Confession: I brought a sad cheese plate to last year’s Friendsgiving, and it went ignored in the corner. It was an embarrassing moment for a cookbook author, and I’ve been determined to improve my cheese board game ever since.

I walked into the party to find a gorgeous and elaborate cheese board nearly spanning the full length of the dinner table. My friend Jordan has a degree in sculpture, and she can sure put together a beautiful cheese board.

I took the opportunity to study her design. I can’t say that my efforts are quite to her level yet, but I’ve picked up a few tips and tricks to share with you today.

Building a beautiful cheese board feels like a fun art project. We’ll mix different flavors, colors, shapes and textures to build an enticing appetizer board. Give yourself some time to put it together, and you’ll enjoy the process all the more. The trick is to fill every little space on the board with nuts and fruit so it looks completely abundant.

A cheese board is the perfect excuse to break out your special serving items. If you don’t have a dedicated cheese board in your cabinets, though, don’t fret. For your base, you can use a nice wooden cutting board, a large serving platter, or even a tray or baking sheet covered with parchment paper. If you don’t have a set of cheese knives, offer butter knives, cocktail forks, cocktail picks or toothpicks.

Basically, anything goes, and no occasion is too minor for a cheese board. You just might have everything you need at home already. How about a cheese board with your French 75 this evening?

Continue to the recipe...

The post How to Make a Cheese Board appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

It’s that time again! The time of year where I round up the top 20 recipes from the past year. Instead of picking the most viral or most visited recipes of the year (because algorithms can be deceiving), I’m rounding up the recipes that I found to be the most delicious. These are the recipes that I don’t want you to miss! So if you haven’t tried one of these 20 recipes yet, make sure to put it on your list!

Let’s go!

Top 20 Recipes of 2020

Roasted Broccoli Pasta with Lemon and Feta – This dish is simplicity at its best. You only need a few ingredients to make this pasta, but the flavor totally pops. 

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Smoky Roasted Sausage with Vegetables – I was all about the sheet pan meals this year. This one boasts a super delish smoky vinaigrette to drizzle over top of the roasted vegetables and sausage, which totally takes it to the next level. Serve it over rice to soak up every last drop of that delicious drizzle.

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Roasted Cauliflower Taco Bowls – There’s something about super colorful meals that make them even more delicious, and these cauliflower taco bowls are a great example. So much color, texture, AND flavor in one bowl. 

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Chunky Ham and Bean Soup – Bean soups usually require hours of soaking and simmering, but this super hearty ham and bean soup gives you all the cozy-comfy vibes in way less time. Stock your freezer with this one so you can reheat a bowl of comfort any time! 

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Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy – Try not to think about TV dinners from the 80’s when you make this because I promise this Salisbury Steak is soooooo good! That gravy is everything.

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Chicken Parmesan Meatballs – These actually made me like ground chicken. That says a lot. ;)

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Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Salad – This simple salad was the runaway hit from 2020. It’s like, “I can’t stop eating this” good and the best part is that it holds up well in the fridge so you can keep eating it for days. 

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Chocolate Depression Cake – This type of eggless, dairy-free cake has been around since the Great Depression and it proved to be just as useful in 2020, while we once again experienced grocery shortages. But honestly, it’s easy and delicious at any time!

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Yogurt Banana Bread – Banana bread is great and all, but yogurt banana bread is like 💯. The rich and creamy yogurt really takes it to the next level. 

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Comeback Sauce – I lost count of how many times I made this incredible sauce this year. It’s so good on EVERYTHING. Fries, roasted vegetables, sandwiches, chips, and more. 

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Blackened Salmon with Zucchini – Blackening seasoning is magic. That is all. 

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Summer Sweet Corn Salad – This one is my new favorite way to eat fresh summer sweet corn! Those fresh little kernels give you a pop of sweetness in every bite. If we ever get back to having potlucks in 2021, make sure you have this salad bookmarked! 

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Easy Broccoli Cheddar Soup – CHEESE LOVERS PAY ATTENTION. This soup is so thick, lush, and cheesy! And it has just enough vegetable action to balance that cheesy goodness. I’ve been making this one on repeat and I don’t get to do that with many because of how many new recipes I have to test and photograph. 

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Cajun Sausage and Rice Skillet – This recipe like a quickie jambalaya for people who don’t have time to do it the traditional way. Rice cooked with a whole heap of herbs and spices, plus smoked sausage to make everything super flavorful and rich. I just love everything about this recipe. <3

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Sheet Pan Kielbasa Green Beans and Potatoes – As I mentioned above, I was very into sheet pan meals this year. This sheet pan meal is the EASIEST of all sheet pan meals. Even with just SIX simple ingredients, this meal has tons of flavor. LOVE IT.

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French Onion Soup – While I love quick and easy recipes, some recipes really do require you to take your time and go slow. French Onion Soup is one of those, but it is so worth every minute. I would eat this soup on a weekly basis if I could. 

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Wild Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash – I originally developed this recipe to be a vegetarian main dish option for Thanksgiving, but it’s really so good that I would eat it any day of the week. Bonus: the filling for the squash is incredible on its own and would make a great side dish to any dinner.

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Sheet Pan Cranberry Chicken Dinner – Sheet pans for the win again! The cranberry balsamic glaze is what makes this meal. It has only three ingredients but is so rich and vibrant. You might start making it to drizzle over all of your other meals!

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Marinated Cauliflower Salad – Colorful, fresh, flavorful. I LOVE this crunchy vegetable salad. It’s another “refrigerator salad” that you can keep on hand for lunches or snacks throughout the week. 

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Tomato Lentil Soup – You can’t go wrong with a soup that is this tasty, this inexpensive, and is freezer-friendly. This is what Budget Bytes is all about!

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So what do you think? Do you agree that these are the best 20 recipes from the year? Is there one that was a home run for you? Share your favorites in the comments below!

 

The post Top 20 Recipes of 2020 appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Silken tofu chocolate pudding is an easy-to-make vegan dessert that tastes rich, but uses nutritious, protein-packed silken tofu as a base.

Let’s wrap up the year with something sweet, yes?

There’s a lot of pressure to relinquish sweets at this time of year. Online recipe content switches suddenly from holiday treats to wholesome, sensible fare for a new year.

I can understand the impulse to get back to basics in January. After lots of holiday cooking, simplicity feels good. But sweet and simple aren’t mutually exclusive. This silken tofu chocolate pudding proves that.

This is a rich, creamy, very chocolate-y dessert that’s easy to make. Silken tofu is a nutritious, protein-rich base, which gets blended with both melted dark chocolate and cocoa powder.

The pudding takes only minutes to prepare, and it’s delightful to eat. It’s an easy indulgence—the best kind!

Why silken tofu is the perfect base for dairy-free chocolate pudding

There are many ways to create a vegan chocolate pudding. I’ve used avocado (the famous chocomole), pumpkin, and cashew as a base.

I’ve also seen recipes that call for whipped aquafaba as a chocolate pudding base. They’re made similarly to traditional chocolate mousse.

But silken tofu chocolate pudding is my personal favorite for a lot of reasons.

First, ease. Yes, you’ll need to melt your chocolate (either in a double boiler or in the microwave). But there’s no stand mixer required. No need to use cornstarch or another thickener. No custard to create.

Making the silken tofu chocolate pudding is as simple as blending silken tofu with melted chocolate, cocoa powder, a sweetener of choice, and a pinch of sea salt. It sets in the fridge overnight, and then it’s a perfect texture for eating.

Silken tofu does more than enable easy preparation. It’s also a nutritious base for this dessert, rich in all of the nutrients that soy beans offer. This includes plenty of plant-protein, healthful fatty acids, and anti-inflammatory soy phytoestrogens.

There may be other ways to create a dairy-free chocolate pudding or mousse, but I can’t think of a creamy base that offers as much nutrient-density as this one!

Silken tofu chocolate pudding ingredients

It’s not every day that I make a dessert I love with only five ingredients. But that’s how silken tofu chocolate pudding works. Here’s what you’ll need.

Silken tofu

I remember the days when silken tofu was easiest to find in 12-ounce packages. You can still find those online, but when I go to the grocery store, I usually see silken/soft tofu in 16-ounce containers.

So that’s what this recipe calls for: 16 ounces of silken tofu. If you happen to have the 12-ounce packages at home, you can always save your leftover tofu for smoothies, soup, or another use. You can also scale down the chocolate and other ingredients 25% to accommodate only 12 ounces of tofu.

Dark chocolate

Any vegan dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate should work in the recipe. You can use chips, chunks, disks, or a chopped up dark chocolate bar.

I like something in the semi-sweet range for this recipe. Bittersweet chocolate is too bitter for me. But you can use the percentage and level of sweetness that you like. When I use a bar to make the pudding, I usually use this one.

Cocoa (or cacao) powder

I tend to prefer the flavor of cocoa powder over cacao. Once again, though, you can use the powder you have at home. I use this cocoa powder for some of my baking, hot cocoa, this pudding, and chocolate mousse pie.

Maple syrup (or agave)

I like to use liquid sweetener—maple syrup or agave—in the recipe. However, I’ve tested it with both coconut sugar and cane sugar, and they also work well.

Salt

You won’t need more than a pinch of kosher salt or sea salt for the pudding itself. But if you like chocolate and sea salt together, you can definitely top each ramekin of pudding with some flaky salt, too!

Storing and preparing silken tofu chocolate pudding

There’s not much to the preparation process of this silken tofu chocolate pudding. Blend, chill, eat.

The pudding should yield 4 large or 6 smaller portions. I use ramekins to portion it out (and because it makes an otherwise low-key dessert feel fancy). But you can certainly store all of it in a larger storage container, too. It will keep for up to five days in the fridge.

Speaking of, the pudding needs at least 3-4 hours to chill in the fridge before eating. However, I like it a lot better once it sets in the fridge overnight. At that point, the pudding has a texture that’s still silky but also set. It’s some hybrid of pudding, mousse, and pot de crème.

So, if you have the time, I recommend making the pudding a day before you plan to eat it. For example, you can make it today and enjoy it tomorrow, as a means of welcoming the new year 🙂

More chocolate goodness…

I was so focused on gingerbread that I didn’t give much thought to chocolate this holiday season. But it’s always a good time for a little bit of chocolate. If you’d like a few more ideas, here are some of my favorite chocolate treats:

• Cashew espresso truffles
• Vegan, gluten-free espresso brownies
• Raw, vegan brownie bites
• Tahini skillet brownie
• Chocolate pear cake

I’m having mixed feelings today, just the way I did on Christmas. I feel grateful to have made it through the year, but there’s a lot of sadness associated with what didn’t happen and wasn’t possible. Some of the things that I had hoped for at this time last year.

But in addition to being a reminder of the fragility and preciousness of life, 2020 had its sweet moments.

The sweetest of them were very sweet indeed: life coming back to NYC this summer. My first few reunions with friends I hadn’t seen in a long time. Many outdoor walks, some chilly, some rainy, some absolutely glorious. A lot of special time sitting in the park with my mom.

These small moments were even sweeter because of the circumstances. As I savor this dessert today, I’ll honor them, and the sweetness of life. It’s always there, even in the toughest moments.

Enjoy the silken tofu chocolate pudding. Can’t wait to hear what you think. And a great big hug to you on this New Year’s Eve.

xo

The post Silken Tofu Chocolate Pudding appeared first on The Full Helping.

Celebration Cookies are simple, 4-ingredient, delicious shortbread cookies that are perfect for celebrations of any kind!

Sometimes you just need a pretty dessert that isn’t fancy. These super simple-to-bake Celebration Cookies are a bright and happy cookie that can be served at any celebratory event. Think of birthday parties, family milestones, anniversaries or New Year’s Eve/Day!

There doesn’t have to be a reason to celebrate to bake these cookies, but it just seems appropriate given their sparkly style. Leave off the colored sprinkles to turn them into the best buttery shortbread cookies.

Ingredients needed (only 4!):

• all-purpose flour
• butter
• powdered sugar
• colored sprinkles

How to make Celebration Cookies:

Use an electric mixer to combine room temperature butter with powdered sugar. Flour is then blended in to create the dough. 

The dough is rolled out onto a floured surface. Colored sprinkles are then sprinkled on top of the dough and pressed in slightly. Use a round cutter to cut rounds out of the cookie dough. Re-roll scraps to cut as many cookies as possible.

Bake the cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet. They don’t spread much, so you can bake them pretty close together.

The result is a nice, crisp, buttery shortbread cookie. These Celebration Cookies are so fun!

I like to include them on a dessert table because they stand-out and add some color to the table too. Kids will eat them because they’re colorful. And when adults get wind of how delicious these buttery shortbread cookies are, they’ll be grabbing them too.

If you want to make Celebration Cookies “just because,” then you should know that they’re rather good dipped in milk. And they’re a pretty nice treat to have with coffee too. Enjoy!

Here are a few more cookie recipes you might like to try:

• Chocolate Drizzled Peanut Butter Cookies
• White Chocolate Cherry Shortbread Cookies
• Kahlua Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Maple Crackletop Cookies
• Easy Cake Mix Cookies
• Malted Milk Cookies
• Lemon Sugar Cookies
• Loaded Oatmeal Cookies

The post Celebration Cookies appeared first on Recipe Girl®.