On Holidays and Feasting

During this delightful holiday season spending time eating with friends and family moves higher on the 'to do' lists of most people. We tend to celebrate with feasts and gatherings that center around food. I am here to add a little spice to your holiday celebrations through colorful dishes that are sure to impress.

The main event of holiday dinners is often a turkey. These birds are classic holiday fare and can seem monotonous year after year. An option for adding a bit more flavor to your turkey is a compound butter. I like to mix chopped fresh herbs like sage, parsley, rosemary, and thyme with a bit of fresh cracked pepper, paprika, fresh garlic, and a pinch of lemon zest into softened unsalted butter. I put this flavorful butter between the meat and skin of the whole bird, including the legs. A little bit can go inside with the stuffing and whatever you have left can be rubbed on the outside of the turkey. This helps to incorporate the flavor into both the skin and meat of the turkey as well as helping to keep it moist. Some of that butter and flavor will drip into the bottom of the pan and end up in the gravy as well adding a touch more excitement to traditional gravy- try adding a splash of Marsala to the gravy for more pizazz!

Another staple of holiday parties is the cheese tray. This year at our Thanksgiving feast I tried a few new flavor combinations with cheese; they looked nice too! My first cheese experiment was a mascarpone and cranberry ball. I started with fresh cranberries and cooked them with brown sugar, some orange zest and fresh orange juice until it sort of looked like cranberry jam. Once that cooled, I mixed some chevre, the mascarpone, and some of the cranberry mixture to form a ball and let it cool in the fridge for an hour or so on wax paper.

To add a nice crunch to the softness of the cheeses, I candied some toasted pecans and chopped them into smallish pieces to coat the cheese ball. For a slightly salty coating, add some nice Fleur de Sel or maybe pink Himalayan salt to the candied nuts.

Starting at the top, press the pecan pieces into the cheese ball to cover the whole thing. If you leave it on the wax paper for this process, it makes transporting easier. You can also roll the ball into your hand with out getting sticky to stick nuts to the bottom of the ball. If you havn't already eaten the remaining candied nuts, use them as a garnish for your cheese plate or instead of croutons on your festive holiday salad! (recipe to follow)

For the rest of our cheesey appetizers I used a nice piece of brie at room temperature and paired it with a delicious sweet and spicy Blackberry Serrano jam. Wensleydale with cranberries is in the middle, and I made an orange brandy caramel to pour over a mini camembert round (this particular cheese is made locally in Fort Collins by a company called MouCo) that I served with some of the left over cranberry orange 'jam' from the cheese ball. I added a few slices of pepperjack for my picky eater brother just in case; they weren't eaten.

One final fun holiday recipe I have to share, as promised, is a roasted beet and fresh orange salad with a cranberry dressing. I roasted red and gold beets in the same way I have roasted beets previously and peeled them by rubbing the skin off with my hands-I was pink for days! Then sliced them in thin rounds for the salad.

For the cranberry salad dressing I used some of the cranberry orange jam from the cheese ball, a little red wine vinegar, a splash of raspberry infused balsamic vinegar, a touch of fresh orange juice, some honey, and olive oil. I put all the ingredients into a glass measuring cup and blended everything with an immersion blender until it was all emulsified. The salad consisted of mixed spring greens, thinly sliced red onion, supremes of fresh orange, the roasted beets, some candied pecans, and goat cheese.

I hope everyone reading this is enjoying their holiday season and using this time to do some fun cooking! Maybe some of these recipes will give you ideas of your own to try. Let me know if you try any of your own ideas or these recipes and how they turn out for you! Be sure to make something especially tasty for someone special in your life this season-and Chop On!

On Birthdays and Blending

After a week of planning, shopping, cooking, and catering, I have returned to tell my tales. The party was a success! Everyone enjoyed both the experimental dishes and the old standby's that I have used before. I always enjoy doing parties like this but wish I had a steady supply of people wanting to hire me! Anyway...

I tried out a couple new appetizers for this party- the butternut squash and goat cheese bruschetta and bacon wrapped dates in a fabulous shallot and sherry sauce.

I also made a delicious classic tomato and fresh mozzarella bruschetta and summer squash stuffed with mushrooms, corn, and goat cheese.

Dinner consisted of wonderful homemade lasagna-fresh pasta included- and a salad with my "famous" honey balsamic dressing. I didn't have to worry about dessert since it was a party for my cousin's 14th birthday and cake is necessary for birthdays. (I don't do a lot of baking)

I made a sample lasagna before the party to make sure the fresh pasta worked with out cooking it before assembly, and also lasagna sounded amazing for dinner one night. I wanted to try making everything from scratch for this dish from the sauce to the pasta. I used my basic pasta dough recipe:

100 g semolina flour

200g AP flour

2 whole eggs

1/4+ water

The filling was a really colorful blend of sauteed red bell peppers, purple onions, yellow and green zucchini, and fresh tomato slices on top of a ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese blend.

The sauce was just oven roasted tomatoes pureed with a couple cloves of garlic roasted as well. I tossed the tomatoes in a pot to make sure they were totally cooked and added a little bit of red wine for some more flavor as well as salt and pepper then used my immersion blender to make a really nice smooth sauce.

To assemble the lasagna, start with a baking dish coated with olive oil on the bottom. Then a layer of pasta and a sprinkle of water so the pasta will cook.

Next is a layer of sauteed veggies and fresh tomato slices. If you like a creamy, cheesier lasagna- add a layer of the ricotta mixture under the veggies and a little bit of sauce on top of that.

Followed by another layer of pasta topped with ricotta and tomato sauce.

Then repeat layers until your lasagna reaches the desired height. Finish with a layer of pasta covered in sauce to prevent drying and a blend of parmesan and mozzarella cheeses.

Bake covered with foil for about 30 min at 350. (be aware that the cheese may stick to the foil and pull off when you remove it) Remove the cover for another 10-15 min until the cheese starts to brown on the edges. Let rest for a few minutes, and enjoy!

Lasagna is a perfect dinner for this cold season. There are so many options for lasagna that you could make it every week and not get bored! For the party this weekend I made both this vegetarian version and a meaty lasagna with the same ricotta mixture layered with a homemade meat sauce. You can make a spinach and red pepper lasagna or instead of pasta you could just use slices of vegetables to separate the layers. If you have any favorite types of lasagna, post a comment and share with everyone! Even if you don't make your own pasta, Lasagna is a tasty and comforting food.

Thanks to those of you who are following my blog and reading weekly-it's nice to know that people are interested in my ideas. I would like to encourage readers to make suggestions or share ideas of your own. And remember- Chop On!

On Appetizers and Experimenting

In hopes of many upcoming holiday parties for me to cater, and also out of boredom, I recently did some experimenting with exciting new fall appetizers. I have been thinking about a couple parties I have coming up for sure, and all I can think of for the menu is things I have made before. I have been looking for some fresh new ideas and I am always a supporter of seasonal ingredients and flavors. Roasting is an easy way to turn veggies and many fruits into a tasty new experience. Squash is a classic fall ingredient and very versatile. Herbs like sage and rosemary add really nice fall flavors to favorite dishes.

One of my friends from work mentioned that he had made an acorn squash bruschetta at some point, so based on that idea, (and because I had butternut squash at home already) I decided to try out a goat cheese, caramelized onion, and roasted butternut squash crostini. It turned out better than I could have hoped and I think it will be a big hit at upcoming parties!

To start, I diced the squash into small cubes, sprinkled it with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a dash of nutmeg, then put it in a baking dish and cooked it at 400 until it was tender and slightly browned.

While the squash was roasting, I thinly sliced a red onion to caramelize. I put the onions in a heavy bottomed pot with a little bit of butter and olive oil, and cooked them over medium heat until they were soft and nicely browned.

Walnuts were toasted and chopped, ciabatta bread was cut, brushed with olive oil, and toasted, and sage leaves were chiffonaded as well. Once everything was cooked properly, I assembled the delicious treats! I started with the crostini, added the roasted squash cubes, then goat cheese crumbles, then a sprinkle of toasted walnut. I finished them off with a little 'nest' of caramelized onions and some fresh sage. These little bite sized appetizers look festive and taste great!

My other experiment for the week was inspired by an amuse bouche we had for my mother's birthday at a really fun restaurant in Boulder. I made roasted beets, that are delicious all on their own, with a gorgonzola mousse.

For the roasting of the beets, I chop off both ends of the beet and cut them in half or quarters depending on how big the beet is. I place the pieces in a glass baking dish and drizzle the beets with olive oil. I like to sprinkle salt, pepper, basil, thyme, and any other herbs I feel like using on the beets, add a dash of water and cover the pan with foil so the beets steam some and cook faster. Towards the end of the cooking process, I uncover the beets so they can roast. Once the beets are cooked and slightly cooled, you can peel them much easier.

Beets before:

Beets after:

For the mousse, I used a bit of heavy cream, a spoonfull of ricotta, a chunk of gorgonzola, and salt and pepper to taste. (the amount of gorgonzola you use can vary depending on how much you like it) I just put everything in a container and mixed it with my immersion blender, which makes a fairly dense mousse.

I thinly sliced the beets and placed them on a plate over a bit of the mousse. I was thinking it might be tasty on a crostini-to add a bit of textural contrast. I am not sure if this is something I will only serve for sit down dinners so I can have it plated, or if there is a way to make it a buffet or passing type appetizer. Any suggestions?

I am working on an idea for something green to add to the dish- it looked a little plain, especially on my white plates. I am thinking a parsley puree or oil or something along those lines. It looks nice with a sprig of Italian parsley, but that is less than pleasant to eat. Anyone have any ideas?let me know what you think if you try either recipe! Or host a party and I can make them for you.

I enjoy writing this blog and sharing my ideas with everyone who reads, so I am wondering who is actually reading the blog! If you do read it, and enjoy it, please either click "follow" or let me know in a comment! Keep reading, friends... And Chop On!

On Soup and Snowing

As I sit here blogging about soup on this chilly day, all I smell is my delicious dinner simmering away in the kitchen. In honor of our first snow here in Fort Collins (it lasted all of 2 1/2 minutes) I decided to forgo making lasagna this evening and opted for French onion soup instead. Don't fret though, lasagna will be made this weekend!

I forgot to take pictures of the beginning stages of the soup I am making this evening, but I will take a 'ready to eat' picture and add it before I post.

One of my favorite things to make in cold weather is soup. I like to experiment with whatever ingredients I have around the house. Chicken noodle soup is always great, but sometimes you just want something a little more exciting. One of my favorites is a chicken and chili pepper soup. I tend to have a nice variety of fresh peppers in the fridge (and I grew black bell peppers and serranos in my "garden" this summer) that are tasty in soup. I usually roast some poblano, maybe a fresno or jalepeno, and a little sweet bell pepper and dice those up with half a red onion and sautee them until the onion is tender. I add corn, usually frozen, diced chicken that I marinated in salsa, and chicken broth. Once everything is cooked, I usually serve it with a little sour cream, and maybe tortilla strips. The last time I made it, however, I added a Spanish rice stuffed patty pan squash and sour cream on top of that. It was delicious and a little more substantial of a meal.

Another family favorite is what my mom calls "hamburger soup". You start with ground beef, chopped onion, a clove of garlic, diced green bell pepper and canned chilies, carrots, celery, zucchini, green beans, a can of pinto beans, and a can of diced tomatoes; I added some fresh tomatoes and parsley to this batch too.

Brown the ground beef with the onions and peppers. Add the other veggies, drained and rinsed beans, and diced tomatoes.

Once everything is partially cooked sprinkle a couple tablespoons of vinegar over everything-red wine vinegar works best, add a can or carton of beef broth and simmer until all the veggies are tender. I like to add pasta to the soup-my mom traditionally uses spaghetti but I have been eating only quinoa pasta, so I used quinoa elbows.

Finish with salt and pepper to taste and some chopped fresh parsley. Enjoy!

And now, to the French Onion soup! I slice one red onion nice and thin and let it caramelize over medium heat in a mixture of butter and olive oil with a sprinkle of sugar. Once the onions are light brown, I add half a thinly sliced apple and a minced clove of garlic and continue cooking everything for about 5 minutes. Then add another little bit of butter and a sprinkle of flour to help thicken the soup and make sure everything is coated. Deglaze with a little bit of white or red wine and add a carton of beef broth, some salt and pepper to taste, and a bay leaf. Let it simmer until all the flavors get a chance to combine in the broth. Pour the soup in a bowl, top with toasted crusty bread and swiss cheese and broil until the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown. Dig in, but be careful, it will be hot!

Soups make comforting and delicious cold weather meal. Many can also be frozen so feel free to make a large batch to enjoy some later too. Be creative with soup-there are so many possibilities and Chop on fellow soup lovers!

On Autumn and Appling

Now that we are creeping into the cooler weather of fall, you might be looking for more indoor activities to partake in. Cooking is one of the best! Apples seem to be one of the best things about fall and there are so many delicious things you can do with them. It seems that many apple related foods are also comfort foods which is nice on the chilly days to come. Last week I got a bunch of really tasty MacIntosh apples from a friend's apple tree and had some time to play around with them.

One of my favorite apple memories from growing up is homemade applesauce. It is so easy and tasty, I think everyone should try it at least once! All you have to do is quarter the apples, cut off the stem and blossom ends, and cook the apples until they are soft. Then just run the apples through a food mill, (if you don't have a food mill, peel and core the apples also before cooking) add a little sugar and cinnamon, and you are set! You can enjoy the applesauce with a little Greek yogurt, or on waffles or pancakes for breakfast, or just by itself. You can make a bunch and freeze it for later enjoyment!

You can also turn some of the apple sauce into apple butter very easily. Just put some in a pot, add extra sugar and spices, then cook it down until it is thick and spreadable. (It will also darken quite a bit) Very tasty on toast or a scone! Makes a really nice gift also-put it in a cute jar and tie a nice ribbon around it.

Another apple basic is, of course, the pie. I like to make a crumb topping for mine instead of 2 layers of crust, but you could put crust on top if you prefer. I peel, core, and slice the apples into a bowl, mix them with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, a dash of ginger, a dash of cloves, and a sprinkle of vanilla. I let those sit for a little while while I put the crust in the pan. (I usually use Pillsbury already made rolled up crust but if you are so inspired to make your own crust, go for it!)

The crumble topping I make is butter, oats, brown sugar, a little cinnamon, and chopped walnuts. Just mix everything in a bowl with your fingers and crumble it over the top of the pie just before you put it in the oven.

I made an apple ginger ice cream that was delicious on top of the warm pie, but good old vanilla is always yummy too.

One last apple recipe I would like to share is a nice easy fall dessert. Baked apples are nice for dinner parties because everyone gets their own! All you have to do is core the apple, sprinkle cinnamon and any other spices you want inside the apple, fill it with walnuts and maybe raisins, top the apple with some brown sugar and a little liquid-apple cider, brandy, or bourbon all work pretty well. Bake the apple at 350 until it is tender and enjoy alone or with some ice cream.

I hope you enjoy some of these comforting apple-y recipes! Try some variations on your own, and Chop On!