Cashew Broccoli from Cooking Planit and a Spicy Winner

All good things must come to an end… We must say that this is the best contest we have ever hosted! We were wonderfully impressed with all the recipes you all uncovered in our contest challenge. In fact, we were inspired to cook one of the recipes from the Cooking Planit collection. We had a big container of cashews from Costco in the pantry (which we can highly recommend) and the broccoli looks amazing this time of year, so we decided to try Emily Wilson’s Cashew Broccoli. We were thrilled with the flavors and textures of this recipe.

• 2 heads of broccoli (4-5 cups of florets)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/3 cup cashews, crumbled
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, (optional)
• 1/3 cup water

Trim the broccoli florets off the stem into bite-size pieces. Smash the garlic under the side of your chef's knife to remove the peel. Mince the garlic or use a garlic press.

Heat a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Once pan is warm, add the cashews and toast until golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. Shake pan often and keep a close watch to prevent burning. Transfer toasted nuts to a plate to cool.

Place the pan back over medium heat and add canola oil to warm. Once oil is warm, add the garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds, and then add the (pepper flakes and) broccoli florets. Sauté a few minutes to soften, then pour in the water. Cook until the water has evaporated and the broccoli is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir often.

Once broccoli is tender and liquid has evaporated, add the soy sauce and sesame oil. Add the cashews back to the pan as well and toss to combine. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the cashew broccoli to a serving bowl or dinner plates. Oh, and be sure to save any leftovers because it is really quite good served cold.

Thanks for indulging us our recipe revelation. And, without further ado (imagine a drum roll in the background), Diane Conover is the winner of the 26-spice set from Cooking Planit. For all those of you who entered but did not win, please be sure to visit our friends at Dixie Chik Cooks, Baby Boomster, Unorganized Mommy of 3, Much Ado About Fooding, Better with Butter, The Primlani Kitichen, Mother Would Know, California Country Gal, Yi Reservation, NY Foodgasm, ME Redone, and Creative Cullinary for more chances to win.

Can’t wait to win? You can order your own custom spice set from Spices Inc. Thanks to everyone for entering! Please remember to subscribe to receive email updates from us and come back and visit often!

Italian Easter Bread

Traditionally the practice of eating Easter bread or sweetened "communion" bread traces its origin back to Byzantium and the Orthodox Christian church. The recipe for sweetened or "honey-leavened" bread may date back as far as the Homeric Greek period based on anecdotal evidence from classical texts that mention this type of special food. Bread has long played an important role in religious ceremonies and holidays. This is true in many cultures and cuisines. Holiday breads are often baked in symbolic shapes and include special ingredients. Easter breads often feature eggs, a commodity forbidden by the Catholic Church during lent. It is also widely known that sweetened bread desserts similar to panettone, were a Roman favorite.

Each spring, Dom’s grandmother would bake Easter bread, unfortunately, her recipe was lost over the years, but we recently got the recipe for Dom’s Aunt Rose’s version. The result was a sweet, light-yellow, brioche-style bread with a crisp crust and delicate crumb. Using her recipe was a poignant tribute to Rose who passed away last month just weeks after her 93rd birthday.

• 1 cup warm milk (120° to 130°)
• 2 packs (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ sticks butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• ½ cup raisins or currants
• ¼ cup citron or other candied fruit

In a 2-cup measuring cup, combine milk with one teaspoon of sugar and the yeast. Set aside and let proof.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Cut butter into pieces and with your fingertips or a pastry blender blend into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse meal. Lightly beat eggs with egg yolks. Make a well in center of flour mixture and pour in yeast and egg mixtures, raisins and candied fruit. Stir mixture until a dough is formed.

Transfer dough to a floured surface and with floured hands, knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Transfer dough to an oiled large bowl and turn to coat. Let dough rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.


Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and punch down dough. Divide in half; roll each piece into a 24-in. rope. Loosely twist ropes into desired shape. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven 350°F. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack. While the bread is delicious on its own, we especially like it toasted with butter and orange marmalade!

College Cooking: Chapter 4 - Kitchenware Prepare

There is an endless array of doodads and hoohaws designed to help with every imaginable kitchen task: strawberry hullers, lemon squeezers, and avocado slicers are among the plethora. If you cannot resist the urge to buy an assortment, try a discount store or a dollar store; that way you will not spend a fortune on gizmos you will rarely (if ever) use. This is also a good way to research different types of equipment to find the type you like. A good example of this is a vegetable peeler. There are many different designs, you may want to experiment until you find the type you like best and then spend your money on a better version for longevity.

Knives: A good knife is the most important tool in your cooking collection. Like your sauce pan, you should buy the best knife you can afford. We suggest a good 8-inch (unserrated) chef knife to start out with. For larger hands, you might consider a 10-inch chef knife. Depending on your knife skills and preference, you may decide to invest in a good paring or boning knife as well. A utilitarian set of paring knives can purchased at a reasonable price as well as steak knives for dinner service.

A cutting board: Some are thin blocks of plastic, and others are thinner and can bend, allowing you to move food around easier and funnel it into pots and pans. We prefer bamboo boards, but these cannot go into the dishwasher. Be wary of the pretty glass type as they can make a nails-on-a-chalkboard screech that will set your teeth on edge. They also dull the blades of your knives more than plastic or wood. Putting a damp paper towel, damp kitchen towel or piece of non-slip cupboard liner under your cutting board before you start chopping will give you a stable surface to work on safely.

Measuring cups/spoons: While it's perfectly fine to experiment with your cooking, you might want to start off by following a recipe and measuring each ingredient. That way, you'll know how to adjust the flavors for the next time. Measuring is very important in baking where the chemical reactions are needed to ensure texture and consistency in your batter or dough. Instawares has a great selection of measuring tools and other brand-name kitchen equipment at affordable prices.

A Spatula (flipper): It's a little like the Swiss army knife of kitchen tools. We suggest that you get two: one that is a square metal version with a sturdy handle and the other a silicone/plastic spatula for your non-stick pans.

Wooden spoons: Super cheap and super useful! Stir sauces, eggs, prop the oven door open; a definite must-have.

Grater: Wonderfully useful for cheeses, carrots, zucchini, potatoes or even stale bread for bread crumbs.

Peeler: Another inexpensive and indispensable tool. Perfect for potatoes, apples, lemon zest, shaved cheese and chocolate curls.

Kitchen Scissors: An inexpensive pair of scissors dedicated to cooking can be incredibly useful. We use ours to snip herbs, cut chicken, trim the fat from meat, clip parchment to fit a pan – you get the idea.

Can Opener: It's one of those small things that you forget about until you need it. Be sure to get a keyhole opener as well.

Wine bottle opener: Even if you are not old enough to drink, some bottles like artisanal olive oil or specialty vinegars come bottled with corks. Mom and Dad would probably appreciate your having one handy when they visit too.

Towels: We call them “mupines” and we never seem to have enough! We buy bundles of towels or bar mops at Costco and use them for everything. They are far more durable and less expensive than paper towels.

Pot Holder: Best to have a few of these. Make sure they are thick enough to properly protect your hands. While we like the silicone ones, they can get slippery and some of them are simply too small to be effective, so choose wisely. Remember if you use a towel as a potholder, make sure it is dry. A wet towel can cause serious burns.

Homework: Practice (practice, practice) your knife skills. Experiment with knives of differing different shapes, lengths and weights to find which best fits your hand for comfortable slicing and chopping. The more comfortable you are using a knife, the safer it will be for you to use one. You should also remember that a sharp knife is safer than a dull one.

Cooking Planit Review & Spice Set Giveaway!

In putting together our series on College Cooking, it has become clear that it is not just beginning cooks that sometimes feel intimidated about cooking. Planning and orchestrating a meal is not as easy as it looks on those cooking shows with the insanely happy hosts. While we have attempted to make our blog posts easy to follow, it can still be difficult to coordinate an entire meal.

Enter Cooking Planit. Cooking Planit is a personal cooking assistant for novice or experienced cooks. It provides a powerful set of simple-to-use tools that enables the cook to combine the recipes of multiple dishes into a complete meal. Cooking Planit organizes the cooking process and provides step-by step instructions so that all the dishes come out at the same.

You start off by choosing a full meal from the menu, or by searching. After tapping a title you are given a summary of the dishes and what ingredients and tools you’ll need. You can also select a single recipe from over 300 chef-tested recipes, or build your own meal. The app easily adjusts the quantities of the recipes to suit the number of people being served, as well as any dietary restrictions. When it’s time to cook, Cooking Planit HD breaks down the steps in each recipe, complete with built-in timers. The app tells you what time dinner will be ready to serve (a time estimate that changes as you work, so it’s always accurate); kind of like a GPS for your meal. It lets you know when you have a few minutes to take a break between steps, and maybe grab a glass of wine. There is even a limited voice control feature helps you manage the steps while cooking without having to touch your screen.

The integrated digital assistant also includes an aggregated grocery list. This feature is my favorite aspect of the app. It allows you to create accurate grocery lists that combine the ingredients of all meals/recipes you have selected which are then automatically categorized by grocery store aisle. It is easy to add additional grocery list items to make it the only grocery list you ever need. The app allows you to synchronize your grocery list with other family members and friends, access your cloud-synced account from your computer, iPhone and/or iPad, or print or email your lists. Do you already have ingredients in your pantry that you want to use? You can search recipes by individual ingredients in your pantry to find delicious meals you can use them in. While recipes are being added regularly, my only criticism is that I would prefer more options for side dishes (which currently seem to be skewed toward variations on couscous and orzo). I would love to be able to add my own recipes or to use recipes from other sites. Currently desserts are not included as a menu category. I would like to see desserts added as part of the menus option.

Cooking Planit is a free web service. When you register an account, you will have an individualized “planit” of your menus and recipes. Cooking Planit also offers iPhone and iPad apps for meal planning on-the-go. There is a free “Lite” version with full sample menus which users can register right from within the app. The fully-featured app (available on iTunes for $2.99) has all the elements of the online version. I actually prefer the navigation of the iPhone app which seems more intuitive.


Now that you have read all about Cooking Planit, it is your turn to explore the site and we will even reward you with a chance to win an awesome spice set (valued at $100) that includes 26 of the most commonly used spices.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out these 25 other sites for even more chances to win!

	Start	Stop	Blog	Blog
	3/18/13	3/24/13	Hungry Hutch	Food Fetish
	3/19/13	3/25/13	Cook the Blog	Three Diets. One Dinner
	3/20/13	3/26/13	Sugarfoot Eats	Gear Live
	3/21/13	3/27/13	CopyKat Recipes	The Mouthy Housewives
	3/22/13	3/28/13	Burnt Apple	The Butterfly Mom
	3/23/13	3/29/13	The Mama Report	Ancestral Chef
	3/24/13	3/30/13	A Food Centric Life	We Like To Cook!
	3/25/13	3/31/13	Dixie Chik Cooks	Baby Boomster
	3/26/13	4/1/13	Unorganized Mommy of 3	Much Ado About Fooding
	3/27/13	4/2/13	Better with Butter	The Primlani Kitichen
	3/28/13	4/3/13	Mother Would Know	California Country Gal
	3/29/13	4/4/13	Yi Reservation	NY Foodgasm
	3/30/13	4/5/13	ME Redone	Creative Cullinary

College Cooking Series: Chapter 3 - Gearing Up

You have the equipment needed to cook; now you need something to cook your food in (or on). When Dom and I were starting out in our first kitchen, we were given a complete set of Corning “Visions” cookware. We used them until we could replace each piece with a higher grade pieces (All-Clad, Le Creuset, Calphalon). Since most college students are on a budget, consider a visit to your local thrift shop or Goodwill where you can find cookware and full dish sets for little money.

Sauce pan – Choose a size that is bigger than you think you’ll need (with a lid). It is better to have a little head room, so your sauce doesn't boil over. Also, you should never assume that you will always be cooking for one. This will become the work-horse of your kitchen arsenal, so we recommend buying the best pan you can afford. We don’t recommend purchasing a non-stick version.

Stock Pot –A 12-quart pot comes in very handy for cooking pasta and stocks. A multi-pot with a pasta basket and vegetable steamer is ideally versatile. And the steamer can double as a colander.

Non-stick pan – Because they are inexpensive and convenient, non-stick pans are the mainstay of most collegiate kitchens. They are truly indispensable, but don’t last very long unless you give them some special attention. A non-stick pan should never be put in the dishwasher and only non-metallic utensils should be used to avoid scratching the finish. 

Cookie sheet – You may not plan on baking a lot of cookies, but a cookie sheet is almost as indispensable as your non-stick pan. You will use it to roast vegetables, cook bacon, place under a baking dish so it doesn't drip onto your oven floor or to heat a frozen pizza. Getting a separate pizza pan may seem like a cool idea, but they are impractical as well as difficult to store. 

Baking Dish – an inexpensive 9 X 13 baking dish or casserole pan is a must-have for emergency brownies and scalloped potatoes. Works well for banana pudding too.

Mixing bowls – these are a necessity. A set of nesting bowls is inexpensive and will save space. You'll have the right-sized bowl for anything from mixing to serving. If you purchase the type with tops that seal, they can also serve as food storage containers.

Serving pieces/dishes – There is nothing worse than having a meal ready to serve and nothing to put it on! Whether you prefer to serve buffet style or serve food on individual plates, you should have a basic set of dishes. Many chefs prefer plain white dishes to better feature their creations. Regardless of color, indulge in a set of matching ceramic plates and bowls. A hodge-podge collection of cafeteria melamine plates or Corelle pieces will not enhance your dining experience. A set of flatware is a very good idea as well; it is very difficult to eat linguini with a soup spoon you got from Panera Bread.

Homework:  Keep a list of the cookware that you and your family use this week. Which of these pieces would you actually use? Pay special attention to the size of each piece. In the event you have limited space, which pieces are most versatile for the meals you prefer? Tell us in the comments what will be on your college shopping list.

Get Your Irish On at Limerick Junction

This post was originally written for inclusion on the Virginia-Highland Civic Association website on March 15, 2013:

With St. Patrick’s Day this weekend, you may be looking for somewhere to “get your Irish on” and there is no better place than Atlanta’s oldest Irish bar, Limerick Junction. This genuine Irish pub has been a corner stone of the Virginia-Highland restaurant scene having opened its doors for 25 years ago this week.

Limerick Junction is the only town in Ireland that actually grew around a railroad much like Atlanta being built around the Southern railroad hub to the U.S. Midwest in 1836, when Georgia decided to build the line's terminus here. The pub showcases original fixtures including school bench bar tables and the bar area which was originally an enormous linen cupboard from an Irish Manor House. If you look carefully you will notice that the mirrored doors of the cupboard adorn the dining area walls.

Since whiskey is considered the “water of life” in Ireland (“uisce beatha” in Gaelic), the bar boasts a large whiskey collection, more than 50 varieties of scotch, Irish and bourbon. The bar also features seasonal signature drinks. In the summer months, manger Liam Murphy grows cayenne and jalapeno peppers in a flower box off the back balcony of the restaurant. The fresh jalapenos are used in mango-jalapeno martinis and the cayenne peppers are used to infuse tequila for their signature winter drink of chili-spiked hot chocolate.

When asked what they wanted people to know about Limerick Junction, Murphy and owner, Gordon Kerr unanimously responded, “Our full-service menu!” The restaurant hired Chef Sean O’Neill about a year ago who has since revamped the restaurant’s recipes to make the dishes more authentic and flavorful. O’Neill is quick to point out that Limerick Junction is not a “chip shop.” “We try to serve real Irish food; the kind you would actually eat in Ireland.” The menu includes traditional Irish dishes like shepherd’s pie (made with lamb), cottage pie (made with beef), Reuben sandwiches, and curry. Yes, curry!

According to O’Neill, curry in Ireland is like pizza in America. While it is not completely original to the culture, curry has been a popular dish in Ireland for over a hundred years. The restaurant imports their curry powder from Ireland to ensure authentic “Irish” flavor. Having tried O’Neill’s chicken curry, I can understand why it has become an Irish favorite. The chicken breast meat is marinated in lemon juice and thyme, seared with onions and peppers, tossed in curry sauce and served over fresh spinach and rice. The result is not too sweet or too spicy and has a wonderful lemony zing.

The lamb burger is a special treat with a marinated pepper and onion salsa, goat cheese and spinach served on a toasted bun which becomes a generous helping of pleasing flavor combinations. And, for those just wanting a nibble with their beverage, a toastie is for you. Toasties appear on menus throughout the motherland. Toasties are to Ireland what tapas are to Spain. Limerick Junction serves two versions: apple Swiss and BST & Swiss.  To make one at home, try Chef O’Neill’s recipe:

BST & Swiss Toasties:

• 2 slices of good sandwich bread
• 2 teaspoons butter, softened
• 1 slice Swiss cheese
• Healthy pinch of fresh spinach leaves, (about 6-8 depending on size)
• 2 slices of fresh tomato
• 3 rashers, (slices of bacon cooked and crispy)

Butter one side of each slice of bread. Place one slice of bread on a sandwich press buttered-side down and place a slice of Swiss cheese on the bread. Add spinach, tomato and bacon slices, and then top with the second slice of bread placed buttered-side up.

Close the press and allow to toast for 8-10 minutes. Resist the urge to open too soon; allow the sammie to cook throughout and for the bread to get nice and crispy. Trim the crusts and scraps from the sides and serve warm.

For a genuine Irish experience this St. Patrick’s Day, head over to Limerick Junction for live music inside and out and a holiday menu which includes traditional corned beef and cabbage, banger (Irish sausage) sandwiches, cottage pie, and  fish & chips. Doors open at 12:30pm with a $5 early cover charge ($10 later).

College Cooking Series: Chapter 2 - In the Heat of Battle

There are hundreds of devices and machines to aid in cooking. When you are just starting out, there is no reason to have one of each! Most college cooks have no need for a Sous vide machine, pressure cooker or Panini press. The following is a prioritized list of small appliances from most useful and versatile to those that are nice to have but not necessary.  Please understand that this list is highly subjective and is based on our experiences. Depending on your personal cooking preferences, skill, and need, you may find an appliance at the bottom of our list that is the most overworked appliance in your kitchen! Feel free to share your opinion in the comments section to let us know what you think!

What: Coffee Machine
Why: Buy a machine that you like and will use. Buying coffees at coffee shops really adds up and cuts into your budget. We recommend one with an automatic shut-off timer in the event you head off to class and forget to turn it off. If you go with the old school version that uses grounds and a basket, be sure to keep your grounds in the refrigerator to keep them at their freshest.

What: Microwave Oven 
Why: Most apartments and rentals come equipped with a microwave oven. If yours does not, you should consider purchasing a small one. Look for discounts during August when most stores have their back-to-school sales. Microwave ovens are great for heating prepared or frozen foods, but are also great for cooking for one or two people. Lekue makes some innovative cooking equipment for use in the microwave including a silicone steamer basket that has gotten glowing reviews.

What: Food Processor/Blender
Why: No, not for margaritas! Most college students do not reach the legal drinking age until their Senior year. A food processor can chop, slice, grate, blend, knead dough, puree, emulsify and so much more. You can save lots of time in the kitchen if you use your food processor for everyday tasks, such as grating cheese, chopping onions, slicing vegetables and kneading dough. Food processors are extremely useful for chopping, slicing, and pureeing ingredients for a variety of uses both savory and sweet. A perfect example is hummus. A can of chickpeas, a spoonful of peanut butter, garlic and olive oil blitzed in the food processor makes a fast, healthy and inexpensive snack. While food processors are among the most expensive counter top appliances you can buy, they are by far the most versatile. A blender accomplishes the same tasks but is much harder to clean. However, if you are an extreme fan of smoothies, the blender may be a better choice for you unless you consider an immersion blender.

What: Hand Mixer/Immersion Blender
Why: While you can mix by hand, having an electric mixer makes everything that much easier. A hand mixer is a small, lightweight handheld device that usually has two stainless steel whisks for mixing and folding cream, eggs, cake mixtures, cookie dough and more. We use ours to make perfect mashed potatoes. Inexpensive and very useful. An immersion blender is a good alternative, but is limited by coverage area and seldom has variable speeds. Again, if you are an extreme smoothie fan this may be the best option in lieu of both a food processor or hand mixer.

What: Slow Cooker/Crock Pot 
Why: You probably wouldn't consider taking a crock pot to college, but they are wonderfully useful and versatile. You’d probably be surprised to discover just how many cheap and delicious meals you can prepare using one. Think of how marvelous it would be to come home after a long day of classes and studying (or an epic pick-up basketball game) to a fully-cooked, hearty pot roast or zesty chili. Feeling under the weather or just in need of some comfort food? Try making your own homemade chicken-noodle soup. Perfect for tailgating too!

What: Toaster/Toaster Oven
Why:  While a toaster is quite convenient to have, you can toast your bread under a standard broiler or even bake the bread turning it when each side is nicely browned, or even brown it in a frying pan. A toaster oven is overkill if all you want is toast. There is very little a toaster oven can do better than a regular-sized oven, however, if your apartment or studio does not have a full-sized oven, then a toaster oven moves to the top of the essentials list.

Homework: Try using at least one of the small appliances listed above. Bonus points for using at least one you have never used before. Was is helpful or did you feel that another device would have been easier to use? Was it faster than doing it by hand? Comment below on which appliance will be your first purchase.

25 Days of Spice - Cooking Planit Giveaway

Photo by Emily Wilson

How would you like a chance to win an awesome spice set (valued at $100) that includes 26 of the most commonly used spices? Now, how would you like 50 chances to win? This awesome giveaway is being sponsored by the great people at Cooking Planit. They've given us and 49 other foodie, mommy and techie bloggers spice sets to give away to their readers in any way that they would like. Two spice sets will be given away each day for 25 days with the first contests starting TODAY!

With work, shopping, household projects and school events, who has the time or energy to plan an entire meal and have it all ready to serve at the same time? Cooking Planit combines and organizes all of your recipes for you, while walking you through the entire cooking process. Cooking Planit offers step-by-step instruction from shopping and meal preparation to exact timing to ensure all dishes are completed at the same time for beginning cooks, and provides simplified planning, shopping and cooking instructions for (even the most accomplished) busy cooks. Cooking Planit even offers iPhone and iPad apps for meal planning on-the-go.

So how do the contests work?
Each participating site will run their own unique 7-day contest with a winner being announced on the eighth day.  That’s 50 total contests and 50 chances to win!  Our contest will begin on Sunday, March 24th and end on March 30th with the winner being announced on Sunday, March 31st. In the meantime, be sure to check out these other blogs for details on 49 other chances to win!

Connect with Cooking Planit:

FREE unlimited web access at CookingPlanit.com.
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We are Cooking Planit Influencers. Cooking Planit is providing the spice set and shipping it directly to the winner. Don’t want to wait, you can buy your own custom spice set from Spices Inc.