"Snowberry Crostata" from Skyrim

So here's a fun fact some of you guys might not know: I'm a HUGE nerd. I started out late, but I blossomed into a very proud geek. One of my favorite things to do is play a video game made by Bethesda. The Fallout series and The Elder Scroll series are my go to games. The recipe I'm giving you today is from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. In a game where you can do absolutely anything you want; cooking is one of those options. So naturally, I decided to try out some of their recipes IRL. 

Today I'm showing you how to make a "Snowberry Crostata". See those quotes? That's because in real life, snowberries are deadly and I want all of you to live. So I substituted them with bing cherries. 

For The Crust:

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated or superfine sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 pound (1 stick) very cold unsalted butter, diced

2 tablespoons ice water

Mix all your dry ingredients before you start cutting in your butter. I used my hands because I'm pretty quick but I'd recommend a dough cutter to keep from melting your butter. Then add your ice water, a tiny bit at a time. Your dough shouldn't be sticky. If it is, sprinkle some flour on it and mix it in. Let it chill in the fridge for an hour before you plop it out onto a floured surface. 

While your dough is chilling, pit your bing cherries by cutting them in half.you need about 1/2 a pound. You need them in half anyway so it's easy to put them like that. I didn't wear gloves and I was alllll stained up. I recommend gloves. Once they're all halved and pitted, mix them in with 2 tbsp corn starch and 1/2 cup sugar. 

Roll out your dough into a circle. Lay it on your baking dish of choice. I honestly used a pizza pan. It doesn't have to be perfect. This is a rustic dish. Arrange your cherries in the middle, dome side up, Fold the edges of your dough over the cherries, brush the dough with some beaten egg and sugar and bake that bad boy at 400 for about twenty minutes or until golden brown. 

Boom. "Snowberry Crostata" from Skyrim. Impress the nerd in your life today! Or at the very least, serve a great cherry dish to someone you love.

Strawberry Shortcake Bonbons

What You Need:

1 angel food cake, crumbled

1 can strawberry chocolate

1 package vanilla candy coating

1/4 cup pink sugar sprinkles

Directions:

Mix your strawberry frosting into your crumbled angel food cake. Roll a tablespoon of this mixture in your hands until you have a round ball. Place them on a nonstick baking tray. Stick a toothpick in each ball, all the way through. Freeze until solid. Liquify your candy coating according to the directions on the package. Dip each cake ball into the candy coating, then sprinkle with the pink sugar immediately. Allow to set completely before removing the toothpicks. 

Easter Leftover Shepherds Pie

Easter Dinner this year was extravagant, as usual. Roasted a huge shank ham, prepared some scrumptious mushroom free green bean casserole, baked sweet and russet potatoes not to mention the delicious buttered corn. It was great. 

But trying to come up with unique things to do with leftovers, now that's the tricky part. So I went with throwing everything together. I mixed diced up ham into my green bean casserole along with the corn and a can of mixed vegetables. I decided it looked a little dry so I added a can of tomato soup. Then I layered that into a baking dish. I topped that with shredded sharp cheddar. 

I mashed my sweet potatoes and russet potatoes together with salt, pepper, garlic and milk. I spooned them on top off the meat and veggie mixture. Then top with French fried onions and bake at 350 for half an hour.

Yum!

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Bacon Bean Soup

Bean soup is an old family favorite. I do not make it the same way my great grandmother did. I'm a wee bit lazy compared to the beloved Matriarch of our family. 

What you need:

2 Yukon gold potatoes, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

2 carrots, diced

1/2 cup onion, diced

1/2 pound bacon, chopped

2 cans white beans, undrained

2 cups milk

2 tbsp garlic powder 

2 tbsp salt

2 tbsp pepper

2 tbsp onion powder

What to Do:

Sauté the potatoes, carrots, celery, onions and bacon until bacon is crisp. Stir in your seasonings. Then stir in your beans and milk. Let the soup simmer on low for three hours, or until all your veggies are tender. Allow to thicken up overnight in the fridge, reheat the next day for a great dinner.  

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Chicken in Creamy Mozzarella Sauce

I've been bored lately. And when I get bored I start throwing ingredients in my fridge together like a mad scientist. Here's the result!

For the chicken:

1 roasted red pepper, cut into strips

4 campari tomatoes, quartered

1 pound chicken breasts, cut into strips

1/2 tbsp garlic powder

1/2 tbsp salt

1/2 tbsp pepper

1/2 tbsp onion powder

Sauté your chicken with the rest of the ingredients until cooked through. Set aside.

For the Sauce:

2 cups whole milk 

1/2 cup butter

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

2 tbsp Italian seasoning blend

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp onion powder

Bring the milk and butter to a simmer before adding in the cheese. Add all your seasonings and stir in the chicken mixture. 

Serve over noodles. The crescent rolls are just Pilsbury with garlic powder sprinkled on the inside. 

Pepper Crab Soup

Looking for something that sounds fancy but is really easy? This is the soup for you! 

What you need:

4 cups chicken broth

1 cup chopped imitation crab meat

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar

1/2 cup white onions, diced

1/2 cup roasted red pepper, diced

2 tbsp cracked black pepper

1 cup cubed velveeta

Bring your chicken broth and onions to a simmer. Add the rest of your ingredients and stir until smooth. Serve with some garlic toast. Delicious and easy from my kitchen to your table.