Easiest Chocolate Covered Pretzels!

Happy New Year!  For the NYE celebration this year, I was tasked with bringing a dessert.  Who doesn't love the salty-sweet combo of the chocolate covered pretzel, especially while imbibing holiday spirits?  This Christmas, my cousin made these chocolate covered pretzels with her kids because it's a great family project that keeps the kids occupied and full of chocolate all at once.  It also turns out that these chocolate covered pretzels are no-hassle.  You are not left with a bowl of melted chocolate, chocolate and sprinkles everywhere, and dipped pretzel rods requiring space for the re-hardening process of the chocolate.  Instead, these chocolate covered pretzels make no mess, take about 10 minutes to make, and are the perfect ratio of sweet chocolate to salty pretzel.

Step 1:  Lay pretzels on a nonstick baking sheet (parchment or silpat lined).  The grid-like pretzel shape is recommended.  This shape is called pretzel "Snaps".

Step 2:  Unwrap chocolate kisses or hugs (the white chocolate striped kisses) and place one per pretzel

Step 3:  Bake in oven at 250 F for about 3-5 min or until kisses just begin to melt slightly

Step 4:  Remove from oven, allow to cool for about 2-3 min until kisses just begin to re-solidify.

Step 5:  Press an M&M into the center of each slightly softened kiss

Step 6:  Allow all of the chocolate to complete harden

Step 7:  Exercise self-control...they are delicious!

P.S. Kisses and M&Ms often go on a major sale right after some sort of holiday.  This is a great time to purchase the supplies needed for this recipe.  Hugs very rarely go on sale, sadly.  As you can see in this image below, the Easter M&Ms offer a great color palette for baby or bridal shower treats!

Pastel colored Pretzels

Red Velvet Cheesecake with Chocolate Covered Mini Pretzel Sticks

Happy Birthday to four people today!  This called for some super rich dessert!  I first had this at a local restaurant on my birthday about 2 years ago; and I could not get it out of my mind (and I'm not the dessert person).

Here it is - I pretty much followed a recipe--wow!  It's from Southern Living (clearly - where else would there be a recipe for cheesecake with a layer of cream cheese icing on top?!).  It's delicious!  I added my own twist of chocolate covered mini pretzel sticks, and I also used Oreos for the crust, not chocolate grahams.


It's also very festive for the holidays!






Enjoy!

Happy Hanukkah (Chanukah)!

I couldn't help but think of my Grandma, Great Aunt, and the rest of my amazing family this first eve of Hanukkah!  Therefore, I made a last minute decision to prepare a quick Hanukkah feast:  and a great one, too!  Besides, who can possibly resist deliciously golden fried potato latkes?!  Now, the recipe for the latkes is a secret, so that I can't share, and as for the rest, I didn't do much, I just winged it as usual.  I forgot to buy apple sauce for the latkes at the store, but luckily I had 4 leftover apples in the fridge from apple picking back in early Fall.  

Thankfully, apples last a while in the cool of the refrigerator.  Peel them, dice them, slightly cover with some water or apple juice and the juice of half a lemon, and simmer until soft.  Then, run them through that food mill, and voila: apple sauce!  This is my personal favorite on potato latkes, though some like sour cream or nothing at all.

I also decided last minute to make the brisket.  Crazy, I know.  However, I put it in as soon as I walked in the door, and let it cook about 2 1/2 hours at 375 F.  It was tender and ready to go by an 8 PM dinner, which is not terribly late, all things considered.  The brisket was meant to be simple, and full of classic flavors that remind you of Grandma and Great Aunt's house:  seared on both sides seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne; deglazed with a bit of Vermouth; then covered with water, about 2 TBS of worcestershire sauce, 2 TBS dijon mustard, and a can of tomato paste; and left to braze at 375 F for about 2-3 hours.

Don't pay attention to the "green stuff" on the plate.  This, too, was a last ditch attempt at being healthy...but it was not that appetizing, and simply served as color on the plate.  If you really must know, it was a green bean and spinach puree, but I mistakenly added some basil from the garden to it, and that completely threw off the flavors.  Next time:  no basil.

Anyhow, it was a delightful Hanukkah meal, and nobody is ever sorry to have eaten a yummy latke....or two...or four!

Osipenko Family Borscht

A trip to Richmond, VA for some quality time with dear friends resulted in a family recipe lesson in how to make the trademark soup of Russia and much of Eastern Europe:  Borscht.  Famous for its deep reddish-purple color, borscht is a nutritiously rich soup packed full of vitamins and minerals from the primary vegetable components comprised of beets, cabbage, carrot, and potato.


Apparently in some countries, tomato may actually serve as the main ingredient while beets serve as secondary; and some variations are known as "tomato paste" borscht (which may explain why one of the secret ingredients in this family recipe is tomato paste).  I'm not quite sure what type of recipe this would be classified as, whether Ukranian, Russian, Polish, Lithuanian; but regardless it is absolutely delicious and rather simple to make.


Ingredients:
1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 medium-large onion
2-3 small-medium beets, shredded (about 1 1/2 - 2 C)
7-8 small to medium sized potatoes (Yukon gold or red), peeled and diced
1/2 medium green cabbage, shredded (about 3 C)
2 large carrots, shredded (about 2/3 C)
2 T tomato paste
1 T ketchup (optional)
Cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper
Olive oil (any kind)


Step 1:
Coat the bottom of a large stock pot with olive oil Wash and dry the boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I typically wear disposable gloves for sanitary purposes and easy hand washing afterwards), cubing the thighs into the stock pot.  I use kitchen scissors to do this (clean-up of scissors is far easier than a knife and cutting board).  Add half of a medium-large onion whole to the pot, and quickly sear chicken on med-high heat, about 2-3 minutes.  Add about 6-7 cups of water to the pot, and maintain at med-high heat until stock comes to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer as stock comes to a boil, skimming foam and fat off of the top.

Step 2:

While chicken stock simmers, shred 2-3 small-medium beats using the medium size hole on a hand grater, or the shredding disc attachment for the food processor.  Heat 2-3 T olive oil in a small skillet and add shredded beats.  Season with a pinch of cayenne pepper.  Saute on med-high for about 5 min or until slightly softened, they will just begin to get shiny and slightly translucent.  

Step 3: 

Add sauteed shredded beets to chicken stock.  Simmer for 5-7 minutes (no more).  Save the skillet for later (no need to clean it).

Step 4:

While beets are simmering, peel 7-8 medium yellow (Yukon gold) or red potatoes and dice into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces.

Step 5:

Add potatoes to soup, simmering until almost tender to cut (al dente), about 5 min.  Continue to skim foam off of the top.  While the potatoes are simmering, the cabbage can be shredded using the food processor, or by hand using a grater or knife to finely chop the cabbage into shreds.

Step 6:  

Once potatoes are just al dente, add 2 1/2 - 3 C finely shredded green cabbage.  Meanwhile, shred 2 large carrots, again using either the food processor or a hand grater.  Heat another 2-3 T oil to the same small skillet used for the beets in Step 2, add shredded carrots, a pinch of cayenne pepper, and 2 T tomato paste (as well as 1 T ketchup if desired).  Saute shredded carrots until slightly softened, about 5 min, and add shredded carrots to the soup.

Step 7: 
Add the seasoning packet, which can be purchased at most Russian food stores.  The following website is provided on the package (www.arikon.ru), and may perhaps assist in locating the seasoning packet.  This is not a necessary item and may be compensated for using a variety of dried spices given that the packet ingredients are:  iodized salt, beet, carrots, garlic, onion, chilly (red hot pepper), coriander seeds, parsley, dill, black pepper.

Step 8:

Salt to taste.  Serve with a generous dollop of sour cream (not light -- the real stuff), and chopped scallion.

Osipenko Family Borscht:

Soup Season!

The cold has set in, and as Fall staves off Winter, the inevitable frost will bite.  However, soup is ever-warming, a meal-in-one, and typically results in many servings for under $2 a meal.

So as to help me remember how many and what kind of bowl-icious concoctions I've created or made this season..."the soup is on!"  This list will grow as it gets colder and colder...check back often (soup, stews and "stoups" are my favorite)!

1.  Cauliflower Cheese Soup from the Moosewood Cookbook 

2.  Quick and Spicy Tomato Soup, Giada De Laurentiis

Quick & Spicy Tomato Soup (img. source: Food Network)

3.  Italian Wedding Soup (Turkey Meatballs and Kale)

4.  Smoked Turkey Navy Bean Cabbage Stoup (original)

5.  Manhattan Clam/Crab Chowder

6.  Roasted Corn, Poblano, Potato and Cheddar Chowder

7.  Black Bean and Rice

Osipenko Family Borscht

8.  Osipenko Borscht 

I've been remiss...

I've been so negligent, I don't even know where to begin.  The whole point of beginning a blog was my attempt at trying to document all that I make and write down any semblance of a "recipe" corresponding to whatever deliciousness I throw together.

I've failed!

Anyway, a few photos of what I've been up to since July...

July 4:  Red, white, and blue Sangria trio:

All-American Shrimp boil with Old Bay, corn, Yukon gold potatoes, all of course boiled in beer, served with melted butter: 

Blurry, I know; but oh-so-delicious white wine, sundried tomato, Cannellini bean, fresh home-grown parsley, and garlic steamed Maine mussels served with steamed Broccoli rabe and crusty wheat baguette:

Smoked Salmon "Nicoise"

How do you make use of pre-cooked smoked salmon pouches?  You make it taste vibrant and fresh by infusing it with lemony herbed dressing in a "nicoise"-style salad.  I would, however, suggest trying this with regular canned salmon instead as the smoked flavor was a bit artificial tasting almost like liquid smoke.

Fresh buttered seasoned croutons were fashioned from homemade sourdough.  A light and lemony Caesar-like dressing was made by zesting half a lemon + juice, 1/4 C parmesan, 1 large clove garlic, a handful of fresh parsley and thyme, fresh pepper, about 5-6 T white wine or vermouth.  This was all blended in the food processor until smooth, as light olive oil was drizzled in using the controlling "drizzle-rate" feature of the food processor to achieve a nicely emulsified dressing.

About 4-5 Yukon gold potatoes were slightly pre-cooked in the microwave prior to slicing about 1/8 inch thick, and tossed with balsamic vinegar, a sprig of fresh thyme, 1 clove microplaned garlic, a bit of salt and pepper, and a splash of white wine.  The potato slices were grilled until golden and crispy, although oven roasting is certainly an alternate possibility.

The chunked salmon was tossed in the excess vinaigrette from the potatoes.  The salmon was assembled in a stack between two layers of potatoes along with sliced grape tomatoes, French green beans, julienned carrots, olives, capers, and sliced hard-boiled eggs--served with a mixed salad tossed with the lemony-"Caesar"-like dressing and homemade croutons!