Gourmet Food on a Budget - Recipes, Methods, and Meal Planning - Ever Forward, Ever Flavorful
Recipes and tips for foods you might want to serve for a holiday celebration, special occasions, or just because you want something a little fancy.
This Halloween Pumpkin Fortress Cake is stuffed with cream cheese and has red food coloring. With decorations, it's meant to be a "scary" treat for the season. Wafting with pumpkin spice, the cake has an espresso glaze to remind you of a good coffee house cake. Surprisingly, it's a pretty simple cake to make.
A long time ago, when Trader Joe's was close to me, I tried a sample of their Roasted Vegetables in Balsamic Butter Sauce with a dollop of creme fraiche. I loved it. Ever since then, when I would visit the store, I would always get a few bags to put in my freezer. But, you know, sometimes you're at the store, not Trader Joe's, and you really want those vegetables with no time to go and get them. That's when you get the stuff you need and make your own. Now, I'm going to share with you my take on these wonderful roasted vegetables with balsamic butter sauce.
Fresh Strawberry Sheet Cake will never, ever get old. It's a very simple cake to make and my goto white cake. Topping it with strawberries and whipped cream makes it a great summer cake that can feed a crowd.
These tender barbeque ribs are made in the Instant Pot, so they are quick to make and very tender. You don't need hours and hours to enjoy a summer favorite.
There is nothing like fresh tortillas to make a great cheese casserole. When you are starting out making tortillas by hand, your tortillas might not turn out as nice and thin as those at the store, but that shouldn't stop you. Use them for a casserole. You can use canned enchilada sauce as I did, or you can make your own salsa, which I will show in another post.
These cheesy Quick Chili Rellenos are great for a weeknight and a good way to use up leftover mashed potatoes.
Moist chicken in a Graniteware roaster to keep moisture in and have nice crispy skin. Easy enough for a weeknight dinner, elegant enough for guests.
Colcannon with bacon and cheddar, is my take on the traditional Irish dish that can be served as a side or stand on its own. Thrifty, filling, and delicious.
Pi Day Quiche, presenting for your pleasure, Ham and Leek Quiche for National Pi Day. Pi Day is an annual celebration of the mathematical constant π (pi). Pi Day is observed on March 14 (3/14 in the month/day format) since 3, 1, and 4 are the first three significant digits of π. In 2009, the United States House of Representatives supported the designation of Pi Day.
This happens to be my favorite quiche combination. It is so simple to make, you can have it on a work night, then have leftovers for lunch the next day. It's great with a salad.
I made this a few years ago and forgot about it. It languished in my recipe box for many years, until as I was going through it to see what I could remove, I came across it and thought I should try it again.
It's delicious. But be warned - if you don't like blue cheese, you won't like this. If you don't like red wine, you won't like this either. This is not a traditional risotto, it is very assertive and needs to be served with well-marinated beef. I think broccoli goes very well with this and steams quite quickly while the roast rests. Serve with a nice red wine and Sour Cherry Jellies for dessert.
You all have to forgive my surfer platter. Under the roast, it says "Seas & Greetings" - I just couldn't resist it for the holidays a few years ago, and it has served me well.