scoop. Then, top with about a teaspoon of cinnamon filling. Add another spoonful of muffin batter on top of the cinnamon layer. Top with additional cinnamon and chopped pecans.

Bake muffins in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy!

Green Salad with Roasted Beets and Fruit

4 Replies

This is refreshing.

IMG_2626

A clean, healthy meal.

A fresh start after a weekend of milkshakes, french fries, cupcakes and pizza.

IMG_2628

While that was very fun, I’m in need of this. This salad is fresh, bright, sweet, crunchy and fulfilling.

IMG_2594

Even though it’s light, the varying flavors and and textures make you feel satisfied.

IMG_2635

Eating this salad makes me feel like I’m getting both my mind and body back on track.

IMG_2636

This week, I’m going to need a lot of these salads.

Method:
for one salad

A large handful of mixed greens
1 beet
A handful of blueberries
3 large strawberries, sliced
A small handful of chopped pecans
Goat cheese

Preheat oven to 400*. Wash and dry the beet. Pierce with a fork and roast until soft, about an hour. Once roasted, let cool and peel off the skin. Slice the beet.
Place greens, blueberries, strawberries, beets, pecans and goat cheese in a bowl. Use as much goat cheese as you please.

*Note: I roast a lot of beets at once so that when I want some, they are ready and sliced.

Enjoy!