Category:

Holiday

Pumpkin Risotto

by Reed Dunn March 25, 2020March 25, 2020

It seems we all have a can or 7 (raises hand) of pumpkin puree stashed in the way back corner of our pantry. Since I can’t seem to remember what day it is, why bother with remembering the seasons? I’m bringing back fall flavors at the beginning of spring with this Pumpkin Risotto.

I bought some Arborio rice during my last shopping trip, just to have on hand, so this dish seems appropriate. Pumpkin Risotto is a favorite among friends when I have fall dinner parties, and you can easily double, triple or quadruple the batch if you keep an eye on it.

This meal is also a nod to my friend Jan Risher, who is celebrating her birthday today and has asked friends to set a fancy table as we all focus on staying home and staying healthy.

Jan always throws the most fantastic Thanksgiving gatherings and invites everyone who needs a seat at the table. I was fortunate to attend when I lived in Louisiana, so I wanted to create a Thanksgiving table in her honor. This is the best I could do with being stuck at home and it being spring and all.

Pumpkin Risotto

Reed Dunn It seems we all have a can or 7 (raises hand) of pumpkin puree stashed in the way back corner of our pantry. Since I can’t seem to remember what… Print This

Serves: 6 Prep Time: 10 Cooking Time: 25

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

5 cups vegetable stock
1 2/3 cups Arborio rice
1 cup diced yellow onion
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ easpoon cracked black pepper
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Parmesan cheese and toasted pecans to garnish (optional)

Instructions

Heat broth in a medium saucepan.

Melt butter in a dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and diced onion and cook until translucent, about 10 minutes.

Add rice to the pot and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add seasonings, canned pumpkin and 1 cup of stock, reducing heat to medium.

Let the mixture absorb the stock and continue to add about 1 cup at a time, letting it evaporate between each cup. Rice should be cooked in about 25 minutes.

Taste, adjust seasoning and serve with parmesan and toasted pecans (optional).

March 25, 2020March 25, 2020 0 comment

Crab Claw Deviled Eggs

by Reed Dunn March 18, 2020

Deviled eggs are always delicious, and you can dress them up in a lot of variations. I like them as an appetizer, and they’re especially good when you’re preparing an Easter brunch – it’s never too early to start planning a menu – as a way to use those extra hard-boiled eggs.

This version is elevated with the addition of some crab meat I got on sale at the seafood counter. Yes, crab meat can be expensive, but it elevates these deviled eggs to a level worth splurging just a bit. In a pinch (hello, pantry recipes), you could use canned.

Crab Claw Deviled Eggs

Reed Dunn Deviled eggs are always delicious, and you can dress them up in a lot of variations. I like them as an appetizer, and they’re especially good when you’re preparing an… Print This

Serves: 6 Prep Time: 25 minutes

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

4 ounces fresh crab claw meat
6 hard-boiled eggs
3 tablespoons mayonnaise*
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard*
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped chives, split
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
Pinch of black pepper

Instructions

Peel eggs and cut in half, lengthwise. Remove yolks and place in a medium bowl.

Mash yolks with the back of a fork until the texture of sand is reached. Fold in mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon chopped chives, paprika, salt and pepper until smooth, creamy texture is reached.

Drain excess liquid from crab claw meat and break up into egg mixture. Stir to combine and place filling in a piping bag or plastic bag to pipe into egg whites. Fill eggs and garnish with 1 tablespoon chopped chives.

*check compliance if you’re doing Whole30

March 18, 2020 0 comment

Holiday Vegetarian

Traditional Latkes

by Reed Dunn December 23, 2019

It had been years since I’d had a good latke. That changed this weekend when my my friend said, “Come over for brunch. I’m making latkes.” I couldn’t get out the door fast enough.

After her divine latkes, I didn’t even wait a full 24 hours until I resurrected a recipe I mostly remember being taught more than 20 years ago. I was working at my first post-college job as a newspaper reporter. The office clerk was Jewish and insisted on bringing me a pile of fried latkes and doughnuts as a thank you for writing a story about Hanukkah.

Fried food when I was an impressionable 22-year-old was more valuable than cold, hard cash. There was no way I would have turned down those treats, and I knew she wasn’t going to take no for an answer. Vida was her name, and she was known for having a bit of a sassy attitude. I think she liked the fact I could keep up and sass right back.

This is my simplified version of a traditional latke recipe that will result in crispy, fried pancakes in less than half an hour. I think they would make Vida proud.

Traditional Latkes

Reed Dunn It had been years since I’d had a good latke. That changed this weekend when my my friend said, “Come over for brunch. I’m making latkes.” I couldn’t get out… Print This

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 8 minutes

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

2 medium russet potatoes
1/2 yellow onion, peeled
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil (plus more, if needed)
Sour cream and applesauce for serving

Instructions

Scrub and rinse potatoes, leaving skins on. Using a box grater, shred potatoes and set aside. Shred 1/2 yellow onion and add to potatoes in cheesecloth or paper towels.

Wring out excess water, removing as much moisture as possible. Add potato and onion shreds to a medium bowl and separate with a fork. Let dry for about 10 minutes to ensure as much moisture is removed as possible.

Whisk in egg, salt and pepper.

In a large skillet over high heat, add 1/4 cup vegetable oil. Once oil is hot, drop latke mix in using a 1/4 cup measuring cup. Smash down with a fork and fry for 3 to 5 minutes per side until extra crispy.

Transfer latkes to a cooling rack over a sheet pan or on a paper towel-lined plate to remove excess oil. Serve warm with sour cream and applesauce.

December 23, 2019 0 comment

Dessert Holiday

Maple Candied Pecans

by Reed Dunn December 19, 2019December 22, 2019

Candied pecans are the treat that makes my Aunt Tonda a bit of a legend around the holidays. She sends a batch to my dad every Christmas, and he is very territorial about that annual bag of sweetness. I always try to sneak a few out of the batch without him noticing, because these are seriously the most magical treat (not a healthy treat, I might add).

This year I decided to just ask Aunt Tonda for the recipe, not sure she’d be willing to give it up. As it turns out, this isn’t a top secret recipe. That tends to be the case with many family recipes, I’m learning in my adult years. But these 4-ingredient pecans are absolutely divine, and the real secret is that they use sour cream! Who knew?

If you’re looking for a last-minute, homemade treat for the neighbors, a teacher or co-workers, I highly recommend this no-fuss recipe. They present well, and you can buy pecans in bulk (hello, Costco!) to cut down on the overall cost.

Maple Candied Pecans

Reed Dunn Candied pecans are the treat that makes my Aunt Tonda a bit of a legend around the holidays. She sends a batch to my dad every Christmas, and he is… Print This

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
4 cups pecan halves
1 teaspoon maple extract

Instructions

Add sugar and sour cream (mind blown) to a medium saucepan. Stir over medium-high heat until combined.

Continue stirring until mixture reaches a soft ball stage (240 degrees F). Note: You’ll want to use a candy thermometer to get this right. Once soft ball stage has been reached, remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon maple extract.

Add 4 cups pecan halves to the mixture and stir to coat. Spread out on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet to cool.

Once cool, break into small pieces and store in an air-tight container.

December 19, 2019December 22, 2019 0 comment

Breakfast Brunch Holiday Whole 30

Red & Green Christmas Casserole

by Reed Dunn December 18, 2019December 18, 2019

Festive foods are the centerpiece of most holiday celebrations, and that’s especially true for Christmas. We have more than enough opportunities to overindulge during December, so I’ve been trying my best to create some celebration meals and dishes that are on the health-conscious side of things.

That’s certainly true with this egg dish, which I’ve given a fancier title. My Red & Green Christmas Casserole is a variation of my favorite breakfast egg bakes, filled with vegetables that add the perfect holiday colors to your table. It’s overflowing with vegetables and checks all of the boxes to be a Whole30-compliant breakfast. You can serve it warm out of the oven, and it’s even better cut up and served room temperature as part of a holiday brunch buffet.

Because the recipe is so simple, you could make variations and add cooked sausage or swap out vegetables to make multiple combinations to please every guest joining you for the holidays.

Red & Green Christmas Casserole

Reed Dunn Festive foods are the centerpiece of most holiday celebrations, and that’s especially true for Christmas. We have more than enough opportunities to overindulge during December, so I’ve been trying my… Print This

Serves: 6 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 yellow onion, diced tomatoes
2 cups zucchini, shredded
1 1/2 cups chopped broccolini
6 eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Oil a 9-inch pie pan or 8-inch square glass baking dish.

Prepare vegetables, using a paper towel to squeeze out excess water from zucchini.

In a skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add in diced bell pepper and onion, stirring to cook for about 5 minutes, until onions are translucent. Reduce heat to medium and add in shredded zucchini and chopped broccolini.

Add salt and pepper to the skillet. Cook vegetables, stirring often, for about 7 to 10 minutes or until water is mostly cooked out of zucchini. (Note: If your zucchini is too watery, you will end up with a runny casserole.)

Spread vegetables into prepared baking dish. Crack eggs into a medium bowl and whisk together until well combined. Pour over vegetable mixture and bake for 24 to 28 minutes, until eggs are set.

Let cool for 10 minutes, or until room temperature. Cut and serve.

December 18, 2019December 18, 2019 0 comment

Holiday

Homemade Gift Idea: Taco & Fajita Spice Blend

by Reed Dunn December 10, 2019December 10, 2019

Holiday gift giving can be impersonal and impractical, not to mention a real stress-inducing activity during this already-hectic time of year. Deciding what to get everyone on my list has been a little extra overwhelming for me this year.

In an effort to get back to the real reason we give gifts at the holidays, I’m trying to make way for some hand-crafted and homemade goodies and gifts this year.

This Taco & Fajita Spice Blend is a great way to present your friends and loved ones with a handmade gift that’s not only thoughtful, but also affordable and useful. I bought spices in bulk from that big, online retailer that has a signature smiling arrow in the logo. All together, the spices cost me less than $40. That’s enough to easily make 15 to 20 gift-size jars of this magical blend.

I like to use this spice mixture for oven-roasted shrimp, fajita platters and tossed in to spice up my breakfast potatoes. It works well to dust atop eggs, as well as stirred into whatever you’re using to make Taco Tuesday a bit more magical.

Depending on the batch size you want to make, just choose a measuring device that’s consistent. If you want to make a smaller batch, use a tablespoon. Larger batches might call for a larger measuring cup.

(Note: I used a 1/2 cup measuring cup for my latest gift batch, and it made 8 of the pictured gift jars with plenty of leftover spices to at least create another 8 jars full.)

Taco & Fajita Spice Blend

Reed Dunn Holiday gift giving can be impersonal and impractical, not to mention a real stress-inducing activity during this already-hectic time of year. Deciding what to get everyone on my list has… Print This

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

6 parts chili powder
4 parts ground cumin
2 parts sea salt
1 part garlic powder
1 part paprika
1 1/2 parts dried oregano
1/2 part ground black pepper
1/2 part onion powder

Instructions

Determine what size of measuring device (perhaps a tablespoon or a 1/2 cup measuring cup), and add all spices to a large bowl.

Mix well with a wooden spoon or metal whisk.

Individually portion in small jars or decorative tins. Dress them up with ribbon and gift tags. Optionally, you can add the ingredient list or some recipe recommendations for the spice blend.

December 10, 2019December 10, 2019 0 comment

Holiday

Seattle Holiday Gift Guide 2019

by Reed Dunn November 27, 2019November 27, 2019

If you’re shopping for a food lover, home cook or someone looking to add a little flair to their life, these are my top 5 picks for holiday gifts in 2019. I’m no Oprah, though I guess you could say these are technically some of my favorite things.

The items on this list are made in Seattle (or nearby), as I always try to shop local during the holidays. It’s a great way to support small business and provide your friends and family with gifts they likely haven’t seen before.

Any Piece, M. Bueno Pottery
From juicers and spoon rests to the most beautiful serving pieces, I am absolutely obsessed with the speckled look of handmade pieces from this Olympia, Wash.-based artist. The price is unmatched when it comes to custom-made pottery, and the consistent designs elevate any kitchen or dining room table.

Available at mbuenopottery.com, starting at $15.

Large Nonstick Skillet, Abbio
Earlier this year I partnered with Abbio to make a Green Shakshuka, but that’s not the reason I’m recommending this skillet. The 11-inch skillet is versatile for many dishes from eggs to salmon and the occasional shrimp curry. For those who are hard on their pots and pans, this is a great all-use skillet that also can go from stovetop to oven (up to 450 degrees) to finish off any dish. It’s easy to clean, and even comes with a hot pad in your choice of colors.

Available at abbiokitchen.com for $77.

Ultimate Charcuterie Collection, Made in Washington Stores
A real taste of the Pacific Northwest, the Ultimate Charcuterie Collection was curated by the fine folks at the Made in Washington stores. It includes SeaBear Smokehouse salmon, lox from Gerard & Dominique, two types of salami from Coro by Salumi, Beecher’s famous Flagship Cheese, a jar of mustard from famed chef Tom Douglas, stone fruit preserves from Girl Meets Dirt and a bag of Truffle Infused Almonds from Recipe 33. This mondo pack is a perfect gift for parents, grandparents or the hard-to-shop-for-couple on your list.

Available at madeinwashington.com for $100.

Flower Subscriptions, The Stemmery
While it’s only available for delivery in the Seattle area, the flowers designed by The Stemmery provide a seasonal peek inside what’s happening outside your door. Fresh bouquets you can arrange yourself or have delivered pre-arranged come in a variety of delivery options. These flowers make the perfect centerpiece for dinner parties or just to add some life to your dining table throughout the year.

Available at thestemmery.com, starting at $35.

Firefly Salt Mini Trio, Firefly Kitchens
I love a good finishing salt or seasoning blend, and the team behind Firefly Kitchens’ incredible line of krauts and fermented goodies has done it, again. The Firefly Salts, which I love to sprinkle on eggs and popcorn, now come in petite stocking-stuffer sized mini jars. A 3-pack will cost you just about $12 at a farmers market or local food show, but it’s available online as a package deal with Fresh & Fermented, the cookbook written by the company founders.

Available at fireflykitchens.com for $40 (includes cookbook and 3 mini salts).

November 27, 2019November 27, 2019 0 comment

Appetizers Holiday Parties & Events Snacks

Creating the Perfect Charcuterie Board

by Reed Dunn November 21, 2019November 21, 2019

Whenever I am planning a dinner party or gathering of any type, I think it’s important to have snacks or appetizers ready before the first guest rings the doorbell. Sometimes it’s just a bowl of pistachios with an empty vessel for visitors to discard their shells. Having some type of food available upon arrival is even more important to me than the main dish or a cocktail pairing.

People often adjust their eating plan for the day, based on the invitation or time of an event. More often than not, they are arriving at the door past the point of hunger. Guests normally will have skipped a meal or extended the time between meals, expecting you might be presenting a buffet of options.

When the occasion calls for it, I like to have a choose-your-own-adventure approach to my appetizer selection. That’s where the mighty charcuterie board comes into play. It’s a fun appetizer to put together and, as a pescatarian, it’s a great way to please my meat-eating guests. Let’s face it, the occasion is rare they will be served meat otherwise.

So, how do you go about putting together the perfect charcuterie board? It’s quite simple, and can even be more affordable than other options. Here are my tips for what you’ll need:

Start with an attractive board or serving platter. The round platter pictured here was only $12 at Anko. While it is showing currently out of stock, there are many options at a similar price point. Also grab a couple of small dishes or other boards from your existing collection to use for olives or as a spillover board (see the picture).
Choose a variety of cheese types. I like to start at Trader Joe’s, which has a wide variety of cheeses at a lower price point than many other retailers. I started with a chunk of Beecher’s Flagship and a Trader Joe’s-branded blue cheese. I added in Smoked Gouda to provide a different texture.
Buy a multi-pack of sliced meats. Because I don’t eat meat, I don’t like to have a bunch of salami or meat left after the event. Especially during the holidays, variety packs for this very purpose are widely available. If you live near a specialty meat shop, you might even be able to ask the purveyors to select a dozen or so slices of a few of their recommendations.
Grab crackers and accompaniments. If you have access to a bulk section, get olives, dried fruits or nuts in smaller quantities. Grab two or three types of crackers of “crunchy” dippers. Again, Trader Joe’s has a great selection and even carries a multi-pack of crackers that does the work for you.
Add a few special touches. On the main board pictured here, I wanted to highlight some delicious local-to-Seattle favorites of mine. Adding things you love that others may not have seen is a great way to start the conversation. I added a jar of Italian Plum Cutting Preserves from Girl Meets Dirt and a Triple Toffee Truffle Bar from Seattle Chocolates.

Once you have gathered all of your ingredients, which may also include grapes or other sliced, fresh fruit, you can start building the board. I like to cut at least one of the cheeses completely into bite-size chunks and start every other cheese chunk by cutting off a few servings. This removes the pressure and intimidation from guests who don’t want to be the guy who actually did cut the cheese and ruin your presentation.

By not cutting all of the cheeses into bite-size pieces, your board will last longer. If everything is cut into bite-size pieces, the entire thing will walk away in minutes. Remember: Your guests are likely arriving hungry.

So, how do you know how much to serve? Great question. I try to have enough elements for guests to fill a small appetizer plate with 8 to 12 pieces from the charcuterie board. They might go back for a second round, but they’ll definitely nibble more slowly once things start disappearing.

Plus, if you’re serving this as an appetizer, you want to make sure guests are ready to enjoy the main courses of the evening. However, if you’re serving a board as the main source of food for a party or event, I suggest you double the ingredient list, hold half of it back and refill once or twice throughout the evening.

November 21, 2019November 21, 2019 0 comment

Dessert Holiday

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

by Reed Dunn December 17, 2018December 22, 2018

There are several ways to make these popular holiday cookies, but this recipe is the one my family has used for years. The dough tends to be a little on the stickier side (could it be all of that sugar?), but extra refrigeration helps it firm up.

Even though these cookies are a bit messy to put together, they’re always the first to go at any cookie exchange or holiday party.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Powdered sugar for coating
.
Add ingredients one at a time, stirring after each. Once baking powder is included, cover and place dough in refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours. Roll dough into balls and coat with powdered sugar.
.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake cookies for 12 minutes, place on a cooling rack. Once cool, store in an airtight container.

December 17, 2018December 22, 2018 0 comment

Holiday

My First Ever Fruitcake

by Reed Dunn December 5, 2018December 5, 2018

Fruitcake is a tradition most people associate with antiquated Christmas traditions. It’s something our grandparents (or maybe even great-grandparents enjoyed). I’ve certainly seen a lot of those canned fruitcakes that look like some manufacturer pumped them out in July so they could sit on the grocery store shelves until they went to the clearance bin and someone bought them to reuse the tins.

In doing research for traditional fruitcake recipes – on a quest to make my first ever fruitcake – I realized the recipes are as varied as the families who make them as traditional gifts. The types of dried and candied fruits and nuts that go into a recipe varies from three to as many as nine or 10 from what I could see. Some are brushed with booze, while others make it optional. Some use a bundt pan, while others recommend a standard bread pan.

By the time I made my way through recipes that worked well for the pans I already owned (no, I don’t own two 9-inch springform pans), I settled on a recipe that also took much less time to get to the tasting portion of this project. I don’t really trust many things (pickles, aside) that require you to wait weeks to taste them. I’m more of an instant-gratification baker. It’s 2018, and I feel like fruitcake recipes need to catch up!

I landed on this recipe from Simply Recipes, a trusted blog source I’ve turned to many times in the past. The site founder, Elise Bauer, provides easy-to-follow instructions for “Our Favorite Holiday Fruitcake” … and it didn’t require me to buy mace. (For those who don’t know, mace is a spice that’s commonly used in Indian dishes. So obviously it’s needed for fruitcake.) Anyway, mace isn’t in this recipe.

Aside from having the necessary ingredients on hand, aside from the candied cherries and other dried fruits, I knew this recipe would be ready within a few hours. Yes, you can baste it with Brandy or bourbon to make it last longer, just like traditional recipes. But I didn’t want to wait.

So, I chopped up all of my dried fruits, including those sticky-sweet cherries that were the reason I even decided this was a good idea, and tossed them with 1/4 cup flour, per the recipe.

I creamed the butter and sugar. Added the egg. Put together the dry ingredients and folded in the fruit and nuts I had prepared. Then a globbed the dough into a prepared bread pan. I used an 8×4 instead of the original recipe’s 9×5, because I didn’t have one on hand.

I had to bake the cake for a full two hours, which felt like an eternity. I was just anxious to take it from the oven, cool it and see if I’m going to be a fruitcake fanatic. The result: This fruitcake is probably as tasty as you can get from a holiday dessert that divides people as strong lovers or haters. The orange zest is the strongest flavor you get from every single bite. I’m still somewhere in the middle, but I love traditions … so maybe this will become one for me?

December 5, 2018December 5, 2018 0 comment