by Kathy Douglas | Jan 7, 2019 | Entrees, Salad
After an indulgent holiday, everyone is looking for a tasty way to get on a healthier track in the new year. Grain bowls are an easy and delicious way to get started. You can make them with your favorite grains or try some new ones using this simple recipe. Be sure to choose lots of veggies in different colors for flavor and nutrition. So select your favorites and assemble your grain bowl – they taste great warm, cold, or room temperature.
Choose a grain such as brown rice, quinoa, farro, barley, millet, or spelt. Following the package directions to prepare your grain, plan on cooking ½ cup per bowl, and replace the water with vegetable or chicken stock to add extra flavor. Place your cooked grains in the bowl and top with your favorites listed below. For our photos, we used brown rice, quinoa, and farro in our sample bowls.
Choose a protein such as 1/3 cup beans, 3 ounces cooked omega 3 fatty fish – like salmon, 4 ounces cooked chicken, 1-1/2 ounces of cheese, an egg, 3 ounces of tofu or 1 ounce of nuts or seeds. In our photo samples, we used salmon, chicken, black-eyed peas, cannellini beans, lentils, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, and walnuts.
Choose lots of vegetables such as oven-roasted kale, sweet potatoes, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, or cauliflower. Add some raw veggies too such as radish, cherry tomatoes, carrots, cucumber, bell pepper, fennel, cucumber, sprouts, scallions, and salad greens. For our bowls we used roasted kale, sweet potatoes, asparagus, and cherry tomatoes; plus, fresh bell peppers, carrots, cucumber, and scallions. See our vegetable roasting recipe below.
Choose a fat such as 2 tablespoons nuts or seeds, ¼ cup olives or ¼ avocado. Or add 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil or any healthy nut oil, any healthy salad dressing or use our easy lemon dressing.
Top with fresh herbs or spices for additional flavor. Sprinkle your bowl with parsley, thyme, cilantro, basil, dill, mint, or oregano. You can also add minced ginger, lemon zest, or red pepper flakes.
Easy Lemon Dressing Combine 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest with 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Whisk in 3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Toss 1 tablespoon with the grains or beans, or pour over the finished bowl. Makes 4 servings
For oven roasted vegetables: Preheat the oven to 400˚F, toss two cups of vegetables in a tablespoon of olive oil, spread evenly over a foil-lined baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. and roast until lightly browned and tender. Thicker veggies will take 20-30 minutes. Thinner or leafy, such as Kale and asparagus, will take only 10 minutes.
by Kathy Douglas | Dec 17, 2018 | Desserts, Holiday
A plate of pretty ornaments, our Orange Cardamom Butter Cookies are decorated with fresh-squeezed orange juice icing and pastel dragées. Full of the taste of the season, these are a favorite on our holiday cookie plates.2 ½ cups, All purpose flour we prefer White Lily flour
INGREDIENTS
1-1/4 tsp of ground cardamom
½ tsp salt
3 sticks of unsalted butter
1 cup plus 2 tbs sugar
1-1/2 tsp finely grated fresh orange peel
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 extra large egg – room temperature
1 cup of powdered sugar
1 to 1 ½ tsp fresh orange juice
Whisk the flour, cardamom, and salt together. Using an electric mixer beat the butter until creamy about 2 minutes. Gradually add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat to blend together. Reduce the mixture to low and work in all the flour slowly. Separate the dough into two balls, place in a zip top bag and shape each one into a disk. Refrigerate for 24-36 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Working with one disk of dough at a time, remove from the refrigerator and let the dough stand for 15 minutes. Roll the dough out into a 1/8’ thickness and cut out shapes. Gather dough scrapes together into a ball and refrigerate for several minutes until cold. Re-roll and re-cut shapes. Repeat with the other disk of dough. As you cut them, place the cut cookies in the refrigerator to keep the shapes cold until time to bake.
Place on a parchment lined baking sheets 3 inches apart and bake for 14-16 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for a few minutes on the sheet and remove to racks to cool completely.
When the cookies have completely cooled mix the powdered sugar with the orange juice to form a thick glaze. Drizzle on the cookies and decorate with French Dragees. Makes 52 cookies.
by Kathy Douglas | Dec 12, 2018 | Desserts, Holiday
Bright and cheerful, these holiday Strawberry Jam Thumbprint cookies are topped with a tangy lemon icing. Easy to make – simply roll, press, fill, and bake. They make a perfect addition to any cookies plate.
INGREDIENTS
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup strawberry jam
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
INGREDIENTS
Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add the butter and blend the mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Stir in the egg yolk and combine the mixture until it forms a soft dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Let the dough soften slightly, then roll level tablespoons into balls and arrange them about 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Using your thumb, make an indentation in the center of each ball, being careful not to crack the dough. Fill each indentation with about 1/2 teaspoon of strawberry jam and bake the cookies in batches in the middle of the oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 2 minutes, transfer them to racks, and let them cool completely.
Combine the confections sugar with the lemon juice to make a thick icing. Use a small piping bag to ice the cookie or drizzle with a fork. Makes 36 cookies.
by Kathy Douglas | Dec 4, 2018 | News & Events
Join Fresh Chef Experience at Williams-Sonoma Louisville Mall St. Matthews Saturday, December 8, 2018 at 2:00 for our Holiday Appetizer Demo and Food Samples!
Menu:
– Cherry and Brie Naan Wedges with Pecans
– Chocolate Whipped Cream & Strawberry Cups
– Mushroom Mini-tartlets With Thyme and Crème Fraîche
by Kathy Douglas | Dec 4, 2018 | Entrees, Holiday
No snickering here, just some real cookie love with these Snickerdoodles. A perfect holiday cookie, they will ignite your home with the smell of the holidays. We added some easy-to-make homemade cinnamon chips to kick the flavor up a notch.
To make the cinnamon chips:
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 200˚F. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a cookie sheet and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon, shortening, light corn syrup, and vanilla extract. Mix with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a dough. Spread on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and flatten into a rough square about 1/4 inch or so thick. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool completely, blot off any excess oil with paper towels, and then cut into small pieces. Makes approximately 2 cups.
To make the cookies:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
2 cups packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2¾ cups plus 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup of Cinnamon Chips
For rolling:
½ cup granulated sugar
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugars at high speed until light and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of the bowl. With the mixer on medium speed, add egg and vanilla, beating until well combined
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating just until combined. Stir in 1 cup cinnamon chips until evenly distributed
Add the remaining granulated sugar to a bowl. Using a 2-tablespoon scoop, scoop the dough, and roll into balls. Roll balls in the sugar. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Place on a cookie sheet and bake until golden brown and puffed up, 14 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely on pans then move to a cooling rack to cool completely.
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