Jessica Merchant's Blog, page 82

Winter Hummus Bowls.

These winter hummus bowls are so delicious and satisfying! Seared chicken, massage kale, roasted broccoli and farro come together to make the most filling meal. Add your favorite toppings and go!

This is my kind of winter bowl.

This winter hummus bowl is filled with massaged kale, farro, seared chicken, radish matchsticks, roasted broccoli, a sprinkle of feta and pepitas. It’s super filling and so delicious!

Oh, and did I mention the hummus?!

Of course there is hummus! 

I’ve got some real, non-holiday food for us today.

I love meals like these. Throw everything in the bowl and go. The hummus acts like one big dip. And we are huge condiment people over here. Emilia and Jordan can barely start a meal without multiple dips by their side.

This is also one of those meals that comes together great if you have a lot of leftovers in the fridge. Because here’s what we’ve got going on!

A spiced seared chicken. But any leftover chicken would work!

Massaged kale salad.

Roasted broccoli. 

Farro, or any cooked grain you enjoy. Or have left! 

Radishes. For that spicy crisp. 

Pepitas. More crunch!

And feta. All crumbly and delicious. 

This is how it comes together:

Roasted broccoli is my go-to, because I almost always have it on hand! It’s also something that I don’t mind preparing ahead of time. However, if I don’t, it only takes about 20 minutes. 

I like to sear this chicken with smoked paprika, oregano, garlic and dill. Lots of salt and pepper too. I finish that off in the oven too. 

While the chicken is cooking, I massage the kale. Letting it sit for a bit removes the bitterness and chew. This is key. 

I almost exclusively use leftover grains here, or something I prepare ahead of time. Because it’s too many moving parts to roast, massage, grill, cook on the stovetop – you get it. So while I’m on a farro kick right now, it’s not the only option. I also like quinoa here. And even orzo. 

Then I start piling things on in the bowl. I start with a big spoonful of hummus. Next, I add on the massaged kale and the farro. 

Then, it’s time for the chicken and roasted broccoli. I throw the radish sticks on here too!

Finally, some toppings. Crumbled feta is perfect because, well, CHEESE. And roasted pepitas for some crunch.  (more…)

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A Week In The Life, Vol 51.

I can’t even believe it’s 51 weeks into 2023.

I know! I sound like a broken record!

We started out Monday with Max’s actual birthday.

Our elf always leaves him a happy birthday sign.

These two cuties.

I mean…

Had another little low key bday celebration with ice cream sandwiches.

Around our advent spiral!

Emilia’s flowers from her show are the prettiest.

I made some homemade bread.

It makes me emotional – the incredible sunsets (and sunrises!) we see outside out windows everyday.

Emilia all ready for christmas crafts at school.

Poor Max got sick at this point in the week. He gets sick this week of his birthday every year! It’s crazy.

It’s hot chocolate season!

Still loving this every night. It’s such a nice tradition.

Look at that sky!!

Emilia and I started making cookie dough.

And I made these amazing seven layer cookies. SO GOOD.

She is a pro by now.

The knee pop!!! I cannot.

Once Max felt better, we decided to go get some fresh air!

Smile and say CHRISTMAS!

Jordan wearing Max’s coat from 7 years ago!

And my cutest boy.

We went to see the tree!

I am so ridiculously obsessed with my children. How did I get so lucky!!

Can you believe. it was 60 degrees out?!

Quick stop at the milkshake factory!

Baby’s first milkshake!

I think he liked it.

Eeeep!

Chocolate for her too!

Then we went to see the Santas around the world. The kids love this!

Baked a little more this weekend.

Had another popcorn movie night!

Santa drove by on the fire truck!

And that was the week!

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What To Eat This Week: 12/17/23.

Bringing in winter with all the goodness!

What’s on your menu this week?!

What To Eat This Week

Pumpkin turkey chili

Taco puff pastry pizza

Smoky butternut kale salad

My mom’s chicken marsala

Winter farro salad

Creamy broccoli chicken soup

Winter chickpea salad

Baked almond butter oatmeal cups

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Currently Crushing On.

Hello hello!

This week on the blog I shared this creamy chicken and broccoli soup. I also shared this smoked gruyere cauliflower gratin, this merry cherry ginger lime mocktail and this chocolate chip orange ricotta pound cake!

It’s gift guide time! You can find my gift guides for:

women

men

under $25

kitchen

kids

beauty

There’s a new weekly menu up and a peek at a week in our life!

The Everyday Dinners cookbook club is on fire! If you have a copy of the book, request to join the group. If not, get one here! We’re finishing up our summer cooking challenge. Ready to start on fall! It is such a wonderful community and an amazing place for recipe ideas.

xoxoxo

WHAT I’M LOVING THIS WEEK

This chocolate pecan fudge looks delish.

Italian stuffed peppers. Yum.

Make these brown butter molasses cookies!

Antipasto wreath is absolutely PERFECT.

Love these caramel chocolate peanut cookies.

Mexican tamales. Sounds so wonderful.

Adore homemade marshmallows too.

Zebra striped shortbread! How fun.

Craving this white chocolate raspberry bundt cake.

Blueberry coffee cake looks fab.

This cranberry glazed ham sounds so, so good.

Caprese salad wreath! Yes yes yes.

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Chocolate Chip Orange Ricotta Pound Cake.

This orange ricotta pound cake is tender, delicious and studded with mini chocolate chips! It’s soft and light while being incredibly satisfying at the same time. It’s a must try!

Sometimes we need a break from holiday cookies. 

This orange ricotta pound cake is studded with chocolate chips. It’s incredibly tender and rich at the same time, sprinkled with powdered sugar. A slice is so delicious you won’t even want to eat a holiday cookie. 

While I’m all about making special cookies during this season, sometimes a different kind of treat hits the spot. That’s why I love making a christmas cake or, in this case, something super citrusy and sweet. 

Loaf cakes are nice to gift someone or a fun treat to take to a party. Plus, just slice and serve! They are so easy and convenient. 

For proclaiming that I’m not really a huge orange lover, here I am with another orange dessert for you!!

There is just something so incredibly festive about it. 

And while I don’t think I can ever get behind the chocolate oranges, I can get behind this ricotta orange pound cake with chocolate chips. 

I want to shout it from the rooftops: I love baking with ricotta cheese! It adds such a wonderful soft texture to whatever you’re baking. It’s so light and fluffy, as well as neutral flavored. So you can add just about anything!

In this case, we add a huge heaping scoop of fresh orange zest to the pound cake batter. I also like to use mini chocolate chips. 

The chocolate is the perfect complement to the cake. A bite is chocolatey, rich, citrusy, bright and fresh.

Perfect.

The rest of the ingredients are pretty classic and traditional and the loaf bakes in about one hour. Use the downtime to wrap some presents!

Look at that crumb. Incredible! (more…)

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Merry Cherry Lime Ginger Beer.

This merry cherry lime ginger beer nonalcoholic drink is super delicious and festive! Made with ginger beer, maraschino cherry juice, freshly squeezed lime juice and seltzer, it’s refreshingly sweet, gingery and hits the spot.

It’s a mocktail!

This cherry lime ginger beer drink is so delicious and refreshing, super pretty and festive for the holiday season and a hit with both kids and adults. It’s made with maraschino cherry juice, freshly squeezed lime juice, ginger beer (or ginger ale!) and a splash of seltzer.

Add in a sprig of fresh mint and a spoonful of cherries and it’s the cutest drink on the block.

Plus it just tastes so darn good. 

This can be the showstopping drink at your christmas or new year’s dinner this year. It’s incredibly wonderful tasting on its own, but you can also add a splash of vodka if you wish. Make it a little boozy!

You can also use ginger beer OR ginger ale here. I like to use ginger beer. It’s a little spicy, tangy and has that super gingery bite to it. However, my kids don’t love ginger beer. They prefer the more mellow sweet flavor of ginger ale. It works with both options, so it’s up to you!

When it comes to cherries, I love to use these merry maraschino cherries. I’ve been buying these (and their bada bing cherries!) for years at my local grocery store. Or just use the other traditional maraschino cherries you can find in your grocery store. Just be sure you have enough juice.  (more…)

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Smoked Gruyere Cauliflower Gratin with Dijon Breadcrumbs.

 This cauliflower gratin is the perfect cozy side dish that goes with just about anything! Made with smoked gruyere cheese and crunchy dijon breadcrumbs, it’s savory and decadent and delicious.

It’s side dish city over here! 

I’m all about finding the best sides to go with holiday meals, so today I’m coming at you with the creamiest, most delicious cauliflower gratin. 

This cauliflower gratin is made with smoked gruyere cheese, some parmesan, a little nutmeg and topped with dijon mustardy croutons. Baked until golden and crunchy on top, it’s almost like cauliflower in mac and cheese sauce.

Dreamy!! 

This cauliflower gratin is always the star of the show. It’s unbelievably delicious. It’s ridiculously cheesy. And the breadcrumbs on top!!

OH my word.

I use the same breadcrumbs that I do in my cauliflower white bean soup. Just toasty sourdough crumbs mixed with melted butter and dijon mustard. They are buttery and tangy from the mustard. They are the perfect crunchy topping and when you get a bite of the cauliflower with the breadcrumb bits, it’s heaven.

This is how I make it!

First, the cauliflower has to soften a bit. I like to do this in the microwave because it’s so easy. I cut the head of cauliflower into florets and place them in a bowl. Then, I add a splash of water, cover the bowl and microwave for a few minutes to steam the cauliflower.

The is key! This is the only way that your cauliflower will be tender enough. Otherwise, it will not cook and be tender if it’s simply roasted with the sauce. Make sure to steam it first. 

Next comes the smoky gruyere sauce. My oh my how I love smoked gruyere cheese. It’s divine! I start this by making a roux with butter and flour. Then I stream in the milk. Cheese is up next! Add it with the pot over very low heat. I sprinkle in a little parmesan as well as a few delicious grates of fresh nutmeg. 

Time to combine! The steamed cauliflower florets go into a baking dish. The cheese sauce is poured on top. Then comes the mustardy breadcrumbs.

Gosh I love this part. I tear apart a few pieces of sourdough bread, then toast them in a skillet with dijon and butter. Those go on top of the cauliflower as well as some extra cheese too!

Into the oven it goes. This takes around 30 minutes. It’s mouth-wateringly incredible and you’ll want to eat it with a spoon right out of the baking dish!

Not to mention, it goes with just about every main entree you can think of! 

Who knew vegetables could be so wonderful!! (more…)

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Tuesday Things.

1. How stunning is this candy cane cake roll?!

2. This homemade eggnog latte has been incredible. I do a shot of espresso, some eggnog over ice and a splash of vanilla creamer. Oh my GOSH.

3. I got this milk frother and it makes incredible cold foam! I cannot get enough.

4. I’m in such a huge baking mood and can’t even wait to bake cookies! Have to wrap a giant project before I start, but I might make some doughs today.

5. How to host the best cookie exchange. The only thing I don’t like to do is combine all the cookies together. They all end up tasting the same then.

6. I’m on the fence about peppermint bark. Love or hate?

7. TV things!! I started watching My Life with the Walter Boys which is cute.

8. What’s the #1 gift you’ve got your parents for the holidays?!

9. Next year, having a favorite things party is high up on my list. I think they seem so fun!

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Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Soup.

This creamy chicken and broccoli soup is delicious and easy, perfect for a busy weeknight! It’s satisfying, loaded with vegetables and full of flavor!

It’s a soup day!

This creamy chicken and broccoli soup is a hug in a bowl. Creamy soup with lots of vegetables, broccoli florets, shredded chicken and a hit of both parmesan and lemon. So delicious for the chilly season!

This is the soup recipe that made my entire family fall in love with soup.

Sure, they like soup. They don’t LIKE like it like I do. There is no infatuation with soup on their end. That’s for me alone. I could live on soup!

But this soup broke the mold. 

Think of it as a cross between chicken noodle soup (without the noodles) and broccoli cheddar soup (without the cheddar).  

I know. It sounds weird.

It doesn’t even sound that good. 

But when the whole thing comes together, it’s perfect. Creamy, cozy and everything you want in a soup. The parmesan rind adds a wonderful depth of flavor – a rich nuttiness that only parmesan can. The spritz of lemon adds a fresh brightness. The soup is soft but textured, easy and comes together fast. 

The kids and Eddie adore this soup. They have multiple servings when I make it, and this is definitely the first soup that Jordan (who is two!) enjoyed. Now he does a happy soup dance every time I even mention soup, because he loves this so much.

You can’t beat how easy this is. I almost always use a rotisserie chicken because it’s simple and tastes great. If I’m going to make this later in the week, I will also chop my onions, celery and carrots and keep them in a sealed jar in the fridge.

It comes together so quickly if you do that.

It’s also a great clean-out-the-fridge soup! I use those classic chicken soup vegetables, the onions, carrots and celery. And of course, broccoli is the star of the show here. But if you have any other veggies hanging out in the fridge, you can toss them in too. 

And!

I love to thicken this soup using a slurry instead of making a roux. I find that a slurry thickens soups so nicely and evenly. And also, quickly. 

This is one of my favorites because of how reminiscent it is of broccoli cheddar. That’s one of my greatest soup loves. And this recipe reminds me so much of that – the texture, even a little bit of the flavor. But it’s lighter and even a little more satisfying with the chicken.  (more…)

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A Week In The Life, Vol 50.

50 weeks into the year!!

We had such a full, wonderful week. I can’t believe we did so much this week!

Got a tiny bit of snow that lasted like 5 minutes.

I want more snow every day in December!

I found Max reading like this. He stayed this way for, like, 10 minutes. What?!

Emilia had a super long theater practice on Monday night because it was the week of her play!

Speaking of, I went to the Mariah Carey christmas concert and oh my gosh…

I cannot!! I mean, it wasn’t the best concert I’ve ever been to, but given that I blast Mariah at least 3 days every week, AND that she sang a bunch of her non-holiday hits, I loved it. I was a total fangirl.

We celebrated St Nicholas Day!

I have never had a child run away from me in a store until Jordan in Target last Thursday. He’s so mischievous.

Went into Emilia’s class to build mini gingerbread houses!

Broke one of my fave eyeshadow palettes. Whomp whomp.

And then!!! Oh Friday we celebrated Max’s birthday.

His birthday isn’t until tomorrow, but HOW IS HE 9!!!! I cannot comprehend.

I don’t even know how this time has gone so fast.

Oreo buttercream in the cake!

Howwwww cute is my niece Lucy!!

Emilia’s outfit choice.

Cutest sweetest boy!

Baby snugs.

Saturday morning Max had a basketball game.

I cannot with the shorts and the socks!

We built gingerbread houses.

Don’t worry, I hot glue gunned them.

Jordan was SO into this. He say for well over an hour and was extremely focused in on placing the candy!

Mine and Jordy’s house!

Popcorn + movie night.

My best ever christmas tortellini salad.

And then today, Emilia had two shows! For their fall/christmas show, they performed The Star, which is the cutest movie/show ever.

She played a jewelry vendor.

And then Edith, the manger cow.

It was such a long day for her and she was the best!

The boys were excited to see her too.

And lots of flowers!!

Finally, some bedtime reading after this busy week. xoxoxo

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