Opulent Cottage

Holiday Charcuterie Board

Welcome to Day Five of the Holiday Recipe Blog Hop, hosted by Carol at Blue Sky Kitchen! 

My "recipe" today is one that will make your life easier during the busy holiday season. No cooking involved, and all of the ingredients can be kept on hand in your fridge and pantry! 

 

 

A Charcuterie Board is a great crowd pleaser any time of year, but I can't think of a better time than the holidays, when we are all so rushed and our to-do lists are so long! With just a few ingredients found at almost every grocery store, you can have a last-minute quick meal put together in no time, or create a beautiful dish for a holiday party. This is also a great way to use the meats and cheeses that come in those wonderful holiday food gift baskets.

 

This recipe is about as simple as they come! Here are the four main ingredient staples that make up a classic Charcuterie Board:

*Meats -- A varied selection of meats is the foundation for this platter. Be as fancy (or not) as you please! If prosciutto isn't your thing, go with a nice quality sliced deli ham. Regular grocery store pepperoni makes a good replacement for pricey smoked salame. Today I am using Uncured Black Forest Ham, Tomato Basil Chicken Sausage and Truffle Mousse Paté.

*Cheeses -- Mix up a few types of cheeses - a mild cheese like creamy brie, Havarti with some herb-y dill, and a rich, strong cheese such as bleu or aged sharp cheddar.

*Extras -- Olives, nuts, pickles, mustard, jam, veggies.

*Bread and crackers -- Simple crackers and a french loaf or baguette are great choices.

Honestly, this doesn't have to be served on a board; a marble cheese plate  or even just a serving platter will do! I'm actually just using my everyday cutting board here. 

Let's build our Charcuterie Board together -

Place meats and cheeses around the board or tray. It's perfectly acceptable to lay a sheet of wax or parchment paper first, if you like.

 

Add your extras directly onto the tray, or in ramekins or other small dishes.

 

Now some veggies and nuts --

 

If you like, add garnishes -- herbs, edible flowers, and fruit. 

 

That's it! Bring out some pretty napkins and a nice bottle of wine, and enjoy a relaxing meal while you mix and match flavors to your heart's content.

 

By the way, I picked up all but a couple of the ingredients for this Charcuterie Board at Aldi, for less than $20 (the paté is from Trader Joe's). And see that jam in the center?! It's made with BACON. Salty, slightly sweet, and a little spicy (I added a dash of cayenne). This will certainly be on regular rotation! The recipe is here, it has a secret ingredient that you would never guess!

 

 

Need a special (but simple!) appetizer?! My Sundried Tomato Cheese Roll is a deli lane dish that can be made in no time!

Here is another great sundried tomato appetizer for you tomato/pesto lovers.

This great holiday breakfast casserole is a perennial favorite for the young and the younger ;)

An easy and festive holiday treat to give as gifts is here.

 

*Once again, here's the lineup for the Holiday Recipe Blog Hop! Enjoy!! 

Monday

Bluesky Kitchen  Belle Bleu Interiors  White Spray Paint  Southern DayDreams

Tuesday 

Ash Tree Cottage The Painted Apron  My Midlife Kitchen Starfish Cottage

Wednesday

Ramblings of a Southern Girl At Home With Jemma  My Thrift Store Addiction  Let's Add Sprinkles

Thursday

Jenn's Farm Table Botanic Bleu  Celebrate and Decorate

Friday

Kitty's Kozy Kitchen  Intentionally Eat  The Dedicated House  Opulent Cottage

 

I'm joining:

Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home

Your Inspired Design at BlueSky Kitchen

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Foodie Friday at Rattlebridge Farm

Share It One More Time at The Everyday Home

Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

The Scoop at StoneGable

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

 

Sundried Tomato & Pesto Cheese Roll

Welcome to a two-day tour of 20 bloggers' Favorite Party Recipes!

 

Today is all about appetizers, and tomorrow is desserts. Yum! I'm sharing an oldie but goodie, and it is a perennial favorite! Simple and delicious, the Sundried Tomato Cheese Roll is easy to put together from just four packaged ingredients: sliced provolone, cream cheese, basil pesto, and marinated sundried tomatoes.

 

There are really no rules on how to layer the cheese roll. I layer mine on plastic wrap and then roll it all together, which can be seen step-by-step on this post. A friend of mine layers and stacks the ingredients in a lined loaf pan, to create more of a rectangular shape. But no matter how you choose to build the layers, the one rule is that the cheese roll should be made 24 hours in advance to allow the flavors to develop. 

 

I do like to slice the molded roll before serving to reveal the beautiful layers within, and drizzle a little pesto over the top.

 

If you enjoy the flavor combination of sundried tomatoes and pesto, you'll also love this recipe for Pesto Chicken Puffs! It's another crowd favorite that is quick and easy.

I hope you'll stop by each of these blogs, and add to your collection of Favorite Party Food. I know I can't wait to get cooking!

 

Monday ~ Appetizers

Petticoat Junktion | Cottage At The Crossroads

My Creative Days | Sweet Pea

Create & Babble | Plum Doodles

Opulent Cottage | Brandywine Cottage

Domestically Speaking | What Meegan Makes

 

Tuesday ~ Desserts

An Italian In My Kitchen | Cook With 5 Kids

Hunt & Host | DIY 180

Roots North and South |Garden Matter

The Coconut Head's Survival Guide

Day to Day Adventures | 2 Bees in a Pod

Mad in Crafts

 

Creamy Tortilla Soup

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

 

How about a yummy dinner recipe for this festive day?! We made this last week and honestly, I could eat it every day, it's that good. It's the perfect healthy, low carb meal for a Cinco de Mayo dinner!

 

My recipe was inspired by Edie's from last month. I almost fainted when I saw it. Cream in Tortilla Soup? We make Tortilla Soup at least once a month, and this takes it to a whole new level. I just made my usual recipe and tweaked it per Edie's instructions for adding the queso fresco and cream. 

Olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 chicken breasts

Seasonings - cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, smoke seasoning

4 cloves garlic

1 cup of whatever bell/sweet peppers you like

1 large zucchini, quartered and sliced

8 oz. mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 can Rotel, or chopped can tomatoes and chopped green chiles

1 can black or pinto beans

1 box chicken broth, about 4 cups, or more, to taste

1 T Masa Harina

3 oz. Queso Fresco (about 1/4 package)

1/2 cup heavy cream

Saute onion in olive oil on low for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, slice chicken breasts into 1/2 inch strips. Sprinkle liberally with seasonings and saute in a separate pan, on each side about 2 minutes, in several batches. Set aside to cool.

 

Add garlic to onions, saute another 2 minutes, then add peppers and saute another 5 minutes. Add zucchini, mushrooms, Rotel, beans and broth. Stir in masa harina, then simmer for 20 minutes to develop flavors. Shred cooled chicken. Break Queso Fresco into chunks and add to soup along with chicken and cream, stirring just until warmed through, but not boiling. Turn off heat a cover soup for five minutes to allow queso to melt. Serve in soup bowls or mugs, garnished with chopped cilantro and additional queso.

The spices from the chicken will season the entire soup, and the creamy deliciousness will have your family begging for more. No, I don't actually use tortillas in my soup. Seems that no one in my house actually liked it! Instead I use the Masa Harina to add a rich corn flavor. It's found in the Hispanic section, or you could use cornmeal, also. Or you could skip it altogether if you're eating grain-free or don't want the added few grams of carbs. You can also toss a small bag of frozen corn into the soup, or sliced carrots, or both! 

 

BUT. The one thing you can not skip is the smoke seasoning on the chicken! I use this, from Trader Joe's. 

 

It's a life-changing thing. This seasoning gives a smoky, fresh-grilled flavor to anything you put it on. I like to add it to chili and stew, or crock-pot meats, to give them a depth that you almost can't identify as smoke flavor. As an alternative, you could probably also use smoked paprika or a dash of liquid smoke flavoring. 

Lately I have found several recipes that have rocked my world. Y'all already know what a huge foodie I am, well, we all are here at the Haywood's. I'm going to try to get better at sharing these on a more regular basis! 

Hope you have a festive day! xoxo

Joining:

Brenda's Tweak It Tuesday

Marty'sInspire Me Tuesday

Kim'sWow Us Wednesday

 

Rain and Sourdough Starter

It's a rainy, gloomy day here but you won't hear me complaining! We are already many inches behind on rain for 2014. I was shocked by how dry it is in our planting beds. The couple of inches that just poured down are very welcome right now. 

Rainy, cool days like this are my favorite for cooking and baking! Last week I found this post and decided to create my own sourdough starter by capturing wild yeast. I'm just fascinated by the stories of decades-old starter, kept alive and handed down through the generations. After just six days, this morning I had a sourdough lava flow out of the jar, across the counter, and pouring down the cabinet front. I think I definitely caught some yeast! Too bad I didn't think to photo that before cleaning it up :)

 

My hope is that we will sit down to dinner tonight with a fresh, hot loaf of crusty homemade sourdough bread. Does anyone have any advice to offer? I'm all ears!

edited 4/13 p.m: Oh my heavenly sourdough goodness! Will post my recipe soon!!

 

Joining Penny for Tasty Tuesday at The Comforts of Home

xoxo, Andrea

Oreo Cookie Bark for Valentine's Day

Here's a really yummy and pretty treat for your loved ones this Valentine's Day!

 

This is just a twist on the Oreo Cookie Bark from last fall. (The original post is here) Valentine M&Ms and some red and pink Wilton sprinkles made an easy Valentine's version! After breaking apart the bark, I added a few pieces to clear snack bags along with some tiny heart-shaped doilies, tied up with a mix of curling ribbons.

 

They're extra-yummy because I threw in some leftover Andes Peppermint Chips. These are usually only available in the stores at Christmas, but I think you can get them on Amazon year round. I'll say that the smidgen of peppermint really put it over the top. In a pinch, a few drops of peppermint extract in the white chocolate might do the same thing.

 

Happy Valentine's to you all! xoxoxo

p.s. Oh and I always always mix vanilla bark with Hershey's white chocolate chips now. I haven't had luck using just the chips, because they didn't melt well. But the combination of the two melts great and gives a little extra somethin' because, you know, this wasn't decadent enough to begin with :)

Christmas Baking Station

Hellooooo from the deep freeze that is Dallas, Texas!! It's a frosty 21 degrees this morning, and we are all still recovering from our recent ice storm. It's been a real job the last couple of days to keep everybody fed and warm, inside and out. Our birdies and wildlife and outside (feral) kitties are just not accustomed to this kind of cold. We have been busy refilling feeders, breaking up ice in bird baths, and making kitty shelters. 

 

What better time to bake some goodies and warm up the kitchen?! I set up a baking station in my favorite corner of the kitchen to keep supplies handy for the holiday baking season. Plus, I really needed a reason to show off my cute Christmas spatula and whisk :)

 

These baking cups are just too cheery and cute to stay behind the cupboard doors! As are a couple of holiday take-out containers, ready to be filled with goodies to be delivered, and the red and green baking chips that I found at Aldi. 

 

I did manage to hobble down some mostly ice-free roads yesterday to make use of my 25% off World Market coupon. Even though I was there to pick up gifts, this pretty apron made its way into my cart :) As much as I cook, I convinced myself that it made sense, you know, to save a couple of winter tees from being ruined. And there's just something so festive about donning a pretty holiday apron when you're baking up goodies for your loved ones! A thrifted red stool awaits some little helpers who may stop by, in hopes of enjoying a hot cookie :)

 

Santa came a few weeks early, and brought this red Dutch oven, after going to *four* different Aldi stores to find the requested color. I have made almost every meal in it for a week now, really, how did I ever cook without this? I have heard folks say for years that food tastes so much better when cooked in a Dutch oven, and I'm a believer now! And for the bargain price of $30, really not much more than a good quality take-out meal. Lamb Ragu, Mushroom Risotto, and the famous No-Knead Bread have been our favorites so far. I Pinned some wonderful recipes on this board, click over and see them if you're a fan of Dutch oven cooking. I hope you find a new favorite of your own.

 

Well the sun is coming out today, and I'm waaayyy behind on holiday gift buying, so I'm heading out into the frozen tundra! I hope you are having a happy and stress-free holiday season, and staying safe and warm! 

Joining:

Kim's Wow Us Wednesday

From the Farm Blog Hop

Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper

 

Black Eyed Peas and Basil

No, not together :) But if I get desperate enough for something to do with all of these peas, I might give it a try! No fancy photos today folks, just catching up for a few minutes.

When our black eyed peas started coming in at our space in the community garden, we were getting a bowlful this big almost every other day --

Until they REALLY came in! Now it's a five gallon bucketful every other day!

I guess I'm not a true southerner, because I have never cooked with fresh black eyed peas! Most of what we are harvesting now is being blanched and frozen, and I'll be testing some recipes later in the season.

If I can keep the cats out of the peas, that is. 

I made a fabulous New Year's Day soup with black eyed peas, sausage, and plenty of Rotel, and when we get sick enough of eating salads and grilled chicken, I'm going to give it a try in the crock pot. Anyone have any other recipes or suggestions for me?

And can we talk about the basil? I have never, ever, had a crop like this year! We have several areas planted with four different varieties. Our attention to our little garden has really paid off this year. The extra cool weather we had earlier in the summer helped too, I'm sure. 

This huge bowlful came from just a few plants in the poolside garden bed.

I washed and spun it in the salad spinner, and processed with a good amount of olive oil. 

This batch, once processed, fit into two sandwich-size zip bags, which I flattened and laid in the freezer. This mixture can either be stirred into recipes or made into pesto! I love freezing them flat like this, they don't take up much space, and I can just break off a little piece if that's all I need. 

I would love to hear all about what's coming in at your garden!

Joining:

Brenda for Tweak It Tuesday at Cozy Little House

From the Farm Blog Hop at Sunny Simple Life

Swiss Chard Breakfast Casserole

Did you all have a good weekend? I'm always so sad when the long weekends are over! We worked outside (of course), hung out with our family, and had some really yummy food.

My friend on the next block brought us some goodies from her garden, which is much more established than ours is. Potatoes, onions, a huge bag of Swiss chard, and even a basil plant! I'm trying to get my family to embrace greens, so I thought I would hide some of the chard in a breakfast casserole. Ok I'll be honest, there's no hiding it really, but the mild flavor blended in so nicely with this recipe, that no one minded eating their greens! If you're one of the lucky gardeners who is overrun with Swiss chard, you'll love this recipe. Here's my version, adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen. 

5 large Swiss chard leaves 

1/2 cup grated cheese (I used Mexican blend)

9 tomato slices

6 eggs

2 T goat cheese

Cut thick stalks from Swiss chard, and slice into 1" strips. Saute in a teaspoon of olive oil for 2 - 3 minutes, until wilted. Spray an 8" square baking dish with cooking spray and spread chard in bottom. Top with most of the grated cheese, salt and pepper. Whisk eggs and pour into pan. Add tomato slices and rest of grated cheese. Place a crumble of goat cheese on each tomato slice. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Cut into squares and serve. 

Joining:

Kim's Wow Us Wednesday

From The Farm Blog Hop

Debbie and Ann's Pinterest Blitz.

Homemade "Arnold Palmer" Iced Tea

I have been grabbing the yummy Arnold Palmer iced teas lately when out running errands. They're so refreshing! But swimsuit season is right around the corner, and I can't be wasting calories on sugary drinks. I decided to try a homemade, low-calorie version, and it's just as good!

Add a cup of boiling water and two green tea bags to a quart mason jar. Let steep for 30 minutes, then add 10 drops of liquid stevia (or two packets of granulated), the juice of one lemon, and fill to the rim with water. Today I added a couple of ice cubes with mint leaves frozen in them. 

Sip this all afternoon, and you will not only be 32 ounces closer to your water intake for the day, you'll have received some of the wonderful health benefits of green tea and vitamin C from the lemon. 

Enjoy!

I'm joining:

Brenda for Tweak It Tuesday at Cozy Little House

Kim for Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Cindy for Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Summer Inspiration Recipes at Thistlewood Farm

Saturday Ramblings

I love the weekend. Even though we're always doing projects, the weekends just have a more relaxed vibe. This is what I'm up to --

More pillowcases -- tutorial here. I'm obsessed!

Pumpkin muffins. These are so delicious. I added white raisins and chopped apricots. Oh and I used some whole wheat flour. I should write up the recipe for you all. 

The Easter bunnies are making their way out this weekend :) Isn't she a cutie, a sweet gift from Maurie's aunt.

Dawn and I were featured on this French blog today! There are some adorable ideas for mini-gardens and using cuttings from the garden.

Hope your weekend is a happy one!

I'm joining:

Elaine's Sunny Simple Sunday at Sunny Simple Life

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays.