Sweet Love and Ginger

Entertaining

Pear & Brie Toasts with Honey Balsamic Drizzle

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A recipe for Pear & Brie Toasts with a simple honey balsamic drizzle. Perfect for a fall or winter pot luck.

Pear & Brie Toasts - Appetizer

As the cooler temperatures start to take their toll a simple bowl of chips and guac is not cutting it anymore as an appetizer amongst our group of friends. We are all craving something warm and comforting, but we also don’t want something super heavy such as meatballs or cheese dip. We just aren’t there yet.

In our house we are still holding out on turning on the heat, and most weekends are still spent outside, albeit on house projects as opposed to camping of hiking as I would like. While we aren’t jumping in pools anymore we are not ready to give up our outdoor time to the impending northeast winter. It’s still fall and we plan on living it up regardless of how cold it might be when we get up in the morning.

Pear & Brie Toasts - Appetizer

That’s what’s nice about these little toasts. The warm crunchy bread is covered in buttery, melty cheese and topped with a single slice of fresh cool pear, and a nice balsamic honey drizzle to add some sweetness. Now that is balance people. You’ve got a little bit of everything there to please everyone as well as give a nice little nod to the season’s flavors. This is an appetizer that would be great to serve throughout fall and winter since pears tend to be in season well into the cool months.

Pear & Brie Toasts - Appetizer

Pear & Brie Toasts with Honey Balsamic Drizzle
Author: JC
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 10 Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 baguette, sliced at an angle
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 large triangle of brie cheese, rind removed & sliced to fit the toast
  • 3 teaspoons honey
  • 3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 large pear, sliced
  • Baby arugula for garnish (opitional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Combine the oil and thyme in a small bowl. Lay the baguette slices on a sheet tray and brush with the oil mixture.
  3. Place in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes or until the bread begins to turn golden. Add a slice of cheese to each toast and return to the oven for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese just begins to melt. Remove from heat and move to a serving tray.
  4. Meanwhile combine honey, and balsamic vinegar until well blended.
  5. Place a pear slice on each toast and drizzle with honey balsamic mixture, garnish and serve.
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Apple Spice Meatballs

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My Yellow Table Gathering

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First off I want to start this by saying CONGRATULATIONS! to Anna of The Yellow Table. Before she had accomplished the monumental goal of raising
over $50,000 to publish her first book she asked her followers to help her
out by throwing dinner parties using her recipes to generate conversation.

I have been following Anna’s entire journey from day 1 and I
now feel like one of those creepy stalker people, because I am so completely
invested in this thing. From writing the book in about 100 days to completing
a cross country road trip, and preparing several dinner parties along the way
she has done so much, so very much that I cannot comprehend how one person
could possibly do it all and remain so humble and thankful.

She’s already reached her goal (and surpassed it by over $10,000), but that wasn’t going to stop me
from throwing my dinner party, besides Chuck might murder me if I didn’t make
those dates I told him about.

I decided to go with the easy dinner party menu that she had
listed, as we had planned to go group ziplining earlier in the day, and I
wasn’t sure how ambitious we all would be. I of course had made a few
alterations, because that’s just how things are done around here and added a
recipe or two.

The Menu
Bacon Wrapped Dates with Cider Mustard Glaze (Recipe Below)
Chocolate Chip Cookies

I decided to add the cider mustard glaze to the dates, because one
of our favorite restaurants has a similar appetizer with this kind of glaze,
and I’ve have been dying to figure it out. I also swapped the Roasted Carrots for the tomato tart because tomatoes are beginning to come in season here, and I
can’t resist them. Finally after all that, an adventurous day and the fact that
I don’t actually have any ramekins I decided to simply bake up some cast iron
cookies and serve them with vanilla ice cream instead of the Bittersweet Pudding Cakes, though some day I would really love to try out this recipe.
The night was I hope just what Anna had intended, light and fun
and full of casual chatter. 

I know our home isn’t ideal for dinner parties (I mean check our awesome table) but I
really want to make more of an effort to invite people over and share food and
conversation. It’s so necessary in today’s day and age.

Bacon Wrapped Dates with Cider Mustard Glaze
1/2 lb bacon, cut into thirds
30 dates

30 almonds

½ cup apple cider vinegar (plus a splash)
½ cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp ground mustard

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut a slit into the side of
the date and slip an almond into the center. Wrap each date in 1/3 a slice of
bacon, and arrange with the open side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for
15-20 minutes until the bacon is crisp. Once cooked remove from the oven and
place on a paper towel to drain. Meanwhile combine the vinegar, both sugars and mustard in a
small sauce pan, and bring it to a boil. Immediately reduce to a simmer and
cook for 10 – 12 minutes until syrupy. Remove from the heat and finish it with
a splash more of cider to keep the flavor bright. Move the cooked dates to a
serving tray and drizzle with the glaze. 
There is only one day left to pre-order The Yellow Table Cook Book. So if you are interested at all get to it!

A Real Dinner Party at Our House

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I want to preface this by saying that our lives are far from glamorous. Chuck and I live in a modest apartment on a dead end road, and aside from being fairly small it is also laid
out pretty horribly. It is warm and charming with lots of updated windows, and cute molding, but everything is pretty boxy and cut off, which makes entertaining hard. Don’t worry we manage. The kitchen is eat-in style, though there isn’t much room for the two of us at the table let alone any guests. We make it work, and improvisation is key. And since cooking for my friends is something that I have always loved to do and simply cannot stop doing; regardless of how impossible it may seem.

I try to have everything close to ready if not already done before anyone arrives; along with the kitchen table clear, because that has to serve as the buffet. The small fold-able table that does triple duty as dining table, craft space, and beer die set up is pulled out just before we are ready to eat, otherwise it’s cumbersome presence takes up too much of the living room. Chuck and I usually take the couch as it is a little low for table eating as well as maneuvering in and out of. We handle it. Then out comes the plates and cutlery stacked neatly on the counter, it has to be self serve because that folding table doesn’t fit everything.

It works, and I haven’t had a complaint yet. Of course that could be because all of our friends are also living in modest, horribly laid out apartments, so they get it.

 

 

Last weekend Chuck and I entertained our friends Alicia and Wil. She was gracious enough to bring chocolate covered strawberries for desert as well as a good white wine. Here is what the menu Looked like: Salad with Lemon Shallot Vinaigrette, Simply Roasted Chicken with mashed potatoes and Gravy as well as Braised Cabbage & Carrots.
Though it sounds like a lot it was all pretty easy to prepare, basically I popped the chicken in the oven, peeled & while they boiled prepared the cabbage & carrots. When the chicken came out in went the veggies, and I made the gravy and mashed the potatoes; which gave the chicken plenty of time to rest before being carved. The salad was just greens rinsed and spun, and the vinaigrette made the day before. From start to finish it took probably 2 hours to prepare, and there was plenty of time to mix a few
drinks, chat with Chuck and take Brody outside 4 or 5 times (he really likes the snow) in between. The perfect end to the week.

 

Simple Roasted Chicken
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 whole 4 lb chicken
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ tablespoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Remove the chicken from all packaging (including giblets) and pat dry with paper towels.
  3. Rub the outside with oil, spices and place breast side up in a shallow roasting pan. (Optional: tie the legs up with kitchen twine and fold the wing tips under.)
  4. Place chicken in the oven and cook for about an hour and 20 minutes, or until the skin is golden and crisp. When poked with a knife or fork in the thickest part of the thigh the juices should run clear. A thermometer also inserted into this part of the chicken should read 165.
  5. Remove the chicken to a platter and allow it to rest for about 10 to 15 minutes.
  6. Carve the chicken and serve.

 

Quick Chicken Gravy

1 cup drippings from roast chicken pan
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 springs thyme
Broth as needed

In a small sauce pan heat drippings over medium heat. Whisk
in flour and spices and cook, allowing the mixture to reduce slightly and
thicken. If it is too thick add broth or water by the tablespoon, whisking
until blended each time.

 

Braised Cabbage & Carrots

3 tbsp butter
5 strips of bacon, cooked & crumbled
1 head of cabbage, shredded
4 large carrots, peeled & chopped
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
½ cup vegetable broth or water
Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425. In an oven proof skillet melt butter
with bacon, and then add cabbage, and carrots, tossing lightly. Stir in the
remaining ingredients and place in the oven for 30-40 minutes stirring
occasionally until carrots have reached desired doneness. Serve warm.

 

Lemon Shallot Vinaigrette

2 tsp grated lemon zest
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 large garlic clove, crushed
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until well
combined. May serve immediately, or be kept in the fridge for up to 1 week.

 

 

5 Awesome Valentines Day Menus to Prepare at Home

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Valentine ’s Day is a day
for love.

It’s also a day that makes
card stores, candy companies, restaurants and jewelry stores million of
dollars.

I don’t mean to be a Negative
Nancy about the whole thing. Having an extra day to celebrate love is pretty awesome;
I just hate how it’s all about spending money (isn’t everything?).

The last few years Chuck
and I have opted for something a little lower key for the big day. We don’t
bother trying to get reservations; we would have to know what we felt like
eating about 2 months in advance which is simply not possible. We choose not to
do gifts, we have so much already. Instead of all of those things we usually
have a quiet night in with a somewhat fancy homemade dinner, a bottle of wine,
and snuggling on our couch. 

In honor of the holiday I’ve put together a few easy dinner menus, including
the links to all of the recipes on My Recipe Magic. I chose to use My Recipe Magic for a couple reasons. Mainly because of the Menu feature. At the bottom of each recipe is an “add to menu” button, which allows you to collect a group of recipes into one list. Once you have all of your recipes
chosen you can then click on the menu tab at the top, and see them all in one place. From here you can click on the “make a shopping list” button to get a PDF shopping list of everything you will need to prepare your chosen recipes. If your interested you can also see the nutrition values, and points. I mean how convenient is this?

Each of the menu’s below is meant to be a four course meal with a little something for everyone. I know that a lot of people are afraid to put together a meal with all these courses, but there are a lot of ways to make it easy. For starters I tried to choose recipes that were easy to prepare, and quite a few that can be prepared in advance. Give it a shot, and definitely mix and match to create your perfect menu.

Glutten Free

Insalata Caprese // Easy Cheesy Potato Soup // Butternut Squash & Spinach Risotto // Cheese Cake bites

  Chicken

Garlic Soup // Spinach & Apple Salad with Sweet Italian Dressing // Spinach & Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken with Rice // Basil & Strawberry Meringues

Beef

Simple Salad w/ Dijon Vinaigrette // Carrot & Ginger Soup // Blue Cheese Stuffed Steak with Roasted Potatoes** // Flourless Dark Chocolate Cake

Seafood

Crab & Red Pepper Crostini // Spinach Soup // Linguine with Clam Sauce // Triple Chocolate Biscotti & Tea



Vegetarian
Carrot & Beet Salad with Spicy Mustard Dressing // Irish Roasted Shallots // Tortellini with Pesto Cream Sauce // Maple Creme Brulee

Slow Cooker Hungarian Goulash: An Impromptu Dinner Party

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Slow Cooker Hungarian Goulash

Sometimes and an impromptu dinner party is the best kind of dinner party.

We were sitting on the couch enjoying our day off when we got a text from a friend who was in town staying with other friends. He told us yet another friend was there from across the country and was coming down. He asked if we could come over later that night.

The aspiring chef that I am had already put a roast in the crock pot to cook for just this recipe and I knew there would be left over’s if it was just Chuck and I. So I asked instead if they wanted to all come to our place to eat before we all went over to their house for an evening of heady drinking. Of course, they said yes, who wouldn’t?
Slow Cooker Hungarian Goulash

I was nervous that there wouldn’t be enough so I put out some cheese and crackers because we always have it on hand. I shouldn’t have; I ended up putting enough for a dinner of 4 in the freezer. It appears that this is one of those recipes that can easily feed a crowd. It’s a homey, stick to your ribs kind of meal too so perhaps it should be paired with a nice light salad instead of the cheese and crackers that I served it with. Oh and a good German beer. This is a German-style recipe after all, and the heat from the paprika goes well with a nice hoppy beer, at least that’s what I thought.

Slow Cooker Hungarian Goulash

Hungarian Goulash

  • 1 lb Beef Chuck Roast
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp Hungarian paprika
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 large carrots (peeled & chopped)
  • 2 onions (peeled & chopped)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 4 large tomatoes diced (2 cans diced can be used instead)
  • 2 tablespoons flour (optional)
  1. Season the meat with salt, pepper and paprika.
  2. Melt butter in a large sauce pan over medium high heat. Sear the meat on all sides until a nice crust forms, about 2-3 minutes per side.
  3. Place the meat in a crock pot and add the carrots, onions, bay leaves, and tomatoes. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours (high for 4 hours).
  4. For a thicker sauce combine flour with ¼ cup broth or water and blend well. Add to the slow cooker and cook for an additional 30 minutes on high.

Similar Recipes:

Slow Cooker Pork Ragu

Slow Cooker Pork Ragu

Slow Cooker Venison Pot Roast

American Style Venison Goulash