Relaxing on the Beach

 

A floppy hat, a classic beach chair and reading a good book at the water's edge are the essential ingredients for a perfect vacation day.  This 9x12 oil on canvas was painted from a photo of my beautiful daughter relaxing on the beach.  

Happy Thanksgiving

Mashed Potatoes - Make Ahead and Refrigerate

Mash Now, Eat Later - Makes 10 cups

The thought of peeling, cooking and cleaning up from mashed potatoes the day of a holiday is terrifying.   Therefore, my Thanksgiving dinner is all about doing as much as I can ahead of the big day. This recipe makes 12-16 servings and keeps in the refrigerator  for up to 10 days.  (Yes! 10 days!) 

As a working woman, I've learned that in order to plan a large dinner like this, organization and time management makes it all possible.  I make these mashed potatoes the Sunday before Thanksgiving, refrigerate them in baking dish, and bake them after I take the turkey out of the oven on Thanksgiving day.  The cream cheese and chives make this mashed potato version very flavorful and velvety smooth every time.  This Irish girl would not steer you wrong, you will love this mashed potato recipe!!!

5 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 - 8 oz package of cream cheese
1/2 cup of butter (1 stick)
2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Bring 4 cups of salted water to a boil in a large covered pot.   Add peeled and quartered potatoes and bring back to a boil, lower heat and cook for 20-25 minutes until tender.  Drain potatoes and return to the pot and mash the potatoes until smooth.  I prefer to use my KitchenAid mixer for this step.  Add cream cheese, butter, chives and salt & pepper and blend until incorporated.  Add the whipped potatoes to a buttered  2 qt. baking dish.  Let cool and then cover well with saran wrap and then tin foil. I then put a sticky note with cooking instructions on top and refrigerate.   On Thanksgiving day - remove from refrigerator early in the day and bring to room temperature. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes until heated through.  Put in a serving dish and give a good stir.

Tuscan Chicken, Kale & White Bean Stew

 

We were very fortunate to have survived Sandy's frightening wrath with only a couple of days without power (running on generator) and a few large tree branches down in the yard.  After a week of eating out or ordering take out and a snowy northeaster headed our way, I needed this dinner.

This stew was a welcoming meal for my family arriving home on our first snowy evening of the season. It started out as a soup, but when you need a knife, fork, and spoon to eat, it became a stew.  Don't be put off by the list of ingredients -- it's a one-pot dinner.  Braising the chicken thighs till the meat falls off the bone in a broth of vegetables with wine gives this dish over the top depth of favor.  Make sure you serve it with grated cheese and crusty bread.  For left-overs, I took the meat off the bone for an easy take-to-work lunch.

Tuscan Chicken, Kale & White Bean Stew 

Serves 4

8 chicken thighs, skin and fat removed.
2 links of hot turkey sausage
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1/8 teaspoon of crushed red pepper
1 sprig of rosemary
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 large onion, diced
3 small carrots, peeled and sliced
1 stalk of celery, diced
1 cup white wine ( I used Sauvignon Blanc)
2 cans chicken broth, low sodium
1 small can tomato sauce or one cup crushed tomatoes
1 cup canned white beans (rinsed)
2 cups of chopped kale
Grated parmesan Cheese

In a dutch oven, heat one tablespoon of olive oil and brown the links of turkey sausage over medium heat.  Remove sausage, slice, and set aside.  Salt & pepper the chicken thighs and add to dutch oven, brown on both sides.  Remove thighs, set aside and lower heat.  Add crushed pepper, onion, carrots and celery and sauté for a few minutes, then add the garlic.   Deglaze the pan with wine, add the chicken broth, tomato sauce, chicken thighs, and sausage.  Bring to a boil, lower heat, and add sprig of rosemary to the top.  Simmer for 45 minutes uncovered.  Remove rosemary sprig and add in the kale and continue to cook for another 15 minutes.  Stir in white beans.  Serve in large soup bowls with grated cheese and crusty bread.

Autumn Butternut Squash and Kale Rice Salad and Tuna Steaks

This autumn dinner is all about the side dish.  Not that the tuna steaks caught by the boys a few weeks ago weren't over the top, but the warm butternut squash and kale rice salad made it the autumn dinner we were looking for.  Since my daughter was in town and our Saturday consisted of our usual galavanting, I made the rice earlier in the day and prepped the kale.  When we got home I only needed to roast the vegetables and cook the tuna for a few minutes.  While we waited for the vegetables to roast, the house smelled of cinnamon and nutmeg, and we had time to  enjoy a glass a wine and an appetizer.  The perfect ending to a day of shopping.  This side dish makes enough for 6 people.  Leftovers  make a perfect lunch.  

1 cup of brown basmati rice
1/2 cup of black wild rice
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed (can buy already peeled and cubed)
1 medium red onion, diced 1/4 inch
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon agave nectar or honey
salt & pepper
olive oil 1 tbs for squash and 1 teaspoon for kale
1/4 cup of dried cranberries
1/4 cup of sunflower seeds
4 cups of kale, rinsed and chopped
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
juice of 1/2 lemon

Kale 

Place 4 cups of chopped kale in a separate bowl and dress with 1 teaspoon of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of cider vinegar, juice of a 1/2 lemon and salt & pepper.  Can be prepared and refrigerated a couple hours ahead of time.  The dressing will wilt the kale slightly. 

Wild Rice and Brown Basmati 

Can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to use.  

Soak 1/2 cup of wild rice in a cup of water for 15 minutes, drain and rinse.  Bring 1 cup of salted water to boil.  Add drained wild rice and bring to a boil.  Lower to a simmer and cook for 40 minutes.

Heat 2 1/2 cups water to a boil.  Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  Add Brown Basmati rice and bring to a boil.  Lower to a simmer and cover and cook for 40-45 minutes.

Butternut Squash & Red Onion

Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Peel and seed butternut squash.  Cut into 1/2 inch cubes.  Add squash and chopped red onion to  parchment paper lined, rimmed baking sheet.     Sprinkle with cinnamon, nutmeg, red pepper, agave nectar, and salt & pepper.  Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and mix with vegetables until coated with oil and spices.  Roast in a 425 degree oven for 30 minutes until cook through and nicely browned.

Place brown basmati and wild rice in the bottom of a serving bowl.  Add roasted vegetables, dressed kale, dried cranberries and sunflower seeds.  Mix together and serve.  

Tuna Steaks

2 Yellow Fin Tuna Steaks (Sushi grade), cut 1 1/4 inches thick

Rub steaks with olive oil and salt & pepper both sides

Heat a cast iron fry pan until very hot.  Add tuna and cook for one minute and 30 seconds.  Turn over and cook for one more minute.  It should be seared on both sides and very rare in the middle.    

Narragansett Inn's Outbuildings

Narragansett Inn Outbuildings

This painting is from a photograph I took on Block Island, RI this summer.  The Narragansett Inn sits on the shores of the Great Salt Pond with spectacular views of the marina.  Behind the Inn are several simple outbuildings that caught my eye on the way to the The Oar Restaurant for lunch. I experimented with a magenta underpainting, which I think was successful.  Oil on 5X7 Gessobord.

A Fish Story - Swordfish in Tomato Sauce with Capers and Olives

My husband and son love to fish to put it mildly.  They left on a 30 hour overnight tuna and swordfish trip - fishing the Hudson Canyon 110 miles off the Jersey coast last weekend.  Most of the time they come home from such trips with fish stories, but this time I wasn't prepared for the group to catch 300 lbs. of tuna and swordfish.  After cleaning, my husband and son took home their share of 60 lbs. of Long Fin, Yellow Fin tuna and Swordfish that needed to be cut and packaged. I ran out and purchased a Food Sealer and neighbors and friends lined up at my door for fresh fish.  It was unbelievable.

 Tonight's recipe is for Swordfish with tomato sauce with olives and capers.  I grilled the swordfish until just cooked and served it in red sauce with capers and olives and served with Spaghetti Squash.  I guess you could call it the catch of the day.

Swordfish over Tomato Sauce with Capers and Olives

2 Swordfish steaks cut 3/4 inch
1 cup of basic tomato sauce (I used my own, but your favorite jarred sauce will do)
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup mixed olives, pitted and chopped
salt & pepper
1 teaspoon of olive oil

Heat tomato sauce in a saucepan, add  capers and olives and simmer over low heat.  Heat a grill pan until very hot.  Wash and dry steaks, drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper.  Grill over high heat 3 minutes on one side, turn over and shut off heat and grill 1-2 minutes until just done.  Pour sauce on to each plate and place swordfish steak on top.

I served with Spaghetti Squash.  Buy a medium spaghetti squash.  Cut in half and place cut size down on a sheet pan that is covered with parchment.  Cook for 1 hour at 375 degrees.  Remove seeds and scrape the squash with a fork to remove squash.  Salt and Pepper and add a little butter.  Great with sauce.  Serve 2.