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Posh Sausage Roll
Last night I baked a posh take on a sausage roll and it was so scrumptious I couldn’t wait to share it with you all. I was watching chef Glynn Purnell cook up this much-loved savory pastry on a Christmas-themed cooking show hosted by chef Michel Roux, Jr., and I was so intrigued by what I saw that I went out and bought the ingredients to make it the very next day.
This roll is made posh by the addition of some delicious and unique filling ingredients not usually found in sausage rolls, such as toasted chopped pistachios, dried apricots and a festive pinch of ginger and nutmeg. Of course, it wouldn’t be a sausage roll without a meaty base, so plenty of streaky bacon, minced pork and sausage meat covers that nicely. To make life easier, you can use a store-bought puff pastry as well. Once baked, the pastry was golden and crispy and the filling had a rich flavor, accented nicely by the sweetness of the apricots and the subtle crunch of the pistachios.
I can picture this roll being enjoyed at Christmastime, when friends and family drop by the house and you need a delicious pick-up food to serve in the midst of all of the madness. My husband and I enjoyed it with a bottle of red wine and a light green salad. I will definitely be adding this Posh Sausage Roll to my Christmas cooking repertoire. Give it a try!
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Italian-Style Stuffed Peppers
Here is my grandmother’s tried-and-true recipe for the best Italian-style stuffed peppers. Although I have made a few modern variations on stuffed peppers recently (some unsuccessful, I must admit), I wanted to take it back and make the *real* stuffed peppers my family and I have enjoyed for years so I asked my grandmother for her recipe.
The peppers are stuffed with a tasty mixture of ground beef, pork and veal, along with onions, cooked rice, bread, Parmesan cheese, fresh parsley and garlic. It’s full of traditional Italian flavors and almost tastes like a meatball. The cooked rice adds texture and heartiness, and the mixture of meats adds a ton more flavor and richness than if you only used ground beef. We have a special way of cooking it that doesn’t dry out the filling, but still allows the stuffed peppers to retain their shape. These stuffed peppers make for a lovely meal. Enjoy!
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Osso Buco
Last weekend we visited my family in America and I was delighted to help my mom and grandmother cook up a Milanese classic, veal Osso Buco. A traditional Osso Buco consists of thick-cut, bone-in veal shanks that are braised for several hours in a white wine, tomato and herb sauce, and finished with a piquant gremolata topping.
“Osso Buco” translates in Italian to “bone’s hole,” – you can see how this dish got its name once the veal is cooked up to perfection and all of the marrow has seeped from the bones, thus creating a rich, decadent sauce, and, yes, leaving a “bone’s hole” in the center of the shanks. Because the veal is slow-cooked in this sauce, the meat becomes tender and succulent and falls easily off the bone.
This is a timeless and classic
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Beef Stew with Rosemary
Here is a recipe I made recently for a hearty and filling homemade beef stew. The stew is made with good quality stewing steak and plenty of red wine and rosemary for depth and flavor. Instead of starchy potatoes, I used onions, carrots, parsnips and green peas to add texture and volume. Parsnips are root vegetables, closely resembling carrots, and are a great substitute for potatoes if you are watching your carbs. Choosing a good quality red wine is key – I used a nice Vredenhof Cabernet Sauvignon, which made the stew a lovely dark burgundy color. After simmering for 2 1/2 hours+, the meat was tender and soft, and all of the flavors melded together perfectly. It’s my favorite beef stew recipe and can’t be beat for a simple yet satisfying dinner served with crusty bread (or on its own!) on a cool autumn night.
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Curried Dhal with Grilled Eggplant
I had some extra red lentils leftover from when I made my Red Lentil, Carrot & Cumin Soup, so I decided to make another dish featuring these much-loved legumes. Prior to this recent lentil kick, I didn’t realize how high in protein lentils are. In fact, they contain 26 grams of protein per 100 grams and are also low in fat and a good source of fiber. All the more reason to enjoy lentils more often. Anyway, this is a delightfully tasty recipe for curried lentils topped with grilled eggplant. The lentils are cooked in turmeric and tamarind paste and then finished off with a healthy dose of curry powder, onions, garlic and ginger. The result is a sweet and sour taste with plenty of kick. The lentils are good on their own, but adding some grilled eggplant slices on top makes it a nice light meal. Enjoy!!
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Red Lentil, Carrot & Cumin Soup
Here is a lovely recipe for a healthy Red Lentil, Carrot & Cumin Soup. This soup is full of warm, spicy flavors and quite simple to make. I always like to cook a few healthy dinners during the week to balance out some indulgent ones frequently consumed on the weekends (see here and here), and this fit the bill perfectly. The only (fairly) time consuming part is the shredding of the carrots, however, if you have a food processor with a grating attachment, the process is very quick! (Purchasing a high quality food processor is a life-changing addition to any kitchen as many of you know!) This soup doesn’t contain any butter, milk, or cream,
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Secret Chicken Noodle Soup
There is nothing more comforting and warming than a bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup. I have a secret recipe that will change how you make chicken soup forever (promise!). The ingredient list may seem ordinary and pretty straightforward, but it’s the method that will create the most richly colored and full flavored soup. The key is to
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Favorite Fall Recipes
Autumn has officially arrived and if you are like me, that means it’s time to get going on some warm and comforting fall recipes. There is nothing better than a hearty soup, succulent roast, or delectable spiced pumpkin cake this time of year, so I thought I’d round up some of my favorite fall recipes from the chic brûlée to share with you all. Just click on the picture for the full recipe. Be sure to give one a try!
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Chicken Saltimbocca
Chicken Saltimbocca is an old-school Italian dish with a ton of flavor and pizazz. Saltimbocca translates to “jump in the mouth” and it’s easy to understand how this meal got its name once you take your first bite. You may think Chicken Saltimbocca is only something to enjoy at your favorite Italian restaurant, but my at-home recipe is easy and makes for one delicious meal.
The essential elements of Chicken Saltimbocca include prosciutto, fresh sage leaves and a white wine sauce. It can be made using
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Frittata with Bacon & Fresh Ricotta
Frittatas are famous for being quick and easy to make and for that reason I find myself baking them quite often whenever I am in need of a simple, weeknight dinner. In the past I have experimented with many different combinations of ingredients, one of my favorites being asparagus and gruyere. Your creativity as a cook is really allowed to shine because there are essentially no rules in frittata-making and the possibilities are pretty much endless. Another great thing is that it’s just as good at room temperature as it is straight out of the oven, so it can be made in advance if necessary.
