It’s one of the most colorful traditions we have, and it all starts on January 6th, the Feast of the Epiphany celebrating the visit of the Magi to the Christ Child. The Three Kings Cake, with its colorful adornment of beads, a plastic baby hidden inside and topped with a king’s crown also kicks off the Carnival season with Fat Tuesday, aka Mardi Gras. With this treat, you’ll be feasting your eyes on fun!
Watch my How To Video here!
This one is personal! I’ve been making my special wreath bread for the holidays ever since I was in high school. I love making it, I love cutting into it (as pretty as it is) and I absolutely love giving it away as a holiday gift from my kitchen. I think I cut the recipe out of a Women’s Day Magazine many, many years ago, and eventually the clipping just disintegrated from overuse. By the time that happened however, I had the recipe embedded in my cooking DNA. The inside of this gorgeous bread wreath is filled with delicious surprises like brown sugar, walnuts, soaked raisins and spices. The outside is a thing of beauty and in my opinion, the perfect holiday wreath to share! Enjoy it as a breakfast bread or a sweet snack anytime!
It’s National Sandwich Month, and last week I shared a recipe for the Ultimate Tuna Melt. This week, I’ve got a tasty twist on your favorite sandwich that is reminiscent of the classic 50’s favorite, the Monte Cristo Sandwich. This method will work on just about any sandwich you love, but we’re going to build the sandwich, dip it in an egg and milk batter and grill it to perfection! The outside tastes a bit like French Toast, and the inside has the delicious melted cheese and deli meats!
For a bit of background, the Monte Cristo is a variation of the French croque-monsieur (The name is based on croquer (“to crunch”) and the word monsieur (“mister”) which originated in French cafés and bars as a quick snack.) It was once a favorite sandwich when deep frying foods was more popular. The Monte Cristo was often fried, sprinkled with powdered sugar and dipped in jelly.
My egg-battered and grilled sandwich version eliminates the deep frying, and the sandwich is dipped into the batter very quickly just to coat. I’ve made this sandwich with turkey and cheese, prosciutto, salami and cheese and even a caprese version with sliced mozzarella, tomato and slivered basil, and they are equally as delicious! Make up a batch and snack on them all week long while enjoying this month long sandwich celebration!
Watch my How To Video for Egg Battered Grilled Sandwiches here!
It’s one of those family style favorites! Meatloaf never seems to go out of style. There are thousands of recipes for meatloaf using beef. But I’ve been looking for a turkey version of a classic meatloaf for a very long time and finally found one that will be my go-to from now on! Because turkey can be a bit dry, I was thrilled that this version is so juicy! That’s because of a few secret tips and techniques that make this meatloaf moist, flavorful and a perfect meal to make ahead, freeze and have for later! One of the secrets is, believe it or not, a couple of tablespoons of water! It’s how I make my meatballs, so I know it really helps keep the meatloaf juicy. The other technique is to make a paste-like mixture of milk, oats and breadcrumbs that gets added to the mixture. Finally, I decided to spice up the top with a combination of organic ketchup (for sweetness) and an Asian sweet and spicy sauce (for heat) called Gochujang, readily found in most grocery stores and Asian markets. If you love meatloaf and think that is has to be beef to be delicious, this recipe is going to change your thinking after one single scrumptious bite!
Watch my How To Video for Turkey Meatloaf here!
