Friday, December 20, 2013

Holiday Side Dish: Butternut squash with pear, pecans & blue cheese


Here's Kirsten's delicious side dish!

For the side dish, I slightly adapted a recipe I found on Pinterest by adding pear. It just seemed like it needed a little something extra! This recipe comes together really quickly, especially if you prep the squash in advance. Enjoy & happy holidays!

Butternut squash with pear, pecans & blue cheese
(adapted from Nigella Express)
serves 6-8
4 1/2 cups butternut squash
4 pears
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 stalks fresh thyme
1 cup pecans
1 cup blue cheese


1. Preheat oven 425° F
2. Peel the squash, cut it half and scoop out the seeds. Cut the squash into 1-inch pieces. Cut the pears into 1-inch pieces.
3. Put the squash and pears into a roasting pan with oil and strip about 4 stalks of thyme of their leaves and sprinkle over. Roast for about 30-45 minutes or until tender.
4. Once out of the oven, remove to a bowl and scatter the pecans and crumble the cheese over top, tossing everything together gently.
5. Check the seasonings and add the last couple stalks of thyme, torn into small sprigs to decorate.
So yummy and festive! 

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Holiday Appetizers: Apricots with basil-goat cheese and almonds & Pomegranate Avocado Salsa

The Beauties definitely know how to set a weekend agenda. Santa, please bring me another weekend filled with delicious food & drinks, and a full day at the spa, with a little dancing at the Brick thrown in for good measure.

I arrived late for the Christmas dinner feast, so I was glad my cooking responsibilities were limited to appetizers and a side dish, especially since I was mostly looking forward to catching up with the Beauties and enjoying Megan’s cocktails. I can vouch that these recipes didn’t require me to set down my drink for very long.  Thank goodness.

I discovered this recipe for an apricot appetizer in Sunset magazine and it has become one of my staples. The combo of savory/sweet + cheese is hard to turn down.

And what is there to say about the avocado salsa except it has avocado, so of course it’s decadent and amazing. Plus the addition of pomegranate makes it just about as festive as your favorite holiday sweater.


Apricots with basil-goat cheese and almonds (from Sunset magazine)
Makes 40 appetizers
4 ounces fresh goat cheese such as Laura Chenel, at room temperature
About 2 tsp. milk
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
40 dried apricots
40 salted almonds, preferably Marcona
2 teaspoons honey

1. Mix together cheese, 2 tsp. milk, and basil with a wooden spoon until spreadable. Thin with more milk if necessary.
2. Spread a heaping 1/4 tsp. cheese on each apricot and top each with an almond.
3. Drizzle with honey.


makes about 2 cups
1 small shallot, chopped
1 large avocado, diced
juice of one lime
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
salt and pepper to taste
*If you like spicy foods, you could add a diced jalapeno to the mix!

Place chopped shallot, avocado, lime, and cilantro in a small bowl and stir to combine. Add pomegranate seeds and season to taste with salt and pepper.





Thursday, December 12, 2013

Thirsty Thursday Holiday Edition: Apple Cider & Honey Bourbon

Merry Freaking Christmas!!!   I can't believe it is already December.  It is especially hard when it is 80 degrees outside but I still manage.  As previous posts have discussed, we were able to get together and have a little celebration when I FINALLY made it back to Washington.  It was so amazing and it was so hard for me to leave…..

In Amber's Salad Post, she called my drink Apple Cider Honey Bourbon.  This made me laugh out loud!   She seemed to have merged my two cocktails in to one.  I can't blame her.  You get seven girls with the gift of gab together in a room and cocktails tend to go down smooth and quickly.

But in actuality, it is two fabulous cocktails!   The first holiday cocktail is a Apple Cider cocktail.

My number one pick for this cocktail is Hangar 1 Spiced Pear Vodka but for the girls weekend I used Absolut Apple.  They both work perfect:

Apple Cider Cocktail:


Spiced Pear or Apple Vodka
Apple Cider (Fresh is always better)
Soda Water
Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice (One half of a lemon per cocktail)

Garnish:
Apple sliced on a Mandoline
Ground Cinnamon or half a cinnamon stick

Pour a liberal shot of vodka over ice.  Add Lemon juice, fill almost full with soda water, and add a splash of apple cider. Stir and garnish with a slice of apple and a sprinkle of cinnamon or half a cinnamon stick.  This is best in a short glass with a wide mouth so that the apple floats on top nicely.   It is best to pick out the smallest apple to use.  This gives it maximum curb appeal!  Enjoy.

I have to say that I blatantly stole this next recipe from my Florida family.  They are very famous (you can check out their beautiful photography Here)   They are also fellow world travelers and they have promised their version of this cocktail soon but after they get back from Jamaica, Italy, Paris….you get the gist.  But it is too good to save for now!  If you are a true bourbon lover, use one of your choice.  My personal choice is Makers Mark for cocktails but I used Jim Beam Honey for this version.

Honey Bourbon Cocktail:

Bourbon
Lemon Juice (preferably Meyer lemon - at least half a lemon per cocktail)

Rim:
Honey
Ground Cinnamon
Sugar

Pour a generous shot (or two) of bourbon over ice.  Add lemon juice.  A tip I use for making drinks is I use what I call a mixing glass.  I make the glass I am going to use to serve by putting honey on the rim and dipping it in the cinnamon & sugar that have already been mixed together.  I make the drink in a different glass with no rimmer on it and pour into it so it doesn't mess up the rim by stirring it or when you are pouring into it.  If you are having a few people over, I always juice lots of lemons before hand.  You can take short cuts and buy lemon juice but there is absolutely no replacement for fresh squeezed juice and you will probably be disappointed.

What would a weekend with girls be without a trip to the Brick????

Kirsten approved use of this picture

Jolie & Rachel

Missy is saying "how many times do we have to take these stupid pictures?"

We were down one homie but here is our pretty, pretty princess from last time: 

FYI Missy - we have to do lots of retakes to get it right or else we just end up with pics like this:


Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!   I hope these cocktails help make your festivities Merry & Bright!

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Easy Artisan Bread Appetizer

Obviously I am the one most interested in baking. I think it’s the scientist in me (compared to my creative Beauties.) This recipe started with some fresh baked Bialys (an East Coast favorite) one morning on Lopez Island after some make-your-own pizzas the evening before. The same friend that blew me away with her fresh baking gave me the book she used for Christmas, “Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day,” by Jeff Hertzberg, MD and Zoe Francois. Now that is my kind of time commitment!

I have been playing with the main recipe ever since and it’s pretty hard to mess up. That is not to say I didn’t explode Pyrex glass containers in my oven twice before I realized what a broiler pan was but that is part of the hands-on learning I had to experience.

The Master Recipe can be shaped into a Boule, Baguette, Ciabatta rolls, or any variation you’d like. The concept is you make the dough, let it rise for 2 hours, and then throw into the refrigerator for as long as 14 days. Anytime you need a fresh loaf you grab a handful of dough out of your container.


What you need: 

3 cups of lukewarm water (do NOT use to water that is too hot)
1 ½ tablespoons granulated yeast (2 packets)
1 ½ tablespoons kosher or other coarse salt
6 ½ cups unsifted, unbleached, all-purpose white flour
Cornmeal or Whole wheat flour for the pizza peel

1:  Add yeast and salt to the water in a the large bowl you will be storing the dough in or you can use an electric mixer (that is my method and I use the dough attachment.)

2:  Mix in the flour—kneading is unnecessary.  The key to this recipe is do NOT knead at any point!

3: Allow to rise: cover with a lid (not airtight).  At least 2 hours or up to 5 hours.  You could use it at this point to bake but the book suggests that the refrigerated dough is easier to handle.  Put into the refrigerator.

On Baking Day:

4: The gluten cloak: DON’T knead, just “cloak” and shape a loaf in 30 to 60 seconds.  Sprinkle your surface with the cornmeal or whole wheat flour.  Sprinkle the surface of your refrigerated dough with flour.  Pull up and cut off a 1 pound piece (grapefruit size) of dough.  Gently stretch the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.  The correctly shaped product will be smooth on the top and bunched ends on the bottom.

5: Rest the loaf on the pizza peel (or surface) for 40 minutes.

6: Twenty minutes before baking preheat the oven to 450 F with the baking stone on the middle rack and an empty broiler tray on the bottom for holding water.

7: Dust with flour and slash the dough with a cross or X.

8:  Quickly slide the dough off of the surface onto your baking stone.  Quickly and carefully pour 1 cup of hot water into the broiler tray and close the oven door to trap the steam.  Bake for 30 minutes or until the crust is browned and firm to the touch (less time for Baguettes.)  When you take the bread out of the oven it will crackle to the room temperature and cool on a rack.

That is it! I encourage you to get the book if you are interested in other variations or are interested in other details like problem solving your challenges. Once you practice a couple of times you really could come home from work and have fresh bread within the hour. Then opening a can of soup for dinner seem that bad!

~ Jolie

Ta-da! Finished product.

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Blue Cheese & Rosemary Scalloped Potatoes


THESE ARE THE BEST POTATOES I HAVE EVER HAD. Period. Done. No more explanation needed.

I would end there but I need to give a big shout out to my sister-in-law, Kari, who brought these to Christmas dinner a few years back and introduced me to THE BEST POTATOES I HAVE EVER HAD. Do everyone a service this Christmas and bring this side dish to dinner. Like Rudolph, you'll go down in history...



Blue Cheese & Rosemary Scalloped Potatoes

5 lbs. russet potatoes
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup sour cream
2 cups cream (this is not a time to go light, use the heavy cream!)
1 tsp. salt

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.
Butter a 9x13 glass baking dish.
Peel and slice the potatoes into 1/4 inch slices. Toss them in a large bowl with the salt, pepper, and rosemary.
In a small bowl, toss together cheeses.
Layer half the potatoes in the buttered dish. Sprinkle with half the cheese mixture and top with the remaining potatoes.
In a bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients (sour cream, cream, salt) and pour over potatoes.
Tap the baking dish on the counter to spread out the sauce and help release any air bubbles.
Sprinkle with remaining cheese mixture.
Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until browned and completely tender all the way through when poked with a knife.
Take out of oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

You can also make these in advance and store, covered and refrigerated, for up to 2 days.
Bring to room temperature and reheat in a 350 degree oven until hot.
Missy's note: I use more blue cheese and Parmesan than called for because why wouldn't you?

Monday, December 9, 2013

Glazed Holiday Ham



Beautiful Jolie, our bread baker. This picture captures how happy we were to be together that night! 
For our Christmas dinner test run, we used a Kirkland Signature Applewood Smoked Master Carve Ham from Costco. This is my favorite ham because it's boneless, fully cooked and can be sliced for sandwiches or quickly heated up, just 10 per minutes per pound at 350 - much quicker than a bone in ham, and stays so moist and delicious.
The rich, naturally sweet, smoky flavor of this ham will win everyone over. It comes with a really good red currant glaze, but Rachel treated us to her famous mustard glaze we've all come to love. The next day I made my mother-in-law's raisin sauce to go with our leftovers (glaze and sauce recipes below).

RACHEL'S HAM GLAZE 
Recipe modified from Epicurious
Ingredients:
1/2 cup apple cider
1 jar whole grain Dijon mustard
2/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and warm over low heat until smooth.  It should be a fairly thick consistency, like honey.  Spread about half the sauce over ham during the last 30 minutes of cook time.  Thin the remaining sauce with a little more cider and serve on the side for those who want a little for dipping.




RAISIN SAUCE FOR HAM
Recipe from my awesome mother-in-law, Molly


Combine in a saucepan:
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt (this is optional)

Stir in: 
1 cup fresh apple cider
a handful of raisins

Sprinkle in: 
Ground cloves
Cinnamon 

Cook and stir for about 10 minutes. 

Add: 
1 Tablespoon butter

Serve the sauce very hot over ham. 

Friday, December 6, 2013

Mandarin Orange Blue Cheese Salad




It’s pretty typical that all six of us don’t get together unless Megan is in town. She’s sort of like the Movie Star amongst us, flitting here and there on yachts, dining at places like Italy, Greece, and Aspen, and experiencing the beauty of a world the five of us could only imagine. Yes, she does have to work hard, clean up and prepare food for rich people, but to the rest of us being a stewardess on a yacht seems like a pretty glamorous life. So when she does make time in her schedule to come home to Washington State we can’t help ourselves but plan a big get-together complete with lots of laughter, trashy magazines, spa time, and what else…. Hmmm… it feels like I’m missing something here. Oh yeah! FOOD!

This year we decided to spend an evening preparing a Christmas Feast, to, um, do our followers a favor and help them with some recipe ideas. I know, we are so selfless. We do this ALL for you. I was in charge of the salad. Can you believe it? Just the salad! So since I felt like I’d gotten off a little easy this time around I knew it couldn’t be any old salad. Which is why I chose my most favorite salad of all time, originally posted by my cousin Beth Sobel. Mandarin Orange Blue Cheese Salad. It was perfect for a Christmas Feast. Light, citrusy, a bit creamy and a little crunchy and sweet. It was just what we needed.
 
Because we were waiting for our honorary Beauty, Kirsten (Megan’s childhood friend and fellow foodie), to arrive at the cabin on the shuttle, we thought we’d start the evening off with the salad. Here’s my simplified recipe of the original below. (And for the original recipe, complete with instructions on making your very own caramelized pecans, click here.)


Here's the final product, paired with Apple Cider Honey Bourbon. Recipe coming soon...
 
Mandarin Orange Blue Cheese Salad serves 8
2 large heads Lettuce, chopped small
2 cans Mandarin Oranges
½ cup Scallions, sliced
1 cup (or more) Blue Cheese crumbles
1 bag Emerald Glazed Pecans
½ cup Poppy Seed Dressing
½ cup to 1 cup orange juice


Directions
Add all salad ingredients into a big bowl. Combine Orange Juice and Poppy Seed Dressing together and mix well. Toss.

Rachel and me. Obviously very proud of the salad.
 
 
 
"I hate when you are doing something and you think 'isn't there someone you can pay to do this?'  And you realize you are the person being paid to do this. My glamorous life!" - Megan Crosby
 
 

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Christmas Dinner Menu


All the beauties got together in November and made Christmas dinner. We started late and ate late, but had fabulous cocktails, multiple courses and the best company. There's nothing quite like a bunch of close girlfriends getting time to catch up. And thanks to Megan for making the long trip across the country to visit us.

Here's our menu and because we needed energy for our big night of cooking and eating we started with cold beer and ruffles dipped in Mexican sour cream. We'll link to each recipe as we post. And we'd love to hear what your favorite Christmas dinner dishes are.

Christmas Dinner Menu
~
Cocktails
~
Bread Course
~
Salad
~
Appetizers
~
Main
~
Dessert
We were too full, but here are a few suggestions!