Month: November 2014

Winter Risotto with Farro and Arborio Rice

A couple of weeks ago, I was invited on a Chevy Farm-to-Table Road Trip, which was SO much fun! Chauffeured in snazzy Chevrolets, the group first went to Terrain in Glen Mills for lunch at their cafe and then went wine tasting down the road at Chaddsford Winery. (To read more about Terrain and Chaddsford Winery, visit my guest post over on Drive the District.)

All of the food was fantastic at Terrain, but I cannot stop thinking about their fabulous Farro and Arborio Risotto with sweet potato puree and autumn vegetables. So, naturally, I decided to try to make my own version! This recipe is pretty involved but it sure is worth it!

This recipe can be easily made vegan (noted below) and is vegetarian if vegetable stock is used instead of chicken stock. This recipe, however, is not gluten free because farro does contain some gluten. 

 

Ingredients:

Veggies:

  • 2 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
  • 1 cup halved Brussels sprouts
  • 3 Sweet potatoes, divided
  • 2 Shallots, halved
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh chopped rosemary
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (or margarine to make vegan)

Risotto

  • 3 cups water
  • 1 cup uncooked farro
  • 6 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock to keep vegetarian)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large shallot, minced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2/3 cup Arborio rice
  • ½ cup white wine
  • 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese (omit for vegan version)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Rosemary and thyme for garnish

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Holiday Nut Crunch Bark #GoNutsForNuts

** This shop has been compensated by #CollectiveBias (Collective Bias, Inc.) and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. **

Is this year moving too quickly for anyone else? I cannot believe it is almost the holiday season! It’s probably a safe assumption the rest of the year is going to fly by as well, so I wanted to get a head start on the holidays now. I’ll hold off on the shopping for a few more days, but it’s never too early to try out some recipes, right? I love giving desserts as small gifts during the holiday season, and bark is a fun and simple option! This bark recipe uses one of Planter’s seasonal nut mixes, which can be found in your local Walmart. Some stores have these great Planter’s holiday displays with all of their seasonal mixes, so it’s so easy to #GoNutsForNuts!

I used Planter’s Holiday Nut Crunch for this recipe, but you could also use one of the other seasonal options, such as Planter’s Cocoa Almonds or Winter Spiced Mix. For additional inspiration, check out the Cooking Up Good website. They have recipes, sweepstakes, loyalty programs, coupons and more! What’s not to love? If you’re looking for a new dinner idea or a chance to win some awesome prizes, be sure to check it out!

Planter’s also has a Blippar app to help you find more fun recipes to try using their products. Blippar is an app that has image recognition capabilities and gives you the opportunity to interact with Planter’s brand. You can swipe through Holiday Gift Tips, take a selfie with Mr. Peanut, and browse Planter’s holiday products!

Ingredients:

  • 1 bag dark chocolate chips (~10 oz)
  • 1 bag milk chocolate chips (~11.5 oz)
  • 3/4 cups Planter’s Holiday Nut Crunch mix
  • 1/2 cup green chocolate wafers
  • 1/4 cup white chocolate wafers

Continue reading Holiday Nut Crunch Bark #GoNutsForNuts

Browned Butter and Lemon Brussels Sprouts

I love love love Brussels sprouts. I truly don’t understand why I was told they were gross when I was a kid, they are a favorite veggie of mine now! So I’m excited to share this recipe for Browned Butter and Lemon Brussels Sprouts!

Most recipes for Brussels sprouts include bacon, however. And as much as I love bacon, sometimes you just want a truly vegetarian side. Cooking Light had this recipe for Browned Butter and Lemon Brussels Sprouts in its November 2014 issue and it sounded so yummy! Lemons brighten up the flavor of the Brussels sprouts and works really well with the browned butter.

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

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Cardamom Glazed Carrots

Carrots are a staple on most Thanksgiving tables. My dad loves super mushy carrots, which just don’t do it for me.  I want a bit of a crunch! So this recipe for Cardamom Glazed Carrots from Cooking Light is perfect for me; sorry, Dad!

The cardamom adds a lightly floral taste which works so nicely with the fresh ginger. This recipe takes just 15 minutes to make so it’s a great weeknight option as well. The recipe serves 6, so multiply as needed.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (or margarine to make vegan)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves (optional)

 

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Steamed Spinach with Curry Butter

Sometimes your sides need a bit more pizzazz. This simple recipe for Steamed Spinach with Curry Butter from Cooking Light adds a ton of flavor (and a little bit of heat if you want it) with little effort and time. The recipe below makes enough for 4 people but can easily be multiplied to fill a crowd (this would be a yummy side at Thanksgiving!)

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (or olive oil to make paleo)
  • 1 tablespoon mild curry powder
  • 2 (16-ounce) containers fresh spinach
  • 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

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Apple Sage Stuffing Cups

Stuffing is one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving, probably because it’s usually the only time of year I get to eat it. But now that I’ve found this awesome single serving version for Apple Sage Stuffing Cups, I can have it whenever I want with little effort!

This recipe from Cooking Light adds the stuffing to a cupcake tin to bake so that you get more crispy edges. It’s also great as a make ahead option because everything is already portioned out for easy reheating.

Ingredients:

  • 12 ounces sourdough bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 8 cups)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 1/2 cups diced apple
  • 1 1/4 cups chopped onion
  • 2/3 cup chopped celery
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 3/4 cups unsalted chicken stock (or vegetable stock to keep it vegetarian)
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • Cooking spray

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Cherry Port Cranberry Sauce

I absolutely love cranberry sauce. This not-too-tart and not-too-sweet Thanksgiving staple is always a favorite of mine.

Now I don’t turn my nose up at the canned stuff, but this homemade version for Cherry Port Cranberry Sauce is a really simple alternative. It’s also a bit of a chunky sauce instead of the smooth canned version, so it has a really nice texture to it. Plus, it can be made in 20 minutes!

If you don’t want to use port in the recipe, you can substitute in pomegranate juice.

 

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups fresh cranberries (about 8 ounces)
  • 3/4 cup dried sweetened cherries
  • 3/4 cup port wine
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon orange juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

 

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Cauliflower with Anchovy Breadcrumbs

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, so I’ve been cooking up a bunch of sides, including this Cauliflower with Anchovy Breadcrumbs, to share with you until my favorite holiday!

This recipe from Cooking Light adds a toasted breadcrumb mixture over cooked cauliflower florets to make a really simple but tasty side dish! I changed the recipe up a bit, using sourdough bread because that’s what I had in my apartment. I also tossed the cauliflower in some olive oil and a touch of salt before adding the breadcrumbs to add some more flavor to the dish.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 head of cauliflower, cut into bite sized florets
  • 2 ounces torn sourdough bread pieces
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage, plus more for garnish
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 anchovy fillets, rinsed and drained
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • salt, to taste

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