White Asparagus & Cranberry Salad

This is a colorful salad perfect for Christmas or Thanksgiving.

Ingredients:

1 bunch of raw white asparagus (sliced on the diagonal)
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 TBS fresh parsley, chopped
3 TBS Olive Oil
1 TBS white balsamic vinegar or champagne vinegar
salt & pepper

You can use your favorite light dressing, but I like the white balsamic because it has a bit of sweetness to it.  You can use the flavored balsamic dressings like apricot, or lemon for a variation.

Wash the asparagus and snap the tough ends off (about 2").  Slice the asparagus on the diagonal.
Toss the ingredients together and serve.
It will keep in the fridge for a day or two.

Santa Hat Brownies

Santa Hat Brownies
Yields 12-16 brownies

Ingredients:
1 pan of your favorite brownies*, cooled and cut into desired size and shape
*See the recipe on this blog. You can use a round cookie cutter.

12-16 small strawberries, cleaned and hulled
vanilla-mascarpone buttercream (recipe below)

Vanilla-Mascarpone Buttercream

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
8 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature
2-1/2 to 3 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Method:
Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat butter and mascarpone cheese until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.  Add vanilla extract and salt.  Add 2-1/2 cups of sugar, half a cup at a time and continue beating until smooth.  Add more sugar, if needed to reach desired consistency and sweetness.

To assemble, pipe a ring of vanilla buttercream on top of each brownie.  Cut off the base of a strawberry so it is flat and place it upside down on each brownie, pushing slightly to secure in place.  Top the tip of the strawberry with a dot of buttercream to finish the santa hat.

Adapted from this recipe found on Erica’s Sweet Tooth

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients

• 3 Boneless chicken breasts - chopped into ½” cubes 
• ½ “ Fresh ginger root - peeled and minced 
• 2 green onions - sliced finely 
• ½ can water chestnuts - chopped finely (optional) 
• ½ red pepper chopped into fine dice 
• 3 Tablespoons Hoisin Sauce* 
• pinch of salt 
• 2 cloves of garlic minced 
• 2 Tablespoons oil (peanut or canola)

Preparation

1. Heat your pan or wok on medium-high.  
2. Then add the 2 Tablespoons of oil. 
3. Saute garlic, ginger, green onions, red pepper in oil 2 minutes. 
4. Add chicken and cook till done - 5-7 minutes. 
5. Add water chestnuts and mix well. 
6. Add Hoisin last and toss through chicken till warmed.  Hoisin has sugar in it, so it will burn easily -so just toss it through and remove from heat. 
7. Put chicken in a serving bowl. 
8. Use Boston lettuce - separate leaves and spoon 1-2 tablespoons of chicken into the leaf.

Roll up and serve.

Tips

• Hoisin is found in the Asian section of the supermarket. 
• To make chopping the chicken easier, freeze for 10 minutes.

Chicken Satays

Ingredients 

2 - 3 packages of tenderloins or 4 chicken breasts cut into strips

3 cloves of garlic - crushed

1 tablespoon of curry powder

1 tablespoon of ground coriander seed  (powder)

1 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup coconut milk (canned) 

fresh coriander for garnish 

small wooden skewers  (Soaked in water for about an hour)

Directions 

Crush the garlic.  Mix the garlic, coriander seed, salt, curry powder.  Add the coconut milk & mix.

Marinate the chicken pieces for 3 hours in the fridge.

Thread the chicken onto the skewers. 

Line a grilling pan with foil, spray with pam and place the satay on the pan.  Cover the ends of the skewers with a piece of foil.  

Set the oven on broil - and broil 6" to 8" from the heat till cooked through.  About 7-9 minutes.  Keep checking. 

Serve with Satay peanut sauce you can buy.  Stonewall Kitchen has a nice Roasted Garlic Peanut Sauce.

Sprinkle with chopped fresh coriander, or add a sprig to the serving dish.