Brussel Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes with Almonds, Raisins, and Capers

I love roasted brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes, but the sauce and the almonds, capers and raisins, yum!

This has to be the best recipe for them.

Only Ones- "Another Girl, Another Planet"

From Joanne-Eats-Well-With-Others

Ingredients

• 3/4 lb brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut into quarters
• 1/2 lb fingerling potatoes, cut into small cubes
• 1 1/2 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp whole wheat bread crumbs
• 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp sliced almonds
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp gravymaster (optional)
• 2 tbsp raisins
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
• 1 tbsp tarragon, minced
• 1 tsp dried chives

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the brussels sprouts and potatoes. Place a large skillet over low heat and add one tablespoon butter. When it has melted, add bread crumbs and toss until toasted and golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer crumbs to a plate and wipe out pan.
Return pan to medium heat and add one teaspoon olive oil. Add almonds and toss until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer almonds to a plate.
Wipe out pan and return to medium heat. Add remaining one tablespoon olive oil, brussels sprouts, and potatoes. Sauté until lightly browned on both sides.  Add 1 tsp Gravy Master, if using, tossing to coat. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Add the veggies to the pan and roast 12 minutes.  Raise oven temperature to 450 and roast another 5 minutes or until tender.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over low heat, melt remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter and add raisins, vinegar and 1 tablespoon water. Simmer until raisins are plump and soft, about 5 minutes; drain and set aside. In a small bowl, combine almonds, breadcrumbs, capers, raisins, parsley, tarragon and chives. Season with salt and pepper and toss to mix.
Arrange roasted veggies on a serving platter. Spoon almond-herb mixture evenly on top. Serve immediately.

Beef Fajitas

This beef was so good. We got it at Whole Foods and the combination of the marinade and how tender the meat was... just so good. 

Sorry salivating over here.

Metro Station- "Seventeen Forever"

Ingredients

• 1 whole Beef Flank Steak
• 1/2 cup Olive Oil
• 3 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/3 cup Lime Juice, Fresh Squeezed
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 Tablespoon Cumin
• 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon Sugar
• 2 whole Medium Onions, Halved And Sliced
• 1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Sliced
• 1 whole Orange Bell Pepper, Sliced
• 1 whole Green Bell Pepper, Sliced
• 1 whole Yellow Bell Pepper, Sliced
•  Oil, For Frying
•  Flour Tortillas, Warmed
•  Cheese (grated Cheddar/jack Or Crumbled Queso Fresco)
•  Salsa
•  Sour Cream
•  Cilantro Leaves

Directions

In a dish, mix together olive oil, Worcestershire, lime juice, garlic, cumin, chili powder, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and sugar until combined. Pour half of the marinade into a separate dish. In one dish, place the flank steak, turning it over to coat. In the second dish, place all the veggies, turning to coat. Cover the dishes with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Prepare tortillas, salsa, sour cream, and cilantro.

Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat and drizzle in some oil. Add the veggies and cook them for a few minutes, until they're cooked but still slightly firm and have nice black/brown pieces. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Heat the same same skillet (or a grill pan if you have it) over high heat and drizzle some oil. Cook the meat for about 2 minutes per side until medium rare. Remove and allow to rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Maple Cinnamon Sage Brown Butter

The pasta for beginners, Gnocchi is incredibly easy to make.

Just as easy as just adding flour to potato until forms dough.

The Soft Boys- "Underwater Moonlight"

Mark Bittman's Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Ingredients

1 lb. sweet potatoes (about 2)
Salt and pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter
15 fresh sage leaves
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 dash nutmeg

Directions

Start boiling a pot of water.

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into small 1" chunks. Place in a microwaveable bowl with a little water and cover. Microwave for five minutes or until the sweet potatoes are done. Drain, season with salt and pepper, and mash with a fork.

Add about a half cup of the flour and stir. Continue adding the flour in small increments until you get a dough that you can handle. You want to add as little flour as possible to keep the gnocchi from being too dense. Pinch off a small piece and drop into boiling water to make sure it will keep its shape.

Place the dough onto a floured counter top (or cutting board). Divide in half and roll each piece into a 1/2 inch wide snake. Cut the dough into 1 inch long pieces and roll over the tines of a fork. Place shaped pieces onto a floured plate without them touching one another.

Cook the gnocchi in the boiling water in batches. You don't want there to be more gnocchi in the pot than can cover the surface of the water. The gnocchi is done about a minute after it starts floating.

While the gnocchi is cooking, melt the butter in a separate small saucepan. Once it is melted, add the sage leaves and continue to cook until the milk solids in the butter have browned. Remove from heat and add the maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt to taste.

Toss the cooked gnocchi with the browned butter sauce and serve hot.

Leftovers can be refrigerated and pan-fried the next day for a slightly different texture.

Devil's Food Bombe

I made this special layer cake for Christmas Eve.

It sounds intensive and the stacking the layers of cake was a little hard.

Here's the last layer before I put on the top or rather the bottom layer of the cake

You're supposed to frost it with the whipped cream, but I was so proud of the cake, since it didn't crumble or stick to the bowl that I didn't.

Frozen Outtake- "Life's Too Short"

I wish this one was in the film instead of "For the First Time in Forever (Reprise)" though I love that one.

From Bake! Essential Techniques for Perfect Baking by Nick Malgieri

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 cup boiling water (boil, then measure)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil, such as safflower
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Whipped Cream, made with 4 cups cream and 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup dark rum for sprinkling, optional
• 1/2 pint fresh raspberries, optional
• Chocolate shavings or fine devil's food cake crumbs for finishing
• One 1 1/2- to 2-quart round-bottomed bowl, buttered and lined with plastic wrap

Directions:

Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350˚F.

Place the chocolate in a large mixing bowl and pour the hot water over it. Shake the bowl to make sure all the chocolate is submerged, then let stand for a few minutes to melt the chocolate.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.

Whisk the chocolate and water smooth, then whisk in the brown sugar, oil, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla one at a time, whisking smooth after each addition.
Whisk in the flour mixture about one third at a time. The batter will be very liquid.

Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake until risen and firm, 30 to 35 minutes.

Let the cakes stand in the pans for 5 minutes, then unmold to racks, turn right side up, and cool completely.

Cut the devil's food layers into 1/4-inch-thick vertical slices.

Line the 2 quart round-bottomed buttered bowl with a single layer of the slices, patching them together if necessary. Sprinkle the slices with rum.

Spread a large spoonful of whipped cream on top of the layer.

Trim 2 or 3 cake slices to the diameter of the bottom of the bowl and arrange them on the cream. Sprinkle with rum and spread with more cream. If you're using raspberries, sprinkle a few on each layer. 5 Repeat, cutting enough cake slices to fit the changing diameter of the bowl as you build up higher and so that they cover the previous layer of cream, until the bowl is full. Finish with a layer of cake.

Wrap and chill the bowl at least 4 hours or overnight. If chilling the cake overnight, only whip 3 cups of the cream as in the recipe on page 159 and whip the rest for covering the cake soon before you're going to serve it.

Place a cardboard or platter on the bowl and invert, then lift off the bowl. If the cake is stuck, wring out a clean kitchen towel in hot water and place on the bowl. This will melt the layer of butter between the bowl and the plastic wrap, then you can lift off the bowl and carefully peel off the plastic.
Spread the outside of the cake with the remaining whipped cream and sprinkle with chocolate shavings or fine devil's food cake crumbs.

Serving: Since the cake is tall, it's difficult to serve even wedges. Use a sharp thin knife to cut them and use a wide cake server or other spatula to transfer them to plates. Storage: Tightly wrap leftovers with plastic and refrigerate and plan on serving all of them within 24 hours for best flavor.

Spinach-Artichoke Pasta

I love pasta. But not as much as I love the Spinach-Artichoke-cheese combination.

 I could honestly just skip the pasta and just slurp up the sauce.

Bright Eyed Youth- Olive Skin

Ingredients

• 6 tbsp butter
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 bags spinach
• 2 cans artichoke hearts, drained and halved
• 3 tbsp flour
• 3 cups milk
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 cup mozzarella or monterey jack cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup vegetable or chicken broth
• 12 oz penne, cooked
• 1/2 bread crumbs
• crushed red pepper

Directions

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large pot or skillet. Add garlic and throw in the spinach. Stir it around until it's wilted, about 1 minute. Remove spinach from heat and set aside.

Add 2 tablespoons butter to the same pot and raise the heat to high. Throw in the halved artichokes and stir it around until they get a little color, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the artichokes from the pot and set them aside.

Reduce the heat to low. Add 2 tablespoons butter to the pot. When melted, sprinkle in flour and whisk until it's combined. Pour in milk and whisk to combine. Let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until starting to thicken. Add Parmesan, Mozzarella/Monterey Jack, salt and pepper, and cayenne pepper. Stir to melt, and if it's overly thick, splash in chicken broth.

Add artichokes and pasta, tossing gently to combine. Gently fold in spinach, then pour the pasta into a serving bowl. Sprinkle the top with crushed red pepper flakes and plenty of Panko breadcrumbs for crunch.

Serve immediately!

Calzones

My family is in love with Dewey's calzones. I've only had them as leftovers, since I'm more of a pizza gal.

So what do you do with left over ravioli filling? Make calzone filling.

All this dough rolling is going  to give me gorilla arms before break is over!

Bright Eyed Youth- "Pretty People Diamonds"

Ingredients 

Dough:

• 3 cups all -purpose or bread flour
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Calzone:

• 2 cups of ricotta cheese
• 1 cup of stuffing for the calzone  such as sausage, ham, spinach, chard, broccoli raab, artichokes, olives, tomatoes, etc.
• 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

Dough:

Combine the flour, yeast, and salt in a food processor. Turn the machine on and add 1 cup water and the oil through the feed tube. Process for about 30 seconds, adding more water until hte mixture forms a ball and is slightly stick to the tough. If it is still dry, add another 1 to 2 tablespoons of water and process for another 10 seconds. Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and knead the dough by hand for a few seconds to form a smooth, round dough ball. put the dough in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let rise until the dough doubles in size (it should take 1-2 hours but you can cut it short if you're in a hurry or let it rise for up to 6 to 8 hours in a refrigerator) At this point you can freeze the dough if you want to store it for up to a month. When the dough is ready, form it into two balls and sprinkle with flour. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let rest until the balls puff slightly (around 20 minutes).

Calzone:

Combine the cheeses and other ingredients you plan on putting in the calzones. Taste and add salt and pepper, if necessary. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Roll each dough ball into a flat round, lightly flouring the work surface and the dough as necessary (use only as much flour as you need to) Let the rounds sit for a few minutes; this will relax the dough and make it easier to roll out. Roll or pat the dough into an 8 to 10 inch round on a lightly oiled baking sheet.

Put half the filling into the middle of each dough round. Moisten the edges with a little water. Fold one edge over onto the other and press closed with a fork or your fingers.

Bake the calzones on a baking sheet or baking stone for 30 to 40 minutes or until nicely browned.