What does Golden Milk taste like?

Golden milk has a distinctive taste. It is warmly earthy, supremely spiced, slightly sweet, complexly flavorful, has a light bite to it, and with the addition of coconut oil or if using dairy milk it becomes a rich drink.

Some drinks with similar flavor include chai tea or spicy eggnog.

You have the option to sweeten it, then serve it warm and cozy or chilled and iced. I say this really just depends on the season. I think you'll love it warm during fall and winter months and chilled during spring and summer months.

It's touted to have lots of health benefits (see below) and some say it can even help improve sleep quality.

All the more reason to enjoy this delicious drink! It has tempting flavor and nutritious benefits.

Perfect Beef Tenderloin

Yes beef tenderloin is expensive because it only makes for a small percentage of the meat yield from a steer (or heifer), so that rarity along with it's highly sought after demand makes it a pricey cut of meat.

But of course during the holidays it's worth the splurge. It's buttery tender and doesn't get better than this! The tenderloin (or filet mignon when cut into individual portions) has the best texture (it's ruined many cheap cuts of roast for me because it's so superior).

Here we follow a straight forward method to prepare and cook it, it's seriously easy and hard to mess up. It is however almost imperative you have a key piece of kitchen equipment. You'll need a trusty probe oven thermometer (I highly recommend the Chef Alarm I own a few and they work well. Other cheaper options are available online as well).

If you are going to spend that much on a cut of meat you don't want to ruin it. The cook time will vary based on thickness of the roast and desired doneness, so it's best to take out all the guess work and risk and use a thermometer that will monitor the temp the entire time and alert you when it's ready to your desired target temperature.

It's understandable though if you don't already own one and you just have an instant read food thermometer. If going this route you'll just want to start to check the temperature at about 1 hour then continue to closely monitor it, while taking the temp quickly and don't let heat escape the oven for long.

Note that you can purchase beef tenderloin peeled of silver skin and other tough connective tissue that's ready to cook (you'll pay a bit more per pound), or you can peel it yourself and save some money (just keep in mind you'll need a 6 lb roast here rather than 5).

What to Serve with It

If you are wondering what to serve with this, I know this may be repetitive, but everyone seems perfectly pleased by the classic meat and potatoes combo especially over the holidays. Whether it's scalloped potatoes, garlic mashed potatoes, a roasted potato veggie blend, parmesan mashed potatoes, or just baked potatoes you can't go wrong with comfort food classics.

Salads and the typical bright greens go well too. Steamed or roasted broccoli, green beans, asparagus, or Brussels sprouts.

And make it a completely homestyle meal with homemade rosemary dinner rolls, then fancy it up with my favorite vanilla bean cheesecake to finish for dessert. I'd call it the perfect meal!

What is Beef Bulgogi?

Bulgogi, which translates to "fire meat," is a popular Korean barbecue dish made with beef such as top sirlioin, ribeye, or tenderloin. The beef is thinly sliced into bite size pieces then it's marinated in a simple, savory and sweet bulgogi sauce. After that it is either cooked on a charcoal or gas grill, pan seared on a griddle or stir fried in a skillet until the exterior is just browned and caramelized.

Bulgogi is pronounced in English buul-GOH-ghee when pronounced in Korean however there's more of a "p" sound in place of the "b."

It's an incredibly easy dish to make that really wows in flavor and it's something people of all ages can agree on, making it perfect for a fast weeknight family meal or for entertaining friends on the weekend!

What is Cacio e Pepe?

Cacio e pepe is an inexpensive pasta dish that originated from Rome, Italy. Cacio e pepe translates from Italian to English as "cheese and pepper" which is the basis of the sauce.

It is pronounced 'ca-cho ee peh pay.' You may think of the texture and taste being reminiscent to alfredo or mac and cheese.

When made authentically it only requires pasta (such as spaghetti, bucatini or tonnarelli), Pecorino Romano cheese, cracked black pepper, salt, and the boiled pasta water.

The process of preparing it is quite simple:

• Pasta is boiled until it starts to soften, just a little over halfway cooked.
• Then it's transferred to a skillet with some of the pasta cooking water and there it cooks a bit longer (this two pan cooking approach is to concentrate that starchy water further so it acts as a really great binder).
• From there a cheese paste is made with the Romano cheese and some pasta water, and that is added to the pasta off heat and tossed to melt.

It's such an easy recipe that's a dinner game changer for a quick, light prep dish that will never disappoint. Plus it's a recipe with maximum flavor built off only 2 basic ingredients - plus salt and pepper.

The key here is to follow the method closely. It took me quite some time to perfect this dish and achieve a smooth rich sauce (no clumping!) - especially without the need of adding any oil or butter (which is not authentic).

But as written, following all the steps closely, you should be right on your way to success!

Easy Tri Tip Roast

This has been a go-to recipe at our house for the last few months because it's incredibly easy to make, you only need a handful of ingredients, and it’s made with a less expensive cut of beef.

You can usually find tri tip quite a bit cheaper than most steaks (which are getting very expensive lately). We just buy a 2-pack at $7.99 per pound at our local Costco and freeze the second one for later (for best quality use frozen tri tip within 3 months).

The key to a good tri tip is in the seasoning and the cooking method. Here we give it a nice spice rub for added flavor, let it rest at room temp a while, then roast it in a moderately heated oven, and last finish it by reverse searing (baking then skillet browning) for a few minutes in a scorching pan.

It's the perfect beef roast!

What is Tri Tip?

• Tri tip is a cut of beef that comes from the bottom of the sirloin of a cow. It is usually cut in a triangular shape.
• You'll find it has a nice beefy flavor and great tender texture when cooked to a medium doneness.
• Its name comes from its triangular shape and the fact that it's cut at a tapered tip, at the very tip of the sirloin.
• Options available are select, choice and prime grades. Select is lowest quality, choice is good quality, and prime the best quality. I recommend buying only choice or prime.

Cajun Seasoning to Taste

The great thing about making your own homemade cajun seasoning is that you can control the heat and the sodium, simply by adjusting the cayenne pepper and the salt to taste.

It's also handy if you are ready to make a recipe but you are out of your go-to store-bought option. Plus, if you buy spices in bulk this is a great inexpensive option.

You'll find it has the perfect blend of sweet and vibrant spices and flavor enhancing herbs.

It's easy enough it can be thrown together in minutes so you might as well try it out. Homemade spice blends are such a great way to go!

What Makes the Best Lemon Pepper Chicken?

When I first began testing this recipe I went through several brands of lemon pepper seasoning and never found one that I love. It just lacks that fresh lemon zip.

So I ditched the lemon pepper seasoning altogether and just went the fresh lemon route. It ended up being so much better, and far more fresh tasting! It's the simple secret to the best lemon pepper chicken.

This recipe only needs a few basic ingredients and 20 minutes of your time! Everyone will love that rich buttery finish and peppery kick.

It's the perfect dish to make when you need dinner in a flash. For a few healthy and hassle-free sides, pair it with baked red potatoes (serve with a splash of olive oil) and fresh steamed broccoli.

Chinese Pepper Steak

Quick stir-fries - like this beefy, extra saucy Pepper Steak are a weeknight dinner staple. A great option for dinner success when not much time is available after a long day but you're still craving a flavorful homemade dish.

Here the process is simple. We blend a few ingredients to create a savory sauce, quick sear the steak and then the veggies, toss everything in that sauce and you've got dinner in a flash.

As with any recipe, the first time may be a little slower, but once you get this process down it's a breeze.

This is a delicious, ultra-satisfying dish everyone will be excited about! And you didn't have to spend hours in the kitchen preparing it.

Serve it with brown rice or white rice to finish it off. And for a simple time saving tip - cook a big batch of rice over the weekend and keep it stashed in the freezer in portions to save the hassle when you need it on busy days.

WATCH THE PEPPER STEAK VIDEO

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What is Garam Masala

Garam masala is an aromatic blend of ground spices used in Indian, Pakistani, Afghan, Bangladeshi, Nepalese, and Sri Lankan cuisines. The most common type originated from Northern India.

It is used to season and bring complex flavor to curries, meat and fish dishes, lentil and vegetarian dishes, soups and more.

While you can usually find garam masala in a pre-mixed spice blend by the other spices in the baking isle at your local grocery store I highly recommend making it yourself at home. Why? It has a lot more flavor, you can control the amount of each spice that goes into it (store-bought blends vary widely in spices used and amounts), and you can also control heat.

Some store-bought blends in my opinion have way too much of one spice and lack another. Some are so peppery they don't leave a whole lot of room to taste much else.

Homemade spice blends, such as this, may take a little bit of extra effort but I promise you they are worth it!

When you are short on time, or if you are having a hard time finding whole spices I've also included measurements for a fast and easy recipe using using pre-ground spices.

If possible though I highly recommend trying the whole and freshly ground, they create that practically irreplaceable flavor.

What does Garam Masala taste like?

Garam masala tastes warm and earthy, lightly sweet, peppery and somewhat spicy, with hints of floral notes.

The taste can vary from blend to blend depending on various spices and ratios of each added. For or instance, here I like to add fennel seeds which adds faint hints of black licorice and bay leaves that add an ever so light herbal taste. They aren't always typical but I like that extra something.

Recommended Spice Storage

• Garam masala should be stored in a well sealed airtight container, in a cool dry place away from sunlight.
• For optimal flavor it should be used within 6 months.
• You can up-cycle and use an old empty spice jars, or if you don't have any you can buy the same spice jar set I have HERE (as pictured above). It includes tons of pre-printed labels (and plenty of blank labels too).
• I recently organized my spice drawer and bought this expandable spice drawer rack too HERE, if you're interested (just be sure to measure to ensure it will fit). It's been a game changer in quickly finding the spices I need for cooking.

What is Filet Mignon?

Filet Mignon (pronounced fee-le mee-nyawn) is a lean yet incredibly tender type of beef steak that is taken from the smaller end of the tenderloin coming from a cow's back.

There are many ways to cook it such as stove-top pan searing, grilling, baking, cooking in a sous vide, or smoking.

Here we use a reverse sear method which is a combination of both oven and stove-top.

So what's so great about the reverse sear method? This method cooks the steaks low and slow in an oven for maximum tenderness and even cooking, then it's quickly seared in a smoking hot skillet for a gorgeously browned, crisp crust on the exterior.

The quick searing after baking is where it get's the name "reverse sear", because commonly meats are seared before baking.

It is a popular cooking method for filet mignon among chef's and it's what you'll find in many fine dining restaurants.

This method creates hands down one of the most tender steaks you'll ever eat! You should be able to easily slice through it with a butter knife.

Tender, juicy, browned, flavorful, and finished with one of your choice of four optional sauces(see below). Such an impressive yet simple entree that's sure to get rave reviews!

Just be sure with this method you have an oven safe leave-in probe thermometer, it is critical to not over-cooking the steaks. And trust me they are worth the investment! I use mine nearly every day.