Merry Christmas!

I hope your Christmas brought you lots of the very nice and the very naughty.  Eat well and enjoy food, friends, and family.  Happy Holidays from Down Home Foodie!  
 

Christmas Recipes: Tortellini Soup

This was the soup my mom always fixed for Christmas Eve dinner.  Since my dad is a minister, Christmas Eve was working evening and involved him coming in and out fom different services.  So, a warm, full soup was something she could do ahead and then we could enjoy it with a salad and crusty bread.  The colors are perfect for Christmas and the flavors are deep and inviting.  

Ingredients:
2 tablespoon olive oil
½ onion (about ½ cup) diced red onions
4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarians)
1 tsp. garlic salt (with parsley)
1 tbls. Italian seasoning
¼ tsp pepper
1 cup red wine
1 tbls balsamic vinegar
1 16oz. can of navy beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5oz. can of petite diced tomatoes with liquid
1 10 oz. can of Rotel (or diced, spicy tomatoes available in mild, original, and hot), drained
1 10oz. box of chopped spinach
1 14oz. bag of frozen cheese tortellini

Directions:

1. Set the burner to a medium heat.  Pour olive oil into a pot. .  When oil is hot, add onions.  Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. When onions are brown, add wine, garlic salt, pepper, Italian seasonings, and balsamic vinegar.  Cook for 5 minutes to allow wine to reduce. 
3. Add broth, both types of tomatoes, beans, and spinach.  Bring to a boil.  Once boiling, add the tortellini.  Reduce heat and simmer for around an hour.   After an hour, the soup is ready to eat. 
   
   

Christmas Recipes: One Scone, Two Variations

I got the idea for this from my friend, Ellie.  She just bought a recipe book from World Market that is part of a series of recipe books that give one base recipe and 100 variations.  Since I knew for Christmas I wanted to post a scone recipe, I decided to take the idea and apply it to the scone recipe.  

This recipe is designed so that you can use the one base, then have two options of where to go next.  When I made a batch for the post, I made up the base then halved the two variation recipes so that one batch produced two flavors.  

The scones produce very different textures.  The "Orange Spice" ones are denser, spicier, and a little heavier.  The "Berry and Hibiscus" are lighter, fresher, and airier.  

Base Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup oats
1 tablespoon baking powder

¼ cup brown sugar
½ tsp salt

4 tbls. salted butter, cubed  

Directions

1. Place flour, oats, baking powder, brown sugar, and salt in a large bowl.  Stir to combine ingredients. 

2. Add the cubes of butter and mix into dry ingredients with hands until you get a course meal.  

Orange Spice Tea Scone Ingredients

1 Batch Scone Base

2/3 cup non-fat Honey Greek yogurt

1/4 cups orange spice tea

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon orange juice

¼ cups buttermilk

½ cup toasted walnuts 

2 tsp. orange zest

2 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

2 tsp ground ginger

Extra 1 tbls butter and 1 tbls honey for brushing on top

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 400ºF and, if you have parchment paper on hand, line a large cookie sheet.

2.  In a measuring cup, make the orange-spice tea and add the honey and orange juice.  Set aside to seep and cool.  Should take about 30 minutes.    

3.  Make Scone Base according to directions given above.  Add walnuts, orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.  Stir to incorporate.

4.  Create a well in the flour/butter mixture.  Add the Greek yogurt, buttermilk, and tea.  Stir to incorporate.  

5.  When the liquids are incorporated and you have a loose mixture, knead the dough about 10 times.  You can either do this in the bowl, or on a lightly floured surface.    

6.  With a spoon or ice-cream scoop, scoop out dough onto the cookie sheet.  Dough should produce about 18-20 scones. 

7.  In the microwave, melt 1 tbls. butter and 1 tbls. honey.  Brush the tops with melted honey butter.  Then, place in oven.  Cook for about 15 minutes.

Berry and Hibiscus Scone Ingredients

1 Batch of the Scone Base

2/3 cup Black Cherry or Raspberry Greek yogurt

½ cups buttermilk

2 teaspoons dried hibiscus flowers  

2 tsp. ground ginger

1 ½ cup frozen fruit medley (raspberries, blackberries, strawberries) thawed and drained

Extra 1 tbls. butter and 1 tbls honey for brushing on top 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF and, if you have parchment paper on hand, line a large cookie sheet.

2.  In a measuring cup, pour in the buttermilk and add the dried hibiscus and ginger.  Let set for about 15 minutes.

3.  Make Scone Base according to directions given above.  Take the Scone Base and create a well in the flour/butter mixture.  Add the Greek yogurt and buttermilk.  When it is almost fully incorporated, add the berries and stir in, trying not to crush the berries.  

4.  With a spoon or ice-cream scoop, scoop out dough onto the cookie sheet.  Dough should produce about 18-20 scones. 

5.  In the microwave, melt 1 tbls. butter and 1 tbls. honey.  Brush the tops with melted honey butter.  Then, place in oven.  Cook for about 15 minutes.  Scones will be soft, so use a toothpick to make sure they are done in the center.    

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Christmas Recipes: Beet Risotto

This is a recipe from my archives that I've brought back for the holidays.  It is a perfect Christmas dish because it is such a beautiful and festive color.  Plus, the earthiness of the dish would go great with either turkey, rib roast, or a crown roast.  It also has so much depth and substance, that it works as a center dish for a vegetarian Christmas.   

Ingredients
4 cups broth

Juice and zest of one orange

1 tablespoon dried dill

One bunch of beets (1-2 cups, depending how much beet you like it), chopped into small cubes

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ onion, diced fine

½ cup carrots

½ cup celery

1 cup beet greens (about the greens from one bundle of beets), chopped fine

1 cup risotto

½ cup white wine

Feta and parsley for garnish

Directions

1. Put the broth, orange juice and zest, dill, and beets in a saucepan.  Bring to boil and then reduce to a simmer.    
2. In a large shallow pan over medium heat, add one tablespoon each of oil and butter to pan.  When butter has melted and the oil is hot, add the onions, carrots, celery, and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Sweat the onions, celery, and carrots for 5 minutes.   Add the beet greens and cook for about 2 minutes.  Scoop out the vegetables and set aside on a plate.        
3. Add the other tablespoon each of butter and olive oil.  When hot, add the Arborio and stir until the grain is translucent, except for a white dot in the center (about 5 minutes).  Add the wine and stir until completely absorbed.
4. Add a ladleful of stock, stirring continually.  Wait until the stock is completely absorbed before adding another ladleful.  Continue to keep adding broth a ladleful at a time, only adding more once the broth is absorbed.  It should take about 20 minutes to get the risotto tender. 
5. When the risotto is soft and you have added all but the last ½ cup of broth, add the beets from the stock.  Then add the last ½ cup of stock and the vegetables (carrots, onions, celery, and beet greens). 
6. Cover with a lid and let finish over a low heat for about 5 minutes.  When you are ready to serve, add a small pad of butter and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.   

Christmas Recipes: Mulled Wine

With grading papers and moving out of the efficiency I was living in, I'm a little late posting my Christmas recipes.  Now, since I am staying with my parents for the holidays, I have access to a full kitchen and so was able to get all the Christmas posts photographed.  

For this mulled wine post, a special thanks goes out to my mom for helping me with the pictures--the Christmas ornaments, gingerbread cookie, and china were all her doing and I enjoyed having another creative eye.  

Mulled Wine
Ever since I studied abroad in England, I've been in love with mulled wine.  Nothing makes me think of Christmas and winter like a mug of mulled wine and gingersnaps.  I do a couple of variations, one more citrusy and with rosemary, and this one that features spicier notes and balanced with citrus.  I don't like mine very sweet, so you may want to add more sugar.  I also like mine pretty strong, so you may want to add a little water to yours.  

Ingredients

½ cup brown sugar (more to taste)
3 tablespoons honey
1 cup water

2 cardamom pods

1 cinnamon stick

1 tsp. peppercorns

1 inch cube of ginger, cut into slices

1 bottle of red wine

1 pear, cut into thin slices

½ orange cut into slices

50 ml of orange contreau

50 ml of brandy

½ tsp. vanilla extract (optional)

Directions
1.  Put brown sugar, honey, water, cardamom, cinnamon, peppercorns, and ginger in a large pot.  Bring the water to a boil and continue to boil until the water reduces by half.  
2.  Add the bottle of wine, orange slices, and pear slices.  Heat to a simmer, cover and let simmer for 45 minutes.  Avoid boiling. 
3.  Add the Cointreau and brandy and vanilla (optional).  Cook without cover for 15 minutes.  Again, avoid boiling.
4.  Strain out fruit and spices.  Serve hot.  

 

 

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The Height of Flavor Season

I look forward to October, November, and December as the yearly appearance of so many of my favorite seasonal dishes:  pumpkin spice soy milk, pumpkin spice lattes, peppermint lattes, gingerbread coffee creamer, mint chocolate everything.    

However, it feels like companies, when it comes to flavor creativity, shoot the wad this time of year.  For three months, the aisles are pouring with seasonal things.  The dairy section can’t contain all the coffee flavorings.  Starbucks menu can barely transition the overlap of pumpkin spice to eggnog latte to gingerbread.  Pumpkin loaves and bagels fight cranberry packed breads for space on the counters. 

And, oh yes, the eggnog.  If you can put eggnog in it, it will be there.

I even saw on Huffington Post that you can get seasonal flavored seltzer water in Eggnog, Candy Cane, Pumpkin Spice, and Granny Smith.  I’m sure there are great cocktails out there using such seltzer flavors, but does the world really need Pumpkin Spice flavored water?

If the stores aren’t bursting enough, the recipe machines are at their height.  Everyone is generating Thanksgiving and Christmas must have dishes.  Magazines and food sites are overflowing with pictures and ideas.  Everyone is rushing to get you ready for the season.     

Then, January will come.   On the arrival, it will be like the air goes out of the flavor production factory. We go back to the standards of hazelnuts and French vanillas.  Starbucks used to launch their Cinnamon Dolce Latte in January, but now those are year round.  Is there even a post-Christmas seasonal drink in Starbucks?

Although, in all fairness, the Fall is a great time for flavors.  Pumpkin and Fall squashes have so much adaptability.  Sweet, savory, spicy, filling, they do whatever you want them to.  Fall also lends itself to the warm spices of ginger, sage, cinnamon, thyme, rosemary--all such strong and familiar spices.    Then, there are the December seasonal favorites of peppermints and eggnong and gingerbread that are so completely tied to Christmas that it feels like heresy to have them any other time. 

I say enjoy it all while you can.  Get your fill of pumpkin and cranberries.  Relish the burst of cinnamon and rosemary and thyme.  Take in the creativity and nuances and variety. 

Because come January, you better have you tastebuds satiated.  When December ends, the weight loss begins, and the flavors sleep-off the three month bender until the next holiday.