Special Ingredient: Ribeye Steaks with Blackberry and Red Wine Reduction

This month, our special ingredient is blackberries.  They're perfectly sweet and in season right now!  Since I don't do a ton of baking, I wanted to make a blackberry reduction, and the best thing to drizzle this over is a nice, juicy steak.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lb. ribeye steaks, cut about 1 inch thick
2 tbs. butter
salt and pepper
1 tbs. olive oil
3 tbs. red wine
parsley for garnish

Blackberry reduction:
3/4 cup red wine
1 sprig rosemary
couple of fresh blackberries
1/4 cup blackberry jam
2 shallots, minced
2 tbs. butter
1 tbs. olive oil

Special Ingredient: Sweet Pea and Roasted Garlic Dip by Rachel

I'm so behind!

I've been doing a lot of cooking, but I've been bad about sharing them with you.  Sorry!

So I had some friends over for dinner this weekend and in thinking about what to make with the bag of peas that I had, I thought to make a dip.  It was a hit!

Ingredients:
10oz of good, frozen peas
5-6 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sugar
salt, to taste

Special Ingredient: Marinated Lamb with Mint Pesto and Pea and Feta Salad by Heather

To celebrate the coming of spring, peas are the secret ingredient for March!  This dish is light enough to really bring out the flavors of the peas and mint, and I think these ingredients really complement the lamb.

Ingredients:

For the pea and feta salad:
8 oz. fresh English peas
1 cup parsley, chopped
about 5 oz. feta, diced
juice of half lemon
zest of 1 lemon

For the mint pesto:
1/2 cup fresh mint, leaves removed from stalks
1/2 cup fresh parsley
1/3 cup olive oil- add this in increments until the pesto is runny
2 tbs. water or more depending on thickness
juice of 1 lemon

For the lamb + marinade:
1 lb. lamb, cubed (you could use lamb chops if you wanted)
2 tbs. cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbs. red wine vinegar
2 tbs. olive oil
2 tbs. parsley, chopped
2 tbs. fresh oregano, chopped

Special Ingredient: Potato and Crab Croquettes with Sweet and Spicy Aioli by Rachel

After thinking long and hard about an ingredient to feature in December, Heather and I decided that we would feature potatoes.  They are a starch used in so many foods and I wanted to pair them with something that people might not usually think to pair potatoes with.  I chose crab meat.

Boring, old potatoes?  I think not!

Crab meat is such a delicate thing and potatoes are so heavy, but when brought together in a nice and crispy croquette, they are unforgettable. I had friends in town from LA (my dear friend, the Skinny Critic and her fiancé) as well as my fiancé's brother.  I wanted them to have a really special dinner with us so I made these croquettes as an appetizer.

Ingredients

makes about 24 croquettes

3 large russet potatoes
1 pinch of salt
2 tbsp heavy cream
16 oz of canned crab meat (lump)
1 tbsp paprika
1 bag of panko bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup all purpose flour
Canola oil

Special Ingredient: Brussels Sprouts and Pancetta Pizza by Rachel

Brussels sprouts get such a bad rep because sometimes they can taste a little bitter if not cooked through enough.  Well, I'm here to tell you that they make an excellent pizza topping.  Pair them with a little pancetta and they are wonderful!  

Pizza is not an easy food to make so if you are going to embark on this journey, give yourself time and be prepared to work.

The recipe below makes about 2 pizzas that are a little larger than personal pan size.

Pizza dough recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients for the One Day Pizza Dough:
3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup + 2-3 tbsp water

Special Ingredient: Brussels Sprout Gratin by Heather

This month, our special ingredient is brussels sprouts.  I've featured them in a gratin that would make a great side at Thanksgiving.  This recipe is definitely heavy on the cheese, so it's guaranteed to win over any one that says they don't like brussels!  This recipe is adapted from Bon Appetit- I added Stilton to the cheese mixture, and it adds a sharp bite that helps cut through the density of all the cream in this dish.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts, washed, trimmed, and quartered
1 1/2 pound head cauliflower, trimmed, and cut into small florets
2 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup chopped shallots (about 2 large shallots)
1 Tbs. chopped fresh sage
1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
1/2 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
2 Tbs. chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
3 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 lb. stilton or any other blue cheese you prefer

Special Ingredient: Kabocha and Goat Cheese Empanadas by Heather

I decided to make empanadas with the special ingredient this month.  I wanted to create a dish that captured the flavors of fall and played on elements that were both salty and sweet.

In full disclosure, I don't do a lot of baking, so I was a little nervous to make these empanadas, but the dough recipe is basically fool-proof, and you can really add whatever ingredients you desire for the filling. I thought goat cheese would be a nice complement to the kabocha, but you could also try a blue cheese if you wanted to make these a little more daring.  The sweetness of these empanadas are balanced by the tanginess of a nicely aged, syrupy balsamic vinegar.  Using a good quality balsamic vinegar is really key to this recipe.  I used Olivier&Co's Balsamic Vinegar of Modena.

For the dough, I stuck to this recipe here: Give Me Flour

For the filling, I used the following ingredients:
1 kabocha squash, halved
1 sprig rosemary
3 sage leaves, chiffonade
1/4 cup diced onion
1/2 log soft goat cheese
2-3 tbs. milk
2/3 cup vegetable stock
1/4 cup aged balsamic vinegar, divided
spice mix: 2 parts cinnamon, 1 part chili powder, couple dashes of nutmeg
Egg wash: 1 egg white and 1 tbs. of water

To prep the squash, cut in half, and rub inside and out with olive oil.  Place squash cut-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.   Bake in over for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, or until you can easily insert a knife into the outside of the skin. When the squash bakes like this, it's called steaming.  Because the moisture within the squash is trapped inside, it allows the squash to cook more quickly.

While the squash cooks, prepare the dough and set aside into the fridge to cool.

As the squash cools, saute the onions with the herbs in olive oil until the onions are translucent and set aside.
Once the squash has cooled, remove from skin and cut into chunks, adding them to a food processor.  Add the onion mixture, vegetable stock, and most of the spice mixture to the food processor, and blend until all ingredients are smooth.  If the mixture looks a little dry, add the milk to add in some creaminess, then half of the balsamic vinegar and blend until combined.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the dough from the fridge and roll out into a thin sheet 1/8 in. thick on a floured surface.  Use a cookie cutter or any rounded object you have on hand to cut the dough into disks.

Spoon about a tablespoon of the squash mixture onto one side of each disk and as much goat cheese as desired, leaving about 1/4 in. room at the edges.

Fold the empanadas in half, then crimp edges together with a fork.

Repeat process until all empanadas have been filled, then brush with egg wash and sprinkle the remaining spice mixture on top for a bit of color.

Cook until empanadas are lightly browned on top, about 30 minutes.

Serve with a small dish of balsamic for dipping and enjoy!!

Special Ingredient: Kabocha Squash Croquettes by Rachel

Once a month, Heather and I decided that we would pick a seasonal ingredient and make something yummy with it.  This month, now that fall has settled in, we decided to pick kabocha squash.

I've turned my kabocha squash into tasty croquettes!  The recipe is really delicious and it makes a great appetizer.  I am a HUGE fan of the squash and I'm glad to have found a dish that makes the squash a star.

Croquettes do take a gentle hand and this was my first time making them.  I find that, with cooking, practice makes perfect.  Be gentle with these!  My first attempt came out pretty good!  Cradle them into the hot oil and watch them brown and in less than 8 minutes, you'll have crunchy croquettes!