Archives for March 2013

Roasted Chicken Tacos with Manchego Cheese and Avocado

March 31, 2013 by The Partial Ingredients

Roasted a whole chicken is a perfect meat for tacos because it is tender, flavorful and easy to shred. I chose a basic spice blend of smoked paprika, cumin, garlic and oregano for the chicken. Then I baked it in the oven for a few hours which gave me enough time to make some fresh Pico de Gallo and shredded manchego cheese. Manchego is a great cheese for tacos because it has the creaminess of queso fresco but with a little more tartness. The tacos turned out really well! The smoky flavor of the chicken worked nicely with the manchego and creamy avocado. The recipe for the chicken is pretty versatile so I’m sure I’ll be experimenting with different salsas and condiments next time!

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Irish Soda Bread Cranberry Scones

March 13, 2013 by The Partial Ingredients

Whenever I’ve picked up store bought scones I’ve always been disappointed. This year with Saint Patrick’s Day around the corner I came across a recipe for these Irish Soda Bread Scones. Determined to like scones, I gave this recipe a try. The recipe was originally made as a full loaf bread so I don’t know how traditional these are to scone recipes. The fluffy, dense texture on the inside and the rough exterior was very scone-like. If it tastes like a scone and looks like a scone, it’s a scone right? It was fair enough for me, especially since these were so delicious. I loved the bursts of sweet and tart from the cranberries, which paired well with the caraway. Next time I might go a little crazy and add orange or lemon zest to the dough and see how that turns out.

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Chocolate Espresso Cookies

March 10, 2013 by The Partial Ingredients

Chocolate and espresso is a subtle combination. In many recipes a little espresso or coffee is added to enhance the chocolate flavor. The espresso compliments the chocolate and these cookies play on that idea very nicely. The batter is made with cocoa and espresso powders along with melted chocolate. Solid chocolate chips are mixed into the batter so any cravings you might have had for chocolate will probably be satisfied. After the cookies are baked the outside forms a glossy layer that cracks apart. The inside isn’t really like a normal cookie’s but rather like the inside of a brownie. I was really happy with how these turned out and next time I have a chocolate craving I know which recipe to turn to!

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Cherry Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

March 3, 2013 by The Partial Ingredients

Oatmeal raisin cookies got a bad rep when I was a kid. They weren’t very sweet, had a dry crumbly texture and just couldn’t stand up to classic chocolate chip cookies. These cookies give chocolate chip a run for it’s money. The cherries and chocolate go so well together and the texture was soft and not too crumbly. The cherries really take this cookie to the next level because they added a little bit of tartness to balance the sweet. I will definitely be making these again! The recipe makes 5 1/2 dozen so I cut the recipe in half. If you wanted to make the larger amount, just double the measurements below.

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