Comfort Food with Grilled Cheese Croutons

About a year ago or so, Willie went to a cooking class based on Ina Garten's cookbook, Foolproof. The cookbook was included with the price of the class. Even though we've had the cookbook in our house all this time, it wasn't until my friend Dayna sent me Foolproof as a part of our cookbook club, that I actually cooked from the book. I was intrigued by this recipe immediately because 1) it's tomato soup, 2) it has grilled cheese croutons, 3) do I need to tell you another reason before you're as intrigued as I was? No?! I didn't think so! 

This soup is fantastic! I made it with the orzo pasta, but I want to experiment with it a little more in the future and I suggest you do the same. I'll be trying it with no orzo, half the orzo, whole-wheat orzo, and fregola pasta. How about you?

Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons
by Sandra
Adapted from a recipe from Ina Garten's cookbook, Foolproof

1 Tablespoon olive oil (I used Sciabica Manzanillo Variety Fall Harvest)
2 large sweet onions, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken stock (mine was homemade, use what you have on hand)
1 28-ounce can San Marzano crushed tomatoes
A large pinch of saffron threads (I used Marx Foods Sargol Saffron Threads)
1 Tablespoon coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup orzo pasta, drained (use package instructions but only cook for 7 minutes)
1/4 cup heavy cream

Heat a heavy stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Add the olive oil and you will see a shimmer to it. Immediately add the chopped onions and stir. If your onions brown quickly, reduce the heat to medium low. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until they are softened, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and stir. Cook for about a minute or so until it becomes fragrant. Add the stock, tomatoes, saffron threads, salt, and pepper and stir. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add the cooked and drained orzo. Add the heavy cream. Stir. Cook until heated through. Serve with Grilled Cheese Croutons (below).

Note: The soup serves 4. If you do not plan on serving all of the soup at once, it is a good idea not to add the orzo to the soup. Pasta absorbs so much liquid that your soup will be less soup-y as a leftover. Simply add a serving of orzo to your individual soup serving bowl and then add the soup over it. Make fresh orzo with your leftover soup.

Grilled Cheese Croutons
by Sandra
Adapted from a recipe from Ina Garten's cookbook, Foolproof

Use any kind of bread you have on hand and any cheese as well. I used a 15 grain bread and a combination of Gruyere and Jarlsberg because it is what I had on hand, but you can use white bread and American cheese, if that's what you have! Anything will work! Make a grilled cheese and then allow it to sit on a cutting board until slightly cooled. Cut in 1-inch squares like croutons and serve your soup with a few, more more than a few, atop the soup.

The BB at the WD

The BB at the WD (The Best Breakfast at The Wine Dive)
by Sandra Simmons
The Wine Dive recommends Simply Naked Sauvignon Blanc to be paired with this dish.

Eggs & 
Bacon
A Sweet & Savory Beignet and
Mixed Fruit with Leftover White Wine Syrup

1) Eggs:
Diners choice with sliced green onions on top.

2) Bacon:
Crispy.

3) Sweet & Savory Beignets: 
One with powdered sugar and one with cheddar - recipes included* or a recipe of your choice.

4) Mixed Fruit with Leftover Wine Syrup:
Fruit on hand tossed with Leftover Wine Syrup.**

Beignets*
adapted from The All-New Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook

equipment needed:
cooking thermometer, I used my candy thermometer
rolling pin
a heavy pot or Dutch oven

1 packet yeast
3 tablespoons water (between 100-110 degrees)
3/4 cup milk
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup Crisco
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cups flour + 1 cup flour for kneading, etc.
1 cup cheddar, shredded
peanut oil or vegetable oil
powdered sugar

Pour the yeast packet into a large bowl. You can use tap water but measure it and make sure you get it in the right temperature range. Add the water to the yeast and stir. Let it sit for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the milk in a saucepan and heat it over medium-low to low heat until it is steaming but not boiling. Add the sugar, Crisco, and salt. Turn off the heat and stir until the Crisco is dissolved. Then let the mixture cool until it's between 100-110 degrees.

Add the egg, saucepan contents, and two cups flour to the yeast and stir it until it's combined. Take some of the additional cup of flour and put it on your counter or Silpat and spread it around. Put the dough on the floured surface and split the dough in half. Add the shredded cheese to one half of the dough. Knead both doughs, each half with one hand, with all or most of the additional flour for about eight minutes (I set my timer.)

Get two clean bowls and put a little vegetable oil each. Place each half of the dough in each bowl and then turn it over until the dough is oiled on all sides. Cover each bowl with a towel and place it in a draft-free, warm area, around 85 degrees, for one hour. In the summer, this is not a problem. The rest of the year, I preheat my oven to 200 and then I turn the oven off and leave the oven door open slightly while I make the dough. When it's time for me to put my dough aside to rise, the oven if the perfect temperature.

After the dough rises for an hour, punch it down and place on a floured surface. With your rolling pin, roll the dough into a rectangular shape. Now, it doesn't have to be perfect. Beignets that aren't a perfect shape, taste just as great! Cut the dough into squares of about 2 inches, or close to it. Keep the plain and cheddar doughs separate. Leave the squares on your floured surface and cover them with a towel in a draft-free place for about 30 minutes, maybe a little more, until they have doubled in size.

Pour two to three inches of peanut or vegetable oil in your Dutch oven and heat the oil to about 370 degrees. Gently and quickly put four pieces of dough in the oil with a spatula. Don't drop the dough in! You could cause a splatter! Cook the dough on each side until golden brown, between 30 seconds and 1 minute. Take the beignets out of the hot oil when done and place them on paper towels to drain and then sift powdered sugar over the plain ones. The cheddar ones are serves plain. Serve each dish with one cheddar beignet and one plain with powdered sugar.

Leftover Wine Syrup** 
adapted from Real Simple

1 Marx Foods Tahitian Vanilla Bean
1 bottle white wine (or 3½ cups leftover assorted white wines)
3/4 cup organic sugar*

*According to the Pike Place Market Cookbook , organic sugar has less water content than regular and so it melts and caramelizes more quickly. My friend Woo says that you can get a big bag of it at Costco for a great price. So I did.

Cut the vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds and put them in a large saucepan. Add your leftover wine and sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce the head and simmer for about 50-55 minutes. Refrigerate for about an hour or until the syrup cools. Toss with cut fruit and serve.

Garlic Mint Lamb Kabobs, with Roasted Garlic and Toasted Pine Nut Couscous, and Garlicky Green Beans

Garlic Mint Lamb Kabobs, with Roasted Garlic and Toasted Pine Nut Couscous, and Garlicky Green Beans
by Matt Baird
The Wine Dive recommends Simply Naked Cabernet Sauvignon to be paired with this dish.

Meatballs:

2 pounds ground lamb, 80% lean

3/4 cup of seasoned bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Romano cheese

1 egg

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

3/4 teaspoon dried mint

Mix all ingredients together. Shape into uniform balls. Bake at 400 degrees for 18 minutes.

Couscous:
I used boxed couscous, Roasted Garlic and Olive Oil flavor, to which I added 1/2 cup of toasted pine nuts and about 1/2 cup of raisins that had been  soaked in Jack Daniels for about 45 minutes and drained.

Garlicky Green Beans:
1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed

1 head of garlic (not 1 wimpy clove, but the whole freakin' head!), chopped

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon Slap Ya Mama Original Cajun Seasoning

Steam the green beans until they're almost done. While they're steaming, gently cook the garlic in the butter and olive oil. Do not brown the garlic. When the garlic is cooked, simply add the drained green beans to the garlic butter mixture, add the Slap Ya Mama, mix well and serve!

Red Wine Reduction Sauce:

2 cloves garlic minced

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1/2 small onion finely diced

2 cups burgundy

2 cups beef or chicken stock

1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

4 or 5 pieces Marx Foods Dried Wild Porcini Mushrooms

1 Tablespoon butter

Saute onions and garlic in olive oil.Add burgundy and mushrooms and reduce to about 1/3 of a cup. Add stock, and reduce again, until thick and syrupy. Take pan off heat, strain, return to pan, and swirl in the butter.

Blue Cheese Ground Chuck Sliders with Red Onion Burgundy Relish

Blue Cheese Ground Chuck Sliders with Red Onion Burgundy Relish

by Matt 'The Butcher' Baird
The Wine Dive recommends Simply Naked Merlot to be paired with this dish.

Red Onion Porcini Burgundy Relish:
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium red onion, diced
1 teaspoon Slap Ya Mama Original Cajun Seasoning
4 or 5 pieces Marx Foods Dried Wild Porcini Mushrooms
1 cup Burgundy

Caramelize the onion in the butter and SYM seasoning. Add the burgundy and the 'shrooms and reduce until very, very thick.

For the sliders:
Line a baking pan with plastic wrap. Put one pound of nice fresh ground chuck on the plastic wrap. Flatten the beef with your fingers until it's about 1/4 of an inch thick. Place the pan in the freezer for 30 minutes. When the meat is almost frozen, cut it up into uniform squares, about an inch and a half wide. A pizza cutter works especially well for this. Quickly brown the sliders well on both sides and assemble. I use Martins Party Size Potato Rolls. Put a slider on one half of the roll, top with the relish, some crumbled blue cheese, and the other half of the bun, serve with onion rings and curly fries.

Risotto with Brandy, Marx Foods Shiitake Mushrooms & Parmesan Cheese

Risotto with Brandy, Marx Foods Shiitake Mushrooms & Parmesan Cheese

by Kimberly Dockery

adapted from SimplyRecipes.com

The Wine Dive recommends Simply Naked Cabernet Sauvignon to be paired with this dish.

2 Tablespoons butter
1 cup (or more...you decide!)  Marx Foods Dried Organic Shiitake Mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and cut into half inch to inch pieces
2/3 cup brandy, vermouth, or dry white wine
5-6 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup of peeled and minced shallots (OR 1/3 cup of yellow or white onion, finely chopped)
1 3/4 cups arborio rice or other risotto rice
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or chives 

*If cooking gluten-free, use homemade stock or gluten-free packaged stock.

1. Soak dried mushrooms in 1 cup of brandy for about 30 minutes. 

2. Bring stock to a simmer in a saucepan. After the  Marx Foods Dried Organic Shiitake Mushrooms are reconstituted, add to saucepan with stock.

3. Melt the butter in a deep, heavy, medium sized saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté about 5 minutes Add the rice and stir to combine. 

4. Add remaining brandy from soaked mushrooms, bring to a boil, and reduce liquid by half, about 3-4 minutes. Add simmering stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring enough to keep the rice from sticking to the edges of the pan. Stir the rice almost constantly — stirring sloughs off the starch from the rice, making the creamy sauce you're looking for in a risotto. Wait until the stock is almost completely absorbed before adding the next 1/2 cup. This process will take about 25 minutes. Now, add the mushrooms that have been oozing their yummy woodsy flavor into your stock, into the pan. The rice should be just cooked and slightly chewy.

5. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or chives.

Simple Chicken in Onion and Saffron Sauce

Simple Chicken in Onion and Saffron Sauce

by Sarah Gillespy

adapted from this recipe at Kalyn's Kitchen

When I first opened my package from Marx Foods, I was shocked to find saffron in it! I have to admit that I was pretty intimidated; I didn't want to mess up a dish and ruin the precious saffron. The recipe below is easy enough for everyone to make with wonderful results! The saffron really makes the dish special, and it is something that I plan on making over and over again. Another great thing about this dish is that it makes enough for two, but can easily be doubled or tripled if you have company.

2 chicken leg quarters, skin removed

1 large onion, cut in half and then sliced

1 cup chicken broth

Pinch of Marx Foods Sargol Saffron Threads 

Juice from 1 lemon

Large handful of parsley, chopped

Splash of olive oil

2 pats of butter

Salt and pepper

In a large skillet over medium to high heat, add enough olive oil to coat the pan. Pat the chicken leg quarters well with paper towels until dry and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Add the chicken to the pan and cook until brown on both sides. Remove the chicken from the pan. Add one pat of butter to the pan; add the onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook the onions for about 15 minutes or until they become slightly browned. Take the onions out of the pan, and add the chicken back in. Heat up the cup of chicken broth for about 30-45 seconds in the microwave until warm and add the pinch of saffron. Put the onions over the chicken and pour the chicken broth with saffron over the chicken and onions. Turn the heat down and allow to simmer for forty minutes, turning the chicken once. Turn the chicken over again, add the second pat of butter, the lemon juice, parsley and cook for another 10 minutes or so until everything comes together.

I served this with rice, but it would be excellent over mashed potatoes as well. Make sure to have some crusty bread to sop up the delicious sauce!

Porcini-Rubbed Beef Tenderloin with Mushroom Sauce and Dill Pollen

Porcini-Rubbed Beef Tenderloin with Mushroom Sauce and Dill Pollen

by Sarah Kwan

Serves 4

Porcini-Rubbed Beef Tenderloin

0.7 ounces Marx Foods Dried Wild Porcini Mushrooms

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon smoked alderwood salt

2 pound center cut beef tenderloin, trimmed and tied

1 Tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Finely grind mushrooms, black peppercorns and salt in a spice grinder.

Pat beef dry with a paper towel, then rub mushroom mixture liberally all over. Let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

In a cast-iron or other oven-proof pan, melt butter over high heat until smoking, then sear beef on all sides.

Roast for 20 minutes (for medium rare), then remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes.

Mushroom Sauce

0.1 ounce Marx Foods Dried Wild Porcini Mushrooms

1/4 cup onion, minced

2 cups beef stock

1 Tablespoon Madeira wine

2 Tablespoon butter

Grind mushrooms in a spice grinder.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a saucepan over medium heat, then cook onions, stirring occasionally, until golden. Stir in mushrooms, then pour in beef stock and Madeira wine and let simmer on medium-low heat until reduced to 1/2 cup of liquid. Remove from heat and stir in remaining tablespoon of butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with horseradish mashed potatoes, sauteed mushrooms, and Marx Foods Dill Pollen sprinkled on top.

Marx Puya Chile Fajitas

Fajitas were always one of my favorite childhood meals. We grew hopeful when avocados lingered in the fruit basket - what could become of those? "Can we have fajitas for dinner?" we'd ask Mom. "It's a lot of work!" she'd reply, fooling nobody -- we knew she lived for long days, preparing everything from scratch. Then she sequestered herself into the kitchen, mincing and chopping veggies to make homemade pico de gallo and that amazing guacamole. And when we heard the hiss of chicken hitting the grill pan, we knew fajitas were coming. Served with black beans and rice, they were the most memorable meal of many memorable meals that my mom made for us.

Now I'm off on my own, and it's been years since I had Mom's fajitas. Fortunately, I can make them often: my own household loves them as much as I do. The key, I've found, is in the chicken marinade. You might garnish a fajita with lots of goodies, but great chicken provides a wonderful foundation for all of them. Mom's marinade was really good -- it involved bottled Italian dressing and a whole bunch of other things. Mine started there and evolved over the years. I love to include dried chilies,  which adds a smoky heat that gives the chicken incredible flavor. I also include citrus for sweet acidity, and throw in garlic and spices for flavor.

Marx's puya chiles were a perfect addition to the marinade. They are smoky and spicy enough to add a real kick to the marinade. I hope you'll enjoy them as much as we did.

Marx Puya Chile Fajitas
by Julie Kozarsky

For the marinade:
3 whole Marx Foods Dried Puya Chilies
2 Tablespoons orange juice
Juice of one lime
2 Tablespoons neutral oil, such as grapeseed or canola
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the fajitas:
About 1 pound whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2-3 breasts, depending on size)
2 bell peppers, sliced into strips (any color but I like green and red)
1 large onion, sliced
2 Tablespoons neutral oil

Garnishes, for serving:
Flour tortillas
Cheese (Mexican blend from your market works well)
Salsa
Guacamole
Sour cream

First, make the marinade. In a small skillet, over medium-high heat, toast the Puya chilies until puffy -- just a few seconds. In a blender or food processor (I use a Magic Bullet), combine the chilies with the remaining marinade ingredients. Pulse until smooth. In a separate bowl or plastic bag, combine the marinade with the chicken. Let rest for at least a half hour, but if you want to do this in advance and really get good flavor into the chicken, you can leave it overnight until the next day's meal.

When you're ready to make the fajitas, heat up a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. (I use a cast iron skillet with great results, but you can grill it, use a grill pan, and so on). Add the chicken breasts to the hot skillet, flipping frequently until cooked through and a little charred on the outside. This is why high heat and flipping often is a good technique here: it'll help the chicken cook through quickly and stay juicy, while the outside does get some extra flavor and texture. When the chicken is done, plate it and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, add the peppers and onions to the still-hot pan. Do not flip or move, as you want them to char a little bit. After a couple of minutes, stir and then leave them alone for another couple of minutes. You want them a little blackened, but still crispy.

Slice the chicken breasts into strips. Serve them atop the peppers and onions, with tortillas and all the garnishes you desire.

This will serve four.

Vanilla Ginger Creme Brulee Napoleon with Vanilla Cherry Sauce

Vanilla Ginger Creme Brulee Napoleon with Vanilla Cherry Sauce

by Amy Klein

adapted from The Soul of a Chef by Michael Ruhlman

4 Tablespoons chopped almonds

3 Tablespoons sugar

6 sheets phyllo dough

6 ounces butter, melted

powdered sugar, for garnish

First of all, don't be scared to use phyllo dough. I have heard so many times that it's fragile, and will break, and you need to be so careful with it. Yes, it is fragile; yes, it will break; yes, you need to be careful with it. But it's not that difficult to handle. There are plenty of phyllo sheets in a package; it's okay to play with a sheet or two just to see what it feels like, how it acts, and then throw it away. I think the most important thing to remember is that you need to keep it slightly damp by placing a damp towel on top of the sheets you are not currently using. It will keep the phyllo from drying out. Dried out phyllo is almost impossible to work with. Once you have brushed it with melted butter, you don't have to worry about it drying out.

Combine the almonds and sugar. Lay one phyllo sheet on a baking tray; brush with the melted butter. Sprinkle with the sugar-almond mixture. Lay another phyllo sheet on top; brush with the butter and sprinkle with the sugar-almond mixture. Repeat with the third sheet. Cut into nine equal squares. 

Repeat the process with the remaining phyllo dough on a second baking tray.

Bake the phyllo squares in a 350 degree oven until golden brown, 3-7 minutes. Cool and store in an airtight container until ready to use. 

Vanilla Ginger Creme Brulee:
1 1/4 quarts heavy cream

1 Marx Foods Tahitian Vanilla Bean, split lengthwise

1 Tablespoon peeled grated ginger or 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

8 ounces sugar

10 egg yolks

Combine the cream, vanilla bean, ginger and half the sugar in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat until sugar has dissolved. Allow the bean to steep for 15 minutes, then remove, scrape the seeds into the cream, and discard the pod. Combine the remaining sugar with the egg yolks and whisk until combined. Add about half a cup of the hot cream mixture into the yolk mixture and whisk. While whisking, slowly pour in the remaining cream mixture. Pour the mixture into a shallow baking dish (about 1-2 inches deep). Place in a water bath, and bake in a 325 degree oven for 50 minutes, or until it is barely set in the middle. Let cool and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight. 

Vanilla Cherry Sauce:
2 cups fresh or frozen sweet cherries

1 cup sugar

1 vanilla bean, split

1/4 cup water

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, then simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean, scrape out the seeds back into the pan. Simmer until the liquid is reduced by half and has a syrupy consistency. Cool and refrigerate. 

To assemble:
Spoon about 2 ounces of the brulee onto a plate, place a phyllo square on top, and continue to alternate between the brulee and the phyllo with two more phyllo squares. Spoon the cherries and the sauce (either cold or warmed up) around and on top of the brulee. Garnish with powdered sugar.

Vanilla Vodka Drinks

Vanilla Vodka Drinks

by Allison

I’m a vodka girl. I admit it.  When I saw the beautiful Tahitian Vanilla Beans from Marx Foods, I immediately wanted to stuff them into a bottle of vodka. I let it sit for a month (agitating every so often) and voila! Vanilla vodka! It had a beautiful smell to it, sweet and delicate. I’m partial to potato vodka, particularly the brand Luksusowa.  It has a lovely velvety soft feel. Here’s what I ended up doing with my bottle.

I wanted to experiment with some chocolate and espresso martinis, but the bottle emptied itself before I got there.

*Most of these recipes can be found in some form or another in all corners of the internet. Drinks Mixer was a great inspiration.

Creamsicle

1 ½ oz vanilla vodka

3 oz OJ

Shake with ice. Strain into ice filled rocks glass.

Vanilla Mango Mist

¾ oz vanilla vodka

¾ oz mango vodka

½ oz triple sec

club soda

mint leaves

Pour vanilla vodka and mango vodka into an ice filled rocks glass. Tear up a few mints leaves and stir into the vodka. Top with club soda and a few whole mint leaves. 

Vanilla Pineapple Martini

1 ½  oz vanilla vodka

3 oz pineapple juice

pineapple chunks to garnish

Shake with ice. Strain into a martini glass.  Garnish with pineapple chunks. If you have the forethought, soak the pineapple chunks in regular vodka for a few days.

Vanilla Spritz (no photo)

1 ½ oz vanilla vodka

ginger ale

Add vanilla vodka to an ice filled rocks glass. Top with ginger ale.

Orange Spritzer (no photo)

1 oz vanilla vodka

1 oz orange vodka

club soda

Pour vanilla vodka and orange vodka into an ice filled rocks glass. Top with club soda.

Vanilla Vodka Shots

Chocolate Cake

1 oz vanilla vodka

1 oz Frangelica

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

1 oz vanilla vodka

1 oz pineapple juice

1 drop grenadine

Yellow Cake

1/2 oz vanilla vodka

1/2 oz triple sec

1/2 oz pineapple juice

Cherry Cheesecake

1 oz vanilla vodka

1 oz grenadine

splash pineapple juice

Apple Pie

1 oz vanilla vodka

1 oz apple cider

sprinkle of nutmeg

Honkie

½ oz vanilla vodka

½ oz frangelica

¼ oz chocolate syrup

Lemon, Dill Pollen, and Potato Soup

Lemon, Dill Pollen and Potato Soup

by Sarah Gillespy

1 box of vegetable stock
2 medium russet potatoes, cut into large chunks
a handful of baby carrots, cut in half
1 small to medium onion, cut into large chunks

3 stalks celery, cut into large chunks
a handful of green beans, trimmed and cut in half
1 Tablespoon diced garlic
Juice from 1 lemon
approximately 1/2 teaspoon Marx Foods Dill Pollen

olive oil

salt and pepper

Heat a bit of olive oil in a 2-quart stockpot over medium heat. Add the garlic, onions, carrots, celery and potatoes, season with salt and pepper. Saute for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and making sure the vegetables are well seasoned. Add the dill pollen, stock and lemon juice. Stir to combine and let simmer for about 25 – 35 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender.

Chicken Chili Empanadas

Chicken Chili Empanadas
by Sarah Gillespy

My friend Madelyn was kind enough to send me authentic empanada dough right from Puerto Rico! Madelyn sent me smaller sized dough to make for cocktail sized empanadas. They are known locally in Puerto Rico as pasetelillos. I’m a spicy food lover and I knew right away I would be using the beautiful guajillio chilies that I received from Marx Foods.

I toasted and ground my chilies to make my very own chili powder. This was a great way to be able to use the chili in more than one dish!

For the empanada filling:
1 pound ground chicken
salt and pepper
½ white onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, finely diced
Guajillio chili powder (directions below), to taste
Approx. 2 Tablespoons ketchup (use tomato paste if you have it but I was out!)
Few pinches dried oregano
1 package pre-made small empanada dough (pastelillos)

Add the ground chicken to a hot skillet over medium to high heat. Season with salt and pepper, and cook until chicken is thoroughly cooked and no longer pink. Add the diced onion and garlic and continue to cook for about five to 10 minutes until the onion starts to become tender. Add the chili powder (I used a good palm-full as I like my food spicy!), ketchup, dried oregano and season again with salt and pepper. Continue to cook until the mixture is combined and has really come together. Take off the heat. Now it’s time to make the empanadas! It took me a few tries to get the technique right, but isn’t that the fun of making a new dish? The size of the dough I had fit about a tablespoon of the chicken mixture. Add the mixture, and fold the dough over. Use a fork to make fancy marks and to secure the dough so it stays together. Pan fry in a little bit of oil on each side. They will bubble up a little and get beautiful golden brown. Once you are done, let cool a bit and enjoy!

For the chili powder:
2 Marx Foods Dried Guajillo Chilies
Toast the whole chilies in a dry pan over low heat until just blistered, remove from the heat and let cool. De-stem the chilies and chop into manageable pieces. Add the chopped toasted peppers along with the seeds (omit seeds for a milder chili powder) in a spice grinder (I used my Magic bullet), until it becomes a fine powder.

Peach Crisp with Maple Vanilla-Cardamom Sauce

Peach Crisp with Maple Vanilla-Cardamom Sauce

by Rachael Tanis

adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Maple Cream Sauce:

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

5 Tablespoons pure maple syrup

3 Tablespoons light corn syrup

1 Marx Foods Tahitian Vanilla Bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped

1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom

Peach Crisp:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

a dash of nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick cold butter

5 or 6 cups peeled and sliced fresh peaches (about 6 peaches)

Grated zest and juice of 1/2 lemon

2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup

First, make the Maple Vanilla-Cardamom Sauce. It needs to chill before serving. 

Pour the cream into a heavy saucepan. Add the maple syrup, corn syrup and vanilla bean. Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thickened and reduced by a third, about 20 minutes.  Chill for at least an hour before servings over the warm peach crisp.

To prepare the peach crisp, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Start with the crumb mixture. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

Cut the cold butter into pieces. Add the butter to the bowl and use a fork or a pastry blender to cut it into the flour mixture.

The mixture should resemble a moist, coarse meal.

Place the peaches in a bowl. Add the lemon zest to the peaches. Mix in the lemon juice and maple syrup and gently stir the peaches to combine.

Pour the peaches into a 9-inch square or 8x12-inch baking dish. Top with the crumb mixture, evening out the surface with a fork.

Cover tightly with foil and bake for about 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 30 minutes longer, or until the topping is crisp and golden brown. 

Spoon the warm crisp onto a plate, and drizzle the chilled maple sauce over the top. 

*The Pioneer Woman's helpful hint- Drink any remaining Maple [Vanilla-Cardamom] Sauce with a straw. Then fall into a deep sleep and wake up in a week, after your guilt subsides.

Vanilla Poached Pears

Vanilla Poached Pears 

by Judy Dawson 

adapted from Alton Brown's recipe

This is a nice, light finish to any meal. For the Marx Foods Challenge, I used the vanilla bean for this recipe. 

1 750 ml bottle white wine (I used Riesling)
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 whole Marx Foods Tahitian Vanilla Bean, split and scraped
4 firm, but ripe, Anjou or Bosc pears, peeled, leaving stem intact
Raspberry Drizzle

In a 4 quart saucepan, bring all ingredients (except pears) to a gentle boil. Decrease heat, place pears in liquid, cover and cook for 30 minutes at a slow simmer. Remove pears to serving dish, standing upright. Cool in refrigerator while preparing syrup.

To make syrup:
Remove vanilla bean from pan, increase heat to high and reduce the liquid to approximately one cup. This will take about 20 to 25 minutes. Once reduced, place syrup in heatproof container and place in refrigerator until completely cooled, approximately one hour.

To make Raspberry Drizzle:
In blender or food processor, puree one cup raspberries with 1/4 cup sugar. Strain through wire sieve to remove seeds.

To serve:
Place pears on serving dish, pour on syrup, then finish with a drizzle of raspberry sauce. Easy and delicious!

Tasso & Dill Pollen Baked Potato Skins

Tasso & Dill Pollen Baked Potato Skins

by Amy Klein

adapted from idahopotato.com

For the potatoes:
6 small baking potatoes (I used Idaho golden potatoes, but you can use any kind you like)

1 Tablespoon olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

enough vegetable oil to fill a heavy large pot 2/3 the way to the top

potato skins

For the sour cream topping:

1/4 cup sour cream

1 Tablespoon Marx Foods Dill Pollen, or more to taste

extra dill pollen to garnish

Tasso:

12 very thinly sliced Teet's Smoked Pure Pork Tasso, almost the length of the potatoes and about half the width

Toss the potatoes in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and salt and pepper. Bake the potatoes at 350 degrees for 60 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes. Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise. Using a small spoon, carefully scoop out the insides of the potatoes, leaving about 1/8  inch of the potato on the skin. Set aside as you heat up the vegetable oil in your pot to 350 degrees. Fry the potato skins, in batches if needed,  until golden brown; about 8-10 minutes. Drain on paper towels and season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Mix together the sour cream and dill pollen, set aside. Place the fried potatoes on a shallow baking dish, cut side up. Top each with a slice of tasso and heat up in a 350 degree oven until the potatoes and tasso are heated through, about 15 minutes. Transfer the heated potatoes onto a serving plate and top each with a dollop of the sour cream mixture, then sprinkle with some extra dill pollen. Serve hot. 

Lemon, Lavender and Vanilla Bean Biscotti

Lemon, Lavender, and Vanilla Bean Biscotti
by Tracy Hersh
adapted from Biscotti with Lavender and Orange from the All New Southern Living Cookbook

¼ cup butter
½ cup sugar
1 Tablespoon dried Culinary Lavender, crushed
½ grated lemon rind
1 Marx Foods Tahitian Vanilla Bean
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup toasted pecans
½ teaspoon lemon extract

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a mixer combine sugar, butter, lavender and lemon rind. Slice vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape seeds into mixture. Mix Well. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until blended. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to sugar mixture. Stir in pecans and lemon extract. Roll dough into a 10 inch log onto a greased baking sheet; flatten log to 1 inch thick. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool on wire rack. When log is completely cool slice into half-inch slices. Reduce heat of oven to 300°. Place slices on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 20 -25 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Enjoy by dunking into a nice cup of coffee or tea.

Two Asian-Inspired Dishes with Shiitake Mushrooms. And Quinoa. And Kale. And Sauces. And Other Stuff.

I couldn't come up with names for these dishes, ok! I tried for two days. I often come up with good ideas in my dreams or right when I wake up. Does that happen to you? All I got for two days was plain cake doughnuts with chocolate icing. The idea of them. Not the reality of them. Quinoa is full of protein and a little better for you than a chocolate doughnut. Quinoa isn't Asian, but tastes wonderful in both of these dishes.

Quinoa Cakes with 2 Sauces

by Sandra Simmons

adapted from Whole Living, the Wall Street Journal, Yummy Supper blog, and Cooking with Michelle blog

1/2 cup quinoa, cooked ahead of time

2 Tablespoon olive oil, divided

1 cup kale, chopped

1 egg

3 Marx Foods Dried Organic Shiitake Mushrooms, reconstituted & sliced

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs

the first sauce:

3 medium carrots, coarsely chopped

1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
a small fresh knob of ginger, peeled and grated
1/4 cup unseasoned rice wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water

the second sauce:

1/3 cup lime juice, freshly squeezed (this is about 2 1/2 to 3 limes)

3 Tablespoons sugar

2/3 cup water

5 Tablespoons fish sauce

a few shakes of Penzey's Very Hot Crushed Red Pepper Flakes Indian Style

While you are cooking the quinoa, let's make the sauces.

The first sauce is a carrot-ginger dipping sauce. It would be fantastic with spring rolls and since you will have plenty of sauce left over, you can make some spring rolls later in the week to dip in this sauce. To make the sauce, place the first 6 ingredients in a blender and puree the ingredients until they are smooth. Take the small top off the blender and with the blender still running, drizzle the oil very slowly and then the water. Turn the blender off and set the dip aside.

The second sauce is called Nuoc cham and this recipe will make plenty. I planned it this way so that you can make some Vietnamese Bun and use up the rest of the second sauce. To make the sauce, simply stir all 5 ingredients together until the sugar is dissolved. Set the dip aside.

To make the quinoa cakes, heat a skillet over medium to medium-low head. Add one tablespoon olive oil and then add the kale and cook for about 2 minutes until you see that some of the kale has become browned which will make it crispy. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the quinoa, the kale, egg, mushrooms, sesame seeds, and Panko. You can do this with your hands or a spoon. Divide the mixture into 4 patties.

Heat a large skillet over medium to medium-low head. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and then add the quinoa cakes and cook 3-4 minutes on each side until browned.

To serve, place some of the carrot-ginger dipping sauce on the plate and top with a quinoa cake. Press the cake down so the carrot-dipping sauce is visible. Top the cake with one to two teaspoons of  Nuoc cham dipping sauce. It won't be visible but it will add some wonderful flavor to the dish. Serve hot or room temperature.

Asian Quinoa

by Sandra Simmons

adapted from Chocolate & Zucchini 

3 Marx Foods Dried Organic Shiitake Mushrooms, reconstituted & sliced

1 cup uncooked quinoa, cooked ahead of time

1 Tablespoon sesame oil

a small fresh knob of ginger, peeled and grated

1 onion, diced

1/2 cup kale, chopped

1/4 cup zucchini, chopped

1/4 cup white wine 

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon brown sugar

a few shakes of cayenne pepper

1/4 cup of water

If you reconstitute the mushrooms and make the quinoa ahead of time, this recipe comes together in just a few minutes.

Heat a skillet over medium to medium-low heat. Add the sesame oil. Add the ginger and onion and cook until the onion is transparent. Add the kale and zucchini and cook for about 4 minutes.

Add the white wine and cook until the wine evaporates. Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, cayenne pepper, and water and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add the quinoa and the mushrooms to the skillet and stir.