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Top Five Easy Holiday Dishes

Thursday December 22nd 2011

I am officially engulfed in the holiday spirit.

I have a sadly decorated tree. I am permanently listening to the Holly station on XM. I have cheerfully gone to the mall. Multiple times. I bought a bag full of clothes and gifts for little Pedro and Maria, my Salvation Army Angels. I have officially wrapped all my presents. I’ve been regularly watching Love Actually. And I’ve even admired the Kardashian 3D Christmas card.

But the one thing I haven’t started thinking about is cooking. I always get so wrapped up in the rest of the holiday season that cooking usually becomes an afterthought. I’m not sure why – the holiday season is a season for eating. A lot.

But, if you’re like me, and you’re rushing to the grocery store on Christmas Eve, make sure to check out the dishes below and arm yourself with their ingredients. They’re simple, easy to make, and definite crowd pleasers.

Chai Gingerbread Bars

These bars are super versatile. Eat them for breakfast? Sure. Eat them for dessert with whipped cream on top? Definitely. These stay fresh for days if you keep them in an airtight container. My only recommendation – make two batches.

Spiked Apple Cider

Can you celebrate the holidays without a cocktail? I’m really not sure. And this one is made in the crockpot, so you know it’s legit. You could also make it on the stove, and make your house smell like holiday heaven.

Cannelini Beans with Bacon, Tomato and Sage

I’m not sure about you, but I get tired of the same old side dishes. I know beans is a weird addition to the holiday list, but they have tomatoes & sage, so they’re red and green so technically they’re a perfect addition. This would be a fabulous side dish to a roast beef tenderloin served with some steamed asparagus, salad and bread. Super easy meal for entertaining.

Ginger Molasses Cookies

Ginger and molasses scream the holiday season to me. So why ignore that scream? These cookies are always a kid/grandma/weird cousin pleaser, so make them for a party or make them for yourself!

Thomas Keller’s Roasted Chicken

Anyone who knows me at all will not be surprised by this dish on the list. A roasted chicken is one of the most simple, elegant, comforting meals you can serve. When all else fails, roast a chicken. Serve it with crusty bread and a green salad, and you’re done. And by Christmas, people are usually tired of turkeys so it’s time for the roasted chicken to make a surprise appearance.

So that’s it. The top five hot potato holiday recommendations. We hope everyone has a merry & bright and delicious holiday season.

Hugs,

Sarah & Angela

One For the Ladies

Friday October 7th 2011

Just a little yummy type inspiration for you to enjoy.

What will you Sorceresses be dispensing this weekend?

Type Illustration by: Erik Marinovich

Happy Friday!

What kind of turkey should you prep this year?

Monday October 3rd 2011

It’s almost that time of year when you have to start thinking about the big Holiday feast. Thanksgiving is just about to sneak up upon us, and since I’m feeling festive this afternoon I decided to whip up a little flowchart to help you with your biggest decision- the Thanksgiving Turkey.

How do you plan to cook yours this year?

Penne with Tuscan-Style Cauliflower

Monday September 19th 2011

My not-so-secret love affair with the larger-than-life,red-headed, croc-wearing Italian master chef continues. I literally cannot get enough of Mario Batali.

I’ve had the pleasure of eating at Babbo twice now, and I’ve been pouring over the Babbo cookbook since I received it as a birthday gift in July. But last night, I finally pulled the trigger. I made not one, but two recipes from the cookbook. I went batshit for Batali.

This pasta was the clear winner out of the two dishes I made – and more importantly, it’s utterly simple to make. I’ve made a similar cauliflower pasta before, but this one takes the cake. Mario makes this tuscan-style pasta with ziti, but I substituted penne as Central Market was sold out of ziti. Who knew ziti was such a hot item?

And don’t be scared to get overly aggressive with the pecorino. It’s worth it.

Ziti with Tuscan-Style Cauliflower (The Babbo Cookbook, Mario Batali)

Serves 4

kosher salt
1/4 extra- virgin olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
1/2 bunch of fresh mint, leaves only
1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 heads of cauliflower, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 pound ziti (or other tubular pasta)
pecorino romano cheese, for grating

Bring about 6 quarts of water to a boil and add enough salt so the water tastes like the sea.

In a saute pan, heat olive oil over high heat until almost smoking. Add onion, mint, pepper flakes, and garlic, and saute over medium- high heat until the garlic is just golden, 1-2 minutes. Add cauliflower and cook until tender, about 7 minutes.

Cook ziti in the water according to the package directions, until tender yet al dente. Drain pasta, reserving some of the pasta water, and add to the pan with the cauliflower. Toss over high heat for 1 minute, adding pasta water if it seems a bit too dry. Generously grate cheese over each serving.

Vote for the Hottest of Potatoes

Wednesday August 17th 2011

We’re excited and honnored to be nominated for the 2011 CBS Most Valuable Blogger Awards!

Voting just opened today and voters will be able to cast one vote each day for their favorite bloggers in each category.

Thank you in advance for setting a daily reminder to vote for your favorite Hot Potatoes. And thanks for the nominations friends!

Cheers Y’all!

Fried Frog Legs

Monday July 25th 2011

I didn’t technically make this recipe. Or even eat it.

But I was on vacation in LA all weekend so I needed to supplement the blog with guest posts. And luckily, my brother whipped up some fried frog legs – something I’ve never attempted to before.

Has anyone else ever made these? I’ve seen them at Central Market before, but I’ve never though twice about picking them up. They look a little intimidating in the package, but once fried they totally look edible to me.

The verdict from my brother? They were a little strange in that they were insanely tender and had the consistency of white fish, but tasted more or less like chicken. But not like KFC chicken.

So there you have it.

Fried Frog Legs

8 sets frog legs
1 cup all purpose flour, for dredging
1 quart buttermilk (to tenderize legs)
2 cups buttermilk, for dredging
1/2 cup hot sauce
1 cup corn flour
1/2 tbsp. black pepper
1/2 tbsp. sea salt
Vegetable oil, for frying

Preheat oil to 375 degrees F. Place frog legs in a mixing bowl and top with buttermilk. Allow to sit one hour at room temperature. Remove frog legs from buttermilk and begin dredging your frog legs. Start by putting a light coat of all-purpose flour on the frog legs. Mix buttermilk and hot sauce, then dip them into that mixture. Finally, cover them with corn flour and seasonings. Once the oil is up to temperature, carefully place the battered frog legs in the oil. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes until they are golden brown. Place them on a paper towel and let the excess oil drain off. Serve hot.

D is for Dragon Fruit & Dessert

Monday July 11th 2011

As a continuation of my AplhaBites project with Jill Broussard- we shot a whole slew of exotic ingredients last week, and after tasting this gnarly fruit for the first time I knew he was destined for a refreshing granita.

The taste of fresh Dragon Fruit is pretty mild. The texture of the white flesh and black seeds grabs your attention first. All the tiny seeds and fibers inside remind me slightly of a kiwi fruit, but less juicy, and much less sweet. It tastes like a mellow cucumber had a Menage a trois with a grape and a kiwi, and this is the fruit triangle’s love child who dresses in flamboyant bright pink attire.

Your best bet to find these would be at my favorite exotic market Super H Mart in Carrollton.

We’re almost done photographing the exotic alphabet- keep an eye out for prints and a cookbook coming soon!

Dragon Fruit Granita

3 Dragon Fruits

3 tbs Agave Nectar (or Honey)

1 Lime

1 sprig of fresh mint

Cut your dragon fruits in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh in to a bowl (save the fruit “shells” for serving if you’d like). Add the agave nectar and the juice of one lime to the bowl and combine.

I added about 1 tsp of chopped mint also because an icy granita is already quite refreshing and the fresh mint just adds to that light cool flavor.

Mix these ingredients well well in a blender until the fruit is broken down and appears fairly smooth (or I just used my kitchen aid mixer because it was easier to clean).

Pour the mix in to a shallow flat dish and place in the freezer. Check on the slushy mix about every half hour and scrape the frozen edges to create the slush. Repeat this step every half hour for about 3 hrs until it becomes a light and fluffy frozen granita. *Don’t just put it in the freezer and forget it! If it freezes solid before you’ve scraped any layers up, you’ll have one tough block too hard to scrape.

Serve it in your frozen fruit cups and enjoy.

Grilling in Disguise

Thursday June 23rd 2011

Have you ever needed to disguise you precious cooking tools? I remember when I was living in my first college apartment they had a ban on patio grills throughout campus (and rightfully so, most students would most definitely burn the place down). I had a great spread at Texas State University on the third floor of my complex with a balcony that overlooked the Texas hill country and drunken coeds- it was fantastic. In the summer time all we wanted to do was chill on the shaded patio and cook out. My roommates and I were always frustrated with the task of hauling out the grill, secretly grilling, then stashing the evidence so the apartment managers wouldn’t fine us. Well if only these grills would have been in production back then.

I stumbled upon these Black+Blum grills the other day and thought it would be the perfect patio addition for anyone with that same predicament- or anyone who just wants their outdoor cookery to blend in the the landscape.

These beautifully designed grills have the perfect disguise, with the terra cotta look and a planter on top. Plus if you grow herbs on the top like the rosemary pictured here- then you’re set and ready to season as you sear.

It’s a win-win.

Happy Grilling Season.

Strawberry Margarita Extravaganza

Tuesday June 21st 2011

It’s no secret that Texas is hot. And we’ve already seen 100 degrees on a regular basis over the past few weeks, so I have a feeling this summer is going to be a scorcher. But luckily, Angela and I came up with a few recipes to help you survive the summer and entertain your equally sweaty guests.

Last week, we were the lucky recipients of a giant crate of fresh strawberries from California Giant Berry Farms. They challenged us to come up with a recipe that honored summer, berries and our favorite baseball team – The Texas Rangers.

While I love a good hot dog at a baseball game (I’ve been known to take down 4-5 on dollar hot dog night), during the summer I’m addicted to the frozen treats at the game. That includes any and all frozen drinks that come in those silly giant glasses. So Angela and I developed recipes for the perfect summer baseball & berry combination – fresh strawberry margaritas accompanied by a whipped strawberry margarita pie. So very Texas of us.

Whipped Strawberry Margarita Pie (adapted from Gourmet, 2006)

For crust

1 1/2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup white sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted

For filling

1 lb strawberries, halved (3 1/2 cups)

1 tablespoon finely grated fresh lime zest (from 3 limes)

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)

1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk

2 tablespoons tequila

2 tablespoons Cointreau

1 cup chilled heavy cream

Make crust:

Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, melted butter until well blended . Press mixture into an 8 or 9 inch pie plate.
Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 7 minutes. Cool.

Make filling:

Purée strawberries, zest, lime juice, condensed milk, tequila, and liqueur in a food processor or blender until just smooth.

Beat cream in another bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until it just holds stiff peaks. Fold one third of strawberry mixture into the cream gently but thoroughly to lighten, then fold in remainder in 2 batches.

Pour filling into crust, mounding it slightly, and freeze, uncovered, until firm, about 4 hours. Remove from freezer and let soften in refrigerator, about 40 minutes, before serving (pie should be semisoft).

Fresh Strawberry Margaritas

2 Pints fresh strawberries (stems removed and quartered)
1 can of frozen orange concentrate (plus one can water, follow concentrate instructions)
4 limes juiced (extra lime wedges for garnish, optional)
12 oz (8 shots) silver tequila
Splash of Cointreau (orange flavored liqueur)
3 tbs Agave nectar (or more depending on sweetness of the berries)
Equal parts sea salt and sugar, to rim the glasses

On a small plate stir together equal parts sea salt and sugar then set aside for glass riming.

Combine all other ingredients in a blender, and pulse until smooth. If you would like to make these slushy frozen margaritas then add ice instead of water to dilute the orange concentrate. Chill until ready to serve.

To serve – rim a glass with a lime wedge, then dip in the salt/ sugar mix. Pour the glass to fill, garnish with a fresh berry and lime wedge.

Spring Floral Feast

Monday May 23rd 2011

Spring is finally here! Those April showers certainly brought me some flowers, and I have been anticipating these edible blossoms for a whole year!

As soon as it begins to warm up outside my hands get eager to get in to the soil. Early on I planned out my gardening plot. I make a point to try and grow things that I can’t easily buy from the store- a few exotic heirloom varieties, lots of herbs, I even built a new watermelon patch this spring. I counted the other day and I was shocked to realize I have 37 different varieties of edible delights growing in my garden out back! And my most anticipated garden delight just started blooming! Stuffed squash blossoms are one of my absolute favorite things! When stuffed with cheese and friend to golden perfection they are out of this world! I found these specific zucchini blossom seeds through my trusted resource- Martha. Seeds From Italy sources seeds for hundreds of Italian varieties, most of which are very difficult to find elsewhere. These zucchini blossom seeds are cultivated specifically for their edible flowers, they won’t produce much zucchini, but that’s not what I’m after, I can buy that at the market, the produce huge edible flowers instead.

Best part is this recipe is so easy to make- the hard part is having the patience to sow the seeds and watch them grow.

PS- This photo is the first sneak peak at a photography series I’m working on with friend Jill Broussard. Our Alpha-Bites project will chronicle one exotic ingredient and recipe for each letter of the alphabet. More to come soon…

Fried Zucchini Blossoms

1 cup Flour

1 cup beer

Whole Mozzarella (the good kind like Paula makes)

6-8 squash blossoms

Large pot of vegetable oil for frying

Cut small chunks of the mozzarella small enough to fill inside the blossom center. Delicately close the flower petals around the mozzarella (it’s okay if there are small gaps, the batter will close around it).

In a medium size bowl whisk the flour and beer together. Give your stuffed blossoms a dip in the beer batter. Test your oil first with a drip of the batter to make sure it is ready for frying. If it bubbles up intermediately then it’s ready to go, if it doesn’t bubble quickly then heat the oil a bit more. Gently lay your battered blossoms in the oil and fry for about 2-3 minutes until lightly golden brown on all sides.

Remove the fried blossoms from the oil and drain them on some paper towels to remove excess oil. Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately!

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