Dessert | Gotta Eat, Can't Cook

Archive for the ‘Dessert’ Category

March 8th, 2025

Blog, Breakfast, Dessert, Empowerment, Fruit, Fruit Toppings, How To & Tips

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Warm Apple Fruit Topping From Simple to Exciting Picture Book Directions

Warm simple to exciting apple fruit topping with link to picture book recipe directions

As mentioned in the first “Tip” you might be able to see in the banner shot above, “simple to exciting” is all about improvising on a base or foundational recipe to make it your own by adding or changing ingredients so that what you end up with suits your taste and/or your dietary needs?

If you’ve already checked out the base – and fully flavorful – warm apple fruit topping I posted last time, you’ll see that all I did to add flavor in the “simple to exciting” recipe was add blueberries and raisins.

Adding blueberries and raisins to apple fruit topping warming on the stove with link to picture book recipe

As always, those two additions are only suggestions. You can replace them – or add to them – however you like to make the recipe your own. The purpose of putting together and posting this “simple to exciting” recipe is to show directly how improvising works. And, really, aside from suggesting other ingredients to spark your imagination, the most important guidance in the base recipe and the “simple to exciting” recipe is the order in which to add ingredients to the pan, which, for the most part, is also no absolute golden rule. Yes, though it is better regarding texture to add firmer fruits, like apples, to the pan first before adding softer fruits, like berries, because softer fruits take less time to cook than firmer fruits, you certainly won’t ruin the recipe if you accidentally add one firmness of fruit before the other.

That said, please click this link or any picture on this page for the full warm apple fruit topping from simple to exciting picture book recipe – and have fun! Regarding fun,…

Pages of warm simple to exciting apple fruit topping with link to full picture book recipe directions

…here’s how I had it last night for dessert: microwave warmed with a crumbled piece of chocolate chip cookie, Greek yogurt and jam. Killer!

Apple fruit topping with blueberries and raisins with crumbled chocolate chip cookie piece, Greek yogurt and jam with link to full picture book warm apple topping from simple to exciting link.

Next post: Only you can empower yourself – from an entirely positive perspective!

March 1st, 2025

Blog, Breakfast, Dessert, Fruit, Fruit Toppings

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Easy to Make, Versatile Warm Apple Fruit Topping Picture Recipe

warm apple fruit topping in a serving bowl with links to picture book recipe directions

If you put your ear really close to the device you’re using to read this, you might hear the sound of screeching brakes. And rightly so.

Last post showed how to make a warm apple cranberry fruit topping. Nothing wrong with that recipe. The problem was me jumping ahead of the game – and including an ingredient, that outside of my freezer, is out of season. I should’ve started with the base recipe – with readily accessible ingredients – instead of asking you to improvise right off the bat.

Here is that base warm apple fruit topping recipe that requires these commonly found ingredients: apples, butter, fruit juice, vanilla extract, salt, jam, ground cinnamon.

Warm apple fruit topping ingredients links to picture book recipe directions showing how to make a warm apple fruit topping

Here is all you need for equipment: cutting board, frying pan, sharp knife, tablespoon and large spoon.

Equipment needed to make warm apple fruit topping with link to the picture book recipe

As mentioned in the first tip in the recipe, this topping can be used as a side dish or on hot or cold cereal, waffles, pancakes, French toast, yogurt, or ice cream. Imagination is your only limit!

Here’s how I used it the other day when I made and shot this recipe: as a side dish with pan cooked pork loin. I’d never done that before but what a fantastically flavorful sweet and savory combo…

Warm apple topping with pan cooked pork loin and link to the warm apple topping picture book recipe

…especially with a good shot of feta cheese. Killer!

Warm feta cheese topped apple topping with pan cooked pork loin and link to the warm apple topping picture book recipe

Click this link or any picture on this page for a complete picture book recipe.

Sample pages of warm apple fruit topping picture book recipe

Next up: how to add just a couple different ingredients to improvise on this recipe very easily – and fully flavorfully!

November 4th, 2024

Blog, Cooking Technique, Dessert, Poultry, Thanksgiving Dinner, Vegetables

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Stress-Free Picture Book Thanksgiving Dinner Help

I know it’s just the beginning of November, and Thanksgiving comes late this year: November 28th. But time flies, and these next posts will be about how make the most of that most excellent holiday.

First, Thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday. All that’s expected is a fully flavorful meal with good friends and family. Great – unless you’re the host AND you’re stressed about how to put that meal together.

Breathe easy – no problem!

To make any of the standard Thanksgiving dishes you see above – and more – as stress-free as possible, just click any picture on this page or this link to the Gotta’ Eat, Can’t Cook Thanksgiving Help page for step-by-step picture directions that will show how how to make any of the fully flavorful Thanksgiving dishes you see above – and more – as easily as possible.

In following posts, I’ll highlight some of those recipes along with other recipes and tips to help you make your Thanksgiving as fun and flavorful as possible.

More soon!

October 23rd, 2024

Blog, Cooking Technique, Dessert, Nuts, Special Recipes

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Killer Flavorful Roasted Chestnuts: Picture Book Directions

Good friend, Shane Stuart, rolled into Hickory with his Suttle’s Nut Farm truck 2 weekends ago with my favorite fresh chestnuts, South Carolina grown North American chestnuts.

“How’re things looking this year, Shane?”

“Great! Last year we harvested 6000 pounds. This year we have 9000 pounds.”

I picked up a 2 pound bag and have been loving them for evening dessert, especially as the nights get cooler.

Roasted chestnuts have been a warm, richly flavorful rite of winter all my life. And though I’ve seen and used different methods of roasting, the easiest, most practical way I’ve found to roast chestnuts is with a toaster oven.

As shown in the step-by-step picture book conventional oven/toaster oven chestnut roasting directions you can get by clicking this link or any picture below, here are four tips before actually getting to the roasting:

I like using a toaster oven for convenience and power savings, but if you don’t have a toaster oven, a conventional kitchen oven will work just as well. Also note: if you’re using American chestnuts, which are half the size of Italian chestnuts, cut roasting time in half.
When buying fresh chestnuts, select those that are firm to the touch – the shell should not give when squeezed with your thumb as shown in the picture below. Also, choose those chestnuts that are heavier rather than lighter in weight and don’t have any signs of mold or small round wormholes in their shells.

Select fresh chestnuts that are firm to the touch

3. To prevent chestnuts from exploding while roasting and avoid a nasty mess to clean up (you bet, I know this from experience), make sure to cut into the shells before roasting chestnuts.

Cutting an "X" through chestnut shells to prevent chestnuts from exploding while roasting

4. If you’re not roasting fresh chestnuts the same day you bought them, put them in a plastic bag and store them in the refrigerator for at least 1 week. Just beware that the meat of the chestnut inside the shell dries out steadily over time.

Putting fresh chestnuts in a plastic bag and refrigerating them to preserve them best

If you live in the Hickory area, check out the Suttle’s Farm Fresh Nut truck loaded with nuts grown in South Carolina and parked at 2231 N. Center St. (Rt. 127).

Most of all, roast on and enjoy!

June 23rd, 2024

Anti-Inflammatory Foods, Anti-inflammatory Recipes, Blog, Cycling Food, Dessert, Fitness Food, How To & Tips, Running Food

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Banana Ice Cream Full-On! Picture Directions

Adding commonly found ingredients to make banana ice cream with full-on flavor

Last post showed how to make fully flavorful (non-dairy) banana ice cream using only 3 ingredients: frozen bananas, vanilla extract and ground cinnamon. (Please also see Bananas Are Good Food! if you haven’t seen that post before or have been informed incorrectly by other sources that bananas are not good for you.)

This post show how you can easily use some of the commonly found ingredients in your kitchen to take that simple banana ice cream to full-on exciting. Here’s an example of what I used recently to help kick your imagination in gear.

Commonly found kitchen ingredients to take simple banana ice cream to full-on flavorful exciting

When you download the recipe, you’ll see I point out that I added a fresh peach not shown in the above ingredients. That’s exactly what I mean about improvising on the fly to suit your taste and/or dietary needs.

Please click this link or any picture on this page for complete step-by-step picture book Banana Ice Cream Full-On! directions.

June 16th, 2024

Anti-Inflammatory Foods, Anti-inflammatory Recipes, Blog, Cycling Food, Dessert, Fitness Food, Running Food

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Big Flavor 3-Ingredient Banana Ice Cream Picture Book Recipe

Last post focused on the health benefits of bananas, which, as one of the world’s most consumed foods, are often given a bad rap, as shown in the popup ad below, for no good reason at all.

As a lifelong avid cyclist, I always have bananas on hand, either at room temperature or frozen, as shown in the shot below of the top of my fridge and inside my freezer today. Those two more darkly patched bananas are actually plantains, part of the banana family, that I use to make sweet & savory dishes.

Of course, there are many ways to enjoy bananas, and here’s one of my favorites: banana ice cream. To start as easily as possible, I’m showing just the base recipe here that requires only 3 ingredients: ripe bananas, vanilla extract and ground cinnamon – no cream or sugar at all. And though those ingredients, when blended together, taste killer good, I’ll show you in future posts how to take that base recipe from “simple to exciting” with added easy-to-find, fully flavorful ingredients.

The only kicker: you’ll need a sturdy food processor, like the one shown below, to make this recipe. If you don’t have one, either click this link for mash and freeze banana ice cream, which doesn’t require a food processor, or borrow a food processor from a friend or relative and make enough banana ice cream to share with them.

Click this link or any picture on this page for easy-to-follow 3 ingredient banana ice cream picture book directions.

March 4th, 2022

Blog, Cycling Food, Dessert, Fitness Food, Nutrition, Nuts, Running Food

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Banana Nut Butter Power Bar Picture Book Recipe

These potently flavorful, easy to make banana nut butter power bars work great for dessert or as an on-the-go sport power bar. As you see in the picture above, I prefer making them in the toaster oven for ease and speed, though the picture book directions linked to this post also show how to bake them in a standard kitchen oven.

Regarding the ingredients shown above and below, I know it looks like a lot – but don’t panic. The spices (cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg) along with vanilla extract are the cornerstones of the full flavor of these bars. If you don’t have some of those spices, just use a little more of what you do have. You can also use juice (apple cider works great) instead of coffee and substitute ground flaxseeds, chia seeds, and whole grain cereal with any other ground similar type of ingredient, like ground nuts or your favorite cereal. The bottom line: imagination and available ingredients are your only limits.

Click this link or any picture on this page for a complete, easy-to-follow step-by-step picture book recipe.

November 21st, 2021

Blog, Dessert, Special Recipes, Thanksgiving Dinner

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Thanksgiving Apple, Pumpkin and Apple-Pumpkin Pie Picture Book Recipes

The best of Thanksgiving pie flavors – and freedom of choice

As I’ve mentioned here before – and you probably know yourself – pie is the most popular Thanksgiving dessert. But, you might ask, what kind of pie should I make for my Thanksgiving dinner?

Freedom of choice is key. Here are 3 fully flavorful pies that work great as traditional Thanksgiving desserts: Quick & Easy Apple Pie, Pumpkin Pie Made with Fresh Pumpkin and Apple-Pumpkin Pie.

Fresh & Easy Apple Pie: Fresh, crisp apples, the fruit flavor of fall, are the key to this recipe that’s fully flavorful and easy to make. Just click this link or the picture below for a complete picture book recipe.

Pumpkin Pie Made with Fresh Pumpkin: Yes, the fresh pumpkin adds flavor and texture to the finished pie, but you can always substitute canned pumpkin for fresh pumpkin if you’re short on time or for “please get me out of the kitchen NOW!” convenience sake. Click this link or the picture below for a complete picture book recipe.

Pumpkin Pie Made with Fresh Pumpkin (that can be substituted with canned pumpkin)

Apple-Pumpkin Pie: This recipe, which you can get by clicking this link or the picture below, makes for a full-on fall flavor powerhouse that combines the rich flavors of apple and pumpkin pie and is just as easy to make as either of those pies on their own.

Apple Pumpkin Pie is an explosion of flavor that combines everything you love in both apple and pumpkin pie on their own

November 19th, 2021

Blog, Dessert, Special Recipes, Thanksgiving Dinner

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Picture Book Recipes For Flavor Packed Homemade Pie Crust Variations

These two recipes are designed to inspire your imagination to meet your taste

There’s a line you might’ve heard: “You can improvise with cooking, but you have to stick to the recipe with baking”. I’m not a fan of sticking to the letter of recipes and very quickly learned that you can improvise with baking, at least somewhat, especially when it comes to making pie crust.

Last post showed how to make a quick and easy pie crust from scratch, which tastes way better than any pre-made store bought pie shell. This post provides two recipes that are intended to inspire your imagination. Sure, both recipes work fine as is, but the best thing about preparing anything to eat is making it just the way you want to suit your personal taste.

The first recipe for Banana Nut Pie Crust, which you can get by clicking this link or the picture directly below, uses banana both to add flavor and replace the need for oil or butter in the pie crust dough.

The second recipe, Fully Flavorful Nut, Quinoa and Flaxseed Pie Crust, which you can get by clicking this link or the picture below, shows how to use a variety of optional ingredients to pump up flavor across the board.

Next post: picture book recipes showing how to make Apple Pie, Pumpkin Pie and Apple-Pumpkin Pie

November 18th, 2021

Blog, Dessert, Seasonal/Holiday Recipes, Thanksgiving Dinner

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Quick and Easy Pie Crust From Scratch Picture Book Directions

Making your own pie crust from scratch is quick, easy and far more flavorful than store-bought pie shells

Pie is the most popular Thanksgiving dessert, and you know the deal here: flavor rules! I’ve never been a big baker, but years ago I made my first pie crust from scratch that was both incredibly easy to do and was nothing like the pre-made pie shells you get at the store that are really just flavorless containers for a much more flavorful filling.

Here are the ingredients you need to make a quick and easy pie crust from scratch.

Click this link or any picture above for a complete step-by-step picture book recipe. you can also click this link or the picture below for a link to the Gotta’ Eat, Can’t Cook “Thanksgiving Help” page with easy to follow helpful step-by-step picture book Thanksgiving dinner planning and cooking tips.