Christmas Punch

Internet photo from Cooking Classy, Not my photo.

The trick to keeping your punch fresh and not letting it get watered down is to make ice cubes with the ingredients in the punch. For this punch I used plastic cups and filled them with cranberries, lime & pineapple slices and ginger ale. I made the ice cubes a day in advance so they would be sure to freeze well.

INGREDIENTS

Punch

1 - 2 liter cranberry ginger ale

1 - 2 liter ginger ale

1 - 64 oz cranberry juice cocktail

1 - 64 oz pineapple juice

2 cups simple syrup

Ice Cubes

1 - 2 liter ginger ale or cranberry ginger ale

lime slices

pineapple slices

cranberries

plastic cups, 12 oz size

DIRECTIONS

Punch; add all ingredients into a large punch bowl or large drink dispenser and stir.

Ice Cubes; layer lime, pineapple and cranberries into a cup, pour ginger ale to fill. Allow to freeze overnight before using. Make at least 6 of these large ice cubes. 

You can easily mix and match any fruit drink and soda combination you desire to make it your own. 

Simple syrup can be omitted if you want a more tart punch.

Punch recipe inspired by Allrecipes Holiday Punch.

Homemade Eggnog

Homemade Eggnog is quite easy to make and way better than store bought. This recipe is full of flavor but not heavy like some eggnog's can be.

INGREDIENTS
5 cups whole milk
8 whole cinnamon sticks
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 + 1/8 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp vanilla extract
10 egg yokes
1-2/3 cup white sugar
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups half and half
4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 + 1/8 tsp nutmeg

INSTRUCTIONS
-Put the milk, cinnamon, cloves and 2 tsp vanilla into a large saucepan. Let simmer on low for 5 minutes. 
-In a separate bowl whisk together sugar and egg yokes for about 1 minute.
-Turn the heat under the milk up to medium-high heat. Remove the cinnamon sticks. Stir the milk constantly until it just starts to boil, them immediately turn off the heat.
-Slowly whisk in about 1/4 of the hot milk into the egg/sugar mixture. Then pour all of the egg/sugar mixture back into the saucepan and whisk it all together. Put it over medium heat, whisking constantly for 3 minutes. It will thicken a bit.
-Pour the hot eggnog through a sieve into a large bowl or beverage container and let cool at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, mix the cream, half & half, vanilla and nutmeg in a bowl and let sit in fridge until eggnog mixture has cooled.
-After 1 hour, stir the cream mixture into the eggnog mixture. Store in the fridge and allow to cool at least 4 hours before serving. Best if made the day before, so all the spices can meld together.

Alcohol can be added before serving, to taste. Dark rum, bourbon and brandy are traditional options.

Beef Rib Roast

Cooking a beef rib roast can be so intimidating, but it doesn't have to be. The most important things to know are ... don't be afraid to season the roast, invest in a good meat thermometer and know the weight of your roast. 

Here is my method for cooking the perfect roast. 

1 boneless or bone-in rib roast (tied and trimmed)
1/4 cup kosher salt
2 tablespoons fresh cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
2-3 large cloves minced garlic
*If you're making a roast larger than 4-5 pounds, you will need to up the amount of your spice rub accordingly.

The key to this method is knowing the exact weight of your prime rib. Just copy it off the label, write it on a sticky note and stick it on your fridge before you throw away the wrapping.

The night before cooking the prime rib, unwrap the roast, cover with your season rub and let it sit uncovered in the refrigerator. I use fresh minced garlic, fresh minced rosemary, fresh cracked black pepper and a lot of salt. You want your rub to look like a crust.

Two to three hours before you want to begin cooking, take the roast out of the fridge and place it on a sheet pan at room temperature.

Half an hour before you start roasting, pre-heat your oven to 500 F.

Now it's time to do your calculation. Simply multiply the weight of your roast by five. That's your total roasting time, in minutes. For instance, if you have a 4-pound roast, 4 × 5 = 20 minutes. An 8-pound roast? 8 × 5 = 40 minutes. Remember that number.

When you're ready to cook, set the roast in a roasting pan with a rack, fat-side-up. Insert a meat thermometer or a digital probe thermometer into the deepest part of the meat, being careful not to hit bone.

Put the roast in the preheated oven and roast it for exactly however many minutes you calculated above.

When the time's up, turn off the oven and walk away. Do not open the oven door for any reason for the next two hours.

Repeat = DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR FOR ANY REASON FOR THE NEXT 2 HOURS!!

In two hours, take the prime rib out of the oven, carve, and serve. Your thermometer should read 130 F, perfect medium-rare.

(You'll notice that there's no resting time, which might come as a surprise if you're used to resting your meat after roasting it. Resting isn't necessary with this recipe because the meat is basically resting as it sits in the oven.)

**If you want your roast to be more medium to medium well, you will need to cook it for 6 minutes per pound. For instance if you have a 4-pound roast, 4 × 6 = 24 minutes. An 8-pound roast? 8 × 6 = 48 minutes.

ENJOY!

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortellini Soup

Slow Cooker 

Chicken Tortellini Soup

This is what I used …

2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

1 package Cascadian Farm organic Gardener’s Blend Veggies

1 small onion finely diced

6 cups chicken stock

1 - 6 ounce can tomato paste

1 tablespoon Ms. Dash

1 teaspoon garlic salt

Salt and pepper to taste

8 ounces cheese tortellini

Parmesan cheese

This is what I did …

Place the chicken, veggies, onion, chicken stock, tomato paste and spices into a 6-quart slow cooker.

Cook on high for 1 hour, then on low for 3 hours.

Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Place the tortellini into the soup and mix. Cook on high for another 15 minutes.

Serve and garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Peach Basil Jam

I love fresh herbs and I grow a lot of them, basil being one. I wanted to find a recipe that incorporated basil in a jam. So I searched Pinterest and I found this super easy recipe and decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did because it turned out amazingly delicious!! I also made a batch using strawberries and it was just as amazing. What is nice about this recipe is that you can use whatever fruit you want and honestly any herb you want. Once you have a base recipe the sky is the limit when choosing fruits & herbs that go together.

This batch will make 7-8 1/2 pint jars.

To start:

·      You’ll need 5 1/3 cups mashed peaches.

·      4 Tbs Lemon Juice (from a bottle)

·      6 Tbs Classic Fruit Pectin

·      4 Cups Sugar

·      1/4 - 1/2 Cup fresh basil leaves, torn

First, the peaches need to be peeled and pitted.

Mash the peaches slightly,then measure 5 1/3 cups.

Combine the peaches and lemon juice in a large saucepan. Slowly stir in the pectin and, stirring constantly, bring the entire mixture to a full rolling boil over high heat. 

Once you’ve got a full boil slowly add all of the sugar, stir to dissolve, and bring the mixture back to a full boil. Boil hard one minute, stirring the whole time.

Remove from heat and skim off foam with a metal spoon. Stir in the fresh basil leaves. 

Now your jam is finished, ladle immediately into hot jars.  You are now ready to process the jars in a water bath canner or allow them to cool and refrigerate for up to three weeks.

If you are canning them, leave a 1/4-inch head space, wipe the rims clean, fit with a lid and ring and place in your water bath canner. Boil gently for 10 minutes, then let sit in the canner for 5 minutes before removing to cool. Allow jars to cool undisturbed for 24 hours, then check to make sure the jars have sealed and store.

Here is the link to the original recipe: http://bearhugsandblanketforts.com/peach-basil-jam-2/

Sweet & Spicy Pepper Relish

This relish is amazing on hot dogs and burgers, or anything else you put relish on. It has a big kick but can be toned down depending on how many hot peppers you use and if you remove the seeds from the hot peppers. 

2 lbs. peppers (jalapenos, sweet peppers, banana peppers, any mixture you like or have on hand)
1 lb. carrots
1 medium red onion

4 cloves garlic

1-inch piece of fresh ginger, grated

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 1/3 cup cider or white vinegar

4 cups sugar

Fills 7 half pint jars or 3 pints

Remove the stems and de-seed if you want your relish to be less spicy.

Using a food processor on pulse peppers, carrots, onion and garlic till they are small diced. Don’t over process, you want to have pieces not juice. If you don't have a processor you can dice with a knife.

In a large stainless-steel pot, combine vinegar, sugar and spices, bring to a simmer until sugar is dissolved. Add diced veggies and ginger, simmer uncovered, for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Fill to 1/2" head space. Fill first with the vegetable solids and then add the hot vinegar liquid allowing 1/2" head space.  Remove air bubbles and refill to the proper head space with the mixture if necessary. Taking a clean paper towel wet it with warm water and wipe the rims of the jars removing any food particles that would interfere with a good seal.

Place the jars in the water bath making sure that the water covers each of the jars by 2 inches. Add hot water to the canner if it doesn't measure up. Once the water has come to a boil start your timer and process for 15 minutes. Remove from water and let cool.

Candied Spicy Peppers

If you like sweet and spicy, you will love these candied peppers with a big kick! 

1 lb peppers, cut into 1/4" slices, green & red jalapenos, banana peppers, mini sweet peppers

1 head thinly sliced garlic

3 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups apple cider vinegar

1/4 tsp salt

 1 tbsp pickling spice

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp smoked paprika

½ tsp red pepper flakes

 Place the peppers and garlic in a bowl and stir to combine.

 In a large saucepan bring sugar, vinegar and seasonings to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, pack the pepper mix into two hot, one-pint jars to within 1/2" of the top.

Ladle hot liquid over pepper mixture, leaving 1/2" head room, remove air bubbles and top off liquid if needed.

 Wipe rims, center lids and screw on bands until finger-tip tight.

Place jars into water bath canner with simmering water, making sure they are completely covered with 2 inches of water.

Bring to a boil, process Pint jars for 15 minutes or half-pint jars for 10 minutes.

Remove jars and cool.

Agrodolce Peppers

I found this recipe on Jamie Oliver's FB page. It's a recipe from Gennaro Contaldo, who is an amazing Italian chef. Agrodolce means sweet and sour in Italian so these are sweet and sour peppers served on rustic bread, similar to bruschetta. I used a balsamic vinaigrette when I made it because that's what I had on hand and I also added about a teaspoon of diced jalapeno for a bit of spice. You could also add some red pepper flakes if you want the spice but don't have a jalapeno, or you can leave the spice out, it's fantastic either way.

Ingredients
1 large sweet pepper, sliced. I used yellow but you can use red or orange.
10 olives sliced in half, I used Kalamata and Manzanita
1 heaping tablespoon of capers
2 large cloves of garlic, diced
1 teaspoon diced jalapeno
2-3 tablespoons Olive Oil
3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar or you can use balsamic vinaigrette
Salt and pepper to taste
2-3 slices of rustic bread

Heat olive oil in a hot pan. Add the garlic, peppers, olives, capers, and jalapeno to the pan, cook down and let it caramelize a bit.
After about 5 minutes you can add the balsamic vinegar. Let the flavors blend together for about another five minutes. Salt and pepper to taste then serve mixture on top of bread and enjoy!

Here is the link to Jamie Oliver's FB video page with the original recipe. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1307976039343177

Chicken Cutlets with Cheese Tortellini and Veggies

This dish is so tasty and of course simple to make with simple ingredients. 

You don't need a lot of ingredients to make an awesome meal.

INGREDIENTS

One package frozen cheese tortellini
1 lb asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2-3 garlic cloves, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh Grated Parmesan

DIRECTIONS

Prepare cheese tortellini according to package instructions.

While tortellini cooks; In a large skillet heat butter and olive oil together. Add garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, then add asparagus, red pepper flakes & season with salt and pepper, cook until tender. Add tomatoes and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Once vegetables are done add tortellini to the mixture with enough pasta water to make a thin sauce, about 1/8 to 1/4 of a cup.
Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Get the recipe for easy chicken cutlets here; https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/crispy-chicken-cutlets

Summer Pasta Salad

Simple and refreshing, you won't disappoint with this pasta salad. You can easily swap out or add your favorite pasta, cheese, veggie or dressing to this dish to make it your own.

INGREDIENTS

1 package pasta (I used farfalle/bow tie pasta)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup cucumber, diced
1 cup thin salami slices cut into small pieces
1 medium pepper, diced (I used a red pepper)
1/2 small red onion, diced
1 bottle/8 oz Italian salad dressing (I used Olive Garden Italian Dressing)
1/2 cup cubed cheese or grated Parmesan cheese (I used mozzarella sticks)
1/2 cup olives (I used kalamata and green olives)
1/2 tsp original Mrs.Dash seasoning

DIRECTIONS

Cook pasta according to package directions, usually 1 minute less for el dente. Drain and drizzle with dressing so pasta doesn't stick. Refrigerate until cooled.

While pasta cooks, place all other ingredients into a large bowl.

Once pasta has cooled add to remaining ingredients and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours before eating to let all the flavors blend. ENJOY!

Creamy Fontina Pasta

This is a creamy pasta dish with tons of veggies. 
It can be very versatile as well by using different pastas and vegetables.

INGREDIENTS:

•  10
  ounces
  dried pasta
  (I used linguine)
•  ½
  cup
  butter
  (divided)
•  8
  ounces sliced
  mushrooms
•  1 yellow zucchini,sliced
•  ½
  cup
  finely chopped red onion
•  ⅓
  cup broth (I used chicken)
•  1
  teaspoon
  salt
•  8
  ounces
  Fontina cheese
  (diced small)
•  ½
  cup
  chopped parsley
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
  (to taste)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook the pasta until al dente, according to the package directions. Drain and reserve ¾ cup of the cooking water.
2. Meanwhile, heat 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the veggies until tender about 5-7 minutes
3. 
   
   
4. Add the broth to the skillet; cook until the broth is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the reserved cooking liquid and bring to a boil. Stir in the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and season with 1 teaspoon salt.
5. 
   
   
6. Reduce the heat to low and add the cooked pasta, cheese and parsley, tossing with the sauce until the pasta is coated and the cheese starts melting. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
7.