Parmesan Asparagus Puff Pastry Tarts

 

Puff pastry can really elevate any dish. It's light and flaky and bakes up golden brown. I've always loved its versatility. It's the star of multi-layer desserts like a French Napoleon. Or twist it with parmesan for simple and thoroughly delicious cheese straws. Recipe developer Lily Ghodrati recently posted a video on TikTok featuring honey, nectarines, and puff pastry. She baked the tarts with the puff pastry on top and flipped them over after baking, very much like what you would do with the classic French dessert tarte tatin. Her video went viral, garnering over 45 million views. It has since spurred many other creators to share savory and sweet puff pastry videos using the same method with the puff pastry on top. The benefit of baking with the puff pastry on top of the filling is that the puff pastry stays flaky and crisp without the filling making it soggy.

I decided to hop on the upside down puff pastry train as well with parmesan asparagus tarts. I started with a layer of parmesan cheese, topped with asparagus and prosciutto, and then slathered in compound butter before finishing with a strip of puff pastry. When baked upside down, the parmesan forms a crispy crust. And the compound butter infuses everything while allowing the puff pastry to remain crispy. I used Challenge Unsalted Butter to make the compound butter. Challenge Unsalted Butter is 100% real cream butter—nothing artificial or synthetic.

There are a few things to keep in mind when working with puff pastry:

• You can make your own puff pastry, but the only time I've done that is in culinary school. If you buy puff pastry, look for all butter dough. It makes a big difference.
• Make sure the puff pastry is thawed, but it still needs to be cold. It shouldn't be room temperature. You want the buttery layers to remain separate. Work quickly once it is thawed.
• Make clean cuts so you don't crush the layers, which would prevent it from puffing.

Parmesan asparagus puff pastry tarts

Yield: Makes about 12 tarts

Time: About 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the compound butter

• 1 stick of Challenge unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tablespoon parsley, minced
• 1 Tablespoon chives, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

For the tarts

• 1 roll puff pastry, thawed but still cold
• Parmesan cheese, grated (you’ll need about 1 cup)
• 12 asparagus spears, woody ends removed
• About 3 slices prosciutto, cut in fourths
• Egg wash (1 egg mixed with 1 Tablespoon water)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. Cut puff pastry into 12 equal pieces. Return to refrigerator.
3. Mix compound butter ingredients together. Set aside.
4. Prepare baking sheet with parchment paper. 
5. Sprinkle parmesan cheese in strip about the length of an asparagus spear in one corner of parchment paper. 
6. Place 1 asparagus spear on top of parmesan.
7. Place 1 piece prosciutto on top of asparagus.
8. Place about 1 Tablespoon compound butter over prosciutto.
9. Remove puff pastry from refrigerator and lay one strip over prosciutto. Brush with egg wash.
10. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes or until puff pastry is golden brown.
11. Remove from oven and flip each tart over before serving.

Matcha Earth Day Cookies

 

This is a sponsored post by Danish Creamery, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible! 

Shortbread cookies are underrated. They have the perfect bite with just a slight crispness, and they fall right in the middle on the sweetness scale. They start with a very neutral base, which means they are a great canvas for creative designs. That's why I wanted to use shortbread as the base for these matcha Earth Day cookies.

I used culinary grade matcha powder for a natural green dye to represent "land." Matcha tastes similar to green tea but a little more bitter and grassy.

Are you familiar with butterfly pea flowers? They're used to make an herbal tea that is becoming very popular in coffee shops and bars because of its color and its color-changing properties when its pH level is altered. You can buy the flowers and steep the tea yourself or you can buy the powder. When I first envisioned blue and green Earth cookies, I knew the powder would make a beautiful natural blue dye to represent the "ocean." The flavor is a little floral and sweet, similar to chamomile. In this recipe, I recommend powder over buying and grinding the flowers because the color looks a lot better. Plus, it's easier to work with.

We really want the butter flavor to stand out in shortbread cookies. That's why it's important to use European butter if possible. European butter is significantly richer in flavor because of its higher butterfat percentage. I use Danish Creamery Sea Salted European Style Butter. American butter is 80% butterfat. Most European butter sold in the United States contains 82% butterfat. But the butterfat content of Danish Creamery European Style Butter is 85%! It may not seem like a big deal, but those few percentage points make a big difference when you taste it.

One more thing--these are "slice and bake" cookies, which means I formed the dough into a log, rolled it up, and then sliced it after refrigeration. The way I created the Earth-like pattern is by alternating pieces of green and blue cookie dough when forming the log. Before slicing the cookies, I rolled the log in decorator's sugar to give the cookies some texture. I liked it better when the cookies had a little crunch, but it isn't necessary.

Matcha Earth Day Cookies

Yield: Makes about 20 cookies

Time: About 1 hour

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) Danish Creamery Sea Salted European Style Butter
• 90 grams (3/4 cup) powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 240 grams (2 cups) all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon culinary grade matcha powder
• 1 teaspoon butterfly pea powder
• Optional: Decorator's sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare baking sheet with silicone mat or nonstick spray.
2. Beat butter at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla extract and beat until well incorporated.
3. Add flour and beat until stiff dough forms.
4. Divide dough in half. Add matcha powder to one of the halves and mix in powder until dough is uniformly green. Add butterfly pea powder to the other half and repeat until dough is uniformly blue.
5. Spread out sheet of plastic wrap. Form 2 1/2 inch diameter log by alternating pieces of green and blue dough on plastic wrap. Roll log in decorator's sugar if desired.
6. Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator. Chill for 1 hour.
7. Remove dough from refrigerator and slice into 1/2-inch thick rounds. Place on baking sheet and bake 15 minutes or until bottoms just start to turn golden brown.
8. Remove from oven and cool before serving.

Creative ways to use yogurt in honor of Pack the Pantries initiative

 

Central Indiana food pantries have seen a dramatic increase in demand over the past year due to skyrocketing grocery prices, general inflation, and the recent spike in gas prices. Nearly 1 million Hoosiers are food insecure, meaning they don’t have consistent access to nutritious and affordable food, and one in six Indiana residents goes to bed hungry every night.

Each year, FOX59 and CBS4 team up with Midwest Food Bank and Gleaners Food Bank for an initiative called "Pack the Pantries." They are requesting financial donations, rather than food donations, because Gleaners and Midwest can buy in bulk at wholesale prices, which allows them to stretch the dollar much further.

A donation of just $1 provides about 5 meals. A $10 gift provides 50 meals and $25 covers 125 meals. Find out more information about how to donate here.

I spoke with a representative from Midwest Food Bank about which items they have trouble moving off their shelves. The representative told me it would be helpful to share creative ways to use yogurt. "We get a lot of yogurt—probiotic, low-fat, dairy alternatives, flavored, vanilla, soy. I think showing ways it can be used in recipes both savory and sweet would be great."

So I created a sweet and savory yogurt bowl recipe and a sweet and savory yogurt dip recipe.

The best part about the bowl recipes is they're filling enough to be an entire meal, and they're easily customizable, with fresh, frozen, or canned ingredients.

There are many benefits to eating yogurt: it's rich in important nutrients like calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin B12; it's high in protein which is great for appetite regulation and helping us feel full; and some varieties benefit digestive health.

So what is a yogurt bowl? It's yogurt in a bowl with mix-ins. You can mix everything together or leave it all in layers on top. I like using plain whole milk Greek yogurt because I love how thick and rich it is, but any type of yogurt or yogurt alternative will work.

I'm going to share two sweet yogurt bowl examples and one savory yogurt bowl example. I included ingredient measurements, but these recipes aren't meant to be followed exactly as written. You can change the ingredients based on taste preference and availability.

PB&J Yogurt Bowl

Yield: 1 serving

Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup yogurt
• 2 Tablespoons strawberry or raspberry jam
• 2 Tablespoons creamy or crunchy peanut butter
• 2 Tablespoons granola

Directions

1. Add yogurt to bowl 
2. Layer toppings over yogurt

Tropical Yogurt Bowl

Yield: 1 serving

Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup yogurt
• 1/2 banana, sliced
• 1/4 cup pineapple or mango, sliced
• 2 Tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted

Directions

1. Add yogurt to bowl 
2. Layer toppings over yogurt

Most of the savory yogurt bowls I make take on a Mediterranean / Middle Eastern vibe, probably because it's similar to the dish fatteh, which has Egyptian roots and people have been eating it for centuries. I love savory yogurt bowls because the yogurt soaks up all the flavors from the toppings while also providing a creamy, tangy element to the dish.

Savory yogurt bowl

Yield: 2 servings

Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

For the base

• 2 cups plain Greek yogurt
• 2 Tablespoons tahini
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon chile powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

For the mix-ins

• Farro or brown rice
• Sweet potatoes, diced, roasted
• Chicken, baked, diced
• Tofu, cubed, baked
• Chickpeas, drained, roasted
• Red onion, finely sliced
• Cucumbers, thinly sliced into half moons
• Pita bread, torn into 1-inch pieces, toasted
• Fresh herbs

Directions

1. Mix the base ingredients together. 
2. Spread on large platter or divide into bowls.
3. Layer desired mix-ins on top.

Yogurt dips are a great way to get a healthy boost while also motivating you to eat more fruits and vegetables. I'm sharing a sweet and savory option.

Key Lime Yogurt Dip

Yield: About 2 cups

Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 12 ounces yogurt
• Zest from 1 lime
• Juice from 1 lime (2 Tablespoons)
• 2 Tablespoons maple syrup or honey (optional)

Directions

1. Mix ingredients together.
2. Serve with graham crackers, strawberries, or other fruit.

Kale Yogurt Dip

Yield: About 2 cups

Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 12 ounces plain yogurt
• 2 cups kale, de-stemmed, shredded, massaged
• 4 green onions, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

1. Mix ingredients together.
2. Serve with pita, chips, carrots, peppers, or other vegetables.

Strawberry cheesecake-filled bunnies

I filled hollow chocolate bunnies with delicious strawberry cheesecake. I used both fresh and freeze-dried strawberries for maximum flavor. Everything goes in the blender which makes it super easy. You can fill the bunnies by cutting off the ears or by making a small hole on its underside. I like cutting the ears so guests can see the filling. 

Strawberry cheesecake-filled bunnies

Yield: Makes enough filling for 7 (3.5 ounce) chocolate bunnies

Time: 10 minutes active, 3 hours waiting

Ingredients

• Hollow chocolate bunnies
• 0.5 pounds strawberries, hulled
• 60 grams (1/2 cup) confectioners' sugar
• 0.5 ounces freeze-dried strawberries
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 4 ounces coconut cream
• 4 ounces sour cream
• 3.5 grams (1/2 packet) unflavored gelatin
• 2 Tablespoons cold water

Directions

1. Heat sharp paring knife under warm water. Cut off bunnies' ears as close to top as possible.
2. Add strawberries to blender and puree until smooth. Pour puree into another bowl and set aside.
3. Blend confectioners' sugar and freeze-dried strawberries. Add cream cheese and blend until smooth, scraping sides as needed.
4. Add coconut cream and blend several minutes on high speed until fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add sour cream. Return strawberry puree to blender and mix just until combined.
5. Sprinkle gelatin over water and bloom for 5 minutes, or until gelatin has absorbed all water.
6. Microwave gelatin for 30 seconds, stirring every 10 seconds. It should look like clear liquid. Slowly add into blender mixture on low speed.
7. Use funnel to pour cheesecake mixture into cavity of hollow chocolate bunnies.
8. Transfer bunnies to refrigerator in upright position. Allow cheesecake mixture to set for several hours before serving.

Breakfast taco casserole

I'm talking about "spring cleaning" your refrigerator in this bloig post. Many of us are guilty of keeping random open containers in our refrigerator for far too long because we only use half the jar and then forget about it. Or we let produce expire because we forget about it until we find it hiding in the crisper drawer two weeks too late.

I read an article by Epicurious titled "11 Things That Have Been in Your Fridge Too Long." Included in the list are several things I usually have on hand: yogurt, salsa, cheese, and eggs. 

So I created a recipe to clear out my refrigerator and use ingredients I've had far too long. I came up with a breakfast taco casserole.

Here's what I cleared from my refrigerator to use in the recipe:

Salsa: Last about 2-4 weeks

Sour cream: Lasts about 3 weeks 

Greek yogurt: Lasts about 1 to 2 weeks

Cooked beans: Last 3-4 days

Cooked meat: Lasts about 3 days

Blocks of cheese: Cheddar, mozzarella, and pepper jack last 4 to 6 weeks max

I included substitution options in italics next to the ingredients because, as I previously mentioned, there are a lot of options for substitutions because I want to help you clean out your refrigerator.

Breakfast taco casserole

Yield: 12 servings

Time: About 90 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound Mexican chorizo (you can substitute with chicken, beef, pork, or omit for vegetarian casserole)
• 1 yellow onion, small dice (about 6 ounces)
• 1 red or green bell pepper, small dice (about 4 ounces)
• 1 (16-ounce) jar salsa (you can substitute with diced or crushed tomatoes)
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed (you can substitute with pinto beans or refried beans)
• 1 (15-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained (you can substitute with frozen corn)
• 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons chile powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 8 corn tortillas, halved
• 12 ounces (3 cups) cheddar cheese, shredded (you can substitute with pepper jack or omit to make it dairy free)
• Optional toppings: avocado, cilantro, sour cream, salsa, Greek yogurt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray 9x13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
2. Heat large skillet over medium heat. Add chorizo and cook until browned, breaking it into smaller pieces as it cooks. 
3. Use slotted spoon to remove chorizo and transfer to plate.
4. Add onion and pepper to skillet and saute until softened, about 5 minutes.
5. Stir in salsa, beans, corn, cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt and black pepper. Saute until mixture is combined and fragrant. Remove skillet from heat and stir in chorizo.
6. In separate bowl, whisk eggs until well-beaten.
7. Lay half of the tortillas in even layer on bottom of baking dish. Top with half of sausage mixture, half of egg mixture, and half of cheese. Repeat with remaining tortillas, sausage mixture, eggs, and cheese.
8. Cover baking dish with foil and bake 45 to 55 minutes or until golden brown and not jiggly. Remove from oven.
9. Let cool 10 minutes before serving with avocado, cilantro, sour cream, salsa, and whatever else you desire.

Irish brown soda bread with dill sauce and salmon

 

Other than potatoes, nothing is more synonymous with Irish food than brown bread. It's served with most every meal for most every occasion. Filled with whole grains and oats, it's a healthy bread to serve your family and perfect for St. Patrick's Day.

Brown bread is a "quick bread," which means it doesn't have yeast. Its leavening comes from baking soda and buttermilk, hence the name "soda bread." Soda breads became popular in Ireland when baking soda was introduced in the 19th century because it was cheaper than yeast.

Here are some tips to ensuring your bread turns out well:

• Make sure your baking soda is still active by adding 1/2 teaspoon baking soda to a couple tablespoons of vinegar. The mixture should fizz. You need to buy new baking soda if it doesn't.
• Use weight to get precise ingredient measurements.s
• Do not over mix. It will make the quick bread tough. Mix the wet ingredients separately from the dry ingredients and combine the two only to the point that the dry ingredients are moistened.
• Grease the loaf pan really, really well. The bottom has a tendency to stick.
• Baking soda activates as soon as it's mixed with an acid, so the bread needs to be put in the oven immediately.

The bread is often served with dill sauce and gravlax as an appetizer, but lox or smoked salmon work just as well. Curious about the difference. Here is a great explanation.

Irish brown soda bread with dill sauce and salmon

Yield: 1 loaf, about 12 slices

Time: About 45 minutes

Ingredients

For the bread

• 150 grams whole wheat flour
• 100 grams rolled oats
• 4 grams (1 teaspoon) baking soda
• 3 grams (1/2 teaspoon) kosher salt
• 240 milliliters (1 1/4 cups) buttermilk
• 30 grams (2 Tablespoons) molasses
• 28 grams (2 Tablespoons) melted butter, cooled

For the dill sauce

• 30 grams (2 Tablespoons) dijon mustard
• 30 grams (2 Tablespoons) sour cream
• 15 grams (1 Tablespoon) whole grain mustard
• 15 milliliters (1 Tablespoon) white wine vinegar
• 5 grams (1 teaspoon) molasses
• 20 grams shallot, minced
• 10 grams fresh dill fronds, minced
• For serving: lox, gravlax, or smoked salmon

Directions

For the bread

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease an 8½ x 4½ x 2½-inch loaf pan and set aside.
2. In large bowl, mix flour, oats, salt, and baking soda.
3. In separate bowl, mix buttermilk, molasses, and melted butter.
4. Make well in center of flour mixture, and pour buttermilk mixture into well
5. Gently mix dry and wet ingredients together, being careful not to overmix.
6. Scrape dough into bread pan and smooth top. Pan will be filled halfway.
7. Place in oven and bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until internal temperature registers around 190 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from pan and cool on rack.

For the dill sauce

1. Mix both mustards and sour cream. Mix in vinegar and molasses. Add shallot and dill fronds.
2. Serve by spreading layer of dill sauce onto slice of brown bread. Top with salmon slices.

Curried Shepherd's Pie

 

This is a sponsored post by Challenge butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible! 

I'm celebrating Pi Day with one of my favorite one-dish comfort foods that's also perfect for a St. Patrick's Day celebration. Curried Shepherd's Pie combines warm spiced with a fluffy, creamy topping. It's also a great recipe to serve babies if you omit the salt.

Tip: Before you stick the skillet under the broiler, dot the top with butter. After about 5 minutes, the butter will brown and you can mix it into the sweet potatoes before sticking it back under the broiler to finish.

I'm not a registered dietitian, so it isn't my place to advise you on whether to feed your baby recipes containing butter. But everything I've read says it's okay as long as you choose unsalted butter with minimal ingredients, preferably just cream. That's why I only use Challenge unsalted butter. It's 100% real cream butter made with milk from cows not treated with growth hormones.

Curried Shepherd's Pie

Yield: Makes about 8 servings

Time: About 90 minutes

Ingredients

For the topping

• 2 pounds sweet potatoes
• 2 Tablespoons Challenge unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

For the filling

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound ground lamb (or ground beef)
• 8 ounces yellow onion, small dice
• 4 ounces carrot, small dice
• 4 ounces celery, small dice
• 2 Tablespoons curry powder
• 2 Tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 14.5 ounces no salt added crushed tomatoes
• 8 ounces frozen peas
• 8 ounces frozen corn kernels

Directions

For the topping

1. Roast sweet potatoes at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for about 60 minutes. 
2. Peel away skins and place potatoes in large bowl. Add salt and pepper. Mash until all ingredients are mixed together. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. This can be done up to a day in advance.

For the filling

1. While sweet potatoes cook, heat oil in large skillet and brown meat over medium-low heat. Use wooden spatula to break meat into smaller pieces and continue to cook until no longer pink.
2. Remove meat from skillet and place in paper towel-lined bowl.
3. Add mirepoix to skillet and cook until softened. 
4. Add curry powder, cumin, coriander, turmeric, ginger, and black pepper and saute with mirepoix until it is coated in spice mixture. 
5. Add tomato paste and continue cooking until it turns from bright to brick red.
6. Add crushed tomatoes and return meat to skillet. Simmer on low for about 10 minutes or until sauce thickens. Add frozen peas and corn to skillet and cook until vegetables soften, about another 10 minutes.
7. Remove skillet from heat and preheat broiler.
8. Add mashed sweet potatoes to skillet and smooth. Add thin slices of butter to top.
9. Place mixture under broiler until butter turns brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from oven and stir butter into potatoes.
10. Smooth top and return to broiler. Continue to cook until top turns golden brown.
11. Remove from oven and serve.