manchego

January 9, 2009

Warm Radicchio, Pear & Manchego Salad

mel recipe, sides & bites manchego, pear, radicchio, salad, vegetarian, vinaigrette

Warm Radicchio, <a href= physician Pear & Manchego Salad” />

It’s hard to crave salad when it’s so chilly outside. Much easier to crave a big bowl of mac and cheese or mashed potatoes, approved but those will do nothing for a New Year’s Resolution. We got a new grill for our balcony for Christmas and have been grilling everything we can think of since then. Last night, audiologist we grilled our salad.

Since radicchio is slightly bitter, we topped it with nutty Manchego cheese, sweet pear slices and a honey and Dijon vinaigrette. (Photographed without the pears – oops!) The result was a warm and comforting salad that’s right at home next to skirt steak and grilled whole wheat bread.

This is the perfect time of year to experiment with warm salads, even if you don’t have a grill. Use your oven’s broiler, grill pan or large saute pan. However you do it, you definitely should.

November 18, 2008

Our Thanksgiving Menu & Two Pie Recipes

mel dessert, entree, recipe, sides & bites apple pie, bread, butternut squash, carrot, chestnuts, chorizo, corn bread, gratin, hazelnuts, holiday, leeks, manchego, mushrooms, pecan, potatoes, pumpkin, pumpkin pie, soup, stuffing, Thanksgiving, turkey, walnut

Carrot Pumpkin Soup
Pie recipes are from last year and I can’t seem to find any photos…will update the post with pie pictures next week!

Thanksgiving is 10 days away. Menus are finalized, hepatitis grocery shopping is in full force. Thanksgiving recipe testing is complete! And so, here’s the final menu and recipes for Pupmkin Mascarpone Pie with a Gingersnap Crust and a Crunchy Apple Pie.

Carrot Pupmkin Soup with Crushed Hazelnuts
…flavored with smoked paprika, shallots and sherry vinegar.

Bacon-Wrapped Turkey Roulade
…filled with caramelized onions and figs, goat cheese, toasted pecans and fresh cranberries. Wrapped in peppered bacon and basted in pear jam.

Corn-bread and Chorizo Stuffing from Gourmet
…Olive oil instead of vegetable oil, fresh tarragon instead of dried oregano, chicken stock instead of broth, and probably some dried fruit (apricots?) soaked in brandy.

Potato Gratin with Roasted Garlic and Manchego from Food & Wine
…Probably remove the rosemary (my mom’s not a fan) and replace half and half with whole milk. Maybe add some caramelized shallots too.

Roasted Butternut Squash stuffed with Wild Mushrooms, Leeks and Chestnuts
…Halved and roasted butternut squash, stuffed with wild mushroom and leeks, sauteed in butter and tossed with chestnuts. Sprinkled with panko breadcrumbs and baked until slightly browned.

Pumpkin Walnut bread, Banana Pecan bread, Lemon Poppy bread

Pumpkin Mascarpone Pie with Gingersnap Crust (Recipe below)

Crunchy Caramel Apple Pie (Recipe below)

March 25, 2008

asparagus & polenta poached eggs

mel breakfast, entree, recipe asparagus, eggs, manchego, polenta, vegetarian

asparagus & polenta poached eggs

Monday nights are always late ones. I always do my weekly shopping after work and usually get home pretty late. That’s why Monday dinners must take 20 minutes or less, here start to finish. That usually means we’re having eggs in one form or another. I wish I would have made this a bit sooner as it would have made a lovely Easter brunch dish, but I’m sure you all have leftover eggs from the weekend that need some cooking.

Leftover polenta, roasted asparagus, Manchego cheese and poached eggs are all neatly stacked for this simple meal. I love the play of textures between the coarse polenta, crisp asparagus and rich egg yolk.

While you could certainly use the polenta that comes in a tube if you’re pressed for time, real slow-cooked and coarse polenta is healthier and more interesting if you’ve got the time. I would also encourage you to experiment with the ingredients. I’m a firm believer that everything tastes better with an egg on top, so switch the asparagus for watercress, ham or sausage – whatever’s in your fridge will probably taste amazing topped by an egg.