Salad of Mixed Greens, Pomegranate and Persimmons

It is that time of the year!  Holiday time filled with cheers and wonderful foods to share with family and friends.   It is also my busiest month and honestly, in between classes and catering, I don’t have time to blog… You’re going to have to do this without me.  If any of you get a homemade cookie or truffle from me, don’t be fooled.  I didn’t make it!  My mom is arriving next week and she’s going to save the holidays and help me make Christmas or so ever special…

I dug out a picture of a salad I made last year for a catering. As we all get busy and fill ourselves with too many baked goods and filling foods, I thought I would share with you something a little bit more healthier and easy to make.  It looks very festive and is perfect for the season.  You may add some crumbled herbed goat cheese and/or some cooked chicken for a great main course.

I wish you the best for the holidays.  May your time be filled with love, peace and health.  I might post another blog before the end of the year and most likely, it will be something my mom made… 

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 bags mixed greens

1 box pomegranate seeds

3 Fuyu persimmons, stemmed and sliced

            In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard and vinegar.  Whisk in the oil.  Season with salt and pepper.

            In a large bowl, toss the mixed greens with the vinaigrette.  Top with the pomegranate seeds and persimmons and serve.

Serves 10 as a side dish

Baked Brie with Cranberries and Pecans

This is probably the easiest and fastest appetizer I make and I have been using it for a very long time…  It is also one of my client’s favorite recipe since it is so simple to prepare yet delicious and versatile.  You can use different dried fruits and nuts to match a specific theme or whatever you have in your pantry.  It is also a one-stop shop at Trader Joe’s to get everything you need and everyone loves it!  So it is perfect for the holiday this week as you battle with getting everything else ready in the kitchen…

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving day with your family and friends.   As this is a time to be thankful, I am grateful to do something I love.  I feel honored to share my passion for food with all the amazing people I have met in the last 17 years.  I have also learned from you and you’ve always made me feel appreciated.  Thank YOU!  And Susie, this one is for you…

Baked Brie with Cranberries and Pecans

Serves 6-8

1 wedge of Brie (8 ounces), torn into 1-inch pieces

8 ounces cream cheese, torn into 1-inch pieces

2/3 cup chopped dried cranberries (dried apricots or dried cherries)

2/3 cup unsalted chopped pecans (or walnuts or pistachios)

¼ to ½ teaspoon Herbes de Provence

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 boxes crackers

            Preheat the oven to 350ºF.  In a pie plate or similar baking dish, mix the brie and cream cheese.  Top with the cranberries, pecans, Herbes and pepper. 

            (May be assembled up to two days before and kept refrigerated.)

            Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.  Let stand a couple minutes before serving with crackers.

Quinoa with Butternut Squash and Kale

Here are a few of my favorite things… in the fall together on a plate...  I like quinoa, it reminds me of couscous but it is not wheat and is supposed to be better for me.  My love of butternut squash started a long time ago when my grandpa made it into a jam.  I’ve tried that on my friends about 15 years ago and well, it must be one of those sweet childhood memory that only works on me… And then there is kale… again it is good for you and is a great hearty green.

So I took these 3 ingredients, added some caramelized onion and created a colorful and delicious side dish that can also be used as a vegetarian entrée or a quick lunch.

 

3 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced into ½-inch cubes

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided use

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 ½ cups quinoa

3 cups water

1 medium red onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

5 ounces cleaned and bite-size kale leaves

            Preheat the oven to 400ºF.  Toss the butternut squash cubes with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.  Place a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Roast in the oven for 45 minutes, tossing once or twice.

            In a 4-quart saucepan, place the quinoa, water and some salt.  Bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is cooked through.  Let stand, covered and off the heat for 5 minutes.

            In a sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion, salt and pepper and cook until soft and browned, about 10 minutes, stirring often.  Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.

            Reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF.  Toss the kale with the last tablespoon of olive oil.  Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 15 minutes, tossing once, until wilted and starting to brown.

            In a large pan, toss the roasted butternut squash, cooked quinoa, caramelized onion and baked kale.  Heat gently over low heat, until heated through.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  May be reheated in the microwave or covered in a 350ºF. for 20 minutes.

 Serves 8-10 as a side dish.

Mini Pumpkin and Chocolate Cheesecakes

In honor of Halloween, I had to bake something black and orange with a pumpkin flavor of course... So here come these delicious mini cheesecakes...

I used the back of my pestle to press the crumbs into a crust.  Just a trick and plenty of treats... Enjoy...

1 cup chocolate wafer crumbs

3 tablespoons sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

½ cup packed brown sugar

¼ teaspoon and 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

A pinch of freshly grated cinnamon

8 ounces light cream cheese, at room temperature

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

½ cup canned pumpkin puree

½ cup light sour cream

1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar

¼ teaspoon vanilla extra

            Preheat the oven to 350ºF.  In a medium bowl, mix together the chocolate wafer crumbs, sugar, and melted butter.  Line mini muffin tins with paper cups.  Fill each cup with a rounded teaspoon of the crumbs.  Press into a flat disk.

In a small bowl, mix ½ cup of the brown sugar and spices together.  In the bowl a food processor fitted with the metal blade, blend the cream cheese until smooth.  Add the spiced brown sugar and mix until very smooth.  Add the eggs and process well.  Add the pumpkin puree and mix again.

Transfer this mixture to a 2-cup pyrex glass measuring cup.  Carefully pour the filling into each muffin cup on top of the crust, filling each almost to the top.

Bake for 15 minutes.

            In a small bowl, mix together the sour cream, 1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar and vanilla.

            Remove the cheesecakes from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 325ºF.

            Spread a small amount of the sour cream mixture over each cheesecake and return to the oven for 5 minutes.

            Let cool slightly and remove from the pan.  Cool completely and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for 1 month.

Makes 36.

Cauliflower and Broccoli Salad

This is my healthier version of an American classic.  There is no way I was going to use Miracle Whip in my salad.  Maybe give me another 10 years and I might reach for the jar but I am not over this one yet... So just a touch of mayonnaise and fresh lemon juice would do the trick for me.  With this hot California weather, this is a perfect salad for the season.  The broccoli, cauliflower and grapes are reminiscent of the fall but it is still a very refreshing dish for this heat wave... May be you can take it to the beach and enjoy the California sunshine...

 

½ bunch broccoli, chopped

½ bunch cauliflower, chopped

1 cup halved red grapes

½ cup raisins, chopped

1/3 cup salted and roasted sunflower seeds

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/3 cup light mayonnaise

1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice

            Place the first six ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix together the mayonnaise and lemon juice.  Toss the lemon mayonnaise with the rest of the ingredients.  Mix well and refrigerate until ready to serve.

 

Swiss Chard, Apple and Almond Tart

This all started when I was a kid in St-Martin-de-Vesubie, a small village in the French Alps.  My mom and I spent every August there hiking, relaxing by the pond and spending time with friends that I only saw once a year.  I loved that place when I was growing up.  My mom would let me have Nutella whenever I wanted and she was delighted I liked the local Swiss chard tart.  It was one of those rare occasions when she didn't have to push green vegetables on me.  A similar dish she liked to prepare for me was the zucchini tart which originated from there as well but that's another blog...

So when I started to grow Swiss chard in my own backyard some 30 years later, it was time to try to replicate the infamous Swiss chard tart...  After several tries, I came up with this recipe.  I think the combination of the apple and almond with the chard brings me back to St-Martin...

The recipe is for a 9-inch tart pan but like you can tell from the pictures, I've made it into a rectangular pan and also several smaller tart pans.  I hope you enjoy it and I hope that one day, it will bring you to this charming little village in the South of France... They also make a terrific blueberry tart, black nougat and rustic bread.

Swiss Chard, Apple and Almond Tart
Serves 6

1 cup flour

6 ½ tablespoons cold unsalted butter

¼ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons cold water

¾ pound red Swiss chard, stems removed

¼ cup currants or raisins

2 tablespoons brandy or dark rum

1 Golden Delicious or Gala apple, peeled and diced into ½-inch pieces

1 tablespoon honey

6 tablespoons brown sugar

½ cup ground almonds

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 egg

Powdered sugar

            In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, butter and salt.  Pulse until the butter resembles pea-size pieces.  With the machine running, add the water.  Transfer the mixture to a tea towel and press the dough together with the tea towel.  Lightly flour the tea towel and roll the dough to a 10- to 11-inch circle.  Transfer to a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.  Press the dough into the pan to form a crust.  Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork and refrigerate until needed.

            Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Boil the red chard leaves for 2 minutes.  Drain well and squeeze dry.  Chop the red chard and place into a medium bowl. 

Place the currants in a 1-cup Pyrex measurer.  Add the brandy and microwave for 1 minute.  Let stand for 5 minutes.

In a 2-cup Pyrex measurer, place the apple with the honey.  Place in the microwave and

cook for 3 minutes.

Place the currants, apples and the remaining ingredients in the bowl with the chard.  Mix well and transfer to the pie crust.

Bake at 375ºF. for 45 minutes.  Cool to room temperature and sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

Arugula Cake Bites with Pistachios

In France, especially in the South, housewives bake pound cakes using savory ingredients.  Traditionally, ham and green olives are mixed in an unsweetened cake batter and baked in a loaf to be sliced and served with a green salad as a light dinner or lunch.  Sometimes the loaf is cut into cubes and served as an appetizer.  I like this version which calls for arugula and pistachios.  I use a Quattro Formaggio that I get from Trader Joe's.  Fontina, Provolone, Parmesan and Asiago give a lot of depth to the cake but Gruyere is a little bit more French...

1 cup flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

½ cup milk

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 eggs

3 ½ ounces arugula (4 cups lightly packed), chopped

1 ¼ cups Quattro Formaggio or Gruyere cheese

¾ cup roasted shelled pistachios, chopped

            Preheat the oven to 350ºF.  Lightly butter a cake pan and lined with parchment paper.

            In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper.

            In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, olive oil and eggs.

            Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until incorporated.  Stir in the arugula, cheese and pistachios. 

            Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a wooden skewer skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.  Carefully remove the cake from the pan using the parchment paper.  Cool on a rack.

            Cut the cake into 1-inch slices and cut each slices into 8 cubes.

            (May be made up to two days and kept refrigerated.  Bring to room temperature before serving.)

Almond Butter Cookies

Oh my! I can't believe it's been a year and a half since my last blog... I really didn't last long in the blogging world... I guess life got in the way and I got distracted. I won't promise I'll be around long but today, I'm back. These cookies brought me back and I had to share them with you... At least the recipe... Enjoy...

Almond Butter Cookies

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup shortening

½ cup almond butter with flax seeds

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Slivered toasted almonds

Preheatoven to 375ºF. Mix the sugars,shortening and almond butter in the bowl of a mixer. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix well. Mix together the dry ingredients and add to the almond butter mixture.

Form the mixture intoballs and place on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Press 3 slivered almonds in each cookie as you slightly flatten them.

Bake for 10to 12 minutes or until lightly brown. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.