A stress might be high today all around the world, with holiday season getting its peak this weekend. I am one of those annoying people who gets all the buying and wrapping and sending done by the first Advent and then just enjoys the December feels with a little baking and candy making, going to the Christmas Market, and spreading holiday cheer. By now all the hams, turkeys, lamb, whatever it is you are preparing for the festivities, should be out of the freezing temperatures, and safely defrosting or dehydrating, depending on where you live and what you are going to prepare. When it comes to turkey, I know a lot of people use bacon while roasting a turkey, my go to recipe uses oranges. And even if I am using just a breast of turkey to a smaller group pf diners, lining the turkey breast with clementine slices gives it a boost with juiciness you can't believe! The turkey doesn't taste like a citrus fruit but it does have a lovely, light and fresh flavor from the herbs and clementines. The favorite side dishes for a Christmas meal are numerous and I covered a lot of those last year through December. You find them with the search word 'seasonal' or 'Christmas'. This year I am prepared to make a several side dishes, but I know my scalloped potatoes will have some peppered cheese in them, to give them an extra kick and deeper flavors. Just remember, simple can be even better, no need to stress while trying to impress. Consider focusing on just couple things and doing them well and worry free, instead of trying to accomplish more than possible in the timeframe you have. I hope you will have a peaceful, joyful, and delicious holidays. ~ Cheers!
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When you have the words parmesan and roasted in the same topic I will be there! Ah, everything is better roasted, especially during winter time and the veggies get the best flavors as they slowly roast in the oven... This recipe is a great side dish recipe for the holidays, every day, summer days... It came my personal fast favorite with the first try, and the best part - you can just put the rest of the meal, the protein, into the oven with the cauliflower. So without a further ado here is the recipe for roasted cauliflower with Parmesan. Hope you enjoy it! ~ Cheers PS. A great holiday baking recipe today on the BOOKS page, yes, we are mixing things up these days! Go check it out :)
Meatballs, that familiar and favorite meal of many ever since childhood! Most of us have that recipe passed on from our parents, and many of us tweak them with our own ideas to create something unique. An old acquaintance once said to me that everytime he catches on with my recipe, next time I have twisted it a bit again, and he has to wonder what did I do to manage the new flavor. Usually, that is accomplished with just one question, but some like to try to figure it out on their own. But back to the matter of meatballs. Here is the very basic recipe for them, that is the base from where I go to different directions depending on what I am going to use them for. To make them is not that time consuming, but since I am going to make the effort, I tend to make enough for at least two or three meals, or even more and set the rest in the freezer. The binder with breadcrumbs and milk can be also made with heavy cream or with vegetable broth if wanting to avoid using a milk product. If using a broth, adjust the amount of salt accordingly, some of them are mighty salty products if using a ready-made one. Like with many other proteins, changing the side dishes served with meatballs can change the mealtime drastically. In my home country, they used to be served with mashed potatoes, others only eat them with pasta, but there are really endless opportunities and only imagination is the limit. Rutabaga is part of the season's traditional meals up here in northern Europe, and as an adult, I have really fell in love with its strong, deep flavor. To make it more family friendly, you can add a couple of carrots and a potato to the rutabaga puree, softening the flavor considerably. Also, grated root vegetables are often served during the wintertime in the place of salads. To mix a little fresh fruit juice, like orange juice, into grated carrots and toss in a handful of lingonberries and you have a colorful side dish filled with vitamins and fiber! I hope you enjoy these meal ideas and have a great weekend. Until next time ~ Cheers!
Hey guys, a quick midweek recipe, and dinner idea. I don't know how the weather is where you are, I just hope it is warmer than up here north of everything. But this soup is going to keep you warm! It came about really fast, and it had such a nice heat to it, yet a soft taste, I wanted to share it with you all. I hope you enjoy it! Stay warm! Till next time ~ Cheers!
Every once and awhile it is nice to take a little time to make a good meal if you have a chance for it. Risotto made with white wine is a tasty meal with endless possibilities, but it does take an effort and you need to pay attention to it constantly, and then be ready to serve everything at the moment it is ready... So I understand it is not the first choice for most of us when thinking about what's for dinner. But one Advent Sunday might just be worth the effort, at least it was for me. I had some chicken tenders that were marinated in Balsamico to serve with the risotto, and I added cranberries and asparagus heads into the risotto as well. A very flavor-rich meal, just so perfectly in balance with all the tastes, I wanted to have some of the leftovers for breakfast the next morning. Yes, it was good. So without further ado - a white wine risotto with cranberries for your holiday celebration. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. Till next time ~ Cheers!
Mid-week angst for what's for dinner hits us all from time to time. There are lots of solutions for the problem, here is one thought with several variations. This is something I like to do, to keep the cost of grocery bill on the budget, yet have a variation to the meals through the week. When making fish, I often bake more than needed and either serve with a different side dish the day after or use it in some kind of salad, by the side of a salad, pasta salad, noodle salad, in a wrap with the salad... Here are some of the recipes I have shared before (click the image to get the recipe), the salmon with curry and cinnamon is still my favorite that I have been doing for years. It started as a holiday fish served cold on a buffet table with numerous tapas dishes, and by now I have used it in all ways I can imagine. I hope this will give you some inspiration and ideas for the everyday menu planning. Till next time ~ Cheers! A soup that I could eat every day for the rest of the days. It is easy to make, just peeling and chopping some veggies, and not that many either. And the smaller you cut them, the faster they will be done when cooking, then you can puré the veggies, do the finishing touch and let the delicious flavors entice you. This is a great soup course for a winter time multi-course dinner or served as it is as a meal with some hearty artisan bread on the side. It will warm you up from inside out with the slow heat from the chili peppers, yet the smoothness of the coconut milk will make the soup child-friendly as well. I hope you all are having a wonderful beginning of the season celebration. Till next time ~ Cheers!
When it gets dark, wet, and cold outside I love to make lots of soups and stews that will warm me up from inside out. This slow cooked piece of heaven also known as meat stew took three hours in the oven to simmer, brought lovely aromas into the house, was so tasty and soothing, and the flavors got even better the day after. If you happen to have leftovers, heat them up on a medium heat on top of the stove until thoroughly brought up to the temperature. Or you can freeze the leftovers in an airtight container for up to two months. I hope you enjoy it! Till next time ~ Cheers!
Last week I posted about this on the website Instagram account, and I got a message for a recipe. So here you go. It is easy and rather fast to make, and as tasty as you make it. The allure of it is that you can make it to a two different meal times with a little twist, as long as you make enough of the red beans and rice to fill up the bell peppers the next day. I love the simplicity of it, and of course, the red beans and rice can be made without the minced pork meat and serve both as vegetarian meals. Because the next day - I just added a sharp tasting cheese and the top part of the peppers that I had cut off chopped up into the red beans and rice mix and filled the peppers up with some more cheese on the top. There really can't be too much cheese, right?! I hope you enjoy it! Till next time ~ Cheers!
Holidays are coming and all the entertainment with it. It is time to start to plan and wonder what, where, and when. For brunch with friends and family or just weekend lazy breakfast because it is freezing cold outside and you want to cozy up at home, cuddled up with a blanket reading a good book with some tea and good cake... This recipe surely delivers! I love this recipe because it is easy to get together, you don't need any fancy equipment to mix it, just a bowl and a spoon, and the taste is fabulous. I used Greek yogurt in it instead of natural and it gave nice depth to the flavor. It can be made to many different things, but here is my favorite so far with bananas, hazelnuts, and dark chocolate. YUMMY! Hope you enjoy it! Till next time ~ Cheers!
I love this Thai-flavored soup. I'm not sure if I love it more eaten hot or cold leftovers, but it is delicious and one of my favorites for sure. Last time I made it the heat of the taste was so that my eyes teared up, but you don't have to use as much chili peppers in the soup, or you can add coconut milk to it to make it more family friendly if you so desire. The difference with this soup is that I sauté all the other ingredients in a pan except the noodles. Those I cooked in a vegetable broth that also became the liquid in the soup. You set noodles and broth at the bottom of the serving dish and add the rest of the ingredients on top of the noodles. Make sure you use enough broth while cooking the noodles since they soak up the liquid like a sponge. I surely will keep you warm, hope you enjoy it. Till next time ~ Cheers!
When it gets cold, wet, and dark outside, there's nothing that warms me up like a good bowl of soup. And with the bright colors, smooth textures, and lovely taste, this soup goes way up on the favorites list. The bright color of the soup comes from the veggies and veggies only. I have sweet potato, carrots, and beetroots that take the credit of the color. I have red lentils that provide protein, and to the layers of taste add the sautéed shallots and garlic, all set to cook slowly in vegetable stock. The soup has really sleek, soft, and mellow taste yet it has a full-bodied flavor and leaves a pleasant aftertaste that makes you crave second servings. If for some reason you would want to replace the lentils with meat, I would use minced chicken or turkey breast or strips of pork loin, any meat cooked before adding to the soup, of course. If judging just by the looks and color, the Beetroot Lentil Soup is a perfect meal for the Halloween weekend. I hope you all enjoy this warm vegetarian delight and have a safe and happy weekend. Till next time ~ Cheers!
Ready or not, the holidays are approaching, and depending on where you live, the days might be getting awfully short right about now... But there are so many good things to look forward to, as well. Like making homemade candy for parties, as a gift, or for your own pleasure!! I have shared some homemade candy and fudge recipes before. All the recipes are so easy to make and don't require any special equipment. And even better, it doesn't take that long to prepare them. The hardest part of the process is let them cool off in peace... First was the Peanut Butter Fudge. It only takes few minutes to make, and then comes the waiting time. Just click on the name, and you get the recipe for it.
There was also the no-bake cookies, made of rice krispies, white chocolate, and peanut butter. Oh, those I can't wait to make again! I believe I called them The Amazing Sweet Treat. And finally, we get to the recipe of today. This candy is so good. I have made it few times, and I am hooked. I run into it somewhere on the internet, unfortunately, I don't have the original link, but thank you, whoever you are, who created this lovely recipe! It is relatively easy to make, it doesn't require a candy thermometer. Candy making can be temperamental because everything from the altitude to the air pressure and weather can affect it. This recipe has worked for me every time, though. I haven't had any problems with it, as long as I follow the directions carefully and exactly. But don't let that scare you because this treat is worth it!
I have used both thick condensed milk that was nearly a pudding consistency, and very liquid one. The caramels made with the liquid one were softer, perfect for dipping if so desired.
The corn syrup is there to keep your caramel soft, i have not tried any substitutions. Use a good butter because it will effect on the taste. I used unsalted. I loved the sea salt taste mixed with the sweet caramel, the perfect combination on my taste buds. I hope you have a sweet weekend, until next time ~ Cheers! The autumn has arrived, and with the lamb has come to the meat disk in the local markets. There's just something about the cooling temperatures, fall colors, root veggies coming to the store, that makes me want to get into that lamb action as well. I have mentioned before that it is not my first choice of a protein, but couple times a year, it hits the spot. This was actually a very simple, yet tasty meal. I sauteed some bell peppers, had the last cherry tomatoes from my own kitchen window garden, and cooked whole grain rice adding a dash of cinnamon to it. The lamb itself was vacuum-packed with fresh rosemary before preparing it. At the time it was prepared for the oven, I rubbed to it a herb+garlic mix in olive oil, with thyme, sage, chives and powdered garlic. I have previously posted these directions to preparing lamb - 1.Take the meat out of the refrigerator an hour before cooking to let it come to the room temperature for more even cooking. 2.Rub the meat with olive oil, salt, and pepper on a rack in a roasting pan 3.Broil the leg of lamb for five minutes on both sides, until it looks seared and brown. 4.Take it out of the oven. Turn the oven to 160 C/325 F. 5.Rub the minced garlic and rosemary into the meat, evenly coating it. I have seen people inserting whole cloves of garlic into the meat, but when you pierce the meat, you loose juices from it while cooking it. I would always use minced garlic. 6.Loosely cover the pan with an aluminum foil, and set in the middle of the oven for about an hour. 7. Remove the foil after an hour and take the temperature of the lamb. If the lamb has come to the temperature of 57 C / 135 F, you can take it out of the oven, remember it will continue cooking while it rests. If the lamb has not reached the desired temperature, keep cooking it, and check the temperature every 20 minutes. 8. Let the leg of lamb rest for 15 minutes before carving it. Internal Temperatures for Bone-In Leg of Lamb All of these cooking times take into account the fact that we broil the lamb first to sear it. They also assume a resting period of at least 15 minutes, during which the lamb actually continues cooking internally. It's best, especially if you like rare or medium-rare lamb, to take it out at a lower temperature. REMEMBER! These times are only guidelines. Depending on many factors, your lamb leg may roast slower or faster. Check after one hour and then continue roasting, checking frequently, until the lamb reaches your desired internal temperature. Roasting Temperature: 160 C / 325°F Rare: 52 C / 125°F (about 15 minutes per pound/500 g) Medium-Rare: 55 C / 130°F to 135°F (about 20 minutes per pound/500g) Medium: 60 C/ 135°F to 140°F (about 25 minutes per pound/500g) Well-Done: 68 - 70 C /155°F to 165°F (about 30 minutes per pound/500g) I hope you all have a great weekend, until next time
~ Cheers! I had so much fun with this dish. I had an idea what I wanted to do with the thin, boneless, pork neck slices that I had, and I thought it worked out great. Even though it might look like it takes a lot of effort, in the end, it came together pretty fast. I had the marinara ready made in the freezer so that always saves a lot of time and effort. This dish was fun to make and delicious to eat! It's a great dish to prepare ahead, and then just bake to service. If you want, you can also freeze portions of it to be served later. I hope you enjoy it. Till next time ~ Cheers! |