Mexican Inspired Dressing

I made this dressing for a taco-type salad the other day and fell in love. Its tangy with a kick and just perfect for a little Mexican flair to a meal. Didn’t get a picture, as it is not very photogenic. Also, in my opinion, the more lime you add to this the better. The salad I added this dressing to was a mix of red leaf lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, scallions and avocado. I also added some kidney beans (would’ve been better with black beans, but kidney was all I had) for some protein. Obviously chicken or steak would be great as well.

Juice of 1 lime
¼ cup plain greek yogurt
2 Tablespoons oil (I used olive oil)
½ teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Cilantro

Winter Farro Salad

PCC Winter Farro Salad

Adapted from PCC

2 cups farro
4 cups water
3 teaspoons salt, divided
1 1/4 pounds butternut squash or sweet potato, peeled, seeded and diced into 1 1/2-inch chunks
1 cup olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1 1/4 pounds portobello mushrooms, stems removed, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks (I used cremini)
1 cup roasted red peppers, diced into 1-inch pieces (used sauteed red peppers)
1/4 cup roasted garlic cloves
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground rosemary
3/4 cup white balsamic vinegar (used a mix of blackberry balsamic and white vinegar)
1/2 pound chard and kale mix (equal parts green kale, red kale
and red chard, stems removed, cut into 1-inch pieces)

Soak farro in water overnight. Bring water, pre-soaked farro and 2 teaspoons
salt to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes. Drain in a
colander and let cool slowly at room temperature. Do not rinse. Refrigerate
farro when cooled.

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Toss squash or sweet potato pieces lightly in 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and
1/2 teaspoon pepper and roast in oven until brown on the edges and soft, about
20 minutes.

Toss mushrooms and red peppers lightly in 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2
teaspoon pepper. Saute on stovetop with 1-2 cloves of garlic. During final minutes, add the kale and chard and let steam until soft.

In food processor, puree roasted garlic with thyme and rosemary. With the
machine running, first drizzle in vinegar and then remaining olive oil until
dressing is blended. Toss farro with dressing, sauteed vegetables and
squash or sweet potatoes.

To serve, toss equal parts farro mixture and loosely packed chard and kale
mix in individual bowls.

Sausage and Rice Timbale

Timbale

Food Network

Kosher salt

2 1/2 cups arborio rice

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 medium onion, chopped

3/4 pound Italian pork sausage (preferably luganega), casings removed

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup tomato paste

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

3 to 4 tablespoons breadcrumbs

4 large eggs

1 1/4 cups grated pecorino romano cheese (about 3 ounces)

2 ounces deli-sliced provolone cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rice, reduce the heat and simmer, stirring once or twice, until the rice is tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain, shaking the colander to remove any excess water. Spread the rice on a rimmed baking sheet and let cool.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and place a baking sheet on the middle rack. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 6 minutes. Tear the basil and add to the skillet along with the garlic and tomato paste.

Increase the heat to high and cook, stirring, until the tomato paste browns, about 4 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, grease the bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform pan with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Coat the pan with the breadcrumbs, tapping to remove any excess. Put the eggs and all but 3 tablespoons of the pecorino cheese in a small bowl and beat with a fork.

Put the cooled rice in a bowl; add the egg mixture and stir to combine.Transfer about two-thirds of the rice mixture to the prepared springform pan. Using moist fingers, pat the rice onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan, forming a 1/2-inch-thick layer. Place the provolone slices over the rice in the pan. Spoon about three-quarters of the sausage filling over the provolone, filling it to 1/2 inch from the top. Pat the remaining rice mixture on top to enclose the filling, then sprinkle with the remaining 3 tablespoons pecorino cheese.

Put the pan on the hot baking sheet and bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool, 5 minutes.

Run a small knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the timbale, then remove the side of the pan. Slide a spatula under the timbale and transfer it to a platter. Thin the remaining sausage filling with a splash of water and reheat. Serve with the timbale.

Tuscaloosa Tollhouse Pie

This is one of my new favorite pies. Practically a chocolate chip cookie in pie form.

Delish!

Tuscaloosa Tollhouse Pie
Baked Cookbook

1 ball of classic pie dough (1/2 recipe)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, cut into cubes
1 tablespoon whiskey
3/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Dust a work surface with a sprinkling of flour. Unwrap the ball of chilled dough and put it directly on the work surface. Roll out into a 12-inch round. Transfer the dough to a pie dish and carefully work it into the pie dish, folding any overhang under and crimping the edge as you go. Wrap and freeze the crust until firm, about 2 hours, or up to 3 months.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour and sugars together until combined. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs on high speed until foamy, about 3 minutes. Remove the whisk attachment and add the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture. Turn the mixer to high and beat for 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and add the butter. Beat on high speed until the mixture is combined. Scrape down the bowl, add the whiskey, and beat the mixture on high speed for 1 minute.

Fold the walnuts and 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips into the filling.

Pour the filling into the frozen pie shell and spread it out evenly. Top the filling with the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips.

Bake in the center of the oven for 25 minutes, then cover the edges of the crust loosely with aluminum foil and bake for another 25 minutes (this will prevent the crust from browning too quickly). Test the pie by sticking a knife in the center of the filling. If the knife comes out clean, the pie is done. If the knife comes out with clumps of filling sticking to it, bake for another 5 minutes and test again. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool before slicing.

The pie can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 2 days.

Ginger and Cardamom Cookies

I really loved these cookies. They were crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Perfect, in my opinion. I also just love the look of the crackle cookies. They just look so rustic! The hint of cardomom was excellent, and who doesn't like cardomom?!

Ginger and Cardomom Cookies
SP Cookie Queen

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, loosely packed
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
2 ounces crystallized ginger, finely chopped
1/2 cup granulated sugar + 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or use silpats.

Sift flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, 1/2 teaspoon cardamom, ground ginger and salt into a large bowl. Set aside. I ended up using ground cardamom because that was all I could find out here in the boonies where I live, but if you can find the pods that would be even better; you can then grind them yourself.

In a large bowl add the brown sugar and oil and mix till combined. Add the eggs and mix till combined. Add the flour mixture and mix until combined. Add the crystallized ginger and mix until combined. The mixture will seem a bit dry, but it will hold together nicely.

In a small bowl combine the granulated sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cardamom. Set aside.

Scoop the dough into large tablespoon sized balls and flatten out the balls a bit with your hands, then roll in the sugar mixture. Place the cookies on a baking sheet 3-inches apart. Bake for 13 -15 minutes. Let cool on the pans. Don't wait for the cookies to be completely set when you pull them out and they will remain chewier.