Category: MISC

From our house to yours we wish you a Happy New Year full of love, happiness, health and everything you deserve!

This is a perfect, crisp side for any meal, but especially loved by my family with a carb heavy meal.

SNAP PEA SALAD
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons avocado oil
2 tablespoons QUALITY honey
Juice of 1 FRESH lemon
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
2 LARGE green onions, minced
1 pound sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved

• Whisk together the vinegar, oil, honey, lemon juice, FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper until well blended.
• Add pea pieces and minced green onions to a medium bowl and toss together.
• Drizzle vinaigrette over top and toss again.
• Chill several hours before srving.
  

CRANBERRY LIME PIE 8 Servings adapted from Ann Redding & Matt Danzer

In this luscious pie, key lime meets a luscious cranberry curd to create a heavenly mouthful of flavor.

CRUST
4 ounces gingersnap cookies (about 16 if using Nabisco) (1 cup crumbs)
1 cup pecans
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons light brown sugar

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Pulse cookies in a food processor until very finely ground.
• Add pecans; pulse until finely ground.
• Add butter and brown sugar; pulsing to combine.
• Transfer to a deep 9″ pie dish. Using your fingers or a measuring cup, press firmly onto bottom and up sides of dish.
• Bake 10-15 minutes until firm and slightly darkened in color. If crust slides down sides, gently press back up.
• Let cool completely.


NOTE: Crust can be baked 1 day ahead. wrap tightly and store at room temperature.

FILLING & ASSEMBLY
1 12-ounce package FRESH (or frozen, thawed) cranberries, plus 4 ounces (about 1¼ cups) for serving OPTIONAL
1 cup + 1/2 cup + 1/2 cup + 1/2 cup sugar, divided
¼ orange juice
½ cup water
3 LARGE eggs
2 LARGE egg yolks
1 teaspoon FINELY grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons FINELY grated lime zest, divided
½ cup FRESH key lime juice
Pinch of kosher salt
¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces
Whipped cream (optional)

• Bring 12 ounces of the cranberries, 1 cup of the granulated sugar, and orange juice to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high. Reduce heat; simmer 12-15 minutes until cranberries burst and most of the liquid evaporates.
• Let cool.
• Purée in a blender until very smooth.

• Add the purée, eggs, egg yolks, lemon zest, lime juice, salt, ½ cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon of lime zest to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (bowl should not touch water), stirring with a rubber spatula 8-10 minutes and scraping down sides of bowl often, until curd thickens and coats spatula.
• Let cool until just warm.

• Using an electric mixer on medium-high, beat curd about 5 minutes, adding butter a piece at a time and incorporating after each addition, until curd looks lighter in color and texture.
• Scrape into crust and chill until firm, about 2 hours.


• OPTIONAL from here: Bring ½ cup granulated sugar and ½ cup water to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar.
• Add remaining 4 ounces of the cranberries and cook 1 minute until barely starting to soften.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer cranberries to a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet.
• Chill 20–30 minutes until no longer sticky.

• Toss remaining ½ cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon lime zest in a small bowl.
• Toss chilled cranberries in lime sugar.
• Top pie with cranberries; serve with whipped cream if desired.



NOTE: Pie can be made 2 days ahead. Cover once filling is firm and keep chilled. Let sit at room temperature 2 hours before serving.

BLENDED 5 CHEESE PASTA adapted from Ree Drummond  serves 8

1 pound fusilli (or desired shape)
6 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
2 teaspoons chopped FRESH thyme
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic, grated
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Fontina cheese
1/2 cup grated white Cheddar
1/2 cup grated Romano
1/2 cup grated Gruyère
FRESH ground sea salt AND black pepper, to taste
1 cup mozzarella balls, quartered
3 green onions, sliced thin and separated (greens are for garnish)

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Add the pasta and cook for 1 to 2 minutes less than the package instructions.
  Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then drain and set aside.
• Cook the bacon in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes.
• With a slotted spoon remove bacon pieces to paper toweling to drain and remove all but 1 tablespoon of bacon grease. Add butter to melt.
• Add the thyme, onions and garlic to the skillet and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and cook until mostly evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add the cream and heat until bubbly, 30 seconds.
• Gradually add the fontina, Cheddar, Romano and Gruyère in handfuls, letting each melt into the cream before adding the next cheese.
• Add the pasta to the skillet along with a good pinch of salt and pepper and half the bacon pieces, tossing everything together, thinning with the reserved pasta water as needed.
• Divide the pasta into 8-ounce individual gratin dishes or 1 baking dish.
• Place casserole on a baking sheet.
• Divide the mozzarella pearl pieces over the top of the pasta.
• Position oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to broil.
• Broil 3-4 minutes on the center rack until the mozzarella pearls are brown and the pasta is bubbling.
• Remove and garnish with the remaining cooked bacon and sliced green onions.