Quinoa with Pesto and Roasted Beets

This great combo of quinoa, pesto and roasted beets is a healthy and filling meal. I made the pesto with fresh basil from the garden, walnuts, olive oil, Romano cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. It's a slightly modified version of Ina Garten's pesto recipe. I totally love pesto and will be experimenting using it with other grains.

The roasted beets are good, but let's face it, they are a big mess to deal with. I've tried the method of peeling and slicing before roasting, and the method I used this time of roasting first and then peeling. I enjoy beets more when I order them at a restaurant, and I like the flavor of golden beets more than red ones.

The quinoa and pesto combo would be really good with other roasted vegetables such as red peppers, mushrooms, or tomatoes.

Broccoli Salad with Cashews and Honey Vinaigrette

I made this salad for a light healthy lunch on the deck with my mom on a perfect sunny Sunday. To go with it, we had iced tea brewed in the sun from Murchies Tuscany Orange tea bags. And mom brought rich, delicious Oreo Cookie cheesecake cupcakes for dessert, mmm.

To make the Honey Vinaigrette:
Whisk together extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, and salt flakes.

To make the Broccoli Salad:
Lightly steam broccoli and then blanch in very cold water.
Slice cashews and Brussels sprouts.
Put vegetables and nuts in a bowl and toss with the vinaigrette.
Slice a hard boiled egg and place it on top of the salad.

Asparagus Frittata

This light frittata is a nice addition to a spring brunch or Sunday morning breakfast. It was especially good this morning on a rainy, lazy Sunday when it's raining outside, and you want something warm right out of the oven.

I came up with this recipe by taking ideas from a couple of different recipes. One was from the wonderful restaurant in Seattle and their cookbook with the same name, Cafe Flora. The other was a recipe from the magazine, Health.

I hope you enjoy it,
Lori



Ingredients
1/2 pound asparagus, sliced diagonally in 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup minced onion
2 Tbs olive oil
4 eggs
1/4 cup grated cheese (such as Parmesan Regiano, jalapeno or asiago)
1/2 tsp dill
Salt and pepper

Blanch the asparagus:

1. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 inch of water to boiling.
2. Add asparagus and boil for 1 minute.
3. Strain asparagus and run cool water over it until it's completely cool.
4. Let it drain and set aside.

Mix and cook the eggs:

1. Heat oven to broil.
2. In an over-proof non-stick skillet on the stove top, saute onion in 1 Tbs of the olive oil until slightly browned.
3. While onion is sauteeing, lightly whisk the eggs, dill, salt and pepper.
4. Add in remaining 1 Tbs olive oil and shake skillet to mix.
5. Pour egg mixture over onions evenly.
6. Add the asparagus over the eggs evenly.
7. Cook over medium heat until bottom is set, about 2 minutes.
8. Sprinkle cheese over the top of the eggs.
9. Move the pan to the top rack of the oven and cook until cheese is melted.
10. Serve hot out of the oven and slice like a pie.

Panettone Bread Pudding with Amaretto Sauce

With the leftover panettone bread I had for Christmas, I made this bread pudding. It's really good and easy.

Total Time: 1 hr 30 minPrep: 10 minInactive: 30 minCook: 50 min                            Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

For the Amaretto Sauce:
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup amaretto liqueur
2 teaspoons cornstarch

For the Bread Pudding:
1 (1-pound) loaf panettone bread, crusts trimmed, bread cut into 1-inch cubes
8 large eggs
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
2 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/4 cups sugar
Directions

To make the sauce: 
Bring the cream, milk, and sugar to a boil in a heavy small saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently. In a small bowl, mix the amaretto and cornstarch to blend and then whisk into the cream mixture. Simmer over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Set aside and keep warm. (The amaretto sauce can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm before serving.)

To make the bread pudding: 
Lightly butter a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish. Arrange the bread cubes in the prepared dish. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, cream, milk, and sugar to blend. Pour the custard over the bread cubes, and press the bread cubes gently to submerge. Let stand for 30 minutes, occasionally pressing the bread cubes into the custard mixture. (Recipe can be prepared up to this point 2 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Bake until the pudding puffs and is set in the center, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly. Spoon the bread pudding into bowls, drizzle with the warm amaretto sauce, and serve.

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Panettone Italian Christmas bread

I made this bread for the first time for Christmas brunch this year. It was intimidating since it takes 2-3 days in total to make and I read horror stories about it not rising or baking. But it turned out amazing! It's going to be a new tradition. 

I couldn't find a Panettone mold so I searched Google for other options. Some said to use a large Foldger's coffee can. Not helpful. Another said she bakes it in an angel food cake pan. I have that! It baked through and had a nice crust without getting dry.

A recipe for Panettone, Italian Christmas bread, with a brioche-like dough infused with a vanilla bean and studded with rum-soaked raisins and candied orange peel.

Preparation

Day 1 AM: Soak the raisins
Day 1 PM: Prepare the dough
Overnight: Rise 12-15 hours
Day 2 AM: Second rise
Day 2 PM: Bake

Ingredients
1 cup raisins
2 tablespoons light rum
2 tablespoons hot water
3¾ all-purpose flour
⅔ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon active dry yeast
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon lemon zest
½ vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
3 eggs, at room temperature
⅔ cup tepid water
1 tablespoon honey
10½ tablespoons unsalted butter, well softened
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, chilled
⅔ cup candied citron in ¼-inch pieces

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, combine the raisins with the rum and 2 tablespoons of hot water. Allow to soak at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until the raisins are plump and most of the liquid has been absorbed, at least 8 hours or overnight.

2. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the flour, sugar, yeast, salt, lemon zest and vanilla bean on low speed until combined. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, tepid water and honey. With the mixer on low speed, pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture. Increase the speed to medium-low and mix until all of the ingredients are combined. Add the softened butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing until incorporated before adding more. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.

3. Drain the raisins, discard the soaking liquid, and stir together with the candied citron and 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Stir this mixture into the dough with a wooden spoon.

4. Place the dough in a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a cold oven with the door closed until it has nearly tripled in volume, 12 to 15 hours.

5. Locate and discard the vanilla bean, then sprinkle the dough lightly with flour and scrape out onto a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle a bit more flour onto the dough, then fold the edges of the dough in towards the center, forming a loose ball. Create a hole in the middle of the ball so that it looks like a giant doughnut.

6. Lightly butter the bottom of an angel food cake pan. Carefully place the dough into the pan. Cover with a damp kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature for 3 to 5 hours.

7. Preheat oven to 370 degrees F.

8. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out slightly moist but not wet, 60 minutes (the panettone will be brown on the outside).

9. Remove from the oven and carefully turn upside down onto a pretty plate or cake plate. Let it cool completely before cutting. To store the panettone, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then either place in a resealable plastic bag, or wrap again in foil. The bread will keep at room temperature for up to 1 week.

(original recipe from Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery, originally printed in Gourmet, December 2008)

http://www.browneyedbaker.com/panettone-recipe/

Brussels Sprouts, Apple, Walnut Salad

This is a salad that my good friend, Faith Norley, brought to dinner at our house. It's delicious and healthy!
I roasted the Brussels sprouts instead of boiling them because I love the flavor that roasting brings out. I also added sage, mixed greens and lemon juice.

Ingredients
2 lb Brussels sprouts
2 Tbs olive oil
1/4 c butter
1/2 t sea salt
2 small cooking apples (I.e., Braeburn) cut into thin slices
2 T fresh thyme
1 tsp ground sage
1/4 c chopped walnuts
Mixed salad greens
Fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Wash and quarter Brussels sprouts.
2. Toss with olive oil.
3. Spread out evenly on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with sea salt.
4. Roast sprouts in 425-degree oven for 20 minutes or until browned.
5. While sprouts are roasting, melt butter over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring often, until brown. Add apples and thyme and sage. Cook 2 min more until apples are tender.
6. Allow apple mixture and sprouts to cool. Then put them into a big bowl and stir in walnuts and mixed greens.
7. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top and gently toss.

Cranberry Sauce with Grand Marnier

I made this cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving dinner this year. It was the best one I've ever made, or tasted!

I found the original recipe on Martha Stewart's website and adjusted it to cut the sugar and add orange zest.

It goes great with your winter holiday meals and also as a chutney for cheese and crackers.

Ingredients
2 cups fresh cranberries
1/4 cup Grand Marnier
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/4 cup fresh orange juice (juice from one orange)
ground allspice
ground cloves
fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
Cinnamon
Orange zest

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients.
2. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, stirring often, until syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes. 
3. Zest one orange and stir into sauce.
4. Transfer mixture to a bowl, let cool, and refrigerate until needed.