“This recipe is so filling, fresh-tasting, and easy and quick to make. I’ve made this for my family of six before, and they can all attest to that.”
Easy Sticky Chicken Drumsticks
These easy sticky chicken drumsticks are finger-licking good! With a sweet and savory sauce and crispy skin, they’re sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
Ingredients
for 4 servings
- 12 chicken drumsticks
MARINADE
- 6 cloves garlic, crushed
- 3 tablespoons ginger
- 1 red chili
- 3 tablespoons honey
- ½ cup soy sauce(100 mL)
Preparation
- In a mixing bowl, combine the garlic, ginger, chili, honey, and soy sauce.
- Mix in the chicken drumsticks.
- Cover with cling film and leave to marinate in the fridge for 4-6 hours, or overnight.
- Fry the chicken in a large pan, on all sides for about 10-15 minutes, stirring often to prevent the marinade from burning, until golden brown.
- Remove from the pan and pour in the marinade.
- Bring to a boil and stir, until the marinade is thick and resembles a sauce.
- Throw the chicken back in the pan and fry for a further 5-10 minutes in the sauce, making sure each drumstick is evenly coated and cooked through.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and spring onions.
- Enjoy!
Tomato, Basil & Mozzarella Chicken
This simple yet delicious dish features tender chicken breasts topped with juicy tomatoes, fragrant basil, and melted mozzarella cheese, creating a perfect balance of flavors.
Ingredients
for 2 servings
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- olive oil, to taste
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- garlic powder, to taste
- oregano, to taste
- 1 ball fresh mozzarella cheese
- 1 tomato, medium
- 5 leaves fresh basil leaf
BALSAMIC GLAZE
- 1 cup dark balsamic vinegar(240 mL), inexpensive
- ⅓ cup honey(115 g)
Ingredients
for 2 servings
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- olive oil, to taste
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- garlic powder, to taste
- oregano, to taste
- 1 ball fresh mozzarella cheese
- 1 tomato, medium
- 5 leaves fresh basil leaf
BALSAMIC GLAZE
- 1 cup dark balsamic vinegar(240 mL), inexpensive
- ⅓ cup honey(115 g)
Beauty And The Beast-Inspired French Bread Pizza
The Tasty dining room proudly presents a pizza that will have you feeling like the guest of honor. To make this fairytale-inspired pizza, cut a loaf of French bread in half and top it with a French onion soup-inspired sauce, Fontina and Gruyére cheeses, and caramelized onions. Then, shape an edible enchanted rose out of salami and parsley to give this dish the happily-ever-after it deserves.
Ingredients
for 2 french bread pizzas
- ½ stick unsalted butter
- 4 medium sweet onions, thinly sliced with the grain
- 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sherry wine
- 1 cup low sodium beef broth(240 mL)
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
- 1 dried bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- 1 loaf french bread, cut in half
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 oz shredded fontina cheese(180 g)
- 6 oz shredded gruyère cheese(180 g)
- 14 oz salami(400 g), thinly sliced
- 2 sprigs fresh parsley, tough stems trimmed
Preparation
- In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and season with the salt. Cook for about 1 hour and 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Around the last 20 minutes of cooking, the onions will begin to caramelize, so watch carefully to ensure they don’t burn. Remove 3 tablespoons of onions from the pot and set aside.
- Add the flour to the pot and stir to coat the remaining onions. Cook until the flour is lightly browned, 1–2 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and deglaze with the sherry, scraping the bottom of the pot to release any browned bits.
- Add the beef broth, thyme, bay leaf, and pepper and stir to combine. Simmer for 8–10 minutes, until the broth has reduced by about half. Remove the bay leaf.
- Transfer the soup to a liquid measuring cup or tall, narrow glass and use an immersion blender on medium-high speed to blend until completely smooth, about 1 minute.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
- Set the French bread halves, cut-side up, on a baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Toast in the oven for 5 minutes, until just beginning to brown on the top and sides.
- Remove the French bread from the oven and top each half with the blended onion soup, the Fontina and Gruyère cheeses, and the reserved caramelized onions, dividing evenly.
- Return the pizzas to the oven for 8–10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Turn the broiler on high and broil for 1–2 minutes, until the cheese is golden brown.
- While the pizzas are baking, make the salami roses: Using a glass with a 2-inch-wide opening, layer 12–14 thinly sliced salami rounds around the edge in a circular pattern, overlapping slightly, until the center of the glass is mostly filled but there is still a small opening. Flip the glass over to release the “rose” and repeat with the remaining salami to make another.
- Lay 1 sprig of parsley over each pizza half, then place the roses at the top.
- Cut the pizza into wedges and serve warm.
- Enjoy!
Sock-It-To-Me Cake
This Southern-style dessert features large chunks of pecans and a cinnamon sugar swirl between layers of rich and buttery homemade pound cake. Enjoy it for breakfast with a cup of coffee, or for dessert with a tall glass of cold milk or a scoop of ice cream!
Ingredients
for 12 servings
FILLING
- 1 cup toasted pecans(125 g), chopped
- ⅓ cup brown sugar(65 g)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
CAKE
- 3 sticks unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing
- 2 ½ cups granulated sugar(500 g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 ⅓ cups cake flour(415 g)
- 1 cup sour cream(240 g), room temperature
GLAZE
- 2 cups powdered sugar(210 g)
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pecan half, for garnish
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
- bundt pan, 10-cup fluted
Preparation
- Make the filling: In a small bowl, stir together the pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
- Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease a 10-cup Bundt pan with butter.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Continue mixing on medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally, until light and fluffy, about 8 minutes.
- Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and mix on medium speed, making sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the vanilla and mix until combined.
- Add one third of the flour and mix on medium speed until just combined, then add half of the sour cream and continue mixing until just combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then continue alternating additions of flour and sour cream. Use the rubber spatula to bring the batter together.
- Pour half of the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and tap the pan against the counter to settle the batter and release any air bubbles. Sprinkle the filling evenly over the batter. Spoon the remaining batter on top and carefully spread in an even layer to cover the filling.
- Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 60–70 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
- While the cake cools, make the icing: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth.
- Invert the cake onto a serving plate and remove the Bundt pan. Pour the glaze over the cake to cover completely. Garnish with pecan halves.
- Slice and serve.
- Enjoy!
How To Make Macarons
It’s never a bad time for dessert. Cookies, cake, pie, you name it! But sometimes you need to change it up with something a little fancier: enter macarons. They may seem intimidating but with our easy-to-follow guide, they don’t have to be. And you can customize them! Want a variety? Use different types of food coloring. Prefer a different flavored icing? Add some lavender extract for a floral feel. One bite, and you’ll feel like you’re in Paris yourself.
Ingredients
for 30 macarons
MACARONS
- 1 ¾ cups powdered sugar(210 g)
- 1 cup almond flour(95 g), finely ground
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 3 egg whites, at room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated sugar(50 g)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 drops pink gel food coloring
VANILLA BUTTERCREAM
- 1 cup unsalted butter(230 g), 2 sticks, at room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar(360 g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
Preparation
- Make the macarons: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the powdered sugar, almond flour, and ½ teaspoon of salt, and process on low speed, until extra fine. Sift the almond flour mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl.
- In a separate large bowl, beat the egg whites and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt with an electric hand mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add the granulated sugar until fully incorporated. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form (you should be able to turn the bowl upside down without anything falling out).
- Add the vanilla and beat until incorporated. Add the food coloring and beat until just combined.
- Add about ⅓ of the sifted almond flour mixture at a time to the beaten egg whites and use a spatula to gently fold until combined. After the last addition of almond flour, continue to fold slowly until the batter falls into ribbons and you can make a figure 8 while holding the spatula up.
- Transfer the macaron batter into a piping bag fitted with a round tip.
- Place 4 dots of the batter in each corner of a rimmed baking sheet, and place a piece of parchment paper over it, using the batter to help adhere the parchment to the baking sheet.
- Pipe the macarons onto the parchment paper in 1½-inch (3-cm) circles, spacing at least 1-inch (2-cm) apart.
- Tap the baking sheet on a flat surface 5 times to release any air bubbles.
- Let the macarons sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until dry to the touch.
- Preheat the oven to 300˚F (150˚C).
- Bake the macarons for 17 minutes, until the feet are well-risen and the macarons don’t stick to the parchment paper.
- Transfer the macarons to a wire rack to cool completely before filling.
- Make the buttercream: In a large bowl, add the butter and beat with a mixer for 1 minute until light and fluffy. Sift in the powdered sugar and beat until fully incorporated. Add the vanilla and beat to combine. Add the cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat to combine, until desired consistency is reached.
- Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a round tip.
- Add a dollop of buttercream to one macaron shell. Top it with another macaron shell to create a sandwich. Repeat with remaining macaron shells and buttercream.
- Place in an airtight container for 24 hours to “bloom”.
- Enjoy!