I am finally emerging from jetlag fog and am getting back into my usual cooking routine. Earlier this week I mined the freezer for a few favorites and even picked up an old standby at the store: a rotisserie chicken. Every so often I pick up a rotisserie and put it to work for dinner. There are so many uses for a basic rotisserie chicken and here are a few of my favorites. Don’t worry, next week I’ll have some new recipes!
I am excited to report that over the next few months I’ll be rolling out a whole new travel series based on my trip to Thailand for Sea Cuisine. I can’t wait to share everything we did on our trip. You can expect to read about plenty of seafood, sites, and beaches! I’ll also have a few webisodes for you to enjoy. Stay tuned and here is a sneak peak! :
Right before I left from Thailand I was invited to work on a great new project for Philadelphia Cooking Creme. Given that I was concentrating on quick recipes for a few nights before I left I knew it would be the perfect time to use the new creme. I picked it up at our local shop and was thrilled to find the version I was looking for in a low-fat variety. For dinner that night I whipped up this simple savory pasta bake with meat sauce and we all feasted on the delicious, quick meal.
I’m back from Thailand and am ready to announce the winners of all the awesome giveaways! Thanks to everyone for all of your great entries. Stay tune for more great giveaways soon!
Today my friend Adelaide is stopping by to share three great recipes to make an easy, and delicious, cocktail spread at home. You may remember last year when Adelaide stopped in with an amazing recipe for quick fettucini alla vodka, a recipe I swear by to this day. You’ll also find her name in the acknowledgments of my book since she was my recipe tester extraordinaire! For more of Adelaide’s expertise check out her blog, The Moonlight Chef. Better yet, read it while you’re sipping your hot toddy.
Like Kelsey, I adore Meyer lemons. I find the aroma so sweet and intoxicating that upon first smell, I immediately begin brainstorming what I might cook or bake using this wintertime produce.
My husband and I recently ran into a restaurant for a quick bite after a late movie. Cold and a bit frozen, he ordered a hot toddy to warm up. It arrived in a beautiful clear glass mug and on the bottom sat several coins of ginger. After one sip, the hot toddy was then shared between us. Spicy and citrusy, it completely stole the show –the rest of the meal was forgettable. Inspired, I knew I had to replicate this cocktail and what better accompaniment to the strong ginger than the juice of a Meyer lemon? Instead of hot and cloying apple juice, in addition to the dark rum, I substituted black tea.
Because the hot toddy is so clean and bracing, I thought I could serve this warm drink alongside some heavier and winter-appropriate pre-dinner nibbles, such as my favorite two cheeses, triple crème and manchego. Earlier this fall, I experimented with a brown butter fig spread. Despite it’s deliciousness, it was too filling for the season. Similar in appearance to quince paste, I thought it might go well with a rich and creamy or salty and crumbly cheese. Instead of figs, I used Medjool dates, which are sticky and sweet and perfect in this spread. They are also considered to be royalty amongst all dried fruit varieties. If you can’t find them, feel free to substitute any other high-quality dried dates or figs.
Luscious and smooth on top of a baguette slice slathered with cheese, this spread goes well with a sip of the hot toddy. It’s incredibly easy to make, and can be prepared a day in advance, refrigerated and brought to room temperature before serving.
However, I knew I wanted to make one more aperitif to go with the hot toddy. Eager to use more Meyer lemon, I infused extra-virgin olive oil with Mediterranean herbs and flavors, which I then used to bathe my pitted Kalamata olives overnight. The result was tangy and bright. I could taste each element and eagerly consumed these crave-worthy olives.
I’m a big snacker and if you’re like me, you may just turn this selection of winter apertif into dinner.
Recipe
Adelaide’s Perfect Cocktail Hour Spread
Ingredients
Hot Toddy with Meyer Lemons and Ginger – makes 1
1
Meyer lemon, divided
½”
peeled ginger, root sliced into coins
1
tsp honey
1 – 2
oz dark rum (high quality)
1
English Breakfast (or other dark variety) tea bag
Mediterranean Infused Olives
1 ½
cups pitted Kalamata olives
1
cup extra-virgin olive oil
1
garlic clove, smashed
¼
tsp crushed red pepper flakes
¼
tsp dried oregano
3
sprigs fresh thyme
1
sprig fresh rosemary
½
Meyer lemon, sliced into rounds
Toothpicks, for serving
Brown Butter Date Spread
2 ½
Tbsp unsalted butter
10
Medjool dates, sliced in half and pitted
¼
tsp kosher salt
1
pinch of freshly cracked black pepper
1
Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1
tsp light brown sugar (optional)
Manchego cheese, for serving
Triple crème cheese, for serving
Baguette rounds, for serving
Instructions
For the Hot Toddy’s:
Bring 1 ½ cups water to boil in a teakettle.
While the water is boiling, cut your Meyer lemon in half. Squeeze half of the juice into a mug and slice the other half into rounds. Place in the mug.
Use your fist, a rolling pin or side of your knife to bruise the ginger coins. Don’t destroy the coin shapes – instead you want to tenderize the ginger so that the root gives up its full flavor and juices.
Add the coins, honey and dark rum to the mug. Give the ingredients a quick stir. For a stronger hot toddy, use 2 oz rum.
Once the kettle is ready, seep the tea bag in the hot water for 1 – 2 minutes. Pour the tea into the mug and enjoy hot.
For the Olives:
Vigorously simmer the olive oil with the garlic, spices, herbs and lemon slices for 7 – 10 minutes over medium heat. If the herbs or garlic clove begins to look like they are browning too quickly, turn down the heat. Your kitchen will begin to smell amazing!
Remove the pan of infused oil from the stove and allow to cool for 20 minutes. Pour over the olives in an airtight container fitted with a top.
Cover and let marinate overnight.
When you’re ready to serve the olives, you can either strain out the herbs and garlic through a sieve and serve the olives in the oil with toothpicks, or serve everything together for a more rustic appearance.
For the Spread:
Place the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Allow the butter to melt and then begin to slowly brown, swirling the pan every once in awhile. After 3 – 5 minutes, you’ll begin to smell a nuttiness and the butter will become golden and then light brown. Remove from the heat and reserve. Make sure you watch the butter the entire time – it can go from brown to burnt very quickly.
While the butter is browning, slice the dates in half and discard the pits. Place in a food processor with the salt and pepper and pulse several times until a paste is formed.
Today my friend Debbie Koenig of Words to Eat By is here to share a great Powernap recipe for parents and tell us about her great new cookbook, Parents Need to Eat Too!
I love the slow cooker nearly as much as Kelsey does. Around here we call it the New Mom’s Best Friend—after my son was born my parents foisted one upon me wisely gave me one. In fact, the second post-baby recipe I shared on my blog was Slow Cooker Ratatouille. The really telling part: I didn’t have a chance to post that until Harry was seven months old.
This new mom gig turned out to be way tougher than I expected, and although I’m a food writer it took a while to regain my kitchen equilibrium. Until I did, my husband and I bought Clif Bars in bulk and ate egg sandwiches until we clucked. That crazy time, the first year of my son’s life, inspired my new cookbook, Parents Need to Eat Too.
Every so often I like to stop in and recommend a great read or two. It is next to impossible to recommend every single book I read, since I truly am one of those voracious readers who reads just about everything under the sun, but I like to highlight the best of the best and here’s a good one for you. Last month I received an advanced copy of a new novel, Julia’s Child by Sarah Pinneo. Sarah and I struck up an email correspondence last year when we were chatting about cookbook writing experiences. She also co-authored The Ski House Cookbook a few years ago and a few helpful tips for me.
Her newest work is an adorable story about Julia, Brooklyn-based mompreneuer fighting the good fight against expensive processed foods. To find a new solution to feeding her children healthy meals she starts an organic food company and comedic drama ensues. I would hate to spoil the rest of the story for you so I’ll leave the rest for you to read on your own.
