Bird's Nest Bites

A Cook & Garden, Together In The Pacific Northwest

Winter Slaw with Red Cabbage, Dried Cranberries & Pomegranate Seeds

We We are smack dab in the middle of the holiday party season, which usually means a potluck or two.  Are you the person who always gets asked to ‘bring a salad’?  …Me too.  This is because I have a tendency to go hog wild over them and don’t know when to quit (don’t get me started on my venture into the hard-boiled eggs dyed with beet juice as a garnish-nobody wanted to go anywhere near that).  I’m digressing…here we have what I hope you will think is a solution to the ‘bring a salad’ blues.  You can put it all together at home and toss in the dressing once you arrive at your destination.  This salad is as good to eat as it is pretty to look at.  Crisp, red cabbage and slivered chard for the base.  Next, we’ll add in some dried cranberries for a sweet-tart kick, then some pomegranate seeds for a tart and crunchy visual show stopper, then fresh blueberries for a sweet surprise.  The dressing is not your typical slaw-type of dressing…we add a big dollop of blackberry jelly for color and sweet, and then a good squeeze of lemon juice to balance everything out.  Sound good?  Oh! Then I threw on a big old handful of roasted pumpkin seeds on top.  Nothing like a salty and crunchy finish.  If you bring this to your next party, be prepared to be the designated salad assignee for a long time to come.

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Roasted Pears – Sweet or Savory

During fall and winter months, I always seem to have a batch of these roasted pears cooling their heels in the refrigerator.  Drop in friends or family?  No problem – I just grab a few of these beauties, slightly sweetened and topped with cinnamon sugar and go to town. In the mood for something a little savory?  Add a roasted pear to your favorite salad greens, add some roasted hazelnuts and dried cranberries, some big chunks of blue cheese, and you are all set. Thinking more about sweets?  Warm up a few in the oven or microwave if you want, put a couple on each plate, add a couple of scoops of your favorite ice cream, and some cookie crumbs or caramel sauce if you have any laying around and you’re set.  They last in the refrigerator for at least a week – as if you will have to worry about that.

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Grandma’s Dinner Rolls

 These yeasty rolls are my attempt at coming close to the delicious rolls my grandma Liz used to make.  As a young aspiring baker, I’d watch her assemble dozens of at a time, tossing an armload of dough around like it weighed nothing, and tearing off perfectly shaped rolls that she would let rise by her wood stove.  She never measured anything, mixing and baking by feel alone – and they were perfect.  I have fond memories of eating as many as I possibly could every Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve – or as many as I could get my hands on.  Grandma had seven children and hordes of grandchildren, and when everybody got together it was like a small city which means you had to move fast before my seemingly huge uncles with even huger appetites beat me in line. 

 Grandma did not have a recipe as you may have guessed, so I spent years trying to get as close as I could to what she did so effortlessly.  I finally got to where I think she might be proud, and I owe it all to Julia Child because this is pretty much her recipe. If you have a bread machine laying around, haul it out and use the dough cycle for this recipe – that’s how I handle it. These rolls can be made grandma’s way, with just your two hands and a sturdy wooden spoon. There isn’t much better on the planet than biting into one of these babies.  Slathered with butter, of course.  Recipe adapted from ‘Baking with Julia’. 

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Cinnamon Applesauce Bread with Roasted Caramel Apples

I will admit that this recipe took three tries before it hit the mark.  The first attempt was OK but lacked fresh apple flavor.  With the second attempt I added so much fresh apple for flavor that the end result was more like a brick than a bread, and the only person who would consider eating it was my mother, Neeners.  Back to the drawing board, and pulled the reins in a little on the fresh apple element.  Now we had ourselves a moist applesauce bread with just enough fresh apple kick.  Never satisfied, it seems, I figured what’s the harm in roasting some apple slices and piling them right on top of each slice? All that was well and good, but it needed a finishing touch – enter the best and easiest caramel sauce you’ve ever made.  Drizzle it or drench it over the whole works – up to you.  I, for one, drench.  Happiness on a plate.

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Creamy Cauliflower Soup

Yes, I am still on my comfort food kick 🙂  And in the spirit of comfort food, Creamy Cauliflower is one of my favorites; creamy, cheesy and pretty much guilt free if you are into that food guilt stuff.  Every time I’m in the mood for macaroni and cheese I make Cauliflower soup and it usually satisfies that particular craving – I said usually.  One of the best things about this soup aside from how delicious it is, is that it has no cream, no half & half, and no full-fat milk (unless, of course, you want to put some in there in which case I say ‘Go For It’).  The other best part about it is that it’s only got a small handful of ingredients, which makes it quick, healthy, and scrape out the bowl delicious.  Come on along and let me tell you how to get this thing done…

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Chicken Alfredo with Mushrooms and Braised Leeks

 

When I’m in the mood for comfort food (which I am now), I feel the need to have something creamy, which is often followed by the desire to have roast chicken.  Except, of course, when I must have mac and cheese, but we will save that for a future post.  This is one of my favorite ‘go to’ comfort food supers, and fits the comfort food bill to a T.  The chicken is briefly browned in a skillet, and then laid down on a bed of braised leeks.  And now I have a confession to make:  I usually don’t buy prepared foods at the supermarket, just because I am a food geek and prefer to make my own.  Most of the time, I think homemade always tastes better than store bought.  Also, I’m a cheap skate and can usually make things myself for less money.  In this recipe I make an exception by using jarred Garlic Alfredo Sauce to pour over the chicken.  The reason is simply because I cannot for the life of me make an Alfredo Sauce that will not break or separate during the roasting process – no how, no way.  This stuff is both delicious and miraculous, and I can understand every ingredient on the label except one, which works for me. I buy Bertolli’s, but use whatever favorite you might have.  After a healthy pouring over of Alfredo Sauce, mushroom are sautéed and added right before roasting, along with a nice handful of fresh thyme.  The end result is hearty, creamy, and lick the plate delicious. Sound interesting, keep reading to see the recipe!

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Pumpkin Pie Bars with Gingersnap Crust and Cinnamon Streusel Topping

Love Fall.  Love pumpkin. Not that crazy about pumpkin pie. No matter how hard I try, my pumpkin pie is usually a disappointment.  In fact, after nearly 35 years of fruitless attempts I have only received one compliment from Neeners.  It was several years ago on Thanksgiving Day, and time for dessert.  Neeners very reluctantly took a piece, tasted it, and said “Good pie this year…..Finally”.  Since I didn’t bother to write down the recipe I made up that day, replicating it is an impossibility.  So we will punt – how about some Pumpkin Streusel Bars?  Gingersnap cookie crust, rich and creamy pumpkin pie filling, and a buttery streusel topping with just a touch of cinnamon.  This recipe makes nearly the equivalent of two pumpkin pies, so feeding a crowd is a cinch. Perfect for a tailgate, potluck, or Thanksgiving dinner.

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Potato, Corn & Roasted Poblano Soup with Poblano Drizzle

 

Like many, I was reluctant to admit that Fall was approaching, and fast. But when I tasted this particular soup at a restaurant near Hailey, Idaho a few weeks ago, I welcomed Fall with open arms.  I have taken it upon myself to attempt to recreate what I was able to steal from my husband that night (a precious few bites since he liked it as much as I did) and think this is pretty close.  Rich and creamy, and filled with potatoes and corn, then with the added deep and slightly spicy hit of roasted Poblano chilis.  I added an additional twist and made a sauce with more roasted Poblanos, balsamic vinegar, garlic and oil and generously drizzled it all over the top.  Here is most definitely a soup that you can make your own:  Want more potatoes?  Go for it. More corn? Add to your hearts content. More chilis?  I’m not stopping you.  From here on out, it’s all about you and what you like best.  I will admit being happy with a little trick in the recipe that allows you a rich and creamy texture with absolutely no cream required. Keep on reading for the recipe and see for yourself!

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Heirloom Tomato Caprese Salad with Marinated Fresh Mozzarella

Caprese salads are simple by definition, and usually only consist of tomatoes, basil, fresh mozzarella cheese and olive oil. But here’s the thing… fresh mozzarella, in spite of all of its many virtues, can be a bit of a yawner in the flavor department. In this recipe, the fresh mozzarella is given a little more personality by marinating it in olive oil, garlic, lemon zest and tons of herbs. I think you will find this to be a game changer in all things Caprese. The only thing missing here is a loaf of artisan bread and a bottle of wine…….

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Nutty Milk Chocolate and Hazelnut Bars

 

It all started because I needed to come up with something fast for our first football tailgate gathering of the year.  Hmmm…thoughts circled around a bar cookie of sorts, but it had to be something I could tuck into a Ziplock bag for munching on during the game (you know, if it went on FOREVER).  I saw a recipe for Pecan Bars…close, but not exactly hitting the spot. Hey, wait a second!  Let’s capitalize on what’s right in our own back yard.  Did you know that Oregon is the largest producer of hazelnuts in the world?  All the more reason to give them a spin.  And so, the Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Bar was born.

A thin and rich crust that will remind you a little of shortbread.  But the star of this show is the hazelnuts, and there are a ton of them.  First lightly oiled, salted, and roasted, and then roughly chopped and stirred into a magical combination of, among other things, brown sugar and milk chocolate.  This will blow your mind and I’m not kidding.  To make it even easier, all of this can be made in one bowl.  No mixer.  No food processor.  Just you, a bowl and a spoon.  Have at it.

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