perfect New Year's Eve

Cheers and Happy New Year to all! I hope that you had a fabulous end to 2013. After an apres ski beer  out with friends, we enjoyed a cozy dinner in last night. I made everything ahead of time, which allowed me to

ski all day

warm up

and play a ferocious three generation game of Mexican Train before we sat down to eat together.

I'd made and/or prepped everything ahead of time, so all I had to do was toss the salad {one of my favs, particularly on a chilly winter day: jicama, mango with a lime vinaigrette}.

Then I put a bunch of toppings out,

and we all enjoyed a test-run on my Winter White Chili. It was so, so good. A total keeper, which is great because I'm trying to come up with more top-notch, freezer-friendly meals to add to the current "Stock Your Freezer in a Snap" batch of crowd-pleasers.

It was a perfect, casual New Year's Eve meal-- great for any time you want to feed a crowd, big or small, and get the cooking done ahead of time. Here's a link to other freezer-friendly meals and resources I've jotted down here on the blog, in case you're looking for some make-ahead meal inspiration as we head into 2014. Cheers!       - Eila

easy holiday appetizer: red and green antipasto tartlets

What's that? You have guests coming over and you want an easy app to have on hand? Or... you've been asked to bring a little something to the neighbor's holiday soiree? Well, between the cheesy broccoli puffs I shared earlier this week, and now this simple festive app, I've got you covered! Originally shared with the shoppers at Walter Stewart's, our fabulous local market market, this one's a keeper b/c it's so easy, and everyone LOVES it. Plus, so festive, right?

Another bonus: this is a great cooking project that the kids can help make.

Red and Green Antipasto Tartlets

• chive cream cheese
• mini phyllo cups (which are in the frozen section of your market)
• dry salami
• small fresh mozzarella balls
• red and/or green pesto

While you are preheating the oven to 350, pop a little dollop of chive cream cheese in the bottom of each phyllo cup. Then place a thin slice of dry salami on that (the cream cheese will help hold it in place), and gently press a small fresh mozzarella ball into the center. Bake the cups on the middle rack, for about 8-10 minutes, until the phyllo shell is crisp and the cheese is melted. Then place a small dollop of red and/or green pesto on each piece. These may be served warm or room temp. 

The search function here on the blog is still not working well, so here's a link to all of the appetizer posts, and as always, don't hesitate to reach out if there's a recipe you need help locating. I can probably quickly dig up the link for you!!  Hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday season! - Eila

Slow-Cooked Beef Barbacoa {Dutch / French Oven method}

I recently pinned a recipe that caught my eye: Chipotle Barbacoa Tacos. I was hosting a Mexican-themed dinner party this weekend-- a perfect time to make a big batch! Now, I know most would not try out a new recipe the day they're hosting a dinner party... I guess I'm reckless like that. {Living on the edge, this one.}

I did a little poking around on the Internet after seeing that recipe and realized that slight derivations of this same recipe are repeated over and over... basically everyone must have gone to Chipotle's site, checked the ingredient page, and returned to their home kitchens. The glitch is that most of the recipes recommended using a slow-cooker... which I don't have. What I do have is a large Le Creuset French oven and a leisurely Saturday. 

So, with that in mind, here's my easy recipe for a day when you can stick around, enjoy some family time, and let your home fill with amazing aromas...

A lot of the recipes I came across involved extra steps like grilling peppers, pressing things through sieves, browning the meat, etc. that I deemed unnecessary.

I went easy on myself when it came to ingredients. Yes, I had a bunch of limes... but those could be reserved for the cervezas. One of those plastic lime things {that my kids always want to buy and use as a 'cool squirter'} contains exactly the right amount-- 1/2 cup-- of juice, already squeezed for me. Besides, that would have been a lot of lime squeezing... I wanted to keep my Saturday simple.

I used a bit of creative licence when making this dish... I was kind of like a kid in a candy shop when it came to my spice drawer.

And while I was, originally, going to go the dried chipotle route, these canned ones in adobo were the ones I could find.

Having a high powered blender or food processor made this recipe a cinch. While the actual cooking takes the bulk of a day, the prep takes mere minutes, and then the beef just slowly cooks.

Really, the hardest part of this recipe was the waiting. The aromas were able to escape even the tight fitting lid.

I peeked at the 4 hour mark....

And at the 6 hour mark my patience ran out.

I pulled the hunk of meat out, shredded it with two forks...

and then popped it back in the sauce while I went for a long walk. It slowly simmered for 1 more hour in the sauce.  I came home to an amazing smelling house and perfect shredded beef.

Slow-Cooked Beef Barbacoa
(Makes about 25+ servings. Freezes perfectly. You can easily halve this recipe too if you don't have a large pot. I used a 7 1/4 quart Le Creuset French Oven.)

7-8 lb boneless beef round bottom roast*
slow cooking sauce:
1 1/2 onions, rough chopped
10 +/- cloves garlic
1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup cider vinegar
three 6 oz can tomato paste
two 16 oz jars chipotle salsa
one 7.5 oz can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 Tablespoon cumin
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon oregano
1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 Tablespoon salt
2 cups beef broth

In a food processor or blender, combine onions, garlic, lime juice, cider vinegar, tomato paste, salsa, chipotle peppers, spices (cumin, cinnamon, oregano, smoked paprika, cloves) and salt. Pulse to a thick, smooth consistency. Add this to a large pot with a tight fitting lid, then add the beef broth, stir to combine, and place the beef roast into the pot. Turn burner onto medium-high, until the liquid comes to a nice, quick simmer, then lower heat and cover. Keep at a low simmer for 6-7 hours, until beef can easily be shredded with a fork. Carefully remove beef from the sauce, and shred using 2 forks. Then, return shredded beef to the sauce and simmer for another 1-2 hours until very tender. The barbacoa beef will freeze well for up to 3 months in an air-tight container. 

This made a very large batch, which was great, since it takes long enough that it's kind of a once-a-season sort of recipe. On Saturday, I served the beef barbacoa alongside a batch of my butternut squash-black bean enchiladas, citrusy black beans and Spanish rice at a casual fiesta-themed dinner party. On Sunday, we enjoyed leftovers at our family dinner. And I popped three family dinners' worth into the freezer for busy nights or action-packed ski weekends ahead.

*This is the cut that my butcher recommended, based on what he had in stock. You could also use brisket, shoulder or rump roast, top round.

two new {and super easy easy} Fall apps: potato pancakes topped with truffle mousse and apple-cranberry butter + sausage and apple phyllo cups

I do love a Fall dinner party... but, like many of you, I want to prep the food ahead so I get to relax and enjoy my company. Here are two new app ideas for all of you who may be hosting Fall gatherings, inspired by chillier temps and autumn flavors. Hope you and your friends enjoy them as much as we do!

Potato Pancakes with Truffle Mousse and Cranberry-Apple Chutney

Trader Joe's potato pancakes
Les Trois Petits Cochons Mousse Truffee
Trader Joe's cranberry-apple butter

Heat the potato pancakes according to package (350, 10 minutes on each side), then top with a dollop of truffle mousse and cranberry-apple butter. Serve warm or room temp.

Note: the small frozen potato pancakes were found in the frozen breakfast section (by the waffles, croissants, etc.), the cranberry-apple butter was found by the jams, and the mousse truffee was in the cheese section of our Darien, CT Trader Joe's.

As you all know, I love anything stuffed into phyllo cups. They're versatile, easy to pick up, and they look special. I've filled them with Feta & Figs, I've made them Christmas-y with dollops of sun-dried tomato and pesto, I've brought them to Spring parties filled with pea dip, and I've taken them to Winter gatherings filled with white bean-bacon dip. This past weekend, they were offered up at our neighborhood block party, to rave reviews:

Sausage and Apple Stuffed Phyllo Cups

(makes 48 phyllo cups)

4 packages (48) Athens mini phyllo cups (found in the freezer section of most major supermarkets)
4 chicken sausages* (I like the Hans brand Brat ones)
3 apples (2 for the filling, cored + 1 for topping, 1/2" diced)
1 medium onion
1/4 cup fresh sage
1 8oz block cream cheese

While the phyllo cups are being crisped up in the oven (per package instructions, usually 350 for about 5 minutes or so), combine the four sausage, two apples, one onion and fresh sage in a food processor. Warm the brick of cream cheese in a fry pan until soft. Add the sausage mixture, and warm over medium heat, for about 5-10 minutes, stirring until flavors are combined. Place a dollop of sausage mixture into each phyllo cup and top with a piece of fresh apple. Serve warm or room temp. 

*You could also make this appetizer vegetarian, by filling them with this meatless "sausage" dip.

my favorite Mexican-inspired recipes for Cinco de Mayo (or any day!)

Sunday is.... May 5th!

Cinco de Mayo!

A perfect excuse to make a big batch of enchiladas. (As if you needed one.)

{Insert the sounds of a mariachi band.}

My go to enchilada recipe is here, and it is totally adaptable-- make it with your favorite veggies or meat. Really, whatever you have on hand! 

You can watch me making a batch here in this video.

Make sure to make a BIG batch, because these enchiladas freeze perfectly!

Another great Mexican-inspired option would be my vegetarian tacos. I have heard from many parents, that when their kids have the chance to "make-your-own" they are apt to try a little of this and a little of that. Turning any meal into a fun game of getting as many colors as you can on to your plate is a challenge lots of kids enjoy.

On the appetizer front, my salsa baked goat cheese dip is creamy and decadent tasting. Perfect for a casual weekend gathering, served alongside tortilla chips and veggies.

It's really simple to make, and everyone loves it!

Another easy appetizer idea would be jicama with lime juice and a sprinkling of chili powder. Light and crisp, this is a fresh and healthy option. My kids love jicama, so I set some aside when I am chopping to pop into lunch boxes, have for snack, etc. Not sure of exactly what you're shopping for? I've included a photo of jicama here. Some markets sell it already peeled and chopped, in which case, it would like like a little container of the spears pictured above.

Another favorite jicama recipe is this salad with mango, jicama and a lime vinaigrette. I had forgotten how much I love this salad until I just reposted it. Definitely making this soon.

A great make-ahead option is this jicama, black bean and corn salad. It gets even better after the flavors have melded a day or two. 

And speaking of black beans, these citrus-infused black beans are so, so good!

Leftover beans can easily become this colorful dinner later in the week.

And, last but certainly not least, cilantro-roasted veggies are delicious warm or room temp. 

I "re-purpose" any leftovers in scrambled eggs, frittatas (watch a frittata video here if you'd like), on salads, added to a grain side. 

That's quite a round-up of simple, colorful Mexican-inspired recipes. Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend ahead. Let me know what you whip up!