Rosemary Black Pepper Popcorn

When I was growing up popcorn was my favorite snack. Throw a bag in the microwave after school, and I was good to go until dinner! And sometimes popcorn was dinner and sometimes it was breakfast too. And don't even get me started with how much popcorn we ate in college!

A while ago I stopped buying microwave popcorn, but I love making popcorn on the stove top. It tastes so much better than microwave popcorn, and it's almost as fast.

And while the popcorn is popping I love melting butter and adding seasonings to flavor the popcorn. I love adding flavors and combinations to spice up popcorn. Here rosemary and black pepper combine with melted butter to add depth.

Rosemary is such a great addition to popcorn and black pepper adds another hit of flavor to punch up the popcorn. Salt and butter tie it all together, and you just can't stop eating the rosemary black pepper popcorn! I love trying new flavors, and now I can't stop adding things to popcorn!

Rosemary Black Pepper Popcorn

Author: Happy Food Happy Home

Serves: 1-2

1 tablespoon coconut oil

¼ cup popcorn kernels

2 tablespoons salted butter

1 teaspoon chopped rosemary

1 teaspoon black pepper

Kosher salt to taste

1. Heat coconut oil* over medium high heat in a medium sauce pan with a lid.
2. Heat the oil until it bubbles around a popcorn kernel dropped in.
3. Add the popcorn to the hot oil. Toss around in the oil to coat.
4. Toss the kernels every minute or so until the popcorn is fully popped—when the pauses between the pops are longer than 10 seconds and few kernels remain the pot. Remove from heat.
5. Combine the butter, rosemary, and pepper in a glass measuring cup.
6. Microwave for 20 seconds, stir, and microwave for 10 more seconds until the butter is melted.
7. Add half the popcorn to a large bowl. 
8. Drizzle half of the butter mixture over the popcorn. Sprinkle a pinch of kosher salt over the popcorn. Use a spoon to toss together.
9. Add the remaining popcorn, drizzle with remaining butter, and sprinkle with more salt. Toss to combine.
10. Eat and enjoy!!

*You can use vegetable oil in place of the coconut oil

I still love to eat popcorn, and probably eat too much of it! But changing the flavors I add to popcorn makes it a super delicious treat!

Rosemary Grapefruit Sparkling Margaritas

It was a tradition when we were in college to go get margaritas on Thursdays.  It was in the last day we were in a school during the week, and we had very light Fridays.  Thus, Thursdays were the perfect time to eat way too many chips and salsa and drink way too many margaritas.

It was around that table, surrounded by all my friends, in a restaurant aptly called Margaritas, that I fell in love with the drink.  And thankfully, I never got sick of them from over imbibing--I love tequila and margaritas to this day.

And while I still can't say no to enjoy a frosty frozen restaurant margarita, this sparkling rosemary grapefruit margarita is in an entirely different class. With fresh fruit juice, homemade simple syrup, and a delicious just there herby taste, the fresh homemade margarita stands alone.

And while I love tequila, it sits calmly in the background, mixing and playing with all the ingredients to create a really delicious margarita with very little tequila burn.  The grapefruit is the star of the show, the simple syrup sweetens and gives a barely there rosemary taste that adds so much depth to the drink, and the sparkling water tops it all off, and makes the margarita bubbly! I can't say no to bubbles.

Rosemary Grapefruit Sparkling Margaritas

Author: Happy Food Happy Home

Serves 2-3

Rosemary Simple Syrup

½ cup water

½ cup sugar

1 sprig fresh rosemary

Margarita

2 grapefruits, juiced (about 1 ½ cups of juice)

2 limes, juiced (about ½ cup of juice)

4 ounces tequila

2 ounces simple syrup

Rosemary Grapefruit Sugared Rim

½ teaspoon rosemary, chopped very finely

½ teaspoon grapefruit zest

1 tablespoon turbinado sugar

Sparkling Water

1.  Combine the water, sugar, and rosemary in a small saucepan. Heat over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved.
2. Combine the chopped rosemary, grapefruit zest, and turbinado sugar on a small plate.
3. Use a little simple syrup to line the rims of two or three glasses. This will help the sugar stick to the glass.
4. Gently roll the rims of the glasses in the turbinado sugar mixture.
5. Combine the grapefruit juice, lime juice, tequila, and 2 ounces of the simple syrup in a cocktail shaker with ½ cup ice cubes. 
6. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds.
7. Add three ice cubes to each of the rimmed glasses.
8. Pour the margarita evenly into the glasses.
9. Top with sparkling water to taste.*
10. Enjoy!

*I probably used a little less than ¼ cup in my margaritas. 

Make this delicious rosemary grapefruit to celebrate winter citrus, a snow day at school, or just because you really want to! Do you love margaritas? One of my friends can't stand tequila, and it's all my fault--but that's a story for another day :)

Rosemary Brined and Roasted Pork Loin

Do you have a plan for Valentine's Day dinner? Yeah, I don't either! Especially because I made this delicious pork roast already and don't have another one to cook. But I'd recommend you run to the store, buy a pork roast, and make this for your special someone for Valentine's Day.

This pork roast is savory, juicy, and delicious. Brining is the way to go with pork--it's like giving the roast a delicious salty bath, and it is the easiest way to make sure your pork is flavorful and juicy. I love the lemon and rosemary additions to the brine. They add so much subtle flavor to the final roast. Rosemary pretty much makes me happy in anything!

Roasting the pork surrounded by carrots and potatoes and onions and yum makes this a delicious, easy one pan meal. And if you make the brine the night before, put the roast in the pot in the morning, and then roast when you get home, it's a 1 hour fridge to table meal.

The potatoes are creamy, the carrots sweet and a little charred, and the onions almost caramelize on the sheet pan.  The pork gets crispy on top and stays super juicy. And the rosemary ties everything together without being overpowering.

Rosemary Brined and Roasted Pork Loin with Potatoes and Carrots

Author: Happy Food Happy Home

Serves 2-4

Brine

2 cups water

½ cup kosher salt

¼ cup packed brown sugar

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon peppercorns

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 sprig fresh rosemary

1 lemon, cut in half

½ onion, roughly chopped

1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed

1 2 pound pork roast

Potatoes and Carrots

1 ½ pounds baby red potatoes

4 medium carrots

½ large onion, cut into quarters

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1 teaspoon rosemary, chopped

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Olive oil, to coat

Rosemary Rub

1 teaspoon chopped rosemary

½ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Prepare Brine

1. Combine 2 cups of water, salt, sugar, bay leaf, peppercorns, fennel seeds, and rosemary in a large pot.*
2. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar and salt have dissolved. Remove from heat.
3. Add in the lemon, onion, and garlic.
4. Using a measuring cup, fill with 2 cups of ice cubes.  Then add cold water and fill in around the ice.
5. Add the water/ice to the pot. Stir to combine and cool.**
6. Add the pork loin roast to the brine.
7. Brine for 8-10 hours. Flip the roast over halfway through the time.

Prepare Vegetables

1. Peel the carrots and cut into large chunks. Place in a large mixing bowl.
2. Wash the potatoes and put in the bowl.
3. Add the rosemary, salt, pepper, and olive oil to the bowl. Stir to combine.
4. Add the onion and the garlic cloves.  Stir once, trying not to break apart the onion.

Cook

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Remove the roast from brine scraping off anything that sticks to it.
3. Place the roast fat side up in the center of a parchment paper covered rimmed sheet pan.
4. Mix together the rosemary, pepper, and salt and sprinkle over the roast.
5. Dump the vegetables around the roast. Spread them out in an even layer.
6. Cook the roast for about 20 minutes per pound until in the internal temperature is 145 degrees.
7. Remove the roast from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

*large enough to fit your roast

**you can store the brine like this in the refrigerator for 24 hours

What are your plans for Valentine's Day?  After one evening a few years ago when we waited 90 minutes for a table, Dustin and I decided to stay home on Valentine's Day. Romantic evening at home it is!

Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Tart

Dustin loves chocolate. He doesn't like cake, pie is definitely not his favorite--he is straight chocolate all the way. Because of his no cake/no pie stance on desserts, occasionally I make him something that is all chocolate and just for him.

This Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Tart definitely fits the bill.  It is the perfect dessert for a romantic Valentine's Day dinner at home!  It is rich and chocolaty with the perfect amount of vanilla and espresso powder to amp up the chocolate flavor without overpowering it at all.

We ate half a couple pieces of the tart, and then I took the rest to my grandma's birthday.  My cousin claimed I was magic because the tart is so good. I laughed, but really.  It's like a chocolate truffle coated with extra dark chocolate all wrapped up in crunchy buttery graham cracker crust.

And the chocolate tart simple to make!  It's really just 3 simple steps--no double broiler, no fancy techniques, and a seriously impressive and delicious result!

Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Tart Recipe
author: Abby at Happy Food Happy Home
adapted from Epicurious
Serves 8-12

Crust

1 package chocolate graham crackers

3 tablespoons coconut oil

2 tablespoons butter

Pinch of salt

A 9 inch tart pan

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a food processor, pulse the graham crackers until crushed.
3. Add the salt and pulse until combined.
4. In a glass measuring cup, melt the butter and coconut oil together.
5. Pour half the melted butter/coconut oil mixture into the crumbs and pulse until combined. Scrape the bottom of the food processor.
6. Add the remaining butter/coconut oil and pulse into combined.
7. Pour the crust mixture into the tart pan. Press firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan
• To get firm edges, I press two of my fingers into the flutes all the way around the pan. It’s a little time consuming, but it works!
8. Bake the crust for 10 minutes until it is firm.
9. Remove from oven and set aside. Don’t turn off the oven. 

Filling

1 ¼ cup of heavy cream

9 ounces dark chocolate (60-65 percent), chopped

½ teaspoons espresso powder

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ teaspoon salt

1. In a heat proof bowl, sprinkle the espresso powder over the chocolate pieces.
2. Bring the cream to a boil.
3. In a small bowl whisk together the eggs, vanilla, and salt.
4. Pour the cream over the chocolate.  Whisk until melted and combined.
5. Add the egg mixture and whisk until combined.
6. Pour into the baked crust.
7. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes until the edges are set but the middle still wiggles a bit.
8. Remove from oven and let cool for about 20 minutes until room temperature.
• You can also cool the tart in the freezer for about 10 minutes.

Glaze

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1 ¾ ounces chocolate, finely chopped

1 teaspoon light corn syrup

1 tablespoon warm water

1. Place the chocolate and the corn syrup in a heat proof bowl.
2. Bring cream to a boil.
3. Pour over the chocolate and corn syrup. Whisk together until combined.
4. Add the water and whisk until thoroughly combined. Try not to incorporate too many air bubbles into the chocolate.
5. Pour the glaze in the middle of the cooled tart. Rotate the tart in a circle to spread the glaze around. You can also use an offset spatula to spread the glaze.
6. Allow the tart to cool and set for approximately 1 hour.
7. Slice into thin pieces and serve!

The Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Tart is a perfect decadent chocolate dessert. It would great to make for a special someone for a Valentine's Day dessert!