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Fresh Strawberry Cake with Cheesecake Layer (a.k.a. Valentine Cake)

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fresh strawberry cake with cheesecake layer-1

I adore Valentine’s Day. I love all the pink and red, the hearts and the chocolate. But mostly because it’s our anniversary. Oh, not on purpose. In fact, we were quite against it. But when your out-of-town family can only make it on Saturday, February 14th… or April something, you go for it. Although it seemed cheesy at first, we now love that our anniversary is Valentine’s Day. We just pretend that the whole country is celebrating with us (wink).

There’s something about a pink cake that makes most gals (and many guys) happy. Maybe it reminds us of our childhood (images of cartoons like Strawberry Shortcake and Alice in Wonderland come to mind). Or maybe it’s the connection it usually has with the delicious flavor of strawberry. Whatever it is, a pink cake is just plain pretty. I found a photo of this cake on Pinterest a while back and just had to make it, because (confession time:) I love boxed strawberry cake mix. Not the mix itself, but the cake that it produces. The reason this is strange is that I dislike pretty much any sweet food-like item that has a really bright color (think slushes and Skittles) because I feel like all I can taste is food dye. Apparently, though, strawberry cake mix – with all it’s Red 40 and Blue 2 – is the only exception to that rule. SO, this cake begged to be made. The cheesecake layer sweetened the deal. It is sort of genius because many people aren’t excited about an entire slice of  heavy, rich cheesecake (I’m NOT included in such a group. Bring on that heavy richness!), but just a layer of it lends just the right amount of rich creaminess. As if that wasn’t enough pure awesomeness, the frosting is strawberry cream cheese. I know, SOLD! to you, right? This would be such a fun, festive cake to make for your kids on Valentine’s Day or for a little princess’s birthday. Parents won’t be turning down this bad boy.

fresh strawberry cake with cheesecake layer cut-1

I’m going to refer you to the blog post of the creator for the recipe. Robin from Bird On A Cake did an amazing job.

strawberry cake collage

Charcuterie or Antipasti Spread

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charcuterie or antipasti 1 - 1

What does charcuterie mean anyway? Firstly, let’s get the pronunciation down: “sharkooduhree.” It is a French word and basically means “cooked meat.” You may find a “charcuterie plate” on the menus of quality restaurants, but there is no reason why you can’t enjoy one right from your own home with those you love. So then what is an antipasti plate or spread? Antipasti is Italian and really just means “before the meal,” and typically includes cured meats, cheeses and pickled vegetables. We are NOT experts, but you could use “charcuterie” when referring to your meats and “antipasti” when referring to your entire spread of goodies. However you refer to it, people absolutely LOVE to have options when eating, and a lovely charcuterie board or antipasti spread like this is the epitome of offering choices. You will be hailed for your genius and generosity.

charcuterie or antipasti cheeses - 1

Let’s talk about the cheese for a sec – you typically want a couple of options for hard cheeses and a couple soft. The most crowd-pleasing hard cheeses are a sharp cheddar-like cheese, such as Dubliner, and a parmesan. In the soft-cheese department, we are talking brie (you can eat the rind) and goat cheese. Above you will find a brie, a cranberry goat, and an Italian truffle cheese (semi-soft). The hard cheeses are Dubliner and an extra-sharp orange cheddar (because your picky eaters will identify with the orange cheese and know it equals cheddar. Tee-hee-hee). We love Trader Joe’s for cheeses and meats. The meat you see here is a multi-pack, consisting of prosciutto and 2 different salamis. We love the peasant bread and baguettes from Costco. We usually toast some and leave some soft.

charcuterie or antipasti condiments - 1

Your condiments are important because they allow people to individualize their choices even more, and people love to see which cheeses and meats taste best with which condiment. We like to have a good, whole-grain mustard, a preserve, such as cherry or raspberry, at least one olive choice, and a fresh or dried fruit, like Concord or Thomas grapes or dried currants (pictured above). Pickled vegetables such as jarred artichokes or peperoncinis make lovely additions. All the flavors these condiments contribute can be mixed and matched to make for fantastic sweet and salty combinations – a couple of our favorite combos are brie with preserves, and prosciutto with dubliner and mustard.

charcuterie or antipasti boxwood wreath fresh holly - 1

A nice, festive background is always pleasant. For our get-together, we had guests grab something to munch on in the backyard before it got too dark and cold, then we came inside for hot soup. This star battery-operated light fixture provided a delicate glow as the sun went down, and this fresh boxwood wreath and fresh holly (both from Trader Joe’s) lent some freshness and holiday cheer. This Himalayan salt board came from Trader Joe’s as well, by-the-way, and makes for beautiful presentation. You can heat it and serve things hot on it, or chill at (as we did here) to keep your meats cooler for longer. Genius.

boxwood wreath holiday decor - 1

“Wintry Season” Cake (a.k.a. Big Chocolate Birthday Cake with White Frosting)

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chocolate layer cake for fall or winter-1

We’d seen a photo or two of layer cakes frosted in this style on some foodie blogs. At first, we thought it was one of those “in the process” photos that bloggers take when they are trying to show you technique. We were surprised to discover that the photos were of the end product… the cake was meant to look like that. We loved it. How cool and different is THAT?! Not only does it look interesting, but we would venture to say that most people don’t care for gobs of frosting anyway. Well, when the 10 year old asked to make a cake, we invited her to consider this style. Being the artsy little thing that she is, she agreed that it was, indeed, “cool” looking when we showed her a photo of a cake frosted in a similar fashion. We were at the park that day and she brought us this beautiful… well, sprig of dried-out leaves. Living in the desert, we don’t see too many fall/winter leaves, and we marveled at how absolutely stunning the color and shape was. It looked like a miniature version of a large tree, and, having just discussed making a cake, we thought, “how cute would this be atop a chocolate cake with pure, white frosting.” We thought it might be reminiscent of layers of frozen earth and snow in winter time. We know, a little strange, but it sounded like fun to us. This was the result. This chocolate cake recipe of Ree Drummond’s is super good and fudgy. The recipe for the frosting is simple and buttery… and pure white. There are tastier frosting recipes out there, but this one met our criteria for being pure white and easy to mold into our vision. For a chocolate frosting, see this link below for Ree’s recipe. It looks fantastic.

Tip: If you want to frost your cake using this technique, freeze your cake layers before frosting. Doing so will cause the butter in the frosting to freeze slightly against the cake as you frost, resulting in the super smooth finish that you see here. The beautiful thing about this method is that it doesn’t have to be perfect. In fact, the more rustic, the better.

From: Big Chocolate Birthday Cake and White Frosting Recipe

"Wintry Season" Cake (a.k.a. Big Chocolate Birthday Cake with White Frosting)
 
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Author:
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
  • For the cake:
  • 4 sticks butter, plus more for greasing
  • 8 heaping tablespoons cocoa, plus more for dusting
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 4 cups sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups boiling water
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 4 whole eggs, beaten
  • For the frosting:
  • 4 large egg whites
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces, softened
Instructions
  1. For the cake:
  2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heavily grease and dust with cocoa four 9-inch round cake pans.
  3. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt.
  4. In a saucepan, melt the butter. Add the cocoa. Stir together. Add the boiling water, allow the mixture to boil for 30 seconds and then turn off the heat. Pour over the flour mixture and stir lightly to cool.
  5. Combine the buttermilk, baking soda, vanilla and beaten eggs. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the butter/chocolate mixture.
  6. Divide the batter among the prepared cake pans and bake for 20 minutes.
  7. Cool completely before icing. Refrigerate (or freeze) the layers after cooling for best results.
  8. For the frosting:
  9. Whisk the egg whites, sugar and salt in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water) until the mixture is warm and the sugar dissolves. Remove the bowl from the pan; let cool slightly.
  10. Beat the egg white mixture in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or with a hand mixer) on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 12 to 15 minutes. Beat in the butter a few pieces at a time, then continue beating until smooth. (Don't worry if the mixture looks separated at first-it will come together as you keep beating.)
  11. Cook's Note: Make sure that your butter is nice and soft (with no chill) or the buttercream may curdled when mixing.

 

 

Crostini with Thyme-Roasted Tomatoes

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oven roasted tomato crostini - 1

It’s kind of hard to know what to bring to a get-together when the only specifications given are “appetizer” or “finger food.” The usual suspects might run through your mind, like spinach and artichoke dip, Swedish meatballs, a cheeseball and crackers, or chips and some sort of Mexican-ish dip. But what if someone ELSE is bringing those things? This is THE most delicious addition to an hors d’oeuvre or antipasti spread. It is unbelievably simple, inexpensive, and delicious, and is the perfect choice when you really just don’t have time to fuss over making something to bring to the table.

oven roasted tomato crostini 2 - 1

You literally cut some romas in half, sprinkle them with kosher salt (please, please use kosher, see why below), leave them in the oven for at least 5 hours (go about your day and come back later!), drizzle with olive oil and fresh thyme, and serve on garlic-rubbed crostini. The result is an incredibly sweet, uber flavorful tomato atop a deliciously garlicky vessel. If you’ve never rubbed a piece of warm, toasted bread with a fresh garlic clove before, you’re in for a treat – the garlic melts onto the bread like butter… now I’m hungry. You might as well bring a few copies of this “recipe,” when you show up with these to your party, because you will be asked for it.

Tip (unsponsored): We like the romas we find at Costco for this recipe, as they are a nice, large size and pretty consistent in flavor throughout the year. We also like the baguettes we find at our Costco. We always recommend using kosher salt for it’s larger, more irregular granules, which are easier to gauge when picking up with your fingers to salt a dish, allowing you to distribute more evenly. It is very easy to over-salt (and to do so unevenly) when using the fine granules of table salt. Also, the larger crystals of kosher salt tend to be more effective when using it to draw out the moisture of something, as in these tomatoes. Oh, and the measurements between table salt and kosher salt are different (again, due to the difference in granule shape and size), so 1 tsp of table salt will not be equivalent to 1 tsp of kosher salt, so we like to keep it consistent with what our recipes call for, which is almost always kosher salt.

Have your kids help you pluck thyme leaves from their springs, drawing their attention to their beautiful fragrance. This will help them make a good memory with you in the kitchen and they will think of you fondly when they cook with fresh thyme in the future. As you enjoy this appetizer with those you love, share with them a few health benefits of a couple of the ingredients:

  • Cooked tomatoes are a great source of the antioxidant lycopene, which helps keep you healthy overall by protecting your cells.
  • Tomatoes are high in vitamin C, which helps to keep your heart healthy.
  • Garlic helps to keep your blood from clotting when it shouldn’t.

Adapted from: Crostini with Thyme-Roasted Tomatoes

Crostini with Thyme-Roasted Tomatoes
 
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Author:
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
  • 2 lbs plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
  • Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 16½ -inch-thick slices baguette, cut on the bias
  • 1 clove garlic
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Place the tomatoes cut-side up in a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with kosher salt and let sit 20 minutes.
  2. Roast at least 5 hours, until slightly dry but still juicy.
  3. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with thyme leaves and more salt, if needed.
  4. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and bake until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Rub the crostini with garlic and top each with a roasted tomato.

 

Pumpkin Pie Parfaits

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pumpkin pie parfaits 1 - 1

pumpkin pie parfaits 2 - 1

“You know what ELSE everybody likes? Parfaits! Have you ever met a person, you say, ‘Let’s get some parfaits,’ they say, ‘___ no, I don’t like no parfait’? Parfaits are delicious!” And Shrek’s Donkey would be right. And it’s pretty hard to mess-up a parfait. Parfaits are almost always pretty. This parfait super light, because sometimes you aren’t up for a really sweet, heavy dessert. The pumpkin is very subtle, so even if you aren’t a huge fan of pumpkin, chances are you will still love this. There is no baking involved here, so you could have this whipped up in 25 minutes (plus cooling time if you prefer your parfaits nice and chilled). You can create more layers if you want, and even use chocolate graham crackers instead of gingersnaps to add more color contrast. Let your little baker give this a try. The 10 year old made this with just a little help from Dad. You will love this mousse-y little number.

Tip: If you are like us and don’t drink but cook with alcohol, you may want to omit the bourbon in this recipe as it is no-bake (weather it makes sense or not, we prefer to omit the alcohol if the dish won’t be cooked).

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juel making pumpkin pie parfaits-1

Give your 10 + year olds free reign to figure this recipe out on their own, with you nearby to help in a pinch. Allowing your children to experiment by setting them loose with a recipe shows them that you have confidence in them. In turn, they will develop confidence in themselves as they realize that they can follow directions and create without an adult hovering over them. It is also a fabulous way to let them learn skills like math and science for themselves.

Have your little ones help you crush the gingersnaps or graham crackers and whip the cream.

juel making pumpkin pie parfaits 2 - 1

Pumpkin Pie Parfaits
 
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Prep time
Total time
 
Author:
Difficulty: Easy
Serves: 4 to 6 parfaits
Ingredients
  • 13 gingersnaps, chocolate wafers or graham crackers
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
  • ¾ cup plus 1.5 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
  • ½ cup canned pure pumpkin
  • 2½ teaspoons bourbon (optional)
  • Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
  • ½ cup white chocolate chips
  • 2¼ cups cold heavy cream
Instructions
  1. Put 7 cookies in a resealable plastic bag and crush into crumbs with a heavy pan. Brush the bottoms and about 1 inch up the sides of 6 parfait glasses with the butter. Add a spoonful of crumbs to each and roll them around the insides of the glasses; pour out the excess crumbs and reserve for topping. Refrigerate the prepared glasses.
  2. Put ¾ cup confectioners' sugar, the pumpkin, 1½ teaspoons bourbon and the nutmeg in a food processor. Pulse until smooth, about 1 minute.
  3. Put the white chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave at 50% power until melted, about 1 minute, stirring halfway. Add to the pumpkin mixture and process until combined. Transfer to a large bowl.
  4. Beat 1 /12 cups cream in a bowl with a mixer until soft peaks form; fold into the pumpkin mixture until smooth. Divide among the prepared glasses and refrigerate until ready to serve.
  5. Beat the remaining ¾ cup cream with a mixer until foamy. Add the remaining 1.5 tablespoons confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon bourbon and beat until soft peaks form. Top the parfaits with the whipped cream, reserved cookie crumbs and the remaining 6 cookies.

Adapted slightly from: Pumpkin-Pie Parfaits

   

Root Vegetable Mash

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Root Vegetable Mash--1

Mashed potatoes are really, really good. Sometimes, though, you want something a bit more… refined. This mash is the best of a couple worlds because you get your mashed potato in there but you also get a couple root vegetables you don’t usually cook with to shake things up a bit – and cooking with new vegetables is pretty fun. The celery root and parsnip make this a really silky, smooth texture and lend a much more delicate flavor than a bunch of russets do. If you’re looking for a nice change this holiday season, give these winter veggies a try. You will seem really fancy and you may find you like them more than your russets.

root vegetable mash ingredients-1

Tip (unsponsored): We find slightly-less-common vegetables and fruits at Sprouts. They are pretty dependable and their prices are good.

levi helping cook celery root Root Vegetable Mash--1

Root Vegetable Mash levi smelling celery root --1

(This isn’t his “eeew, gross” face. That’s just how he sniffs. Tee-hee-hee)

Let your kids handle these cool new vegetables and sprinkle the final product with nutmeg. As you prepare and enjoy this meal with your family, teach them about some of the health benefits of some of the ingredients:

  • Celery root provides your body with vitamin C, which you need even more during cold and flu season.
  • Parsnips offer a good amount of fiber, which is helpful if you are feeling a little backed-up (if you know what we mean).
  • Potatoes give you lots of B vitamins, which help you have a good mood!

This dish makes us feel like we are peasants in England (yes, we are weirdos), so let’s learn a few things about England:

  • In the 1940’s, a flock of birds landed on a hand of Big Ben and set it back 5 minutes. It was pretty chaotic because the British tend to be very punctual.
  • England is just a bit smaller than Alabama.
  • England is actually one of the 4 nations that makes up the United Kingdom (the others are Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland).

From: Root Vegetable Mash

Root Vegetable Mash
 
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Prep time
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Total time
 
Author:
Difficulty: Easy
Est. Cost: $8
Serves: serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
  • 1 pound russet potatoes (about 2 medium), peeled and chopped
  • 1 medium celery root (about 1½ pounds), peeled and chopped
  • 1 large parsnip, peeled, tough core removed, and chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 stick salted butter, at room temperature
  • ¼ to ½ cup milk, warmed
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • Freshly grated nutmeg
Instructions
  1. Combine the potatoes, celery root, parsnip and bay leaf in a large saucepan and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Season generously with salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes.
  2. Drain the vegetables and discard the bay leaf. Transfer to a food processor, add the butter and puree, gradually adding the milk, until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with nutmeg.

 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie (plus video snippet on cooking the chocolate layer)

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chocolate peanut butter pie 2 - 1

It’s no secret that we’re peanut butter and chocolate fans. That salty/sweetness may be our favorite dessert combination (confession: soooooo as a kid, I, the mom, would remove most of the chocolate from around the peanut butter centers of any Reese’s cups I’d procured during the holidays and proceed to smoosh all the peanut butter together and eat it in one giant ball. I know: wow). While pumpkin and fruit pies are all well and good, our first choice is something chocolate-based. This is the best chocolate peanut butter pie we’ve made, partly because the peanut butter is so prominent. It’s right there at the bottom, so it’s the first real flavor you get after the crumbly crust. Then you get the creamy, pudding-like chocolate layer, which is fabulous and extra satisfying because you’ve actually cooked it yourself and whipped it into submission (love that line from Julie & Julia!). Then comes a thick layer of homemade whipping cream (please, never use Cool Whip. See below how to make homemade whipping cream). This is truly a pie that you can be proud of.

chocolate peanut butter pie 1 - 1

Tip (unsponsored): We use mini semi-sweet Ghirardelli chips so we don’t have to chop chocolate.  Be sure and adhere to the direction to whisk half the hot milk into the egg mixture – don’t dump it all in from the get-go. This is called “tempering the eggs,” which introduces the eggs to some heat so the eggs can acclimate a bit before being hit with more heat. Failure to do so may result in scrambled eggs, and that would make your pie gross. Also, be sure to whisk constantly once you add the egg mixture to the milk. On this induction cook top, it took us 4 minutes and 45 seconds to reach the consistency of pudding once we added the rest of the egg mixture to the hot milk, stirring constantly. It takes us a few more minutes when cooking it on the stove top. It is done when it’s the the consistency of pudding.

To make homemade whipping cream, use a hand mixer to whip 2-3 cups of heavy whipping cream (usually comes in a milk carton-looking container in the dairy section) until soft peaks form. Then add a teaspoon of vanilla and ½ cup powdered sugar (or more, to taste). Mix again until you’ve reached the desired consistency. If your cream begins to move from smooth to clumpy, you are over-mixing).

You can make this pie in stages if you don’t have a chunk of time together: bake the crust, make the peanut butter layer later, and the chocolate layer later or the next day. Make the whipping cream just before serving.

Coffee intensifies the flavor of chocolate. If you are like us and don’t drink coffee but use tiny amounts to cook with: I’ve been known to bring a tiny sample cup of 2 T. coffee home with me from Sprouts. Tee-hee-hee. Right or wrong, I figure it doesn’t matter to them if I take it home with me to make a scrumptious pie or throw it down my gullet in the store. 1 tsp of coffee grounds would work fine too if you have a coffee-drinking neighbor. Or, just omit it!

Have your kids help you break up the chocolate graham crackers to put in the food processor (or you could put them in a gallon freezer bag to hit with a mallot). They can also help sprinkle the pie with more chocolate chips and peanuts.

Adapted slightly from: Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
 
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Author:
Difficulty: Easy
Serves: 9 inch pie
Ingredients
  • Crust:
  • 30 chocolate wafer cookies or 14 graham cracker sheets
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • Peanut butter layer:
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • ⅓ cup confectioner's sugar
  • Chocolate layer:
  • 2 cups milk
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 2 tablespoons brewed coffee, cooled (or 1 tsp grounds)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1 Chocolate Crumb Crust
  • Homemade whipped cream, shaved chocolate and peanuts, for topping (optional)
Instructions
  1. Crust:
  2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grind the cookies and sugar in a food processor. Add the melted butter and pulse until moist. Press into a 9-inch pie plate and bake until firm, 18 to 22 minutes. Let cool before filling.
  3. Peanut butter layer:
  4. Beat the peanut butter with the confectioners' sugar until smooth and spread in the crust.
  5. Chocolate layer:
  6. Heat the milk in a large saucepan until hot but not boiling. Whisk the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a large bowl, then whisk in the egg yolks, coffee and vanilla. Whisk half of the hot milk into the egg mixture until smooth, then gradually whisk the egg mixture into the pan with the remaining milk. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture boils and thickens, about 3 to 6 minutes (you want it to be the consistency of pudding). Remove from the heat and whisk in the chocolate until melted. Transfer to a bowl and cool slightly, stirring a few times to prevent a skin from forming.
  7. Pour the filling into the crust; press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and chill until set, at least 4 hours. Top with whipped cream and shaved chocolate.

 

Thanksgiving Table Centerpiece Idea

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thanksgiving centerpiece 2-1

When I (this is the mom talking here) hosted a Thanksgiving feast a couple years ago, I wanted a really earthy but stunning centerpiece. Like so many of you, Fall is my ALL-TIME favorite season, so I wanted to do it right and make it feel sort of organic. I saw a beautiful image on Pinterest where varying heights of tree trunks (but maybe branches?) were on the center of a table, adorned with crystal candle votive holders, pine cones and moss. It was stunning, so I wanted to replicate it.

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A quick look online made it quite clear that they’d be a fortune. So I went looking around the handful of local craft stores in my area. Michael’s was the last stop, and I was feeling a bit dejected, having had no success. On my way out, something caught my eye from the very bottom of an end-cap… gorgeous, slender white birch trunks (or maybe branches?) peered out at me from under a shelf! Halleluja! They were in a bundle of 3, maybe 4 pieces, about  1.5 feet long. Birch and Aspens are my absolute favorite favorite trees, so this was PERFECT! I had my wonderful husband cut them into varying heights, picked up a bunch of random, mismatched votive holders from Goodwill, some moss from Hobby Lobby, some burlap from Michael’s and some pine cones from a nearby park. I felt it needed a bit of color, so I swung this berry garland around the whole thing. Viola!

thanksgiving centerpiece with blake - 1

It’s pretty warm here, in AZ, so we can get away with eating al freso on Thanksgiving. Sometimes it’s even too hot to eat outside.

Tip: I live in the desert and so wood is sort of hard to come by. If you live in a wooded area, just drive around and look for something that would work! Or, ask someone you know who might access to some rustic, natural wood for a favor (maybe a landscaper).

thanksgiving centerpiece with juel - 1

We needed protection from the sun, so we had put up a big white canopy and strung these curtains from Ikea along the backside from pole to pole.

 

Baked Farro and Butternut Squash (a.k.a. The Best Side Dish Known To Man)

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baked farro and butternut squash -1

Some grains are better than others. Lately we’ve cooked with millet, quinoa and …. this little farro number. “Why, oh why are we just now experiencing this?!” we lamented after putting the first marvelous bites in our mouths. This dish is phenomenal. It truly, truly is. It is so rich and far better than mashed potatoes. The ingredients list isn’t incredibly long, but man, what a list: applewood-smoked bacon, onion, thyme, farro, stock, butternut squash and parmesan. That’s a whole lotta beautiful, hearty flavor. The textures are also worthy of note: the pearled farro plus the soft squash and crisp bacon make for really nice contrast. This dish is worthy to grace any table, ranging from simple to the fanciest of fancy, but the bottom line is that if you are the one credited for having brought this pot-o’-gold to your Thanksgiving feast, your name will be hailed for generations to come. We know ours will be this year.

baked farro and butternut squash ingredients - 1

Tips (unsponsored): We found our pearled barley at Sprouts – not in the bulk section, but in the grain isle. Be sure you are using pearled farro, as the cook time is much less than regular farro. Plan ahead on this dish so you can order it online if you can’t seem to find it locally. We promise – this dish is worth it. Also, this dish calls for “good chicken stock, preferably homemade.” As always, we recommend using Kitchen Basics stocks, as they are much more dense in flavor than your average broths.

Have your kids help you pluck the thyme leaves from their sprigs (if they are tough). Let them run clean fingers through the uncooked farro – kids love the texture of grains. As you prepare and enjoy this meal with your family, teach them about some of the health benefits of some of the ingredients:

  • Farro provides your body with a mineral called manganese, which can help you from feeling too tense.
  • Butternut squash has lots of vitamin C, which helps your skin look great.
  • The vitamins in onions can help lower your risk of cancer.

The farro in this dish whispers of Italy, but this recipe comes from a Californian chef, so let’s learn a few things about California:

  • Within California you will find the most diversity of any other landscape.
  • Even though lots of forest has been cut down to make room for houses and farms, California has reforested a lot to replace it, so it’s pretty close to being what it once was.
  • More crops and other goods come out of California than any other state.

Adapted from: Baked Farro with Butternut Squash

Baked Farro and Butternut Squash (a.k.a. The Best Side Dish Known To Man)
 
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Prep time
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Total time
 
Author:
Difficulty: Easy
Est. Cost: $18
Serves: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
  • 6 thick-cut slices applewood-smoked bacon
  • 2 tablespoons good olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1½ cups chopped yellow onion (1 large)
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1½ cups pearled farro
  • 3 cups good chicken stock, preferably homemade
  • 4 cups (3/4-to-1-inch-diced) peeled butternut squash
  • ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the bacon on a baking rack set on a foil-covered sheet pan (the foil will collect the fat, which you will use later), and bake it for 25 to 30 minutes, or until crisp. Reserve 1 T. bacon fat. Cut the bacon in very large dice.
  2. Meanwhile, in a small (9-inch) Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until tender and starting to brown. Add the thyme, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add the farro and chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Place the squash on top of the farro mixture, cover, and bake in the same oven with up to 1 T. of the bacon fat for 30 minutes, until the squash and farro are tender. Check once during cooking and add a little chicken stock if it's dry.
  3. Sprinkle the parmesan on the squash and farro and bake uncovered for 10-15 minutes, until most of the liquid evaporates, the farro and butternut squash are tender, and the cheese has melted. Top with the bacon pieces and serve hot directly from the pot.

 

Classic Green Bean Casserole (plus video snippet on frying the onions)

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Green bean casserole fat hand-1

Eating this dish has us asking why on earth we save green bean casserole for ONE time a year?! Sure there are lots of variations of this classic Thanksgiving dish, but we would venture to say that most people want to experience some nostalgia when eating a green bean casserole alongside their turkey. This recipe is the best “from scratch” version we’ve made thus far: the fried red onions are FANTASTIC and deliver the perfect amount of needed tangy saltiness, and what’s underneath is exactly what one tends to want in this traditional dish.

Green bean casserole plated-1

Now, let’s be honest and point out that this might not be the right option for you if you have multiple things going on come Thanksgiving morning, as it takes much more time and effort than does the canned version. If green bean casserole is more of a novelty item on the table at your Thanksgiving dinner and no one cares too much about it, go for the canned variety and skip the bother. BUT if your party does appreciate a great casserole and this is your only assignment (plus maybe a pie or something else that can be made ahead of time), this is a total winner. This is how a green bean casserole was meant to taste, with fresh beans, mushrooms, thyme, garlic and onions (and not so many ingredients you can’t pronounce).

Green bean casserole ingredients - 1

Tip: The temperature of your oil will drop some when you add your onions. We began frying our onions when the deep-fry thermometer registered 360 degrees and fried at 300 degrees for four and a half minutes (the temperature dropped to 300 on it’s own). To make sure you aren’t scrambling at the last minute, you can cover and refrigerate the casserole for up to 4 hours, but keep the topping at room temperature.

Have your kids help you remove the thyme leaves from their sprigs (if the sprigs aren’t soft) and dump ingredients. As you prepare and enjoy this meal with your family, teach them about some of the health benefits of some of the ingredients:

  • Fresh green beans provide your body with folic acid, which can help with depression by making sure that feel-good hormones do their jobs.
  • White mushrooms are good for your heart because they can help keep plaque from hardening your arteries.
  • Eating red onions can help keep your blood sugar balanced.

A few interesting (?) facts:

  • The green bean casserole was invented in a Campbell’s Soup Company test kitchen in the 1950’s.
  • So, unlike many dishes where a “from scratch” classic is made easier over time using canned & frozen ingredients, here we have a recipe where the original is a canned version and is devised to be made “from scratch.”
  • Almost half of the cans of cream of mushroom soup purchased today are used to make green bean casseroles.

Adapted slightly from:Classic Green Bean Casserole

Classic Green Bean Casserole (plus video snippet on frying the onions)
 
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Prep time
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Author:
Difficulty: Easy
Est. Cost: $19
Serves: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
  • For the topping:
  • 1 large red onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • Vegetable oil, for frying
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
  • Kosher salt
  • For the casserole:
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 pounds green beans, trimmed and halved
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 pound white button mushrooms, quartered
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 1 cup chicken STOCK
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese (about 1 ounce)
Instructions
  1. Make the topping: Separate the onion strips and soak in the buttermilk at least 10 minutes. Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 360 degrees F. Combine the flour, panko, parsley and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Working in batches, remove the onion strips from the buttermilk, dip in the flour mixture and fry until golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; season with salt.
  2. Make the casserole: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans; cook until crisp-tender, about 6 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water and blot dry with paper towels.
  3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and tender, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme; cook 1 minute. Add the flour and stir to coat, 1 minute.
  4. Whisk in the half-and-half, chicken stock, cayenne and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the parmesan and green beans. Transfer to a 3-quart baking dish (or 9X13). (You can refrigerate the casserole, covered, for up to 4 hours; keep the topping at room temperature.)
  5. Bake the casserole until bubbling, about 15 minutes. Stir, then sprinkle with the topping; bake until warmed through, 5 more minutes.

 

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