Winter Cooking

Butternut squash soup that I recently made for a client and for myself!

Well Hello.  I know, it's been ages.  Why do I always do this?  Always meaning to write, say that I'll write, but yet don't.  Here it is December and the last post I wrote was in May!  And then I think to myself, "why can't I get my blog more page views?"  Actually, I don't really think about that because I know that I don't put the effort in and so therefore this blog doesn't get seen.  So I'm going to try and set some realistic goals and plan out some topics so that come January, I will have A Plan.

But right now, let's talk about winter.  We are in the middle of a cold snap here; for this part of California that means it's under 40 degrees which feels freaking freezing to me and farther north it's below 20 degrees and there's snow.  I'm all about cooking foods that are appropriate for the weather.  I've made soup twice last week.  I also baked bread, which as you know if you read my recipe blog, I do regularly but I actually had not done as much lately because we had a rather warm fall, so I wasn't turning on the oven so much.

So I'm using this post to link up some previous posts that may be useful for you at this time of year and I've also got a short list of recipes that are easy, great for the cold weather and also budget friendly so you can spend less money on food and more on your holiday celebrations.

I created a December 9th Recipes Board on my Pinterest, so you can view that and pin to your hearts content.

Last year I posted some Holiday Food Gift Ideas.  It has a good variety of types of gifts; sweet, savory, healthy, and one body scrub not meant to be eaten.  Check that out if you need some ideas for inexpensive but thoughtful gifts.



Meals for December 9, 2013

Taco Cupcakes- Kids love these, they re-heat well and you can serve with a salad for a quick dinner. You can also easily make these with spaghetti sauce and cheese for mini lasagna cupcakes.

Crock Pot Chili- I love my friend Kate's recipe for chili in the crock pot, I have listed it here in my blog many times.

Spinach, Artichoke and Chicken Pasta- If you love spinach and artichoke dip, this pasta is similar, cheesy, but not overly cheesy, so it's healthy.

Thai Turkey Zucchini Meatballs- These are gluten free, Paleo friendly, easy to make ahead and re-heat and is a nice change from the usual marinara and meatballs.

Cheeseburger Macaroni-No processed box mix here! Simple, clean eating, easy to make and kid-friendly.

Quinoa Salad with Pears and Baby Greens- this can certainly be a side dish but it's protein packed with quinoa and since it also has veggies, it's an easy one-dish meal.

Budget Beef and Broccoli- This is my own recipe for an easy and cheap version of beef and broccoli using lean ground beef. I sometimes make this with the frozen French style green beans from Trader Joes that I also have in my freezer.

Cock Pot Thai Chicken Soup- Delicious coconut Thai curry soup made with little effort in the crock pot.

Cinco de Mayo Food

I really don't need a pseudo holiday as an excuse to enjoy Mexican food.  I enjoy it anytime.  Some version of tacos or burritos are a regular occurrence in our house.  So I figured I'd jump on the bandwagon and give you a quick list of links of my own recipes as well as some favorites.  Enjoy them on Sunday or any random day you like.

Tomato, Avocado and Corn Salsa- Not really authentic, but that doesn't stop it from being good.  I'm actually starting to see fresh corn in the store.  However, both kinds of frozen corn sold at Trader Joe's taste great in this too.  Eat it with chips or spoon some on your taco.

Three Methods for Chicken Tacos- There are far more than three methods for making chicken tacos, but here are the three different ways that I typically make them.

How to Make Homemade Tortilla Chips-  I love to make homemade chips when I have the time.  They are so good!  The fabulous blog Simply Recipes recently posted a great tutorial on several ways to make tortilla chips. 

Refried Beans- I stopped buying canned refried beans awhile ago and make my own.  This is the recipe I use.  Sometimes I put a smoked turkey wing in with the beans when they are boiling, which adds delicious flavor. 

Homemade Taco Seasoning- No starch or fillers, just spices.  I stopped buying taco seasoning in packets ages ago but did use the Pampered Chef Southwest Seasoning for years. Then I started just "manually" seasoning taco meat with chili powder, cumin, garlic, etc.  Now I just mix this up a batch of this and keep it in a container.

Mexican Rice- In college, a friend taught me how to make her mom's Mexican rice.  I've made it that way for years and only recently changed it up a bit.  This recipe follows the same method of cooking, just slightly different ingredients than what I do.  I season my rice with a spoonful of the taco seasoning.  

Flour Tortillas- Very easy to make, just a little learning curve with rolling them out.  Super yum to eat.

Chipotle's Adobo Marinated Chicken- Love this, I've made it a lot recently.  It's supposed to be a copycat recipe for Chipotle the restaurant.  I can't say if it is exactly like it, but it tastes good, so who cares?

Fire Toasted Tomato Lime Salsa- Fresh salsa is awesome, but this salsa made with canned fire roasted tomatoes and chilies is really very good.  And so easy to make too!

Here's a little bonus right here on the page- my recipe for guacamole.  Around here, every Mexican food place has guacamole that is full of chopped raw onion and it makes me so frustrated.  It totally overpowers everything and you can only taste the strong onion.  I used to hate onions, now I wouldn't say I hate them, but I use them in cooking just like I would use garlic, it adds flavor, but I really don't care to actually eat onions and certainly not raw ones.  Anyway, all that to say I don't use raw onions in mine except for what might be in the bit of fresh salsa you mix in.  Again, it adds a bit of flavor, but it's all about the awesome avocado.

Guacamole
2 or 3 medium sized ripe avocados (if avocados are from Costco, 2 makes a lot)
Juice from 1 lime or 2 tsp of lime juice
2 TBL fresh style salsa or pico de gallo (Casa Sanchez brand is our favorite)
Chopped fresh cilantro, about 1 tablespoon
Kosher salt, fresh ground pepper and garlic powder- season to taste

Remove avocado flesh from the skin and in a medium size bowl mash slightly with a fork, but leave it a bit chunky.  Mix in lime juice, salsa and cilantro.  Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Taste and add more of anything you want more of.  You can add more heat with a dash of hot sauce (like Frank’s or Crystal brand) or a dash of cayenne pepper.

Holiday Ideas

It's nearly December and gift-giving as well as holiday cooking is on my mind.  I updated a post I wrote a couple years ago with homemade holiday gifts from the kitchen.  I added a few new items to the list.
I also have a Pinterest Board with some additional ideas.

Holiday Homemade Gift Ideas

And don't forget- if you are local to me, I am available to do baking for you.
Holiday Pies and Cheesecakes

Have a wonderful holiday season!

Thanksgiving Recipes

This is a Thanksgiving spread from probably 6 years ago at my parent's house.  I can see several of the dishes I still make and they are listed here.

So I decided to focus this week's post on some recipes for Thanksgiving.  The thing is, many of us have the same dishes we make each year and we look forward to that because we only have them once a year.  So maybe you just skip this week because you don't need any inspiration-- no problem, see ya next week.
Or, if you are hosting the holiday and need ideas, I hope something here sparks your interest.  Or maybe you need to bring a dish to wherever you are going to dinner; there's several here that will make you look like a rock star.  Some of the recipes are dishes that I've been making at the holidays for many years and so I wanted to share them here.
I also wanted to take a minute to say Happy Thanksgiving.  I know that I have plenty to be thankful for, this blog being one of the many blessings in my life.  Next week I will be up to my eyeballs baking pies and cheesecakes as I have quite a few orders to fill, so I'll be back with a new post in time for the first week of December.

Turkey
Dry Brined Roast Turkey- Here’s a great guideline for using a dry brine method for roasted turkey from our friend Kate at Savour Fare.  You may find a dry brine far easier to manage than a wet brine.
 
Roast Turkey- Or there is also this roasting method from Martha, which I have not done myself, but I’ve eaten turkey made this way and it’s very good.

Deep Fried Turkey- I won’t lie, deep fried turkey is GOOD.  I love this method because it cooks the bird in just a few hours.  It’s delicious, it’s not greasy, it frees up the oven for your side dishes and did I mention it’s good?  This link is what I used to learn how to properly deep fry a turkey.
However, there has been a new trend in safer, indoor fryers for turkeys and they claim to use less oil, are safer and they are electric instead of propane powered.  Here is a popular one that comes in a couple sizes with some different features.  I’ve seen them sold in stores like Walmart, Costco and Home Depot.
Indoor Turkey Fryer

Sides
Spicy Sweet Potato Gratin- A different take on sweet potatoes instead of a brown sugar or marshmallow combination.  It’s creamy and a touch spicy.

Butternut Squash Baked Risotto- I love the idea of just baking the risotto in the oven and not having to fuss with it over the stove. 

Apple, Leek and Butternut Squash Gratin- This is not a creamy or overly cheesy gratin.  It’s actually rather light, which is a great side dish for the holiday with so many filling foods.  I made this and it's really good.  I think it's great for the holiday, but it's actually good anytime.  Would be perfect with a roasted chicken or even a pork tenderloin.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon Maple Vinaigrette- I happen to love Brussels sprouts.  I have a recipe of my own that I make all the time and I've made it at the holidays too.  This one is sort of in the same vein pairing it with sweet and tangy flavors.  Trust me, Brussels sprouts really taste great like this.

Roquefort Pear Salad- If you want to serve a salad, try this one with great fall flavors like sweet pears and pecans. This is a great choice to bring to a dinner if you need to bring a dish.

Roasted Winter Squash with Cornbread Stuffing- This can be a great side dish to serve if you have vegetarians at the table.  It is lacking a protein, but it’s a delicious and filling dish. 

Acorn Squash with Quinoa and Hazelnuts- This is a delicious vegetarian main dish option and it’s also gluten free.  Acorn squash is just naturally attractive so it makes for a beautiful presentation on the plate.

Sauteed Kale with Tahini Sauce- I shared this last week, but wanted to list it here as a quick, easy and healthy option for a green side dish. 

Sweet Potato Spoon Bread- You can make this ahead of time and it can travel well.  Simply re-heat before serving.

Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing- I think of this as an easy, beginners stuffing recipe.  It’s not complicated to make and the ingredients are straightforward.  It also tastes really good.  I went many years not making the stuffing, it was my sister's job.  When I found myself having to make stuffing, this is the recipe I chose.

Dessert
Microwave Baked Apples- This is really something you can make anytime, but I like it as an easy and healthy dessert option for the holiday.  And it’s the sort of thing you can have older kids help with. 

Cranberry Salad- This is very similar to an ambrosia salad but uses just cranberries, grapes and pecans.  I'm not sure how many years I've been making this salad.  At least 10 years, maybe longer.  Sometimes at both Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake- Paula Deen, the Queen of Butter has a delicious (albeit totally fattening) cake that is easily adaptable to create different flavors.  The basic butter cake is great, but the pumpkin version is outstanding.

Holiday Pies and Cheesecakes

Updated 10/6/14
If you are local to me, (Greater Sacramento Area or the Bay Area) you can enjoy a homemade holiday pie, or creamy and delicious cheesecake made with love by me.  Everything will be made from scratch and fresh just before you need it.  Most items can be frozen in advance to save for when you need it.  Apple pie can be delivered frozen and unbaked or baked and ready to serve.   

Available Items

• 9 inch Georgia Pecan Pie, $25- A slightly sweet shortbread crust and rich molasses and pecan filling. (baked and ready to serve)

• 9 inch Apple Pie, $20- A tender, buttery crust with sweet apples, brown sugar and cinnamon.  Your choice of top crust or brown sugar oatmeal crunch topping. (unbaked and frozen to bake at home)

• 9 inch Pumpkin Molasses Pie (baked and ready to serve), $15- A little bit different than your usual pumpkin pie, sweetened with honey and molasses.

• 9 inch Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake, $25- A spicy graham cracker crust and the most delicious, creamy, pumpkin cheesecake you've ever had

• 9 inch NY Style Cheesecake, $20-  Delicious traditional recipe with a whipped chocolate ganache topping.

• 9 inch White Chocolate Christmas Cheesecake- $30- A cookie crust with a creamy white chocolate cheesecake and a white chocolate glaze on top.  Add a jar of raspberry or strawberry sauce for $5

• 9 inch Chocolate Peppermint Cream Pie- $20- Chocolate cookie crust, creamy peppermint-infused chocolate custard, topped with real whipped cream and crushed candy canes.  This pie needs to be made fresh and delivered no longer than one day in advance of serving.

Thanksgiving:
Order by November 22nd for delivery by November 26th (Thanksgiving is Nov 27)
Christmas:
Order by December 17th for delivery by December 23rd

Orders needed earlier for holiday parties can be arranged.

Contact erika@e-mealplanning.com to place your order today.  $10 per pie/cheesecake deposit required when placing order.

Visa/MasterCard/Amex/Discover Accepted through PayPal

NY Style Cheesecake (pictured with whipped chocolate ganache)

Apple Pie with Crunch Topping

Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake with brown sugar whipped cream

Georgia Pecan Pie

Pumpkin Molasses Pie

White Chocolate Christmas Cheesecake

Chocolate Peppermint Cream Pie