Double Helpings of Thanksgiving Happiness and Sweet Potatoes

Well, Thanksgiving is over and the Holidays are upon us.  I cannot believe we are here already! This year has flown by for Kevin and me! I feel like I say that every year, though.  Crazy how as you get older the years get shorter...
For this year's holiday, Kevin and I made the trek to Wisconsin where my sister and her husband hosted our big family meal in their new home! It was wonderful to see family and friends, relax, and of course, in the true American way, gorge ourselves on anything semi-edible that we could get our hands on.  In order to make it easier for those who host, my family tries to divvy up the dishes so each person makes one or two, and no one is stuck with the majority.  I always make the sweet potatoes, many times in casserole form. However, this year I diverged, and I think everyone was glad we did.  I made Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes, which, since I always use fresh, whole sweet potatoes, cut down on having to peel the flesh out of their skins, which saved time and a lot of mess. The recipe was really pretty simple, and I was able to prepare them the day before Thanksgiving, refrigerate them overnight (ok, let's be honest, I did not put them in the refrigerator, I put them in the garage, since the refrigerator was full), and then bake them (for the second time) about 20 minutes before we sat down to eat.

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes

Filling:
6 Sweet Potatoes
5 Tbs Brown Sugar
4 Tbs Butter
6 oz. Cream Cheese
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp Ginger
1/4 Tsp Nutmeg

Topping:
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Butter
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Wash the potatoes, and pierce them with a fork a few times. Put on a baking sheet (whole) and roast for 1 hour. To test to see if the potatoes are cooked through, pierce with a fork - if the fork slides through easily, I'd say they are done. Remove the potatoes from the oven and let cool.

Once cooled, slice each potato in half the long way, so they look like little boats.  With a spoon, scoop out the flesh, leaving about 1/4" on all sides, and put in a bowl. Set the skins aside. Mix in the rest of the filling ingredients and whip the filling together, so that it is creamy and blended well.

This is the fun part.  If you are special and have a pastry bag, use that.  If you do not, like I do not, take a large Ziplock bag, and cut one of the bottom corners off (only about a 1/4").  Fill the bag with the filling mixture, and pipe into each potato skin. This is where you can set the potatoes aside and save them for later if you would prefer.
Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon for the topping together, and then with a pastry cutter or butter knife, cut in the butter to form a crumbly topping. Sprinkle onto each potato.
Bake the potatoes on the baking sheet for about 15-20 minutes, just so they are heated through.
Enjoi!

Every Child's Nightmare - Brussels Sprouts

They're green.
They're round.
They look like little cabbages..

Yup, the brussels sprout.  Every child's nightmare.  Definitely mine, and I know I was not alone.  Just the thought of a small cabbage brought horror to my eyes and made my taste buds cringe. Yet somehow, over the last 4-5 years, I have overcome my horror and fell in love with the little guys.  Someone told me a while back that your taste buds change every 7 years just like you skin and hair.  I don't know if that is actually true or not, but I have definitely noticed my taste buds have changed since I was 7 years old. ;) Now I love brussels sprouts, and we eat them pretty regularly in our house.  I have a feeling that, while the brussels sprout can be a strong tasting veggie, it is often time the cooking of it that does it no justice.  Therefore, my day's work today consists of sharing a very simple yet delicious way to cook brussels sprouts so that maybe you will actually enjoy them.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Brussels Sprouts, washed, stemmed (if needed), and halved
4 Tbs Olive Oil, divided
3 Tbs Balsamic (more or less to taste)
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Wash the brussels sprouts and remove outer leaves that may look dried out or browned.  Make sure the stem of the sprout is cut close so that you don't have to eat the hard stem (or spit it out).

Cut each brussels sprout into 2 halves (so that the base of the stem is halved - if you cut it crosswise, the sprout will fall apart).  Put 1-2 Tbs of olive oil into a frying pan or skillet and heat on med-high until oil is hot.  Place the halves of the brussel sprouts cut-side down and allow them to brown.

Some of my brussels sprouts I like to get crispy and dark, while others just get a quick sear - I like to keep it varied.  Do not worry about cooking the sprouts all the way through - they have yet to be roasted in the oven!
Once the brussels sprouts are seared or browned to your liking, place them on a (foil-lined!) baking sheet, sprinkle with the remaining olive oil and the salt and pepper, and place them in the oven.  Let them roast, tossing them once or twice, for about 20 minutes, until they are softened and able to be pierced easily with a fork.

Once they are roasted, sprinkle the balsamic on them and toss.  Put them back in the oven for another 5 minutes or so, so that they have time to marinate in the balsamic, which will reduce a bit as it heats.  Remove from the oven, and add more balsamic to taste.

Serve as a side dish with pretty much anything. I served mine (this time) with a BBQ tofu sandwich and mashed potatoes.

Enjoi!

Stealing Recipes from the Italian Islands - Sicilian-Style Cauliflower with Whole Wheat Pasta

After coming back from Italy, I was curious to see what actual recipes I could find online that seemed legitimately Italian. Kevin was asking for some "real Italian" one day, so I set about searching and researching various vegetarian-friendly recipes that could possibly emulate some of the cuisine we had in Italy. Surprisingly enough, most of the recipes were the basic Italian-American fare we have all come to know and love; yet I wanted something different. Something that wasn't the basic spaghetti sauce I normally make (which I love, mind you - it was the first meal I ever cooked by myself, at the ripe age of 9). In my search, I did come across some interesting recipes for said spaghetti sauce that entailed simply tomatoes, meat, basil, and a whole heck of a lot of butter - something I've never added to my own sauce, but am now somewhat interested in trying (though a bit hesitant, as it seems like a lot of unneeded extra fat).
However, I did happen to find a few variations of a Sicilian pasta with cauliflower and raisins that sounded interesting.  Granted, Kevin and I did not make it to Sicily or any other southern region of Italy, but what the heck?

I ended up (somewhat) following a recipe from Food Network, as I had most of the ingredients on hand, and overall it seemed relatively simple. Here is the recipe with my revisions.

Sicilian-Style Cauliflower with Whole Wheat Pasta

Kosher salt, as needed, plus 2 teaspoons
1 pound whole-wheat penne
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
i head cauliflower
1 large shallot, sliced into thin rings
2 cloves garlic, smashed
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
6 tablespoons golden raisins
2 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoon capers
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano (and lets be honest, I used a lot more than this to top it off)

Boil the penne until al dente and put in a large pasta dish.
Meanwhile, mix the cauliflower, shallots, and garlic with 2-3 Tbs olive oil on a large foil lined baking sheet, and stick it in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. Stir once or twice so that the cauliflower browns a bit but the shallots and garlic don't burn.  In a large saucepan or skillet, put the cauliflower, remaining oil, 2 teaspoons salt, water, vinegar, raisins, honey, capers, thyme, bay leaf, fennel seeds, and season with black pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until cauliflower is fork tender, about 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the pine nuts and parsley.
Toss vegetables and pasta together along with the pecorino. Drizzle with additional olive oil, if desired. Serve immediately,adding more cheese at the table if you are like me and always want more cheese.

This was actually pretty good.  All the different flavors - the capers, golden raisins, thyme, fennel - all came together.  It was certainly not "sauce-y" like Kevin generally likes, but overall it was different and yummy.  I served it with roasted green beans fresh from the CSA and focaccia bread. 
Enjoi!

Gotta Get Those Leafy Greens (then massage them)! - Kale Salad

Kale is a fantastic green, but it took me a while to figure out how to cook it, besides maybe throwing it in some soup or making kale chips (which I still definitely continue to do).  But it's perhaps only been in the last year that I started expanding my kale recipe repertoire.

In the last year, though, I have learned a few things, one of them being that I don't like having to chop wet greens of any type.  Unfortunately, there aren't many recipes that call for an entire leaf of kale or other green, nor do many call for dirty greens.  So I guess I'll have to get over that one. Another thing I learned is that I prefer raw kale in a salad, but only if it has been massaged.  Yes, I said massaged.  Kale is a tough leaf, but just like anyone, it relaxes after a good massage.  This makes it more manageable to eat because it breaks down some of that toughness (almost so that it seems as if it's been blanched or steamed), but keeps all those glorious flavors and nutrients it has for us.
One of Kevin's favorite recipes - and mine, for which a large portion is due to the fact that it is so.damn.easy - is a simple raw kale salad.  It can go with a vast majority of main dishes, but definitely provides good flavor, and again, is great for you. I came up with this after eating the kale dish at Whole Foods, but did not want to steam the kale.  After looking online for a good hour or so and comparing other people's recipes and ideas, I went for straightforward and simple, with a massage.

Kale Salad with Sesame and Tamari

1 bunch kale, destemmed and chopped (this may look like alot, but it'll relax after it's massage)
3Tbs olive oil
1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
3 Tbs sesame seeds, toasted
red pepper flakes, to taste

Wash and pat-dry the kale, then de-stem and chop into bite sized pieces, put into a large bowl and set aside.   In a small bowl, whisk the oil, tamari, ginger, and garlic together.  Pour over the kale, and proceed to massage the kale.  You do this by basically kneading the leaves in the bowl with your hands, covering each piece with the dressing and rubbing it into the leaves.

Put the sesame seeds in a skillet over medium heat for a few minutes, until you can smell the toastiness. Remove from the heat, and add to the kale salad.  Sprinkle some red pepper flakes over the salad and mix again.

I like to let the salad marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before eating. That way all the flavors come together.
Enjoi!

A Cozy Soup for a Cozy Day - Dutch Onion Potato Soup

I'm not actually a huge "soup person", but there are certain soups and certain recipes that I can get behind, especially in the Fall/Winter, when I just want to curl up on my couch with a big quilt and a yummy dinner.  One of my favorites since I was a child was Dutch Onion Potato Soup.  It's warm and cheesy, and has a very distinct fall flavor to it (due in part to the beer, I assume).  I made it for Kevin the other day, and we were able to finish the entire pot in 2 days....normally I end up freezing soup, but I did not want to do that with this one because of the cheese - I wasn't sure how it would turn out frozen.  So it was a good thing that this soup hit the spot for the two of us this week and we were able to finish it off quickly. 

Dutch Onion Potato Soup

1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. oil
1 1/2 - 2 c. sliced (or chopped) onion
1/4 c. flour
2 1/2 c. broth
2 c. water
1 1/2 c. (12 oz.) beer
4 c. diced potato
2 c. grated cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Saute onions in butter and oil until onions are soft and golden brown, stirring often.

Sprinkle flour over onions and stir; continue cooking or 1-2 minutes.  Slowly add broth, water, and beer; stir and bring to boiling over high heat, stirring occasionally.
This is also when, if you're me, you open another bottle of beer specifically for yourself as you cook. 

The type of beer you use is entirely up to you and your tastes.  This time I used a pumpkin beer and it turned out really well - you could taste the flavor without it being overpowering.

Add diced potatoes to boiling liquid mixture.  Cover and reduce heat to low.  Simmer 35-40 minutes, until potatoes are very tender.
Mash potatoes into broth, if desired.  Remove from heat and add cheese and pepper.  Reheat briefly to serve.  Do not boil!  Serves 4.

Don't judge me for the horrible presentation - I forgot to take a picture of the finished soup, so this is the leftovers for lunch the next day.

Enjoi!

Tomatoes Out Our Ears - Baked Tomatoes

Fall is here!  I love this time of year - it's my favorite season, and the chilly morning air, sweaters and boots, harvest veggies, and smell of campfire make it AWESOME.  It is also the end of summer, where my tomato plants no longer stand tall, but are bent over, heavy with fruit that I am not sure will make it to ripen or not. So we have been picking them like crazy, and everyone else seems to have the same idea.  We had some friends give us a huge crate of them, and of course, the CSA basket is always full of them each week.  I have canned spaghetti sauce and salsa, made a million salads, caprese pasta, and we STILL have tomatoes coming out of our ears.
Last night I made Baked Tomatoes, which is the easiest possible side dish to make, yet brings out the amazing flavor of a good tomato. It also goes well with pretty much anything.

Baked Tomatoes:
It does not matter how many tomatoes you use, so take your pick.  I normally eat one half or one full tomato during a meal; Kevin can eat up to 2 full tomatoes himself.  I made 3 tomatoes last night (6 halves).

Tomatoes
1 tsp Olive Oil per tomato
pinch of Basil (fresh or dried) per tomato
1 Tbs Parmesan Cheese, grated (optional) per tomato
Salt & Pepper

Simply slice your tomatoes in half horizontally (so there is a top half and a bottom half).  There is no need to core them, just wash and cut.  Put the tomato halves in a baking dish, and pour the olive oil over the tomato halves.  Sprinkle with basil, salt and pepper to taste.  If you are using parmesan (I did not last night because we didn't have any, but I do many times because everything is better with cheese), sprinkle that on top as well.  Bake the tomatoes for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees.
Enjoi!

Future Pasta (i.e. My Favorite Meal of All Time)

I do not know how Future Pasta got its name - I only know that it was from a conversation between an old friend and myself years ago - but basically, it's a caprese pasta and it is my favorite.meal.ever.
This pasta is simple, filling, and delicious.  It is my favorite meal when paired with roasted asparagus and some garlic bread (hello, carbs!).  I can eat an entire bowl of this and will go back for seconds and many times, thirds.  I have not quite figured out what makes this so addictive to me, but it happens, every time.  Please don't judge.

Future Pasta:
1 lb. penne or other short pasta
1 12 oz. container cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (I used a mix of grape tomatoes from our CSA box)
2 cups fresh mozzarella (I like using the pearl sized ones so I don't have to cut it up)
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped*
zest and juice of one lemon
salt & pepper to taste

Then mix it all up.  Technically, I like to make a dressing of sorts with the olive oil, balsamic, lemon, and salt/pepper first, then add the tomatoes and mozzarella.

I let it all marinate together until my pasta is cooked, drained, and rinsed, then add that in and mix it up.  This can be eaten at any temperature and will be delicious no matter what.

*Tip: When chopping fresh basil, I have found that the easiest technique for me is the following:

Wash and pat dry the basil leaves.

Stack the leaves on top of each other, and roll them to make a sort of basil "tube".

Slice the basil tube into small strips, then slice the other way.

This enables you to get uniform pieces, and only have to chop once, rather than each leaf at a time.

On Water...Venice

Finally, the last post on Italy (just a few months later...) - our last stop, and the place we voted most "liveable" that we visited. Kevin and I both fell in love with the mindset of Venice, along with the canals, bridges, and narrow side-walked streets.

Sure, everyone can conjure up images of the canals and gondolas, or St. Mark's Square that Venice is known for, but being there made us realize what a different city Venice is from any other.  Being on the water (it's actually 6 islands connected by small foot bridges), means there are no cars or trucks or mopeds anywhere, which leaves the city quieter than most others. It also means that walking is the only form of transportation, and the Venetians have turned it into an art system, where there are specific rules (stay to the right, single file when people are approaching from the opposite direction).  You realize that when you take your trash out each week on trash day, a barge will be parked near the city-island, from which smaller boats will tour the canals, pausing to park and unload the trash collectors, who will then push large carts through the narrow streets, picking up each household's waste.
We also saw a funeral one day while walking the streets.  We watched as the procession made their way through the square to a church.  Later, we stood next to a grieving widow on the water bus and watched a private speed boat carry the coffin across the water. The bus stops at the cemetery, a completely separate island walled off from the surrounding water before making its way to Murano and dropping off all the tourists.
A lot more effort is put into each task or duty in Venice, the things we so easily take for granted here in the States.
We had some pretty good food in Venice too.

Kevin definitely enjoyed some seafood, and even took some risks with new things, such as octopus head (see picture below).

 

I had my favorite pizza of our entire Italy trip while perusing the glass shops in Murano.

And we had our absolute, hands-down, favorite meal ever on our first night in Venice, not because of the food so much as the company.  We went to a small restaurant pointed out to us by a local (we were completely lost and could not find our location on the map, so we asked for help and ended up getting a quick tour of one area of the city, along with a few restaurant recommendations).  We were seated outside at a small table and proceeded to order.  After putting in our order, a group of 8 was seated at the very close tables next to us.  My first thought was to try to move our table over to give them a bit more room.  As I attempted to pull our table and my chair over, the woman closest to me turned and said in a very French accent, "No, no, it is fine!".  I smiled at her and turned back towards my husband and our own conversation.  As Kevin and I chatted, we wondered if the group had actually thought of us moving over as an insult rather than an attempt to be polite.  We waited for our (Liter of) wine, and watched as the large carafe was delivered to the group, rather than us.  They looked surprised, as they had not ordered yet, so we mentioned it may be ours. They laughed, and we offered it to them (they politely declined).  It appeared that only one of the women spoke only a bit of English, and I only have my 4 years of high school French, but over that meal, we had amazing conversation. The group of 8 lived in Northern France, and consisted of 4 couples. Over many many drinks, we laughed and attempted to translate each other for over 3 hours.  At one point, hot whiskey drinks of some sort were ordered, and when they came out, proved to be a disappointment to one of the men, a hospital chef.  He walked to the back of the restaurant to speak to the bar tender, and when we looked over again, he was behind the bar showing the bar tender how to make the drink correctly.  The restaurant closed and we still talked and laughed.  One of the women bought me a rose from the street sellers, and made a toast, saying in her own words "Because of wine being delivered to the wrong table, we have made new friends from other places".  It was my favorite night because of that table next to us.

I loved Venice.  Of all the cities we visited, Positano was the most beautiful, Florence the most art-filled and historic, but Venice left a lasting impression on us, one that Kevin and I both decided was the reason we would be most able to live in that watery city.

Mio Dio, Firenze!

Florence has been my Holy Grail of travels since I was about 6 years old.  Something about seeing the pictures of medieval streets, hearing about the Duomo, and of course, the David in the Accademia has called to me...Such history and beauty.  Florence certainly delivered all of that to us, and so much more.  My two favorite things about the city were the Ponte Vecchio, which made me feel as if I were in medieval times just by walking across it, and the age-old towns scattered throughout Tuscany that we visited while there.  Oh, and Michelangelo's four Unfinished Slaves, housed in the same corridor as the David sculpture, but don't get as much recognition.  I had not heard much of these sculptures before seeing them, but was enthralled by the fact that while named Unfinished, Michelangelo seemed to have purposely made them look unfinished...meaning, perhaps they ARE finished...
However, Kevin and I were not so impressed by the food in Florence.  While we had a lot of wonderful wines (and brought a few Chianti's home with us from the Tuscan vineyards), we did not seem to find any amazing food there.  Good, but not great. Maybe we just went to the wrong places, I don't know.
There was, however, incredible shopping in Florence.  Yes, I did purchase a Florentine leather handbag, which I was quite excited about.  I was also excited about the shoes there, though I did not buy any (somehow).

A wall of shoes outside a shop in Florence.

View from the walls of Monteriggioni, a super tiny Tuscan village.

Grape vines from a vineyard in the Chianti region.

View of Tuscan hills from atop the village of San Gimignano

Kevin sat in with the jazz band playing in our favored restaurant in Florence, the Golden View.

What is left of my vegetable pasta and Kevin's.....what else?....gnocchi.

A close of of my vegetable pasta and all it's parmesan glory.

Happy Hour in Florence consisted of these orange drinks which I am still not entirely sure what they contain.  I know there is Prosecco in there, and I know they were delicious.  

A view of Ponte Vecchio from the next bridge up, the bridge with the four seasons at each corner.

Kevin also found a street band to sit in with in Siena.  Apparently they made A LOT of Euro.

Ohhhh Positano!

Positano was our second stop on our honeymoon, and is perhaps the most wonderful place on earth.  It was so. incredibly. beautiful.  I cannot put into words, or even show with pictures, my love for the Amalfi Coast.  It was our longest stay (4 nights), and we left wishing it were longer.




View from our fantastic hotel room

One night we were at the square on the water drinking a glass of wine, and there was an old Italian woman fishing with just a hook and a line - no pole, net, or anything else.  Kevin started to try to speak with her, and in the very few English words she knew and lots of hand motions, she was able to tell us that yes, she ate what she caught, and she was normally able to catch enough for the next day or two.  She opened a plastic grocery bag and showed us a fish and a sea anemone.  She quietly walked up and down the length of the square, casting out her simple hook and line with an amazingly strong arm.  At one point she paused, looked over at us, and pointed out to the water. "Barricuda", she said simply, pulling her line in so it wouldn't be cut by the fish's sharp teeth.  We looked past her pointing finger, and saw a very large, dark fish (apparently barricuda's in Italy are dark brown, not silvery blue like those in South America) prowling through the water.  It made me shiver.  We saw another (or maybe the same), some time later. As I had drunk a few glasses of wine, this resulted in me dancing and shimmying while singing Heart's Barricuda.


Kevin (not a barricuda) swimming in the sea

Obviously, this was the place for Kevin to get some amazing seafood.  I was perfectly content to fill up on pasta, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and, of course, lots of wine. One memorable meal we had was at La Tagliata, a restaurant recommended by our driver on our way to Positano.  A shuttle picked us up at our hotel and took us and about a dozen others, up the mountain on some very narrow and rickety roads.  Looking out the window of the shuttle, it looks like you are flying off the cliff - quite exhilarating! When we got to the restaurant, we walked in and were greeted by Pepe, and given a little table along the windows, which overlooked the cliffs and the sea.  It was beautiful.  The restaurant was family-style, so everyone was served the same thing.  We ordered a bottle of white wine, and were then tempted with about a dozen small plates of appetizers, including caprese salad, a zucchini rice salad, bruschetta, sauteed spinach, peas, cheeses, and so much more.  It was so good, and I am quite sure I could have filled up on these things alone.  But then we were served a salad, and after that, four types of pasta, and then Kevin got a whole platter of meat to himself.  The meal was finished with a couple types of desserts (the only one I recognized was tiriamisu), and limoncello, which originated on the Amalfi Coast (and let me tell you, the lemons there were as big as your head!).

Pepe, the waiter (and son of the Owners/cooks) at La Tagliata

The last night we were in Positano, we ate at a restaurant, Buca di Bacco, that was recommended to us by our waiter in Rome.  This is where Kevin ate multiple sorts of seafood.  In my opinion, it was pretty gross and I was unable to look at it, but he said the seafood platter was delicious.  As it was our last night in Positano, we splurged and ordered more food than we really needed.  I had eggplant croquettes, which were delicious, and Kevin ordered fried meat ravioli as our appetizers.  I ate a lot of bread that night, and also fell in love with Italian "pretzels", while Kevin had the seafood platter.  I also ordered my spaghetti pomodoro (yes, again!), and Kevin ordered gnocchi (yes, again! - what can I say, we know what we like!).




Eggplant croquettes

Ahh, the seafood platter - anchovies, calamari, a small catfish (whole), and much more

More seafood, blech

Bread and "pretzels"

Fried Ravioli

Kevin's gnocchi

Spaghetti pomodoro, my favorite

A super cute cappuccino

The meal was delicious and ended with super-cute cappuccinos, but overall, I will remember Positano for it's breathtaking views from every direction, lemons as big as your head (and the scent of them everywhere), perfectly clear blue water, and very happy people.  It was the best four days of my life.