rosemary

#FoodieExtravaganza: Maple Syrup

~ lk529 ~ 9 Comments

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The Foodie Extravaganza is a monthly party hosted by bloggers who love food! Each month we incorporate one main ingredient or theme into recipes to share with you. We take turns hosting and this month it’s my turn!

December 17th is National Maple Syrup Day and I challenged the crew to bake with, cook with, or make a beverage with maple syrup. (For some international bloggers who can’t find maple syrup, they’ll be joining the fun with honey as a substitute.)

With the hectic holiday season, I managed to forget to make something for this event. Before I scrambled to add extra maple syrup to my grocery list, I scrolled through my camera to see if I had anything that would satisfy my call for this maple syrup extravaganza.

Happily enough, I did! Unhappily enough, the photos made want to curl up into a ball and hide. Alas, that’s just the way it is.

I made this turkey breast in January. (Hey, at least it was January of this year!) In January we were living in Ohio. It was cold. I assume it was snowing. And it most definitely was dark at an unacceptable early hour. Those are the excuses I give for the awkward glare of the glaze. It’s a bummer, too, because as I pulled it out of the oven, my husband (and I remember this vividly) declared that it was almost too pretty to eat and that it belonged on the cover of a magazine.

This Rosemary Maple Glazed Turkey is perfect for your holiday table and pairs nicely with Roasted Pears and Parsnips.

Rosemary Maple Glazed Turkey Breast

Ingredients:

  • 1 turkey breast, 4-6 lb
  • 4 onions, halved
  • 6 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 6 stalk of rosemary
  • 2 C chicken stock
  • 2 C balsamic vinegar
  • 1 C maple syrup

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
  2. Season the turkey breast with S+P, inside and out. Stuff the cavity with 2 onions, 2 cloves of garlic, and 1 stalk of rosemary.
  3. Arrange the remaining onions, garlic, and 2 stalks of rosemary in the bottom of a roasting pan. Place the prepared turkey on top. Pour the stock into the pan.
  4. Roast turkey for 2 – 2 1/2 hours (or according to turkey instructions) until an internal temperature of 165 degrees F is reached.
  5. Make the glaze: In a small saucepan over medium heat bring vinegar, syrup, and remaining rosemary to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and allow to reduce 30 minutes, stirring often.
  6. Brush the glaze over the turkey every 30 minutes. Reserve any remaining glaze and keep warm for serving with the finished turkey.

*This recipe is adapted from Erin at http://www.5dollardinners.com/real-food-holiday/*

Rosemary Maple Glazed Turkey Breast for #FoodieExtravaganza from Sew You Think You Can Cook

And don’t forget to check out all these other maply recipes:

Basbousa – Egyptian Semolina Cake from Sneha of Sneha’s Recipe

Bangin’ Breakfast Potatoes from Rebekah of Making Miracles

Gluten-Free Maple Chestnut Cookies from Caroline of Caroline’s Cooking

Maple Pecan Bars from Nichole of Cookaholic Wife

Maple Sugar Cookies from Sue of Palatable Pastime

Maple Walnut Vinaigrette from Tara of Tara’s Multicultural Table

Momiji Tempura from Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Overnight French Toast Casserole from Elaine of Cookin and Craftin

Roasted Maple Glazed Carrots from Wendy of A Day in the Life of the Farm

The Back Forty Cocktail from Stacy of Food Lust People Love

If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you’re a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board! Looking for our previous parties? Check them out HERE.

#handcraftededibles: Go Nuts

~ lk529 ~ 4 Comments

#handcraftedediblesIn an effort to make all of her holiday gifts this year, Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla invited some of her favorite foodie bloggers to share recipes for hand-crated edibles. Over the course of twelve weeks, we’ll be sharing recipes for all your homemade holiday gifts. Hope you’ll follow along for inspiration. You can find out more information, including the schedule here.

Today’s theme is “Go Nuts”. Spiced and candied nuts or nut mixes make for perfect party food. Next time you’re invited to a holiday party, bring a pretty container full of flavored nuts to gift to the generous host.

I had a couple of recipes on the blog that would fit today’s theme, but I’ve decided to re-share my personal favorite, Orange Rosemary Roasted Almonds. These almonds are a great alternative to the popular traditional candied nuts and are guaranteed to wow your friends.

Orange Rosemary Roasted Almonds

Ingredients:

  • 4 C almonds
  • 6 tbsp sugar
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 3 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
  • 2 tbsp orange zest

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
  2. Place almonds on prepared baking sheet. Lightly spray with cooking spray and roast 10-15 minutes.
  3. In a small saucepan over medium heat melt together butter and sugar. Once the sugar is dissolved remove from  the heat and mix in the rosemary and orange zest.
  4. Toss roasted almonds and the butter mixture together in a large bowl. Spread nuts back out on baking sheet(s) to cool completely.

*This recipe is adapted from Christie at http://akitchenhoor.blogspot.com/2015/02/src-reveal-orange-and-rosemary-roasted.html*

Orange Rosemary Roasted Almonds | Sew You Think You Can Cook

To give nuts as a gift place them in a glass container and tie it with a bow along with the recipe! An entire gift basket of different nut flavors and varieties would be a great gift, too.

Here are some other options to fill your basket:

Next week – week 10 – check back for our recipes to inspire you as we let our confectioner’s skills shine. Think truffles, barks, anything
and everything with chocolate. Don’t forget to check out our #handcraftededibles pinterest board.

Orange Rosemary Roasted Almonds

~ lk529 ~ 6 Comments

Earlier this month I hosted our monthly Po-Ke-No game. Po-Ke-No is essentially bingo but instead of letter-number combinations, the board is filled with different playing cards and a standard deck of cards is used to call out the “tiles.”

Each month someone new hosts and gets to pick a theme for the night. We all bring $1 and a “Secret Santa” style $10 gift in a bag. We play through two rounds. In the first, the winner of each game picks a bag and shows everyone what’s inside. In the second round, the winner of each game gets to steal a gift of their choice. Each gift can only be stolen twice, making it effectively “owned” a total of three times. (Starbucks gift cards and cash are the first to be finished.) We play one more game for “all the marbles” aka that $1 buy-in.

While it’s not a requirement, I like to make my “Secret Santa” gift match the theme of the night. For example: for the theme of flowers I brought a flower silicone bowl cover (similar to this).

I chose the theme of citrus. I made a large batch of my Fresh Lemonade, these orange rosemary roasted almonds, and my Key Lime Cheesecake Filled Graham Cracker Bundt Cake. Everything was a success.

Orange Rosemary Roasted Almonds

Ingredients:

  • 4 C almonds
  • 6 tbsp sugar
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 3 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
  • 2 tbsp orange zest

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
  2. Place almonds on prepared baking sheet. Lightly spray with cooking spray and roast 10-15 minutes.
  3. In a small saucepan over medium heat melt together butter and sugar. Once the sugar is dissolved remove from  the heat and mix in the rosemary and orange zest.
  4. Toss roasted almonds and the butter mixture together in a large bowl. Spread nuts back out on baking sheet(s) to cool completely.

*This recipe is adapted from Christie at http://akitchenhoor.blogspot.com/2015/02/src-reveal-orange-and-rosemary-roasted.html*

Orange Rosemary Roasted Almonds | Sew You Think You Can Cook

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

#FoodieExtravaganza: Mushrooms

~ lk529 ~ 20 Comments

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This month’s #FoodieExtravaganza theme is mushrooms. TheFoodie Extravaganza is a monthly party hosted by bloggers who love food! Each month we incorporate one main ingredient or theme into recipes to share with you. Thanks to Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm for hosting this month.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure I was going to participate in today’s event as I’m not a mushroom lover. I didn’t rule it out completely though because my husband and son quite enjoy them.

A couple of weekends ago I had quite a lot on my schedule in preparation for a game night I was hosting (making fresh lemonade, baking this cake, and mixing roasted almonds) so my husband took our son out of the house and went to a grocery store that specializes in fresh, mostly organic foods. They came home with all sorts of great produce, including mushrooms.

I guess it was just meant to be that I participate in today’s Foodie Extravaganza!

I decided to also utilize another fresh produce grab, Brussels sprouts, in a creamy pasta dish that even this mushroom hater could enjoy. At the request of my husband I added Italian sausage to the dish, too. It was this ingredient addition that meant I couldn’t pick around the mushrooms and I ate most of them without worry. So, if you’ve got some picky family members who dislike mushrooms, you can easily hide them in this hearty entree! I’d consider it a success – all three of us enjoyed this for dinner and lunch the next day.

An Original Recipe

Ravioli with Mushrooms and Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

  • 18 oz cheese ravioli
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, divided use
  • 2 links Italian sausage, casings removed
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 2 C chopped mushrooms (I used baby bellas)
  • 2 C sliced Brussels sprouts
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 1/4 C chicken stock
  • 1 1/2 C milk, at room temperature (I used whole)
  • 1 1/2 tbsp flour
  • 3/4 – 1 C shredded Parmesan, to taste

Steps:

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook ravioli according to package directions. Strain, reserving some of the cooking liquid.
  2. In a Dutch oven, or other large pot, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook the sausage, breaking it up. When fully cooked remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
  3. Add remaining tbsp olive oil and the butter to the pot. Saute mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, and rosemary until tender, about 8 minutes. Season with S+P. Add the garlic and cook another 60 seconds, until fragrant. Deglaze the pot with the chicken stock and cook until the liquid has evaporated.
  4. In a measuring cup whisk together the milk and flour. Slowly add the milk to the pot, stirring to prevent lumps. Bring to a gentle boil and melt in the cheese. Season with addition S+P if needed. Add in the cooked ravioli and sausage. If the sauce is too thick, add some of the reserved pasta water.

Ravioli with Mushrooms and Brussels Sprouts for #FoodieExtravaganza from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Be sure to check out the rest of these mushroom recipes:

Cheesy Mushroom Chicken by Fearlessly Creative Mammas

Chicken and Mushroom Stuffed Crepes by Cooking with Carlee

Crusted Seafood Mushroom Caps by The Freshman Cook

Duxelles by Food Lust People Love

Marinated Mushrooms by Making Miracles

Mushroom and Chorizo Ragu by Cookin’ and Craftin’

Mushroom Bread Pudding by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Mushroom Leek Chinese Dumplings by The Joyful Foodie

Mushroom Stroganoff with Herb Spaetzle by Caroline’s Cooking

Mushroom Zoodles and Cheese;by Brunch with Joy

Portabella and Butternut Squash Crepes by Cherishing A Sweet Life

Rántott Gomba – Hungarian Fried Mushrooms by Tara’s Multicultural Table

Shiitake Bruschetta by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

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CIC: Pineapple and Rosemary

~ lk529 ~ 14 Comments

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I was so happy when the votes were in for this month’s Crazy Ingredient Challenge. It was a close battle but pineapple edged out zucchini.

CIC ingredientsI know I already made a lemonade this year, but can you really have too many flavor options for summer’s perfect beverage!? I decided to make a simple syrup with the rosemary, puree some fresh pineapple, and add in freshly squeezed lemon juice.

I actually didn’t make the simple syrup strong enough which is why you see 2-4 sprigs listed in my ingredients; I used 2 sprigs but would venture to say you could double that amount. To get more rosemary flavor in my lemonade I served fresh sprigs in the glasses, because if you smell the rosemary while you drink it you still get that flavor. I then threw in a few more sprigs in the pitcher in the fridge and after just a few hours the rosemary flavor was there.

An Original Recipe

Pineapple Rosemary Lemonade

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 C sugar
  • 4 C water, divided use
  • 2-4 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 2 – 2 1/2 C fresh cubed pineapple
  • 1 C fresh lemon juice (from 7-8 lemons)

Steps:

  1. In a small saucepan over medium heat dissolve sugar in 1 C water with the fresh rosemary sprigs. Remove from heat once sugar is dissolved and let cool. Remove rosemary.
  2. Place pineapple in a blender and blend until smooth. Strain the pineapple puree (this takes time). You should get 3/4 C pineapple juice (measure from the liquid line, not the foam line).
  3. Return pineapple juice to the blender along with the simple syrup, lemon juice, and 3 C water. Blend just to combine. Serve cold with additional rosemary sprigs for garnish.

Pineapple Rosemary Lemonade | Sew You Think You Can Cook

To see the other bloggers who participated in this month’s Crazy Ingredient Challenge click on the link below.

Rosemary Steak and Potatoes

~ lk529 ~ 1 Comment

I am not a steak-and-potatoes type of gal. Potatoes? Yes. Steak? No thanks, I’ll pass. But my husband is most definitely a steak-and-potatoes type of guy. In fact, it’s the meal he always gets when we visit his parents.

I was informed that I needed to add more iron to my diet – so that means you’ll see more red meat entrees floating around Sew You Think You Can Cook. I’ve always tried to limit the red meat to once a week, typically in the form of Mexican Monday. And I am guilty of enjoying a burger quite often.

For this recipe, par-boiled potatoes share the skewer with cubes of sirloin and the result is divine. The potatoes end up resembling fries and the marinade is full of flavor. I particularly like the rosemary. Serve these skewers with your favorite vegetable and you’ve got yourself a complete meal!

If you’ve had too much red meat this week, Mom made this recipe using chicken instead of steak and it worked just as beautifully.

Rosemary Steak and Potatoes

Ingredients:

  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh rosemary
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme
  • 2 tsp steak seasoning
  • 1/2 C balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 C olive oil
  • 2 lb steak, cut into cubes
  • 2 C golden potatoes

Steps:

  1. In a bowl combine garlic, rosemary, thyme, steak seasoning, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil.
  2. Pour 3/4 C of the marinade over the steak and set in the fridge.
  3. Boil potatoes for 15 minutes, until slightly fork tender. Drain. Pour the rest of the marinade over the potatoes.
  4. Skewer the steak and potatoes. Grill until the steak is cooked to your liking and the potatoes are done.

*This recipe is adapted from Whitney at http://littleleopardbook.com/2013/10/16/rosemary-steak-skewers/*

Rosemary Steak