Favorite New Recipes of 2008

As 2008 draws to a close, I would like to thank all of the people who have supported me in my food blogging adventure. The list is long, and includes food bloggers who offered advice and inspiration, my family and friends who were willing to taste everything, and all those who take the time to read and comment. It’s been a lot of fun!

Here are my favorite new recipes of 2008, in no particular order:
Mikey’s Feta Stuffed Mushrooms
Edamame Lo Mein
Black Eyed Peas and Greens
Polenta Triangles
Warm and Nutty Cinnamon Quinoa
Spinach Stuffed Turkey Meatloaf
Chicken Saagwala
Moroccan Lentil Stew

I look forward to sharing many more cooking experiences in 2009.

Soba Noodle Salad

My goal was to try buckwheat soba noodles in some type of cold noodle salad. I found 4 different recipes on various sites, and used aspects of each one to make this dish. The ‘recipe combining’ method usually works well for me, but this time it did not. The noodles were too dry, and the salad lacked flavor. I even let it sit overnight so the flavors would meld, and that didn’t help. Next time I try a noodle salad, I will stick to just one of the recipes and see what happens.

1 12oz. package buckwheat soba noodles, cooked according to package directions and rinsed with cold water
1 lb. chicken, cooked, cooled, and diced
1 bunch scallions, sliced thinly
1 cucumber, seeded and diced
2 T rice wine
2 T soy sauce
1/2 t sesame oil
1 T minced garlic
1 T lime juice
2 T oyster sauce
cayenne pepper to taste

Mix noodles, chicken, scallions, and cucumber in a bowl. Mix rice wine through cayenne pepper in a small bowl, and then toss with noodles.

*To those who noticed, there have been a few small glitches in my posts the past two days. Due to my error, they were published before I was finished! Sorry about that.

Cranberry Avocado Salsa

This was a festive looking appetizer which I served with pita crisps. I really liked the tartness of the cranberries. Even with the chili pepper it was fairly mild, so you may want to kick it up a notch.

1 12 oz. bag fresh or frozen cranberries (3 cups)
1/4 c. sugar
Juice of one orange
1 medium Serrano chili, seeded, chopped
2 ripe avocados, halved, pitted, peeled, diced
2 T lime juice

Combine cranberries, sugar, and orange juice in processor. Coarsely chop mixture, and transfer to medium bowl. Stir in Serrano chili, avocados, and lime juice.

Black Eyed Pea Hash

Black eyed peas bring luck for the new year, so why not eat them to start the day? This recipe is an adaptation of Hoppin’ John, a traditional Southern food. I really liked this recipe and would definitely make it again. It had a lot of flavor and made a tasty breakfast.

1 large baking potato, peeled and cubed
1/2 c. cooked ground sausage, or other cooked meat or meat-substitute
2 T canola oil
1 small onion, diced
2 t garlic salt
1/2 t black pepper
1 can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed

Boil potatoes for 15 minutes, and drain. In a large frying pan, heat the sausage until it begins to brown. Add the oil, onion, and potatoes. Once the onions begin to brown, stir in the black eyed peas and add the garlic salt and black pepper. Continue cooking until the mixture is browned.

Baked Brie with Caramelized Pears

This is the recipe for the appetizer I made Christmas Day. I really liked the combination of the pears and shallots baked with the brie, but it was difficult to eat in the hollowed loaf of bread. Next time I would bake the brie in a pie dish and simply serve the bread on the side.

1 T butter
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 pears, peeled, cored and sliced
1/3 c. dry white wine
1/2 t brown sugar
1/2 t chopped fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1 (8 ounce) round loaf sourdough bread
1 (8 ounce) round Brie cheese

Preheat oven to 350F. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add shallot; cook and stir for 1 minute to soften. Add thinly sliced pears; cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Pour in white wine, brown sugar, thyme, salt, and pepper; increase heat to medium-high and simmer until the liquid has evaporated, and the pears have lightly caramelized, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

Cut a Brie-sized hole in the top of the sourdough bread to within 1/2-inch of the bottom. Cut the removed bread into pieces for serving, set aside. Score the Brie around it’s edge, using a paring knife to cut 1/4-inch deep. Cut in half by looping an 18-inch piece of very thin string, or unflavored dental floss around the scored Brie and pulling the ends in opposite directions.
Place the bottom half of the Brie, cut-side-up, into the sourdough loaf. Top with 1/2 of the pear mixture. Place the remaining brie half on top and spread with remaining pear mixture. Place on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes or until soft and gooey. Serve with sliced sourdough bread and crackers.

-Adapted from allrecipes.com

A Christmas Recap

Santa needs a nap after all the hustle and bustle of Christmas! The holiday was so much fun, full of laughter and good food. I hope you had a wonderful holiday too.

Let me begin with Christmas Eve, hosted by my sister and her husband. They served shrimp cocktail and other appetizers, followed by our traditional meal of fish, pasta with garlic and olive oil, salad, and garlic bread. They added green beans to the menu as well which were great. Unfortunately, I did not get any pictures of the meal, but I took some photos of dessert, including the Chinese Noodle Cookies and Cranberry Coffee Cake. We played a game of Christmas trivia and kept the night going with plenty of espresso.

My grandmother used to make fried dough every Christmas, and my sister made it for the first time this year. It came out really well, and definitely brought back good memories of being at my grandmother’s house on Christmas Eve.

Christmas morning began with Whiskey Cake as usual, but we also made scrambled eggs, and breakfast kept us all going while we opened presents!

My contribution to the Christmas meal was Caramelized Pear and Brie Appetizer. The complete recipe will be posted tomorrow, but here is a preview:

We had a very leisurely Christmas dinner which started with a first course of antipasto, including prosciutto, stuffed peppers, radishes, tomatoes, asiago cheese, and olives. My sister has become quite the expert with homemade dough, which she used to make sausage bread.

After a lot of talking and a couple of glasses of wine, we had the main course, including a lovely roast, butternut squash, yellow squash, and a new potato recipe.

After another long break, which included the Celtics game, we sat down to dessert, Chocolate Pecan Pie.


Wow – that was a lot of food! We used many traditional recipes, and a few new ones. It was a great holiday, but just like Santa, I need a nap.

Whiskey Cake

This is the cake that my family eats for breakfast Christmas morning while we open the gifts that Santa brought. Yes, you read correctly – breakfast. Christmas only comes once a year, so embrace your annual traditions and have a wonderful holiday.

1 yellow cake mix
1 package vanilla instant pudding
2 T sour cream
1 c. chopped nuts
1 c. chocolate chips
1/2 c. whiskey or rum
1/2 c. milk
3/4 c. oil
4 eggs

Mix all ingredients. Pour into greased and floured tube or bundt pan. Bake at 350F for 1 hour. Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar before serving.

Cookie Dough Truffles

This is the final Christmas cookie post of the season. Dave and Rachel brought these Cookie Dough Truffles to this year’s swap, and they were awesome. This was a reprise of their prize winning recipe from a previous swap. If you love cookie dough, you’ll love these too!

1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. thawed egg substitute
1 t vanilla extract
1 1/4 c. flour
1 c. mini chocolate morsels
3/4 c. chopped pecans or walnuts
1 (12 oz.) package semisweet chocolate morsels
1 1/2 T shortening

Beat butter at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add sugars, beating well. Add egg substitute and vanilla, beat well. Add flour and beat well. Stir in miniature chocolate morsels and chopped nuts. Cover and chill 30 minutes.

Shape mixture into 1″ balls. Cover and freeze balls until very firm.

Place 12 oz. package chocolate morsels and shortening into a glass bowl. Melt in microwave according to package directions. Using two forks, quickly dip frozen truffles into melted chocolate, coating completely. Place on wax paper to harden. Store truffles in refrigerator for 2-3 days. Yields 4 1/2 dozen.

Dr. Praeger’s California Veggie Burgers

From time to time I’ll be posting product reviews. While I enjoy cooking with whole foods, there are many food products which add variety and convenience to a healthy diet. Some product reviews will feature items which are new to the market, but for my first one I chose an old favorite: Dr. Praeger’s California Veggie Burgers. You should be able to find them easily along with the other veggie burgers. In the Boston area, they are in the Nature’s Harvest section at Stop & Shop and also at Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s.

These are a staple in my house, and I like the burgers best because you can actually see the veggies! I am not a vegetarian, but I like vegetarian foods that don’t try to pretend they are meat. See what I mean?

You can cook the burgers using various methods, but they are somewhat delicate. I prefer to cook them in the toaster oven, but the microwave will do in a pinch. Each burger is only 110 calories and tastes like the vegetables in the ingredient list, including carrots, onions, string beans, soy beans, zucchini, peas, spinach, and broccoli. The flavor is fairly subtle though, so I would suggest you add your favorite sauce and toppings.

One of my favorite variations is a Dr. Praeger’s burger topped with avocado.

If you’ve tried these, let me know what you think. And if you haven’t tried them yet, I hope I’ve encouraged you to give them a chance!