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Please find me at www.savorygourmet.wordpress.com

family holiday punch

Jeff's family always has the Kanwischer punch at holidays. It's like a special treat loved by all - kids and adults. So simple, and so yummy. Frozen, frothy and sweet.

raspberry sherbet (softened a little)
ginger ale (chilled)

That's it. Two ingredients. Be sure to soften the sherbet to make it easier on the hand mixer. Add ginger ale in segments. Using a hand mixer, mix the sherbet and ginger ale until mixed well and a froth forms on top. Continue to add ginger ale to taste. Can also add ice cubes to keep the punch chilled. Serve in a punch bowl.

salt 'n vinegar roasted smashed potatoes

Salt 'n' Vinegar Roasted Smashed Potatoes
adapted from Everyday Food
serves 4

1 1/2 lbs. small round or fingerling potatoes (I bought the assorted mix at Trader Joe's - small baby reds, whites and blues)
coarse sea salt
cracked black pepper
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c. malt vinegar (I didn't have, so substituted apple cider vinegar.)

You can make these potatoes ahead of time. Boil and smash them, cover and refrigerate overnight, then finish them in the oven the next day.

In medium pot, bring potatoes to a boil over high in salted water. Reduce heat and cook at a rapid simmer until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 20 minutes; drain. Place a folded dish towel on a work surface and place a potato inside. Gently smash potato so that it is flattened but still in one piece (edges will be split). Repeat with remaining potatoes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Brush a rimmed baking sheet with 1 tbsp. oil. Place potatoes on sheet and brush tops with 1 tbsp. oil. Bake until crisp and golden, 35 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Remove from oven, toss with vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.

curried chicken salad

This is a nice chicken salad recipe. I didn't have yogurt or cashews, but the recipe was still a success. Adjust the level of curry to your liking.

Curried Chicken Salad
adapted from Gourmet
makes 6 servings

1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 lb. skinless boneless chicken breast (I used rotisserie chicken pulled from the bone and cut into 1/2 inch pieces)

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup plain yogurt
5 tsp. curry powder (I used a little less than 4 tsp., but spice to your liking)
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 medium red onion, chopped (1 cup)(Can also use sliced green onion)
1 firm ripe mango, peeled, pitted and chopped
1 cup red seedless grapes, halved
1/2 cup salted roasted cashews, coarsley chopped

**Note** This step can be omitted if you are using rotisserie chicken. Bring 4 cups water to a simmer with chicken brother in a 2-3 quart saucepan. Add chicken and simmer, uncovered, 6 minutes. Remove pan from heat and cover, then let stand until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and cool 10 minutes. Chop into 1/2 inch pieces.

Whisk together mayonnaise, yogurt, curry, lime juice, honey, ginger, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add chicken, onion, mango, grapes, and cashews and stir gently to combine.

Serve on a croissant or by itself. Enjoy.

elegance on a wooden slab

Cheese Plates. Such an impression and oh, so grand. My sister, Kortney introduced me to a proper cheese plate. Before that, I was a basic extra extra sharp cheddar and pepper jack girl. However, I still crave a good chunk of extra extra sharp cheddar cheese. And, I've graduated from basic pepper jack to Costco's habanero cheddar cheese. mmmmm...

A proper cheese plate can vary each and every time. Flexibility and variety are what make them so special. Start out with an attractive wooden block or cheese plate and load it up with goods. My favorite cheese combinations include: port salut, gouda, blue, manchego, Jarlsberg, goat cheese, sometimes an aged cheddar... by the way... Trader Joe's has the best deals on specialty cheeses. I always shop there. Costco also has good deals, but in larger quantities. Serve the cheese platter with a nice selection of wines.

This display happens to be pretty plain, but I didn't have all my goods when I took the picture.

I like to add sliced pears/apples, walnuts, grapes, mixed greens with balsamic vinaigrette. Serve with toasted crostini, multigrain crackers, i.e. Breton brand, etc. One of the best combinations is a pear slice with walnuts and blue cheese. OMG. yum. Almost always is the cheese devoured and gone by the end of the night. Enjoy!

a rally cry - i heart butterscotch

Every so often, I treat myself to a Dairy Queen (my favorite, favorite ice cream place.) My usual indulgences vary from a plain jane vanilla cone to a candy crunch dipped cone to a butterscotch dipped cone to a dilly bar to a butterscotch shake to a Hawaiian blizzard to a Mr. Misty float or freeze.

This particular day (only a few days ago), I was craving a butterscotch shake. I pulled up to my local Dairy Queen drive thru and ordered one. My drive thru teller didn't even catch it right away. I proceeded to the pay window and then she told me. I was shocked to hear that the butterscotch syrup I loved so dearly was discontinued - and - over a year ago. I settled for a chocolate banana shake.

OK, here are my rants on the subject...

#1. Why? Why was butterscotch taken away? Could I be one of the lone customers who orders a butterscotch shake? Was it really too much to ask to keep it on their menu? Was caramel truly a viable "substitute" for butterscotch? Why would they even offer as a substitute? Why would they offer the butterscotch formula they use as a cone dip as a substitute? They said it would be like a "butterscotch chip" shake. I didn't want a butterscotch chip shake. Just butterscotch. Was it really necessary to consolidate choices for their customers?

I mean, really...

Only a few years ago, Dairy Queen discontinued fresh, shredded coconut and substituted toasted coconut instead - just a word on that one - the comparison is by no means a comparison. Fresh vs. toasted coconut? Na.

#2. As weird as it sounds, I was somewhat relieved that the butterscotch had been discontinued over a year ago and only now had I just learned of it. Which means I don't have as much of an "issue" as I thought I had with ice cream cravings. Yay!

#3. Also, a few months ago, I was trying to find a butterscotch syrup to replace the empty one in my fridge at home. I could not find the right syrup - anywhere... in any of the grocery stores I frequent. Lots of caramel and caramel combinations, but no butterscotch. Ugh.

Bring back the butterscotch... pleeeaaaase. Dairy Queen?

mom's ribs

My mom made these for us during their weekend visit for Grandparent's Day at the kids' school. The ribs were tender; the meat practically fell of the bone and they were amazing. Serve with a side of sweet corn, maybe a baked potato and a Newcastle or a Surly Bender and call it good.

2 slabs baby back pork ribs (1 slab seasoned with Cajun Street seasoning, kosher salt, cracked pepper; 1 slab seasoned with Tastefully Simple Onion Onion and Garlic Garlic seasoning, kosher salt, cracked pepper)

Preheat oven to 325 or 350 degrees. Wrap slabs in aluminum foil and place on a large cookie sheet. Bake ribs for about 1 1/2 hours, remove from oven and slather Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce over the tops, rewrap in foil and continue to bake for another half hour or so until done. I like to control the amount of barbecue sauce on my ribs - I lean towards less sauce. Use as sparingly or as generous as you like. And, serve extra sauce on the side, if necessary.

You can also finish the ribs with a quick direct heat on the grill or in the oven using the broiler option. This will give them a nice touch of crispy on the outside. Enjoy. And be sure to have lots of extra hand towels and bibs around...

haricot verts with bacon and onion

Haricot Verts with Bacon and Onion

1 1/2 lb. fresh green beans (haricot verts / french green beans)
2 cups water
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 ounces bacon, diced (raw)
4 ounces diced onions

Using a colander, thoroughly drain green beans. Set aside.

Mix water, sugar and pepper until well incorporated. Set aside.

Preheat your cooking pan to Medium High heat.

Raw Bacon Method.

Using a cutting board and a knife, dice the raw bacon into equal size pieces. Place diced bacon into preheated cooking pan. Continually stir bacon with large spoon to keep the bacon from burning.

Once bacon is cooked add the onions and cook until they are tender and light brown.

Now that the onions are tender add the liquid mixture and the beans.

Using the rubber spatula stir the mixture until incorporated.

Bring mixture to a boil and turn heat to simmer. Serve beans as soon as you are ready.

seared scallops with lemon aioli

Searing scallops is most definitely an art. I have unsuccessfully tried searing them myself, and no matter how much I pat them dry, they seem to end up "boiling" in the pan and I cannot seem to get the caramelized, crispy brown top and bottom.

I had Jeff take over this time and he perfected them with such ease. He's convinced you need a combination of olive oil and butter at just the right heat. I had originally tried with just olive oil and it didn't work for me. Now, I think I have the secret for next time.

We bought the Costco frozen scallops in a bag. They were delicious. And, even better with the lemon aioli. We served them with grilled filet mignon and veggies. The aioli was also a nice complement to our side of vegetables - roasted potatoes and haricot verts. Enjoy.

Seared Scallops

Fresh or frozen & thawed scallops (patted completely dry)
Butter
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Cracked Black Pepper

Heat stainless steel skillet over med-high heat and melt about 1 tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp. olive oil in the pan, until hot, but not smoking. Season scallops with salt & pepper. Sear scallops in pan, uncovered for 2-3 minutes per side (or until caramelized brown on top and bottom and cooked through.) Be careful not to overcook, as the scallops will get rubbery. Serve hot with lemon aioli.

Lemon Aioli

1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. chopped fresh chives (or red onion)

Whisk ingredients together until mixed well.