Thanksgiving Tips – A Wonderful Salad for a Special Dinner

Tags

apple, Festive Tossed Salad, Pear, poppy seed dressing, taste of home, vegan, vegetarian

  As I’ve mentioned before, some of my favorite recipes come from the Taste of Home folks. They have a monthly magazine, website and annual cookbooks that have wonderful, down to earth recipes. I love that their recipes are usually made from a combination of commonly used ingredients, so I often already have all the ingredients in my pantry.

Several years ago, my sister ran across a Taste of Home recipe for a fabulous green salad called Festive Tossed Salad. It’s a little more work than your run of the mill green salad (not that bad though!), but it tastes WAY better than those every day salads. We tend to make this salad for special occasions and family gatherings, since it’s a little more work we usually have someone other than the hostess bring this item. That way the person brining it can focus on that one thing and when that’s all you have to make, it’s not overwhelming at all.

Festive Salad

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2/3 cup canola oil

• 2 to 3 teaspoons poppy seeds

• 10 cups torn romaine

• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese

• 1 medium apple, chopped

• 1 medium pear, chopped

• 1/4 cup dried cranberries

• 1/2 to 1 cup chopped cashews
Directions

1. In a blender, combine the sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, onion and salt. Cover and process until blended. With blender running, gradually add oil. Add poppy seeds and blend.

2. In a salad bowl, combine the romaine, cheese, apple, pear and cranberries. Drizzle with desired amount of dressing. Add cashews; toss to coat. Yield: 8-10 servings.

Enjoy!

A Favorite Thanksgiving Side Dish – Sweet Potatoes and Apples

Tags

side dish, Sweet Potatoes and Apples, Thanksgiving, vegan, vegetable, vegetarian

About 20 years ago (man, I’m old!), I was at an office potluck and a co-worker of mine brought the most wonderful sweet potato dish. Keep in mind, prior to this I did not like sweet potatoes. My mom didn’t cook them much at all growing up, so my only exposure was that dish where they’re covered in marshmallows and to top it off, I don’t like marshmallows much either! Anyway, this dish my coworker brought was both sweet and savory. In addition to the sweet potatoes, there were apples in the dish.

I asked her for the recipe and she said she didn’t have it. Her mother had made the dish for her to bring, so I asked her to please ask her mom for the recipe. She comes back into work and tells me that her mom won’t give her the recipe. It’s a “secret” family recipe. What’s a girl gotta do to get that stinkin’ recipe!?! Thanksgiving was coming and my friend said that her mom would make those sweet potatoes every year, so I gave her marching orders to hover around her mother and take copious notes. Well she came through!!!

This dish has been a family favorite for the last 20 years and it always gets rave reviews when I share it with others. I’ve taken it to a few church potlucks and the such.

Not only is this dish delicious, it’s also pretty darn easy to make. Nothing complicated, but the flavors come together wonderfully! The recipe I have is pretty rough and these days I usually just make it from memory. It’s kind of a vegetable lasagna as you’re simply layering the ingredients and it’s easy to increase/decrease the recipe based on how many people you’re feeding. I hope you and your family enjoy it as much as we do!

Sweet Potatoes and Apples

4-5 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in half, short-ways

2 – 15 oz cans apple pie filling
Butter or margarine
Brown sugar
1 tbsp Brandy
Place sweet potatoes and 1 tbsp brandy into large pot of water making sure to cover potatoes. Bring to a boil and let boil for about 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove potatoes from hot water and slice into ½ inch slices. Spray a baking pan with non-stick spray and spread one layer of sweet potatoes, then thinly cover this with a layer of pie filling (about ½ can or more if you need it), spoon dots of butter over apples about a teaspoon or so 2-3 inches apart. You just want them spread apart. Then sprinkle about 1/3 cup brown sugar. Now repeat these layers. I usually try to end with the brown sugar on top. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes until warmed through and bubbly. If you’re making a bigger batch, it may need to cook longer.
You really can’t go wrong with the amounts of the ingredients, so play with it and see what looks good to you. It’s amazing how much flavor that little bit of brandy in the water adds!

Thanksgiving Dutch Apple Pie – A Traditional Favorite

Tags

baking, dessert, Dutch Apple Pie, Thanksgiving, vegan, vegetaria

Yesterday I was a baking fool! First I made cranberry pecan muffins. These were only so-so, so I won’t burden you with that recipe! BUT then, I went on to bake an apple pie and chicken pot pie. Now these two recipes are worth sharing! Today I’ll start with the Dutch Apple Pie. This was my first time ever baking an apple pie! I decided to keep it basic and use a frozen ready made pie shell and went with a dutch topping, instead of crust. The pie was fairly easy to make and it was delicious!!! If you’re looking for a pie to serve at your Thanksgiving dinner, this is an easy version that can fit into your busy cooking schedule. Pies even freeze pretty well, so you can make it ahead and freeze for the big day.

Now I say this was pretty easy, but this is coming from a girl who was blessed to receive a Kitchen Aid spiralizer for Christmas last year. This particular spiralizer has a spiral slicing blade along with a peeling blade, so I did not have to peel and slice 8 cups of apples! Having to do this manually would make this pie more time consuming to make. If you don’t have a Kitchen Aid mixer, but you think you might make this more if you didn’t have to peel and slice apples consider investing in an hand crank apple peeler/corer that attaches to a table. We have an antique one of these and they work great!

Lastly, I cannot take credit for this recipe. This is a Betty Crocker recipe minus the portion to make your own pie crust. I substituted a frozen pie shell.

Dutch Apple Pie

1 frozen pie shell (set out and let thaw for 10-15 minutes)

Filling

8 cups peeled and sliced apples (I used about 5 medium sized apples)

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Topping

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Preheat ove to 400 degrees. In large bowl, toss Filling ingredients. Pour into pie plate, mounding apples toward center.

In medium bowl, use pastry blender or fingers to mix butter, 1 cup flour and the brown sugar until a crumb forms. Sprinkle evenly over top of pie. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon granulated sugar on top.

Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until pie crust and crumb topping are deep golden brown and filling begins to bubble. Transfer to cooling rack to cool.

Enjoy!

Vegetables and Noodles in a Red Curry Coconut Sauce – A Quick, Delicious Vegan Meal

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Carrots, eggplant, Thai, vegan, Vegetables and Noodles in Red Curry Coconut Sauce, vegetarian

I love watching cooking shows and there are several that I enjoy. On one recently, someone made a dish with red curry paste and coconut milk that looked delicious, so I picked up these ingredients and stashed them in my pantry. Yesterday, I bought some beautiful vegetables at the store and decided to try my hand at this dish. I was very happy with how it turned out! The sauce had a bold flavor without being too spicy. I know some of you may be thinking, “but I don’t like curry!” You have to give red curry a try! It has a completely different flavor than the curry flavors you find in Indian food. I really think you’ll find that you like it! So if you’re just looking for something different or needing to feed the vegans & vegetarians in your life, give this delicious dish a try!

It takes a little time to do your mise en place (prep work such as chopping, dicing, etc.), but thiis dish cooks pretty quickly. 

Funny story: Last night my husband was down at the golf course at the driving range. He texts me asking what I wanted to do for dinner (Husband code for “come down here and lets eat at the golf course restaurant!”). I responded telling him I already had something in mind and had begun my “mise en place”. He tells his buddies that we’re having Mise En Place for dinner and none of the guys could figure out what that was! Guess I better skip the French cooking terms and speak English for the golfers in my life.

Of course, you could add protein to this dish in the form of tofu, chicken, or shrimp to this dish and I think it would be equally as tasty.

Vegetables and Noodles with a Red Curry Coconut Sauce

1/2 Eggplant, peeled and chopped (Tip: To keep from getting slimy, salt and weight in caulinder to drain. I put it in a caulinder and then set a bowl on top and set a heavy jar in the bowl. You’ll be suprised how much liquid comes out.)

1/2 red onion, chopped

2 Carrots, julienned (Tip: I use the Pampered Chef Julienne tool. It looks like a wide vegetable peeler and makes this job SOOO easy!)

4 oz Mushrooms, sliced

1 Red bell pepper, chopped

1 clove Garlic, minced or pressed

1/2 tsp dried Ginger

1 tbsp Soy sauce

2 tbsp Red curry paste

1 – 14 oz can Coconut milk

6.75 oz package of Maifun Rice Sticks

I filled my tea kettle with water and put it on to boil. This is for the noodles. Meanwhile, I spray a large non-stick skillet or wok with Canola Oil. Over medium high heat, saute onions and red pepper for 3-4 minutes or until beginning to soften. Then I added the eggplant, mushrooms and carrots and continue to stir over heat until mushrooms become tender. Reduce heat to medium low and add garlic, ginger, soy sauce, red curry paste and coconut milk. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes. At some point your water should have started boiling. Set the dry noodles in a large pot, pour boiling water over noodles and allow to sit for a couple minutes. Drain and mix noodles into sauce.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie – I really need to try this!!! It sounds fantastic!!!

Tags

baking, Chocolate Bourban Pecan Pie, Thanksgiving, vegetarian

This pie sounds and looks fantastic!!! I’m going to have to try this myself!!!

https://casseylouise.wordpress.com/2016/10/07/the-thanksgiving-desert-saga-part-1/

Cheesecake with Berry Lemon Topping – Not Perfect, but Delicious!!!

Tags

baking, berry lemon topping, lemon zest, mixed berries, tyler florence, Ultimate Cheesecake, vegetarian

So this food blogging girl had never made cheesecake before. Don’t ask why! I just never got around to it until recently. As you can see from the picture, it didn’t turn out perfect, but it sure tasted fantastic! I think this recipe is still solid and I made some mistakes that you can easily correct and make a perfectly great cheesecake! I cannot take credit for this recipe though. This was from Tyler Florence of the Food Network.

So my mistake was that in trying to keep this low-fat, it didn’t firm up as much as it should. It did still taste great and have a nice texture though, so if you care more about fat content than the beauty of your dish, you can follow my notes below.

I also cheated and used a pre-made graham cracker crust. I had one leftover from my Canteloupe Pie and that’s what inspired me to try making cheese cake. I was happy with the crust, so if you don’t have a springform pan or just want to save a little time, the pre-made crust worked just fine! I did still follow the baking instructions of adding water to a baking pan and setting the cheesecake in that.

The Ultimate Cheesecake by Tyler Florence

Ingredients

Crust: (My note: I used a pre-made crust with success)

2 cups finely ground graham crackers (about 30 squares)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

1 pound cream cheese, 2 (8-ounce) blocks, softened (My note: I used reduced fat cream cheese, but I think this contributed to it not setting up completely.)

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 pint sour cream (My note: I used fat free sour cream and this probably also contributed to it not setting up completely.)

1 lemon, zested

1 dash vanilla extract

Warm Lemon Blueberry Topping, recipe follows

Warm Lemon Blueberries:

1 pint blueberries (My note: I had a bag of frozen mixed berries. I thawed them out and then cooked according to this and it was delicious!!!)

1 lemon, zested and juiced

2 tablespoons sugar
Filling:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl, combine the crust ingredients with a fork until evenly moistened. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the crumbs into the pan and, using the bottom of a measuring cup or the smooth bottom of a glass, press the crumbs down into the base and 1-inch up the sides. Refrigerate for 5 minutes.

For the Filling:

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on low speed for 1 minute until smooth and free of any lumps. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to beat slowly until combined. Gradually add sugar and beat until creamy, for 1 to 2 minutes. Add sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla. Periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. The batter should be well mixed but not over-beaten. Pour the filling into the crust-lined pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Set the cheesecake pan on a large piece of aluminum foil and fold up the sides around it. Place the cake pan in a large roasting pan. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until the water is about halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan; the foil will keep the water from seeping into the cheesecake. Bake for 45 minutes. The cheesecake should still jiggle (it will firm up after chilling), so be careful not to overcook. Let cool in pan for 30 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for at least 4 hours. Loosen the cheesecake from the sides of the pan by running a thin metal spatula around the inside rim. Unmold and transfer to a cake plate. Using a spatula spread a layer of Warm Lemon Blueberry topping over the surface.

Slice the cheesecake with a thin, non-serrated knife that has been dipped in hot water. Wipe dry after each cut.

Warm Lemon Blueberries:

In a small saucepan add all the ingredients and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes or so until the fruit begins to break down slightly. Leave to cool before spreading on cheesecake.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/the-ultimate-cheesecake-recipe2.html?oc=linkback

Enjoy!!!

Creamy Gnocchi Soup with Spinach – Warm, Creamy Goodness!!!

Tags

Carrots, creamy, Gnocchi Soup, low-fat, spinach, vegetarian

I just love gnocchi!! They are wonderful, fluffy little pillows of potato-ey goodness! Now you add some veggies and a generous amount of creamy sauce and you have a tasty, comforting soup that will warm your soul this fall and winter! This creamy sauce could get out of control with the fat content, but in an effort to keep this reasonable I used fat free creamer to keep the fat content down. I also used pre-made gnocchi, which made this dish quick and easy to make. 

Leaving out the chicken would easily make this a delicious and still hearty vegetarian meal!

Creamy Gnocchi Soup With Spinach

3 -4 boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cooked and diced (I baked it for about 40 minutes at 350 degrees)

4 cups fat free chicken stock (I used my home made stock)

2 cups fat free half-and-half

1 garlic clove, minced or pressed

1⁄2 carrot, shredded (Use a vegetable peeler or julianne)

1⁄2 onion, diced

1 cup fresh spinach, chopped

1/2 teaspoon thyme

salt and pepper

16 ounces pre-made potato gnocchi (You can find this in the pasta aisle)

1 tablespoon cornstarch 

Spray a frying pan with non-stick spray. Saute the onion, garlic, carrot over medium heat until onion is translucent.

Mix cornstarch and 2-3 tbsp of half and half in a small bowl until smooth, set aside. Add chicken, chicken stock, half and half, salt and pepper, thyme to frying pan and then stir in cornstarch mixture. Heat to boiling, then add gnocchi. Gently boil for 4 minutes, then turn down to a simmer for 10 minutes.

Add spinach and cook for another 1-2 minutes until spinach is wilted.

Enjoy!!!

Caprese Salad – A Light, Easy Warm Weather Meal!

Tags

balsamic reduction, basil, Caprese Salad, Honey, motzarella, tomatoes, vegetarian, vinegar

Here in California the weather is still really warm. Ok, it’s hot!!! We’re supposed to hit 101 degrees this weekend! On these kind of days, you just don’t feel like heating up the kitchen with a lot of cooking and a light meal sounds wonderful. I know the Caprese Salad is nothing new, but I’m not ashamed to admit it was new to me. I’ve seen them on TV, I’ve been with people that have ordered them in restaurants, but I’ve never had one myself. I had purchased some expensive motzarella for another dish and didn’t make it. I didn’t want it to go to waste, so I decided to use it to make a Caprese salad. It did not disappoint!!! This dish is stunning and delicious! It’s great for a quick, light dinner or elegant enough for an appetizer to serve to guests.

This salad is REALLY simple!!! Simple is great, but when a dish is this simple it is critical to use excellent ingredients. I had the expensive motzarella; check! I grow my own fresh basil; check! I bought some beautiful, organic heirloom tomatoes at the store; check! Now I wanted to make a balsamic reduction to top off this dish. I’ve got this!!!

Caprese Salad

Motzarella cheese, slides (Invest in some good cheese!)

Tomatoes, sliced (Go big on the investment here too! Hot house tomatoes have very little flavor. Get your hands on some homegrown or heirloom tomatoes!)

Fresh basil leaves

Salt and pepper

1 cup Balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup Honey

The only cooking involved: Whisk together vinegar and honey in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes or until reduced to about 1/2 cup.

Arrange cheese, tomatoes, and basil in alternate layers on plates or a large platter, drizzle with balsamic reduction and then lightly season with salt and pepper.

Mangia bene!!!

Coconut Yellow Rice – Delicious Rice with a Light Curry Flair

Tags

Basmati, coconut milk, Coconut Yellow Rice, curry, side dish, tumeric, vegan, vegetarian

I love the taste of curry, but my stomach does not have the same appreciation and neither do some of my family members. This rice is a fantastic compromise!!! It has the light taste of a curry, but the creaminess of the coconut milk and savory flavor of the onion and garlic give this rice a great balance and full flavor. It was the perfect accompaniment to the Hummus Crusted Chicken with vegetables that I blogged about yesterday. If you’re looking for a dinner with Middle Eastern/Indian flair, this is a perfect choice! It wasn’t too difficult to make, but was impressive enough for company!

I cannot however take the credit for this rice recipe. This delicious recipe came from a fellow WordPress blogger, Cooking with Dexter. The original recipe can be found at https://dexterbritto.wordpress.com/2016/09/10/coconut-yellow-rice/. I altered the recipe a bit based on what I had available.

Tip: After cooking, I tried to pick out the bay leaf, cloves, pepper corns and cinnamon sticks. If you can’t get them all, warn your diners to keep an eye out. Getting a bite of one of these items can really be overpowering.

Coconut Yellow Rice

2 Cups Basmati or Jasmine Rice

1 tsp Turmeric Powder

1 Can (425ml) Coconut Milk

4 Tbsp. Ghee or Clarified Butter (I used olive oil)

2.5 Cups Hot water

Seasoning:
1/2 medium onion-minced fine
2 cloves Garlic – minced fine or pressed
2 sticks Cinnamon
6 cloves
6 Pepper Corns
1 Bay leaf
1/2 tsp cardamom

3 tbsp. fresh desiccated coconut (Optional. I didn’t have this, so didn’t include it.0

¾ tsp salt

Method:
Wash the rice a few times and drain. Heat a vessel or deep pan. Add 2.5 tbsp. of ghee/oil and when hot add the cinnamon, cloves, pepper corns, bay leaf and cardamom. Fry for half a minute. Add the turmeric powder and rice. Fry slightly. Add the desiccated coconut and fry for some more time (a minute).
Add the coconut milk, Hot water and salt. Mix well, close with lid and cook on low heat. Check a couple of times if water is dry or rice is touching the bottom of vessel. Add more hot water if required. When ¾ cooked add the remaining Ghee or Clarified butter and mix well. After 5 minutes check if the water has evaporated and rice is dry. Fluff the rice lightly with a fork if required. Serve.

Mashed Sweet Potates – A Healthier Version of a Delicious Favorite

Tags

healthy, mashed, roasted, side dish, Sweet potatoes, twice baked, vegetarian, yams

Growing up I was always a little suspicious of sweet potatoes (or yams, same thing). I mean how good could they be if people have to cover them with marshmallows? It’s just how my brain worked. As an adult I have discovered a love of this colorful vegetable! One of my favorite ways to make them is just by making mashed sweet potatoes. I basically use all the savory ingredients I use to make regular mashed potatoes and these really offset the wonderfully sweet flavor of these potatoes. You can do this while keeping the fat levels low too! You get beautiful color on your plate and delicious, healthy food in your belly!!!

Sweet potatoes are just as versatile as white potatoes! I have posted a few different recipes you might want to check out; twice baked sweet potatoes, pecan stuffed sweet potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes, and one of our family favorites, sweet potatoes and apples.

A Los Angeles Times article gives a run down of the health benefits of sweet potatoes vs. white potatoes:

In a 100-gram portion, the white potato has 92 calories, 21 grams of carbs, 2.3 grams of dietary fiber, 2.3 g of protein and 17% of the recommended daily value of vitamin C. The same amount of sweet potato, on the other hand, has 90 calories, 21 grams of carbs, 3 grams of fiber, 2 grams of protein, 35% of the recommended daily value of vitamin C and 380% of the daily recommended value of vitamin A. 

Sweet potatoes also have a lower glycemic index than regular potatoes. The glycemic index is a measure of how quickly blood glucose levels rise after eating. Foods with lower glycemic indexes, like sweet potatoes and brown rice, make you feel full longer.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

7 small sweet potatoes (or 2-3 large ones)

2/3 cup fat free sour cream

1/2 cup fat free milk

2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1 1/2 tbsp butter (optional and you can cut it if wanting to reduce the fat)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Fill a pot with water and add a teaspoon of salt. Peel and half sweet potatoes. Add to water and bring to a boil, boiling for about 20 minutes or until tender. Drain potatoes and mash. Add sour cream, milk, garlic, butter, and salt and pepper and stir until well mixed. Taste as you go and adjust salt and pepper to your liking.

Enjoy!!!