Manchego-Stuffed Dates

12/22/2023

These are so simple and easy to make, but taste extraordinary! Such a great way to entertain during the holidays when dates are easy to find! If you want to assemble these a couple of days in advance you can, but wait for the honey and paprika until just before serving.

Manchego-Stuffed Dates

Ingredients

12 Medjool dates, split with pits removed
1/2 fennel bulb, sliced thin
4 - 6 oz. Manchego cheese
2 Tbsp. spicy honey
sprinkle of paprika

Makes 12 dates

Julienne fennel into very thin strips; you could even shave the fennel with a very sharp vegetable peeler or use a mandolin. You will need 12 slices of celery.
Thinly slice cheese into 12 slices roughly the same size as the celery. Stuff each date with a slice of celery and a slice of Manchego and set on a platter.
Drizzle stuffed dates with honey and sprinkle with paprika. Serve immediately.

Monte Cristo Sliders

12/22/2023

This recipe makes a lot of sliders to feed a crowd, but can be halved or quadrupled to make as many as you need. They're full of classic Monte Cristo flavors with a crispy, buttery coating to mimic that deep-fried flavor. Enjoy at your next party!

Monte Cristo Sliders

Ingredients

2 packages Sweet Hawaiian dinner rolls (12 rolls per package)
24 slices deli turkey
24 slices deli ham
2 sticks butter
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup dijon
1/4 cup raspberry jam
24 slices havarti, or other mild cheese
powdered sugar, for garnish

Serves 24
Cook time: 30 minutes

Melt butter in small sauce pan or in microwave, add Worcestershire sauce to butter. Pour 1/4 melted butter in bottom of two disposable aluminum pans. Keeping rolls together (do not pull apart), slice down the middle to create two "sheets" of tops and two "sheets" of bottoms.
Place bottoms in pan with butter. Spread mayonnaise and mustard on bottoms and shingle on half the cheese, top with turkey slices, and then shingle on remaining cheese. Spread the tops with the raspberry jam and close sandwiches up. Pour remaining melted butter over tops; then cover with parchment paper and wrap with aluminum foil. Place a dish or tray just large enough to cover the rolls on top (some thing that will fit inside of the aluminum pan....possibly another disposable aluminum pan) and then place a heavy item like a cast iron skillet or cans of tomatoes, or even a brick wrapped in foil to press the sandwiches down. Sandwiches can be cooked immediately or stored in refrigerator for a few days until needed.
When ready to serve, preheat oven to 350 and bake hot browns, covered, for 25 minutes; uncover and let cook another 5 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then remove carefully to platter. Slice hot browns according to scored marks for rolls and you'll have 24 individual Monte Cristo sliders. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve immediately.

Crab Dip in Endive or Tomatoes

12/22/2023

These are as simple as they are delicious! Easy to make and a real-crowd pleaser, these stuffed tomatoes (I also like to use endive and keep the dip in a container in the center of a platter filled with endive leaves so everyone can dip their own) are made with lump crab....but if you're feeding a crowd feel free to use crab claw.

Crab Dip in Endive or Tomatoes

Ingredients

4 head endive or 15-20 cocktail tomatoes
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 small red onion, minced
1/4 cup mixed herbs (such as parsley, tarragon, basil, thyme, etc.), chopped
1 lb. lump crab meat, picked over and drained

Serves 15-25

Cut the root end off the endive so the leaves are roughly the same size. Combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, red onion, herbs, and salt and pepper. Gently fold in crab meat.
Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve dip in bowl and let guests scoop it out with endive themselves.

Spaghetti & Meatballs

12/19/2023

This is a fairly traditional spaghetti and meatball - it's a long cook dish packed with tons of flavor. It's got slow-cooked tomato and onion goodness. The meatballs can be made in advance and frozen.

Spaghetti & Meatballs

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
1/2 cup Parmesan, grated and divided
1 egg
4-5 slices stale bread, any kind
3/4 cup milk
1 bunch parsley, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
5 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cups chardonnay or other dry white wine
1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 lb. spaghetti

Serves 6-8
Cook Time: 1 hour

Bring a large pot of water to a boil; once boiling add salt and spaghetti noodles. Cook according to al dente according to package directions.
Cut crusts off bread and pour milk over bread to reconstitute. Once bread had absorbed milk squeeze out excess milk.
Combine ground beef and pork, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, egg, squeezed out bread, half the parsley and half the basil. Once combined shape into meatballs (any size you like is fine, but I prefer roughly a golfball-sized meatball).
Heat a large sauce pan over medium high heat, once heated add olive oil and pan sear meatballs on all sides. Get a good sear on the meatballs, but do not cook them through. When meatballs are seared on all sides remove from pan with slotted spoon and set aside. Sauté onions and garlic in drippings, add extra oil if necessary. When onions are starting to brown deglaze with wine and allow the alcohol to cook off.
Add can of tomatoes and cook down, breaking up tomatoes with a wooden spoon as they cook. Lower heat to medium low, add meatballs back to sauce and toss in sauce. Cover pan with lid and allow meatballs to cook low and slow until cooked through.
Once meatballs are cooked through remove from pan. Drain pasta and toss in sauce and garnish with remaining chopped herbs (if you toss with the meatballs still in the sauce they will break up when tossing in the pasta). Serve meatballs over pasta.

Mushroom & Lentil Shepherd's Pie

12/19/2023

This is a vegetarian version of shepherd's pie that is so rich and delicious you won't miss the meat at all! Plus, it's mostly made with pantry ingredients to it's easy to throw together on a whim.

Lentil & Mushroom Shepherd’s Pie

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb. potatoes, chopped
1/2 cup milk, divided
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups mixed mushrooms, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh herbs, chopped (I use sage, parsley, and thyme, but it's your choice)
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 cups stock (I use beef, but again, it's your choice)
1/2 cup dry lentils
2 cups baby kale, packed
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. Wondra or AP flour
Salt & pepper, to taste

Serves 4
Cook Time: 1 hour

Preheat oven to 375.
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil, once boiling add potatoes and cook until fork tender. Once potatoes are boiled, mash with potato masher or ricer, then add 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. milk and the butter. Stir to combine and set aside.
While water is coming to a boil, sauté onions in olive oil until translucent, add garlic and cook for one more minute. Add chopped mushrooms along with salt and pepper. Allow mushrooms to brown and release water, then add herbs and cook for another minute or two; then add tomato paste and allow to cook for another minute.
Add stock and bring to a boil, add lentils, cover and cook until lentils are cooked through, about 30 minutes. When lentils are cooked add kale and bring back to a boil, meanwhile make a slurry with remaining milk (2 Tbsp.) and cornstarch. Once boiling add slurry and boil for one minute. Reduce heat to low and add balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Continue cooking for about 5 minutes for all flavors to combine.
Add mushroom mixture to casserole dish and dollop with mashed potatoes. Gently spread potatoes out over mixture so mushrooms are completely covered and back, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

Camelia Baskets

12/19/2023

These are twist on a classic tuile cookie, which is a moldable caramel cookie that has a creamy filling. These are not difficult to make, but do require a lot of patience! I've included an "easy" version at the bottom of the recipe. I like serving them in the winter when the camelias begin to bloom with mandarins, kiwi, and pomegranate arils.

Camelia Baskets

Ingredients

Baskets

5 Tbsp. butter
5 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup cane syrup
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
Filling
3 cups cream
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Fresh seasonal fruit for garnish

Makes 20-25 baskets
Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Preheat oven to 350 and position rack in middle of oven. Grease a muffin pan and the back of a round 1/4 cup measuring cup with non-stick spray; you'll be using the measuring cup to press the warm cookies into the muffin pan mold; if you don't have round measuring cups, use a shot glass or something slightly smaller than the muffin pan.
Combine butter, sugar, cane syrup, and salt in a medium sauce pan. Heat over medium-low, stirring occasionally, until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved; do no let come to a simmer. Remove from heat and let cool slightly while you combine the flour and ground ginger. Sift dry mixture directly into the wet batter and stir until it is combined into a paste.
On a parchment lined baking sheet, place 5-6 heaping teaspoons of the mixture. Make to space these out because they will spread a lot. Gently spread each mound of mixture with a greased spoon to flatten a little. Bake 6 minutes, turning the pan at the 3 minute mark. While baking start loading up your next pan of cookie mixture.
After 6 minutes, remove pan from oven and let cool slightly. Using a small offset spatula gently remove a cooked cookie into the muffin pan, quickly and gently press the greased 1/4 cup measuring cup into the muffing tin to create a basket shape from the cookie. Working quickly repeat with remaining cookies. Let set up for about 2 minutes until cold and crisped before removing from tin. Continue cooking and creating baskets until all batter is used up.
*This is time consuming and can be frustrating. If the batter in the pot starts to get cool to work with you can gently reheat it, if the cookies on the sheet get to crisp to mold into the muffin pan you can reheat them in the oven. Just go slow and take your time. And yes, you can use mini-muffin pans, but it's just adding more frustration, so be ware.
When ready to serve, whip cream until stiff peaks form, add powdered sugar and vanilla. Pipe cream mixture into baskets and top with fresh fruit to serve. Serve within 15 minutes; the crisps will start to soften from the whipped cream quickly.
*If your baskets don't turn out well or if you don't want to spend the time to make them, just pour the cookie base baking sheets (divide between two or three) and bake according to directions. Allow mixture to cook and break into shards - when ready to serve you can pipe the whipped cream into a pretty vessel and top with fresh fruits and shards of cookie.

Spoonbread with Candied Peppers

12/19/2023

This ooey-gooey spoonbread is a great alternative to cornbread. It's rich and yummy and when topped with extra butter and candied peppers it's over-the-top delicious! Use pepper jelly if you can't find candied peppers.

Spoonbread with Candied Peppers

Ingredients

1 cup self-rising cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
2 Tbsp. cane syrup (or honey)
1 tsp. salt
1 can corn kernels, drained
1 can creamed corn
1 cup sour cream
1 can corn kernels, drained
1 can corn creamed corn
4 Tbsp. butter, melted
3 eggs
4 Tbsp. butter, sliced (optional)
8 oz. candied peppers (a.k.a. Cowboy Candy) or pepper jelly (optional)

Click he Serves 6-8
Cook time: 35 minutes

Preheat oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, then add melted butter, sour cream, corn kernels, creamed corn, and salt, stir to combine. Add dry ingredients and combine.
Pour into a greased 2-quart casserole dish and bake for 35-40 minutes until set.
For the optional candied pepper topping: using a chopstick or skewer, poke holes in all over the top of the spoonbread, top with pats of butter and a jar of candied peppers.re to edit.

Field Peas

12/19/2023

This is a very simple recipe for field peas similar to what my grandmother used to make. Simple but delicious! Pictured below are Sea Island Red Peas, but any field pea will work.

Field Peas

Ingredients

3-5 strips fat back, cut into 3" pieces
1 small onion, diced
1 cup dried field peas
enough water to cover field peas
Salt & pepper, to taste

Serves 4 - 6
Cook time: approx. 1 hour, depending on type and age of field pea

Sautee fatback over medium-high heat to render some of the fat. Sautee onion in the fatback until translucent. Add dry peas and enough water to cover. Cook until done - depending on the variety and age of pea this could take 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. Keep an eye on the water level and add more if needed, you'll want the beans to be submerged during the entire cook time.

Creamed Beet Greens (or Spinach)

12/19/2023

This is a classic creamed spinach recipe (pictured below using beet greens...hence the slightly pink hue...you can use any leafy green you would like) that is quick and easy to make. I like to entertain with it because it is a great make-ahead dish that only needs to be popped in the oven prior for 15 minutes prior to serving.

Creamed Beet Greens (or Spinach)

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. butter
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 small onion, minced
1 cup cream
1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
20-30 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and rung out to excess remove liquid
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup grated Gruyere
1/4 cup panko
Salt & pepper, to taste

Serves 8 - 10
Cook time: 45 minutes

Preheat the oven to 400.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the cream, milk, and nutmeg and bring to a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Mix in the spinach and artichokes. Add the sour cream and stir until melted in. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer the mixture to a 4-quart casserole dish; combine the panko and Gruyere, and sprinkle on top. Bake until bubbling and light golden on top, about 15 minutes.
This can be served immediately or will keep at room temperature, covered, for about 20 minutes.

Roast Pecans

12/19/2023

My grandparents always roasted up pecans for the Christmas holidays and eating them takes me back to their kitchen. They're an easy little snack to make that will get eaten up before they go bad (theoretically they could last a few weeks though)!

Roasted Pecans

Ingredients

2 cups pecan halves
4 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tbsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, optional

Serves 4-6
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Preheat oven to 300.
Toss all ingredients together, making sure pecans are evenly coated. Toast for about 30 minutes, be careful not to let your pecans burn. Allow to cool to room temperature on paper towels so any excess butter can drip off.
Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.