Grilled Potatoes

You guys have to try grilling potatoes!  I don't know how this idea escaped me all these years, but I'm in love and make them all the time now.

I needed a side to go with the steaks with cilantro chimichurri and I wanted to grill it.  I had red potatoes on hand and a light bulb went off.  Having never done this before, I did a little Googling, kept the recipe simple and hoped for the best.  The crunchy potatoes were my favorite, but the skin on each potato has a nice crispness in contrast to the tender centers.  Some of the grill flavor comes out in the potatoes too.

COOK'S NOTE:  I've been using salt, pepper and chili powder for seasoning, but use whatever strikes your fancy. 

Grilled Potatoes
Original Recipe

2-4 red potatoes per person (depending on size), sliced ~1/4" thick
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Other seasonings

Preheat the grill.  Coat potato slices with olive oil and seasonings.  Grill the potatoes in a single layer for about 5 minutes on each side or until potatoes are golden and cooked through.

After removing them from the grill, taste and sprinkle with a touch more salt if needed.  These can be served with a dipping sauce, but they are pretty tasty one their own.

Cooking Sausage Patties in the Oven

Last year I talked about Bakin' Bacon and how it's the cleaner and quicker method to cook bacon for a crowd.  Well I tested this theory with sausage patties as well, and it worked great.  I love not having to clean grease splatter from my stovetop!  The method is easy, I started with a hot oven and finished them off in the broiler to get them brown and crispy.

Sausage Patties in the Oven
Original Recipe

Sausage Patties
Foil
Rimmed Baking Sheet

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with foil and arrange the patties on the sheet so they are not touching each other (use a second sheet pan if needed).  Bake the sausage for 10 minutes, then flip each patty and rotate the baking sheet back to front.  Bake for 10 more minutes, then broil for 3-4 minutes until the sausage is browned to your preference.

Roasted Chickpeas

I've got another healthy snack to add to the roster:  Roasted Chickpeas!  They are crunchy and addictive and you should definitely try them.  Flavor them any way you want using savory and/or sweet seasonings.  Lately I've been using a similar spice combination that I do for the Spiced Almonds. I'd like to experiment with a sweet version too (brown sugar, cinnamon, pinch of nutmeg, pinch of cayenne pepper).

Sooo, where can I buy chickpeas in bulk? 

Side Note: I did a cost comparision of dried vs canned and it was cheaper to get the canned chickpeas.  I thought that was interesting so until I can prove otherwise, I'm going with canned.  Less work and less money!

UPDATE: Roasted chickpeas taste great on a salad!

Roasted Chickpeas
Original Recipe
Yield: 8 servings (about 4 cups)

4 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp of any seasonings (I've been using about 2 tsp cumin, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp hot chili powder)

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Line two rimmed cookie pans with foil.

Lay a dish towel (or paper towels) over the sheet pans.  Dump the rinsed chickpeas onto the towels and give them a rub to remove some of the water.  If any of the papery skins fall off, remove them.  Mix the chickpeas, olive oil and seasonings in a large bowl to coat evenly, then divide between the two sheets.

Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the insides of the chickpeas are dried out.  Stir occasionally, and keep an eye on them toward the end so they don't burn.

Cabbage & Noodles

When I was trying to figure out what to do with some of our many heads of cabbage, I had two recipe requirements:  it used a lot of cabbage and it wasn't coleslaw (I have a non-traditional slaw recipe on the way!).  One of the suggestions Crystal gave me was cabbage and noodles.  I've never had them before so I gave it a whirl.  

This is Old World peasant food at it's finest.  I didn't know what to expect and didn't have high hopes, but I was pleasantly surprised!  It's not the most exciting dish I've ever made, but it was so easy to throw together and I really enjoyed it (good thing too because the leftovers went on forever!).  The smoked meat added a nice component to the mellow cabbage and onions.

  Cabbage and Noodles Original Recipe
Yield: 6-10 servings (if not more depending on your cabbage size) 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter (don't be afraid of the butter, look how many servings it's being divided into) 2 large onions, chopped 2 small heads of cabbage, chopped 1 (12 oz) package egg noodles
Salt & pepper to taste
Herbs to taste (Caraway seeds are traditional choice, but I didn't have any so I used herbs de provence, feel free to sub whatever you want)
2 lb kielbasa (or other smoked sausage), grilled and sliced Cook the egg noodles in salted boiling water until they are al dente.  Drain well and set aside. Heat the butter in a large pot at medium heat.  Once the butter is melted, add the onions and saute for 5 minutes before adding the cabbage.   Stirring occasionally, cook until the cabbage is tender (time varies depending on the size of your pot and the amount of cabbage).   Stir in the egg noodles and kielbasa until everything gets warm again.  Season to taste with salt, pepper and herbs.  

Bakin' Bacon

Mmmmm bacon. I love bacon so much I had a Bacon Party!

Cooking bacon for more than two people can be time-consuming and messy. After today, you can forget about making multiple batches and splattering hot grease all over your stovetop. My secret?  I cook it in the oven. This method is perfect for makin' bacon for a crowd. Just throw it in the oven until it's done to your desired crispiness. And you don't even have to flip the strips! I like to save the bacon fat so once I pour it off, the lingering grease cools/hardens fairly quickly, then just crumple the foil and throw it away.

If you want bacon for breakfast without cooking it every morning, you can it in the oven, then reheat it with a zap in the microwave.  When I make BLTs, I just cook up the whole package for the two of us.  That way we get BLTs two days in a row and only one day of cooking bacon. 

It's surprises me that more people have not heard of this method. I've been doing this for a few years and have no idea where I first heard it, but it's genius.  Now that you know the trick, I hope you'll try it next time you have a bacon craving!

Oven Bacon

Original Recipe
Yield: 4-6 servings

1 lb bacon (I prefer thick cut, but use whatever you like)

2 rimmed baking sheets

Foil

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line baking sheets with foil. Lay the bacon on the foil. Don't be afraid to put them right next to each other, they'll shrink as they cook. As long as they're not piled on top of each other, it'll be fine. Put the trays into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until they're done to your satisfaction.  Timing will vary depending on how thick or thin your bacon is so start checking around the 10 minute mark for thinner slices.  Remove the bacon onto a paper towel-lined plate to degrease a moment before devouring.

BLTs are one of my favs!

Beet and Orange Rocket Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

Okay, my family is in Atlanta already!  Jim and Melissa ride in the ADA Tour de Cure on Sunday.  They would really appreciate your financial support.  They're only $200 away from their fundraising goal of $5000, please donate if you can.  I'm baking cookies for donors, see details about your thank you cookies here.  Go Team Wolfepack I'm so proud of you!

I actually made this salad last summer and I'm just getting around to telling you about it.  We really loved everything about this Beet and Orange Rocket Salad!  It was sweet from the oranges and candied walnuts, set off by the earthy beets and peppery arugula.  And who doesn't love the tart creaminess of goat cheese?  This salad is the perfect accompaniment for dinner on the deck on a warm summer night.     Once the beets and vinaigrette are ready (both can be made ahead), this salad is easily thrown together.  Since the grill is most likely being used for other parts of your dinner, it just makes sense that you'd cook your beets on the grill too.  This salad can be mixed together, but it also makes a great presentation if you arrange everything on the plate.
I look forward to making this again, especially once our garden comes in.  Hopefully our beets will be bigger than a golf ball this year!
Oh, and just in case you come across "rocket" in a recipe, it's just another name for arugula.
Beet and Orange Rocket Salad Original Recipe
Arugula (from our garden, yay!) Assorted lettuce (I used a mix from our garden) Beets, scrubbed and ends trimmed, chopped Mandarin Orange Segments (I used canned oranges, always soft and sweet) Goat Cheese Candied Walnuts Orange Vinaigrette (recipe below)
Before prepping everything else, you need to get the beets cooking.  Preheat the grill.  In a bowl, drizzle a little olive oil over the beets (just enough to lightly coat).  Create a foil packet around the beets, close it up, and poke a few steam vents.  Place the packet on the hot grill, cook for 30 minutes or until beets are tender.  Remove beets from packet and let them cool for at least 10 minutes before adding to the salad.
Combine all ingredients or arrange them on the plates and serve with orange vinaigrette.

Orange Vinaigrette From Michael Symon's Live to Cook Yield:  1 1/4 cups
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 1 Tbsp shallot, minced 1 tsp garlic, minced 1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped 1/4 tsp pepper 1/4 tsp kosher salt 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
In a small non-reactive saucepan, bring the orange juice to a simmer.  Cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to a bowl and cool to room temperature.
Combine everything except the oil in a medium mixing bowl.  Start whisking in a few drops of oil at a time, then add it in a thin stream.  Whisk continuously until all the oil is incorporated.  Taste vinaigrette and adjust seasoning if needed.

Hot Chocolate

Hunger Games Week:

Every day this week, I'm going to post a recipe that was inspired by food mentioned in The Hunger Games  trilogy.  In anticipation of the the movie, Cleveland's Plain Dealer hosted a Hunger Games recipe contest.  The recipes had to be original, and we were allowed 50 words of description and one photo. 

Today is the last day of my Hunger Games recipes.  If you missed any of them, let's recap: Creamy Mushroom Soup, Goat Cheese Wrapped in Basil, District 12 Ration Grain Biscuits, the contest winning Roast Groosling with Sweet Roots (check out the other winning recipes here) and Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookies.  The recipe below is what I submitted for Hot Chocolate (contest category: Capitol Fare). 

      When you think of the hot chocolate served in the Capitol, what do you think of?  Chocolatey, rich, smooth, and thick enough for dipping rolls or cookies into it.  That's exactly what this recipe delivers.
Hot Chocolate Original Recipe Yield:  2 mugs, or 4 tea cups
2 cups milk 3 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped (can substitute mini chocolate chips) 1 Tbsp cocoa powder 1 Tbsp sugar 1/8 tsp salt 1 tsp vanilla
In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the milk.   Heat for 5 minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients except the vanilla.  Whisk until the chocolate melts completely, the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon (about 10 minutes).  Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.  Ladle into tea cups and serve with rolls for dipping.

Brown Sugar Shortbread

 

Hunger Games Week:

Every day this week, I'm going to post a recipe that was inspired by food mentioned in The Hunger Games  trilogy.  In anticipation of the the movie, Cleveland's Plain Dealer hosted a Hunger Games recipe contest.  The recipes had to be original, and we were allowed 50 words of description and one photo. 

I submitted six recipes, I've already revealed Creamy Mushroom Soup, Goat Cheese Wrapped in Basil, District 12 Ration Grain Biscuits and the contest winning Roast Groosling with Sweet Roots.  (Check out the other winning recipes here.)  The recipe below is what I submitted for Shortbread Cookies (contest category: Wild Card Dishes). 

 

Mr. Mellark gave Katniss some cookies before leaving.  I imagined that they were something that would travel well, a sturdy cookie like shortbread.  It's really too bad Katniss threw them away because for such a simple looking cookie, the brown sugar lends a nice flavor.

Mr. Mellark's Shortbread Cookies

Original Recipe

Yield:  about 18 cookies

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened

1 cup flour

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cream the brown sugar and butter on medium-high for 2 minutes.  Slowly add the flour and mix on low until combined.  Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place on a cookie sheet.  Flatten the dough so they are about 1/4 inch thick.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden.  Remove cookies from the baking sheets and place on a cooling rack.

Roast Chicken with Root Vegetables

Hunger Games Week: Every day this week, I'm going to post a recipe that was inspired by food mentioned in The Hunger Games  trilogy.  In anticipation of the movie, Cleveland's Plain Dealer hosted a Hunger Games recipe contest.  The recipes had to be original, and we were allowed 50 words of description and one photo. 
I submitted six recipes, and I've already revealed Creamy Mushroom Soup, Goat Cheese Wrapped in Basil, and District 12 Ration Grain Biscuits. 
The winners of the recipe contest were announced in the Taste section of today's paper and the Roast Groosling with Sweet Roots WON!  Check out the paper's web version here.  The recipe below is what I submitted, you'll notice it's a little different than the one in the paper because they adapted the recipes.  

Side Note:  I don't agree with their choice of winner for the Breads of Panem category.  The winning bread is not at all like the District 12 bread described in the book (flat and dense).  However, it's a great fit for District 11 (crescent shaped and sprinkled with seeds), so maybe it was just a typo.  If that's what happened, then I think it was a good choice.

Groosling shows up quite a bit as a source of food, especially in the Arena.  An important alliance between Rue and Katniss was developed while sharing a meal of groosling.  Foraged root vegetables make a great accompaniment to the roasted meat.

Roast Groosling with Sweet Roots (aka Roast Chicken with Root Vegetables)

Original Recipe

Yield:  6 servings

3 lbs various root vegetables (carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips, katniss roots, etc.), chopped into similar sized pieces (~ 1 1/2 inches)

2 onions, peeled and quartered, root ends removed

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp dried rosemary

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 (~4 lb) groosling (chicken can be substituted), plucked, head, feet and innards removed and cleaned

2 Tbsp olive oil

Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 425 F.

In a large bowl, place the chopped vegetables.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with dried herbs.  Mix until everything is thoroughly coated.  Distribute evenly around the pan leaving space in the center for the groosling.

Rinse the groosling with water and pat it dry.  Rub with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Place in the prepared roasting pan.

Place the pan in the oven and cook for 20 minutes.  Turn the oven down to 375 F and cook for 80 minutes or until juices run clear and thigh meat registers 165 F.  

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.  If the vegetables aren't done, put them back into the oven while the chicken rests.  When the vegetables are done cooking, mix them around with the pan juices.  Carve the chicken and serve with the roasted root vegetables.

 

Hunger Games: District 12 Drop Biscuits

Hunger Games Week: Every day this week, I'm going to post a recipe that was inspired by food mentioned in The Hunger Games  trilogy.  Cleveland's Plain Dealer hosted a Hunger Games recipe contest.  The recipes had to be original, and we were allowed 50 words of description and one photo.  They'll post the winning recipes in the Taste section of the paper tomorrow.
I submitted six recipes, I've already revealed Creamy Mushroom Soup and Goat Cheese Wrapped in Basil.  The recipe below is what I submitted for District 12's bread (contest category: Breads of Panem). 



  The people of District 12 were constantly battling starvation so it makes sense that their district bread wasn't anything special, just a flat, dense biscuit.  Katniss mentioned that the Capitol's version looked much nicer.  They were probably made with luxury ingredients like butter or leavening that most District 12 residents couldn't afford.
District 12 Ration Grain Biscuits Original Recipe Yield: 6 biscuits
1 cup rye flour (or other dark grain) 2/3 cup milk (or water if milk is not available) 1/8 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 425 F.  Mix all ingredients and let sit for 5 minutes to let the milk work into the flour.  Drop large spoonfuls onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes.  Transfer biscuits to a cooling rack.

Hunger Games: Goat Cheese Wrapped in Basil

Hunger Games Week: Every day this week, I'm going to post a recipe that was inspired by food mentioned in The Hunger Games  trilogy.  Cleveland's Plain Dealer hosted a Hunger Games recipe contest.  The recipes had to be original, and we were allowed 50 words of description and one photo.  They'll post the winning recipes in the Taste section of the paper on Wednesday March 21.
I submitted six recipes, I revealed Creamy Mushroom Soup on Friday.  The recipe below is what I submitted for Goat Cheese Wrapped in Basil (contest category: Wild Card).  Thinking back, I wish I had done it differently.  I should have taken a 4 oz log of goat cheese and wrapped it with a few large basil leaves, then sliced it to be spread on fresh bread.  The recipe below was too much basil, not enough goat cheese.
  Prim's goat, Lady, supplied the Everdeen's with milk and cheese which could be eaten or sold/traded for other goods at the Hob.  Prim made these treats of goat cheese wrapped in basil for Katniss as a gift on Reaping Day.
Goat Cheese Wrapped in Basil Original Recipe Yield: 5-10 servings
2 oz goat cheese, softened Salt, to taste Pepper, to taste 5-10 large basil leaves
In a small bowl, mix the goat cheese, salt and pepper.  Place the basil leaves, vein side up (dark green side down), on a plate.  Put a spoonful of goat cheese on each leaf.  To wrap, start at the leaf's tip and fold it down so it sticks to the goat cheese.  Then wrap the two sides to the middle of the package, overlapping slightly if possible.  Chill until ready to serve.

Creamy Mushroom Soup

The Hunger Games movie comes out next week and I'm so excited!  I really loved the book!

The Plain Dealer held a recipe contest for food inspired by The Hunger Games trilogy.  Entries were due on Monday and they'll post the winning recipes in the Taste section of the paper on Wednesday March 21.  The recipes had to be original, and we were allowed 50 words of description and one photo.  I submitted six recipes, I was hoping for more, but ran out of time.  I'm going to be sharing them today and all next week to celebrate the movie opening.

This is what I submitted for Creamy Mushroom Soup (contest category:  Capitol Fare).

Capitol food is so rich and luxurious that Katniss had problems eating it because she was accustomed to a bland diet.  This creamy mushroom soup is a far cry from District 12 food, it's rich, velvety and full of flavor.

Creamy Mushroom Soup

Original Recipe

Yield:  4 servings

1 lb mushrooms, sliced

1 small (~1 cup) onion, diced

4 Tbsp butter, divided

1 tsp dried thyme

3 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 cup heavy cream

Salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Balsamic vinegar (optional)

In a stockpot on medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter, then add the onions.  Cook until they are softened (about 5 minutes).  Turn the heat up to high, add the remaining butter and the mushrooms.  Stirring occasionally, cook the mushrooms until they brown.  Lower the temperature and add the thyme and chicken stock.  Simmer for about 10 minutes, then remove from heat.  

Puree the soup until it's smooth.  If using a blender, work in batches and have a large bowl ready for the pureed portion of the soup.  Don't fill the blender more than 1/3 to 1/2 full.  Remove the cap from the hole in the blender lid.  Put the blender lid on tight and cover the hole with a towel while pureeing.  Repeat until all of the soup is smooth.

Return the pureed soup to the pot on medium-low heat.  Stir in the heavy cream.  Reheat the soup slowly, and do not boil (lower the heat if needed).  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve immediately and drizzle each serving with balsamic vinegar (if using).  This soup goes great with a salad of bitter greens and pea-sized tomatoes, thin-sliced, rare roast beef, and noodles in a green sauce.

Roasted Tomato & Ricotta Crostini

The bright flavored, roasted tomato, creamy ricotta and crunchy
crostini make a fabulous combination. 

When I was writing about the oven roasted tomatoes, I came up with this idea for an appetizer.  I'm happy to report that it turned out beautifully.  The  moist tomato drips just enough of it's packing oil onto the ricotta which gets a slight bite from the pepper.  The crunchy baguette gives a nice contrast to the soft toppings.

The three components can each be made ahead of time, but don't assemble everything until you're ready to serve it.


Roasted Tomato & Ricotta Crostini
Original Recipe

Baguette, cut into 1/2" slices
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
Salt & Pepper
Thyme (optional)
Roasted tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil

Preheat the oven to 375.
Place the baguette slices on two baking sheets.  Lightly brush the bread with olive oil.  Bake until the crostini are pale golden and crisp, around 15 minutes.  Let cool completely.

While the crostini is baking, mix the salt, pepper, and thyme (if using) into the ricotta.

Once the crostini is cooled, spread the ricotta mixture onto the slices.  Top with roasted tomatoes.  Serve immediately.

Chocolate Bark

Chocolate bark is so easy: melt chocolate, spread it in a pan, sprinkle with topping, cool, break apart and eat.  Chocolate bark makes a great gift and can be customized in a million different ways with candy, dried fruit, nuts, coconut, flavored extracts, whatever.  It keeps for a long time too.  Chocolate bark is a great option for a cookie exchange if you don't want to bake.  Leftover candy from your Easter basket (or any holiday) would make a great topping for chocolate bark.  Those Robins' Eggs Whoppers sprinkled on some dark chocolate?  Yum!

If you're melting chocolate chips, you don't need to chop them up.  If you're melting chocolate from a bar or large block, use a serrated knife to chop/shave the chocolate.  The baking and/or candy sections of some grocery stores and markets sell good chocolate in larger bars or 0.5 lb - 1 lb chunks broken off from giant blocks.


Chocolate Bark Master Recipe
Original Recipe

For every pound of chocolate, use about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of toppings or mix-ins.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Melt the chocolate in the microwave stirring at 30 second increments until completely melted.  If using mix-ins, stir them into the melted chocolate.  Pour onto prepared baking sheet.  Sprinkle with toppings and lightly press them down.  Let cool completely, then break apart or cut the candy into pieces.


Peppermint Bark
Original Recipe

1.5 lb dark chocolate, chopped
1 lb white chocolate, chopped
40 peppermints or 12 candy canes, crushed
1 tsp mint extract

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave stirring at 30 second increments until completely melted.  Stir in mint extract.  Pour onto prepared baking sheet.  Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Optional Step:  While the chocolate is cooling, put the crushed mints in a sieve over the bowl holding the white chocolate.  Let the mint dust fall into the white chocolate, and reserve the mint pieces for decoration.

Melt the white chocolate.  Pour the white chocolate over the dark chocolate.  Working quickly, spread into an even layer.  Sprinkle with crushed mints, then press down slightly into the chocolate.  Let it cool at room temperature or in the fridge. 

When the bark has cooled completely, break apart or cut into pieces.

Popper Dip

I've been making jalapeno popper dip for a few years now, and it has become a signature appetizer of mine. Jalapeno poppers are very popular, but time consuming to prep. I first heard about turning poppers into a dip through a family member, so I took that idea and combined it with my favorite popper recipe. It's really quick and easy to put together.  If you make it ahead of time, just keep it in the fridge until you're ready to pop it in the oven. It freezes well too, just thaw in the fridge and bake as usual. Be careful though, in my experience the dip seems to get spicier after sitting in the freezer.

Don't skip the mayo, it keeps the dip soft and scoopable.

Popper Dip
Adapted from my Aunt Kimberly's popper recipe
Yield: 1 pie plate or 8x8 baking dish

2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp mayo
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (or pepper jack if you want some extra zip)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 oz can chopped green chilies, drained
4 oz can chopped jalapenos, drained
1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs (optional)
Tortilla chips, Fritos or raw veggies for serving

Preheat oven to 375. Mix everything together until combined and transfer to a baking dish. Bake the dip for about 10 minutes, then stir it around, and smooth the top.   Sprinkle with breadcrumbs if using.  Put it back in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

Cranberry Chicken

I had some Cranberry Vinaigrette and little bleu cheese leftover so I made cranberry chicken. This was a really easy entree with almost no prep (if you count defrosting chicken as prep).  It turned out pretty good, and the chicken was moist and flavorful. The cranberry and bleu cheese combo is a definite winner.  So if you're looking for another use for cranberry vinaigrette, make this chicken.

Cranberry Chicken
Original Recipe
Yield: 2 servings

2 pieces of chicken (I used boneless thighs)
Salt & Pepper
1 Tbsp oil
1/2-3/4 cup cranberry vinaigrette
2 Tbsp bleu cheese crumbles

Preheat oven to 400.

Rinse the chicken with water and pat it dry.  Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.  In a medium hot pan, heat up the oil and place the chicken skin side down.  Sear both sides of the chicken for about 2 minutes each.

Pour the cranberry vinaigrette in a small baking dish.  Add the chicken skin side up and cover the dish with foil.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Remove the foil and place some cranberries on the chicken and top with bleu cheese.  Bake for 5 more minutes.

When serving, scoop up any cranberries left in the bottom of the pan to serve with the chicken.  Discard the liquid that's left.

Cranberry Vinaigrette and Harvest Salad

I had some cranberries that needed to be used and decided to make a fun salad dressing.  I am really happy with how this cranberry vinaigrette turned out, a little tart and full of flavor.  It would be delicious over any type of green salad, but I especially like it over this Harvest Salad.  The salad has a great crunch from the apples and toasted nuts and I love how the bleu cheese starts to mix in with the vinaigrette.  The dried cranberries add a touch of sweetness to the mix.  The salad and vinaigrette make a great lunch if you add chicken or turkey.

Harvest Salad

Salad greens (I used a mix of romaine, spinach and arugula, but use whatever you like)
Apples, chopped
Toasted walnuts or pecans, chopped
Bleu cheese crumbles (I used gorgonzola)
Dried cranberries (optional)


Cranberry Vinaigrette
Original Recipe
Yield: 1 1/2 cups

1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 cup fresh cranberries
2 Tbsp red onion, minced
Zest from 1 orange
Juice from 1 orange
2-3 Tbsp sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a blender or food processor, combine all of the ingredients.  Continue to process until the cranberries are chopped up and everything is blended.  Taste to see if it needs anymore sugar, salt or pepper, and adjust if needed.

Make a couple hours ahead so the flavors have a chance to meld.

Store the vinaigrette in a mason jar in the fridge.  About 15 minutes before using, take it out of the fridge and remove the lid to let the oil soften.  Right before serving, replace the lid, shake the jar and dress the salad or pour it into a container so everyone can serve themselves.

The cranberry vinaigrette seems to do okay sitting in the fridge for a couple weeks so don't be afraid by the quantity this recipe makes.

Beet Risotto

I had a collection of root vegetables (beets, parsnips, potatoes and sweet potatoes) laying around so one night I decided to roast them all.  I cut everything up and on one baking sheet mixed the parsnips, potatoes and some sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper.  On another baking sheet I had the rest of the sweet potatoes on one side and the beets on the other (both mixed with olive oil, salt and pepper).

I decided to use the variety tray to make a soup (I pureed the veggies with chicken broth).  The roasted beets made their way into risotto, and the leftover sweet potatoes were used as a side/garnish.  I filled a measuring cup with risotto then turned it upside down on a plate for a fun presentation.

I was really happy with how this turned out!  You get a nice roasted earthy flavor from the beets mixed with the creaminess of the rice and cheese.  Plus it's bright pink, so it'll make any dinner plate more colorful!

Beet Risotto

Original Recipe

Yield: about 3 cups of risotto

4 small beets, scrubbed, peeled and diced
1 Tbsp olive oil

3 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 Tbsp butter

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup Arborio rice

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425.  Line a baking sheet with foil and add the diced beets.  Drizzle olive oil over the beets, sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper, then mix it all around so the beets are evenly coated.  Roast in the oven, stirring occasionally) for about 40 minutes or until the beets are tender.

After the beets have been roasting for about 20 minutes, heat the chicken stock in a small saucepan (not boiling).  In a large saucepan on medium-high heat, saute the onions in butter until soft, 3 minutes.  Add the garlic to the pan for 30 seconds before adding the rice and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Stir constantly for 1-2 minutes without browning the rice.

Pour 3 cups of the hot stock into the rice mixture and stir.  You don't have to stir constantly, but keep an eye on it so the rice doesn't burn.  When almost all the stock has been absorbed by the rice, add the roasted beets and the last 1/2 cup of stock.  Stir until the stock is absorbed.  Remove the risotto from heat and stir in the parmesan cheese.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Guacamole

I LOVE avocados!  I have been known to eat an avocado straight out of the skin with some lime juice and salt sprinkled over it.  When I make guacamole for just the two of us I usually end up eating most of it myself.  I can't get enough!  This guacamole is really bright and fresh tasting because of the lime juice and cilantro.

Guacamole

Original Recipe

2 Avocados, skin and pit removed

Juice from 1/2 lime

1 Tbsp cilantro, minced

1 small clove garlic, minced (optional)

Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Salt to taste

Add all ingredients to a bowl.  Mash together with fork until combined and the desired consistency is achieved.  I like to leave it a little chunky, but some prefer smooth.  Give it taste to make sure seasoning is what you want.  Taste it with a tortilla chip because the chips are salty on their own.

Prevent Browning:  If there are any leftovers, place plastic wrap directly onto the guacamole.  I've also heard that leaving the pit with the leftovers will also help fight browning, but I haven't found that this helps anymore than the plastic wrap trick.  The amount of lime in this particular recipe seems to keep the avocados from browning for a few days also.

Goat Cheese, Grape and Candied Walnut Bruschetta

I needed an easily portable appetizer to take to our Christmas Eve festivities.  I started thinking about different possibilities and decided that bruschetta would work perfectly.  Based on a salad combo I love, I was originally thinking gorgonzola with grapes and candied walnuts.  When I got to the store, I decided to use goat cheese instead. I love goat cheese and I figured it would spread more smoothly.

At first I wasn't sure how I was going to combine the cheese, grapes and walnuts.  Do I crumble the cheese and mix it around with the grapes and nuts in hopes that it'll be moist enough to stay put on the bread?  Or do I spread the cheese and top it with the other ingredients?  As you can see I went for the latter approach which worked out pretty well.  As far as my bread choice, I went for a baguette because it was perfectly chewy for this appetizer.  Try to buy your baguette the same day you plan to eat it so the bread doesn't get too hard.  If you end up with a softer type of bread, you may want to lightly toast the slices.

I was worried that there wouldn't be enough goat cheese to cover all the bread so I decided to add some cream cheese.  It's cheaper than goat cheese and mild enough that the goat cheese is still the prominent flavor (and the most convenient reason:  I already had cream cheese in the fridge so no more trips to the store!).  Feel free to buy a bigger log of goat cheese if you want to omit the cream cheese.

UPDATE: I've also had this with herbed goat cheese and it was delicious!

Goat Cheese, Grape and Candied Walnut Bruschetta

Original Recipe

Fresh Baguette or Crackers

5.5 oz goat cheese, softened

3 oz cream cheese, softened

~30 large grapes, quartered

3/4 cup candied walnuts (recipe below), chopped
Balsamic Vinegar Reduction or Syrup* (optional)

Cut the baguette into 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch slices.  Mix the two cheeses in a bowl until they are fully combined.  Spread the cheese mixture onto the baguette slices.  Top with grapes and candied walnuts, pressing down to ensure they stick.  

These can be made ahead of time the same day as your party, just pull them out of the fridge about 10 minutes before you plan to serve them to take the chill off.  Right before serving, drizzle with balsamic vinegar syrup if using.These could also be served as a build your own appetizer if you don't want to assemble them.

Candied Walnuts

From Food Network

In addition to the appetizer above, these walnuts are great on their own, and make a nice addition to salads.

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp salt

8 oz walnuts (about 2 heaping cups)

Preheat oven to 350 F.  In a medium bowl, mix together the sugar, cayenne and salt.

Bring a small saucepan of water to boil. Add the walnuts and blanch them for 3 minutes. Drain well and then immediately mix the walnuts into the sugar mixture until thoroughly coated. The sugar will melt slightly. Transfer the walnuts to a baking sheet or pan and bake, stirring occasionally, until they are a deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Watch carefully because the sugar can burn easily. Let cool completely before serving.


*Balsamic vinegar syrup can be purchased or you can make your own by adding some balsamic vinegar in a pan over medium heat and reduce to one-third the original amount.