I have been on the road, traveling for work and have not had a chance to post our small but delicious round-up for this round of HHDD #35. This recipe is really simple to make and very tasty – easy for a mid-week dinner.
As well with the holidays around the corner and everyone’s busy schedules, the next round of HHDD will be announced after the Thanksgiving holiday in the states. It will be sweet!
Sally from My Custard Pie, made a vegetarian version of this recipe. Instead of chicken breasts she used yellow and red peppers and stuffed them with the rice. I loved the color of her dish – so fresh and inviting. Thanks Sally for making this veggie friendly version of a flavorful recipe.
Jan of Kitchens Heal Soul heard about HHDD from her friend Laura, after she posted another Donna recipe. She followed this recipe to a T. Her dish looks so inviting and elegant. Jan is a fan of Donna’s simple and flavorful recipes as well and she looks forward to participating every month and hopefully she can get Laura to do the same!
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We made this dish last night for dinner and the the next round of HHDD (Hay Hay it’s Donna Day). I won’t make this a long and wordy post …. you know how I love Donna Hay recipes already. Well, this dish was equally as good as all the others I have tried. Easy. Delicious. Quick. I did make some changes to the orginial recipe; used kabocha squash instead of pumpkin and I used rice vinegar instead of white. The combination of roasted chicken, squash, basil, and chilis is really fantastic, the vinegar really brought it all together by adding a little “tang”. It is the perfect one dish meal.
You still have time to make this recipe and to get your entry in for this round of HHDD! Vegetarians I would love to see your take on the recipe??? I have some ideas of my own!
This is sponsored content from BlogHer and Folgers.
Holiday Traditions? I admit, I definitely have a harder time with the holidays then my partner does. It is always an emotional conflict since my parents are divorced and my family is spread everywhere. Come October we are figuring out schedules, airfares, who to please, who to disappoint. It is not easy and someone, usually me, feels unfulfilled.
Over a cup of coffee this past weekend, I opened an email and found that we were asked to share our holiday traditions. OMG! This was a loaded question for us; what were our holiday traditions? I asked my partner what he thought and we both blankly looked at each other. Were we growing old, with no children and no holiday traditions? Are we a couple of blah humbugs? I sat and pondered for a few hours. I remised over some of my favorite holidays, ones with both of our families as well as with friends. What gave me the greatest pleasure? Was it all the planning, the shopping, the traveling? I soul searched long, hard and deep; there had to be something.
After listening to the rain pitter-patter on the windows for a few hours and downing a few too many cups of coffee, it came to me. I love baking during the holidays. And I love the last quiet evening the two of us spend together before we start our holiday travels.
I always imagined myself with a couple kids, tugging at my apron ties, their little faces covered with sugar and floury fingers touching everything while we baked cookies for the holidays. The house would be warm and sweet smelling while we sat around the table laughing, cutting and decorating. We don’t have our own children but are fortunate to live next door to some very dear friends, who have 3 wonderful kids. I have been baking with their three children for the past 8 years and none of us ever tire of it. In fact, the planning of cookie baking seems to start months before it actually takes place. What sort of cutters should we use, what kind of icing this year and then the sprinkles, oh the sprinkles! This may be the most important part of cookie baking. It has been so much fun over the years to see how the process has changed. When we first started and they were small, most of the cookie dough ended up in their bellies and the frosting ended up smeared across their happy faces. They plan out the process from baking to decorating. It is not rushed, we take our time, we laugh, and we cut, decorate and still sample the dough, icings and sprinkles. The difference, now the cookies are more like a piece of art. No matter what the process is, they are always so thrilled when we are finished and they are granted that one cookie before dinner. The holidays really would not feel like the holidays without our cookie baking sessions!
Another holiday tradition that we love as a couple is the last supper before we leave our home. It is our way of celebrating, just the two of us, before the hectic holiday travels start. We put on some holiday music, maybe a little Edith signing Santa Baby. Turn on the Christmas lights. Then we kick back, dial the pizza delivery guy and wait for dinner. It is really nice to just relax, enjoy each other’s company and exchange our gifts, privately, together. We both always look forward to this quiet holiday time with our best friend.
What are you favorite holiday traditions? Have they been passed down from generation to generation? Or maybe it is a new tradition that you started with the ones you love? We would love to hear about what you have planned for this year or something memorable from a holiday past. When I started this, I did not think we even had one and look I came up with two. Won’t you share your favorite holiday traditions with us?
The holidays are quickly upon us …. as in right around the corner. We are slowly starting to plan our holidays out for the next month and a half. To help jump-start us, we thought it would be fun to learn about what you are doing for the holidays this year or maybe what you have done in the past.
This year has flown by without many Daring Baker’s Challenges. There are a few reasons but the number one being time. We have been overwhelmed this year and unfortunately time has not been on our sides. I was listening (reading, spying) to some chit-chat among some of my favorite European Foodies the other morning and they were busy kneading, baking, enjoying sweet smells from the oven. I was intrigued and butted in their conversations – what was going on and how could I be part of it. Jamie, was the first to gently nod me by saying it was the Daring Bakers challenge and it was doughnuts this month.
I love doughnuts. I love all sorts, yeast ones, cake ones, sweet, a little savory, all of them! I have yet to find the perfect one in the bay area. I am not actively searching but when I run across a doughnut shop, I sometimes sneak in and grab one. My biggest doughnut time is when we were in Boston. Yes, I am a huge fan of the coconut cake doughnut holes at Dunkin Doughnuts. It is a quilty pleasure. But, I really prefer a nice fluffy yeasty doughnut with a little glaze.
After reading the challenge instructions I decided to go with Alton Brown’s yeast doughnut recipe. Easy and it would not take up my entire day. I did make a few changes – used half buttermilk in place of whole milk and used freshly grated black cardamon instead of nutmeg. The recipe is really simple and it rises perfectly. Even frying them was simple – even though I did over do it by a few minutes. I finished the recipe off with a warm apple cider glaze, which was perfectly light and not overly gooey. I loved the recipe as it was easy; but, you have to eat them right away. You cannot save them until the next day or the next, just not that great. They are meant to be eaten hot, warm and fluffy! The recipe is easy enough to start early in the morning, just in time to have warm fluffy doughnuts on the table by a proper brunch time.
Ella came over to help with the food styling and shooting (as well as taste testing) of the doughnuts. She was an amazing help with setting up and shooting the doughnuts! She gave the recipe a two thumbs up!
Recipe: Black Cardamon Doughnuts with Warm Apple Cider
Glaze
*inspired by Alton Brown
3/4 cups milk
3/4 cups buttermilk
1/3 cup butter
2 packages instant yeast
1/3 cup warm water (95 to 105 degrees F)
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground cardamon
23 ounces all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting surface
Canola oil, for frying (1 to 1/2 gallons, depending on fryer)
Place the milk, buttermilk and butter in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat just until warm enough to the butter. Set aside.
In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and let dissolve for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, pour the yeast mixture into the large bowl of a stand mixer and add the milk mixture, first making sure it has cooled to lukewarm. Add the eggs, sugar, salt, cardamon, and half of the flour. Using the paddle attachment, combine the ingredients on low speed until flour is incorporated and then turn the speed up to medium and beat until well combined. Add the remaining flour, combining on low speed at first, and then increase the speed to medium and beat well. Change to the dough hook attachment of the mixer and beat on medium speed until the dough pulls away from the bowl and becomes smooth, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a well-oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
On a well-floured surface, roll out dough to 3/8-inch thick. Cut out dough using a 2 1/2-inch doughnut cutter. Set on floured baking sheet, cover lightly with flour sack towel and let rise for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oil in a deep fryer, dutch oven or deep frying pan to 365 degrees F. Gently place the doughnuts into the oil, 3 to 4 at a time. Cook for 1 minute per side. Transfer to a cooling rack placed in baking pan. Allow to cool for 15 to 20 minutes prior to glazing, if desired.
Dip doughnut into glaze, place on a cooling rack, glaze side up and let sit about 10 minutes. Serve. Eat.
Recipe: Warm Apple Cider Glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup apple cider
Heat apple cider in a small saucepan until warm. Sift powdered sugar into a medium mixing bowl. Add the warm cider. Whisk until smooth, about 3 minutes.
Be sure to check out the Daring Baker’s blogroll, I am sure they will fatten you up really well!
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Fall Fest is virtual event that is the continuation of Summer Fest. Summer Fest is an event that was started by Margaret of Away to Garden and Deb of the Food Network. This week’s theme is Pears. If you would like to join along, please do. Just leave a link to your recipe or fall pear idea below as well as on Margaret’s and Deb’s sites.
This salad is the perfect salad for fall and will ease you into winter. Hearty spinach is tossed together with pears, blue cheese and zesty pecans and cranberries. I have been making this salad all week. In fact, I should probably ease up before we have harvest salad burnout. I really cannot stop as the pears, right now, are amazing! They add such a delicious depth to this salad; crisp, slightly sweet and juicy. Perfect mix with the zesty pecans and cranberries.
What is your favorite way to make a harvest salad?
Recipe: Zesty Pecans and Cranberries
* they make a GREAT snack, too
1/2 cup pecans, broken into pieces
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water
zest from one orange
sprinkle of fresh ground black pepper
1/3 cup dried cranberries
Heat oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with foil. Put the pecans, sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Stirring constantly over low heat, until the sugar is melted and a light syrup is formed. Add the orange and pepper, stir. Cook over low heat until the sugar mixture is absorbed, about 5 minutes; stir very often. Remove from heat and stir in the cranberries. Spread out on the cookie sheet. Bake in the oven, until crispy, about 10 – 15 minutes. Remove. Let cool. You will have enough for a couple salads.
Recipe: Harvest Salad
spinach, enough for 4 people, washed and dried
1 red bartlette pair, sliced
4 oz. blue cheese crumbles
zesty pecans
1/4 cup good olive oil
lemon, juiced
kosher salt, to taste
Put the spinach into a salad bowl. Add the pear, blue cheese and pecans. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice and salt. You may need to add a little more olive oil, lemon juice or salt, depending on your taste-buds. Drizzle over salad. Toss. Serve. Eat.
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Summer kind of hung out for a couple weeks and then skipped right out the door. I cannot even say Fall is here; it forgot to stop by. Winter seems to have arrived. Wet. Gloomy. Soggy. Definitely soup kind of weather.
I whipped up this batch of what soon became a delicious soup by using only a few things I had laying around the house – stock, onions, carrots, some fresh mushrooms and a gorgeous bag of porcini mushrooms. It was sort of like a “old mother Hubbard, when to the cupboard” sort of meal. In fact, our cupboards are so bare (will tell you why I am letting them get bare another day), that I am even on the brink of no olive oil and had to used my prized tea seed oil. This is a vegetarian based soup as well. Unfortunately, I find vegetable based stocks rather bland but you add porcinis along with the rich, earthy broth that comes from soaking them, the soup takes on a whole other life. Balanced, dirty (“earthy but I like the word dirty) and deepen. Soup for the soul!
Before I go into the recipe, I am sure you are asking or wondering, what is tea seed oil? Tea seed oil is one of the greatest finds from Earthy Delights. It has the lowest level of saturated fats and is rich in healthy monounsaturated fats, omega fatty acids and vitamin E. I love that it can be used at a high cooking heat as well, making it perfect for stir frys.
* served with a leafy green salad and fresh baked scones
How do you like to cook with barley?
Recipe: Porcini Barley Soup
1 yellow onion, small mince
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tea tree oil (or olive oil)
3 carrots, scrubbed and cut into chunks
1 oz. porcinis
1/2 cup warm water
8 cups vegetable stock
1 lb. crimini mushrooms, sliced into medium slices
kosher salt, to taste
1/4 teaspoon, white pepper corns
1 2/3 cup barley
Put the porcinis in a bowl with the warm water. Let set for 30 minutes. Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions, stir and lower the heat to low. Let the onions cook for 5 minutes. Add the carrots, stir and let cook for 5 minutes. Add the stock, the porcinis with their broth, the garlic and half of the sliced mushrooms. Bring to a low boil, season with salt and add the pepper. Lower the heat to a low simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes. Add the barley, stir, keep on low heat. Cover and cook until barley is cooked, about 45 minutes. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, stir in the rest of the mushrooms. Serve. Eat.
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I made a soup the other night and instead of boring old muffins, biscuits or that “warm crusty” loaf of bread I decided to play around with my scone recipe (which I have never shared as of yet). I wanted them to be flavorful, not boring. I wanted them to compliment a warm mushroom based soup I was serving for dinner so they could not be over-powering. I did not have much on hand and did not want to run to the store so I used some grated Parmesan to give them texture and last minute I added some fresh cracked black pepper. Perfect!
Have you tried making scones; if so, what is your favorite way to spice them up?
Recipe: Savory Parmesan and Black Pepper Scones
2 cups ap flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter cut into small pieces, I like to use Kerry Gold for scones
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, more or less upon your taste-buds
Heat over to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat. In a food processor, add the flour, salt and baking powder, give it a whirl just to combine the ingredients. Feed the butter into the food processor a couple pieces at a time, while it is running. Continue to do so until all the butter is added and the mixture is crumbly. Add the cheese and pepper, give a couple whirls. Drizzle in the buttermilk just until is comes together. It will be a little crumbly but when you knead with your hands it will come together. On a floured service, knead the dough for a couple minutes, to bring together. Form into a ball and roll into a circle that is 3/4″ – 1″ high, cut the circle as you would be cutting a pie, you should have 6 – 8 sections, depending on the size you like. I go for 8. Put onto the baking sheet. Bake for 20- 25 minutes, until golden. Serve. Eat.
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