LOVE BIRD

LASDI ©

We don't really celebrate Valentine's Day at Vintağe.  I mean, we DO, but we don’t REALLY. There are several reasons.  One, we celebrate our love for one another EVERY DAY!  No need to pick out one day in particular to prove it as far as we're concerned.  Second, a traditional Valentine’s with all the gifts, roses, candy, and the like, seems like frivolity for our finances.  Now that doesn't mean we don't love love, and we think the world of people who DO celebrate the day!  And being the Themer I am, February means an entire month of wearing red, hearts, and cooking in theme, too!  

This particular meal was definitely dedicated to the Love of My Life, The Hubster.  It was simple, but tasted complex, easy, yet tasted as though I'd been cooking all day!  

Being the low-carb girl of The Fam, I made the rice with bean pasta shaped like rice for the low-glycemic effect, but you can use regular arborio rice or even brown or long grain!  The key here is to make the meal with love, present it with love, and LOVE IT when ya eat it, no matter WHAT time of year it is!

LOVE BIRD

4 slices bacon (see notes)

extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

4 chicken breasts

sea salt, pepper to taste

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 stick butter

1 cup parmesan

1 cup heavy cream

1 lb cooked rice of your choice

1 large jar of roasted red peppers in water

1/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350, put bacon on a baking sheet, and cook to desired doneness (see notes).  While the bacon is cooking, heat a heavy pan (I use my cast iron!) until lightly smoking.  Salt and pepper chicken on both sides, sprinkle a little evoo into the pan and carefully add the breasts.  Keep on medium-high heat and sear until caramel brown, about four minutes on each side.  Remove from the pan and set aside; remove bacon from the oven and also set aside.

Add chopped onion and pepper to the pan and lower heat to medium.  Cook until slightly translucent and a bit of brown starts to show.  Sprinkle it with a little sea salt and pepper and stir.  Meanwhile, add butter to a medium-sized saucepan on medium heat.  Once melted, add parmesan and the cup of heavy cream, stirring until combined.  Add your cooked rice and stir.  Remove onion/pepper mixture from the pan and add to the rice mixture, gently folding until combined.  Place in a warmer to thicken to a risotto-like consistency and to stay warm until you're ready to plate.

Add the roasted red peppers and jar water to the chicken pan on medium heat, and cook on high until the water has evaporated.  Remove from heat.  With a hand blender, carefully blend until the peppers have a thick consistency.  Add the 1/4 cup heavy cream and blend again.  Place the pan back on medium heat and add your seared chicken breasts to the pan.  Allow to come to a slight boil, flip the chicken breasts and cook another few minutes until tender.

Plate your rice, then gently place your chicken on top using a small spoon to pour some of the sauce in the pan on top.  Place bacon on top of the chicken.  I also used a red pepper to top the whole thing with a "heart", but that's totally optional!  

Enjoy this rich meal with a glass of rosé and dedicate it to the love of YOUR life, too!

NOTES: I use uncured bacon with no nitrites or nitrates, which can intensify the flavor.  Don't use smoked bacon of any kind in this recipe as it will change the flavor profile.  I also put the bacon in the shape of a heart before putting it in the oven to go along with the theme!  Then I lay the red pepper heart on top for added HEART!

BRINE & WINE - MIGHTY FINE!

LASDI ©

Every year I cook one heckuva turkey for Thanksgiving! The fascinating part is that I believe it gets better with each year! No, I mean it. Each year The Fam says it is the best turkey yet. And then they say it the following year, and they're right!

Much like I am always interested in trying harder to be a better person with each day, and developing a recipe for excellence in my life, I do the same with my food - especially the coveted Thanksgiving turkey!

I have learned the key to the juiciest bird - BRINE, BRINE, BRINE! It's easy, and totally worth it. I have included my specific brine recipe below, but want you to know that betwixt immersing that giant poultry into its flavorful baptism and the beautiful carvings by The Hubster placed on your plate, I also create one of the very best white wine gravies you wilL ever put in your mouth! Wine, wine, wine! Yes, Yes, Of course other things take place, like slathering tons of herbs and butter between the skin and the bird and blasting it with 500 degree oven heat for the first hour of cooking, but the end result from the first step and the last step are what truly make the turkey incredible.

So for the sake of your day of giving thanks, allow me to share what everyone seems to THINK is a SHEcret!

God bless you all, and a very Happy Thanksgiving to you for this holiday and every day!

SHE'S TRADITIONAL TURKEY BRINE

15 - 18 lb turkey

2 gallons gallon of water

2 cups kosher salt

2 cups dark brown sugar

10 bay leaves

2 tbs whole black peppercorns

1 pkg fresh rosemary

1 pkg fresh thyme

1 pkg fresh sage

1/2 cup star anise

1/4 cup whole cloves

2 pbs juniper berries

In a clean bucket or insulated cooler, add one gallon of water, salt and sugar and stir until dissolved, about 2 minutes. Place your washed turkey (to which you have already taken out the neck and innards), and submerge into the container. Pour enough of the remaining water to cover the turkey, add your herbs and spices. Gently poke them down a time or two to submerge in water briefly. If you are using a bucket, place in the fridge; if using a cooler, cover with a light layer of ice. Brine for one-to-three days, consistently putting another layer of ice if it melts if using a cooler.

Remove from brine prior to cooking, and pat both inside and outside dry with a paper towel. Cook however you like!

WHITE WINE GRAVY

1/2 stick butter

2 shallots, minced

3 tbs all-purpose flour

1 small bottle white wine (I use sauvignon blanc)

1 32 oz container chicken broth

1 tsp white pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

sea salt & pepper, to taste

On medium heaT, melt butter in a large stock pot. Add shallots and cook until just turning brown on the edges. Add flour and stir. Cook for about a minute-and-a-half, stirring constantly. Add a tiny bit of wine, about a half cup, whisking while pouring. Once the mixture becomes thick, add another half cup, whisking while pouring. Once thickened. Pour a little chicken stock into the pot, also whisking while pouring. Lower heat to a simmer, add spices, and whisk every so often until it thickens. Add a splash of white wine and a splash of chicken stock, interchanging until desired consistency. Pour over turkey. Or straight into your mouth after it cools. Drink remaining white wine from a vessel of your choice! Happy Thanksgiving!

BOLO BELLA

LASDI ©

The transition from summer to autumn is more than just a seasonal solstice change in my house.  Those of you who love Autumn best of all the seasons know exactly what I'm talking about.  It's a feeling.   And it runs DEEP.  It's in the air, it's in the colors, and it's in the food!

It's the season I love the most when it comes to cooking.  The switch from August to September is my hard line in the sand (pun intended), and I start to make the change without waiting for the official date.  This meal is one of my go-to's for that change, and it follows all the things I just spoke about: the smell in the air while you're cooking this meal will transition you into the time of year; the layers of burgundy, auburn, orange, and purple colors on the plate bring about the the genuine acknowledgment that this meal goes along with the transformation; and once you taste it, YOU KNOW FALL HAS ARRIVED!

This meal is perfect for Sunday Supper, Meatless Monday, the vegetarian or plant-based eater(s) in your life, or for any time while the season is in place!  Though I put it over low-carb pasta, it is hearty enough to eat without it.  

This does require just a smidge more work than the usual recipes I like to post, but it is worth every bit of it.  TRUST ME!

Eat every bite slowly, knowing the season will pass quickly, and enjoy the blessings of the seaon you're in!

EGGPLANT LENTIL BOLOGNESE

1 large purple eggplant

extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

1 large onion, diced small

4 stalks celery, diced small

4 carrots, diced small

8 oz pkg mushrooms, diced small

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 can tomato paste

2 tsp garlic powder

3 tbs fresh oregano, minced

3 tbs fresh basil, minced

3 cups cabernet (2 for the recipe, 1 for you to drink whilest cooking!)

1- 28 oz can petite diced tomatoes

1 pkg lentils, cooked

sea salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

Rub the eggplant lightly with evoo just enough to coat it in a thin layer. Wrap it in foil tightly and place in a preheated 375-degree oven. Bake until very tender, about an hour. Cook lentils according to instructions, draining any excess liquid left over.  Place eggplant and lentils aside to cool.  On a medium-high flame, heat a large, heavy saucepan (I use my cast iron Dutch oven!) for about a minute.  Pour enough evoo to cover the bottom and let it warm about fifteen seconds.  Add your veggies, a sprinkle of sea salt and pepper, and stir.  Brown the vegetables until caramelized and soft, about ten minutes, stirring about every two minutes or so. Add in the garlic powder and the fresh herbs, stir, and cook another minute or so.
Add the tomato paste, stir, and let cook another minute or so (see notes). Stir in 2 cups wine, diced tomatoes and stir.  Change your heat to low, and cook about five minutes.  While this is cooking, remove your cooled eggplant from the foil and scrape the insides from the skin onto a cutting board.  Mash with a fork.  Carefully add your eggplant and lentils to the pot, sea salt and pepper to taste, and continue to cook another ten minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken and marry.  Serve over pasta, if desired, and especially serve with a side of cabernet baby bella mushrooms and onions.

NOTES: when you add the tomato paste and stir, it may seem as though it is sticking to the bottom of the pan.  This is great!  Once you pour in the wine, scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon and get all that flavor into the sauce! 

CABERBET BABY BELLAS & ONIONS

extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

2 large onion (purple, if you want that depth of Autumn color!), cut in half and sliced

3- 8 oz pkgs baby bella mushrooms, sliced

1 tsp garlic powder

2 cups cabernet

sea salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

Heat a large, heavy pan (I use my cast iron!), on medium-high heat until it smokes slightly.  Pour in about 2 tbs of evoo, and add your sliced onion.  Stir the onion, evening it out and let sit for about two minutes, or until you see the bottom starting to brown, then stir again.  Add your garlic powder and stir again. Let sit another two minutes or so, add another 3 tbs evoo to the pan, then add your mushrooms and stir again, evening out the mushrooms and onions.  Stir about every two minutes, until the onions and mushrooms have a beautiful caramel color.  Add a half cup of wine and let cook until all the wine is reduced and absorbed by the mushrooms and onions.  Do this over again, a half cup at a time until all the wine has been used and is completely absorbed by the mushrooms and onions, and the mixture seems a bit creamy.  Add your salt and pepper, stir, (see notes). Serve with eggplant lentil bolognese!

NOTES: do not salt until you are almost ready to serve, as the salt will draw out liquid from the mushrooms and you will end up with a pan full of brown water instead of purple creamy goodness!

Sweet Widdle Punkin'

LASDI©

This perfect crown jewel of the Autumn Season turned out BEYOND!! Look, even if you’re not a super-huge cheesecake fan OR if you hate all things pumpkin, I cannot tell you how much you need to try this recipe!! TRUST ME - no matter what - you will love this. You. Will. LOVE THIS……It looks daunting at first, but I promise it’s a cake walk! (No pun intended!!)

1 and 1/3 cups graham crackers crumbs

1/4 cup melted butter

2- 8 oz okgs cream cheese , softened

1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar

4 eggs

1 cup (or one can) pumpkin

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp clove

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp allspice

The very important part here is to preheat your oven; HOWEVER COMMA, you must preheat it lower than standard ovens start, which is typically at 350. YOU MUST PREHEAT YOUR OVEN TO 300 FOR THIS RECIPE SO AS TO SLOW COOK HIS BABY TO ITS RIGHTFUL BEAUTY.

Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, including up the sides as much as possible. Combine the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter in the 9x 13-inch pan prepared pan, and press to the bottom evenly. In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar on low speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, but do not over-blend. Spoon half of the mixture over the crust and carefully spread evenly. Add the pumpkin puree and all spices to the remaining cream cheese mixture and blend until smooth. Carefully spoon over mixture in pan.

Bake 45 minutes minutes or until just set. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Turn off the oven and leave the door barely open to allow the cheesecake to cool slowly, for about 45 minutes or until oven has cooled. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before cutting into desired shapes. They can be cut into bars, but in my case, I use a circular cutter. I whip some heavy whipping cream and freshly-grated nutmeg together and top the pumpkin cheesecake with a dollup. These SCREAM autumn!!!! (The DAUGHTS just informed me that it is actually National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day at the time of this blog post! How ya like them punkins??)

DROP IT LIKE ITS HOT

LASDI©

It is SO HARD during the holidays to eat healthy, isn't it??  What is it about the season that makes us (me included!) think that it's a free-for-all?  Well this year I have been super-intentional about making sure The Hubster and I don't constantly indulge, but rather try to make healthy foods that taste rich and delicious; like we're not missing out.

So for Meatless Monday (which does NOT sound rich and delicious, does it?) I decided to make something souper-rich (see what I did just there?) with an Asian flare.  And this low-almost-no carb meatless dish did NOT disappoint!  Hot soup on a cold day!  PS  This is so easy it shouldn't taste like the indulgence we experienced!

CARAMELIZED ONION AND EGG DROP SOUP

1 onion, halved, both halves sliced thinly

3 tbs extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

1 tsp sea salt

pepper

32 oz box chicken broth

1/4 cup soy sauce

3 green onion, chopped coarsely

3 eggs

1 tbs water

2 tbs sesame oil

Sprinkle evoo into a soup pot and heat on medium-high for about one minute.  Add onions, stir, and let them cook, untouched, for about three minutes.  Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper to taste, stir, and let them cook, untouched, for another three minutes.  Stir, and let cook, untouched for another five minutes. or until caramelized and brown.  Pour chicken broth and soy sauce over onion and bring to a boil, add green onions then turn heat down to low.  Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes and turn heat back up to medium.  Whisk eggs and water in a separate bowl until well-blended and a little frothy.  Slowly pour into the soup mixture, whisking the soup as the eggs go in.  Cook an additional minute or two.  Turn off heat, add sesame oil and gently stir.  Serve with garlic sesame not-bread sticks. 

NOTES: I garnished with chopped parsley, but cilantro would also work here, or no garnish at all would still be yum!

GARLIC SESAME NOT-BREAD STICKS.

(a variation of Fat Head Dough)

3/4 cups almond flour

2 tbs cream cheese

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella

1 tbs garlic powder

pinch of sea salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 egg

1/4 cup sesame oil

sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a bowl, add almond flour, cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, garlic powder, sea salt, and pepper.  Microwave for one minute.  Stir and microwave another 20 seconds.  Add egg and stir until egg is blended into dough.  place between two pieces of parchment paper (see notes) and shape into a rectangle about 1-inch thick.  Remove top piece of parchment paper and bake for about fifteen minutes or until just golden brown.  Spread sesame oil over top of baked dough, sprinkle with desired amount of sesame seeds and bake another five minutes.  Take pizza cutter and slice into bread sticks.  DIP INTO CARAMELIZED ONION AND EGG DROP SOUP!!

NOTES: Parchment paper is key here.  I've tried this with foil and it is sorely disappointing.  PARCHMENT PAPER.  Trust me.

This combo is PERFECT and comforting for this cold holiday weather as well!  Merry Christmas!

HAM IT UP!!

SHE2016©

This was a Christmas catering job, and it was so much fun!  The menu was magical, and not only perfect for the season, but great for the cooling winter months!  There was Shiner Bock beer bread with sweet honey-cream butter, bacon-wrapped green bean almandine stacks, a honkin-huge bowl of salad with honey mustard vinaigrette, sweet potato casserole with home-made marshmallows melted on top,  red velvet stack cakes, and the most gorgeous ham with orange-balsamic-honey-mustard-and-clove glaze.  And that, Ladies & Gents, is the recipe that follows!

ORANGE BALSAMIC HONEY MUSTARD & CLOVE GLAZE

juice and zest of a large orange

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

1/2 cup honey

2 tbs ground clove

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth.  Baste ham as it bakes, and pour remaining glaze over the ham as soon as it comes out of the oven.  Let rest.

NOTES: I used organic aged balsamic and orange blossom honey, but I'm certain any variation on this recipe with similar ingredients would taste just as amahz!!

On the Third Day of Christmas - I Got Goosed!

SHE©

Our tradition after Christmas Eve Service is Chinese Food takeout because we have usually worked the service somehow, whether I'm leading worship or we are managing the Guest Services Team; this year, I catered with 600 cake ball truffles.  Soooooo, no cooking on Christmas Eve!  Of course, that changes come the next morning when we make the traditional Christmas goose.  So by day-after-Christmas, it's time to figure something out for leftovers!  I took the leftover goose and stir-fried it with veggies in the fridge needing to be cooked, and put it over the leftover fried rice.  It was pretty dang good!!

canola oil

1 pnd leftover Christmas goose (or any comparable meat like chicken or turkey)

1 crown broccoli, chopped

1/2 bok choy, choppped

1/2 red onion, chopped

1 cup red cabbage, chopped

1 cup cilantro

1/4 cup peanut butter

3 tbs soy sauce

1 tbs brown sugar

2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced

sesame oil

leftover fried rice (or your own home-made!)

In a wok or heavy pan, coat the sides and bottom of pan up to about 1/2 inch and heat on medium high for about a minute or so.  Add all ingredients up to peanut butter and cook through, about three minutes, stirring occasionally.  Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, and garlic cloves.   Add to the wok, stir through and let cook for one more minute.  Remove from heat.  Serve over reheated (or fresh) fried rice!

NOTES:  Want low-carb?  Simply omit the rice!  

YOUR (CHRISTMAS) GOOSE IS COOKED! (With Hanukkah Flair)

SHE©

Every year for Christmas dinner, we make a traditional Jewish feast.  Though we are not Jewish, I think it turns out pretty authentic.  It consists of braised brisket, smoked goose, a noodle kugel, a vegetable side (this year was Parmesan-crusted baked green beans) and a rugelach for dessert.  It's truly amazing and we always take our time eating so we can savor every single, beautiful bite.  For the sake of this blog post, I am going to offer you the Christmas-inspired brine recipe I used on the goose prior to The Hubster smoking it.  It made for the juciest and most-moist goose EVER.  Shepen naches!

CHRISTMAS GOOSE BRINE

1 goose!

6 quarts cold water

One 12-ounce bottle amber beer, preferably Christmas blend, room temperature

1 cup kosher salt

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 pkg poultry seasoning (fresh thyme, rosemary and sage)

1 pkg star anise

2 cinnamon sticks

1/2 cup pumpkin pie spice

In a large pot, bring 1 quart of water to a boil over high heat. Add the beer, salt, sugar, fresh herbs and spices.  Stir until the sugar is dissolved.   Pour the hot brine into a container large enough to hold the turkey (I use a clean and sanitized igloo cooler) and add the remaining quarts of cold water to cool the brine. Place the turkey into the brine, making sure it is entirely submerged. Cover the container tightly with a lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.  When you're ready to cook (or smoke) the goose, remove from the brine and pat dry with paper towel.