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Category: Recipes

Berry-Berry Christmas French Toast Casserole

Posted on by Admin General

There is nothing more joyful than waking up on Christmas morning when my daughters are home for the holidays. When they were children, they would rise at the crack of dawn, or earlier! Now, as adults, I usually make it to the kitchen before them, just in time to pop this delicious casserole in the oven so it can cook while we open gifts together.

We always set the kitchen table the night before Christmas, with festive holiday-themed napkin rings and flowers. The coffee is freshly ground and ready. We no longer set out cookies and milk by the chimney, but instead tiptoe over to stuff stockings—always the last thing to we do. With the scene set and ready, we can all enjoy the morning together, and no one is tethered to the kitchen. 

Delicious and decadent, this is a simple alternative to French toast, and some may say a cousin to bread pudding. This recipe can be made and baked immediately, however, the beauty of preparing it the night before is the ease of simply popping it in the oven in the morning so you can enjoy the festivities. It also allows the bread time to soak up the custard, which makes the inside even creamier and more decadent. 

While we prefer plant-based milks, 2% or a combination that includes half and half is also quite delicious! Simply assemble the casserole, cover well, and refrigerate overnight. The next day-uncover, spoon the topping over the casserole, and bake. 

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 40 min

Yield: Serves 6

Thanksgiving Leftovers Reimagined: Quick and Easy Combinations

Posted on by Admin General

Whether your fridge is full of leftover turkey, stuffing, potatoes, or pie, simply reheating ingredients makes for a most uninteresting meal. 

Everyone looks forward to a delicious post-Thanksgiving panini, we make ours with brie, turkey, and a variety of sauces. Some more exciting inventions tend to be for the breakfast table, and light dinners. Think of these as creative combinations, no formal recipe required. 

Post-Thanksgiving breakfast dishes are just as crave-worthy as the dinner that inspired them. Many of the combinations I’m sharing have become part of our Thanksgiving tradition. The options are endless.

  • Poached Eggs over Apple Dressing: Place ¼ cup warmed Aunt Marion’s Apple Dressing in a bowl and top with two poached eggs and fresh chives. The well-seasoned bread cubes will soak up the delicious egg yolks, and the chestnuts add a pop of Autumnal flavor.
  • Cranberry-yogurt Parfait: Pull a few plump cranberries out of your leftover cranberry orange sauce, and set aside. Then, using an immersion blender, smooth out the remaining sauce. With plain yogurt, assemble the parfait: Layer the bottom of a glass with ¼ cup of yogurt, add a generous layer of cranberry orange sauce, and repeat, top with a tablespoon of yogurt, a couple of plump cranberries and orange zest or fresh rosemary. My husband enjoys his favorite granola on the bottom of his parfait, you can also top the parfait with leftover nuts.
  • Thanksgiving Smoothie: In a blender, combine 1 cup fresh-pressed apple cider, 1-1/2 cups cranberry orange sauce, 2 frozen bananas, 1 cup yogurt, a dash of cinnamon, and a dash of nutmeg. Blend until combined. Makes two large servings.
  • Turkey Frittata: Heat leftover roasted vegetables in a skillet, stir in leftover potatoes and turkey. Pour in an egg mixture of your choice, cook and top with fresh herbs.
  • Apple Butter: Make apple butter for your favorite breakfast breads by beating together sweet butter and a little homemade applesauce.

For post-Thanksgiving dinners, there is nothing better than reimagined hors d’oeuvres followed by a warm Potato Leek Soup or a big green salad.

  • Crostini Appetizer: This crostini appetizer is an easy- to-make nibble that looks beautiful, and celebratory. Toast baguette slices under the broiler until crisp, and top with Brie or goat cheese, caramelized onion and cranberry orange sauce. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves. 
  • Sweet Potato Open-Face Sandwiches: Slice left over sweet potato lengthwise into ¼-inch slices. Brush the slices with olive oil, and warm them on a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper and build with a variety of toppings: add cheese and cranberry orange sauce, guacamole and microgreens, chopped roasted brussels sprouts, or turkey and gravy.  The options are limitless.
  • Mashed Potato Bites: Warm leftover mashed potatoes with your favorite cheese and pipe over crackers, top with sauce or gravy of your choice and freshly chopped herbs. The perfect complement to a super soup. 
  • Sweet Potato–Kale Frittata: Sautée leftover sweet potatoes and Kale in a skillet, stir in onion, garlic, and goat cheese. Pour in an egg mixture of your choice, cook and top with fresh herbs. Serve warm. 
  • Crispy Potato Cakes: Heat oil in a skillet, add 1 ½ cups chopped onion and a tablespoon of finely chopped rosemary, salt, and pepper. When the onion is soft add 3 cups of left-over mashed potatoes and transfer to a mixing bowl with 1 cup of panko breadcrumbs. Using a 1/3 cup measure, form potato mixture into 12 cakes. Gently press panko on both sides of each cake. Cook cakes in a skillet of hot oil. Cook in batches, turning once, until golden brown and heated through, about 8 minutes. Serve over greens, alongside turkey slices or top with any leftover sauce or gravy. 

Roasted Broccoli with Vinegar-Mayo Glaze

Posted on by Admin General

Simply roasted broccoli is delicious and easy to prepare. This recipe adds a creamy, cheesy glaze to caramelized, crisp-tender florets and sweet stems, elevating this common vegetable to rockstar status. This dish pairs well with both fish and chicken and has been a welcomed side dish on our Thanksgiving table for years. Mayonnaise is a fine substitute for Mindful Mayo.

Cut broccoli florets to a matching size (about 1/3-inch thick) to ensure even cooking, and do not discard the stems—peel and slice them to add a depth of texture and sweetness to the dish. 

For the crispiest, most tender florets, be sure the broccoli is completely dry before tossing it in the mayo mixture. Thanksgiving Day, when so many pans are on the fire, and no one has time for vegetables to dry, put the broccoli in the oven for a few minutes before seasoning—it dries the broccoli quickly, ensuring the mayo mixture will coat the broccoli evenly. Be sure to spread your florets in an even layer on the baking sheet, with a little space between each one. If preparing for the holidays, and you do not have room for two baking sheets in the oven, roast the broccoli in batches.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Yield: Serves 8-10

Patricia’s Candied Sweet Potato Casserole

Posted on by Admin General

My mother created this take on a classic Thanksgiving side dish. She was not a great cook; she simply did not have the time—a career and six children were her priorities. Cooking was something she delegated, but she took immense pride in doing it herself for Thanksgiving, and we all looked forward to the treat.

Making a traditional sweet potato casserole was too time consuming for my mother, and so she did it her way, creating a cross between classic candied yams and a sweet potato casserole. Smothered in marshmallows, one of my favorite childhood treats, this was an irresistible, sweet, sticky, indulgent side dish. For my mother, the sweeter the better. This adjusted version offers a little restrained sweetness, and just the right amount of buttery flavor with a bit of crunch. You can leave out the marshmallows, but in our home, they are always included.

Many supermarkets use the terms “sweet potatoes” and “yams” interchangeably, although yams and sweet potatoes are two different plants, grown in various parts of the world. The sweet potato is in the morning glory family, while yams are related to palms and grasses. Yams are found in Africa, Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and Central America. Sweet potatoes are grown in the United States, with North Carolina leading the way. What you are likely buying is an American-grown sweet potato. True yams are imported and a rare find outside of specialty grocery stores. For this recipe, any orange-fleshed varieties like Jewel or Garnet will work well.

Recently, the New York Times shared Timeless Recipes from the Archives, and included sweet potatoes baked with lemon, attributed to a Gage & Tollner’s chef named Edna Lewis. My father’s family frequented this restaurant for three generations, beginning in the late 1800’s, and so I cannot help but wonder if this recipe had an influence on my mother’s creation. My mother liked to bake her potatoes in an old cast-iron pan. She said it was easier as it only requires one oven mitt, not two. 

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 38 minutes

Yield: Serves 8-10

Blueberry Chia Pudding

Posted on by Admin General

Chia seeds are nutritionally dense and will thicken any liquid you add them to, yielding a tapioca-like texture with a mildly sweet flavor. 

This recipe is intended for breakfast, but if you add cubed, baked apples and a cinnamon stick, it can be an elegant vegan dessert for the holidays. For a post-Thanksgiving breakfast, replace blueberry jam with  cranberry orange sauce, and top with a few plump cranberries—it is a family favorite that also works as a lovely vegan dessert for the holidays.

You can use either black or white chia seeds, or a mix. The pudding will continue to thicken as it sits, and you can easily thin it out to taste with a little more water or coconut water before serving.

Yield: Serves 4

Blackberry Jam

Posted on by Admin General

Summer is winding down too quickly, as it always does, and I find myself trying to hold on to every last bit of what remains. The Hamptons is a place, a space, and an echo all at once. It’s peaceful, medicinal, and sometimes wild and chaotic like the sea that draws us to these hamlets.  

Sweet, buttery corn and luscious fruits evoke smiles and thoughts of beach parties and backyard gatherings. These are flavors I want to hold on to for a little while longer.  

Blackberries grow wild on my property and there’s nothing more delicious than a sun-ripened berry right off the bush. I harvest as much as I can, eating them out of hand, presenting them warm and freshly picked on the breakfast table. Here, I share my recipe for blackberry jam, a simple way to hold on to the flavors and feelings of summer.   

Yield: Makes 1 ½ Cups 

Melon Gazpacho

Posted on by Admin General

In Spain, gazpacho is served icy cold, in frosted glasses or chilled tumblers. The perfect soup when it is too hot to eat, and your body is craving something nourishing, cold, and salty. Typically, an emulsion of red tomatoes, pale green cucumbers, and golden olive oil, it is an easy preparation that comes together quickly in a blender. Oftentimes, this refreshing soup is topped with bits of stale bread. Variations can include onion, bell peppers, garlic, vinegar, and smoked sweet paprika (in the Northern regions), and toppings may contain almonds, grapes or chopped vegetables. 

In Palm Beach and the Hamptons, I have encountered several creative variations on the theme, some of which may make an Andalusian cringe. Having grown up in New York, I always appreciate a dish that melds cultural tastes—concepts from one region combined with the flavors of another, using the fresh ingredients grown locally—like the Green Gazpacho soup featured in Hamptons Entertaining. 

The gifted, Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef, Sarah Patricola, created this easy-to-make Melon Gazpacho for me and my family. We tasted it for the first time during our winter holiday in Hawaii, on a particularly hot evening, and we welcomed the refreshing, flavorful soup with requests for second helpings—a sure sign of a winning recipe. 

Yield: Serves 8-10

Kimchi Dressing

Posted on by Admin General

Kimchi, a traditional side dish in Korean cuisine, is a combination of salted and fermented vegetables, such as napa cabbage and Korean radish, made with a widely varying selection of seasonings and a variety of spices. I first tasted kimchi when my brother’s then-girlfriend would come to our home for dinner. She would always bring a big jar of her mother’s homemade, super spicy, kimchi. With its perfectly subtle crunch, umami, sour, and piquant flavors, I fell in love with this dish immediately. 

Back then, very few non-Koreans were enjoying kimchi and it was difficult to find. Now, most Americans are aware of its potential health benefits.  According to Harvard, “Probiotic foods contain live helpful bacteria…” and kimchi is high on the list of those thought to support a healthy microbiome, which plays a key role in immune function. It is no wonder kimchi has been enjoying a renaissance during these pandemic times.

It was the team at foodtrainers that encouraged me to reintroduce kimchi to my diet, and I have been adding it on as a side dish, layering pieces in my salmon bowl, or simply enjoying it as an afternoon snack. 

Recently, chef Sarah Patricolo, created this delicious dressing as a way of getting even more kimchi into my diet. Easy to make, this dressing adds an incredible burst of flavor to any salad, and pairs especially well with Castelvetrano olives. Our favorite brand is Mother in Law’s Kimchi, a crowd-pleaser, available in original and vegan versions. 

Yield: Makes ¾ Cup 

Shiso Mojito

Posted on by Admin General

Also known as Japanese mint or perilla, shiso is a bright maple-leaf-shaped herb often served with sashimi or sliced into ribbons and added to rice. It has a memorable, captivating flavor. A member of the mint family, this tasty leaf can impart flavors of basil, cinnamon, and anise.  

This summer I decided to grow shiso in my garden—it is Fall and the plants are still happy and bountiful. I have been adding shiso leaves to salads and summer rolls, using them for garnish, and making teas.   

While visiting Japan, I enjoyed shiso tea for the first time—leaves added to hot water, made like a mint tea, and believed to contain antioxidants, as well as anti-inflammatory and allergy-fighting properties. It is thought to help strengthen the immune system and improve the health of your skin. I love the flavor of shiso and found it fascinating to learn that shiso oil is an herb-based alternative to fish oil, as it can provide omega-3 fatty acids.

One of my favorite discoveries this summer was the Shiso Mojito—just swap mint for shiso and rum for vodka, add the flavor of yuzu and you have a fabulous, exotic summer cocktail! Shiso can pair with a wide range of spirits and be used to either flavor the drink or simply add a bright and refreshing aroma when used as a garnish.

If you’re planning a dinner with any variety of Japanese dishes, this is a great welcome drink to serve your guests. For cocktail hour, I love the wonderful burst of flavor this drink adds when paired with pickled plums and wasabi peas. Here in the Hamptons, I found everything I needed for a Japanese inspired cocktail hour at Hen of the Woods.

Yield: Makes 1 Cocktail

Avocado Shrimp Ceviche

Posted on by Admin General

Ceviche is one of the easiest cook-free dishes of all time, and when there is a heat wave, no one wants to be standing over a hot stove. It makes a terrific and light main course, and it can also be used as a filling for tacos: simply spoon it into warm tortillas and garnish with avocado slices. For an elevated presentation, serve this ceviche in champagne coups as an appetizer, or as an amuse-bouche on tasting spoons.

This Central and South American dish is so popular in the warmer months that I featured three ceviche recipes in Hamptons Entertaining: Angel’s Ceviche, made with snapper, a lovely Sea Bream Ceviche with Anise, and the quintessential Hampton’s ceviche—Bay Scallop Ceviche. 

When Christine and Paula, the creative team behind Maui Luxe Picnics shared this recipe, I knew it would become a favorite—a dish I can enjoy in Palm Beach and the Hamptons. Seafood “cooked” in a citrus marinade calls for the freshest fish available. Like Hawaii, the geography of Palm Beach and the Hamptons offers an abundance of local, fresh, eco-friendly catches. 

Classic ceviche, marinating raw seafood in citrus juice, will not completely kill lingering bacteria; so if you feel skittish about the preparation, you can quickly poach the shrimp before marinating it in the lime juice. 

Chef Nicot uses just a few simple, fresh ingredients for this refreshing dish. Much like his Saffron Risotto, this recipe is no fuss and offers endless opportunity to make it your own. 

I added a touch of brightness with lemon zest, a sun-ripened, garden-fresh tomato, and served it over homemade tortilla chips. Nicot garnished his dish with thin slices of fennel and watermelon radish, while I opted for avocado slices. 

Yield: Serves 2