Egg in a Basket with Goat Cheese & Avocado

Posted on April 13, 2014 by skibootsinthekitchen

Good Morning! Maybe you haven’t had your coffee yet, so its only an OK morning so far, get that caffeine pumping through your veins and the day will seem a little more tolerable! This week is vacation week for a lot of people in Park City, I’m envious of you if you’re off on a lovely vacation… It was snowing here AGAIN yesterday!

This coming weekend is also Easter, which means another excuse to cook and eat food (like I needed an excuse!) I’m excited to decorate some Easter eggs, make some delicious brunch and sit back with a cup of coffee (or bloody mary!) and enjoy the day! Growing up one of my favorite breakfast dishes was “eggs in a basket” also know as “eggs in a hole” I’m sure you have your own name for it if you’re familiar with this meal! But since its almost Easter, today I’m calling it Egg-in-a-basket! You’re taking two essential breakfast items, eggs and toast, and marrying them into one awesome creation! Sometimes the simplest of things taste the best! As a kid I used to put maple syrup over the top but in this version of eggs-in-a-basket I’ve dressed it up with creamy goat cheese and avocado! Hope you have a great Monday! Enjoy!

Ingredients (Serves 1)

1 fresh egg
1 slice whole grain bread
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon goat cheese, crumbled
1/2 avocado, sliced
2-3 dashes paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Melt 1/2 the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Using a sharp knife or the rim of a glass, cut a golf ball sized hole in the middle of the bread. Spread the remaining butter evenly on the slice of bread. (spread some butter on the little bread circle and throw it into the pan as well as an added crispy treat!)
Place the bread butter side down in the skillet and allow it to brown 1 minutes. Crack the egg, carefully, into the hole, add 2-3 dashes of paprika over the egg and fry 2 minutes until the egg has set slightly.
Carefully flip the egg with a spatula and cook for 2-3 minutes longer. You don’t want to over cook the egg so the yolk is hard but you want to be sure the whites are cooked. Let it cook until the yolk feels, to the touch, soft but not over jiggly!
Remove the egg-in-a-basket from the pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper then crumble 1 tablespoon of goat cheese (or more if you love it!) over the egg. Slice up the avocado and serve it on the side.
Bon Appetit!

Chocolate Buttermilk Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Posted on April 7, 2014 by skibootsinthekitchen

Last weekend was a great weekend. I skied, I went bowling, I ate lots of cake and I celebrated my birthday surrounded by friends! Weekends don’t get much better than that! Cake is delicious all the time, but there is something about birthday cake that is extra special! Now my usual request for birthday cake is my moms carrot cake (I posted it last year!) and I was lucky enough to enjoy some delicious carrot cake cupcakes this year, thanks to these lovely ladies above! (don’t worry I didn’t eat all the cupcakes myself) But if its not carrot cake, I’d rather have chocolate… hands down! You won’t find a more classic cupcake than these delicious chocolate pillows. Top them with cream cheese frosting… because why would you have any other kind of frosting? And you’ve got yourself a heavenly piece of cake!

The secret inside them? Brewed coffee! Adding brewed coffee to your cake does not make it taste like coffee or mocha but rather it intensifies the chocolate flavor. This is possible because coffee has the same flavor profile as chocolate, but is less dominant than cocoa, so adding it helps your taste buds pick up on the chocolate notes. The end result is a super light but very chocolatey cake that’s not too rich and leaves you satisfied! Since this cake is all about the chocolate, be sure to use quality cocoa powder for both the cake and the frosting!

Chocolate Buttermilk Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting (click for printer friendly version)

Chocolate Buttermilk Cake

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup Dutched cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup strong brewed coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/2 cup good cocoa powder

Directions:

Brew Coffee and set aside. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Line cupcake pans with cupcake tins, or for a cake coat two 9″ round pans with butter, dust with flour and line the bottom with parchment rounds.
Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl, stir with a hand whisk and set aside.
Using an electric mixer or hand mixer beat eggs and sugar until very thick. Beat in oil.
Alternate adding flour and buttermilk to the egg mixture beating until well combined.
Add coffee and vanilla until combined.
Fill cupcake pans evenly, only filling them 1/2 way up. (same for cake pans)
Bake for 20-30minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting them.

For the Frosting:

With an electric mixer beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth.
Slowly mix in powdered sugar and cocoa powder.
Allow frosting to set in the fridge while the cake is in the oven.

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups sifted powdered sugar (You can decrease this amount if you don’t care about it being as stiff for piping)
1/2 cup cocoa powder

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups sifted powdered sugar (You can decrease this amount if you don’t care about it being as stiff for piping)
1/2 cup cocoa powder

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups sifted powdered sugar (You can decrease this amount if you don’t care about it being as stiff for piping)
1/2 cup cocoa powder

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups sifted powdered sugar (You can decrease this amount if you don’t care about it being as stiff for piping)
1/2 cup cocoa powder

Happy April… Fools!

Posted on April 2, 2014 by skibootsinthekitchen

Happy April! Hopefully you didn’t miss my April Fools day post yesterday, if you did, check it out here. I love April Fools day jokes! I always come into the day prepared not to trust anyone but I usually fall for one or two good pranks! Here are a few photos I took yesterday that are definitely NOT April Fools jokes. It has snowed 16″ in the last two days in Park City. A couple days ago you could see the grass on my front lawn… Now, not so much! This Sea Salt Soriee is nothing to joke about, its damn delicious and I have to refrain from eating the whole bar before I leave the grocery store. Looking for a delicious snack? All you need is some EXTRA sharp cheddar cheese, freshly sliced apples and a corn tortilla. Place the apples on the tortilla, top with cheese and stick it under the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese melts. This was one of my favorite childhood snacks! Some beautiful spring tulips and daffodils I picked up at Whole Foods this weekend are finally blooming! Even though its snowing outside, it feels like spring in my house! Here’s to a happy April, cheers!

Fresh Southwestern Salad

Posted on April 1, 2014 by skibootsinthekitchen

Since moving out West 5 years ago I have been a huge fan of southwestern flavors and cuisine! Taco Tuesday is, obviously, my favorite day of the week… I mean who doesn’t love tacos, Tuesday and delicious food. Well for this taco Tuesday I thought I would bring you my favorite new and super fresh, homemade southwestern ‘taco’ salad.

Everything is ready in minutes

So fresh its like you picked it yourself

place chopped salad in the bowl

yum!

FRESHLY grated cheese

This is the perfect week night side, it’s so fast and easy and the added bonus, everything is homemade! Everyone will think you slaved away for hours on fresh tortilla strips and taco ranch vinaigrette! As you can see above I used freshly grated Parmesan cheese, which makes all the difference!

fresh!

Tortilla strips right from the oven

crispy and delicious

homemade dressing!

The taco ranch vinaigrette is my grandmother’s secret recipe, so I can’t actually tell you what’s in it but any kind of southwestern dressing will do. The tortilla strips are best when you sprinkle them over the salad fresh out of the oven like I did above!

‘Organic’ Sour Cream

Bon Appetit!

Toss everything together and garnish with a dollop of organic sour cream! Season to taste with freshly ground pepper and enjoy!!

**April Fools!**

Homemade Pizza, “The Spicy Goat”

Posted on March 30, 2014 by skibootsinthekitchen

Good Monday Morning! I know, Monday mornings are hard. Don’t you wish there was a day between Sunday and Monday to recover from the weekend? That would be nice. I would get so many house chores and laundry done! The weather yesterday was pretty yucky which actually allowed me to get a lot done. I even took a little trip to Home Depot and picked up some fresh herbs, succulents and cactus to plant! Check back later this week for how they turned out! I’ve been on a big homemade pizza kick lately. Partly because there are no good pizza places in Park City but mostly because its SO much better when you make it yourself! I get fresh dough from Whole Foods or Trader Joes, which makes the whole process faster.

I love Aidells chicken sausage, I use it for so many recipes it’s delicious for everything! This is my favorite pizza creation- the spice from the jalapeno chicken sausage, the sweetness of the caramelized onions, mushrooms and peppers and the creaminess from the goat cheese makes the ultimate combination!

I’ve dubbed my favorite pie “The Spicy Goat”! Time to get cooking, enjoy!

Homemade Pizza- The Spicy Goat (Click for printer friendly version)
Ingredients (Serves 4-6):

2 balls fresh pizza dough
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
8 oz fresh baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 package Aidells Mango Jalapeno chicken sausage or other spicy chicken sausage (4 sausages)
4 oz goat cheese, crumbed
1 7oz container fresh Buitoni pesto
1 16oz fresh mozzarella ball (the large mozzarella log), thinly sliced
1 cup shredded fresh mozzarella cheese
1 bag fresh arugula
1 lemon, juiced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
salt and pepper to taste
corn meal and flour for pizza dough

Directions:

Place your pizza stone in the oven and pre-heat to 450 degrees. (If you don’t have a pizza stone you can use a cookie sheet or baking sheet but don’t put it in the oven while its pre-heating)
Slice the chicken sausage into rounds and saute in a medium pan until brown on both sides. Set aside.
Drizzle some olive oil, about 1 tablespoon in a medium skillet and saute onions and peppers until golden brown and tender about 5-7 minutes. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sugar and stir. Add mushrooms and saute another 4-5 minutes. remove from heat and set aside.
Working one ball of dough at a time, take one ball of dough and flatten it with your hands on a slightly floured work surface. Starting at the center and working outwards, use your fingertips to press the dough to 1/2-inch thick. Turn and stretch the dough until it will not stretch further. Continue to stretch it until it reaches the desired diameter – 10 to 12 inches.
Lightly sprinkle your pizza paddle (or flat baking sheet) with corn meal. Transfer one prepared flattened dough to the pizza paddle. To assemble, spread half the pesto onto the dough, slice half the fresh mozzarella and place that on top of the pesto. Layer half the chicken sausage, half the onion, mushroom and pepper mixture. Sprinkle 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella and 2 oz of fresh goat cheese on top. (you will use the rest of the ingredients for the other ball of pizza dough, assemble the same way!)
Sprinkle some cornmeal on the baking stone in the oven (watch your hands, the oven is hot!). Slide the pizza off of the paddle and on to the baking stone in the oven. Bake pizza one at a time until the crust is browned and the cheese is golden, about 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, while the pizza is cooking, toss the arugula with lemon juice, 3 tablespoons olive oil and a large pinch of salt. Set aside till pizza is ready.
Remove the pizza from the oven and allow it to cool for 3-5 minutes, while you place the other pizza in the oven. Top with half the arugula mixture, slice and serve!

Après Hour

Posted on March 27, 2014 by skibootsinthekitchen

Howdy y’all, its that time of the week again… Après Hour! Last weekend we went to Jackson Hole to ski and look what I found! A lift named after this post… nope I just lied. The lift is named Apres Vous and I poorly photo shopped “hour” over “vous” but it was worth a shot! Jackson Hole was gorgeous! The town is so much fun and the Teton mountains are so breath taking! ✓ See what I mean, Teton National Park is pretty awesome. Hope you enjoy some of my favorite links, drinks and photos from around the internet this week! Cheers to the weekend!

✓ Here are the 20 Stages of Grocery Shopping… YES to #16 (Wine is a requirement)!

✓ Spring Cleaning? Here are 10 things you’ll probably forget to clean but shouldn’t!

Girls selfie

Jackson Hole Arch

View from the top of the tram

Lunch Margs

✓ Some pictures of Jackson Hole and my lunch time margaritas. Speaking of margaritas…

✓ I’m definitely making this Roasted Grapefruit and Habanero margarita the moment I get home tonight.

✓ Love this company FEED. They create good products that help FEED the world. Each bag feeds one child in school for one year, plus they are really awesome for the farmers market!

✓ This is one of my favorite food blogs, Cookie and Kate. All her recipes are awesome but this kale pesto looks killer!

✓ If I had to pick my last meal on earth… this would be it. ✓ We could all use some good life advice, take these 21 tips from Gloria Steinem they’re really good!

Happy Weekend to you!

Chunky Monkey Overnight Oats

Posted on March 24, 2014 by skibootsinthekitchen

You know those crazy mornings when there isn’t time for breakfast? Like this past week when the mountain predicted 2-inches of fresh snow, only to realize when I woke up it was actually 8+ inches of fresh POW. Yup, now you’re thinking to yourself, I needed to be out the door 10 minutes ago!

If you didn’t already know, breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Skip it and you definitely won’t have the energy you need to be active all day. Whether your crazy morning is getting out on the mountain, getting the kids ready for school, or getting yourself to work on time, these overnight oats are the perfect grab-and-go meal! Most mornings I eat these right out of the mason jar in the car on my way to the mountain or work. The best part? NO cooking required! You just throw all your favorite ingredients together, pop it in the fridge overnight and boom, breakfast is in your belly!

If you are allergic to peanut butter feel free to substitute another kind of nut butter, such as almond butter or sunflower butter, or leave it out all together! And please, only use REAL maple syrup! As you can see, I used Maine maple syrup because there are a lot of “Mainers” at Ski Butlers and my husband is convinced it tastes better because its from Maine!

This hearty breakfast is also vegan, gluten free (if you get gluten free rolled oats) and super filling so you can charge those powder runs all morning! Enjoy!

Chunky Monkey Overnight Oats (Serves 2, or 1 hungry person)

Ingredients:

1 cup traditional rolled oats (not the instant kind or steal cut)
1 cup almond milk (vanilla or original)
1/2 a large ripe banana
2 tablespoons chunky peanut butter
1 tablespoon real maple syrup
2 tablespoons mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (or regular)
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed (optional)

Directions:

In a medium bowl mash together the peanut butter and banana using a fork until fully mixed together.
Pour oats and almond milk into the same bowl and stir. Be sure to scrape the peanut butter from the sides of the bowl so all the goodness is fully incorporated! Finally, mix in maple syrup, chocolate chips and flaxseed.
Transfer the oats into a 16oz (Pint) mason jar with a tight fitting lid. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, stir oats and enjoy! You can also add some crunchy granola, fresh banana slices or nuts on top before eating!

Thank you to Ski Butlers for featuring this post on their blog! Check it out here! Want more delicious recipes? Visit me at http://www.skibootsinthekitchen.com, follow me on Twitter @skibootskitchen and ‘like’ me on Facebook!

Beautiful day here in Park City looking out at Deer Valley and Park City Resorts!

Chocolate Guinness Cake Happy St. Patrick’s Day

Posted on March 16, 2014 by skibootsinthekitchen

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Hopefully you had a wonderful weekend and celebrated St. Paddy’s day a little early! Yesterday was a beautiful day! My mom is in town so we went skiing, then had a few apres drinks and I got my nails painted green to match my ski pants (and to feel festive!)

The View!

Just posing for the camera

Green for St. Patty’s Day!

Cheers!

I was also in the mood to make a festive St. Paddy’s day dish but I am not a huge fan of corned beef and cabbage. For some reason I just can’t bring myself to eat it! So I decided to go for something I love to eat… chocolate! I saw this recipe a long time ago on Food52, but I was a little thrown off by the name of it… “Snake Bite.”

Cake

Frosting

This cake is named after a traditional British drink called the Snake Bite which is the combination of beer and hard cider. Its named after the drink because there is stout in the cake and hard cider in the frosting, which makes for the most perfect combination ever! Last week I was looking for a good St. Paddy’s day dish and I realized this Guinness laced cake would be perfect!

Not to mention the cider you use for the frosting is called PERRY CIDER! Then I knew it was meant to be, I had to make it! Turns out it is so quick and easy and its totally delicious! So take that left over Guinness out of the fridge and whip up this perfect cake to celebrate!

Chocolate Guinness Cake with Hard Cider Cream Cheese Frosting: “Snake Bite” Makes one nine-inch cake (Recipe from Food52)

For the Cake

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup good cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted and cooled
3/4 cups Guinness Extra Stout, at room temperature

For the Frosting

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup fermented pear cider (I like Ace’s)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a nine-inch round cake pan.
Mix together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sour cream. Then whisk in melted butter and Guinness. Add flour mixture to egg mixture and combine with a rubber spatula. Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
While the cake is baking, prepare the frosting. Put the softened butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until creamy and well combined, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the powdered sugar and mix until combined. Slowly pour in the pear cider and mix until the frosting comes together. Let the frosting set up a bit in the refrigerator until the cake is ready to frost.
When the cake is cool, transfer it to a platter. Spread the icing on top of the cake, slice and enjoy!

Spicy Black Bean, Sweet Potato & Quinoa Veggie Burgers

Posted on March 12, 2014 by skibootsinthekitchen

All this warm weather has been getting me in the mood to BBQ! Today in Park City it was 50 degrees and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky! It was just gorgeous! Many years ago a friend of mine (Bridgit!) who’d recently became a vegan introduced me to her favorite black bean and quinoa burgers from her vegan cookbook. At the time I was not vegan or even vegetarian, thus I was a bit skeptical, until I tried one!

black beans

black beans and sweet potato

black beans, sweet potato and quinoa

It instantly became one of my favorite go-to veggie burgers for years to come. Over the years, I have tweaked and added a few things and adapted the recipe to make it my own.

I love making a double batch of these burgers and wrapping them individually so I can freeze them. They make for a quick and easy dinner when you’re not in the mood to cook or are great to bring to a BBQ. See note below about freezing the patties**

Cooking the burgers

I haven’t bought a veggie burger from the grocery store in years because nothing compares! This recipe will turn any meat eating burger lover, into a vegan spicy black bean sweet potato burger lover, after just one bite! Cheers, I hope you enjoy!

Spicy Black Bean Sweet Potato Quinoa Veggie Burgers (click for printer friendly version) (Serves 6)

1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup roasted, diced sweet potato* see below
1 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup Italian style bread crubs
1 tablespoon cholula
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Olive oil for cooking
6 burger buns
optional avocado, tomato, arugula, cheese

Directions:

Peel a small to medium sweet potato and cut it into small cubes. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and roast on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes until tender and golden brown. Set aside and let it cool.
Mash black beans and sweet potato together with a fork until somewhat smooth but still chunky. Add quinoa, onions, garlic, cilantro and bread crumbs and mix until combined.
In a small bowl whisk together water, tomato paste, cholula, cumin, chili powder salt and pepper. Pour over black bean/sweet potato mash and mix with a fork.
Using you hands, make 6 patties. If the mixture seems to wet add a tablespoon more of bread crumbs or if its too dry add a tablespoon more water before making the patties. The mixture should be sticky enough to easily form patties with out crumbling. **If freezing some patties wrap them individually in saran wrap and freeze. when ready to eat, thaw and follow steps 5 and 6!**
In a medium skillet, heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Cook the burgers for 5 minutes on each side on medium heat, until golden brown on each side.
Serve on a toasted bun with desired toppings such as cheese, avocado, tomato and fresh arugula.

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Jalapeno, Mango & Avocado Salsa

Posted on March 9, 2014 by skibootsinthekitchen

It has started to feel a lot like spring lately here in Park City. This weekend we had two gorgeous days of sunshine and warm weather, great for catching some rays and enjoying an apres drink after skiing… not so good for the snow! Practically all the snow around our house has melted and I’ve woken up the last few mornings to birds chirping outside my window and its only March 10th! Here is Piper… laying on the only patch of snow left on our lawn! I did get some great skiing and hikes in this weekend. After being cooped up all winter, its nice to finally get out and enjoy the sunshine! And now that we’ve gained an extra hour of daylight at night I get to enjoy those late afternoon walks with the dog! Since I was feeling in the spring/summery mood this weekend I decided to whip up this delicious jalapeno, mango and avocado salsa!

I would put this salsa on anything! Its great with chips, on tacos, chicken, fish… the options are endless and you’ll wish the bowl of this salsa was endless too because it is so good! This salsa goes perfectly on my fish tacos with chipotle cabbage slaw… but you’ll have to check back tomorrow, Taco Tuesday, for that recipe!

Jalapeno, Mango & Avocado Salsa

1 large mango, cubed (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 medium avocados, cubed
1 large shallot, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1 medium jalapeno, diced (depending on how spicy you like it, remove either all or some of the seeds before chopping)
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped (if you don’t like cilantro, substitute mint)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix together mango, avocado, jalapeno and shallots. Be careful not to over mix and smash the mango and avocado.
In a smaller bowl, combine lime juice and olive oil. Drizzle over mango mixture.
Sprinkle cilantro, salt and pepper over the top and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. Enjoy!