About skibootsinthekitchen

I love to cook, eat, travel, & drink wine. I enjoy mountain activities of all kind. Come have a bite with me! www.skibootsinthekitchen.com

Morning Glory Cranberry and Orange Scones

Posted on November 18, 2012 by skibootsinthekitchen

I was in the mood for some baked goodness this weekend and the best baked goods always come from Morning Glory Farm. So I took out my favorite cookbook for some Vineyard scrumptiousness. Scones are kind of intimidating, you’ve got to get the butter nice and cold and work the rock hard butter into the dough with out over work the dough… My mom has a great way for cutting the butter into scones which makes the whole process a breeze! The fresh cranberries and orange zest give the scones a wonderful tart flavor and are a perfect fall treat. Enjoy!

Cranberry Orange Scones

Ingredients:

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. baking powder
1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter (put in the freezer for 1 hour)
2 cups fresh chopped cranberries (ruffly chop berries- do not cut too small)
1 Tbsp. orange zest
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 eggs
Milk and sugar for top of scones

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two regular sized cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder.
Now for my moms trick… using a grater/zester or box grater, grate 1 1/2 sticks of butter into flour, cut in cold butter until flour mixture seems mealy and resembles small peas.

Once butter is well incorporated stir in fresh chopped cranberries and orange zest. In a separate small bowl, stir heavy cream, orange juice and eggs until well blended. Using a pastry cutter or large fork mix the egg, cream and juice mixutre into the dry ingredients just until a rough dough has formed.

Flour the surface of a wooden cutting board and turn the dough out on it, gently shaping the dough into a ball and flattening slightly.

Using a dough cutter or knife, cut the dough into 10 equal triangles. Place triangles evenly spaced about 2 or more inches apart on the parchment paper on the prepared pans and flatten slightly.

Using a pastry brush, brush lightly with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

I added an extra 1/4 cup of flour to the recipe since I live above 6,000 feet (they also required extra time in the oven at altitude, about 10min. Keep checking them to make sure they are golden brown and do not burn if you leave them in longer!) Enjoy with fresh jam, honey or as they are!

Makes 10 very large scones. Recipe from Morning Glory Farm.

Sweet Avocado Pie and Coconut Whipped Cream

Posted on November 15, 2012 by skibootsinthekitchen

Looking to have a little fun with your desserts this Thanksgiving? This is not your typical pie, I was skeptical at first but after tasting it, I was hooked. It only has 3 ingredients and it doesn’t require baking! I normally serve the pie with homemade whipped cream but I wanted to try a dairy free option. I found myself eating the coconut whipped cream by the spoon full (I didn’t just admit that)… I also tried it over strawberry rhubarb pie and brownies (wow). I definitely prefer it over classic whipped cream. Try both these easy 3 ingredient recipes… I promise you won’t be disappointed. Enjoy!

Avocado Pie

Filling:

2 ripe avocados, flesh scooped out
1 Lemon, juiced
1 14oz. can sweetened condensed milk

Crust:

1 1/4 graham cracker crumbs (or ginger snaps)
5-6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Bake in oven for about 8- 10 minutes, don’t allow it to get too brown. Let cool completely.

With a hand mixer combine avocado, lemon juice and sweetened condensed milk. Pour filling into pie crust and press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface and chill for 2- 4 hours. (Note: Avocados oxidize when they are exposed to air (which makes them turn brown) by pressing the plastic wrap tightly to the surface of the pie it will prevent the pie from turning brown! Now for the coconut whipped cream…

This whipped cream is so delicious and creamy, its hard to believe its dairy free! Its a great option if you’re lactose intolerant or vegan or if you love whipped toppings.

Ingredients:

1 can coconut milk (full fat, do not buy ‘light’ it will not work!)
1 Tablespoon powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place can of coconut milk in the fridge over night (if you forget ahead of time put in freezer for 1 hour) put bowl and hand mixing blades in freezer for 10-15 minutes before whipping the coconut- this really helps with the process.

I placed this whole bowl in the freezer for 15 minutes to make sure everything was super cold. Without shaking the can of coconut, open can and remove solid white coconut leaving the remaining coconut water at the bottom of the can. (you can discard the remaining coconut water- you do not want to mix the water with the coconut cream!) Mix cream in chilled bowl with chilled mixers until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated.

Coconut whipped cream does not break down the way dairy whipped cream does and can be stored in the fridge for a few days without separation. Place whipped cream over the avocado pie or your favorite dessert and ENJOY!!!

Cornbread, Sausage and Pecan Stuffing

Posted on November 15, 2012 by skibootsinthekitchen

Another very important part of Thanksgiving day… Stuffing. For years I have subscribed to the ultimate food lovers guide (food porn) magazine… Bon Appetit. Nothing compares to opening my mail box and finding it waiting with wonderful recipes, restaurants and ideas. But I am guilty… after drooling over every amazing (and complicated) recipe, I revert back to my collection of familiar cook books and my unused Bon Appetit stack grows. So I’ve vowed not to be intimidated by the long lists of ingredients or seemingly complicated recipes and try to cook at least ONE (I know its not a lot but its better than NONE) recipe each month. So in honor of my commitment… this stuffing recipe is from the November Bon Appetit Thankgiving Issue, it turned out not to be as complicated as I though and its absolutely delicious! This can be made 1 day ahead too, which makes it even better. Enjoy!

Cornbread, Sausage and Pecan ‘Dressing’

Ingredients:

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter plus more for baking dish
1 lb. day-old cornbread, Broken into 1 1/2″-2″ Pieces (two boxes of Jiffy Mix)
1 lb. breakfast sausage links, casings removed (I used maple sausage)
2 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
1 1/2 cups slices celery
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
1 1/4 cups chopped toasted pecans (optional)
1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
(I added 2 leeks because I love them! roots and green stems removed, white part cut into thin rounds)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven. Butter a 13x9x2″ baking dish; set aside. Scatter cornbread in a single layer on 2 rimmed baking sheets. Bake until dried out, about 1 hour, stirring often. Transfer to very large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, cook sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up into 1″ pieces with a wooden spoon until browned, about 8-10 minutes. Drain fat and transfer to bowl with cornbread but do not stir.

Heat 3/4 cup butter in same skillet; add onions and celery (and leeks if you choose to add them) and saute for 10 minutes or until soft and they begin to brown. Add to bowl with cornbread.

Return skillet to heat. Add vinegar and cook for 1 minute scraping up browned bits from the pan. Add to cornbread mixture. Gently fold in 1 1/2 cups broth, pecans, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Let cool.

Turn oven up to 350 degrees. In a small bowl whisk 1 1/2 cups broth and eggs together. Fold gently into cornbread until thoroughly combined taking care not to mash cornbread (mixture will look wet). Transfer to buttered baking dish, cover with foil, and bake about 40 minutes or when a thermometer inserted into the center of the stuffing reads 160 degrees. If making a day ahead, remove foil after baking and let cool. Cover and chill. Reheat for 15-20 minutes or until stuffing is warm all the way through.

Turns out stuffing is really difficult to photograph and still look appealing (Even though the magazines picture is perfect, go figure). While this looks like a bowl of mush…It tasted AMAZING and looks much prettier in person.

Thanksgiving Recipe Guide: Fresh Cranberry Sauce

Posted on November 13, 2012 by skibootsinthekitchen

It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is right around the corner- like next Thursday around the corner. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays- tons of delicious food (like Christmas) but no pressure to buy gifts (like Christmas)! There are always a few recipes that you only pull out for special occasions, Thanksgiving, Christmas or the like (My mom always does stuffed beef tenderloin with shiitake mushrooms, spinach and shallots for Christmas Eve- Don’t worry I will blog on that closer to Christmas) Staple recipes. They bring back memories and in someways define that holiday for you. But every once in while its nice to spice things up with something new. So for the next few blog entries I will pull out some old favorites and some fresh new inspiration for your big Turkey day. I couldn’t help but start with a dish that is practically as important as the turkey on Thanksgiving… Cranberry Sauce. Enjoy!

Fresh Cranberry-Orange Sauce: Many fresh cranberry sauce recipes call for granulated sugar (the bad stuff)- Agave Nectar is a great alternative to white sugar. Agave, as compared to other sweeteners, has a low-glycemic index, which means it won’t cause a sharp rise or fall in blood sugar. We don’t want anyone going into a sugar coma over cranberry sauce…especially before dessert!

Ingredients:

16 oz fresh cranberries
1 navel orange, zest cut into strips and juiced
1/3 to 2/3 cup Agave Nectar (depending on how sweat you like it)
dash or two of cinnamon

Using a vegetable peeler, peel zest from orange and cut into strips. Juice orange.

Combine cranberries, 1/2 the orange zest, juice, agave nectar and cinnamon in sauce pan over medium heat.Simmer until cranberries begin to burst and the sauce thickens, usually about 15-20 minutes.

Serve at room temperature or cool and refrigerate. Can be made a few days in advance. For sauce that is more tart, start with 1/3 cup of agave nectar and gradually add more to reach desired sweetness.

Snow Day Simple Squash Bisque

Posted on November 9, 2012 by skibootsinthekitchen

It’s finally dumping that light fluffy powder outside my window and there are only 8 days till the chair lifts start turning up on the mountain! I know all my friends back East are getting pummeled with snow too – So whats better than a bowl of hot soup to warm you up on a cold snowy weekend? I have so much Acorn Squash in the fridge right now with all the recipes I’ve been cooking I needed to use them up! You probably don’t even need to go to the store for this simple acorn squash bisque, which is why its the perfect snow day soup. I adapted this recipe from Martha Stewart’s – Instead of half-and-half I used Greek Yogurt. Hope you enjoy and stay warm!

Its accumulating quickly outside!

Ingredients for Acorn Squash Bisque:

2-3 acorn squashes
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or about 1 teaspoon dried if you don’t have fresh)
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
1/2 -3/4 cup Greek Yogurt

Preheat oven to 450

Halve squash lengthwise; scoop out and discard seeds. Place squash cut side down on a baking sheet and roast until almost tender when pierced with a knife (about 30 min). When cool enough, scrape out flesh of the squash with a spoon and discard the skins. Set remaining squash aside.

In large saucepan, heat butter over medium. Add onion, season with salt and pepper and cook until onion has become translucent about 3-5 minutes. Add squash, thyme, broth and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce to medium and cook until squash is very tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and add Greek Yogurt.

Working in batches, puree mixture in a blender or food processor until very smooth. Return to pan and season generously with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with fresh thyme (if you have it on hand).

Morning Glory Farm – Baked Stuffed Winter Squash

Posted on November 7, 2012 by skibootsinthekitchen

Last weekend I was longing for a little piece of home, so I decided to open one of my favorite cook books from Morning Glory Farm on Martha’s Vineyard. This is the ultimate cook book- every recipe looks/is amazing. It’s the perfect collection of recipes for every season from restaurants and locals all over the island. I had some delicious looking acorn squash from the market in the fridge and this recipe seemed perfect! Its vegetarian (and vegan) but the hearty wheat berries fill you up and it makes great leftovers the next day! It makes enough for 8 people but you could easily cut the recipe in half or cook less squash and save the rice salad for another meal (that’s what I did!) Enjoy!

Ingredients

4 acorn squash, halved and seeded
2 cups cooked wild rice
1 cup cooked wheat berries
1 cup roasted pears
1/4 cup canola oil, divided
1 large shallot, diced
1/3 cup apple cider
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roast seeded and halved squash cut side down for 30-40 minutes.

While squash is roasting cook wild rice and wheat berries according to package directions. I got the wheat berries from the bulk section at whole foods which is the easiest way to find wheat berries. I brought a pot of salted water to boil and put the rinsed wheat berries in to cook for 1 hour or until tender.

Once squash is soft, cut pears into large dice and toss with 1/8 cup canola oil. Roast on a sheet tray about 20 minutes. (I didn’t add cinnamon to the pears but I think it would be a great addition and add some flavor- just a dash or two).

Saute shallot in rest of oil over medium heat. Pour apple cider in with shallots, cooking and stirring to deglaze pan.

Mix rice, berries, roasted pears and cranberries into shallot mix. Salt and pepper to taste.

Stuff each squash with filling and serve.

I served the stuffed squash with a simple salad of arugula, toasted almonds, blue cheese crumbs and apple slices tossed with balsamic dressing.

Sunflowers make everything better!

The Perfect Fall Cocktail- Rum and Cider

Posted on November 4, 2012 by skibootsinthekitchen

Nothing says fall like a fresh glass of apple cider. Nothing says Saturday like a cocktail made with Myers’s Rum. I normally enjoy my Myers’s rum in the summer with tonic and a slice of lime (preferably on the Shepard’s back porch watching the Sunset on East Chop). This delicious drink is perfect to get you in the fall spirit! You will need:

Ice
2oz rum
8oz apple cider

Lets be real- you’re not going to measure out ingredients… So add ice to glass first and then rum then pour cider on top and stir. Enjoy with your favorite cocktail napkin.

I would say, yes…

The Best Cookies You’ll Ever Eat

Posted on November 3, 2012 by skibootsinthekitchen

I found this recipe on one of my favorite food blogs, Food52. Named “Magical Marvelous Memorable Cookies” I was intrigued…Then I saw the ingredients list and I knew I had to make these cookies. If you have left over Halloween candy laying around- these cookies are perfect! Any kind of chocolate will do- these are fun to make because you can really add whatever you like. The result, amazingly crispy (almost like brittle) irresistible – you will eat the whole plate of cookies and much of the raw dough, cookies! ENJOY (I did!)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 3/4 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup granola (or other cereal)
1/2 cup crushed salted pretzel pieces (or other salty snack food)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, chopped chocolate candies, or small bar of good dark chocolate, chopped into chunks
1/2 cup chopped pecans or other nuts, optional (I didn’t add nuts because I used Snickers which already has peanuts)
If you don’t add nuts you may want to add more cereal, snacks or chocolate to compensate
You may want to add a little cinnamon, allspice, cardamom, or whatever your favorite spice is. I didn’t because I wanted the taste of the granola to come through

Heat the oven to 375. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Whisk flour baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl.

In another bowl, beat butter and sugars at medium-low speed (or hand whisk) until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat on medium-low until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Add Flour mixture and mix until smooth with a wooden spoon. Gradually add granola, pretzels, chocolate and nuts, and mix until well incorporated, ensuring that no flour pockets remain and ingredients are evenly distributed. (Restrain yourself from eating the the dough).

Scoop dough into balls, each about 1 1/2 tablespoons then roll between palms into balls (now its literally impossible not to eat the dough). Place cookies on prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 1/2 inches apart, 8-12 per sheet. (I did not follow this step exactly.. I tried to get more cookies on the sheet then recommended. These cookies spread A LOT, see picture below. Try to space cookies with plenty of space to bake so they do not stick together.) Freeze dough at least 20 minutes or refrigerate for one hour before baking.

Example of what not to do- add as many cookies as you can fit on the baking sheet.

Bake one sheet at time until cookies are deep golden brown about 13-15 minutes. Let them cool completely on the baking sheets before moving to wire rack. They will be fragile.

Whoops.. one solid cookie… Don’t worry the flavor wasn’t compromised. (I cut cookies apart before they cooled- if you wait until they are cool they will break)

These are even better once they are completely cooled and become crispy. They would be great crumbed over a bowl of ice cream or as is!

Pumpkin, Spinach, and Tomato Gratin

Posted on October 30, 2012 by skibootsinthekitchen

It’s fall and fall means pumpkin season! Pumpkins and squash are my favorite to cook- they have great flavor and are easy to prepare. This yummy recipe is super easy and a healthy alternative to the classic potato gratin (which I also love)! I got this recipe from the Tante Marie’s Cooking School in San Francisco. Their monthly news letters always have great seasonally inspired recipes. Enjoy!

Pumpkin, Spinach, and Tomato Gratin

Ingredients:

3 lb. sugar pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch wedges.
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 lb. fresh spinach leaves
1 28-oz. can San Marino tomatoes
1 1/2 lb. cave-aged Gruyere cheese

Pre-heat oven to 400. To cook the sugar pumpkin, place it on a baking sheet, coat with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Roast in a 400 degree oven, until the squash is tender when pierced with a fork (about 20-30 minutes). Turn half way through the cooking, so that it browns slightly on both sides. (I used sugar pumpkin when I made this but I would recommend using butternut squash instead).

While the pumpkin or squash is baking in the oven wilt the spinach. In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil. Drop hand full of spinach into boiling water until wilted. Remove spinach from water with tongs and place on baking sheet lined with paper towels until all the spinach is cooked.

Next, cut tomatoes in half and set a side the juices. I used San Marino tomatoes since the fresh ones in the store didn’t look amazing. Grate cheese on large holes of box grater. I used Jarlsberg cheese, I prefer its flavor.

To assemble, line a Pyrex or ceramic baking dish (about 14 by 10 inches) with a layer of squash, cover with the spinach, then the tomatoes, cut side up. Sprinkle with the grated cheese. Bake in 350 oven, until the tomatoes and cheese have melted, about 30 minutes. Serves 8.

This dish is great served with chicken, fish or enjoyed on its own. I used the leftover juices from the tomatoes to make my own version of chicken Parmesan.

Easy Chicken Parm

For the Chicken I took 4 chicken breasts and dipped them in 1 egg (whisked). I dredged them in Panko Bread crumbs and placed them in a skillet coated with olive oil on high heat. Let the chicken breast cook about 4-5 minutes on one side before flipping and turning down the heat to medium-low and covering. Let chicken cook for another 10 minutes on low before pouring remaining tomato juices and topping with grated Parmesan cheese. Cover and turn the off heat. Let chicken marinate for a couple of minutes covered on the stove. Serve with Pumpkin Gratin and Enjoy!

Fall Favorites – Stew in a Pumpkin and Baked Cayenne Pepper Pumpkin Seeds

Posted on October 24, 2012 by skibootsinthekitchen

Fall Favorites – Stew in a Pumpkin and Baked Cayenne Pepper Pumpkin Seeds

For my first blog post- I wanted to start out with one of my favorite fall recipes. I always loved when my mom made this stew because you serve it IN the pumpkin. I loved watching her scoop hearty spoonfuls of yummy stew right from the pumpkin on the table (Martha Stewart is kicking herself she didn’t invent this multifaceted meal… table decor and entree in one!) … plus you get chunks of pumpkin when you serve it! Baked pumpkin seeds are also another fall time favorite of mine. This spicy take on classic baked pumpkin seeds will have you eating the whole batch before the stew is ready (yes, I did eat them all with a little help from Jake). Although its fun to enjoy this stew out of the pumpkin- it’s not necessary to cook in the pumpkin if you want to make it once they are out of season. From my high altitude kitchen (or PomPom’s kitchen, really) to yours- Enjoy!

Stew In A Pumpkin
Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
One 8-10lb small pumpkin cut and cleaned. Rub with 1/3 cup butter, 1/3 cup brown sugar and dash of cinnamon and nutmeg and bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Ingredients:
3 Tbls Vegetable oil
2 lbs Stew Meat
1 Onion Chopped
1 Clove Garlic
2 Cups Beef Stock
1 1/2 Cups Italian Tomatoes (Drained)
1 Bay Leaf
1/2 tsp Salt
3/4 tsp Dried Oregano
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Grated Nutmeg
1/4 tsp Pepper
2 Yams, peeled and cubed
2 Potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 Ears of Corn cut off the cob
1 Large Zucchini, sliced
1 Can Apricot halves
1 Cup Frozen Peas

While the pumpkin is cooking, heat vegetable oil in skillet and sear meat, browning on all sides. Remove meat and add the onion and garlic to skillet- Saute for 2 minutes just to soften.

Add stock, cooked meat, tomatoes, bay leaf, salt, dried oregano, cinnamon, nutmeg and pepper to onion and garlic saute. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes.

Add yams, potatoes and corn, cover and cook another 10-15 minutes. Add zucchini, apricots and peas and cook another 5 minutes. Ladle stew into the pumpkin, replace lid and bake on cookie sheet for another 30 minutes or until pumpkin flesh is soft. If all the stew does not fit in the pumpkin, leave in the pot and simmer till ready to serve!

While the Stew is cooking on the stove..

Cayenne Pepper Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin Seeds from cleaned pumpkin
2 Tbls Olive Oil
Cayenne Pepper (to taste)
2 tsp Salt (may need more depending on how many seeds you have)
1 tsp Pepper

In a large bowl, toss pumpkin seeds with olive oil, salt and pepper and cayenne pepper to your taste depending on how spicy you want them (I used 2 tsp).
Place on a baking sheet covered in tinfoil and bake for 25 min at 375 degrees, mixing and tossing often with a wooden spoon.