Roasted Potatoes and Brussel Sprouts

This is an easy and tasty side for any meal.  Lately Brussel sprouts have been on sale, so I decided to buy them even though I rarely eat them.  They were surprisingly good!  I think we will be buying them more often in the future!

Roasted Potatoes and Brussel Sprouts
1.5 cups Brussel Sprouts--clean, peeled and cut in half

1.5 cups baby potatoes cut into a similar size

2-3 tablespoons Olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped rosemary

Salt

Pepper

a dash of cayenne

1.) Preheat oven to 400.

2.) Wash, clean and chop brussel sprouts and potatoes.

3.) Combine potatoes, brussel sprouts, olive oil and spread out on roasting pan.

4.) Sprinkle with seasonings.

5.) Bake for about 20 minutes or until tender.

 Enjoy with your dinner!

Angel Food Cake

I made this cake a few weekends ago for my friend Anita's birthday.  It is Alton Brown's angel food cake recipe, with the addition of the swirl, whipped cream and berries by me.  Its very light tasting and is perfect for an occasion where you don't want a heavy butter filled cake.

Berry Swirl Angel Food Cake

1 3/4 cups extra fine cake sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cake flour, sifted
12 egg whites (the closer to room temperature the better)
1/3 cup warm water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
3 tablespoons berry mixture (see recipe below)
whipped cream (see recipe below)
sliced strawberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

1.) Sift half of the sugar with the salt and the cake flour, setting the remaining sugar aside.
2.) In a large bowl, use a balloon whisk to thoroughly combine egg whites, water, vanilla and cream of tartar.
3.) After 2 minutes, switch to a hand mixer. Slowly sift the reserved sugar, beating continuously at medium speed. 

4.) Once you have achieved medium peaks, sift enough of the flour mixture in to dust the top of the foam. Using a spatula fold in gently. Continue until all of the flour mixture is incorporated.

5.) Remove about 2 cups of the mixture and mix with the berry mixture.

6.) Carefully spoon mixture into an ungreased tube pan until about half the batter has been used. Spoon in the berry batter and then cover with the rest of the plain batter.
7.) Bake for 35 minutes before checking for doneness with a wooden skewer. (When inserted halfway between the inner and outer wall, the skewer should come out dry).
8.) Cool upside down on cooling rack for at least an hour before removing from pan.
9.) Once it has cooled completely, frost with fresh whipped cream, strawberries and the remaining berry mixture.

Berry Mixture
1 cup mixture frozen berries
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vanilla sugar (regular sugar will also work)
1/4 cup jam (any berry flavor will work)
1 tablespoon lemon zest 

1.) Combine all ingredients and cook until fruit is very soft and about half of the liquid is gone.  Put into food processor and pulse until smooth.

Fresh Whipped Cream

1 pint heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoon instant vanilla pudding
1/2 cup powdered sugar

1.) Using a mixer, whip the heaving whipping cream until it has stiff peaks.  Slowly mix in the pudding mix and powdered sugar.

Champagne Vinaigrette

If you are like me, you get bored with the same old salad dressing when you have to buy a whole bottle and use it all up.  Which translates to me not feeling like eating salad and thus not being healthy and wasting money on my spinach which goes to waste in the fridge.  So what is the solution?!  Make your own dressing because you can do it in whatever quantity you want and switch it up all the time. All you have to have is the basics: olive oil, vinegar of some kind, salt, sugar, pepper.  The type of vinegar and the other ingredients will keep you salad dressing changing and flavorful.  Just stick to the ration of 2:1 olive oil to vinegar.  Then throw in whatever sounds good.  Today I made a champagne vinaigrette, recipe as follows (but adjust to however much you want to end up with). 

Champagne Vinaigrette
1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 cup champagne vinegar 
1-2 cloves garlic diced
1 tablespoon diced roasted red pepper
1 or 2 tablespoon honey (to your taste preference)
1 tablespoon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
fresh cracked pepper to taste
sprinkle of cayenne pepper (because I like everything with a kick!)

1. Combine all ingridents above in food processor or blender.  If you don't have one, you can still make it, just use a garlic press for the garlic and red pepper so it is super fine.

2. Blend ingredients or shake jar if not using food processor.  

3. Bottle and place in fridge for at least 1 hour for flavors to develop.
4. Shake or stir and serve on your salad.  Keep refrigerated and use within a week for best results.

Served on a baby spinach salad with feta, blueberries, avocado and pumpkin seeds.

Matcha Green Tea Shortbread Cookies

I found this recipe while browsing the website Taste Spotting, which is amazing!  This recipe comes from a posting on it and you can find it on the website Use Real Butter. Check out the link, because their pictures look way better than mine.  The cookies have a terrific earthy, green tea flavor.  However, if you don't like green tea and/or matcha, you might not like these.  They are loaded with antioxidants though and I love the taste.  I made a whole batch for my family and while some complained they tasted like green tea (hello, that's the point!), they were still gone in about 15 minutes. 

Matcha Green Tea Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients
3/4 (2.25 oz.) cup confectioner’s sugar
1 1/2 tbsps matcha green tea powder
10 tbsps (5 oz.) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cup (8.5 oz.) flour
3 large egg yolks
1 cup granulated sugar (to coat the dough)

Directions

1.) Whisk the confectioner’s sugar and matcha powder together. Beat the butter and matcha sugar mixture together in a stand mixer (use paddle attachment) or using a hand mixer until the butter is smooth and light. 

2.) Add the flour and stir until just combined. 

3.) Mix in the egg yolks until they are incorporated and the dough comes together. 

4.) Gather the dough into a ball and flatten it into a thick disc. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until it is firm.
5.) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to about 1/2-inch thickness. Use a small cookie cutter (about 2-inches) to cut shapes from the dough. Or roll the cookies into a log and slice off cookies. 
6.) Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes or until they begin to turn golden at the edges. Store in airtight container away from sunlight as the color will fade with exposure to sun.

Salsa

Salsa.  You pay over $4.00 a jar.  STOP!  You can make it way cheaper at home and it takes 10 minutes or less.  Plus, you can customize it a million different ways by adding different or extra ingredients like hot peppers, black beans, avocados, mangoes, pineapples, herbs etc.  Here is my basic recipe that I use and then expand upon when I want to switch things up.

Ingredients

1 can diced tomatoes

1 jalapeno pepper

4 cloves garlic

a handful of cilantro (when I have it, it is still good without)

salt to taste

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

cayenne pepper to taste
Optional: Avocado, beans, corn, fruit

1. Roast garlic (skin on) and jalapeno in a pan until sides are browning.

2. Place garlic and jalapeno in a brown bag for about 5 minutes, then remove and peel garlic.
3. Give the jalapeno and garlic a rough chop. Remove the jalapeno seeds if you like less heat.

4. Place jalapeno, garlic and about 1/4 of the can of diced tomatoes into a blender or food processor.  Pulse until smooth.  Add the remaining tomatoes, chopped cilantro and pulse until all pureed.
5. Stir in chili powder and cayenne and transfer to a serving dish.

Plain Salsa with chips

Salsa with avocado added

Salsa on quesadillas, yum!

Spring Green Risotto

I first made this recipe a few years ago for mother's day and I've been making it upon request ever since.  I usually don't go through the trouble (and extra cost) of getting mascorpone cheese and I use cream cheese instead.  I also often add garlic and shallots and leave out the fennel called for in the original recipe by Ina, aka Barefoot Contessa.  Besides being time consuming, its pretty easy to make.

Spring Green Risotto

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)
• 1/2 c. chopped shallots
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
• 2/3 cup dry white wine
• 4 to 5 cups simmering vegetable stock
• 1 pound thin asparagus
• 10 ounces frozen peas, defrosted
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese if you can't find or afford it)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving

Directions

1.) Heat the olive oil and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and shallots and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender. 

 

2.) Add the rice and stir for a minute to coat with the vegetables, oil, and butter. Add the white wine and simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until most of the wine has been absorbed.

3.) Add the vegetable stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring almost constantly and waiting for the stock to be absorbed before adding more. This process should take 25 to 30 minutes.
4.) Meanwhile, cut the asparagus diagonally in 1 1/2-inch lengths and discard the tough ends. Blanch in boiling salted water for 4 to 5 minutes, until al dente. Drain and cool immediately in ice water.
5.) When the risotto has been cooking for 15 minutes, drain the asparagus and add it to the risotto with the peas, lemon zest, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Continue cooking and adding stock, stirring almost constantly, until the rice is tender but still firm.
6.) Whisk the lemon juice and mascarpone (or cream cheese) together in a small bowl. When the risotto is done, turn off the heat and stir in the mascarpone mixture plus the Parmesan cheese. 

7.) Set aside, off the heat, for a few minutes, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve hot with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Mini Popovers

I love popovers, however you have to have the special pan to make them, right?  Wrong!  I stumbled upon this recipe on the Curvy Carrot blog and found you can use mini-muffin pans and they work pretty darn well.  I adapted the recipes a little and used leaks instead of scallions.  I thought they were great, but next time I might add about a teaspoon of herbs de provence for some additional flavor. 

Leak Gruyere Mini Popovers

Servings: 24 miniature popovers

Ingredients

1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch pepper
1 tablespoon scallions, chopped
1 and 1/4 cups milk, at room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon butter, melted
3 ounces Gruyere, grated

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Generously grease a mini muffin pan.
3.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and pepper, and scallions.
4. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and butter.

5. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined.
6. Fill each muffin cup to within 1/4-inch of the rim.
7. Place about 1 teaspoon of grated cheese into the center of each muffin cup.

8. Bake, without opening the oven door, for 10 minutes.
9. Decrease the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
10. Bake, without opening the oven door, for another 8-10 minutes longer.

S'more Bars

This recipe is great when you want to make a delicious dessert and don't have a lot of time or want to use a lot of ingredients. Its also perfect for whenever you are craving a s'more but its freezing cold out and a bonfire is out of the question.

S'more Bars

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1-1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 8x8 inch baking dish.
   
2. In food processor place gram crackers and pulse until you have about 1.5 cups of crumbs.
3. Next combine butter, sugar and graham cracker crumbs until well coated. Press 2/3's of crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 5 minutes and remove from oven.
4. Top with the chocolate chips, then the marshmallows. Sprinkle the remaining graham cracker mixture over the marshmallows.
   
    
   
   
5. Bake an additional 10 minutes until marshmallows are melted. Cool completely before cutting into squares. 
   
   

Red Wine Sangria

I made this last weekend for my friend Anita's party.  I think everyone enjoyed it.  It has a nice balance of sweetness while still maintaining the red wine flavor.
 

Red Wine Sangria

1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 C. sugar
1  orange
1  lemon
1  lime
1/2 cup sliced strawberries
1 cup pineapple in juice
1 1/2 cups brandy
2 bottle Cabernet Sauvignon
2 cups sparklingly water (Optional)

1) Heat water, honey, and sugar in a pan until the sugar dissolves.  Let it cool slightly.
2) Squeeze the juice out of the orange, lemon and lime and add it to the sugar mixture.
3) Slice the fruit and place it in the container, including the strawberries and pineapple.

4) Pour in two bottles of your choice of red wine.  I like Cabernet Sauvignon best.
5) Pour the sugar mixture and brandy into the container and then thoroughly mix with a spoon or by shaking if you have a lid.  Let sit for up to 24 hours for flavors to develop.  At least 4 hours is preferable.
6) Prior to serving add sparkling water and ice.

I forgot to take a picture of the final product... but it looked something like this!

Black Beans

This recipe comes from my friend Kristine and her family.  It is cheap, healthy, easy and most of all, tasty!

 

Black Beans

Ingredients 

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onions

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

1 jalapeno diced (optional)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

1- 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed & drained

1 cup rice (cooked)

Optional toppings: cheese, avocado, salsa, hot sauce

1. Heat oil. Add onion, bell pepper & jalapeno.

2. Cook 5 minutes of until tender

3. Add garlic, cook 1 minute

4. Add water and next 7 ingredients; bring to a boil

5. Cover, lower heat & simmer for 10 minutes

6. Place 1/4 cup rice on each plate & top with 1/2 cup bean mixture

7. Sprinkle each serving with cheese and any other additional toppings.

Saffron Risotto with Butternut Squash

Last week I hadn't been grocery shopping in a few days and I was trying to make something with only what we had already.  Which was rice, squash, garlic, shallots, saffron, thyme and cream cheese.  Amazingly we had everything we needed (with a few subs) for Ina's Saffron Risotto with Butternut Squash. The ingredients I used are listed below, which I thought worked perfect, but click on Ina's recipe if you want to stay true to her.  This was one of my favorite dishes I've made recently.  It was super flavorful, creamy and delicious!  A perfect winter meal.

Saffron Risotto with Butternut Squash

Cream cheese and thyme not pictured

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash (2 pounds)
• pancetta (optional)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 cups vegetable stock
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup minced shallots (2 large)
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (10 ounces)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 teaspoon saffron threads
• 1/2 cup light cream cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese like parmesan or asiago
• Fresh thyme

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

1). Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into 3/4-inch cubes. You should have about 6 cups. Or use store bought cubed squash. Place the squash on a sheet pan and toss it with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once, until very tender. Set aside.

2) Meanwhile, heat the vegetable stock in a small covered saucepan. Leave it on low heat to simmer.

3) In a heavy-bottomed pot melt the butter and sauté some pancetta (if using) and shallots on medium-low heat until the shallots are translucent but not browned.

4.) Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. 

5.) Add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice plus the saffron, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir, and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 30 minutes total.

6.) Off the heat, add the roasted squash cubes and cheese. Mix well and serve with fresh thyme sprinkled on top.