This is an easy recipe for delicious pickled beets and onions. I happen to love beets. I grew up on them. Polish and Slovak cuisine include many beet dishes (borscht – beet soup, pickled beets and Red Beets with Horseradish Relish ) These are great on a salad or as a side dish.
This recipe isn’t processed so it’s meant to be eaten within a few weeks.
Roasted Pickled Beets and Onions
16 baby beets, tops trimmed
(you can also used canned or jarred beets)
1 medium onion, julienned
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/3 cup white vinegar
1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup water
To make the beets:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Trim greens from beets. Wrap each beet in foil. Place beet packets directly on oven rack and roast until tender when pierced with a fork, about 1 hour. Cool and peel beets (I suggest you use gloves or paper towel to do this, beet juice stains everything.
Cut beets into wedges or slices.
To make the marinade:
In a small saucepan, combine onions, vinegar, sugar, salt and 2/3 cup water and bring to a boil; simmer 5 minutes.
Pour hot marinade over beets and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight before serving.
The Holiday Season is upon us. Time to get together with family and friends and celebrate! Grab your glass and enjoy! Let us all count our blessings at this time of year and every day for the love of family and friends.
Hot Spinach Parmesan Dip
This is my version of that great dip from T.G.I. Friday’s
Everyone devours this!
2 tsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. fresh spinach, cleaned, trimmed and coarsely chopped
1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed
or
2 (10 oz. pkgs. frozen spinach, thawed
1/2 cup milk
6 ounces cream cheese
3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
Pinch of cayenne pepper
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella
Freshly ground black pepper
Baguette slices, breadsticks or tortilla chips, for serving
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat.
Add onion and garlic, cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Add spinach in two additions, letting the first batch wilt before adding the next.
Cook until completely wilted, 5 to 8 minutes
Add frozen spinach and incorporate.
Transfer to a colander and drain, pressing lightly with a spoon to release all excess liquid.
In the same pot, warm milk over high heat. Whisk in cream cheese until melted, about 3 minutes.
Off heat, add spinach, Worcestershire sauce, Parmesan, Romano, cayenne pepper and 1/4 cup mozzarella; stir to combine. Season with pepper. I did not think it needed salt, but test it to suit your taste.
Pour into a lightly oiled 1-1/2 quart baking dish; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and a sprinkling of paprika (optional) for color.
Bake until bubbly and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve hot.
Let this be a time when we renew our faith in the power of love and realize the importance of time with our families.
I love creating new recipes using what I have left in the fridge. This Stuffed Pizza Meatloaf has a few delicious surprises inside.
A while back I was looking for recipes using Ritz crackers for an article I was doing. A neighbor gave me a recipe for Elvis’ favorite meatloaf using Ritz crackers in place of breadcrumbs. That’s where the crackers come in. This meatloaf was also made with sour cream instead of eggs. I was really surprised that the sour cream makes for the most tender meatloaf! I had everything for the Elvis meatloaf but I also had some leftover pizza sauce and cheese. The last ingredient – frozen mozzarella sticks. And the Stuffed Pizza Meatloaf was born.
Ingredients:
1-1/2 lbs. 85% lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup Ritz or Town House crackers (about 20)
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup pizza sauce, divided
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
6 frozen mozzarella sticks
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In the bowl of a small food processor, add crackers, garlic and red pepper flakes and pulse into fine crumbs. In a small skillet, heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Add cracker mixture and toast lightly over medium heat. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine ground beef, crumb mixture, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, 1/3 cup pizza sauce, 1/2 cup mozzarella and sour cream. Mix well to combine. Spray a large piece of foil with cooking spray. Flatten out meatloaf into a 9″ x 6″ rectangle. Arrange mozzarella sticks side by side.
Form into a loaf shape enclosing mozzarella sticks. Place in 8 x 12 baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, top with remaining pizza sauce and return to oven for 20 minutes more. After 20 minutes, add remaining mozzarella and return to oven until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Let cool at least 15 minutes before slicing.
This a new family favorite! I hope you’ll give it a try!
The idea of cooking a cake upside down, is an old technique that started centuries ago when cakes were cooked in cast iron skillets. The idea of the pineapple came soon after 1911 when one of the James Dole’s engineers had invented a machine to cut his pineapple into nice rings. Soon the convenient and pretty rings were used in this age old technique of the skillet cake.
It’s time to bring back this classic dessert – in mini form!
Perfect size for snacking or on your holiday table.
This holiday season, Dole Packaged Foods, LLC will be part of the annual Tournament of Roses Parade. Dole Packaged Food’s float, “Soaring Over Paradise” explores the world’s rain forests. The float includes four waterfalls, a zip line that travels through the rain forest canopy and a flock of Macaws that appear to take flight over the floral gardens. Featured thoughout the float are Dole’s non-GMO fruits, including bananas, pineapples, strawberries and mangoes. It’s a celebration more than a century old – a festival of flowers, music and sports unequaled anywhere else in the world. It’s America’s New Year Celebration!
Dole Packaged Foods ‘Live on Green’ Food Blogger Blast Party 2016 Rose Parade
We are so excited to be part of the food blogger blast! Alice Phillips of What’s for Dinner – Ally’s Kitchen will demonstrate this recipe and several others at the Dole Bistro where she’ll be cooking “live on green” December 29 and 30th as part of the parade. Dole recipes are easy there are so many delicious ideas for the holidays or anytime.
Ingredients
2 cans (20 oz. each) Dole Pineapple Slices
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 package (18.25 oz.) yellow or pineapple flavored cake mix
Maraschino cherries
Directions
Drain pineapple; reserve juice
Stir together melted butter and brown sugar.
Evenly divide sugar mixture into 18 muffin cups.
Press well drained pineapple into sugar mixture. Place cherries in center of pineapple.
Prepare cake mix according to package directions, replacing water with reserved pineapple juice.
Pour 1/3 cup batter into each muffin cup.
Bake at 350 degrees F. for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool 5 minutes (Important!)
Invert onto cooling rack.
Drizzle with any left over brown sugar syrup left in muffin tins.
Be sure to watch the parade and look for Ally and our recipes!
For 25 years, Annie’s has been nourishing families with simple, down-to-earth foods that taste great and are easy to love!
I have become part of Team Annie’s, a fun social community where fans get special access to the world of Annie’s and can share their love for Annie’s delicious products (did someone say Mac & Cheese?!) A lot of folks are trying to go Organic today. I’ve come up with a delicious recipe for a Creamy Broccoli & Cheese Casserole that is sure to become a favorite for everyday meals or Holiday dinners!
1 lb. fresh broccoli florets
1 can Healthy Request Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup Olive Oil Mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. minced onion
1 cup sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated
1 cup Annie’s Cheddar Squares, crushed
Place broccoli in a medium bowl with 1/4 cup water. Cover with plastic wrap and cook 4 minutes in your microwave until broccoli is tender-crisp.
Combine soup, egg, mayonnaise, onion and cheese. Mix until well combined. Add to broccoli and stir until evenly mixed. Top with crushed Cheddar Squares. Bake at 400 degrees F. for 20 to 22 minutes until bubbly and crumbs are light golden brown.
Annie’s Homegrown Cheddar Squares have no artificial flavors or synthetic preservatives. Delicious baked snack crackers with 6g of Whole Grains per serving! So they are great for snacking and add crunch and flavor to any recipe!
Enter to try Annie’s Homegrown!
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Visit Annies.com to learn about their products, their commitment to a healthier planet, and to get a free “Be Green” sticker!
I’m required to disclose a relationship between my blog and Annie’s Homegrown. This could include Annie’s providing me w/ content, product, access or other forms of payment.
I must confess that this is my favorite recipe for holiday cookies. The original recipe…just changed slightly to satisfy my craving for salty/sweet. With a crisp, buttery, cream cheese pastry and pecans coated in cinnamon caramel – touched with a hint of sea salt – these little pies are heaven sent.
Pastry:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
2-1/2 Tbsp. dark brown sugar
1 egg yolk
Filling:
1 cup pecans (plus 24 halves to top the pielets
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
3 Tbsp. light corn syrup
1 egg and 1 egg yolk, beaten
A few pinches of coarse sea salt
To make the pastry, sift the flour into a mixing bowl. With paddle attachment, add brown sugar, butter, cream cheese and egg yolk until well combined. Chill for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
To make the filling: blitz the 1 cup pecans in a food processor until finely chopped. Heat both the sugars, cinnamon, vanilla, butter and syrup until the sugar has dissolved and the butter has melted. Let cool for 10 minutes then beat in the egg and egg yolk. Reserve 1/3 cup of the syrup mixture and set aside. Add chopped pecans to remaining syrup.
Spray a mini-muffin tin with non-stick spray. With a small scoop, fill each section with dough. Press into each hole of the pan to form a cup.
Fill each mini pie crust with the chopped pecan mixture.
Top each pie with a pecan half
Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the filling is set. Take the pies out of the pan while still warm. This is easiest done with a butter knife, pushing down the side of each pie and lift them out.
Put the pies on a wire rack with a sheet of foil underneath to catch any drips. Heat the reserved syrup and brush it over the tops of the pies using a pastry brush. Sprinkle with sea salt if desired. Serve warm or cold.
These will keep for 3 days if stored in an airtight container. If you make them now…you won’t have any left.
Everyone enjoys a good pasta salad during the summer months when veggies are at their peak. During the winter, tomatoes, especially, suffer from lack of taste, texture and flavor. This is a delicious, warm pasta salad made with chickpea pasta! If you love pasta (and who doesn’t) but are trying to watch your carbs or just want to start eating healthy for the new year, this is a great recipe. High in protein and fiber, this is a nice additional to your pantry on a night that you just need a pasta fix! The folks at Banza sent in their “Banza Boys” to the local ShopRite to give everyone a sample of their pasta.
Banza is a small team based in Detroit with a big goal: To change food for the better! By making pasta from chickpeas instead of wheat, they have discovered that pasta can be as healthy as it is delicious!
Mediterranean Winter Pasta Salad
1 8 oz. box Banza Shells
1 5 oz. clamshell Organic Baby Spinach
2/3 cup marinated artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
1/2 small red onion, chopped
1 red roasted pepper, drained and chopped
6 sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup marinated kalamata olives halved
1 plump clove of garlic, minced
1/4 cup liquid from marinated artichoke hearts
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles
Salt and Pepper to taste
Directions:
Bring 6 inches of water to a boil in a large pot. Salt boiling water and add pasta. Cook according to package directions or until desired tenderness. While pasta is cooking, roughly chop baby spinach. Add spinach into colander where you will drain your pasta. When pasta is cooked, drain directly over spinach to wilt slightly. Transfer warm spinach and pasta to a large bowl. Add artichoke hearts, onion, roasted red pepper, sun-dried tomatoes and olives and mix to combine.
In a one cup measure, combine marinade liquid, olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Combine with pasta mixture. Serve warm with feta cheese crumbles.
Visit Banza to learn about the benefits of chickpeas and for more creative Banza recipes!
You can find Banza on Facebook
Twitter and Instagram
And yes – their pasta is available nationwide at Wegmans, ShopRite, Whole Foods & Fairway- among many other retailers.
My two-week countdown to Thanksgiving helps you get organized, so that the day of the feast is easy and relaxed. TWO WEEKS AHEAD Browse your recipe collection to work out a menu. What are your favorites: Where is there room for a little experimentation? Pick up some turkey wings in preparation for making and freezing a big batch of turkey stock. (recipe below). Start planning your table decorations. Creat one big master shopping list, dividing it into three sections: buy-non perishables (wine, canned pumpkin, frozen turkey). items for the one-week-ahead grocery run.
Golden Turkey Stock
Ingredients: 4-1/2 pounds turkey wings, cut in half 1 large onion, chopped 1 large carrot, chopped 1 large celery chopped 6 fresh italian parsley sprigs 1 bay leaf 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange wings in large roasting pan. Roast until deep brown turning once, about 2 hours total. Transfer wings to a large bowl. Spoon 3 tablespoons turkey fat from roasting pan into pot (reserve roasting pan). Add onion, carrot, and celery to pot. Saute over medium heat until vegetables are golden, about 20 minutes. Add turkey wings to pot. Add 2 cups of water to roasting pan; place over 2 burners and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits. Add liquid to pot. Add remaining ingredients and enough cold water to cover wings by 1 inch. Bring water to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, simmer uncovered until stock is very flavorful and reduced to about 8 cups, about 2-1/2 hours. Strain stock into large bowl. Cool 1 hour, then chill until cold, about 3 hours. Spoon off fat from surface before using. Can be made 3 days ahead or frozen two weeks ahead.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
* Check that you have all the kitchen equipment necessary to make the turkey and other dishes on the menu.
* Get a head start on biscuits or muffins for the feast by making your own baking mix. Measure the dry ingredients and butter from whatever recipe you’ve chosen and blend until the mixture resembles coarse meal; refrigerate in a sealed plastic bag. When it’s time to bake, there’s no need to bring the mixture to room temperature before adding the eggs and other ingredients.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
* Check your shopping list and buy nonperishable items. * If you’re using a frozen turkey, you’ll need to thaw it. The safest and easiest way is to put it, in its packaging, breast side up on a platter in your fridge. It will thaw at a rate of 4 pounds per day. Do the math and figure out when you need to start.
* Set the table (no, really). Lay out serving pieces and utensils with Post-its indicating which dish each piece is for, so you don’t wind up serving the dressing with tongs. This will also get you to go through your assorted flatware, glassware, serving pieces, and table linens to see what you need to dry-clean, press, or shine, and what you will need to buy.
Saturday, November 23, 2013
* Bake any breads or rolls now—they will keep for a week in the freezer. After baking, allow them to cool completely, wrap in foil, place in resealable plastic bags and freeze.
Sunday, November 24, 2013
* It’s time to clean out the fridge. You’ll need storage space in the freezer and fridge for the turkey and the do-ahead dishes.
Monday, November 25, 2013
* Make cranberry sauce or relishes and store in the refrigerator.
* Prepare flavored butters (if desired) to serve on rolls (or to dab on mashed potatoes). Store covered in the refrigerator.
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
* Using a roux in your gravy? (You should.) Make it now and keep it in the refrigerator until go time. * Tear bread for the dressing into pieces and leave out overnight on a baking sheet. You want stale bread for good dressing integrity. You can also bake the pieces for an hour or two at 200° * Make soups and store in a covered container in the refrigerator.
* Make your pie dough. Wrap tightly in plastic and keep chilled in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
* Hit the supermarket early in the day to shop for perishables. * Chill white wine, beer, bubbly, etc. If you’ll need more ice, now is the time to buy bags and make sure your cooler is clean. * Wash and spin-dry salad greens, wrap in paper towels and store in resealable plastic bags in the refrigerator. * Par-bake your dressing so all you’ll need to do on Turkey Day is reheat it and crisp it up. * Make pies or other desserts and store according to recipe directions. * Brining your turkey? For maximum flavor (and moistness), do it now.
* Most important of all: don’t cook dinner tonight. Order in.
Thursday, November 28, 2013
If you’ve followed our advice, today should be a breeze. For the typical menu, here’s what’s left to do.
In the Morning
* Turkey-roasting rule of thumb: Roast an unstuffed bird for approximately 15 minutes per pound at 325°. Do the math and figure out when you need to put the turkey in the oven to hit your scheduled dinnertime. Don’t forget to take resting time into account.
* Cut up everything for salads—except produce that browns easily (like apples)—and refrigerate in a big resealable plastic bag. Prep and chill the salad dressing.
Midday
* Make the mashed potatoes. Keep warm in a double boiler. Add a bit of warm milk just before serving if they seem a little dry. * Thaw and rewarm (or finish preparing and bake) breads according to recipe directions.
* Whip cream for dessert.
Before the Meal
* Reheat dressing(s) and any sides that need it. * Rewarm soup.
* Assemble any salads you may be serving. Toss with salad dressing just before serving.
Friday, November 29, 2013
* Enjoy your leftovers and rest up. Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year’s are not too far away—visit bonappetit.com for more great holiday tips and recipes!
This is an easy recipe for delicious pickled beets and onions. I happen to love beets. I grew up on them. Polish and Slovak cuisine include many beet dishes (borscht – beet soup, pickled beets and Red Beets with Horseradish Relish ) These are great on a salad or as a side dish.
This recipe isn’t processed so it’s meant to be eaten within a few weeks.
Roasted Pickled Beets and Onions
16 baby beets, tops trimmed
(you can also used canned or jarred beets)
1 medium onion, julienned
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/3 cup white vinegar
1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup water
To make the beets:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Trim greens from beets. Wrap each beet in foil. Place beet packets directly on oven rack and roast until tender when pierced with a fork, about 1 hour. Cool and peel beets (I suggest you use gloves or paper towel to do this, beet juice stains everything.
Cut beets into wedges or slices.
To make the marinade:
In a small saucepan, combine onions, vinegar, sugar, salt and 2/3 cup water and bring to a boil; simmer 5 minutes.
Pour hot marinade over beets and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight before serving.
You have probably been making Hot Chocolate without a recipe for your entire life – for many, hot chocolate can mean dumping a few scoops of a mix into a mug, adding a few glugs of milk, and heating the whole thing in the microwave.
Hot Chocolate is like pancakes. Both aren’t hard to make from scratch, but most people use mixes and the end results suffer.
Think back to winter days when you played outside so long that the snow penetrated your boots, bulky leggings and even the woolen mittens clipped to your sleeves. Nothing could cure that chill like hot chocolate. You can probably recall the warmth of the steaming cup warming your hands.
THE RECIPE:
2 cups whole milk
2 cups half and half
4 oz. Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chips or bar
5 oz. Dove Silky smooth Milk Chocolate
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Whipped cream and grated chocolate for garnish
1. Heat milk and half and half in a saucepan over medium heat to just below the simmering point.
Chop chocolate into small pieces for easier melting.
2. Remove the pan from the heat and add both types of chocolate.
3. When chocolate has melted, add the sugar and vanilla and whisk to combine.
4. Reheat gently and serve immediately garnished with whipped cream and grated chocolate.
I have become part of Team Annie’s, a fun social community where fans get special access to the world of Annie’s and can share their love for Annie’s delicious products (did someone say Mac & Cheese?!)
These will keep for 3 days if stored in an airtight container. If you make them now…you won’t have any left.
Start planning your table decorations. Creat one big master shopping list, dividing it into three sections: buy-non perishables (wine, canned pumpkin, frozen turkey). items for the one-week-ahead grocery run.
