Winter Pomegranate Salad with Maple Candied Walnuts

Winter Pomegranate Salad with Maple Candied Walnuts

Source: halfbakedharvest.com

Ingredients

• 2 cups raw walnuts
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper
• flaky sea salt
• 6 cups mixed greens, I use baby kale and spinach
• 2 cups arugula
• 2 cups POM POMS Fresh Pomegranate Arils 
• 1 blood or cara cara orange, sliced (optional)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries 
• 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

Balsamic Fig Dressing

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fig preserves
• kosher salt and black pepper 

Instructions

• 1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the walnuts with the maple syrup, cinnamon, crushed red pepper, and salt. Bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring twice throughout cooking, until the walnuts are toasted. Remove from the oven and spread the walnuts in one layer. Sprinkle with flaky salt. 

  2. Add the greens to a large salad bowl. Add the POM POMS, oranges (if using), cranberries, goat cheese, and walnuts. Gently toss the salad. 

  3. To make the dressing. Combine all ingredients in a glass jar and shake to combine. Just before serving, drizzle the dressing over the salad and gently toss. Enjoy!

Chicken Salad

 Source: Aunt Denice

Ingredients

2 cups cooked chicken, chopped (I use rotisserie chicken from Costco)

1T lemon juice

1/2 cup mayonnaise 

1/4 t salt

1/4 t pepper

1/3 cup toasted almonds, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped 

1-2 cups purple grapes, sliced in half

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Serve on croissants or as is.

Chocolate Cupcakes

 Source: Marthastewart.com

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 
• 1 cup sugar 
• 3 large eggs 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1/2 cup sour cream 
• Easy White Icing
• Sprinkles (optional) 

Directions

Instructions Checklist

• Step 1

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners.

• Step 2

  Into a medium bowl, sift together cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each, then beat in vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with sour cream and beginning and ending with flour.

• Step 3

  Pour batter into cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

• Step 4

  Cool in pan 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then spread with Easy White Icing using a table knife or small offset spatula. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired.

Crumbl Copycat Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

Recipe source: lifestyleofafoodie

Makes 12 large cookies

Ingredients

• 1 & 1/2 stick butter cold
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 3 cup all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup corn starch
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 & 1/4 cup milk chocolate chips 

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchement paper then set aside. 
• In a large mixing bowl or a stand mixer bowl, cream the cold butter, cold shortening, granulated sugar and brown sugar together until light and creamy. 
• Add in the eggs and the vnailla extract and mix until combined. 
• Sift in the flour, corn starch, baking soda, and salt and mix just until the flour mixture disappears. Add in the milk chocolate chips and gently fold. 
• Using a ¼ cup measuring cup, scoop out 12 evenly sized cookie dough balls. Working with one at a time, split each cookie dough ball in half and smoch back together keeping the jagged edge side up. Chill the cookie dough balls in the freezer for 15 minutes then bake in the preheated oven for 13-15 minutes or until they look slightly golden brown and undercooked. 
• As soon as you pull out the cookies from the oven, using a larger cookie cutter swoosh around your cookies to form the perfect round thick cookie, top with a few extra chocolate chips and let the cookie rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes to set fully before enjoying them. 

Notes

TIPS

• Chill the cookie dough before baking- Chilling the cookies before baking will ensure that they don't spread too much and retain that super soft and gooey center.
• Use milk chocolate chip cookies- The OG CRUMBL chocolate chip cookies use these insanely good milk chocolate chips. I found that the closest chocolate chips to those and the ones that yield the best flavor are the Ghirardelli chocolate chips.
• Use the cookie cutter trick- Using the cookie cutter trick to make the perfect round cookies doesn't do just that. It brings the cookie back together in case it spreads too much to keep it thick and chewy in the center.
• Let the cookie rest after baking to set fully- The cookies will seem underbaked right out of the oven and that's why you need to let them cool down before digging in. I actually prefer these cookies after they sit overnight. The texture is just so good!

How to store chocolate chip cookies for maximum freshness?

I personally think these cookies taste better the next day. It gives them more time to set and develop those amazing chocolate chip cookie flavors.

To store your chocolate chip cookies, place them in an airtight container and store at room temperate for up to 4 days.

You can also store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days. I prefer this method and usually pop them in the microwave for a few seconds to get them soft and chewy, ooey gooey again!

Homemade chicken noodle soup

 Homemade chicken noodle soup

Recipe from my brilliant husband Nathan

1 cooked /raw chicken

Stock

2-3 Celery

3 carrots 

1 onion quartered 

2 bay leaves 

Water

Take store chicken and strip all meat from bones and set meat aside 

Brown chicken carcass bones and skins in oven or pressure cooker 

Place rough chopped celery with leave unpeeled carrots and onion on bottom of pressure cooker and cover with water

Cook on high for 1 hour and let come down naturally or  remove 

Strain carcass and vegetable 

Soup-

1 Onion

Sliced garlic clove 

3-4 carrots chopped

2 stalks of celery

Parsley

2 tablespoons  butter 

Bay leaf

Noodles 

2/3 cup floor

2 eggs 

1/4 tsp Thyme

In large Dutch oven cook onions until translucent add chopped celery and carrots cook for 3-5 minutes and then add garlic until fragrant but do not brown 

 Add homemade broth to pot and chicken  salt and pepper and bay leave 

Bring to boil the. Simmer 

Place flour in pile on counter and make a well and crack 2 eggs into it 

Using a fork mix the eggs and then with hands knees into a smooth ball 

Cut in to quarters and let rest coved with moist rag for at least 30 minutes 

Using rolling pin roll out extremely thin and cut in to 1/4 inch strips and allow to dry slightly 

Adjust flavor do not over salt 

Place noodles into pot and let cook 10 minutes and then add 2 large tablespoons of fresh parsley into pot and stir  let cook for 10 Minutes and serve 

Ultimate Potato Soup

 

The Ultimate Potato Soup Recipe

An easy and delicious creamy potato soup recipe that can be made in just one pot! Loaded with bacon and creamy potato goodness, this is a favorite comfort food in my household.

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 6 people

Calories 521kcal

Author Sam Merritt

Equipment

• Immersion blender
• Dutch Oven

Ingredients

• 6 strips (uncooked) bacon cut into small pieces
• 3 Tablespoons butter unsalted or salted will work
• 1 medium yellow onion chopped (about 1.5 cup/200g)
• 3 large garlic cloves minced
• ⅓ cup all purpose flour(42g)
• 2 ½ lbs gold potatoes peeled and diced into pieces no larger than 1” (this was about 6 Large potatoes for me/1.15kg)
• 4 cups chicken broth (945ml)
• 2 cups milk (475ml)
• ⅔ cup heavy cream (155ml)
• 1 ½ teaspoon* salt
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper
• ¼ - ½ teaspoon ancho chili powder**
• ⅔ cup sour cream (160g)
• Shredded cheddar cheese, chives, and additional sour cream and bacon for toppingoptional

Instructions

• Place bacon pieces in a large Dutch Oven or soup pot over medium heat and cook until bacon is crisp and browned.
• Remove bacon pieces and set aside, leaving the fat in the pot.
• Add butter and chopped onion and cook over medium heat until onions are tender (3-5 minutes).
• Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
• Sprinkle the flour over the ingredients in the pot and stir until smooth (use whisk if needed).
• Add diced potatoes to the pot along with chicken broth, milk, heavy cream, salt, pepper, and ancho chili powder. Stir well.
• Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork (about 10 minutes).
• Reduce heat to simmer and remove approximately half*** of the soup to a blender (be careful, it will be hot!) and puree until smooth (half is about 5 cups of soup, but just eyeballing the amount will be fine. Alternatively you can use an immersion blender.).
• Return the pureed soup to the pot and add sour cream and reserved bacon pieces, stir well.
• Allow soup to simmer for 15 minutes before serving.
• Top with additional sour cream, bacon, cheddar cheese, or chives. Enjoy!

Notes

*I recommend starting with a more reserved amount of salt and then adding more as needed, the amount of salt needed will vary depending on the type/brand of broth you use

**If you haven't used ancho chili powder before, I recommend starting with ¼ teaspoon and then taste-testing before increasing to ½ teaspoon if you like the taste.  

***If you want a completely creamy soup you can puree all of it, just puree in batches, about half of the soup at a time.  I prefer my potato soup with actual chunks of potatoes and prefer to puree just half of it.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 521kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 1326mg | Potassium: 1176mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 897IU | Vitamin C: 50mg | Calcium: 182mg | Iron: 2mg