Roasted Beets

Roasted beets, this is less of recipe and more of request. Please try roasted beets they are absolutely delicious. Forget what you had as a child and try these. Think of it as a sweet, savory, easy vegetable side dish. 

What you need: 

6 beets with tops trimmed

foil

salt, pepper, and olive oil to serve

What you do: 

1. Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees F

2. Wash and dry your beets

3. Wrap in foil 

4. Bake for about an hour, pierce with a fork to make sure they are done

5. When cool enough to handle rinse them under running water and rub the skins off. 

6. Quarter and serve with salt, pepper, and olive oil

As always, much love, many blessings, and happy baking. 

Sweet Potato and Cauliflower Vadouvan Curry

If you are looking for a easy comfort food you can make your crock pot and it will warm you up on chilly February days, look no further. Sweet potato and cauliflower curry is delish, filling, and super healthy.

What you need:
4 medium sized sweet potatoes, about 2 pounds, peeled and quartered
1 large head of cauliflower, washed and cut into florets
2 large onions, peeled and diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
4 cups of vegetable stock
1 can of coconut milk
3 tablespoons of curry powder ( I love Vadouvan also known as French Masala)
salt and pepper to taste
red pepper to taste
sliced almonds and quinoa to serve

What you:
1. Wash and dry your produce.
2. Peel and chop your produce.
3. Add all of your ingredients to your crock pot (set to high if you 4 hours, or low if you have 8 hours).
4. Serve with quinoa and sliced almonds on top as a garnish.

Enjoy, as always much love, many blessings and happy crock potting.  

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Parmesan and Pepper

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Parmesan and Pepper

Roasted winter squashes might be one of my favorite parts of fall. This is an easy no fuss and healthy dinner that even you’re most avid carnivores and “carbivores” will enjoy with gusto. While the squash takes a while to roast, you don’t need to do anything while it roasts, and then you can throw everything together in under 10 minutes. It is based on a classic Roman dish Spaghetti Cacio y Pepe. I just replaced the spaghetti with squash... cute huh? 

What you need

1 large spaghetti squash (about 5 pounds)
4 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
3/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus extra for serving

What you do

1. Heat the oven to 400°F and put a rack in the middle
2. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds
3. Brush the flesh with a tablespoon of the olive oil and add a good sprinkle of salt and grinds of pepper
4. Put the squash cut side up on a cast iron skillet or a lined baking sheet.
5. Roast for about an hour until fork tender
   
6. Let cool, so you don’t burn your hands, and using a fork scrape out your “noodles”
7. In a cast iron skillet heat olive oil over medium heat.
8. Add chopped garlic, salt and pepper
9. Cook until lightly brown and fragrant, about 2 minutes
10. Turn off the heat
11. Add the squash and toss
12. Add cheese a little in at a time so it melts into the dish slowly
13. Serve with a nice Chardonnay and an easy green salad for a perfect early fall evening

As always, many blessings, much love, and happy cooking!

Heirloom Tomato Pie with Homemade Ricotta

Heirloom Tomato Pie with Homemade Ricotta

Tomato Pie! This is a Old Southern Recipe that I modernized with the inclusion of ricotta and removal of mayonnaise. I call these recipes "Charm Recipes" because that is what they are, charming. Oh... and it is delicious! Think deep dish pizza with juicy chunks of tomato instead of sauce.

What you need:

4 large ripe tomatoes
20 or so basil leaves
8 oz of fresh mozzarella
1/3 cup of ricotta
salt
pepper
olive oil drizzle
pastry dough (store bought or your favorite recipe) 

What you do:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 F
2. Roll out your pastry dough and place in an oiled cast iron skillet or greased pie plate
3. Cut up your tomatoes, basil leaves, and mix in mozzarella, ricotta, salt and pepper
4. Push the pie dough with your fingers into the skillet or pie plate 
5. Prick with a fork, and bake alone for about 10 minutes.
6. Place tomato mixture in pie shell and drizzle with olive oil
7. Bake for 35 minutes or so, until the top is brown and bubbly

Bonus Recipe: Homemade Ricotta

What you need:

2 quarts of whole milk
1 cup of heavy cream
2 Tablespoons of white vinegar
1/2 a teaspoon of kosher salt1 large saucepan
thermometer
cheesecloth
colander
large bowl

What you do:

1. Heat the milk and cream until it reaches 180 degrees F
2. Take off the heat and stir in the vinegar, and stir for 30 seconds
3. Stir in the salt, and stir for another seconds
4. Set a folded quartered cheesecloth in a colander and set in a large bowl
5. Gently pour the milk into the cheesecloth lined colander/bowl
6. Leave to drip on the counter for about 20 minutes or alternatively you can set in the fridge over night and allow the whey gently to drip out.

As always, much love, many blessings, and happy baking!

Fennel, Apple, Celery Salad

I know veggies in the winter can be a depressing endeavor... but I have a easy, crisp, citrus salad that will put the zip back into your winter menu. This salad is brought to you by the fantastic kitchen gadget the mandolin, if you don' t have one, a knife can do the work, but the mandolin does make it very easy, just be careful and use the guard to protect your finger tips. 

What you need: 

1 small fennel bulb

3 celery stalks

1 small apple

2 Tablespoons of regular olive oil

1 Tablespoon of citrus olive oil (or lemon juice)

1 Tablespoon of tarragon vinegar (apple cider vinegar and some fresh tarragon chopped)

salt and pepper

What you do: 

1. Thinly slice your fennel and celery and lay on a large platter. 

2. Flip the cutter on your mandolin and finely julian the apple and add to the platter. 

3. In a small jar add the oils, vinegar, salt and pepper. Shake vigoursly, and pour over your salad. Toss with your hands. 

4. Enjoy with gusto and crunch. 

As always, many blessings, much love and happy winter!  

Chicken Pot Pie

This Chicken Pot Pie recipe is the best chicken pot pie I have ever had. My good friend Leslie sent me the recipe and we endeavored to make Chef Anne Burrell's recipe, you can find the original here . I have modified it some to account for size and personal taste. This recipe makes a large casserole dish worth of pot pie, and it is the bomb. 

For the crust: 

1/4 cup of butter (1/2 a stick) cold cut up into small cubes

1/2 cup of cream cheese (1/2 a package) cold cut up into small cubes

3/4 cup of flour

salt and pepper 

1 egg yolk

you may need a tablespoon of cold water, but i did not. it depends on the humidity of your house. 

1 egg for the egg wash

For the filling: 

1 large sweet potato

2 Tablespoons of oil

2 large ribs of celery

2 small carrots

1 large red onion

2 cups of cooked chicken (rotisserie or left overs) 

1 cup of green beans cut into small pieces

2 large cloves of garlic minced

6 fresh sage leaves, cut up very small

6 stems of fresh thyme

Salt and pepper

For the gravy: 

1/4 cup of butter (1/2 a stick) cold

4 Tablespoons of flour

4 cups of good chicken broth 

Here is what you do: 

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. 

2. Peel and dice your sweet potato and roast for 20 minutes. 

3. While your potato is roasting make your dough. Using your food processor, dump all of the ingredients in and run until a ball of dough is formed. It may take a while. If it is still too dry add some cold water. Wrap in cling and place in the fridge to chill out.

4. Get your veg for the filling ready. Dice up all of your veg. In a large pot, add the olive oil and cook the vegetables until they are fragrant and the onions are translucent. Add the garlic, sage, thyme, salt, and pepper. Take off the heat. Add the chicken and stir.  Take your roasted sweet potatoes out of the oven and stir into your mixture.

5. Turn your oven down to 350 degrees F.

6. Make your gravy. You’re going to make a roux, which is nothing more than butter and flour used as thickener for the stock. Put your butter and flour in heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat. Whisk the mixture until it is a light golden color and smells nutty. Add the stock and let simmer, whisking occasionally until thick, about 8 minutes.

7. Now assembly. Using a deep dish, I used by a 9 by 13 casserole dish, spray with non-stick cooking spray. Add the vegetables and chicken. Pour the gravy over top. Roll out your dough the size of your baking dish from 1/8 to ¼ inch thick. Place over top, cutting vents for steam to escape. Fork or fold in the overhang so the crust neatly tucked in. Brush with a beaten egg to form the egg wash.

8. Bake 30-40 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Enjoy with good friends, a nice light red wine, and if you can, a fire.

As always, many blessings, much love, and happy baking.