Category: Recipes

Recipes

Burrata, Peach and Tomato Salad

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Burrata, Peach and Tomato Salad

Summer is in full swing, and there’s no better way to enjoy the warm weather than with a delicious and refreshing salad. This tomato, burrata, and peach salad is the perfect combination of sweet, salty, and creamy. The burrata cheese is the star of the show, and the peaches and tomatoes add a touch of sweetness. Burrata is a fresh Italian cow’s milk cheese that is made from mozzarella and cream. It has a soft, creamy texture and a mild, milky flavor. Peaches are a symbol of summer in many cultures. Did you know that in China, peaches are a symbol of longevity and immortality!?

Ingredients:

  • 2 balls of burrata cheese
  • 2 peaches, sliced
  • 2 cups sliced cherry tomatoes, sliced
  • olive oil
  • salt
  • black pepper
  • Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
  1. Arrange the peaches, tomatoes, and burrata cheese vertically on the serving platter.
  2. Drizzle the olive oil over the salad and garnish with fresh basil leaves.

Tips:

  • Use ripe peaches for the best flavor.
  • If you don’t have burrata cheese, you can substitute mozzarella or goat cheese.

This tomato, burrata, and peach salad is a delicious and refreshing way to enjoy the summertime. It’s easy to make and can be customized to your liking. So next time you’re looking for a light and flavorful salad, give this one a try!

Here are some additional ideas for customizing this salad:

  • Add some grilled chicken or shrimp for a heartier meal.
  • Use different types of tomatoes, such as heirloom tomatoes or cherry tomatoes.
  • Add some other fresh herbs, such as mint, or oregano.
  • Drizzle the salad with a different type of dressing, such as a honey-balsamic dressing or a vinaigrette dressing.
  • Use grilled peaches

I hope you enjoy this delicious and refreshing salad!

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Recipes

Blini with Smoked Salmon

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Blini with Smoked Salmon

This appetizer is effortless to make and is such a crowd-pleaser. It’s a classic that everybody loves, perfect for any occasion! I bought the blinis at my local grocery store to make it even easier. However, you can make them at home.

The DILL CRÈME FRAICHE you can make the day before and store in the refrigerator. Recipe below.

Assemble:
Spread the dill crème fraîche on a blini. Coil on a piece of salmon, top with chives or dill.

Enjoy!!

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Dill Creme Fraiche

Ingredients

  • 4 oz cream cheese softened
  • 3/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
  • 2 tsp fresh dill finely chopped (or chives)
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • pinch of black pepper

Instructions

  • Mix all the ingredients until smooth.

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Recipes, Uncategorized

Vanilla, Strawberry and Nutella Buttercream Cake

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Vanilla, Strawberry and Nutella Buttercream Cake

Calling all Nutella lovers!! We are absolutely obsessed with Nutella, and we love anything with it. This vanilla, strawberries and Nutella buttercream cake is soooo good and beautiful. It’s perfect for Mother’s Day!

–Vanilla box cake: choose your favorite box cake, and prepare the batter according to the instructions. Split the batter into two round 8″ cake pans, and follow the instructions to bake them.  

–Strawberries: put them in a strainer and rinse with cold water. Remove the green stems and slice them in half (vertically). 

–Nutella buttercream recipe: the original recipe is from Sugar & Sparrow.

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Assemble the cake: 

Once you have finished the Nutella buttercream, it’s time to assemble the cake. Level the vanilla cake, and add the butternut cream and strawberries. 

Follow with another layer of the cake, butternut cream, and strawberries 

Garnish with chocolate on top. 

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Nutella Buttercream

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup 226g unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3 1/2 Cups 420g powdered sugar
  • 1/2 Cup 150g Nutella
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp whole milk room temperature
  • 1/4 tsp salt or to taste

Instructions

  • Cream the butter on medium-high until it’s creamy and light in color, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time, scraping down after each addition and making sure each cup is fully incorporated before adding the next one.
  • Add the Nutella and beat on med-high for a full minute.
  • Turn the mixer to low and add the vanilla, milk, and salt.
  • Mix for another 1-2 minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed, until smooth and fully incorporated
Recipes

Lime Naked Cake

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Lime Naked Cake

Calling all Lime lovers. This semi-homemade cake is easy and quick to put together. It’s light and packed with fresh flavors—the perfect ending to a summer dinner.

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Start by baking two boxes of lemon supreme cake mix accordingly to the box baking instructions. We divide the batter in 4 round cake pans (about 9”). Allow cakes to cool completely in the pan. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.

Now, it’s time to make the frosting!! In a large bowl, using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment beat the whipping cream on medium speed until it begins to thicken. Keep mixing, add the condensed milk and the confectioner sugar. Increase to high speed, and beat until the cream is very stiff, and stands in firm peaks on the beater when it is lifted from the bowl.

Stop mixing and slowly add the lime juice and using a French whisk mix all together. Your lime Chantilly will be ready!

Let’s assemble the cake! Turn the cakes down and using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops to create a flat surface. Place the 1st cake layer on your cake stand. Spread about 1 and 1/2 cups of frosting evenly on top. Top with the 2nd cake layer, and evenly cover the top with another 1 and 1/2 cups of frosting. Do the same with the 3rd and 4th layer.

After the last one, spread the remaining frosting on top and around the sides using an icing spatula. Use a bench scraper to smooth out the frosting on the sides of the cake. Decorate the cake with lime and mint.

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Lime Naked Cake

Ingredients

  • 2 boxes of Lemon Supreme Cake Mix
  • 700 ml of heavy whipping cream
  • 1 can of condensed milk
  • 2 limes
  • 2 tbsp of confectioner sugar.

Instructions

  • Bake the 2 boxes of lemon cake mix accordingly to the box baking instructions. We divide the batter in 4 round cake pans (about 9”);
  • Allow cakes to cool completely in the pan. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.

Frosting

  • In a large bowl, using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment beat the whipping cream on medium speed until it begins to thicken. Keep mixing, add the condensed milk and the confectioner sugar. Increase to high speed, and beat until the cream is very stiff, and stands in firm peaks on the beater when it is lifted from the bowl.
  • Stop mixing and slowly add the lime juice and using a French whisk mix all together. Your lime Chantilly will be ready!

Assemble

  • Turn the cakes down and using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops to create a flat surface.
  • Place the 1st cake layer on your cake stand. Spread about 1 and 1/2 cups of frosting evenly on top. Top with the 2nd cake layer, and evenly cover the top with another 1 and 1/2 cups of frosting. Do the same with the 3rd and 4th layer.
  • After the last one, spread the remaining frosting on top and around the sides using an icing spatula. Use a bench scraper to smooth out the frosting on the sides of the cake.
  • Decorate the cake with lime and mint.
Recipes

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

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Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

This Mediterranean quinoa salad makes for a quick lunch or dinner, and it can be served as a side dish or enjoyed as a meal on its own. This salad also keeps well if you make it ahead of time, so it’s a great recipe for when you are entertaining, so you can prepare ahead of time

What’s in this salad?

  • Quinoa – The protein-packed quinoa brings a nice texture and is the “heart” of this salad.
  • Turmeric and curry – These two spices are easily accessible, packed with tons of flavor, and full of health benefits.
  • Feta cheese – The feta’s creamy texture and salty taste will bring this salad to a whole new level.
  • Black olives – You can skip it if you are not big on olives. We love it, so we always add it to this salad.
  • Mint – In our opinion, mint is a MUST in this salad. 
  • Tomatoes and cucumbers – they will give a nice texture and crunch to the salad
  • Olive oil, salt, and pepper

Some tips:

  • Cook the quinoa ahead of time and let it cool completely before tossing the salad together.
  • Adding the turmeric and curry to the water before you cook the quinoa will give that yellow tone to the dish.
  • We prefer adding olive oil, salt, and pepper as the dressing, as the turmeric and quinoa will already give lots of flavor to this salad. If you prefer using a more elaborate sauce, you can use an Italian dressing.

Try this recipe and let us know what you think!!

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

This Mediterranean quinoa salad makes for a quick lunch or dinner, and it can be served as a side dish or enjoyed as a meal on its own.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 mins
1 hr
Total Time 1 hr 20 mins
Course Salad
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta
  • 1/4 cup black olives, pitted and sliced
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup sliced cucumbers 
  • 1/4 cup fresh mint 
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Add the turmeric and curry in the water and cook quinoa according to package directions. The spices will give that yellow tone to the dish.
  • Let the quinoa cool completely.
  • Add feta cheese, black olives, mint, tomato, and cucumber.
  • Add salt, pepper, and olive oil.
Recipes

Liquid Alfajor

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Liquid Alfajor

Have you ever tried or heard about alfajores? If you have never tried them, you are missing out! They are delicate dulce de leche sandwich cookies that are very popular in South America. They are incredibly delicious, rich, and melt in your mouth.

As we like effortless recipes, we have twisted this classic cookie and created the liquid alfajor. It combines the dulce de leche and shortbread cookie and doesn’t require any baking.

Dulce de leche is decadent, smooth, and rich! If you are not familiar with this confection, they can be bought in cans and are most commonly found in your local store’s baking aisle. All the other items, we bet you are very familiar with.

Ingredients:
– 11 oz dulce de leche
– 11 oz heavy cream
– 6 oz butter cookie or shortbread cookie
– 8oz bittersweet chocolate – grated
– Mint leaves to garnish

How to:

  • Combine the dulce de leche and heavy cream and bring to a simmer for 3 min. Let it cool and pour the cream into a glass or a bowl;
  • Crush the cookies into fine crumbs;
  • Add the cookies crumbs on top of the cream;
  • Add the grated chocolate and refrigerate;
  • Décor with mint leaves.

You won’t regret trying this recipe. It is simply divine, quick, and a good choice to serve as a dessert. Irresistible!

Liquid Alfajor

Liquid Alfajor is a dessert that combines dulce de leche, chocolate, and shortbread cookies. It's so decadent, smooth, and rich
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Resting time 1 hr
Total Time 1 hr 10 mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine South America
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 11 oz dulce de leche
  • 11 oz heavy cream
  • 6 oz butter cookie or shortbread cookie
  • 8 oz bittersweet chocolate – grated
  • mint leaves to garnish

Instructions
 

  • Combine the dulce de leche and heavy cream and bring to a simmer for 3 min. Let it cool and pour the cream into a glass or a bowl;
  • Crush the cookies into fine crumbs;
  • Add the cookies crumbs on top of the cream;
  • Add the grated chocolate and refrigerate for about an hour;
  • Décor with mint leaves.
Recipes

Goat Cheese Balls

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Goat Cheese Balls

These goat cheese balls taste decadent and are so simple to make!!! They are a great last-minute appetizer and a flavorful addition to any party spread.

This recipe calls for dates or grapes. Both are great, but we personally prefer the ones with dates. The natural sweetness of the dates paired with the tart flavor of goat cheese is so tasty.

Here is what you need:

  • Goat cheese
  • Dates or grapes
  • Crushed pistachios or almonds

How-to:
– Cut the dates in half;
– Wrap the dates with goat cheese and make small balls;
– Cover the balls with crushed pistachio or almonds;

Enjoy!!!!

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Recipes

How to Garnish a Thanksgiving Turkey

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How to Garnish a Thanksgiving Turkey

We won’t attempt to give the Perfect turkey recipe, as we have no shame to admit that most of the time we order our Turkey for the Holiday festivities. However, we encourage you to make your main dish look good on the server platter!

Check below these two pictures and tell us if it is worth it or not!

The first step is choosing the right serving platter. For a rustic look, feel no fear to serve on a wood large board (as we did here). For a more elegant and traditional look, a white or pattern large platter will be beautiful.

For the garnishes, we chose items that are not only delicious but also colorful. We chose roasted garlic, sliced persimmons, dried apricots, sage leaves, and dried oranges. Other options are roasted mini potatoes, cranberries, sliced apples, and pears.

There is really no secret! All you have to do is roast the heads of garlic and the oranges. For the garlic, make sure to trim the top off the head of the garlic just enough to expose the garlic cloves and roast them for about 30 minutes. You will need to bake the oranges for a little longer, but make sure not to let them burn. 

As your Turkey is roasting, you can already arrange the items on the corners of the serving platter. When the turkey is ready, all you have to do is place it right in the middle and bring it to the table!

We have also selected below some beautiful large platters that would look beautiful on your table. Happy Holidays!

Recipes

Pear and Creamy Burrata

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Pear and Creamy Burrata

Who doesn’t love a creamy burrata?! Add pears, prosciutto, arugula, and toasts topped with the sweet fig preserve, and you will have a great platter that can be served as a salad or even as an appetizer.

This is a great fall recipe and so easy and delicious. As you know, we don’t like to spend hours in the kitchen, so we love simple and delicious recipes. This one combines the creamy burrata cheese with the salty prosciutto and the sweet fig jam and is so amazing!!!

Start by making the champagne vinaigrette. You have probably already seen this recipe a few times in our blog. It’s a simple dressing and so good!  All you need is champagne vinegar, olive oil and

In a small bowl, add all the ingredients for the champagne vinaigrette and whisk together until smooth and well combined.

For the salad, you will need: Baby arugula, sliced pears, prosciutto, burrata cheese, fig jam, and balsamic glaze.

In a larger bowl, toss the arugula with the dressing until well mixed. Place the arugula on the platter you will be serving. Add the burrata in the middle, the sliced pears, and the prosciutto. Top the toasts with fig jam and add to the sides of the salad. Finish up with a drizzle of balsamic glaze and salt and pepper.

Watch the video, and you will be surprised how easy it is!

Pear and Creamy Burrata

Pear and Creamy Burrata

Who doesn’t love a creamy burrata?! Add pears, prosciutto,arugula, and toasts topped with the sweet fig preserve, and you will have agreat platter that can be served as a salad or even as an appetizer.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 8 oz Baby arugula
  • 1 Red pear, sliced
  • 1 Burrata Cheese
  • 8 slices of prosciutto
  • Toasts
  • Fig jam
  • Balsamic glaze

Champagne Vinaigrette

  • 1/4 cup champagne vinegar
  • 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Pinch of ground black pepper

Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl, add all the ingredients for the champagne vinaigrette and whisk together until smooth and well combined.
  • In a larger bowl, toss the arugula with the dressing until well mixed. Place the arugula on the platter you will be serving.
  • Add the burrata in the middle, the sliced pears, and the prosciutto. Top the toasts with fig jam and add to the sides of the salad. Finish up with a drizzle of balsamic glaze and salt and pepper.
Recipes

Apple and Pear Fall Salad

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Apple and Pear Fall Salad

This is a great fall salad that you can serve as lunch or as a side dish. This salad comes together in less than 10 minutes and looks beautiful! It is loaded with the best fresh fall products: apples, pears, and arugula. It is the perfect combo of sweet and savory!!

The list of ingredients is very short! For the salad, you will need: Apples, Pears, Arugula, Goat Cheese, and Candied Walnuts. For the dressing: champagne vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Start by making the champagne vinaigrette. This has become one of our favorite salad dressings, and we make this to drizzle on most salads.

In a small bowl, add all the ingredients for the champagne vinaigrette and whisk together until smooth and well combined. In a larger bowl, toss the arugula with the dressing until well mixed. Place the arugula on the platter you will be serving and add the crumbled goat cheese and candied walnuts on top.

Next, cut the apples and pears vertically. You want to choose a crunchy apple that isn’t going to brown too quickly when sliced. We have picked Gala, which is extra-sweet, crisp, and juicy, but Cortland is also a great option. When it comes to apples that don’t brown easily, the Cortland is one of the best.

The pears, like the apples, also turn brown quickly after they are sliced and exposed to air. So after you slice the apples and pears, we recommend soaking them in a bowl of cold water and fresh lemon juice for about 3 minutes.

Layer the sliced apples and pears on top of the arugula, and voila, super easy!!

Apple and Pear Fall Salad

Apple and Pear Fall Salad! This is a great fall salad thatyou can serve as lunch or as a side dish. This salad comes together in lessthan 10 minutes and looks beautiful! It is loaded with the best fresh fallproducts.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Course Salad
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cups arugula
  • 1 red pear, sliced
  • 2 small apples, sliced
  • ¼ cup crumbled goat cheese
  • Candied walnuts (as much as you like!)

Champagne Vinaigrette

  • 1/4 cup champagne vinegar
  • 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Pinch of ground black pepper

Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl, combine the champagne vinaigrette ingredients and whisk together until smooth and well combined.
  • In a larger bowl, toss the arugula with the dressing until well mixed. Place the arugula on the platter you will be serving.
  • Top with the crumbled goat cheese, candied walnuts, and sliced apples and pears.