Creamy Polenta with Spicey Cannellini Beans

This is a yummy dish that is super easy to make and delicious on a cold winter day.

1 clove of garlic
Half a medium onion
1 green chili
3/4 tsp paprika
1 dried sage
1/2 tsp of cumin
1/2 cup of red wine
1/2 tsp of sugar
pinch of hot pepper (if you want more spice)
salt to taste
1 can of crushed tomatoes
1 can of cannellini beans (or black beans or whatever beans you have around)

Simmer for 20 minutes. Check for salt and pepper. If you find that the taste of tomatoes have taken over, add some red wine and a sprinkle of cumin. Top with some parsley or cilantro (whatever you have handy.)


Polenta

Bring 1 cup of water and 1 cup of milk to a boil. Lower heat and add 1/2 cup of polenta. Stir continuously till thick and creamy. Add some salt to taste. (I added 2 tablespoons of goat cheese at the end.)

Yum.

Black bean and carrot soup

Hi everyone!

Sorry it's been awhile. I'm not a good blogger. Most of the time it's cause I'd rather eat food than write about it.

Here's an EZ black bean and carrot soup recipe that I put together when I was doing my juice fast. I added some grilled eggplant on the side to round out the dinner.

You'll need:
a splash of olive oil
1 clove of garlic
half a medium onion, chopped finely
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1 or 2 large carrots, chopped
1 can black beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can chicken broth
Salt and pepper and a dash of spanish paprika to taste

1. Saute garlic until fragrant
2. Add onion and saute until soft (not necessarily brown.)
3. Add celery and saute until fragrant (slightly sweet smell.)
4. Add sugar
5. Add carrots and cook for about 5 minutes
6. Add black beans and saute for 3 minutes

NOW you can stop here and add a splash of water and simmer this deliciousness for about 10 to 15 minutes and REALLLY low heat. Add some salt pepper and spanish paprika and serve over brown rice. OR you can keep going for a soupy-er version.

7. Add tomatoes and chicken broth
8. Add salt and simmer for about 10 - 15 minutes
9. Add pepper and paprika

For an extra kick add the pepper and paprika along with a green chili when you add the salt. The longer that stuff simmers the spicier the dish is.


Enjoy!

Arretje Nof - Dutch Chocolate Cake

This cake is so awesome and so easy. You can really only eat a small piece of it since it is so rich. It truly is a delicious holiday treat. Sorry, these measurements require a scale. Next time I make it, I'll measure it in cups.

Ingredients
4 eggs
250g of sugar
125 cocoa powder
375g of butter (4 sticks) (You cannot substitute oil for butter, otherwise the cake won't set.)
275g of biscuits (these are also known as digestives and can be found in the int'l aisle at the grocery store. They are similar to cookies, but crispier and not very sweet.)
A handful of dried cherries or craisens or other dried fruits. You can make it as fruity as you'd live.

Melt butter in the microwave until warm and melted. Break all the biscuits into small pieces.

Mix the eggs and sugar together until incorporated. Use a sieve to add the cocoa powder to the egg/sugar mixture. Next add melted butter slowly to ensure that the butter is incorporated. Make sure butter is mixed into the cocoa mixture well, otherwise you'll have large globs of butter in your cake.

Line a bread pan with parchment paper (this is a must, otherwise it's a pain to get out of the pan). Pour mixture into the pan and put in the fridge for about 4 hours.

Store in a cool place.

ENJOY!

Savory Sweet Potates in Rosemary Nutmeg Cream Sauce

I usually love marshmallow covered sticky sweet sweet potatoes, but this year I decided to make savory sweet potatoes. This recipe is adapted from a Bon Appetit recipe.

2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup of pureed white onion
1 tsp fresh rosemary
1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled & cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds, halved
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup of whipping cream
fresh grated nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

Heat butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add onions and rosemary and saute until slightly brown. Add sweet potatoes and broth. Reduce to a low simmer and cover for about 10 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are almost tender. Add cream and nutmeg and simmer uncovered until the sweet potatoes are falling apart and the sauce is thick.

Southern Cornbread Dressing

I LOVE Jiffy Corn bread. Deliciousness. This dressing was a big hit at Christmas dinner. (Super easy too.)

Ingredients:
1 package of Jiffy corn bread (plus one egg and 1/3 cup of milk)
2 tbsp of butter
1 egg
1 small red onion
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 cup of chicken stock
1 can cream of mushroom soup (or cream of celery or onion...whatever you have on hand)
1 tsp sage
1 tsp fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste


First, prepare one package of Jiffy Corn bread according to the directions on the box. Allow to cook slightly and crumble the bread into small pieces.

Lower oven to 350 degrees.

Add all the ingredients together and mix until incorporated. If the mix is a little dry, add some more chicken stock. The corn bread will set in the oven, but you retain about the same amount of moisture.

Pour into a greased sauce pan and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Brussel Sprouts with Cranberries and Celery

3 Tbsp butter or clarified butter
1/2 cup yellow onions, finely chopped
1 lb of Brussels Sprouts, halved and sliced
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 cup dried unsweetened cherries or craisens
2 tsp of honey
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Dressing:
Warm honey slightly in the microwave. Add olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Wisk until smoth.

In a large wok or skillet, warm the butter. Add onions and saute until carmelized. Add sliced Brussels Sprouts and cook until tender. Add nuts and cherries and saute for another minute. Turn off the flame and pour dressing on top. Toss the mixture together and cover (let the brussel sprouts remain on the stove top eye as it cools.) The warmth will allow the flavors to incorporate into the vegetable.

Delicious, even for those non-sprouts lovers.

Christmas Dinner

I'm home for the holidays and am loving being here. It's so nice to be back in Bama with the whole family. I think it's been at least 6 years since we were all together in Bama. Last night, we had Christmas dinner with turkey, brussel sprouts, country corn bread dressing, rosemary sweet potatoes, and garlic mashed potatoes PLUS Christmas chocolate arretje nof for dessert. The next couple of posts are the recipes from dinner!