Gourmet Food on a Budget — Ever Forward, Ever Flavorful
Recipes and tips for foods you might want to serve for a holiday celebration, special occasions, or just because you want something a little fancy.
Moist chicken in a Graniteware roaster to keep moisture in and have nice crispy skin. Easy enough for a weeknight dinner, elegant enough for guests.
Colcannon with bacon and cheddar, is my take on the traditional Irish dish that can be served as a side or stand on its own. Thrifty, filling, and delicious.
Pi Day Quiche, presenting for your pleasure, Ham and Leek Quiche for National Pi Day. Pi Day is an annual celebration of the mathematical constant π (pi). Pi Day is observed on March 14 (3/14 in the month/day format) since 3, 1, and 4 are the first three significant digits of π. In 2009, the United States House of Representatives supported the designation of Pi Day.
This happens to be my favorite quiche combination. It is so simple to make, you can have it on a work night, then have leftovers for lunch the next day. It’s great with a salad.
I made this a few years ago and forgot about it. It languished in my recipe box for many years, until as I was going through it to see what I could remove, I came across it and thought I should try it again.
It’s delicious. But be warned – if you don’t like blue cheese, you won’t like this. If you don’t like red wine, you won’t like this either. This is not a traditional risotto, it is very assertive and needs to be served with well-marinated beef. I think broccoli goes very well with this and steams quite quickly while the roast rests. Serve with a nice red wine and Sour Cherry Jellies for dessert.
You all have to forgive my surfer platter. Under the roast, it says “Seas & Greetings” – I just couldn’t resist it for the holidays a few years ago, and it has served me well.
For years, I have been thinking about making a gingerbread house. When I was growing up in Germany, the bakery downstairs had an amazing nativity set in their display window. All people and animals were made from marzipan, the buildings were made of gingerbread, and the snow was spun sugar. It must have taken them days to make it all. My mother would get me a marzipan apple if I was really good.
A few years ago, at a garage sale, I found a castle shaped Nordicware bundt pan. It languished on my shelf until I had the brilliant idea to use it to make a gingerbread cake. There is no need to assemble anything, so no need to make royal icing. Piped buttercream works perfectly. This cake tastes better if it can sit for a day without being disturbed.
Christmas gifts from the kitchen are wonderful to give to your friends, neighbors, family, and co-workers. Yes, it takes a little of your time, but the recipients will love it because it shows that you spent time and effort making the gift. It’s also great to have on hand if unexpected guests arrive, they can always go home with one of your homemade gifts.
I came home from work and I really wanted pizza. I don’t really like commercial pizza because it has so much salt, and it’s relatively expensive when you compare it to what you can make at home.
It’s easy to make at home. The dough comes together in about 10 minutes, and then you can sit and relax for an hour while it rises. I preheat the oven to about 450 and get all the ingredients for my pizza and have them at hand. I had some leftover pieces of cheese, leftover canned whole tomatoes, leftover pizza sauce, and some leftover garlic butter. All that stuff went into my pizza. The juice from the tomatoes became the best Bloody Mary I have ever had in my life.
I like to make my own red sauce, and I like fresh tomatoes on my pizza. I used to use fresh plum tomatoes, but now I discovered that I like the whole canned San Marzano tomatoes much better.
I graduated from Immaculate Heart High School in Hollywood, California. So did Meghan Markle, now Duchess of Sussex. You know, when one of the girls gets married to Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex and the wedding is shown on live television, you have to get up at 4 o’clock in the morning to watch. That was the first time I made scones because I wanted something to celebrate and have with my winter forest tea. I have always been biscuit challenged, they come out flat as a pancake. It seems, however, that scones, which are in the biscuit family are not beyond me, and actually come out pretty good.
This Thanksgiving Guide is not only for that big holiday, it can be used for any celebration you are considering hosting. You are, after all, the best host. You can absolutely do this. Be sure and get my book, Talking Turkey, which will help you with planning and timing.
When I posted this on Instagram, a lot of people said it looked delicious. I told them it was, and I wasn’t lying. The recipe is based on Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Stuffed Chicken, which my good friend, Maria de la Rocha had posted quite a long time ago. I had been meaning to make it, but when I actually looked at the recipe, I realized there were some changes I could make to make a better dish.
Spane’s favorite appetizer is what I call Spicy Ham Rolls. It’s basically ham slices rolled up with cream cheese and chopped jalapeño. I got the recipe from a girl I worked with that had given her leftovers from a party she had had. When I make them, they are gone immediately!
If you make this, you can use whatever barbecue sauce you like, or you can use the one in the recipe. If you really don’t like jalapeño, you can omit it and use bell pepper instead.