Goat Cheese, Apple and Walnut Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette

After my mom and I had this at a restaurant I went on a quest to recreate it. The unique flavors all combined together made my tastebuds tingle. The only problem - the perfect dressing. Store-bought dressings were out - too sweet or simply did not match the flavors of the salad. Then I came across this one from Cooking Light. I had to alter slightly because the original recipe was way too tart, nay, it was downright harsh to the tastebuds. The key is to whisk in the olive oil. This allows the oil to emulsify with the other liquid ingredients. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator but note that extra virgin olive oil does solidify when chilled.

Some of you may turn up your nose to goat cheese. But these days there are lots of brands out there that cater to "tender tongues" as in the flavor is mild. The cheese is pricier than other kinds of cheese but a little does go a long way. Use either oven-toasted walnuts or candied ones. For a time saver, one of my favorite brands to have on hand are glazed walnuts from Emerald Nuts (see picture of product below). I keep a pouch in the pantry and just a few of these walnuts in each serving add a ton of flavor.

Salad:

Spring mix baby greens

Goat cheese, crumbled or roughly sliced

Braeburn apples, chopped

Walnuts
Red onions, chopped

Mustard Vinaigrette:

3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

3 Tbsp Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp honey

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

Combine lemon juice, Dijon mustard and honey in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil until well combined. Whisk in remaining ingredients.

Spicy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

Nothing is better in January than some piping hot, homemade soup. This is a favorite of mine, but maybe that's just because I like spicy. You may reduce the amount of jalapenos in it to meet personal or family preference. It comes together quickly and is perfectly healthy.

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

3 large carrots, diced

3 celery stalks, diced

1 Tbsp finely chopped jalapeno (canned or fresh)

1 (4 oz) can chopped green chiles

1 tsp Bon Appetit seasoning

3 (14 oz) cans chicken broth

3 cups cooked long grain and wild rice mix

2 cups chopped, cooked chicken

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in Dutch oven or large sauce pan over medium high heat. Stir in onion, carrot and celery. Saute for 5 minutes. Add jalapeno and green chilies and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Sprinkle with Bon Appetit seasoning and slowly stir in chicken broth. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and continue simmering until heated through.

Chocolate-Marshmallow Pillows

These are cookies, not pillows but I probably could rest my head on a few of them if my regular pillows went missing. I made these for the first time the other day. The 2009 prize-winning recipe for Betty Crocker. Go here for the recipe. It's easy, fast and and oh my chocolately goodness!

*Note: The only change I made to this recipe is to replace the semi sweet chocolate chips for milk chocolate chips in the frosting. Personal preference.

Cream Cheese Meltaway Cookies

These are similar to Mexican wedding cookies or Danish wedding cookies, but have the mild tang of cream cheese. Easy to make; they are small so you can pop one in your mouth right after the other. Little sweet snowy confections that melt in your mouth!

1/2 cup butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups flour
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
Dash salt
1 cup finely chopped pecans
Confectioners' sugar

In a small bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, sugar and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in pecans (dough will be crumbly).

Shape tablespoonfuls into balls. Place 2" apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten each cookie ball slightly. Bake at 375° for 9-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Carefully roll warm cookies in confectioners' sugar. Cool on wire racks. Makes 2 dozen.

Favorites: Beef Rouladen

Pronounced "roo law dun". This is one of my favorite hearty winter dinners. The inexpensive cut of beef turns into a deliciously tender dish perfectly accompanied with the gravy and mashed potatoes. Ask the person in the meat department to thinly slice your top round steak to make this recipe come together even easier. They'll do it at no cost.

As a side note: The Huz detests onions more than any other food. So when I make this dish for him, I skip the onions and replace them with 8 oz of sliced button mushrooms sauteed before rolling up in the beef.

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

8 slices top round steak (1/4" thick - about 2 lbs)

Salt and pepper

8 bacon strips

1 large onion, cut in thin wedges

2 Tbsp canola oil

6 cups beef broth

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/3 cup cold water

Chopped fresh parsley

Lightly spread mustard on one side of each slice of beef. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. In the center, place one bacon strip and a few onion wedges. Roll up tightly and secure with 1-2 wooden toothpicks.

Heat oil in a large saute pan (or a skillet that has a lid) over medium-high heat. When oil is heated and bubbly, add prepared beef rolls and sear on each side. Slowly pour in beef broth. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until beef is tender.

Remove beef and keep warm. Whisk together cornstarch and cold water. Slowly stir into beef broth and juices. Continue stirring until thick and bubbly. Remove toothpicks and serve beef rouladen on a serving tray with gravy and garnished with fresh chopped parsley.

Favorites: Pecan Pie Tartlets

I posted these bite-sized buttery beauties last year before I had my cooking blog up and running. The recipe makes a ton which is nice because you can just pop one right after another in your mouth and still have plenty to share with your favorite people! Sprinkle them lightly with powdered sugar or for an over-the-top presentation, drizzle with chocolate.

1 cup butter, softened

6 oz cream cheese, softened

2 cups flour

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

2 Tbsp butter, melted

Pinch salt

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2/3 cup chopped pecans

Cream butter and cream cheese together. Add flour and mix well. Roll into 48 balls; place one ball in each cup of a mini muffin pan. Using your fingers or a tart tamper, press out into a tart shell. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix eggs, sugar, melted butter, salt, vanilla and pecans until well combined. Fill unbaked tart shells. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until delicately browned.

Penne with Chicken, Bacon & Pecans in Creamy Pumpkin Sauce

Happy Halloween and here's a recipe that is perfect for the spooky season (and beyond). I tried it for the first time last week and after some tweaking and additions, I thought it perfect. The unique flavor of pumpkin is not overpowering but lends creaminess and richness to the pasta and other hearty ingredients.

1 (16 oz) pkg penne pasta

1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, cut into cubes

1/4 cup butter

1 1/4 cups milk

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp dried sage

Salt & pepper

8 bacon slices, divided

2/3 cup chopped onion

2 cups sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

2 cups sliced cooked chicken breast

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt cream cheese, butter and milk over medium low heat; stirring until smooth. Stir in Parmesan cheese and pumpkin; stir until cheese is melted. Add cayenne pepper, nutmeg, ground sage and salt and pepper to taste. Set sauce aside and keep warm.

Fry bacon until crisp. Remove from pan and drain on paper towel. Reserve 2 slices for garnish and crumble all 8 slices. In a small amount of bacon grease, saute onions and mushrooms until mushrooms give off their juice.

Combine cooked pasta, creamy pumpkin sauce, crumbled bacon, mushrooms and onions along with pecans and sliced chicken. Dish into individual serving bowls and garnish with remaining bacon. Makes 6-8 servings.