Fruit in the Winter

I love browsing the internet for recipes.  Just by Googling a specific ingredient, I come up with hundreds, even thousands, of unique recipes.  Some are immediately copied & saved to my recipe book.  Others are bookmarked, with the intention of coming back to the later.  Then there are those that scare me just reading them.

I've stored this recipe in the 'copied & saved to my recipe book' file.  Who can possibly say no to mango & pomegranate...no matter what time of the year it is?

Chicken Salad With Mango And Pomegranate

by Peggy Bourjaily

Makes 2 servings

1 whole, bone-in chicken breast, roasted

2 cups arugula
2 slices Vidalia onion, or any sweet onion
1/2 mango cut into thin slices
Seeds from 1/2 a pomegranate

6 to 10 cilantro leaves

6 to 10 large shavings of parmesan cheese (use a vegetable peeler), or another salty, hard cheese

Dressing

1/4 cup pomegranate juice from half a pomegranate*
1/8 cup champagne vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

* To squeeze, cut the pomegranate in half and squeeze like a lemon over the measuring cup. Be careful — pomegranate juice stains.

Combine the pomegranate juice, vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper in a sealed container. Shake vigorously until well combined.

Make an even bed of arugula on a platter. Top here and there with chicken slices. Follow with a ring of Vidalia onions atop the chicken slices. Next scatter the mango. Sprinkle the pomegranate seeds all over, and follow with a leaf of cilantro every few inches. Drizzle 2 to 3 tablespoons of dressing over the salad and finish it off with parmesan shavings.

Those dreadful leftovers!

My favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner is the leftover turkey sandwich that I enjoy around 8:00pm while crashed on the couch watching Jim Carrey movies.  After that, I'm stuck with all these leftovers, staring at me each time I open the refrigerator door!  To avoid throwing them out, I start digging through my recipe books looking for exciting new ways to make good use of them.

When I was growing up, my mom always made a huge pot pie the day after Thanksgiving, using everything except the mashed potatoes & dressing.  That left me wondering why the dressing couldn't be used in place of the biscuits as a topping. 

So, I went searching and found this yummy recipe that uses pretty much everything from the Thanksgiving dining table!  Enjoy!

Turkey & Dressing Pot PiePrep Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 1 hr


2 cups diced leftover cooked turkey
2 cups leftover turkey gravy
2 (16 ounce) bags frozen mixed vegetables (canned or already cooked works well too)
2 cups leftover prepared stuffing (more if desired)
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground sage
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt


Directions:
1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees (176 celsius).
2 Cook vegetable mix according to package instructions; drain well.
3 Mix together turkey, vegetables, garlic powder, sage, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
4 Spoon vegetable and turkey mixture into a 9 x 13 rectangular cake pan.
5 Pour gravy over the vegetable/turkey mixture.
6 Top with stuffing, spreading evenly over all.
7 Bake for 30 minutes or until hot and the stuffing crust is brown and crispy.

Change it up a bit by using mashed potatoes as the base of a 3 quart casserole dish.
For the filling, use 3 cups turkey, 1 can sweet peas, one can kernel corn, 2 lumps of mashed sweet potatoes, and a little over 2 cups of gravy. Continue with step 6.  Enjoy!

Still baking...

Pecan Pie...my favorite!!!

Smells Like Thanksgiving

Momma's kitchen is smelling a lot like Thanksgiving...

White Chocolate Oatmeal Craisin Cookies

Craisins.  Those yummy little dried cranberries that come in a bag. I can't seem to get enough of them.  They add the perfect touch to chicken salad, a little zing to your morning cereal, & a bit of zip to these amazing cookies.

White Chocolate Oatmeal Craisin Cookies


⅔ c. butter or margarine, softened
⅔ c. brown sugar
2 large eggs
1-1/2 c. old-fashioned oats
1-1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 6-oz pkg (1-1/2 c.) Craisins Dried Cranberries
⅔ c. white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using an electric mixer, beat butter or margarine & sugar together in a medium mixing bowl until light & fluffy. Add egg, mixing well. Combine oats, flour, baking soda & salt in a separate mixing bowl. Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in Craisins & white chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack. Makes approximately 2-1/2 dozen cookies.

Tradition tells us to serve...

According to Associated Content, the most popular pie for Thanksgiving is Pumpkin, coming in at #2 on the Most Popular Thanksgiving Foods list.  Apple pie is #9 & Pecan is a sad, #10.

Growing up, we always had a pumpkin & a pecan pie on our table.  Actually, we usually had 2 of each.  Mom's pies looked like something out of a movie.  Perfect crust.  Creamy pumpkin & golden pecans.  I've tried to make my pies as perfect as hers over the years but I don't think that will ever happen.  After all, her maiden name was Cook.

Thoughts about holiday cooking...

You've spent all day cleaning house, making sure you have all the ingredients for tomorrow's big meal, & then it dons on you..."I have to plan breakfast for my guests!!!"  Just then, you realize that you will be cooking, not one, but two big meals in one day! 

You could throw some frozen waffles in the toaster or, perhaps, make a run to the local donut shop & hope they have something other than glazed to choose from. 

OR...

You could contact Momma's Muffins right now, while the thought is in your head, & place an order for some tasty Morning Glory Muffins or Sunday Morning Maple Muffins.  Heck!  Why not get a couple of Thanksgiving pies while you're at it?  It would definitely cut down on your kitchen time, leaving you more time to spend with family & friends.

Naan Bread

While hanging out in my favorite, local diner this morning, chatting with fellow coffee drinker, our conversation fell upon the topic of Indian Food.  We discussed the difference in curries & the amazing taste of black rice (something I will definitely have to try).  He then asked if I had ever eaten naan bread, a yeast-raised East Indian flat bread with a delicious chewy texture.  When I asked what it was, he immediately whipped out his iPhone & pulled up a website full of mouth watering photos.  This, of course, peaked my interest & I immediately made a note to find the recipes when I got home.

After checking out a few different websites & recipes, I found one that I think would be perfect to start with (since it's so new to me).  Tonight, my kitchen will have the smell of East India lurking in the air.  Just hope it goes well with tonight's dinner menu...tuna salad.



Naan Bread

"A yeast-raised East Indian flat bread with a delicious chewy texture."


Ingredients

2 tablespoons warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

1 teaspoon white sugar

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm milk

1/4 cup plain yogurt, room temperature

4 tablespoons melted butter

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds


Directions


1.Put warm water in a small bowl, add sugar and yeast and stir until dissolved. Set aside for 5-10 minutes or until it foams.


2.Blend in the warm milk, yogurt and melted margarine. In a large bowl, mix flour, salt, baking powder and poppy seeds. Pour in the yeast/milk mixture all at once and work it into the flour, using your hands. Continue mixing, adding flour or water as needed, until the mixture leaves the sides of the bowl.


3.Knead for 6 to 8 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth and let stand in a warm place to rise for about 4 hours or until doubled in volume.


4.Preheat oven to 550 degrees F (285 degrees C) or your oven's highest setting and set a rack in the lower third of the oven. Place a large pizza pan or iron griddle on the rack and preheat. Also preheat the broiler.


5.Punch the dough down and knead briefly. Divide into six pieces and shape them into balls. Place them on an oiled plate and cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap. Let balls rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Roll out and stretch each ball until it is about 10 inches long and 5 inches wide. Remove the pizza pan from the oven, brush with oil and place one of pieces of bread on it.


6.Bake at 550 degrees F (285 degrees C) for about 4 to 5 minutes until bread is puffed and has brown spots, then transfer to a wire rack, returning pizza pan to oven to keep hot. Place bread under broiler until 'charcoal' dots appear on the surface. Wrap finished bread in a towel while baking the remaining loaves. (If your pizza pan is big enough, try baking two loaves at the time.)

Lemon Lavender Loaf

Lavender Lemon Cake


I found this recipe while searching for photos of a lemon-lavender pound cake. Thank you to YummyMummyKitchen for sharing it on her blog.






Ingredients:


For the cake:


8 sprigs pesticide-free fresh lavender flowers, or 1 tsp. finely chopped,
pesticide-free fresh lavender leaves, plus flowers for decorating
(optional)


1 1/4 cups superfine sugar
16 Tbs. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons

Pinch of fine sea salt

4 eggs

1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups ground blanched almonds

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
 For the icing:

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
Juice of 1/2 large lemon, or as needed


Directions:


Preheat an oven to 350°F. Generously butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.
 To make the cake, strip the flowers from the lavender sprigs. Place in a food processor and add the superfine sugar, butter, lemon zest and salt. Process until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, alternating with one-fourth of the flour, beating well with a wooden spoon after each addition. Gently stir in the ground almonds and the lemon juice.
 Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and bake until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the pan and turn the cake out onto the rack. Place right side up and let cool.
 Meanwhile, make the icing: Sift the confectioners' sugar into a bowl. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the lemon juice, a few drops at a time. The icing should be thick but spreadable. If it is too stiff, add a little more lemon juice.
 Using a knife and dipping it in hot water if it becomes too sticky, spread the icing over the cooled cake, making sure that it drips down the sides. Let stand until the icing is set, about 1 hour. Decorate the cake with fresh lavender flowers. The cake will keep, stored in an airtight container without the flower garnish, for up to 3 days. Serves 8 to 10.

Beef & Butternut Squash Stew

Before my mother passed away this summer, we were faithful veiwers of the Food Network.  Some of her favorite cooks were Rachel Ray, Paula Deen, & Giada...just to name a few.  Last winter, while watching an episode of "Giada at Home", our mouths began to water as she put together a luscious beef stew.  Her secret was butternut squash.  That evening, I doned my apron & put together the most amazing pot of stew I've ever made, thanks to Giada. 

Now that winter is coming back around, my taste buds are ready for another pot of this delicious stew...

Beef & Butternut Squash Stew

Ingredients

3 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 pounds stew beef, cut into 2-inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup Marsala wine
1 pound butternut squash, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
3 to 4 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley
Crusty bread, for serving


Directions


In a large soup pot heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.

Add the onions, garlic, rosemary, and thyme and saute until the onions are tender, about 2 minutes.

Toss the beef cubes in salt and pepper and flour. Turn up the heat to med-high and add the beef to the pot. Cook until the beef is browned and golden around the edges, about 5 minutes.

Add the Marsala wine. Using a wooden spoon, gently stir up all the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.

Add the butternut squash and sun-dried tomatoes and stir to combine.

Add enough beef broth to just cover the beef and squash. Bring the stew to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 1 hour.

Season the stew with additional salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley.

Serve with crusty bread alongside.

Where have all the pictures gone?

I signed on today & found that all my pictures are gone!

Who took them?  Where did the run away to?

This mystery must be solved!