Hair Health: Make a Snow Day Feast with These 7 Recipes

By Jordan Willard | January 28, 2015 0 Comments

The blizzard Juno has officially made landfall, and it’s epic entrance has left the East Coast a bonafide winter wonderland. In anticipation for the occasion, my friends and I hunkered down together, compiling all our snow day supplies into one epic snow-pocalypse survival kit. We passed the time playing games, frolicking through the snow, and showing off our skills in the kitchen. Each of us contributed one dish to the day’s menu, and what resulted was a delicious, multi-coursed, potluck style dinner, composed of eclectic palate pleasers, perfect for keeping us preoccupied, warm, and full all day long. We are still happily munching through the leftovers.

Check out the recipes we used to make our snow day feast!

Appetizers

Patrick and Gina Neely’s Pigs in a Blanket

*source: foodnetwork.com

*source: foodnetwork.com

Ingredients
(Serves 4 to 6)

• 1 (8-ounce) can original crescent dough
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 20 mini hot dogs or cocktail franks
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• Poppy seeds or sesame seeds

For the Tangy Dipping Sauce:

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut each triangle of crescent roll dough into thirds lengthwise, making 3 small strips from each roll.
Brush the dough strips lightly with Dijon mustard. Put the mini hot dogs on 1 end of the dough and roll up.

Arrange them, seam side down, on a greased cookie sheet. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with poppy seeds or sesame seeds. Bake until golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. Serve warm with the dipping sauce.

Tangy Dipping Sauce:
Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving. Can be made a day ahead.

For more on this Recipe: Patrick and Gina Neely’s Pigs in a Blanket
Recipe courtesy Patrick and Gina Neely and foodnetwork.com

 

French Onion Soup Dumplings

*source: recipe.com

Clip from the show, The Best Thing I Ever Ate, on the Food Network

*source: foodnetwork.com

Ingredients
(Serves about 8 to 10)

• 4 ounces unsalted butter (1/2 cup)
• 1 cup thinly sliced yellow or red onion (or a combination)
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallot (2 medium)
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1 cup lower-salt beef broth
• 1 cup lower-salt chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Croutons:

• 1/2 pound dense, chewy bread, crust removed, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (1 medium clove)
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Dumplings:

• 40 square wonton wrappers
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 3 cups vegetable oil
• 1 3/4 cups grated Gruyere
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium low heat. Add the onions and shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until they’re a deep caramel color, 25 to 35 minutes.

Raise the heat to medium, add the wine, and cook until it has completely evaporated, 5 to 9 minutes. Add the beef and chicken broths and cook until the liquid is reduced by about half, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the thyme and vinegar, season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook 1 minute more. Remove from the heat and let cool. Line a 4 1/2 x 8 1/2-inch loaf pan with foil and pour the “soup” mixture into the pan. Freeze until solid, at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, toss the bread with the olive oil, garlic, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Spread the croutons on a small baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool and then skewer 40 of the best-looking croutons with toothpicks (save the leftovers for another use).

Working with about 10 wonton wrappers at a time, arrange them on a flat surface and brush the edges with the egg. Unmold the “soup” mixture from the loaf pan. Using a chef’s knife, cut the frozen soup lengthwise into 4 long, even strips, and then cut each strip crosswise into 10 even pieces, to make 40 pieces total, each about 3/4 inch square. Put one square in the center of each wrapper and fold up the edges, pressing to create a purse-like dumpling. Repeat to make 40 dumplings. Put the dumplings on a small baking sheet or tray and freeze until ready to fry.

Heat the vegetable oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat until the temperature on a candy thermometer reads 365 degrees F or until the oil begins to ripple and bubbles immediately when the edge of one dumpling is dipped into it. Have ready a tray or plate lined with paper towels. Add as many dumplings as will fit in the pan without crowding and fry until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the dumplings to the paper towels. Continue frying the remaining dumplings.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 450 degrees F. Divide the dumplings among 8 to 10 small, shallow ovenproof gratin dishes and top with the Gruyere. Bake until the cheese is melted, 5 to 6 minutes. Stick a crouton skewer in each dumpling, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, and serve.

For more on this Recipe: French Onion Soup Dumplings
Recipe courtesy recipe.com, finecooking.com

 

Entrees

Sweet Potato Shepard’s Pie by Merrill Stubbs

*source: food52.com / Photo by James Ransom

Ingredients
(Serves 4)

• Salt to taste
• 2 
tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 2
 large sweet potatoes, scrubbed well
• 4 
tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 
teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1
 pound ground lamb (or beef), not too lean
• 1/2 
large onion, chopped
• 1/2 
cup finely chopped carrot
• 1 
teaspoon tomato paste
• 1 
tablespoon flour
• 1 
cup beef stock or water

Directions
Heat the oven to 375 degrees and use 1 tablespoon of the butter to grease a 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Rub the sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and pierce each one a few times with a sharp fork. Wrap them in aluminum foil and bake until tender, about an hour.

Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the ground lamb and a couple pinches of salt and brown, stirring frequently, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the meat to a plate with a slotted spoon and turn the heat down to medium-low.

Add the onion and carrot to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for another 2 minutes. Stir the meat back into the pan.

Add the stock or water and a couple more pinches of salt and raise the heat under the pan to bring the liquid to a boil. Cover the pan, lower the heat and simmer very gently, stirring every once in a while, until the mixture is thick but still a bit saucy, 10 to 15 minutes. Add more salt if necessary, and set this aside to cool a little while you finish the potatoes.

When the potatoes are tender, remove them from the oven and turn the oven temperature up to 425 degrees. Carefully unwrap the foil and slit the potatoes down the middle, Scoop out the flesh with a spoon, putting it into a heatproof bowl. Using a wooden spoon, beat in the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil until you have a smooth, silky mash. Add salt to taste.

Transfer the meat to the buttered baking dish, smoothing the top. Spread the mashed sweet potatoes over the top, using a spatula to gently work it out to the edges of the dish and cover all of the meat.
Dot the top of the potatoes with the remaining tablespoon of butter and set the dish on a baking sheet with high sides to catch any spillover. Bake the cottage pie until it is heated through, and the top begins to brown, 10 to 15 minutes. (You can use the broiler at the end to get a little more color on the potatoes if you’d like.) Let cool for a few minutes before serving.

For more on this Recipe: Sweet Potato Shepard’s Pie by Merrill Stubbs
Recipe courtesy of Merrill Stubs and food52.com

 

NOT Your Mother’s Lasagna
by Food52 contributor, mtlabor

*source: food52.com / Photo by: Food52 contributor, mtlabor

Ingredients
(Serves about 8)

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4
 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 
slices thick cut bacon, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 
cup mushrooms, sliced
• 2 8
ounces can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
• 2 
sweet potatoes, sliced
• 1 
teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1
 teaspoon dried sage
• 1 
teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 
teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 
teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2
 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 
cup beef stock
• 1
 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 4
 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1-2
 cups shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 
box lasagna noodles
• 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
• 1 cup of heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a dutch oven, heat olive oil under medium high heat and add bacon. Stir in cinnamon and cook until bacon is crispy and golden, about 3-5 minutes.

Add in onion, garlic, carrots, rosemary, sage, thyme, and oregano. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until vegetables are starting to soften.

Stir in ground beef and cook until browned, about another 5 minutes or so.

Mix in mushrooms, tomatoes, beef stock, and red wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and bake in oven for at least 1 hour. This allows the flavors to have enough time to meld with each other.

While you’re waiting, take your sweet potato slices and season with salt, pepper, and chili powder. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and slightly browned. Set aside to cool.

Also, prepare your lasagna noodles according to package directions, adding some olive oil to the water so the noodles do not stick. Drain noodles and set aside on parchment paper.

About 10 minutes or so before the sauce is done baking, you can start on your “bechamel” of sorts. Heat 3/4 cup of heavy whipping cream in a small saucepan. Mix the remaining 1/4 cup cold whipping cream with the cornstarch until it is dissolved. When the cream in the saucepan has come to a boil, low heat slightly and stir in cold cream. The mixture should start to thicken and then you’ll want to add in about 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese. Keep adding cheese until you get your desired consistency. I added about 1 full cup and was satisfied. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Take your sauce out of the oven and mix well. Everything should smell pretty fantastic right now.

Preheat your oven to 400F.

In a large baking dish, spoon a little bit of the sauce on the bottom of the pan so the noodles don’t stick. Then add a layer of noodles. Ladle a good bit of sauce on top of the noodles. Add a layer of sweet potatoes (they don’t have to be touching eachother, just sporatically). Top with about 1/2 ladle full of the cream sauce and a handful of mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Continue layering like this until you’ve run out of noodles. I think I had 3 different layers (only enough sweet potatoes for the bottom 2 layers though). Spoon on the remaining sauce and remainder of cream sauce and top with mozzarella and parmesan.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until top is nice and golden. Serve piping hot and enjoy!

For more on this Recipe: NOT Your Mother’s Lasagna
Recipe courtesy of mtlabor and food52.com

 

Extraordinary Marinated Roast Chicken with Chickpeas and Roasted Potato
by Food52 contributor, divasparkle

*source: food52.com / Photo by James Ransom

Ingredients
(Serves 4 to 6)

• 400 
grams chickpeas (about one 15-ounce can)
• 800 
grams (1 3/4 pounds) potatoes
• 1
 medium head of garlic, cloves separated
• 8
 bone in, skin on, chicken thighs

For the Marinade:

• 1 
tablespoon olive oil
• 2 to 3 
lemons
• 1 1/2
 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1
 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1
 tablespoon buttermilk
• 1
 teaspoon harissa paste (or to your taste)
• 1/2 
teaspoon chile flakes
• 1
 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1
 tablespoon soy sauce
• Salt and pepper to season

To Finish and Serve:

• 2 teaspoons dry-roasted whole cumin seeds
• 80
 grams chopped coriander leaves and stalks (or one small handful)
• 300 milliliters Greek yogurt or tzatziki (or enough for each serving to have a generous dollop)

Directions
The day before, rinse and drain the chickpeas. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 3 inch chunks.
Give the lemons 30 seconds or so in the microwave to help release more juice, or roll on a flat surface while applying a little pressure. Slice in half and squeeze out as much juice as you can. Mix the marinade ingredients together in a medium bowl. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Place the chicken, chickpeas, potatoes, and garlic in a large freezer bag and pour in the marinade. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag. Flop it around a bit to make sure that the marinade gets everywhere. Place on a plate or in a bowl and pop in the fridge to marinate for a day. Turn the bag over whenever you open the fridge over the next 24 hours. (Alternatively, you can just mix the chicken, marinade, and other ingredients in a bowl, and place that bowl, covered, in the fridge, mixing occasionally as it marinates.)

An hour or so before you are ready to eat, heat the oven to 200º C (375º F). Remove the bag from the fridge and tumble the contents into a roasting dish large enough for everything to be spread out. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the dish tightly with foil and cook for 1 hour. Remove the foil and cook for another 15 minutes or so, until the chicken skin and potatoes are crispy and cooked through, and the chickpeas get a little crunchy. Watch carefully to make sure the marinade does not go from gooey and delicious to a burnt crisp. Remove from the oven and scatter over the roasted cumin seeds and chopped coriander leaves.

Serve with a dollop of Greek yoghurt or tzatziki on the side, and prepare to be worshipped.

For more on this Recipe: Extraordinary Marinated Roast Chicken with Chickpeas and Roasted Potato
Recipe courtesy of divasparkle and food52.com

 

Dessert

S’more Brownies
by Food Network Kitchen

*source: foodnetwork.co.uk

Ingredients
(Makes 12)

For the Crust:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 5¾ oz of crushed biscuits
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Pinch fine salt

For the brownie:

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 oz (113g) dark chocolate, chopped
• 7 oz (200g) light brown sugar
• 6¼ oz (175g) white sugar
• 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoons fine salt
• 4 large cold eggs
• 4¼ oz (120g) plain flour

For the topping:

• 1 bag of large marshmallows

Directions
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat oven to 162°C. Line an 8 by-8-inch square baking pan with foil so it hangs over the edges by about 1 inch.

For the crust: Lightly butter the foil with some of the melted butter. Stir the rest of the butter together with the crumbs, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Press the crumb mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the brownie. Put the butter and chocolate in a medium microwave safe bowl. Melt in the microwave on medium power for 2 minutes. Stir, and microwave again until completely melted, about 2 minutes more. Alternatively, put the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with 1 inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl on the pan without touching the water. Stir occasionally until melted. Stir the light brown and white sugars, vanilla and salt into the melted chocolate. Add the eggs and beat vigorously to make a thick and glossy batter. Add the flour and stir until just incorporated.

Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the top is crispy and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean, with a few crumbs, about 40 to 45 minutes.

Remove from the oven and carefully position a rack about 6 inches from the grill and preheat on low. Layer marshmallows across the top and toast under the broiler until golden, (keep an eye on it, it can go quick), about 2 minutes. Cool on a rack, gently removing the brownies from the pan using the aluminum flaps. Carefully separate any marshmallow from the foil and fold away. Cut into 12 (2-inch) squares.

For more on this Recipe: S’more Brownies
Recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchens and foodnetwork.co.uk

 

Michael Chiarello’s Hot Spiced Mexican Hot Chocolate with Ice Cream Dusted With Chili Powder

*source: foodnetwork.com

Ingredients
(Serves 4)

• 3/4 cup water
• 1 vanilla bean (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 heaping tablespoon instant espresso
• Pinch salt
• 2 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, the best quality possible, grated
• 2 cups whole milk
• Vanilla ice cream
• Chili powder

Directions
Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Split the vanilla bean and add to the boiling water. Add sugar, cinnamon, espresso, and a pinch of salt. Simmer for 1 minute and add the bittersweet chocolate. Whisk until it gets thick. Add milk and simmer 1 minute. Serve immediately with a dollop of vanilla ice cream and a sprinkling of chili powder on top.

You may make this ahead and reheat. Make sure to either whisk it or blend it in a blender to make it light and foamy before serving. (The classic Mexican chocolate was whisked with a special wooden tool called a ‘molinillo’.)

For more on this Recipe: Michael Chiarello’s Hot Spiced Mexican Hot Chocolate with Ice Cream Dusted With Chili Powder
Recipe courtesy of Michael Chiarello and foodnetwork.com

 

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