Thanksgiving: Ciabatta Stuffing with Artichoke Hearts & Chestnuts

(Photo via Food network, I will add my own after the Holidays)

This is a recipe that we got from Giada, we just altered it to make it vegetarian by adding vegetable broth and substituting artichoke hearts for the pancetta. If you want to watch Giada make it, here is the link.

This is what I look forward to every Thanksgiving! It is by far the best stuffing I have ever had and I am convinced that it is the best I will ever have! Trust me! The artichokes and ciabatta make it unbelievably savory and delicious! I am "Thankful" for it!

Ingredients:

6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter

2 large onions, finely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped

3 celery stalks, finely chopped

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 (7.4-ounce) jars roasted peeled whole chestnuts, coarsely broken

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

1 pound day-old Ciabatta bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1 cup (or more) canned vegetable broth

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 large eggs, beaten to blend

14 oz. Jar Artichoke hearts

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter a 15 by 10 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Melt the butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, artichoke hearts, rosemary, and garlic. Sauté until the onions are very tender, about 12 minutes. Gently stir in the chestnuts and parsley. Transfer the onion mixture to the large bowl. Add the bread and Parmesan and toss to coat. Add enough broth to the stuffing mixture to moisten. Season the stuffing, to taste, with salt and pepper. Mix in the eggs.

Transfer the stuffing to the prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil, buttered side down, and bake until the stuffing is heated through, about 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until the top is crisp and golden, about 15 minutes longer.

Thanksgiving: Roasted Vegetables

(Photo via Google, I will add my own photo after the Holidays)

INGREDIENTS:

~Brussels Sprouts, cut in half

~Sweet potatoes, cut in chunks

~Fennel, sliced

~Onions, sliced

~small colorful Carrots, whole

~Olive Oil to drizzle

~Salt and Pepper to taste

~Herbs de Provence

~Balsamic Vinegar to lightly drizzle

Lay all the vegetables on a cookie sheet. Then I drizzle olive oil all over them and add salt and pepper and sprinkle on the Herbs de Provence. (My favorite dried herb mixture!)

Then roast them in the oven at 400 degrees for around 30-45 minutes. Just check them by poking them with a fork to see if the middle is soft.

Finally, when you take them out and lightly drizzle them with Balsamic Vinegar...Heaven!!!

Thanksgiving: Pomegranate &Persimmon Salad

(Photo via Food network, I will add my own after the Holidays)

This is a salad that my mom made up it is the perfect, fresh fall salad that everyone needs to have on Thanksgiving! What is more fall than pomegranates, persimmons and pears? It is so delicious!

1/2 cup cranberry juice

1 Tablespoon Sherry vinegar

3 Tablespoons canola oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 large bunches Mache

1 small head radicchio, torn into 2-inch pieces

1 Fuyu persimmon, cut into thin slices

1 Red Bartlett pear, halved, cored, and cut into thin slices

6 fresh figs, halved

1 small pomegranate, peeled, seeds removed and separated

1/2 cup walnut halves, candied in 2 Tbsp sugar

In a small saucepan over high heat, reduce the cranberry juice until 1 to 2 tablespoons remain. Let cool. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, reduced juice, and oil and season, with salt and pepper. Place the Mache, radicchio, persimmon slices, pear slices, and figs in a bowl.

Add the vinaigrette and gently toss together. Place on individual salad plates. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and walnut halves and serve immediately.

Thankgiving: Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

(Photo via Google, I will add my own after the Holidays)

I love Ina Garten's Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes Recipe! Yum, this is getting me so hungry! Why are they so good? I just love them! I usually skip the gravy but this year I am going to try to make a vegetarian one so I will post it if it turns out to be yummy!

Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• 1 1/2 pounds boiling potatoes
• 1/4 cup milk
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a large pot, bring 2 quarts of water and 1 tablespoon of salt to a boil. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them into 1 1/2-inch cubes. Add them to the boiling water and bring the water back to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes fall apart easily when pierced with a fork.

Meanwhile, heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan, making sure it doesn't boil. Set aside until the potatoes are done.

As soon as the potatoes are tender, drain them. Mash them with a masher and then a hand mixer, but not too much, I still like them kind of chunky. As soon as the potatoes are mashed, stir in the hot milk mixture. Add enough buttermilk to make the potatoes creamy. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and the pepper, and serve hot.

Chewy Soft Pretzels

I got this recipe from my mom. Every time we have made these pretzels, they have turned out impeccably! They are even better than those yummy pretzels at the mall! And we are big fans of hot pretzels in this house, so that is saying a lot! They are hot and chewy and they have that really great pretzel flavor! Plus they are so fun to make with the kids! They LOVE it! (See picture below...so excited!) Such a fun activity for them! It seems a little complicated but as soon as you make them once you will see how easy it is! And think, why haven't I been making these for years?

Makes 8 pretzels

Dough:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast

7/8 to 1 cup warm water*

3 tablespoons butter, melted

Topping:

1/2 cup warm water

2 tablespoons baking soda

3 Tablespoons melted butter

Coarse salt or Cinnamon & Sugar

Place all of the dough ingredients into a bowl and beat until well combined. Knead the dough, by hand or machine, for about 5 minutes, until it is soft, smooth, and quite slack. Lightly flour the dough and place it in a plastic bag; close the bag, leaving room for the dough to expand, and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 500°F. Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and divide it into eight equal pieces. Allow the pieces to rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes. While the dough is resting, combine the 1/2 cup warm water and the baking soda, and place it in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Make sure the baking soda is thoroughly dissolved; if it isn't, it will make your pretzels splotchy.

Roll each piece of dough into a long, thin rope (about 28 to 30 inches long), and twist each rope into a pretzel. Dip each pretzel in the baking soda wash (this will give the pretzels a nice, golden-brown color), and place them on the baking sheets. Allow them to rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Bake the pretzels for 8 to 9 minutes, or until they're golden brown. I only bake one baking sheet at a time and let the other rest while the first is in the oven.

Remove the pretzels from the oven, and brush them thoroughly with the melted butter. Then sprinkle on the kosher salt or cinnamon & sugar! And Enjoy!

*Use the greater amount in the winter, the lesser amount in the summer, and somewhere in between in the spring and fall. Your goal is a soft dough.

Jade's Heart Pretzel

Orange &Raspberry Salad with an Orange White Balsamic Vinaigrette

If you were to ask me what my most favorite green salad of all time is...this would be it, hands down!!! I cannot get enough of this salad, it is heaven! I love it and it really is so easy to make, but I would eat it everyday if I had it my way!!! AMAZING! Try it! And don't look at how bad my pictures are, just make it yourself...more beautifully!

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp sugar

1/2 cup pecans or sliced almonds

2 or 3 fresh sliced oranges or about 10 tangerine’s or "cuties"

1–2 heads butter lettuce or half romaine, half butter lettuce

Pomegranate seeds or raspberries (for taste and color!)

Handful of Craisins

1 Avocado

Dressing:

1/2 cup oil

4 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

4 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar (Must be white)

Pepper to taste

4 Tbsp orange juice concentrate

Instructions: Wash lettuce and drain; tear and refrigerate. Caramelize sugar in small heavy skillet until golden. Stir in pecans and heat until lightly brown. Pour onto a wax paper lined pan.

Cool; break apart. Just before serving add all ingredients to lettuce and toss with other ingredients and dressing. This salad is delicious!

Caprese Salad

This is a family favorite! My mom has been making it for years and we all love it! It is light, fresh, and the flavor just bursts in your mouth! Crazy Good!

INGREDIENTS:

1 ball fresh mozzarella, sliced thinly

5 to 6 small vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced thinly

1/2 small cucumber, slices and halved

1 avocado, sliced thinly

1 bunch fresh basil

3 Tbsp virgin olive oil

3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Sprinkle Feta cheese over the top, optional

HOW TO:

Slice the first 5 ingredients above and spread over the serving dish. Then mix together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sun-dried tomatoes, and salt and pepper. Shake well and right before you are ready to serve, pour it over the top of the salad. Sprinkle a little feta on top if desired and ENJOY!

Vegetables, Cooked Three Ways

These are vegetables cooked three ways! Three different vegetables, three different cooking methods. But all equally delicious! Every so often when I have vegetables that I need to use before they go bad, I will just make a dinner full of different types of vegetables, cooked in different ways, so there is still a lot of variety, textures and flavors in the meal. Here is an example of one of those evenings!

So, here are the different methods that I think show off these vegetables at their best!

Parmesan Asparagus

Ingredients:

~Asparagus

~Butter

~Parmesan Cheese

~Salt & Pepper

Fill a saute pan with an inch or so of water, add the Asparagus and steam for a few minutes. Then, drain the water out, and add a little butter. Then saute with the parmesan cheese, salt and pepper for a minute or two. The parmesan cheese melts onto the asparagus, it is so amazing! It is by far my favorite way to eat asparagus and it is so fast and easy! You will never prepare it another way again! It is that good, and the kiddos love it with the parmesan- especially if you let them add it in the pan!

Roasted Broccoli

Ingredients:

~Broccoli

~Olive Oil

~Herbs de Provence

~Salt & Pepper

Place the broccoli on a cookie sheet, drizzle olive oil over the top and add salt and pepper and sprinkle on the Herbs de Provence. Then, roast them in the oven at 400 degrees for around 15 or 20 minutes. This is my most favorite way to eat broccoli, it transforms a pretty average vegetable into a delicious treat!

Brown Sugared Butternut Squash

Ingredients:

~Butternut squash, cubed

~Butter

~Brown Sugar

~Salt & Pepper

~chopped pecans, optional

Place the butternut squash on a cookie sheet and rub them with a little butter and brown sugar. Add a little salt and pepper. Then, bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, until they are tender and caramelized. And if you want a little extra treat, sprinkle on some chopped pecans when there is about 5 minutes left. This recipe is more of a dessert than anything, I think that this is how they were meant to be prepared! The are gooey, caramelized perfection!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts...Trust me on this one!

I absolutely LOVE brussels sprouts, but there is one catch...they must be prepared this way and this way alone! I don't like them if they are prepared any other way. If they are prepared this way though, than I feel like they are such a treat. Like chocolate...I know, I know, but it is true. And Mitch LOVES them also! Sometimes for dinner, I make only brussels sprouts and we just go to town! Just try them, they are so good prepared this way!

INGREDIENTS:

~Brussels Sprouts

~Olive Oil to drizzle

~Salt and Pepper to taste

~Herbs de Provence

~Balsamic Vinegar to lightly drizzle

So, I peel the outside layer off and then cut them in half and lay them on a cookie sheet. Then I drizzle olive oil all over them and add salt and pepper and sprinkle on the Herbs de Provence. (My favorite dried herb mixture!)

Then roast them in the oven at 400 degrees for around 20 minutes. Just check them by poking them with a fork to see if the middle is soft.

Finally, when you take them out and lightly drizzle them with Balsamic Vinegar...Heaven!!!

Best Bean Dip Ever!

My great friend Rachelle requested this bean dip recipe and so here you are Rachelle...Enjoy!

This is such an easy recipe, you just combine a few things and you have the best bean dip ever!!! It is a real crowd pleaser...you'll be a hit! Warning: It is totally addictive!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup salsa

3/4 cups sour cream

3 cans of refried beans

1 can of pinto beans, drained

6 oz cream cheese

1 packet of Taco Seasoning

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

INSTRUCTIONS:

Mix first six ingredients together with some of the cheddar cheese. Top with rest of the cheddar and bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Serve with Tortilla chips.

Vietnamese-Style Spring & Summer Rolls with a Peanut Cilantro Sauce

This is a meal that I made using the leftovers from the Thai Noodle Salad Recipe. We loved these, they were so easy to make and it was a fun and unique adventure. Now, I have made very few "rolls" in my life, so I seriously need help in the rolling department, but the taste was there. Wrapping spring rolls, and sushi rolls is a real art, and I look forward to perfecting it someday, but not today. The Summer Rolls were refreshing and clean and the spring rolls were hot and crispy and delicious! And the Peanut-Cilantro really brought them to another level! I've said it before, I'll say it again...To Die For! I wanted to add avocado to them, but I didn't have any, but I think it would have added a nice creamy texture...next time.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUMMER ROLLS:

~Rice Paper, (I used the Blue Dragon Brand, called "Spring Roll Wrappers", in the Asian aisle in Albertsons. I couldn't find them at Ralphs. And don't confused them with the refridgerated egg roll wrappers. They should be dry and thin like paper until you work with them.)

~Butter Lettuce

~Cabbage, chopped

~Carrots, julienned

~Cucumbers, julienned

~Bean Sprouts

~Sugar Snap Peas

~Avocado, sliced

~Cilantro

~Peanut-Cilantro Sauce, See Recipe in previous post

Follow instructions on the rice paper package, by soaking them in water and drying them and then add the filling, including the sauce. Wrap and Enjoy! (Keep them under a damp cold towel until you serve them.) Add extra sauce on the side for dipping.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SPRING ROLLS:

~Rice Paper

~Cabbage, chopped

~Carrots, julienned

~Bean Sprouts

~Sugar Snap Peas

~Avocado, sliced

~Rice sticks (they are the really tiny rice thread noodles found at any conventional super market- not Trader Joe's)

~Cilantro

~Peanut-Cilantro Sauce, See Recipe in previous post

*Notice, no lettuce or cucumber, I think they would get soggy.

Saute these ingredients together really lightly and then add then into the rice paper.

Follow instructions on the rice paper package, by soaking them in water and drying them and then add the filling. Wrap and then deep fry them in canola oil. Serve with the Peanut-Cilantro Dipping Sauce and Enjoy!

Best CornBread Ever!!! I mean it!

I firmly believe that this is the best cornbread I have ever had, I got the recipe from my mom of course! This is not a typical recipe for my mom because it calls for bisquick, which my mom would never generally use,(she is more of a "from scratch" kind of girl) but she tried it and fell in love like we all did!

I had to make these corn bread muffins for an Enrichment activity, but I prefer this cornbread in a pan, because it stays more moist that way. So, because it is officially Fall, I know you will all be needing a good cornbread recipe...look no further, my mom has got you covered!

INGREDIENTS:

3 eggs

1 1/4 cups milk

2 1/3 cups Bisquik

1 cup sugar

1 cup cornmeal

2 tsp baking powder

1 stick melted butter

INSTRUCTIONS:

Mix eggs and milk, add other ingredients, and bake in well-greased 9x13 pan at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.