Category: recipes

Springtime White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies with Lemon Glaze

It’s the long haul between Christmas time and Spring here, so I thought I’d make some Springtime cookies that are a bit reminiscent of Christmas.

These white chocolate cranberry gems are soft in the center with a crusty initial bite and then finished with lemon glaze for a perfect sweet zing.

Half proper shortbread cookie, half scone, these melt-in-your-mouth cookies will brighten your day.

I can feel it now – Spring is on the way!

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Springtime White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies with Lemon Glaze

Part proper shortbread cookie, part biscuit, these soft and slightly crumbly cookies are reminiscent of Christmas but finished with lemon glaze to remind us that Spring is on the way!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Servings 24 cookies

Equipment

  • 2 large mixing bowls
  • 1 sheet pan
  • Rolling Pin
  • cookie cutters 2 inch diameter

Ingredients

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg large
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup milk I use 1/8 cup heavy cream mixed with 1/8 cup water
  • 3 1/2 cups flour all purpose
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips

For Lemon Icing

  • 2 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 2 lemons juiced
  • zest of one lemon

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • Whisk together sugar, egg, vanilla extract, canola oil, and milk.
  • In separate bowl, mix together 3 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  • Make a well in center of flour mixture and pour liquid ingredients into center.
  • Stir to combine until a slightly crumbly dough forms.
  • Add cranberries and white chocolate chips. Stir until cranberries and chips are just mixed throughout.
  • Form dough into a smooth ball, adding more milk as needed.
  • Place dough onto a well-floured surface and roll out until dough is 3/4 inch in thickness.
  • Dip cookie cutter into flour to ensure cutter doesn't stick and then cut dough into cookies.
  • Place cookies onto sheet pan and bake for 10-12 minutes until just golden on sides and bottom. While cookies are baking, make icing.

For Lemon Icing

  • In a small bowl combine confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, and zest. Whisk until smooth.
  • Once cookies are cooled, glaze with lemon icing and enjoy!

Best Teriyaki Red Cherry Glazed Pork Ribs

I promise this is one of the best pork dishes you will ever taste.

Umami from the soy, sweetness from the sugar, a bit of zing from the ginger, and then extra sweet-bitter redness from the cherries make this melt-in-your-mouth pork out of this world.

My favorite Sunday dinner dish, I just remade this with fresh red cherries, which gave the meat a richer, redder flavor and shine.

If you like glazed meat, try this easy dish. You may definitely omit the cherries, but I found them again this time of year, and they added an amazing depth of sweet flavor.

A perfect Sunday dinner to start off the New Year 2022, I served this with buttered baked yams and a fresh green salad.

Enjoy and Happy New Year!

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Teriyaki Red Cherry Glazed Pork Ribs

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 6 country pork ribs
  • 1 pound fresh red cherries pitted and split in half
  • 12 tbsp soy sauce divided
  • 10 tbsp white sugar divided
  • 1 1 inch piece fresh ginger root peeled and grated
  • 2 1/2 cups beef broth divided
  • 4 scallions diced
  • 1/2 tsp sesame seeds

Instructions

  • To each of two heavy-bottomed skillets add 6 tbsp soy sauce and 5 tbsp sugar
  • Heat over low and dissolve sugar
  • Add half of the ginger, 1/2 of the cherries, and top with 3 pork ribs
  • Top each pan with enough beef broth to nearly submerge ribs, adding water as needed to ensure ribs are nearly submerged
  • Heat each pan of ribs to boiling, then reduce heat and cover
  • Simmer on low for one and 1/2 hours
  • Remove lids and skim cherries which should be floating on top of simmered liquid. Leave ribs in pans, turning once
  • Place cherries in a blender along with 1/2 cup of liquid from one pan and blend until smooth
  • Pour 1/2 of cherry liquid emulsion into each pan, increase heat to medium, and cook with remaining liquid about 30 minutes
  • Liquid will thicken and become sticky
  • As sauce thickens, turn ribs several times to coat with glaze
  • Once sauce is completely sticky and fully coating ribs, remove ribs to platter
  • Sprinkle with diced fresh diced scallions and sesame seeds as desired

Red Beet, Greens, and Orange Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette

This beautiful salad is a perfect start to any meal. Fresh and bursting with flavor and color, it is not your typical green salad.

I love fresh beets. Sometimes they do sit a while in the fridge as I forget just how magical they are. This is one of those recipes that you can rely on to transform that forgotten root into one of the best versions of beets ever!

I made this salad to accompany prime rib this Christmas, and there was not one bite left of it when we finished.

You can find beets, oranges, and greens year-round now, so if you want a lot of color and freshness to start any meal, this is a great bet!

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Red beet, greens, and orange salad with Dijon vinaigrette

A colorful, savory, and sweet salad bursting with flavor of roasted beet, fresh greens, and oranges
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 4 whole red beets fresh
  • 2 oranges medium to large
  • 2 cups romaine lettuce torn into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 cup radicchio torn into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1/3 cup red onion diced

Dijon Vinaigrette

  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1/4 cup white balsamic or white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup olive oil extra virgin
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees
  • Remove beet greens and discard (or save for another use)
  • Wrap beets individually in aluminum foil
  • Roast in oven, on sheet pan, for one hour, until beets are tender
  • Meanwhile, peel oranges and cut into 1/2-inch segments
  • Toss romaine, radicchio, diced red onion, and orange segments in a large salad bowl
  • Once beets are roasted, remove from oven and let cool – about 10 minutes
  • Remove beets from foil and, running under cool water, use your fingers to remove skins from beets. Skin should easily slide off if beets are thoroughly cooked
  • Dice beets into 1/2-inch segments and toss with greens and oranges
  • Drizzle salad with Dijon vinaigrette and toss well

Bacon-and-Egg Greens Salad with Avocado, Radicchio, Grapes and Vinaigrette

This is a ridiculously easy, healthy, and hearty salad perfect for lunch or a light dinner served along with soup or a crusty bread.

I made this during a recent overnight camping adventure – see my post “On Conquering Fears II: Overnight Camping.” https://on-conquering-fears-ii-overnight-camping

Although it was just me and my constant companion puppy, this salad was a hit!

But truly, I have made this salad many times, both at home and elsewhere, as it is so easy and my family loves it.

A friend recommended adding finely chopped red onion and bleu cheese, which I think is an excellent idea.

You can also add walnuts or pecans – candied or roasted, even plain! Or dried cranberries, diced apple, or other cheese such as feta or goat cheese.

You won’t catch me making anything with goat cheese though. It’s one of those taste aversions I developed from a childhood memory.

Suffice to say, when I attended a rather weird private school in the high mountains of New Mexico we were served goat’s milk with every lunch. Yuck!

But on to the yummy stuff! Here is the recipe.

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Bacon-and-Egg Greens Salad with Radicchio, Grapes, and Vinaigrette

This easy, healthy, and hearty salad is perfect for lunch or a light dinner served with soup or a crusty baguette.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

For the Salad

  • 4 slices bacon cooked until crisp and rough chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 4 eggs hard boiled and chopped into 1/2-inch segments
  • 1 ripe avocado diced
  • 2 cups fresh salad greens roughly torn into 1-inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup radicchio roughly torn
  • 20 seedless red grapes sliced in half

For the Vinaigrette

  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp local honey
  • 1/4 cup rice wine or white balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

  • Chop salad ingredients roughly and add to large salad bowl, taking care not to damage eggs
  • Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss well

Enjoy and let me know what you decide to add to this salad!

Fiery Cherry & Pinon Nut Salad with Charred Scallion Vinaigrette

Warm up your holidays with this sexy, sweet, and spicy cherry salad!

Serrano and charred scallion vinaigrette add just the right amount of spice and smoke to the bed of sweet cherries you lay down to start this dish.

Creamy pinon nuts round out the flavor, along with a bit more “bite” from the scallion. Don’t skimp here – it looks like a lot of onion, but you need the spicy bite to balance out the sweetness of the cherries.

I really do love a good scallion.

Yes!

In the spirit of yearnings and yum, I give you this recipe I adapted from NY Times last year. It reflects my New Mexico roots exactly.

This dish is perfect for Christmas or any time of year, but because I can’t easily find cherries here this time of year, at least in the US, I am naming this one “Christmas in July.”

No matter the occasion, when you make this dish it will be the one that no one has ever had before!

So, in the spirit of Christmas and loving one another, I wish you Merry Christmas and happy cherry hunting!

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Fiery “Christmas in July” Cherry & Pinon Nut Salad with Serrano and Charred Scallion Vinaigrette

Prep Time 35 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds sweet cherries
  • 1 bunch scallions
  • 1/2 cup pinon nuts also called pine nuts
  • 1 – 2 serrano peppers red or green, 1 or 2 depending on size
  • 3 tbsp white balsamic or rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
  • 1/4 sea salt
  • black pepper

Instructions

  • Score each cherry with knife at seam circularly around center and slice in half
  • Using your fingers, remove cherry pits and discard
  • Place halved cherries in a large salad bowl
  • Clean and trim scallions, removing tips of green ends and white frond ends
  • Place entire bunch of scallions on cutting board and slice in half, separating green ends from white ends
  • Take white ends and slice each scallion lengthwise into very thin strips
  • Add to cherries bowl
  • Remove stem and seeds from serrano and slice thinly
  • Add to cherries bowl along with pinon nuts
  • Toss well and drizzle with vinaigrette

For the Charred Scallion Vinaigrette

  • Char green ends over stove top burner until fragrant and smoky, just blackened but not disintegrating
  • Place charred ends on board and dice finely, working knife back and forth and running knife at 45-degree angle to mash into a paste
  • Place paste into a small bowl
  • Add vinegar, stirring well to combine
  • Add olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste, whisk until smooth

Best Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb

The best ever lamb dish is here! Easy and elegant, you CAN make this!

Ever since I found the wonderful local meat shop just a few miles from our house, I have been making all varieties of fresh meats – veal milanese, osso buco, saltimboca, bison green chile stew, and now rack of lamb.

All have been the best cuts of meat I have ever tasted, but this rack of lamb was the most tender and flavorful cut of meat I’ve ever had.

My local meat market is No Bull Prime Meats at https://www.nobullprimemeats.com/

If you are ever in Albuquerque, New Mexico, go see the owner, Brett. He is a kick! And the staff are very helpful.

This recipe, adapted from Ina Garten’s classic, is very easy – even if you are no whiz in the kitchen, as I said, you can make this!

Some like to serve rack of lamb with a tzatziki (Greek garlic yogurt) sauce, but I don’t think this needs it at all.

That being said, I served this with a simple lemon and cashew rice, along with a salad.

** Cut recipe in 1/2 for 2 for an elegant date-night or super delicious two-person BFF dinner.

Enjoy!

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Best Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Resting Time 15 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 6

Equipment

  • Food Processor (optional)
  • Roasting Pan
  • Lemon Zester

Ingredients

  • 2 Racks Lamb
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil extra virgin
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Cracked Pepper
  • 1 Tbsp Rosemary fresh
  • 1 Tbsp Thyme fresh
  • 4 Tbsp Butter at room temperature
  • 1 cup White Breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 Shallot minced finely
  • 3 cloves Garlic diced finely
  • 2 tsp Lemon Zest

Instructions

  • Allow lamb to rest at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours
  • Preheat oven to 450 F
  • Place lamb fat side up in a large roasting pan
  • Rub well with olive oil, then liberally salt and pepper
  • Roast for 10 minutes
  • Meanwhile, combine herbs, breadcrumbs, butter, shallot, garlic, and lemon zest and pulse until a course and sandy in texture, set aside
  • Remove lamb from oven and press herb mixture into fat cap and sides
  • Return to oven and roast another 20 minutes
  • Remove from oven and tint lightly with foil. Rest for 15 minutes
  • Carve into 1- or 2-chop portions and serve

Veal Osso Buco

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Veal osso buco is slowly braised in red wine and herbs, resulting in fall-off-the-bone tender meat with the best sauce you have ever tasted. This is an easy date-night dinner. Veal osso buco is truly one of the most romantic dishes you can make.

I made this between work projects in about 20 minutes and then let the oven do the magic. It is equally great for weeknight and date night!

My recipe is very traditional, but I do like to blend the vegetables into a smooth braising-liquid sauce that is then reduced slightly to intensify and finish the final flavor.

While osso buco is traditionally made with veal, you can use beef, which is easier to find and a bit less expensive.

I found the best local veal in New Mexico at No Bull Prime Meats, Albuquerque, NM. https://www.nobullprimemeats.com/

No Bull has an incredible selection of locally raised and all-natural beef, veal, chicken, buffalo, and lamb, along with exotic meats (yak, alligator), seafood, and other locally sourced products (NM honey).

I don’t serve my osso buco with gremolata (green herb sauce), in osso buco alla milanese-style, but typically accompany with mashed potatoes, risotto, polenta, or even corn bread.

Veal shanks are seasoned, then dredged in flour and seared until brown.

Removing veal to a plate to rest, a mirepoix (cooked celery, carrot, onion, garlic) is made rich with tomato paste and then red wine.

Shanks are added back to pan and nearly covered with broth, heated to boiling, then placed in oven for 2 hours until fall-apart tender.

The end result is a beautiful, tender, and flavorful dish. I spooned this with just a little sauce, but you can use much more if you like!

Enjoy and let me know how you serve your osso buco!

Veal Osso Buco
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Veal Osso Buco

Veal shank slowly braised in red wine and herbs, resulting in fall-off-the-bone tender veal for easy weeknight or even date night dinner
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings 2

Equipment

  • Dutch Oven
  • Blender, either immersion or regular

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 2 veal shanks about 8 oz each
  • 3 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
  • 1 carrot peeled and chopped
  • 1 celery stalk chopped
  • 1/2 large onion chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 cup red wine dry, such as merlot or cabernet sauvignon
  • 2 cups beef broth full sodium
  • 4 sprigs thyme
  • 1 bay leaf

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325F
  • Season veal shanks lightly with salt
  • Dredge in flour, coating all surfaces
  • Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in pan until hot
  • Sear veal on both sides, about 4 minutes each; remove from pan and set aside
  • Heat remaining olive oil in pan, add carrots, celery, and onion and cook until soft and fragrant, about 4 minutes
  • Add garlic and cook for another minute, then add tomato paste and cook 2 minutes until browned
  • Deglaze pan with red wine, heating until simmering; pour in beef broth
  • Place veal shanks back into pan, along with thyme and bay leaf and adjust liquid to ensure broth is sufficient to nearly cover shanks
  • Add remaining salt and let liquid come to a boil
  • Cover and place in preheated oven; cook for 2 hours until meat is tender
  • Remove bay leaf and thyme and discard, and then remove meat to plate
  • Allow braising liquid mixture to cool slightly
  • Blend mixture with an immersion or regular blender until smooth, taking care not to burn yourself
  • Pour liquid back into Dutch oven and reduce for several minutes; adjust seasonings, adding additional salt and pepper
  • Spoon braising liquid sauce over shanks and serve over risotto, polenta, or mashed potatoes

Sweet and Spicy Honey Chile Glazed Chicken

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A sweet and spicy honey-and-chile glazed grilled chicken dish, this one is so simple, yet delicious.

The first step in making this dish is to prepare a New Mexico red chile sauce. This is a basic chile sauce that may be used in many New Mexican dishes – over enchiladas, in posole, on eggs, in burritos, over beans.

Addition of honey makes a rich glaze that, when combined with the heat of the chile and a bit of salt from broth, makes a sauce that kicks up your typical barbequed chicken.

I make this at home, on my patio, and at camp, as it requires few ingredients and is portable, especially if you make the red chile in advance.

I like to serve this with “green” (cilantro-based) or other rice and a salad with a creamy dressing – Ranch or Green Goddess. Perfect for all seasons!

Enjoy!

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Honey Red Chile Glazed Grilled Chicken

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 25 minutes
Servings 2

Ingredients

  • 1/8 cup butter may substitute oil, but it is less flavorful
  • 1/8 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/8 cup New Mexico red chile powder heat level to your liking – mild, medium, or hot
  • 1 1/2 cup beef broth
  • 1/2 cup honey locally sourced if you can find
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 pound chicken breasts, thighs, or legs boneless recommended if you want a very even grill/grillmarks, but not necessary

Instructions

  • Heat grill or coals to medium.
  • In medium skillet over medium low heat, melt butter or oil.
  • To skillet, add flour and cook until flour, stirring, until evenly and lightly browned. Do not burn.
  • Add red chile powder and continue cooking until lightly toasted.
  • Pour in beef broth, increase heat to medium, and stir well to incorporate liquid.
  • Cook until silky and slightly bubbly, about 10 minutes.
  • Stir in honey and salt to taste.
  • Remove from heat and set aside.
  • Reserve 1/2 of glaze in small bowl to serve alongside chicken.
  • If using chicken breasts, slice lengthwise so that breasts are about 1/2 inch in thickness. Place chicken on medium hot grill.
  • Grill 10 minutes and flip.
  • Baste with remaining 1/2 of honey red chile glaze and continue grilling, about 7-10 more minutes until tender to touch when pressing with finger or internal temperature registers 165F. Flip.
  • Baste up-side and grill 2 minutes, Flip.
  • Grill another 2 minutes just until glaze is lightly charred and remove chicken to plate.
  • Serve with reserved honey glaze mixture.

Miso Braised Spicy Eggplant & Noodles

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Spicy, creamy, rich and vegetarian, this miso braised eggplant dish is not your average eggplant dinner. What I love about this one is it is really hard to mess up! While there are steps involved, this recipe is not difficult and is perfect for a weeknight dinner or really, any occasion.

I know that many people just do not care for eggplant because of its earthy, slightly bitter flavor and because it can be spongy if not cooked thoroughly.

My son absolutely hates it, even after many rounds of yummy eggplant parmesan!

Having found this recipe in Bon Appetit recently, I had to beg to differ yet again, and this time, he actually ate it – all of it! I altered the toppings just a tad, with the addition of coconut.

Made with homemade squid ink Angel Hair pasta.

For those who don’t like eggplant for the above reasons, this recipe solves for both, ensuring the eggplant is richly flavored and also very tender, while also delivering the vegetable “main dish” heartiness that eggplant lends.

But if you STILL have doubts and don’t like eggplant, you may substitute zucchini. Zucchini doesn’t taste quite as “umami” in this recipe, but it will require a little less oil. I’ve made both versions and they are both good!

A final note: I love to change up the noodles used in this recipe – my favorites being homemade linguini or whole wheat spaghetti. I used homemade linguini in the featured photo, and it was outstanding!

Try this!

Spicy Miso Braised Eggplant and Noodles
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Miso Braised Spicy Eggplant and Noodles

A spicy, hearty and rich vegetarian dish adapted from Bon Appetit. This recipe adds coconut for a nutty topping and is delicious with a variety of noodles from homemade linguini to whole wheat spaghetti noodles.
Servings 2

Equipment

  • Skillet
  • Large pot
  • Small bowl

Ingredients

  • 1 one inch piece fresh ginger minced
  • 1 medium eggplant sliced 3/4 inch thick, skin intact
  • 5 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp miso paste
  • 3 tbsp Gochujang may substitute red curry paste
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 6 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 3 scallions sliced
  • 2 tbsp fresh coconut shavings

Instructions

  • Mix gochujang, miso, and 1½ cups warm water in a small bowl until blended. Set aside.
  • Boil pasta in salted water on high until al dente. Drain.
  • Heat 3 tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high (I do not recommend cast iron for this, as eggplant will stick heavily).
  • Add eggplant and sear, drizzling with another 1 to 2 tbsp. oil.
  • Season eggplant lightly with salt and cook, undisturbed, until golden brown for several minutes.
  • Turn eggplant over and continue to cook until most of the eggplant are golden and becoming tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
  • In same pan, reduce heat to medium and add remaining 1 tbsp. oil, garlic, and ginger to skillet, stirring often until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  • Add tomato paste, stir, and cook until slightly darkened, about 1 minute.
  • Stir in gochujang mixture, combining well, and return eggplant to skillet.
  • Cook, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is very tender, about 6 minutes.
  • To gochujang mixture add noodles and butter, seasoning with salt as needed.
  • Cook until sauce is thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove to plate or individual bowls.
  • Scatter noodles with scallions, coconut, and peanuts.