Anything-You-Love Salad with Blue Cheese and Pecans

Until recently I didn't love blue cheese. But a good friend made me a salad with blue cheese crumbles, pecans, and this dressing and I fell in love.

Here's my today version salad with a flavorful shallot dressing.



For the salad:

• Arugula, Boston lettuce, or any green of your choice (I have also made it with pea shoots!)
• 1/4 cup dried cherries
• 2 slices of smoked turkey, shredded or sliced
• A nice chunk of blue cheese, broken up (today I had Livradois Bleu D'Auvergne from Whole Foods - it was so yummy!)
• 2 Tbs or more of chopped pecans
• Slices of ripe pear (I didn't have any today, but usually I love to add it on top!)

Shallot Dressing

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot (1 small)
• 2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• A few grinds of fresh black pepper

Whisk together oil, shallot, vinegar, maple syrup, salt, and pepper in a jar.
Toss with salad and fixings and enjoy!

Dressing adapted from: http://m.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Spinach-and-Endive-Salad-with-Pecans-and-Blue-Cheese-236012

Homemade Nutty Cone

A classic treat that might remind you of an ice cream truck or a quick treat on a trip... these were much easier to make than I thought although it takes some time and patience!




Ingredients:

1. Sugar cones
2. 7 oz semi-sweet chocolate (chips or bars)
3. 2 Tbs coconut oil
4. Vanilla ice cream (or any other ice cream of your choice - I made one with coffee, strawberry and vanilla which was really good!)
5. Crushed salted peanuts (or almonds or both!)

Supplies:

Parchment paper
Cups to stand the cones in OR an empty egg carton, turned upside down, with holes cut into it for the cones to stand in

Directions:

1. Make the chocolate "magic shell":

In a double boiler, melt chocolate and coconut oil together until smooth. If you don't have a double boiler, do what I do: find a metal mixing bowl that sits right into the top of a small saucepan so that it's secure and covers the entire opening of the saucepan. Put about an inch of water in the saucepan and bring to a simmer. Put the bowl above it with the chocolate and coconut oil inside. When it's smooth, turn off the heat and leave it on the stovetop.

2. Take your ice cream out of the freezer so it will soften slightly.

3. Coat the inside of the cones:

Using a small spoon, pour a small amount into each cone, rotating and tilting so it covers the inside of the cone. You will probably need about 2 teaspoons per cone. Make sure the bottom of the inside of the cone has chocolate in it (this will be really yummy for those last bites!).

Stand each cone in a holder or cup and place in freezer until solid, about ten minutes.

4. Remove each cone and fill with ice cream. Tear of a strip of parchment paper, cut in half, and wrap around the cone so that it's tight on the cone and extends about 1 inch above the top of the cone. Secure with a piece of clear tape. Add some ice cream to the top of the cone almost up to the top of the parchment paper.

Return to freezer. Repeat for each cone. Leave in freezer for about an hour, or longer if your ice cream was very soft.

5. Remove cone from freezer and spoon chocolate sauce on top so it covers the surface of the ice cream. Immediately sprinkle your crushed nuts on top to cover. You want to do this right away before the chocolate hardens, which happens quickly!

Return to freezer. Repeat for each cone. Leave in freezer for at least 15 minutes more.

6. To serve. Gently remove parchment paper from each cone and enjoy!

Sources:
"Magic" Chocolate Shell recipe from: http://www.eatthelove.com/2011/03/wordless-recipe-how-to-make-own-ice-cream-magic-chocolate-hard-shell/

Technique for putting this all together adapted from: http://kitchenbouquet.blogspot.com/2011/07/welcome-to-ice-cream-social-2011.html?m=1 

Gingerbread

Traditional gingerbread is so easy to make and smells and tastes wonderful. I made some for my son's 5th grade class for "Colonial Craft Day" and they were all eaten up! They can be made in a baking dish like brownies or in cupcake papers as seen here. 

Makes enough for 9 x 13 baking dish or 16 muffins

Ingredients:

• 6 Tbs unsalted butter, softened
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 2 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• powdered sugar or whipped cream for topping and decoration

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9x13-inch baking pan (or put muffin papers in tins - no buttering and flouring necessary).

2. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg, and set aside. 

3. With an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar together until light.

4. Beat in molasses.

5. Beat in eggs one at a time.

6. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with 2 additions of milk (Begin and end with flour). 

7. Pour batter into the prepared pan or muffin papers. 

8. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes (or 10 - 14 minutes for muffins).

9. Let cool, then cut into squares.

Adapted from: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/double-ginger-gingerbread

Thanksgiving Feast - Part 3 (Hot Appetizers)

This soup is one of my Thanksgiving standards. It brings out the delicious flavor of butternut squash and is fairly easy to make. I make it for Thanksgiving with a veggie stock for one of my relatives, but I prefer it with a chicken stock, or as I made it this week (leftovers were gone and I wanted more!), with turkey stock. I topped it with chopped fresh sage and butternut squash roasted with olive oil, fresh thyme, salt and pepper.

Butternut Squash and Roasted-Garlic Bisque

Ingredients:

• 2 heads of garlic, halved crosswise
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 3 cups chopped onions
• 3/4 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 4 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 6 cups chicken broth or turkey broth (or veggie broth)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
• 1 tsp salt
• optional: heavy cream

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Rub cut surfaces of garlic with oil. Put halves back together to reassemble heads. Wrap each tightly in foil; bake until tender, about 40 minutes. Cool garlic in foil.

2. Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots and celery; sauté until onions are beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add squash, broth and 2 tablespoons sage. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered until squash is tender, about 25 minutes. 

3. Meanwhile, unwrap garlic. Squeeze from skin into small bowl. Discard skin. Mash garlic with fork until smooth. Remove any hard pieces of garlic (this can happen if you roast too long). Stir garlic into soup.

4. Let the soup cool and then, working in batches, purée soup in blender until smooth. Return to pot. Add 1 tsp of salt or to taste.

5. If desired, add some heavy cream and top with fresh sage. (I like to let my guests add their own cream)

Adapted from: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Butternut-Squash-and-Roasted-Garlic-Bisque-104280

Mulled Cider

I love the smell of mulled cider while I am putting the finishing touches on my Thanksgiving meal. It simmers on the stove in the kitchen and makes me feel warm and cozy.  I like to put together a mix of cloves, cinnamon sticks, and allspice, and perhaps add a few peppercorns. You can just throw them in with the cider and simmer, or you can "toast" them in the empty pot first, then add the cider and simmer. Even though cider is naturally sweet, you can enhance the flavor even more by adding a small amount of brown sugar. If it's not all gone by  the time your guests leave, you can put it in the fridge and drink it cold later or reheat and enjoy the warmth again.

Thanksgiving Feast - Part 2 (Cold Appetizers)

I like to put out both warm and cold appetizers.  I think it's fun to serve something sweet right away, so instead of topping pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting for a dessert, I made a Sage-Infused Maple Butter and served it as a starter. This year I brought back a family tradition, Shrimp Cocktail, but added a second, less traditional cocktail sauce made with cranberries. And as always, it's great to crunch on some fresh veggies with a delicious homemade dip!

Ranch Dip

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
• 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

Stir together sour cream, mayonnaise, parsley, chives, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl until combined well. Chill dip, covered, until slightly thickened, at least 1 hour (for flavors to develop).

Source: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Ranch-Dip-with-Vegetables-109001

Cranberry-Horseradish Cocktail Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
• 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
• 3/4 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cranberry juice
• 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat.

2. Add shallots and thyme to pan; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

3. Add cranberries; cook 3 minutes or until cranberries pop.

4. Combine cranberry mixture, ketchup, and the remaining ingredients in a bowl, stirring until well blended. Chill.

Source: Lia Huber, Cooking Light, November 2007 at http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/cranberry-horseradish-cocktail-sauce-10000001673003/

Pumpkin Bread with Sage-Infused Maple Butter

Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 3/4 cups fresh pumpkin puree
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup white flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy.

3. Combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.

4. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. 

5. Pour the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. 

Adapted from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/pumpkin-bars-recipe/index.html

Sage-Infused Maple Butter

Ingredients:

• 10 leaves fresh sage, chopped
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 stick butter, softened

Directions:

1. Simmer sage leaves and cinnamon stick in maple syrup for about 10 minutes or until flavor of sage is as strong as you like.

2. Strain to remove sage leaves and let cool.

3. Combine with softened butter in a bowl and mix together until combined. Transfer to bowl or mold and refrigerate.

Thanksgiving Feast - Part 1

I absolutely loved preparing a Thanksgiving Feast for my family this year. Here's the menu. 



I will be posting some recipes in the coming days as well as some photos. On a whim I added Cinnamon Meringue Cookies to my dessert lineup, mostly because I had some extra egg whites in the fridge. It turns out they were the most popular dessert among the little ones! 



Cinnamon Meringue Cookies

Ingredients:

• 4 large egg whites at room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 cup superfine sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon flavor

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 200° F.
2. Place the egg whites in a large glass mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer begin beating the eggs. After several minutes they will start to thicken.
3. Add the cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form. With the mixer on, gradually pour in the sugar and add the cinnamon flavor.
4. Continue to beat the egg whites until they are stiff and glossy. This will take about 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and place regular mounds of meringue about an inch apart on the paper. 
6. Place in the oven and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Turn off the oven and allow the meringues to continue drying for several hours or remove them from the oven and leave in a warm place.

Makes about 2 dozen 2-inch meringues.

Adapted from: http://www.easy-french-food.com/meringue-cookies-recipe.html#.UK7n6-Oe_MB

Leeks and Green Beans on Pasta

Not knowing exactly what I was going to do with them, I sauteed some leeks in butter and olive oil. A quick peek in the fridge found me some blanched green beans and some leftover black bean spaghetti and here's the result of that find. I actually added the goat cheese partway through eating when I decided to take them from my beet and goat cheese salad and add it to this dish as well (which is why the goat cheese is not in the photo).




Ingredients:

• 2 leeks, trimmed, washed, sliced lengthwise and then into small half round slices

• 1 Tbs butter

• a handful of green beans, trimmed and blanched, chopped into 1 inch pieces

• cooked pasta of any kind

• 2 Tbs heavy cream (optional)

• freshly grated parmesan to taste

• 2 Tbs goat cheese (optional)

• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Add olive oil and butter to saute pan and warm on medium until butter is melted.
2. Add leeks and saute until soft and just beginning to brown.
3. Add green beans and stir until warm.
4. Add cooked pasta to the pan and stir until warmed through.
5. Reduce heat to low, add heavy cream (if using) and stir until combined.
6. Add freshly grated parmesan and goat cheese when serving. The goat cheese will melt into the pasta and make it creamier. Salt and pepper to taste.