Hi! This is Andrea from Cooking with a Wallflower, and I’m back this month to share with you a brand new recipe perfect for summer picnics. It seems like it’s been forever since I shared a new recipe with you. But there’s been so much going on.

We’re expecting a baby boy in December! And the last few months have been really rough on me. Morning sickness and food aversions have made it really difficult to develop new recipes and even talk about food the way I did before. But now that things are starting to settle down, I can start sharing again!

With summer in full swing now, I thought I’d share with you this recipe for one of my favorite pasta salads. During warmer days, we like to go out to the park for picnics to enjoy the sun. But even if we’re not picnicking, this pasta salad would make the perfect weeknight dinner meal too.

This pasta salad is filled with rotisserie chicken to make things simple. Add some tomatoes, escarole lettuce or other lettuce of your choice, and red onions. Of course, you can also add other things that you like such as avocado or corn or mushrooms or cheese. It’s up to you. I kept this pasta salad nice and simple.

For the dressing, I whisked together honey, Dijon mustard, kewpie mayo, rice vinegar, salt, and black pepper. Drizzle the dressing over the pasta salad, and mix well until all the ingredients are well coated.

Serve this honey mustard chicken pasta salad cold or at room temperature. Seriously, it’s so easy to make and prep and doesn’t take much time at all. You can make this as a weeknight meal on a hot summer night or you can pack this for your next picnic!

Enjoy!

Andrea

Cooking with a Wallflower

Honey Mustard Chicken Pasta Salad

 

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Pasta tossed with rotisserie chicken, tomatoes, lettuce, and onions in a honey mustard dressing. This honey mustard chicken pasta salad is simple, delicious, and perfect for picnics.

Author: Andrea Giang

Recipe type: Entree

Serves: 2-3 servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked pasta
• 1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken
• ¼ cup lettuce
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• ½ small red onions, thinly sliced

Honey Mustard Dressing

• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons Kewpie mayo
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Add shredded chicken, some tomatoes, escarole lettuce or other lettuce of your choice, and red onions to your favorite type of cooked pasta.
2. For the dressing, whisk together honey, Dijon mustard, kewpie mayo, rice vinegar, salt, and black pepper. Drizzle the dressing over the pasta salad, and mix well until all the ingredients are well coated.

3.5.3251

Here are some other easy summer recipes!

Chocolate Covered S’mores

Peach Glazed Shrimp Skewers

The Perfect Mojito

The post Honey Mustard Chicken Pasta Salad appeared first on Ask Anna.

Hi! This is Andrea from Cooking with a Wallflower. I’m back this month on Ask Anna to share with you one of my favorite chocolate barks.

Are you a fan of chocolate?

I’m a huge fan of chocolate. And since it’s my birthday month, I thought I would share with you one of my favorite snacks. I love that chocolate barks are so easy to make with so many different ways of customizing it.

This salted caramel pretzel bark has so much texture and flavor. The sweet and saltiness of the salted caramel, the crunch in the mini pretzels, the slightly bitter taste of semi sweet chocolate. All these flavors and textures balance out, making this salted caramel pretzel bark super addictive.

I hope you’ll enjoy this treat as much as I do!

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside for now.

Add chocolate into a medium sized microwave safe bowl. Melt the chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds. Mix the chocolate, and then microwave in 10 second intervals until the chocolate has completely melted and is smooth.

Pour the chocolate onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Use a spatula to spread the chocolate as thinly as possible.

Press mini pretzels onto the melted chocolate.

Heat the salted caramel for 15-20 seconds until the caramel is runny. Drizzle the caramel over the chocolate and pretzels.

Melt the rest of the chocolate and drizzle over the salted caramel pretzel chocolate mixture.

Allow the salted caramel pretzel bark to cool down and solidify. About 30 minutes to an hour.

Break the salted caramel pretzel bark into small pieces.

Serve the salted caramel pretzel bark as a snack.

Enjoy!

Salted Caramel Pretzel Bark

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

55 mins

 

Semi sweet chocolate bark piled with mini pretzels and drizzled with salted caramel. This salted caramel pretzel bark is simple to make and the perfect sweet and savory snack.

Author: Cooking with a Wallflower

Recipe type: Snack

Ingredients

• 8 ounce good quality semi sweet chocolate
• 4 ounce mini pretzels
• ¼ - ⅓ cup salted caramel
• 4 ounce good quality semi sweet chocolate

Instructions

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside for now.
2. Add chocolate into a medium sized microwave safe bowl. Melt the chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds.
3. Mix the chocolate, and then microwave in 10 second intervals until the chocolate has completely melted and is smooth.
4. Pour the chocolate onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Use a spatula to spread the chocolate as thinly as possible.
5. Press mini pretzels onto the melted chocolate.
6. Heat the salted caramel for 15-20 seconds until the caramel is runny. Drizzle the caramel over the chocolate and pretzels.
7. Melt the rest of the chocolate and drizzle over the salted caramel pretzel chocolate mixture.
8. Allow the salted caramel pretzel bark to cool down and solidify. About 30 minutes to an hour.
9. Break the salted caramel pretzel bark into small pieces.
10. Serve the salted caramel pretzel bark as a snack.

3.5.3251

Andrea

Cooking with a Wallflower

The post Salted Caramel Pretzel Bark appeared first on Ask Anna.

Happy early Valentine’s Day!

As you know by now, I’m Andrea from the blog, Cooking with a Wallflower, and I’m so excited to share with you this brand new Valentine’s Day inspired rice crispy treats.

This month is all about strawberries and chocolate. At least to me, anyways. So I wanted to share a dessert that is a combination of both. Rice crispy treats are simple to make with just a few ingredients. They take little effort so it’s perfect as a snack or dessert for the holidays.

What will you be making for Valentine’s Day?

Line a 9×9 inch baking pan with parchment paper and set aside for now.

In a large pot, melt butter over low heat. Once the butter has melted, add mini marshmallows to the pot. Use a wooden spoon or a heat resistant spatula to stir until the marshmallows have melted. Remove the pot from heat.

Pour the chocolate crispy rice cereal to the pot, one cup at a time. Stirring in between each addition until all the cereal is covered in the melted marshmallow.

Add the freeze dried strawberries. I used freeze dried strawberries for the strawberry flavor. Fresh strawberries would have been too soggy. Stir to incorporate all the ingredients.

Transfer the marshmallow cereal mixture over to the baking pan. Use the spatula or wooden spoon to smooth out the surface and press down against the pan. Press extra freeze dried strawberries over the top the rice crispy treats if desired. Press down to make them stick.

Let the rice crispy treats sit on the counter for at least a half hour before slicing into 16 bars.

Make these strawberry chocolate rice crispy treats for Valentine’s Day!

Enjoy!

Andrea

Cooking With a Wallflower

Strawberry Chocolate Rice Crispy Treats

 

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Author: Anna

Serves: 16

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 10 ounce mini marshmallows
• 5 cups chocolate rice crisp cereal
• 2 cups freeze dried strawberries

Instructions

1. Line a 9x9 inch baking pan with parchment paper and set aside for now.
2. In a large pot, melt butter over low heat. Once the butter has melted, add mini marshmallows to the pot. Use a wooden spoon or a heat resistant spatula to stir until the marshmallows have melted. Remove the pot from heat.
3. Pour the chocolate crispy rice cereal to the pot, one cup at a time. Stirring in between each addition until all the cereal is covered in the melted marshmallow.
4. Add the freeze dried strawberries. Stir to incorporate all the ingredients.
5. Transfer the marshmallow cereal mixture over to the baking pan. Use the spatula or wooden spoon to smooth out the surface and press down against the pan. Press extra freeze dried strawberries over the top the rice crispy treats if desired. Press down to make them stick.
6. Let the rice crispy treats sit on the counter for at least a half hour before slicing into 16 bars.

3.5.3251

The post Strawberry Chocolate Rice Crispy Treats appeared first on Ask Anna.

Hi friends! This recipe isn’t one I actually planned on sharing on the blog, but when I posted this picture (above) on Instagram last week I had a bunch of people asking me for the recipe! This is a quick and easy Pho recipe that truly is oh-so good, you can even ask my 7 year old!

To be honest, I can’t even take credit for this recipe. I went to my friend Juliette’s house last week and she made it for our lunch; I loved it so much that I stopped by the store on my way home and bought all the ingredients to make it for dinner that night! Yes, it’s that easy and that delicious!

The ingredients are few, simple, and believe it or not you can have this on the table for dinner in about 20 minutes! Who doesn’t love a quick, easy, healthy, delicious and FAST dinner recipe? I know I’m always on the hunt for them!

Trust me, we have some picky eaters in our house and everyone from my 7 year old, to our college age daughter, loved it, and wanted seconds! This recipe serves about 4 medium-sized servings, so if you have big eaters, or you want to plan on everyone wanting seconds, I would suggest doubling the recipe.

Enjoy!!!

A Quick and Easy Pho Recipe that's Oh-So Good!

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Author: Anna Moseley

Recipe type: Lunch, Dinner

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• Rice noodles
• Rice noodles
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 TBSP fresh ginger, cut into thin strips
• 2 TBSP fresh ginger, cut into thin strips
• 1 TBSP fish sauce
• 1 TBSP fish sauce
• 1½ tsp sesame oil
• 1½ tsp sesame oil
• 2 TBSP soy sauce
• 2 TBSP soy sauce
• About 2 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded
• About 2 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded
• ½ cup cilantro, finely chopped
• ½ cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
• 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
• 2 limes chopped into segments
• 2 limes chopped into segments
• Hot sauce (we prefer Sriracha)
• Hot sauce (we prefer Sriracha)
• 1 carrot, thinly sliced (optional)
• 1 carrot, thinly sliced (optional)
• 1 zucchini, thinly sliced (optional)

Instructions

1. In a medium pot, over high heat, add broth, ginger, fish sauce, sesame oil and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, then let it simmer for about 15 minutes. NOTE: If you are using cold chicken, add it to the broth at the beginning, to heat it up. If you are using a fresh rotisserie, add the meat at the end (see below).
2. (Optional) If you want the broth to be a little heartier, add a thinly sliced carrot and a thinly sliced zucchini. Add them for only the last 5 minutes the broth is cooking, just long enough to cook them through.
3. In a separate large pot, cook the noodles. When they are finished set aside.
4. To put your bowl of Pho together, add a heap of noodles to a large bowl. Next ladle the broth over the noodles, then add the toppings. Top the noodles and broth with a small handful of chicken, cilantro, jalapeños, fresh lime juice and hot sauce (we use Sriracha).

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The post Quick and Easy Pho Recipe that’s Oh-So Good! appeared first on Ask Anna.

Every holiday meal needs a good dinner roll, something warm and soft to sink your teeth into, and something to make leftover turkey sandwiches with the next day. I’ve wanted to share this recipe with you for years but it’s our secret family recipe so I haven’t been able to, but the day is finally here, all the permissions have been asked and now I finally get to share my recipe for the BEST dinner rolls!

To me a good dinner roll is important because I don’t want to waste my holiday carbs on something that’s not amazing, so trust me, I don’t take it lightly that I’m calling these the BEST dinner rolls because they are seriously SO good, just ask anyone who’s ever joined us for the holidays.

Do you want to know the best part about these rolls, they are SO easy to make!!! There’s a way to make them by hand, or in the bread maker (which is how I make them), so I’ve included both directions and you can decide which way works best for you.

In our family we call them “Lisa’s famous rolls” but since y’all probably don’t have a “Lisa” in your family, I’ll call them the BEST dinner rolls instead.

Be careful because when they come out of the oven you’ll probably have little hands stealing them right off the baking sheet! I always have to make two batches, one for everyone to eat before the meal, and one to actually enjoy with our holiday feast!

They are amazing with jelly, butter, honey or just by themselves, but whatever you choose to eat them with, make sure you have some handy Huggies® Wipes waiting to wipe off sticky fingers and faces.

Just like not all rolls are created equal, not all wipes are either. Huggies® Wipes have triple layers that are gentle on cute faces but thick enough to clean up all 10 sticky fingers!

I truly hope you enjoy these rolls as much as all of our friends and family do, you might be surprised, but I know they’ll end up being one of your favorite things and you’ll start craving them each holiday season!

Check out other recipe considerations for more family-recipe fun:

• How To Create A Breakfast Waffle Bar
• Gourmet Chocolate Chips and Caramel S’mores

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The BEST Dinner Rolls from Scratch (seriously THE BEST)

 

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Author: Anna Moseley

Recipe type: Dinner rolls

Ingredients

• 2¼ teaspoons yeast (1¾ teaspoons yeast)
• 2¼ teaspoons yeast (1¾ teaspoons yeast)
• ½ cup warm milk (1/2 cup warm milk)
• ½ cup warm milk (1/2 cup warm milk)
• 2 teaspoons sugar (1½ teaspoons of sugar)
• 2 teaspoons sugar (1½ teaspoons of sugar)
• 1 cup hot milk (3/4 cups hot milk)
• 1 cup hot milk (3/4 cups hot milk)
• 1 cup cold milk (3/4 cups cold milk)
• 1 cup cold milk (3/4 cups cold milk)
• ½ cup melted butter (1/2 cup melted butter)
• ½ cup melted butter (1/2 cup melted butter)
• 2 eggs (2 eggs)
• 2 eggs (2 eggs)
• ¾ cups sugar (1/2 cup sugar)
• ¾ cups sugar (1/2 cup sugar)
• 2 teaspoons salt (1½ teaspoons salt)
• 2 teaspoons salt (1½ teaspoons salt)
• 8-9 cups flour (6½ cups flour)

Instructions

1. Dissolve 2¼ teaspoons yeast with ½ cup warm milk. Add 2 teaspoons sugar and stir a little. Set aside.
2. Mix 1 cup hot milk, 1 cup cold milk, ½ cup melted butter, 2 eggs, ¾ cups sugar and 2 teaspoons salt.
3. Combine yeast mixture and wet mixture.
4. Add 8-9 cups of flour 1-2 cups at a time. Knead until the dough is soft, not sticky. Cover and let rise 1½ hours.
5. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet with butter.
6. When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down. Pinch off pieces of dough that are about fist-size. Fold the rough edges of the dough under and place them on the cookie sheet, rough edges down. Tip: the rolls won't rise very much in the oven so make sure to make the balls of dough are about the size you want them to end up.
7. Bake 15-18 minutes, or until they are golden brown.

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The post The BEST Dinner Rolls from Scratch (seriously THE BEST) appeared first on Ask Anna.