My Favorite Holiday Salad Dressing

My Favorite Holiday Salad Dressing:

via IG @dianemorrisey

1/2 cup orange juice 
Zest of one orange 
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar 
2 tbls pure maple syrup 
1 clove minced garlic 
1 tbls dijon 
1/2 tsp kosher salt 
1/2 tsp freshly cracked pepper 
3/4 cup olive oil 

Put all ingredients in a jar and shake until fully combined. 

Braised Turkey Shanks

• Level: Easy
• Total: 1 hr 10 min
• Prep: 30 min
• Cook: 40 min
• Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil

4 turkey drumsticks, frenched 

8 ounces sliced smoked sausage 

1 large onion, diced

2 tablespoons minced ginger root 

2 tablespoons minced garlic 

1 cup diced sweet potatoes 

1 cup diced celery 

1 cup sliced okra (reserve some whole okra for garnish)

3 cups chicken stock 

1 large tomato, chopped 

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 1/2 cups cooked collard greens

Salt and freshly ground black pepper 

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup toasted unsalted peanuts

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the turkey drumsticks and saute for 5 minutes. Add the sausage and onions and cook until the onions are translucent. Add the gingerroot, garlic, sweet potatoes, celery, sliced okra, and chicken stock. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Add the chopped tomato, collard greens and cayenne pepper, to taste. Simmer for approximately 15 minutes longer. Add the salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with whole okra and toasted peanuts.

This recipe was provided by a chef, restaurant or culinary professional. It has not been tested for home use.

Easy No-Knead Artisan Bread

Easy No-Knead Artisan Bread - from PBS Kids

A simple method for making no-knead bread faster and easier than the original no-knead recipe.

Ingredients

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon instant yeast
• 1½ cup slightly warmer than luke warm water

Directions

1. In a medium large bowl, mix the flour, salt, and yeast together. Pour the water over the flour mixture and mix with a spoon until the flour is absorbed and the mixture resembles wet sticky dough. Cover the bowl with either plastic wrap, foil, or a clean, wet, kitchen towel. Place the bowl in a warm place.
2. Allow the dough to rest overnight.
3. Cut a piece of parchment paper slightly smaller than the base of the pot. Place the parchment paper inside the pot.
4. Sprinkle just enough flour on the dough to be able to scoop the dough out with your hand without being too sticky. Place the loosely form dough ball in the center of the pot, on top of the parchment paper.
5. Place a oven-safe lid on top of the pot and place it in the cold oven.
6. Turn the oven on to 450 degrees F and set a kitchen timer for 30 minutes.
7. After 30 minutes, carefully remove the lid from the pot and bake for an additional 30 minutes. Remove the pot from the oven and carefully remove loaf from the pot.
8. Allow the bread to rest for 5 minutes before cutting into slices.

Yield: 1 loaf

Michael Romano's Secret-Ingredient Soup 

 MICHAEL ROMANOKAREN STABINER APRIL 2013FAMILY TABLE: FAVORITE STAFF MEALS FROM OUR RESTAURANTS TO YOUR HOME

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MARCUS NILSSON

The secret ingredient in this satisfying soup is a small amount of cornmeal (polenta), just enough to thicken the broth slightly. It balances the substantial sausage and greens for a soothing cold-weather dish.

Aleppo pepper comes from the town of Aleppo in northern Syria; the flaky crushed sun-dried pepper has a slightly smoky flavor. It's become easier to find in gourmet markets, but if necessary, you can substitute red pepper flakes.

YIELD

4 to 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 3/4 cup finely chopped peeled carrot
• 3/4 cup well-washed thinly sliced leeks
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes
• 8 ounces Italian fennel sausage (sweet or hot), casings removed
• 2 tablespoons medium-grind cornmeal (polenta)
• 5 cups Chicken or Vegetable Stock
• 4 cups packed stemmed and coarsely chopped kale or chard leaves, or a combination
• Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for serving

PREPARATION

1. 1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, leeks, garlic, salt, black pepper, and Aleppo pepper and cook, stirring, until the onion becomes translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
   2. Drain off the excess fat, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the pan. Stir in the cornmeal. Add the stock, stirring, and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
   3. Stir in the greens and cook for 15 minutes more, or until tender.
   4. Ladle into bowls and garnish with grated Parmigiano.

Reprinted with permission from Family Table: Favorite Staff Meals from Our Restaurants to Your Home by Michael Romano and Karen Stabiner, © 2013 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Hot Chocolate Mix

Hot Chocolate Mix


Ingredients:
2 vanilla beans
4 cups granulated sugar
1½ lbs. good quality semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
9 oz. good quality bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups Dutch process cocoa powder*

Directions:
Split and scrape the vanilla beans and combine in a large bowl or jar with the sugar. Work the vanilla seeds into the sugar with your fingers. Bury the pods under the sugar, cover tightly and let stand overnight (or up to months) at room temperature. Remove the pods when ready to use.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine the sugar, semisweet and bittersweet chocolate, and Dutch process cocoa powder. Process in 4-second pulses until the chocolate is very finely ground and the mixture is well combined. Store the mix in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Serving Instructions:
Combine 2 tablespoons cocoa mix with 8 oz. of very warm milk and stir to combine until well blended.

*I am unable to find Dutch process cocoa powder in area stores, so I use a blend of natural and Dutch process cocoa.

Source: Confections of a Foodie Bride, originally from Gourmet, 2005 - as seen on Annie's Eats

Recipes for Great Hot Chocolate

Recipes for Great Hot Chocolate -
from The Washington Post special sections in conjunction with Apartments.com
Published November 22, 2009

Although most hot chocolate recipes indicate that hot water should be used, milk (skim, 2%, whole, etc.) will make your hot chocolate richer, creamier, and downright more delicious.

A good basic recipe to start with:

• 25 oz non-fat milk powder
• 16 oz non-dairy creamer powder
• 10 oz presweetened cocoa mix
• 13 oz chocolate malted milk powder
• 1 cup powdered sugar

As you can see, this is a huge amount to prepare. Either store it in an airtight container or feel free to half or third the recipe.

If you are planning to add flavorings to the finished hot chocolate, cut down on some of the powdered sugar in order to not make it sickly sweet.

When you mix the above powder with your warmed milk, use no less than two teaspoons. Depending on your taste preference, you can add more for a richer, creamier taste.


An even simpler basic recipe:

• 2 cups milk
• 4 squares bakers chocolate

Melt the chocolate into the milk in a large saucepan.

You can also mix up the kind of bakers chocolate that you use. Try semi-sweet if you're going to be adding a lot of flavored syrups or milk if you're going the pure route. Try a white chocolate hot chocolate for something completely different.

One thing to note, when you are warming your milk, do NOT let it boil. When milk boils, it will start to separate, if it gets too warm a yucky film will form on the top, if it gets too hot, it will burn.

The syrup ingredients below can usually be found in coffee specialty stores and in some liquor stores. They are also sold online through a number of coffee wholesalers and directly from the manufacturer. Try www.moninsyrups.com or www.davincigourmet.com.

The best topping for hot chocolate? Whipped cream or homemade marshmallows!

And onto the recipes!!!

The Funky Monkey

• 1 tablespoon banana syrup
• 1 tablespoon white chocolate syrup
• cinnamon

Spice Cake

• Add cinnamon, nutmeg, and three drops of vanilla extract to your hot chocolate.

Pumpkin Pie

• Add cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, three drops of vanilla extract and one tablespoon pumpkin pie syrup

Peppermint Patty

• 2 tablespoons peppermint flavored syrup
• Add whipped cream and chop up some Andes chocolate mint candy to top

Egg Nog

• Instead of using milk as the base, use egg nog. Be careful not to get it too hot because the egg nog will solidify and burn much easier than milk.
• Add whipped cream and sprinkle with nutmeg.

Cafe Borgia

• 1 tablespoon orange or Valencia flavored syrup.
• Nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon

Be creative, experiment with flavorings, and mix it up. Put together some signature combinations of your own!