Published by mel on October 30, 2009 in dessert, recipe and sides & bites.
Ok, ok! I’ll concede that I might actually have a little, teensy tiny bit of a sweet tooth. There – I said it. Though it’s true that I often pass on the candy and cupcakes at work, I think I do actually crave sweet things. Sometimes. Especially if I make them myself, which means sweet, but not too sweet and most of the times means something Salted. What can I say? I’m a salt fiend. It just makes dessert more interesting – that pop of something salty – always surprising – makes sweet taste so much sweeter.
This time of year, I love ginger snaps. They’re spicy and somehow warming. My favorite kind are the really gingery ones that have a good bite and nice chew to them. The Whole Foods brand gingersnaps are just perfect. I had a half a bag of those, some dark chocolate chips and hazelnuts. So, I made bark with them, which is basically a pretty way of saying chocolate with mix-ins.
This recipe is actually really simple. Crushed store-bought ginger snaps, melted chocolate, ground hazelnuts and a bit of flaky salt. That’s pretty much it. The hardest part is waiting for the stuff to cool. Next time, I might try graham crackers or even pretzels. The possibilities are endless, and that’s why I love recipes like this.
Continue reading ‘Salted Gingersnap & Hazelnut Bark’
Published by mel on October 27, 2009 in recipe.
We’re skipping Thanksgiving this year. Yep, it’s true. I’ll be passing on my favorite food holiday. We’re going to Chile instead to explore the lakes and wine country. It’s a fair trade, I think. And just because we’re not making Thanksgiving for 30 people again this year, doesn’t mean that I won’t be making Thanksgiving recipes. In fact, I’ve already made my favorite Carrot Pumpkin Soup and I plan to make it again this week.
Of all the delicious Thanksgiving foods – turkey, gratin, casseroles, sweet potatoes, pies and breads – my most favorite thing on the table is undoubtedly the stuffing. So, when the last-ever issue of Gourmet arrived (so sad) and I spotted a Rye Bread Stuffing, I instantly wanted some. Of course, I didn’t follow the recipe one bit and made my own with spicy sausage and tart dried cherries soaked in cognac. To make it a meal, I stuffed it into roasted acorn squash, but it would be just as good with turkey and gravy.
The stuffing was everything I love about the fall. It was moist on the bottom and crunchy on the top. The rye bread gave it a hint of something interesting, a good contrast to the tart cherries. And some chopped and toasted pecans added that little bit of crunch. I might add a chopped apple next time, too.
I think I’ll have Thanksgiving once a week from now til December. Yum :)
Continue reading ‘Spicy Sausage, Rye Bread & Tart Cherry Stuffing’
Published by mel on October 23, 2009 in breakfast, dessert, recipe and sides & bites.
If you like fall and pumpkins and seasonal food, then these cookies have your name written all over them. As I’ve mentioned many times before, dessert isn’t really my thing. But cookies are. I love cookies. Soft and chewy and filled with chocolate chips – cookies are my weakness.
They’re easy and delicious and they make your house smell like a bakery. These pumpkin cookies also take less butter than regular cookies, though not on purpose. The pumpkin just adds enough moisture, so you only have to use one measly stick of butter. A touch of cinnamon adds that subtle fall flavor without overpowering the cookie or competing with the chocolate.
In a word, they’re awesome. They’re perfect for the season. I love them. And you should love them too!
Continue reading ‘Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies’
Published by mel on October 20, 2009 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
It’s that time of year again. Time for pumpkin-everything. Tom gave me the idea for these when we were watching football, drinking pumpkin ale and munching on nachos. Pumpkin nachos? Why not? Nachos are really just a vehicle for cheese and toppings.
So, I roasted some pumpkin. That went over tortilla chips with some hot Spanish chorizo (smoked paprika + winter squash = awesome), green onions and shredded Colby and Jack cheeses. Into the oven until the cheese was seductively melty, then a squeeze of lime and sprinkling of fresh cilantro.
Behold my terrible knife skills!
Salty chips, sweet pumpkin, spicy chorizo all under a blanket of cheese. It’s delicious. The perfect Fall football food. Actually, the perfect Fall food, no matter what you’re doing.
Continue reading ‘Pumpkin Nachos’
Published by mel on October 16, 2009 in breakfast, entree, recipe and sides & bites.
Around these parts, everyone loves empanadas and you can get them pretty much anywhere. The Cuban kind are usually filled with ground beef picadillo and deep fried. Very tasty, but not exactly light.
Argentine empanadas are usually baked and filled with just about anything: tuna with pepper and onions, corn, Mediterranean-spiced lamb, spinach and ricotta, ham and cheese, chicken fricasse, cheese and onion. The list goes on and on. This is what I love about empanadas – there are endless possibilities.
This morning, I stuffed some store-bought shells with smoked salmon, goat cheese and spinach. It took all of 10 minutes to prepare, then into the oven for a half hour. The result? A delicious snack or light lunch. They’d also make a great addition to a brunch buffet.
A note on ingredients: I’m lucky enough to be able to find frozen, pre-cut empanada shells at any local grocery store. If you’re having trouble finding them, you can order online, substitute frozen pie shell dough or make your own.
Related: Empanadas Three Ways
Continue reading ‘Smoked Salmon, Goat Cheese & Spinach Empanadas’
Published by mel on October 15, 2009 in entree and recipe.
Who doesn’t love a good pork chop for dinner? They’re super easy and super delicious. They’re especially delicious with whiskied pears and thyme on top. Sweet, salty and pork-y. The pears and thyme add a nice taste of fall and the whiskey adds just the right amount of boozy flavor.
It’s one of those get-home-late-and-throw-down-dinner-in-20-minutes kind of recipes. If you’re weirded out by combining fruit and pork products, you shouldn’t be. Lots of barbecue sauces and glazes are sweet and fruit-based. It’s just plain good.
Related: Pork and Apple Pot Pie
Continue reading ‘Pork Chops with Whiskied Pears & Thyme’
Published by mel on October 9, 2009 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
I was going to make Braised Beef & Butternut Squash for today’s post. Really, I was! I had all the ingredients bought and ready to go. I just couldn’t summon any effort to make it last night. We had leftover meatloaf instead. But I did make a delightful little egg salad this morning, so I’ll share that instead.
Personally, I love eggs. I could eat them every day (and I usually do). When I was wondering what to make for lunch this morning, egg salad sounded perfect. I chopped a ton of spinach for color and healthiness, celery for crunch and stirred in plain Greek yogurt, lemon juice, tahini, salt and hot sauce. It’s eggy and tangy, a little spicy, and delicious between two slices of toasted whole grain bread. If you’ve got a tomato, add a thick slice. A simply awesome lunch.
Continue reading ‘Spinach-ful Egg Salad’
Published by mel on October 7, 2009 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
They tell me it’s fall. Actually, I know it’s fall because the ice cream shop was serving pumpkin and chocolate pecan pie flavors. I know it’s fall because of college football and baseball playoffs and Octoberfest. But it actually feels nothing like fall down here. It’s all record highs and stifling humidity. And mosquitos. Sigh. At least we have the beach. I’ll always be happy at the beach.
But just because it’s hot, that doesn’t mean that I’m not in the mood for fall flavors like squash and pumpkin and cranberries. And I’m always in the mood for soup, so this week I made a simple white bean soup with mini lamb meatballs. This is definitely a soup that’s a meal. White beans, dark green Lacinato kale, whole wheat pasta and ricotta lamb meatballs. Very hearty. Very fall-like. I’ll just close my eyes and pretend the leaves are changing…
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Published by mel on October 6, 2009 in breakfast, entree, recipe and sides & bites.
On the rare occasion that I go out for brunch or breakfast, it’s not the French Toast or Pancakes that grab my attention, It’s the salty, starchy stuff. The eggs and omelets, the hash browns and tater tots, the hot sauce. If I see a “skillet” type thing on the menu, I’m probably ordering it. There’s nothing more satisfying than browned and crisp potatoes, smoky bacon and some eggs.
So, when I found myself wondering what to make with the random ingredients leftover from the week – poblano peppers, a potato, some eggs and not much else – breakfast-style stuffed peppers came to mind. No matter that it was 3pm on a Sunday afternoon, I love breakfast any time of day. I sauteed some peppered bacon until crisp, then cooked onions and potatoes in the bacon drippings. Toss everything together with some black beans, stuff into peppers, top with grated Cotija cheese and bake.
The peppers roast in the oven while the potatoes, bacon and cheese brown perfectly into a salty, crisp crust. Top with a poached egg (not pictured), and you’ve got the breakfast (or dinner) of champions.
Continue reading ‘Bacon, Potato & Black Bean Stuffed Poblano Peppers’
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