Let's face it...we've all been spending a lot of nights in lately. As in, every single night for the last month has been spent inside. For me and Evan, the main event of our day is making a delicious dinner each evening, and I'm sure many of you can relate.
So, why not switch things up a bit and introduce some new recipes into your quarantine dinner routine? Forget about picking through Pinterest for the perfect meal — I have three tasty (and ridiculously easy) restaurant-quality recipes that you can make in the comfort of your home! Eat these recipes on their own — they're great individually! — or turn it into a three-course meal!
Raspberry Brie Cups
This recipe is inspired by a recipe my mom used to make for her gourmet club back in the day. If you're a cheese lover who hasn't yet ventured into the world of soft cheeses, brie is a great gateway cheese. Creamy and sweet, yet slightly sharp, brie is perfect paired with berries like raspberries, blackberries and cranberries.
To be honest, this recipe isn't really even a recipe! It's so easy and surprisingly impressive — bring it to your next social event once quarantine is lifted!
Ingredients
Raspberries
Brie
Phyllo cups (you can find these pre-made in the frozen section)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°.
Cut brie into small chunks (this is vague, but just cut them into small cubes that will fill the bottom of the phyllo cup). Cut raspberries into halves.
Assemble the phyllo cups on a lined baking sheet.
Place brie chunks and raspberry pieces into each cup.
Bake for 3-5 minutes.
Garnish with rosemary, jam, balsamic glaze, etc. and enjoy!
Makes 24 servings (or less/more, depending on how many phyllo cups you use)
Italian Herb Bruschetta Chicken
The only reason why I'm writing this blog right now? I'm trying to distract myself to avoid making dinner at 4:30 p.m. If I was making this bruschetta chicken tonight, I don't think I'd be able to wait!
Adapted from a recipe I found online, this bruschetta chicken is the perfect quick, easy and fresh summer meal. Evan and I love this recipe so much — it will definitely become a week-night staple in the future due to how easy it is to make in a pinch!
Ingredients
For the chicken
4 chicken cutlets
Italian seasoning
Minced garlic
Salt to taste
1 tbsp olive oil for cooking
For the bruschetta topping
4 roma tomatoes, finely chopped
20 small basil leaves, finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt to taste
1/2 cup (or more, no one is judging you) shaved parmesan. We use SHAVED not shredded. There's no better way to describe it, but shaved is when there's little chunky bits rather than thin shreds. Buy shaved, it makes a difference — and it's extra yummy to snack on while you're making the meal!
Store-bought balsamic glaze (I like Flora original glaze). You could also make your own glaze if you'd prefer.
Instructions
Combine chopped tomatoes, basil and olive oil in a bowl. Season with salt and mix in parmesan cheese.
Season chicken with Italian seasoning, garlic and salt. Make sure to season both sides.
Heat oil in a skillet on medium-high heat.
Sear chicken over medium-high heat until browned on both sides and cooked through (about 6 minutes/side).
Remove from pan and top with tomato mixture. Drizzle balsamic glaze.
Serve with a fresh side salad and a whole wheat baguette!
Makes 4 servings (one chicken cutlet per person).
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Inspired by a Bon Appétit recipe, these chocolate chip cookies could absolutely destroy any store-bought cookies in a competition. The brown butter introduces a caramel-like flavor and the little taste of sea salt in each bite is truly heavenly.
This recipe was brought to my attention by Evan, who has a major sweet tooth and loves a good cookie. Personally, I could live without cookies (I'm more of an ice cream and sorbet kind of gal) but these are W O R T H I T.
Ingredients
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp Morton kosher salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup unsalted butter, divided
1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
2 tsp vanilla extract
6 oz large semisweet chocolate chips (the big kind is better than the regular or mini chips...larger chips = extra chocolatey)
Sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 375°.
Whisk flour, salt and baking soda in a small bowl; set aside.
Cook ½ cup (1 stick) butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, swirling often and scraping bottom of pan with a heatproof rubber spatula, until butter foams, then browns, about 4 minutes.
Transfer butter to a large heatproof bowl and let cool 1 minute. Cut remaining ¼ cup (½ stick) butter into small pieces and add to brown butter (it should start to melt but not foam and sizzle, so test with one piece before adding the rest).
Once butter is melted, add both sugars and whisk, breaking up any clumps, until sugar is incorporated and there are no lumps remaining. Add egg and egg yolks, and whisk until sugar dissolves and mixture is smooth, about 30 seconds. Whisk in vanilla.
Using a rubber spatula, fold reserved dry ingredients into butter mixture until no dry spots remain, then fold in chocolate chips (the dough will be soft but should hold its shape once scooped — if it seems a little too slumpy, mix the dough back together a couple times and let it rest 5–10 minutes until scoops hold their shape).
Using a 1½ oz scoop (3 tbsp), portion out 16 balls of dough and divide between two lined baking sheets.
Bake cookies, rotating sheets if cookies are browning unevenly (otherwise, just leave them alone). Leave the cookies in the oven until they're deep golden brown and firm around the edges, 8–10 minutes.
Sprinkle sea salt on top immediately and let cool on baking sheets.
Serve warm with French vanilla ice cream :)
Makes 16 cookies (if 3 tbsp scoop is used).
If you decide to make any of these recipes, share an Instagram/Snapchat/Facebook story & tag me!
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