Author: bhills61

Grain and Green Salad with Grilled Shrimp

(recipe serves 8 as a main course salad)

2 C red quinoa, uncooked

2 – 5 ounce bags of baby arugula

1 English cucumber, peeled and seeds removed

1 C Sweety Drop Peppers

I searched high and low for these and finally went to Amazon. They are worth the effort.

1/2 C dry roasted, salted sunflower seeds

1 watermelon radish, halved and thinly sliced on a mandolin

WOW! Color and intense flavor.

Pickled red onions

24-30 large shrimp, deveined, shells removed and grilled

Chile/Ginger vinaigrette

For quinoa:

Rinse quinoa in a fine sieve. Place into a large pot and add 4 C of water and 2 t of salt. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and cover. Simmer quinoa for about 15 minutes until water has evaporated. Spread cooked quinoa on a baking sheet for cooling.

For shrimp:

Use 21/25 shrimp. Thaw and rinse. Pat dry. Preheat a grill pan over medium high heat. Lightly brush shrimp with olive oil. Place shrimp onto a preheated grill pan. Spritz both sides of the shrimp with salt and pepper. Grill until just cooked through.

For dressing:

1/3 C rice wine vinegar

Zest of one orange

1/2 t red pepper flakes

1/2 t salt

grated fresh ginger, about a 1 inch piece

1/2 C of Fischer and Wieser’s Mango Habanero Sauce

1 C olive oil

Combine all ingredients except olive oil in a pitcher. Use an immersion blender, process ingredients until well combined. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while running the immersion blender. Process until smooth emulsification occurs.

For service:

Combine all ingredients and dress. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Sweet Potato Soup with Pasilla Chiles

(recipe serves 8)

1/4 C of olive oil

4 carrots, peeled and diced
4 stalks celery, diced
1 1/2 small yellow onions, diced
6-7 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
S & P

1/4 C apple cider vinegar

4-5 Pasilla chiles, torn into pieces, seeds and stems removed
2 Gala apples, peeled and chopped
4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunky pieces

2 cinnamon sticks, bundle with kitchen twine
4 bay leaves
4-5 whole cloves
1/2 t red pepper flakes
1 heaping teaspoon of chipotle puree
2 t salt

Puree a small can of chipotle in adobo sauce. If necessary, add a small amount of water.

8 C chicken stock
1 C orange juice

In a large preheated soup pot, add olive oil, carrots, celery, onions and garlic. Add a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. Do not stir. Allow the vegetable mixture to caramelize over medium high heat before stirring. A LITTLE BIT OF PAN STICKING IS GOOD. You can smell the caramelization occur. Continue to cook vegetables allowing for a generous browning. Adjust heat down if burning begins to occur. Adding salt to the mixture will extract water from the vegetables. You want to continue to cook the aromatics until the water evaporates and browning occurs.

Add cider vinegar. Scrape up pan bits. Add 4 C of stock. Add chiles, apples, sweet potatoes, cinnamon, bay leaves, cloves, red pepper flakes, chipotle puree and salt.
Mix well. Add remaining 4 C of stock and orange juice. Bring to a boil. Cover and lower heat to medium low. Simmer until potatoes, apples and chiles are tender. YOUR HOUSE WILL SMELL FANTASTIC 😉

Remove from heat. Allow soup to cool before placing in the refrigerator, uncovered, for overnight magic!

The next day, remove soup and puree. Using a blender, puree the soup in batches until smooth. Place soup back into a pan for reheating. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. If consistency is too thick, add an additional amount of stock.

Garnish with orange creme fraiche, pumpkin seeds and golden raisins. A chili corn chip makes a nice garnish.

I used the combo corn/flour tortillas. They create a perfect texture when baked. Available at HEB.

For chips: Lightly brush each side of the tortilla with olive oil. Sprinkle chili powder and Kosher salt on one side. Cut tortilla in half and place on a cookie sheet. Place into a preheated 375 degree oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Rotate cookie sheet and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Make sure your chili powder is not too old. Fresh chili powder is the ticket for full flavor.

BIG EZ PANINI

(recipe makes 4 sandwiches)

1 – 14.65 ounce can of artichoke hearts (not marinated), drained
1 – 12 ounce jar of roasted red peppers, drained
1 – 5 ounce jar of Manzanilla olives, drained

1 t dried oregano
1/2 t red pepper flakes
1/4 t salt
2 T EVOO
Zest of one small lemon

1 pound of Black Forest Ham, thinly shaved
4 – 6 slices of Provolone cheese
12 -16 slices of Italian Salami

Coarse grain mustard

4 – ciabatta rolls

Olive oil for brushing rolls

Place artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, Manzanilla olives, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, EVOO and zest in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Coarsely chop and combine ingredients using very short pulses.

Make four even piles of ham on a parchment lined baking sheet. Layer salami on top. Place slices of provolone on top of that. Place into a preheated 350 degree oven to warm meats and melt cheese.

Slice ciabatta rolls in half. Place a generous portion of artichoke mix on the bottom slice of bread. Place warmed meat and cheese mounds on top of artichoke mix. Spread an even layer of coarse grain mustard on the top half of the roll. Place on top. Brush roll with a light coating of olive oil and place sandwich on a panini press. Lower press and grill until oozing cheese is dripping and the roll is lightly crisp.

Slice sandwich in half on the diagonal and serve warm.

Serve with highmade pickled veggies, kettle chips and a pale ale. Yummers, as CR would say!

MAGIC BARS

(recipe makes one 9” x 13” baking sheet)

1 1/2 C graham cracker crumbs
1/2 C coconut for crust
1 stick butter, melted

1 1/2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 C walnut pieces, lightly toasted
1 C coconut for topping
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Lightly coat a 9” x 13” baking sheet with non-stick spray. Make sure sides are sprayed too. Press a sheet of parchment paper into the pan. Trim away excess paper.

Combine graham cracker crumbs, 1/2 C coconut and butter. Evenly press crumb mix into the baking pan using the bottom of a measuring cup.

Evenly spread chocolate chips, walnuts and coconut over the top of the crumbs. Drizzle condensed milk over the top. Make sure to drizzle along the edges and corners.

Place baking pan into a preheated 350 degree oven. Bake for 15 minutes. Rotate pan and bake for an additional 12-15 minutes more or until golden. Remove baking sheet and cool bars on a cooling rack. Wait until bars are completely cooled before cutting into squares. Using the edges of the parchment paper, lift the bars out of the baking sheet onto a cutting board. Cut into squares. They hold well for several days in an airtight container.

White Bean and Chorizo Soup

(serves 8-10 with leftovers)

olive oil

3-4 sprigs of fresh rosemary

1 1/2 yellow onions, diced
5 carrots, diced
5-6 celery stalks, diced
8-10 garlic cloves, minced

3 T tomato paste
1/2 C white wine

1 pound Northern beans, soaked overnight and drained

1 t red pepper flakes
4 whole cloves
5-6 bay leaves
2 pieces of parmesan rind, 2”-3” pieces
8 C chicken stock

1 package dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in 4 C hot water

1 package Spanish style chorizo, links cut into smaller pieces

3 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, cut into thin strips
3-4 handfuls of kale

“The Soul of The Soup”:
Place about a 1/4 C of olive into a preheated soup pot. Place rosemary into oil and allow some sizzle. You are perfuming the oil! Add onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Add a generous spritz of salt and pepper. Sauté vegetables until they soften. Add tomato paste and continue to sauté over medium heat. Some sticking to the pot is desirable. Just no burning. Once the color darkens and sticking occurs, add white wine for deglazing. Increase heat and bring mixture to a boil.

Lower heat and add beans, red pepper flakes, cloves, bay leaves, parmesan rinds and chicken stock. Through a fine mesh strainer, add mushroom soaking liquid to pot. Chop softened mushrooms and add to pot. Bring this mixture to a boil. Lower heat and cover. Cook until beans soften.
Once beans soften, add chorizo, sun-dried tomatoes and kale. Continue to cook over low heat until tomatoes soften. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve soup with an additional sprinkle of parmesan cheese and chopped fresh rosemary.

Orange Cinnamon Sugar Cookies with Jam Center

(makes 17-18 large cookies)

2 1/4 C flour
1/2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt

1 1/2 C sugar
2 ounces cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces, room temperature
Zest of half an orange

6 T butter, melted and warm

1/3 C vegetable oil
1 egg, room temperature
1 T half and half
2 t vanilla

1/3 C additional sugar and 1/2 t cinnamon for coating and sprinkling

Raspberry jam

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, soda, powder and salt. Whisk to combine. In a separate bowl, combine sugar, cream cheese and orange zest. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, mix well. Press the cream cheese and zest into the sugar. Add warm butter and stir to combine. Add oil, egg, half and half and vanilla. Stir to mix well. Add flour mix to butter mix and stir to combine well. You will have a soft dough.

In a small bowl, mix an additional amount of sugar with cinnamon.

Using a #24 ice cream scoop or a 1/4 C measuring cup, scoop out dough portions and form them into balls. Place dough portions in bowl of sugar/cinnamon and toss to coat. Place dough portions on a parchment lined baking sheet. Using a measuring cup, slightly flatten each dough portion. Make a small indention in the center of each. Spoon about a 1/2 t of raspberry jam into each indention. Sprinkle each cookie with an additional amount of sugar/cinnamon mix.

Place cookies (no more that 9 per baking sheet) into a preheated 350 degree oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Rotate pan and bake for an additional 7 minutes. Cookies will be lightly golden and cracked. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Remove cookies to a wire rack for further cooling. These cookies hold well for several days. A perfect mix of crispy and chewy.

Celebrate the Season!

Have you bought your tickets yet? The concert/buffet is a special evening which benefits our local boys and girls club AND puts you in the Christmas spirit. Seating is limited.

The music is uplifting.

The talent is extraordinary.

The champagne buffet is delectable.

Generous underwriters offset the various costs for the evening allowing the full ticket price to go directly to the club. Purchase your tickets today at High’s Cafe & Store.

Highmadefood recommends these recipes for your Thanksgiving Holiday!

BREADS/MUFFINS

Apricot White Chocolate Scones

Chunky Apple Muffin

Cranberry Orange Scone

Cranberry Pistachio Bread

Orange Pecan Muffin

Pear Ginger Muffin

Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins

SALADS

Broccoli Salad

Brussels Sprout Salad

Farro and Beet Salad

Quinoa with Roasted Butternut Squash

Spinach Salad

SIDES

Apple Cranberry Chutney

Chili Spiced Pecans

Cranberry Compote

Red Onion Marmalade

SOUPS

Corn Chowder

Cream of Cauliflower

Curried Butternut Squash

SWEETS

Carrot Cake

Chocolate Chipotle Tart

Italian Cream Cake

Maple Pumpkin Creme Brulee

Molasses Spice Cookie with Orange Glaze

Pears Poached in Red Wine

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Pumpkin Tart

Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee

White Chocolate Apricot Bread Pudding

Cranberry Orange Scones with Glaze

(recipe makes 8 large or 10 smaller scones)

2 1/2 sticks butter, cut into a small dice and chilled in the freezer

4 C flour
1/4 C sugar
2 T powder
2 t salt
1 t cinnamon

The best cinnamon. Available online.

4 eggs
Zest from one orange
1 t orange extract

1 1/2 C fresh cranberries, cut in half

Heavy cream

Egg wash (one egg beaten with 1/4 C heavy cream, mix well with a fork)

Glaze:

Juice from one orange
1 C powder sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
(Combine ingredients and whisk until smooth. Add additional amounts of powdered sugar to achieve a thick, smooth consistency.)

Place eggs, extract and zest into a pourable container.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, place flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Using the paddle attachment, stir to combine well. Break up chilled butter pieces into the flour mix making sure to avoid large clumps of butter. Pulse mixer to combine. Add eggs to the flour/butter mix, one at a time, while pulsing the mixer to incorporate. Add cranberries…always pulsing the mixer to combine. The dough will look “sandy”. Add small amounts of cream while pulsing the mixer to combine. You just want to pull the dough together. It should not be wet.

Evenly press dough into a 10-inch cake pan that has been sprayed with non-stick baking spray.

Place dough in the freezer for about 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove dough from freezer and invert the cake pan onto a wooden cutting board that has been lightly floured. Cut dough into 8 or 10 portions. Place portions on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick baking spray. Brush tops of scones with egg wash. Place into oven and bake for 12 minutes. Rotate baking sheet and cook for another 12-13 minutes or until the thickest part of the scone feels “set”. Remove scones and allow cooling for about 10 minutes on the baking sheet. Then, remove scones to a cooling rack for further cooling. Once cool, drizzle with glaze.

Cranberry Pistachio Bread

(recipe makes 5 smaller loaves)

3 C flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt

1 1/2 C fresh cranberries, cut in half
3/4 C pistachios

10 T butter, softened
Zest from 2 oranges
1 C sugar
2 t orange extract

1 1/2 C plain yogurt

Turbinado sugar for topping

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, powder, soda and salt. Whisk to combine. Add cranberries and pistachios. Stir to combine.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add butter and orange zest. Using the paddle attachment, beat until smooth and well combined. Add sugar and orange extract. Beat until smooth and lightened.

With machine on lowest speed, add flour mix and yogurt alternately beginning and ending with the flour mix. Finish incorporating by hand.

Divide mix evenly into loaf pans that have been sprayed generously with non-stick baking spray. Sprinkle a generous amount of turbinado sugar on tops of loaves. Place loaves into a preheated 375 degree oven. Bake for 15 minutes, rotate baking sheet and bake for another 15 minutes or until just set on top. Remove loaf pans to a cooling rack for about 10 minutes before unmolding.