Asian Steak Salad

There are days when I would be happy to eat just a simple salad for dinner. Heck, there are days when dinner is hummus and pita chips, or a package of EZ Mac, or (ok, ok) a pint of Ben & Jerry’s. But generally when my husband and I are both home, we try to make a real, honest to goodness dinner. Which makes having a salad for dinner a little hard. Unless—the salad IS a dinner in and of itself. Which is definitely the case for this Asian Steak Salad. In fact, my husband even dubbed it “a keeper” which is the highest form of dinner praise in our house. I got the recipe from the Pioneer Woman, whose recipes are always fantastic (and usually man-friendly). The only changes I think I’ll make in the future is to leave the seeds in the jalapeno (it wasn’t spicy at all) and maybe cut back a smidge on the oil (reflected in the recipe below). I also added about a teaspoon of sesame oil, which was a nice addition to the flavors. 

STEAK MARINADE

Steak, cut of your choosing

2 Tbsps Soy Sauce

1 Tbsp Sherry

3 Cloves Garlic, minced

1 Tbsp Brown Sugar

The original recipe suggested you use Ribeye steak, but for me, that is such a fatty cut of steak that I don’t think it would match well with a salad. It’s great for eating on its own, don’t get me wrong. I love me some grilled ribeye. But for this salad, I used Denver cuts, which I had never heard of before. They were great, though. Evidently they are known as the inexpensive cousin of the New York Strip steak. Mix your marinade ingredients in a Ziploc bag and add the steak, then marinate for a half hour to two hours. In the meantime, make your dressing.

DRESSING INGREDIENTS

3 Tbsps Olive Oil

3 Tbsps Soy Sauce

2 scant Tbsps White Sugar

2 Tbsps Lime Juice

1 Tsp. Sesame Oil

4 cloves Garlic, minced

1 Tbsp fresh Ginger, minced

1 Jalapeno, minced

Whisk together the ingredients for the salad and set aside. You’ll need to whisk again right before pouring over the salad. Cook up your steak as you like it, and slice it into thin strips. I used mixed greens for my salad, and romaine for my husbands, plus mixed in some sliced green onions. Toss the salad with 3/4ths of the dressing, then top with the steak. Pour the remaining dressing over the top of the steak and serve! You could top with cracked black pepper, but I don’t recommend cheese. Just doesn’t fit with this salad, and frankly, you don’t need it. 

(click here for printable recipe)

Arugula Salad with Bacon Vinaigrette

It’s January, and with the New Year comes a lot of new resolutions to start exercising, lose weight, and eat healthier. If you know me at all, you know that these are all challenges for, especially the “eat healthier” part. But I’m making an attempt, and that’s why I tried this salad. I’ll admit, a bacon vinaigrette probably isn’t the MOST healthy thing I could have chosen, but come on. Baby steps.

All in all, it was pretty good. In the future I would add a little more seasoning to the dressing, since it was pretty bland. But I love the hot ingredients and dressing with the arugula. The original recipe (from The Pioneer Woman) called for spinach, and I made a second version for my husband with romaine so I’m sure this will work for any lettuce you love.

Ingredients:

Arugula

Bacon

1 red onion, sliced thinly

Mushrooms

Black pepper

Parmesan Reggiano (optional)

Dressing:

3 Tbsps. Reserved bacon grease

3 Tbsps. Red wine vinegar

2 Tsps sugar

½ Tsp Dijon mustard

Dash Salt

Start by frying up your bacon. I made the mistake of trying to get fancy and using some pancetta, but it did not make enough grease for the dressing, so I would recommend sticking with bacon. (We ended up cutting up some bacon to add to it). When that is nice and crispy, remove to a paper towel and remove all but about 2 Tbsps of the grease to a small saucepan. Now start caramelizing your onions over medium-low heat. This should take awhile, around 20 minutes. We didn’t let ours go that long because we like ours slightly less brown. Remove the onions and set aside, then brown your mushrooms over medium heat. Don’t let them get completely soft, just enough so that they are well browned. In the meantime, whisk together the ingredients for the dressing over medium heat until they are combined and heated through. No need for this to simmer; it just needs to be warm.

Now simply assemble the salad with the lettuce, bacon, onions and mushrooms. Pour the warm bacon dressing over the top and toss to coat. Then give it a dose of cracked pepper and if you want, grate a little Parmesan Reggiano over the top. There you have it. Maybe not the healthiest salad in the world, but at least it’s a small step in the right direction. 

(click here for printable recipe)

ps. 200th post! Woohoo!

Posole Sopa

A couple weeks ago; my mother invited me over for dinner. I usually find out what she is planning on making before I accept. What can I say; I can be picky. On this particular evening she made Posole Soup. I had no idea what it was other than some kinda Mexican soup. I figured it would probably be pretty good as my mother really likes Mexican cuisine. Well, I was right to go over there that evening, because the soup was really good. My mother's soup was spicy and had a ton of flavor. I added some tortilla chips to my soup since I had brought over chips and salsa. It was delicious. I'm not entirely sure what recipe my mother used, but I came across this recipe from My Recipes. I kinda messed up the tomatillos. According to the recipe, you are supposed to boil them before pureeing the tomatillos in a food processor or blender. I forgot to boil, and instead, I immediately pureed them. I read up on boiling and basically it helps soften the flavor of the tomatillo. I found out that a lot of mexican sauces are made with raw tomatillos. So, I didn't feel so bad that I forgot to boil, but I did wash them, fortunately. You should do this after peeling off the husks, because they have a sticky residue. This soup was really good, and quite similar to my mother's recipe. It might be the same for all I know. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound tomatillos
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 3 pounds chicken breast halves, skinned
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and quartered
• 1 (30-ounce) can white hominy, drained
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 8 lime wedges

I will tell you how I made this soup. Please go to the link above to do it the way it is intended...
First thing I did was boil 4 chicken breasts. I added some pepper and salt to the water and chicken. Once the chicken has cooked thoroughly, remove from pot. Shred chicken and set aside. This is where I messed up the tomatillos; remove the stems and the husk from the tomatillos. Rinse thoroughly. I threw the tomatillos into my food processor and pureed until smooth. Set aside. Take a 4 qt saucepan, and add 6 cups of chicken stock. Set aside. Next, chop your jalapenos, onion, and garlic. Throw the onion, garlic, and jalapeno into a medium-sized skillet; set on your burner at medium heat; and add a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Sautee until the onion is tender...about five minutes. Add in the tomatillo puree that you had set aside from earlier. Stir and let simmer for another 5 minutes. Around this point; start warming up your chicken stock. Add in the chicken and the rinsed hominy. Add in the tomatillo mixture. Add in the juice of 2 limes. Add in a couple tablespoons of cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Serve in a bowl with diced avocado, crushed tortilla chips, and reduced-fat sour cream. Enjoy!

(Click here for printable recipe)

Hearty Frittata w/ Bacon, Potato, & Cheddar

For Christmas day, I had brunch with my Dad. Typically, I would make french toast or pancakes. But, I decided to do something with eggs. Normally, I would never make eggs for breakfast, because I really do not like eggs. But, I remember we made frittata's for Christmas one year, and I actually liked it. So, I thought I'd give it a whirl. Plus, I had a new cookbook that I wanted to try a recipe from. The cookbook is called The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook, and it has over 2000 recipes. I highly recommend it. Anyway, I ended up adding additional ingredients to this frittata and it became almost too hearty. But, it was still pretty darn good for my first attempt. If you like eggs; you'll probably like this. Enjoy!

Ingredients: 12 lg eggs
3 tbsp half and half
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
8 slices bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 lb gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 in cubes
4 oz cheddar cheese, cut into 1/4 in cubes (3/4 cup)
3 scallions, sliced thin on bias
Ham Steak, cubed (optional)
Roma Tomato, diced (optional)

Adjust your oven rack about 5 inches from the broiler element, and heat broiler. Now, take your eggs and a medium sized bowl. Whisk eggs, half and half, salt, and pepper until well combined. Set aside.

Next, cook bacon in 12 inch ovensafe nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel. Pour off all but 1 tbsp bacon fat. Add potatoes to skillet and cook. Stir occasionally until golden browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in cheddar, scallions, and bacon into eggs. Add egg mixture to skillet and cook until eggs are very wet about 3 minutes. Shake skillet to distribute eggs evenly. Cook without stirring for 30 seconds to let bottom set.

Broil until frittata has risen and the surface is puffed and slightly brown, 3 to 4 minutes. When cut with a paring knife the eggs should be slightly wet and runny. Remove skillet from oven; let sit for 5 minutes. Cut into wedges, and serve. I did end up having to bake the frittata for about 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven, because the eggs were very runny on one side. I think I had too many potatoes in the frittata.

(Click here for printable recipe)

Chicken Noodle Casserole

There were a couple dishes my mom started making when I was in high school. One of them was this chicken noodle casserole. It is very easy to make and so comforting and delicious. I really think what helps to make this dish is the fried onions that you place on the casserole during the baking process. I ended up making this because I got some nice casserole dishes for Christmas. The casserole looked beautiful in my new dishes (sorry no pictures). And, of course, it tasted delicious. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
8 oz medium egg noodles
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter
1 c. thinly sliced celery
2 tbsp all purpose flour
2/3 c evaporated milk
1 c chicken gravy (I just use the entire bottle)
1/2 tsp parsely flakes
1/4 tsp thyme leaves
dash of pepper
2 c cooked chicken
1 1/2 c canned peas (optional)
1/4 tsp salt
small can of fried onions

Cook your noodles in salted water until tender. Drain and set aside.
Melt butter into a large saucepan. Add celery and cook until tender. Stir in flour. Then add in evaporated milk and gravy and 3/4 cup water. Stir until it boils. Add in the salt, parsely flakes, thyme, pepper, shredded chicken, and the noodles. Stir to combine. Pour into a lightly greased 2 quart casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. About 25 minutes in; remove casserole dish and sprinkle the fried onions over the noodles. Put back in the oven and cook for remaining 5 minutes. Remove from oven and serve.

(click here for printable recipe)

White Bean & Arugula w/ Crostini

One of my favorite restaurants in Richmond is Edo Squid. I attempted this recipe from New Best Recipe that tastes very similar to Edo's Spaghetti w/ Marinara. Now, I've attempted to make Edo's White Bean & Arugula w/ Crostini. It's one of my favorite appetizers at their restaurant. And, now you can make this in your own home. I feel like this comes really close to their version, and it was super easy to make. And, if you've never had Edo's white bean & arugula...go now. They also offer white bean & arugula with squid if you like that sort of thing. Enjoy!

Ingredients for dressing (from Weekday Vegetarian):
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp fresh chopped dill (I used about a tsp of fresh italian parsely)
1/3 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
coarse sea salt
cracked black pepper

Remaining Ingredients:
French baguette
Arugula
Cannelini beans; drained and rinsed

Grab a small bowl; add in the lemon juice, fresh herb, minced clove, sea salt, and pepper; whisk
in olive oil until the dressing emulsifies. I did add a dash of white wine vinegar. Set aside.

Take your french baguette, and thinly slice about 8 pieces (or more). Take a garlic clove and rub on each crostini. Sprinkle some olive oil over each crostini. Place on a cookie sheet and bake in your oven at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes until a golden color. I ended up turning on the broiler (to speed up the process) and broiled for about 40 seconds. Remove from oven.

Take a medium-sized bowl; throw in the arugula and the white beans. Pour the lemon vinaigrette mixture over the arugula and beans and mix together. Sprinkle some additional sea salt and cracked black pepper over the salad if you so desire. To eat; place some of the white bean and arugula onto a crostini and enjoy!!!

(click here for printable recipe)

Spicy Rosemary Nuts

Nuts really don’t need much improving. Or at least, that’s what I thought before trying these at a friend’s baby shower. I had a couple. And then my hand just kept going back to the bowl. Again and again, completely out of my control. To say these are addictive is an understatement. They are just a bit spicy, fragrantly herbal, and a touch sweet. And served warm, they are out and out marriage material.

5 Cups of Nuts

4 Tbsps. Fresh chopped Rosemary

3 Tbsps. Butter

2 Tbsps. Brown Sugar

1 tsp. Cayenne

Use any nuts you like. The original recipe called for mixed nuts but I really only like cashews, so that’s what I used. The recipe also called for a teaspoon of kosher salt, but since it’s impossible to find cashews that aren’t pre-salted, I omitted it.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and get out a large rimmed cookie sheet. Cover it with foil. Melt the butter and combine the rosemary, brown sugar and cayenne in a large bowl. I highly recommend using fresh rosemary, and can’t guarantee good results if you use dried. Make sure the brown sugar clumps are all gone, and then add in the nuts. Stir well, until every nut is coated with sugary spiciness. The rosemary tends to stick together so spread it out as much as you can.  

Pour the nuts onto your baking sheet and spread them out to one layer so they cook evenly. Then bake for about 15 minutes. If you want you can stir halfway through, but I didn’t and they turned out great. Then pour them in a bowl and start eating them warm. You may want to invite some people over immediately or it’s possible you’ll find yourself with 5 cups of nuts in your belly before you know it. 

(click here for printable recipe)

Hazelnut Gelato (or is it Ice Cream?)

Okay, maybe I've become a bit of a nut (no pun intended) with the Nutella thing. But, there really is a ton you can do with this stuff. Plus, it is sooooo very good. Well, I came across this recipe for Hazelnut Gelato and I bookmarked it a while ago. I had the perfect opportunity to make it for Christmas this year, and I am so glad I did. I mean it was divine, spectacular, fabulous. Sigh. I'm so glad I bought this ice cream maker from Sur La Table this past Spring. The look on my mother's face when she tried this gelato (or is it ice cream?) was priceless. She really liked it. But, then the look on my face was probably even more priceless when I saw my sister make a look of disgust when she tried it. Of course, she was kidding, but she got me for a minute there. The reason why I call this Hazelnut Gelato (or is it Ice Cream?) is because my mom and sister were wondering which one it was. To be honest, I have no idea. It's probably ice cream, but, no matter, it was delicious either way. I highly recommend this recipe. It was wonderful!

Ingredients:
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar, plus 1/4 cup
4 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread (recommended: Nutella)
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, crushed

First thing you do; take the hazelnuts place on a baking sheet and insert this into a 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes. Remove from oven, and carefully place the hazelnuts into a dishtowel. Fold the towel together and rub the hazelnuts together. This helps remove the shell from the nuts. Remove the nuts from the towel, and shake out the towel into your garbage can (to remove the shells). Place the towel over the hazelnuts and using a meat tenderizer smash the nuts. Place the smashed nuts in a bowl, and set aside. Next, take the milk, heavy cream, and sugar and pour this into a small saucepan. Place over medium-low heat and cook just enough so the sugar dissolves. I just let it sit on the burner for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Now, take the egg yolks and place into a standing mixture and whisk the yolks. Pour in half the milk mixture into the egg yolks and stir to combine. Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan. Cook this over low heat until the mixture becomes thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon about 10 minutes.

Now, take your nutella and vanilla and place this into a medium bowl. Place a strainer over the medium sized bowl and pour in your milk/egg mixture. Stir this until the nutella is nice and dissolved. Chill mixture for at least 5 hours (overnight is fine) until it's nice and cold. Follow your ice cream directions to finish it off. For mine; I poured in the nutella mixture into my ice cream maker and when it started to form into ice cream (about 15 minutes) I added in my hazelnuts. Enjoy!

(click here for printable recipe)

Swedish Tea Ring

Ever since I was a little girl my mother has made these English Tea Rings for Christmas day breakfast. Basically, they are a type of cinnamon roll. The rolls, however, are much fluffier than cinnamon rolls and they don't have as much cinnamon goodness. The other difference is the rolls are made into a ring instead of rolled and cut. As far as the flavor goes; they are very delicious. Just the right amount of cinnamon. I absolutely love them. Well, I wanted to make these for my neighbor who has helped me out a lot since I've lived in this home. I found this recipe for a Swedish tea ring, and I thought it looked pretty similar to the version my mom made. I decided to give it a whirl. Boy, they turned out excellent. The cardamon and lemon zest really gave the rolls a nice zing. I highly recommend this recipe. And, it was really easy to make. Enjoy!

Ring Dough:
1 package instant yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 Tb sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp. cardamom
zest of one lemon
2 1/2 - 3 cups all purpose flour

Filling:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 TB cinnamon
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 Tb milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

First, heat your milk in the microwave for about a minute and a half until the reading of your thermometer comes out to 105-110 degrees. Set aside. Next, add in the flour, sugar, salt, cardamon, instant yeast, butter, and lemon zest into your bowl. Briefly, mix together. Now, with the dough hook attached pour in your milk and egg; mix until it forms a nice dough that pulls apart from the bowl. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for a couple minutes until the dough becomes smooth and shiny. Take a large bowl; lightly spray with cooking oil, and place your dough into the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place the bowl in a warm oven (around 80 degrees). Let rise until doubled in size...about an hour or two. I let mine rise for 2 hours.

Once the dough has doubled in size, remove from the oven. Punch down the dough, and turn out onto a floured surface. Roll the dough into a 12x18 rectangle. Now, get your filling together. I did not use walnuts. Pour the sugar/cinnamon mixture onto the dough and spread evenly leaving a slight border around the dough. I did make another batch of the cinnamon sugar mixture because I didn't think it was enough. Roll your dough into a log starting at the short end of the dough. I had to kind of pull the dough as I rolled to make it long enough so I could make it into a ring. Once you have the dough in the form of a ring, take scissors and cut every inch or so only about 3/4 of the way. You don't want to cut the ring. Twist each piece slightly so the rolls fan out from the ring. Place the ring on a parchment lined cookie sheet and put plastic wrap over the dough. Place in your 85 degree oven and let rise for an additional hour. Remove from oven; and pre-heat at 375 degrees. Place the ring in the oven and let cook for about 20-30 minutes or until the rolls have a nice golden color. Remove from oven. And, let cool on a cooling rack. When completely cooled; gather together the ingredients for the glaze into a small bowl. Pour with a spoon over the ring. Enjoy!

(Click here for printable recipe)

Nutella Brownies

The second Christmas dessert post is yet another brownie recipe. But, this isn’t just any brownie recipe; this is a Nutella brownie!! And, this brownie is very, very good! It’s a moist brownie, and comes out perfectly every time I bake them. Yes, I’ve made them twice in a week. Can you blame a girl?! I’m always looking for new nutella recipes, and I found this one at this blogger’s website . It’s really good. I made these treats for my fellow co-worker's Christmas goody bags. I know they will like them. And, I know you will, too! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup All-purpose flour
1/4 Teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 Cup Nutella
1/2 Cup brown sugar
1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 Cup melted unsalted butter

First, you need to set your oven to 325 degrees. Next, take a small bowl and add in your flour and salt. Set aside. Melt your butter, and when cooled; pour into a mixing bowl. Add the nutella, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla into the same mixing bowl as the butter. Mix until combined. Gradually add in your flour mixture. Stir until combined. Take an 8x8 pan and place enough foil in it so that you can easily lift the brownie out of the pan. Lightly spray the foil. Pour in your brownie mixture. Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out fairly clean.

(click here for printable recipe)

Walnut Fudge Tart

Just in time for Christmas, I have a couple dessert recipes to post. Christmas is that fun time of year where you get to look for presents for your friends and family. Hang up Christmas lights, the tree, and all your Christmas decorations; having the opportunity to spend some quality time with your family and favorite friends, too. But, the best part of Christmas; is all the baking you get to do! Recently, at my work; some co-workers hosted a Pig Fest. What pray tell could that be; you ask? Well, everyone (in our IT department) gets together and makes some of their favorite dishes and brings it to our 8th and 5th floors. I decided to participate this year, and I stuffed myself silly eating all the glorious food. I decided to make this brownie-like tart from a local chef here in Richmond. I found this recipe when Richmond.com was featuring some “favorite” Thanksgiving recipes from our local Chefs. I thought this pie sounded delicious, and I was definitely right. It was a big hit at the Pig Roast and everyone wanted the recipe. So, here it is. Enjoy!

Crust:• 1¾ cup flour,
• Pinch salt
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¾ cup butter (chilled & cut into 12 pieces)
• 1/3 to ½ cup cold strong coffee

Filling:
• 12 oz. semisweet chocolate, melted
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp. melted butter
• 2 tbsp. milk
• 2 tsp. Kahlua (I used Frangelica since I didn’t have Kahlua)
• ½ cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• 2 eggs

First you need to get your oven nice and heated, so set this to 350 degrees. Next, you want to get going on your crust. Take your flour, sugar, cocoa, and salt and toss in your food processor. Pulse until it starts to look like coarse cornmeal. Then, add about 1/3 cup of coffee and blend just until it’s incorporated. If the dough appears too dry feel free to add coffee one tablespoon at a time. Once the dough is ready; press it into your lightly oiled 10” tart pan (with a removable bottom) and chill.

Now, for the filling: combine your chocolate, sugar, butter, milk, eggs, and walnuts into a bowl and stir to blend. Pour into a chilled tart shell and bake until top is firm and dry. About 30 to 40 minutes. You can always insert a toothpick and see if it comes out clean, too.


(Click here for printable recipe)

Spinach Garlic Spaghetti

The Muppets are everywhere these days, promoting their new movie (and yes, I AM going to see it.) And I’ve heard Kermit say his famous line “It isn’t easy being green,” about a million times. I like to twist that line to apply to my own life: “It isn’t easy eating green.” At least that is the truth for me. And I think that’s why I was so intrigued by this recipe, and so happy that it actually tastes really good. I’m not sure if it really counts as healthy eating, but at least it’s got some leafy greens involved so that’s a step in the right direction.

Spaghetti

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 package baby spinach
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons heavy cream
4 large garlic cloves, minced
Parmesan cheese

I made enough spaghetti for three servings on the large side, but this recipe is pretty flexible, so just make however much you need. It also called for a full pound of spinach, but I just used one of those small plastic packages (I think about 6 oz) and it was plenty. Again, if you want more spinach, use more.

Get your spaghetti going in boiling water. Then heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add about a handful of the spinach, cooking and stirring, until it starts to wilt down and get smaller. Then add another handful. Keep this going until all the spinach is wilted. Salt and pepper to taste, and then add the cream. Cook for about 5 to 10 minutes, until the liquid is gone or mostly gone.

Now it’s blender time! Put the spinach mixture and any liquid into the blender (or food processor) and add the garlic. The original recipe said you can just throw in smashed cloves, but I had a hard time getting those to blend, so I would recommend using your handy garlic press. I also added in some Parmesan cheese at this point. Not a whole lot, just like ¼ cup. Then blend! Get it as smooth as possible to make a sauce.

Set aside some of the pasta water, and then drain the spaghetti. I like to put the pasta back in the skillet over low heat, and then pour the sauce on top. Toss it a few times to cover everything. If the sauce seems really thick (mine didn’t) you can use a little bit of the pasta water to loosen it up a little. Once the spaghetti is mixed, serve and sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese. It looks really beautiful on a plate, and tastes even better. 


(click here for printable recipe)

Lemony Goat Cheese Ball

This isn’t so much a “recipe” per se, as it is an idea. I found it on The Kitchn, which is pretty much the best site out there for those of us who love to cook (or just eat). I’ve always loved cheese balls, but there is something sort of retro about them. Maybe because I am used to my mom making them for family get togethers as a kid. This idea takes the cheese ball into today, and makes it a little more classy than the traditional. I was told this recipe was a “home run,” and it’s so simple that there’s no reason not to try it!

Ingredients

About 10 oz soft Goat Cheese

1 Lemon

Fresh herbs of your choosing (I used chives)

Put the goat cheese in a bowl. Chop up your herbs and put them in the bowl as well. The original called for parsley, but I used chives. You can use any kind you want, really. Zest some of the lemon into the bowl, as much as you like. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the bowl. Don’t get vigorous with it—just a simple squeeze with your hand. You don’t want to pull out the citrus press on this one or it will be way too lemony. Then mix it all together with a fork. Once it’s mixed enough use your (clean) hands to form it into a ball. Cover it with plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve! I made little garlic toast pieces to go with it. The tang of the goat cheese and the lemon play off each other really well. It’s the foodie’s version of a cheese ball, and is a sure way to impress everyone at any of the holiday parties you attend.

Cranberry Salad Dressing

After Thanksgiving and two days of leftovers, we were in serious need of some greens. I was thrilled with this healthy use of Thanksgiving leftovers.

Ingredients
2/3 cups of cranberry sauce
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of cider vinegar
2 tablespoons of pomegranate juice
1 tablespoons of maple syrup
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
pinch of salt

Simply mix all ingredients and toss with your choice of greens. I decided to dress my salad up a bit with turkey, almond slices and slices of mozzarella. Easy and afterwards you won't feel weighed down or sleepy.


(Click here for printable recipe)

Iron Chef Citrus: Simple White Sangria

The first time I had white sangria was when Cara served it at Sara's Bachelorette Party. I thought it was so much better than Red Sangria. Of course, I'm not a big red wine drinker so that probably had something to do with it. The version Cara made was really good. Since the theme of Sara's Bachelorette was apples' she incorporated them into the drink. I wanted to attempt this at home, so I found this recipe. This is more of a citrus version but I'm sure you could do apples, or whatever fruit you like. I've been making this version ever since. I even got 2nd place with this drink at Iron Chef Citrus. And, if I'm not mistaken this is one of the few times a drink has placed at our fun competitions. It's very simple to make, and you will love to serve this at any party or just for yourself on a nice warm day. Enjoy!

























Ingredients:
1 Bottle of white wine (Riesling, Albarino, Chablis,Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay,Sauvignon Blanc)
2/3 cup white sugar (or you can make a simple syrup)
3 oranges (sliced) or may substitute 1 cup of orange juice) (I used both oranges and
oj)
1 lemon (sliced)
1 lime (sliced)
1/2 liter of ginger ale or club soda (ginger ale for those with a sweeter tooth!)

Take your favorite pitcher, and pour in the wine (I used Chablis); the simple syrup; the orange juice. Take your sliced oranges, limes, and lemons and squeeze into the pitcher and toss in. Lastly, add in your club soda or ginger ale. I used club soda. Add ice if the liquids are not cold otherwise you can refrigerate overnight. Enjoy!

(click here for printable recipe)