Rosemary Garlic Biscuits

I saw this recipe posted on SkinnyTaste.com and thought they would be a perfect addition to a Holiday dinner menu. Everyone at the table was impressed with these biscuits. The rosemary and garlic was delicious and flavorful! Using the Bisquick made this recipe much easier to make than making the biscuits completely from scratch. Perfect for entertaining guests!

 

Recipe:

2 tablespoons salted butter, melted

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary

2 cups Heart Smart Bisquick

3 ounces shredded Parmesan cheese

2/3 cup fat free milk

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Melt butter in a small pan, add oil and half the garlic; saute on low heat about 1 minute. Remove from heat and add chopped rosemary.
3. In a large bowl, combine biscuit mix, Parmesan cheese, and remaining garlic. Stir in milk and mix (do not over mix). Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls (about 1.5 oz each) onto prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake for 10 minutes. Brush or drizzle biscuits with melted butter. Bake for 5 more minutes, or until lightly browned on the bottom.

A couple notes:

This recipe provides 14 servings. I didn't have that many guests so I made the biscuits a bit larger and made 10 biscuits. They were perfect!

I added an extra clove of garlic to the pan to saute in olive oil. I am a garlic lover!

Watch the biscuits carefully while they are in the oven so they don't get too brown on top.

Enjoy!

Sage Stuffing

This Thanksgiving was my first time making homemade stuffing. I was surprised how easy it turned out to be. This recipe serves 8 to 10 people so I cut it in half to serve 4 to 5 guests. I didn't have fresh herbs on hand so I used dried and the taste was still aromatic and festive. 

Recipe:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 stalks celery cut into small dice

1 medium onion cut into small dice

2 teaspoons fresh chopped sage

2 tablespoons minced thyme

½ teaspoon caraway seed

4 cups chicken stock

Salt and Pepper to taste

10 – 12 dried bread cubes

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt the butter in a 10 inch fry pan. Add the celery and onion and saute for 5 minutes.
3. Add sage, thyme and caraway seeds and saute for a minute.
4. Place the bread cubes in a large mixing bowl. Add the sauteed ingredients and the chicken stock to the bread cubes and combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Place all ingredients in a casserole dish and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the top is golden brown.

A couple notes:

I substituted vegetable broth for chicken broth.

I didn't have caraway seed on hand so I omitted it from the recipe.

I used sourdough bread for the bread cubes.

Combine the bread cubes and stock well so that the stock doesn't sit at the bottom of the dish and make the bottom half gooey.

I added 2 stalks of celery even though I cut the recipe in half. The taste, color and crunch was fantastic and fresh.

Enjoy!

Cranberry Sauce

I really wanted to make my own cranberry sauce this year instead of using the traditional canned sauce. This recipe was simple and tasted so sweet and delicious with turkey! I found this recipe on the Real Simple website.

Recipe:

4 cups fresh cranberries

2 cups apple juice

¾ cup sugar

¼ teaspoon orange zest

1. Place all the ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and cook until the liquid has slightly thickened, about 30 minutes.
3. Remove from heat, let cool, cover, and refrigerate in a serving dish.

A couple notes:

The sauce can be prepared and refrigerated up to 4 days in advance. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Wild Rice Stuffed Squash

I was looking for a new fall recipe and this one looked tasty! Thank you Martha Stewart! This was my second time cooking with acorn squash and I'm surprised how much I like it! Great texture and flavor. For this recipe I used Basmati Rice Medley from Trader Joe's. It is a blend of Aged Indian Basmati Rice and Wild Rice with Garden Herbs and Vegetables. I also used dried cranberries instead of dried cherries to add some Thanksgiving flavor!

Recipe:

2 acorn squashes (1 ½ pounds each), halved lengthwise, seeds removed

2 tablespoons butter

1 shallot, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ teaspoon dried rubbed sage

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 box (6 ounces) wild-rice blend (seasoning packet discarded)

½ cup dried cherries

½ cup pecans, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, arrange squash cut side down; cover sheet tightly with aluminum foil. Roast until tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife, about 40 minutes.
   
   
2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat butter over medium. Add shallot, garlic, and sage; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add rice and 1 3/4 cups water; bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook until tender, without stirring, about 25 minutes. 
    
3. Remove rice from heat, and stir in cherries and pecans; season stuffing with salt and pepper. Season the inside of each squash half with salt and pepper. Dividing evenly, mound stuffing into halves, and serve.

A couple notes:

I used 6 ounces of Basmati Rice Medley and it only took about 20 minutes to cook.

Instead of dried cherries I used dried cranberries and absolutely loved the sweet flavor that they provided.

This dish needs a lot of salt and pepper! I seasoned the rice and squash separately. Also sprinkled the entire dish again before serving.

Enjoy!

Artichoke-Parmesan Crostini

This is a fantastic appetizer for parties! Very quick and easy to prepare. The taste and texture are exquisite. This Artichoke-Parmesan Crostini makes a healthy alternative to the traditional appetizers that involve sour cream and mayonnaise. 

Recipe:

8 slices (¼ inch thick) baguette

2 tablespoons olive oil

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 jar (6 ½ ounces) marinated artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed, and patted dry

¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make crostini: Brush baguette slices on both sides with a total of 1 tablespoon olive oil; Season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet, and bake, turning once, until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool.
   
   
2. Meanwhile, make topping: Finely chop artichokes, and combine in a bowl with Parmesan, parsley, and remaining tablespoon olive oil.
   
   
3. Dividing evenly, spoon topping onto crostini, and garnish with additional Parmesan, if desired.

A couple notes:

I found it was necessary to add a bit more olive oil to the artichoke mix than just 1 tablespoon.

I didn't add more Parmesan as a garnish, there was plenty in the mix.

Enjoy!

Grilled Artichoke

I love artichokes. I try to eat them as much as possible. At least once a week. The entire process of cooking an artichoke is completely fulfilling for me. Trimming the thorns, steaming until they reach the perfect level of tenderness, peeling and eating each leaf one at a time until you reach the heart. Every part of this process is interactive and the end result of eating a perfectly cooked artichoke is beyond satisfying.

I took cooking an artichoke one step further by firing up the barbeque. Grilling an artichoke adds so much flavor and that smokey barbeque taste. The common dip for an artichoke is mayonnaise. I'm not a huge fan of mayonnaise so I came up with my own mixture that everyone can enjoy. I combine a small spoonful of reduced fat mayonnaise, honey mustard, and Dijon. Mix them well in a small bowl and your dip is ready to go!

Instructions:

Depending on the size of your artichokes, steam for 25-45 minutes until just tender.

Cut artichoke in half and brush (or drizzle) a small amount of olive oil on each side.

Sprinkle salt and pepper over the inside of each half and your artichokes are ready to go on the grill.

Place on the barbeque over medium heat for 4-5 minutes on each side.

Remove from heat and serve with your dip!

Enjoy!