Broccoli Slaw

|
By
|
1 comment

broccolislaw

Have you guys hopped on board the spiralizer bandwagon yet? I hadn’t, but have wanted to for quite some time. So when OXO reached out to me to give their new Countertop Spiralizer model a try, I was happy to oblige.

I opted for the the standard zucchini noodle to get my “feet wet”, and then quickly found myself spiralizing everything I could get my hands on. It’s so much fun to use! Couldn’t be any easier to clean or store, and has three different blades for a plethora of slicing needs. spiralizer

Like curly fries! I’m trying to think on the healthy side – but it’s hard to deny the fact that for me this is groundbreaking. Curly fries. Sprinkled with Old Bay. From the comfort of my own home. Ya heard?

Of all the things I passed through this little gadget last week, I think I had the most fun with broccoli stems. I always felt so bad tossing them in the trash on the regular, so believe me when I say it felt so good to make this delicious, crunchy, and tangy slaw with those big green stalks!

What a great way to stretch a buck, and good for you to boot! I mixed with some shredded green and red cabbage, as well as some shredded carrot for a little additional crunch and pop of color. Would be the perfect addition to any potluck party table.

Broccoli Slaw

2 large broccoli stems, spiralized or shredded
1 cup thinly shredded green cabbage
1/2 cup thinly sliced purple cabbage
1 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, greek yogurt, vinegar, honey, and celery seed.

Add in broccoli, shredded cabbage, carrots, salt and pepper. Toss to combine, and season to taste.

Cover and refrigerate for and hour to let flavors meld before serving.

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by the good folks at OXO. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Garlic Herb Seasoned Salt

|
By
|
Comments are off for this post

Garlic Herb Salt

Back at Christmas time I bought an insane amount of pre-peeled garlic due to poor grocery shopping planning, and needed something to do with it. I’d remembered a recipe they’d talked about on The Splendid Table a while back for homemade seasoned salt using fresh garlic, and decided that since I had a plethora of the stuff that I needed something to do with…this was the perfect opportunity to try out said recipe.

You guys, it’s been pretty much the only seasoning I’ve used since then – save chili powder and cumin. Not a meal goes by that I don’t find myself dipping into the stuff. I keep a mason jar curing of it at all times, just because it’s so perfect to use on everything – any protein under the sun, to any vegetable or starch you can throw at it! It really heightens the flavor of whatever it is you use it on, without overwhelming it…which many store-bought seasoning blends tend to do!

I roasted the garlic first – to intensify and deepen the flavors. Then, toss it into bunch of salt along with some freshly chopped herbs. Any mix of your favorite will do – I’ve been using rosemary and thyme recently, just because it’s been pretty readily available during the cold months.

However now that it’s warming up and I’m starting to think about my herb garden – I’m looking forward to experimenting with different blends of herbs this season. I also think that bit of citrus zest would also be a welcome addition to the party! Or maybe a smidge of lavender for an Herbes de Provance twist? Have fun with it, you can’t mess this one up!

Garlic Herb Seasoned Salt

20 large cloves garlic, peeled
2 tsp olive oil
1.5 cups kosher salt
1/4 cup fresh thyme leaves, removed from stems
1/2 cup fresh rosemary leaves, removed from stems

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place garlic in small baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Place garlic in preheated oven for about 25 minutes, until brown on the edges and fragrant. Roughly chop and set aside.

Combine kosher salt, roasted garlic, and herbs into a quart size mason jar. Seal with a lid and shake well to combine. Store in a dark space, shaking occasionally every other day or so, for about 5 days.

Place salt infusion into a food processor and blend for a few pulses until garlic and herbs are mostly chopped and uniform. Place back into the mason jar or another airtight container for storage.

Source: adapted from The Splendid Table

Strawberry-Vanilla Bean Sauce

|
By
|
Comments are off for this post

Fresh Strawberry-Vanilla Bean Sundae Topping

While we’re still trying to fight off winter, spring has already sprung in some of our sunshine states like Florida and California. When I you start to see fragrant strawberries from these states popping up in your stores, you know that warmer days are right around the corner. At least, that’s what I’ve been trying to tell myself…

There are few things better in life than a perfectly red, ripe strawberry. When I buy them, I can always be counted upon to eat at least half of the clamshell package on the way home. So I’ve learned my lesson and usually buy two, just to be on the safe side. As much as I love to eat them “as-is”, it’s so much fun to cook and bake with them in the kitchen!

Cake. Cupcakes. Ice Cream. Vodka. Margaritas. Salad. Salsa. Syrup. You name it – I’ve made it! But one thing that was conspicuously missing was a good homemade strawberry sauce. Which, oddly is probably the easiest of all of those things to make. Fresh strawberries cooked down with a bit of sugar and a vanilla bean. Heaven over a bowl of yogurt and granola in the morning, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream in the evening…

Look for berries that are a deep red in color, but most importantly – smell them! Good strawberries are extremely fragrant. That’s usually my rule of thumb for most fruits, actually – the better it smells the better it’ll taste. So, keep your sniffer in mind the next time you’re in the produce aisle!

Strawberry-Vanilla Bean Sauce

1 pint fresh strawberries, wash and trimmed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1 vanilla bean (split and seeds removed), or 1 tsp vanilla extract

Halve or quarter strawberries and place in medium-sized saucepan. Add sugar and water. Cook over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.

Add the vanilla bean pod and seeds, stir, and cover. Reduce heat to low and cook for about 20 minutes.

Mash any large pieces up with masher or wooden spoon. If you like a smoother consistency puree half of the sauce in a food processor, then reincorporate it.

Sauce can be stored in an airtight container refrigerated for 1 week.

Homemade Marshmallows

|
By
|
1 comment

Homemade Marshmallows

I know, I know – I’ve been another couple of months MIA. I feel like it’s been one sickness after another around here since the New Year, and I’ve just been in kind of a funk as far as cooking in the kitchen is concerned. Sticking to my old stand-by’s…and not trying anything new or out of my comfort zone. I’m doing my best to “shake it off” though, and crossing out something on your “want to make from scratch” bucket-list is always a great place to start!

Marshmallows were at the top of that list for me. With as often as we make s’mores around here, a big fluffy homemade marshmallow would be just the ticket to elevate them to the next level. You can control the thickness and shape, and you know precisely what is going into them…something that’s not so easily accomplished with the store bought variety. Not to mention the fun you could have experimenting with flavors and colors!

A stand mixer is pretty much required, as it requires quite a bit of time whisking the mixture to the perfect cloud-like consistency. It’s minimal hands on work – heating up the sugar syrup and blooming the gelatin. Then it gets a spin in the mixer, and a good amount of cooling time before cutting and enjoying. Which, is of course always the hardest part.

They turn out perfect every time, and are a delightful little gift packaged up in a pretty cellophane bag. They also hold up really well to a good roasting, they’re more substantial then your average marshmallow – which tend to just want to slough off the stick. And, they keep for three weeks! Not like they ever last that long around here.

Homemade Marshmallows

3 packages (1/4-ounce each) unflavored gelatin
1 cup cool water, divided
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
butter or shortening, for greasing pan

Combine confectioners’ sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Set aside.

Prepare a 9×13 inch baking dish by greasing with butter and sprinkiling with half of the confectioners’ sugar mixture. Tap dish around to evenly coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Set aside.

Combine the gelatin and 1/2 cup cool water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix briefly to combine; set aside.

Combine the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/2 cup cool water in a small, deep saucepan. Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves.

Raise the heat to high and cook, without stirring, until the syrup reaches 240°F on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat.

With the mixer set on low speed, slowly pour the sugar syrup into the bloomed gelatin. Increase the speed to high, and whip until the mixture is very thick and fluffy, and has cooled to lukewarm, about 12 minutes. The mixture should be cool enough that you can spread it into the pan without burning your fingers, about 95°F. Add vanilla towards the end of the mixing time.

Spread the marshmallow mixture into prepared pan. Smooth and flatten the top using a clean wet hand or silicone spatula.

Sprinkle confectioners’ sugar over the top, and let sit for at least 4 hours, and up to overnight before cutting. Use a greased knife or cookie cutters to make squares or other shapes. Dipping the knife or cutters in cold water before cutting helps reduce any stickiness.

For storage, place in a closed container (the layers separated by waxed paper or parchment paper), for up to 3 weeks.

Source: adapted from King Arthur Flour and Alton Brown