Food

  One thing about the holidays, potlucks, and festive foods generally, is that they're usually not very healthy. So yes, I am the person that always brings the salads at the holidays, but I'll tell you what- they are always appreciated in the midst of all the heavier, richer, items. This one bridges the gap between fresh and festive beautifully and is a great way to cut through all the chocolate, cheese, and other party foods. Just give it a try! Ingredients ½ cup light extra-virgin olive oil (or light vegetable oil) ¼ cup apple cider vinegar ¼ cup unsweetened apple juice OR apple cider 2 to 3 tablespoons honey 1 tablespoon lemon juice ½ teaspoon salt Freshly ground black pepper, to taste 3 medium Honeycrisp apples (about 1 pound), thinly sliced Juice of ½ lemon 12 ounces salad greens, spring mix, arugula, baby spinach baby romaine, OR a combo of your favorites 1 cup pecan halves, toasted or candied ¾ cup dried cranberries 4 ounces crumbled blue cheese Directions To prepare Apple Cider Vinaigrette, measure oil, apple cider vinegar, apple juice/cider, honey, lemon juice, salt, and pepper into a mason jar. Tightly screw on lid and shake vigorously until everything is thoroughly combined. Alternatively, you may briskly whisk the ingredients together in a medium bowl, or blend them in a blender or mini food processor. Place apple slices in a large plastic baggie and squeeze the fresh lemon juice (from the lemon half) over them. Close bag and shake to coat. In a large salad bowl, layer salad greens, apple slices, pecans, dried cranberries, and blue cheese. Just before serving, dress with desired amount of Apple Cider Vinaigrette and toss until salad ingredients are evenly coated.

So, I've learned not to buy my candy well before Halloween (and it took me WAY too long to learn that!) but sometimes, I do have leftovers. Rather than keep those for myself, I make these cookies, then give them away! These are the cookie that I've always wanted- that salty sweet and buttery taste from the brown butter and the sea salt, the variety of the candy- crispy, chewy, delicious. They are great just with chocolate chips, or with really any ad ins you have! Enjoy. Baked By Melissa's Brown Butter Halloween Candy Cookies Ingredients 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter 3/4 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or paste 2 large eggs 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt About 2 cups of various Halloween candy, cut into small pieces if necessary (M&Ms, Milky Way, Reeses, Snickers, etc! You can also throw in pretzel pieces for extra crunch/salt) Flaky sea salt, to top How to Make Your Halloween Candy Brown Butter Cookies   Directions Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and swirl occasionally until brown specks form (about 5-7 minutes). Once these specks appear and it smells slightly nutty, remove from heat and let cool. Don't walk away, it can burn quickly. Combine the butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium-high speed for 3-5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing between each addition, followed by the vanilla. Mix in the flour, baking soda, and salt, and stir on medium-low until a dough forms. Fold the candy into the dough until just combined (being careful not to overmix). Place the mixing bowl in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours. Chilling helps the cookies bake more evenly. if you're in a rush you can skip this step, but I highly recommend it- it truly makes a huge difference! Remove the chilled dough from the fridge and let sit for 5-10 minutes so it's pliable. Scoop the dough onto the baking sheet and top each ball with additional candy or chocolate chips. Bake for 12 minutes, until lightly golden. Immediately after you remove the cookies from the oven, swirl a large glass or biscuit cutter around them to get a perfect circle. Top with flaky sea salt and TRY not to eat them all at once!

This is a super easy weeknight meal that really can be great on its own, with crusty bread, rice, or of course, pasta. This was a staple in the busy week repertoire when my son was young. Always popular with everyone, and still a favorite! This is bit of a variation on a Giada recipe from years ago. Adding the zucchini in to the turkey keeps it from being dry, so don't skip that step. This one is easy to make ahead and just put in the oven when you're ready!   Ingredients 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 small onion, grated 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves 2 tsp dried oregano 1 large egg 3 tablespoons ketchup 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 tsp salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano (use good parm!) 1/4 cup dried plain bread crumbs 1 pound ground turkey 2 zucchini, ends removed, halved lengthwise 1 short orange bell pepper, halved and seeded 1 short red bell pepper, halved and seeded 1 short yellow bell pepper, halved and seeded 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce (I use Rao's or Carbone) Directions Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly drizzle the olive oil into a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish. Using a melon baller or spoon, carefully scrape out the seeds and inner flesh from the zucchini, leaving 1/8-inch-thick shells. Be careful not to pierce through the skin. Finely chop the inner flesh of the zucchini. Whisk the onion, zucchini, parsley, oregano, egg, ketchup, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the cheese and bread crumbs. Mix in the turkey. Cover and refrigerate this mixture. Fill the zucchini and pepper halves with the turkey mixture, dividing equally and mounding slightly. Arrange the stuffed vegetables in the baking dish. Pour the marinara sauce over the stuffed vegetables. Bake uncovered until the vegetables are tender and beginning to brown and a thermometer inserted into the filling registers 165 degrees F, about 45 minutes. Transfer the stuffed vegetables to a platter and serve.

Semifreddo had been off my radar for a while. Years, in fact. Until I had one in a restaurant recently and remembered what a delicious treat it is (and a great way to do a "wow" homemade ice cream sort of dessert without needing a churn. This is a simple semifreddo, with the addition of rich, sweet Amarena cherries and a little crunch from the Biscoff cookies. Give it a try and tell me what you think! 3/4 cup cold heavy whipping cream 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup water 4 large eggs 1 package Biscoff cookies 1 jar Amarenda cherries Line a 9 x 5 x 3-inch metal loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving an overhang of several inches on all the ends. Place the pan in the freezer to chill. At least 20 minutes before you are ready to whip the cream, place a large bowl and the beaters of an electric mixer in the refrigerator. Pour the chilled heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract into the chilled bowl and whip the cream at high speed until soft peaks form, about 4 minutes. Return the bowl to the refrigerator and proceed with next steps. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is completely dissolved, 3 to 4 minutes. In another large mixing bowl, beat the eggs on medium speed until foamy, about 1 minute. With the mixer running, slowly add the hot sugar syrup into the eggs in a thin stream. Continue beating until the mixture is very light and fluffy and feels cool to the touch, 8 to 10 minutes. Gently fold the chilled whipped cream into the cooled egg-syrup mixture. Remove the prepared loaf pan from the freezer. Spoon about 1/3 of the mixture into the pan. Create a layer of Biscoff cookies, followed by a layer of cherries, without their syrup (reserve syrup for serving). Spoon the rest of the mixture into a pan, and add a final layer of the Biscoff cookies. Cover securely with the overhanging plastic wrap and place in freezer. Freeze until set, at least 8 hours, preferably overnight. When ready to serve, invert onto a plate or platter, and slice into servings. Drizzle with the cherry syrup and sprinkle with crushed Biscoff cookies. Enjoy!

It's not really summer for me until I make Gazpacho. Is this one "authentic authentic?" No. Is it the one that I started making when I owned my cafe/catering business in Carytown, and I've made it pretty much every summer since. It's light, pretty dang healthy, and seriously addictive. Let me know if you make it! GOURMET DELIGHTS GAZPACHO Serves: 6 Prep time: 20 minutes Start to finish time: 1 hour, 20 minutes 1 whole cucumber seeded (peeled if tough skinned) 1 whole green bell pepper 3 cloves garlic (or to taste) 1/2 yellow onion 16 ounces good quality canned tomatoes 2 Tbs tomato paste 3 Tbs olive oil 2 Tbs red wine vinegar 1 Tbs lemon juice 1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce 1 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp Tabasco sauce (or to taste) Fresh cracked black pepper to taste 1/12 cups V-8 juice Place first 4 ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Don't puree but gently pulse. Remove to a large covered bowl or jar. Pulse next 6 ingredients, again gently, leaving tomatoes in small chunks. Add to container with chopped vegetables and shake or stir to blend. Let sit in refrigerator for a few hours or overnight to allow flavors to blend. Enjoy!

This really is one of my favorite summer desserts, and it's great with any fresh fruit, but most especially berries, and especially when they're at the height of the season. It really isn't hard to make, either, just make sure you get it nice and dry, so don't short the time you leave it in the oven. (This dessert was created in Australia or New Zealand- this is debated, for the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, during her tour there in the 1920's.) Try it!! 4 large eggs whites, room temperature Kosher salt 1 c. superfine sugar (No superfine? Run your sugar through the blender a bit until it's finer.) 1 tsp. cornstarch 2 tsp. white wine vinegar 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 2 c. whipped cream 2 c. mixed berries, such as raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries (or whatever you like- get crazy!) Preheat oven to 300° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat egg whites with a large pinch of salt until foamy. While beating, slowly add in sugar and beat until meringue is thick and glossy, about 7 minutes. Beat in cornstarch, vinegar, and vanilla. Pile meringue in the center of prepared baking sheet and use a spatula or spoon to spread into an 8" circle. Make a small well in the center. Place meringue in the oven and immediately reduce temperature to 250°. Bake until set but still white, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn off oven and let pavlova cool completely in oven, at least 2 hours and up to overnight. Transfer cooled pavlova to a serving dish and top with whipped cream and berries.

This month celebrates my son's 21st birthday (how??) so I asked him to pick the recipe this month. This is what he had to offer, as we head into spring, and it feels like a pretty solid choice! Let me know if you try it!   BAKLAVA CRINKLE "CAKE" INGREDIENTS 1 package filo dough 2 sticks butter, melted 1 cup simple syrup Pistachio and walnut pieces for garnish For the filling: 1 cup walnut pieces, crushed 3/4 cup pistachio pieces, crushed 2 tbsp sugar 1 tsp  ground cinnamon For the custard: 1 cup milk 2 eggs 1 cup sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon almond extract (recommended, but optional) For the syrup: 2 cups sugar 1 cup water 1 tsp lemon juice 1 tsp orange flower water INSTRUCTIONS Start by preparing the simple syrup.  In a pot add 3/4 cup sugar and 3/4 cup water. Stir together, then place on the stove on high heat.  Bring to a boil then lower heat to medium.  Add lemon juice & orange flower water.   Simmer for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat & allow to cool completely. Preheat the oven to 350. On a flat surface, place 2 sheets of filo dough then spread a row of the filling along one side of the dough leaving about 1" edge.  Fold the edge over the filling then start to roll.  Continue rolling this "sausage" until you get halfway finished, then start to crinkle the remaining filo into itself. Place in a baking dish then repeat the process until you've used all the ingredients. You're basically just smushing these crinkle "sausages" together as you go. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and drizzle with melted butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Mix together custard and pour over (carefully!) Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven. Drizzle 1 cup of the simple syrup over the entire dessert. Garnish with crushed pistachios and walnuts, and dust with cinnamon if you like.  Allow to come to room temperature before serving. Cut and enjoy!

March is my late father's birthday month, and while he would eat cake, his favorite was always cobbler, and peach cobbler, more specifically. While March is just on the cusp of the start of peach season, this recipe is great with canned or frozen peaches as well, and incredibly easy as well. So, whatever you're celebrating, there's no excuse for not making this one! Old School Southern Peach Cobbler Ingredients 1 cup self-rising flour, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, (plus 2 additional tablespoons for topping) 1/2 cup butter, divided (and melted separately) 1 cup milk 1 (29 ounce) can sliced peaches in heavy syrup, undrained ~or~ 3 cups sliced fresh peaches 1 tsp lemon juice {Mix these together and set for 30 minutes} 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional) Directions Preheat oven to 350. Mix self-rising flour, sugar, and milk together in a bowl until well combined with no lumps. Pour melted butter into a 9x9 baking dish (or a 9- or 10-inch cast iron skillet). Pour flour-milk mixture over top. Carefully pour peaches and syrup into the pan. Use a spatula to spread peaches evenly around the pan. Bake in the preheated oven until the crust turns golden brown, 30 to 45 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes or so before serving. Always better than vanilla ice cream (isn't everything?)      

Two Ingredient Chocolate Mousse Ingredients 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream, divided 1 cup good-quality chocolate chips or coarsely chopped chocolate (6 ounces) Garnish options: grated chocolate or crunchy toppings, such as chopped nuts, toffee, or brittle Directions Heat 1/2 cup of the cream in a microwave-safe bowl for 1 minute. Add 1 cup chocolate chips and stir to combine. Set the bowl aside for 5 minutes for the chocolate to melt. Whisk the chocolate and cream together until smooth. Set aside to cool while you whip the remaining cream. Place the remaining 1 cup cold cream in a medium bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer or with a whisk by hand until soft peaks form. Transfer 1/2 cup to a small bowl and refrigerate for topping the finished mousse before serving. Continue whipping the remaining whipped cream until stiff peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the cooled chocolate mixture with a large spatula in three additions. Work swiftly and gently and don’t stress if there are streaks of cream in the chocolate mousse. Divide the mixture between 4 ramekins or cocktail glasses. Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 4 before serving. Dollop with the reserved softly whipped cream and sprinkle with grated chocolate, chopped hazelnuts or toffee, or anything your heart desires!

Serves 4 Ingredients 4 chicken breasts 3 medium carrots 1 pound brussels sprouts 4 medium yellow potatoes 1 medium red onion 3 tsp dried thyme 1 cup chicken broth 3 cloves garlic 1/3 cup sour cream 2 Tbs all-purpose flour 2 tsp garlic salt 2 Tbs butter 4 Tbs olive oil Salt and pepper to taste Wash and dry all produce. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Halve Brussels sprouts. Peel, then cut carrot into 1/4-inch rounds. Cut potatoes into 1/2-inch pieces. Roughly chop the red onion into 1/2-inch pieces. Peel, then mince or grate garlic. Add potatoes, Brussels sprouts, carrots, half the onions, half the garlic, half the thyme and 1 tbsp oil on a baking sheet. Season with pepper and half the garlic salt, then toss to combine. Arrange evenly into a single layer. Roast in the middle of the oven, stirring halfway through cooking, until golden-brown, 20-24 min. While veggies roast, pat chicken dry with paper towels. Add chicken, remaining thyme, remaining garlic salt and 1 tbsp oil to a large bowl. Season with pepper and toss to coat. Heat a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add 1 tbsp oil, then chicken. Cook, until golden-brown, 2-3 min per side. Remove the pan from heat. Transfer chicken to the baking sheet, on top of veggies. (NOTE: Give the veggies a stir before adding the chicken.) Roast in the middle of the oven, until chicken is cooked through, 10-12 min. While veggies and chicken roast, heat the pan from the chicken over medium heat. When hot, add 2 tbsp butter, remaining onions and remaining garlic. Cook, stirring often, until onions soften, 2-3 min. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and cook for 1-2 min. Add chicken broth. Cook, stirring often, until sauce slightly thickens, 4-5 min. Remove pan from heat, then stir in sour cream. Thinly slice chicken. Divide veggies and chicken between plates. Spoon pan sauce over top.