Leftover Remix: Green Bean Casserole

Wondering what to do with all those leftovers from Thanksgiving? Tired of thanksgiving dinner over and over... Well to get rid of my leftovers I decided to mix it up.  

Tonight was not your standard leftovers just heated up... tonight was Green Bean Pasta!

It was actually very easy and tasty!

1. Boil water and cook Pasta

2. Saute Garlic and Red Pepper in Olive Oil

3. Add white wine and left over green bean casserole. 

4. Add rosemary sprigs, but don't off the leaves.  You will want to take them out after it is done cooking.  

5. Add turkey slices and the cooked pasta. 

6. EAT! 

Please note I did not include measurements because leftovers vary.  For this recipe I used 1/3 of the green bean casserole in a 1.5 Qt pan. 

Friendsgiving Potluck! (My First Turkey!)

 Well Holiday Season has begun! 

What better way to start it out other than a Friendsgiving! I mean, I am really thankful for my friends and all and it is another excuse to make a huge feast and celebrate.   

Friendsgiving 2012

Last year I was only daring enough to buy the Costco Turkey Breast with Veggies already chopped and ready to put in the oven, but this year dark meat was in high demand.  So with a little convincing and encouragement from Andrew, we went for the whole 15lb turkey! 

After defrosting and drying, I caressed the breast and gave a very sensual butter rub down.  I must say I have never been that intimate with a dead animal, but it was all for a crisp and juicy bird!  Next, I stuffed it with chopped veggies, orange slices, herbs, and garlic.  Then poured vegetable broth and a splash of orange juice around the turkey to roast.  Covered it and cooked it for 3 1/2 hours at 325.  Every 30 min I pulled it out and gave it a nice broth bath.  This turkey sure received the royal treatment.  

After it 3 1/2 hours I removed the foil cover, rubbed it down with the other half of the butter and put it back in the oven uncovered until the built in thermometer popped.  

 While the turkey cooked we ate my festive winter squash dip (inspired by Martha Stewart's Recipe here) and sipped Manhattans and wine. 

Note: I did not add the sour cream or pepitas, and I added 4 additional chipotle peppers.  I thought it tasted great, but needed some additional texture.  

The spread was quite a feast!  I was thankful everyone brought a dish! I don't know how people create a Thanksgiving dinner with one oven and one day! 

 

Andrew & Jack's Giblet/Neck Gravy!

Pillsbury's Crescent Rolls

Jessica & Scott's Apple Rosemary Stuffing

David's Scalloped Potatoes (Don't mind the color, they were delicious)

Cranberry, Cranberry, and Gravy

Jack's Corn and Bacon Salad

My Yukon Gold Garlic Mashed Potatoes 

Scott our turkey carver and Andrew and I!

The Grand Finale: My beautiful TURKEY! 

Our Friendsgiving Potluck Feast & cheers to a successful first turkey. 

TAMALE NIGHT!!!! (By FOOD & WINE: Entertaining)

I love FOOD & WINE Magazine! They read my mind and provide me with recipes and ideas I have been thinking about as we change the seasons.  As we entered into the holiday months (by the way I CANNOT believe it is already NOVEMBER!) I wanted to try making tamales!

While reading the October Food & Wine Magazine, I stumbled upon tamale recipes and a guide on how to throw a Tamale Making Party! Sounds like my kind of party... So we put it on the calendar.  The Sunday before we prepped the chicken, salsa, and masa dough, and then all we had to do was assemble and steam!

Here are the recipes from FOOD & WINE Magazine (I subscribe via nook, and on my iPad take screen shots to save my favorite articles):

 And to guide us in assembling the tamales, I zoomed in on the instructions to Assemble & Steam the Tamales and displayed with my iPad connection cord on our TV... I know I am a nerd!

While they were steaming we enjoyed wine and appetizers while we chatted... and ummm browsed Facebook, wedding pictures, and wedding videos together on my iPad displayed on our new 55in TV!  

Happy (Belated) Birthday Andrew!!!

Happy Birthday Andy!!! 

Can't wait to spend year 26 with you! Love you <3

Here is the link to the Oreo cake.

Fall Stews in 5 Steps

I recently bought myself a new camera, like a 'real' camera!  I am pretty excited, but I have no idea how to use it.  So each day it is a learning experience, but they have an amazing automatic setting that I lean on while I learn.  

I have been documenting my fall stews with the new camera, look how amazing these photos are.  (Well compared to my iPhone and Instagram pictures.) 

Red Thai Curry Soup

Ingredients:

Sweet Potatoes

Zucchini

Muchrooms

Chicken Breast

Chicken Broth

Red Curry Paste

Light Coconut Milk

Cilantro 

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

1. Cook the Chicken in Olive Oil

2. Add chopped sweet potatoes, zucchini, and mushrooms and cook until soft

3. Add red curry paste

4. Add Chicken Broth and Coconut Milk and cook for 45 minutes

5. Plate and then top with cilantro. 

Butternut Squash with Chicken Sausage and Ravioli Soup

Ingredients: 

Trader Joe's Butternut Squash Low Sodium Soup

Trader Joe's Arugala and Parmesan Ravioli

Trader Joe's Chicken Sausage

Trader Joe's butternut squash

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

Chipotle Oil

1. Remove the Sausage from the casing and brown in olive oil

2. Add the Trader Joe's Butternut Squash Low Sodium Soup

3. Add the Trader Joe's Arugala and Parmesan Ravioli

4. Cook until the ravioli is completely cooked. 

5. Plate and drizzle Chipotle Oil.

The Taste of Sin

For most, Vegas is a place filled with sex, gambling, drugs, and crime, but my biggest sin in sin city is the FOOD! Each year when Andrew and I make a trip to Vegas, we stake out the new and exciting restaurants and indulge in this guilty pleasure.  This year we decided we would aim for $$ rather than $$$ and $$$$, it was still just as fun and delicious.   

Pumpkin Spice Latte to start out the trip, it was my first of the year!

Our first dinner in Vegas was at FIRST Food & Bar, how fitting! We started with Doritos Mac & Cheese... which Andrew called disgusting! And then he took his first bite... I think this may have been the best thing we ate this trip! For Dinner I had the Panko crusted Cod with a Red Curry sauce, it was delicious, but I had to ask for more sauce!!!  Andrew had the Skirt Steak with the chorizo hash and sunny side up eggs, this was awesome! As you can see he ate it all, but was feeling quite stuffed.  

Our first show of the trip was Mystere, Cirque du Soleil.  This was awesome! I think there isn't a bad seat in the house, and the performers were amazing.  My favorite was an act by two of the men, it was crazy what they did, but I don't want to spoil it for anyone. And of course, I had to have carmel corn! 

 Margaritaville! 

I was looking forward to these NACHOS for a month before we went to Vegas!!! Andrew didn't believe me that they were enough to feed both of us, so he insisted we order a burger and wings too! 

 So I realized that I could spend 20 bucks at the gross Mexican restaurant or spend 20 bucks at a cool place like Mesa Grill by my boy Bobby Flay for lunch in Vegas!  Andrew was still at his training so I walked over to Caesars Palace and had lunch by myself at one of my favorite places! This was a spicy chicken sweet potato hash with poached egg, and his AMAZING sauces!  

I love this picture of Andrew with Elmo and Bert! 

We wanted steak for dinner this night, so we found a steakhouse that had really good reviews that wasn't too pricy, Brand Steakhouse.  We mapped it out on Yelp and navigated our way to where the pin was and we arrived in the casino at the Bellagio, but Brand was nowhere to be found.  Plan B, we reviewed all the menus in the casino, and decided to eat at Circo.  This circus themed restaurant served 5 star italian food with a view of the fountain show.  

We decided to order a tasting menu to share and a margarita pizza.  

Play the video to see our beautiful dessert! 

I loved this couch! 

After dinner we went to Absinthe, a new show in Vegas! It was hilarious, provocative, and quite impressive.  I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a show in vegas! 

As most chocolate lovers would do, I have been dreaming about Max Brenner since I initially researched Vegas on a Budget.  There was chocolate everywhere and I was excited.  Well I think I built it up a little too much... I was pretty disappointed.  The drink was a little curdled, the waffle was disgusting, the toppings were ok, but for being a CHOCOLATE place, the chocolate was very disappointing! I think the best thing was Andrew's burger (Not pictured)! 

Wondering the Strip we saw street performer Turf from America's Got Talent, but he wasn't performing. :( 

Our last dinner in Vegas we went to the Buffet of Buffets.  Wicked Spoon at the Cosmopolitan.  This buffet had everything!  We arrived a little late, so we had to grab everything before they closed the kitchen! We had to move to a 4 person table to accommodate all of our plates.  My favorites: 

Braised Short ribs on Polenta

Crab Legs

Butternut Squash Duck Ravioli

Shrimp & Grits

Cookies & Cream Gelato

Wish I could have tried the Make-Your-Own Mac-n-Cheese... but it was CLOSED!