It has been pretty low key at my house. I've been baking my traditional Christmas cookies and eating simple meals. But my New Year's Day brunch is on the horizon. That's the holiday celebration where I like to be creative, making and baking never-tried-before appetizers, main dishes, and desserts. I also start thinking about what I can have on hand if someone drops by for a glass of holiday cheer. Yesterday I made Fig & Blue Cheese Savory Bites and those who stopped by last evening thought they were wonderful. They are also easy! Epicurious | December 2012 • 1 cup all-purpose flour • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature and cubed • 1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled • Freshly ground black pepper • About 3 tablespoons fig preserves 1. Preheat oven to 350˚ F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 2. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, butter, blue cheese, and several grinds of black pepper (I like a lot of pepper!). Process in short bursts just until dough starts to form a ball. 3. Transfer dough to a work surface dusted lightly with flour. Knead the dough 2 or 3 times; divide into 3 pieces. Take one piece of dough and roll to 1/8-inch thickness, dusting sparingly with additional flour if needed. Using a 1-inch round, floured cookie cutter, cut as many pieces as possible from the dough and place onto the lined baking sheet. Gather up the left-over scraps and roll and cut again. Repeat process with the remaining pieces of dough. 4. Using a floured finger, make a small indentation in the middle of each round of dough. Fill indentation with about 1/4 teaspoon fig preserves. 5. Transfer baking sheet to middle rack of preheated oven. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until pastry is a light golden brown. After removing baking sheet from oven, allow the Fig & Blue Cheese Savory Bites to rest 10 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely. MERRY CHRISTMAS! TAKE a LOOK:
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I just made a pot of Roasted Carrot Soup; the recipe from my friend Tom at Tall Clover Farm. In addition to the roasted carrots, there's coconut milk, orange juice and zest in the mix; a perfect light supper for another gray, snowy day in Minnesota. And to serve alongside the soup I baked Whole Wheat Cheese Crackers with Chives... enjoy! • 1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour • 1 1/4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt • 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cubed • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard • 2 ounces cheddar cheese, grated (I used an extra mature white cheddar from England) • 2 ounces Parmesan Reggiano, grated • 3 tablespoon chopped fresh chives • Maldon salt, fleur de sel, or sea salt, for sprinkling 1. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. 2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and Dijon mustard until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl when necessary. Add the flour, cheddar cheese, Parmesan Reggiano, and chives and mix just until combined. 3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured work surface. Gather the dough together and using the heel of your hand, smear portions of the dough against the work surface to distribute the fat. Firmly gather the dough together again and cut off 1/3 of the dough. Roll the piece of dough 1/4-inch thick and using a 2-inch round cutter, cut shapes and place onto 2 parchment-lined baking sheets. Sprinkle the tops of the crackers with Maldon salt, fleur de sel or sea salt; place baking sheets in refrigerator while the oven is heating. 4. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Adjust oven racks with one in the upper third of the oven and another in the lower third. Place baking sheets on oven racks and bake for 18-20 minutes or just until they begin to brown, switching position of the sheets halfway through baking. Remove from oven and transfer crackers to a cooling rack. TAKE a LOOK: Ahh yes... the humble cheese ball. But I want you to overlook its homely appearance; it's a huge favorite of mine. It also has French origins and that's probably what first appealed to me some 30 years ago when I found this recipe. An interesting concoction of ingredients -- I guarantee that anyone who tries this "cheese ball" will feel the same way about it as I do. I served Peanut Butter Pâté, along with a smoked salmon spread, to guests while I stirred up risotto the other nite. It's a great appetizer to have at the ready during the holiday season. • 1/2 cup chopped fresh mushrooms • 2 Tbsp. butter • 2 Tbsp. lemon juice • 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened • 2 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter • 2 slices bacon • 3 green onions, finely chopped 1. Cook and stir mushrooms in butter for 5 minutes; stir in lemon juice. Remove from heat. Beat cream cheese and peanut butter until fluffy. Stir in mushrooms and cover. Refrigerate at least one hour. 2. Fry bacon until crisp; drain and crumble. Shape cream cheese mixture into a ball. Roll ball in bacon and onion; cover. Refrigerate until serving time. 3. Serve with assorted crackers. • Keeps for several days stored in the refrigerator. TAKE a LOOK: My timing is a little off here. It's November. Thanksgiving is next week and I'm sharing images of an alfresco dinner that took place on our neighbor's patio in August. There are no more thoughts this year of dining under the stars. But I'm in the middle of a project -- making drapes (very nice actually ;-) for the large, arched window at the front of my daughter's house. As is the case with most things I do, it is taking longer than expected. So I'm rummaging through old photos and recipes I've meant to share. And since this August dinner was at the height of summer's glory, many of the meal's ingredients will be sub-standard if purchased now. But I suggest that you keep this recipe for Crab Cakes with Buttermilk-Basil Dressing and Marinated Tomatoes and Corn tucked away for next year; it's the best thing I've eaten in a long time! TAKE a LOOK: Barely a day goes by that I am not making a bowlful of fresh tomato salsa. My garden tomatoes are in over drive right now and I have been mixing up salsa, what seems to be, non-stop with no end in sight. My own special preference -- I ramp up this salsa with additional garlic. This is also a rare instance when I choose to use Early Girl tomatoes over my coveted heirlooms. I don't have to peel the Early Girls and their juiciness is to a minimum, which is exactly what I want in my salsa. Save those flavorful and juicy heirlooms for a big Caprese salad! This week, breakfast for me has been a pan seared, multigrain tortilla topped with scrambled eggs and fresh salsa. A bit of sour cream stirred into the eggs is a nice touch and a garnish of fresh avocado slices is a highly recommended addition. And did I say healthy? adapted from Gourmet | August 1998 • 2 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, preferably Early Girl • 2 large, fresh jalapeño chiles, seeded and cut into a tiny dice • 1/4 cup finely diced onion (preferably white) • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves • 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic • 1 teaspoon sugar • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1. Quarter and seed the tomatoes. Cut into a 1/4-inch dice and place in a a medium-size bowl. Add the jalapeños, onion, cilantro, garlic, sugar, and lime juice. Gently mix the ingredients together. Store salsa in an airtight container in the refrigerator. TAKE a LOOK: It's been a hectic few days. There have been numerous photo shoots in my kitchen and kitchen garden recently, the results of which will be in two publications this October/November -- more info on that this fall. An alfresco dinner on the patio was yesterday evening's staging and shoot. With appetizers, numerous main course salads, and dessert, I was thrilled to have so many options for LivingTastefully. But like I said, it was hectic, and little time was left to take photos after I prepared the meal and before our guests and the photographer arrived. I also thought it would be awkward photographing the meal while the photographer was photographing me. Bad idea. So there are no photos of what we ate for dinner, except for this appetizer -- Figs Stuffed with Blue Cheese, Wrapped with Prosciutto, and drizzled with a Balsamic Reduction. I just found figs for the first time this week at our local Whole Foods market and purchased two cartons. It's such a short season. We need to enjoy them often! recipe inspired by The Olives Table • Fresh Black Mission Figs • Any good quality Blue Cheese • slices of Prosciutto, cut in half lengthwise • salt and pepper • balsamic reduction (recipe HERE) 1. Quarter the figs through the stem end, leaving the root end intact. 2. Crumble blue cheese into small pieces. Shape crumbled cheese into small balls the size of a large gumball and stuff into the center of each fig. 3. Take a lengthwise slice of Prosciutto and wrap it around one of the cheese-filled figs. Repeat until all of the figs have been wrapped in Prosciutto. 4. At this point, the figs can be covered and kept refrigerated until needed. 5. Preheat oven to 450˚F. Place the wrapped figs on a baking sheet or in a baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Place on the middle rack of the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and the Prosciutto is starting to sear in spots, about 15 minutes. 6. Meanwhile, on top of the stove or in the microwave, heat the balsamic reduction. Drizzle lightly over the top of the figs when removed from the oven. Serve immediately. TAKE a LOOK: Now wouldn't you think, when planning an outdoor meal during what is typically the hottest week of the summer, the only thing you'd need to worry about is... the possibility of storms... uncomfortably high humidity... mosquitoes? Nope... it instead happened to be unseasonably cool temperatures and an extremely, brisk breeze that gave us a windchill... in July!... that we had to contend with while dining al fresco on the patio yesterday evening. We braved strong winds and temps in the 50's; some of us wrapping up in blankets. We could have easily migrated indoors. But those of us from Minnesota, a state that in its weather history has reported snow every month but July, are just stubborn. It's summer, gosh darn-it! And we're going to experience it outdoors no matter what! I'm sure the distant relatives we were entertaining from farther south, and weren't dressed for October-like weather, wondered what the heck was wrong with us. I served Banana-Bean Dip with blue corn chips before our meal, and it warmed us up a bit with the kick of Chorizo sausage and green chiles. I've made this dip for many years; a recipe from a long-ago New York Times Magazine article. It's also a great accompaniment to grilled Iowa pork chops! • 2 Chorizo sausages,chopped or about 1/2 lb. bulk Chorizo sausage • 1 onion, chopped • 2 cloves of garlic, chopped • half of a 4-ounce can of chopped green chili peppers • 1/2 cup tomato sauce • 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained • 4 ripe bananas 1. Saute' sausage for 5 minutes. Add onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, chilies and tomato sauce and cook another 5 minutes. Add mashed beans and mashed bananas. 2. Add water to thin the mix, if desired. Cover and cook over low heat for 5 minutes and serve warm with tortilla chips. Dip is also excellent served along with grilled Iowa pork chops. TAKE a LOOK: I'm sure you've heard the question, "If you were able to eat dinner with three people, dead or alive, who would you invite?" Responses vary across the board with presidents, musicians and actors, comedians, great thinkers, and deceased relatives usually topping the list. It's a question I've never bothered to answer myself... that is, until I roasted asparagus wrapped in prosciutto. This recipe was on Dorie Greenspan's blog, IN THE KITCHEN AND ON THE ROAD WITH DORIE GREENSPAN. Whenever I visit Dorie's blog, I always seem to find something there that sounds too good to pass up; French Yeast-Raised Waffles -- case in point. The sheer simplicity of the Asparagus Wrapped in Prosciutto was reason enough to make them. And while I was wrapping the asparagus with the prosciutto, I was thinking about Dorie. I have liked her ever since I saw a photo of her in a magazine many years ago (the photo now tops the homepage of her blog), where she was reaching for something while standing on a stool in her NYC kitchen. I will never tire of that picture, filled with the tools and implements of a baker (she has 2 Kitchen-Aid mixers!). Plus, she has short hair and great eye glasses (...and who does that remind you of ;-) But when I really became aware of Dorie Greenspan was when she collaborated with Julia Child (and 36 professional bakers) in the writing of Baking with Julia. If I only had room for one cookbook in my kitchen library, this would be it. I am also envious of Dorie (and yes, envy is not a character trait I'm proud of). She often writes about Paris, where she owns an apartment and lives part-time. That is something I have always dreamed of doing. But in the meantime, having dinner with Dorie (in Paris, maybe?) would suffice. I would have a lot of questions for her... And the other two I'd invite? They would be two people I consider friends now, the result of having my blog -- Stacey Snacks and Tom at Tall Clover Farm. I think it would be a lovely, lively, and tasty dinner, for sure! TAKE a LOOK: Come January 1st, I am ready for a radical change in my diet. There's no arguing this -- December is full of meals, desserts, and drinks that should not be consumed on a regular basis. Right now, I do not want to eat one more cookie or see one more carton of heavy cream on the shelf of my refrigerator. Bring on bowls of oranges, clementines, and grapefruit! These Sweet Potato and Quinoa Cakes with Black Beans are the start of my new, healthy regimen. I veered slightly from the original recipe, working with what I had on hand in my kitchen. I used gold quinoa instead of the red that was called for. And, instead of whole cumin and ground coriander, I substituted 1 teaspoon ground cumin and 2 teaspoons dried cilantro. When pan-frying the cakes, be sure to get a nice brown crust on the exterior; it helps to hold these delicate cakes together. Oh... and the only thing I'd change? I'd double the recipe the next time. I can eat a lot of these! recipe by Betsy Nelson and featured in Experience Life | Jan/Feb 2013 • 1 tablespoon coconut oil, plus additional for frying croquettes • 1 medium sweet potato, peeled, grated, rinsed in cold water, and patted dry • 1/2 cup finely-diced red bell pepper • 1 jalapeño pepper, minced • 1 cup finely-diced yellow onion • 2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds (I used 1 teaspoon ground cumin) • 1 tablespoon ground coriander (I used 2 teaspoons dried cilantro) • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained • 1 cup cooked red quinoa (I used gold quinoa) • Salsa and sour cream for serving 1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil in a large sauté pan. Add the grated sweet potato, bell pepper, jalapeño, and yellow onion. Stir over medium heat until the vegetables have softened; about 5 minutes. Add the cumin and coriander and continue to sauté the vegetables until they are fully-cooked. Add the salt. 2. Stir the black beans and quinoa into the vegetable mixture. Take 1/3 of the mixture and purée in a food processor; return purée to the vegetables in the sauté pan and combine thoroughly. Shape the mixture into small patties. Heat additional coconut oil in a skillet and over medium heat, cook the croquettes until brown and crusty; flip and brown the other side. Keep the croquettes warm in the oven until ready to serve. TAKE a LOOK: We spent Christmas Eve at a neighbor's home across the street from us, along with other neighbors and friends. Dinner was a 50's flashback. Appetizers included artichoke dip and sauerkraut meatballs. The serve yourself buffet consisted of a spiral baked ham, potatoes au gratin topped with potato chips, and a marshmallow fruit salad. Everyone loved it. My sister in Ohio told me she would be making our mother's Christmas Jell-O salad for her family's holiday dinner; layered red and green with marshmallows, pineapple, and whipped cream. Retro meals. Comfort food. Don't we all long for holidays past with memories of meals served by our mothers? I must still be in the retro mindset. Today I made a Caramelized Onion Dip (recipe HERE). Yesterday I made "My Mother's" Ham Salad (recipe HERE). Looks like we're on for a retro appetizer New Year's Eve. TAKE a LOOK: |
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