Downton Abbey Tea Shortbread

My husband loves Downton Abbey, we both do. For his birthday party we had all of our friends dress up and enjoy a party "Downton" style. I loved it. And of course we had to have tea. Twinnings English Breakfast is my favorite but to make tea a little more special I added a heart shaped cookie perched on every tea cup. I decorated them with white chocolate and edible pearls and edible gold dust, but truth be told you could make this shortbread for anything, it cuts and bakes beautifully.

Here is what you need:
2 1/2 cups of flour
3/4 cup of sugar
1 cup of butter (softened to a cool room temperature)
2 teaspoons of vanilla
2 Tablespoons of cream cheese  (softened to a cool room temperature)

Here is what you do:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F
2. Using a standing mixer add all of the ingredients
3. Squich all the dough into two fat patties, wrap in plastic cling wrap and place in the fridge.
4. One at a time roll out the dough to about 1/3 to 1/4 of an inch thick and cut with cookie cutters.
5. Place on parchment paper and bake for 10 minutes. Or until the edges turn a slight golden color. They shouldn't get brown.
6. Cool completely before decorating, adorn as desired.

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

Easy Cream Biscuits

As far as baking homemade bread, nothing gets easier than cream biscuits. They take no time to stir up, there are only 2 ingredients, and you can make them in your muffin pan so you just drop them and they pop up perfect every time. This is my go to for lazy winter breakfast treat. Serve it with good homemade jelly, or butter, or gravy... yum gravy. 

What you need: 

2 cups of Self-Rising Flour

1 cup of heavy cream 

muffin tin

non-stick spray

What you do: 

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. 
2. Mix the flour and cream together just until it combines
3. Drop dollop fulls into a greased muffin tin
4. Bake for 10 minutes
5. Enjoy, greedily with coffee and pepper jelly 

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

Homemade Shallot, Currant and Cranberry Sauce

I love cranberry sauce, I love it on everything. This year I choose to dress up mine with some excellent bourbon, shallots, butter, dried currants and of course, cranberries. I love to eat it cranberry sauce but I also love to make it. It is so tootin easy. So, please do make some and enjoy you for your holiday season. 

What you need: 

1 tablespoon of butter

2 shallots diced

1/2 cup of dried currants

1 bag of fresh cranberries

1/2 cup of honey

1 oz of bourbon

salt to taste

What you do: 

1. Saute the shallots with butter over medium heat until tender and translucent. 
2. Add the currants, cranberries, and honey. Cook over medium heat until the cranberries burst, stirring occasionally to ensure the bottom does not scorch. 
3. Add the bourbon and cook for another minute or two. 
4. Let cool off of the heat and enjoy. 

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

Barley with Sweet Potato and Andouille Sausage

I am loving this new cookbook One Pan, Two Plates: More Than 70 Complete Weeknight Meals. This meal is a fantastic weeknight fall meal. Start to finish it takes about 45 minutes, but much of it can cook while you check your email or empty the dishwasher. I amended some of the recipe based on what I had in the house. 

What you need: 

2 cups of chicken broth
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 green onions
1 large sweet potato, peeled, cut into 1/4 inch dice
1 cup of pearled barley (also called 10 minute barley)
1 cup of diced andouille sausage
salt
3/4 cup of white wine
1/2 cup of Parmesan 
2 tablespoons of fresh basil
1/4 cup of frozen peas
zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons of butter
1/2 cup of half and half 
pepper to taste

What you do: 

1. Pour the vegetable broth into a glass measuring cup and microwave on high for 3 minutes. 
2. Heat the 12 inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. 
3. Cook the white parts of the green onion, sweet potato, barley, sausage, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. 
4. Toast the barley and render the sausage.
5. Add the wine and scrape the bits of flavor from the bottom of the pan. 
6. Add the hot stock and cook for about 10 minutes. Taste and check doneness, the barley should be al dente. 
7. Add the cheese, basil, peas, lemon zest, butter and half and half. 
8. Taste and adjust seasoning garnish with
   green onions and cheese shavings. 

As always many blessings, much love and happy cooking. 

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!

Italian Beef Roast and Raw Zucchini “Noodles”

I love me my pasta. But in the summer, I am open to a respite. Something lighter, crunchy, and a great use of garden zucchini. The beef roast was nothing more than a crockpot delight, because also in the summer I am less inclined to heat the house with an oven. The best part of the dinner was that putting it together took less than 5 minutes. And although, I cannot say the entire meal was toddler friendly, my little guy did like the “noodles”

Italian Beef Roast

·         1 Beef Roast (3-4 pounds)

·         3 large tomatoes

·         1 small onion

·         4 cloves of garlic

·         1 cup of red wine

·         Bunch of basil, thyme, parsley, and rosemary tied together with twine so it is easy to remove

·         Salt and Pepper

·         Large Crockpot

What you do:

1   1.      Cut the tomatoes, onions, garlic.
2.     Put all of the ingredients in the crockpot and set on low for eight hours or on high for four             hours.
3.     Keep warm

Raw Zucchini “Noodles”

·         3 small zucchinis

·         ½ lemon

·         ½ cup of basil and parsley mix

·         Parmesan Reggiano

·         Salt and Pepper

·         Mandolin or a sharp knife

What you do:

1.       Use your mandolin or a sharp knife to make long thin match sticks of the zucchini.

2.       Squeeze the juice of half lemon over the zucchini noodles.

3.       Chiffon the herbs and mix into the zucchini and lemon mix.

4.       Top with your Italian Beef Roast, sauce, parmesan, and salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

As always, many blessings, much love!