And it's March already...

Not much to report. Work is depressingly awful, my health is still sketchy. Mom & Dad are doing well though!

The tubby tabby boys are settling in nicely. They've taken to greeting me at the door when I come home from work, flipping at my feet to get belly rubs, and following me into the bathroom where they fight with Nightshade for my attention.

As you can see, they're BIG boys compared to my little Shady girl. She & Remy warned my heart when they peacefully shared a dish of gooshyfood, and then curled up in me for a nap.

I felt like I should eat a hot dinner, even though I haven't felt up to cooking all week. I compromised on this: pesto tortelloni in a jarred Alfredo sauce that I jazzed up with Italian sausage, peas, parmesan/Romano blend & some herbs. Here's the result, and Shady offering to taste test it for me.

More when I can get online again...

Foodie Friday: GRUYERE, MUSHROOM, & CARAMELIZED ONION BITES

These are little bites of heaven. Being me, of course I want to add bacon to them, but they really don't need it.


GRUYERE, MUSHROOM, & CARAMELIZED ONION BITES
Author: Little Spice Jar
Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 45 mins Total time: 55 mins
Serves: approximately 30-34 bites

Caramelized onion bites with sautéed crimini mushrooms, balsamic caramelized onions, and applewood smoked gruyere cheese. Thee perfect little appetizers! They're made with puff pastry and take no time at all to whip up! These are the perfect appetizers to serve your guests this holiday season.

INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons salted butter, divided
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
5-6 ounces crimini or button mushrooms, sliced
2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon sugar
1½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper, to taste
4 ounces grated gruyere cheese (I used applewood smoked gruyere)
1 package (1 pound) frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, lightly beaten

INSTRUCTIONS
In a large cast iron skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of oil along with 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the mushrooms and sauté for about 5 minutes until tender. Remove and set aside in a medium bowl.
Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter along with the 1 tablespoon of oil and sauté the onions for 5 minutes. Add the dried thyme and sugar and continue to cook for 25 minutes on medium low heat. Make sure to stir the mixture every 5 minutes or so. If the onions are caramelizing too fast, turn down the heat a little more. Add the balsamic vinegar to deglaze the pan, allow the onions to soak it all in. Turn off heat. Add the onions to the mushroom mixture. Season with the garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste, stir to combine. Allow to cool to room temperature. Mixture can be kept in an air-tight container and refrigerated for up to 48 hours at this point. Allow to come to room temperature before proceeding. Add the gruyere cheese and mix well.
Position two racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
Using a knife or a pizza cutter, cut the puff pastry into 2-inch squares and place them on a lined baking sheet. Make sure the puff pastry is cold before proceeding. If not, allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes before proceeding. Using a pastry brush, brush the beaten egg on the squares. Place a tablespoon of caramelized onion mixture in the center. Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway in between until crisp and golden brown. Let cool slightly before serving.

MARZIA'S NOTES
Make sure the puff pastry is cold when it goes into the oven. If at any point it becomes soft, allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes or until it firms up again. Do not open the oven door during the first 10 minutes of baking time. Frequently opening the oven may cause the puff pastry to not 'puff up'.

Swiss cheese or mozzarella cheese may be used to replace the gruyere. I really like the smoky flavor of applewood smoked gruyere with these bites.

If you've prepared the caramelized onion mixture ahead of time, you can zap it in the microwave for 30 seconds to bring it back to room temperature quickly.

Foodie Friday- Pecan Pie Bites

Mmm. I love pecan pie. This is a good way to taken it with you just about anywhere, but without the mess that a whole pie generates.

PECAN PIE BITES

INGREDIENTS

Cookie
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
6 tablespoons Land O Lakes® Unsalted Butter, softened
1 Land O Lakes® Egg (yolk only)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup Land O Lakes® Heavy Whipping Cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 350ºF. Spray 36 mini muffin pan cups with no-stick cooking spray; set aside.

Combine 1/2 cup brown sugar, butter, egg yolk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add flour, baking powder and salt; beat at low speed until well mixed.

Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls; place each into prepared mini muffin pan cups, pressing dough onto bottom and up one-third sides of each cup, creating a shallow cup.

Combine all filling ingredients in bowl; spoon 1 teaspoon filling into each cookie.

Bake 13-15 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 10 minutes in pan on cooling rack.

Remove cookies from pans by running small knife around edge of cookie. Place onto cooling rack; cool completely.

Foodie Friday: One-Pan Mushrooms w/Chickpeas, Caramelized Onions, & Kale

This is a tasty, one pan dish. I know I should try to do meatless meals every now and then, but I can't help thinking this needs bacon in it. (Shredded or ground chicken or pork would also be good) This can be either a main course or a good side dish.




One-Pan Mushrooms, Chickpeas, and Kale

NOTES

To save time, slice the mushrooms and prep the kale while the onions caramelize. You'll already be in the kitchen to keep an eye on and stir the onions. For a slight variation, omit the chickpeas and top the combination of mushrooms, kale, and onions with a poached egg or two.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 tablespoons neutral oil, divided
1 small yellow onion, diced
Kosher salt
1 pound wild mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas, or 1 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed
1 bunch dinosaur kale, ribs removed and torn into bite-size pieces
Balsamic vinegar, to taste
Parmesan shavings
1/4 cup roughly chopped parsley

DIRECTIONS

Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to a large skillet; heat until shimmering over medium-high heat. Add the onion and a few generous pinches of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden brown and slumped — nearly but not quite caramelized — about 30-40 minutes. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, the mushrooms, and a few generous pinches of salt, and cook until the mushrooms are golden brown, 5-10 minutes. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, the chickpeas, kale, and a few generous pinches of salt, and cook until the kale is wilted, 2-3 minutes. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar to deglaze the pan and balance out the other flavors with its acidity. Season to taste with additional salt and balsamic vinegar. Garnish with parmesan shavings and parsley.

Foodie Friday- Pioneer Woman's Baked Fudge

So, my least favorite holiday is coming up this weekend. This is how I plan to indulge myself.


Delicious Baked Fudge

Prep: 10 Minutes Level: Easy
Cook: 50 Minutes Serves: 4
Ingredients

2 whole Eggs
1 cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
2 Tablespoons Flour
1/2 cup Butter, Melted
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Preparation

Preheat oven to 300 to 325 degrees.

Beat eggs until light in color. Beat in sugar until just combined. Add cocoa, flour, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Mix gently until well combined.

Pour batter into four large ramekins or one 8-inch square baking dish. Set ramekins or pan into a larger pan halfway full of water.

Bake 40 to 50 minutes, or until upper crust is crispy and the rest of the batter is firm but not set. Toothpick should come out…not clean, but mixture should not be overly runny. If you pull it out of the oven and have second thoughts, stick it back in for ten more minutes.

Serve with sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream; whatever makes your skirt fly up.

Foodie Friday: One Pan Cilantro-Lime Chicken & Black Beans w/Rice

Found here, this is an easy-peasy one dish dinner. I'm not crazy about the fact that it uses minute rice, so I'm playing around with ways to use better rice, but it is quick and still pretty tasty.

One Pan Cilantro ­Lime Chicken and Rice with Black Beans

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: About 4 servings

Ingredients
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced into 1­inch cubes Coupons
1 Tbsp canola oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 green onions, chopped (keep lighter and darker portions separate)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups low­sodium chicken broth
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies
2 tsp lime zest
3 Tbsp lime juice
1 (14.5 oz) can black beans, rinsed and well drained
2 cups minute white rice (don't use regular rice!)
1/3 cup chopped cilantro

Directions

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium ­high heat. Once hot add chicken, season with salt and
pepper, and saute until cooked through, about 6 minutes, adding in lighter portions of the green
onions and garlic at last 1 minute of cooking. Stir in broth, green onion greens, green chilies,
lime zest, lime juice, black beans and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring mixture to a
boil, add rice, fully immerse rice in broth, and allow to boil 20 seconds, then remove from heat
and immediately cover with a lid. Let rest 5-6 minutes.

If needed, return pan to medium heat and cook and toss 1 minute to allow rice to absorb excess
moisture. Remove from heat, toss in cilantro and let rest uncovered 3 minutes.

Recipe source: Cooking Classy

Foodie Friday: Cabbage Roll Soup

It's still on the chilly side, so soup is still on my menu. This one is pretty good, and a quick nod to my family's Stuffed Cabbage.

Cabbage Roll Soup
Yield: About 8 servings

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large yellow onion, chopped (1 3/4 cups)
2 large carrots, chopped (1 1/4 cups)
5 cups packed chopped cabbage (16 - 19 oz)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium beef broth
3 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
2 (14.5 oz) cans petite diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp dried paprika
1 tsp dried oregano or 1 Tbsp chopped fresh
3/4 tsp dried thyme or 2 1/2 tsp chopped fresh
2 bay leaves
3/4 cup dry long-grain white rice
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions


Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large cast iron pot over medium-high heat. Add beef, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring and breaking up beef occasionally, until browned. Transfer beef to a plate lined with paper towels while reserving 2 Tbsp of the rendered fat in pan (or drain off all fat and use 2 more tbsp olive oil), set beef aside. Add onion and carrots to pan and saute 1 minute, then add cabbage and saute 2 minutes, then add garlic and saute 1 minute longer. Pour in beef broth, tomato sauce, tomatoes, brown sugar, Worcestershire, paprika, oregano, thyme and bay leaves. Return beef to soup mixture. Season soup with salt and pepper to taste and bring to a light boil, then add rice, cover pot and reduce heat and simmer until rice is cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Stir in up to 1 cup water or more beef broth to thin as desired (it will thicken as it rests and become almost like a stew), then stir in lemon juice and parsley. Serve warm.

Recipe source: inspired by Spending with Pennies and Simply Stacie

Foodie Friday- Pioneer Woman's Red & Green Stuffed Shells

Ree Drummond strikesagain. I never thought about adding a bechamel-type sauce to my basic stuffed shells, so I'm glad she did!

Red and Green Stuffed Shells

Prep: 15 Minutes Level: Easy
Cook: 1 Hours Serves: 12
Ingredients

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 whole Onion, Diced
1 clove Garlic, Minced
10 ounces, weight Fresh Baby Spinach (or a pkg of frozen chopped spinach, thawed & squeezed dry)
4 Tablespoons Butter
1/4 cup All-purpose Flour
2-1/2 cups Whole Milk, More If Needed
2 Tablespoons Chopped Basil
2 Tablespoons Chopped Parsley
Salt And Pepper, to taste
30 ounces, weight Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
1 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese, Plus More For Sprinkling
1 whole Large Egg
12 ounces, weight Jumbo Pasta Shells (25 To 30 Shells) Cooked Until Slightly Firmer Than Al Dente
jar of your favorite marinara sauce

Preparation

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and saute until the onion starts to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the spinach and cook, stirring continuously, until it's slightly wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove the spinach from the pan and let it cool slightly, then place it inside a few paper towels and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Give it a rough chop and set it aside.

Turn the heat to medium-low, then, in the same skillet, melt the butter and sprinkle the flour over the top. Whisk it together to make a roux, then cook it for a minute or two. Slowly add the milk, whisking out lumps as you go, and cook it until the white sauce is thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in half the basil, half the parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Add another 1/4 cup milk if the white sauce is too thick. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

In a separate bowl, mix together the ricotta, Parmesan, egg, the rest of the basil, the rest of the parsley, and salt and pepper to taste until combined. Stir in the chopped spinach mixture.

To assemble the shells, use a spoon to fill the pasta shells with the cheese mixture. Pour a thin layer of marinara in the bottom of your baking dish. Place the shells seam side down in a 9 x 13 casserole dish or disposable foil baking pan. Pour the marinara evenly over the shells, then ladle the white sauce over the marinara in a zig-zag/line design. Finally, sprinkle with more Parmesan.

Bake it in a preheated 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly.

***To freeze, cover the unbaked shells tightly with heavy foil and freeze for up to 6 months. To bake the frozen casserole, place it in a 375 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours, then uncover and continue baking for 10 to 30 minutes, depending on how frozen it was.
OR
***Thaw the pan in the fridge for 24 to 48 hours, then bake as directed.

Foodie Friday- Oatmeal Ginger-cream Pies

These are delicious with a steaming mug of your favorite winter drink.

Ingredients

1½ c. Rolled Oats
1 c. all-purpose flour
¾ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
¼ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. salt
1 stick butter
½ c. granulated sugar
½ c. packed light-brown sugar
1 large Egg
Ginger Cream (recipe follows)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, with racks set in the top and bottom positions. On a baking sheet, bake oats on the top rack, shaking the pan intermittently to prevent burning, until lightly browned, 10 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool, leaving oven on.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Add the flour mixture, beating until just combined. Stir in the toasted oats.
Fit 2 baking sheets with parchment. Roll dough, 2 tablespoons at a time, into balls, or use a #30 (1-ounce) ice-cream scoop; for each sheet, drop 12 balls 2 inches apart. With dampened hands, flatten each ball to a 1/2-inch thickness. Using the bottom and top racks, bake until cookies are lightly browned around the edges and set, 12 minutes, switching the baking sheets from top to bottom and rotating them from front to back halfway through baking. Remove from oven and let cookies cool for 5 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Frost the bottoms of 12 cookies with Ginger Cream, then top with the remaining 12 cookies.


Ginger Cream

INGREDIENTS

8 oz. cream cheese
⅓ c. confectioners' sugar
¼ c. finely chopped crystallized ginger

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the ginger.

Foodie Friday- Chicken & Kale Casserole

Here is another quick & easy chicken casseorle. You can use spinach or swiss chard instead of the kale if you prefer.

INGREDIENTS

Coarse salt
ground pepper
¾ lb. pasta shells
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion
3 clove garlic
2 bunch kale
2 c. shredded or chopped cooked chicken
1 container part-skim ricotta
3 tbsp. finely grated lemon zest
¾ c. grated Parmesan

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain; return to pot. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high. Add onion and garlic; cook until onion is beginning to soften, 4 minutes. Add kale, cover, and cook until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to pot with pasta.
Stir in chicken, ricotta, lemon zest, and 1/2 cup Parmesan; season with salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to a 9- by 13-inch baking dish; top with 1/4 cup Parmesan. Bake until top is golden, 30 minutes.

Welcome To The New Year.

No, there won't be any of that "New Year, New Me" crap here. I'm not making resolutions, I'm not embarking on any drastic lifestyle changes. I'm just going to try to survive day by day and hope that this year is better than the last one.

So how did I ring in the new year? Not at work! Chuck got to take Christmas Eve off, so the bosses gave me NYE off instead. Not that it mattered- it's not like I was going to go out and whoop it up at a party or in a bar. I spent the night ensconced on the couch, watching the Inspector Cartoons from the Pink Panther series, and catching occasional cat sightings.

Oh yeah, I have two new cats. My friend Scott needed to rehome his 10 year old boys, Remy & Boo, as his girlfriend is highly allergic to them. Personally, I'd have gotten rid of her, but that may partly explain why I'm still single. Anyway, he delivered them to me at work as I was leaving that morning. They sang me the song of their people (Who The Hell Are You And Where The Hell Are We Going And Let Me Out Of This Damned Box!) on the 10 minute ride to my house, and were hesitant to come out of their travel crates once I got them inside. I took them out one at a time and showed them where the litter box was, and then they each took off for parts unknown. Since the house is still an audition tape for Hoarders, there's lots of place for them to hide. Anyway, both boys are still hiding, but have ventured out once or twice. Remy growled at me and went back behind the couch. Boo has been a bit more adventurous and even sat in my lap for a minute. So far, Nightshade is ignoring them. Good thing, too. Scott didn't tell me that they were such chunkbutts. I swear they weigh 30 lbs each, so they're easily 2-3 times Shady's size. They're declawed, but all they have to do is lie down on her and any fight that may start will be over.


First meal of the new year: Sausage & Kale stir fry w/peppers & onions over rice

First drink of the new year: Iced English Breakfast tea

First read: a chapter of Bill Bryson's The Road To Little Dribbling: More Notes From A Small Island before I dozed off on the couch.


I had bought a bottle of hard cider from Trader Joe's to toast the new year with, but forgot all about it. So I'm going to drink it tonight on my regular night off instead. At least I remembered to take the croissants I'd bought out of the freezer and put them out to rise. Breakfast was quite tasty.

While I was waiting for the croissants to bake, I stripped my bed and put on fresh flannel sheets. (oh yeah, we finally got winter temperature weather) And discovered that my bedroom walls seem to have developed rising damp. I had to go get the paper towels and bleach spray to clean up the mildew that's grown along the walls by my bed. Moving the bed out from the wall to get at it flushed out poor Boo, who had chosen that spot to hide for a while. The heating vent by the foot of the bed is quite alluring- Malkin used to like to lie there too.

Well, by the time I was done with all that, breakfast was done. I ate my croissants and watched At Last The 1948 Show for the umpteenth time. I couldn't crawl into my nice clean 2016 bed with my 2015 dirty body, so I took a long shower and scrubbed & shampooed myself silly. By the time I was done drying my hair and applying all of my lotions & potions, I was ready to call in a day/night. The cats had all disappeared again, so I closed me door and slept fairly soundly.

Last highlight of my day before I call it quits for this post. The one tradition I uphold is my Southern Good Luck dinner on New Years Day. Black eyed Peas (I prefer field peas), greens, and cornbread. I diced some country ham pieces and fried them a bit before dividing them to simmer into the peas & greens while the cornbread baked. It was quite tasty. Nightshade surprised me by going for the buttery cornbread instead of the bits of ham. She didn't get any of either, but she tried!


Anyway, I'm taking a couple of days off next week to recharge my brain and try to do something about the mess that is my house. Wish me luck!

Foodie Friday- New Year's edition- Chicken & Spinach Casserole

This is a good, quick, and easy dinner for anyone worn out from the holiday season festivities!

INGREDIENTS

2 c. torn bread
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 c. packed flat-leaf spinach
¼ c. white wine
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1½ c. half-and-half
½ tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 c. shredded rotisserie chicken
Coarse salt
ground pepper
1 medium yellow onion
1 clove garlic


DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine bread with 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt. Set aside. In a medium pot, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil over medium-high. Add spinach; season with salt. Cook, stirring, until wilted, 2 minutes. Transfer to a colander, let cool, then squeeze out water. Coarsely chop.
Wipe pot clean and heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil over medium. Add onion, garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 8 minutes.
Add wine to pot and cook until almost evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Gradually whisk in half-and-half. Add lemon juice and bring mixture to a boil over high.
Remove from heat and stir in chopped spinach and chicken; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a 2-quart baking dish and top with bread pieces. Bake until bread is golden brown and mixture is bubbling, 8 to 10 minutes.

Foodie Friday- Merry Christmas Breakfast edition- Smoked Salmon & Dill Hash

It might be too late to whip up this
tasty dish from Pioneer Woman & Friends today, but it would make a fabulous addition to your New Year's breakfast/brunch if you do that kind of thing! Or just make it whenever you feel like it- it's go no matter when you eat it. In fact, I made it as a dinner the other night.



Smoked Salmon & Dill Breakfast Hash

Prep: 15 Minutes Level: Easy
Cook: 20 Minutes Serves: 4
Ingredients

1 Tablespoon Vinegar
2 pounds Russet Potatoes, Cut Into 1/2-inch Dice
3 Tablespoons Plus 2 Teaspoons Olive Oil, Divided
1 Yellow Onion, Chopped
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Ground Pepper
4 ounces, weight Smoked Salmon, Broken Into Pieces (lox is ok, but hot smoked salmon is much better for this)
2 Tablespoons Minced Fresh Dill
Preparation

Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Stir in the vinegar. Add the russet potatoes and cook until just tender, 8–10 minutes. Drain.

Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are starting to brown. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Transfer the onion mixture to a bowl and set aside.

Turn the heat to medium-high, add remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet and stir in the drained potatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are browned and cooked through, 15–20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

If the potatoes start to burn while cooking, turn the heat to medium. Stir the cooked onions into the potatoes, and add the smoked salmon and dill.

Stir to combine. Serve.

Foodie Friday: Gouda & Sage Biscuits

Don'tthese look delicious?!?

Simple Gouda and Sage Biscuits
Fluffy, buttery and flavorful biscuits made with gouda and sage. Easy, quick, and perfect for special occasions.

YIELD: 10 biscuits PREP TIME: 10 minutes COOK TIME: 12 minutes TOTAL TIME: 22 minutes
Ingredients:

1 cup milk (see note)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 tablespoon cane sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
4 ounces gouda cheese, shredded (about 1 cup), divided
1/4 cup sage leaves, packed, finely chopped
Directions:

Preheat oven to 425
Measure out 1 cup of milk. Remove 1 tablespoon and set aside to use later.
Pour 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar into the cup of milk. Mix and let sit for 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Add the cubes of butter, and use a pastry blender/your hands to rub in the butter until you only have small pieces visible in the dough.
Fold in the sage and 1/2 of the cheese, and then pour in the milk and vinegar mixture. Use a wooden spoon to mix until a loose dough forms. Turn out onto a floured surface, and knead for one minute, until you have a smooth dough.
Roll out into 1/2-inch thickness, and use a 2 5/8 biscuit cutter to cut out biscuits. Place biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Form the scraps into a ball and roll out again into 1/2-inch thickness, and cut out biscuits. You should end up with 10 biscuits total.
Brush the remaining tablespoon of milk on the biscuits, then top with remaining cheese. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until lightly golden on top.
If not eating right away, store in an airtight container and reheat at 325 for 10 minutes.
You can replace the milk and apple cider vinegar with 1 cup buttermilk. I find that when I buy a carton of buttermilk it ends up sitting in my fridge unused, so I make my own.
Nutrition Information: Serving Size: 1 biscuit, Calories: 240, Sugar: 3.2g, Sodium: 390mg, Fat: 11.1g, Saturated Fat: 6.8g, Carbs: 28.8g, Fiber: 2.6g, Protein: 7.8g, Cholesterol: 33mg



I'm wondering how these would be made with smoked Gouda? I may have to try it.

Foodie Friday- Apple & Raisin Chutney

Yes, another one. This is good with roasted pork, cold ham, or used as a topping for bar cookies. I'm sure you can probably think of other uses!

Apple and Raisin Chutney
Yields 200 gram
Apple and Raisin Chutney is a British style savory spread made with apples and raisin.
Prep Time: 30 min, Cook Time: 30 min, Total Time: 1 hr


Ingredients
3-4 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
4 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped
1 lemon, juiced
2 tbsp vinegar
1/2 cup raisins
Salt to taste
1/2 cup sugar or to taste
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp oil


Method

To make Apple And Raisin Chutney recipe, begin by heating oil over medium heat in a pan. First, saute the chopped onion for a minute or two, until aromatic.
Next, add the chopped apples along with cinnamon, salt, vinegar and lemon juice to the pan. Stir to combine and continue to cook on a medium-low heat till apples are soft and mushy.
Once apples turn mushy add the raisins and sugar. Stir to combine and gently mash the chutney with a potato masher while it is on heat.
Turn the heat to low and allow it to simmer until all the excess liquid is evaporated and the chutney begins to turn thick. Once the apple raisin chutney has begun to turn thick, turn off the heat.
Let the chutney cool down to room temperature.
Then spoon the Apple And Raisin Chutney into clean, dry, glass jars and seal with the lid.
Store the Apple and Raisin Chutney in the fridge.
Make sure to use clean and dry spoon to serve the chutney to ensure that it lasts longer.

Foodie Friday: Caramelized Red Onion Chutney

Ugh. One holiday down, several to go. I'm tired of buying meaningless gifts for people, so this year I'm thinking about making them instead. Food gifts are a fun & creative way to show your affection. This one would probably appeal to my mom. If I have any left after I try it, I might even give her some of it!

Caramelised Red Onion Chutney
Yield: 4 - 6 small jars



Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
30g unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 kg red onions, thinly sliced
a pinch of salt & pepper
60g golden caster sugar
300ml red wine
150ml white wine vinegar

Instructions

Heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan. Add the garlic, sliced onions, salt & pepper. Cook over a low heat for about an hour, stirring occasionally. The oil/butter should have mostly evaporated and the onions should be very soft.
Sprinkle over the sugar and stir. Cook for a further 10 minutes before adding the red wine and vinegar.
Simmer for about 45 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated.When you run a spoon across the bottom you should be able to see the pan for a few seconds before the syrup spills in.
Remove from the heat and transfer to sterilised jars while still hot. Seal and leave to cool.
Once opened, store in the fridge and use within a month. Unopened jars should last for months.

Foodie Weekend Bonus Edition- More Soup

Because it's cold & nasty, and soup is perfect for this time of year. Found here.

Tortellini Tomato Soup with Italian Sausage & Spinach
Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

Soup
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 lb Italian Sausage
1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 medium sized onion)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1-28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1-32. oz. box of vegetable broth (chicken works too)
2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 package tortellini
1 cup packed fresh spinach

Crostini
1 Baguette
Butter
Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese

Instructions

Soup
Heat a large, heavy bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Heat vegetable oil and add diced onion. Saute until onions are soft.
Crumble Italian Sausage and garlic with the onion. Cook until sausage is no longer pink.
Stir in crushed tomatoes, vegetable (or chicken) broth, basil, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cover. Let soup simmer for 20-30 minutes.
Add tortellini and spinach and simmer for about ten minutes, until pasta is tender.
Serve with shredded Parmesan.

Crostini
Slice baguette into 1/2 inch thick slices. Butter one side and place butter side down in a hot skillet until golden brown. Flip bread slices over and sprinkle with Parmesan while the other side gets golden brown. Transfer to a plate and immediately cover loosely with foil if cheese has not completely melted.
Notes

For a creamier soup, add a half cup of Greek yogurt or sour cream.

Foodie Friday- Hot Brown Turkey Sandwiches

What do you do with leftover turkey? Try this easy & delicious sandwich! Also a Kentucky specialty, so I had to share it with you.

Hot Brown Turkey Sandwiches

Ingredients
5 slices bacon
1 small onion, chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups milk
1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/4 cups grated muenster or monterey jack cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 thick slices white bread, toasted
Dijon mustard, for spreading
1 tomato, sliced
3 cups shredded or sliced roast turkey or rotisserie chicken
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions
Preheat the broiler. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Pour out all but about 1 tablespoon fat from the skillet.

Make the gravy: Add the onion to the skillet and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, 1 more minute. Increase the heat to medium high, add the milk and chicken broth and bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 cup cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Arrange the bread on a baking sheet. Spread each slice with mustard, then drizzle with some of the gravy and top with the sliced tomato. Toss the turkey with the remaining gravy in the skillet. Divide the turkey evenly among the bread slices, then sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Broil until golden, about 2 minutes.

Crumble the bacon over the sandwiches; sprinkle with the parsley.

Thanksgiving, hell! It's Cake Day!

Ok, fine. Here's a Thanksgiving dinner, which I might add looks NOTHING like anything my family puts together. We don't have the patience to make it pretty- we just want to EAT!

Now for the good stuff!

Carrot Cake

Chocolate Cake (my favorite)

Spice Cake, with a cream cheese icing

Apple Walnut Cake- my version is made with a cream cheese glaze, but this one looks pretty good!

Foodie Friday- Cornbread and Bacon Dressing

I love cornbread dressing/stuffing! Oddly enough, it never occurred to me to add bacon to it until I found this recipe while i was looking for new versions to try.


Cornbread and Bacon Dressing

INGREDIENTS

1 (1-pound) package cornbread mix, like Marie Callender organic cornbread mix
6 slices of bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 shallot, cut into small dice
2 celery ribs, cut into small dice
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
2 eggs, whisked
1/2 cup vegetable or mushroom broth

DIRECTIONS

Cook cornbread according to package directions. Remove from pan and allow to cool.
While cornbread cools, cook bacon in a 375°F oven until desired crispiness reached. Drain the bacon on a paper towel, and reserve bacon grease. Once bacon is cool to touch, crumble it into small pieces.
In a sauté pan, heat pan over medium-high heat, then heat 2 tablespoons bacon grease. Cook shallots until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Add poultry seasoning and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, and transfer to a plate to cool.
Grease a 9-inch square casserole dish with bacon grease.
Once all components are cool to room temperature, crumble cornbread into a large bowl. Add bacon and vegetables, and stir. Stir in eggs. Stir in enough vegetable broth to make mixture moist but moldable.
Transfer to casserole dish, and bake in a 375°F oven for 1 hour, or until casserole sets and top appears golden and crispy.