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Moroccan Veal Shoulder with Fennel

veal2

This is a savory dish that makes an elegant meal for any Holiday. It is a favorite in my family for the Passover Seder because of its aromatic mild licorice flavor. Mixed with the soft and “buttery” texture of the veal shoulder, this is a great combination every time it is served. Serves 6 to 8

veal

Ingredients:

– 3 tablespoons olive oil

– 1 (6-pound) veal shoulder roast

– 2 medium carrots, cubed

– 1 medium Vidalia onion, chopped

– 3 large bulbs of fennel, cut into quarters

– 2 small bags of red and white baby potatoes

– 2 stalks of celery, chopped

– 1 cup of white dry wine

– 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika

– 1 teaspoon of garlic powder

– 1 teaspoon of tumeric

– 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder

– 1/2 a teaspoon of Kosher salt

– 1/2 teaspoon of pepper

– 2 cups of veal stock or low sodium chicken stock

 

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Wash all vegetables and let drain.

3. Sprinkle salt and pepper on veal shoulder.

4. In a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil on medium heat and brown the veal on all sides until brown.

5. Remove from heat, deglazed with wine.

6. Put the veal shoulder back into the Dutch oven and arrange the carrots, onion, celery, potatoes and fennel around the veal.

7. In a mixing bowl, combine the paprika, turmeric, garlic powder and cinnamon powder.

8. Sprinkle the spice mix all over the veal and vegetables and add some salt and pepper to taste.

9. Add veal stock, cover, and bake for 2 hours or until the veal is tender.

10. Remove from the oven and let veal rest for at least 30 minutes.

11. Slice the veal and place on serving platter. Surround with the vegetable mix.

 

veal2

Enjoy and Have a Happy Passover!

The Petite Gourmande

© 2016 by Ruth Barnes, all rights reserved

 

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Chabakia – Ribbon Pastry with Honey

chabakia

During the month of March the Jewish holiday of Purim is celebrated.  Children dress up in costumes, sing songs and give baskets full of goodies to friends and family.  In Morocco, it is customary to make special honey deserts called Chabakia and to share them with friends and family over a nice cup of mint tea.

Serves 4 to 6.

chabakiaIngredients:

– 1 cup plus 1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted

– 4 cups flour

– 1 package instant yeast

– Pinch of salt

– 3 tablespoon baking powder

– 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

– 2 tablespoons olive oil

– 1 egg, beaten

– 2 tablespoon butter

– 1 teaspoon white vinegar

– 2 plus 3 tablespoons orange blossom water

– 3 cups vegetable oil

– 2 cups honey

Directions:

1. Blend one cup of the sesame seeds until finely ground.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, yeast, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and ground sesame seeds. Mix well.

3. Add the oil, egg, butter, vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of the orange blossom water to the mixture. Combine to make dough.

4. Knead by hand until the dough is smooth and elastic.

5. Cut the dough into six ball. Cover and set aside to rise (about 15 minutes).

6. Dust some flour on a baking sheet and roll out each ball of dough until it is 1/8 of an inch thick.

7.  Cut 12 4-inch squares from the dough. Using a pastry flute or a small knife, make 5 cuts lengthwise inside each square, leaving a 1/2-inch border from the end of each cut.

8.  Hold each side of the square. Twist the dough, join the ends, and pinch together.

9.  Gently fluff up the center strips by hand.

10. Warm the honey in a saucepan on very low heat and stir in the remaining 3 tablespoons of orange blossom water. Remove from the heat.

11. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan on medium heat.

12. Gently place the pastries in the oil and fry in batches until golden, turning each pastry to ensure all sides are even colored.

13. Remove with a slotted spoon and dip them in the honey mixture.

14. Place on a baking sheet and sprinkle with the remaining sesame seeds.

15. Serve on a platter.

 

Happy Purim!

The Petite Gourmande

© 2016 by Ruth Barnes, all rights reserved

 

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Food Trends for 2016

Matcha tea and whisk

 

MatchaEvery new year people love to discuss the anticipated food trends, from restaurant experiences and where we source our food, to flavors and ingredients. Various outlets make their predictions and these are the ones I found most interesting for 2016:

Matcha: The ground version of delicate green tea offers the same health benefits with even more punch. Whisked quickly to make a frothy latte, what was once an acquired taste is now becoming a staple in many coffee and tea houses across the United States.

Matcha tea and whisk

Lentils: As more and more people embrace non-meat protein sources, some think we’ll see a rise in the popularity of lentils. Black beluga lentils are special for their resemblance to caviar and their ability to hold their shape when cooked.

Black Beluga Lentils

Fermentation: Good bacteria is getting its due and letting foods ferment to a pleasant funkiness has become all the rage from kombucha to krauts. Be on the lookout for creative kimchi to appear on many menus.

Carb-cutting: While everyone loves pasta, spiralized veggies are giving us something to twirl our forks into with none of the guilt. Topped with fresh tomato sauces, herbs, and a sprinkling of cheese, there’s no sacrificing of flavor!

Zucchini Noodles


 

What trends are you looking forward to in 2016?

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Countdown to the New Year!

New Year's Eve

Still awash in the rosy glow of Hanukkah and Christmas, we look ahead to the promise of all a new year brings. I love the hope and inspiration the changing of a date brings, with people resolving to make improvements and positive changes in their health, habits, and well-being. I, myself, resolved to eat healthier and cut back on carbs and sugar a while ago, and will continue my efforts in 2016.

New Year's Eve

But before welcoming the New Year, we get to celebrate 2015 with one last party. I enjoy ringing in the new year with family and friends with a cocktail party. Bubbly sips, easy and delicious fingers foods, and glittery noisemakers!

Need a little inspiration for your own party? Here’s a great video with tips for all aspects of throwing a cocktail party:

Happy New Year!

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Moroccan Leg of Lamb

Moroccan Leg of Lamb is a Festive Holiday Dinner

This is a favorite dish of my family. It is a centerpiece of festive holiday gathering and entertaining, cooked with figs and garnished with a wonderful, colorful array of vegetables.

Moroccan Leg of Lamb

Ingredients

1 leg of lamb, about six pounds

1 bag baby pearl onions

2 small bags mixed color baby potatoes

½ pound dried black mission figs

3 cinnamon sticks

2 TB fresh rosemary, chopped

6 cloves garlic, divided (2 are chopped)

2 TB olive oil

2 cups beef stock

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp kosher salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

mint jelly, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. In small mixing bowl, combine olive oil, rosemary, cumin, the chopped garlic (two cloves), salt and pepper. Mix well.

3. Rub half of the mixture over lamb leg. Reserve remainder for the vegetables.

4. Place lamb leg in roasting pan and roast for 15 minutes at 450°, then reduce heat to 325° and continue to roast for 2-2.5 hours. Internal temperature should read 125° to 130° for medium rare. If you prefer medium, cook until temperature is 140°.

5. After lamb has been roasting one hour, place the carrots, figs, baby potatoes, pearl onions, and cinnamon sticks in a second roasting pan and coat with reserved seasoning mixture. Add beef stock to pan.

6. Roast vegetables until tender, about 40-45 minutes.

7. Remove lamb from over and let rest for 15 minutes.

8. Place roasted vegetables on serving platter and lamb on top. Serve with mint jelly. Enjoy!

Moroccan Leg of Lamb is a Festive Holiday Dinner

Happy Holidays!

The Petite Gourmande

© 2015 by Ruth Barnes, all rights reserved

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Thanksgiving Leftovers

It’s the morning after and your fridge is full of Thanksgiving’s festivities. What should you do with all those leftovers? You can heat them up and enjoy as is (and that’s certainly a tasty, easy option) or you can get a little creative. For those looking to make their leftovers interesting, here are a few ideas:

  • Stuffing waffles. Place stuffing in a waffle iron and heat through until firm. Use leftover gravy as your “syrup” and enjoy. This one is a hit with kids!
  • Turkey Soup is a classic. If you can’t live without your turkey soup each year, why not give it a Southwest twist? Simply add tomatoes, cilantro, avocado, black beans, Mexican spices and a squeeze of fresh lime.
  • Mashed potatoes get a makeover by flattening and frying to make potato pancakes. Or stir in cheese, green onions, and bake in muffin tins until golden, melty, and irresistible!
  • Sweet potatoes are a great canvas (if originally served fairly plain) and a really unique thing to do with the leftovers is to puree them smooth and turn them into hummus. Just mix the pureed potatoes with tahini, garlic, lemon juice, cinnamon and cayenne pepper to taste.
  • Cranberry sauce makes a great glaze for meats or as a warm sauce for sweets. Sometimes I like to spread it on a bagel with cream cheese like it’s jam.

What do you like to do with your Thanksgiving leftovers?

Carved Turkey

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Perfect Pie Crust

Lattice Pie Crust

Lattice Pie Crust

Are you intimidated by making pie crust? With the holidays quickly approaching, you might be thinking about what you’re going to eat. No matter what’s on the menu, your guests will crave a sweet ending. The work that goes into making pies is worth the effort in the memories that they create and the smiling faces around the family table.

A few tips: Keep your butter nice and cold. Sprinkle flour liberally to prevent the dough from sticking. And use vodka. Yes, vodka! This video from Food Network shows a basic pie crust that will work with any filling you choose. To simplify your holiday cooking, make your pie crusts now and store in the freezer.

So break out those rolling pins!

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Fall Flowers

orange-red Helenium with yellow tips

Big bales of straw, pumpkins, cornucopias…all beautiful decorations of autumn. Your garden can be equally decorative with colorful, robust perennials that keep your flower beds cheery up through the holidays. Here are a few that I love:

Goldenrod

Goldenrod is native to North America and can grow to four feet tall, which makes for a lovely house, fence, or yard border. The sunny blooms can withstand lots of sun and prefer well-drained soil. Its drought resistant nature make it an ideal choice for many regions of the country.

Purple aster

Aster has a range of colors: purple, white, pink, and blue, making them one of the most colorful of all the fall flowers. And they attract birds and butterflies, making your garden feel like a magical fairy land. The blooms are plentiful and the cuttings make for nice indoor arrangements.

orange-red Helenium with yellow tips

Helenium is a native plant in the daisy family, known for its fire-colored flowers. They can grow quite tall, so be sure to stake them to keep upright. They like a damp soil, so plant in areas with poor drainage or use mulch to help out drier areas.

pink Sedum

Sedum blooms at the end of summer and will thrive all fall. Flowers can be pink, red, white, or orange. This strong beauty handles drought or rainy conditions with equal ease and will stay quite lovely up through the winter.

red and orange Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemums, particularly “Hardy Mums” are the quintessential fall flower. Water frequently to keep them at their best and protect the ground with mulch in the winter. Perhaps most impressive is their variety of flower shapes and colors (every color but blue!) Pinch back and cut blooms and they’ll continue to flourish.

Happy autumn and happy gardening!

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Slow Cooker Round-up

Beef stew in a slow cooker

Back to school season means more than shopping for news clothes and pencils. It also means getting back into a more formal routine, hectic schedules, and juggling more each day. If there was ever a time to plan ahead and make for easier dinners, this is it!

Beef stew in a slow cookerEnter the trusty slow cooker, which lets you prep early and enjoy the fruits of your labor later. When those hungry students come barreling in the door, your meal will be ready to go.

There are unlimited dishes to make in a slow cooker. Here a few I love, from some of my favorite bloggers.

Crockpot Garlic Alfredo Chicken from The Frugal Girls

Slow Cooker Korean Beef from Damn Delicious

Crockpot Spanish Braised Chicken from A Year of Slow Cooking

4-Ingredient Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken from Gimme Some Oven

Crock Pot Minestrone Soup from Skinnytaste

Crock Pot Crazy Pineapple Chili from Two Healthy Kitchens

Do you have any favorite slow cooker meals? What else do you do to save time when school starts up?

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The Art of the Table

Red, Black, and White TableColor Scheme

Table setting with wooden cutting board and accents, crystal glassware, meats and cheeses and crackers, and red roses

While there are a few important components that make up a good dining party—menu, timing, the right mix of people—it’s often the impact of a first impression that sets the tone for the event. And how do you set the tone for a meal? By designing a fabulous table!

Artistic Table

Even if it’s your very first party, creating a beautiful table is within your skill set. Here are a few tips that will help you make the most of your table:

1. Keep your space in mind. If your table is small, keep it simple. Use the space you have in a way that makes sense. Try removing a few pieces of decor and see how it looks. A simple table always looks better than cluttered.

Candlelit Table

2. Make the most of the food. Remember that no matter what’s on the table top, the meal you serve is still the star. The plates, centerpieces, flatware, napkins…everything should compliment the food. Even better…

Red, Black, and White Color Scheme

3. Incorporate food into the design. Fill vases with citrus, mix in leafy greens or artichokes into flower arrangements, or fill containers with colorful candy for a whimsical look. Not only are natural designs special, but they are cost effective.

4. Choose a color palette. There are so many things you can do that it’s easy to become overwhelmed with options. Picking a color scheme in the beginning gives you a framework to work within and helps determine what you need to buy or what you already have on hand.

Red, Black, and White TableColor Scheme

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