Jessica Cooks! Devoted to sharing some of our favorite recipes and menus.
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I've cooked a lot of dishes over the years, but there are a few recipes that I come back to time and time again. Below is a list of some of my absolute favorite never-let-you-down recipes. Please let me know if you have any questions or a link isn't working.

Appetizers | Breads & Pastries | Breakfast & Brunch | Desserts | Drinks | Entrees | Pasta | Salads | Sides | Soups & Stews
 
 
   Appetizers
  • Candied Rosemary Cashews
  • Feta, Spinach, and Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms (Leftover filling is excellent in an omelet)
  • Herb-Marinated Olives
  • Homemade Ricotta
  • Parmesan and Prosciutto Gougères
  • Pomodori al Forno (Serving suggestion: use in place of fresh tomatoes in caprese salad, or chop with caprese ingredients and use as a bruschetta topping or in puff pastry shells)
  • Potato Basil Frittata Squares
  • Radish Herb Butter
  • Roasted Shrimp Cocktail with Lemon Caper Cream Sauce (Sauté garlic instead of using microwave and add chopped shallots as well.  Add zest of juiced lemons, plus horseradish to taste)
  • Slow-Roasted Tomatoes
  • Smooth Hummus
  • Tomato Crostini with Whipped Feta Recipe (Use good quality feta and olive oil, the flavor of both will be very strong)
 
   Breads & Pastries
  • Banana Sour Cream Bread (Especially love the technique of lining the pan with cinnamon sugar, can be used for almost all quick bread recipes)
  • Blueberry Muffins (Eat fresh out of the oven!)
  • Cinnamon Rolls
  • Cream Scones
  • Smoked Cheddar Twists
 
   Breakfast & Brunch
  • Chicken, Apple & Fresh Sage Sausage Patties (Can add thyme and rosemary as well)
  • Champagne Oranges
  • Essential Raised Waffles
  • Olive Oil and Maple Granola
  • Steel Cut Oatmeal with Almond Butter and Honey
 
   Desserts
  • Applesauce Snack Cake
  • Baked Brownie, Spiced Up
  • Black Coffee Ice Cream
  • Blueberry Cream Pie
  • Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake (Our wedding cake! I like to add chopped peanut butter cups between the layers as well)
  • Homemade Oreos
  • Jeni's Salty Caramel Ice Cream (The caramel will taste almost burned before the base is mixed, but in the finished product it will be perfect)
  • Peppermint Cream Squares
  • Ricotta-Mascarpone Mousse w/ Balsamic Strawberries (Particularly delicious with chocolate-flavored balsamic vinegar)
  • Salted Brown Butter Crispy Treats
  • Silky Smooth Pumpkin Pie
  • Spoon-dent Cookies with Lemon Curd (Also good with 1-2 tbsp crushed lavender added into the dough)
  • Sugar-Crusted Popovers (Used browned butter to brush them at the end)
  • Toasted Coconut Shortbread
  • Three-Layer Berry and Brown Sugar Pavlova
  • Twice-Baked Sour Cherry Pie
 
   Drinks
  • Hot Chocolate
  • Mulled Wine (Not quite sweet enough for me, use a sweet red or add extra honey)
 
   Entrees
  • Braised Short Ribs
  • Chicken Enchiladas
  • Chicken Normandy: Chicken with Apples, Brandy, Onions and Cream
  • Chicken Salad and Cranberry Brie Toast
  • Crockpot Korean Beef Tacos
  • Italian Pressed Sandwiches (Add prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, and slow-roasted cherry tomatoes)
  • Lasagna (Use pork Italian sausage instead)
  • Low Country Boil
  • Slow-Roasted Filet of Beef and Basil Parmesan Mayonnaise
  • Stuffed Pumpkin with Cheese, Bacon and Chipotle Chiles
 
Pasta
  • Fancy Macaroni (Top with buttered, toasted panko)
  • Fettuccine with Creamy Tomato Italian Sausage Sauce
  • Pasta with Fresh Corn Pesto
  • Penne à la Vodka (Fold in tiny fresh mozzarella balls just before serving)
  • Spicy Pasta Salad with Smoked Gouda, Tomatoes, and Basil
 
   Salads
  • Beet, avocado & grapefruit salad
  • Butternut Squash, Chickpea, and Tahini Salad (I’ll sometimes roast or caramelize the onions instead of leaving them raw. Excellent served over salad greens dressed in a lemon vinaigrette)
  • Carrot Salad with Harissa, Feta and Mint
  • Dilled Potato and Pickled Cucumber Salad
  • Fennel Salad, Fennel Slaw with Mint Vinaigrette
  • French Potato Salad (Great using whole tiny marble-sized potatoes)
  • Massaged Kale Salad with Anchovy Dressing
  • Ribboned Asparagus Salad with Lemon
  • Shredded Rainbow Salad
 
   Sides
  • Broccoli Rabe with Balsamic Brown Butter (Can also make w/ roasted broccoli or kale)
  • Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes with Fried Sage 
  • Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Chestnuts Recipe (No need to blanch or use chicken broth)
  • Fingerling Potatoes with Rosemary and Thyme, Crispy or Not
  • Roasted New Potatoes with Caramelized Onions and Truffle Oil
  • Rosemary Polenta (Also great if you skip the cooling/cutting/frying step and leave it creamy)
 
   Soups & Stews
  • Beef Chili + Sour Cream and Cheddar Biscuits (Add: 1 can fire-roasted tomatoes, an extra can kidney beans,  several tablespoons of tomato paste [up to one whole can], and up to 1 tbsp ground chipotle for heat.  Simmer for at least an extra 2-3 hours)
  • Beef Stew
  • Cauliflower Soup
  • Summer Vegetable, Sweet Corn & Chicken Chowder
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