Archives for category: side dish
« Older Entries

Spicy Turkey Lettuce Wraps…

June 17, 2012 //
0

Yesterday, my trainer presented the challenge of going on a Paleolithic diet to me which is eating like they did in caveman or hunting and gathering times. At first I did not think it would be that difficult as you can eat fish, meat, veggies, fruit, and nuts, but then I realized you cannot have grains, legumes, dairy, salt, refined sugar, or processed oils. Huh??? No cheese or yogurt? No farro or quinoa? No beans? No bueno! Those are the foods that help me feel satisfied while doing this calorie counting thing. You know I love a good challenge and with the wedding 5 weeks away, I think I will try and meet her halfway and attempt to live by the Paleo rules at least during the week. I mean, I am paying a lot of money to have a wedding dress custom made to fit my body, so my body better look damn good in it, right?

After each work out, I am more and more encouraged to put healthier things in my mouth. So after I left my trainers house, I stopped by the market and tried to come up with something special to make Mike and I for din. I mean, the poor guy has to be so tired of salad and grilled chicken. That is why I love my man… he is such a trooper! I did my best to follow the Paleolithic diet rules. I broke a couple of them, but a gal has to start somewhere, right? This recipe is super easy and for having such simple ingredients and for being low cal, it was really flavorful. I think Mike had 4 wraps! You could also use ground chicken instead of turkey and this would also be really good to add some rice to if you want something a bit more filling or if you wanted to stretch it out to feed more people. We will be making this again, for sure. Caveman diet, here I come!

Spicy Turkey Lettuce Wraps:

  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 1 pound lean ground turkey
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 large red bell pepper, finely diced
  • 1 8-ounce can water chestnuts, rinsed and chopped
  • 1/2 cup low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
  • 2 tablespoons hoisin
  • 1 teaspoon five-spice powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 2 heads green leaf lettuce, leaves rinsed and separated
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as cilantro, basil,  and mint
  • 1 large carrot, shredded
  • Sriracha and extra hoisin for serving

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add turkey, garlic, and ginger. Cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon, until the turkey is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the bell pepper, water chestnuts, broth, hoisin, five-spice, salt and pepper; cook until heated through and liquid reduces a bit.

To serve, divide lettuce leaves among plates, spoon some of the turkey mixture into each leaf, top with herbs, hoisin, Sriracha, and carrot. Roll into wraps. You can also prepare the turkey mixture the day before. This would be a really easy and satisfying lunch to pack! Note to self…

Tags , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Categories appetizer, chicken, dinner, food and recipes, lunch, salads, side dish, turkey

Grilled Skirt Steak and Arugula Salad with Guilt-Free Blue Cheese Dressing…

June 11, 2012 //
0

Sorry if it seems as if I have disappeared off of the face of the earth, but that is what planning a wedding will do to you! Not only have we been planning the big event, I started seeing a personal trainer and I love it! Don’t get me wrong, she kicks my ass and has me doing things I never thought I would do like counting and tracking my calories and cutting out alcohol. Yes you heard me, limited wine intake until the big day! Its been a challenge especially when I travel, but I will say that  I feel so much better and it is so great to be moving my body again and a relief to have something outside of work and the wedding to focus on. Not to mention, my trainer is pretty freakin rad.

So now you know why I have not been posting much lately. I have been eating light meals like Greek yogurt with berries, tuna with vegetables, cottage cheese with fruit, grilled chicken with greens… you get the idea. Sounds pretty boring, right? Well it can be, but I realized (and my trainer agrees) that you have to have some healthy fun and being super strict on things just sets you up for failure.  Mike and I got a pretty flank steak from Figueroa Produce and I really wanted to make a salad to pair with it with blue cheese dressing. Obviously, blue cheese dressing is the devil, but I think I came up with a way to be able to eat this with out packing in all of the calories of the traditional dressing often made with oil, buttermilk, and mayonnaise. I made it with Greek yogurt! I know it sounds weird, but give it a try. It was really tasty and I promise you won’t be able to tell much of a difference. Greek yogurt is the bomb. We use it for everything. It is a good substitute for mayo, sour cream, etc. and it is really high in protein. This dressing would also be good as a dip for vegetables or apples… in fact, I am def packing some along with a sliced apple as a snack tomorow.

Grilled Flank Steak…

  • 2 pounds flank steak
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground pepper

Score the surface of the steak with a knife. Make the cuts about 1/4 inch deep. Combine the marinade ingredients. Place steak and marinade ingredients in a large freezer bag. Coat the steak well with the marinade. Seal the bag and place in a bowl. Chill and marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Coat the grill rack with a bit of olive oil and preheat to high heat. Take the steak out of the bag and sprinkle generously on both sides with salt and pepper. This will help form a savory crust on the steak. Place steak on the hot grill. If you are using a gas grill, cover the grill. Grill for 4-6 minutes on each side until medium rare. Don’t overcook flank steak as it can get tough. Remove from the grill and place on a cutting board. Let rest and cover with aluminum foil for 10 minutes. Slice steak on a slight diagonal and put on top of the salad.

Guilt Free Blue Cheese Dressing:

  • 1/4 cup blue cheese finely chopped or in crumbles
  • 1/2 cup non-fat Greek yogurt (we use Fage 0%)
  • Juice of 1/2 a lemon
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • Cracked black pepper to taste
  • Bit of salt of seasoned salt
  • Drizzle of honey or agave

Finely chop or break apart blue cheese into small crumbles. Combine blue cheese, Greek yogurt, lemon juice , vinegar, and garlic in a bowl or jar and mix well. Add all seasonings and a drizzle of agave or honey and stir well with fork until cheese is no longer clumpy. Adjust seasonings to taste and may want to add some water to get it to your desired consistency. We left it pretty thick. I suggest letting sit for a couple of hours or even making this the day before. Use atop salads or as a dip for vegetables or crunchy apples.

Salad:

  • 3 cups baby arugula
  • 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 green apple, thinly sliced
  • 1 red or orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 Roma tomato, chopped
  • salt and pepper

Toss all salad ingredients into a bowl and season with a bit of salt and pepper. Toss salad with 2-3 tablespoons of the blue cheese dressing. Plate the salad and top with a few slices of the grilled skirt steak. The warm steak as well as the crunch and sweetness of the apple paired with the strong blue cheese is soooo good! You won’t even miss all of those calories you are saving:)

So, if I post anything else before the big day, bare with me as they will more than likely be about me trying create a healthier option. Fingers crossed that I can keep this up… not just for the wedding, but for a healthier lifestyle. Hooray!

Tags , , , , , , ,
Categories appetizer, beef, cheese, dinner, food and recipes, fruit, lunch, salads, side dish

Beet, Barley, and Haricot Vert Salad with Beer Can Chicken…

April 21, 2012 //
0

Mike and I try and utilize Sundays as a day to cook things that we can eat throughout the week. We have both been trying not to eat out as much so that means packing our lunches when we go to work. One of Mike’s coworkers gave him a contraption for the grill to try out for beer can chicken. Making a whole chicken at the beginning of the week is perfect because you can use the leftovers as a salad topping, for sandwiches, or to make a yummy chicken salad.

Beer can chicken is so simple and it turns out so moist, flavorful, and crispy on the outside. You just wash and dry the lil guy, bathe it in olive oil, and cover it in your favorite herbs and spices. You then dump out (or drink) a quarter of a can of beer, add the can of beer to the beer can holder, and sit the chicken upright so the beer can is inserted into the chicken cavity. You place the chicken upright directly on the grill and cook on medium/high heat for an hour and 15 minutes or so. Holy cow, it’s so good! I can’t believe it was our first time doing this!!!

On Sundays we also try to make a large salad that will hold up throughout the week as we can pre-dish into single serving bowls that we can grab as we run out the door. I can’t even make time to blow dry my hair in the mornings let alone put our lunches together, so this has worked out great!

I absolutely love beets and wanted to create a salad that was fresh, hearty, and healthy. This salad has all of the right textures amongst the barley, walnuts, chickpeas, and crunchy veg. It actually got better as it sat in the fridge a couple of days. The mint really shines here, so I would try not to omit it as it made all of the flavors pop. If you hate roasting beets as much as I do, you can get the pre-cooked ones in the refrigerator section of Trader Joe’s. What a time and a mess saver! I personally like a more acidic salad dressing, so if you do not, feel free to play with the proportions to your liking. It is pretty impossible to mess up. This salad is awesome and we were both sad when we finished it. It is great served with a bit of chicken and would be awesome with fish, but a great meal all on its own!

Beet and Barley Salad…

  • 2 cups barley
  • 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • 2 cups water
  • 4 roasted beets (I used red, but a red and golden mixture would be wonderful)
  • 1 small red onion, diced
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • about 2 cups haricot vert
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup roasted walnuts, chopped
  • about 8 oz. crumbled goat cheese
  • large handful fresh mint, chopped
  • large handful fresh parsley, chopped

Dressing…

  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 cup olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons dijon mustard
  • 1-2 tablespoons honey
  • 3 tablespoons or so apple cider vinegar
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • dash or red pepper flakes
  • salt
  • pepper

Bring chicken stock and water to a boil. Add in barley and cook for 30-40 minutes until tender and cooked through. Drain excess water and rinse with cool water. In a large bowl, toss together cooled barley, beets, onion, pepper, haricot vert, chickpeas, walnuts, goat cheese, and herbs.

To make the dressing, place garlic, olive oil, dijon, honey, vinegar, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper into a mason jar. Screw on the lid and give it a shake. Adjust the proportions to your liking and season to taste. Toss dressing with the salad and let sit for at least 15 minutes. Sooooo good!!!

Tags , , , , , , , , , ,
Categories appetizer, cheese, chicken, dinner, food and recipes, lunch, salads, side dish, vegetarian

Mediterranean Baked Chicken Orecchiette with Lemon Dressing…

April 3, 2012 //
2

This weekend I had my first wedding dress fitting! Let me tell you, finding a wedding dress has been quite an obstacle. Everything looks like a cupcake… strapless, embellished, poofy. Uh-uh. Not for me. Anyone who knows me knows that I am not and have never been a “foofy” girl. There are not many simple, modern dresses out on the market and the ones that are are few and far between, or in my case; sold out:(  I gave up being on the hunt and decided to have one custom made. The experience so far has been amazing. I had an initial design meeting to let my dressmaker (who is awesome by the way) know what I was looking for where we went over some inspiration photos, sketched some stuff up, and conceptualized. Then during my last meeting, we actually started the draping process which was so much fun. It is like we are just designing the garment right on my body! After 7 years of schooling in this area, you would think I would just be able to do this project myself… Glad I am still paying for that education! But let me tell you, spending that much money on a dress and having to stand in only your underthings for an hour while people pin and tuck on you in a mirror surrounded room will really make you want to get in shape and eat lighter.  A couple of my pals have committed to this cause with me to make the process easier. Its hard to have to go it alone! After work yesterday we we rounded up a couple of pups and went on an hour long hike. After sweating it out and being in the sunshine, all I wanted was something fresh, crisp, and healthy so that is how this recipe came about. It is super simple and you can use any vegetables or pasta you like. To make it even more healthy, a grain like farro or quinoa would be tasty. If you can, have someone help you chop to make it go by faster or put on some jams and pour yo self a glass of vino.  I will be way jealous as I am only allowing myself to indulge with the vino on the weekends. I mean, you can’t deprive a gal of everything she loves!

Mediterranean Baked Chicken Orecchiette with Lemon Dressing:

  • 1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast tenders
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tsp. or so paprika
  • 1 tsp. or so garlic powder
  • 1 lb. orecchiette
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 orange bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 english cucumber, diced
  • 1 cup sweet cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 red onion, diced
  • 1 head broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets
  • 1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (chickpeas would be good as well)
  • (1) 8 oz. jar green Spanish olives, chopped
  • 1/4 cup sliced pickled pepperoncini peppers, chopped
  • 6 oz. fat free crumbled feta
  • large fistful of fresh mint, chopped
  • 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup grape seed oil
  • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about the juice of 4 lemons)
  • pinch of red pepper flakes
  • sea salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 and line a baking sheet with foil. In a bowl, toss chicken tenders with olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Bake for around 30 minutes or until browned and cooked through. Tent chicken and set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, drop in the pasta. When pasta has around 2 minutes left to cook, drop in broccoli florets for just a couple of minutes until they soften and turn a bright green color. Quickly drain pasta and broccoli and run under ice cold water to cool and stop the cooking process. Set aside.

In a large bowl, add peppers, onion, cucumber, tomatoes, beans, olives, pepperoncinis, mint, and pasta/broccoli mixture.

To make the dressing, add grape seed oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes to a jar. Screw on the lid and give it a good shake.

Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Toss salad with the dressing and let stand for about 10 minutes.  Serve salad topped with warm sliced chicken. *Note: We generally try to only make our own salad dressings. Its really easy and once you get the acid/oil proportions right, you can change up the flavors and herbs to the combo of your choice. It is so much better for you and actually a whole lot more affordable, however, an Italian or store bought vinaigrette would work for this as well.

Tags , , , , , , , , , ,
Categories cheese, chicken, dinner, food and recipes, lunch, pasta, salads, side dish

Broccoli, Potato, and Blue Cheese Soup…

March 27, 2012 //
0

O.K., so wedding planning has officially taken over my life. I have been so freaking busy that Mike and I have not been making anything really worth blogging about lately. Well, I take that back… we have been cooking for many people and actually making really good food but have not documenting anything as it adds an extra step and just another thing to our list. Silly and lazy, right?  This past month has been so hectic… I had my BFF Jeffy here for my birthday at the beginning of March, which was so amazing by the way… Mike had a great party for me (lets just say sloppy joe sliders, bacon wrapped mac ‘n cheese balls, and a serious dance party were involved). I have been traveling heavily for work, dog sitting, have been deciding on a dress, a caterer, the invitations, the photographer, finding accommodations for wedding guests, researching musicians and DJs, planning our honeymoon, had a fave high school friend in town, and the list goes on. There have been a couple of times where I just wished we would have eloped, but then I bring myself back to earth and remember that I am actually really excited to have everyone here in July. I mean, when is having everyone you love in the same room ever going to happen again in your lifetime? Let’s just say that I don’t think I am cut out for planning large events. Give me an intimate gathering and we are golden.  If you ever have the opportunity to hire a wedding planner, do it. The control freak in me always thought I would want to do everything myself. Let me tell you, this control freak has loosened up!

I made this on a rare free night that I spent with my boo and the doggie babies (Luna and Yuma, Luna’s BFF) before I started  a week of travel. When I travel, I like to leave Mikey with something easy to reheat when I am gone.  I worked with what we had in the fridge. Actually, the blue cheese used in this was left over from my birthday party:) This soup is “souper” easy and tasty all the same. Try it you’ll like it. Promise.

Broccoli, Potato, and Blue Cheese Soup…

  • 1 Tsp. olive oil
  • 1 extra large shallot (or two if they are small)
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • dash red pepper flakes
  • 1 large head of broccoli cut into small florets
  • 2 yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • good blue cheese to your liking
  • 1/2 cup-1 cup half and half depending on thickness and creaminess of soup you desire
  • 5-6 large basil leaves chopped
  • salt and pepper

In a large pot, heat olive oil, add shallots, red pepper flakes, and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Next add broccoli and potatoes. Cook until shallots are tender and vegetables begin to cook through, about 4 minutes. Add vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Boil until vegetables are tender.

Once vegetables are tender, remove soup from heat. Puree in pot utilizing an immulsion blender. Once pureed, return to heat and add in cheese, basil, and half and half. Stir until cheese is melted. Run mixture again through immulsion blender. Season to taste and serve with good bread.

Tags , , , , , ,
Categories appetizer, cheese, dinner, food and recipes, lunch, potato, side dish, soup, vegetarian

Classic Potato Gratin…

February 15, 2012 //
0

This is one of my favorite things to order when eating at a French restaurant. Often times its the side dishes that win me over.  I do not make this at home often because it is not good for the waistline, but thought I would make it for Valentine’s day to make Mikey even more happy that he is marrying me in July:) I am pretty sure it worked. I mean who doesn’t love potatoes with cheese? Even more, who doesn’t love potatoes with cheese and lots of herbs doused in loads of fattening cream? Did  I mention the crunchy brown top? This dish is a perfect side dish for steak or something like braised short ribs. I paired it with a heart shaped rib eye steak and made a delicious shallot and red wine sauce to top it with. I would say between this and the chocolate mousse, my man was more than satisfied. For being so rich and delicious, this dish is actually very easy and affordable if you want to wow someone special. The only problem is that this recipe makes a large portion and the leftovers are waiting for me every time I open the refrigerator!!!

Classic Potato Gratin…

  • 2 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes
  • 3 cups heavy cream
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • Generous pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
  • handful fresh thyme, rosemary, or whatever herbs you have, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
  • 1 cup shredded young Gruyère

Preheat oven to 400°F. Using a mandoline, carefully cut the potatoes into 1/8-inch slices. If you do not have a mandoline, use a very sharp knife but it is important to slice the potatoes thinly to they cook through evenly.

Place the potatoes in a large heavy-based pot or saucepan and add the cream, salt, pepper, nutmeg, herbs, and garlic. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high, stirring occasionally (use a rubber spatula so you don’t damage the potato slices or scape the bottom of your pan). Once the cream boils, pour the mixture into a 2-1/2- or 3-qt. baking dish, removing the garlic cloves. Stir in a bit of cheese. Spread potatoes out, let the slices settle ,and then sprinkle top with the remaining cheese.

Bake until the top is golden brown, the cream has thickened, and the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 40 minutes. Don’t worry if the dish looks too liquidy at this point; it will set up as it cools. Cool for about 15 minutes before serving. OMG…so good!

 

 

Tags , , , , , , , ,
Categories dinner, food and recipes, potato, side dish, vegetarian

Quick and Lovely Chocolate Mousse…

February 14, 2012 //
0

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!!!! Unfortunately my cute Valentine has his late night at work tonight, so its a cheesy rom-com and wedding research night for me tonight. We are dog sitting Luna’s BFF, Yuma (a big, silly, black lab) so I am not alone. Those two babies are such a handful when they are together, but it’s worth it because they have so much fun loving on each other. Ahhh, lab love. It makes me think that maybe we need to get Luna a roomie!

Mike and I celebrated with a date night last night with a homemade din at home by the fire. I made a French inspired menu with this delicious ending. I never realized how easy making a mousse was… I hope I forget, because I could eat this quite often. It is sooo naughty and delicious. Danger, danger! I just used regular old Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips, but this would be so good with some interesting chocolate such as chili or lavender infused chocolate to make it special. xoxo ♥♥♥

Easy Chocolate Mousse…

  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (use the good stuff)
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream

Separate eggs and pre-measure ingredients to make this process easier. In a double boiler, whisk yolks, sugar, and salt until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch(2 to 3 minutes). Remove from heat. Whisk in chocolate and cocoa until melted and smooth (mixture will be thick and that is OK). Cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, whip cream until soft peaks form. Whisk half of whipped cream into room-temperature chocolate mixture. Gently fold in remaining whipped cream with a rubber spatula. Divide mousse into dishes. Chill at least 2 hours. Remove mousse from refrigerator 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh berries, mint, or shaved chocolate. O.M.G.!!!!!! ♥

Tags , , , , , ,
Categories dessert, food and recipes, side dish, vegetarian

Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup…

February 6, 2012 //
1

I wasn’t feeling too well today at the office and fear I am fighting the flu. I went to TJs on my lunch break to pick up some tea and some soup and ended up buying a basket full of green stuff. I got home and unpacked broccoli, kale, arugula, and cauliflower. Funny how our bodies tell us what we need through cravings. I decided to roast the broccoli and cauliflower and turn it into soup. It was super easy and totes tasty. Hope Mike likes it as I made enough for an army!!!

Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup…

  • 1 large bunch broccoli, chopped into florets
  • 1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • handful fresh thyme, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tsp. chili powder
  • pinch of red pepper flakes
  • 1 qt. chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1/2 cup half and half
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
  • salt and pepper
  • creme fraiche and chopped chives for garnish

Preheat oven to 425. Toss broccoli and cauliflower with olive oil, salt, pepper, and chili powder. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 30-40 minutes or until vegetables are browned and cooked through.

In a large pot, saute onion in 1 tsp. olive oil until translucent. Add in garlic, red pepper flakes, bay leaf, and thyme. Cook for a minute and then add in roasted broccoli, cauliflower, and stock. Bring to a boil until vegetables are soft. Remove bay leaf and remove from heat. Puree in a blender or with an immersion blender. Return puree to heat and stir in cheese, half and half, and season to taste. If it is too thick, add more stock. Heat through and serve soup with a dollop of creme fraiche and chopped chives.

Tags , , , , , ,
Categories appetizer, dinner, food and recipes, lunch, side dish, soup, vegetarian

Butternut Squash and Blue Cheese Spread…

January 4, 2012 //
0

Happy New Year everyone! I know that it is a bit late, but I have been busy on vacation relaxing in this incredible 80 degree weather!!! Anyone who knows me knows that New Years Eve is one of my least favorite events. This year was nice as my friend Sasha had a low key little get together at her new L.A. pad. She made crab legs and clam chowder and we all brought appetizers and side dishes. Someone made black eyed peas which I thought was amazing and am hoping will bring us all lots of luck and prosperity this year:) There was tons of other yummy food and of course the champagne was flowing. We brought the ever popular French onion dip, Mike made a curry chicken salad, and I threw together this butternut squash and blue cheese spread on a whim. I had a butternut squash that I had had forever and a ton of blue cheese left over from Christmas eve that I needed to use, so that is how this recipe came about. It was actually pretty tasty and I will definitely make it again. As for the New Year celebration, we were all joking around about how we are getting old and reminiscing on how we used to celebrate in the old days. I have to say I do not miss that one bit. I am loving spending more quality time with my new little family and friends in the lovely homes that we have all created. I know this will be a good year ahead… it is going to be a year full of change, celebration, and love. Hooray!

Butternut Squash and Blue Cheese Spread:

  • one large butternut squash
  • 1/2 sweet onion, sliced
  • 1/2 cup pecans, toasted
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tbsp. butter
  • 2 tbsp. brown sugar
  • 1 block low fat cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles ( I used Salem)
  • 5 fresh sage leaves
  • salt
  • pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Slice butternut squash in half and remove seeds. Place on a baking sheet skin side down and rub with 1 tbsp. olive oil, brown sugar, and a salt and pepper liberally.

Bake for about 45 minutes or until the squash is soft, browned, and fork tender. Set aside.

Slice onion and sautee in a pan with 1 tbsp. each butter and olive oil until onion is soft and caramelized. They will have a deep brown color when they are done.

In a food processor, add cooked butternut squash, cream cheese, caramelized onions, blue cheese, and sage. Pulse until creamy and combined.

Add in pecans and pulse again until they are broken down, but still leave a crunchy texture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add mixture to a sealed bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. Serve with good bread, crudites, or crackers.

 

Tags , , , ,
Categories appetizer, cheese, food and recipes, side dish, vegetarian

Cranberry Pomegranate Glazed Ham and Baked Pineapple Casserole…

December 30, 2011 //
3

This Christmas, since we stayed here in sunny L.A. and did things a bit more untraditional, I thought I would try and do a more traditional Christmas ham dinner. It was a weird and sad holiday indeed being here without my family. Mike and I slept in, made bloody mary’s with stuff my dad sent us from Indiana, Mike made chilaquiles, we took Luna to the dog park, and ended the evening with dinner, wine, friends, and a fire. Although it was 75 degrees here that day and we had on shorts and sandals, I still missed celebrating the traditional way…

My family makes a ham and a deep fried turkey every Christmas and no matter what, my step mom always makes this baked pineapple dish that everyone loves…including me. So that was the inspiration for our menu. We had ham, the baked pineapple, roasted brussels sprouts with bacon, and creamy mashed potatoes. I knew I wanted to make some sort of glaze for the ham so made this one up based on some stuff we had in the fridge. It was super flavorful and took on a bit of an Asian flavor from the star anise. I think I will try the glaze again on a pork tenderloin or something. I didn’t take many photos of the dishes in their final stages or the plating of them for some reason…(blame it on the vino) but you get the idea. For this being our first ham, I’d say it came out OK! Hope you all had a great Xmas and have an even more amazing New Year!!!

Cranberry Pomegranate Glazed Ham:

  • 10 lb. ham (ours was fully cooked, and we did not need one that big!!!)
  • large handful of cloves (for ham and a couple for the glaze)
  • 1 bag fresh cranberries
  • 2 cups pomegranate juice
  • 1/4 cup orange liqueur
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 3-4 large tablespoons mustard (we used a brown sugar bourbon one our friend made us)
  • cinnamon stick
  • star anise pod
  • salt
  • pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To prep ham, remove all but about 1/4-inch of the fat. Pierce ham all over with a knife and insert whole cloves into the piercings until ham is covered all over. (If you don’t love the taste of cloves, you can omit this step. I learned this from my mama:) Set ham aside and work on the glaze.

In a large saucepan, add cranberries, pom juice, orange liqueur, brown sugar, honey, mustard, a few cloves, cinnamon stick, and star anise pod. Bring to a boil and simmer until cranberries break down and it reduces and become thick and syrupy. You may need to adjust a few of the ingredients to your liking like adding more sugar for sweet or more acid for sour. Once thickened, let cool a bit, remove cloves, cinnamon stick, and anise pod. Blend mixture or push through a sieve and return back to the pan and continue to simmer until ready to use. Season with a bit of salt and pepper.

Brush glaze over ham and place ham in the oven for about an hour and a half. If the ham is labeled ‘fully cooked’, heat for 8 to 10 minutes per pound, or to an internal temperature of 140°F. About half way through, pull the ham out and reglaze. Once done, the glaze will be brown, sweet, and delicious. Slice ham and serve with leftover glaze.

Baked Pineapple Casserole:

  • 1 large can pineapple chunks (undrained)
  • 4 cups white bread torn into small pieces
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 3/4 stick of butter cut into tiny pieces
  • bit of nutmeg
  • bit of cinnamon

Mix all ingredients together and put into a prepared baking dish and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees until it is set and top is browned. It is so yummy, easy, and goes perfect with ham!

Tags , , , , , ,
Categories baked goods, dessert, dinner, food and recipes, fruit, pork, side dish
« Older Entries
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 27 other followers