red or green?: December 2015

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Green Beans With Chipotle Butter

I love at least one spicy dish on my Thanksgiving and Christmas tables. The traditional menu, while delicious, screams for a bit of heat. These green beans are the perfect solution. Crisp-tender, mixed with pecans and sauteed onions, then bathed in a delicious chipotle infused butter. Quick, delicious and pretty. Happy Holidays!

Green Beans With Chipotle Butter
(Makes 10 cups)

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 canned chipotle pepper, minced
1/2-1 tsp adobo sauce (from the chipotle can) amount depends on your heat tolerance
2 lbs green beans, trimmed
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 green onions, white & green parts
1/3 cup shallots, minced
1 cup pecan pieces, toasted
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
sea salt

In a small bowl, combine the softened butter, chipotle, and adobo sauce until well mixed. Cover and refrigerate. (You can make the chipotle butter up to two days ahead. Store in refrigerator until ready to use)

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook green beans until vivid green and al dente. (tender with a bit of a bite). Drain and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the green onions and shallot and saute until light golden brown. Add the pecans and continue cooking until the onions are golden brown. Add the chipotle butter to the pan and stir until melted. Add the green beans and the teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Stir until the beans are warm.

Transfer beans to a serving platter and pour any remaining butter sauce over top. Serve.

It is Holiday Side Dish Week at Food Network's Fall Fest roundup. Do you have a favorite side dish recipe to share? Please list (or link) in the comments below. And be sure to check out the other delicious sounding recipes from my blogger friends and Food Network.

Feed Me Phoebe: Butternut Squash Gratin with Gruyere and Pistachios
The Lemon Bowl: Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Mushrooms
Homemade Delish: Fennel and Potato Gratin
The Mom 100: Broccoli Rabe with Preserved Lemon
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Rye & Roasted Butternut Squash Dressing
Red or Green: Green Beans with Chipotle Butter
The Mediterranean Dish: Shrimp Bruschetta
The Wimpy Vegetarian: Fail-Proof Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
Elephants and the Coconut Trees: Lobster, Artichoke and Spinach Bake
Creative Culinary: Baked Mushrooms in a Parmesan Cream Sauce
Healthy Eats: 7 Holiday Sides That Won't Spoil Dessert
FN Dish: 5 Indulgent Side Dishes to Deck Your Holiday Table

best,

diane

napa farmhouse 1885

red or green?

California Girl in Taos

MoseyLove
please follow me on Facebook

I have started sharing my newest blog "California Girl in Taos." Please visit and let me know what you think.

Kahlua-Spice Brownies

Ok, I am a bit of a rebel this week. My assignment from Food Network was Holiday Cookies. And I did share a delicious almond-sugar cookie with pepitas and dried apricot recipe over on my Napa Farmhouse 1885 blog. But I have been making these delicious brownies all holiday season, and I just had to share. Besides, brownies work on as assorted cookie platter, right?

I copied the recipe out of a murder mystery book a long time ago. You know the ones where the protagonist is a caterer, or owns a bakery, or restaurant, or is somehow involved in cooking? And there are a number of recipes included? Well, this recipe came from one of those books. I made a copy of the recipe, but nowhere on the page is there a book or author name. Then I googled "Kahlua brownie recipes from murder mystery book" and found a number of authors have included a similar brownie in their books. But I cannot find this one. So, if any of you know the answer, please respond in the comments section so I can give the proper attribution.

I followed the original recipe pretty closely. I just added the spices because I like cinnamon and Allspice with Kahlua and added dark chocolate chips because...well, obviously more chocolate is a good thing. Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

Kahlua-Spice Brownies
(makes 2 dozen)

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
4 large eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup Kahlua
1 cup unbleached flour
1/4 cup white, whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Allspice powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon chopped pecans, toasted

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x12 inch rectangular baking pan with parchment paper. Grease the paper with butter and set aside.

Add the butter and baking chocolate to a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. Remove and stir. Continue this process in 30-second increments until the butter and chocolate has melted. Stir until chocolate is glossy. Set aside to cool.

In the bowl of a mixer, add the eggs and sugar. Beat at low speed until combined and mixture in pale yellow. With machine running, add the Kahlua and the cooled chocolate mixture and mix until smooth. Add the flours, 1/4 cup at a time, the cinnamon, Allspice, baking powder and sea salt. Increase the speed to medium and process until just combined. Do not overmix. Stir in the chocolate chips and pecans.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Place in preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of pan comes out clean. Rest pan on a wire rack until cool and then cut into squares. Delicious on their own...out of this world with salted caramel ice cream.

It is Holiday Cookies Week at Food Network's Fall Fest roundup. Do you have a favorite cookie recipe to share? Please list (or link) in the comments below. And be sure to check out the other delicious sounding recipes from my blogger friends and Food Network.

Big Girls, Small Kitchen: Chocolate Mint Thumbprint Cookies
The Lemon Bowl: Chocolate Peanut Butter Dipped Shortbread
Creative Culinary: Old Fashioned Date Nut Bars
Feed Me Phoebe: The Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Almond-Sugar Cookies With Pepitas & Apricot
Red or Green: Kahlua-Spice Brownies
TasteBook: Peppermint Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
The Wimpy Vegetarian: Figgy Cardamom Snickerdoodles
The Mom 100: The Best No-Bake Haystack Cookies
Elephants and the Coconut Trees: Almond and Apricot Cookies
Healthy Eats: 5 Ideas for a Healthier Holiday Cookie Swap

best,

diane

napa farmhouse 1885

red or green?

California Girl in Taos

MoseyLove
please follow me on Facebook

I have started sharing my newest blog "California Girl in Taos." Please visit and let me know what you think.

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Chipotle Ranch Dip

I love ranch dip but hate the ingredients used in that powdered mix stuff. Have you read the list of preservatives? No thank you. This version is made from lots of fresh herbs, sour cream, mayo, and spices. I have added canned chipotle peppers and their adobo sauce for flavor and heat.

I serve this dip as an appetizer with veggies, chips, and crackers, of course, but it is also delicious drizzled over tacos or paired with Buffalo chicken wings or fried chicken. You can thin it with some buttermilk for a terrific salad dressing. I toss it with crisp lettuce, black beans, diced onion & tomatoes, grated cheese, and crushed corn tortilla chips. The perfect taco salad.

Chipotle Ranch Dip
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
1/4 cup chopped dill
2 tablespoons chopped basil
1/4 cup minced chives
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1 tablespoon white onion, minced
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon canned chipotle pepper, minced
1/2 to 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
sea salt
black pepper
buttermilk (if needed)

Combine sour cream, mayonnaise, parsley, dill, basil, chives, garlic, onion, Worcestershire sauce and minced chipotle pepper in a medium sized bowl. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon adobo sauce and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Chill in refrigerator for a minimum of two hours (4-6 is best). Taste and add additional 1/2 teaspoon of adobo sauce if you like it spicier. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve with vegetables, buffalo chicken wings, fried chicken, chips and/or crackers. Thin with buttermilk if you want to use as salad dressing