holidays

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Havarti Mashed Potatoes!

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Havarti Mashed Potatoes! The best kept secret for staying organized during the flurry of activity of family gatherings is “make-ahead” recipes that have the oven doing most of the work. By creating this side dish the day before, you eliminate everyone hovering in the kitchen while you whip it up at the last minute. And leftovers are a breeze because they automatically become Divine Duchess Potatoes.* Do yourself a favor, enjoy that glass of wine with your guests while the mashed potatoes bake in the oven.

HAVARTI MASHED POTATOES

Ingredients:

10 potatoes, peeled and cut up

4 tablespoons butter, softened

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup yogurt

1/2 teaspoon rosemary

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 cup Havarti cheese, shredded

1/2 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded

1 tablespoon parsley

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Place potatoes in a 4 quart pan. Cover with water. Salt if desired. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to medium-low and cook potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well. Add butter and mash. Slowly add milk beating slowly to eliminate lumps. Add yogurt, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Beat vigorously until potatoes are fluffy. Fold in Havarti cheese. Transfer to casserole dish and top with cheddar cheese. Bake uncovered 30-35 minutes. Garnish with parsley.

*Leftovers can be used to make Divine Duchess Potatoes. See link

https://snapshotsincursive.com/2015/11/13

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Leeks and Wild Mushroom Stuffing!

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Leeks and Wild Mushroom Stuffing! With the holiday season on the horizon, here’s a tasty side dish that is sure to please. If you have the time, I suggest substituting homemade breadcrumbs (which is about one loaf of day-old bread) for the stuffing mix. I split the difference and added homemade croutons on top of the casserole.

LEEKS AND WILD MUSHROOM STUFFING

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

5 ounces shiitake wild

mushrooms, sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 large leeks, sliced

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup butter

1 teaspoon parsley flakes

6 ounce box chicken stuffing

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a covered casserole dish. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the wild mushrooms and sauté until browned, approximately 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; set aside. Using the same pan, add one tablespoon olive oil. Sauté leeks and celery until translucent, approximately 7-8 minutes. Set aside. In a medium saucepan, heat chicken broth, butter, and parsley flakes. Bring to a boil. Stir in contents of stuffing mix. Remove from heat; cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork. Fold in wild mushrooms, leeks, and celery. Stir until well combined. Transfer stuffing mixture to the prepared casserole dish. Bake covered for 20 minutes; remove lid and bake 20 minutes longer. Serve warm.

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Cranberry Loaf!

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Cranberry Loaf! Like the magic of sugar plums dancing in your head, ordinary bitter-tasting cranberries are transformed into deliciously sweet quick breads simply by creaming butter and sugar together until smooth and fluffy. The sugar and vanilla extract enhance the flavor while the walnuts give it a nice crunch. If you prefer an orange glaze or dollop of cream cheese, be my guest. Once the Cranberry Loaf popped out of the oven, I slathered on a thick layer of French sea salt butter and forgot about anything else.

CRANBERRY LOAF

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, room temperature

2 cups sugar

4 eggs, one at a time

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup light cream

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, slightly chopped

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325°. Grease and flour two loaf pans. Set aside. In a food processor, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, pulsing to mix. Add vanilla extract and pulse again. Stir together flour and baking soda. Beginning with flour mixture, gradually pulse into food processor with creamed butter, alternating with light cream. Repeat until combined, being careful not to over-beat. Fold in walnuts and cranberries. Spoon batter evenly into two loaf pans. Bake 60-70 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean. The loaves will have a rich, golden color.

Eating My Way Through the Holidays: Yuletide Favs!

Eating My Way Through the Holidays: Yuletide Favs! Good times naturally accompany good food. Every family has its favorites. Some indulge in time-worn traditions while others enjoy modern classics. As you embrace the holidays with companionship, nostalgia, food, or festivities, celebrate the spirit of the season. In the next few weeks, join me as I share favorite foods as well as healthy options. Bring it home for the holidays with Yuletide Favs! Follow me on Instagram @gail_dorna or check in with me on Twitter @Snapshotsincursive. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter Y

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Front-Runner Favs: Yam Streusel Boats! Root vegetables are our friends. Yams, also known as sweet potatoes, contain more healthy fiber and Vitamin A than white potatoes. Plus they are lower in calories. Granted today’s recipe has a streusel topping, but think about it. When you eat a baked (white) potato, do you add butter, sour cream, and crumbled bacon? I know, right! Obviously portion-control is part of the equation in making healthy choices. With the holidays on the horizon, think warm, comfort foods containing root vegetables. 
YAM STREUSEL BOATS
Ingredients for Yams:

2 medium sweet potatoes 

1 tablespoon olive oil

Sea salt

1 tablespoon butter, softened

1 teaspoon maple syrup 

1 pinch cinnamon 

1 pinch chipotle chili powder 
Ingredients for Chipotle Pumpkin Seeds:

2 tablespoons butter, melted 

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/8 teaspoon raspberry chipotle rub

3/4 cup pumpkin seeds
Ingredients for Streusel Topping:

1 tablespoon flour

1/3 cup brown sugar 

1 tablespoon butter, softened 

1/4 cup chipotle pumpkin seeds, chopped 
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Rub sweet potatoes with olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt. Pierce the top with a knife. Place potatoes directly on the oven rack. Bake one hour. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop the flesh into a mixing bowl. Place potato shells on a baking sheet. Slightly mash the sweet potato flesh. Add butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, and chipotle chili powder. Whisk until smooth. Spoon mixture equally into yam shells. For seasoned pumpkin seeds, combine butter, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, and raspberry chipotle rub. Whisk well. Put pumpkin seeds in a ziplock bag. Pour butter mixture over all. Seal and shake to coat. Transfer seeds to a baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes. Toss and bake 5 minutes longer. Cool. Chop 1/4 cup of seasoned pumpkin seeds for topping. For streusel topping, use a medium bowl. Combine flour, brown sugar, and butter. Mix well. Topping should be crumbly. Fold in chopped pumpkin seeds. Sprinkle streusel topping over mashed sweet potatoes. Bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven and serve. 

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Special Edition: Himalayan Salt Plate Lox and Bagels

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Special Edition: Himalayan Salt Plate Lox and Bagels! My newest kitchen “toy” is the Himalayan Salt Plate. Not only does it create a stunning presentation, it brings a subtle and unexpected flavor to foods served on it. First, chill it in the refrigerator overnight. It then becomes a serving platter on the table or buffet line. Everything lays directly on the salt plate to absorb the nutrients. I chose Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon, for starters, with all the trimmings for an exquisite banquet. The lox is traditionally smoked and sliced thin. It smells divine when I break the seal. Arrange hard-boiled egg slices for essence and red onion for a blend of slightly sweet gusto. Sprinkle on imported nonpareil capers for seasoning that lingers. Slather toasted bagels with the creamy Neufchâtel cheese mixture before adding ingredients. Top with fresh dill which pulls everything together, in my opinion. Now dig in. 
HIMALAYAN SALT PLATE LOX AND BAGELS
Ingredients:

4 ounces applewood smoked salmon

2 hard boiled eggs, sliced 

1/4 red onion, sliced

2 tablespoons imported capers, nonpareil

2 sesame bagels, split and toasted

4 ounces Neufchâtel cheese

1 tablespoon Greek yogurt

Fresh dill sprigs
Instructions:

Mix the Neufchâtel cheese and Greek yogurt until smooth, light, and creamy. Slather onto a toasted bagel. Top with smoked salmon pieces, hard boiled eggs, red onion slice, and imported capers. Garnish with fresh dill sprig. 

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Special Edition: Jell-o Shots With Sugared Cranberries 

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Special Edition: Jell-O Shots With Sugared Cranberries! The holidays ring in the cheer with festive activities, enticing food, and snappy beverages. Make things awesome with dressed up Jell-O shots that cap off any occasion. Not only do they have an elegant look, but they satisfy the sweet tooth as a miniature dessert. By creating a garnish of fresh fruit with the sugared cranberries, it’s a classy finish with a gourmet twist! 
JELL-O SHOTS WITH SUGARED CRANBERRIES 
For Make-Ahead Sugared Cranberries:

2 cups sugar, divided

1/2 cup filtered water

12-ounce bag fresh cranberries 

1 cinnamon stick

1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions:

Combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup filtered water in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved, about 3-5 minutes. Add cranberries. To prevent cranberries from bursting, do not boil. Stir until well coated. Using a slotted spoon, transfer cranberries to a wire rack. Let dry for one hour. Working in batches, roll cranberries in remaining sugar until well coated. Refrigerate for one hour or overnight. Store in airtight container. 
Ingredients for Jell-o Shots:

3-ounce package raspberry gelatin 

1 cup boiling water

1/2 cup amaretto liqueur 

1/2 cup ice water

Sugared cranberries Rosemary sprigs
Instructions:

Empty contents of raspberry gelatin packet into a mixing bowl. Add boiling water. Stir until completely dissolved, approximately 2-3 minutes. Add iced water and amaretto liqueur and iced water. Stir well. Pour into shot glasses. Refrigerate until set, 4 hours or overnight. Garnish with sugared cranberries and rosemary sprigs just before serving. 

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Special Edition: Green Bean Casserole 

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Special Edition: Green Bean Casserole! Can we ever get enough of this all-time favorite side dish? I think not! It seems there are all sorts of variations on this classic holiday casserole. Some of my friends only use French-style green beans while others prefer freshly snapped. And the seasonings are all over the map from Hawaiian sea salt medleys to crushed Midwest garden herbs. I keep it simple because, honestly, once you add the French fried onion rings, everything else takes a back seat. 
GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE 
Ingredients:

2 cans whole green beans, drained and cut-up

1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted 

1/2 cup light cream

1/8 teaspoon Mrs. Dash herb and garlic seasoning

1/8 teaspoon seasoned salt

1 1/2 cups French fried onions
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325°. Spray a medium casserole dish with nonstick spray. Combine green beans, cream of mushroom soup, light cream, herb seasoning, and salt. Mix well. Fold in 1/2 cup of French fried onion pieces. Place in casserole dish. Spread evenly. Arrange remaining French fried onion rings over top around the edges leaving the center open. Bake 30-35 minutes. 

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Special Edition: Olive Tapenade 

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Special Edition: Olive Tapenade! Here’s a nice prelude to an evening meal. Forego the usual focaccia bread and herbed olive oil for a southern France hors d’oeuvre instead. By using an exotic mixture of olives and spices, it creates a versatile condiment for crackers, bread, cheese, and vegetables. Later on, serve it over pasta or fish as another option. Whatever you choose, seek adventure. You won’t be disappointed in the mellow salty garlic flavor lingering long into the night. 
OLIVE TAPENADE 
Ingredients:

1/2 cup green olives with pimentos 

1/2 cup black olives, pitted 

1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted

2 tablespoons capers

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper 
Instructions:

Combine all ingredients. Pulse in a food processor for several minutes. Scrape sides and repeat. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for one hour. Serve with crusty artisan bread or pita chips. Tastes great spread over cream cheese for party flavor.