Last week, I celebrated my friend’s bachelorette party in my favorite city: Nashville, TN! From spending a night at Tootsies to doing yoga with goats and sipping on the sommelier’s best recommendations at Belle Meade Winery, I was able to visit so many new places in Music City on this trip. Nashville has so much to offer, and it truly never disappoints! Check out my travel guide for Nashville if you want to read about some of my favorite experiences so far!
One of the best parts about Nashville is the amazing food you can find anywhere you go in the city! I have been craving some southern comfort foods ever since I got back, so I decided to share my favorite recipes for homemade biscuits and mac & cheese! Hopefully these recipes help you feel like you are chowing down in the south!
Buttery Biscuits
• 3 cups of all-purpose flour
• 4 tsp of baking powder
• 3 tbsp of sugar
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 3/4 cup of butter, cold, plus additional butter to melt
• 1 cup of whole milk
• 1 egg
Preheat the oven to 450°.
Prepare the cold butter by cutting it into small squares so that it is easier to work into the biscuit dough. Keep the butter in the fridge until it is needed.
Combine all dry ingredients into a large bowl. Then, incorporate the cut butter into the dough. Small pieces of butter should show through the mixture.
Add in the milk and the egg, and mix it together to combine. The dough will have a sticky feel, and the butter pieces should still be visible.
Flour a surface where you can roll out the dough. Sprinkle additional flour on the dough and knead it — add more flour to reduce stickiness if necessary.
Roll the dough until it is about 1 inch thick to cut into round pieces. If you do not have a biscuit cutter, you can use the rim of a glass (it makes a perfect circle every time!).
Once the biscuits are cut, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Melt down butter and brush the tops of the biscuits before putting them into the oven.
Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. For an extra buttery taste, cut the biscuits open before they cool and place a small square of butter inside to melt before serving!
Mac & Cheese
• 1 box of large elbow macaroni
• 1/4 stick of butter, melted
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 1/2 tbsp of flour
• 2 cups of milk
• 1 tsp of Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 tsp of dry mustard
• 4 cups (or 1 bag) of Sargento 4 Cheese Mexican blend
• Breadcrumbs (Panko or Plain!)
• Salt and pepper, for taste
Preheat the oven to 350°.
Boil a pot of water and cook one box of shell pasta. Once the pasta has been cooked and drained, sauté the onion over medium heat.
In a large bowl, add the pasta, melted butter, onion and flour. Then, pour in the milk slowly.
Add the Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt and pepper.
Mix all ingredients, and add in the shredded cheese. Transfer the mix to a pan for baking and top with breadcrumbs.
Cook for 30 minutes, covered. Once done, sprinkle some extra breadcrumbs on top. Serve and enjoy!
Bring on the parades, parties and fireworks! Tomorrow is the 4th of July, and I am so excited to spend the day with family and friends, honoring this country, our freedom and those who have fought so hard to protect America and its people.
Quick, easy dinners are my favorite; especially because I tend to cook most of my meals in the mornings before I have to be at work. This chicken stir-fry dish is tasty, healthy and simple to make! Plus, this recipe is great for two, with plenty for leftovers! Happy cooking!
Add the olive oil to a skillet over medium heat, then add in the chicken and sauté for four minutes. Remove the chicken, and add in the onion. Once the onion is translucent, add in the peppers. Cook the peppers and onion for three minutes before adding the chicken back in.
In a bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, cornstarch, orange juice, ground ginger, black pepper and salt. Once combined, pour over the chicken, peppers and onion. Continue to cook for eight more minutes.
It was a quiet Saturday morning in Sur La Table, except for the whirring of a food processor and the clanking of the Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer as dozens of macarons were being prepared in the kitchen.
The macarons were absolutely delicious, and it was such a fun date for Connor and I! We loved trying something new together, and we are excited to try making them again on our own!
Pour your mixture into piping bags and pipe with a plain, round tip onto your baking sheet. These cookies should be about the size of the bottom of a shot glass. Be sure to keep your piping bag straight up, at 90º.
Ingredients
While the asparagus is cooking, mix the dijon mustard and lemon juice together in a small bowl. Pour this mixture, along with the chicken broth, into the skillet over the asparagus. Sprinkle in the parsley flakes.
When it comes to melting chocolate, my mom and I have found that melting a handful or two of the chocolate melts at a time in the microwave is the fastest and most efficient way to work. We start by microwaving the chocolate in a small bowl for 30 seconds. We then stir the chocolate, and put it in for another 15 seconds. We repeat the stirring process and continue melting the chocolate for seconds at a time until it has a nice, smooth consistency. Every microwave is different, so be careful when heating the chocolate. If you overheat the chocolate, it will burn.
Once that is complete, place the molds into the freezer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes are up, remove the molds from the freezer and turn the molds over to remove the Oreos. Lightly pressing on the mold should release the Oreos easily. Place them on wax paper for decorating.
I am all about fast, easy and healthy meals during the week, and this recipe for cilantro lime shrimp tacos checks all of those boxes. Try this recipe for your next Taco Tuesday!
While the shrimp is cooking, put the Greek yogurt into a bowl and combine it with the juice of half of a lime, a handful of chopped cilantro and a few dashes of cayenne pepper. Mix all of the ingredients together, and add more lime, cilantro or cayenne pepper if you feel necessary.
To assemble the shrimp tacos, lay out a tortilla, add the Greek yogurt mixture and top with some shrimp. Feel free to add in any other healthy toppings you may like, such as shredded lettuce, tomatoes or avocado. Share your take on these healthy shrimp tacos in the comments below or tag me on Instagram @ livingsimplygray. I hope you enjoy!
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