Homemade Hazelnut Latte

 

I'm obsessed with this homemade hazelnut latte that's also healthier than the one from a coffee shop. I started making it last year and enjoyed it almost every day until the weather got too warm. Now that autumn has arrived, it's time to add it back to my morning routine. 

No chemical flavors from hazelnut syrup. 

Not too sweet.

Perfect!

Homemade Hazelnut Latte How-to: 

Pour 6 ounces of boiling water into a mug. (I get it straight from my Keurig)

Stir in 1 tablespoon instant espresso (I use Cafe Bustelo)

Stir in 1 tablespoon Nutella

Pour 1/2 cup unsweetened plain almond milk or milk of choice into a measuring cup and microwave for 90 seconds.

Whisk hot milk until frothy.

Pour milk into espresso-Nutella mixture. 

Enjoy!

Hemingway Black Bean Soup

 

Sometimes you just need a big pot of comfort beans. 

When I wrote the review of Key Lime Crime by Lucy Burdette in August, I was transported back to the single day I spent in Key West while on a cruise in 2016. Those 6 hours were enough for me to fall in love with the town’s unique and beautiful spirit. 

I loved the houses with sleeping porches to beat the nighttime heat. I loved all the people traveling on bikes and scooters.

I even decided the chickens roaming everywhere were cute!

My favorite stop was the Hemingway Home. No big surprise a writer would be intrigued by the home of such a famous and infamous author like Ernest Hemingway. 

I still dream of one day having a writing studio inspired by his. Also, as a cat person who is absent from feline friends thanks to rental agreements, I had to pet each one of the purring polydactyl (six-toed) creatures I met.

In the gift shop, I picked up a copy of The Hemingway Cookbook by Craig Boreth. It’s a lovely cookbook full of stories and photos of Ernest Hemingway and the key people and places in his life. Plus, there are plenty of recipes for some of his favorite meals.

I tested out this one for black bean soup. My only changes from the original were to use chicken broth instead of just water and utilizing my slow cooker instead of the stovetop. 

What I love most about this recipe is you can use these beans in many other dishes as well. They work for refried black beans, a bean dip, or drained and added to burritos. Soup isn’t the only option with a pot full of these beauties! 

I’ve marked a few more recipes in the cookbook to try (Lime Ice, anyone!) and Key West is tops on my list of places to explore further one day. 

 

Yield: 6

Author: Linda Ditch

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Hemingway Black Bean Soup

Adapted from The Hemingway Cookbook by Craig Boreth

Ingredients

• 1 pound dry black beans
• 2 large green bell peppers
• 1 large onion
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons crushed dried oregano
• 32 ounces low sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Hot sauce, to taste
• Diced bell peppers, for garnish
• Sour cream, for garnish

Instructions

1. The night before, rinse the beans and check for any stones. Put the beans in a large bowl and cover with water to 2 to 4 inches above the level of the beans. Set aside to soak overnight.
2. The next day, drain the water from the beans and then pour the beans into a slow cooker. Dice the green bell peppers and onion and add to the cooker, along with all the ingredients up to the vinegar. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 4 to 5 hours. Add water to the slow cooker if more moisture is needed.
3. Just before serving, add the vinegar, salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Serve as is or over rice. (I used brown rice.) Garnish with the chopped bell peppers and sour cream (or Greek-style yogurt).

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Autumn Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie

Here in Kansas, we are transitioning from summer to fall. The leaves are just beginning their colorful annual display. Nights are getting cool enough to require the soft, downy comforter on the bed. Fuzzy socks, warm sweaters, and cozy sweats are out of storage and placed in the dresser.

This Autumn Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie is a perfect transition-of-seasons dinner. It has all the tasty comfort of the traditional dish but it's a lightened-up version for these ever-so-slightly chilly days, full of ground turkey and plenty of veg.

The inspiration for this recipe came from two sources: A turkey sweet potato shepherd’s pie on the Skinnytaste website and my own more substantial sweet-potato shepherd’s pie recipe I posted a few years ago. I love this one because it’s full of veggies reminiscent of summer’s harvest but also has a hint of flavors common at Thanksgiving. 

Yield: 6

Author: Linda Ditch

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Autumn Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie

This is a perfect transition-of-seasons dinner. It has all the tasty comfort of the traditional dish but is lightened up for these ever-so-slightly chilly days with ground turkey and plenty of veg.

Ingredients

• For filling:
• 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 1 pound 99-percent lean ground turkey or chicken
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 8 ounces mushrooms, diced
• 1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ounce bag of frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 cup low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth (plus extra if necessary)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• For potatoes:
• 2 pounds sweet potatoes
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup fat-free milk
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
2. Put 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the turkey (or chicken) and brown until just cooked through. Put the cooked turkey in a bowl and set aside.
3. Add the remaining teaspoon of olive oil, and the diced onion and celery. Sauté until the onions start to become transparent, about 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté about 5 minutes more.
4. Next add the garlic, poultry seasoning, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and cooked turkey. Mix well. Then sprinkle the flour over the top and stir to coat the turkey-veg mixture. Add the frozen veggies and pour in the chicken broth. Cook until the mixture comes to a simmer and thickens, about 5 minutes. (Add extra broth if necessary.) Add salt and pepper to taste, then pour the mixture into the casserole dish.
5. Poke the sweet potatoes with a fork or knife, and then pop them into the microwave. Cook until soft. While still warm, scoop out the inside of the potatoes into a large bowl. (Use a towel or paper towels to protect your hands from the hot potatoes.) Add the butter and milk, then mash until fluffy. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Spoon the mashed sweet potatoes over the turkey mixture. Place the casserole dish onto a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips, and bake until the sweet potatoes start to brown on top, 20 to 30 minutes.

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Public at the Brickyard’s Corn Chowder on the #KSCornTour

A couple of weeks ago I told you about my adventures on the #KSCornTour. But, you know me, what I remembered the most was the food. We ate a lot. I mean A LOT!!! And most of the dishes featured corn—of course!

On our last evening in Wichita, we ate at Public at the Brickyard in the city’s Old Town area. Located on one of the many brick roads in this area, the restaurant was a cozy, warm place to enjoy a meal. They scope out local farmers and beer vendors to bring their efforts to Public customers.

We met up with some Kansas corn farmers to talk about their lives and agriculture in the state, and what they see for the future. It was a fun and informative evening.

The Public folks had a variety of their pizzas on the long table when we arrived. I really liked the Margherita and this Matterhorn, with prosciutto, mozzarella, fontina, and sweet tomato marmalade with fresh arugula on honey wheat dough.

But what I remembered the most was the Corn Chowder. Rich, creamy, slightly sweet, and a little smoky from the roasted corn.

How good was the soup?

I ate the whole bowl before remembering to take a photo.

I considered licking the bowl clean but I try to save that behavior for home.

Before leaving town, I went back to the restaurant and begged asked for the recipe.

Fortunately, they were willing to share…and let me share with you.

The homemade version tasted just as amazing as the restaurant one. With the arrival of autumn’s chill, this is a comforting way to warm up and would be the perfect start to a holiday meal.

Public at the Brickyard’s Corn Chowder

Reprinted with permission

Ingredients:

8 ears of corn, roasted


2 yellow onions, diced


8 cloves garlic, minced


1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced


2 tablespoons vegetable oil


1/4 cup red wine vinegar

4 cup chicken stock

2 pints heavy cream


1/4 cup sugar


Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Method:

1. Roast corn and cut corn off the cob. (Or used frozen corn—see note below.) 

2. In pan, heat vegetable oil and heat onion and garlic. Deglaze with red wine vinegar. Reduce for two minutes. Add chicken stock, sugar, cobs and half of corn. 

3. Simmer 30 minutes and remove cobs. 

4. Puree mixture with electric blender and return to pan. (Be careful not to fill blender too full so you don’t spray hot molten liquid out of the top.) Add heavy cream and remaining corn to pan. 

5. Simmer 10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. 


Note: Since fresh corn season was over when I made this, I used frozen corn kernels. There is approximately 3/4 cup of kernels on every ear of corn so you can use approximately 7 cups of kernels for this dish. To roast them, I put the kernels into the pan with the vegetable oil and sautéed them until they started to brown. Then I added the onion and garlic to sauté until tender.

Note 2: I’ve made this in a slow cooker. I placed the frozen corn kernels, diced onion, garlic, and chicken broth into the slow cooker, set on low, and let cook for 8 hours. Remove about half of the corn kernels, and then blend the rest until smooth. Add back the kernels, and the remaining ingredients. Allow to continue cooking until the soup is hot.

Disclaimer: This post and the #KSCornTour are sponsored by Kansas Corn, which is a collaboration of the Kansas Corn Growers Association and the Kansas Corn Commission. They paid for all of my travel expenses and compensated me for this post. However, my writings, views, opinions, thoughts, and cravings are entirely my own.

Cinnamon-Pumpkin Muffins

I’m never happier than when I find a new mystery series to read, especially if recipes are included. Krista Davis’s Domestic Diva series is one of my favorites, and I’ve shared a couple of recipes in the past from her books. So it made sense to try her Paws and Claws series.

I read the first chapter of Murder, She Barked while standing in the bookstore! This series is set in the town of Wagtail, Virginia, which as the name suggests, is a very pet-friendly place. Holly Miller’s grandmother owns the Sugar Maple Inn, where guests and their pets are welcomed. Add a few unique characters, plus a murder or two, and you’re in for a fun visit.

As with Davis’s other series, this one offers lots of recipes at the book's end. For pet owners, there are recipes specifically for our furry friends.

With it being autumn, I gravitated towards this people-friendly Cinnamon-Pumpkin Muffin recipe. My favorite flavor and a fall flavor classic mixed together. How could I go wrong? The recipe is easy to mix up and tastes amazing! I enjoyed it with both my morning coffee and afternoon tea, and I think it would make a nice Thanksgiving breakfast.

Now I'm off to get book 2 in the series.

Yield: 12 muffins

Author: Linda Ditch

Cinnamon-Pumpkin Muffins

Adapted from a recipe found in the book Murder, She Barked by Krista Davis.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 eggs at room temperature
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• Topping
• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with paper cupcake cups. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil, 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, and pumpkin until well blended. Pour the mixture into the flour mixture and stir until just blended. Be sure to not overmix.
4. In a small bowl, mix together the topping ingredients. Spoon the muffin batter into the muffin tin until the cups are almost full. Sprinkle a teaspoon of the topping mixture on top of each muffin cup. Using a toothpick or a bamboo skewer, swirl the topping into the top of the muffin.
5. Place the muffin tin into the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

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