recipes

Last week, I headed up to New Jersey with Shannon and Zareen to join in Ladies Night In with Chef Marcela. It was an absolute blast and Chef Marcela was absolutely darling. She made some absolutly DEVINE Mexican food (which I'll be sharing soon – no worries) and as the evening was hosted by Sauza Tequila, there were some killer drinks! Here are my two favorites:

Citrus Cooler Margarita

Serves 6

The perfect way to combine tequila and wine. The wine makes the tequila taste so fruity. It is irresistible!

Ingredients:

1/2 part white wine
1 part limeade
1 part lemon lime soda
1/2 part Sauza Tequila Blanco

Method of Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in a pitcher. Mix well. Serve cold or iced.

***
Warm Winter Margarita
Serves 4
Perfect for a cold day. This drink is full of flavor and makes the tequila blend smoothly.

Ingredients:
28 oz apple juice
1 cinnamon stick
2 cups dried fruit of your choice
2 tbs granulated sugar
6 oz Sauza Tequila Blanco

Method of Preparation:
Combine apple juice and cinnamon in a heavy pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and
simmer for 10 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick carefully. Add sugar, dried fruit, and
tequila. Mix well. Serve warm.

I made a TON of these for the bake sale at Ellie's school and they were one of the first things to sell out. These are huge and will remind you of the ones sold at Starbucks! Seriously YUMMY!

Amazing Rice Krispies Treats

6 tbsp unsalted butter
8 cups miniature marshmellows
12 cups Rice Krispies
1/2 – 3/4 cups miniature marshmallows

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add 8 cups of miniature marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.

2. Add Rice Krispie cereal and stir until well coated. Add additional miniature marshmellows and stir in.

3.  Using a spatula sprayed with Pam or wax paper, press mixture into a 9x13x2 pan sprayed with Pam. (Pan will be FULL!) Let cool. Then cut into large squares.

I know I've posted this one before, but this is such a great dish for Easter dinner! You will not be sorry!

Herb-Roasted Leg of Lamb

12 large unpeeled garlic cloves, divided
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 (6-pound) boneless leg of lamb, trimmed and tied
4 to 5 pounds small unpeeled potatoes (16 to 20 potatoes)
2 tablespoons good olive oil

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place the
oven rack in the lower third of the oven so the lamb will sit in the
middle of the oven.

Peel 6 of the cloves
of garlic and place them in the bowl of a food processor fitted with
the steel blade. Add the rosemary, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon
pepper, and butter. Process until the garlic and rosemary are finely
minced. Thoroughly coat the top and sides of the lamb with the rosemary
mixture. Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Toss
the potatoes and remaining unpeeled garlic in a bowl with the olive oil
and sprinkle with salt. Place in the bottom of a large roasting pan.
Place the lamb on top of the potatoes and roast for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2
hours, or until the internal temperature of the lamb is 135 degrees
(rare) or 145 degrees (medium). Remove from the oven and put the lamb
on a platter; cover tightly with aluminum foil. Allow the lamb to rest
for about 20 minutes. Slice and serve with the potatoes.

recipe origin: Barefoot Contessa Family Style

You can really use any fruit to make this cobbler – blueberries or blackberries are my favorite or apples are always yummy! I made this up by combining two recipes, so sorry for how imprecise it is!

Fruit Cobbler

topping:

2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup heavy cream

fruit:
2 cups blueberries, blackberries, other fruit
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour

Make the topping: Whisk together dry ingredients, then add heavy cream and mix until moist.
Make the fruit: In an 8×8 baking pan (or equivalent – I use a 12-inch oval baking dish), toss fruit with sugar and flour. (Add 1/4 tsp cinnamon if using apples. And adjust sugar based on tartness of the fruit you are using.) Use your fingers to crumble topping on top of fruit. Sprinkle with sugar, if desired.
Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes, or until topping is lightly browned and juices have thickened slightly.

This really came out perfect! I'll never roast a chicken any other way! (I skipped the fennel)

Perfect Roast Chicken

1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh thyme, plus 20 sprigs
1 lemon, halved
1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks
1 bulb of fennel, tops removed, and cut into wedges
Olive oil

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Remove
the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any
excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally
salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the
bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the
outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and
pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing
tips under the body of the chicken. Place the onions, carrots, and
fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme,
and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place
the chicken on top.

Roast the chicken
for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a
leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover
with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a
platter and serve it with the vegetables.

Recipe origin: The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

After seeing Julie and Julia, I’ve been dying to make Beef Bourguignon. And when my new Le Creuset French Oven arrived on my doorstep (in FLAME!) it was the first thing I wanted to make. I don’t have Julia’s cookbook, so I used Ina’s (since she’s my go-to girl!). It took forever, but it wasn’t hard and tasted totally amazing!! Please note the part in the recipe that calls for lighting the pan on fire. (My new pan! ON FIRE!!!) I was terrified, but I did it! My husband took a picture of my terrified face to prove it!

Beef Bourguignon

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon good olive oil
• 8 ounces dry cured center cut applewood smoked bacon, diced
• 2 1/2 pounds chuck beef cut into 1-inch cubes
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks
• 2 yellow onions, sliced
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic (2 cloves)
• 1/2 cup Cognac
• 1 (750 ml.) bottle good dry red wine such as Cote du Rhone or Pinot Noir
• 1 can (2 cups) beef broth
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, divided
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 pound frozen whole onions
• 1 pound fresh mushrooms stems discarded, caps thickly sliced

For serving:

nocoupons

• Country bread or Sour Dough, toasted or grilled and rubbed with garlic clove
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, optional

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Heat
the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium
heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly
browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate.

Dry
the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and
pepper. In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3
to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the seared cubes to
the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is
browned. Set aside.

Toss the carrots,
and onions, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat
in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until
the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more
minute. Add the Cognac, stand back, and ignite with a match to burn off
the alcohol. Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with the juices.
Add the bottle of wine plus enough beef broth to almost cover the meat.
Add the tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a
tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven for about 1 1/4 hours or
until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork.

Combine
2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the
stew. Add the frozen onions. Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of
butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned and then add to the stew.
Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and
simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste.

To
serve, toast the bread in the toaster or oven. Rub each slice on 1 side
with a cut clove of garlic. For each serving, spoon the stew over a
slice of bread and sprinkle with parsley.

Recipe Origin: Barefoot in Paris

I know what you're thinking… "Brussel sprouts?" But really – these are so, so very good. My sister made these on New Years Eve and they were a huge hit – even with the non-brussel sprout fans.  Gracie loves them – and I think they might be my new favorite veggie!

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

1 1/2 lbs brussel sprouts, trimmed and halved
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Seasoned pepper
5-6 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place a piece of foil on a cookie sheet and spray with Pam or drizzle with olive oil. 

Place brussel sprouts in a bowl, cover with olive oil and season
with kosher salt, seasoned pepper and minced garlic.  Mix and spread
onto cookie sheet.

Bake 10 minutes then turn.  Bake another 5-10 minutes.  Sprouts should be slightly brown on the edges.

recipe origin: my sister, Busy Girl

in honor of our upcoming trip…

Chicken Curry

1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken (thighs or breasts)
1 onion, halved and very thinly sliced
4-6 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
8 slices fresh ginger, peeled and very thinly sliced
1 tbsp curry powder
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground cumin
1 cup plain yogurt
1 package frozen peas (10 oz)
½ c toasted cashews (optional)

1. In a slow cooker, toss chicken with onion, garlic, ginger, curry, coriander and cumin. Season with salt and pepper. Cover; cook on high setting until chicken is fork-tender, about 4 hours. (Don’t be tempted to peek – keep the cover on while cooking.)
2. Stir in yogurt and peas; cover and cook until peas are heated, about 20 minutes.
3. Transfer chicken to a large bowl or plate and shred with a fork. Return to pot and toss with the sauce.
4. Garnish with toasted cashews, if desired, and serve over rice.

i think that the cashews make a difference – add a good salty crunch. i never make this without them!

This is one of our very favorite dinners!! Yum!!

Chicken Piccata

4 split (2 whole) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 extra-large eggs
1 ½ cups seasoned dried bread crumbs
Good olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons), lemon halves reserved
½ cup dry white wine
Sliced lemon, for serving
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for serving

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound it out to ¼- inch thick. (I sliced two chicken breasts in half lengthwise and then pounded thin.) Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

Mix the flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon of pepper on a shallow plate. In a second plate, beat the eggs and 1 tablespoon water together. Place the breadcrumbs on a third plate. Dip each chicken breast first in the flour, shake off the excess, and then dip in the egg and bread-crumb mixtures.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium to medium-low heat. Add 2 chicken breasts and cook for 2 minutes on each side, until browned. Place them on the sheet pan while you cook the rest of the chicken. Heat more olive oil in the sauté pan and cook the second 2 chicken breasts. Place them on the same sheet pan and allow them to bake for 5 to 10 minutes while you make the sauce.

For the sauce, wipe out the sauté pan with a dry paper towel. On medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and then add the lemon juice, white wine, the reserved lemon halves, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Boil over high heat until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Off the heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and swirl to combine. Discard the lemon halves. Serve one chicken breast on each plate, spoon on the sauce, and serve with sliced lemon and a sprinkling of fresh parsley.

Recipe origin: Barefoot Contessa at Home