Cuisine Diva

Homemade Cheddar Chive Biscuits

This recipe makes a light and flaky buttermilk biscuit loaded with loads of cheddar cheese and savory chives. The secret to making light and flaky biscuits is to leave the butter in the refrigerator until ready to use. DO NOT let the butter warm up to room temperature. 

If you don't want to use buttermilk you can substitute regular milk, soy milk or even water. You can use parchment paper to line the baking pan, instead of greasing it, to prevent the biscuits from sticking to the bottom.

Above: a pastry knife is used to cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients. If you don't have a pastry knife, substitute 2 butter knives.

Above: a pan filled with homemade cheddar chive biscuits.

Cheddar Chive Biscuit Recipe

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter - cubed
• 1 tablespoon chopped chives
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2/3 cup buttermilk

Above: enjoy cheddar chive buttermilk biscuits straight out of the oven.

Cheddar Chive Biscuit Directions

 

1. Pre-heat your over to 375°F
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl
3. Use a pastry knife to cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients
4. Stir in the chopped chives and shredded cheese
5. Use a large spoon to stir in the buttermilk until a soft dough is formed
6. Lightly flour a large work surface so the dough doesn't stick to it
7. Place the biscuit dough onto the work surface and coat your hands with flour, as necessary, to prevent sticking
8. Knead the dough 10 to 12 times until smooth
9. Pat the dough out into a 1-inch thick rectangle
10. Use a sharp knive to cut the biscuits into 12 equal pieces
11. Place the biscuits onto a large, lightly greased baking pan
12. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 18 to 23 minutes until light golden brown

Enjoy!

Lynn Smythe, AKA the Cuisine Diva 

 

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Save Money by Making Your Own Baby Food

Have you ever tried making your own, homemade baby food? I remember my growing up watching my mom make homemade pink applesauce. She chopped up apples, no need to skin or seed them, then placed them in a large pot of boiling water. After the apples cooked to the disired consistency, she processed them in batches in a Foley food mill.

The food mill was a hand cranked contraption that finely ground the apples, leaving the skins and seeds in the mill with the resulting pink applesauce falling to the bowl underneth the food mill. The food mill came with different disks according to they type of food you were making - apples, squash, tomatoes, etc...

Try Your Hand at Homemade Baby Food

New moms and dads know there is never a reason to skimp on your baby's food, but they know equally well that those little jars of peas, or a chicken and carrots meal, can be one of the biggest expenses in raising a child. In those times of need, services like paydayloansonline.com can help.

Parents who are looking for a simple way to cut costs when it comes to little Jack or little Sally will be thrilled to know that making your own baby food is not as difficult as it sounds. Because most jarred or single-serve baby food that you would buy at the market is generally a combination of one, two or three ingredients, these meals are actually a cinch to duplicate at home with your own food and certainly within the means of your own budget. 

Studies by various parenting organizations and magazines, as well as a mass of many parents themselves, have reported positive results when doing price comparisons on store-bought versus homemade baby foods. Those who have put the costs side by side have found that making your own baby food typically saves as much as 45%-50% over the same ingredients pre-cooked and purchased in packages. Therefore, those who make their own baby food may end up saving hundreds of dollars a month just by doing a little regular meal preparation just for their little one.

Homemade Food is Better and Cheaper 

You'll want to start your venture into homemade food for your baby by deciding on a few key, simple meals to create for them. If you are transitioning from milk to puréed food, you can start with any ingredients that prepared baby food have in it, such as peas, sweet potatoes or blueberries. If you are transitioning from store-bought baby food to homemade, choose a couple of your baby's favorite meals and recreate them in your own kitchen. Rice, chicken broth, potatoes and bananas are fairly inexpensive ingredient and are typically favorites among babies who are just starting to eat semi-solid food.

Many new parents have had success making baby food in larger batches that last for a week up to even a month, and then refrigerating or freezing the meals in small packages. You might want to choose one day every few weeks as your food prep day. Dedicate a few hours on that day to gathering ingredients, steaming the vegetables, and purée all the ingredients in a blender or mixer with a small amount of water to liquefy. This concoction is the same baby food that you would buy in a jar for $1.50 perhaps, made for about a third of the price in your own home. As an added benefit, you have control over the exact food that goes into your baby's mouth, down to the specifics of whether it was organically grown and how well washed it is.

If you were on the super industrious parent path, you might even consider growing your own nutrient dense food to cook, purée and feed to your child. While this would certainly save you the most money, as your primary cost would be seeds and soil amendments, even purchasing organic vegetables and fruits in bulk for your baby's food is going to save you a bundle in comparison to the store-bought version of baby food. Over time, the process of cooking and blending the food will become a natural part of your month's or week's chores, and you will have more money at the end of the year to put in your child's future education fund.

 

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Enjoy a Fresh Kumquat and Fennel Salad

 Last year I wrote an article; Healthier Eating with Weekly Food Preparation, that featured a fennel and kumquat salad. On a recent trip to Lowe's, right before my 49th birthday, I found and purchased a variegated kumquat tree. My boyfriend had just bought me a variegated pink lemon tree, as one of my birthday presents, so I thought the addition of the kumquat tree to his yard would be pretty nifty.

We also have a mango tree, Florida white peach tree, honeybell orange tree and a grapevine planted on his 1.25 acre property and are always looking for additional fruit trees to plant. The lemon and kumquat trees will go nicely with our collection, and I also have 3 avacados I started from seed that will get planted outside once they get a bit bigger.

Above: fresh kumquats

I was at the grocery store a couple of days ago and saw kumquats displayed next to the lemons and limes, so I picked up a package to bring home with me. To make the salad, I rinsed off the kumquats, cut off the ends, quartered them and removed any seeds before adding them to a mixing bowl. I added 1 fennel bulb, chopped up, then tossed it all with a bit of Wish Bone Superfruit Berry vinaigrette dressing.

Above: kumquats are tiny, a bit smaller than a normal size strawberry.

Above: any vinaigrette type of dressing can be used with the fennel and kumquat salad.

Above: the finished kumquat and fennel salad.

Let me know if you decide to make the kumquat and fennel salad. Do use kumquats or fennel? Share your recipe ideas with the Cuisine Diva and I just might feature your culinary creations in a future article.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

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Healthy Green Drink Diet Book

Above: The Healthy Green Drink Diet

Green Equals Healthy

I recently had a chance to review the book The Healthy Green Drink Diet by Jason Manheim. I have a contact at Skyhorse Publishing who sends me books to review for my various blogs from time-to-time. The Healthy Green Drink Diet was in a package of books I just received from the publisher.

I've been wanting to lose a few pounds, so receiving this book in the mail was perfect timing. I am trying to get back to following the Paleo Diet, and am going to attempt to consume one green drink first thing in the morning for the next 7 days.

I read the book over the weekend, and made a shopping list of ingredients to purchase. There is a Publix right across the street from my apartment complex, and I love the fact that they open at 7 AM. So first thing Monday morning I popped over to the grocery store and went straight to the produce department to purchase all my fruits, vegetables and greens that will be used in the green drink recipes. Check to see if there are any farmer's markets or health food/organic markets near you where you can purchase your green drink ingredients from.

Above: a variety of fruits, vegetables and greens to use when creating green drinks.

Green Drink Health Benefits

Consuming 1-2 green drinks per day, preferably before a meal, can help with a variety of health problems including:

• heart disease
• cancer
• skin conditions
• high blood pressure
• high cholesterol
• asthma
• headaches
• insomnia
• bladder infections
• bowel issues

Above: add all green drink ingredients to the blender.

Just Peachy Green Drink Recipe

This is the first recipe I tested from the book. It has lots of peaches in it, so I thought it would be a bit sweeter than some of the other recipes. Peaches aren't in season at the moment, so I purchased a bag of un-sweetened frozen peaches.

I added a pinch of watercress leaves to the recipe, for a peppery punch, and one packet of Splenda to make it palatable. You aren't supposed to use any artificial sweeteners, I should have used a dash of agave syrup or honey, instead of the Splenda, oh well. Since I used frozen peaches, instead of fresh, I didn't add any ice cubes to this recipe.

I'll be testing additional recipes from The Healthy Green Drink Diet book throughout the week. I'll post up the results of my one weeks worth of consuming green drinks to either the Cuisine Diva or Bike Diva blog sometime next week.

Just Peachy Ingredients

• 4 whole peaches
• 1-2 cups spinach
• water
• ice

Just Peachy Directions

1. Fill blender with as much water and ice as you like
2. Add the remaining ingredients
3. Blend until smooth

Above: the finished product, Just Peachy green drink smoothie. A perfect way to start your day.

About the Author

The Healthy Green Drink Diet was written by Jaon Manheim. Jason is the founder of the Healthy Green Drink website: http://healthygreendrink.com/. Here is Jason's autobiography:

"My name is Jason Manheim and as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated with health, fitness, and the bodies ability to perform at its best when the right foods and exercises are introduced.

Because of this fascination, I have studied and participated in numerous diet and fitness fads, routines, and plans (like The 4-Hour Body, P90X, etc.). In the end, I have become quite educated in the lot and enjoy a better quality of life as a result.

I workout à la CrossFit at least 5 days a week, participate in Meatless Monday (although my usual diet is Primal or Paleo), experiment as much as I can, ride my bicycle around the city as my main mode of transportation, and occasionally find time to relax and enjoy a delicious slice of chocolate cake.

Healthy Green Drink is not a solo venture, though. My girlfriend helps out quite a bit; mostly by coming up with recipes that are really tasty and telling me when something I make is disgusting (seriously, I’ll drink anything with a slight green tint that comes out of a blender)."

Green Drink Diet Book Details

• Title: The Healthy Green Drink Diet
• Subtitle: Advice & Recipes to Energize, Alkalize, Lose Weight, and Feel Great
• Author: Jason Manheim
• Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
• Date published: 2012
• Details: 164 pages, color photos throughout

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA Cuisine Diva

Healthier Eating With Weekly Food Preparation

Above: marinated steak, roasted squash, kumquat/fennel salad

Prepare Foods in Advance

I am trying to eat healthier these days. I participate in 15-20+ races per year; triathlon, 5k, half marathons and time trial bike races. I'm often so busy training and racing, that I sometimes forget all about meal planning and preparation until I am absolutely starving. Then it just seems easier to grab a bag of chips, or go to the local fast food restaurant for a quick bite to eat. As I am still trying to take off a few more pounds before the 2012 race season gets under way, I am trying to pay better attention to my diet.

I work as a freelance writer/blogger/craft artist out of my house. With the kitchen just around the corner from my office, I have a tendency to grab a quick snack whenever I'm hungry. I'm trying really hard to eat more regular meals, but that means I have to plan a menu for each week. I find that it's much easier if I prepare a bunch of meals and snacks ahead of time, so they are ready to eat when my stomach starts growling at me.

Please note; I almost always have a mixed green salad or green vegetable, such as steamed broccoli or oven roasted asparagus, with my lunches and dinners. Vegetables are terrific sources of vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. And unless you smoother the vegetables with butter or cheese sauce, they are also very low calorie.

Above: oven roasted butternut squash

 

Intermediate Food Prep

There are a few items that must be made ahead of time, which are used to make the other recipes.

Honey mustard dressing - I use the honey mustard dressing in the potato salad. Left over honey mustard dressing can be used on hot dogs or chicken nuggets, although I no longer eat hot dogs or chicken nuggets myself.

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup prepared honey mustard
• 2 tablespoons stone ground mustard
• 1 tablespoon honey or light agave syrup

Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Store in a covered bowl in the refrigerator until ready to add to the potato salad. If you have any leftover, it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Hard boiled eggs - approximately 1/2 dozen. A couple are chopped up and used in the potato salad recipe. I have the remaining hard boiled eggs on hand, to either chop up and use in green salads, turn into egg salad, or to simply eat a hard boiled egg on it's own for a quick snack. I place the eggs in a large pan of water, bring to a boil, then boil the eggs for 12 minutes.

Above: kumquat fennel salad

Weekly Food Preparation Recipes

These are the recipes that I just made on Monday late morning/early afternoon. If you work a regular Monday-Friday job outside of the house, you will probably want to do your food prep on the weekend. Prepare your shopping list and go shopping for all ingredients on Saturday. You can do the actually cooking later in the day on Saturday or anytime on Sunday.

Potato Salad

Ingredients for potato salad:

• Small container of fingerling potatoes
• 2 hard boiled eggs - chopped
• 1 recipe honey mustard dressing

Directions for potato salad:

1. Scrub the skins off the potatoes to remove any dirt and blemishes
2. Leave very small potatoes whole, larger ones should be cut in half or thirds
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil
4. Add the potatoes and cook for 12 minutes
5. Place the potatoes in a colander and rinse with cold water until cooled down
6. Stir in the chopped eggs and honey mustard dressing
7. Store in the refrigerator in a covered container until chilled. Leftovers will last for 4-6 days

Kumquat Fennel Salad

Kumquats look like micro sized oranges and have a tangy/tart orange taste. Fennel is crunchy like celery, with a slight anise/licorice taste. You may also add a bit of chopped, raw red onion to this salad if desired.

Ingredients for kumquat fennel salad:

• pint size container kumquats
• 2 fennel bulbs
• juice from 1 orange
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt
• pepper

Directions for kumquat fennel salad:

1. Rinse off the kumquats, cut in halves or quarters, remove any seeds and add to a large bowl
2. Remove any dried out/discolored outer portions of the fennel bulb if necessary
3. Cut off the top and bottom of the fennel bulbs
4. Cut the cleaned fennel bulbs in quarters, then chop into 1-2 inch size pieces and add to the bowl of kumquats
5. If desired, the herb-like leafy portion of the top of the bulb may be cleaned, chopped and added to the salad
6. Stir in the orange juice and olive oil
7. Add salt and pepper as desired
8. Chill in a covered container in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Above: marinated steak

 

Smothered Marinated Steak

I found a package of very thinly sliced eye round steak at my local grocery store. You could also use skirt steak or flank steak for this recipe. My favorite way to eat the steak after cooking, is to cut it into strips and serve on top of a large plateful of mixed salad greens. A local pizza restaurant near me makes a Thai-dye steak salad, which is the marinated steak served on top of a mixed green salad along with roasted chopped peanuts, roasted red bell peppers and a Thai-style peanut dressing. It is pretty dang yummy!

Ingredients:

• 1-2 pound package thinly sliced steak
• 1 bottle ginger dressing/marinade
• 1 red onion - peeled and chopped
• olive oil

Directions:

1. Cut off any visible fat from the steaks
2. Place the steaks in a bowl and cover with some of the ginger dressing
3. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator for up to 10 hours, stirring occasionally
4. When ready to eat, place a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a large frying pan set over medium heat
5. Cook the red onions until they begin to turn translucent
6. Remove the onions to a bowl or plate
7. Add additional oil to the pan if necessary and turn the heat to medium high
8. Cook the steaks, a few at a time in the pan, for a minute or two on each side.
9. The key to keeping these thin steaks tender is to quickly cook them.
10. Serve with the grilled onions and additional ginger dressing if desired

Roasted Butternut Squash

Yes, I use chili powder and five spice powder in this recipe. I acutally grabed the chili powder by mistake and sprinkled it all over the squash before realizing it wasn't five spice powder, silly me! It came out fantastic with both the chili powder and five spice powder, happy accident!

Ingredients for roasted butternut squash:

• 1 butternut squash
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• five spice powder
• chili powder
• salt
• pepper

Directions for roasted butternut squash:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Use a vegetable peeler to peel off the outer layers of the squash
3. Cut the squash in half, lengthwise
4. Use a metal spoon to scrape out all the seeds and stringy pulp from the interior
5. Cut the peeled and cleaned squash into 1-2 inch chunks
6. Toss the squash with the olive oil and spices
7. Place the squash on a large baking pan and place in the oven
8. Bake for 35-40 minutes until fork tender.
9. Note: You could smash the cooked squash with a potato masher if desired prior to serving. I leave mine as it comes out of the oven. Reheat the cooked squash as needed with your meals during the week.

Above: honey mustard potato salad

 

Additional Foods to Prepare in Advance

I get bored if I always eat the same types of food. Each week I try to vary my menu slightly. Here are some other ideas for recipes to make when doing your weekly food preparation.

Pasta - prepare in advance and toss with extra virgin olive oil. Reheat as necessary and serve with your favorite tomato sauce. I am trying to eat mostly gluten free these days, so I have boxes of quinoa, brown rice and corn based pastas in my pantry.

Tuna salad - mix up a can or two of your favorite brand of tuna with a bit of mayonnaise and celery. Since I am trying to eat gluten free, I rarely eat bread anymore. In lieu of serving your tuna salad on bread, I like to place it on top of tomato slices.

Egg salad - my husband loves egg salad and will eat it faster than I can make it. Mix up chopped, hard boiled eggs with a bit of mayonnaise. My husband likes his with chopped celery mixed in. I like mine with celery and a few roasted sunflower seeds mixed in.

Roasted potatoes - wash a small container of red skin potatoes. Leave the skin on and cut larger ones in half or thirds. Toss with a bit of olive oil or walnut oil. Add 1/2 package of Lipton's onion soup mix and stir until all potatoes are coated with a bit of the dry soup mixture. Bake in a 350 degree oven until fork tender. Left overs can be reheated as needed.

Green beans almondine - I'll probably add the exact recipe for this side dish in a few days, as I plan to make it later in the week. Saute mushrooms and onions in a large pan with a bit of olive oil. Add chopped, roasted garlic and fresh green beans which have been cut into thirds. Add fresh chopped rosemary and salt/pepper to taste. When green beans are done remove the pan from the stove and toss in slivered almonds prior to serving.

Pasta salad - cook a box of your favorite pasta according to package directions. Place in a strainer and rinse in cool water until it has cooled down. Strain well then add to a large bowl. I like to use a vinaigrette dressing, such as balsamic vinegar mixed with olive or walnut oil, to dress my pasta salad. I add a variety of ingredients such as sliced black olives, chopped green onion, fresh dill and chopped red onion to my pasta salad. As this pasta salad has contains no mayonnaise, it can be packed in a tupperware container, placed in your lunch box and brought to work.

Raw vegetables - pretend you are having a party and are going to serve a vegetable platter. I use a large, divided tupperware container to place a variety of chopped, raw vegetables. It's nice to have an assortment of vegetables, all cleaned, prepared and ready to pack in your lunch box or grab as a quick snack at home. Some of my favorites include: carrots, bell peppers, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, cauliflower, summer squash.

My daughter is a vegetarian and often packs raw vegetables in her lunches which she takes to school. She fills a very small tupperware container with hummus to bring with her, which she eats along with the vegetables. You could even use some of these ingredients during the week to make a vegetable infused stir fry dinner. Use your imagination!

Take care,
Lynn Smythe, AKA the Cuisine Diva

 

Spaghetti Squash Side Dish

Above: a whole and cut in half spaghetti squash in it's raw state.

Vegetarian Side Dish

My daughter decided to become a vegetarian two years ago. I am always looking for vegetarian recipes that I think she will enjoy. Our local grocery stores carry spaghetti squash, so I decided to purchase one a few months ago and now make this dish quite often.

Above: spaghetti squash waiting to go in the oven.

I like to sprinkle a bit of freshly ground black pepper, course sea salt and Chinese five spice powder, or nutmeg over the squash before baking it in the oven. I have tried serving spaghetti squash with tomato sauce but didn't care for it. I will stick to regular pasta to serve along with tomato sauce. Spaghetti squash, like most squashes, has a slightly sweet taste and is complimented with a variety of sweet spices such as Chinese five spice powder, nutmeg and allspice.

Above: sprinkle each squash half with a bit of salt, pepper and Chinese five spice.

Spaghetti Squash Recipe Ingredients

• 1 spaghetti squash
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Chinese five spice powder
• Butter

Above: let cooked spaghetti squash cool a bit before scraping out the interior.

Spaghetti Squash Recipe Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Cut the spaghetti squash in half.
3. Use a large metal spoon to scrape out the seeds and stringy pulp, just like you would clean a pumpkin before carving it.
4. Spray a large baking dish with non stick cooking spray.
5. Place the spaghetti squash, flesh side up, on the bottom of the pan.
6. Brush each half of the squash with a bit of oil.
7. Sprinkle each squash half with black pepper, salt and Chinese five spice powder.
8. Place the squash in the oven and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours depending on the size of the squash. You want to cook the spaghetti squash until it is tender.
9. Remove the squash from the oven and let cool slightly.
10. Use a large fork to scrape the squash out of it's shell. It should pull apart into short strings which look a bit like spaghetti.
11. Add the squash to a mixing bowl and add a tablespoon or two of butter or margarine.
12. Taste the squash and add additional salt, pepper and Chinese five spice powder if necessary.
13. Serve immediately.
14. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few days.

Above: cooked spaghetti squash will pull apart into short, spaghetti-like strands.

Above: add a bit of butter or margarine to the cooked spaghetti squash then place in an attractive serving dish.

 

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

Blueberry Muffin Recipe

Above: Plate full of blueberry muffins.

How to Make Blueberry Muffins

Here's a recipe for an easy to make blueberry muffin, with a streusel topping. I used vanilla soy milk in place of the milk. The oil, egg and milk mixture should equal one cup of liquid. I used a 2 cup glass measuring cup and added the egg and oil, then added enough milk to equal one cup. Then I used a small whisk to mix everything together, before adding the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients.

Above: Stir blueberries into muffin batter.

Blueberry Muffin Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

Above: Fill muffin tins 2/3 full with batter.

Blueberry Muffin Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder.
3. In a small bowl whisk together the oil, egg and milk.
4. Pour the liquid ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients, and stir until well blended.
5. Stir in the vanilla extract and blueberries.
6. Spray a 12 compartment muffin pan with non stick cooking spray.
7. Fill each muffin compartment approximately 2/3 with batter.
8. Top each muffin with approximately 1 tablespoon of the streusel topping.
9. Place the muffin pan in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Above: Use pastry knife to blend struesel topping ingredients together.

Streusel Topping For Blueberry Muffins

This topping makes a sweet and nutty crispy topping for the blueberry muffins.

Streusel Topping Ingredients

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans

Streusel Topping Directions

1. Sift together the sugar, flour and cinnamon.
2. Cut in the butter with a pastry knife, or a large fork, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Stir in the nuts.

Above: Top each muffin compartment with 1 tablespoon of the streusel topping.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

Edible Chocolate Hanukkah Dreidels

The Cuisine Diva just received an email from the PR department of Mindy's Meals on Heels. They wanted to know if I would be interested in posting a Hanukkah recipe from site founder Mindy Korbrin on the Cuisine Diva site.It looked like an interesting idea, so here it is, enjoy!

Here's a new spin on a traditional Hanukkah activity that the whole family can enjoy! Celebrations and entertaining expert; Mindy Kobrin, founder of Mindy’s Meals on Heels (www.mealsonheelsbymindy.com) has created an Incredible Edible Hanukkah Dreidel which will allow kids (and adults) the opportunity to play with their food!

 

Above: Incredible edible Hanukkah dreidels.

 

Ingredients for Edible Hanukkah Dreidel

• 12 thin pretzel sticks
• 12 large marshmallows
• 8 oz dark chocolate, melted
• 2 oz white chocolate, melted or white frosting
• 12 Hershey kisses

Directions for Edible Hanukkah Dreidel

1. Dip bottom of chocolate kiss in melted semisweet chocolate
2. Press onto marshmallow; transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet
3. Repeat to make 12 dreidels. Refrigerate for 10 minutes
4. Cut a small slit in bottom of each marshmallow; insert 1 thin pretzel stick
5. Dip dreidels in chocolate, and return to baking sheet
6. Refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes
7. Fill a resealable plastic bag with melted white chocolate; cut a tiny opening in a corner, and pipe Hebrew letters onto 3 sides of each dreidel
8. Refrigerate at least 5 minutes or up to 8 hours before serving

Sauteed Mushroom Side Dish

Above: Sauteed mushrooms with fresh herbs.

I am a huge fan of sauteed mushrooms. Unfortunately I am the only one in my family that enjoys mushrooms. I wanted to make a brown mushroom gravy, to serve along with the chicken saltimbocca I made as part of our Thanksgiving Day meal, but had to settle for plain brown gravy. Since I was still craving mushrooms, I made a small side dish of sauteed mushrooms with fresh herbs to accompany our holiday meal.

Sauteed mushrooms make a terrific accompaniment to steak, chicken or pork. You could also serve the mushrooms on top of pasta, rice, or a baked potato for a delicious vegetarian dish.

Above: Ingredients to make sauteed mushrooms.

Sauteed Mushroom Ingredients

Any type of mushrooms can be used in this recipe. I used baby portabellas. Regular chives can be used in place of the garlic chives. I used garlic paste in this recipe, but a few cloves of finely minced fresh garlic can be substituted for the paste.

• 8 ounces mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• 1/4 cup fresh oregano - chopped
• 1/3 cup fresh garlic chives - chopped

Above: Baby portabella mushrooms.

Sauteed Mushroom Directions

1. Used a slightly damp paper towel to brush off any dirt on the mushrooms.
2. Remove and discard the mushroom stems, then thinly slice the mushroom caps.
3. Add the olive oil and butter to a frying pan placed over medium high heat.
4. Add the mushrooms and saute, stirring occasionally, until they start to release their juices.
5. Stir in the garlic paste, oregano and garlic chives and cook for another minute or two.
6. Stir in the salt and pepper, adding more or less according to your personal preference.
7. Place the cooked mushrooms in a decorative bowl and serve immediately.
8. Leftover sauteed mushrooms will keep in the refrigerator for a few days. Leftovers can be heated up in a microwave.

Above: Mushrooms after herbs and seasonings have been added.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Molasses Pecan Butter

Above: Sweet potatoes.

Sweet Potato Side Dish

Instead of mashed, overly sweetened sweet potatoes, I decided to serve roasted sweet potatoes as part of our Thanksgiving Day meal this year. The sweet potatoes are peeled, tossed with olive oil and spices, then roasted in the oven. See the recipe I posted up in July of 2009 for Herb Roasted Sweet Potatoes. For anyone that wants a sweeter tasting side dish, I serve the oven roasted sweet potatoes along with a side of molasses pecan butter.

Above: Ingredients to make molasses pecan butter for roasted sweet potatoes.

Molasses Pecan Butter Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter - room temperature
• 1/4 cup pecans - chopped and toasted
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Above: Add the butter, salt, spice and molasses to a small bowl.

Molasses Pecan Butter Directions

1. In a small, dry pan, toast the pecans over medium heat until light brown. Let cool to room temperature before adding to the butter.
2. In a small bowl, cream together the butter, salt, spice and molasses until smooth and creamy.
3. Stir in the cooled, toasted nuts.
4. Place the molasses pecan butter in a decorative serving dish, and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Above: Blend the ingredients together until smooth and creamy.

Spice Substitutions

Chinese five spice powder is a combination of star anise, fennel, cloves, white pepper and cinnamon. Here are a few suggestions on other spices that can be used. You can choose from one or more of these spices to add to the pecan butter:

• Nutmeg
• Allspice
• Cloves
• Ginger
• Cinnamon
• Star anise

Above: Stir in the toasted pecans.

 

Molasses Substitutions

If you don't like the taste of molasses, or don't have any on hand, other syrups may be used instead. Here are a few suggestions:

• Honey
• Real maple syrup
• Light agave syrup
• Dark agave syrup

Above: Dry toast the pecans in a small pan over medium heat.

 

Above: Completed molasses pecan butter, ready to serve with roasted sweet potatoes or baked winter squash.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva