Garlic Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts

We had Gpa and Penny over for a fun Christmas Spode dinner tonight, so looked for a new veggie!!!  This was super tasty!!!

• 16 oz (450g) Brussels sprouts, rinsed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil (or melted butter)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. To prepare the roasted Brussels sprouts: Preheat your oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Trim the bottom of the Brussels sprouts, and slice each Brussels sprout in half, top to bottom. Prepare a large baking sheet (you can line it with parchment paper if you like).

2. Pat the Brussels sprouts dry with paper towels and place them in a large bowl. Add olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Toss gently to coat the Brussels sprouts evenly.

3. Place the Brussels sprouts on the prepared baking sheet, spreading evenly into one layer. Bake the parmesan Brussels sprouts on the center rack for 25 to 30 minutes – Adjust the time depending on your oven, the vegetables should be golden brown.

4. Transfer the parmesan roasted Brussels sprouts to a large serving bowl and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley if you like. Enjoy! ❤️

Steak Marinade for "Steak and Tubes"

We had Gpa and Penny over for a fun Christmas Spode dinner tonight, so had to find something new to make.  I made this with flank steak and it was a HIT!!  We all loved it -- the boys weren't such huge fans of the sauce but the rest of us licked it clean :)

Makes 6 servings

For the Steak Marinade:

• 1 cup of Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing be sure to buy the ZESTY variety
• 1 cup teriyaki sauce
• 2 lbs beef cut into 1.5-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoon butter

For the Buttered Noodles (Also known as "Tubes"):

• 1 pound penne pasta
• 6 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Marinate the Steak

• At least 24 hours before you plan to serve the meal you need to prepare the steak marinade.
• Trim any large portions of fat from the beef and cut it into 1.5-inch pieces. 
• You need a 1 to 1 ratio of Italian dressing and teriyaki sauce. 2 cups of marinade will generously cover your steak and provide a finished sauce at the end. Combine them in a measuring cup and pour over the meat in a glass dish. Use a fork or spoon to gently toss the steak in the marinade. Make sure each piece has been coated in the marinade. Cover the dish and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Overnight is even better if you can plan ahead. 

Cook the Steak

• Place the dish of marinating steak on the counter for 20 minutes before you plan to cook so the steak isn't too cold when it hits the skillet.
• Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat and melt the butter until it is just bubbling.
• Use a slotted spoon to transfer the meat to the saute pan, letting the excess marinade drip back into the dish.
• Brown the beef in the butter for 3 - 5 minutes.
• Pour the reserved marinade into the skillet and bring it to a boil while the steak simmers and finishes cooking.
• NOTE: If your steak is already cooked through, you can pour the reserved marinade into a saucepan and boil it before serving. Don't overcook the beef.  

For the Buttered Noodles

• Boil the pasta for the shortest amount of time directed on the packaging. Drain.
• Melt the butter in the pot over medium heat. Toss in the pasta and sprinkle with the garlic salt. Continue to stir occasionally so that some of the pasta just barely starts to crisp up in the butter. Our family fights over the crunchy ones.
• Serve the finished steak with a drizzle of the sauce over the top along with a serving of buttered noodles on the side.

Smoked Salmon Flatbread

Had Megan over for our annual Christmas Tree picnic tonight, so we needed a new flatbread for the event.  This was SUPER tasty - we heated it up a little but was delicious cold too :)

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 store bought flatbread
• 4oz cream cheese, softened (see note 1)
• 1 tsp fresh dill
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 4oz cold smoked salmon
• 1/2 tomato, sliced
• 1/2 Tbsp capers
• Arugula, for garnish
• Lemon juice

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Bake flatbread 4-6 minutes, until starting to crisp.
3. Add dill and lemon zest to cream cheese. Mix well.
4. Spread cream cheese mixture on flatbread. Arrange salmon, tomatoes, capers and arugula on top. Squeeze on lemon juice and serve.

Salsa Verde Chicken and Rice Tortilla Soup

Been in a funk so wanted a new recipe -- my friend sent me this and it was yummy!!    The boys ate it but didn't love it so more leftovers for us!!

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1-2 poblano peppers, chopped
• 2 cups salsa verde
• 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 can (14 ounce) black beans, drained
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• 3 cups cooked rice
• tortilla chips, for serving
• yogurt, avocado, cheese, and green onions, for serving

Instructions

• 1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until fragrant, 5 minutes. Stir in the poblano peppers, chicken, chili powder, paprika, oregano, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes, until you smell the seasonings.

  2. Stir in the broth and salsa verde. Season with salt and pepper. Partially cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked.

  3. Shred the chicken using 2 forks, then stir back into the soup. Add the beans, lime juice, and cilantro. Cook 10 minutes, to warm through, or up to 3 hours over the lowest heat possible. If needed, thin with additional broth.

  4. Stir the rice into the soup, then ladle into bowls. Top, as desired, with yogurt, cheese, avocado, cilantro, and green onions. Grab a handful of tortilla chips, and serve crushed over the soup or alongside the soup for scooping. Zest lime over each bowl. Enjoy!

Crockpot

• 1. In the bowl of your crockpot, combine the onion, poblano peppers, chicken, chili powder, paprika, oregano, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Stir in the broth and salsa verde.

  2. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 4-5 hours.

  3. Shred the chicken using two forks. Stir in the beans, lime juice, and cilantro.

  4. Stir the rice into the soup, then ladle into bowls. Top, as desired, with yogurt, cheese, avocado, cilantro, and green onions. Grab a handful of tortilla chips, and serve crushed over the soup or alongside the soup for scooping. Zest lime over each bowl. Enjoy!

Notes

To Cook the Rice In the Soup: Alternately you can add 1 cup of dry rice and 2 cups of water to the soup when you add the chicken broth. Allow the rice to cook 20-25 minutes, but no longer. If you let it sit longer, it will soak up too much broth. 

Roasted Balsamic Cranberry and Brie Crostini

 Early Christmas with the Ronhovdes so tried a new app to share.  This was SO good and festive!!!

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 a french baguette, sliced thin
• 12 ounces fresh cranberries
• 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 Tablespoon rosemary
• 4 ounces triple cream brie

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the butter and olive oil. Brush both sides of the baguette slices with mixture and line them up on a baking sheet. Set aside.
3. In another small bowl, stir together the cranberries, balsamic vinegar, sugar, and rosemary. Spread these out on a rimmed baking sheet. (They get pretty sticky, so if you want to avoid scrubbing, line the pan with parchment paper).
4. Place the cranberries in the oven. Roast for five minutes, then add the tray of baguette slices to the oven. Roast for an additional 6 minutes then remove the baguette slices, flip them over, and return to the oven for another 4-6 minutes, or until crispy and golden. At this point, the cranberries should be popped open with juices running out. Remove both the cranberries and baguette slices from the oven.
5. Top each baguette with a slice of brie and a spoonful of cranberries. Garnish with thyme if desired. These can be served while the cranberries are still warm, or you can make the components ahead of time. The cranberries can be chilled overnight and the crostini will keep in a zip lock bag. Simply assemble and serve at room temperature when you're ready!

Cranberry Pecan Goat Cheese Truffles

Another appetizer for the progressive dinner in the hood -- this was really good!!  You could put a pretzel stick in each, but it was good with triscuits/wheat thins too!!

18 truffles

Ingredients

• 10 oz goat cheese
• 6 oz cream cheese
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons honey, plus extra for garnish
• 1 ½ cups Fisher Nuts pecan chips, divided
• 1 cup diced dried cranberries
• ½ cup minced fresh parsley

Instructions 

• In a large bowl, beat together the goat cheese, cream cheese, cinnamon and honey until light and fluffy. Add 1/2 cup pecan chips, folding to combine. Set aside.
• Line your countertop with parchment paper. Toss together remaining pecan chips, dried cranberries and parsley in the center of the parchment paper.
• Using a large cookie scoop, scoop out one round of cheese filling and toss in the cranberry/pecan mixture. Continue until all truffles have been rolled in coating. (If you have any questions, watch the video in this recipe card to see how I easily do this.)
• Refrigerate cheeseballs until ready to serve. You can make these up to three days before, just make sure and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
• To Serve: Drizzle truffles with honey, if desired. Serve with crackers, warm crostini or as is with a toothpick (or pretzel stick)!

Beef Tenderloin Crostini with Horseradish Cream

Progressive dinner in the hood tonight so had to come up with an easy app to make but yummy....and this was a HUGE hit!!!  SO good and can be made ahead of time!!!

 Serves 20

Ingredients

• 2 8-ounce Beef Tenderloin filets
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp coarse black pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Crostini

• 1/2 baguette loaf
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt

Horseradish Cream

• 1 tbsp fresh horseradish
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Garnish:

• 1/4 cup pomegranate arils
• freshly chopped parsley
• freshly chopped chives

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350° degrees F.
• Slice baguette into 1/4″ slices and arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet. It should make about 20 slices. Lightly brush both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
• Bake until lightly golden, approximately 5 minutes.
• To prepare beef, pat filet dry and season generously with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Heat a cast iron until very hot (medium-high heat) and add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan.
• Add your Beef Tenderloin and sear for 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Cook to your desired doneness by checking with a meat thermometer.
• Prepare horseradish cream by whisking together horseradish, sour cream, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper until creamy and smooth.
• Using a sharp knife, thinly slice beef tenderloin. Spread horseradish cream on top of each baguette slice and top with a slice of beef. 
• Garnish with a small dollop of horseradish cream, a trio of pomegranate arils and fresh herbs like parsley and chives.

Pickle Dip

Well a new family fav-- this was gone in seconds hahaha  SO YUMMY!!!

Ingredients:

Chop 1 jar dill pickles

Add 1 package cream cheese (softened at room temp)

Add 1 cup plain yogurt

Add everything together and a little pickle juice and mix thoroughly.

Refrigerate to thicken.

Serve with Ruffles cheddar & sour cream chips.