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Chaider

November 5, 2014September 27, 2017 Sarah

Chaider is an awesome fall treat; the perfect blend of hot apple cider and chai. It’s fall in a mug!

There’s this great coffee shop in Ben’s college town, Athens, OH, called Donkey. Saying they are great is a total underestimation of their wonderfulness. They’ve won awards for having the best coffee in the state of Ohio and they totally deserve it! I lived in Athens for two years and went to Donkey on my first full day in town per the recommendation of a friend. I had no idea the love I would develop for that coffee shop, and not just because it was the place of our second date [and many more afterwards]. It’s the best coffee I’ve ever tasted, and the atmosphere inside is even better. You can literally spend all day there, lounging in one of the comfy armchairs under the funky lights. It’s one of my favorite places in the world and I would seriously consider leaving Nashville behind to head back to that tiny college town just so I could frequent Donkey Coffee on a regular basis.

Like many coffee shops, Donkey serves up a variety of specialty seasonal drinks. I have no idea if they do the pumpkin thing, but I do know they do the Chaider thing. I’m sure to many folks, Chaider sounds a bit weird, but it’s actually pretty phenomenal. It’s this fun blend of apple cider and chai, perfectly spiced and served hot. It’s always in high demand during the fall since you can only get it for a few short months. It’s Ben’s favorite, and since we are 5+ hours away from Donkey, I just had to find a way to make it at home!

In the past I have made chaider by blending fresh apple cider with some chai. Pretty simple. But this year, I think I finally found the secret to making authentic homemade chaider–fresh orange juice, cinnamon stick, and cloves. Boil and simmer, then remove cinnamon and cloves before serving. It takes a little more time but amps the flavors up SO much more. For this drink you’ll need to use coffee shop style chai, so either the bottled concentrate or the powdered stuff. Chai tea bags aren’t exactly the same thing. Donkey uses the powdered kind of chai [and has their own wonderful blend, in case you’re ever there in the non-fall months] so that’s what I used too.

When I made a batch of this on a recent Sunday afternoon, Ben said he felt like he was back at Donkey again. I’d consider that a win! Try it soon–you’ll love it! It’s a perfect drink for an afternoon walk in the woods to admire the leaves or a cozy night at home or whatever else suits your fancy in the fall. Ahhh, bliss.

one year ago: Pizza Frittata
two years ago: Lemon Herb Eggs in Ciabatta
three years ago: Candy Corn Pretzel Bites
four years ago: Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Chaider

Servings: 2
Time: 10-15 minutes
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Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups apple cider
1 1/2 cups chai [I use the powdered chai mix from Trader Joe’s–2 scoops + 1 1/2 cups water whisked together]
juice of 1/2 an orange
1 cinnamon stick
5 whole cloves

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and heat for 5-10 minutes or until hot.

Remove cinnamon stick and cloves, then divide between 2 mugs and serve hot.

Linked with Weekend Potluck

Main Dishes, Pork, Recipes

Mystery Dish: Honey-Thyme Roasted Pork Tenderloin

October 29, 2014May 6, 2015 Sarah

For this month’s edition of Mystery Dish, Marcie of Flavor the Moments was our host. She gave us a lovely list to work with, including: pork, fennel, kabocha squash, hard apple cider, heavy cream, orange, farro, hazelnuts, quince, thyme, maple syrup, and brussels sprouts. A lot of fun ingredients, for sure! But some were a little too exotic or expensive for me to get without a trip across town to a fancier grocery store, so simple it was!

But simple doesn’t have to mean boring. This honey-thyme roasted pork tenderloin was anything besides boring! It was bursting with lots of fresh flavor–before roasting, the pork is seared in a hot skillet then coated with an amazing mixture of honey, butter, thyme, and orange zest AND juice. Talk about flavor overload! I could totally see making that honey mix into a fun spread on cornbread or a biscuit. It was SO delicious when I test tasted it [before it came into contact with the raw meat] that I was super tempted to put the spoon in my mouth later. But raw meat=gross=unhealthy so I talked myself out of that one. 🙂 It was hard, guys, but I did it.

As the pork roasted, a wonderful hearty sweetness filled the house. I tended up having to cook the meat a little while longer than the original recipe advised, despite the internal temperature reading 145 degrees F as it should, hence the photos above being a little too pink for my liking. But I was chasing daylight and thought the pork was done before I cut into it, so I had to take the photos then or else incur the wrath of the dreaded florescent kitchen lighting. Ugh, no thanks. But once the pork was done, it was amazing–juicy and rich, with the perfect blend of herb-citrus-honey baked right into the crispy coating that appears as the honey bakes on the pork. I served my pork with an awesome butternut squash side dish that I’ll have to share before Thanksgiving because it has “holiday side dish” written all over it. Enjoy!

one year ago: Skinny Southwest Chicken Dip
two years ago: Mexican Rollups
three years ago: Individual Pumpkin Pie Parfaits
four years ago: Asian Chicken Bowls

Honey-Thyme Roasted Pork Tenderloin

Servings: 8
Time: 60 minutes
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adapted slightly from Serious Eats

Ingredients:

2 pound pork tenderloin
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons fresh thyme [or 1 tablespoon ground thyme] + more for serving
zest and juice of one orange
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Let pork sit out at room temperature for 15 minutes before using, then pat dry and season with pepper and salt.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, sear pork for about 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove from pan and add chicken broth, scraping up brown bits, then remove from heat and reserve sauce.

Whisk together thyme, orange zest, orange juice, honey, and butter in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

When pork has seared, place pork in a baking dish then rub with thyme mixture. Pour chicken broth into baking dish.

Bake for at least 30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F. Let rest for 10 minutes, covered with foil, before slicing and serving with more fresh thyme.

See what other Mystery Dish gals made this month:

Baked Apple Donuts with Maple Glaze by Yummy Healthy Easy

Baked French Toast Casserole by I Want Crazy

Chocolate Orange Hazelnut Truffles by Culinary Couture

Hazelnut Maple-Glazed Cinnamon Rolls by I Dig Pinterest

Hazelnut Macarons with Pumpkin Maple Filling by Baking a Moment

Honey-Thyme Roasted Pork Tenderloin from The Pajama Chef

Italian Sausage and Ravioli Skillet by Simply Gloria

Kabocha Squash Curry with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Farro by Chez CateyLou

Maple Glazed Fennel and Brussels Sprouts by The Well Floured Kitchen

Pear Hazelnut Bread with Orange Maple Glaze by Blahnik Baker

Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Apples, Bacon, and Hazelnuts by Flavor the Moments

Shaved Brussels Sprouts Harvest Salad with a Hard Apple Cider Vinaigrette by Joyful Healthy Eats

{Vegan} Orange Hazelnut Maple Cinnamon Rolls by Sweet Tooth Life

Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes

Crockpot Asian Pulled Chicken

September 17, 2014September 16, 2014 Sarah

Dust off your crockpot–this Asian Pulled Chicken is perfect for a chilly night and is a snap to put together!

I don’t do crockpot recipes that involve multiple steps. Isn’t the point of the crockpot to set it and forget it? So this recipe is super simple: place chicken in crockpot, top with a bunch of seasonings/sauces–without even mixing it!, cover, cook, enjoy. Perfect, huh?! Since I prefer to not even have to CHECK on crockpot meals while they’re cooking, I always like to use a bunch of sauce so the meat doesn’t dry out. For this recipe, I combined orange juice, rice vinegar, honey, and some spices with a myriad of Asian sauces I had hanging about in my pantry: soy sauce, hoisin, and oyster sauce…and some of Star Fine Foods’ Asian Cuisine Cooking Oil to give everything a little extra soy/ginger ooomph. If you don’t have all those sauces, don’t worry. One would be more than enough to make this almost barbecue-like sauce shine.

Once you open the lid, you’ll be greeted with the awesome aroma of chicken bathing in a sweet and tangy sauce. There’s citrus and a little heat and ginger and all sorts of good things in there, making that tender, melt-in-your-mouth chicken tastes even better than it smells. Since it was so effortless, I bet you’ll make this recipe again and again and again! Enjoy!

three years ago: Corn Cake Salad
four years ago: Sausage Pepper Penne

Crockpot Asian Pulled Chicken

Servings: 6
Time: 4 hours
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Ingredients:

2 pounds chicken – a combination of chicken breast and thighs is good, or just one works too
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup Asian Cuisine Cooking Oil by Star Fine Foods [or 1/4 cup olive oil with 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger + 1 teaspoon soy sauce]
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
rice, for serving
cilantro, for serving

Directions:

Place chicken in crockpot. Add all ingredients to crockpot [except rice and cilantro], then cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Gently shred chicken with a fork. Serve with rice and cilantro.

Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes, Rice, Sides

Zin-Zen Chicken

April 21, 2014April 25, 2014 Sarah

I don’t even want to tell you when I made this stir fry originally. It’s too embarrassing. But it is what it is, and even though time has gone by since this dish graced our table, its goodness hasn’t gone away. [Did that make any sense to anyone but me?] ANYWAYS…. Ben, especially, loves stir fry. I can’t say that it was my favorite dinner as a kid, but I’m starting to appreciate it more and more these days since it’s quick, healthy, and flavorful.

What makes this stir fry SO good is the combination of the orange-flavored rice with the gingery and garlicky chicken and vegetables. Ya know, the zin/zen thing. Rachael Ray was up to something with her recipe title, I do believe. 🙂 Another good thing about this dish? It uses up some of that Chinese five spice powder that’s probably languishing in your cupboard. Please tell me I’m not alone in that. Mmmmkay, thanks. As always, enjoy! 🙂

one year ago: Guacamole Salsa
two years ago: Peanut Butter Pretzel Granola Bars
three years ago: Oreo Truffles

Zin-Zen Chicken [from Rachael Ray]
click to print

Ingredients:

1 cup white rice
2 cups chicken broth
zest and juice of 1 orange
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into chunks
cracked black pepper
3 cups chopped bell peppers [I used red, orange, and yellow]
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch grated gingerroot [or 1 teaspoon ground]
1 red or yellow onion, minced
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup Zinfandel wine or chicken broth
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons Chinese five spice powder
4 scallions, sliced on the bias

Directions:

Combine rice, chicken broth, and orange zest in a medium pan. Set to high heat, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until liquid is absorbed.

In a separate large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute chicken, seasoned with black pepper, until golden brown, about 6-8 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate and cover with foil. Place bell peppers, garlic, ginger, and onion in the pan and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the veggies to the chicken, then melt butter in skillet. Whisk in flour and cook for 30 seconds. Then add the wine/chicken broth, soy sauce, and five spice powder and stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium low. Put the chicken and veggies back in the skillet and simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes.

After the rice is cooked, add scallions and orange juice and fluff with a fork. Serve the chicken and vegetables over the rice.

Time: 30 minutes.
Yield: 4-6 servings.
Note: For four, this amount of rice is perfect. For six, doubling it would be best.

Linked up with: Weekend Potluck.

Breakfast, Coffee Cake, Recipes

Fresh Cranberry Coffee Cake

February 14, 2014February 21, 2014 Sarah

Happy Valentine’s Day! I’m afraid I don’t have any lovey-dovey dessert to offer you today. For your chocolate overload or cutesy heart shape dessert, you’ll have to look elsewhere. If you need an easy red velvet dessert, check out these Red Velvet Marshmallow Bites I made last year. Yum!

Today all I have to offer you is breakfast. A treat for tomorrow, perhaps? I hope cranberries aren’t too hard to come by in your part of the world on this fine February morning. They certainly make this cinnamon sugar-laced coffee cake something extra special.

This cake is so easy to make, and is a perfect buttery base for those tart berries. I added a bit of cinnamon and cloves to the original recipe, thinking those warm spices would be delicious alongside the orange zest, and you know what? I was RIGHT!

To top everything off, add a light powdered sugar icing. It makes all the difference! I heated up the icing just before drizzling on the cake–a very good move, as it crisped up after meeting the cake. I just love crisp glaze-y icing. Delish!

one year ago: Go-To Pancakes
two years ago: Mexican Chicken Alfredo
three years ago: Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Fresh Cranberry Coffee Cake [slightly adapted from Sweet Anna’s]
click to print

Ingredients:

for cake

1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour [I used white whole wheat]
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
zest of one orange
12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries

for icing

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan with a removable bottom. Set aside.

In a small bowl, mix together sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer [or with a hand mixer], beat eggs and sugar together until light and fluffy, nearly doubled in size. This will take about 8 minutes.

Add in butter and vanilla, and beat for an additional 2 minutes.

Stir in flour, nutmeg, cloves, and orange zest with a wooden spoon until just combined. It will be very thick.

Spoon half of the batter into the bundt pan, then evenly top with the cranberries and reserved cinnamon sugar mixture. Spoon the rest of the batter over the cranberries [some cranberries may still be visible].

Bake for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. Check after about 30 minutes, and cover with foil if cake is browning too much.

Remove to a wire rack to cool, gently using a knife to loosen cake from the bottom and sides of the pan. After cake cools completely, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk, microwave for about 30 seconds, then drizzle over the cake before serving.

Time: 60 minutes [15 minutes active].

Yield: 12 servings.

Linked up with: Weekend Potluck.