Lamb Lollipops with Pomegranate Glaze

Lamb Lollipops with Pomegranate Glaze

Just like I know that Thanksgiving is around the corner when fresh cranberries show up at the market, I know that the Christmas holidays have arrived when I see overflowing bins of pomegranates at my neighborhood store.

With its hard shell, I used to wonder how you ate this exotic looking fruit.  Did you just take a bite or peel it I wondered the first time I saw one! The part that you eat is the ruby red seeds, which are technically referred to as arils.

Pomegranate seeds are now available in most produce departments, but it’s really easy to de-seed a pomegranate yourself.  Start by cutting the pomegranate into quarters and then submerging the pieces in a bowl of water.  Using your hands or a spoon, scoop out the seeds.  Making it simple to separate the good from the bad, the seeds will float to the bottom and the bitter white flesh will float to the top.  Just be careful to not get any of the juice on you as it will stain your clothes.

Pomegranate seeds can be used to add color and a burst of sweetness to just about any dish. Sprinkling the jewel-like seeds over my holiday salads used to be the only way I used pomegranates.  That changed however when a friend told me about a dish she had made using the seeds and the juice as a sauce.

When pomegranate juice is reduced down to a syrupy consistency, it makes a delicious glaze to brush on meat.  The glimmering and juicy seeds are then sprinkled on top as the finishing touch.

Whereas this glaze would be delicious on chicken or pork, I like to use Frenched lamb rib chops at the holidays. This cut is often called lollipop chops because they are eaten using the bone as a “handle” – making it perfect for either a sit down dinner or a cocktail reception. With this gorgeously rich glaze, they make a fabulous holiday party dish.

Lamb Lollipops with Pomegranate Glaze

For the pomegranate glaze:
4 cups pomegranate juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar

For the lamb chops:
Vegetable oil, for the grates
12 baby lamb chops (about 3 ounces each), frenched
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

To make the pomegranate glaze:
Place the pomegranate juice and sugar in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the mixture has reduced and is the consistency of syrup, about 20 minutes.

Remove from the heat. Pour half the mixture into a separate bowl and set aside for serving.

To make the lamb chops:
Preheat a clean grill to medium-high with the lid closed for 8 to 10 minutes. Lightly brush the grates with oil.
Lightly brush the chops with the olive oil. Generously season with salt and pepper.

Place the chops on the grill. Close the lid and cook until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the chops over and lightly brush with the glaze. Continue cooking for 3 to 4 more minutes for medium rare. Remove the chops from the heat, brush with more glaze, and set aside to rest for 5 minutes.

To serve, place 3 chops on a plate and drizzle with the reserved pomegranate glaze. Garnish with pomegranate seeds.

Serves 4.

Do-Ahead: The Pomegranate glaze can be made up to 3 days in advance. Store chilled in the refrigerator until ready to use. You will need to reheat it before using in this recipe.

Cooking Tip: This recipe can easily be made indoors on a grill pan.

Recipe excerpted from Simply Grilling by Jennifer Chandler.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

I should call this recipe Sarah’s Disappearing Banana Bread!

My youngest daughter can’t not get enough of banana bread.  It is one of her favorite treats to eat … and to make with her momma!

Sarah has the unfortunate curse of being allergic to nuts, and unfortunately most versions of this quick bread are made with walnuts.  She had a wonderful nut-less banana bread last summer we found at the Malibu Farmers Market. Since then, we have been on a quest to re-create a similar version.

Many of the recipes we tried were delicious … but none had the moistness of the one we had enjoyed last summer.  Then one day a friend told me to try adding sour cream to the mix. It was a brilliant suggestion! The sour cream gave the bread that delicious moistness we were lacking with other recipes we tried.

The chocolate chips were Sarah’s idea …  my little sous-chef always knows how to make a sweet over the top!

Enjoy! (But be forewarned … it will disappear very quickly!)

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 5 -inch loaf pan with nonstick baking spray.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and mix until well combined. Add the reserved flour mixture and mix until well blended. Add the bananas, sour cream, vanilla extract, and cinnamon and stir to blend. Stir in the chocolate chips. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about for 60 to 70 minutes.

Remove the bread from the oven and cool in the pan on a wire rack just until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan and place onto a wire rack to cool.

Serves 8.

Cooking Tip:  It happens to all of us.  Some days bananas ripen faster than we can eat them.  If I have bananas that are overly ripe, I throw them in a Ziploc bag in the freezer. That way, I always have ripe bananas on hand to make this bread and I am not wasting food.

Variation: If you are not allergic to nuts like Sarah, add a 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts to the batter for what I’d call a “Chunky Monkey” version!

Freezes well.

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Peppermint Ice Cream

 

One word sums up this dessert … YUM!

The combination of Chocolate and Peppermint is my favorite Holiday treat.

This year we had our Holiday family dinner early since my sisters were in town the weekend before Christmas.  As always, I am the one in charge of dessert. When I was trying to decide what to make, I remembered a Peppermint Ice Cream from Simply Recipes that I had wanted to try.  Being a chocoholic, I decided to pair this frozen treat with a decadently rich Flourless Chocolate Cake.

It was a match made in heaven!  A light dusting of crushed candy canes finished it all off.

Merry Christmas from my kitchen to yours!

Enjoy!

Flourless Chocolate Cake

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus extra to grease the pan
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus extra to dust the pan
1/4 cup heavy cream
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
5 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and lightly dust with cocoa powder. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, heat the butter with the heavy cream over medium-low heat until the butter is melted. Add the chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, and cocoa powder until well blended.  Stir in the melted chocolate mixture.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until set, about 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool in the pan before serving.

Serves 8.

Peppermint Ice Cream  – from the talented Elise Bauer at Simply Recipes.

 

 

 

Rustic Peach Tart

I love summer peaches! You know the ones that are so ripe and juicy you have to eat them over the kitchen sink?!

Here’s an easy dessert you can make with this late summer treat.  Don’t fuss over the perfect crust. Instead whip up a rustic version that is meant to look a little rough around the edges.

Depending on what’s in season, you can substitute apples, pears and even blueberries for this peaches.

Rustic Peach Tart 

1 unbaked pie crust (9-inch), homemade or store-bought
4 peaches (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled, cored, and cut into thin slices, about 1/4-inch thick
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Roll the dough into a 10-inch round about 1/8-inch thick.  Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine the peaches, 1/2 cup of the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt and toss to coat. Fill the center of the pie crust with the peach mixture in an even layer, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Fold the border up and over the apples, overlapping every 2 to 3 inches, to make a rim. Brush the rim with the egg wash and evenly sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over the rim.

Bake until the crust is nicely browned and the peaches are bubbling, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack for 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm.

Serves 8.

Glazed Carrots

This classic French technique is how I learned to prepare root vegetables while I was in cooking school. The technique is so simple, yet makes an ordinary carrot something special.

Glazed Carrots

3 cups peeled and thinly sliced carrots (about 5 carrots)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the carrots, butter, and sugar in a medium pot. Pour in enough water to barely cover the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Over high heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, simmering, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the carrots are tender, about 8 minutes. If the carrots are not fully cooked, add a little more water and continue cooking until they are tender. Remove from the heat and adjust the seasonings as needed. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Cooking Tip: This cooking technique is great for root vegetables like carrots, parsnips, turnips, and onions. If you plan to serve a medley of vegetables, it is better to glaze each type separately and then toss together just before serving.

Blood Orange Mimosas

Blood Orange Mimosas

3 cups blood orange juice
1/3 cup Grand Marnier or other orange-flavored liqueur
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 bottle (750-ml) Prosecco, chilled

Stir together the juice, liqueur, and sugar in a 2-quart pitcher until the sugar is dissolved. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.

To serve, pour the juice mixture into the bottom of champagne glasses and slowly top-off with the chilled Prosecco.

Serves 8.

 

Grilled Jalapeno Pimento Cheese Sandwich

There is no better comfort food than warm melted cheese oozing between two slices of crisp buttered bread…that is unless you make it ultra-indulgent by using pimento cheese!

Enjoy!

Grilled Jalapeno Pimento Cheese Sandwich
From Simply Suppers by Jennifer Chandler

For the Jalapeno Pimento Cheese:

1/2 cup cream cheese (4 ounces), at room temperature
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup finely diced roasted red peppers (1 peppers)
2 tablespoons seeded and finely diced fresh jalapenos
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Dash of hot sauce (optional)

For the sandwich:
8 slices white bread
8 teaspoons unsalted butter

To make the pimento cheese: In a large mixing bowl stir together the cream cheese, mayonnaise, and sugar until smooth. Add the cheddar cheese, red peppers, and the jalapenos. Stir, mashing with a fork, until well combined and relatively smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add a dash of the hot sauce if desired. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

To assemble the sandwich: Evenly butter one side of each slice of bread. Place 4 slices, buttered side down, on a work surface. On each slice, evenly spread 1/2 cup of the pimento cheese. Top each sandwich half with 1 of the remaining buttered slices of bread, buttered side up.

Preheat a griddle (or a large skillet) over medium heat. Place the sandwiches on the warm griddle and cook until the bottom is golden brown, about 4 minutes. Using a flat spatula, carefully turn the sandwiches over. Cook until the second side is golden brown, about 4 minutes.

Serves 4.

Cooking Tip: I prefer the texture of the pimento cheese better when I grate the cheddar cheese myself. But if you are in a hurry, you can use packaged grated cheese.

This recipe makes approximately 3 1/2 cups of pimento cheese. Pimento cheese will keep for up to 4 days in your refrigerator. (That is if it lasts that long!)

Back-to-the-Basics: I love the kick that the jalapenos give to this pimento cheese. But if you prefer a milder version, omit the jalapenos.

 

Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake

I have to admit … as un-American as it may be … I do not like Pumpkin Pie.  Never have …. never will.  I have tried everyone’s Grandmother’s “famous” recipe, had it at fancy restaurants … I just don’t like a traditional pumpkin pie.

So my dislike of pumpkin pie has nothing to do with pumpkin.  I actually really like the flavor of this winter squash. I like it in soups, risottos, slow roasted, and in other baked goods like pumpkin spice muffins and pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. I think it’s the texture of a traditional pumpkin pie that gets me.  Especially since I have the same sentiments about sweet potato pie – another veggie I’ll eat any other way.

So I went on a quest to find an alternative for my Holiday table.

I remembered a delicious cheesecake version that I had at a restaurant, so I tried to duplicate it at home.  And luckily … it was a home run!

Most cheesecakes use graham crackers for their crusts. Which to be honest I find kinda boring.  I usually add nuts to the mixture or find another cookie to crumble. In this case, I found that sharp flavor of Ginger Snaps to be the perfect contrast to the sweetness of the cheesecake.  You can make homemade Ginger Snaps but my attitude is why bother since the store bought ones work just as fine.

Another time saver is to use canned pumpkin versus fresh.  To be honest, I actually prefer it not just for the ease but also because canned pumpkin has a smoother, less stringy consistency that is perfect for this cake filling.

Enjoy!

Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake

For the crust:
2 cups ginger snaps
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the cheesecake:
1 lb. 14 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 can (15-ounce) pumpkin (or 1 3/4 cups fresh pumpkin puree)
8 oz. mascarpone, at room temperature
1/4 cup caramel sauce

Preheat the oven to 300°F.

To make the crust:

Finely grind the ginger snaps in a food processor. Slowly add the butter and blend until it forms moist clumps. Press the crust into the bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan.  Bake until set, about 8 minutes. Cool on a wire rack while preparing the filling.

To make the cheesecake:

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar and salt until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs 1 at a time and mix well.   Add the ginger, cinnamon, and pumpkin puree.  Decrease to low speed and stir in the mascarpone until well combined.  Evenly spoon the filling into the crust.

Put the cheesecake in the oven.  Put a pan of hot water on another rack below the cake.  (The steam prevents a crust from forming on top of the cake.)  Bake the cheesecake until almost set, about 55 to 65 minutes,   (The center of the cake will not be completely firm.)

When the cake is done, loosen it from the edges of the pan by running a knife around the inside edge.  Let the cake cool for 30 minutes at room temperature.  (Both these steps help prevent the top from cracking.) Refrigerate, in the spring form pan, for at least 4 hours.

Unmold the cheesecake by running a knife around the inside edge of the pan.

Drizzle the top of the cheesecake with the caramel sauce.

Serves 8 to 10.

 

 

Halloween Monster Bash

My motto for Halloween … “Don’t let the little werewolves go home hungry!”

At our annual Halloween party, I serve up treats like “Spider” PB and J sandwiches, “Skeleton” rib bones, and “Mummy” hot dogs.  Not sure who enjoys the menu more, the kids or the adults! To wash it all down, we make “Worm” Punch or serve apple cider with cinnamon “twigs.

It’s all about fun foods for the whole family. My kids love to get in on the action and help prepare our ghoulishly good feast!

Devilishly Good Halloween Menu
Spider Sandwiches
Rib Bones
Mummy Dogs
Worm Punch

Go all out this All Hallows’ Eve and fill your table with these frighteningly fun party foods.

Happy Halloween!!!

Spider Sandwiches

Serves 12

24 slices wheat sandwich bread
2 cups creamy peanut butter
1 ½ cups grape or strawberry jelly
24 raisins
2 cups Cheetos

Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut a circle from each bread slice.  Discard the edges. Spread about 2 tablespoons peanut butter and 1 tablespoon jelly on half of the bread rounds. Lay three Cheeto “legs” on each side of the bread rounds. Top with the remaining bread slices.  Make 2 small indentions on the top of each sandwich for the “eyes.”  Press a raisin into each. 

Mummy Dogs

Serves 10

1 can (11 oz.) refrigerated bread sticks
10 hot dogs
20 capers
French’s Yellow Mustard

Heat oven to 375°F.

Unroll the dough. Using 1 dough strip for each, wrap hot dogs to look like mummies. Place on ungreased baking sheet.  Press 2 capers on each for “eyes.”

Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown.  Serve warm or at room temperature with French’s Yellow Mustard on the side.

Worm Punch

Serves 12

1 0.13-oz. package lemon-lime Kool-Aid
1 cup sugar
8 cups water
1 6 oz. can frozen orange juice concentrate, defrosted
4 cups ginger ale
Worm cubes (ice cubes with gummy worms frozen inside)

Empty the Kool-Aid package into a punch bowl. Add the sugar, then the water and stir until dissolved. Stir in the orange juice. Just before serving, add the ginger ale and worm cubes.  Garnish each cup with a gummy worm.

Adult variation: Add vodka to taste to turn this worm infested beverage into a “grown-up” libation.

***Photos by the talented Jay Adkins.  Food Styling by Jennifer Chandler.

Memphis Mustard Slaw

Down in Memphis, we prefer a tangy mustard cole slaw with our barbeque rather than the traditional mayonnaise variety.

Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous Ribs makes the best in town.  To me, their slaw should be just as “World Famous” as their ribs! Their tangy mustard dressing is perfectly balanced by a hint of vinegar. This slaw’s bold flavors perfectly compliment their legendary dry ribs.

When I was writing my cook book Simply Salads, I knew I needed to include a version of my hometown’s famous slaw.  I couldn’t get the secret recipe from the Vergos family … but I did learn that the base is good old French’s® Yellow Mustard. Nick Vergos told me that the Rendezvous has been using only that mustard since day one.

So with that tip as my start, I started playing around with the recipe.  After a few trials (and errors!), I am happy to say that my bright yellow slaw is pretty close to what’s serve at the Rendezvous.  Sometimes, I even give it a dash of the Rendezvous’ Dry Rub Seasoning just like they do at the restaurant.

So whether you are grilling ribs or chicken at your next barbecue, consider whipping up a batch of this tangy Memphis Mustard Slaw.

Enjoy!

Memphis Mustard Cole Slaw
From Simply Salads by Jennifer Chandler

For the dressing:
1/4 cup French’s® yellow mustard
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 ½ cups sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

For the salad:
1 bag (16 ounces) Classic Cole Slaw blend
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons celery seed
Hot sauce, to taste

For the dressing:
In small bowl whisk together the mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, and sugar until the sugar has dissolved.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For the salad:
In a large salad bowl toss together the slaw, green bell pepper, and celery seed.  Add the dressing to taste and gently toss until well combined. Season with the hot sauce to taste.