Currently Browsing:  December 2012

Garlic Bread

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Ingredients:

Good Quality Bread (we used a French Baguette)

Butter

Olive Oil

Salt

Garlic cloves

Dried or Fresh Basil

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Steps:

  1. Cut baguette or other type of bread into slices

*Thicker slices will make crunchier bread

  1. In bowl, add equal parts butter and olive oil and mix into paste
  2. To the paste, add salt, garlic cloves, and basil leaves to taste
  3. Spread the paste onto the sliced bread and put on baking sheet
  4. Place baking sheet in oven on 350 degrees for about 5-10 minutes until golden brown
  5. Serve with salad, pasta, or just by itself and ENJOY! :)
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Dijon Brussels Sprouts

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Ingredients:

Fresh Brussels Sprouts

Olive Oil

Garlic Cloves

Chicken Broth

Dijon Mustard

Pepper

Salt

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Steps:

  1. Wash and dry sprouts, cut off stems, slice big ones in half, and remove any brown or yellow leaves.
  2. Mince your garlic cloves
  3. Cover a pan with a generous layer of olive oil and turn on medium heat
  4. Put sprouts into the oil

*Try to make sure each one is touching the pan so they turn golden brown

  1. Cover and let brown for 3-4 minutes
  2. Flip and let other side brown for another 3-4 minutes
  3. Once both sides are brown, put in a few splashes of chicken broth, garlic cloves, and add Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper to taste.
  4. Turn heat to low, stir together, and let cook for another 5 minutes or so.
  5. Remove from heat, let cook, and ENJOY! :)

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Oreo Balls

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Ingredients:
1 package double stuff Oreos
1 8 oz. package of cream cheese
Powdered Sugar

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Steps:
1. Put Oreos into blender or food processer to grind finely into crumbs
2. Pour Oreo crumbs in bowl and mix in the whole pack of cream cheese
*May need to use your hands to mix
3. Once ingredients are combined, roll into balls, place on a baking sheet, and put them in the fridge for about 15 minutes
4. Remove from fridge, sprinkle with powdered sugar, and ENJOY! :)

 

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Homemade Hot Chocolate

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 Ingredients:

Skim Milk (or any kind you prefer)

Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

100% Cacao bar

Granulated Sugar

Whipped Cream (optional)

Crushed Candy Canes (optional)

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 Steps:

  1. Pour milk into mug you will be drinking out of

*This will help you determine exactly how much you need

  1. Pour this milk into your pot turned on medium-high heat
  2. When milk starts foaming around the edges, turn off heat

*Do not let milk boil or burn to the bottom

  1. Add handful of chocolate chips and half a handful of 100% cacao chunks
  2. Add about 5 small pinches of sugar
  3. Add a splash of vanilla extract
  4. Wisk together quickly to combine all ingredients evenly and make into frothy mixture
  5. Pour hot chocolate into your original mug
  6. Top with whipped cream and crushed candy canes (optional)
  7. INDULGE :)

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Rosemary Lemon Salmon

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Ingredients:

2 Salmon Fillets

2 Lemons

Fresh Rosemary

Garlic Cloves

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

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Steps:

  1. Cut one lemon into slices and lay side by side in the middle of a baking sheet
  2. Lay a few sprigs of fresh rosemary on top of the lemons
  3. Then place salmon on top of both of these
  4. Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper, to taste.
  5. Dice garlic cloves and spread evenly on top
  6. Add zest and juice of second lemon
  7. Sprinkle on leftover leaves of rosemary
  8. Drizzle whole thing with olive oil
  9. Place in oven for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.
  10. ENJOY! :)

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Candied Pecans

–>CLICK HERE TO WATCH<–

Ingredients:

Pecans

Water

Granulated Sugar

Cinnamon

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Steps:

  1. Put pecans in pot and turn stove to medium-high heat
  2. Add just enough water to cover the bottom halves of the pecans
  3. Add twice as much sugar as water

*Better to have too much sugar than too much water

*If in doubt, add more sugar. The leftover sugar will just crumble away  and can be sifted out later

  1. Add 4-5 pinches of cinnamon
  2. Stir continuously until sugar crystallizes and becomes crumbly

*Will take about 15 minutes

  1. Once this happens, remove from heat spread on baking tray, and let cool
  2. DIG IN or give away as gifts! :)

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Duck with Red Wine Poached Pears (Partridge in a Pear Tree)

–> CLICK HERE TO WATCH<–

Ingredients:

4 Pears

1 bottle Red Wine (Merlot)

5 handfuls Granulated Sugar

3 Cinnamon sticks

Orange peels

2 Duck breast (boneless, fat removed)

Salt

Pepper

Mint or Thyme leaves (Garnish-optional)

 

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Steps:

Poached Pears

  1. Peel skin off of pears and slice all but one down the middle
  2. The one you don’t slice down the middle, cut the bottom off so it can stand upright
  3. Scoop seeds and core out from the middle of the sliced pears
  4. Pour whole bottle of red wine into pot on stove on medium heat
  5. Add 5 generous handfuls of sugar, 3-4 cinnamon sticks and sliced orange peel
  6. Stir until sugar dissolves, then add the pears
  7. Put lid on and let simmer, stirring occasionally for about 1.5 hours
  8. After they are rich in color, remove pears from sauce and let cool
  9. Keep sauce on burner uncovered until it reduces into thicker syrup

*I cooked mine too long and it became thick caramel-like sauce that was difficult to clean once it cooled so be careful with this!

*Only let it reduce to about half its original volume, no less.

  1. Remove sauce from heat and save to put over pears and duck at the end

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Duck

  1. Remove excess fat from duck breasts but leave skin in tact
  2. Season with salt and pepper on both sides
  3. Place duck in hot skillet, skin-side down
  4. Flip after one minute and repeat for other side
  5. Finish cooking in oven on broil for 3-4 minutes, depending on how you like your meat
  6. Serve pears with the duck and drizzle excess sauce on top of both
  7. Can garnish with thyme or mint leaves for color.
  8. DIG IN :)

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Sugar Plum Cookies

–>CLICK HERE TO WATCH<–

Ingredients:

Sugar cookie dough

Plum Jam

Walnuts

Powdered sugar

Flour

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Steps:

  1. Open pack of sugar cookie dough and roll out onto floured cutting board

*Try to make it into square shape if possible

*Working with chilled dough is always easier than room temperature

*Should be about ¼ to ½  inch thick

  1. Spread plum jam onto dough all the way to the edges
  2. Sprinkle the crushed walnuts on top of the jam
  3. Roll up into log and let chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours
  4. After dough has hardened, slice ½ inch thick slices and place onto a greased baking sheet
  5. Bake in oven for 10-12 minutes on 350 degrees or until golden brown
  6. When cookies are still hot, sprinkle powdered sugar on top and let cool for 5 minutes
  7. ENJOY! :)

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I remember watching our old VHS of The Nutcracker over and over and over again when I was a child. I was deathly afraid of Drosselmeyer, the mysterious magician-like figure who I thought was ever so creepy. I loved, however, the beautiful dancing and costumes of the ballerinas, princesses, and of course, the sugar plum fairies.

Besides The Nutcracker, my favorite thing around Christmas time was the abundance of candy, chocolate, and cookies we had lying around our house.  I have fond memories baking all kinds of delicious German cookies with my grandmother, Omi. Over the years I got VERY good at sneaking raw dough into my mouth when she wasn’t looking, but before I became a pro, she would often times catch me with chipmunk cheeks full of nothing but sugar, butter, and eggs. Omi would then scold me, begin laughing, then taking a nice big spoonful of raw dough for herself.

This year I decided to combine both of these Christmas memories into one simple and delicious treat. These sugar plum cookies not only remind me of some of my favorite childhood moments, but they satisfy my relentless craving for desserts and are perfect for serving at holiday parties.

 

I hope you try this fantastic recipe and enjoy the holiday spirit throughout the whole month of December.

Until next time! :)

 

Kathryn Turner & The NSH Team

 

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