Herb Roasted Turkey Breast

This has been a seriously crazy week... I don't even know how I'm still going and it's far too late for a glass of wine. Or is it? Not only did I cater/cook lunch all week for a small group of 4 {and no that doesn't count my kids and husband}, but I actually catered a group of 1200 people in 1 hour for my real job! I don't take credit as the Chef on that one but being on the design and coordination end was perhaps just as stressful :)

 Deep breath. 

Lucky for me, I knew what an eventful week it would be, and thought ahead on Sunday as to preparing school lunches all week for the kiddos. 

Quite possibly, it could have just been that I was more so annoyed at the deli department in the grocery store because they refuse to staff more than 1 person to meet the cheese & meat needs of hundreds of customers, so I thought it would be a nice little trick to buy a bone-in turkey breast and roast it myself.

 AND, I totally scored in the end because my 2 1/2 lb piece of meat cost $8 which  only 1-lb of sliced deli meat would have been the same and been chocked full of nitrates.  

Fancy Schmancy.

Even better, you can use whatever herbs you love or have on-hand for a quick rub. I used fresh rosemary from my garden and some oregano, thyme, garlic and paprika.  And of course, extra-virgin olive oil. 

Splash a little Chicken Broth in the bottom of the pan to keep the drippings from burning.

Make sure you allow the meat to rest on cutting board for at least 20 minutes before cutting into it so you get to keep all of the delicious juices.

Juicy, Juicy.

Enjoy!

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Ingredients for Herb Roasted Turkey Breast

by Splendor in the Kitchen

2 1/2 lb Bone-In Turkey Breast

1 or 2 Garlic Cloves, minced {or 1 Tbsp Fresh Garlic Puree, my favorite!}

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1/4 Tsp. Paprika {approximately}

1 Tbsp. of assorted herbs-  Fresh Rosemary, Oregano, & Thyme Chopped

1/4 Cup Chicken Broth

Salt & Pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Using a sharp knife, remove skin from the turkey breast and discard. Rub the olive oil, garlic and fresh herbs all over the breast side of the meat.  Generously sprinkle paprika, salt and pepper on top, making sure the meat is covered well in spice.

Place the turkey breast side up in a roasting pan or glass 9x13" pan. Pour the 1/4 cup of chicken broth in the bottom of the pan.  Roast in oven for 15 minutes, until the breast of the meat is turning golden-brown. Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees and loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil.  Cook another 20 minutes approximately, or until the turkey reads between 155-160 degrees with a meat thermometer. 

Remove turkey from oven and allow to rest untouched in pan, still covered with foil about 20 minutes. {This will help the meat to reach proper cooking temperature without losing the natural juices.}

Carve turkey breast off the bone in quarter-inch slices.  Serve with pan juices  immediately or store in the refrigerator in a container with pan juices for up to 5 days.

Perfect on a sandwich or salad!

Pear & Blueberry Crisp

Pear & Wild Maine Blueberries....an unsuspecting couple, yet matched perfectly together with sweetness from the berries and acidity from the pear.

A Perfect Pair?

I think so.

This is an easy go-to dessert for a crowd and works great as one big batch, or cute individual size {my favorite} portions in ramekins of some sort.

Soon enough blueberry season will be upon us so freshly picked blueberries will be just as delicious in this dessert too, but I really love the wild Maine because they are petite and sweet. You can find those in the frozen foods section of the grocery store in a perfectly sized resealable bag....great to throw into pancakes and muffins too. 

Although, picking fresh blueberries reminds me of the book "Blueberries for Sal" and I can hear the "ker-plink, ker-plunk, ker plank" of the blueberries hitting the pail, so maybe that's more fun?!



Crunchy, buttery topping, and silky, jammy fruit....stop reading and go make this!

Enjoy!

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Ingredients for Pear & Blueberry Crisp

by Splendor in the Kitchen

6 Pears, peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 Cups Frozen Wild Maine Blueberries

1/4-1/2 Cup Sugar, depending on tartness of pears

Juice & Zest of 1 Lemon

2 Tbsp Cornstarch

1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon

1/4 Tsp Freshly Ground Nutmeg

1/4 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream

For Crisp Topping:

1 Cup Flour

1 Cup Rolled Oats

3/4 Cup Brown Sugar

1 1/2 Sticks Cold Butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

Directions for Pear & Blueberry Crisp

Preheat Oven to 425 degrees.

In large glass bowl, stir together pears, lemon juice and zest.  Gently stir in blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cream. Set aside for about 15 minutes to allow the mix to thicken up.

In another bowl, mix together flour, oats and sugar.  Using a pastry knife, or fork & knife, cut in pieces of chilled butter until small clumps/balls of mixture form.

Divide fruit mixture amongst 6-8 ungreased ramekins, or pour all into 1 medium sized baking dish. Sprinkle the crisp mixture {flour/sugar/oat/butter mix} over the top, covering as much as possible of the surface.

Bake ramekins on a baking sheet about 20-25 minutes, or until top is crispy and fruit is bubbly.  If using a larger baking dish, bake about 30-35 minutes.

Serves 6-8

 

Parmesan-Artichoke Heart Dip

A quick little dip to share before a fun game night with the ladies :)

Artichokes are coming out to play for the season....and I'm so excited!  I love a good artichoke, but not to scare you off too fast--this dip actually requires jarred or canned {yikes, did I really say that?!}artichoke hearts, so no need to run away and put your gloves on for a battle with those pointy suckers.

My mom passed this onto me and she will be on her way over to reap the benefits along with me--go Mom!

The key to the simplicity of this appetizer is to drain the artichoke hearts & chiles well so the dip doesn't turn out runny.

Then it's just a matter of throwing all your ingredients in a bowl....a little stirring action...and ready to spread in your baking dish....

Bake for 25 minutes and then you will be golden....literally!

Enjoy!

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Ingredients for Parmesan-Artichoke Dip

1 Cup Mayonaise
1 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese {use the containers from the store deli}
2-14oz Cans Whole Artichoke Hearts {in water, not marinated}, drained
1- 4oz Can Fire Roasted Diced Chile Peppers
1/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper

Directions Parmesan-Artichoke Dip

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

After you have drained the artichoke hearts, slice off the leaves and discard.  Quarter the heart into 4 bite-size pieces. 

In a bowl, add artichoke hearts, mayonaise, parmesan cheese, chiles and pepper. Stir to mix.

Place in a baking dish {approximately an 8"x8"}.

Bake 25 minutes until bubbly and golden-brown. 

Serve warm with Water Crackers.

Gingerbread Fruit Pizza

Hi Everyone! 

I see a small shimmer of sunshine {I will take what I can get!} amongst the 6 feet of snow outside my window--I'm on a company retreat in the mountains and even though it appears to be winter outside, the calendar says Spring and that's what I choose to believe. So, I wanted to share this fruity-creamy-gingerbread-y dream that I came up with a few weeks ago and will go perfect for a Spring brunch, dessert, or even a "just because". 

It all acutally started with my son's 3rd grade class.  They participate in a "Feed Me Friday" program which instills healthy snacks into their bodies & brains every week, provided by the ever so supportive parents in his class.  And as they are scarfing down the healthy goodies, they get to discuss and introduce new flavors {with a mouthful, I might add}. 

Now I have this undying need to please everyone at some point or another in life --I think I may channel Martha Stewart slightly {maybe in my own imagination!}, so I wanted to ensure the kiddos and teacher were happy so I threw some health into a gingerbread cookie with whole-wheat flour and  a little greek-nonfat yogurt.

Good Stuff. 

Use any kind of fruit you like-- I used purple grapes, rasberries, strawberries, kiwi, plums, blackberries, and wild maine blueberries. As far as amounts go-- just use enough to cover the "sauce", no need to pre-measure or anything which will slow down the time frame of you getting to relish in the "fruits of your labor".  Pun intended, haha.

Enjoy!

  

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Ingredients for Gingerbread Cookie "Pizza Crust"

adapted from allrecipes.com

2 1/2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour 
2 Tsp. Ground  Ginger
1 Tsp. Baking Soda 
1 Tsp. Ground Cinnamon 
1/2 Tsp. Ground Cloves  
1/4 Tsp. Salt 
3/4 Cup Unsalted Butter, softened     
1 Cup Brown Sugar             
1 Egg, beaten      
1 Tbsp. Water       
1/4 Cup Molasses, unsulphered
1/4 Cup Greek, nonfat Yogurt

Ingredients for Yogurt-Cream Sauce

by splendor in the kitchen

1 Container Fat-Free Cool Whip, thawed    
11/2 Cup Non-fat Plain Greek Yogurt
1 Tsp. Honey 
1/4 Cup Lowfat Cream Cheese, softened at room temperature  
Zest of 1 Orange 
1 Tsp. Vanilla    
1/2 Tsp. Ground Cinnamon
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Ingredients for Fruit Topping

Assortment of fruit; blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, kiwi, grapes, plums, wild maine blueberries, fresh mint or orange mint {optional}

Directions for Gingerbread Cookie "Pizza Crust"

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)

Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.               

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water, yogurt and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. If dough is still sticky, add more flour, 1 Tbsp at a time.

Shape dough into round ball and roll out onto a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin until about 1/2 inch thick.

Place on baking sheet lined with a Silipat mat, or lightly greased with butter.

Bake for 25-30 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookie to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.              

Directions for Yogurt-Cream Sauce

Place all ingredients in medium-sized bowl and mix together until smooth.

Assembly
Spread yogurt-cream sauce over entire cookie crust.  Arrange fruit over the top of the sauce in rows.  Garnish with mint if you like. Store in refrigerator at least 30 minutes and pull out just before serving.

About 15 small pieces, or 10 large

  

Caprese Pasta

Pasta is my most favorite thing to eat.

  It's in my blood and my heart.  It's absolutely amazing to me how fresh & simple of a dish you can create with pasta and a handful of ingredients, most of which you typically always have on-hand as staple items.

....And I am in love with this pasta.  I may be in trouble a little later when my hubby comes home and realizes I made it for lunch today without him. I do adore him too, although it's a tough call.

 Uh-oh.  Let's just keep this between you and me.

Caprese Salad is a pretty standard Italian-restaurant menu item, and frequents my household table often in the summertime.  You can't really get good tomatoes until then {at least good enough to eat raw}, so I threw this together and I must say...it's yummy!  All of the traditional flavors are there, and a few surprise guests as well.  I will explain that in a second....

Ok...so see the oranges, lemon and zest?  I know, I know.  A bit strange, but if you think about it...some caprese salad use balsamic vinegar which is acidic and instead, I think the acidity from the citrus is far better.  Quite fabulous and the freshness that you get from it is kind of like walking through a farmer's market on a crisp, cool morning.

This is a super quick sauce to make on the stove while your pasta is boiling.  Be sure to save some of the liquid { about 1/4 cup of pasta water} to throw in here at the end for a little extra flavor and to make the sauce stretch farther.  I sprinkled some of the parmesan in right after this, and saved the mozzarella until it was all mixed together in the bowl for the "melt-effect". 

As an after thought, I realized it would have been totally fun to add in some lightly grilled sourdough crostini-croutons to make it more of a Bruschetta Caprese Pasta.  Go for it if you desire and let me know how it was!

Enjoy!

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 Ingredients for Caprese Pasta

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Tomato Paste
1 Clove Garlic, Minced {or 1 Tbsp Garlic Puree}
1/4 Cup Pinot Grigio
Zest & Juice of 1 Lemon
Zest & Juice of 1 Large Orange
4-6 Basil Leaves, rolled up and sliced {chiffonade style}
1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese, plus more for sprinkling
1 Boccocini Mozzarella Ball {drained from water}, torn into small pieces
2 Large Ripe Tomatoes, chopped {I used Heirloom}
About 1/4 Cup Reserved Pasta Water
8-10oz Pasta {I used multi-colored Farfalle}

Directions

Heat olive oil in saucepan on stove over medium heat. Add tomato paste and garlic, heat about 1 minute.  Add white wine, lemon & orange juice and zest, & basil.  Simmer about 3 or 4 minutes.  Add in chopped tomatoes and 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese & stir until cheese is melted in. Reduce heat to low.

Cook Pasta Al Dente according to package directions.  Take about 1/4 cup of liquid from the pasta water and add to your Caprese Sauce.  Stir well and add salt & pepper.

Toss sauce together with cooked pasta.  If you feel like you need a little more sauce add a small amount more of pasta water into the freshly tossed pasta.  Stir in pieces of mozzarella and sprinkle with more parmesan cheese. 

Garnish with more Basil & Serve.

Serves 2

My, oh My, Heart Attack Surprise!

Have you ever met a brownie that didn't make your heart beat fast? I know that I haven't, and while some may come close to melting your heart entirely this one for sure is borderline deadly with it's German chocolate, melting chocolate chips, and oh yeah, seductively gooey caramel. 

The ONLY medication for this diagnosis is an ice cold glass of milk for dunking!!

This recipe has been gracing our plates with its presence for decades now, although I really am unsure of the origin {sorry!}, other than it was given to my mom by a family friend. 

With some old school, simple ingredients though, it reminds me of a Retro Housewife donning an apron & some perfect hair, and baking away in her avocado-green kitchen {hence the super cute napkins in the photo}. My parents weren't big on sweets in our household growing up, so boy were us kids excited when the Heart Attack Surprise came out...mostly by request of my brother on his birthday. 

THANK YOU big brother!  Now my oldest son requests this delish dish for his birthday festivities, so I am now delighted to share such a fun treat with him and you all!

To make the brownies, it's a two-step process, but don't worry, all in all, it only takes about 30 minutes from start to finish.  These are are the caramels that I typically get {I suppose you could buy caramel sauce to drizzle but that takes the fun out of unwrapping & sneaking one or two for the kids}.

Do you love the retro-rounded corner s & 1960's color/style effect I enhanced this photo with?!

Be sure to let them cool completely prior to serving, otherwise you may have caramel battle wounds.  Go ahead and throw them in the fridge for a bit just to be safe, unless you prefer a warm brownie. 

Enjoy!

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Ingredients for Heart Attack Surprise

1, 14 ounce bag Soft Caramels {individually wrapped}

1/2 cup Evaporated Milk

1, 18.25 ounce package German Chocolate Cake Mix

1/3 cup Evaporated Milk

3/4 cup Melted Butter

1/4 cup Chopped Pecans or Walnuts {optional....I don't use them}

2 cups Milk Chocolate Chips

Butter for Baking Dish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9x13 inch pan with butter.

Peel caramels and place in a microwave-safe bowl . Pour in 1/2 cup evaporated milk. Heat and stir until all caramels are melted.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together cake mix, 1/3 cup evaporated milk, melted butter, and chopped nuts {if using}.  Place 1/2 of the batter in prepared baking pan.

Place the remaining batter in the fridge.

Bake for 8 minutes. Remove brownies from the oven and sprinkle chocolate chips on top.  Drizzle caramel sauce over chocolate chips. 

Remove brownie mix from refrigerator.  Using a teaspoon or your fingers, make small balls with the batter and place on top of the caramel sauce across the entire pan.  You will still see caramel peeking through--that's ok, as the brownie batter will expand in the oven.

Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool. 

Check out Splendor in the Kitchen's New Facebook Page!

Hi Everyone! 

I'm driving home from a splendid vacation of sunshine, amazing food, and a zone of ultra-relaxation now only to be stuck in a car for another 8 hours so I figured it's about time I concede to the victorious realms of Facebook and create a page.

Please check out Splendor's new FB page, "LIKE" it, add to your own facebook pages and be sure to blast it out to all of your friends.  I will gladly take all the "lookie lou's" I can get on this new food blog journey. 

Splendor in the Kitchen on Facebook

Thanks & Happy Easter!!!

By the way....here is a sneak peek at my next Blog Recipe-- Heart Attack Surprise, and boy, are they  deliciously deadly!

Sweet Potato Biscuits with Maple Butter

My sister-in-law and I were playing the classic game of "what's in your fridge/pantry" last week, followed by a round of "hungry, hungry, husband" and decided to win the game with a blowout we should combine resources and cook an amazing meal together.  Ingredients we had between us; corn, sweet potatoes, chicken and shredded cheese.  Interesting. 

About an hour and a half later, {and half a bottle of bubbly :)}we had a perfect roasted chicken with pan gravy, creamed corn with deliciously melting cheese {do I hear a new blog posting coming?....soon!} and these scrumptious sweet potato biscuits with maple butter that we kind of just threw together as we went, which is pretty much like candy on a cloud.

Score for the Wives = 100! 

Score for the Naked Fridge/Pantry = 0!

To make things simple for you, I suggest piercing the sweet potatoes with a fork, and roasting them in the oven for about 45 minutes, or pierce and throw them in the microwave for about 8.  Let them cool down a little, and then puree them up with a splash of the buttermilk you already will have out. If you want even  easier...use the canned stuff--it's actually pretty tasty!

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Ingredients for Sweet Potato Biscuits w/ Maple Butter

2 Cups All-purpose Flour

2 tsp Baking Soda

3 tsp Baking Powder

2 Tbsp Dark Brown Sugar

Pinch of Salt

1 tsp Ground Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg

4 Tbsp Shortening

7 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, Chilled and cut into pieces

1 Cup Sweet Potato Puree

1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/2 Cup Buttermilk, 2%

1/4 Cup Butter, melted

2 Tbsp Pure Maple Syrup

1 tsp Molasses, unsulphered

Sprinkle of Brown Sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 325°.

In a small bowl, stir together melted butter, maple syrup and molasses. Smooth over the top with a knife. Place in fridge to re-harden, about 20 minutes.  Remove from refrigerator and sprinkle brown sugar on top.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda & powder and pinch of salt.  Add sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg, stir. Using a pastry knife or a food processor, cut together the shortening and butter with the flour mixture, until the mix resembles small crumbs.  Pour in vanilla and sweet potato puree.  Slowly stir in buttermilk until just mixed together.  Be careful not to over mix!!

On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough gently for just a moment until combined and smooth. If too dry, add more buttermilk and if too wet, add a little more flour. Roll out dough with a rolling pin until 1/2"-3/4" thick.  Use a round biscuit cutter to cut out biscuits.  Place on a Silipat Mat {AMAZING!, but if you don't have one, just grease the pan.}, on a baking sheet, very close together.  Bake approximately 18-20 minutes. Tops should be crispy & golden, and the middle of the biscuit should be light & fluffy.

Serve warm, with maple butter spread all over biscuit.  Enjoy!

Makes 12-15 biscuits

Pot Roast Deconstructed {Slow Cooker Friendly}

Pot Roast Deconstructed with Roasted Vegetables &  Potatoes

Happy Wednesday! The day is not so Spring beautiful, and calls for another warm-your-heart meal, so here goes! I hate soggy veggies...absolutely loathe them {except for my Mom's stewed green beans w/bacon, but that's another day}. Something so beautiful and fresh surely was intended to have a crisp texture and fun little crunch in every bite, right? What would be the point of these fabulous goodies, drenched lifelessly in their own moisture? 

I definitely am a meat & potatoes & veggies girl though-- I love Pot Roast, {and would even go as far as designing a pot roast infused candle someday}, so I had to fix this problem.  I decided to roast up my veggies and potatoes in the oven separately from each other and the meat, and come time for dinner, just ladle up some of the coveted meat juices over everything.  Super delicious, while keeping integrity in it all.  Sorry to be so scientific :-).

Even though this recipe is designed for the crock-pot, it starts on the stove and there is some oven action too for those veggies and potatoes. You will find out the truth soon enough--that I am a pathetically messy cook, and drag out every pot and pan I own.  If you can figure out your own way to make a step or two simpler, please go for it.  No offense taken, but you may get a phone call from my hubby looking for your suggestions!  Bless his heart, he cleans up after me graciously.

Enjoy!

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Pot Roast Deconstructed with Roasted Vegetables & Potatoes

Serves 4-6

2 Tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, plus more for veggies & potatoes

2 Tbsp Karl’s Prime Rib Seasoning
1 tsp Stubb’s BBQ Seasoning
1 {3-4lb} Cross-Rib Beef Roast, organic if possible
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
¼ Cup Sweet Marsala Wine
¼ Cup Dry Red Wine
½ Cup Organic, Low Sodium Beef Broth
1 ½- 2 Cups Organic, Low Sodium Beef Broth
¼ Cup Sun-Dried Tomatoes, roughly chopped {not oil, packed}
¼ tsp salt                                                                                                                 
¼ tsp pepper plus more for veggies & potatoes
2-3 Tbsp Wondra Flour **
8oz Button Mushrooms, halved
1 head, Purple Cauliflower, chopped into florets
1 each, Red, Orange & Yellow Bell Pepper
½ Yellow Onion, sliced
1 ½ Cups Green Beans, trimmed
4 Cups Red Skinned Potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed and sliced into ½ wedges
1 Tbsp each, Fresh Rosemary, Fresh Oregano & Fresh Marjoram, roughly chopped

Preheat Slow Cooker/Crockpot on low heat.  Spray all over inside with non-stick cooking spray.

Rub Roast all over with Stubb’s & Karl’s seasoning.  Let soak into meat about 10 minutes.

Heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil in large stockpot over medium-high heat on the stovetop. Splash a drop of water in oil to make sure it sizzles.  When oil is ready, place roast directly in the pan to sear. Allow each side of meat to caramelize, turning golden brown, about 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove roast from stockpot and place inside the Slow Cooker.  Turn heat down to medium on stove. Add minced garlic and tomato paste to the same pan used for the roast, sautéing briefly for 1-2 minutes. Deglaze the pan by adding Marsala wine, Red Wine, and ½ Cup of the Beef Broth. Let simmer 5 minutes, stirring as needed to keep the garlic and liquid from burning in the pan. Add sun-dried tomatoes.  Pour wine/broth sauce into the crockpot, scraping all of the bits from the bottom of the pan in with the roast as well.  Add enough beef broth {about 1 ½ -2 cups} into the crockpot to come an inch below the top of the roast.  Do Not cover meat completely in liquid. Cover, and cook on low heat 8-9 hours or on high heat 5-6 hours. 

**Approximately 30-45 minutes prior to serving, ladle out ¼ cup of liquid from crock-pot, into a small bowl.  Slowly sprinkle in 2-3 tablespoons Wondra Flour {or enough needed to form a paste}.  Whisk together until combined and pour back into crockpot.  This helps thicken the liquid. Continue to cook in crockpot another 35-45 minutes, while the veggies and potatoes are roasting in the oven.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450°. Toss potatoes in 2-3 Tablespoons of olive oil, fresh herbs and a pinch of salt & pepper. Place in a baking dish or roasting pan, and roast in oven until skin is crispy, about 35-45 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Toss veggies in about 2 Tbsp olive oil and some freshly ground black pepper.  {No salt here, or it causes too much water to come out in the veggies}.  Place in baking dish or roasting pan and roast in oven until vegetables are golden-brown, about 20-25 minutes, stirring once or twice. 

Layer potatoes & vegetables in a bowl or on a plate, with a good portion of meat on top.  Ladle juice from the meat over everything.  This is perfect served with my Sweet Potato Biscuits and a glass of wine!

Welcome to my Kitchen!

Welcome to my kitchen...and my love affair with food!  I am a 30-something housewife and have been experimenting with tasting, eating and cooking long before I became such a 'grown-up'.  Mud pies {yes, real mud}, Bisquick pancakes and lots of random cookie dough concoctions were among some of my first trials--some more well received than others :).  And then one day, I picked up a Bon Appetit magazine and it was love at first sight. I was fascinated  by the bold & vivid colors, the light & fresh flavors that were peeking out of each dish, and of course, the fact that not a single recipe required mud.  From that point on, I did my best to mimic those enticing recipes for any guinea pig I could find, self-teaching techniques and designing my own style along the way.  Move forward several years....and here we are today.  I'm so excited to to share this new blog with you where I can pass on my creations as well as some of my favorites from others. I encourage you to indulge with me as we fashion some Splendor in the Kitchen!

Now on to my very first post ;-)

Potato-Kale Soup with Jarlsberg

So, I can't exactly take credit for this bowl of deliciousness {it came from my Mom, who got it from her best friend, who found it in Cooking Light magazine a few years back}, however, I have enhanced it quite a bit and even my kids slurp up every last drop.  The ingredients are super fresh, and this is the simplest soup I've ever met.

Need I say more? Add a little salt & pepper and some red pepper flakes {if you love a little kick like me}, and Voila! This soup is perfect for a spring evening like tonight {the sun seriously can't decide whether or not to stay & play or bury under a fluffy duvet cover}, where it goes back and forth from warm to cold.  I hope you find this as heart-warming as my family and I do. Enjoy!

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Potato-Kale Soup with Jarlsberg

2 Tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

1 Shallot, chopped

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

8 Cups Organic Chicken Broth

1 {28oz package} Unpeeled  Honeygold Potatoes, or 4 Cups Yukon Gold Potatoes, washed and chopped into ¼” pieces

2 Bay Leaves

Salt & Pepper, to taste

3 Sweet Italian Sausages, removed from casing, crumbled and cooked until no longer pink

6 Cups Kale, purple or green {cut out rib/stalk and discard}

½ Cup Grated Jarlsberg Cheese

¼ tsp Red Pepper Flakes

Heat olive oil in large stockpot and sauté shallot until tender, about 2 minutes. Add garlic, cook 30 seconds stirring constantly. Stir in broth, potatoes, salt & pepper to taste and bay leaf. Bring to boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes until potato is tender. Stir in cooked sausage and kale. Cover and simmer another 10 minutes or until kale is tender. Discard bay leaf. Serve topped with cheese & red pepper flakes.  Serves 4