Wine Lover?

I just opened up a bottle of Cabernet with my FAVORITE new kitchen tool! (I’ve started drinking 1 glass of red wine every night.)

Quirky.com has created this amazing bottle opener that comes with a beautiful stainless steel pour spout & rubber stopper for leftovers. I love this because I never finish the bottle in 1 night!

Check out Verseur. It is also available at Target stores nationwide & online as well as amazon.com.

P.S. this is THE perfect housewarming gift

prettiest tomato

via one of my favorite bloggers, frufly.no

Decorating with a peppermint twist

A few of my favorites from Good Housekeeping. I love the way those striped candy sticks look in the brushed silver containers.

Thanksgiving leftovers?

Leftovers, anyone? This looks just about right right now! via goodlifeeats.com

Campfire Cake

“The Campfire Cake is made of roasted marshmallows on a bed of rich chocolate ganache crusted with crushed grahams.”

MMM…anyone up for some late fall camping?…and this? via littleonions.tumblr.com

Butter Chicken

I’ve had writers block for chicken recipes this fall…but just spotted this recipe on fromaway.com. It has ginger, cayenne pepper, and cream. Doesn’t it look like the perfect winter meal? I cannot wait to try it.

Ingredients:

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ginger paste
2 tablespoons coriander powder
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
Salt, to taste
Vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 onion, chopped
2 cups water
1/4 cup cashew nuts
3 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 fresno chile, seeded and diced
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup cream
1 tablespoon garam masala
1/4 cup parsley, chopped, for garnish
Method:

In a large bowl, toss chicken cubes, half the garlic, 1 teaspoon of the ginger, 1 tablespoon of the coriander powder, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and a pinch of salt. Toss until well coated and set aside.
Heat a slash of oil in a large skillet, and add the marinated chicken. Cook for about five minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
In the same skillet add the cumin seeds, the onion and remaining garlic and ginger to the skillet and saute for a couple minutes, until onions soften. Add two cups of water to the skillet, and stir. Add the cashew nuts, the remaining coriander powder, remaining red chili powder, the tomatoes, and the fresno chile, and stir well.
Let the sauce cook slowly over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes. Transfer the sauce to a blender, and blend until smooth. Pour the sauce back into the skillet, and add the butter, the ketchup, and the sugar, and stir well.
Add the cream and the reserved chicken to the sauce. Cook the chicken for a few more minutes, making sure it’s cooked through. Add the garam masala and stir well. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve over rice.

Bourbon Balls

The holiday season is a perfect excuse to try some new recipes. This one is definitely on my list. Wouldn’t these Bourbon Balls be fun to serve with Champagne on New Years Eve?

makes approximately 48 balls

1 cup toasted chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups crushed vanilla wafer cookies
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup bourbon

Combine first four ingredients in a bowl and then add honey and bourbon; stir. Form into balls with your hands and roll in powdered sugar. Refrigerate before serving.

Visit spabettie.com for lots of Vegan & Gluten Free recipes!

Steamed Green Beans & Carrots with Charmoula Sauce

The presentation of this recipe actually makes me CRAVE carrots and green beans! It includes cilantro & garlic so I am already a fan. Via kalynskitchen.com.

Ingredients:
1 lb. French-style green beans, ends trimmed
1/2 lb. carrots, trimmed into sticks the same thickness as beans (I cut the carrots slightly shorter than the beans)
1 large clove garlic, slightly chopped
1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
1/2 cup coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley
3 T extra-virgin olive oil
2 T lemon juice (I use my fresh-frozen lemon juice)
1/4 – 1/2 tsp. hot or smoked paprika
1/4 – 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:
Add a few inches of water to a steamer (or large pot with a steamer insert) and bring to a boil. While water is heating, trim the ends of the green beans, and cut carrots into sticks about the same thickness as the beans. When water starts to boil and steam, add the carrots and steam for 3 minutes. Then add green beans and steam for 4-5 minutes more, or until all the vegetables are tender-crisp.

While the vegetables are steaming, chop the garlic a few times and wash, dry, and coarsely chop the cilantro and parsley. Add garlic, cilantro, and parsley to food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until the herbs and garlic are starting to look finely chopped. Then add the olive oil, lemon juice, paprika, and ground cumin and pulse until all ingredients are combined. (I’d start with the smaller amount of paprika and cumin and taste to see if you want more.) Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

When the vegetables are done, drain for a few minutes and then place them in a bowl and toss with about half the sauce. Arrange vegetables on a serving platter and spoon over the rest of the sauce. Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper as desired, and serve hot or warm.

Make-Ahead Tips for Thanksgiving: The sauce can be made one day ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Let it come to room temperature before using in the recipe.