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Butternut Squash and Kale

I have never met a green I didn’t like, however I will admit, I was late to the kale train. But now, I love it so much, I try to find ways to incorporate it into dishes. You may find kale to be bitter and that is not unusual, but there is a secret to toning down the bitterness- massage the greens. Yes, that is not a misprint and I know you aren’t suppose to play with your food, but in this case it works magic. Throw your cleaned and cut kale greens into a bowl and squeeze them, you can be rough with them, they can take it.

And yes, kale in the bag, already cut, is perfectly fine. I use the bags when I can find them. Just be sure and wash them, as sometimes greens can be a bit sandy.

My mom lives across the street and recently she brought me a huge bag of dried cranberries (she did not like them). So I have been throwing them into salads and whatever else I can think of. They really work in this dish and when you saute them for a minute or so, they plump a little and add a burst of sweetness that goes well with the other vegetables.

Be careful when cutting the butternut squash. Some people like to microwave it a minute or two before slicing to make it easier. I just try to break it down into smaller sections before I remove the skin. You can now buy bags of butternut squash already cubed. Those will work just fine to roast.

This is one of the prettiest side dishes I have made. And I am certain it will make its way onto my Thanksgiving table this year.

I paired this dinner with a bottle of Vennstone, a dry pinot noir by Joe Wagner. It is smooth, low tannins with hints of cherry. It is an excellent wine if you love dry, which I do. At $20 a bottle, it is a great wine for the price. It drinks like a much more expensive bottle. I like the heavy cabs and my husband likes the grapey merlots. We meet in the middle often with a pinot noir. And I am beginning to prefer them!

It has a Vivino rating of 4.1. Anything 4 and over is excellent. I have used the Vivino wine rating app for years and it is a great way to find out what you like and find more bottles you like. I walk around the liquor store scanning bottles and reading details.

Butternut Squash and Kale


Ingredients


1 butternut squash, cut into small cubes
8 oz chopped kale (1/2 bag)
1 red onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup dried cranberries
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Directions


Toss the butternut squash with 2 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes at 400 degrees. Set aside.

In a pan, heat olive oil. Saute the red onions for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic for 1 minute. Add the balsamic vinegar. Toss in the kale and cranberries and cook for 1-2 minutes, until just wilted. Add salt and pepper. Toss in roasted butternut squash.


Make this recipe your own. , add walnuts or pecans, swap out the dried cranberries for dried cherries. Add some spice with cayenne pepper. You could even swap out the balsamic vinegar for maple syrup. Lots of options!

Brie with Fig Jam

There is something about warm brie combined with just about any kind of jam that makes my mouth water, especially fig jam. I would love to tell you I worked hard in the kitchen all day making jam, but that is not the case. I happened to find a jar at TJ Max for $3.99 last week and grabbed it up. I knew immediately I would end up slathering it on brie sometime soon.

I happen to have a small Lodge Cast Iron skillet that fits a wheel of brie perfectly and keeps it nice and warm. Honestly, I have never used the tiny skillet for anything else, but I love it and it serves a purpose. I use iron skillets for just about everything. I have some handed down to me from my Memaw and I have some I have purchased over the years. I suggest using a silicone handle holder because there is nothing hotter than the handle of an iron skillet. I have four or five in the drawer I use on a regular basis.

Nuts…I am not a fan of nuts in cooked, savory food. I am sure that comes from my southern upbringing. Nuts belong in pies, pecans to be exact. But if you love nuts, I would imagine some walnuts or pecans on top might strike your fancy.

I like to serve granny smith apple slices with this dish for dipping. And while I am not big into kitchen gadgets, I do have a handy apple slicer– we eat a lot of apples at our house! Pour water in a bowl, squeezed a third of a lemon into it and throw the apple slices in to soak until the brie is ready. This will prevent the apples from browning too quickly.

Tonight, I happened to have a nice, chilled bottle of Buttercream Chardonnay that worked nicely with the brie. A red would have been just as good, too!

Brie with Fig Jam


Ingredients


1 wheel of brie
3 tbsp fig jam

Directions


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Score the top of the brie. Spread jam over the top. Cook uncovered for 15- 20 minutes.


Make this recipe your own. Add different types of jam or even apple butter. Top with walnuts or pecans.

Cowboy Caviar

It is football season and my husband, Jay, loves chips and dip. He has never met a dip he didn’t love. It is game day, so I decided to throw together some snacks and toss them on the kitchen island. I have a feeling the boys will come by- fingers crossed- and maybe even a few friends. In typical fashion, I made a little something (this cowboy caviar) and purchased some things as well.

Many recipes for cowyboy caviar call for avocados and cilantro, but here is my take on it. Avocados can turn to mush, they need to be perfectly ripe and they aren’t very good left over. As for cilantro- did you know 10% of people find it tastes like soap. Turns out, they share a common smell-receptor gene cluster called OR6A2. I am in this group. So if you love it, add it. Cilantro is a hard no for me.

Many of you have asked me to link to things in the pics. I am new at this and it is hard to link some of my things, especially my Memaw’s melmac bowls from the 50’s. But as for the cute table runner, I took a chance last year on this pvc table runner. Turns out, it is one of my favorite things. It was long, and it curls on the end, so don’t expect it to hang down. I cut a piece for our bar and a piece for the island. The edges curl around the top and it wipes off very easily. So I actually got two runners out of the one purchase. When I am done, they just roll right up and I throw them in the china cabinet.

There is a cute orange and white custom glass plate with a tiny square of red in the corner. It was a wedding present to Jay and I from our friends, Franklin and Jennifer. The plate was a custom piece from Kim Currin Creations- Glassworks. The red is for Jay- he is my Alabama guy.

I have a Nora Fleming cocktail napkin holder that I am a little obsessed with- the corner mini is interchangeable-and don’t ask me how many minis I have. Cocktail napkins are my thing and I even have them organized in zip lock bags. And if you ever see the Nora Fleming Frankenstein hand mini for a reasonable amount of money- text me immediately. Of course, today I have inserted the football mini. We have a great, local store called Southern Traditions and they carry many of the Nora Fleming pieces and also the minis. I always buy local when I can.

Cowboy Caviar


Ingredients


1 can black eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, rinsed and drained
1 jalapeno, diced
1 red onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced

Dressing
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Directions


Mix dressing ingredients into a jar and shake. Mix dip ingredients in a bowl and stir in the dressing.


Make this recipe your own. Add cilantro, add the zest of the lime. Turn up the acid and add an additional lime. Toss in a cucumber. Add white beans. There are endless options to change up this recipe.

Steak Night Dinner

Today is the beginning of my birthday festivus- the two weeks surrounding my birthday. So in celebratory fashion, I have invited our friends, Michael and Clay, over for dinner, along with my mom and our son, Seth. And yes, we love all our kids, however Tyler and Logan live in Knoxville so we will celebrate with them soon. That is the fabulousness of birthday festivus.

I didn’t really plan to have a dinner party, but a trip to Publix Saturday changed the course. Thick, bone in ribeye steaks were on sale-like half price on sale. And that is a great reason to have friends and family over. It is a dreary, rainy day today, but I am hoping the sun will come out long enough to toss them on the grill.

I love to have friends over and one thing I have learned is not to make dinner too complicated. People like good, simple things. And it is okay to buy some premade things to add to the dinner as well.

First thing this morning, I placed the steaks into a pan and poured Allegro Marinade over the top. I will flip the steaks a few times during the day to make certain both sides soak up the marinade. I leave the steaks in the pan on the counter throughout the day. I want to make certain these thick steaks are room temperature all the way through before we place them on the grill. I know this will be controversial, however I have been doing this for years with great results.

Michael is bringing a potato dish and I am going to make some broccolini tossed in olive oil and garlic, with a splash of lemon at the end. I have Ree Drummond’s Flourless Chocolate Cake in the oven (I am gluten sensitive and this cake is wonderful). I will throw together a small cheese board and open a bottle of red about 30 minutes before everyone arrives. And I will also open a really sweet white for Clay. I don’t fuss about Clay’s sweet white wine preference because he is my only friend that will drink Port with me. And for that, I am grateful.

I am not a fancy girl. I will set the table with some chargers and my white plates I have had for ages. I just think food looks better on a white plate. And I will add some cloth napkins (I have several patterns, I absolutely love cloth napkins). My silverware may or may not match- some things are just not that important to me. The most important thing are those seated around the table.

AFTER DINNER UPDATE: The cheeseboard started out as a disaster. The Brie I was going to use was expired and yes, it tasted bad. I had a block of white sharp cheddar in the back of fridge. I sliced it up and then it hit me… my friend Traci had gifted me some homemade strawberry jam and so I plopped it on the board along with some thin slices of jalapeno. I was in such a hurry, I threw the jalapeno slices into the jar lid, which in the end was kind of cute. So what started as a cheeseboard fiasco ended up being the perfect board of sweet, savory, spicy. I could have made a meal out of just that. The steaks were wonderful…I wish I would have gotten a picture of the pink/reddish center that I love so much. How in the world can you write a food blog and not get a picture of the inside of the perfectly cooked steak?

I highly recommend using a meat thermometer. After years of cooking steaks to perfection, Jay can do it in his sleep and can tell the temp of the steaks just by touch. This is a learned practice that takes lots of experience, so purchase a digital meat thermometer if you are a beginner. Also- I have been using a meat thermometer for 20 years and I still don’t really know how to program one. I just check it often to see how things are coming along. So, you don’t have to be tech savvy to use one.

Michael and Clay arrived tonight with a 2017 bottle of Silver Oak Cabernet. Silver Oak is one of my first loves and Jay and I spent half a day in 2018, with Michael and Clay, taking a chef’s tour of their winery. I made a picture at their winery that even made their annual calendar. It is a magical place and they turn out some of the best new world wines I have ever had the pleasure of drinking. We opened another red, a bottle of Bertani Amarone della Valpolicella Classico. The two wines were very different but both were special in their own rite and were a great pairing to the thick ribeyes.

And as for the dessert- I am not a baker, however this cake is one of the best desserts I have ever made. And the fact that is it gluten free is just…icing on the cake!

Steak Night Dinner


Ingredients


5 thick cut ribeye steaks
1 bottle of Allegro marinade
lots of freshly ground black pepper

Directions


Marinate the steaks overnight or at least 6-8 hours. Make certain the steaks are at room temperature before cooking. I pull my steaks out of the fridge in the morning and set them on a counter to marinate. Preheat the grill to at least 450 degrees and sear the steaks for 3 minutes on each side, lower the heat and close the lid until the steaks reach 125 degrees. I prefer my steaks medium rare, If you like them more done, continue cooking them accordingly. Pull the steaks from the grill and let them rest for at least 10-15 minutes before serving.

HINT: The resting of the meat is just as important as the cooking of the meat. Always rest at least 10-15 minutes prior to making a cut.

Greek Cucumber Salad

This is an easy, make ahead side dish. I have found this concoction satisfies my pasta salad cravings. When I cut out gluten from my diet, the first thing I missed was pasta. Yes, today they have some good substitutes however, many of them miss the mark when it comes to making a pasta salad.

Earlier this year, I was researching food related to inflammatory responses and came across many articles with info on the Mediterranean way of eating. I began to embrace the olive oil, lemon, garlic and oregano goodness that are so popular in Mediterranean cuisine.

I have made this dish 50 times and always end up substituting or adding something. I use whatever I happen to have on hand. I have substituted chickpeas for the white beans, I have used green onions instead of red, I have even been known to add pepperoncini. One time, at the last minute I learned a few more people were coming for dinner than I had originally planned. I added an extra can of white beans and shredded a head of romaine lettuce. You can stretch it as far as needed!

I know the world is divided about feta. I personally love it, but if you don’t love it, leave it out. If you want to make this a more italian vibe, substitute parmesan for the feta. I have served this dish to feta haters, and they cleaned their plates. It just adds a good saltiness, especially when combined with the olives. Also, crumble your own feta. It is more economical and it is just better.

I have added an easy dressing recipe, but please know- I don’t always make my dressings. I love to make them, but sometimes time just doesn’t permit. Ken’s Steakhouse Simply Vinaigrette Dressings are the closest thing to homemade I have found in the grocery stores. They come in many varieties: greek, italian, olive oil and vinegar, balsamic, etc. The olive oil and vinegar or greek works best with this salad.

I love to make this with salmon, chicken or pork. Tonight I am making pork tenderloin marinated in the leftover dressing. It is a wet and dreary day, so instead of grilling the tenderloin, I am going to sear it in a cast iron skillet and pop it into a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. I am also going to whip up come Greek Lemon Potatoes.

I browsed our wine rack and found a Decoy Pinot Noir that I think will go well with the pork. This dry red will hold up well to the red wine vinegar and feta that is bold in this dish. This pinot is smooth with an almost strawberry/cherry note with a hint of spice.

Helpful hint: If you are making this dish a day ahead, leave the cherry tomatoes whole. Sometimes cut tomatoes can make a dish “watery” the next day.

Greek Salad


Ingredients


1 english cucumber, large dice
1 bell pepper diced, any color
1/2 red onion
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup black olives, marinated or brined- not canned
1 can white beans, northern or cannellini, rinsed and drained
1 lemon, halved

Dressing
1/2 cup good olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 lemon, juice and zest
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions


Mix dressing ingredients into a jar and shake. Pour as much as you like over the salad ingredients and toss. Right before serving, squeeze the halved lemon over it for a fresh burst of flavor. Any extra dressing you have will last in the fridge for a few days-it is also good for a marinade.


Make this recipe your own. Use chickpeas instead of white beans, add pasta or shredded romaine. Dice a jalapeno for some heat. The salad ingredients can all be substituted for whatever you find in your crisper drawer.

Chili

I spent the morning in the basement trying to organize some clutter (I have a long way to go) and came across my tubs of fall decor. And even though it’s not technically fall yet, I decided to decorate early. And if you are going to decorate for fall, you might as well make some chili. Did I mention Jay was also watching the first football games of the season?

I also found some leftover fall cocktail napkins when I was unpacking the tubs, which lead to the organizing of all my cocktail napkins. I have a touch of what some would call OCD but I actually love that part of myself and consider it one of my best qualities- until I am up at 3am trying to organize my cabinets.

As I get older, I have the attention span of a squirrel and often find myself falling into rabbit holes. Today is a good example: basement clean up led to fall decorating, napkin organization and chili.

I have never made the same chili twice. I always find myself looking in the cabinet for things to add. The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, has what I consider to be the perfect basic chili recipe. I always start with that and then add in whatever feels right in my heart. Yes, I could make up my own chili recipe, but why reinvent the wheel?

The recipe cards I include in my posts are my real recipe cards and as you can see, this is the basic chili recipe with no real directions, complete with food stains on the card.

The most important part of chili is the toppings. Today, I lined up sour cream, onions, jalapenos, shredded cheese, lime wedges and chips. At the last minute, I decided to add tater tots. I crisped them in the oven on a large baking sheet and tossed in this pan to serve.

If you are feeding a crowd, double or triple the recipe. And for a crowd I like to make a pot of spicy chili and a pot of not so spicy chili. Tonight this pot of chili fed 6 adults and a few of those adults had multiple helpings. I was looking forward to chili left overs because it freezes beautifully, but there was none. And that is the best compliment I could receive.

Pair this with sweet tea or ice cold beer.

Chili

Ingredients


2 lbs ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 15 oz can kidney beans, drained
1 15 oz can pinto beans, drained
2 15 oz cans tomato sauce
1 can Rotel tomatoes with chilis

Directions


Brown the hamburger meat and drain. In a large pot, saute the onions for a few minutes. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add all the spices and mix with the onions and garlic. Toss in the spices and mix well. Add the hamburger meat and the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer, usually low, and cover for at least an hour stirring occasionally. You can simmer it much longer, but at least an hour.


Make this recipe your own. Bump up the heat with red pepper flakes, add different types of beans or omit the beans, add a spicy sausage or use ground turkey or chicken. Don’t settle for the recipe and listen to your heart. If you want more chili powder and cumin, add it. If you love garlic, add more.

Magic Marinade

This marinade is very versatile. I have used it for Asian inspired meals as well as meals that are just plain American, like steak and potatoes. The first time I put it together, I marinated boneless skinless chicken thighs. Jay threw them on the grill and it was the best chicken I had ever eaten. I have marinated anything and everything from vegetables to steaks and have never been disappointed. The brown sugar makes for some excellent caramelization on the grill.

The bonus to this recipe, is you probably have everything you need already in your pantry. The longer you marinate, the more rich the flavor. So anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight works. And of course, an overnight marinade will bring the best results.

The acid (vinegar, soy, worcestershire) works as a tenderizer so whatever protein you choose will be divine. It works well tenderizing tough cuts of beef like a flank or skirt steak. If you choose one of these cuts, make sure you opt for an overnight marinade to really cut the toughness.

If you are gluten sensitive like me, swap the soy sauce for coconut aminos.

Magic Marinade


Ingredients


1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup worcestershire sauce
1/2 balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt

Directions


Place all ingredients in a plastic sealable bag in in a pan and toss in your protein. Ideally, marinating it overnight brings out the best flavor, but anywhere from a couple of hours to 30 minutes will also bring amazing flavor. This started out as a chicken marinade, but I have used it on everything from pork tenderloin to ribeye steaks with excellent results.


Make this recipe your own. Add some heat with red pepper flakes or garlic for extra flavor.

Coconut Rice

This week I was making some Asian inspired pork tenderloins and was going to throw together my Asian Slaw and rice. I had invited our best friends over for dinner and wanted to do something extra to the rice. Yes, I have cooked rice in chicken broth, and I have thrown cajun spices into it, but I have been trying to step out of my comfort zone lately and Asian is not in my wheelhouse. After careful thought and rummaging through by kitchen cabinets, I found a can of coconut milk. I know, that is more Thai than Asian, but they meld together nicely.

What transformed was a wonderful concoction of creamy goodness. I had two helpings, one of our friends had three helpings. There was no rice left in this bowl. And, I have been thinking about this rice since that night.

I have to confess, I am not a fan of ginger, but if you are a ginger lover…add it.

Coconut Rice


Ingredients


2 cups jasmine rice, rinsed
1 can coconut milk
1.5 cups water
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt

Directions


Place all ingredients in a pot, bring to boil, turn it down to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes.


Make this recipe your own. You could add ginger or even five spice.

Greek Lemon Potatoes

This is one of my favorite side dishes. I suffer from inflammation brought on by chemo a few years ago and when I was searching for healthy eating habits with anti inflammatory effects, I stubbled upon Mediterranean cuisine. It is filled with lots of garlic, lemons, oregano and fresh ingredients. For years, I thought oregano was just for Italian food and I thought it smelled not so fabulous. However something magical happens when you add it to garlic, lemons and olive oil. I now love it so much, I have fresh oregano on my patio and a large container of dried in my pantry.

There is something I feel the need to disclose when it comes to potatoes- I refuse to peel one. It is a lot of trouble, takes up valuable time and I just dislike everything about it. For that reason, I only use yellow or red potatoes. They have thin peels and work with just about any recipe. For this recipe, I like yellow, or Yukon golds.

I have one rule when it comes to lemons- use real lemons. Bottled lemon juice is not a thing. I don’t know what it is, but it is not lemon and it doesn’t even taste like lemon. Even if it says “real lemon juice”, don’t get it. Under no circumstances will a bottle of lemon juice ever make it into my house. There, I said it. Helpful hint: the real lemon flavor is in the zest. Anytime a recipe calls for lemons, I always add the zest, whether it calls for it or not. And always zest a lemon BEFORE you cut it- trust me on this one.

Since we are talking about rules, I have one more really big one- black pepper. Do not purchase that tin spice can of ground black pepper. Do not purchase any ground black pepper. Please, for all that is holy, purchase a pepper grinder. I have had several cheap ones and they never seem to last very long, so a few years ago I decided to purchase a really nice one. And after much research, I found the perfect pepper grinder. There is nothing in this world quite as wonderful as freshly ground black pepper. I grind pepper on everything. If you have never ground your own black pepper, this is going to change your life. It elevates simple things, like a boiled egg or a baked potato. And black peppercorns are fairly inexpensive. I have been eyeing the electric pepper grinders but I can’t decide on one. I may add that to my Christmas wish list.

I like to serve these potatoes with a fresh fish or greek chicken thighs. Today I made a batch to take to some dear friends that just had a baby and arrived home yesterday. I made Barefoot Contessa’s Lemon Chicken Breasts for the main course and threw in some roasted okra for good measure. New parents are usually exhausted and hungry, so a food delivery was in order- and the bonus was I got to cuddle Baby Mox. Precious!

Since this was a delivery to new parents, wine was not on the menu. However, at home I would pair this with Buttercream Chardonnay. It is exactly as it sounds- buttery. This is an oaked chard, full of freshness, with a hint of vanilla and it has a great price point. There is a great wine educator at Total Wine in Knoxville, TN and she recently turned me onto this bottle. She has never steered me wrong.

Greek Lemon Potatoes


Ingredients


2.5 lbs potatoes (I use yellow or yukon golds) cut into large chunks
4 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup olive oil
juice of 2 lemons
zest of 2 lemons
1 tbsp oregano
1tsp salt
Lots of freshly cracked black pepper

Directions


Place the potatoes in a roasting pan and toss in the rest of the ingredients and cover with foil. Place in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour. After an hour, remove foil and crank up the oven to 400 degrees for 30 minutes, tossing the potatoes occasionally.


Make this recipe your own. Bump up the amount of oregano or swap it for rosemary. Add some heat with red pepper flakes.

Chicken Stock

There is nothing better than homemade stock. There is no measuring in this recipe, and because of that it never turns out the same-and that is okay. A few months ago, for some reason, I had an over abundance of celery scraps. I threw them all in the pot and was worried it would overwhelm the stock but what transpired was one of the best batches I ever made. Don’t be afraid to throw any vegetable you can imagine into this concoction. The results will be amazing.

I keep a bag inside my freezer and throw chicken bones and vegetable scraps into it for a few weeks (rotisserie chicken scraps work well). Then on a cloudy or rainy day, I throw it all in a pot, cover with water and let it simmer all day. Bonus: It makes the house smell wonderful. Strain out the solids and toss and fill containers with the wonderful liquid gold. You can freeze or pressure can.

These days, I find myself pressure canning due to limited freezer space and also because it’s more convenient- no thaw time. Because I’m pressure canning, I now opt to simmer the broth in a large turkey roaster and I cook for 24-36 hours so the bones can release more nutrients into the broth, hence bone broth. I can get 17 quarts of chicken bone broth out of 1 batch in my turkey roaster.

I love a broth heavy on celery and thyme. I also squeeze a fresh lemon or two into each batch. It just brightens it up.

Chicken Stock


Ingredients


chicken (carcass/bones/scraps)
onion (onion peels)
celery (end pieces and leaves)
carrots (peels)
garlic (peels)
tomatoes (end pieces)
thyme (fresh or dried)
lemon
black peppercorns
salt

Directions


Toss all the ingredients into a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer for several hours. Strain.

For bone broth, simmer for 24-36 hours, adding water as needed. Strain.


Make this recipe your own. Use any vegetables you like, add different spices, turn up the heat with different peppers.

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