Rosemary and Chipotle Roasted Nuts

My kitchen smells SO delicious right now. Rosemary is one of my favorite herbs. I really like this combination of sweet and spicy with the rosemary – roasted to a perfect little handful (or 2) snack. This is an easy way to make a can of mixed nuts a little more special when having folks over to entertain. Or, it’s a great little snack to munch on throughout the week. This is a Barefoot Contessa recipe. I love Ina Garten  – she knows how to make simple and classic dishes that your friends think you spent hours making.

Chipotle and Rosemary Roasted Nuts

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil
• 3 cups whole roasted unsalted cashews (14 ounces)
• 2 cups whole walnut halves (7 ounces)
• 2 cups whole pecan halves (7 ounces)
• 1/2 cup whole almonds (3 ounces)
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 teaspoons ground chipotle powder
• 4 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves, divided
• Kosher salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Brush a sheet pan generously with vegetable oil. Combine the cashews, walnuts, pecans, almonds, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, the maple syrup, brown sugar, orange juice, and chipotle powder on the sheet pan. Toss to coat the nuts evenly. Add 2 tablespoons of the rosemary and 2 teaspoons of salt and toss again.

Spread the nuts in one layer. Roast the nuts for 25 minutes, stirring twice with a large metal spatula, until the nuts are glazed and golden brown. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with 2 more teaspoons of salt and the remaining 2 tablespoons of rosemary.

Toss well and set aside at room temperature, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking as they cool. Taste for seasoning. Serve warm or cool completely and store in airtight containers at room temperature.

Favorite New Year’s Day Recipes | Spicy Southern Black Eyed Peas

Another popular dish on the 1st day of the year is Black Eyed Peas. This is my favorite way (and the only way) to prepare them. The only thing is that you have to think ahead, as the prep is about 1 hour to let the beans soak. It’s SO worth the wait.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dried black-eyed peas
• 4 ounces salt pork, rind removed, diced, or thick bacon or hog jowl, diced
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 to 2 cups diced cooked ham
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced, optional
• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced, optional
• 1 tablespoon Creole or Cajun seasoning mixture
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• ground hot pepper, optional, to taste

Preparation:

Following package directions, soak the black-eyed peas overnight or cover with water, boil for 2 minutes, then let stand for 1 hour. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, sauté the diced salt pork with onion until onion is browned.

Combine salt pork and onions with the drained peas and remaining ingredients; Add water just to cover. Simmer for about 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until tender, checking and adding a little more water if necessary. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Serve with hot boiled rice, spinach or other greens, and freshly baked skillet cornbread.

Serves 6 to 8

Favorite New Year’s Day Recipes | Beer & Bacon Cabbage

There are 2 things that I must have on New Year’s Day. Of course, black eyed peas (check out my fav recipe here), but also my favorite cabbage made with a great stout beer and bacon. It doesn’t get much better than that! This recipe is something my parents found back with Emeril Lagasse had his prime time show back in the 90s. It has stuck with our family ever since.

Emeril’s Favorite Cabbage (with beer and bacon)

• 1/2 pound bacon, coarsely chopped
• 4 cups thinly sliced onions
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 head green or white cabbage (about 3 1/2 pounds), cored and thinly sliced
• 1 (12-ounce) bottle beer

Directions

Cook the bacon in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, until browned and slightly crispy, about 5 minutes. Add the onions, salt, cayenne, black pepper, sugar, and bay leaves. Cook, stirring, until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the cabbage and stir to mix well. Cook, stirring, until the cabbage just begins to wilt or soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and add the beer. Stir to mix.

Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Remove the bay leaves. Remove from the heat and serve warm.

Time: 1 hour 30 minutes (prep: 15 minutes)

Serves: 8-10

Bonefish Grill’s Bang Bang Shrimp

This recipe will warm you up as we move into the colder weather. If you have ever been to Bonefish Grill, you know about their Bang Bang Shrimp. Now, I am scared to death to fry anything. (So if anyone is willing to teach me how, please let me know!) But, I figure I can fry shrimp, I can fry okra and I can fry pickles. That’s about it.

• 2 pounds peeled and deveined Jumbo or large shrimp
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 2 well beaten eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup Corn Starch
• 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• Oil for deep frying
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup Thai sweet chili sauce
• 3-5 drops hot chili sauce, just a few drops

If you are in hurry you can substitute the shrimp with store bought pre-battered frozen shrimp.

DIRECTIONS:

Sprinkle shrimp with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; let stand at room temperature for 12 minutes. Combine eggs, milk, corn starch, flour, baking powder in mixing bowl; mix until smooth. Heat oil in deep fryer to 350F. Add batter to the bowl with shrimp, stir till the shrimp is well coated with batter drop shrimp in the deep fryer and fry till golden brown (about 3 minutes).
In a separate bowl or a ( large zip lock bag ) empty one 12 oz. bottle of Bang Bang Sauce, drop the fried shrimp and still till all the shrimp is coated with the sauce. Garnish with fresh green or red hot peppers and serve with side of Bang Bang Sauce for dipping.

Leftover Ham Ideas

We always have too many leftovers. And another  ham or turkey sandwich just gets boring (although a plain ham sandwich on white bread with a little mayo and mustard can’t be beat sometimes.) Here’s something from Real Simple from last Easter and I thought it worked for Thanksgiving too.

Here’s the link to the recipes: http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/easter-ham-leftover-ideas-10000001723449/index.html

Joan Hanson, test kitchen director of Hormel Foods, suggests these additional ideas for ham leftovers:

• Make a lunchtime salad by tossing pasta with ham, vegetables, and your favorite dressing.
• Create a pizza breakfast. Top pizza crust with scrambled eggs, diced ham, cheese, mushrooms, and green onions. Bake pizza until cheese is melted and bubbly.
• Try Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast Sandwiches. While scrambling eggs, toss in diced, fresh spinach leaves, and some green onion. Spoon the green eggs and ham into pita halves or over toasted English muffins.

Bourbon Honey Glazed Ham

Another great, tested Thanksgiving recipe. Any southern home has a ham and probably has bourbon too. 🙂 I have to confess, I did not score the ham or put the peppercorns in the diamonds. I also bought sliced. Sometimes you gotta take the easy way! It was still delish!  Enjoy!

Recipe courtesy Sandra Lee

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup bourbon or whiskey
• 1 cup clover honey
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 1/2 cup 100 percent fruit orange marmalade
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 (5-pound) whole bone-in smoked ham, fully cooked, unsliced
• 1/8 cup whole cloves

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium saucepan, heat bourbon, honey, molasses, and marmalade over low heat for 15 minutes or until reduced by half, stirring occasionally. (When measuring honey and molasses, spray measuring cup with nonstick cooking spray to keep measurements accurate.) Set aside.

With a sharp knife, cut a diamond pattern on the fatty part of the ham. Stud whole cloves in each diamond, at points where lines cross. Spread half of the bourbon glaze over the ham and roast for 30 minutes, uncovered. Baste occasionally with remaining glaze and continue to roast for another 15 minutes. Let ham stand for 20 minutes before slicing.

Pumpkin Roll

Need a last minute dessert that will wow? Nobody can get enough pumpkin during the holidays. This pumpkin roll recipe is great for an after dinner sweet and coffee.

Number of Servings: Eight to ten.

Ingredients:

Cake Ingredients:
2/3 cup     Canned Pumpkin
1 cup     Sugar
3     Eggs
3/4 cup     Flour
1 teaspoon     Lemon Juice
1 teaspoon     Baking Powder
2 teaspoon     Cinnamon
1 teaspoon     Ground Ginger
1/2 teaspoon     Nutmeg
1/3 teaspoon(or less)     Salt
1 tablespoon     Powdered Sugar
Filling Ingredients:
6 ounces     Cream Cheese
1cup     Powdered Sugar
4 tablespoons     Margarine or Butter
2/3 teaspoon     Vanilla Extract

Decoration:    
Sprinkle     Powdered Sugar

Preparation Directions:

For Cake:
1. Beat eggs on high for four to five minutes, while gradually adding the sugar.
2. Stir in at medium or low speed pumpkin, and lemon juice.
3. Mix together dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, and spices.
4. Fold dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture.
5. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
6. Spread cake mix into a 15x10x1 jelly roll pan.
7. Bake for 15 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and loosen edges with spatula.
9. Sprinkle powdered sugar onto a cheesecloth and turn cake onto the cheesecloth.
10. Roll warm cake, starting at narrow end into a roll with the cheesecloth.
11. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Filling Preparation:
1. In a mixing bowl, mix all ingredients until smooth.
2. Unroll cake and remove cheesecloth.
3. Spread filling onto the cake.
4. Re-roll the cake.
5. Chill for several hours or overnight.

Serving Tips and Suggestions:
* Sprinkle with powdered sugar prior to serving.
* Try a drizzle of chocolate syrup for a change of pace.

Nana’s Sweet Potato Casserole

I’ve posted about my Nana’s delicious recipes before. They’re all from scratch and have all been cooked for years on our Thanksgiving tables. It’s just not Thanksgiving of Christmas without this one. Sweet Potato Casserole isn’t right with marshmallows. Frankly, it’s a cop-out. Sorry. Give up on the marshmallows and make this crunchy and sweet topping for your Sweet Potato Casserole this year.

• 4 large sweet potatoes
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon all spice
• cooking spray
  

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Peel sweet potatoes. Quarter potatoes, boil until tender. Remove from stove, drain. Place in large electric mixing bowl with remaining ingredients. Beat until smooth. Strings will collect on beaters – do not scrape beaters. Place in 13×9″ pan (coated with Pam) and bake 20 minutes at 375 degrees.  Top with the following:

Topping

• 1 cup finely chopped pecans
• 2 sticks melted margarine
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 2 cup ground graham cracker crumbs

 Mix well.  Sprinkle over top of potatoes and bake an additional 20 minutes.

Old Fashion Apple Crisp

Yield:10 servings

Times:

Prep: 20 min

Cook: 1 hr 0 min

Total: 1 hr 20 min

Ingredients

• 5 pounds McIntosh or Macoun apples
• Grated zest of 1 orange
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the topping:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup oatmeal
• 1/2 pound cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 14 by 2-inch oval baking dish.

Peel, core, and cut the apples into large wedges. Combine the apples with the zests, juices, sugar, and spices. Pour into the dish.

To make the topping, combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, and cold butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is the size of peas. Scatter evenly over the apples.

Place the crisp on a sheet pan and bake for 1 hour until the top is brown and the apples are bubbly. Serve warm.

Brined, Herb Roasted Turkey

Are you going to brave baking the turkey this year for Thanksgiving? If you are, use this recipe from Emeril Lagasse. We used it a couple of years ago when we were in charge of the Thanksgiving turkey. It is definitely the best turkey I’ve had. Moist and flavorful.

Ingredients

Brine:

• 1 cup salt
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 oranges, quartered
• 2 lemons, quartered
• 6 sprigs thyme
• 4 sprigs rosemary
• 1 (10 to 12-pound) turkey
• 1 large orange, cut into 1/8ths
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
• Salt and pepper
• 1 large yellow onion, cut into 1/8ths
• 1 stalk celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 large carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 1/2 bunch sage
• 3 or 4 sprigs parsley
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups chicken or turkey stock, for basting

Turkey Broth:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• Reserved turkey neck and giblets
• 1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 large celery stalk, coarsely chopped
• 1 small bay leaf
• 3 cups turkey stock, chicken stock, or canned low-salt chicken broth
• 3 cups water

Gravy:

• 4 cups turkey broth
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Brine:

Directions

To make the brining solution, dissolve the salt and sugar in 2 gallons of cold water in a nonreactive container (such as a clean bucket or large stockpot, or a clean, heavy-duty, food grade plastic storage bag). Add the oranges, lemons, thyme, and rosemary. Note: if you have a big turkey and need more brine than this, use 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup brown sugar for every gallon of water.

We used a large plastic storage box that was sterilized prior to brining.

Remove the neck, giblets, and liver from the cavity of the turkey and reserve for the gravy. Rinse the turkey inside and out under cold running water. Soak the turkey in the brine, covered and refrigerated, for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse well under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels both inside and out. Place turkey, breast side up, in a large, heavy roasting pan. Rub breast side with orange segments and rub on all sides with the butter, stuffing some underneath the skin. Season lightly inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff the turkey with the onion, remaining orange, celery, carrot, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, sage and parsley. Loosely tie the drumsticks together with kitchen string. Roast the turkey, uncovered, breast side down for 1 hour.

Remove from the oven, turn, and baste with 1/2 cup stock. Continue roasting with the breast side up until an instant-read meat thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the largest section of thigh (avoiding the bone), about 2 3/4 to 3 hours total cooking time. Baste the turkey once every hour with 1/2 to 3/4 cup chicken or turkey stock.

Remove from the oven and place on a platter. Tent with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.

For the turkey broth

Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the turkey neck, heart, and gizzard to the pan and saute until just beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add the chopped vegetables and bay leaf to the pan and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Pour the stock and 3 cups of water into the pan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the stock is reduced to 4 cups, about 1 hour, adding the chopped liver to the pan during the last 15 minutes of cooking. Strain the stock into a clean pot or large measuring cup. Pull the meat off the neck, chop the neck meat and giblets, and set aside.

For the pan gravy

Pour the reserved turkey pan juices into a glass-measuring cup and skim off the fat.

Place the roasting pan on 2 stovetop burners over medium heat add the pan juice and 1 cup turkey broth and the white wine to the pan, and deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining 3 cup of broth and bring to a simmer, then transfer to a measuring cup. In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, to make a light roux. Add the hot stock, whisking constantly, then simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.

Add the reserved neck meat and giblets to the pan and adjust seasoning, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Pour into a gravy boat and serve.

Slice and serve guests with desired sides.