This past weekend, I devoted the majority of my time to relaxing, laughing and eating with some of my closest family members. I took few photos of my food and barely looked at my iPhone. It was glorious.
With that being said, I don't have my own photos to share with you in this post, but I can tell you two things I made for two separate family festivities. The first was Martha's
My revisions: I eliminated the peppercorns and used dried thyme, since that's what I had on hand. I also had some three-pepper goat cheese and plain goat cheese, so I used both in my dip. Here's the adapted recipe.
Easy Goat Cheese Appetizer
-8 to 12 ounces goat cheese (plain or flavored), broken into large chunks
-1 tbsp. olive oil, divided
-1/2 tsp. dried thyme
-Crushed red pepper flakes
-Sliced baguette or crackers, for serving
Directions:
1.) Place cheese in a small ovenproof dish; drizzle with half of the olive oil. Baked the goat cheese at 325 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown.
2.) Remove the dish from the oven, drizzle with the remaining olive oil, and garnish with thyme and red pepper flakes. Serve with sliced baguette or crackers.
This appetizer was insanely easy to make, and it ended up being a huge hit with my family. I mean, let's be honest: how can anyone not like warm goat cheese?
The second dish I made was an entree. Every year, my older sister, myself and two of our cousins offer to make my grandparents dinner. It's our Christmas gift to them, and they (not to mention we) really enjoy it. This year, it was my turn to make the entree. I wanted to make something comforting and flavorful, while still being pleasing to everyone's palate. Thankfully, I stumbled upon
this recipe by Aida Mollenkamp.
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| Source: www.foodnetwork.com |
Vegetarian Pot Pie
Yields: 8 servings
-1 tbsp. olive oil
-1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
-2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
-12 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced
-1 small russet potato, peeled and diced
-1/4 cup whole wheat flour
-1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
-1 cup whole milk
-1 cup frozen green peas
-1 tbsp. dried parsley
-1 egg yolk
-Frozen pie crust, defrosted
Directions:
1.) Heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a heavy saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and carrots, and cook until just soft and onions are translucent, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and potato, season well with salt and black pepper, and stir to coat. Cook, stirring rarely, until mushrooms have let off water and are shrunken, about 6 minutes.
2.) Sprinkle flour over vegetables, stir to coat, and cook until raw flavor is gone, about 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully add broth and milk, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
3.) Remove from heat, add peas and parsley, and stir to coat. Season well with salt and black pepper. Pour filling into an 8 by 8-inch baking dish.
4.) Whisk egg together with 2 teaspoons water and a pinch of salt until evenly mixed. Set aside. Carefully, take defrosted pie dough and place it over filling. Tuck the dough into the edges of the dish. Brush dough with egg wash and cut slits in the top to vent.
5.) Place on a baking sheet and bake until crust is golden brown and mixture is bubbling, about 25 to 30 minutes. Let sit at least 5 minutes before serving.
Um...let's just say this pot pie came out bomb dot com. Even though I used very few spices, the flavors of the broth, vegetables and buttery crust made this one flavorful and comforting dish. My grandparents also loved the meal, which I served with a simple mesclun green salad and sliced bread.
It was a wonderful weekend spent with some of my favorite people on planet earth, with some delicious food to boot. I wish every weekend could be like that!
