Sweet as Sugar Cookies XO

Once again this weekend brought snow and once again we found ourselves spending another Saturday indoors. Luckily I had all the ingredients on hand to make these yummy and easy sugar cookies. I had bought these adorable "XO" cookie cutters before Valentines Day and then never got the chance to use them. So I guess the snow keeping us inside kinda worked out perfectly.

cookie recipe below.

What you'll need:

-1 cup unsalted butter, softened

-1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

-1 egg

-1 teaspoon vanilla

-1 teaspoon baking soda 

-2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer. Once they are mixed add the egg, vanilla and baking soda. Then sift in the flour one cup at a time. Transfer the dough to a floured surface & knead the dough until it forms a solid ball.  You can add more flour if it seems too sticky.

Use a rolling pin and roll out the dough to about 1/2" thickness. (If you like your cookies crispier then go with 3/8".)

Once you have cut out your cookies transfer to a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Make sure to leave about 2" between each since they will grow in the oven.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes. They cook quick so keep an eye on them. If you made them thinner then 1/2" they will take less time to cook. Once the edges brown they are ready to come out. 

Let cool and frost to your delight!

XO

Short Rib Ragu over Gnocchi

If you are looking to stay in and cook something special for your Valentine tonight I have just the thing.

Braised Short Rib Ragu over fresh gnocchi.

It sounds complicated I know. Granted it does take a while to cook but it's really just prepping it and then leaving it on the oven to cook and get delicious. Not to mention make your house smell incredible!

Whether you make it for a special Valentines meal or just to warm your insides on a cold night, your company will definitely be impressed with the outcome. I can promise you that.

recipe below. 

What you'll need:

- 8 whole Beef Short Ribs

- Kosher salt & fresh pepper

- 2 tablespoons olive oil

- 1 medium onion, diced

- 3 carrots, diced

- 2 stalks celery, diced

- 1 shallot, diced

- 1 can tomato paste

- 2 cups red wine (I used pino noir)

- 2 cups low sodium beef broth 

- 2-3 springs fresh thyme

- Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

- Fresh gnocchi

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Salt and pepper the ribs liberally on both sides. 

Add olive oil to a large dutch oven over high heat. Add the short ribs and braise on both sides so they get a nice crust. It will take about 5 minutes per side. When they are done take them off and set aside.

Without cleaning the pan, add onions, carrots, celery and shallots and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened. Pour in the red wine and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan that were left from the meat. Bring to a boil and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the can of tomato paste (stirring it in), beef broth, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and fresh black pepper. 

Add the ribs back to the liquid. Make sure they are pretty much completely submerged. 

Add the fresh springs of thyme to the liquid.

Put the lid on tightly and place in a 350 degree oven for 2 hours. After 2 hours decrease heat to 325 and cook an additional hour. 

The ribs should be fork-tender when they come out. Let the meat sit in the pan for about 20 minutes to rest. 

While meat is sitting bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the fresh gnocchi. Really try to get fresh gnocchi instead of the frozen package. It will make a huge difference.

The fresh gnocchi only take about 4 minutes to cook. 

Using a fork shred the meat. Place the meat back in pan. Mix in the cooked gnocchi.

Plate the short rib gnocchi and top with fresh grated Parmesan cheese. 

Serve immediately. 

Salt and Pepper the meat liberally on both sides

Place in a dutch oven with olive oil over high heat and let them get a good crust 

Turn over after about 5 minutes and crust the other side

Add in the diced veggies and cook till softened, about 5 minutes

This is what it will look like right before going into the oven.

The ribs are submerged under the yummy red wine sauce.

Now enjoy the house smelling divine while it cooks.

See you in 3 hours!

This is what the ribs look like when they come out.

You should be able to easily pull them apart with a fork.

And Wa-lah, the finished product!

Enjoy!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

Warm Brussels Caesar Salad

I made a delicious take on the typical Caesar salad last night. Instead of using the typical romaine lettuce I found a recipe that called for shaved brussels sprouts, warmed with home made croutons and bacon. I do love the typical Caesar and make it quite often but with the cold winter weather a warm, heartier version of it sounded like a must try.

recipe below, adapted from How Sweet It Is 

What you'll need:

2 slices of bacon, well done and chopped

1 cup bread, cubed

Garlic powder

1 pound of brussels sprouts, sliced

salt & pepper

Freshly shaved Parmesan cheese

for the dressing:

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

3 tablespoon plain greek yogurt

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

4 anchovy fillets, chopped

salt & pepper

1/2 lemon, juiced

1/2 cup light olive oil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet.

Heat a skillet and add the bacon. Cook until crispy. Removed the bacon and place on a paper towel to drain off excess oil. Pour the oil left in the pan over the bread cubes and sprinkle with garlic powder (about 1/4 teaspoon). Bake for about 10 minutes, until golden.

Return the skillet to the burner over medium-low heat. Add the brussels sprouts with a pinch of salt and pepper and toss well. Cook for about 5 minutes, until softened and warm.

While that is cooking make the dressing.

Add the chopped garlic, yogurt, parmesan, mustard, vinegar, anchovies, lemon juice, salt & pepper to a food processor and blend until well pureed. Add in the 1/2 cup light olive oil and puree until creamy dressing forms. 

(This will make more dressing then needed for this recipe but will stay in the fridge for about 5 days)

Remove sprouts from the skillet and toss with the croutons, parmesan cheese, bacon & Caesar dressing. Serve immediately & enjoy!

I served mine aside a piece of salt & sugar broiled salmon (to balance out the not so healthy bacon)

recipe for that to come!

Ice Balls

I recently used Arctic Chill Ice Ball Molds and they have changed my drink making forever.

You just fill the little spheres with water and stick them in the freezer for a few hours. 

Once you are cocktail ready you just peel off the non stick silicone molds and drop them in your drink. 

They ice balls are about 2.5" and keep your drink cold much, much longer then regular ice cubes.

And they look super stylish too!

The best part, they are BPA free and you can just stick them in the dishwasher when you are done.

Next time I am going to try dicing up fresh fruit and freezing it in there.

How good does that sound?

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