Smokey Bean and Spinach Sliders

Michael and I found this blog, Thug Kitchen, with great vegetarian recipes but written in a certain "flair" (which is unsuitable for children but we find it hilarious).  This recipe for smokey bean and spinach sliders has been a great make-on-sunday-eat-during-the-week meal.

Like usual, I'm just going to cut-and-paste the recipe so please be warned that there are numerous expletives in the following text.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 cup chopped onion
3 cups cooked kidney beans or 2-15 ounce can
1/2 cup cooked brown rice (use leftovers)
4 cloves of garlic, chopped all small and shit
1 tablespoon liquid smoke (like I said, it is near the BBQ sauce at the store I swear. You haven’t even looked yet so stop complaining. It is there)
2 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons oregano
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
black pepper to taste
1/2 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs (any breadcrumbs you have are fine. Got nothing? Just toast up some bread until it is almost burnt looking and real dry then grate them shits or put them in a food processor to get some tiny fucking crumbs. They help soak up all the liquid so don’t leave this shit out)

Warm the oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease a large baking sheet. You can throw down some foil and then grease it if you are a lazy fuck like me and hate doing dishes.

Add the spinach and onion to a food processor and pulse until they are in tiny-ass pieces. Add the kidney beans, rice, garlic, liquid smoke, soy sauce, and seasonings and pulse until everything is all mixed up. It’s fine if a few larger pieces of the beans hang around but you want this looking like kinda paste-like. Place the bean-spinach mixture into a medium bowl and add in the fucking breadcrumbs. This should be slightly sticky and hold nicely when you form it into a ball. If it is too wet, add more breadcrumbs. Taste it and add more spices and whatever until it tastes good to you. Can’t do that shit with ground beef.

No food processor? It’s all good. Just cut up the spinach and the onion extra tiny and add everything but breadcrumbs to a big bowl. Now pound on that shit until it looks like chunky mash potatoes. Then add the breadcrumbs and do all the other shit I say above.

Divide the mixture into 16 patties if you are making sliders or 8 patties if you are making regular burgers. Whateverthefuck you want to do. Place them on the baking sheet, spray them lightly with oil (slow your roll, I said LIGHTLY) and bake for 15 minutes or until the bottom is a crispy golden brown. Flip the patties and bake for 15 or until both sides look awesome. If you are doing full size burgers you might need to let the sides go 5 extra minutes. Let them cool for a few minutes before serving. Pile them high with red onion, avocado, whatever additional deliciousness you’ve got and chow the fuck down.

Makes 16 sliders or 8 regular patties

And I know you all want more photos of our little bit of sunshine and smiles!  Here is our sweet little family photo...

And here he is with grandpap and grandma who came up from North Carolina to babysit a couple weeks ago while I went back to work for a few days.

And I just love this smiley little guy trying out his bumbo chair...

And here he is with our friend at his first dim sum brunch!  (He'll like it better when he can start eating the food!)

And our little man LOVES moving his arms to the song Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes!  Here he is playing along with our friend's 3-year-old - just TOO cute!

And lastly, here's our little monkey helping mommy out with the laundry.

It's going to be quite a transition to go back to work in a little over a week.  Thank goodness our daycare is in my office building so he's not too far away but I'm going to miss seeing that face and kissing that bald head all day long.

Steak au Poivre

Happy 3 month birthday to Heath!  The last few months have been like a blink of an eye and we can't believe he's growing up so fast!

He loves to see everything that's going on - especially at the dinner table.  And this was an especially good dinner to watch us eat!  Here's another pretty quick recipe from Food & Wine.

INGREDIENTS
Three 1-pound, bone-in rib eye steaks, cut 3/4 inch thick
Kosher salt
Coarsely crushed black peppercorns
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 shallots, minced
1/3 cup brandy
3/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup heavy cream

Season the steaks with salt and black peppercorns and let stand for 45 minutes.

In a cast-iron skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in the oil. Working in batches, cook the steaks over moderately high heat, turning once, until medium-rare, 7 minutes per batch; transfer to a board and let rest.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the skillet. Add the shallots and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, 2 minutes. Add the brandy and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the stock and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until slightly reduced, 3 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and simmer until slightly thickened, 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Season the sauce with salt.

Slice the steak and transfer to plates or a platter. Spoon the sauce on top and serve.

HEATH UPDATE...
What a difference a month makes:

And he even has a favorite book!

It's such a joy watching him grow.  I can't imagine how big he's going to be in just another 3 months!

Lamb Burger with Green Harissa

Here's a great summer lunch or dinner for those of us that don't have a ton of time to cook.... from Food & Wine, of course!

INGREDIENTS
1 pound ground lamb
1/2 cup cooked white rice
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for grilling
4 hot green chiles, such as serranos or jalapeños, thinly sliced
2 mild green chiles, such as Anaheim or yellow wax chiles, seeded and coarsely chopped
2 scallions, coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, smashed
Warm naan, chopped tomatoes and feta, for serving

Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. In a medium bowl, combine the ground lamb with the cooked rice, egg and 1/4 cup of the cilantro. Add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper and gently knead the meat to blend. Using lightly moistened hands, form the meat into 12 patties, about 1/2 inch thick. Brush the patties with olive oil.

Grill the patties over moderate heat, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 6 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the hot and mild chiles with the scallions, garlic and the remaining 1/4 cup of cilantro and pulse until chopped. Add the 1/4 cup of olive oil and process to a chunky puree. Season the harissa with salt. Wrap the lamb in the warm naan with tomatoes and feta. Spoon some of the green harissa on top and serve.

(MAKE AHEAD The green harissa can be refrigerated overnight.)

HEATH UPDATE!

We are enjoying late spring and summer with our little guy!  Maternity leave is coming to an end and our little man is charming us more and more everyday.  Here he is the last couple weeks...

Can't get enough of those little toes!!!

Here's Heath's first rugby function at the Australian Embassy - isn't that an intimidating face???  (Honestly, it's probably just gas but he looks like such a tough guy with his rugby shirt on!)

And last but not least, here's my favorite bath time photo of Heath in his tiger hooded towel.  Look at that GQ pose - such a cutie!

It's hard to believe that his 2 month birthday is Tuesday!  Time flies...

Pork-and-Green-Chile Stew w/ Side of Black-Bean and Yellow-Rice Salad

Oh my, has it been almost 7 weeks since our sweet Heath came into our world?  Time flies and he continues to bring so much joy into our lives with every little expression on his cute little face!

On a good night, Heath will allow Michael and I to sit down at the table for 10 minutes to eat dinner together (on a normal night, we take turns holding him while the other one eats).  I forgot if we got to both sit down for this particular meal, but I do remember it being really good.  Thank goodness Michael still has the energy to try great new recipes from Food & Wine!

Pork and Green Chile Stew
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds trimmed boneless pork shoulder, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large sweet onion, such as Vidalia, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
1 pound mild green chiles, such as poblanos and Anaheims—halved lengthwise, cored and thinly sliced
3 serrano chiles, seeded and thinly sliced (keep some seeds for spicier flavor)
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
Lime wedges, warm corn tortillas and rice, for serving

In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the olive oil until almost smoking. Season the pork cubes with salt and black pepper and add them to the casserole. Cook the pork over high heat, stirring once or twice, until lightly browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, green chiles, serrano chiles and garlic. Cover and cook over high heat, stirring once or twice, until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cover partially and simmer the stew over moderately low heat until the pork is just tender and the broth is reduced by about half, about 20 minutes.

Stir in the 1/4 cup of cilantro and season with salt and black pepper. Garnish the stew with cilantro and serve with lime wedges, corn tortillas and rice.

MAKE AHEAD The stew can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Black Bean and Yellow Rice Salad
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons cooking oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
2 3/4 cups water
1 bay leaf
1 2/3 cups drained and rinsed canned black beans (from one 15-ounce can)
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 tomatoes, diced
1 tablespoon wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 lime, quartered, for serving (optional)

In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, turmeric, cumin, 1 teaspoon of the salt, the black pepper, and rice. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes.

Add the water and bay leaf; bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is done, about 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaf.

In a large glass or stainless-steel bowl, combine the rice, beans, bell pepper, and tomatoes. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt, the vinegar, and parsley. Toss gently to combine. Serve with lime wedges, if using.

And here are some more photos of Heath:

Heath just a couple days shy of 1 month checking out his new stuffed lion

Heath at 5 weeks all dressed up for his Sip 'n' See in Chapel Hill, NC

First Mother's Day feat. Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb with Gremolata Pesto & Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Beans and Greens

Everyday is Mother's Day when you get to wake up to this face in the morning!

My appreciation for my own mother and for mothers everywhere has grown to a new level the last three weeks.  It's an amazing, rewarding, and sometimes frustrating experience that continues to enrich our lives every minute of everyday.

But even with the decreased free time with our little bundle of joy, Michael still managed to cook me a delicious Mother's Day dinner.  I'm a lucky girl! (Note: The Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Beans and Greens can totally be a mid-week meal! This was a great Pinterest find!)

Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb with Gremolata Pesto
INGREDIENTS
LAMB AND SAUCE
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Three 8-bone racks of lamb (1 1/2 pounds each), bones frenched and trimmings reserved (see Note)
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
6 large garlic cloves, chopped (about 3 tablespoons)
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 quart low-sodium beef broth
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, stems reserved
2 tablespoons chopped thyme, stems reserved
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

GREMOLATA PESTO
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 garlic cloves, smashed
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

PREPARE THE LAMB AND SAUCE In a large saucepan, heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the reserved lamb trimmings along with the chopped carrot, celery and onion and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of the chopped garlic and the chopped tomato and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the red wine and bring to a boil. Add the low-sodium beef broth and the reserved parsley and thyme stems and simmer over moderate heat until reduced to 1 1/4 cups, about 1 hour. Strain the lamb sauce into a small saucepan and spoon off the fat. Season the sauce with salt and pepper and keep warm.

Preheat the oven to 400°. Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. In a small bowl, combine the chopped parsley, chopped thyme and the remaining 2 tablespoons of garlic. Season the lamb racks with salt and freshly ground black pepper and coat with the herb mixture. Drizzle the lamb with olive oil and oil the grill or the grill pan. Grill the lamb over moderately high heat, turning once, until browned all over, about 5 minutes. Transfer the racks to a sturdy baking sheet.

Roast the racks of lamb for about 15 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the meat registers 130° to 135° for medium-rare. Let the racks rest for 15 minutes.

MEANWHILE, MAKE THE GREMOLATA PESTO In a medium skillet, toast the pine nuts over moderate heat, stirring, until they are golden, about 5 minutes. Let the toasted pine nuts cool slightly. Transfer the toasted pine nuts to a blender. Add the parsley leaves, garlic and grated lemon zest and pulse to combine. Add the olive oil and process until smooth. Season the gremolata pesto with salt and pepper.

Reheat the sauce. Carve the racks of lamb into chops and serve the chops with the sauce and pesto.

MAKE AHEAD
The sauce and gremolata pesto can be refrigerated overnight.

NOTE
Ask your butcher to french the racks of lamb (meaning scrape the fat and gristle from the bones); also be sure to ask the butcher to reserve all trimmings.

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Beans and Greens
INGREDIENTS
4 sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (4-inch) sprig fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cups (or 1 can) cooked and drained white beans
6 cups kale, trimmed and sliced into ribbons
Juice of 1/4 lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Scrub the sweet potatoes and prick them in a few places with a fork. Place them on a baking sheet and bake until soft all the way through, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Start the beans and greens about 15 to 20 minutes before the sweet potatoes are done.

In a wide, deep saucepan with a cover, heat the olive oil over low-moderate heat. Add the shallots and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, rosemary sprig, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for about a minute. Add the beans and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the kale, cover the pan, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until the kale is soft. Remove the rosemary sprig, stir in the lemon juice, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, slice each sweet potato lengthwise and push on the ends to open up the middle. Spoon the beans and greens into the center.

Chicken Goulash with Biscuit Dumplings

For a cool spring evening, this is a quick and delicious meal that his the spot.  Another Grace Parisi success in Food & Wine.

INGREDIENTS
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1 cup sour cream
1 large white onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons hot Hungarian paprika
3/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon thyme leaves

Preheat the oven to 425°. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dust lightly with flour. In a deep skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in the olive oil. Add the chicken and cook over high heat, turning once, until browned on both sides, 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a plate.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse the 1 1/2 cups of flour with the baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Pulse in the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk 1/2 cup of the stock with 1/2 cup of the sour cream and drizzle over the dry ingredients; pulse until a dough forms.

Add the onion, bell pepper and garlic to the skillet and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 minutes. Return the chicken to the skillet. Stir in the paprika and caraway and cook for 30 seconds. Add the remaining 2 cups of chicken stock and 1/2 cup of sour cream and stir until smooth. Add the thyme and bring to a boil.

Scoop twelve 3-tablespoon-size mounds of biscuit dough over the chicken. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the biscuits are cooked. Turn on the broiler and broil for about 2 minutes, until the biscuits are golden. Serve the goulash in bowls, spooning the biscuits on top.

AND FOR DESSERT...

... I used our favorite moist chocolate cupcake with vanilla buttercream recipe to make a layer cake with strawberries.  It was so good and so easy!  Just split the batter into two greased 8 or 9 inch cake pans instead of putting them in muffin tins.  Then spread the buttercream and chopped strawberries in the middle layer and on top.  It really quenched my chocolate craving!

And I figured we deserved it since we finished the baby's corner... I hope he likes it!

It won't be long now... the doctor said I could go into labor at any time.  We can't wait to meet the little guy!!!

Spicy Root and Lentil Casserole

This was a fabulous pinterest find from the BBC Good Food blog!  London isn't know for great food, but they sure have good taste in curry.  It's not authentic Indian curry, but it's quick, easy and pretty darn good for London curry!  Healthy too!

And it warms your stomach when it looks like this outside:

And I look like this inside:

As far as we know, Baby Merschat love curry too!  Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil
1 onion , chopped
2 garlic cloves , crushed
700g potatoes , peeled and cut into chunks
4 carrots , thickly sliced
2 parsnips , thickly sliced
2 tbsp curry paste or powder
1 litre/1¾ pints vegetable stock
100g red lentils
a small bunch of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
low-fat yogurt and naan bread, to serve

Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onion and garlic over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally. Tip in the potatoes, carrots and parsnips, turn up the heat and cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring, until the vegetables are golden.

Stir in the curry paste or powder, pour in the stock and then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, add the lentils, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the lentils and vegetables are tender and the sauce has thickened.

Stir in most of the coriander, season and heat for a minute or so. Top with yogurt and the rest of the coriander. Serve with naan bread.

Curried-Chicken and Vegetable Pan Roast

With all this winter weather, this is a cozy delicious dinner to make this weekend.  So yummy with naan and yogurt... mmmm... Food & Wine again, of course...

INGREDIENTS
2 pounds butternut squash in 1-inch cubes (from one 2 1/2-pound squash)
1 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts, halved
2 large red onions, cut into thin wedges
1 cup canola oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon Madras curry powder
4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs
Warm naan, for serving

Preheat the oven to 450° and position racks in the upper and middle thirds. In a very large bowl, toss the butternut squash with the brussels sprouts, onion wedges and 1/2 cup of the canola oil; season with salt and pepper. Spread the vegetables on 2 large, sturdy rimmed baking sheets.

In the same bowl, combine the cup of yogurt with the ginger, garlic, curry powder and the remaining 1/2 cup of oil and season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and toss until thoroughly coated. Arrange the chicken on top of the vegetables. Roast for about 40 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until the vegetables are nearly tender and the chicken is nearly cooked through. Pour off any accumulated liquid in the pans and roast for about 20 minutes longer, until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is lightly browned. Transfer the chicken and vegetables to a platter and serve with warm naan and yogurt.

MAKE AHEAD: The chicken and vegetables can be refrigerated overnight. Reheat gently before serving.

Beet and Orange Salad

I've been obsessed with oranges lately.  They're always on sale this time of year and so yummy!  One of our favorite salads that I just threw together is so simple, easy and delicious.  Just mix the following together:

Salad greens (I usually use spring mix or baby arugula)
Sliced beets (I boil and slice, but you can roast or buy it pre-cooked at Trader Joe's)
Coarsely chopped pecans (You can use walnuts or pine nuts too)
Dried cranberries (or golden raisins)
Goat cheese, sprinkled on top
Freshly ground pepper
Balsamic Vinaigrette (We love Trader Joe's brand)
Peeled and sliced oranges, arranged on top

So pretty and so yummy.  Enjoy!

Quick, Easy, Delicious Scones!

It's MLK Day and Inauguration Day and for some reason, I felt like making scones this morning... and I'm sure glad I did!  I just googled "easy scone recipe" and this link popped up... this is definitely going into the normal rotation.

I've altered the recipe a little bit since I wanted to use multigrain flour and I didn't have any heavy cream in the fridge, but it turned out so delicious topped with strawberry preserves.

INGREDIENTS
1 ¾ cups flour (I used Trader Joe's multigrain baking mix)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 orange- zested
1/2 cup milk
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 stick cold butter, cut into small squares
a pinch of salt

Heat the oven to 400F.

In a mixer, mix the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and orange peel.

Add the cold butter and mix until you get a crumb mixture. Pieces of butter will be corn size and not blended in. This is good.

Add the cream and milk and mix only until it begins to form a dough.

Gather the dough and transfer to a flat surface, bringing together to a solid mass.

Flour lightly and roll to 0.5 inch thickness. Cut into circles using a 2.5 inch round cutter (you can also use a glass) and transfer to a pan. Brush with the remaining milk/cream mixture and dust with some coarse sugar.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden.

Bucatini all’Amatriciana

Here's a delicious, easy mid-week meal courtesy of Food & Wine!  Pair with a salad and have it for leftovers the next day.  It's really yummy!

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/4 pound pancetta, cut into 1/2-by- 1/4-inch strips (we used the pre-cut package at Trader Joe's)
1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons dry white wine
One 14.5-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes with their juices, crushed
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
10 ounces bucatini
Freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

In a large, deep skillet, heat the oil. Add the onion and cook over moderately low heat until very soft, 7 minutes. Add the pancetta and cook until translucent, 3 minutes.

Add the vinegar, wine, tomatoes and 2 tablespoons of water and simmer until thick, 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

In a pot of salted boiling water, cook the bucatini until al dente; reserve 2 tablespoons of the cooking water. Drain the pasta, add it to the sauce along with the reserved cooking water and cook over moderate heat, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in 3 tablespoons of cheese. Serve right away, passing more cheese at the table.

Buttery Vanilla Shortbread + Downton Abbey

Last night was the first episode of the much anticipated Season 3 of Downton Abbey!  Love this show!  So, of course, I had to host a watch party for my favorite anglophile friends!

I decided on a simple spread of champagne, tea and desserts to go along with the 2 hours of British drama!  It was fabulous.  And I learned that baking shortbread is SUPER easy!  It was a last minute decision to make homemade shortbread (because they type I bought at Whole Foods wasn't up to snuff).  Fortunately, I found a recipe on Food & Wine and it didn't call for many ingredients so I had everything I needed at home!

Try this simple shortbread recipe and enjoy the show!

INGREDIENTS
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter and vanilla and pulse until evenly moistened. Turn the crumbs out onto a large piece of parchment paper and press into a disk.

Cover with another sheet of parchment paper and roll out the dough to a rough 8-by-11-inch rectangle. Discard the top sheet of parchment. Trim the edges to form a 7-by-10-inch rectangle. Slide the dough along with the parchment onto a large baking sheet. Using a straight edge and a sharp knife, score the dough into 24 bars. Poke the dough all over with a fork and freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.

Bake the dough until golden, about 25 minutes. While the shortbread is still warm, cut it into bars. Let cool before serving.

MAKE AHEAD The shortbread can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

P.S. I also made a Sticky Orange Marmalade Cake that was supposed to pair well with tea.  It definitely paired well with tea because it was on the dry side.  It was good and goes very well with tea or coffee, but it wasn't to my taste.  But here's the link just in case it sounds like something you'd like!

Salted Dark Chocolate Espresso Cookies

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I think this has been my new year's resolution every year... but once again, it's to update this blog more often!  Honestly, 2012 just flew by and I can't believe it's already 2013 today!  Hope everyone had a great holiday and we'll have select photos from the Farrell's California Christmas posted soon.

This is probably not a surprise but Michael and I rang in the new year with food!  I spent this cold and overcast new year's day being lazy and catching up on our pile of magazines from last month.  Fortunately a recipe for baked beans caught my eye in this month's Food & Wine.  And since no one questions a pregnant lady's cravings, Michael made us an amazing hamburger with baked beans and salad for the first day of the new year!

Impressive, right?!?!  And yes, it was as delicious as it looks!  Mmmmm...

Of course, this meant that I had to make an equally impressive new year's day dessert!  I meant to try these salted dark chocolate espresso cookies for the cookie swap last month, but ran out of time.  Fortunately, that meant that I had all the ingredients already!  Plus, it was the first time that I got to use coconut oil, which is supposed to be healthier than butter... perfect for starting out the new year on a healthy note!

Healthy coconut oil.  Healthy dark chocolate.  Everything's healthy in moderation, right?  Right.

INGREDIENTS
6 oz good quality unsweetened chocolate
4 oz Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
¼ cup coconut oil (I used Trader Joe's organic brand)
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
¼ tspn baking powder
¼ tspn salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1⅓ cups sugar
1½ tspn instant espresso powder (I used Folger's instant coffee)
1 tspn vanilla extract
smoked sea salt flakes (I used kosher salt)

1. Finely chop 6 oz unsweetened chocolate and set in a double boiler over simmering water with the coconut oil. Stirring constantly, melt. Once melted, remove from heat, set aside, and let cool to room temperature.

2. In a bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a mixer bowl with the paddle attachment, combine the eggs, sugar, espresso powder, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium high for about 5-7 minutes, until pale and fluffy and the batter drops off the beaters in a thick ribbon. Fold in the flour mixture, followed by the cooled melted chocolate mixture. Fold in the chocolate chips. Cover and chill until firm, about 1 hour. (Or chill in the freezer for about 30 minutes.)

4. Preheat oven to 350° F. On lined or greased cookie sheets, drop 1 to 1½-inch balls of dough, leaving about 2 inches between each ball. Sprinkle the dough balls with salt flakes.

5. Bake the sheets one at a time for 10 to 14 minutes, rotating once half-way through baking. The centers should still be soft when you remove the pans from the oven. Let the cookies cool at least 5 minutes before enjoying hot, or store in air tight containers for about two days. Serve with a shot of milk.

TIP: Let batter sit out a little while after chilling - it makes it easier to roll into balls.  (Warning: Hands will get very chocolaty when rolling batter into balls.  It's messy!)

Shortcut Shredded Caesar Salad on Toast

Another appetizer on the menu at this year's cookie swap was this great way to serve salad.  As you probably know, salads are rather cumbersome to eat in a buffet-style party so this was a great way to serve salad that can be eaten with one hand!

This is the shortcut way to make this based on the recipe I saw in Food & Wine.

INGREDIENTS
2 romaine lettuce hearts, finely chopped
1 bottle of your favorite Caesar salad dressing
Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 baguette
Olive oil
Garlic powder

Chop lettuce and toss with Caesar salad dressing in large bowl (don't put too much dressing in, but just enough to coat the lettuce evenly).

Slice baguette, brush each side with olive oil, and broil the slices 6 inches from the heat for about 3 minutes, turning once, until crisp and golden on the outside but still slightly soft in the center.  Sprinkle one side with garlic powder.

Pile salad on toast and sprinkle with cheese on top!

Baked Ham and Cheese Sliders

This weekend we had another successful cookie swap!  Check out the new recipes on our Christmas cookie recipe blog here: Baked for the Holidays

I did want to highlight one of the most popular appetizers that I actually found on Pinterest!  Not only were these a crowd-pleaser, but I also got to use our new electric chaffing dish to keep it toasty warm (thanks Bill and Pat!!!).  It worked great and I got several compliments on how professional it looked!

This will be a new go-to party recipe!

INGREDIENTS
24 good white dinner rolls
24 pieces good honey ham
24 small slices Swiss cheese
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup miracle whip

Poppy seed sauce
1 Tablespoon poppyseeds
1 1/2 Tablespoons yellow mustard
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 Tablespoon minced onion
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise and miracle whip. Spread onto both sides of the center of each roll. Place a slice of ham and a slice of Swiss inside of each roll. Close rolls and place them into a large baking dish or heavy cookie sheet. Place very close together.

In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the poppy seed sauce ingredients. Pour evenly over all of the sandwiches. You do not have to use all of the sauce! Just use enough to cover the tops. Let sit 10 minutes or until butter sets slightly. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Uncover and cook for 2 additional minutes or until tops are slightly brown and crispy. Serve warm.

Note: Sandwiches can be assembled a day ahead and kept in the fridge ready to bake.

Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts and Bacon (& Michael's birthday)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

We are so grateful for good food, good friends, and wonderful (and growing) family.  Today we're going to our friend's annual Thanksgiving potluck and we were tasked to bring "a green side dish that did not include peas."  Thanks to Food & Wine, this is what we're bringing and it is as delicious as it sounds!

INGREDIENTS
3 pounds brussels sprouts, halved lengthwise
6 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/4-inch dice (6 ounces)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
20 vacuum-packed peeled whole chestnuts, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup Turkey Stock

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the brussels sprouts and cook until just tender, about 7 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, in a large deep skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the butter. When the foam subsides, add the brussels sprouts and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until they are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the chestnuts and season with salt and pepper. Add the Rich Turkey Stock, simmer until heated through and serve.

NOTES: If you prefer to roast fresh chestnuts instead of using vacuum-packed ones, cut a slit in the shell of each chestnut with a serrated knife. Roast the chestnuts in a cast iron skillet in a 400° oven for 20 minutes or until tender. Peel them as soon as they are cool enough to handle. If you have difficulty peeling them, reheat them for 5 minutes to further loosen their skins.

Michael's parents came up last weekend just in time for Michael's birthday!  We had a DELICIOUS dinner at one of our favorite restaurants BlackSalt.

We also took advantage of the gorgeous late autumn weather to drive up alongside the Potomac River into Maryland among the horse farms and civil war sites.

And last but not least, we had a beautiful hike through Rock Creek Park in DC to see the last of the autumn leaves.

So much to be thankful for...