Green Bean Salad with Red Peppers and Bleu Cheese

 

This is a salad that I often refer to as a “pantry salad” because it is made up of things I tend to always have on hand. It’s colorful, it’s tasty, and considering one of the main ingredients is canned green beans, it’s quite different from the norm. I tend to make my own croutons out of hamburger and/or hotdog buns that I seem to always have left over, but you can certainly use the boxed croutons. I like blue cheese here, but feta or Parmesan work equally well. It’s a snap to put together and needs to be made ahead of time and refrigerated so that everything is nice and cold. With colors like this, it’s perfect for the holidays.

Green Bean Salad with Red Peppers and Bleu Cheese

 2 14.5-oz. cans green beans*

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

½ red onion, thinly sliced

¼ c. Melissa's Fire Roasted Red Peppers, diced

¼ c. blue cheese or Feta crumbles

Homemade croutons (or store bought, if you must)

Raspberry Vinaigrette

 Toss together beans, tomatoes, onion, peppers, and cheese, and refrigerate, covered, for an hour, or up to eight hours. When ready to serve, add croutons and dress with Raspberry Vinaigrette (recipe below).

 *I used one can of cut green beans and one can of French style; you can use any combination that you like.

 Raspberry Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

 ¼ c. vegetable oil

¼ c. raspberry balsamic vinegar

2 T. grated Melissa’s shallot

1 t. Dijon mustard

1 t. sugar

Pinch of salt

Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Place all ingredients EXCEPT the oil in a small mixing bowl. Whisk together until blended. Continue to whisk as you slowly pour in the oil. Whisk until emulsified.  Drizzle over salad.

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Cannellini Bean Dip with Black Olives

 

I’ve been trying to eat healthier while still satisfying my snacky cravings, so I decided to do away with the ranch dip that I generally use with crackers and crudités, and replace it with this creamy and nutritious cannellini bean dip. It is so super simple to throw together that I find myself making it every week. The recipe can be doubled, if like me, you find yourself craving it.Cannellini Bean Dip with Black Olives

 1 large clove garlic

1 15.5-oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

¼ c. extra-virgin olive oil

Juice of half a lemon

10 small pitted black olives

½ t. kosher salt

¼ t. freshly ground black pepper

 Throw all ingredients into a mini food processor and process until smooth. Cover and refrigerate to allow flavors to meld for a minimum of 4 hours.

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Poached Salmon with Capers and Lemon Butter

 

The more I experiment with different types of fish and fish recipes, the more I have come to realize that you can get dinner on the table faster with fish than with anything else. This took me 15 minutes. I wasn’t quite sure that I was going to like it, but it was delicious! The salmon was so tender, and the sauce was absolute perfection.

Poached Salmon with Capers and Lemon Butter

 2 T. butter, divided

1 small clove garlic, minced

½ c. chicken stock

2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 4-oz. fillet of salmon

2 T. capers

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

 1 T. chopped fresh parsley

Melt 1 T. butter in a medium skillet. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 to 45 seconds. Add chicken stock and lemon juice, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and place salmon fillets in pan. Cover and simmer over low heat, 10 minutes per inch of thickness, or until fish flakes when tested with a fork. Remove salmon to a warm plate and tent with foil while you make the sauce.

Boil remaining liquid in the skillet until it is reduced to approximately 1/4 cup. Whisk remaining 1 T. butter and stir in capers. Spoon sauce over fish. Season with pepper and sprinkle with parsley.

Serves one, recipe may be doubled.

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Pete the Cat Cocoa, Product Review

The thing that I find most difficult about gift giving during the holiday season is figuring out what to get people I shop for, but don’t really know, and by this I mean service people -- the postman, various and sundry other delivery drivers, stylists, manicurists, you get the drift. Teachers also fall into this category (this would also make an excellent hostess gift).

 

What am I talking about? A can of hot cocoa, but not just a normal can of hot cocoa, but an extra special can of rich and delicious hot cocoa made in small batches, right here in the good old U.S. of A, Athens, Georgia to be specific. Pete the Cat Cocoa from the makers of Jittery Joe Coffee comes in a unique and colorful designer can with the image of “Pete the cat” right there on the front. Isn’t this the cutest?

 

I made mine using a frother that also works with cocoa (and is dishwasher safe!), and it was absolute heaven! If you don’t have one of those, you are definitely going to need one to get you through the cold winter ahead. It blends everything to perfection giving you such a wonderful hot beverage with a velvety texture.

  If you want to buy an extra special gift, along with the cocoa, get a frother, and this adorable set of cups (Super cute and the perfect size for cocoa; the saucer gives you plenty of room for a cookie, and the neutral color means they will go with anything.).

Keep Jittery Joe in mind for coffee lovers as well because they also sell gourmet coffee in whole bean or ground, each of which comes in an equally adorable can.

  For more information, visit the website.

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Many thanks to Jittery Joe, who provided me with a complimentary can of Cocoa mix in exchange for an honest review.

Artichoke Salad with Hearts of Palm

 

A colorful salad is welcome at any meal, but sometimes it’s hard to come up with something different from the norm. This vegetable-laden artichoke salad fills the bill. It is colorful, fresh, and delicious. It’s beautiful in a bowl or on individual plates, and always garners favorable comments from guests. The vinaigrette dressing gives it a pleasing tang. This salad keeps well so you can easily make it the day ahead of serving.Artichoke Salad with Hearts of Palm

 1 14.75-oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained

1 14.5 oz. jar Melissa’s Hearts of Palm, drained, and sliced

1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved

1 11.6-oz. jar mixed pitted olives

½ c. diced Melissa’s fire roasted red peppers

½ c. diced yellow bell pepper

2 T. minced fresh parsley

 Place all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and toss with vinaigrette.

 Vinaigrette

1/3 c. cider vinegar

½ t. kosher salt

1½ t. sugar

¼ t. dry mustard

Pinch of oregano

¼ t. freshly ground black pepper

1 t. garlic salt

½ c. vegetable oil

 Place all ingredients into the bottom of a medium size mixing bowl and whisk together until blended.

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Tom Turkey Table for Two

It seems as though my Thanksgiving celebration gets smaller and smaller every year. It has gone from a table of 14 down to this year‘s table for two. But no matter how many people I serve, I want that table to be special, and the food to be good. 

This table for two out in the conservatory is where I enjoy most of my meals. It’s cozy, light and bright, and I am surrounded by all of my plants. It makes me happy just being in this room.

The table covering is a simple chocolate brown table round. I chose tin chargers to complement the rustic, wicker turkeys flanking either side of the place setting that have tin heads and tail feathers.

  The fall garland and iron candle holders are from a local gift shop. I interwove illuminated maple leaves among them that you can find

here.

The dinnerware is by Johnson Brothers, in the “His Majesty” pattern, something I have been collecting for years.

 

 I like to start my meal with potato leek soup, it has become a bit of a tradition over the years, and I enjoy serving it in this turkey tureen. The lid keeps the soup warm throughout the meal.

 

The colorful turkey coffee mug is a sentimental favorite of mine. This came from Ladue Florist, a lovely local florist and gift shop that my mother and I used to frequent. She bought me 12 of these about 20 years ago and I have loved them ever since. 

The water glasses are by Mikasa in their “Park Lane” pattern.

 The coupe glass is new this year. These come beautifully boxed in a set of four, and I find that I use them not only for champagne and wine, but martinis as well.

The plaid napkins I’ve had for years, they came from Pottery Barn. The flatware is Mikasa ‘Opulent’ hammered flatware,

 No matter how you intend to celebrate your Thanksgiving, whether you are hosting a crowd, or dining on your own, make it special.

 

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!

 This post is linked to: Tablescape Thursday

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Pumpkin Spice Biscotti with Chocolate Chips

 

Are you all familiar with Fika, the late morning/mid afternoon coffee break that the Swedes enjoy? I have fully embraced that custom, and I think you should too. While it’s rare that I take a break in the morning, I most definitely do every afternoon; I look forward to it. I hold it hostage until I get my chores done, so that I am able to relax and enjoy it, knowing that I have truly earned it. Instead of a pastry with my coffee, I have a cookie of some sort. This gives me an excuse to make cookies, and that’s always a good thing. This afternoon I was able to have a pumpkin spice chocolate chip biscotti because I had made them this morning specifically with afternoon in mind. They are a wonderful treat this time of year, and biscotti is very easy to make.Pumpkin Spice Biscotti with Chocolate Chips

2 c. flour

1 t. baking powder

½ T. pumpkin pie spice

½ t. kosher salt

1 large egg

¾ c. pumpkin puree

¼ c. packed light brown sugar

¼ c. granulated sugar

¼ c. mini chocolate chips

2 T. granulated sugar

¼ t. cinnamon

 Preheat oven to 350°. Line a large baking sheet with parchment or a Silpat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.

In a large bowl, whisk egg, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. Add dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until combined; stir in mini chips.

Divide dough in half and place them side-by-side on the prepared baking sheet. Slightly wet your hands and pat each half to a rectangle approximately 8” x 2” wide. In a small bowl or ramekin, stir together the 2 T. sugar along with the ¼ t. cinnamon. Sprinkle tops with the cinnamon sugar.

Bake until lightly golden and firm to the touch, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool about 5 minutes.

Transfer to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife (I used this one, it cut through them like butter.) cut on the diagonal into ¾”-thick slices. Return to baking sheets cut side down.

Bake for 15 more minutes, flip to the other side and bake for 15 more minutes. Let cool completely.

Biscotti lasts a good long time. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

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The Chart House Clam Chowder (Copycat)

 

The first time I was in Maine, I made it my business to try absolutely every lobster dish that I could find, and that included lobster ice cream, which was actually pretty tasty. I also tried as many regional specialties as possible, and that included clam chowder that I ate up and down the eastern seaboard. This recipe is a copycat one that I had at The Chart House in Ogunquit, Maine. I did not have russet potatoes, so I used Melissa’s baby red potatoes, unpeeled, and it came out beautifully. This is a wonderful chowder, almost velvety, and quite complex in taste, due to their signature spice blend.

 It's soup season, so you might want to add this to your repertoire.

The Chart House Clam Chowder (Copycat)

 Adapted from food.com 

1 slice hickory smoked bacon, minced

1⁄2 t. butter

1 c. onion, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 t. seasoning (see spice blend recipe below)

1 T. flour

1 6.4-oz. can minced clams

1 c. bottled clam juice

1 1⁄2 c. half-and-half

1⁄4 t. white pepper

2 medium potatoes, boiled, peeled and diced

 INGREDIENTS FOR THE CLIFF HOUSE SPICE BLEND:

4 t. oregano

4 t. dried parsley

2 t. marjoram

2 t. dill

4 t. thyme

4 t. basil

1 t. sage

4 t. rosemary

2 t. tarragon

1 T. flour 

Make The Chart House Spice Blend:

 Blend ingredients, crushing in a mortar if possible. Store in a resealable plastic bag to refrigerate.

 For the Clam Chowder:

 In a heavy-bottomed, 4-pint soup kettle, sauté bacon, butter, onion, garlic, and The Cliff House Spice Blend over low heat. Do not allow to brown.

Drain clams and set aside, reserving the juice. Slowly stir the flour and clam juices in the sauté mixture. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Add half and half and simmer 20 minutes.

Add white pepper, potatoes and clams. Heat to serving temperature. Do not allow to boil, as this toughens the clams. Serve at once with crackers and warm cornbread.

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