Cranberry Crumble Bars

These are fabulous little shortbread bars made with pecans and filled with the blackberry/cranberry sauce I made for Thanksgiving. They are very easy to make and only require a few ingredients. After they cool, I like to slice them into little squares and package them in Christmas tins for friends at work. I think they are much better after they've been chilled in the fridge a day or two. They are also much less crumbly and easier to handle! The tartness in the cranberry filling really complements the sweetness of the shortbread while adding holiday charm. The original recipe comes from Baking Bites and calls for a strawberry jam filling. However, the strawberry is a bit sweet for my tastes. Any high quality jam or fruit filling will do, so experiment! I've had great luck with apricot preserves.

Cranberry Crumble Bars
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup pecans, finely chopped
1 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
3/4 cup cranberry/blackberry sauce

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil and lightly grease.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt and pecans, then stir in the butter and egg until mixture is crumbly, like coarse and wet sand. Set aside 2 cups of the mixture, and pour the remaining mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Press down gently, but firmly, into an even layer.
Spread strawberry jam over the shortbread layer. Sprinkle remaining crumbs evenly over the top. If the mixture is too wet to sprinkle, simply break it up with lightly floured fingers and spread it out.
Bake for 40-45 minutes, until lightly browned.
Cool bars in the pan before slicing.

Makes 24 small bars.

Thanksgiving Sweet Potatoes with Apples

I grew up eating more sweet potatoes than most people. My family regularly ate them grilled or sauteed in a little butter for everyday dinners. Therefore, I'm a bit skeptical of the sweet potato mash loaded with sugar and marshmallows that I have come across a few times. This is the recipe my mom has made every Thanksigiving since I can remember. It is simple, delicious and uses real sweet potatoes (as opposed to canned).

• Microwave 6-7 peeled sweet potatoes for ~5 minutes or until pretty soft, chop into large chunks

• Peel 6-7 Granny Smith apples and chop into large chunks

• Mix the sweet potatoes and apples into a square baking dish

• Dot with 3-4 tbls of butter

• Sprinkle 1/4 cup of brown sugar over the top

• Optional Additions: Drizzle with real maple syrup, sprinkle with finely chopped pecans

• Throw it in with the turkey and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until potatoes and apples are soft

Enjoy!

Blackberry/Cranberry Sauce

I've yet to meet someone whose favorite Thanksgiving fare is the cranberry sauce. And yet I feel it would be missed if omitted. I typically like my cranberry sauce on the sweet side, which typically means LOTS of sugar. During my Thanksgiving recipe search last year, I found a great recipe on Baking Bites for cranberry sauce with blackberries. The blackberries added a natural sweetness and a bit of depth to the flavor. Personally, I am not at all opposed to canned cranberry sauce. There are some really good ones out there. However, I am normally on an "everything needs to be made from scratch for Thanksgiving" kick. The other benefit to making my own cranberry sauce is the leftovers. I will ultimately use most of the sauce for Christmas cookies (recipe to come). Enjoy!

Blackberry Cranberry Sauce
12-oz bag cranberries
2 cups blackberries (approx 12-oz)
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground allspice

Place cranberries in a medium saucepan and fill about 1-inch deep with water. Cook over medium-high heat until cranberries start to pop. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until popping slows. Add in blackberries, sugar, salt and allspice. Stir well and cook over medium heat until sauce comes just to a simmer and starts to thicken.
Use a potato masher to gently crush the berries, the cook for an additional minute.
Pour sauce out into a heat resistant dish, cover and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Berries will keep, refrigerated, for at least a week. They can also be frozen.

Makes about 4 cups

Veggie Enchiladas

After my enchilada rant, I should probably be embarrassed to post this recipe. However, I am not. These are absolutely fantastic and super easy to make. The most time-consuming aspect is the vegetable chopping. They can be as low fat as you like by limiting the amount of cheese you add. You can also vary the amounts and types of veggies used to suit your taste. Enjoy!

2-3 tbls olive oil
1 cup green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
6 oz fresh spinach, stemmed
1-2 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cup frozen corn, defrosted
1 14 oz can black beans, drained slightly
2 tbls fresh oregano
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 can red "enchilada sauce" -- GASP
Shredded colby jack cheese (or whatever you want to use)
20 6-in corn tortillas

Heat olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven. Add onions and garlic and cook for ~5 minutes. Add mushrooms and zucchini and cook for ~3-4 minutes. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Add corn, beans, herbs and stir in 1/2 tsp salt. Cook for ~5 minutes more and turn off heat. Assemble enchiladas into a 9x13 in pan. Heat tortillas to soften and fill with a tbls of veggie filling and a sprinkle of cheese. Roll. Once the pan is full, poor enchilada sauce over all and sprinkle with more cheese. Bake in a preheated oven (350) for 20-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve with rice.

Well summer is back in full swing this weekend after some lovely cold weather thunderstorms last week. Therefore, rather than heat up the house, I thought it'd be a good evening for the grill. I'm rather proud of the spread this evening, so I'm going to post the whole menu.

Salmon a la Haley

1. 1 lb of salmon (serves two)
2. 1/4 cup brown sugar
3. 3/4 tsp garlic salt
4. 1 tsp lemon pepper
5. 1/2 tsp dried thyme
6. 1/4 tsp paprika
7. dash of cayenne pepper (to taste)

Mix 2-7 in a small bowl. Rub onto salmon and let sit at least 30 min. I am VERY generous with the rub . . . really cake it on. The rub will become more of a glaze as the brown sugar "melts." Grill skin side down until almost ready, and then flip for a couple minutes to get grill marks on top. If your salmon doesn't have skin, be sure to put rub on both sides!

Grilled Asparagus

1. Asparagus, cleaned with tough ends removed
2. Sea salt
3. Freshly ground black pepper
4. Olive oil

Spread the asparagus out on a plate and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Grill for about 10 min over indirect heat.

Grilled Corn

1. Corn

Throw corn on the grill husks and all for about 20-30 minutes.

Grilled Apple Slices

1. 1 large apple, cored and sliced to 1/2 inch
2. brown sugar
3. cinnamon
   

Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon on both sides of apple slices and allow to sit for 30 min. Grill for several minutes over indirect heat until soft.

I also served this with Uncle Ben's long grain/wild rice mix, which I always enjoy.

Green Chile Tortilla Roll-ups

In honor of Hatch green chile season, I thought I'd post a great party recipe. I have to be completely honest . . . I can't stand cream cheese, so I don't actually eat this one. I am fully aware, however, that most people love cream cheese, and I assure you that this one is a winner.

1 8-oz package cream cheese
1 4-oz can Hatch green chiles, drained and chopped
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon white onion, minced
dash of garlic salt, to taste
approx. 20 6-in flour tortillas, warmed (fresh is best!)

1. Combine the first five ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix until well-blended and creamy. I used my beaters for this task.
2. Spread mixture in a thin layer (think peanut butter on a PB&J sandwich).
3. Roll the tortilla's and slice into 1.5" pieces.
4. Chill for approx. 2 hours before serving.

Enjoy!

Rosemary Bread

Every once in a while I get a strong urge to eat out at Macaroni Grill. Although I do love their mushroom ravioli, I must admit that my cravings are most sufficiently satiated by their rosemary bread. Oh man do I love that stuff . . . Last night I experienced said craving and convinced Isai that we should splurge for the evening. This decision was followed shortly by the realization that we probably didn't need to spend $40 on my craving for a loaf of bread. This is especially true after our trip to Germany, upon which I took my parent's advice of "don't be cheap" to heart. At any rate, I recalled a rosemary bread recipe from www.allrecipes.com whose reviews claimed it to be identical to the Macaroni Grill bread that I love so much. Since I had all the ingredients on hand and a couple hours before dinner time, I decided to give it a try. Now I've never been great at making bread. More often than not, it comes out too dense since I am always trying to rush the rising process. This loaf was wonderful, however, and I will definitely be making it on a regular basis. Although perhaps not identical to the bread from Macaroni Grill, it exceeded expectations. Enjoy!

• 1 cup warm water (should feel like a warm bath)
  
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1-2 tablespoon rosemary
• 2 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1. Dissolve sugar and yeast in water. Let it sit, undisturbed, for 10 minutes.
2. Combine flour and salt.
3. Make a well in the flour mixture, and add the olive oil and yeast mixture.
4. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. ~10 min
5. Add rosemary and Italian seasonings.
6. Knead until the seasonings are distributed throughout the dough. ~5 min
7. Let the dough rise in a covered bowl for 2 hours.
8. Punch the dough and shape into a loaf.*
9. Let rise in a loaf pan that has been generously brushed with olive oil for 45 min.
10. Bake in preheated oven (375 F) for 30 min.
11. Brush the top generously with olive oil and sprinkle with course salt.

Serve with olive oil and cracked pepper for dipping.

*To form a loaf: flatten the dough into a rectangle and fold in thirds (like a letter) to make a rectangle loaf. Place in the pan seam side down.

Cheesy Potatoes

I initially got this recipe from my grandmother who dubbed it "Potatoes O' Gerry" -- her name is Geraldine. I'm pretty sure she got the recipe from the bag of O'Brian frozen potatoes and just changed the name. Regardless of its origination, this is probably my favorite side dish, and it is super easy to make . . . A real crowd-pleaser albeit relatively high in calories. You can substitute many of the ingredients for their low-fat counterparts, but I tend to use the 'good' ingredients and opt for smaller portions.

1 28 oz. bag of frozen, diced potatoes (I prefer the kind with peppers, but that is a matter of taste)
1 cup sour cream
1 can cream of celery soup
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese + more for sprinkling on top
A few handfuls of rice crispies (or some unsweetened corn/rice cereal)

In a large mixing bowl, combine potatoes, sour cream and soup. Add cheese and mix until well-distributed. Spread into 9x13 dish and sprinkle cheese and crushed cereal on top. To bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake for approx 1.5 hours or until heated through and cheese is bubbly.

Chicken Salad

Sunday night is generally bbq night at our house. In addition to the dinner, I often bbq a few boneless/skinless chicken breasts that are lightly seasoned with salt and pepper. I then have cooked chicken to use throughout the week in various recipes. Every once in a while, I like to toss together a quick chicken salad for sandwiches during the work week. Below is my favorite chicken salad recipe. I learned it while working at a chocolate shop/cafe during high school. Please do not hesitate to alter the ingredient amounts as they may vary largely by personal preference. For example, I'm not a huge fan of mayo, so I tend to make my chicken salad on the dry side.

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup seedless grapes, halved
1/2 cup walnut pieces
start with 2-3 tablespoons mayo
dried tarragon, to taste
freshly ground pepper, to taste
salt, to taste

Combine shredded chicken, chopped celery, walnuts and halved grapes. Add mayo-- start with less and add until you have reached the desired consistency. Season to taste with tarragon, salt and pepper. Store in a tightly sealed container in the fridge until chilled. Serve on your favorite sandwich bread (mine is oatnut). I really enjoy these sandwiches with a couple thick slices of homegrown tomatoes. Enjoy!

Walnut Feta Dip

I shouldn't even be sharing this recipe as it has become one of my favorite "wow them" party recipes. However, I like it so much that I simply couldn't resist ;). This dip is sophisticated, delicious and stupidly simple to make.

1 cup walnuts
1 medium handful fresh parsley (very easy to grow)
1 cup feta cheese
1/2 cup water

In a food processor (I have a mini), combine walnuts and parsley and pulse until finely chopped. Add feta and water and blend until smooth. Serve with high quality pita chips or another classy dipper. This would also make a delightful sandwich spread.

Enjoy!

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

I feel that I should preface this post with the fact that I've lived in the Southwestern United States for the majority of my life. More specifically, my childhood (through high school) was spent in Albuquerque, NM. Anyone from New Mexico considers themselves to be a "Mexican food connoisseur" of sorts, and anyone who's never been there thinks that New Mexicans are simply pretentious and perhaps a bit loony about their food. I went to college in Arizona, and I can't tell you how shocked I was when I ordered "green" on my enchiladas and received a tomatillo-based travesty! That being said, currently living in Austin, I have slowly learned to appreciate TexMex for what it is rather than expecting my beloved New Mexican cuisine at local restaurants. I have had to expand my Mexican food horizons and refrain from ordering my favorite New Mexican fare. Consequently, I never EVER order green chile chicken enchiladas. Recently, I found cans of Hatch green chiles in my local grocery store (Yes, there is a difference), and I was stoked. I tried a few different enchilada sauce recipes, and I have finally settled on one from my newly acquired cookbook, Red or Green: New Mexico Cuisine by Clyde Casey. It is actually a recipe for green chile stew, so you can just stop with the sauce if you'd like. I suggest making the sauce/stew the day before assembly for a couple of reasons.
1. Cold sauce is easier to work with.
2. It thickens a bit.
3. The flavors have been given a chance to meld.
Now that I have ranted on and on about expecting traditional New Mexican food, I'm going a bit nontraditional here with my use of a stew as an enchilada sauce. Sorry, but I promise it's good. The stew itself is quite healthy, although that is somewhat negated in the enchilada assembly portion. At any rate, enjoy!

Green Chile Stew/Sauce:

2 lbs chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces (I use kitchen scissors for this)
3 tbls all purpose flour
2 tbls butter
1 cup white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups tomato, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin
water, as needed
4 4-oz cans of Hatch green chiles, chopped

1. Toss chicken with flour to cat. In a Dutch oven, or similarly sized pot, heat butter and add chicken. Stir until slightly cooked through. Add onion and garlic, and cook until soft (stirring frequently).
   
2. Add tomatoes, salt, oregano and cumin. Cover and simmer for ca. 1 hour. Add water as needed to achieve desired thickness (I add about one cup of water at the beginning).
   
3. Add chiles and simmer for 30 more minutes.

Enchilada Assembly:

12+ corn tortillas
Canola oil
Lots of cheese (I use a "Mexican blend," but there are a lot of options . . . cheddar, colby-jack, etc.)
Green chile enchilada sauce

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
2. Heat a thin layer of oil in a small skillet and gently fry tortillas for a couple of seconds on each side. Remember, you want them to remain pliable. Drain well.
   
3. Add a spoonful or two of sauce and a sprinkling of cheese to each tortilla and roll it up. Transfer to a 9x13" pan as you go. Sorry about the lack of measurement specifics, but you want enough filling so that it is full without being impossible to roll-up. Don't worry about spillage.
4. When the pan is full of tightly packed enchiladas, poor the remaining sauce on top and cover with as much cheese as you like.
5. Bake until the cheese on top is melted and everything looks bubbly, about 20 minutes.

Serve with Spanish rice and refried beans. If you want to be truly authentic, follow the meal with warm sopapillas served with honey. Perhaps I will attempt those in the future. Please feel free to post comments and suggestions about this or any recipe posting.