Italian salad greens with ham, apple, and roasted cranberries

Post Christmas I was suddenly ravenous for ham and raw greens, salad - anything but cookies, which seemed to have been my diet for two or three weeks.  I haunted the supermarket and came home with a fat slice of ham and Italian salad greens - baby kale, baby mizuna, baby arugula, and radicchio ( which I left out because I didn't feel it fit in)

I made a very nice little oregano salad dressing, and tested an idea for roasted cranberries.  You can use raw cranberries easily, simply sliced in half.  Nice, sour, crunchy, but I liked the idea of a sweet/sour, barely roasted berry.  I think it's a nice perky addition, but go with the raw if you prefer.

Such a nice lunch!  But..... then I discovered I had left my camera at my daughter's house on Christmas Day.  I scrambled and searched and found a 2008 Powershot and took these remarkably retro photos of that very delicious salad.  Oh, how cameras have changed!

For the greens:  

Arrange in a large salad bowl or platter

For the ham :

Slice strips of ham about 4-5 inches long, maybe 1/2 inch thick

Arrange on top of greens.

Sliced apple chunks:

Slice a Granny Smith apple into thick slices, removing the core.

Cut each slice in half and arrange on greens.

The oregano salad dressing:

3 T. red wine vinegar

3 T. California olive oil

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 heaping teaspoon dried oregano

kosher salt

freshly ground pepper

Drizzle on top of the greens as desired.

For the roasted cranberries:

Marinate whole raw cranberries in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons olive oil, and 2 tablespoons sugar for an hour.

Preheat oven to 350F.  

Spoon the raw cranberries onto a baking sheet covered with foil or parchment.

As soon as the oven is at 350F, turn off the oven.

Slide the cranberries into the turned off oven and let sit in oven for 25 minutes.

Remove, cool, and sprinkle on salad.

A very Happy New Year to you all - hug people (and pets) you love, and believe in the goodness.

a merry little Christmas

Wow - it's been a long time between posts, but here I am today to wish you the most wonderful Christmas and holiday!  I've been baking for friends and family, attended a delightful cookie baking and decorating party with my grandchildren, delighted in a true snowfall here in the city, made more cookies, and my Christmas biscotti, and , as always, missed my sister, especially this time of year.

Looking forward to Christmas with family, and making resolutions , which includes being a little better with posting:), taking the time to make a real meal for one or two, rather than just heating up leftovers - I tend heavily toward huge pots of soup which somehow have to be eaten.  More walks, more city exploring (though I am not a city person), some meaningful volunteering as the next year ticks closer, and political activism.  Be well, dear friends, and enjoy the day.

Ginger stars recipe here!

Fresh Apple Bread puddings

It's been a while since I went food shopping, I realized last night as I searched the fridge and pantry - and the cold snap is here, further reason not to bundle up for the twenty block walk.  But - AH!  One lovely apple, some leftover rosemary bread, and eggs. I always have eggs and spices - and that meant I could make those lovely Fresh Apple Bread puddings!

You can , of course make it in a large oven-proof dish, but I usually make individual servings, using souffle cups or my little ovenproof plates. Tantalizing smells and the scent of apples and cinnamon made it really hard to wait, but wait I did, and it was well worth it.  It always makes me think of my mother, who was not a great cook, but her goulash and bread puddings were always filling and delicious.

For two servings:


Preheat oven to 350F.

In a bowl mix:

2 cups cubed bread (I used rosemary bread)  I have never used gluten-free, but I'm sure it will work just fine.
1 heaping cup peeled Granny Smith apple, cut in large dice
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon melted unsalted or salted butter
1 large egg
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
a dusting of grated nutmeg
Optional:  raisins

Distribute the pudding mixture evenly between two ovenproof dishes and bake for 40 minutes.  Let cool before serving. Top with ice cream, cream, or honey or maple syrup.


Guess who is hiding in my pantry?  Stuart the mouse, sitting in a teacup!  And a mound of gold ornaments , sitting in my casserole dish, reminding me of my stepmother's beautiful bowls of silvery and gold balls everywhere at Christmas.

turkey meatballs dijonnaise

How was your Thanksgiving?  I was invited to my daughter and family celebration on Friday - oh my, what a groaning table!

I came early to make the pumpkin roll (which I forgot to take a picture of), while Izzie (above) made a giant apple pie and my daughter tended Mr. Turkey - oh, the aromas in the kitchen were making our stomachs rumble.  And when we sat down, it was all just perfect.  What a great dinner - but I forgot to bring home leftovers!  I picked up some ground turkey yesterday and was mulling over what kind of meatball I would make, and wanted a creamy sauce.  Well, how about a dijonnaise sauce?  I found a recipe in one of the Silver Palate books and it was all that I wanted on this cold, rainy day - creamy, mustardy, not too spicy - just right.

It would be nice with some buttered noodles, if you're making it for a family dinner, and a green salad or roasted brussels sprouts, but a small plate of meatballs was just perfect for me.

Turkey meatballs dijonnaise

1 one pound package ground turkey (I always get Jennie-O)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/3 cup prepared dijon mustard (or you can use coarse-ground)

several grindings of black pepper

a few tablespoons dry vermouth or dry white wine

pinch of thyme

1/2 cup (or more) heavy cream

tiny pinch of salt after tasting the cooked meatballs (the mustard has a lot of salt in it)

Roll the ground turkey into medium meatballs.

Melt the butter in a skillet set on medium heat.

Add the mustard, pepper,thyme, and vermouth and heavy cream and whisk, then add the meatballs.  

Cook on medium-low heat, watching the meatballs carefully, and turning them with a spoon as they cook.

Remove meatballs to a serving dish, scraping the sauce over them, or, if the sauce has soaked into the meatballs, just add another 1/3 cup heavy cream to the skillet and heat.

Drizzle the hot sauce over the meatballs and sprinkle with minced parsley.

Enjoy!

I pass this enormous tree on the sidewalk everyday - now that the snow has melted, this little bouquet of green leaves nestled in the roots of the tree is a happy sight -   

white bean and vegetable soup (with lots of herbs)

It's been frigid weather in Minnesota !  I met a dear friend in Minneapolis on Sunday from my home town in New Hampshire  - which was a delightful homecoming.  Nothing like hugs and conversation with an old friend, right?

When I came home, I was frozen and in need of something delicious, something herby and chock full of vegetables and herbs - and came up with this comfortable and delicious chowder, of sorts, which didn't need grated cheese, or sour cream, or anything extra, besides the fresh vegetables and a generous hand with herbs.  Heaven!    Though I do think some homemade bread would've been a real treat.

To make enough for 2 people:

1 large white potato, cubed (about a cup +)
1 carrot,peeled and cut into half moons (about 1/2 cup)
1 diced white onion (about 1/2 cup)
3 cups water
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
a bay leaf
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon unsalted butter

1 cup packed torn kale
1 can, drained, cannellini beans , 15.5 oz can
1/2 cup diced canned tomatoes

1 T. fresh rosemary, chopped
1 t. dried basil
2 tablespoons olive oil (I like California olive oil)
kosher salt to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste

Bring the stock, water, bay leaf, garlic, and butter to a simmer.  Add the potato, carrot and white onion and simmer until they are tender.

Add the kale, beans and tomatoes to the vegetables and simmer, then add the herbs and olive oil, salt, and pepper. Take off heat and let the soup sit for about 15 minutes.

Serve with cheese, fresh bread, and a green salad, if you wish.

I got festive the other night and decorated one of my windows - sparkly!

Hope your day is wonderful!

election caramel and applesauce cake

Deep apologies for my blog silence - you could call it election freeze .  I grew up in a very committed Democratic family, and as the election drew closer, and the voting results came in slowly, I headed to the kitchen.  I became obsessed with making caramel.  I made The Pioneer Woman's brown sugar caramel over and over, and it seemed to come out different every time. It would be creamy in the saucepan, and then slowly turn grainy.  That happened a LOT.  As long as I warmed it again, it was creamy and delicious, but as soon as it cooled, it turned grainy again.

So I tried this recipe, which can't be easier, and it stayed creamy and glossy, though I did add a little butter for a deeper caramel flavor.  Then I realized you can't just post an icing recipe - you something to put it on, right?   So when I found Sarah Leah Chase's applesauce cake I thought I was home free.  Nope, didn't have dates, Calvados, or walnuts, which I'm sure would've been delicious - but I plowed ahead and crossed my fingers.  The cake was good, a nice texture, but rather plain without the Calvados/date additions, and because I was riveted to the election returns and the stores were now closed, I just skipped it.  I didn't use her caramel glaze, because it was almost the same as the Pioneer Woman's, and I had two saucepans full of caramel sitting on my counter.  Apologies again, and hope you will try Sarah's recipe in full  - I used half a recipe.

Here is half the recipe of hers that I used for 2 little 6" layer cakes:

6 T. unsalted butter, room temp
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 cup homemade applesauce
1 1/2 cups (one and a half) flour
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
(optional:  1/2 cup pitted dates, cut up, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts - I did not use)
1/4 cup Calvados or rum

I baked two small cake layers, baking at 375F for 35 minutes - but check cakes at around 20 minutes to be sure.

mad for rosemary-cumin hummus

The days have been dark and damp lately - a little colder, but not enough to cause a freeze, unlike New Hampshire.  It's harder to force myself out the door to walk on dreary days.  Which, of course, led to tighter and tighter pants.  I blamed the clothes dryer at first, until I faced the sad fact I was putting on a few pounds.  Probably all those cookies I keep making for my grandchildren:)

this is how I eat it:)

I've upped my excercise, swore off potato chips or Tostito's crispy rounds, but could never give up hummus, ever.  

I'd tried a few recipes, one of which was heavy on the tahini - nice, but it could taste a little strong sometimes.  Then I made Lovely Little Kitchen's recipe, which was easy and delicious, but I wanted a little more zip - herbs, hot sauce?  I tinkered and measured everything carefully, and to my surprise my measurements were almost the same as the one from Lovely Little Kitchen - just more lemon juice, lots of cumin, and some hot sauce.   Since I eat it straight from a small bowl, I wanted it to be fairly light, and that's what I got.  

The recipe:

Combine in your food processor:

1 can (15 or 16 oz) cooked garbanzo beans, aka chickpeas, drained (reserve 2 T. of juice)

2 tablespoons tahini

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons of the canned chickpea liquid

3 teaspoons ground cumin

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons rosemary leaves, chopped (do not include stems)

1 medium clove of garlic, peeled and sliced

4 drops of hot sauce - I use Frank's hot sauce, which is fairly mild

Mix in food processor until smooth.  Taste and serve with chips, or raw vegetables, or straight, as is while waiting for trick or treaters tonight!  Happy Halloween!

What I've been reading:

Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery (my NH friend)
The Book of Joy with The Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu - wonderful book!