Lauren Torrisi

Potato and String Bean Salad With Pesto

posted by Lauren on September 19, 2011

Try this incredibly easy salad!

I’ve been meaning to make this salad for awhile. I saw something briefly once that looked like this, and since then it was all that I could think about. I have to say this is my new favorite side dish. It’s so easy and it tastes incredible. I steamed the string beans in the microwave and at the same time boiled the potatoes. When they both were done, I tossed them in a little bit of olive oil and then in the pesto. You can use homemade or store bought pesto. I won’t judge.

The final result was bliss. We were all sitting out on the deck eating delicious steaks and drinking our favorite wine, (337- have you tried it? I’m obsessed it’s delicious!) and with this side dish and a light romaine salad, we had the perfect meal. We also had laughter, and a few good stories, which are things I can’t always include when I write a recipe. (This is something you must add on your own).

Love,

Lauren

posted in Barbeque, Side Dish, Vegetarian

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Toasted Marshmallow Filled Whoopie Pies

posted by Lauren on September 11, 2011

As school begins for most kids in the US, I thought a whoopie pie would be a great kid-friendly dessert to kick-off the school year. The little cookie/cake sandwiches are transportable in a lunch box, or great for school bake sales. They are a definite crowd-pleaser. They are perfect for tailgating or barbeques. I love how they can be filled with anything. I had some leftover homemade marshmallow that I toasted under the broiler. Then I folded it into the buttercream and piped it into the center. I think if you crushed up candies (like M&Ms or Reeses) and folded that into your icing that would be a pretty awesome dessert as well. I liked this recipe the most because you get smooth domed tops for your whoopie pies. The trick is to bake them until they are just done and still soft. A crispy whoopie pie is not really a whoopie pie. They bake fairly fast so I wouldn’t run too far from the oven when they’re baking. Enjoy!

Love,

Lauren

posted in Chocolate, Desserts, Tailgate

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Honey Mustard Coleslaw

posted by Lauren on September 7, 2011

After a special request from my brother for coleslaw (he’s acquainted himself nicely to having a chef as a sister) I came up with this pretty delicious recipe. It’s both easy and yummy. I usually sway away from coleslaw at barbeques, but I vowed I’d come up with one I wouldn’t avoid. I think this is it. Even though the summer’s fading away, this coleslaw would be a great topping for a roast turkey or chicken sandwich as we get ready for back to school. It’s also pretty easy. I prepped the cabbage and lettuce but you can easily buy the packaged kind if you’re in a pinch. (Or you just don’t want cabbage everywhere). Enjoy!

Love,

Lauren

posted in Barbeque, Side Dish, Vegetarian

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Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

posted by Lauren on September 5, 2011

Rhubarb is a pretty intimidating vegetable. It looks like celery yet is mostly used in desserts. Its flavor is subtle; it works easily with strawberries but can easily be overpowered. I love the rhubarb in this dish and I think you will too! If you can’t find rhubarb at your local supermarket, try raspberries or whaetver fruit you can find. I pretty much dug into this as soon as it came out of the oven and burned my mouth. A scoop of ice cream will quickly cool it off. Who could ask for a better summer send-off? Enjoy!

Love,

Lauren

posted in Desserts, Summer

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Heirloom Tomato Salad & Bacon Ranch Dressing

posted by Lauren on August 27, 2011

Since August is tomato season, I’ve been longing to make something that really focuses on the flavor of heirloom tomatoes. I love how beautiful and simple this dish is, and how wonderful the colors are. The bacon ranch dressing is so easy and I can pretty much eat it alone by the spoonful. I think the dressing would be great on baked potatoes as well for the fall and winter. Enjoy!

Love,

Lauren

posted in Side Dish, Summer

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Grilled Stuffed Mushrooms

posted by Lauren on August 21, 2011

Most of my culinary adventures begin with something in the refrigerator that is about to go bad. In this case we have: mushrooms. I had these large beautiful mushrooms that had to be used (how dare they get tossed!). So I came up with an easy and light stuffed mushroom dish. I used large mushrooms but you can make them with small mushrooms and serve it as an appetizer. I’m dieing to make this dish again with bacon and blue cheese. I’m starting to think that mushrooms are the perfect little vessel for just about anything. They get a great smoky flavor on the grill but they will taste just as good baked. You can also broil them for a few minutes if you want to get a crispy skin on top. Enjoy!

Love,

Lauren

posted in Appetizer, Side Dish, Vegetarian

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Flourless Chocolate Birthday Cake

posted by Lauren on August 18, 2011

Last week my Grandma celebrated her 85th birthday with her sisters and cousins. My Mom had a luncheon at our house and I wanted to make a special dessert that they would all enjoy. This flourless chocolate cake was a showstopper. I needed to practice my cake making skills and I think this is an easy cake for beginners. It doesn’t involve layering or any other real fancy techniques. I’m somewhat of a clutzy cake maker (I love decorating but I don’t have the patience to assemble) and this cake is simple and not complicated. Also, it’s good to make if you don’t have a lot of time. The ingredients are simple ones you should have at home, and the only time involved is waiting for the cake to bake and cool.

posted in Cakes, Chocolate, Desserts

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Watermelon Sorbet Popsicles

posted by Lauren on August 14, 2011

Lately, the weather we’ve been getting in NYC has been more like Fall than Summer. A few weeks ago, however, these ice pops would have been a welcome treat. They are so incredibly light and simple that I made them in about 20-30 minutes. (You can’t really make many things from scratch that fast. Delivery doesn’t even come that fast). I got the idea for this recipe thinking about a childhood dessert I used to eat. It was similar to this but I don’t really remember the exact details of it. I wanted to make it as an ice pop because they are easy to eat and convenient. They travel well, and are great for family barbeques; just store them in your freezer or cooler. The only fancy piece of equipment you need for this recipe is an ice cream machine or attachment. I froze the watermelon juice into sorbet that way the chocolate chips would stay suspended in the ice pop like little watermelon seeds. If you skip this step, all of your seeds will sink to the bottom of your pop. I’m sure it will still taste just as good.

Love,

Lauren

posted in Desserts, Summer

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S’more Brownies

posted by Lauren on August 3, 2011

Yummy summer treat, perfect for barbeques

I love nothing more in the summer than an oozy goey marshmallowy smore. (Especially since I burn the heck out of the marshmallow to get that charred outside and yummy soft inside). I’d been trying to not reinvent the smore, but come up with a way to have the same taste but without all the attempted fire starting and ingredient buying. I found the perfect opportunity to test my idea this weekend at a family reunion by a beautiful lake. Nothing says summer like hamburgers, hot dogs, and …. smore brownies!!! The thing I love about this recipe is you can cheat as much as you want. I made each part from scratch (graham cracker, brownie, and marshmallow) but you can literally make this in about 30 minutes if you wanted. (Boxed graham crackers, brownie mix in a box, bagged marshmallows- throw under the broiler…VOILA!) I hope you try making this at home, or a portion of it at least! Enjoy. Love, Lauren Read More »

posted in Chocolate, Desserts, Summer

1 comment »