Sweet, salty, crunchy, with a touch of fresh herbs and warm spices, these glazed mixed nuts make a delicious holiday gift or party snack.
December 28, 2011
December 23, 2011
Sugar plums
These old-fashioned homemade sugar plums will be dancing in your head this holiday season! Full of warm spices, dried fruits, and toasted nuts, sugar plums are a festive and delicious treat to add to your cookie tray or homemade gifts.
December 15, 2011
Date-walnut bars
December 6, 2011
Guinness gingerbread
I did change the recipe ever so slightly so what I've posted below is a little different than in the cookbook. For one, I added molasses, so mine is a bit darker. I combined the molasses with the golden syrup that Nigella has in her recipe because I like my gingerbread to have that molasses flavor in it. The golden syrup is nice because it is made with cane sugar rather than corn syrup that is made with corn sugar. I found it in the European section of my grocery store (if you can't find it though, I would use a combination of molasses and corn syrup). I also added a bit more ginger because I knew her two teaspoons wouldn't be enough for me. There were a few other changes I made including adding some salt and decreasing the brown sugar. It was splendid. Depending on how small or large you cut your gingerbread, you should get between 16 and 24 pieces.
December 4, 2011
Roasted butternut squash with baby spinach and pomegranate
I made this side dish utilizing the bottom half of a giant butternut squash I had saved. This squash came from my father-in-law's garden and it was so big. I fed eight people with the top half at Thanksgiving and still had more than enough! I really like to pair sweet winter squash or sweet potatoes with a bitter green. I generally use dried cranberries and or some toasted nuts to add tang and crunch, but this time I went with the pomegranate seeds. The result is an easy, healthful, and colorful side dish that is full of complimentary flavors. The colors would make this a lovely dish to serve as a side to a holiday meal, too. The recipe is very forgiving and can be adjusted to feed more people by just eyeballing the amounts of vegetables so that they look to be in a good ratio to one another. The recipe below made enough to feed about three people as a hearty side.
November 27, 2011
Cranberry sauce quick bread
November 23, 2011
Ginger-clementine cranberry sauce
Cranberry sauce is one of the Thanksgiving meal items you can make ahead of time and refrigerate for a couple of days. Those dishes are nice because it's one less thing you need to make the day of your meal. Plus, cranberry sauce is easy and ready in a snap. It's worth making yourself. We have more people coming for our dinner this year, so this recipe will serve about 8-10 people as a Thanksgiving side (and hopefully some leftovers to go on a turkey sandwich). I like my cranberries to remain a little on the tart side, but feel free to add more (or less) sugar according to your taste.
Ginger-clementine cranberry sauce
2 bags (24-oz. total) fresh cranberries
juice and zest of 2 clementines
2 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
about 1/2 cup turbinado sugar
Add all of the ingredients to a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring often, until the sauce comes to a boil and cranberries begin to burst. Continue to cook and stir, until the sauce reaches your desired consistency (add a little water or more clementine juice if it is too thick). Remove from heat, let cool, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
November 21, 2011
Pumpkin gnocchi in gorgonzola sauce
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My husband and I went to a wonderful restaurant a couple of weeks ago for our two year wedding anniversary. This restaurant specializes in a small menu comprised of as many local and seasonal ingredients as possible. I had a bowl of potato gnocchi in a gorgonzola sauce with three kinds of roasted squash and pancetta. It was delicious and it was also the first time I ever had gnocchi.
I was inspired to make gnocchi at home and I thought that pumpkin gnocchi would be so seasonal and colorful. However, I had no idea how to make them. I searched all over the web and found quite a few recipes. I decided to use this recipe at Closet Kitchen as my guide.
The gnocchi were not that difficult to make. I don't have a gnocchi board, so I tried to roll them on a fork to make the lines. It worked OK, but not great. They didn't look perfect by any means, by they tasted delicious and the orange color was lovely.
It just so happened that the recipe I found also had a gorgonzola sauce like I had at the restaurant. I made that and served it on top of the gnocchi along with some pieces of crisp applewood smoked bacon, fried sage leaves, and shallots. It was fall comfort in a bowl.
The salty bacon paired nicely with the rich cheese sauce and the gnocchi were slightly sweet and nutty. I think some roasted cauliflower (maybe purple) or chestnuts would be a nice addition as well. This recipe will make enough to serve about four people as a main dish.
November 13, 2011
Orange and honey roasted rutabaga
Up until this I had never eaten a rutabaga anyway except for mashed/pureed with potatoes. I am pretty sure that up until last fall, I had never eaten a rutabaga in my life though. So, I decided to try a new way to make this root vegetable into a side dish. Roasting is pretty much the best way to make almost all vegetables, so I figured that it would be worth a shot.Since rutabagas have a bit of a spicy flavor (similar but more subtle than a turnip), I thought that a sweet flavor would go nicely with it. I decided to keep it simple and roast the rutabaga chunks with some honey and orange juice. It was a good choice and the slight tang from the orange juice and sweetness from the honey paired very nicely with the rutabaga - it didn't overpower the vegetable, but rather complimented it.
I used one medium rutabaga, which I thought would make a side for at least three people, but my husband and I ate it all! I think that this would make a lovely and simple Thanksgiving side dish and a tasty way to introduce people to rutagbagas, which don't tend to be a very popular or common vegetable in my experience. You can easily double or triple this recipe and it is very forgiving. So if you haven't already made friends with the rutabaga, go for it!
November 3, 2011
Apple-stuffed acorn squash
October 25, 2011
Brown sugar and cinnamon baked acorn squash
October 4, 2011
Curried butternut squash and yellow pea soup
The recipe made a large pot of soup that would be enough for about eight bowls. It's great to make and put in the refrigerator for easy weekday lunches or a quick dinner. Serve it as a starter or a main dish with a salad.
September 23, 2011
Buckwheat pancakes
As the weather begins to cool and the leaves are starting to have hints of orange and yellow, I fear I am getting back into "pancake mode" on Sunday mornings.
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You would think that I would have run out of pancake ideas by now, but that doesn't seem to be the case. It's OK though, I mean, that's what Sunday mornings are for - leisurely coffee and a big breakfast.
Buckwheat is not wheat at all and also does
not contain any gluten. It is a seed, not a grain, and has a lot of healthful properties.
It has a strong, assertive taste that is very unique.
You can make these pancakes with all buckwheat flour, which is great if you can't or don't eat gluten, or you can cut it with some wheat flour (which is what I did). These pancakes are very hearty and when I'm cooking them on a cast iron griddle, the smell makes me think of what it may have been like in "the old days" for some reason.
Give these pancakes a try now
that the weather is cooling. This recipe should make enough to serve
three to four people.
September 12, 2011
Classic zucchini bread
You know it's the end of summer when you begin making zucchini bread to try to use up more of your zucchini! I have always loved zucchini bread; it's one of those classic treats.
I'm sure there are many of you out there that have your favorite zucchini bread recipes. I enjoy how the bread uses a summer vegetable with some classic fall spices. It is a nice transition from summer to fall.
This quick bread goes well with your morning coffee or tea, or as a snack anytime of day - I like it with a glass of apple cider. This recipe will make two loaves of bread, but is easily halved if you only want one (I just use one large egg and it works).
September 6, 2011
Thai basil chicken
Thai basil chicken (sometimes called Pad Kapow or Pad Krapow) is one of my go-to dishes to order when I am at a Thai restaurant.
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I love the sauce with its sweet and spicy notes and Thai basil is one of my favorite herbs. Since we have Thai basil in our herb garden this year, I set out to recreate my restaurant favorite at home. I've made this twice now and both times I've found it to be very successful and similar in flavor to what I've eaten out.
I read a lot of different sauce recipes and messed around with it until I found the flavor combination I was looking for. This dish is packed full of flavor and is quick and easy to make. I hope that you have the opportunity to get Thai basil where you are so that you can try it.
I used chicken thighs and peppers in my dish because that's what I always see in the restaurant. Some recipes use ground chicken or pork, and I'm not sure what the "authentic" recipe uses.
My husband and I ate all of this the first night - no lunch leftovers. I think it should have fed at least three people though, but it was just so good (or maybe we were just really hungry that night). Serve this dish with some Jasmine or white rice.
August 7, 2011
Stewed okra and tomatoes with andouille sausage
I found the cutest fresh, young okra at the farmer's market last week and I just couldn't resist buying up a pint. They were so tender and probably the best okra I've ever had.
I combined the okra with fresh tomatoes from our plant to make this spicy and easy dinner. Some people find okra to be slimy, which it certainly can be. I did some research and found a lot of recipes that say if you fry okra first, it reduces the slime. I tried it in this recipe, and it worked - there was no slime.
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I had some andouille sausage in the freezer that was made at a local shop. Sausage is not something we eat often, but when we do we ensure that it is high quality. Andouille is a smoked Cajun sausage that you've probably eaten if you've ever had gumbo.
The amount of spice and heat in the andouille provide almost all the flavoring you need for this dish. My husband loved this dinner and quickly grabbed up the leftovers for his lunch the next day. I hadn't planned on taking a photo and posting this dish, but he insisted (so the photos aren't that great - that's his lunch dish for the next day).
This will make enough for about four servings when paired with rice (which you will want to counterbalance the spicy sausage).
July 16, 2011
Tarragon and grape chicken salad
July 8, 2011
Guacamole
June 30, 2011
Sesame chicken and Mandarin orange salad
June 23, 2011
Five bean salad
June 18, 2011
Banana and pineapple sage smoothies
These smoothies are something I've been making for a few years, but only when I'm lucky enough to find a pineapple sage plant for my herb garden. I found this recipe all over the internet years ago when I was first trying to find ways to use this interesting herb.
I've slightly modified this recipe over the years to the one below. This smoothie has a tropical taste from the pineapple sage and the banana. I love fresh herbs and finding interesting ways to use them in my food. Use the smallest, newest leaves as they have the most pineapple flavor. It's perfect for a breakfast or brunch drink on a warm morning.
I love the combination of the fruit with fresh herbs in a drink. This recipe will make two servings.
June 6, 2011
Potato and Swiss chard hash with eggs
This brunch was inspired by some farmer's market finds. I thought that combining the potatoes and greens would make a lovely bed for some fresh-cracked eggs. This hash is meat-free and is still very filling and satisfying. The measurements of the potatoes and chard and not exact because they were just bought up in the size/container at the market that was available (i.e., they weren't weighed). These sort of recipes are very forgiving though. I think that as long as you have a good ratio of potatoes to greens for the number of people you are serving, you will be all set. You can also crack more or less eggs on top depending on how many people you are serving and their appetite. I made this for two, and cooked two eggs a piece.
May 2, 2011
Salmon and asparagus with a creamy tarragon sauce
Asparagus is one of my favorite vegetables and tarragon is swiftly becoming one of my favorite herbs.
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Tarragon was pretty unfamiliar to me until a few years ago when I first had it in a chicken salad. From then on, I was hooked on this herb and it is a perfect match with asparagus and salmon.
This sauce was something I threw together with some items I had on hand and it turned out very nicely. I also served a simple pasta salad with this meal that was just cooked orzo tossed with extra virgin olive oil, halved baby tomatoes, lemon zest, and some salt and pepper.
It was really fresh and bright and accompanied the rich salmon and creamy sauce quite well (plus the lemon juice goes in the sauce). I made this dish for two, but you can cook up more fish and asparagus as needed.
March 24, 2011
Tarragon chicken
Another simple, elegant, and delicious dish from Nigella Kitchen. I really loved this chicken. It was so tender and flavorful and the sauce was so easy to make.
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If you like tarragon, this chicken is definitely for you. If you've never had tarragon before, give it a try. It has a licorice-like taste that pairs nicely with chicken (it's often used in chicken salad). Herbs take food to the next level of greatness and have such wonderful tastes and aromas.
I modified Nigella's recipe ever so slightly to the one below. I served this chicken with some fresh green beans and baked potatoes. It will serve about three people depending on the sides (the green beans went really well with this and the potato was great for soaking up the extra sauce).
This recipe makes enough sauce that you can add probably up to four chicken breasts and there will still be enough sauce for each piece.
February 21, 2011
Roasted sweet potatoes with spinach and cranberries
February 7, 2011
Hot quinoa breakfast cereal
January 30, 2011
Sweet and sour acorn squash
January 15, 2011
Skillet pasta puttanesca
I had never had puttanesca sauce before so I wasn't really sure what to expect.
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But, my husband and I both really like olives (and pasta and cheese), so I thought that this would be a hit. I found a recipe on my friend Christine's blog, Christine's Cuisine, which she had made from a Cook's Illustrated recipe. The recipe was really easy and it was tasty.
An extra bonus was that it was a one skillet meal (Thanks, Christine)! We ate this on a blustery day with some fresh garlic bread and were quite happy. The recipe below is a slightly modified version.
My husband is very salt sensitive, so I lowered the salt amount - especially with the salty olives, anchovies, and Parmesan cheese. We also love garlic and red pepper, so I bumped these ingredients up.
I also used penne pasta instead of ziti. But, overall the recipe is basically the same. I never cooked with anchovies before, but they were not all all offensive in any way and probably help to give the sauce a depth of flavor. This recipe will serve 4 to 6 people.
January 1, 2011
Sausage gravy
The recipe I'm posting today has been a staple at my family's Christmas breakfast as long as I can remember. I did not make it this Christmas because I was not feeling well and had made an easy cranberry-walnut quick bread to take instead. My husband really looks forward to the sausage gravy though, so I promised him that I would make it for us another day. I decided that it would make a good New Year's breakfast, so I just made it this morning. It's a delicious treat that is full of sage flavor that really reminds you of the holidays. I'm not exactly sure where the original recipe came from for the sausage gravy. This is my slightly modified version of the recipe I got from my mother. It will serve about four people.