This recipe is just filling enough with the beans and chicken, but light too due the vegetables. Bonus, it’s low in fat and high in nutrition ~ I highly recommend it for something hearty, healthy, and extremely tasty on a cold winter’s night!

,

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

½ med yellow onion, diced

¾ cup thinly sliced leeks*

1 yellow pepper, diced

32 oz. chicken broth

2 15 oz cans of white beans (cannellini or navy)

2 cooked chicken breasts, diced

¾ tsp cumin

½ tsp white pepper

shredded jack cheese for topping

cilantro for garnish

*If you’ve never had leeks I recommend them for soups and other savory dishes, they are a sweeter more subtle version of onion and they are absolutely delicious. My favorite is the middle section of this vegetable. 

In large pot, sauté diced onion in olive oil over medium low heat. After a minute, add sliced leeks, continue stirring 1 to 2 minutes, then add diced yellow pepper and continue to stir 2 more minutes until entire medley is soft.

Add chicken broth, rinsed white beans, cumin, white pepper, and diced chicken to pot, then simmer on low for approximately 20 minutes to allow flavors to infuse.  Serve hot with shredded jack cheese and cilantro as garnish.  

Printable recipe here.

Enjoy!

.

Crowd Pleasin’ Stroganoff Meatballs

For meatballs, you’ll need: 1 ½ lbs ground chuck; 1 tsp garlic salt; 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce; 1 cup bread crumbs; 1 egg; 3 tbsp ketchup. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, form 1” round meatballs, and broil in oven on low broil for 12-15 minutes or until brown and cooked all the way through. You could also cook meatballs in a skillet in olive oil as well.  Drain and set aside.

And now for the amazing stroganoff sauce:

1 medium yellow onion, diced

16 oz. white mushrooms. diced

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2/3 cup dry sherry

5 cups chicken broth (or beef broth, but chicken tastes lighter)

1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

½ cup of butter

5 tbsp flour

3 tbsp fresh dill

10 oz. sour cream

Dice the onion and soften in olive oil in a large pot for 3 to 4 minutes on medium heat.  Add diced mushrooms and soften another 3 minutes in olive oil on medium heat, stirring frequently. 

Now to introduce my four key ingredients for amazing stroganoff sauce ~ you need these. 

To your onion/mushroom mixture, add dry sherry and bring to a low boil.  Your kitchen will start to smell really good at this point … Allow most of sherry to reduce and be absorbed by mushrooms, about 5 minutes, and stir frequently until most of liquid is gone. Add broth and worcestershire sauce and again bring to a low boil. 

Meanwhile, combine softened butter and flour into a beurre manié (fancy French term for flour/butter mixture) and mix well until it forms a paste. 

The beurre manié is your thickener, so add it 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking quickly as you do and you’ll see your sauce start to thicken.  Add fresh dill, stir, then add sour cream, and whisk again until sauce is smooth. 

If you can’t find fresh dill, go ahead and substitute 2 teaspoons of dry dill, it will still taste great!  Add meatballs to pot and simmer on low for 20 – 30 minutes.  Makes about 40 meatballs.

Garnish with more fresh dill, and serve with toothpicks at a party, or over pasta, or you can drink the sauce with a straw…not that we’d ever do that sort of thing, right? 

Enjoy !

Handy printable recipe here.

.

This recipe originally appeared in Bon Appétit in December 2005, and I made it when it first was published. Over the years I’ve modified it slightly, subtracting the almond paste, adding orange zest, and also doubling the recipe to make a full cookie sheet.  You can find the original recipe here.  The following is my version of apricot almond shortbread bars: 

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups apricot preserves

3 tbsp orange flavored liqueur (Grand Marnier or Cointreau)

2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter

1 ¼ cups sugar

2 tsp almond extract

1 tsp orange zest

4 cups flour

½ tsp salt

1 small bag (2.25 oz) sliced almonds

parchment paper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, line cookie sheet with parchment paper and spray it lightly with cooking spray.  In a mixer, combine butter, sugar, and almond extract until well blended, then slowly add flour 1 cup at a time to form shortbread mixture.  Transfer 1 ½ cups of shortbread mixture to bowl and set aside.

Press remaining mixture of shortbread into parchment lined cookie sheet, fill to corners pressing gently with palm.  Mix preserves with liqueur in separate bowl and spread evenly over top of shortbread.

Mix remaining 1 ½ cups of shortbread with orange zest and sliced almonds.

Crumble with fingertips over sheet to form topping.

Bake in oven for 50 minutes, or until crust turns golden.  Allow cookies to cool for 30 minutes, then slice with sharp knife or better yet, a pizza cutter.

Recipe makes one full cookie sheet of bars, or about 40-48 cookies depending how wide you slice them. Stack them up on a plate, and I dare you to eat just one. My hub cannot, they’re his favorite. The apricot gets all chewy and forms a heavenly flavor with the shortbread and orange and almonds.  Cherry preserves and cognac might be a nice substitute too but I’d skip the orange zest in that situation.  Serve with coffee or tea.

These are fabulous during the holidays with their light apricot and citrus combo, but equally wonderful at any other special occasion or event.  Like breakfast. 

Printable .pdf recipe here.

What about you?  Baked a favorite or famous holiday treat this season?  Do share!

.

The big feast is less than three weeks away, and we’re busily assigning who’s cooking what. It’s just not Thanksgiving without turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potatoes, cranberry relish and pumpkin pie which requires my attire include my most stretchy pants on that day. (I can’t be alone in that.)

menu template via must have menus

So let’s talk about food.  A gorgeous keepsake cookbook arrived in my mailbox last week celebrating the 85th Anniversary of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.  Do you watch the Parade every year?  We always have it on while we prep the feast (yet another T day tradition).

Did you know that every single float travels from Hoboken to Manhattan through the Lincoln Tunnel the midnight before and must be able to fold up to between 6 x 12 feet to pass through it?  This I did not know.  The book tells all about the history and timeline of the parade and how 4,000 people work together to pull it off every year.

It’s not only a keepsake and history of the famous Parade, but also a gorgeous cookbook filled with stunning images that are a collaboration of over 80 favorite holiday recipes from 13 famous chef’s that make up the Macy’s Culinary Council (including Emeril Lagasse, Cat Cora, Wolfgang Puck and many others).

I’m bookmarking several of the recipes inside like Crab Cakes ‘Benedict’ and Butternut Squash Soup with Chipotle.  There’s also a few day-after-T-day grilled sandwich recipes that look amazing, yum!

I’ve got two copies to giveaway this weekend, just in time to get you in the mood for Thanksgiving. Want to win one of these beautiful keepsake cookbooks?

Eligibility to win one of two keepsake Thanksgiving & Holiday Cookbooks:

1. Answer this question:  Other than turkey, what’s the one recipe or tradition your Thanksgiving is incomplete without?    Leave your answer in a comment!

Giveaway ends Sunday November 6, 2011 at 8 p.m. PST.  US only.  Two winners chosen at random.  $24.95 retail value.  Macy’s is not a sponsor of this giveaway or blog.  By entering to win, you agree to this blog’s giveaway policy and Official Rules of Entry.  If you’d like to purchase the keepsake cookbook, you can do so here. Complimentary cookbook provided to me for review.

Pssst… were you one of the winners of the Decorative Pillow Giveaway from last weekend?  Winners announced here.  (If you won, check your inbox, there’s an email from me.)

That’s all folks, wishing you a lovely fall weekend !

xo,

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

Winner #304 LaLa, email sent to the winner!

.

.

We’re having cool morning fog lately, and cool weather always gives me a hankerin’ for soup so this week it was split pea. This time, I ventured out into new territory and grabbed the yellow versions instead. That’s me, livin’ on the edge! Green split peas beware, your yellow sisters are convincing me that they’re a tad bit prettier in the bowl. 

Here’s the easy recipe.  I like mine a little spicy, hence the cayenne. 

Spicy Split Pea Soup, Ingredients:

3 cups dried split peas

6 cups chicken or vegetable broth

4 cups water

1 cup finely diced carrots

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

crème fraiche + crouton garnish (optional)

To make: rinse split peas and drain. Place split peas in large pot and combine with broth. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes.  After 30 minutes, add cayenne, carrots, and additional water to pot, and simmer on medium low heat another 30 minutes, or until split peas are soft.  Add ½ to 1 cup of extra water or skim milk at the end if soup is too thick.  You can always add diced bacon or ham to make it meatier.  Garnish with a drizzle of crème fraiche + croutons (optional) and serve warm. 

So while I was whipping up a batch of split pea soup, I happened to notice that those pretty little split peas looked like brads used for cardmaking.  Hmmm.  My creative mind got to thinking, and while the soup simmered, I got my craft on and came up with a few little fun yellow split pea creations. 

Here are some kid craft ideas for your Thanksgiving table.  Set up a station with split peas, glue, scraps of paper, and dried bits of corn husks and have the kids recreate miniature ears of corn to embellish “I’m Thankful For” place cards for the table.

Make studded decorative napkin rings with more scraps of paper, glue, and peas. 

Or put them in charge of the centerpiece!  Hand the kids some pumpkins, and have them decorate the gourds in their own fun patterns.  

A great way to keep the kids busy during your Thanksgiving meal prep! 

.

.

White Bean with Bacon Soup

1 lb dry cannellini beans (soaked as directed)

3 14.5 oz cans chicken or vegetable broth

3 medium shallots, finely diced

2 tbsp butter

2 bay leaves

¾ tsp dried thyme

¾ cup diced peeled carrots

5-6 strips cooked apple wood smoked bacon

¾ cup lowfat milk

salt to taste

Prepare dried cannellini beans as directed on package (with overnight or quick soak) in a large pot, drain any remaining water. Add diced shallots to butter in separate pan and brown for 2 to 3 minutes. Add broth and shallots to beans in pot and bring to a low boil.  Cook over medium low heat for 30 minutes. 

Add carrots, bay leaves, thyme, and bacon and cook for another 25-30 minutes on low heat until beans and carrots are soft.  Remove bay leaves, add milk, then with a hand mixer or in a blender, puree half of the soup until it becomes creamy. Add salt to taste.  Reheat in pot to desired temperature. Serve warm with breadcrumbs, croutons, and/or diced bacon on top accompanied by breadsticks or sourdough slices. Yum.

Printable recipe here.

Here are six more favorite soups I’ve written about in the past:

From top left: Thirty Minute Minestrone; Wild Mushroom Bisque; French Onion Soup; Chicken Tortilla Soup; Cauliflower Soup; Potato & Corn Chowder.

Got a favorite soup recipe you’ve made or love to make?  Please do your share your link or recipe in a comment, I’m always looking to try readers’ tasty favorites!!

.

Today, I share with you my favorite butternut squash risotto recipe.  It has cream.  It has wine. It has butternut squash. And it is so good.

Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto

Ingredients:

1 medium butternut squash cubed (approx. 4 to 5 cups raw)

½ medium yellow onion, finely diced

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

16 oz. arborio rice

8 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup + 2 tbsp half & half or cream

½ tsp dried sage

8-10 fresh sage leaves

salt & pepper to taste

3 oz. shaved or grated parmesan

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Peel and dice your butternut squash (or you can substitute store bought diced butternut squash to save time).  In a bowl, coat squash in 1 tbsp olive oil and dried sage then layer on baking sheet. 

Roast squash in the oven for 50 minutes (tossing once halfway through cooking time) until fully cooked.  Remove from oven and allow to cool. 

2.  In a large pot, soften diced onion on medium heat in 2 tbsp olive oil for 3 minutes, then add rice and chicken/vegetable broth and bring to a low boil.  Continue cooking on low heat, stirring frequently for 15 minutes.

3.  Meanwhile, rough chop your fresh sage leaves and pan fry (yes, pan fry) them in 1 tbsp of butter for 1 minute then drain on paper towel.  You must experience in your lifetime the deliciousness of a sage leaf fried in butter, then you truly have lived. 

4.  Before you are tempted to gobble it all down with your bare hands, puree your roasted butternut squash with 2 tbsp of half & half (or cream) in a food processor.  

5.  After risotto has cooked for 15 minutes, add white wine, half & half (or cream), and the pureed butternut squash to your rice and continue stirring for 5 minutes, or until rice is al dente and all flavors are absorbed. 

6.  If necessary add more broth until rice is fully cooked.  Add salt and/or pepper to taste.  Top with fried sage leaves and serve warm with grated or shaved parmesan.  Serves six.

That’s a salad plate serving, but you have my permission to fill your dinner plate instead.  (Printable recipe here, click on second link).  Happy nom nom!

What’s your favorite fall food recipe? 

.

I confess in years past I’ve never actually sought out the fig as an item to purchase at the local market.  One time a friend had a fig tree and I made and canned some fig jam, but ended up giving most of it away to a self professed fig lover.  That’s neither here nor there because what I meant to say was ever since we’ve been receiving a bimonthly box of organic produce from local farms shipped to our door (as I mentioned here) we’ve become adventurers in gastronomy.     

“The Box” as we call it is like getting a Christmas present every two weeks.  We never know what will be inside “The Box” of produce, we only know it will be what’s in season.  We’ve made a vow to create something new from at least one thing inside the contents of “The Box” whenever we get it, and those figs were it.

As a result of the mystery delivery, things have occurred that have changed my life and my diet.  I’ve embraced the bok choy with soy, fallen in love with roasted beets, and this week, I began a passionate affair with the perfectly ripe fig.  That’s right, I’m gettin’ figgy with it.  May it be a lifelong dance. 

I was forced back into the kitchen at the suggestion of several of these readers.

Kim informed me that my life would never be the same unless I tried the following melody of flavors.  I admit, I certainly did not want to ever regret anything for the rest of my life, especially if it absolutely required a pairing with a good Pinot Noir, so Kim had my attention.  

Lara got me thinking about pizza:

Sarah wrote in with this amazing recipe:

Dawn chimed in with another delicious cheese/fig/prosciutto combo:

Finally, Camille offered this advice:

Based on all the comments, I was convinced I needed and I mean NEEDED a fig, cheese, and prosciutto combination pizza or I simply couldn’t sleep.  I came up with this gourmet pizza that pretty much has everything.  Sweet figs, savory blue cheese, salty prosciutto, melted mozzarella, and sassy green onion.  I tell you, the marriage of flavors was pure bliss. 

Allow me to share it with you.  First, start with these simple ingredients. 

10 oz thin pizza crust

2 tbsp olive oil

4 ripe figs

4 oz shredded mozzarella

2 oz crumbled blue cheese

1 oz sliced prosciutto

diced green onion

Yes, I purchased a store bought Boboli, and no I did not make a homemade pizza crust, do not judge.  Yes, I could sweat and slave all day making pizza crust from scratch, but I’ll save that for another gastronomical adventure.  Making perfect pizza dough is certainly on my “Life’s To Do List” but I was hungry and anxious to get to those figs.

To make the pizza, first drizzle olive oil on the crust, then bake at 400 degrees for 9 minutes.  While your crust is in the oven, prepare your toppings. 

Slice your figs and admire their aubergine color . . .

Slice up your prosciutto . . .

Dice your blue cheese . . .

Slice up a few thin pieces of the milder part of the green onion . . .

If you’re not an onion lover, I’m thinking some fresh spinach leaves would be a nice alternative.

Next, layer your ingredients. First your mozzarella, next your blue cheese, then comes the sliced figs, prosciutto, then finally the green onion.  Add a little extra mozzarella on top, because you know you want to. 

Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, then serve up your hot pizza with a beverage (Pinot Noir for me) and you’ve got yourself a perfect gourmet pizza.   

This medley of sweet figs, savory blue cheese, salty prosciutto, and cheesy goodness is worthy of an “Amen”.   To Kim, Lara, Sarah, Dawn, and Camille, my palate thanks you. 

Cheers friends.

Now go forth, and get figgy with it. 

I’m proud to share that the "Recipes to Help: 50 Favorite Bloggers, 50 Best Recipes" cookbook is here!  From now until the end of August, the cookbook is available for purchase in either hardback or eBook version, but it’s not a “purchase” per se, we like to think of it as a donation!  Yes, 100% of your purchase/donation will go to the American Red Cross to help the many people who have been affected by natural disasters around the world.

This one-of-a-kind cookbook is available in both hardback version and as an eBook, your choice!  Paper Coterie generously donated 100% of the supplies and 100% of the cost to offer the printed version to all of you. 

With your donation, you will have a beautiful full color recipe book with gorgeous pictures and delicious recipes to try, and also feel good knowing you donated for a worthy cause. 

Donate $10 here for your copy!

You choose either the eBook or the printed copy for $10 plus shipping.  100% of the proceeds will benefit the American Red Cross.  To see the list of bloggers included in this collaboration, visit How Does She?  Also, please help us spread the word via Twitter, Facebook, and/or your blog! 

Available HERE and only until August 31st !

For more information about the American Red Cross, call 1-800-HELP NOW or email info@usa.redcross.org.

.

A recent trip to the market reminded me it was peach season, so I brought a dozen home, and contemplated what I could create with them.  I’m often caught up in the idea of trying something new, hence the recent quest for the perfect pie crust.  The attraction to baked goodies continues, pulling me yet again to attempt something both simple and gastronomically wonderful in the kitchen made with ripe fruit and dough.

Enter, the peach galette.

What the heck is a galette you might ask?  For those who don’t know, a galette is just a fancy French label for a rustic fruit tart.  The kind of tart filled with seasonal fruit and formed with a less than perfectly shaped crust, folded over by hand and baked in the oven.  Less than perfect?  That I can handle. 

Ever since I made my summer list, I’m obsessed with baking with summer fruit, whatever is in season and of the moment.   In May, it was rhubarb crumble, June brought mini cherry pies.  Lately, I’m craving peaches which are in season and readily available everywhere. 

How to make a peach galette?  It’s not difficult. 

First grab yourself a bowl of these. 

via

.

.Summer Peach Galette

homemade dough

10 ripe peaches

1/3 cup sugar

1 heaping tsp cornstarch

1/2 cup finely chopped almonds

squeeze of lemon

1 egg white

parchment paper

Prepare homemade dough (I follow this recipe), separate into two flattened discs, cover in saran wrap and place in refrigerator to chill. 

Ripe peaches are easy to peel, but if less than ripe, bring 8 cups of water to a boil, add the peaches and boil for 3 minutes (this softens the skin for easy peeling).  Pull peaches from water and allow to cool.  Once cool, peel skin and slice.

Once the dough has chilled for 30 minutes, roll the first of two sections of dough out into a circle about 12 inches wide.  Move dough to parchment paper (unlike shown, I figured that out later).  Chop almonds in mini processor or by hand, then layer half of them on top of first section of rolled dough.

About the almonds.  I learned that using chopped almonds is the traditional approach to a galette, apparently they help absorb any moisture from the fruit and add a pleasing subtle crunch.  Works for me.

Peel and slice peaches, then layer half on top of almonds, leaving a border of 3 inches of dough (and reserving half of remaining peach slices for second galette).

Add a tiny squeeze of lemon to the peaches, mix cornstarch and sugar together in small bowl, then sprinkle with half of the cornstarch and sugar mixture.

Wrap dough around peaches to form rustic edges, perfection not necessary.  You can tuck in the edges underneath which also makes for a neater presentation.

Coat dough with a small amount of egg white, then bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes.  Remove from oven when crust is golden brown.  

Recipe makes 2 galettes, each one serves 3 people.

They didn’t last long, as they work equally well for both a summer dessert and a morning breakfast treat.  I like my peach galette with coffee and cream. 

Bon Appétit !

/

.