Garlic Parmesan Pull Apart Bread

I love Pull Apart Bread - it's so easy and so delicious.

1 can of refrigerated Grands biscuits
1/2 stick of butter
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Throw the cold stick of butter in a Bundt pan and let it melt in the preheating oven.

2. While the butter melts, cut the Grands biscuits into quarters.  In a bowl, toss the biscuit pieces, garlic, and Parmesan cheese together.

3.  Once the butter is melted, add the biscuit mixture, sprinkling with any cheese and garlic that gets let behind in the bowl.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-22 minutes until golden brown.  Turn out on a dish and enjoy.

Grilled Kale and Radicchio with Almonds and Balsamic - Orange Glaze

Despite it being so windy and cold out, we pulled out the electric grill to cook this side dish.  Really amazing flavor.

Grilled Kale and Radicchio with Almonds and Balsamic Orange Glaze

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup fresh orange juice, plus 2 large strips zest
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 1/2 pounds kale (3 to 4 bunches) thickest stems trimmed
2 heads radicchio, each cut into 6 wedges, core left intact
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup whole almonds, toasted and very coarsely chopped
Cold -pressed orange olive oil for drizzling

1. Bring vinegar, juice , and zest to a rapid simmer in a small saucepan, and cook until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes.  Let cook, slightly; remove zest, and discard.  Whisk in 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.

2. Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium heat.  Toss kale and radicchio with remaining 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil and 2 teaspoons salt; season with pepper.  Separate out radicchio, and grill, turning occasionally , until tender and lightly charred in places, 8 to 10 minutes.  Transfer to a large bowl , and toss with 1 tablespoon dressing.  In 2 or 3 batches, grill kale, keeping it piled on grill and turning often to prevent too much charring, until wilted, about 6 minutes per batch.  Transfer each batch as grilled to bowl with radicchio, and toss each batch with 1 tablespoon dressing.  When all kale has been added, toss with any remaining dressing and the almonds until thoroughly coated.  Transfer to a large platter, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon orange olive oil or more to taste.

Apple and Root Vegetable Hash

I love Fall vegetables and this is a great way to serve them.

Apple and Root Vegetable Hash

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 pound celery root, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (2 cups)
3/4  pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces ( 2 cups)
3/4 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (2 cups)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 onion, diced
2 small firm, sweet apples, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (2 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh sage leaves

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, and generously season with salt.  Add celery root, and simmer 3 minutes.  Add potatoes and sweet potatoes, and simmer vegetables 2 minutes more.  Drain well, and spread vegetables on a rimmed baking sheet.  Let cool 15 minutes.

2. Heat a 2 tablespoons oil in a large (preferably cast-iron) skillet over medium -high heat and cook onions until translucent and just beginning to color, about 2 minutes.  Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil, the apples, and vegetables; season with salt and pepper.  Stir to combine, then press into a single layer using a spatula.  Cook, undisturbed, 2 minutes.  Stir, and repeat process until vegetables are very tender and beginning to carmelize, 8 to 10 minutes more.  Remove from heat, Stir in sage, and season with salt and pepper.

Buttermilk Roast Chicken

Another cool and wet weekend ahead of us.  By dinnertime, the wind was really blustering.  We had put away our grill so I had to pull out our electric grill and set it up to grill our vegetables for dinner.  It was delicious - a real Fall meal.  The chicken was so tender - and the recipe so simple - I loved the buttermilk, lemon and dill marinade.  Yum.

Buttermilk Roast Chicken

3 1/2 pounds bone - in skin - on chicken pieces
2 cups buttermilk
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Coarse salt and pepper

1. In a large bowl, combine chicken, buttermilk, zest, dill, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours ( or up to 24 hours).

2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry.  Roast chicken on a rimmed baking sheet until cooked through, about 25 minutes.

Gingersnap Raspberry Sandwiches

We are experimenting with different cookie recipes for the Holidays.  The dark chocolate sour cherry cookies we made a couple weekends ago were great so we made these Gingersnap Sandwiches and they were delicious.  So, for desert Saturday night we served the two cookies with vanilla ice cream.  Yum!

Gingersnap Raspberry Sandwiches

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 large egg; beaten
1 cup raspberry jam

1. Position rack in center of oven, and preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, shortening, and 1 cup sugar on medium speed.  In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and ginger.

3. Add maple syrup to butter mixture; beat to combine.  Beat in egg until well combined.  Reduce speed to low; slowly add the reserved flour mixture, a little at a time, until well blended.

4. Place remaining cup sugar in a bowl.  Measure 2 teaspoons dough; roll into a ball.  Roll dough in sugar; transfer to prepared baking sheet.  Repeat, spacing balls 3 inches apart.  Bake until golden, about 12 minutes, rotating halfway through.  Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.  Form and bake the remaining dough.

5. Spread about 2 teaspoons jam over half of the cookies; place a second cookie on top of jam covered ones, making sandwiches.  Filled cookies are best eaten the same day; unfilled cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

Pineapple Jalapeno Salad

Another side dish with the Smoky Beef Tacos

Pineapple Jalapeno Salad

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
2 jalapeno chiles (ribs and seeds removed), thinly sliced crosswise
1 teaspoon red-wine vinegar
Coarse salt and ground pepper

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over high.  Working in 2 batches, cook pineapple and jalapenos on one side until lightly browned, 4- 6 minutes; transfer to a bowl.  Add vinegar, season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine.

Cilantro Lime Crema

Another one of the great side toppings to go with the Smoky Tacos

Cilantro Lime Crema

16 ounces reduced fat sour cream
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper

1. Stir together sour cream, lime juice, and cilantro.  Season with salt and pepper.