Arugula and Pea Salad

Perfect Pairing:  That oh-so healthy time between Thanksgiving and Christmas!

I am lucky/unlucky enough to have a brother that lives in San Francisco.  The lucky part is obvious because San Francisco is one of the world’s greatest cities.  The unlucky part is that it is very far from Chicago and I miss his family.  I have two very adorable nieces that steal your heart.  As my mom always says when she leaves there after a visit, “I left part of my heart in San Francisco.”

We have gone out to San Francisco for Thanksgiving many times throughout the years and it is a blast.  This year was no different!  While in the city we tried some amazing restaurants (State Bird Provision and Michael Chiarello’s Coqueta) and did some shopping and a little hiking.  I also had my first experience with Shabu-Shabu, which is a Japanese dish that you cook at your table.  It is not often that I try something completely foreign to me, and I loved it! 

Of course we had a delicious Thanksgiving meal with way too much food.  Hence, the necessary pre-meal hike.

The day after we set off for a weekend in wine country.  We visited about 7 or 8 wineries.  It was a tough job, but we were up to the task.

I swear the sun is a different color there and it shines so bright.

We had so many amazing wines and really enjoyed meeting people at the wineries and exploring the grounds.

We will be back!

We all know that the diet goes steadily downhill after Halloween, and a fresh salad most definitely has its place during that time.  

I love this super simple Arugula and Pea salad.  It has bright herbs, crunchy peas, peppery arugula, and a super simple light dressing.  It is easy to pair with pretty much anything.  Perhaps a crisp California white wine?!

One year ago on Perfecting the Pairing: Wheat Berry Chicken Salad

Two years ago on Perfecting the Pairing: Thai Pumpkin Soup

Three years ago on Perfecting the Pairing: Slow Cooker Coq Au Vin

Four years ago on Perfecting the Pairing: Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs

Tweet

Arugula and Parmesan Stuffed Potatoes

Perfect Pairing:  Winter blues

A baked potato is hard to beat.  That is, until you stuff it with good ingredients.  Everyone loves twice baked potatoes.  A great dinner for a single girl like me is to make a baked potato and top it with Green Giant Broccoli and Cheese Sauce (only 60 calories per serving).  If I am feeling gourmet(ish) I will drain a can of spicy Ro-Tel tomatoes and stir that into the Broccoli and Cheese Sauce.  This Fajita Potato is another appetizing option.

I absolutely loved this Arugula and Parmesan Stuffed Potato.  It was light and fresh.  The peppery arugula and fresh lemon juice were just the things to counteract the winter blues that show up around this time of year. 

After the potato is baked you spoon out most of the flesh and mash it with the dressing and a good amount of parmesan cheese.  Scoop the potato back into the skin and top it off with dressed arugula and a little more freshly grated parmesan. 

The homemade dressing includes two coddled egg yolks.  Basically that means the egg (still in its shell) is dropped into boiling water for a couple of minutes.  The egg is just slightly cooked.  I know this might frighten some folks, even though it is pretty standard practice for restaurant-style Caesar dressing.  If you are not digging the undercooked egg you could use your favorite store bought Caesar or Oil and Vinegar dressing.  If you do use the store bought variety I would recommend a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to maintain some of the brightness. 

Tweet

Autumn Salad

Perfect Pairing:  Help from the grocery store

The alternate name for this salad was Maple Roasted Butternut Squash, Thyme Mushroooms and Roasted Chicken Salad with Toasted Walnuts and Cranberries.  While informative, it proved to be bit of a mouthful.  I decided to stick with Autumn Salad.

I am a bit of a sandwich and salad snob.  Lunch meat on bread just does not do anything for me.  I need to have something exciting on it like caramelized onions, sriracha aioli, sprouts, etc.  You get the idea.  Apparently I think things like caramelized onions are “exciting”.  Don’t judge.  The same thing goes with salad.  I like to add lots of different vegetables, textures, and flavors without adding a lot of fat and calories from cheese or fried toppings. 

This Autumn Salad is chock-full of good stuff.  The ingredient list may look long but chances are you have a lot of this in your kitchen already.  Often salads feel like a warm-weather thing but this salad is perfect for cooler weather.  It is almost comfort food.  I kept all of the components separate and ate the salad for dinner over a few days.  I looked forward to dinner each night!  The maple roasted squash would actually be a great side dish on its own. 

The Perfect Pairing for this salad is to take some help from the grocery store.  Buying pre-peeled and cubed squash, cleaned and sliced mushrooms, and rotisserie chicken will cut down on some of the prep time.  When I made this my plan was to use rotisserie chicken but they were out.  So annoying.  I actually had to cook my own chicken.  You could also use your favorite store bought dressing if you don’t want to make your own.  Yum!  I think I will be making this again very soon!

Tweet

Lake House Chef's Challenge 2010 - Main Course

Perfect Pairing: Spicy Bloody Mary

Be sure to read the recaps of the 2010 challenge here and here.

By the time the main course round of the Lake House Chef’s Challenge 2010 rolled around the kitchen mess was nearing epic proportions.  The competitors were fighting for space and helpers.  It was quite the scene!  The required ingredient for the main course was chicken and the competitors still needed to incorporate their “secret” ingredients. 

Jon made a Bacon Wrapped Chicken and Veggie Skewer

We reminded him that he needed to “present” it and this is what he came up with.  Needless to say, the wheels had fallen off a little bit since the first course presentation.

I made a Spicy Chicken Milanese with Arugula Salad (recipe below)

Julie made a Coconut Crusted Chicken with a Pineapple Salsa

The Perfect Pairing for the appetizer round was Jon’s VERY spicy bloody mary.  Jon was not messing around with this cocktail.  He made his own vegetable juice by simmering tomatoes, veggies and hot peppers on the stove for hours.  He mashed everything and strained it off.    He made bloody marys with the juice, gin and a crispy slice of bacon for garnish.  Only the strongest of the group could finish these fiery drinks but I think they remain the most discussed item of the night!

Still to come.... dessert and results! 

Tweet

Manchego Cheese with Brown Butter Honey Sauce

Perfect Pairing:  Prosciutto and Arugula

 

I can hardly believe it is Thanksgiving this week!  Not only is it the best culinary holiday of the year it officially kicks off the holiday season festivities. 

Last year for Thanksgiving we were in San Francisco visiting my brother and sister-in-law (Jon and Kelly) for their famous Thanksgiving party.  We were all having a great time cooking dishes, munching on appetizers, and taking group photos.  One of those group photos will go down in history.... All the ladies were together in the backyard and my brother was taking the picture.  He said, "On the count of three, say Kelly's pregnant!"  Chaos ensued.   The picture below really captures the moment. I am clearly the first person to catch on while others are still posing for the photo.  I love the shocked look on my face and Kelly's mischievous grin.

That is officially my favorite Thanksgiving memory.  A year later we have Lilla in our lives and she is the most precious little baby in the world. 

I am going to miss Jon, Kelly, and Lilla this year but I have no doubt that I will have a wonderful holiday here in the Midwest.  I get to spend it with my wonderful parents and extended family, handsome boyfriend, and my other brother's family.  His kids (who happen to be the most adorable children in the world) are going to have a great time at Grandma and Grandpa's house.

We are pretty traditional when it comes to the Thanksgiving menu.  The dinner does not vary much. Why mess with a good thing??  I can be a little more adventurous when it comes to the appetizers.  The key is to keep them light and easy.  You don't want to ruin the main event!  This manchego cheese appetizer is the perfect thing to put out because it only takes a few minutes of prep and everyone will love it.

Previously I wrote about my affinity for cheese plates, and how to create the best combination of cheeses, condiments and crackers.  I think cheese plates are one of the best things to set out before a dinner party.  Sometimes you don’t want to buy 3 or 4 different types of cheese, especially if you are having a more intimate group.  Serving Manchego Cheese with Brown Butter Honey Sauce makes the most of one type of cheese; you won’t miss having a variety laid out. 

Manchego is a sheep’s milk cheese from the La Mancha region in Spain.  It is a hard, crumbly cheese that is a little tangy and nutty.    It is perfectly complimented by this Brown Butter Honey Sauce.  The sauce is a cinch to make and is so incredibly delicious.  I would recommend pouring the sauce on the cheese while it is still hot.  After it cools it hardens just a bit, which makes it the perfect texture.  Top it off with a sprinkle of sea salt and you have an amazing appetizer.

The Perfect Pairing for Manchego Cheese with Brown Butter Honey Sauce is thinly sliced prosciutto and arugula.  All of the flavors taste great together on crackers or crostini.

Tweet

Prosciutto Wrapped Breadsticks

Perfect Pairing:  Wheat Thin Crunch Stix, Honey Wheat Flavor

Prosciutto wrapped breadsticks are the perfect thing to serve alongside a cocktail as your guests arrive for a dinner party.   The breadsticks are coated in a cream cheese mixture that has lemon, chives, garlic, and parmesan.  Then the sticks are wrapped in paper thin slices of salty prosciutto and peppery arugula. They are crunchy and creamy, savory yet slightly sweet, and full of flavor.

The Perfect Pairing for this appetizer is the new product, Wheat Thin Crunch Stix in Honey Wheat.  When I went to the store to buy the ingredients I was planning on getting the long skinny breadsticks that are often referred to as Grissini.  They were nowhere to be found at my store, so I decided to try out the new Wheat Thin Stix.  While I wish they were a little bit longer, I loved the flavor.  They had the characteristic sweet flavor of traditional Wheat Thins which was perfect for this recipe.  I call it a happy accident!

Tweet

Parmesan Pepper Lemon Biscuits

Perfect Pairing: Caramelized onions, prosciutto and arugula

Yesterday I wrote about the wonderful evening I recently had at Ravinia seeing the Gipsy Kings.  When I was creating the menu I wanted to include a sandwich but not your everyday turkey sandwich.  I think one of the most important parts of the sandwich is the bread, so that is where I focused my time and energy.  I found this biscuit recipe in a Food Network Star cookbook.

Tweet