New Year's

We are the definition of a homebody.We spend the day taking down all the Christmas decorations and generally cleaning up after the busy holiday. So by the time the evening rolls around I am pooped. The kids are still home for another week and it's another chance to grab some quality time before they head back to school. So we plan a quiet evening at home with fondue and sparkling wine or cider and a movie. On New Year's Day we will watch the Rose Parade and just laz the day away. Occasionally we may have friends over for brunch if the mood strikes.

Button Mushrooms

These are a great companion for cheese fondue. But they also will make your next steak very happy.

Serves 4

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 pounds button mushroom, wiped clean
salt and pepper
2 large cloves of garlic minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup of dry white wine
1 tablespoon fresh parsley minced

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil on high heat. Add the mushrooms and do not stir. You want them to caramelize on the bottom of the pan. This will take 3-5 minutes. Stir and let them brown on the other side without stirring, another 5 minutes. Add the butter and let them go another 3 minutes. Add the garlic, salt and pepper. Stir until butter is melted. Add the thyme and wine. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Toss in the parsley and serve.

Bacon and Cheddar Dip

If you have any sports fans in your life....make them this dip as part of your next game day spread. It's got everything you could ask for in a dip! Bacon, smoked cheddar cheese, onions and lots of creamy goodness. I'll be putting this out for snacking tomorrow before dinner.

1 cup light sour cream
1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 onion diced
1 8 oz pkg of light cream cheese
salt and pepper
2 cups smoked sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup light mayo

In a large skillet cook the bacon until crisp, reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings. Clean out the pan. Add the drippings back along with the onion and cook over medium/high heat. Season the onions with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to cool. In a large bowl beat the cream cheese, sour cream and mayo until smooth. Fold in the bacon, onions, and cheddar cheese, reserving some of the bacon and cheese to sprinkle over the top of dip. Scoop the dip into a greased baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese and bacon over the top. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Serve hot with crackers.

Cannoli Shells

As I mentioned in a previous post, my mom used to make cannoli shells every Christmas with her good friend Phyllis. My mom hasn't made them in years and I have always wanted to make them so I've decided this is the year. Here's Phyllis' recipe.

Dough
Makes 10-12 shells

Tools needed- 1 baking sheet lined with paper towel, metal cannoli tubes(pick these up at a cooking supply store or on Amazon), knife, air tight container, gallon zip-lock bag, scissors, pastry brush

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons shortning
3/4 cup sweet marsala wine
1 beaten egg
vegetable oil

In a large bowl place the flour, cinnamon, sugar and shortning. With a mixer or your hands mix the ingredients together until they resemble coarse crumbs. Add the wine and continue to mix until all comes together into a smooth ball of dough. Set aside for an hour on the counter.
Cut the dough ball in half and on a lightly floured board, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut the dough into 4-5 inch rounds. Wrap a dough round around a metal cannoli tube. Overlapping the edges of the round. Before you seal the edges, using a pastry brush, brush one edge with the beaten egg to help seal them. Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil to 400. Carefully drop 1-2 tubes of dough into the oil and fry on all sides until the dough is golden brown in color. Remove from the pan and let the dough drain and cool on a tray lined with paper towels. When cool enough to touch, carefully loosen the shell from the tube. I use the point of a knife. Repeat the process until all the shells are made. Store the shells in an air-tight container until ready to fill

Filling
1 pound ricotta cheese, drained
8 oz of marscapone cheese
1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon of orange zest
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Place all ingredients(minus the chips) into a bowl with a mixer. Mix until combined. Fold in the chips. Place the filling into a large zip lock bag. Seal, removing as much air as possible. Snip of the end with scissors. Gently hold the shell in one hand and squeeze the filling into the shell with the other. I fill the shell half way on one side and then turn it to fill the other half. Set on a platter and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Roasted Pears with Gorgonzola and Candied Walnuts

This is a unique dish that compliments roasted meat very nicely. The pears are not overly sweet, the cheese is tangy and the walnuts add a sweet and salty crunch that marry well to make an out of the ordinary holiday side.

Serves 8

4 firm pears halved and cored but not peeled
olive oil
6-7 sprigs of fresh thyme
salt and pepper
1/4 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese
1/4 cup walnut pieces
3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 375 and line a baking sheet with either parchment or a silpat. Lay the pears cut side up on the baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over each pear and sprinkle with the salt, pepper and thyme leaves. Put into the oven for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a dry skillet over medium high heat. Add the walnuts and sugar. Sprinkle the nuts with salt. When the sugar begins to melt, stir the nuts gently to coat evenly with the melted sugar and salt. When the sugar has turned a light brown color, remove for the heat immediately and pour the nuts out onto a silpat or parchement paper. Using a spatula try to separate the nuts out so they are not all sticking together. Let cool. When 20 minutes is up, remove the pears from the oven and spoon some of the gorgonzola cheese into the center of each pear half. Return to the oven to continue to roast for another 10 minutes. Place the finished pears onto a platter and sprinkle the candied nuts over the top of each one and serve.

Carmalized Butternut Squash

This is a very simple side that looks elegant. The oven does all the work for you.

Serves 6-8

2 medium butternut squash
6 tablespoon melted butter
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Cut off the ends of the butternut squash and peel the skin off using a vegetable peeler. Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds. Then cut the squash into bite-sized chunks. Place the pieces into a large bowl and add the butter, salt, pepper and brown sugar. Toss with your hands to coat. Spread the pieces out onto a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Roast at 400 for 35-45 minutes or until the pieces are tender and the glaze has begun to caramelize. Turn the squash a few times during the roasting process to insure even browning.

Standing Rib Roast

I'm amazed at the fear a large piece of meat can strike in the hearts of most home cooks. Last year I was in Costco looking over the Prime Ribs and a woman next to me, who was doing the same, asked me how I was going to prepare it. Thinking....this will be great, I'll get some new ideas on how to prepare my prime rib. I quickly discovered that she had no idea how to cook one and needed advice. Ever the teacher, I took the moment to explain my method. After she thanked me and I looked up to continue my shopping I noticed that I had an audience! There were 3 more people who had been listening to the exchange and they began peppering me with questions. My husband found me shortly after and wanted to know what I had been doing all of this time. When I told him, he laughed and suggested that Costco hire me. I think what shocked me more was the number of people who were going to invest 50-70 dollars into their holiday meal but had no idea how to successfully prepare it. Well I'm here to tell you that preparing a roast is not difficult and with a few simple steps you can make your family believe that you are a cooking rock star.

Serves 8

1 61/2-7 pound standing rib roast( I look for one that has about 4-5 bones in it)
1 tablespoon each of fresh thyme and rosemary, chopped
2 heads of garlic
1 1/2 cups of dry white wine(get one you like to drink)
1 quart of beef stock
salt and pepper
olive oil

Remove the defrosted roast from the frig 2 hours before you plan to put it into the oven. This will allow it to come up to room temp and it will roast more evenly. Preheat the oven to 450. Trim off any excess fat off the roast but do leave about 1/2 inch of fat on the top. The roast needs some fat or it will dry out during cooking, so don't over do it. Remove several cloves of garlic from the head of garlic and remove the skin off of each clove. Making several small slits with a sharp knife at the top of the roast, insert a clove into each slit.(the top of the roast is the side with the most fat,place the bone side down to find the top) Depending on the size of my roast I will insert at least 6 or more cloves. I also choose the medium sized cloves for this job. Pour olive oil into a small bowl, making sure there is enough to coat the entire roast on all sides. Add the herbs to the oil and using your hands spread the herb oil over the entire roast on all sides. Liberally sprinkle salt and pepper over the entire roast on all sides. Place the roast bones down into a roasting pan that you have coated with cooking spray. Pour the wine and 1/2 a cup of the beef stock into the bottom of the pan. Roast for 20 minutes at 450, then lower the heat to 350 and continue to roast to the desired degree of doneness. 18 minutes per pound for rare, 22 minutes per pound for medium. Do not attempt well done. This is not a piece of meat that does well over medium. Remove the roast from the pan to a warm platter, cover with foil and let it rest for about 20-25 minutes before carving. Strain the pan juices of excess fat. Add the rest of the beef stock to the pan juices. Place then in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. If you want to serve it au-jus style then serve it as is. If you want a light gravy, then you can thicken it with a cold water and corn starch slurry that you will pour in after the jus comes to a boil. Adjust seasoning to the gravy or au-jus if necessary.

Oven Roasted Chicken Thighs with Caulifower

I like this recipe because after prepping the veggies and browning the skin side of the chicken the oven does the rest of the work. I like to cook with the seasons as it usually helps me save money on produce. Fruits and veggies in season cost less than those that are not so when I can I try to incorporate items in season into my meals.

6 bone in, skin on, chicken thighs
1 head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into pieces
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into chunks
1 15 oz can of chick peas, rinsed and drained
6 small cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons of capers
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
juice of 1 large lemon
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
dried thyme leaves
salt and pepper
olive oil
minced Italian parsley

In a large bowl toss the cauliflower, bell pepper, chick peas, whole garlic cloves, capers, anchovy paste, lemon juice, chili flakes, salt and pepper with 2-3 tablespoons olive oil together, set aside. Heat a large oven safe skillet with 2 tablespoons olive oil over high heat. Season both sides of the chicken with salt, pepper and dried thyme. Place the chicken thighs into the hot pan, skin side down. Sear for about 3-4 minutes or until the skin has become a dark golden color. Turn the chicken over and scoot it to the outside edges of the pan. Pour the veggies mixture into the middle of the hot pan and place it into a 450 degree oven. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the veggies are cooked through and chicken juices run clear. Sprinkle parsley over all and serve.

Sweet Rolls

I first posted this recipe back in April. However, I also like to make them for Christmas morning. I'm posting it again today so if anyone wishes to make the starter there is still time to do that.

I think I have finally found the perfect sweet roll recipe. I have tried several but this one's a keeper. I am not a bread maker. I either kneed the dough too much and the end results remind me of Ellie Mae's donuts (Beverly Hill Billies fame) or the middle comes out raw. Definitely not a pretty sight. This recipe begins with a starter. The starter is enough for one recipe so you don't have to keep it forever and feed it.

Starter
1/2 cup instant mashed potatoes
1/2 cup sugar
1 pkg yeast
1 1/2 cups very warm water

The day before you plan to bake, put all of the above in a non-metal container. Mix with a non-metal spoon. Set aside and leave uncovered. Stirring occasionally over the next 12 hours let the mixture begin to bubble.

Next day.
In mixer with a dough hook place the starter. With mixer running
Add in this order

the starter
1/2 cup sugar
1 pkg yeast
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups hot tap water
6 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
Mix the dough for about 2 minutes. Place it in a large bowl that you have sprayed with nonstick spray.
Cover with a clean, damp towel and place in a heated 170 degree oven that you turned off after heating. On the last oven rack place a large baking pan with a tea kettle of boiling water poured into it. Close oven and let the dough rise in the humid oven until doubled in size.
When dough has risen to double, dump out onto a large well floured surface. I use a clean counter. Sprinkle more flour over top of dough and roll out with a floured rolling pin. While rolling, move the dough around on the floured surface, if the dough is sticking, sprinkle a spare amount of flour under the dough and continue rolling. You are looking to roll a large rectangle about 1/4 inch thick.
Filling
1 stick softened butter
1- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup ground cinnamon
1/c cup raisins or chopped nuts(optional)
Reheat oven to 170 and reheat the water from the pan in the oven.
Meanwhile spread butter over dough's entire surface
Sprinkle over butter cinnamon, sugar, raisins and nuts. Starting on the long side of the rectangle, roll the dough into a tight roll. Cut with a serrated knife into 2 inch rolls. Place pieces into a well greased rectangular baking dish, snuggle them close together. Turn off the oven and pour the water bath back into the pan in the oven. Put the rolls on the top rack and let the rolls rise again until double in size. Remove from oven and, leaving the water bath in the oven, preheat it to 350. Return the rolls to your 350 oven and bake for 25 minutes or until golden.
Cream Cheese Glaze
4 ozs softened cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teasp vanilla
2-3 tablespoons cream
Place all of the above into a bowl. With a whisk or hand mixer, beat until soft and creamy. Mixture should pour off of a spoon. If it doesn't add another tablespoon of cream. Pour over top of roll as soon as you remove them from the oven.
They are best right out of the oven or reheat in microwave.

Cook's Notes- In order to keep your rolls from drying out, the water bath is essential. It makes for a lighter and fluffier end result.

English Toffee

I love the idea of making homemade candy but was always a little intimidated by the process. Well no more! This is an easy candy to get your feet wet, so to speak. Do invest in an electronic thermometer. It will save you a lot of headaches. You can pick one up for about $20 at your local Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

Makes about 40 pieces

14 tablespoons butter(1 stick and 6 tablespoons)
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 oz of semi sweet chocolate chips, melted

Put butter, sugar and water into a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium/high heat,stirring constantly until all ingredients are combined. Remove spoon from the pot and continue to boil without stirring until the sugar mixture reaches 300-310 degrees. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and nuts. Pour immediately onto a rimmed cookie sheet that you have liberally sprayed with cooking spray or lined with a silpat. As it cools, melt the chocolate and pour it over the toffee. Spread out evenly with a spatula. Let cool completely and break into pieces. Store in an air-tight container.

Crispy Roasted Potatoes

These go really well with any roasted meat. Chicken, beef, pork, even fish it doesn't matter. These will enhance any meal.
Cook's notes- I recommend using a manoline or veggie slicer for this. It will cut your time in half. Mandolines are a heavy medal slicer that can slice veggies in a variety of ways. A cheaper version is the vegetable slicer. It is usually made of plastic and will slice the food thinly. Both are flat with a metal blade in the center. I have a vegetable slicer which works well for my needs. You slide the item to be sliced along the surface and it will thinly cut it for you. Both can give you a nasty cut if you aren't careful. Always stop slicing before you get too close to the blade. You will lose some of the veggie you are slicing but you can always cut more veggies you can't so easily replace your finger.

3 tablespoons melted butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled
4 shallots, thickly sliced lengthwise
salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
6-8 sprigs of fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 375. Combine the butter and the oil. Brush the bottom and the sides of a 9 inch round cake pan with some of it. Using a mandoline, vegetable slicer, or sharp knife,slice the potatoes into thin slices crosswise. Arrange the potatoes vertically in the baking pan. Place the slices of shallot throughout the pan among the potatoes. Brush the top of the potatoes and shallots with the remaining butter and olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper flakes. Lay the thyme sprigs over all. Bake until the potatoes are cooked through and crisp on top, about 30 minutes.

Pork Loin Roast

I found a beautiful center cut pork loin roast with the bone in today at the store. The price just couldn't be beat so I nabbed it. My mother-in-law is from Norway originally. Thus my husband loves all things Norwegian. When we were first married, he wanted to have a traditional Norwegian Christmas dinner(a rolled pork roast with all the trimmings). My mom being of German decent, often made pork roast for Sunday dinner so thankfully it wasn't too much of a stretch for me to make. We haven't had a pork roast for a while, so I thought I would make it tonight as we have prime rib on Christmas day.
Cook's Notes- Calvados is an apple brandy from France. It goes very well with pork. If you can't find Calvados, you can use Apple Jack or hard apple cider instead.

Serves 6

1 3 pound center cut pork loin roast- bone in
3 cups of apple juice
1/3 cup calvados
2 cups chicken stock
2 onions peeled and quartered
2 green apples, peeled, cored and quartered
dried thyme leaves
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 325. Spray a heavy roasting pan with cooking spray. Rub the entire roast with the olive oil. Liberally sprinkle the roast with salt, pepper and thyme leaves on all sides. Place in the roasting pan. Put the onions and apples around the roast in the pan In a small bowl combine the chicken stock with 1 cup of apple juice. Pour half of the liquid around the roast and place it uncovered into the oven. Add the rest of the liquid half way through the cooking time. Meanwhile place the remaining apple juice in a small saucepan. Bring it to a boil over medium heat and reduce it down to about 1/2 a cup. Remove from the heat and pour in the calvados. Set this aside to glaze the roast in last 30 minutes of cooking. Roast about 2 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 155. Remove from the oven. Place the roast on a warm platter, cover with foil and let it rest for about 10 minutes. The internal temperature will continue to climb to around 160 degrees. Meanwhile, strain the apples and onions from the drippings. Drain off any fat and pour the rest of the drippings into a saucepan. Add more chicken stock to the drippings to make about 2- 3 cups of liquid. Bring to a boil and add a slurry of 1/2 cup cold water with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Bring to a full boil and stir until thickened. Adjust salt and pepper to taste if necessary. Slice the roast into chops. Serve with gravy.

Lentil Soup

Lentils are perfect for a quick meal on a weeknight. They cook in 30 minutes and you do not have to soak them ahead of time. You can make this vegetarian by swapping out the chicken stock for vegetable. If you want a heartier soup, add a low-fat smoked chicken or turkey sausage.

1 pound dried lentils, rinsed and drained
1 large onion, diced
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 15 oz can of fire-roasted tomatoes
4 large carrots, peeled and diced
2 cups diced celery
8 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon dry thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups diced smoked chicken sausage(optional)

In a large pot, heat the oil. Add the sausage and brown. Add the onions, garlic, celery, and carrots. Cook over medium/high heat for about 5 minutes.Add the lentils, wine, tomatoes and stock. Let the soup come to a boil. Meanwhile, add the salt, pepper, bay leaves, thyme, chili flakes and smoked paprika. Let come to a boil and lower to a medium boil. Cook until lentils are soft but still hold their shape and the veggies are cooked through.

Black and White Coconut Bars

As my husband is a coconut lover, I try to make at least one of my holiday cookies with coconut. These are yummy and make nice gifts for family and friends.

Makes 48 bars

Cookie Base
1 cup butter melted
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup flour

Coconut Topping
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
14 oz pkg of shredded coconut
reserving 1/2 cup to sprinkle over top

Preheat oven to 375. Spray a 9x13 inch cake pan with cooking spray. Place the melted butter, sugar, and cocoa into a large bowl and mix with a mixer. Add the eggs and flour and mix until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread out evenly with a spatula. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the cake just pulls away from the sides of the pan. Let cool slightly and prepare the topping. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs,vanilla, and sugar together. Gently fold in the flour and coconut. Drop by mounds onto the chocolate layer and gently spread out. I find my hand worked best for this, patting it out gently. Sprinkle the reserved coconut onto the top. Bake for 15 minutes at 375 then turn the oven down to 350 and bake 15 minutes more. Cut into bars and store in an airtight container.

Fudge

There is nothing like a good piece of fudge and fortunately, this recipe will make quite a few pieces. A candy maker I am not so when I found this recipe I was thrilled. You don't need a candy thermometer and measuring is a no-brainer.

Makes about 5 pounds

4 cups sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup butter(2 sticks)
1 bag milk chocolate pieces
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate pieces
2 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 bag mini marshmellows
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

Bring the sugar, cream, and butter to a boil in a medium sized pot over medium heat. Boil, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and whisk in the marshmallows, chocolate, and vanilla. Fold in the nuts. Pour fudge into a rimmed baking sheet that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Allow to set up. Cut into small squares. Store in an air tight container. This recipe freezes well, otherwise store in the fridg.