Spinach Salad with Blue Cheese, Pears, and Pecans

Im home alone tonight (except for a sleeping babe), and enjoying a quiet meal after a very noisy day. Now I love our family dinner time, but tonight's gift of solitude is certainly welcome.

Since Im eating solo, I resisted re-heating last night's meal, and made one of my favorite salads. My friend Hui Lin introduced me to this salad combination, and I have to admit, its a favorite. Not to mention I have some fabulous blue-cheese left from AJ's trip to Pittsburgh last month. (Bought at Penn Mac in the Strip District...he knows the way to my heart!)
Paired with a slice of the bread I made this morning and a glass of wine, Im in heaven!

Spinach Salad with Blue Cheese, Pears, and Pecans

Spinach leaves
Blue Cheese, crumbled
Roasted and Salted Peacans (or Walnuts)
Sliced pears
Balsamic Vinaigrette (if not home-made, Trader Joe's version is awesome!)

Toss together and enjoy!

*I hope to do a post soon on my bread making adventures...the above bread is so far my favorite in the 100% Whole Wheat category

Stewed Lentils and Tomatoes

I got this cookbook for Christmas and read it cover to cover on our way home from northern Michigan. I am a fan of Ina- Ive never tried a recipe of hers I didnt like. However, her recipes arent always as healthy as I would like...and they often have expensive ingredients!

But, as I read through this cookbook this recipe caught my eye! Its healthy, cheap to make, and the ingredients are things I usually have on hand. Its the perfect winter comfort food....delicious!
Dont forget the splash of red wine vinegar before serving...it really makes the dish!

Stewed Lentils and Tomatoes

Christmas morning Crepes

I like to brag about being French. Truth be told, Im only a wee little bit French, despite having the maiden name of Estle, which came from the French Huguenot name deEstelle. Anyway, I will say that I admire the French for their cooking techniques and their love of food, among other things. Rich, tasty, fresh ingredients reward the palette...and you only need a bit to be satisfied. We Americans should take note.

My Christmas morning tribute to French cuisine each year is making Crepes. They are oh so yummy and such a treat! Here is a link to a great recipe and I'll share my filling recipe too.

Vanilla Crepes

Crepe Filling

1 pkg. Neufetchel cheese (or cream cheese), softened
2 Tbs. granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
fresh fruit or fruit compote or spread

Blend cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
Spread filling inside crepe and top with fruit before rolling.

Fresh Guacamole

While Im posting south-of-the-border recipes, I thought I would share my favorite guacamole with you. I've been trying to come up with the perfect recipe for years, but its always a bit off. But last year, after dining at Adobo Grill , I think I've got the one I like. Of course, if you've been to Adobo, you know that I cheated, because they make the guac right in front of you...there are no secrets! AJ made fun of me because I watched the woman like a hawk, and then scratched down a few notes before devouring every bit of it within minutes! So good.

Before I share the recipe, I will add that perfectly ripe avocados are key. You want them soft but not squishy to the touch and the skin should be black rather than green. If you need to ripen them in a hurry (overnight), you can place them in a brown paper bag with an apple or two and close it up tight.

Fresh Guacamole

2 ripe avocados, sliced in half
1 lime, quartered
3 cloves garlic, minced
jalapeno, minced (to taste)
1/2 med. onion, minced
1-1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tomato, de-seeded, diced
fresh cilantro, chopped

Remove flesh from each avocado half and place in med bowl. Squeeze juice from each lime quarter into bowl and mash (I do it using a pastry knife actually). Add garlic, jalapeno, onion, and salt. Mash again to mix flavors. Stir in tomato and cilantro. Enjoy!
* use as much or as little jalapeno as you like, depending on how spicy you like it. Remember that including the seeds will make it MUCH spicier and that the spice factor will increase after it sits a few minutes!

Chicken Enchiladas

For the last few years we've had a Mexican themed dinner on Christmas Eve before the candle-light service at church. Its a refreshing break from the turkey and spiral ham meals that are so prevalent during the holidays. This year, I made chicken enchiladas and fresh guacamole. My friend Cary made yummy seasoned rice, and another friend (John) made a persimmon flan for dessert. As you can imagine, we sat through the church service a bit stuffed:)

My sister-in-law Allison has been bugging me to post this chicken enchilada recipe for some time, but Ive avoided doing it for lack of a formal recipe. I started making them in college after taking a cultural cooking class, although Im fairly certain they aren't really traditional. The recipe evolves too, depending on what I have around, and its fun to try seasonal veggies in them too. Anyway, here is the basic recipe...

Chicken Enchiladas

4 chicken breasts cooked in chicken broth, cooled and shredded
2 tbs butter
1 green pepper, diced
1 med onion, diced
1 green chili, diced (or 1 sm can)
1/2-1 jalapeno, minced and without seeds (optional)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tb. cumin
2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
3/4 C sour cream
2 C shredded sharp cheddar cheese
8 lg flour tortillas (burrito size)
1 can green enchilada sauce

Over med. heat melt butter. Add pepper, onion, chili, jalapeno, and garlic and cook 3-5 min. or until veggies just start to soften. Add spices and cook another 2 min. Turn heat to low and add in the shredded chicken and sour cream, only until the sour cream heats through, about 1-2 min. Turn off heat.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray or oil, then a thin layer of the enchilada sauce. Set aside 1/2 C of the cheese. Evenly divide the chicken mixture and remaining cheese between the 8 tortillas. Roll them tightly and place them side by side in the coated pan. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the wrapped tortillas making sure there are no dry areas. Sprinkle cheese down the center of the top and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 min and then removed the foil. Bake another 5-10 min uncovered. (You can also make them the night before and leave them refrigerated.)

The Physics of Cooking

So my husband, a theoretical biophysicist, just read the article I posted on the brining process. He was thrilled to see the "How it works" section, the science of the process. Who knew that protein denaturing was so important to a moist bird?

When cooking and physics collide, its a beautiful thing. And a tasty one at that:)

A good bird

Hope your Thanksgiving holiday was wonderful in every way!
Thanks to those of you who left Thanksgiving traditions...so fun to read and think about as we add to our own! We had a full house and a full table on Thanksgiving day. After changing my mind several times, I finally decided to try the turkey recipe my friend Tegan suggested for two reasons:
1. Tegan is a fabulous cook and has never made anything I didnt like.
2. The recipe required a brining process...something I have never tried. I like to add to my cooking skills and knowledge when I can, and although I was a bit intimidated at first, I was really happy with the results...moist and yummy!

If you arent familiar with brining, check out this article at cooks illustrated:

TheBriningProcessExplained

Here is the recipe link for the Apple Cider Brined Turkey with Savory Herb gravy.

AppleCiderBrinedTurkey

Another new thing I tried this year....homemade cranberry sauce. Man, I had no idea how easy it is to make....and so delish! Most recipes call for boiling the sugar and water before putting in the berries, but I accidentally boiled them all together and it worked just fine! Who knew that you dont need gelatin to make it set up?! Here's what I did:
Boil:
1 8oz bag of cranberries
3/4 C water
3/4 C granulated sugar

Cook at low boil for about 10 min, stirring occasionally. Let cool for 15 min or so. Blend mixture in food processor or blender. Chill in refrigerator for 1 hour.

Our final Thanksgiving menu for this year was: (just so that I remember)

Apple Cider Brined Turkey with Savory Herb Gravy
Sausage and Raisin Stuffing
Gruyere cheese broccoli gratin
Becky's corn casserole
Cranberry sauce
Mashed Rosted Sweet Potatos with crunchy pecan topping