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31 Drink

6 Tips for Tasty Green Smoothies

6 Tips for Tasty Green Smoothies {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

I’ve been sort of slow to come around to the idea of green smoothies being worth drinking. The first few I tried were not pleasant. This is not a smoothie, I thought, this is poorly blended, slightly chewy spinach water! Thankfully, I kept trying, and after much trial and error, I genuinely love starting my day with a green smoothie. My friends and coworkers are still skeptical, and I figured some of you might be as well, so I wanted to put together a list of tips I’ve discovered through experimentation. Hopefully, this gives some of you the encouragement you need to keep blending up those greens.

Tips for making tasty green smoothies…

  • Use sweet fruits and juices when you get started. I tried to make my first few smoothies with just a banana, spinach, and some milk or water. They were not good, and I ended up adding several tablespoons of sweetener to them. I quickly realized that I needed at least half a cup of orange or apple juice along with sweeter fruits like peaches or mango to make myself really enjoy a smoothie – even though juices can be pretty sugary, the trade-off of consuming a salad’s worth of fresh greens before I start work is worth it to me!
  • Start out with mild tasting greens, like spinach, and work your way up towards more intensely flavored greens like parsley and kale. Smoothies made with even a generous amount of spinach will still taste like their other main ingredients (banana, mango, strawberry, etc.). You will notice the flavor of kale in your smoothie, so work more intense greens in in stages (adding a little bit of kale to your spinach smoothie, working up to 50/50, then going all-out kale).
  • If you find yourself chewing your smoothies, take the extra 2 minutes to strain them through a fine mesh strainer before drinking them. You’ll have to scrape the edges of the strainer with a spoon as you strain to get as much liquid as possible through, but having a smoothie that’s actually smooth will make the whole experience so much more pleasant.
  • Make sure to include something creamy in your ingredient list – it will make a big difference in the final texture. Bananas are the most obvious choice, but if you’re not a banana lover, peaches and pears will also add creaminess (although not quite as much as a banana), or if you’re up for something different, try using half an avocado.
  • Follow a recipe for your first five smoothies. Take it from someone who’s tried a lot of times – the results of “winging it” can be pretty gross when it comes to smoothies. Over time, you’ll learn to balance sweetness, the amount of liquid, and the intensity of “green” flavor in your own combinations, but practice some basic recipes first.
  • If you want your smoothie to look vibrantly green and appetizing, stick with other ingredients that are light in color – oranges, bananas, peaches, mango, apple, etc. If you don’t care what it looks like, throw in those blueberries! Just be warned that it’s going to look like brown sludge.

I’ve included a recipe for my favorite green smoothie  below – it’s fairly basic, but super creamy, sweet, and energizing. It’s also delicious with frozen peaches instead of frozen mango. I won a Vitamix this fall, and I’m a little bit obsessed with it, but the ingredients in this smoothie will get blended up just fine in a regular blender. And since no one wants to have the exact same breakfast every day, I’ve rounded up some other delicious-looking smoothies from around my favorite food blogs. Any other favorite smoothie recipes? Please share them in the comments! I’d love to give them a try.

Other delicious looking smoothies to try…

Persimmon and Tangerine Smoothie with Turmeric - The Bojon Gourmet

Persimmon and Tangerine Smoothie with Vanilla, Ginger, and Turmeric by The Bojon Gourmet

Fig and Grape Oat Milk Smoothie - Golubka Kitchen

Fig and Grape Oat Milk Smoothie by Golubka Kitchen

Kale Ginger Detox Smoothie - Oh My Veggies

Kale-Ginger Smoothie by Oh My Veggies

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6 Tips for Tasty Green Smoothies {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Sweet Spinach-Mango Smoothie

Serves 1.

  • 1 c. orange juice
  • 1/2 c. water
  • 1 banana
  • 1 c. frozen mango pieces
  • 2 c. fresh baby spinach
  1. Add all the ingredients to blender in order listed and blend on high until smooth and thick. If your blender is not powerful enough to fully blend the spinach, strain the smoothie through a fine mesh sieve for a finer texture. Drink immediately, or keep in the fridge for up to 24 hours, stirring before serving.

8 Fall

Roasted Brussels Sprout and Bacon Salad with Avocado Vinaigrette

Roasted Brussels Sprout and Bacon Salad with Avocado Vinaigrette {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Roasted Brussels Sprout and Bacon Salad with Avocado Vinaigrette {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Guys, so far the first 8 days of 2014 have been a huge success, health-wise. I’m not going to get too excited, since 8 days is a really short period of time to maintain motivation in the grand scheme of things, but still, it’s nice to remember how rewarding taking care of yourself can feel. I’ve done two solid treadmill sessions, two strength training sessions, spent an afternoon rock climbing (and made it to the top of the wall for the first time!), and gone to a great ballet class. I downloaded the Moves app to try and trick myself into walking more every day, and dragged the dusty scale out from under the bed. We stocked the fridge up with veggies and have been noshing on green smoothies, homemade minestrone, big roasted beet salads, and this carrot and tahini soup (which I had forgotten is really, really delicious). And tonight, as soon as I publish this post, I’m getting out of bed and doing one of those killer Nike Training Club butt workouts. I swear. Getting out of bed is a realistic aspiration. I’m going to do it. I know everyone’s on the straight and narrow right now, but let’s see if we can make it last!

One of the tasty, healthy things we’ve been eating is this salad, which contains several of my favorite ingredients, namely bacon, avocado, and brussels sprouts. I’m not the best at putting together inspiring salads – put me in front of a salad bar and I get kind of overwhelmed and end up with a bunch of weird things that don’t really go together, finished off by a healthy sprinkling of bacon bits, no matter what the other ingredients are. However, I’ve recently discovered that pretty much any green salad is drastically improved by including a warm, craveable element: crispy spiced chickpeas, shredded rotisserie chicken, salty chunks of pancetta, or whole roasted brussels sprouts. So when I saw a recipe for spinach and bacon salad with avocado dressing in Diane and Todd’s new cookbook, and then saw a recipe for bacon-roasted brussels sprouts immediately after, my mind started turning, and a salad that I could actually look forward to eating was born. I like that this salad is fairly simple but still feels like a complete meal – it’s much more put-together than a boring bowl of dressed greens, but doesn’t have 20 separate components to be prepped in order for it to taste good, like a Cobb salad does. It’s also seasonal, filling, and… it has bacon. What’s not to love?

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Roasted Brussels Sprout and Bacon Salad with Avocado Vinaigrette {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Roasted Brussels Sprout and Bacon Salad with Avocado Vinaigrette

Inspired by Bountiful. Serves 2.

  • 1 lb. fresh Brussels sprouts
  • 4 TBS olive oil, divided
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 strips bacon
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 1/2 tsp champagne vinegar
  • 1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 4 large handfuls of fresh baby spinach
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut the white end off the base of each brussels sprout, remove the outer leaves, and then slice in half lengthwise. Toss the halved brussels sprouts with 2 TBS of olive oil, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Spread on a roasting pan and roast for 25-30 minutes or until tender with crispy golden-brown spots, flipping with a spatula after the first 15 minutes.
  2. While the brussels sprouts are cooking, cook the bacon until crispy, drain on paper towels, and then roughly chop.
  3. Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit, and scoop out the flesh. Place half of the avocado in a mason jar and mash up with a fork. Add the remaining 2 TBS of olive oil, the vinegar, and the lemon juice to the jar, close the jar, and shake vigorously to mix up the dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cut the remaining half an avocado into rough chunks.
  4. Divide the spinach between two bowls. Top each with some avocado pieces, crumbled bacon, and a generous helping of warm brussels sprouts. Spoon some of the avocado vinaigrette over each salad and toss to coat. Serve immediately

6 Drink

Cold Weather Cocktails: Sbiten

Sbiten: Russian Mulled Rum with Honey and Jam {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

After 11 days of vacation, I had to go back to work… for all of 5 hours. Then we had our first Nor’easter of the year, they closed my office, and now I’m back on vacation for another 3 days. So far, 2014 hasn’t been too strenuous. Sadly, Trevor had to drive off into the snowy wilderness to go to work today, but he made this nice warm Russian drink and wrote this post for you to help those of you who are in the same boat warm up:

I’m especially pleased with the way Christmas and New Years came in 2013. It’s been like having a string of one day weeks for us around here, and work has been pretty low-key for everyone. I feel like I’ve had enough large meals and beer to hibernate at least through to March, and the bitter cold has kept us reading in bed until late in the mornings for quite a few days in a row. That being said, work is starting again in earnest, and most Bostonians are battling the first Nor’easter of the new year. For me, when I’m shoveling in the dark after a long day of work, the thought of a nice warm (alcoholic) beverage is pretty much the only thing that makes it bearable. [Edit: I swear Trevor isn’t a sad, lonely alcoholic. Also, I sometimes help with the shoveling.]

I discovered this drink while looking for ideas for the Captain’s Table Challenge, that Katie and I have been participating in (results for the second round are imminent).  With Katie traveling to Russia so often, it seemed like a good place to look for bracing beverages for the darkest depths of winter. At any rate, Sbiten, (according to the internet) it one of Russia’s versions of the hot, spiced, mulled winter drinks that cure what ails you. It stood out to me because the use of jam and honey make it so thick and hearty and give you a lot of control over the flavor. I’ve tried the recipe using a red wine base, as well as a rum-water base, and both turned out very nicely.

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Sbiten: Russian Mulled Rum with Honey and Jam {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Sbiten: Russian Mulled Rum

Serves 2.

  • 1 c. water
  • ½ c. spiced rum (plus one shot, optional)
  • 2 T jam of choice
  • 1 T honey
  • ½ t ground ginger
  • 1 t ground clove
  • ½ t ground cinnamon
  • ½ t ground nutmeg
  1. Heat the water and ½ c. rum over medium heat in a small pot. When the mixture is just boiling add the jam and honey and simmer for 5 minutes.
  2. Add the rest of the spices, and stir to mix. Strain into mugs and add a dash of rum to each, if desired, for a stiffer drink.

Note: For a red wine-base, replace water and rum with ½ c. water and 1 c. red wine.

0 Breakfast

Monthly Fitness Goals: January // Gluten-Free Olive-and-Feta Corn Muffins

Savory Feta-and-Olive Corn Muffins #glutenfree #healthyeating {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Although I know making a big long list of resolutions is somewhat out of vogue, it’s something I still enjoy doing. Even if I don’t accomplish everything (or anything) on my list, I like to sit down and reflect on what I want out of the year, to think purposefully about change and direction. Plus, I just like making lists. I’m happy with 2013, and I’m excited for 2014, but one area of my life I’m going to need to be diligent about is fitness. I know it’s cliche to make health and fitness resolutions at New Year’s, but hey, anytime you can recommit to healthy living is a good time. Last year I was really good about exercising for the first half of the year – I was consistently working out 5 times a week, was loving my Nike Training Club strength workouts, and even got my 5K time under 24 minutes for the first time in years. Then July happened, we moved (away from my lovely bike path running route), I started going to Russia every month, and exercising just fell by the wayside. I haven’t gained any weight back since then but my fitness levels are just abysmal – doing 10 push-ups makes my ribcage ache and and I’ve been defaulting to pathetically short 2 mile runs instead of my typical 3 or 4. So, it’s time to bite the bullet and get back into it – even though I know the first few weeks are going to be torture, I also know how great being in shape again will feel.

Savory Feta-and-Olive Corn Muffins #glutenfree #healthyeating {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Instead of making one big weight-loss or fitness goal for the whole year, which is an easy way to throw yourself under the bus with overly aggressive or too-distant goals, I’ve decided to commit to giving myself an achievable but challenging fitness goal every month this year. And, going against that not-so-tiny, lazy voice in the back of my head, I’m going to share them here for added accountability. Plus, I know you all like healthy recipes and this means I’ll post at least one a month. For January, my goal is to make it to the Y at least 10 times. I have a two-month trial membership there, but I have a history of paying for these things and then never using them. I’ve been an outdoor runner since I was 13, and going to the gym instead always feels a little bit like torture, but in January and February in Massachusetts, it’s really the only option, since I know from experience that convincing myself to go for a run after work, in the dark, in freezing temperatures, is much harder in practice than in theory.

Savory Feta-and-Olive Corn Muffins #glutenfree #healthyeating {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

In the vein of fitness and taking care of your body, I’m also gearing up for this year’s winter cleanse. Finding healthy snacks that will really fill me up in the afternoons is always a challenge, so I’ve been on the lookout for recipes that will make a satisfying replacement for my typical latte and chocolate cookie. I tried out these savory corn muffins from Vegetarian Everyday without letting my hopes get too high – while it’s a great cookbook, gluten-free baking can be really hit or miss in my experience. Luckily, these were a happy addition to the “hit” category. While certainly not calorie-free, these are pretty virtuous for muffins – no gluten, no butter, no sugar – and they have tons of flavor without being dry or crumbly. I’m warning you now that these are going to feature prominently in this year’s cleanse – as a mid-morning treat to have if my green smoothie leaves me hungry (usually), crumbled on top of hearty soups, toasted up for salad croutons, and of course, tucked away in my purse to satisfy those 3PM cravings.

So wish me luck with my exercise goals! Do you have any fitness-related goals for the new year? Please share if you do, and here’s to kicking off a happy, healthy 2014.

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Savory Feta-and-Olive Corn Muffins #glutenfree #healthyeating {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Gluten-Free Olive-and-Feta Corn Muffins

Adapted very slightly from Vegetarian Everyday. Makes 15 muffins.

  • 2/3 c. raw millet
  • 1 c. cornmeal
  • 1 c. rice flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp coarse sea salt
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 c. Greek yogurt (about two 5-oz containers)
  • 1/2 c. olive oil
  • One 6-oz. container of crumbled feta cheese
  • 25 pitted kalamata olives, halved
  • 2 TBS fresh thyme leaves
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bring a small kettle of water to a boil, then pour 1/2 c. of boiling water over the millet in a large bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes, then drain the millet and rinse with cold water. Add the cornmeal, rice flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the millet and whisk to combine thoroughly.
  2. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs until fluffy. Beat in the yogurt and olive oil until thick and smooth. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine thoroughly. Add the feta cheese, olives, and thyme leaves and stir to combine.
  3. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line with paper liners. Spoon batter into cups to fill just to the top. Bake the muffins for 20-22 minutes, until golden brown and crusty on top. Best served warm.

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0 Drink

Celebrating 2013 // Raspberry Sherbet Champagne Floats

Raspberry Sherbet Champagne Floats | Happy New Year! {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Raspberry Sherbet Champagne Floats | Happy New Year! {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Another New Year’s Eve is here! Although at times it felt like everything was getting away from me, I’m very satisfied with how 2013 turned out. It was a big year. I’m going to try and keep my musings short and sweet (how cute is Molly’s one-paragraph mini reflection?), because I know everyone and their mother is writing down all their thoughts and feelings and memories today. But basically, here’s the big stuff: I moved in with Trevor, and I’m still so excited that I get to see him every single day. I went to Russia, five times. It was awesome, but exhausting. I also went to Spain, and Italy. My brother moved to Seattle and I went to visit him and to meet lots of other food bloggers at IFBC. I stuck with my beginner ballet lessons and made it through an intensive two week ballet camp, complete with a recital at the end. We grew an amazing veggie garden and spent August picking pounds and pounds of tomatoes and cucumbers and blackberries. On the blog, I reviewed dozens of new cookbooks, started working with Captain Morgan, and was featured as one of Huffington Post’s best food bloggers. I got my first smartphone, and subsequently became addicted to Instagram. I liked my job, I spent time with friends, I threw a couple of parties, I saw my family all the time, I rested, I ran, I explored. If 2014 is as good as 2013 (and I think it will be), I’ll be happy.

Raspberry Sherbet Champagne Floats | Happy New Year! {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

We have a pretty low key evening planned tonight/it’s not really even that planned. We’re definitely going to the movies with my brothers to kick things off. Then we might wander around First Night with some high school friends and see where the night takes us, or we could just end up on the couch with champagne and bugles watching Out of the Wild: Venezuela on Netflix. We’ll see. Either way, I’ve created a drink to match our attitude toward the festivities – easy but still celebratory and fun. In fact, it’s so easy that you could swing by the liquor store for Framboise and Champagne and the grocery store for a pint of sherbet right now and up the ante for your drinks tonight in a mere 20 minutes. Or you could just go with what you already have planned and make these tomorrow or any other day of the year. (Does anyone have a New Year’s resolution to drink more champagne? I think that could be a good one…). Whatever you do tonight, I hope it’s happy and fun, and here’s to a wonderful 2014. Happy New Year!

P.S. I opened our Champagne early just for you guys and just drank both of these at 2PM. I also had a Best Pop of 2013 dance party by myself earlier this morning. No shame.

Raspberry Sherbet Champagne Floats | Happy New Year! {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Raspberry Sherbet Champagne Floats

Serves 2.

  • 2 small scoops raspberry sherbet
  • 2 oz. Framboise, Chambord, or other raspberry liqueur
  • Champagne, Prosecco, or other sparkling white wine
  1. Place a small scoop of raspberry sherbet into each of two champagne flutes. Drizzle 1 oz. of the raspberry liqueur into each glass. Top each glass off with champagne, stirring gently to mix. Serve immediately.

6 Food

Resting // Black Bean Soup with Roasted Poblanos

Roasted Poblano and Black Bean Soup {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Merry Two-Days-After-Christmas! I’m sorry I didn’t get to pop in again before the big day and share some last minute sweets – after 6 months of intense work, travel, and just generally keeping it together, my body finally called for a time out, and I was out cold with the flu from Friday afternoon until Wednesday morning. I’m still taking it pretty easy, but I’m on my feet again and actually grateful for all the time I’ve had to rest. Time to do a few little things I’ve been meaning to get around to forever, like order a new bed and organize my photos from this year. And more importantly, time to reflect, to think about all the accomplishments of this past year and to take stock of what I’d like for myself in the next one. Although having the flu isn’t the most ideal of circumstances for vacation, I’m glad I’ll start the new year refreshed and refocused.

I made this simple black bean soup the other night to eat while snuggled up in front of a movie. I’m thinking ahead to my annual winter cleanse and testing out new recipes to see if they’re worth including. This soup seems to fit the bill – meat and grain free, low fat, flavorful, quick and easy to put together from cupboard ingredients, and filling enough for dinner on a cold December night. The soup itself is not very complex in flavor, but all the add-ins – feta cheese, pumpkin seeds, and lime wedges – add good contrast and brightness to the smooth and spicy broth. Be warned, the poblanos are surpisingly hot! They look sort of non-intimidating, but they pack a punch.

Roasted Poblano and Black Bean Soup {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Black Bean Soup with Roasted Poblanos

Adapted slightly from Bon Appetit. Serves 3-4.

  • 2 fresh poblano chiles
  • 2 TBS olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
  • 1 large dried ancho chile
  • One 14.5 oz can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes
  • 3 c. chicken or vegetable broth
  • 3 c. cooked black beans (about two 14.5 oz cans, rinsed and drained)
  • kosher salt to taste
  • 4 TBS roasted, salted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
  • 1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese
  • 1 lime, cut into 4 wedges
  1. Preheat the broiler. Place the poblanos on a foil-lined baking tray, and broil for 8-12 minutes, turning every few minutes with tongs, until the peppers are blackened all over. Remove the peppers from the oven, and place them in a bowl, covering the bowl immediately with plastic wrap. Let the peppers steam under the plastic wrap for 15 minutes, then peel off and discard their skins, remove and discard the seeds and stems, and finely dice the pepper flesh.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and crushed garlic cloves and saute until onion is golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Remove the seeds and stem from the dried ancho chile and discard. Place the ancho chile in the pan with the garlic and onion and cook, stirring, until chile has softened and become pliable, about 1-2 minutes. Add the garlic, onion, ancho chile, and tomatoes to a blender and puree until smooth, then return the puree to the saucepan. Stir in the broth, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and simmer until the soup is thickened, about 10-15 minutes. Stir in the beans and the diced poblanos and cook until heated through, about 3-5 minutes. Season to taste with salt.
  3. Divide the soup between 3 or 4 bowls, topping each with 1 TBS of pumpkin seeds, 2 TBS of crumbled feta cheese, and a squeeze of lime juice. Serve immediately.

1 Drink

Captain’s Table Christmas // Chocolate-Orange Tom & Jerry

Chocolate-Orange Tom & Jerry #CaptainsTable #ChristmasCocktails

As promised, I’m back with the drinkable half of my submission to Captain’s Table Christmas. Trevor did rum-cocktail research while I was away in Russia/Spain, and his favorite discovery was the Tom & Jerry, a variant of eggnog that is served warm. Apparently it’s a traditional Christmastime cocktail here in the States, but it was new to me, perhaps because it isn’t typically found outside of the midwest. I’m curious, have any of you ever had one? Do you have any favorite flavors? We decided to flavor this version with chocolate and orange, another traditional Christmastime combo. To make the “batter,” sweetened cocoa-powder and egg yolks get folded in to whipped egg whites, and then the batter is mixed with rum and orange liqueur and frothed with a little bit of warm milk, resulting in a sweet, strong, frothy drink with lots of Christmasy flavors. Give it a try! And then the next time you go to Wisconsin or Minnesota you’ll be that much more culturally attuned.

Remember, use the #CaptainsTable hashtag in your tweets/pins/instagrams/posts about holiday recipes and entertaining and $1 will be donated to WhyHunger every time. So mix up a drink, snap a picture, and share!

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Captain Morgan, who provided me with product samples and monetary compensation in exchange for my participation in this program. All opinions are honest and my own, as always.

Chocolate-Orange Tom & Jerry #CaptainsTable #ChristmasCocktails

Chocolate-Orange Tom & Jerry

Serves 4.

  • 2 eggs
  • 2 TBS sugar
  • 1 TBS cocoa powder
  • 1/8 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • 2 c. milk
  • 4 oz. Captain Morgan Black Spiced Rum
  • 4 oz. Cointreau or other orange liqueur
  • zest from 1 orange
  1. Separate the eggs. Whip the egg whites until white and frothy, so they hold their shape but are not stiff and shiny. In a separate bowl, sift together the cocoa powder, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Beat the egg yolks together with the cocoa-sugar until very smooth and runny. Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the yolks until the mixture is even in color and consistency.
  2. Heat the milk over low heat, until it is just beginning to steam, then turn off the heat. To prepare the drinks, add a few TBS of the chocolate egg white “batter” to each of four glasses, then add 1 oz. of rum and 1 oz. of orange liqueur to each glass. Stir gently to combine. Add 1/2 c. of warm milk to each glass, and stir vigorously to froth the drink. Taste, adding more milk or chocolate batter to your liking. Serve immediately topped with orange zest.

18 Food

Captain’s Table Christmas // Rum-and-Pomegranate Glazed Roast Duck with Boozy Chestnut-Apple Stuffing

Rum-and-Pomegranate Glazed Christmas Duck #CaptainsTable #Christmas

 I can’t believe Christmas is only ten days away. I was in St. Petersburg for a quick trip from last Tuesday to Saturday, then yesterday flew over to Madrid. It’s always exciting to travel, but both trips have been fairly busy, and I’m missing out on critical Christmas-preparation time (thank God for Amazon Prime). Knowing I would feel this way, I made sure that last weekend was Christmas-activity heavy – we went and picked out a tree (our first! Trevor even let me take a gratuitous self-timer picture in front of it), played carols, watched Love Actually, and made this gorgeous roasted duck for the next round of the Captain Morgan Captain’s Table Challenge.

Rum-and-Pomegranate Glazed Christmas Duck with Boozy Chestnut-Apple Stuffing #CaptainsTable #Christmas

Gratuitous Christmas Tree Picture

After making a sweetish side-dish for the last round, we knew that this time around we wanted to do a stunning, savory, Christmas dinner centerpiece. This whole roast duck with a pomegranate, orange and rum glaze is just that. The flavors are a perfect mix of fruity, bright, herbal, and salty; the skin is golden and crispy; the meat is tender. Surrounded by a boozy chestnut, apple, and pancetta stuffing that echoes all the flavors in the duck itself, it’s the perfect thing to grace your Christmas dinner table if you’re having a small gathering. I genuinely loved the complexity the rum gave to both the duck and the stuffing, and I might have to make the whole thing again soon even if just for a cozy Sunday night dinner.

Rum-and-Pomegranate Glazed Christmas Duck with Boozy Chestnut-Apple Stuffing #CaptainsTable #Christmas

Also, I have to take a moment to brag here (not a humblebrag, I’m still working on that skill) – Trevor and I won the first round of the Captain’s Table Challenge with our sweet-potato souffle and sparkling cranberry-ginger cocktail! I think the most exciting part for me is that Hugh Acheson was the judge, and it feels quite validating to have a successful chef say your recipe seems decent. Finding out was just the momentum we needed to come up with this duck recipe. Stay tuned for our drinkable submission to the Christmas round later this week – Trevor’s been testing out cocktails while I’ve been away, so he’s getting to be an expert on rum-based Christmas drinks.

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Captain Morgan, who provided me with product samples and monetary compensation in exchange for my participation in this program. All opinions are honest and my own, as always.

Rum-and-Pomegranate Glazed Christmas Duck with Boozy Chestnut-Apple Stuffing #CaptainsTable #Christmas

Rum-and-Pomegranate Glazed Roast Duck

Serves 4.

For the duck:

  • One 5-lb. whole duck
  • 1 TBS coarse sea salt
  • 1 TBS finely chopped rosemary + 3 whole sprigs rosemary
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • zest of 1 orange, finely grated
  • juice from 1 orange
  • 2 c. pomegranate juice
  • 1/2 c. Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum
  • pomegranate-rum glaze (see below)
  1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Remove giblets from cavity of duck and reserve for another use. Pat the duck dry and place on a cutting board. Cut off any excess skin, as well as the wing tips (to prevent burning). Truss the bird by tying the legs together over the front side using kitchen twine, tucking the tail between the legs. Score fat on breast-side of duck all over in a cross-hatch pattern, making sure to cut down to the meat. Flip the duck over and prick the back and the legs all over with a sharp knife.
  2. Add the salt, 1 TBS of chopped rosemary, black pepper, and orange zest to a mortar and pestle, and pound until rosemary is crushed and mixture is somewhat moist. Rub the paste all over the duck, making sure to get under the skin. Place the duck in a roasting pan. Pour the orange juice, pomegranate juice, and rum over the duck into the bottom of the pan – bottom of the pan should be covered by liquid to a depth of a quarter inch, if it is not, add more pomegranate juice. Add the rosemary sprigs to the liquid, and place duck in the oven.
  3. Roast the duck, for 2 hours and 30 minutes, basting the duck with the pan juices every 15-20 minutes. Before the last 15 minutes of cooking, take the duck out of the oven and brush all over with the prepared glaze, then finish off. Let rest 5-10 minutes before carving.

For the glaze:

  • 1/2 c. drippings
  • 1/2 c. Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum
  • 1/4 c. pomegranate molasses
  • juice from 1/2 orange
  1. Add all ingredients to a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until reduced to a syrup, about 10-15 minutes.

Boozy Chestnut-Apple Stuffing

Inspired by Yankee Magazine. Serves 4.

  • 1 large baguette, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 3 TBS olive oil
  • 1/4 lb. pancetta, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
  • 1 large onion, peeled and diced
  • 2 honeycrisp apples, cored and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
  • 1 1/2 c. roasted chestnuts
  • 1 TBS minced fresh rosemary
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 c. chicken stock
  • 1/4 c. Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum
  • seeds from 1 pomegranate
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Toss the bread cubes with the olive oil and spread on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven until golden brown and crispy, about 10 minutes.
  2. Place a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the cubed pancetta and fry until crispy on all sides, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the onion and apple to the pan with the pancetta fat and saute until the onion is soft and translucent and the apples are beginning to soften, about 10 minutes. Toss the onion and apple with the cooked pancetta, then stir in the chestnuts and rosemary. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, chicken stock, and rum. Add the toasted bread crumbs to this mixture and toss to coat, then add the apple-chestnut mixture and stir to combine. Butter a medium baking dish, then pour the stuffing into the prepared baking dish. Bake until the top of the stuffing is golden and crispy, about 30-35 minutes. Serve immediately, sprinkled with the pomegranate seeds.

0 Cookbook

Top 5 Cookbooks of 2013, A Holiday Giveaway!

Win a copy of my 5 favorite cookbooks of 2013! #katieatthekitchendoor #giveaway

I’ve been writing about my favorite cookbooks pretty much since I started this blog, but I started writing cookbook reviews in earnest – reaching out to publishers, keeping track of new releases, etc. – only last fall. Since then, I’ve written about 35 cookbooks, 26 of which were released in 2013. My shelves are getting crowded. Since there are new cookbooks coming out seemingly everyday, I want to take a moment to revisit my five favorite books from this year, so they don’t get lost in the fray and buried under newer books without being properly utilized. And, thanks to the very generous people at Taunton Press, Quirk Books, and Rizzoli, one reader will win a copy of all five books, a little holiday present from us to you. Giveaway details are at the end of this post, but first, the books! (In no particular order, choosing my favorite five was hard enough).

The Chef's Collaborative #cookbook #giveaway

The Chef’s Collaborative – I was so pleasantly surprised by The Chef’s Collaborative, which contains a collection of recipes from over 100 of America’s best restaurant chefs. The recipes are universally creative, and all celebrate truly local, seasonal produce from all over the country – from quinces and fava beans to fiddleheads and wild crab apples. The food in this book is exciting and packed with unique flavors, but the restaurant-quality recipes are brought down to a level that’s accessible for most experienced home cooks.

Recipes to try: Thai Pork Sliders with Pickled Cucumbers and Sriracha Aioli; Broccoli-Cheddar Hush-Puppies; Chestnut Waffles with Roasted Apples and Cream; Wild Ramp and Farmstead Cheese Strata with Roasted Tomato Wine Butter; Smoked Rabbit and Andouille Gumbo

Vegetarian Everyday #cookbook #giveaway

Vegetarian Everyday – This is my new go-to cookbook when I’m craving something simple and light that will still taste good. So far the recipes that David and Luise, the talented couple behind the blog Green Kitchen Stories, have included in this book have not disappointed. A few of the recipes from this book have already become standbys in my kitchen, the truest testament to how good a cookbook is, especially during busy weeks when I need to get healthy eating checked off quickly. Many of the recipes in this book are not only vegetarian, but vegan and gluten-free as well, making it the perfect book for someone transitioning, or considering transitioning, to one of these lifestyles.

Recipes to try: Quinoa, Cauliflower, and Ramp Cakes; Baked Blackberry Oatmeal; Roasted Tomato and Chickpea Soup; Baked Herb and Pistachio Falafels; Orange-Kissed Seed Crackers; Savory Tacos with Corn and Mango Filling

Le Pigeon #cookbook #giveaway

Le Pigeon – This big gorgeous book from Le Pigeon, the restaurant in Portland, is one of many chef/restaurant books that came out this fall. Despite many of the recipes being fabulously complicated, I find myself wanting to step up to the challenge because the flavors are just so intense and good. Be prepared to find a lot of recipes for less popular types (squab, rabbit, pheasant) and cuts (liver, tongue, brains) of meat, and definitely look elsewhere for vegetarian food.

Recipes to try: Fried Lamb with Green Garlic Risotto and Pickled Fennel; Smoked Rabbit Pie with Cheddar and Mustard Ice Cream; Creamed Rabbit with Polenta and Black Truffles; Lamb Shepherd’s Pie with Curry Mash

Jenny McCoy's Desserts for Every Season #cookbook #giveaway

Jenny McCoy’s Desserts for Every Season – So much of our food-culture centers around using local, seasonal ingredients to maximize flavor, but often we forget to carry this through to dessert. This book counteracts that, providing elegant, modern, and truly seasonal dessert recipes for fall, winter, spring, and summer. It’s a beautiful and subdued book, and it will be the one I turn to for the perfect way to finish off a dinner party in any season.

Recipes to try: Pumpkin Milk Chocolate Pie with a Gingersnap Crust; Pumpkin-Maple Ice Cream; Chestnut-Chocolate Layer Cake; Cocoa-Lavender Cream Puffs; Peach and Sweet Corn Ice Cream Cake; Plum-Poppy Seed Kolache

Winter Cocktails #cookbook #giveaway

Winter Cocktails – Although we’ve only had this book for two months, it’s already hard to imagine what we would do without its inspiration on cold winter nights (answer: drink less). There are so many great cocktail recipes in here that some nights it’s hard to decide which one we want to try next, or whether we should just repeat one of our new favorites. Some cocktails are served hot, others are rich and creamy, and still others are served in big, sparkling batches of punch, so no matter your taste, you’re sure to find a few new favorites here.

Recipes to try: Burnt Sugar Hot Buttered Rum; Nutella Melt with Frangelico; Applejack Hot Toddy; Pumpkin-Bourbon Eggnog; Chocolate Stout Affagato

Giveaway Details!

Congrats to Trish of JellyBones on winning these books! And thank you everyone for entering… I loved reading your Christmas wishlists, and I hope everyone has a peaceful and joyful Christmas! xo, Katie

I’ve teamed up with Quirk Books, Taunton Press, and Rizzoli to send a copy of each of my 5 favorite cookbooks from this year to one reader. To enter, leave a comment below letting me know what you most want for Christmas/the holidays this year. By entering, you are agreeing to the official rules as listed here:

  • No purchase necessary
  • Void where prohibited
  • One entry per household, and only entries answering the question above will be considered!
  • The sponsors of this giveaway are Katie at the Kitchen Door, Quirk Books, Taunton Press, and Rizzoli
  • The estimated retail value of this giveaway is $178 USD
  • The odds of winning will depend on the number of entries received
  • This contest is only open to U.S. Citizens over the age of 18
  • The contest will open today, December 11th at posting time, and will close at 11PM EST on Friday, December 20th, 2013
  • One winner will be selected randomly and contacted via email (so please leave an accurate email address!). If I do not hear from the winner within 48 hours, the winner forfeits their prize and an alternate winner will be chosen.
  • I will post the winner here by Friday, January 3rd.

Please spread the word on twitter and facebook, too!

Win a copy of my 5 favorite cookbooks of 2013! #katieatthekitchendoor #giveaway

All 2013 Reviews:

Every Grain of Rice – authentic Chinese home-cooking
Breakfast for Dinner – sweet and savory breakfast combinations re-purposed for dinnertime
The Little Paris Kitchen – classic French cooking made simple enough for every day by TV star Rachel Khoo
Sicilia in Cucina – gorgeous, dual-language cookbook focused on the regional flavors of Sicily
Venezia in Cucina – sister book to Sicilia in Cucina, but focused on Venice
Vegetable Literacy – highly informative vegetable cookbook/encyclopedia, a great resource for enthusiastic kitchen gardeners
The Chef’s Collaborative – creative recipes from a number of chefs celebrating local, seasonal produce
Home Made Summer – a sequel to Home Made and Home Made Winter, packed with simple, summery recipes that make the most of the season’s bounty
Try This At Home – a fun introduction to molecular gastronomy techniques through the ever creative eyes of Top-Chef Winner Richard Blais
Cooking with Flowers – full of sweet recipes that can be made from the flowers in your neighborhood, like lilacs, marigolds, and daylilies
Vegetarian Everyday – healthy, creative recipes from the couple behind Green Kitchen Stories
The Southern Vegetarian – favorite Southern comfort food classics turned vegetarian by the folks at The Chubby Vegetarian
Le Pain Quotidien – simple soups, salads, breads, and desserts from the well-loved Belgian chain
Live Fire – ambitious live-fire cooking projects that range from roasting an entire lamb on an iron cross to stuffing burgers with blue cheese to throw on your grill
True Brews – a great, accessible introduction to brewing your own soda, kombucha, kefir, cider, beer, mead, sake, and fruit wine
Le Petit Paris – a cute little book of classic sweet and savory French dishes, miniaturized for your next cocktail party
Wild Rosemary & Lemon Cake – regional Italian cookbook focused on the flavors of the Amalfi coast
Vedge – creative, playful vegan recipes from Philadelphia’s popular restaurant of the same
Full of Flavor – a whimsical cookbook that builds intense flavor around 18 key ingredients
Le Pigeon – ambitious but amazing recipes for cooking meat of all sorts, from lamb tongue to eel to bison
Pickles, Pigs, and Whiskey – a journey through Southern food in many forms, from home pickling and meat curing to making a perfect gumbo
Jenny McCoy’s Desserts for Every Season – gorgeous, unique desserts that make the most of each season’s best fruits, nuts, and vegetables
Winter Cocktails – warm toddies, creamy eggnogs, festive punches, and everything else you need to get you through the colder months
Bountiful – produce-heavy, garden-inspired recipe from Diane and Todd of White on Rice Couple
Melt – macaroni and cheese taken to extremes you would never have thought of, in the best way possible
The Craft Beer Cookbook – all your favorite comfort food recipes infused with the flavors of craft beers, from beer expert Jackie of The Beeroness

1 Cookbook

Book Club: Melt + The Craft Beer Cookbook

Melt: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese

Melt: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese

The Book: When I first heard about Melt, I was pretty skeptical about the concept of a book written entirely about macaroni and cheese. I love a cheesy bowl of pasta as much, if not more, than the next girl, but I had a hard time thinking of more than 5 interesting versions of it. Then, I met Garrett, one of the authors, during an afternoon of wine tasting at IFBC, and since he was toting around a copy of the book, I took a peek, and was genuinely impressed. Not only are all 78 recipes sufficiently interesting, the book is well thought out, well written, and packed with detailed information about dozens of different cheeses. The cheeses covered here go way beyond swiss, cheddar, and mozzarella – be prepared to be introduced to cheeses like Red Hawk, a mellow triple-creme; Idiazabal, a smoked Spanish sheep’s milk cheese; and Meadowkaas, a smooth, young Dutch cheese. For that matter, the concept of mac’n’cheese also goes way beyond what you might expect, and any dish that has both pasta and cheese qualifies – from light, fruit-filled pasta salads, to classic stovetop macaroni dishes, to a baked pumpkin stuffed with noodles, sausage, and, of course, lots of cheese. As might be expected, most of the dishes are quite rich, and you probably won’t be able to resist cooking them, so consider yourself warned. I should note, I love a cookbook where the introductory chapter actually teaches me something, and this one passes – from the differences between cow, goat, and sheep’s milk, to how different cheese types are produced, I learned a lot (and we make cheese). And I kept learning as I flipped through the book, since every recipe includes a list of alternative cheeses, wine pairings, and food pairings for the featured cheese in that recipe. I’m so glad that I didn’t let my initial skepticism keep me from this book – it’s a good one.

Roasted Garlic and Shallot Macaroni and Cheese {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

The Food: In general, mac’n’cheese is a pretty likable food, but I’ve had a lot of sub-par homemade versions. The Petit Basque with Roasted Garlic, Shallots, and Gemelli is not one of them. In Trevor’s words, it’s not “punch-you-in-the-face cheesy,” but it’s incredibly rich and thick and flavorful. The sweet, slightly burnt flavor of the roasted garlic cuts the tang of the cheese and makes for a very satisfying, very indulgent lunch. Trevor sounded like he was getting the best massage of his life while eating it, if that helps you imagine how tasty it is. The only downside? This mac’n’cheese is not cheap. The 10 oz. of Petit Basque set me back $16, which is more like what I expect to spend on two nice steaks, but if you treat it like the indulgence it is, I think it’s totally worth it. Scroll down for the recipe.

Recipe Shortlist: Humboldt Fog with Grilled Peaches and Orzo; Asparagus Salad with Ricotta Salata, Fava Beans, Mint, and Farfalle; Penne with Etorki Cream Sauce and Asparagus; Mexican-Style Macaroni and Cheese; Lincolnshire Poacher with Cotija, Chorizo, and Penne; Pastitsio with Kefalotyri and Lamb; Three Cheese Macaroni Casserole with Broccoli, Pancetta, and Sweet Pugliese Topping

The Craft Beer Cookbook

The Craft Beer Cookbook

The Book: Jackie Dodd, the woman behind the genius blog, The Beeroness, knows how to cook with beer, arguably better than anyone else, ever. It may sound like an exaggeration to claim that, but every single recipe on her three year old blog has beer in it, and every single one looks amazing. If I were her, I would have run out of creative ideas after about two months, but her three most recent recipes – Chocolate Stout Candy Cane Cake, Salted Beer Caramel Sauce, and Beer-Brined Paprika Chicken – prove that creativity is not a problem for Jackie. Needless to say, I was pretty excited to see that she was releasing The Craft Beer Cookbook, a cookbook full of her clever beer-infused recipes (and Trevor was excited that we were going to buy more beer). It’s a cute little book, unassuming and accessible, with dozens of recipes starring bold, rich flavors. Some of my favorite guilty pleasures are included – chipotle cream, cheese sauce, carbonara – all somehow imbued with beers ranging from pale ales to chocolate stouts. A lot of the recipes are for what might be considered “football food,” and they certainly tend toward the indulgent, but the occasional lighter choice, like IPA Watermelon Ceviche or Strawberry Pale Ale Popsicles, mixes things up. Since I’m not much of a beer-drinker, I like that this book forces me to think about beer at a deeper level – what flavors are present, how heavy is it, how carbonated is it? – in order to successfully incorporate it into food. And I think it would be a perfect gift for anyone you know who loves beer and is mildly interested in cooking, as the recipes are pretty straightforward and highly craveable.

Croque Madame with Beer Cheese Sauce {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

The Food: Although it was hard to choose whether we wanted to indulge in Chorizo Stout Sloppy Joes or Croque Madames with Beer Cheese Sauce to review this book, we went with the Croque Madames. Croque Madames are a simple French sandwich of ham, swiss, and a fried egg, often served with bechamel sauce. Jackie turns the bechamel sauce into a rich beer and cheddar sauce that gets drizzled over the sandwiches, and takes the whole thing over the top. I loved how easy these were to make – you just whiz the cheddar, milk, flour, and cornstarch in a blender with your choice of blonde ale, then heat with melted butter until thickened and spoon over your grilled sandwich. The beer gave the cheese sauce a noticeable and pleasant tang, making it far too easy to eat a few extra “test” spoonfuls, and I would absolutely make it again… I have the feeling it might be the recipe we turn to the next time we had a few too many beers the night before. Scroll down for the recipe.

Recipe Shortlist: Pale Ale Corn Waffles with Scrambled Eggs and Smoky Beer Cheese Sauce; Drunken Carbonara Couscous; Porter Black Bean Soup with Avocado Cilantro Cream; Mushroom Stout Sliders with Chipotle Cream; Beer-Braised Pulled-Pork Tacos with Beer-Corn Tortillas; Stout and Stilton Beef Empanadas; Stout and Cheddar Pot Pie; Chocolate Porter Fudge Cookies; Chocolate Stout Mousse with Stout-Soaked Cherries

Disclaimer: I received a review copy of these cookbooks from Little Brown and Company and Adams Media free of charge, but was not otherwise compensated for writing this review.

Recipes

Roasted Garlic and Shallot Macaroni and Cheese {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Petit Basque with Roasted Garlic, Shallots, and Gemelli

Recipe from Melt. Serves 4. 

Note: Alternate cheeses for the Petit Basque include Barinaga Ranch, Abbaye de Bel’loc, or another caramelly Basque-style cheese.

  • 2 whole heads of garlic
  • 4 TBS olive oil, divided
  • 8 oz. gemelli or rotini pasta
  • 1/2 c. diced shallots (2 bulbs, peeled and roots removed)
  • 1 1/2 c. milk
  • 2 TBS butter
  • 2 TBS flour
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 10 oz. Petit Basque, shredded
  • 1 TBS chopped fresh chives
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Peel off most of the outer paper of the garlic heads, but leave the heads in one whole piece. Trim off the top 1/4 inch of the garlic with a sharp knife, slicing to reveal the tops of the cloves. Place the heads in a small baking dish, drizzle with 2 TBS of the olive oil, and cover with tinfoil. Roast for 1 hour, or until garlic is soft. Once garlic is cool enough to handle, remove from the oven and take the cloves out of the skins (they should separate easily, or you can squeeze them out). Mash the garlic cloves up and set aside in a bowl.
  2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the pasta until al dente according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
  3. Heat the remaining 2 TBS of olive oil in a small saucepan. Add the diced shallots and cook until golden-brown, about 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the saucepan and add to the bowl with the garlic. Add the milk to the saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until it just begins to steam and bubble, then pour into a bowl and set aside.
  4. Melt the butter in the saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook until nutty-smelling and golden brown, about 2-3 minutes, stirring the whole time. Slowly pour in the warm milk, whisking to incorporate as you do. Cook the milk, still whisking, until is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and stir in the garlic and the shallots. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then stir in the shredded cheese until completely melted. Toss with the cooked pasta and serve immediately, sprinkling each bowl with chives.

Croque Madame with Beer Cheese Sauce {Katie at the Kitchen Door}

Croque Madame with Beer Cheese Sauce

Recipe from The Craft Beer Cookbook. Serves 6.

  • 1 c. blonde ale
  • 2 c. shredded white cheddar
  • 1 c. whole milk
  • 2 TBS flour
  • 2 TBS cornstarch
  • 2 TBS butter
  • 6 focaccia or ciabatta buns
  • 1 pound cooked ham, sliced
  • 7 oz. sliced Swiss cheese
  • 6 large eggs
  1. Add the beer, cheddar, milk, flour and cornstarch to a blender, and process until smooth. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then add the blended cheese mixture to the pot. Cook, whisking continuously, until the cheese sauce has thickened to a spoonable consistency, which should take about 6-8 minutes. Once the sauce has thickened, remove from the heat and set aside.
  2. Split the buns in half and evenly divide the ham and Swiss cheese between the sandwiches. Close the sandwiches and cook on a panini press or bake in a 375°F oven until the cheese has melted (about 5 minutes in the oven). In the meantime, fry the eggs over medium heat in a frying pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray, removing the eggs from the heat when the whites have set but the yolks are still runny.
  3. Slice the sandwiches in half on the bias, then place on a plate and serve topped with generous spoonfuls of the beer cheese sauce and a fried egg. Serve immediately.