Monthly Archives: December 2013

Port Soaked Cherries, Blue Cheese and Pistachio Dip

Here is a perfect holiday cheese dip for New Year’s Eve or any festive party. This delicious dip starts with uses fresh cherries soaked in a port wine reduction and then added to a creamy cheese base with the flavor really kicked up by adding some crumbled blue cheese. As if these flavors weren’t enough the dip gets some nice crunch to it’s texture by adding chopped pistachios. This dip has beautiful color – reds and greens mixed together. Serve with some crusty bread or potato chips on the side and enjoy!
From by the bay wishing you festive food memories!
Maryann
blog port cherry dip
Port Soaked Cherries, Blue Cheese and Pistachio Dip
 
Ingredients
1/2 cup port wine
1/4 cup fresh chopped cherries, pitted
1/4 cup roasted and salted pistachio nuts, chopped
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup good quality mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
optional: extra chopped pistachios for garnish
Directions
In a small saucepan add port and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes thickening the liquid and reducing to half. Add the cherries and set aside for an hour. In a food processor add all ingredients except the port, cherries and pistachios. Blend well. Remove from processor and place in a bowl. Strain the cherries from the port and add to the dip along with the chopped pistachios. Fold well to combine all ingredients. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use in an air tight container. Allow to come to room temperature before serving. Sprinkle some chopped pistachios to garnish.

Almond Saltine Toffee with Sea Salt

I enjoy making little food gifts to share with friends and family. A favorite is this saltine toffee, it’s sweet and salty. It’s crunchy and chocolatey.  It’s a treat that captures the holiday season.
Enjoy!
From by the bay wishing you sweet and salty food memories!
Maryann
blog toffee
Almond Saltine Toffee with Sea Salt
 
Ingredients
1 sleeve saltine cookies
6 ounces butter ( 1 1/2 sticks)
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
12 ounces chocolate chips or buttons
2 tablespoons blanched sliced almonds
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt , such as Maldon
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with non stick cooking spray. Arrange the crackers side by side in a single layer on the baking sheet. In a heavy medium size saucepan place the butter and brown sugar. Stir while the butter is melting and then bring to a rolling boil. Remove from the heat and carefully pour over the crackers on the baking sheet trying to cover all the crackers. Place in the oven for about 5 minutes, so the toffee bubbles and spreads across the crackers. Remove from the oven and cover with the chocolate buttons. Put back into the oven for 1 or 2 minutes so the chocolate softens. Remove from oven. Use an offset spatula to spread the melted chocolate evenly covering the entire surface of the toffee. Take 3-4 saltines and crush them into small pieces. Sprinkle on top of the chocolate while it’s still sticky and soft. Next sprinkle the almonds on top and finally the sea salt. Place the pan in the refrigerator for at least one hour, to cool and set. Once set, break into smaller uneven pieces and serve. Store in an air tight container for up to 10 days.
blog toffee 2

One Pan Roast Chicken and Vegetables

I love the holiday season, but with that we are all rushing to get so much done. The days are already filled with work, family and friends. When the holiday season arrives there are the extra activities of shopping for gifts, decorating the house and extra entertaining. So with that I love when I have a recipe that is easy, simple and delicious. This one pan roast chicken and vegetables is just so easy to assemble and it looks and tastes just amazing. My recipe suggests certain vegetables to surround the chicken, but you can easy use other vegetables if you like such as carrots, asparugus, scallions, cauliflower or sliced peppers and onions. If  any of the vegetables seemed to have cooked too quickly, just take them of the pan , cover with foil and put the pan back into the oven to finish roasting. The dish is not only easy to make, it’s all a quick clean up. Especially, if you use a nice non stick pan such as scan pan, it’s about a 1 minute to clean up. So find yourself some extra time for the holiday acitivities with this quick dish.From by the bay wishing you speedy food memories!
Maryann
blog one pan chick
One Pan Roast Chicken and Vegetables
Serves 4 
 
Ingredients
1 organic chicken – 3 to 4 pounds
2 thick slices of bread, such as sourdough
2 heads garlic, sliced across the middle
2 bay leaves
6 – 8 shallots peeled
4 ounces brussel sprouts
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and sliced
4 small purple potatoes, sliced
5 strips of thick bacon
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon maple syrup
salt and pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F . Drizzle the bottom of the baking pan with olive oil. Place two slices of bread in pan. Bring chicken to room temperature and season with salt and pepper inside the cavity and outside. Place chicken on top of the bread in the baking pan. Wrap the chicken with bacon, drizzle with maple syrup and top with butter. Add the remaining vegetables around the chicken. Drizzle with remaining olive oil and season with salt  and pepper. Place in the oven and roast chicken until the bacon is crisp and the chicken is 175 degrees F and the juices run clear, approximately 1 1/2 hours. If the vegetables look dry add a little water or white wine. Let chicken rest for at least 15 minutes before carving. Serve with the roasted vegetables and bread from the pan.
blog one pan chick 2

Cranberry Applesauce

Here is a fantastic side dish to add holiday color and great taste to your table. It’s easy to make with ingredients often in your fridge. I always keep several bags of cranberries in the freezer to use all through the holidays, so when I decided to take the apples leftover from Thanksgiving to make into an applesauce, I decided to add some cranberries with fantastic results. Don’t worry if you don’t have cranberry juice, water will work fine too. You can serve this next to your holiday ham or pork or serve at breakfast on top of some oatmeal or just eat as a snack. You’ll love it!
From by the bay. wishing you cran-licious food memories!
Maryann
blog cran ap sauce
Cranberry Applesauce
Makes about 4 cups
Ingredients
2 pounds apples peeled, cored and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup cranberries, fresh or frozen
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup cranberry juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
a pinch fine sea salt
Directions
Place all the ingredients into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until apples are soft. Remove from heat and cool. Mash the apples and cranberries together with a potato masher. Place in an air tight container and refrigerate until ready to use. It will keep in a refrigerator for about 1 week.

Toasted Quinoa Bourbon Chocolate Bark with Sea Salt

A good friend recently gave me a birthday treat – dinner at the “Waverly Inn”. The meal was magnificent ending with a little treat – chocolate bark with toasted quinoa. It was delicious, the quinoa adds a nice light crunch to the chocolate, much like my childhood favorite crunch bars.  The taste of the dark chocolate is enhanced using a touch of sea salt. I found that little finale to the meal the perfect inspiration for this chocolate bark and what better way to share something so good than to make little boxes of chocolate to share with friends and family. For me, this bark will transport me back to a very special birthday celebration !
 
From by the bay wishing you toasty quinoa food memories!
Maryann
 
blog quin choco
 

Toasted Quinoa Bourbon Chocolate Bark with Sea Salt
Ingredients
8 ounces high quality chocolate melting candy
2 tablespoons ( pre- rinsed) quinoa
2 teaspoons bourbon
1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt such as Maldon

Directions
Place the quinoa in a small skillet over medium heat , shaking the pan gently until the quinoa starts to puff and darken in color – this will take 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a bowl add the melting chocolate and heat in the microwave for 1 minute. Remove and stir until smooth. Repeat until another 1 or 2 times until the chocolate starts to melt. Keep stirring to finish melting the chocolate. Mix in the toasted quinoa and bourbon. Pour and spread the chocolate onto the parchment lined tray. You can use an offset spatula to help spread the chocolate into a square about 6 by 8 inch square. Sprinkle with sea salt. Let cool and harden. Break into pieces to serve.

 
blog quin choco 2