Christmas Salad

I first ate this beautiful salad at a women's Christmas brunch at church & I was blown away. It was like a bruschetta, served on toasted baguettes..

Yummo. The combo of avocado, orange, pomegranate, cilantro..amazing flavor & a totally beautiful sight. 

This Christmas, I made a salad version for our family Christmas dinner & it was a keeper for sure.... 

First, begin with...

Orange vinaigrette: 

3T olive oil

1T Juice from an orange

3/4 t dijon

1 tsp honey

Kosher salt (good pinch)

Fresh cracked pepper

Next, prepare the other ingredients to toss in...

2 heads of Romaine lettuce

1 pomegranate, slice in half. Hammer back of pomegranate to drop seeds out. Be careful of bright, staining juice. Rinse seeds.

2 Avocados, diced

1/3 Cilantro bundle, chopped

1-2 Cutie Clementines, peeled & diced, 1/2 mixed into vinaigrette

1 small block of Gouda (4 oz.), diced. Any other mild, creamy, white cheese will do too.

Toss just minutes before...and enjoy! 

Balsamic Dressing

serving 8

 

I love to make my balsamic dressing with 2 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. You whisk it in a bowl, make it in a blender, mini chopper or shake in a jar. 

4 Tb Olive Oil

2 Tb Balsamic Vinegar

1 Tb Honey

1 (heeping) tsp Dijon Mustard

1 Garlic clove

Salt & Pepper 

Cut garlic clove in half & rub the bottom & sides of the bowl you're serving the salad.

Add the vinegar, honey & mustard to the bowl & whisk vigorously. Slowly add the oil & whisk vigorously as the dressing emulsifies.  

Add mixed greens to the dressing & toss 

Topped with freshly crumbled blue cheese, red onion slices (rinsed in cold water takes away the fire in raw onion) sliced apples, toasted almonds...And across the top, hit it with a little more fresh cracked pepper & kosher salt.

Smokey Sweet Potato Souffle by Claire Robinson (food network)

My sister made this for our Christmas dinner this year & it instantly is a staple side now. It is the most perfect fluffy, spicy from the chipotles, crunchy from the bacon, sweet from the potatoes. 

Simply wonderful....

INGREDIENTS:

•                5 pounds sweet potatoes, pricked with a knife

•                1 pound sliced bacon

•                1 chipotle in adobo, chopped, plus 2 teaspoons adobo sauce

•                1/4 cup Grade B maple syrup

•                5 eggs, separated

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper  

(Find complete recipe here)

Fresh Brothy Pinto Beans

Ingredients:

3 C dry pinto beans

½ Onion chopped

2 garlic cloves

a couple good shakes of cumin

1 can chicken broth, then water. Enough water to cover the beans by 4 inches

1 T of bacon fat or pork lard (optional)

Sort through dry beans on a cookie sheet, 1 C at a time. 

Take out all broken beans & rocks. 

Rinse in a strainer and place in the slow cooker. 

Continue until you’ve sorted and rinsed all of the beans. Fill the pot with enough water that the beans are covered by 4 inches. Add all the other ingredients.

Cook in the slow cooker on high for 6 hours. 1 hour before, add a generous pinch of salt at least a tablespoon. Check again at the end for seasoning & add more salt if you need it.

Top with Cotija cheese (aged, crumbly, white Mexican cheese found near Mexican cheeses, sometimes by gourmet cheeses)

Mexican Tomato Rice [Auntie Gale's]

I love how Auntie cooks! There's a whole lot of "feel" & not as much rules & measuring. It fits perfectly with me & this rice has always turned out perfectly every time. It's more about the "how" & less about the exact ingredients. If you only have 1 can of either kind of tomatoes, just use that..if you don't have stock, use water & season well. If you have just a little bit of onion left, use what you've got. My father in law & aunt Tina include cumin in their's & it's great.

Ingredients:

2 Mounds of Med. Grain Rice

1/3 Onion (chopped)

2-3 T Oil (canola or vegetable)

1/2 can Diced Tomatoes

1/2 can Tomato Sauce

Chicken Stock

Begin by pouring 2 mounds of rice (about 1 3/4 Cups)

Brown the rice & onion in the oil until toasty brown. 

Quickly, add the tomato sauce & chicken stock until it stops bubbling

Stir to be sure nothing is sticking until liquid comes to a simmer

Season with salt [good dash of kosher]

Reduce heat to low [gentle simmer]

Cover & cook for 22 min.

Rice should be firm with no liquid on top

at this point you can add a cup of frozen peas to the top, do not fluff. Return the lid & let steam for 5.

Keeping covered...Remove from heat, for 5 min

Fluff & serve