Some December Favorites

December was such a busy month with a very full load of grading and closing down the semester,  followed by a child-filled holiday season. Therefore,  blogging had to be put on the back-burner.

However, two things that I made this month, that I just have to share are Cranberry Sauce and Jalapeno Poppers.

Homemade Cranberry Sauce.
I have a great love for cranberries. I wrote about it HERE.  And this very time-limited cranberry season is about to end!  So, if you haven't already stocked your fridge/freezer with cranberries, get them quick.  My Kroger had them on clearance this week for 25 cents a bag!

Cranberry sauce is one of those recipes that people think is complicated or difficult but actually it is quick and very simple. I made a few batches of cranberry sauce this season. YUM! So easy and so delicious!

Just a few ingredients!

Place a bag of fresh cranberries in a large pot on the stove (pick out any rotten or shriveled berries from the pot). Add 1 cup of granulated sugar. Pour in 1 cup of water. If you want, you can add the zest of an orange. Stir ingredients together. Heat on medium high for 10 minutes, stirring often, until the berries pop. Take off of stove and let cool. Sauce will thicken as it cools. Store in a tight container in the refrigerator.

I love cranberry sauce on top of meat, on a turkey sandwich, as a side dish with a savory meal, or swirled into my plain greek yogurt for breakfast!
Having a jar of it in the refrigerator inspires all kinds of uses.

Secondly, these Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers were a favorite of our season.

Maybe because it's been the holiday season and it inspires party food.  Or maybe it's because cooking a whole meal lately has felt overwhelming.  But I've been wanting snack dinners lately.  We have had appetizers for dinner several times during the holidays.  Sometimes we have had crackers and cheese, sliced apples,  hummus and veggies, goat cheese with pesto and sun-dried tomatoes with crackers and pita chips, texas caviar and chips.  And if we're really going for it- these bacon wrapped pepper poppers have made it on the menu!

We made these a couple of summers ago for the first time when grilling with friends and we fell in love.
They are a little kicky but the spiciness really varies pepper to pepper.

They are simple and just have three ingredients: jalapeño peppers, cream cheese and bacon.

Slice jalapeños long-wise and carefully hull out the seeds and the white inside the pepper (the seeds are the hot part of the pepper, so be careful when handling them!).
Use a knife to smear softened cream cheese into each of the peppers.  Slice bacon in half and wrap a piece around each pepper, securing the two sides together on top.  Place them on a grill over medium heat.  If you have a higher rack, use it. Cook until bacon is fully cooked and crispy, and the jalapeños are softened. Serve immediately.

Or if you don't have easy access to a grill, you can place them on a baking sheet and bake them in a 375˚ oven for 25 minutes, or until bacon is crispy.    

I love December and the foods and festivities, however, I sure enjoy starting a new year, embracing a clean slate.  So, I've packed up the Christmas decorations, made some resolutions and am thankful it's January.

 I hope you are having a great start to a new year.

Favorite Black Bean Soup

Hooray! It's Soup Season! I love soup!!! Every week during the cold months I try to make soup, hoping it will last a few meals in our home.  We have recently added this to our favorite soup rotation of Tomato Basil, Baked Potato, DIY Tortilla & Tortellini Soup.

This is my favorite Black Bean Soup Recipe I have found. I'm not sure why we love it so much, but we do.

Maybe it's because when it's cooking on the stove, it makes the house smell like a Mexican fiesta, and my girls yell down from the top of the stairs (which is the spot where smells from the kitchen are most pronounced, oddly enough) and ask, "What are you cooking, Mom? It smells sooo good! Are we having tacos for dinner?"

Or maybe because it is a meatless meal, which I prefer, and yet one that Dave, who prefers a meaty meal, calls "hearty and delicious".

Or maybe because my son, who is the only non bean-fan in our house tasted it yesterday and said, "you are right, it's good.  I like the flavor, I just don't like the texture of beans". This was a big step in the right direction.  I declared, with elation..."Oh, you are on the verge!"  We are standing on the precipice of bean-dom with this guy, y'all!

(Another hopeful moment regarding this advancement was last night, when we had Greek for dinner and he was devouring the Hummus and commenting on how much he loves it, I reminded him, "you do know that hummus is made of garbanzo BEANS, right?")

Black beans are a favorite food of mine, but when it comes to soup, it's never been my favorite soup.  I like it, but if I am at a restaurant, it's not the soup I typically order. I think because it is sometimes so pureed, and I like hunks of something in my soup, and sometimes is thick and gloppy.  Also, I usually want rice or cornbread with a bowl full of beans!

This Bean Soup recipe is from Bon Appétit magazine from 2004, that my friend Gretchen passed along to me a couple of years ago.  It is a really nicely balanced soup, as some of the soup is pureed for thickness, but some beans are still intact. (I have added an additional carrot, and more beans – and therefore a little more chicken broth – to the original recipe.)

I love sour cream dolloped on all things black bean, and my girls definitely want it on this soup. But the recipe calls for garnish of green onion, cilantro and feta cheese. Brilliant idea, Bon Appétit. The feta is so delicious.  I think it really takes the soup to the next level. I highly recommend you try it topped with feta.

Black Bean Soup with Jalapeño
adapted from Bon Appétit magazine

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
1 to 2 tsp. chopped jalapeno chile with seeds, divided
3 15-16 oz. cans black beans, undrained
1 15 oz. can petite diced tomatoes in juice (or you can use 2 cans if you like more tomatoes)
2 cups chicken broth

Chopped fresh cilantro
Chopped green onions
Crumbled feta cheese

Chop onions, carrots and garlic.

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat.  Add onion, carrots, and and garlic; sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 6 minutes.  Mix in cumin and 1 tsp. jalapeño.  Add beans, tomatoes with juice, and broth; bring soup to boil.  Reduce heat tot medium, cover, and cook until carrots are tender, about 15 minutes.

Transfer 3 cups of soup to a container/blender and blend until pureed smooth.
(I love using my immersion blender, and if you have ever tried to puree hot soup in your traditional blender and it exploded and made a mess, you'll understand why this speedy, tidy and simple blender solution is such a winner!)

Return puree to the pot.  Simmer soup until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.  Season to taste with salt, pepper and remaining 1 tsp. jalapeño, if desired.

Ladle soup into bowls. Top with cilantro, green onions and feta cheese (or sour cream if you'd rather).

Dave told me the other day, when we were making Tomato Basil Soup, that he has been craving soup and that his love for soup seems to be ever-increasing.  This was music to my ears! He likes soup and has been supportive of my cold-months soup crusade for years, but now, he's begun to crave this mainstay.

P.S. If you were looking for a kitchen gadget to add to your Christmas wish list, the immersion blender is a lovely tool to have in your kitchen and much-appreciated in a recipe like this!

2 Years and 40 Minutes Later: Coconut Cream Pie

Do you ever long to do something and put it on a “to do list”and it sits there for weeks, months, even years? Sometimes the delay is because we fear that it will be hard to accomplish, or at least complicated or time consuming.  And so we put it off. 

And we keep transferring it from one list to the next list.  (It could be writing a letter to someone, or trying a new recipe, or scrubbing the grime out of the refrigerator.) And then finally one day we get the gumption and we just go for it.  And then, we think, “that was not that difficult, or time consuming or dreadful after all”! And we wonder why we were hung up for so long.  And we feel ambitious in that moment and want to do the very thing again within days.  Perhaps to make up for lost time!

Yeah, that was me last week.

I have been wanting to make a Coconut Cream Pie forever! It’s one of my favorite desserts and I had wanted to give it a try and hopefully share it with you here.  But for some reason, the combination of my fear of making the custard-y filling of the pie, and not having the right occasion at which to serve it kept me from making it.  Instead, I continued to rewrite it on the "to make" list on my refrigerator dry erase board for a couple of years.  Then one day, I decided to force myself to just do this.  And, low and behold, it wasn’t hard at all and it tasted even better than I imagined it would!  

I'm inspired. To transfer this experience onto other tasks I have been putting off. And I'm inspired to add this pie to my favorites list.

A couple of choices must be made when pie-making after deciding what kind of pie: the crust and the topping. The question is whether to use a pastry rolled crust or a crumb crust.  I love a homemade graham cracker crumb crust- it's buttery and nutty and is more predictable and easier than a pastry crust. When it comes to the topping you have to decide between a meringue and whipped cream.  Meringues are pretty intimidating, require baking (hoping for the right climate), and in my opinion (though stunning to look at) don't have much flavor.  Fresh whipped cream, on the other hand, is simple, quick, predictable and oh so delicious! 

I wasn't sure how this combination would be and I needed it to succeed, since I had been putting it off for 2 years and wanted success! I have to say, it was one of the best coconut cream pies I've ever had.  (I will warn you that it was much more flavorful on day 2). We had a slice on day one and it was good, but the next day it was de-li-cious! 

Coconut Cream Pie
Step 1: Make the Crust

1 1/2 cups Graham Cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 stick (4 Tbsp. melted butter)

Make Graham Cracker Crust – I put graham crackers in a ziplock bag and crush them with my fist, or with a mallet.  (You can make them as fine or coarse as you like). Stir together ingredients for the crust.  Combine until well incorporated.  Press into a lightly greased pie pan – reserving one spoonful for tasting (okay, you don't have to, but I can't ever resist!) Place crust into oven and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

READ HERE if you want to know more about making a graham cracker crust.

Step 2: Make the Filling
Spread 1 1/3 cups shredded sweetened dried coconut on a cookie sheet or cake pan and toast, stirring occasionally, in a 300˚ oven until golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes.

Whisk in a medium, heavy saucepan until well blended:
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt

Gradually whisk in:
2 1/2 cups whole milk

Vigorously whisk in until no yellow streaks remain:
5 large egg yolks

Stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof rubber spatula, bring the mixture to a bare simmer over medium heat.  Remove from the heat, scrape the corners of the saucepan with the spoon or spatula, and whisk until smooth. Return to the heat and, whisking constantly, bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minutes.

Off the heat, whisk in:
2 Tbsp. butter, cut into small pieces
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup TOASTED shredded sweetened dried coconut (save the 1/3 cup for topping)

Step 3: Put it Together
Spoon the filling into the prepared crust and press a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface. Allow to refrigerate at least 3 hours to firm the filling.

Step 4: Top it Off
Make whipped cream: 
Pour 1 pint of whipping cream into mixing bowl and let it go full speed for a few minutes until thickened and peaks remain when you pull out the beater. (Watch it or you will have butter in your bowl!) Add a hefty spoonful or two of sugar and voila! 

Before serving, remove plastic wrap, top with whipped cream and sprinkle with remaining toasted coconut.

After devouring their piece of pie- my family declared it a success.  They also decided it was like a cross between Gretchen's Coconut Cold Cake (which we adore and have every Easter); and Key Lime Pie (which is one of my most frequently craved desserts).  And I agree.  It really merges the best of both of these beloved desserts!

If you want a good, classic, fluffy, delicious dessert – this one won't disappoint! Don't delay making this like I did. Now I shall go scrub my floors, so as to mark something else off my lingering list! 

Cream Cheese Brownies

I was in an airport last spring headed home from a conference. My colleague and I popped into a shop to grab a magazine, some snacks and a last minute happy to bring our kids before we waited at the gate for our flight.  The "grabbing a magazine" ended up taking a long time, as I was stumped by selecting a magazine. I was over-analyzing my decision, probably because I knew these were the final hours of my trip before I was back to the chaos and non-magazine reading of my real life at home.  The pressure to pick the RIGHT ONE seemed intense. 

 There was a section on fashion. I knew these were not worth the $6 since it would only make me wish for cooler clothes and a thinner body –basically feed discontentment.  So I stepped to the next section, but I knew the fitness magazines would simply make me wish for a better figure and more of a desire to workout to achieve that figure.  Then, I looked for a few minutes at the home magazines, which are typically my favorite.  But I decided they would make me want things in my home that at this point I don't have the budget to buy.  I didn't even walk over to the People magazine genre because I don't care for them.  So, I landed on the recipe magazines. Surprise, surprise. I found this one, which was all brownies and bars.

 It is a special edition of Better Homes and Gardens – so it's more of a cookbook magazine.  I love it. It was a $10 magazine, but really it is a paperback cookbook filled with 120 recipes! I have made a few recipes from it and have on my list to try several more ASAP.

I made these Cream Cheese Brownies and they are as yummy as they are attractive! They possess several qualities I admire in a bar: gooey, complex and pretty!  

They aren't hard but not simple. They require a few steps and a couple of bowls and pans but I think they are worth it.

Cream Cheese Brownies
borrowed from Brownies & Bars (by Better Homes and Gardens)

 for chocolate layer:
8 oz. semisweet chocolate chips (or coarsely chopped bars)
3 Tbsp. butter
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar  
1/3 cup water
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup chopped toasted pecans (or walnuts)

for cream cheese layer:
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Step 1:  In a saucepan cook and stir chocolate and butter over low heat until melted; cool.  Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 ˚. Line a 13 X 9 inch baking pan with foil, extending the foil over edges of pan.  Grease foil; set aside.

Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, beat 2 eggs with a mixer on medium speed until foamy.  Add the 1 1/4 cups sugar, the water, and 1 tsp. of the vanilla.  Beat on medium speed about 6 minutes or until mixture is slightly thickened and lemon in color.  Beat in chocolate mixture.  Stir in the 1 cup flour, the baking powder, and salt; stir in nuts. Pour half of the batter into the prepared baking pan, spreading evenly.  

Step 3: In a medium bowl beat the remaining two eggs, the remaining 1tsp. vanilla, the cream cheese and the 2/3 cup sugar, the 2 Tbsp. flour, and the lemon juice until smooth.  Carefully spread cream cheese mixture.  Using a table knife, swirl gently to marble. 

Step 4: Bake for 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.  Chill about 1 hour.  Using the edges of the foil, lift brownies out of pan. Cut into bars.

Store in refrigerator. 

foil lined pan with overhang

melted chocolate & butter

Toasting pecans

add the nuts to the chocolate

spread in the pan

carefully smooth the cream cheese layer on top

blob remaining chocolate on top

and SWIRL with a knife!

Isn't that amazing?

Tada!

Speaking of magazines, the other night I fell asleep on the sofa as I was taping torn-out magazine pages into my spiral-bound sketch books that I use for my recipe notebooks.  I was thinking about my students who came to my house for the Social Work dinner the other night.  One of them said my house was so "pinterest" which cracked me up because most everything in my house was inspired by a stack of torn out magazine pages, before there was a pinterest.  I call my notebooks "old school pinterest".

Mexican Layer Dip- A Party Food Where The Party Is Optional

Do you love Mexican Layer Dip as much as I do?  Tell me you've had it.  It's one of my favorite party foods to make (and eat). It is always a crowd-pleaser.  You can add or delete anything you like.  I put cilantro, mostly because it's so fresh and pretty, but you can omit it.  I didn't put olives, though some people include them.  I was afraid the non-olive people would be turned off.

 In deciding what to blog about this week,  I was looking through photos of food I have made and kept coming back to the photos of the Mexican Layer Dip.  It's so yummy! It's a shame that it is a party food, since I don't have any parties to cook for this week and instead I have family dinners I need to be cooking every night!    

The more I think about it and the longer I look at these photos, the more I'm tempted to make this for dinner this week – served with chips and warm tortillas. And we can scoop up the dip and make a meal out of it.  

Who says Thursday night family dinner can't be a party, right?   

Mexican Layer Dip

2 cans refried beans

cumin, garlic powder & hot sauce

16 oz. container of sour cream

guacamole (bought or homemade)

1 cup grated cheese (cheddar, pepper jack, colby-jack)

lettuce- shredded

diced tomatoes

cilantro leaves

Warm beans in a skillet on the stove top.  Add 2 tsp. ground cumin, ½ tsp. garlic powder and a couple of dashes of hot sauce.

 Stir together and warm until thoroughly heated. Spread on platter. Smooth until even. 

Spread sour cream on top, leaving an edge to reveal the beans underneath, and then guacamole

Continue to layer with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and cilantro.

Serve immediately (or keep covered in refrigerator until time to serve).  Serve
the day you make it.