New Years Greens-Spinach with Dried Fruit and Goat Cheese
December 29, 2008
While black-eyed peas are supposed to bring luck for the New Year, another superstition in the south is to serve greens such as cabbage, collards, greens, mustard greens, kale or spinach to bring money or prosperity in the New Year. As a Recipe Developer, I have created hundreds of spinach recipes for magazines and food companies, and I wasn’t sure which one to share with you for the New Year. I made this version two nights ago by just using what I had in my pantry and in the refrigerator, and it was an instant hit at our dinner table. It’s only 5 ingredients and is healthy, colorful and has a sweet and salty crunch along with the creaminess of goat cheese. Feel free to use what you have in your home. and I wish everyone much hope for a happy prosperous New Year!
Spinach with Dried Fruit, Nuts and Goat Cheese
Prep and cook: 3 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 (6-ounce) packages fresh baby spinach
Kosher salt to taste
2 tablespoons organic fruit and nut trail mix (I used “Good Sense Organic”)
2 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese
Preparation
1. Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add fresh spinach to skillet, and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Sprinkle with salt, trail mix and goat cheese. Serve spinach with slotted spoon or tongs.
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New Year’s Black-Eyed Pea Caviar Dip
December 28, 2008
In the southern United Sates, it is believed that eating black-eyed peas on New Years will bring good luck in the coming year. Because of this tradition, many friends and family ask me for recipes using black-eye peas this time of year. This recipe is great because it’s so versatile. It is simple to prepare, colorful and flavorful. Even my youngest son, Zachary (8), couldn’t stop eating it. Serve it on top of a salad, inside of bell peppers, on top of tacos or fajitas or served with crackers or tortilla chips.
Black-Eyed Pea Caviar Dip
Prep: 20 minutes
Yield: 10 servings
Ingredients
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 (15-ounce) cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped yellow bell peppper
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Preparation
1. Whisk together balsamic vinegar and next 2 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.
2. Add black-eyed peas and remaining ingredients in a large bowl; drizzle with dressing. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Serve with crackers or tortilla chips.
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Hanukkah Sweet and Sour Brisket
December 26, 2008
My sister, Julie, is a fabulous cook and has been making this recipe for Hanukkah for years. The recipe sounds so bizarre with apricot preserves, chili sauce and, oh my, sauerkraut? When I worked at Southern Living Magazine as a Food Editor, and I sent this recipe to the test kitchen, they were a little questionable about it. But when we discussed it around the taste-testing table (a long table that seats about 20), everyone gave it the highest rating possible. It is really delicious, although, I will admit, difficult to photograph so I added some photos from this year’s Hanukkah party at my house (that’s my son reading the prayer-yes I was proud). This recipe is ideal for Hanukkah or in the fall or winter months when you want something comforting, warm, with a touch of sweet and sour. And if you live in Birmingham, Alabama and don’t have time to cook brisket, head to Jim N Nick’s Barbecue on Highway 280-yum!
Sweet-And-Sour Brisket
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 31/2 to 4 hours
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
1 (5-pound) beef brisket, trimmed
1 (1-ounce) envelope onion soup mix
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (10-ounce) jar apricot preserves
1 cup water
1 cup chili sauce
2 (10-ounce) cans sauerkraut, drained
Preparation
1 Place brisket in a lightly greased roasting pan. Sprinkle with soup mix and next three ingredients. Spread preserves on top of brisket. Add 1 cup water to pan. Cover tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil.
2. Bake, covered, at 350° for 3 hours. Uncover and pour chili sauce over brisket; top with sauerkraut. Cover and bake 1 more hour.
3. Remove from oven; let stand, covered, 30 minutes before slicing. Serve with sauerkraut and pan juices.
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Christmas, December 25th, Much Thanks!
December 25, 2008
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! December 25th is a very special day in many ways for everyone, but for me, it is also 2 months for the launch of my food blog, http://www.ingredientsinc.net. I am amazed that over 14,000 people have looked at my food blog in just 2 short months. It has also led me to new friends, new clients, television appearances and so much more. Thank you to all of those who have supported me, subscribed, given me wonderful feedback, given me advice, offered ideas, suggestions and questions (Natalie, Meredith, Jamie, Julie, Carlie, Bradley, Charles, Eric, Amy S., Lisa G., Jennifer B., Steven, Kathy, Kelly, Maria, Janet, Jeff, Doug, Lisa E., Patti, Susan, Heidi, Ruth and Andrew, Amy H., Amy K., Penny, Danny and Paige L., Stuart and Betsy M., Danny and Mur F, Kim, Bob, Melissa, Vicki, Katia, and if I forgot one, forgive me). I also thank those of you who have taken the time to make comments, and the food websites, such as http://www.slashfood.com and http://www.thekitchn.com, who have written about me and my recipes in such a positive way. Lastly, I thank my family and close friends for bearing with me (you know who you are), allowing me to spend and focus so much of my time and energy to create wonderful content that people seem to love. Happy Holidays again! Best, Alison
P.S. This is a photo taken of my daughter, Leigh and me over Thanksgiving.
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Miniature Almond-Cinnamon Rolls
December 24, 2008
I love breakfast, especially during the holidays when I make something homemade, warm and comforting for my family to enjoy. One of my favorite breakfast pastries is cinnamon rolls, and I thought I would do what I do best as a National Professional Recipe Developer. I create recipes from scratch and twist them to develop recipes that are new, delectable and exciting. These miniature cinnamon rolls are all of those adjectives and more. I used Pillsbury crescent roll dough and filled it with freshly chopped almonds (instead of pecans). I also used a touch of almond in the icing which adds mouth-watering flavor. This recipe is so easy to prepare, and turns out fabulous. Just beware, they disappeared in about 30 seconds at my house, so you might want to double the dose.
Miniature Almond-Cinnamon Rolls
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 12 minutes
Yield: 20 rolls
Ingredients
1 (8-ounce) can refrigerated crescent rolls
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup finely chopped almonds or pecans (optional)
1/3 cup powdered sugar
2 to 3 teaspoons skim milk
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
1. Unroll crescent rolls, and separate into 4 rectangles; press perforations to seal.
2. Stir together brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over dough.
3. Roll up, jellyroll fashion, starting at a long side; press edges to seal. Cut each long into 5 slices, and place in a lightly greased 8-inch round cakepan; sprinkle with almonds, if desired.
4. Bake at 350F for 12 minutes or until lightly browned.
5. Whisk together powdered sugar, milk and remaining ingredients; drizzle over warm rolls.
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Christmas Cake-Eggnog Rum Cake
December 23, 2008
My family really loves eggnog-even the kids! Last year, I developed an Eggnog Pound Cake, and they loved it. This year, I was asked to do another pound cake for a party, but I got so swamped with kids, work, holiday parties, after-school activities and more work, I decided to attempt to create a recipe using a boxed cake mix. I had 1 1/2 hours before the party, and I threw this together, and it worked like a charm. I used dark rum (and 1/2 cup seems like a lot), but the cake was very moist, flavorful and delicious. I hope you will enjoy this simple cake as much as they did at our holiday party.
Eggnog Rum Cake
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 65 minutes
Yield: Makes 16 servings
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 (18.25-ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 cup eggnog
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup run
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Preparation
1. Heat oven to 325F. Grease a 12 cup Bundt pan with 2 tablespoons butter. Press almonds on bottom and sides of pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix all remaining ingredients. Mix on medium speed 2 minutes. Carefully spoon into prepared pan.
3. Bake at 325F for 55 to 65 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack.
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Easiest Red Velvet Cupcakes Ever
December 20, 2008
Oh my goodness! I am a little afraid to let this cat out of the bag. Drum-roll please….for all of you who LOVE red velvet cake, I have a secret for you. I get paid to create recipes for a living, and as a Recipe Developer, I must seek out the best cake and cookie mixes (convenience products) you can buy. I tried “Sprinkles” cupcake mix, a mix from the very famous cupcake bakery “Sprinkles” from California, and it has my stamp of approval. Just follow the easy directions on the package for the mix and cream cheese icing. These cupcakes are wonderful and simple, and I promise they are as good (if not better) than homemade!
For more information about Sprinkles Cupcakes, see www.sprinklescupcakes.com
Sprinkles can be found at Williams Sonoma stores or see www.williamsonoma.com
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Christmas and Holiday Mini Chocolate Cookies
December 17, 2008
If you’re looking for the easiest cookie ever, look no further. With just a few ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry, you can make these cookies with ease. Whether you’re having guests over for the holidays, want to make a holiday snack or headed to a cookie swap, this recipe makes plenty and is sure to please (also kids go nuts over them). They are so small that you won’t feel any guilt eating more than one or two. Feel free to add extra chocolate chips if you like.
Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 12 minutes
Yield: 4 dozen
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups or 1 (12-ounce) package semisweet mini morsels
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)
Powdered sugar
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
2. Beat butter, sugar, vanilla extract and salt in large mixer bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in flour; stir in morsels and nuts. Shape level tablespoons of dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Place on ungreased baking sheets.
3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until cookies are set and lightly browned. Remove from oven. Sift powdered sugar over hot cookies on baking sheets. Cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar, if desired. Store in airtight containers.
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Holiday and Christmas Morning Cranberry Punch
December 15, 2008
Who doesn’t love a hot beverage this time of year to beat the winter chill? This mixture of nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice and cloves spice up cranberry and pineapple juice to comfort you this time of year. My sister, Natalie, makes this punch every year during the wintertime holidays, so I thought I would share it among friends. It is very similar to a recipe I developed when I was a Food Editor with Southern Living magazine. It’s perfect to serve Christmas morning to set off the festivities in a warm cheerful tone. Cheers!
Spiced Cranberry Punch
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup water
11/2 quart cranberry juice
1 (48-ounce) container pineapple juice
Preparation
1. Combine first 7 ingredients in a large 5-quart pan; bring to a boil. Add pineapple juice and bring back to a boil. Serve warm.
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Christmas and Hanukkah Homemade Gifts-Chocolate-Covered Popcorn
December 14, 2008
Since the White Chocolate Popcorn recipe was so popular, I thought I would try it with a mixture of milk chocolate and semisweet. It turned out even better than I thought. “Fabulous”, said some of my friends. Everyone will love receiving this food gift, but make plenty because once you start eating it, you won’t be able to stop.
Chocolate Popcorn
Feel free to double this recipe.
Prep: 5 minutes
Yield: 6 cups
Ingredients
1 /2 (12-ounce) package milk chocoolate morsels (I used Nestle Milk Chocolate Morsels)
1/2 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate morsels (I used Nestle Milk Chocolate Morsels)
6 cups popcorn (popped without salt or fat)
Preparation
1. Place chocolate morsels in a microwave-safe bowl on HIGH 1 to 2 minutes or until melted, stirring once. Combine chocolate and popcorn in a large mixing bowl, tossing gently. Spread mixture on a large baking sheet covered with parchment paper; refrigerate until chocolate gets hard. Store in an airtight container.