So…I tend to be good at buying myself gifts ;) and here’s what hits the top of my list this year. …am I missing anything good?!
8 quart Le Crueuset Fennel Enameled Steel Stockpot, Sur la Table, $55
Baggu Medium Apricot Leather Pouch, Baggu, $40
Ruffled Laundry Bag, Urban Outfitters, $29 on sale
wolf animal hooded cowl hat, etsy – oliviaroyale, $45
sorry i’ve been lacking at posting, i have a few recipes to catch up on…and otherwise i’ve been busy hosting family, planning holiday menus + my lil man’s first birthday! until i can get caught up, here’s some sneak peaks at some more larson family fun :)
grocery list
fig mole pork
12 dried mission figs, de-stemmed
3/4C tawny port
3/4C coconut oil, separated
1 slice white bread [we used hawaiian bread]
small onion, diced finely
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 pasilla chiles [i found these at sunflower]
2 ancho chiles [i used dried since it was all i could find]
1/4C raisins [i also didn't have, so i ended up using craisins]
2C low sodium chicken broth
1 1/2Tbs dark brown sugar
1/4tsp ground cinnamon
pinch ground all spice
2 pork tenderloins [whole foods was out, so i bought two thick cut chops and 2 thin cut chops]
1oz bittersweet chocolate [i don't even know what bittersweet chocolate is, but i bought unsweetened and hoped for the best ;) ha]
1/3C warm water
goat cheese + ribbon squash salad
1 1/2lb small yellow squash
1 1/2lb zucchini
5Tbs white whine vinegar or champagne vinegar [i used 4 of white and 1 of champagne because i ran out of white]
1/3C olive oil
S+P
1Tbs julienned basil
1Tbs julienne mint
1Tbs chopped chives
6oz goat cheese crumbles
2Tbs toasted pine nuts [i used raw because i was running late and didn't have time to toast them]
fig mole pork
serves 4
1. in a medium saucepan – add the figs to the port and simmer over moderate heat until it reduces by 1/2…roughly 10 mins.
2. in a small skillet – heat 2 Tbs oil over moderate high heat and toast both sides of the bread, roughly 3 mins…then set aside on a paper towel to drain of excess oil.
3. in a large saucepan – heat 1 Tbs oil and saute onions + garlic until golden over medium heat, roughly 7 minutes. add chiles, raisins, broth, brown sugar, spices, toasted piece of bread, and add fig/port. [i left my bread whole and cut the chiles into quarters so they were covered by the broth]. simmer for 20 mins until chiles are softened. *[make squash salad]*
4. pour mole mix into a blender and puree. press through a strainer w/ the back of a spoon and discard all solid pieces [this was semi annoying but worth it. i thought i had pureed it fairly well but discarded quite a bit that didn’t get through the strainer.
5. heat 1Tbs oil until shimmery and add strained mole back to heat through. once heated through, remove from heat + add chocolate and warm water, mix well until chocolate is melted. replace over burner and keep mole sauce warm.
6. heat remaining oil and cook pork until brown on both sides and rosy in the center, roughly 12 mins total. turn only once. once cook – set aside on a plate and let meat rest for 5 mins.
7. plate mole sauce, top with pork – enjoy!
goat cheese ribbon squash salad
serves 4-6
while mole sauce above is simmering – boil salted water in a large pot.
1. add squash to boiling water and cook for 1 1/2 minutes. drain and set aside to allow to cool.
2. once squash is cooled enough to handle, use a mandolin or sharp knife and slice lengthwise thinly.
3. in a small bowl, mix vinegar, oil + S+P.
4. in a large mixing bowl, place squash ribbons and top w/ vinegar mix – and herbs. toss gently.
5. transfer to plates or serving bowl and top w/ goat cheese crumbles and pine nuts. enjoy!
grocery list:
serves 4
8 chicken thighs
S+P
3/4C red wine vinegar
1/2C chicken stock
1Tbs agave
1/4C tomato sauce
2Tbs unsalted butter (we used coconut oil)
3/4C thinly sliced shallots (about 3 med size)
2Tbs minced garlic (not sure how many cloves we buy pre-minced in the jar)
3/4C dry white wine
2Tbs creme fraiche (used almond milk for john’s)
3Tbs chopped tarragon
*preferred to cook in a ceramic or clay pot – we used our le cruset
1. rinse chicken thighs, trim/clean, pat dry + season w/ S+P – let stand at room temp while preparing the sauce.
2. In med saucepan, combine vinegar*, chicken stock, agave, and tomato sauce. Boil until reduced to 3/4C (about 12-15 mins) remove from heat, but keep warm.
3. Set ceramic skillet/pot over medium-high heat. Add butter [we used coconut oil to keep dairy free, coconut handles the heat better than olive oil - but if you don't mind the splatter olive oil would work as well, coconut oil is great for you and has a fragrance but no coconut flavor...] when butter is foaming (or oil is hot), add half the chicken and brown on both sides- about 6-8 mins. Transfer to a plate + repeat with remaining chicken.
4. Add shallots + garlic to skillet, cook slowly until soft – about 5 mins. Pour warm sauce into pan and slowly bring to a boil. Return chicken and 2 pinches salt and 1 pinch pepper. Slowly add in wine. Cover, raise heat to medium and simmer until chicken is tender- about 20 mins.
5. Stir in creme fraiche** and boil for a few mins, stirring frequently. Top with chopped tarragon.
*i actually ended up running short on red wine vinegar, it’s one of those things that just sort of sits in the drawer and you sort of think you always have…to make your own use the ratio 3:1 for apple cider vinegar + red wine.
**this is great if you decided to make the squash/mushroom/gruyere tart recipe, because you’ll have left-over creme fraiche! :)
-sorry rwd was losing it since he slept a whooping 20 mins all day, so we rushed through dinner and i didn’t snap a photo. we served w/ toasted bread and a mixed greens salad.
4.
grocery list:
roasted potatoes w/ horseradish sauce
serves 4
2lb fingerling potatoes, peeled
3Tbs olive oil
3Tbs dry white wine
1Tbs fresh thyme leaves
1tsp salt
2 bunches watercress
dressing
1/4C olive oil
1/4C sour cream
2Tbs red wine vinegar
1Tbs freshly grated horseradish root
S+P
*we used a horseradish sauce out of a jar that’s dairy free due to our situation…rather than making the above dressing…
onion-marinated flank steak w/ tomatoes
serves 4
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1/4C water
1 3/4lb flank steak
S+P
2 large tomatoes, cut into 1/2″ thick slices
1Tbs olive oil
1Tbs coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
potatoes w/ horseradish sauce
1. taking time to peel the potatoes is semi-annoying but it’s a nice alternative and they get so crisp. preheat oven to 450.
2. in a medium bowl, toss potatoes, oil, wine, thyme + salt. spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet, bake about 40 mins.
2. meanwhile make the dressing – in a large bowl, whisk oil, sour cream, vinegar + horseradish. Season to taste w/ S+P.
3. add warm potatoes to dressing + toss to coat. divide among 4 plates + top each with a handful of watercress.
onion-marinated steaks w/ tomatoes
1. in a blender, combine the onion w/ water and puree until smooth. in a gallon ziploc pour the onion puree on the steaks and let marinate at room temp for 1 hrs.
2. in a cast iron skillet, over moderate med-high temp, scrape off excess marinade. season w/ S+P and cook for roughly 8 mins (for med rare), flipping only once. transfer to a plate and let rest 5 mins.
3. arrange tomatoes on a plate and season w/ S+P, drizzle w/ olive oil and sprinkle w/ parsley. thinly slice the steaks against the grain, transfer to plates + serve.
