Kimchi Jjigae | Always Be My Maybe #FoodnFlix

I'm sliding in under the wire with my submission to the January 2020 (!) edition of Food 'n Flix, hosted by Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla. Okay, I didn't make it in under the wire. That was a lie. That wire was a few paces in the past. I'm coming in last. But that's just because the new decade started with a bang! I gave you a little sneak peek of this month's movie pick back in July when I made a dish inspired by it (this Glazed Spam and Rice)...but I'm excited to be able to share another recipe inspired by the Netflix film Always Be My Maybe with you today!

Childhood best friends turned sweethearts Marcus and Sasha are neighbors growing up. Marcus comes from a pretty close-knit Korean family who spend a lot of time doing things together. Sasha and her (Vietnamese) family live next door. Unlike Marcus's family, she spends most of her time alone since her parents are busy running their store.

Hot and Sour Soup | Ghostbusters

I'm sneaking in last minute with a recipe inspired by this month's Food 'n Flix pick, the 2016 reboot of Ghostbusters! Okay, so I'm just gonna go ahead and put this out there...even though I feel like it's probably the unpopular opinion—I like the new Ghostbusters better than the original. I know there are some out there screaming sacrilege, especially since I grew up with the 1984 version, but the truth is, while I always liked it well enough, it never really clicked. I mean, I rollerskated to Ray Parker Jr.'s theme song like it was nobody's business, but the movie never really clicked (seemed like it was aimed more towards guys to me).

Chicken Marsala inspired by #CaughtUpinRaine

I'm so exciting to be hosting a book tour stop for L.G. O'Connor's newest release, Caught Up In Raine, today! I was first introduced to O'Connor and a category of books that I'd never looked twice at before when I was a part of her Trinity Stones book tour just over two years ago. The term "paranormal romance" is what drew me in. And then I didn't want to leave. I'm sure the paranormal part has something to do with that, but after reading CUIR, my sneaking suspicion that it was L.G.'s fun, fresh, contemporary writing that really held me captive, was confirmed.

Considered romantic women's fiction (nothing paranormal going on in this series), Caught Up In Raine features a seemingly unlikely May-December romance and is told from two points of view: 40-something Jillian's and 20-something Raine's. So, here's the thing—this book will resonate most with women who have already hit that 40-mark.  You know, women like me (I'm right on the dot). I have a sneaking suspicion that any ladies younger than that might not be in the right place to make a connection. I mean, if somebody had told me that I wouldn't feel any (okay, much) older at 40 than I did at 25, I wouldn't have believed them.

Turkey Tenderloins w/ Mushroom Tarragon Shallot Gravy

Today I'm teaming up with some other bloggers to bring you some great Thanksgiving recipe ideas. Although this isn't technically one of my "25 Recipe" posts leading up to Thanksgiving, as fate would have it there just so happened to be 25 of us today. If you scroll down the the bottom of this post, you'll find 25 bonus Thanksgiving recipe ideas!

Before I tell you about this delicious turkey option for those who may not feel up to cooking a whole bird...and before you get to those bonus recipes...I have to let you know that EACH of the recipe posts I've linked to below also contain a separate, amazing giveaway. You'll want to be sure to visit each post for your chance to win one (or more) of the 25 fabulous prizes!

About this turkey? Well, I've mentioned before that even if I'm cooking a whole bird, I like to make extra turkey to ensure that we have enough leftovers to last us a few days (because leftovers are just as important as the meal). Turkey tenderloins cook up quickly and even give you license to make a separate flavor profile and/or gravy to go along with them. This is great for someone like me who has a hard time narrowing down which direction to take with their herbs and spices.

Turkey Tenderloins with Mushroom Tarragon Shallot Gravy

Turkey tenderloins in rich mushroom gravy with fragrant tarragon are a quick and delicious option if you don't need (or want) to roast a whole bird for the holidays!

by Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 to 30 minutes

Keywords: roast entree nut-free turkey tarragon mushrooms Thanksgiving American fall

Ingredients (serves 8-10)

• 2 1/2 pounds turkey tenderloins
• kosher salt
• ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 8 ounces crimini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced 1/4" thick
• 3 shallots (~3 ounces total), roughly chopped
• 1 cup turkey stock (or chicken broth)
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh tarragon leaves + more to garnish
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400° F. Season the turkey tenderloins all over with salt and pepper.

Add 2 tablespoons of the butter and the oil to a 12" cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan and fats are hot, add the seasoned turkey and cooking until brown on all sides, 8-10 minutes. Scatter the mushrooms and shallots over and around the turkey.

Combine the stock, wine, vinegar, and tarragon in a measuring cup with a spout. Very carefully pour this over the turkey and vegetables. Allow it to just start to bubble up around the edges.

Carefully slide the pan into the preheated oven; cook for 15-20 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of one of the tenderloins registers at least 160° F. Remove from oven and use tons to transfer the turkey to a plate and tent loosely with foil; allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

While the turkey is resting set the skillet with the juices, mushrooms, and shallots in it over medium heat. You should have about 2 cups of liquid (including a few of the mushrooms that probably snuck in when you were measuring); if you have less, add water or stock to make up the difference. Stir cornstarch into 2 tablespoons of cold water until you have a smooth mixture the consistency of whole milk. When the liquid boils, drizzle the cornstarch slurry in while whisking constantly. Simmer for until thick, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the last tablespoon of butter. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.

Serve the turkey with the pan gravy poured over the top; garnish with more fresh tarragon, if you wish.

Kitchen Tools Giveaway ($60.95 total retail value)

Today I'm giving away a set of kitchen tools to help you prepare your next holiday meal (though they're also great for everyday use). All of these are gadgets that get regular use in my kitchen.

Crisp 4 in 1 Zester ($12.99)

KitchenIQ V-etched Extra Coarse Grater Orange ($16.99)

KitchenIQ V-etched Better Zester! Green ($14.99)

OXO Good Grips Wooden Reamer ($5.99)

OXO Good Grips Baker's Dusting Wand ($9.99)

a Rafflecopter giveaway
This giveaway is open to residents of the USA only. Submissions will be accepted through 11:59 pm ET on Sunday, November 29, 2015. One winner will be chosen via random draw and notified via email within 48 hours of the close of this contest, and given 24 hours in which to respond. If no response is received within that time frame, a new winner will be chosen. All entries will be verified.

Thank you to Lisa of Snappy Gourmet for organizing this event! Remember that each link below contains not only a delicious recipe that you might want to add to your Thanksgiving menu this year, but also a giveaway. That means 25 recipes AND 25 giveaways!

25 Thanksgiving Recipe Ideas

I hope you'll visit each of these other bloggers; you'll find the recipes and a different giveaway valued at $50 (or more) on each site!

• Homemade Orange Cider Cranberry Sauce via The Snappy Gourmet
• Cheesy Garlic Herb Potatoes and Squash via Sugar Dish Me
• 5-Ingredient Pecan Pie Fudge via Texanerin Baking
• Brussels Sprouts and Farro Salad via Lemons for Lulu
• Sweet Potato Cheesecake via Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt
• Roasted Butternut Squash and Cranberry Side Dish via Cooking on the Front Burner
• Fig and Goat Cheese Ball via Eat. Drink. Love.
• Overnight Pumpkin Monkey Bread via Barbara Bakes
• Classic Apple Pie via Comfortable Domestic
• Acorn Squash Puree via Daily Appetite
• Pumpkin Banana Bread via Java Cupcake
• Green Beans with Almonds and Bacon via From Valerie's Kitchen
• Classic Pecan Pie via That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Turkey Tenderloins with Mushroom Shallot Tarragon Gravy via All Roads Lead to the Kitchen
• Sweet Potato Casserole Donut Holes via Cupcake Project
• Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes via Chocolate Slopes
• Triple Spice Pumpkin Buttermilk Pie via Frugal Foodie Mama
• Homemade Cranberry Sauce via The Adventure Bite
• Twice Baked Potatoes via My Gluten Free Kitchen
• Green Bean Quinoa Casserole via Lauren Kelly Nutrition
• Warm Sweet Potato, Bacon, and Leek Salad with Cheddar Biscuit Breadcrumbs via Sarcastic Cooking
• Pumpkin Slab Pie via The Kitchen is My Playground
• Prosciutto Wrapped Parmesan Pears & Greens via The Complete Savorist
• Cranberry Apple Charlotte via The Redhead Baker
• Pumpkin Ricotta Chocolate Chip Bread via Ari's Menu

Spicy Mushrooms

Guess what? I'm not going to talk your ear off today. You're busy. I'm busy. I can count the days until Christmas on one hand (with leftover fingers). I can just picture some of you raising your hands in praise. In lieu of waxing poetic, I'm going to share an easy side dish with you. It would be a welcome accompaniment at any holiday table.

The reason I love these spicy mushrooms so much is that they go great with so many things. Sure, you can scoop them straight into your mouth, but I love spooning big helpings over green beans, roast beef or steak, chicken, or turkey. They're even good atop a tall mound of mashed potatoes.

So, if you're looking for a vegan side dish with a little oomph to add to your table, look no further than these tender mushrooms combined with roasted tomatoes, garlic, and chiles!

Steak Bomb Sandwich

I'm happy to be today's blog tour stop for the newly released Adventures in Comfort Food cookbook by Kerry Altiero, the Chef/Owner of Cafe Miranda in Rockland, Maine and Katharine Gaudet. Cafe Miranda opened 20 years ago in this small town of 7,000 residents, and is centered around its wood-fire oven. This was a feat in itself, as all of the other restaurants in the area were known for their deep-frying prowess.

Food "opened up the world" for Altiero at a young age, so he opened Cafe Miranda with that in mind-he wanted everybody, regardless of background and station in life, to be able to experience the same thing. Like the food he serves at the restaurant, the food in this cookbook is "gutsy, but it isn't strange for the sake of being strange".

"I admit to having some punkish tendencies. I like to do things my own way; I like speed; I like gears and metal. I'm addicted to the pace of restaurant cooking. But there are other, better reasons for seeking out adventures in food. Food can make the world bigger. It can change lives." ~Kerry Altiero

My outlook on food and life falls into much the same category, and with each page that I turned in this book, I got hungrier and hungrier. It was hard to narrow down the choices and decide which recipe that I wanted to share with you today. But in the end, this sandwich won out.

Veggie Lovers Lasagna

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Dreamfields. All opinions are 100% my own.

Today I'm partnerting with Dreamfields Pasta to celebrate National Pasta Month. I can think of no better way to celebrate than with a pan stacked with wavy lasagna noodles that are layered with tons of veggies, and accented by a light cream sauce that has been flavored with sundried tomatoes. I'm pretty sure that even the carnivores in your life will be sated after eating a slice of this meatless lasagna.

So, I know lasagna sort of seems like a weekend dish. A dish that you need some time to prepare. But really, once you have all of your components ready (noodles cooked, sauce stirred, veggies chopped)—it's just a matter of layering things into the pan. Hands-on time is only about 20 minutes. Once that part is complete, the oven does all of the work while you finish up some homework, throw in a load of laundry, or set the table and wrangle everybody to the table. I'd say it's very possible to make lasagna a weekday meal.

Since this week of National Pasta Month with Dreamfields is all about vegetarian meals, I left out the meat sauce and loaded up on the veggies. I wanted to use a white sauce, but drenching it in Alfredo didn't seem quite right, so I chose a light Alfredo (if you're making it at home, use skim milk) and then fortified it by swirling in a little sundried tomato pesto; basically a creamy flavor-bomb.

Dijon Mushrooms - Easy Gourmet Cookbook blog tour

Piled atop crusty toast, these oven-roasted mushrooms with garlic, lemon, and dijon pack a major flavor-punch and they couldn't be simpler to make. These Dijon Mushrooms are just one of the numerous dishes I have dog-eared to try in the new cookbook by Stephanie Le of I am a Food Blog. Today the blog tour stops here for a tasty sneak peek at this cookbook that is set to be released this upcoming Tuesday, September 2nd!

I will start off by saying that I'd never visited I am a Food Blog before receiving my copy of this book. And now, I'm a wee bit hooked. Stephanie has amazing style and photos, and her food and drinks are inventive and fun while still be totally approachable (for example, her Filet 'O Fish and Fries Burger—love). Her cookbook follows suit.

When I mentioned her blog being approachable, the book is even more so. She still displays plenty of creativity in her food, but chose to go with "basic", unintimidating titles. For example, the recipe that I'm sharing today—Dijon Mushrooms. Totally unassuming. Or another recipe that high on my "to try" list, Maple-glazed Duck. Nothing scary about that. Flipping through the book, you'll see other names like Coddled Eggs, Seafood Pappardelle, Spaghetti and Meaballs, Baked Mac & Cheese; recipes that even an inexperienced cook probably wouldn't shy away from. And they shouldn't. Some of them are more involved than others, but none of them require formal culinary training to be successful.

Fairy-ring Mushroom, Prosciutto, and Leek Pizza inspired by Little Island

Katharine Britton has a way with family. Realism. The good, the bad, and the ugly. She writes about the secrets, the hurt, and the struggle that lies buried beneath the surface. And I find that extremely refreshing.

What goes hand in hand with family gatherings? Food, of course! I wouldn't necessarily classify Britton's novels as foodie novels, but I noticed that with Her Sister's Shadow, and even more so with this one, that it plays an important part in the lives of the people within.

Family dynamic, secrets, and forgiveness (again, similar to her first novel) seem to be the themes that drive this story. Oh, and the setting is just gorgeous; a quaint island in New England, where "the air smelled like creosote and clam broth". I would have loved to plant myself in an adirondack chair overlooking the harbor while I read the book.