Olive Oil Cheese Dip
Posted by: alliemarien on: December 29, 2009
- In: appetizer| dip
- Leave a Comment
with new years coming up i thought it would be fitting to share some favorite dips and appetizers. the perfect party keeps dishes light, delicious, and finger friendly. no one wants to sit down and eat a heavy full course meal with their martini (although that might be a safer bet). this recipe comes from my favorite local chain. i’m normally not a big fan of chain restaurants as they tend to recreate dishes that resemble food but are actually closer to cardboard. not your average joes does it right…
Olive Oil Cheese Dip
¼ c pecorino romano cheese (substitute parmesan cheese)
1 tsp red pepper flakes
4 oz olive oil
½ tbs chopped garlic
mix it all together in a bowl and serve with focaccia bread.
tips
- focaccia bread is a type of italian flat bread that is usually topped with herbs like rosemary. it can also have onions, cheese, or meat on top.
- pecorino cheese is a sheep’s milk cheese, and because it is hard and salty it can be interchangeable with parmesan cheese.
Dill New Potatoes
Posted by: alliemarien on: December 24, 2009
mashed potatos are a go to dish for most people around the holidays. they’re traditional. and like some traditions the potato could use an overhaul. the perfect potato balances smooth and creamy with crunchy and crisp. but how? try these dill new potatoes. seriously look at that crust…
Dill New Potatoes
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
2½ pounds small new potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons chopped dill
melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot. add the whole potatoes (i cut larger ones in half so they all are roughly the same size), salt, and pepper and toss well. cover the pot tightly and cook over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, until the potatoes are just tender when tested with a small knife. from time to time, shake the pot without removing the lid to prevent the bottom potatoes from burning. turn off the heat and allow the potatoes to steam for another 5 minutes. toss with the dill, and serve hot.
this recipe was taken from ina garten…isn’t she just amazing? you could also add other herbs like parsley or dill.
another one to try are crispy roasted rosemary potatoes…but i’m saving that for another snowy day. till then have a merry christmas!
Roasted Leg of Lamb
Posted by: alliemarien on: December 22, 2009
- In: lamb
- Leave a Comment
for as long as i can remember we’ve celebrated christmas eve with family at our house. we’re dressed to the nines and we sit down to enjoy a meal that never falls flat. but this year we’re going down south for the holiday. so we spent this past sunday having a pre-christmas dinner. nothing says the holidays like a roast; whether it’s roast beast beef or a pot roast you know it’s christmas time. my mom made this lamb…quite possibly the best home cooked meal i’ve had in a long time.
Roasted Leg of Lamb
1 boneless leg of lamb
2 tbs herbs de provence
1 tbs salt
1 c red wine
1 c beef broth
fit an roast pan with aluminum foil and place lamb in pan. then pour in red wine and broth then sprinkle with herbs de provence and salt, and then cover with foil. roast at 300 degrees for 2 1/2 hours. it might cut a little tough, but it’s a tender bite.
tips
- use any red wine that you’re willing to drink. since you’re just using a cup drink the rest with dinner.
- herbs de provence are a mixture of herbs that grow in southern france in the summer time. it includes thyme, chevil, rosemary, lavendar, tarragon, mint, oregano, summer savory, marjoram, and bay leaves.
- you can make a gravy with the roasting juices once the meat is cook. start with two tablespoons of butter with two tablespoons of flour and then slowly whisk in the liquids over medium high heat. the gravy will thicken once it starts to simmer.
Gingerbread House Tips
Posted by: alliemarien on: December 19, 2009
you want to make a gingerbread house, but you’ve never made one before…you buy a kit. that’s ok, it’s the quickest and easiest way to get started. but now here’s the challenge: how do you give an ordinary “cookie-cutter” house a personalized look? here’s a few ideas…
use milk duds as cobblestones – make a walk way to the front door, a stone wall, or siding
use necco wafers or andies for shingles
use gum or licorice as shutters
use the candy included in the kit to make a stained glass window
use coconut as snow
use melted and molded marshmallow as smoke coming from the chimney
Minestrone Risotto
Posted by: alliemarien on: December 13, 2009
i never like to eat the exact same thing two nights in a row. there are too many tasty things in this world to eat from the same dish night after night. so if i have leftovers i make them into a new dish. last week we had leftover minestrone: a perfect starting point for risotto.
Minestrone Risotto
1 tsp oil
2 tbs onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 c arborio rice
3 tbs white wine
1 c soup broth
1/2 c soup veggies/meat
2 tbs parmesan cheese, freshly grated
in a sauce pan heat the soup broth over low heat covered. in a seperate sauce pan heat the oil over medium heat then add the onions once the oil starts to smoke. let cook for 4 minutes then add the garlic, cook till cooked (haha)…2 minutes. then add the rice and toast until lightly browned. pour in the wine and stir as it is added. once the rice has soaked up all the liquid add 1/8 c chicken stock and stir as it is added. once the rice has soaked up the liquid add more and continue till all of the chicken broth is used. then mix in the peas and the cheese. and enjoy.
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Posted by: alliemarien on: December 10, 2009
- In: breakfast| dessert| snack
- Leave a Comment
i’m not sure what’s gotten into me but i’ve become obsessed with making breakfast breads. it started out innocently enough in the summer with a surplus of zucchini, then it was apple bread, followed by pumpkin as the fall weather rolled in, and cranberry around thanksgiving. i’ll admit that doesn’t leave much left, but then i realized that i haven’t made banana bread in a while… aha!
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
5 1/3 tbs butter, at room temperature
2/3 c sugar
2 eggs
1 1/3 c flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 bananas, mashed
1 c semi sweet chocolate chips
preheat the oven to 350 degrees. and spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray. set aside.
cream the butter with the sugar then add the eggs one at a time. in a seperate bowl mix the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. then add to the butter mixture and fold in the bananas and the chocolate chips.
pour the mixture into the loaf pan and bake for 55-60 minutes.
tips
- it’s important for the butter to be at room temperature and not melted. when it’s at room temperature the sugar can then be evenly distributed, if it is melted you will have unequal amounts of sugar and butter through the bread.
- buy the bananas a few days before you make the bread. it’s best if they are ripe, so they can mash easily.
- nuts are also an option. i would recommend walnuts for this recipe.
Sweet Dreams Chocolate Fudge
Posted by: alliemarien on: December 8, 2009
it’s that time of year. and i love to share the tastes of the season with family, friends and coworkers. that’s what it all about. my mom and i decided to make this fudge, because it’s so easy to make, you don’t need a candy thermometer. so get a non-stick pot and get to work…
Sweet Dreams Chocolate Fudge
1 (7-ounce) jar marshmallow cream
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups milk chocolate
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
line an 8 by 8-inch pan with aluminum foil. set aside.
in a large saucepan over medium heat, combine marshmallow cream, sugar, evaporated milk, butter, and salt. bring to a full boil, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly until thick.
remove from heat and pour in the milk chocolate chips. stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. stir in nuts and vanilla. pour into prepared pan. chill in refrigerator for 2 hours or until firm.
this recipe is by Max Brenner as seen on Paula’s Best Dishes.
tips
- you can find a similar recipe on jars of marshmallow cream.
- evaporated milk is different than sweetened condensed milk. both go through an evaporation process removing a good amount of water. but condensed milk has added sugar, while evaporated milk does not.
- the aluminum foil makes it easy to remove the fudge from the pan in one big piece. you can then slice it into smaller pieces on a cutting board.
Carbonara Risotto
Posted by: alliemarien on: December 3, 2009
so there i was in the kitchen and i needed to cook dinner to go. i wanted carbonara and i wanted risotto….so i figured why not push them into a lovely marriage with one another. in any other circumstance pushing something/someone into marriage would not be desirable…but this works. this dish has the same creaminess of the carbonara with the bacon and peas, but in a risotto. the recipe is for one dinner portion, the amounts for 4 servings are in parenthesis.
Carbonara Risotto
1 tsp oil (2 tbs)
2 tbs onion, diced (1/2 c)
1 slice of bacon (4 slices)
1 garlic clove, minced (4 cloves)
1/4 c arborio rice (1 c)
3 tbs white wine (2/3 c)
1 c chicken broth (4 c)
1/3 c peas (1 1/3 c)
2 tbs parmesan cheese, freshly grated (1/2 c)
in a sauce pan heat the chicken broth over low heat covered. in a seperate sauce pan heat the oil over medium heat then add the onions once the oil starts to smoke. let cook for 4 minutes then add the bacon and the garlic, cook till cooked (haha)…2 minutes. then add the rice and toast until lightly browned. pour in the wine and stir as it is added. once the rice has soaked up all the liquid add 1/8 c chicken stock and stir as it is added. once the rice has soaked up the liquid add more and continue till all of the chicken broth is used. then mix in the peas and the cheese. and enjoy.
tips
- arborio rice must be used to achieve the creamy texture that only their starch can provide.
- if you want to make the dish a little more figure friendly but eat your bacon too, cook the bacon seperately (whether in the microwave or on the stove) then crumble it in at the end.
- you can also use pancetta since that is more authentic, but bacon is what i had on hand. you can also use ham.
Recent Comments