HONEY-LEMON ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH FETA

Here is the link to the recipe I used from Inspired Edibles. 

I didn't have Herbes de Provence. I substituted with dill and onion powder. I also used pistachios instead of almonds. I also used a 500F temperature for 8 minutes. 

• For the Roasted Asparagus
• About 1 pound (450 g) asparagus, washed and trimmed (the woodsy bottoms removed)
• 1 lemon, sliced
• 3 oz (85 g) crumbled feta cheese
• ¼ cup (30 g) chopped roasted almond
  
  
• For the Honey-Lemon Dressing
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp lemon zest
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1+1/2 Tbsp honey
• 1 round tsp Herbes de Provence
• 1 tsp salt
• a few cracks of pepper

inSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat oven to 425F.
2. In a container with fitted lid, combine: olive oil, lemon juice, half of the lemon zest (reserving other half), garlic, honey, herbs, salt and pepper. Mix well to combine (making sure the honey is integrated and not sticking to the bottom) and transfer into a dish large enough to accommodate asparagus stalks. Add the asparagus to the dish and intermingle with the dressing allowing the stalks to marinate in the flavors for 10-15 minutes.
3. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment and add lemon wedges along edges on either side. Spread asparagus over top (they will be cozy which is fine) and invert all of the juices, herbs and bits.
4. Top the asparagus with crumbled feta and then top the feta with remaining lemon zest and a few cracks of pepper (you could also add red pepper flakes if that's something you enjoy).
5. Roast for about 10 minutes until the asparagus develops a nice deep green color and then switch oven to broil for about 2 minutes watching carefully to add pops of color to the feta (it won't really brown).
6. Remove from oven, sprinkle with almonds and serve in the pan with tongs (for casual barbecue style) or transfer in segments with a large spatula to a serving plate or individual dishes as preferred, making sure to scoop up some of those delicious juices with every serving!

NOTES

Nuts: you can use any variety of nut you like here (preferably leaving your family members out of it) or skip the nuts all together. Other choices that would work well: pine nuts and pistachio. You could also add some chewy, thin-sliced dried apricot or dried cherries - both would be delicious.
Feta: I don't overdo it on the feta - just enough to add interest to the dish without overwhelming - if you prefer, you can use a different crumbly cheese - a mild goat cheese would also be nice here. I would stay away from overly fragrant/strong cheeses for this dish - you really want the honey-lemon dressing to be the star.
Herbes de Provence: I use the one made by Organics which includes lavender. It's a fragrant bouquet of herbs that works beautifully here and I strongly recommend it in this recipe (you don't want to skip it!)

Molasses Brown Bread

 https://www.bakesandblunders.com/molasses-brown-bread-rolls/

Here is the link to the recipe I used for these rolls. I was disappointed in how dense they were. The flavor was good. I loved the molasses and brown sugar... but it needed to be a loaf of bread instead of a roll. Wrong texture. 

 If I made them again I would create a loaf and add more yeast. My kids cut them up and put them in the toaster the next day and it made killer toast. 

Honey Mustard Brussel Sprout Salad

 1.5 lbs shredded Brussel Sprouts (raw and stems cut off)

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup crushed candied pecans

1/2 cup pine nuts

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese

4-5 Slices of cooked Bacon (chopped)

Dressing:

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup of dijon mustard

zest from 1 whole lemon

 juice from 1/2 lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

Dress the salad just before serving for a crunchier salad. 

This is also good the next day or made ahead of time, the dressing will wilt the brussel sprouts and changes the texture (still really good)

You can swap out the fruit, nuts, and cheese with anything you have on hand. Make sure the fruit is a sweet one and your cheese is strong and salty to balance out the bitterness of the Brussel Sprouts. 

Crock Pot Spinach Artichoke Dip

 

• 1 10 ounce bag fresh spinach, roughly chopped
• 1 14 ounce can artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
• 1 8 ounce block cream cheese, cut into cubes
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Add all ingredients to a small crock pot and stir. Put the lid on and set on LOW for 2 hours. After 1 hour, remove lid, and stir. Replace lid and continue to cook for 1 additional hour.
• Stir dip and taste to adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve with crackers or chips.  Tiffany 2021taken from asouthernsoul.com 
  

St. Louis Style Smoked Pork Ribs

 -Remove the silver skin off the back of the ribs.

- Rub with mustard (for a binder, just enough to cover the ribs)

-Sprinkle/cover with 

• pepper
• salt
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• paprika

- Smoke @ 225

- When internal temp gets to 130, slice 1/2 cube of butter on top and wrap with tinfoil tightly.

- Put back on until internal temp gets to 205.

- Take off smoker and let rest for 15 mins.

-Take about 4-5 hours

-Apple wood pellets

Quiche Lorraine

INGREDIENTS

• One 9-inch deep-dish frozen pie crust 
• 8 oz thick-cut bacon (about 6 slices), diced
• 1/2 cup chopped shallots, from 1 large shallot
• 4 large eggs
• 1-1/4 cups heavy cream

• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Pinch ground nutmeg
• 3 oz Gruyère, finely shredded (about 1-1/4 cups) 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and set a rack in the middle position. Remove the pie crust from freezer and thaw until just soft enough to easily prick with a fork, about 10 minutes. (If there are any cracks in the crust, see note below on how to patch them up.) Prick the bottom and sides all over with a fork. Place the crust on a baking sheet (this makes it easy to move in and out of the oven). Bake on until lightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Keep an eye on it; if it puffs up while cooking, gently prick it with a fork so it will deflate. Set aside and turn the oven down to 325°F.
2. In a medium nonstick sauté pan over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Pour off all but one tablespoon of fat from the pan. Add the shallots and cook over medium-low heat until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Do not brown. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the heavy cream, salt, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg; whisk until evenly combined.
4. Spread the shallots evenly over the bottom of the cooked crust. Top with half of the bacon, all of the Gruyère, and then the remaining bacon. Pour the egg/cream mixture over top.
5. Slide the quiche (still on the baking sheet) into the oven and bake at 325°F for 45 to 50 minutes, until the custard is set and lightly golden. Serve hot or warm.

Taken from www.onceuponachef.com

Cheese Ball - Shaped like a pumpkin

 Ingredients:

1 8 oz block cream cheese (softened to room temperature)

1 8 oz tub vegetable cream cheese

2 tbsp Hidden Valley Ranch Spicy Ranch mix

3 green onions sliced

1 red pepper finely diced (save the stem)

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese divided use

Instructions:

Using an electric or stand mixer, combine both cream cheeses.

Then stir in 2 tablespoons of Hidden Valley Ranch Spicy Ranch mix, green onion, red pepper and one cup shredded cheddar cheese.

Spread out a large sheet of Glad ClingWrap.

Sprinkle about a 1/4 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese onto the plastic wrap.

Then top with cheese ball mixture.

Take the rest of the shredded cheddar cheese and sprinkle it onto the tops and sides of the cheese ball and wrap it up well with cling wrap.

Two layers of cling wrap work best. It needs to be well-wrapped and wrapped tightly. Now, time to wrap it up with four large and wide rubber bands.

We don't want any cheese ball mix squeezing out while we're putting on the rubber bands. I had to double wrap each rubber band to get those long indentations we're looking for to make the pumpkin shape.

Place cheese ball into the fridge for a minimum of two hours (overnight is best.) Not only do the flavors get better as it sits, but as the mixture cools, it will help it to form that pumpkin shape.

When ready, cut off the rubber bands and carefully remove the cling wrap.

Then add on the red pepper stem to the top. Just gently push it in there.

Serve with your favorite buttery crackers.

To red the full blogpost: https://www.thecountrycook.net/pumpkin-shaped-cheese-ball/