Snowed In. January 22, 2014.
For the first dinner club of 2014, Diva K invited the Divas to make the foods they crave when they're snowed in at home. And the day before dinner club, they were! Fortunately, by the time dinner rolled around the roads were clear enough for travel and the intrepid Divas trekked over the river and through the woods for a warm evening of wine, food & friends.
![Picture](/uploads/3/9/1/6/3916068/1930172.jpg)
Mozzarella-Stuffed Meatballs
Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
1 large egg
1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon hot sauce (i used siracha)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
container mozzarella balls (bocconcini)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Place beef, egg, onion, bread crumbs, Parmesan, milk, garlic,
Worcestershire, mustard, hot sauce, salt, pepper and garlic salt into a large
mixing bowl, stirring until just combined.
Take 1/4 cup beef mixture and press into center with your thumb to make room for cheese ball. Place cheese in middle then enclose the cheese with the beef, making sure the cheese is completely covered.
Place meatballs into prepared baking dish and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until cooked through.
Serve over top your favorite pasta or inside a warm roll for delicious meatball sandwich (or eat them out of the pan for a delicious appetizer!).
Makes about 15 golf-ball-sized meatballs.
Recipe courtsey of http://picky-palate.com/
Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
1 large egg
1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon hot sauce (i used siracha)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
container mozzarella balls (bocconcini)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Place beef, egg, onion, bread crumbs, Parmesan, milk, garlic,
Worcestershire, mustard, hot sauce, salt, pepper and garlic salt into a large
mixing bowl, stirring until just combined.
Take 1/4 cup beef mixture and press into center with your thumb to make room for cheese ball. Place cheese in middle then enclose the cheese with the beef, making sure the cheese is completely covered.
Place meatballs into prepared baking dish and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until cooked through.
Serve over top your favorite pasta or inside a warm roll for delicious meatball sandwich (or eat them out of the pan for a delicious appetizer!).
Makes about 15 golf-ball-sized meatballs.
Recipe courtsey of http://picky-palate.com/
Chicken Pot Pie
INGREDIENTS
NOTE: This is slightly adapted from Cooks Illustrated
INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 can low-sodium chicken broth , with water added to equal 2 cups (or use 2 cups homemade chicken broth)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large onion , chopped fine
- 3 medium carrots , peeled and cut crosswise 1/4-inch thick
- 2 small ribs celery , cut crosswise 1/4-inch thick
- Table salt and ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 3/4 cup frozen corn, thawed
- 3/4 cup frozen peas , thawed
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
- For Pie Filling: Adjust oven rack to low-center position; heat oven to 400 degrees. Put chicken and broth in small Dutch oven or soup kettle over medium heat. Cover, bring to simmer; simmer until chicken is just done, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer meat to large bowl, reserving broth in measuring cup.
- Increase heat to medium-high; heat oil in now-empty pan. Add onions, carrots, and celery; sauté until just tender, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. While vegetables are sautéing, shred meat into bite-sized pieces. Transfer cooked vegetables to bowl with chicken; set aside.
- Heat butter over medium heat in again-empty skillet. When foaming subsides, add flour; cook about 1 minute. Whisk in chicken broth, milk, any accumulated chicken juices, and thyme. Bring to simmer, then continue to simmer until sauce fully thickens, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Pour sauce over chicken mixture; stir to combine. Stir in peas, corn and parsley. Adjust seasonings. (Can be covered and refrigerated overnight; reheat before topping with pastry.)
- Pour chicken mixture into 13-by-9-inch pan or any shallow baking dish of similar size. If you are using pie dough,lay dough over pot pie filling, cover completely and press the excess into a pie crust shape around the edges. Cut a vent hole in the center. If you are using biscuits, drop rounded tablespoons of biscuit mixture every few inches of the casserole.
- Bake until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly, 30 minutes for large pies and 20 to 25 minutes for smaller pies. Serve hot.
NOTE: This is slightly adapted from Cooks Illustrated
![Picture](/uploads/3/9/1/6/3916068/1390488238.png)
Brussels Sprouts with Maple Syrup
(from bonappetit.com)
- 4 tablespoon olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
- 2 pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved lengthwise
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons (¼ stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1½ tablespoons thinly sliced fresh chives
- 1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh sage
Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches and adding 2 more Tbsp. oil between batches, cook brussels sprouts, cut side down, in a single layer in skillet until deep golden brown, 4–5 minutes. Season brussels sprouts with salt and pepper and toss; cook until tender, 3–4 minutes longer. Transfer to a large bowl.
Remove skillet from heat; add maple syrup, butter, and herbs to pan. Once butter has melted, add brussels sprouts to skillet and toss to coat. Transfer brussels sprouts mixture to a large serving platter and drizzle lightly with oil.
![Picture](/uploads/3/9/1/6/3916068/9155404.jpg)
Oatmeal-Brown Sugar Baked Apples
(from thekitchn.com)
4 apples, like Jonagold, Fuji, or Honeycrisp
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (uncooked)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch cloves
1 tablespoon butter, divided in four
1 cup water
Caramel ice cream
Pre-heat oven to 375°F with a rack in the lower-middle position.
Remove the core of the apples, cutting to within a half inch of the bottom of the apple and creating a well roughly 3/4-inch wide. I used a melon baller, and it was very easy.
Mix the brown sugar, oatmeal, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a bowl. Divide this mixture between the apples, packing the wells firmly. (If you need more to fill the spaces you made, just mix up some more.)
Arrange the apples in a baking dish (like an 8x8 Pyrex dish), and top each one with a dot of butter. Pour the water into the bottom of the dish and cover loosely with aluminum foil.
Bake for 20 minutes and remove foil. Continue baking uncovered until the apples are soft but not mushy and the brown sugar has melted into a syrup, an additional 20 to 30 minutes.
Serve with a scoop of ice cream.
(from thekitchn.com)
4 apples, like Jonagold, Fuji, or Honeycrisp
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (uncooked)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch cloves
1 tablespoon butter, divided in four
1 cup water
Caramel ice cream
Pre-heat oven to 375°F with a rack in the lower-middle position.
Remove the core of the apples, cutting to within a half inch of the bottom of the apple and creating a well roughly 3/4-inch wide. I used a melon baller, and it was very easy.
Mix the brown sugar, oatmeal, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a bowl. Divide this mixture between the apples, packing the wells firmly. (If you need more to fill the spaces you made, just mix up some more.)
Arrange the apples in a baking dish (like an 8x8 Pyrex dish), and top each one with a dot of butter. Pour the water into the bottom of the dish and cover loosely with aluminum foil.
Bake for 20 minutes and remove foil. Continue baking uncovered until the apples are soft but not mushy and the brown sugar has melted into a syrup, an additional 20 to 30 minutes.
Serve with a scoop of ice cream.
Boozy Chai Tea
- 6 cinnamon sticks
- 15-20 allspice berries
- 5 cardamom pods
- 15 cloves
- 25 black peppercorns
- 2 teaspoon of dried ginger (less if you like it less spicy)
- A wee bit of freshly grated nutmeg (1/8 tsp.?)
- 6 tablespoons of rooibos tea, or 6 rooibos tea bags, or 6 darjeeling tea bags
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- approx 1/4 cup honey
- Bailey's or bourbon
Step One: Using a mortar and pestal, or whatever means necessary, gently crack the spices (excluding the cinnamon sticks and ginger). Then, combine the cracked spices, the cinnamon sticks, the ginger, the tea bags, and 6 cups of water in a pot.
Step Two: Bring the water to a boil and allow it to slowly simmer for 25 minutes.
Step Three: Strain to remove all the spice and herb sediment. Add the vanilla. Then, mix in honey to taste.
Step Four: Store the chai tea concentrate in your refrigerator.
Step Five: When you're ready to drink, combine the tea concentrate with milk. The recipe I used suggested a 1:1 ratio, but I found this too milky. Use slightly less milk if you like a spicier chai. Add Bailey's or bourbon to booze it up a little. Or, add a few ice cubes, shake it around for an iced chai.
Original recipe courtesy: http://theelliotthomestead.com/2011/08/chai-tea-concentrate/
- 6 cinnamon sticks
- 15-20 allspice berries
- 5 cardamom pods
- 15 cloves
- 25 black peppercorns
- 2 teaspoon of dried ginger (less if you like it less spicy)
- A wee bit of freshly grated nutmeg (1/8 tsp.?)
- 6 tablespoons of rooibos tea, or 6 rooibos tea bags, or 6 darjeeling tea bags
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- approx 1/4 cup honey
- Bailey's or bourbon
Step One: Using a mortar and pestal, or whatever means necessary, gently crack the spices (excluding the cinnamon sticks and ginger). Then, combine the cracked spices, the cinnamon sticks, the ginger, the tea bags, and 6 cups of water in a pot.
Step Two: Bring the water to a boil and allow it to slowly simmer for 25 minutes.
Step Three: Strain to remove all the spice and herb sediment. Add the vanilla. Then, mix in honey to taste.
Step Four: Store the chai tea concentrate in your refrigerator.
Step Five: When you're ready to drink, combine the tea concentrate with milk. The recipe I used suggested a 1:1 ratio, but I found this too milky. Use slightly less milk if you like a spicier chai. Add Bailey's or bourbon to booze it up a little. Or, add a few ice cubes, shake it around for an iced chai.
Original recipe courtesy: http://theelliotthomestead.com/2011/08/chai-tea-concentrate/