Brussels Sprout Potato Hash - Gluten Free

I have always been a huge fan of any type of hash and have always loved Brussels Sprouts with bacon...Brussels Sprout Hash is pretty darn good, I must say.  After my Idaho Potato Harvest trip, I've really been inspired to incorporate potatoes into more of my cooking.  Not only are they tasty, they are a healthful low calorie, high fiber food that is a good source of vitamin B6, vitamin C, copper, potassium, and manganese as well.  Win win and gluten free as well.

If you're looking for a new potato recipe for Thanksgiving, or if you have leftover roasted potatoes from Thanksgiving, they would incorporate perfectly into this Brussels Sprout Hash.

Brussels Sprout Potato Hash

4 potatoes {I used Yukon Gold}, chopped into chunks

3 slices of thick cut bacon, chopped into chunks

2 pounds of Brussels Sprouts, ends cut off and halved

1 large shallot {or half small onion}, chopped

olive oil

Kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

Heat a few Tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet, add the bacon and all the other ingredients, salt and pepper to taste and saute until caramelized and browned and until potatoes are cooked through.

Tips:  You can use already roasted potatoes.  Just chop into chunks and add to the skillet.

If I have any leftover Brussels Sprout hash the next day, I will add it as a salad topper for lunch.  Really good!

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Portuguese Wine Tasting

For the last 10 weeks I've been attending Portuguese language classes at the Sausalito Portuguese Hall on Sunday evenings with my younger sister, Lisa.  My Dad is Portuguese and my Mom was born and raised in Brazil, so growing up, the Portuguese language was spoken predominately in our home.  My parents spoke it to us {and still do} and we spoke back to them in English.  We were never forced to speak Portuguese but now wish we were.  I think learning to speak Portuguese, or any foreign language, as a child comes much more easily than learning to speak as an adult.

Last night was our last class of the 10 week long session.  It was a Portuguese party, held at a fellow class member's home with plenty of food, pot luck style and Portuguese wine and Port tasting as well.  I'm sure you can guess what my contribution was....yes, my favorite cheese of all time, Portuguese St. George cheese with fig spread and crusty bread.  

It was very interesting learning the origin of Portuguese wine from Eugenio Jardin and Porto {Port} from Nelson Ascenso along with the different regions of wine growing in Portugal.  My next trip to Portugal will need to include a tour of the Douro Valley, near the border of Spain in mainland Portugal, where Port and many other wines are grown.

Port is typically drank as a dessert wine.  It's very strong, sweet and it's made by mixing wine with brandy bringing the alcohol content up to around 20%.  My friend, Vasco, gave us the fantastic idea of mixing a bit in with your morning coffee.  Perfect for a snow trip I think.

My favorite Porto of the night was the Niepoort 10 Tawny, blended with different wines averaging 10 years. Just like regular wine, Ports come in dry, sweet, rosso, white and many different varieties.

All in all, it was a fantastic end to a fabulous class.  And I really think drinking Portuguese wine helps me to become a better Portuguese speaker.....at least it did last night.

Are you a fan of drinking Port?  If so, what's your favorite?

If you're local and interested in taking Portuguese language lessons, classes at the Sausalito Portuguese Hall are held in the Spring and the Fall.

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Favorite Fall Dessert Recipe Round-Up

I love this time of year!  All the fabulous dessert recipes for fall, I can't get enough.  When I called upon my fellow Real Farmwives of America for some of their favorite fall recipes, I hit the jackpot.

Jent, author of From My Front Porch, sent me her Phenomenal Apple Cookie recipe...

"This Pumpkin Crunch, aka Pumpkin Dump Cake, is an easy recipe that takes 5 minutes to make. Every pumpkin lover will beg you for the recipe."  says Leah, from the fabulous food and farm blog, Beyer Beware.

Another favorite of Leah's are these mouth watering Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies with brown sugar icing.  I die.

My friend, Cris, from the blog, Recipes That Crock sent me a favorite that I certainly enjoy... Slow Cooker Pumpkin Butter...

and Crock Pot Caramel Dip.  Hello!

And Amy from A Latte' with Ott, A, is totally making me crave pie right now with her Gingersnap Apple Crumb Pie....

And one of my favorites that I have made time and time again....Salted Caramel Cookies.  The combination of sweet with the salt, I can devour the entire plate all on my own if I let myself.

Time to start baking.

Salted Caramel Cookies

Ingredients for cookies:
1 1/2 stick of unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp of pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups of all purpose flour
1/8 tsp Kosher salt

Ingredients for caramel:
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
2 1/2 T unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Kosher salt for sprinkling

Use an electric mixer to cream together the butter, sugar and egg.  Add the vanilla.  Separately sift together the flour and salt.  With the mixer on low speed, add the four mixture to the creamed mixture.  Mix just until the dough comes together.  Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Scoop level tablespoons of dough and roll into balls.  Place on a silpat or parchment-lined cookie sheet.  Hold the cookie steady with one hand and press a light indentation into the top of each with your finger or thumb.....the larger the indentation, the more caramel it will hold!  Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes, until they're barely golden on the sides.  Remove from the oven and immediately re-press your thumbprints if they've faded.  While the cookies are cooling, make the caramel.

Combine the sugar and 2 tablespoons of water in a medium saucepan.  Do not stir.  Cook over medium-high heat to a dark caramel color, swirling as it begins to brown and distribute the sugar.  While the sugar and water are boiling, heat up the cream in a saucepan or microwave just until warm.

Take the caramel off the heat and add your room temperature butter.  Whisk the butter in, until completely combined.  Add the warmed cream and whisk vigorously.  Mixture will bubble, then settle to a smooth, velvety caramel.

Use a teaspoon to pour caramel onto cooled cookies and sprinkle with Kosher salt.

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St. George Cheese to Party with

I'm not sure if it's just in my blood / genetic, or just my love for a semi-hard, buttery cheese made from unpasteurized cow's milk that draws me to my favorite cheese {to date} of all time....St. George Cheese. My Dad is from Portugal, Sao Jorge Island in the Azores to be precise, so our family has grown up eating this cheese probably from the time we could walk, on up.  It's eaten for breakfast, lunch and sometimes set out at dinner time as well in the Portuguese tradition.

Lucky for me, Joe Matos Cheese Factory is located just a few towns to the north of us, in Sebastopol.  We grew up going to Portuguese Festas with the Matos family and they've run a family dairy and made St. George cheese for as long as I can remember.  Yesterday, I picked up my Mom and Dad and headed over for a cheese purchasing trip.

If you decide to take a field trip to Matos' Cheese Factory yourself, don't let the exterior of the farm scare you away.  Driving up the lane, deciphering the barely readable signage, past the herd of Holstein and Jersey cows, the farm itself looks as though it hasn't been touched in 50 years.  Once you arrive at the small store front, upon opening the door a buzzer sounds alerting the employee someone has arrived.  You are then able to taste some cheese and purchase cheese by the pound.

I went for the entire round.  Eight pounds.

An eight pound round should last me through the holiday season, I'm hoping.  Sunday I'll be attending my end of class party for Portuguese language class.  The party will happen at a fellow class member's home in Tiburon and I thought what better to bring than a hunk of St. George cheese to go along with Portuguese wine and port tasting as well as some Brazilian Cheese Bread goodies I will attempt to make.

So, if we happen to run into each other at the same holiday party this season, you'll know what I'll be bringing....
pão e queijo
Cheers!

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TJ's Pumpkin Shopping Spree

I went a little hog wild at Trader Joe's the other day.  I really couldn't help myself with all the pumpkin products they have readily available, just begging to be picked up and placed in the shopping cart.  I originally went in for the Pumpkin Granola but happily wound up with the pumpkin muffin mix, pumpkin crackers, pumpkin chai tea and the adorable mini pumpkins......I held myself back from the pumpkin ale...this time.

Many times I'll bake pumpkin chocolate chip muffins from scratch, but this TJ's box mix is so dang good and ready to go, I just can't walk by it this time of year.  The kids {and I} love these things....addicted for sure.

Just follow the directions on the box and add as many chocolate chips as necessary.  

Easy.

Delicious.

Are you 'all in' with the pumpkin craze?  What's your favorite??

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Rainbow Chefs Children Cooking Classes

I recently had the pleasure of sitting in on a Rainbow Chefs children's cooking class in San Francisco.  The CEO of Rainbow Chefs is Lana Elgart.   Rainbow Chefs instructs kids and their families how to create colorful and healthy plates of food.   Lana's program engages kids and transforms them into young chefs with her interactive and visual cooking techniques. 

Lana's inspiration for beginning Rainbow Chefs was wanting to make a difference in the lives of as many kids/families as possible by helping lead a healthy lifestyle.  Knowing how much childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes are on the rise and how much our young generation is consuming processed foods, she decided that educating them in simple things like nutrition, meal planning, portion control, kitchen safety, healthy cooking, and manners/etiquette would really help them make the right choices in the future.  Having three children of her own, really makes her feel like it is imperative to help this generation to be on the right track.

The class I sat in on was held at a private school in San Francisco with Chef Scott Davis leading the class. He was fantastic with the group of five children, ages from between 1st to 5th grades.  His ability to keep the young kids under control, engaged and focused all at the same time in a very positive way, was awe-inspiring. 

It was close to Halloween so the no-bake recipe was Creepy Spider Macaroons.

The kids took turn measuring and mixing.

And finally, creating their very own Creepy Spider.

Rainbow Chefs has been in existence for about three years and their youngest class is Mommy and Me at the age of three.  Classes are scheduled for 60 minutes.  Rainbow Chefs also offer Birthday Party classes!  So cool!  The birthday party classes are approximately 2-3 hours.  How fun would it be to schedule a class for your child's b-day while the parents sip and nibble in another room?!!  Full or 1/2  day Camps are also available.  Kids need not have any prior experience in the kitchen to participate, it's open to everyone, including children with special needs and or dietary restrictions.

For more information or to book a class or party, visit the website.... Rainbow Chefs

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Easy Party Appetizer Recipe

I am constantly looking for party recipes to add to my file and not necessarily one made from scratch....I like to cheat a little if I can, just to make a party, or a "pre-party" in this case,  go as seamlessly as possible and without any stress.

I LOVE Artichoke Jalapeno Dip.  I also love pesto.  My neighbor, Bobby, grows a gigantic garden at his place and makes the BEST homemade pesto that I have ever had.  It's like a pesto concentrate where you can add some mayo and spread it on french bread and toast. 

Or, add it to your favorite store-bought Artichoke Jalapeno Dip, bake and devour. 

We had a pre-party cocktail hour at our house the other night and I tried adding this pesto concentrate to my favorite store bought Artichoke Jalapeno Dip.  Just mix together in a bowl, transfer to a baking dish and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or so.

I can eat the entire dish with a loaf of french bread....so good.

The dip was a hit and made for a good absorber prior to the birthday party we were to attend.

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Smoked Gouda Mac 'n Cheese

Two months ago I was invited to participate in the World Food Championships in Las Vegas.  It took me a few weeks to actually decide whether or not I wanted to participate, but once I finally accepted the invite, I got busy coming up with a flavorful Mac 'n Cheese recipe, which is one of the "builds" or recipes that is required to be cooked by the contestants in my category.

A few things have come up and I had to cancel my trip.  It's okay though.  Everything happens for a reason.

Now I have some great, easy mac 'n cheese recipes to share with you all and Dominic has a lot of down time with his broken ankle and is enjoying the mac 'n cheese creations with a beer or two.

I hadn't cooked mac 'n cheese from scratch up until this point and am pleasantly surprised at how ridiculously easy it is to do and what a punch of flavor it has compared to the box varieties.  

The Gouda Mac 'n Cheese is one of my favorites.  

Here's what you need for success...

Smoked Gouda Mac 'n Cheese

2 cups elbow macaroni
1 1/2 cups smoked Gouda cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 T flour
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup cream
1/2 stick butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper, or to taste
1/2 cup Panko crumbs

Directions:
Boil macaroni in salted water according to package.  In a sauce pan, melt butter, flour, milk and cream for a few minutes.  Add the shredded cheese to the mixture to melt, reserving 1/2 cup for topping.  Once cheese is melted, remove from heat and add the drained macaroni and stir together.  Place mixture in a baking dish, sprinkle top with the combined remaining cheese and Panko crumbs.
Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, broil on high for last 3 minutes to brown the top.

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