Let’s face facts, tacos are delicious. They’re delicious any time and any place, but for some unknown reason they’re best in winter for me. Maybe it’s the spices, maybe it’s their versatility and ease, but it’s probably the comfort level. My all-time favorite is a solid SoCal fish taco, but I’m generally up for anything that doesn’t contain weird animal parts. Here are ten that I’m hoping to try ASAP!
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Beef stroganoff was my favorite dinner growing up, and my very favorite part of that dinner was picking out all of the mushrooms in the sauce for myself. Now that I’m an adult and mainly a vegetarian, I decided to update the classic that my Grandma found on the back of a bag of egg noodles sometime in the 1950s. There are two ingredients that you won’t find in other stroganoff recipes that make this take on it completely different.
Mushroom Stroganoff
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 C minced onion
• 1 clove minced garlic
• salt and pepper
• 2 C sliced mushrooms (I like portobellos)
• 1 C vegetable broth
• 1 Tbsp vinegar
• 4 oz tomato paste
• 1/2 C sour cream
• 1 bag wide egg noodles
In a pan melt butter and sauté mushrooms, onion, and garlic. Add a few dashes of salt and pepper. Cook until mushrooms and onions soften and begin to turn translucent. (About 8 minutes.) Stir in vegetable broth, vinegar, and tomato paste. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Stir in sour cream and simmer for 2 additional minutes. Serve over wide egg noodles.
* If you’d like to go the meat route, add 1 lb. ground beef or turkey and 2 Tbsp flour after you sauté the vegetables and cook until browned.
During the winter months I practically live off of homemade soups. It’s just so easy to make a big pot and eat off of it for a few days or freeze half of it for later, and it’s such a comforting food. I have my favorite go-to, but these ten are on the short list for the next few months! Just click on each image to go to the recipe.
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After the craziness of Thanksgiving and Christmas I like to make New Year’s Eve more low-key. A come as you are get together with good friends and family is just what the doctor ordered for a great start to a new year! Want to dress up? Go for it. Prefer pajamas? That’s cool, too. We’ll decorate some with metallics and pinks and call it a day. Everyone can bring an appetizer or dessert and I’ll provide the cocktails – sound good? Mix and mingle as you please, and if you can’t stay awake until the ball drops? No judgement. Now that’s my kinda party.
I’ve always wanted to throw a party that’s strictly about appetizers. Think about it, they’re one of the best parts of any special meal and you can typically fill up on them alone. Oh, and my definition of an “appetizer” is basically anything that can be eaten in three bites or less, which leaves plenty of room for interpretation and inspiration. The good news? You’re invited to my imaginary holiday appetizer party! (All links and sources at the end of the post.)
First let’s set the mood with plenty of simple touches. Ice lanterns lining the front walk and a tinseled wreath on the front door. Rustic vases full of berried branches. A festive backdrop for photos and plenty of white paper pendants suspended from the ceiling. Even miniature handmade wreaths for party favors!
The best hostesses always offer a beverage as soon as you’ve walked in the door and they’ve taken your coat! I like to offer a selection of hot and cold, boozy and non-boozy, that way you’re sure to have something for everyone. Most of the beverages above can be made in large batches, making it super easy to use pitchers and allow your guests to refill at their leisure. And of course allowing you to actually enjoy your own party!
When entertaining during the holidays, I like to purchase one or two special pieces for the occasion and rely on everyday pieces for the rest. In this case the purchases are small wooden appetizer forks, napkins and a festive cheese board. Otherwise it’s easy to stick to basics in our white, black, gold, and wood palette.
Last (but definitely not least) are the appetizers themselves. I think the rule of one plate of apps to every two people invited is a good rule to go by. Again, here I like to have a good mix of savory/sweet, soft/crispy, hot/cold, etc. Lots of these recipes can be prepped a day or two ahead of time and popped in the refrigerator until you’re ready to either warm them, assemble them, or set them out for guests. That equals less stress for you and a get together you can not only enjoy, but participate in. Happy Holidays!
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One Friday night a few weeks ago it was snowing and I was hungry. I had a bag of cranberries that were close to their last breath and some eggnog in the same boat. And thus. Cranberry Eggnog Bread was born!
Cranberry Eggnog Bread • 3 C cranberries
• 1 C sugar, divided
• 3 C flour
• 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 C eggnog (I used light)
• 2/3 C unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Rinse off the cranberries and lightly chop them up if you wish. Place cranberries in a bowl and coat with 1/2 C sugar. In a separate medium-sized bowl, combine flour, remaining sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine eggs, eggnog, and butter. Add dry ingredients in increments and mix on low until combined. Fold in sugar-coated cranberries. Grease two loaf pans and divide bread mixture between them. Bake 45-60 minutes, or until a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of each pan and invert. (You can add a glaze of 1/2 C eggnog and 2 C powdered sugar at this point if you’d like! I prefer mine slathered with cold butter.)
Seriously, don’t even worry about bringing anything because I’ve got it all covered! Longtime readers might remember last year’s dream Christmas dinner as the start of this extravagant/gluttonous series I create for most major holidays. And let me tell you, I should really throw make believe parties more often because they’re so much fun! This Christmas I decided to go with plenty of color and whimsy with a dash of nature and DIY thrown in to keep it real. Hope you can make it! (Links and sources at the end.)
