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Portuguese Caldo Verde

February 10, 2021 by Tamara Giebel Leave a Comment

Portuguese green soup, Caldo Verde, delivers soul warming goodness with simple ingredients of potato, spicy sausage and kale. This broth based soup is perfect for the first crisp days of fall and the depths of winter.

Fall hit us Pacific North Westerners a little early this year. It’s the first of October and the air is CRISP. I mean like instant Fall crisp. And would you believe our stove is on back order? Yes. We have no heat currently. So, soup is a REAL GOOD THING around our place.

I feel like broth based soups are the best at warming your body right down to your bones. This one here, Caldo Verde, it’s a soul soothing kind of warm. In the 30 minutes it takes to make, and with very few ingredients, Caldo Verde packs in HUGE flavor. I like to use Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage because it really adds a lot of flavor. Traditionalist may frown upon this, so you can substitute a nice chourico sausage, if you please. Grab some Dinosaur kale from the garden or collard greens, anything substantially dark and leafy is good. A few potatoes, garlic, onion and broth. It’s really that easy and talk about a budget meal! Stay warm and spend less. My kind of meal.

Ingredients

Spicy Sausage – This can vary from the traditional chourico, linguica or simply spicy ground sausage.
Yellow Onion – I prefer a sweet yellow onion or Vidalia onion.
Garlic – Pick firm garlic cloves.
White Wine – What you have on hand. I keep a bottle of basic white wine in my fridge. Something on the lighter side.
Yukon Gold Potatoes – Thin skinned and medium starch make these the perfect choice for this broth based soup.
Chicken Broth – 1st Choice: make your own, 2nd choice: Better than Bouillon…it’s really up to you. I like my broth strong and flavorful.
Kale – Dinosaur kale or collard greens are hearty and hold up in this soup.

Preparation

Brown sausage in a large soup pot over medium heat.
Add onion and garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Add white wine and cook additional 1-2 minutes.
Add potatoes and chicken broth, let simmer for about 10 minutes or until fork tender.
Add kale, salt and pepper. Let simmer for at least 30 minutes, so the flavors develop.
Serve with crusty French bread and grated parmesan cheese.

Caldo Verde

Portuguese green soup, Caldo Verde delivers soul warming goodness with simple ingredients of potato, spicy sausage and kale. This broth based soup is perfect for the first crisp days of fall.

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine Soups, Stews, Chowders

Keyword Broth Based Soup, Fall Soup, Portuguese Soup

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Servings 4 with extra

Ingredients

½ lb. Jimmy Dean hot sausage
¾ cup yellow onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
¼ cup white cooking wine
2 cups Yukon Gold potatoes diced
8 cups chicken broth
3 cups Dinosaur kale or collards rough chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan for garnish if desired
Crusty french bread if desired

Instructions

Heat large soup pot over medium heat, add sausage, crumbling as you add to pan.
Cook sausage, stirring as it cooks until browned.
Add onion and garlic, cook for 1-2 minutes.
Add white wine and stir for about 1 minute.
Add potatoes and chicken broth, cook until potatoes are fork tender about 10 minutes.
Add kale and salt and pepper. Cook for at least 30 minutes, allowing flavors to develop.
Serve with crusty french bread and garnish with parmesan.

More Soups:

Roasting parsnips brings out their earthy sweet flavor in this winter soup. Not only is this soup easy to make, it's easy on the budget too.

Fresh Raspberry Lemonade Pound Cake

January 22, 2021 by Tamara Giebel 2 Comments

Fresh Raspberry Lemonade Pound Cake, raspberry and lemon cream between buttery lemon pound cake with lemon cream cheese frosting and fresh raspberries.

Fresh, sweet raspberries are the perfect fruit to pair with bright citrusy lemon in this Fresh Raspberry Lemonade Pound Cake. Lemon is added to every step of this cake from the frosting to the filling and even the pound cake with accents of sweet raspberries.

This buttery pound cake holds up perfectly to the raspberry and lemon pastry cream, making for the perfect slice of cake. I happened to have my mother’s raspberry freezer jam to use for the filling, but store bought jam would work as well. The fresher the flavor, the better. If you have the extra time, grab another pint of raspberries and cook over medium heat with a little sugar to make a quick jam filling.

Ingredients

Lemon Pound Cake – A traditional sour cream pound cake with sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, sour cream, flour, baking soda, salt and the addition of lemon juice and zest.
Lemon Pastry Cream – A simple classic pastry cream with milk, sugar, salt, cornstarch, flour, egg yolks, butter, vanilla and added lemon juice and zest.
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting – Butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar and, yes, more lemon juice. MUST have butter and cream cheese at room temperature or your frosting will be full of lumps (trust me on this)
Raspberries – Fresh raspberries for garnish and more if making the raspberry filling from scratch.

Fresh Raspberry Lemonade Pound Cake

Fresh Raspberry Lemonade Pound Cake, raspberry and lemon cream between buttery lemon pound cake with lemon cream cheese frosting and fresh raspberries.

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Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 1 hr

Course Dessert

Cuisine Dessert, Valentine’s Day

Servings 8

Equipment

Two – 7 inch spring form pans

Ingredients

Lemon Pound Cake

2 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup butter
6 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sour cream
3 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. lemon zest

Lemon Pastry Cream

1 1/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/8 tsp salt
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 Tbsp. flour
1/4 cup whole milk
2 large egg yolks
1 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. lemon zest

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

1 cup butter room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese room temperature
3 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Raspberry Filling

1/2 cup fresh raspberry jam freezer jam work the best

Other

1 pint fresh raspberries

Instructions

Lemon Pound Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream together sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla and sour cream in a bowl into smooth.
Combine flour, baking soda and salt in another bowl.
Slowly combine the dry mixture with the cream mixture.
Stir in lemon juice and zest.
Split batter in two equal parts and pour into 7 inch non-stick spring form pans. Bake at 350 degrees for about 60 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove and let cool before removing from pan.
Prepare the lemon pastry cream and lemon cream cheese frosting while cake is cooling.

Lemon Pastry Cream

Combine 1 1/4 cup whole milk, sugar and salt in a sauce pan over medium high heat until sugar is dissolved.
Stir together cornstarch, flour, 1/4 cup whole milk and egg yolks.
Add a ladle of the warm sugar mixture with the cool egg mixture to temper the eggs. Stir to combine. Then, pour that mixture in with the sugar mixture in the sauce pan. Continue to cook while stirring, until thickened.
Remove from heat and add butter, vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream butter and cream cheese together using an electric hand mixer. Slowly add powdered sugar until creamy, then add lemon juice and finish mixing.

Assembly

Spread about a 1/2 cup of the lemon pastry cream over bottom layer of lemon pound cake. Spread about 1/2 cup of raspberry jam over the lemon pastry cream, then top with second lemon pound cake. Frost cake, saving any left over frosting in the refrigerator for another use. Decorate the top of the cake with fresh raspberries.

Keyword Layered Pound Cake, Pound Cake, Valentine’s Cake

Valentine's Raspberry Lemonade Pound Cake

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Spirulina Pomegranate Raspberry Smoothie

January 19, 2021 by Tamara Giebel Leave a Comment

Spirulina Pomegranate Raspberry Smoothie combines three powerful anti-oxidants along with vitamins and minerals for a healthy drink.

Sweet, a little tart and packed full of everything you need to stay healthy. From anti-oxidants to protect your cells from damage, to iron for those struggling with anemia and vitamins to keep you energized.

This Spirulina Pomegranate Raspberry Smoothie is basically youth in a drinkable form. When I start my day with a healthy smoothie, I feel a noticeable increase in energy right away. I like to rotate between this Spirulina based smoothie and my Tropical Tumeric Ginger Smoothie, each having an incredible amount of health benefits.

Using frozen fruit allows for a great texture without having to add ice, which turns slushy or frozen yogurt, which is full of not so great ingredients. If you really want a minimalist smoothie, omit the agave nectar and taste just the natural fruit sugars. It really depends on your taste and when the fruit was harvested, in the peak season or off season, which can make a huge difference in the natural sweetness.

Ingredients

Spirulina – A dark green algae that comes in powder form. Adding just a pinch of this nutrient packed supplement provides vitamins, minerals and protein, making it one of the best nutrients around.
Pomegranate – A well known anti-oxidant that also provides excellent anti-inflammatory protection, which helps prevent disease and cancer.
Raspberry – Not only an anti-oxidant, but contain potassium to help keep your heart healthy, fiber to lower blood sugar and Vitamin C to keep your skin looking young.

Spirulina Pomegranate Raspberry Smoothie

Spirulina Pomegranate Raspberry Smoothie combines three powerful anti-oxidants along with vitamins and minerals for a healthy drink.

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Prep Time 5 mins

Course Breakfast, Drinks

Cuisine Breakfast, Healthy Recipes, Vegetarian

Servings 1

Equipment

Blender

Ingredients

1 cup frozen raspberries
1/4 cup frozen banana
8 oz. pomegranate
1/4 tsp spirulina
1 tsp agave nectar

Instructions

Place ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

Keyword 2021 Food Trends, Breakfast Smoothie, Spirulina

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Tropical Tumeric Ginger Smoothie

January 14, 2021 by Tamara Giebel Leave a Comment

Tropical Tumeric Ginger Smoothie combines anti-inflammatory curcumin compounds, sweet pineapple and tropical guava to make a delicious drinkable breakfast to start your day the healthy way.

Tropical Tumeric Ginger Smoothie combines anti-inflammatory curcumin compounds with pineapple and guava to make a delicious drinkable breakfast to start your day the healthy way.

Both tumeric and ginger have anti-inflammatory properties, which means this Tropical Tumeric Ginger Smoothie really packs a punch. Inflammation is the body’s response to irritation and injury and by consuming tumeric and ginger on a regular basis, you fight the effects of inflammation on your body.

Like it spicy? Studies show that adding black pepper to your tumeric intake increases the power. The peperine in black pepper allows your body to absorb the tumeric better. Just add a pinch to your smoothie!

This Tropical Tumeric Ginger Smoothie has no added sugar. It’s all about fresh, healthy ingredients. If you like your smoothie sweeter than the natural fruit sugars, just add a teaspoon of agave nectar or honey.

Having your ingredients prepped and ready makes mornings easy. Keep fresh cut fruit in your freezer to make things easier. You can even make individual portions of pre-cut fruit, so all you have to do is drop it in the blender. Place your portioned pineapple, guava, banana, tumeric and ginger in freezable containers ahead of time and it’s ready when you need it.

Ingredients

Tumeric – Fresh tumeric root found in the produce section of your grocery. It looks similar to ginger and is shown in the photo in this post. You want to store your tumeric in the refrigerator. When ready to use, peel off the outside and put in the blender.
Ginger – Fresh ginger root, also found in the produce section of your grocery. use it just like tumeric root, only in a lessor amount.
Pineapple – Frozen pineapple gives this smoothie the texture it needs.
Guava – Frozen guava also adds to the texture. I like to use fruit that has been frozen when making smoothies.
Banana – Peel and freeze your bananas so they are ready when needed.
Orange Juice – Fresh orange juice like Simply Orange.

Preparation

Place all ingredients in your blender and blend until smooth.

Tropical Tumeric Ginger Smoothie

Tropical Tumeric Ginger Smoothie combines anti-inflammatory curcumin compounds, sweet pineapple and tropical guava to make a delicious drinkable breakfast to start your day the healthy way.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 mins

Course Breakfast, Drinks

Cuisine Farmer’s Market, Healthy Recipes, Vegetarian

Servings 1

Equipment

Blender

Ingredients

1/2 cup pineapple frozen
1/2 cup guava frozen
2 inches tumeric root skin removed
1/2 inch ginger root skin removed
1/4 cup banana frozen
1 cup fresh orange juice

Instructions

Place all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a glass and enjoy.

Keyword Breakfast Smoothie, Healthy Smoothie, Tumeric Recipes

Tropical Tumeric Ginger Smoothie combines anti-inflammatory curcumin compounds, sweet pineapple and tropical guava to make a delicious drinkable breakfast to start your day the healthy way.

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Out West Smoked Salmon Corn Chowder

January 4, 2021 by Tamara Giebel Leave a Comment

Smoky, creamy, a little bit rustic and ribboned with the subtle flavor of tarragon makes this Out West Smoked Salmon Corn Chowder a Pacific Northwest favorite.

Smokey, creamy, a little bit rustic and ribboned with the subtle flavor of tarragon makes this Smoked Salmon Chowder a Pacific Northwest favorite.

The Pacific Northwest is known for seafood, rustic cuisine and well, let’s face it….RAIN. Seattle averages 38 inches annually, which means we like our chowder. We make chowder out of anything from classic manila clam, to geoduck and my favorite, this Smoked Salmon Corn Chowder.

A little bit fancier than the classic clam chowder, we add tender corn, red bell pepper and tarragon together with creamy baby red and white potatoes. Tarragon is a French herb that adds a distinct flavor and pairs so nicely with seafood. It also is known to be a powerful antioxidant that can boost your immune system. Perfect for the winter season.

Ingredients

Smoked Salmon – You want the hot smoked salmon as opposed to the cold smoked salmon. It is cured, then cooked with heated wood smoke.
Corn – Fresh off the cob is best, frozen would be the next best choice.
Potato – Red and white baby new potatoes are best for this dish.
White Cooking Wine – Just a simple white wine.
Tarragon – My favorite herb to add to seafood dishes giving a light licorice flavor like fennel or anise.
Paprika – For color and a little spice.
Cream – Heavy cream, sometimes called whipping cream.
Chicken Broth – If you have seafood broth, use that, but chicken broth works just as well. I like Better Than Bouillon brand.
Red Bell Pepper, Shallot & Celery – Add to the overall flavor.
Flour & Butter – Combine to make a roux to thicken the chowder.

If you LOVE seafood, try this OUT WEST favorite FARM STYLE CLAM CHOWDER using fresh clams

This rustic, Farm Style Clam Chowder combines fresh manila clams, sliced baby potatoes, a splash of sherry, cream, tarragon and smokey bacon.

Preparation

Sauté celery, shallot and red bell pepper in one tablespoon butter over medium high heat until just softened.
Add white cooking wine and sauté an additional 1-2 minutes.
Add potatoes and chicken broth, simmer about 10 minutes until tender.
In a separate sauce pan, melt two tablespoons butter over medium heat and stir in flour to create a roux. Turn heat to low and add two ladles of chicken broth from the potato mixture into the roux. Stir quickly and combine with potato mixture.
Stir in smoked salmon, corn, cream, tarragon, paprika, salt and pepper.
Simmer for at least 20 minutes. Serve with crusty French bread.

Smoky, creamy, a little bit rustic and ribboned with the subtle flavor of tarragon makes this Smoked Salmon Chowder a Pacific Northwest favorite.

Print Pin

Out West Smoked Salmon Corn Chowder

Smokey, creamy, a little bit rustic and ribboned with the subtle flavor of tarragon makes this Smoked Salmon Corn Chowder a Pacific Northwest favorite.

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine PNW, Seafood, Soups, Stews, Chowders

Keyword Chowder

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Servings 8

Ingredients

3 tbsp butter
⅓ cup flour
½ cup celery diced
½ cup shallot diced
½ cup red bell pepper diced
½ cup white cooking wine
1 ½ cups red and white baby potatoes sliced in rounds
6 cups chicken broth
½ lb smoked salmon roughly broken into pieces
1 cup corn
1 cup cream
2 tsp tarragon dried
1 tsp paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat 1 tbsp. butter in a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add celery, shallot and red bell pepper and saute for 1-2 minutes.
Add white cooking wine and cook another 1-2 minutes.
Add potatoes and chicken broth, simmer for about 10 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. While potatoes are cooking, make roux.
Roux: In a small saucepan heat 2 tbsp. butter over medium heat until melted. Add flour and stir constantly until smooth. Turn heat to very low. Using a ladle, spoon 2 ladles of broth from potatoes into roux and stir quickly and remove from heat.
Immediately stir roux into chowder mixture, stirring until combined.
Add smoked salmon, corn, cream, tarragon, paprika and salt and pepper and stir until combined.
Simmer for at least 20 minutes, stirring regularly. More is better so the flavors combine and next day is even better.

More Soups, Stews & Chowders

Roasting parsnips brings out their earthy sweet flavor in this winter soup. Not only is this Roasted Parsnip Soup with Crispy Fried Shallots easy to make, it’s easy on the budget too.

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The Best Dungeness Crab Cakes

December 29, 2020 by Tamara Giebel Leave a Comment

The Best Dungeness Crab Cakes are packed full of delicious Dungeness crab, a little minced celery, red bell pepper and Panko breadcrumbs.

The best crab cakes have just enough breadcrumbs to hold together the Dungeness crab meat, giving you the full flavor of rich, buttery crab. Packed full of jumbo lump meat that you can see and taste with every bite.

Perfect bite sized as an appetizer. Pair with your favorite dipping sauce like spicy sweet chili sauce, roasted pineapple and habanero or more of a traditional creamy dill sauce. These Dungeness Crab Cakes will disappear at your next party.

For a dinner entrée, I like to serve full size Dungeness Crab Cakes over creamy mashed potatoes topped with sautéed fresh corn off the cob and sugar snap peas. For an Asian inspired twist, serve with sautéed baby bok choy and hoisin sauce.

Dungeness Crab Cakes can be frozen, if desired. Place a small piece of parchment paper between the cakes and freeze in a Ziplock bag. Although, I truly believe fresh is best, sometimes it’s good to have a few frozen items for those emergency situations.

Ingredients

Dungeness Crab – Fresh Dungeness crab is found on the west coast and has a rich, buttery taste like no other.
Celery – Celery adds a light, fresh taste to the crab cake.
Red Bell Pepper – Minced fine, adds color and sweetness.
Garlic – One small clove of fresh garlic.
Panko Bread Crumbs – Unseasoned Panko is light and adds just enough to bind the Dungeness crab together.
Mayonnaise – Plain old regular mayonnaise.

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Gently fold ingredients together in a large bowl.
Form into either 8 large or 16 mini balls and then press to cake shape.
Place crab cakes on a sheet pan and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Place pan over medium heat, add oil and brown each side of crab cake.
Remove to sheet pan and place in oven to finish cooking for another 5-10 minutes.
Serve with your favorite dipping sauce or with lemon wedges.

Dungeness Crab Cakes

Rich, buttery, Dungeness Crab Cakes are crispy on the outside and flavorful on the inside packed with fresh lump meat, minced celery and red bell pepper.

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine Farm to Table, Seafood

Ingredients

1 lb. Dungeness crab cleaned and shelled
1/2 cup celery minced
1/4 cup red bell pepper minced
1 clove garlic minced
1 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
3 tbsp. mayonnaise
2 tbsp. cooking oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Gently mix Dungeness crab, celery, red bell pepper, garlic, Panko bread crumbs and mayonnaise together.
Form into either 8 large crab cakes or 16 mini appetizer crab cakes. Cup together in your hands to form a ball first, to make sure all ingredients stick together. Now press out gently to round shape. This recipe uses the least amount of filler possible, so you really want these crab cakes to form a nice shape before cooking.
Place crab cakes on a sheet pan and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes to set ingredients.
In a large sauté pan over medium heat, cook crab cakes in oil on each side until browned. Work in batches to ensure even cooking.
Place browned crab cakes on sheet pan in 350 degree oven for 5-10 minutes to continue cooking.

Keyword Best Crab Cakes, Easy Appetizer

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Fresh Cranberry Tart

December 16, 2020 by Tamara Giebel Leave a Comment

A holiday favorite, Fresh Cranberry Tart celebrates the perfect ratio of sweet and tart with a nutty graham cracker walnut crust and sugared cranberries.

A holiday favorite, Cranberry Tart celebrates the perfect ratio of sweet and tart with a nutty graham cracker crust and sugared cranberries.

This Fresh Cranberry Tart will look stunning on your holiday table with it’s bright red color and sugared cranberry garnish. I like to add a little green herb, such as sage, to the top for looks. It gives the dessert a Christmas mistletoe look that I adore. Just remove before eating.

You may want to make extra of the sugared cranberries. They are definitely a sweet treat, that if left in a bowl on the counter, will quickly disappear. It’s a very simple sugar water combination that coats the cranberries enough to dip in more sugar for the frosted look.

The addition of minced walnuts in the graham cracker crust adds a very earthy texture to this Fresh Cranberry Tart. Walnuts can easily be substituted for another type of nut, such as pecan or your favorite nut. I like to use locally grown ingredients when I have the chance and walnuts are an OUT WEST: Food & Lifestyle favorite.

Ingredients

Cranberries – Fresh cranberries found in the produce section of the grocery. Save about ten of them for the sugared cranberry garnish.
Orange – One large juicy fresh orange – you want the zest and the juice.
Walnuts – Walnuts are grown in Washington State, so that’s why I chose them for my crust. You can substitute for your favorite nut.
Eggs – Make note that you need two full eggs and 2 egg yolks.
Butter – Real butter please.
Pantry Items – Plain old salt and granulated sugar from the pantry.

Preparation

Make the crust first by combining graham crackers, sugar, salt and walnuts. Pulverize to a fine crumb. Combine with melted butter. Press into tart pan. Bake for 5-10 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool.
Simmer cranberries, sugar, orange juice and zest in a sauce pan until cranberries burst. Remove from heat and blend until smooth.
Return to heat and add butter, stirring to combine.
Whisk eggs and yolks together. Temper in about a cup of the warm cranberry sauce with the whisked eggs, then combine all together. Heat over low heat, stirring continuously until thickened.
Pour into pre-baked graham cracker walnut crust.
Refrigerate overnight. Top with sugared cranberries before serving.

Fresh Cranberry Tart

A holiday favorite, Fresh Cranberry Tart celebrates the perfect ratio of sweet and tart with a nutty graham cracker crust and sugared cranberries.

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Christmas, Dessert

Servings 12

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Walnut Crust

20 squares graham crackers pulverized
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup walnuts minced
5 tbsp. butter melted

Fresh Cranberry Filling

1 12 oz. bag fresh cranberries save a few for sugared cranberries
1 cup granulated sugar
1 orange juiced and zested
1/2 cup butter cubed
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks

Sugared Cranberries

10 fresh cranberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water

Instructions

Graham Cracker Walnut Crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine graham crackers, sugar, salt and walnuts in a large Ziplock bag. Using a rolling pin or mallet, crush until fine and crumbly.
Pour melted butter in Ziplock and shake to combine.
Press into an 8 inch tart pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 5-10 minutes until starting to lightly brown.
Remove from oven and set aside to cool while you make the fresh cranberry filling.

Fresh Cranberry Filling

Place cranberries, granulated sugar, orange juice and zest in a sauce pan and simmer over medium high heat for about 10 minutes until cranberries have popped.
Remove to a bowl. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth.
Place blended cranberry mixture back in the sauce pan, with heat on medium low. Add cubed butter and stir until combined.
Whisk eggs and egg yolks together in a medium bowl.
Add about a cup of the warm blended cranberry sauce to the eggs to temper. This ensures that the eggs won't scramble when you combine the two together.
Next, combine the egg mixture in with the remaining cranberry mixture and cook over low heat, stirring continuously, until thickened, about 10 minutes.
Pour mixture into pre-baked graham cracker walnut crust.
Place tart in refrigerator until set, preferably over night.
Top with sugared cranberries before serving.

Sugared Cranberries

Combine 1/4 cup granulated sugar and water in a sauce pan. Cook on medium low until sugar is dissolved. Add cranberries and stir to coat. Remove cranberries to a wire rack and let dry about 30 minutes. Roll each cranberry in remaining 1/4 cup sugar to give the frosted look.

Keyword Christmas Dessert, Cranberry Curd, Cranberry Curd Tart

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Rosemary Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Port Wine Sauce

December 15, 2020 by Tamara Giebel Leave a Comment

Impress your guests with this easy, but elegant Rosemary Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Port Wine Sauce.

With very little prep time and only 20 minutes in the oven, this Rosemary Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Port Wine Sauce is a clear rival from the standard prime rib dinner. So incredibly tender, you can cut each bite with just a fork.

Just imagine sliding that tender bite through a velvety reduction of port wine sauce. Sounds pretty fancy, doesn’t it? It’s really very simple, but your guests don’t need to know this. Let them think you spent hours in the kitchen creating a masterpiece.

Depending on how many guests you have, you could end up with leftovers. If you’re lucky enough to accomplish this, I beg you to make French dip sandwiches tomorrow. Your mouth will thank you for the best French dip it ever had. So tender, so juicy, absolutely amazing.

Rosemary Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Port Wine Sauce

Impress your guests with this easy, but impressive Rosemary Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Port Wine Sauce.

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Resting Time 20 mins

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American, Beef

Equipment

Butcher's twine
Meat thermometer

Ingredients

Rosemary Crusted Beef Tenderloin

5-6 lb. beef tenderloin roast trimmed and tied
1/4 cup butter softened
1 sprig fresh rosemary leaves removed and chopped
salt and pepper

Port Wine Sauce

2 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. flour
1 clove garlic minced
1 1/2 cup good port wine
1/2 cup good beef broth

Instructions

Rosemary Crusted Beef Tenderloin

If your tenderloin roast is not trimmed, you will want to trim off any excess fat. Next, you will wrap the tenderloin so the smaller end flaps tuck in closely, making a more uniform roast. This helps maintain an evenly cooked tenderloin and also presents better on the serving plate. Make a slip knot on end of roast furthest from you, securing the Butcher's twine. Next, pull a length of Butcher's twine towards you, making a large loop. This loop will now be slipped over the furthest end of the roast and placed an inch away from your initial anchor. Continue this at one inch intervals the entire length of the roast. Now, run the Butcher's twine back down the length of the roast under the loops you just placed. Secure at the original anchor.
Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
Rub softened butter over tenderloin. Season with salt, pepper and chopped rosemary. Let rest until room temperature while you pre-heat the oven.
Place roast on a sheet pan in the 500 degree oven for 22 minutes or until 125 degree internal temperature is reached. If you have an in oven meat thermometer, I would suggest using.
Remove from oven and place foil over top, rest for 20 minutes. Slice in thick one inch pieces and serve with port wine sauce.

Port Wine Sauce

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a sauce pan over medium heat, add flour and stir, cooking the flour for a minute or so.
Add garlic, port wine and beef broth, continue stirring to combine.
Slowly simmer until thicker and reduced by half.
Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon butter.

Keyword Beef Roast, Holiday Dinner, Holiday Roast

Ingredients

Beef Tenderloin Roast – Trimmed of excess fat and tied to a uniform shape.
Butter – Real butter, plain and simple.
Rosemary – A sprig or two from the garden or the produce section. Remove the leaves and chop.
Salt & Pepper – I like to use coarse ground pepper and salt. Go generous to create a nice crust.
Port Wine – Good quality port wine to create a nice rich sauce.
Garlic – Fresh garlic cloves are best.
Beef Broth – Better than Bouillon is my choice.

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees and let your trimmed and tied tenderloin roast come to room temperature by setting on counter.
Rub tenderloin roast with butter, chopped rosemary, salt and pepper.
Place on a sheet pan in oven for 22 minutes or until internal temperature of 125 degrees is reached.
Remove from oven. Place foil tent over and rest for about 20 minutes. It needs this entire resting time to come up to medium rare.
While the tenderloin roast is resting, make the port wine sauce.
Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium high heat.
Add flour and stir to cook through for a minute or so.
Add garlic, port wine and beef broth, continuing stirring to combine.
Reduce heat and slowly simmer until reduced in half.
Stir in remaining butter and serve with beef tenderloin.

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Handmade Authentic Tamales

December 9, 2020 by Tamara Giebel Leave a Comment

Delicate, flavorful Handmade Authentic Tamales filled with red chili pork or poblano jack cheese deliver the taste of Mexico in your kitchen.

This essential step by step guide will make you crave fresh tamales everyday. There are so many filling possibilities from traditional red chili pork to vegetarian poblano jack or even bean and cheese. Get creative.

Looking at the amount of steps in this recipe may seem daunting, but these Handmade Authentic Tamales can be made in steps. I like to make the red chili pork the day before, so all that’s left is the masa and assembly. Plus, this recipe makes quiet a few tamales, so it’s a really great way to meal prep for later. You can store the tamales for up to six months in the freezer.

When you are ready to plate these beautiful tamales, top with your favorite ingredients. My topping of choice is this Salsa Verde, which is super easy to make with your blender. Other suggestions are chopped radish and cilantro, avocado or pico de gallo.

Freshly made Red Chili Tamales are tender and flavorful with diced radish and cilantro

Ingredients

Masa – Instant corn masa found in the Mexican aisle of grocery. I used Maseca brand. The bag will indicate used for tamales.
Lard – Use your rendered lard or purchase at the grocery next to the masa.
Pork – Use either shoulder, picnic or Boston butt, which is intended for slow cooking and shreds easily.
Corn Husks – Sold in packages in the Mexican aisle of the grocery. They are used to wrap and steam the masa and meat, making the tamales.
Guajillo Chili – Dried, sold in package in Mexican aisle of grocery. Has a deep, fruity, smoky flavor with mild heat.
Chiles de Arbol – Known as bird beak chili, adds the heat.
Cumin – A warm, earthy spice that gives depth of flavor.
Chipotle Powder – Smoke dried jalapeno peppers ground into powder.
Garlic – Pick hard, firm to the touch garlic.
Tomato Bouillon – Knorr tomato chicken bouillon cubes.
Onion – Pick firm yellow onions.

Preparation

Prepare the shredded pork first. Combine chili powder, chipotle powder, cumin and salt. Rub mixture over pork roast.
Heat lard in a dutch oven or large heavy pot. Sear pork roast over medium high heat on each side creating a browned crust.
Add water, tomato bouillon cubes, onion and garlic to the pot. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until fork tender about 3 hours.
Remove pork roast from pot, shred, reserve cooking liquid.
Make the sauce by toasting guajillo and arbol chilies in dry pan over medium heat until warmed, being careful not to burn. Remove from pan and soak in 2-3 cups hot water or broth for 10 minutes.
Place soaked chilies, garlic cloves, and cumin in a blender and blend until smooth.
Heat lard in a medium pan over medium heat, add sauce from blender and about 3 cups reserved cooking liquid, cook until darkened (about 10 minutes). Combine shredded pork in a large bowl with sauce.
Start soaking your corn husks in hot water. Either spread out in a large pan or in the sink.
Prepare the masa by hand mixing masa, baking powder, salt, chipotle powder, chili powder and cumin, then add lard and butter. Slowly add cooking liquid until dough forms. Dough should be a thinner, wetter consistency. Using your hand, mix the dough, repeatedly, until very smooth.
Assemble the tamales by taking a soaked corn husk, wide side towards you, and spreading a thin layer of masa, edge to edge, about 3/4 of the way up the corn husk.
Place about 1/4 cup shredded pork in bottom middle portion of the corn husk. Fold sides in and top over. Tie with a strip of corn husk.
Set up your tamale steamer with water to just under steaming rack and place a piece of foil over steaming rack. Set tamales in steamer open side up.
Place tamale steamer over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and steam for about 45 minutes.

Handmade Authentic Tamales

Tender, flavorful Handmade Authentic Tamales filled with red chili shredded pork or vegetarian poblano cheese.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 3 hrs 30 mins

Cook Time 45 mins

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 20

Ingredients

Red Chili Pork Filling

3 lb. pork butt / picnic / shoulder roast
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. chipotle powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp. lard
1/2 yellow onion rough sliced
4 cloves garlic rough chopped
2 cubes Knorr tomato chicken bouillon smashed
6 cups water

Red Chili Sauce

8 guajillo chili peppers dried
4 chili de arbol pepper dried
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp. lard
2-3 cups reserved cooking liquid from pork

Masa

3 1/2 cups masa
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
1 cup lard
2 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. chipotle powder
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp cumin
reserved cooking liquid from pork

Poblano Jack Filling

8 poblano peppers prepared (see notes)
8 Monterrey Jack cheese sticks cut in half

Other

1 package corn husks separated and soaked in warm water

Instructions

Red Chili Pork Filling

Combine chili powder, chipotle powder, cumin and salt. Rub all over pork roast.
Heat lard in a heavy bottom pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Sear all sides of seasoned pork roast.
Add remaining ingredients to pot, cover and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer until fork tender about 3 hours.
Remove pork roast from pot, place on large dish and shred. Reserve all of the cooking liquid from pot to use in recipe.

Red Chili Sauce

Place a dry sauté pan over medium high heat. Add dried guajillo and chili de arbol peppers. Toast until fragrant, just a couple minutes, being very careful not to burn. If burnt, they will taste horribly bitter and you will have to re-do.
Remove chilies to a bowl and cover with 2-3 cups reserved cooking liquid. Soak for about 10 minutes until softened.
Put soaked chilies, cooking liquid, garlic and cumin in blender and blend until smooth.
Melt lard in a pan over medium high heat. Pour blended sauce in hot pan with lard and simmer until darkened about 15 minutes.
Combine red chili sauce with shredded pork in a large bowl. Add a little more cooking liquid, if needed to make saucy.

Masa

Combine masa, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl.
Cream lard and butter together, them mix in with masa.
Slowly add reserved cooking liquid until dough forms. You want a pretty wet dough because it needs to easily spread on the corn husks. Then, mix, mix, mix, with your hand until very smooth. You want all the masa granules gone. It really takes a lot of mixing.

Poblano Jack Filling

Prepare poblano peppers by placing on a sheet pan, broiling until charred, removing from oven, placing in a covered dish to steam for a few minutes, then removing from dish and peeling off the skin and removing the stem and seeds. Cut each pepper in half.
Place one half of each Monterey Jack cheese stick on one half of prepared poblano.

Assembling the Tamales

Prepare your tamale steamer or large over sized pot with steamer rack in the bottom. Fill about 1/4 of pot with water, to just under steamer rack. Add a sheet of foil over steamer rack to protect from water.
Prepare your work area by setting a stack of soaked corn husks, a stack of torn pieces from the corn husks (used to tie finished tamal), your bowl of red chili pork or poblano jack filling and the bowl of prepared masa.
Place a corn husk in your hand with wide end towards you. Spread a scoop of masa over corn husk, reaching to edges, but only 3/4 of the way up towards smaller end. You want a thin layer. This masa will expand when steamed. If the masa is not spreading easily and not sticking to the corn husk, you may need to add more cooking liquid.
Once, you have a nice, thin layer of masa, add about a 1/4 cup of red chili pork to the center
OR if using the poblano jack filling, place one half poblano with one half Monterrey Jack cheese stick in the center.
Fold the sides in and the bottom up. Tie with a strip of corn husk. Not too tight, just enough to secure. Set open end up in steamer pot. Continue with remaining ingredients until it's all used up.
Place steamer pot on burner. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and steam for about 45 minutes. Remove and let cool for about 10 minutes. This allows the masa to firm up. They are now ready to eat, just don't eat the corn husk!
You can store tamales in Ziplock bags in the freezer for about 6 months.

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Christmas Wreath

November 23, 2020 by Tamara Giebel Leave a Comment

Make your own Christmas Wreath using fresh boughs of cedar, festive Christmas ribbon and a few other craft items like berries and pinecones.

Several years ago, I traded Black Friday for Wreath Making Friday and my world got a little greener. Leave the stress behind and gather around the outdoor table with your apple cider and a wheel barrow full of cedar boughs.

If you don’t have cedar trees near you, use another type of evergreen tree or visit your local tree farm and ask for some cuttings. There are different types of evergreen trees available depending where you live. Anything from Cedar, Fir, Pine, Mesquite or Juniper would look lovely.

What You Need:

Wire Wreath – Most types will do – I used an old bicycle wheel, removed the spokes and spray painted green OR you can find them on Amazon:

URATOT 5 Pack 8 Inch and 12 Inch Holiday Wreath Frames Round Shaped Wire Wreath Frame Christmas Floral Wreath for New Year Decorations

Galvanized Steel Wire – I like 20 gauge wire because it’s firm enough to hold, but still bendable. Available at Amazon:

The Hillman Group 123106 Steel, 20 gauge Galvanized Hobby Wire, 20 x 175′

Wire Cutters – Honestly I use my tree pruners, but craft wire cutters make it a lot easier and they have them on Amazon:

BOENFU Wire Cutter – Precision Side Cutter 6 Inch Cutting Pliers

Decorative Ribbon – Try to get the wired ribbon – it really helps when forming the bow. I like this vintage wired ribbon on Amazon:

Christmas Ribbon Wired, Vintage Red Truck with Christmas Tree for Gift Wrapping – 2.5″ x 10 Yards

Berries, Pine Cones & Other Decorations – Use your creative vibe here. Anything goes like pine cones, berries, stars, antlers. Find around the house or shop on Amazon and have them delivered to your door:

OLYPHAN Artificial Berries Red Pip Berry Stems Spray for DIY Crafts – Wreath, Garland, Christmas Ornaments Decoration – Decorative Winter Floral Picks for Craft Decorations/Home Holiday Decor

How to Make a Christmas Wreath

Pre-cut wire into 4 inch pieces and set into a pile on your table. It’s absolutely necessary to have these ready ahead of time (trust me).

Using your wire cutters or tree pruners, cut the cedar greens at the base of the branch, making a pile of that is easily accessible.

Gather a few of the cut cedar greens into a bundle with one hand and twist a piece of cut wire around to secure. Make a few bundles before moving on to the next step.

Start attaching the bundles to the metal wreath, working around the circle, using more pre-cut wire to attach.

Once you have the entire metal wreath covered, start filling in exposed areas with any remaining cedar greens. At this point, you should be able to just tuck them into what’s already wired on. If you have any greens that stick outside of the circle or are going haywire, just cut them off.

Now it’s time to get creative and decorate your Christmas wreath. If you are using lights, you will want to weave them on first. Then, start attaching ribbon, berries, pinecones – whatever you feel looks good. I had a small animal skull I used and some antlers from Hobby Lobby.

Cedar boughs make a long lasting Christmas wreath

Take your wheel barrow along to gather cedar boughs

Food to Keep You Warm:

Classic Cottage Pie is made with spiced ground beef, tender carrots and peas. Topped with creamy potato cheese mixture and carrot tops.