Holiday Treats - Bark and Biscotti

Last year, I made bark to give as gifts to people at work, in addition to some other goodies. This year, I decided to broaden my bark repertoire and also try my hands at some biscotti.

White Chocolate Peppermint Bark

2 pounds of white chocolate
2 tabs of unsalted butter
1 tablespoon peppermint extract
lots of crushed candy canes (sorry, I didn’t measure)

Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler. Be really careful with white chocolate, it tends to seize really easily and quickly. Thankfully this year, I had great success – not a single batch seized! Once nearly melted, add the butter to give the chocolate extra sheen. Also add the extract and crushed candy canes. Stir to combine and then spread on a wax paper covered baking sheet. Spread evenly and stuck in fridge to harden. Break into odd shaped pieces, package, serve, or eat!

Dark Chocolate Bark with Candied Pecans and Cranberries

2 pounds semi-sweet chocolate
2 tabs unsalted butter
fresh ground cloves
fresh ground cinnamon
fresh ground nutmeg
2 cups pecans, chopped
2 cups dried cranberries

First, candy the nuts by combining a half stick of butter with ¾ cup brown sugar. You can always adjust the butter/brown sugar amounts to suit your needs. Once combined, add the chopped pecans, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Sauté for about 5-8 minutes, then transfer to a wax paper lined baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes at 350. Let cool. Once cooled, break apart into small pieces.

Melt the chocolate over a double boiler. Once nearly melted, add the butter, and a few dashes of cinnamon and cloves. You can then proceed one of two ways…

1. Stir in the pecans and cranberries, then spread chocolate mixture evenly onto a lined baking sheet.
or
2. Spread cranberries and pecans on a lined baking sheet, then add chocolate mixture on top, spreading evenly.

Cranberry-Pistachio and Almond-Cherry Biscotti

I used this Martha Stewart recipe, but made some changes or additions. I made one batch with the cranberry and pistachio, as Martha suggests, and in a second batch, I used dried cherries and almonds, and instead of 2 tablespoons vanilla extract, I did one vanilla and one almond extract.

1 cup dried cranberries (recipe called for ½ cup, I increased this)
1 cup boiling water
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons room temp. unsalted butter
1 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
3 large eggs
1 large egg, beaten for egg wash
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (in one batch, I did one vanilla, and one teaspoon almond)
¾ cup coarsely chopped pistachios, unsalted (in one batch, I replaced for almonds)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place cranberries in a small bowl, and add boiling water to plump. Let sit for about 15 minutes.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl.

In an electric mixer (using paddle attachment), mix together butter and sugar. Then add eggs, one at a time. Next add extract, and then add flour mixture in 2 or 3 steps. Mix on low speed until combined, then add cranberries and nuts.

Move dough to lightly floured surface and dust completely with flour. Cut dough in half and transfer to baking sheets. Then form into two evenly shaped logs and square off ends.

Cover logs in an egg wash, and then sprinkle generously with sugar.

Bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Transfer logs on parchment paper to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes.

Then slice on a diagonal into ½ slices. Place on baking sheet and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes.

I then drizzled some with white and dark chocolate, and dipped others. The dough was a little sticky, but I liked the consistency of it, as it was easy to form and held its shape. Once dusted with flour, the stickiness was a non-issue.

This was my first time making biscotti, so I have nothing to compare it to, but I thought it was delcisou and fairly simple to make!

My treats, ready to go...

Happy Holidays!

Chicken Picatta

This meal is one of the first I ever made. Also, it is the first meal my now husband and I ever made together, so it is special! Soon after I began making this meal, it became my go-to meal when I had company. Thankfully, I have increased my menu options when hosting a dinner party, but I still fall back on this tried but true favorite from time to time.

This Chicken Picatta is my mom’s recipe, and I have been making it for years. Over time, I have enhanced the recipe to what you see below.

Thin sliced boneless chicken breasts
1 large egg
½ cup flour (I use ¼ cup whole wheat, and ¼ cup all purpose)
Paprika
Garlic powder
Fresh lemon juice
1 cup chicken broth
¼ cup white wine
Pepper
Capers

Beat egg with 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Combine flour, garlic powder, paprika, and pepper. Dip chicken in egg mix, then flour mix. Brown in butter (I use Smart Balance Light, or sometimes just Pam, and it still browns just fine) in skillet. In a small pot, heat chicken broth, wine, and juice from ½ lemon until it boils. Pour broth mixture over the chicken breasts, add capers, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

I served this over lo-carb thin spaghetti and with a side of green beans.

Bruschetta for One

My husband was not home for dinner tonight, so I was excited to 1) have something that I love, but he feels is an incomplete meal, and 2) use up some garden tomatoes.

I love bruschetta…I can eat it as a meal on its own. I make bruschetta as an appetizer to bring to parties, make bruschetta pasta, bruschetta chicken, and bruschetta pizza. And, occasionally, I like to have it for dinner. I made the same recipe I would if I were creating an appetizer, I just used larger slices of bread. When I make this as an appetizer, I serve it with toasted baguette slices, tonight, I served it with hearty wheat “Italian” bread slices.

I don’t measure, and sort of just created this recipe over time, based on ingredients I like, but here is the idea (if making as an appetizer, increase ingredient amounts. What is listed is plenty for 2 people:

2 tomatoes, diced and seeded (2 tomatoes will easily serve 2 people)
½ red onion, chopped
Handful of black olives, sliced (optional)
1 clove garlic, minced
Handful of fresh basil, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Red wine vinegar, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
Fresh mozzarella slices
Italian bread (I used a wheat variety, but it is better with the real thing!)

I poured a small amount of olive oil in the bottom of a small mixing bowl. I chopped and seeded 2 small tomatoes and added to the bowl. I then added the chopped onion followed by the salt, pepper, garlic, basil, thyme, and black olives. I added red wine vinegar, stirred, and let stand for about 1 hour at room temperature.

Meanwhile, I sliced the bread and preheated the broiler. I brushed each side of the bread with olive oil, thyme, salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese (I mixed all these ingredients in a small prep bowl and brushed on). I put the slices under the broiler to toast both sides.

Once the bruschetta had marinated, I used a slotted spoon to drain, and spooned onto the bread. I topped with slices of fresh part-skim mozzarella and placed under the broiler until the cheese melted.

Dinner for one, yummy!

Italian-Style Stuffed Peppers

I wanted to try and jazz up my stuffed peppers recipe, and after searching for inspiration, I decided to go with my traditional plan. This recipe was once my mom’s, but I now consider it my own since I have tweaked, added, and omitted various ingredients. Here’s the gist…

4 large bell peppers
1 lb. ground beef, turkey, or chicken
1 cup cooked white or brown rice (so 1/2 cup dry)
2 cloves garlic, minced
I large white onion, diced
Sprinkling of Italian seasonings (fresh or dried herbs work fine)
Salt and pepper
½ cup parmesan cheese
1 egg
2-3 cups of red sauce
Thin slices of provolone or mozzarella

I had ground sirloin on hand, and since we haven’t had red meat in a while, I went for it. But, I have made this with ground turkey and with ground chicken, and all of the above are delicious! I started browning the meat in a pan on the stove. While it was browning, I rinsed and sliced the tops off of 4 large peppers. I usually use green, but since I had sliced up a green pepper for my husband’s lunch, I used 3 green and one orange! Colorful, I liked it! I took at the seeds and extra “stuff” out of the peppers and placed them in a baking dish that had a thin coating of water on the bottom (This prevents the peppers from sticking, and also helps to keep them moist).

Once the meat was on its way, I added seasoning. I sprinkled in some of Trader Joe’s Pasta seasoning and also added some fresh thyme and parsley, along with salt and fresh ground pepper, of course. I preheated the oven to 375 and minced some garlic and grated some parmesan. I also had some instant brown rice working in a pot on the stovetop, cooking with one beef bullion cube. (I would have done regular brown rice, but I had forgotten to prepare it, and it takes 45 freakin minutes!)

Once the meat was browned, I drained the fat and returned to pan. I added the onions, garlic, and one egg (as a binder, although you could omit this if you would like). Once that had a few minutes to come together, I added 1 cup of red sauce (I had some frozen in the freezer, use homemade or jarred). At the last minute, I added in the rice and parm cheese.

I spooned the mixture into the peppers, and topped with more red sauce and some grated cheese. I had cut out the stems from the tops of the peppers, and placed back on top of the peppers. I baked for 25-30 minutes.




I placed some extra sauce on the bottom of the dish, and placed the peppers on top. I cut in half, and topped with a slice of provolone cheese (you could also use mozzarella). I then topped with more sauce, and viola! Time to eat!

Grilled Swordfish with Citrus Pesto

It ‘s hot, hot, HOT out there…so I wanted to make something light and fresh for dinner and serve it al fresco (aka - eat out on the deck). We hadn’t had fish in a short while, and I was craving swordfish like mad, so I did some searching and thinking. I started with Giada’s Swordfish with Citrus Pesto and added my own touches and sides.


Citrus Pesto:
1 bunch fresh basil
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 clove garlic
1 lemon, zested and juiced
zest of 1 orange and juice of 1/2 orange
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup grated Asiago

I combined the basil, pine nuts, garlic, zests, juices, salt, and pepper in a food processor until the mixture was finely chopped. With the machine running, I gradually added the olive oil until the mixture was smooth and creamy. I spooned mixture into a bowl and stirred in the parmesan and asiago, and set in fridge to chill.

Swordfish:
I placed in a baking dish and brushed with extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice and sprinkled with salt and pepper. I placed the swordfish on the grill for about 4 minutes per side. Once I turned, I brushed other side with olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper combo.




Accompaniment:
I served the entrée with an orange field green salad with orange-white wine vinaigrette. I used (GASP) bagged field greens, chopped some radicchio, shallots, and sliced orange segments. I combined in a sald bowl. To make the dressing, I combined the following (but I didn’t measure, so these are estimates)…

Orange-White Wine Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 clove garlic
Dash of sea salt
Dash of fresh ground black pepper
Zest of 1/2 orange
Juice of 1/2 orange
Streamed in extra-virgin olive oil
Small amount of basil, chopped (maybe 4-5 large leaves?)

I combined all ingredients in the food processor and mixed until well blended, then chilled. Right before serving, I gave a shake and poured over salad.

I chose a light white wine to serve with the meal…and since a bottle of Voga Italia Pinot Grigio was already chilled in the fridge, this was our winner. I hadn’t tried this before, but loved it! I am typically a chardonnay girl when it comes to white, but this pinot was PERFECT for this hot summer night and this light meal. The wine was very mild and light, delicioso!

The entire meal, including the wine, got an enthusiastic thumbs up from my husband, which I must say is quite a feat. When we met 5 years ago, he had a strong dislike of wine and a hatred of all seafood. My hunny has come a long way!

Antipasto with Gusto!

Today I made an antipasto pasta salad for dinner...I am excited for my husband, Matt, to try it. I think he will love it! I have grad classes on Thursday nights, and Matt plays in a golf league, so this is a perfect meal for us to eat quickly either before or after whatever we have going on.

I started with Giada's Antipasto Salad recipe, and made only a few minor changes. Here is Giada's recipe (from foodnetwork.com):

Red Wine Vinaigrette:
1 bunch fresh basil, stemmed and leaves chopped (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Antipasto Salad:
1 pound fusilli pasta
1/2 cup hard salami, cut into strips (about 3 ounces)
1/2 cup smoked turkey, cut into strips (about 3 ounces)
1/4 cup provolone cheese, cut into strips
1/4 cup grated Asiago cheese
2 tablespoons green olives, halved and pitted
2 tablespoons roasted red peppers, cut into strips
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


Vinaigrette:
In a blender, add the basil, vinegar, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper. Blend until the herbs are finely chopped. With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil until the dressing is smooth.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.

In a large bowl, toss together the cooked pasta with the remaining salad ingredients. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Serve.


Here are the changes I made...

I mixed the dressing in a food processor instead of a blender, because streaming in the olive oil was much easier this way. Also, I added artichokes and also ham to the salad. I used whole wheat rotini instead of the fusilli, and I served this dish cold. The recipe didn't call for chilling at all, but I made the pasta before work this morning, assembled the salad this afternoon, and will serve cold tonight. I also cubed the salami and cheese, and next time I make it, I will cube into even smaller pieces. I might even go with regular deli salami, as opposed to the hard salami, as it was pretty tough and really salty. Actually, I would cut out all salt from the recipe, as the salami, artichokes, and olives have enough on their own.

Also, I made less pasta than she calls for (just over a half-pound) and used as much meat and cheese as she called for (even more turkey, actually). If I were making this to bring to a party, or to serve along with other things, I would keep the proportions the same as in her recipe, but since this will be our dinner, I wanted to bulk up on the meat and reduce the amount of pasta. Also, I like a thickly coated pasta salad, so I would make a little extra dressing as well.

Oh, and instead of mixing the grated Asiago cheese in with the salad, I used it as a garnish, in addition to some basil I had set aside.

I tasted some of this after I made it, and although salty, I loved it! I hope my hubby feels the same way tonight!

Bruschetta Pizza

OK, so I like to think that my bruschetta is world famous! My dad was actually a really great cook in his day, and he always deemed everything his "world famous." So, as a tribute to him, this is a twist on my WORLD FAMOUS bruschetta. Anyway, I make my typical bruschetta in a few different ways, but this time decided to put it on top of some pizza!

I started with whole wheat pizza dough from Trader Joe's. I am IN LOVE with this pizza crust, it is TO DIE FOR (really, it is!). My husband, Matt, does not always like the same things as me, so as I often do, I made us each our own portion. I cut the dough in half and froze one half. I then cut the remaining dough in half again, so we each ended up with a quarter of the original ball of dough. I rolled out the dough as thinly as I could. (I tried the authentic using the knuckles and tossing method – didn’t so much work for me!). I sprayed a cookie sheet with extra virgin olive oil spray, and placed the dough down. I then drizzled a SMALL portion of olive oil on the top of the crust, and coated with a brush.

I set the dough aside, and worked on the toppings. For the bruschetta topping, here is a rough idea of what I did/used (I rarely measure, sorry!!)

*About 4 medium sized tomatoes, seeded and chopped in small pieces
*Fresh basil stemmed and chopped (I like to stack the leaves, roll like a cigar, and then chop into small pieces)
*I clove garlic, minced
*2 teaspoons fresh thyme
*½ red onion, chopped into small pieces
*Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
*About 1 cup of red wine vinegar
*Sprinkle of sea salt
*Fresh ground black pepper

I let this marinate for about 1/2 hour in a bowl in the fridge, and then using a strainer, drain as much of the liquid as I can. *This is VERY IMPORTANT as the pizza will be very watery and runny if not well drained. Once the bruscetta is drained, I add back to bowl, and prepare the rest of my ingredients…

*Handful of large black olives (canned are OK, but the yummy ones from the olive bar at the grocery store are better)
*Small chunks of fresh mozzarella
*½ cup of part-skim ricotta cheese (I like to add in a little garlic salt, fresh ground pepper, and Italian seasoning)

I place each of the ingredients in a small prep bowl and place on a large cookie sheet.

OK, back to the pizza…



Here comes the best part… I then placed the pizza RIGHT ON THE GRILL!!!! I have a pizza stone, but after hearing stories of the What’s Cookin’ ladies stones breaking, I was hesitant to do this. A while back, I had seen an episode of Paula Deen, and she placed her dough right on the grill, so why not? I gave it a whirl. Well, it was AMAZING! So crispy on the outside, but still a nice, soft bite on the inside.

Grill the dough on one side for about 5-6 minutes over medium to medium-high heat. I flipped once I saw the nice grill marks with a golden color overall. Once I flipped, I started assembling the pizza. I spread the bruscetta mixture over the individual pizzas. I added the fresh mozzarella to both pizzas, and then added the black olives and also the ricotta to mine (DARN husband doesn’t like olives or ricotta cheese).

Grill until cheese melts and bottom side of crust has nice grill marks and a crispy texture.