Roasted Balsamic Veggie Salad with Apples

Last night I decided to use my small stock pile of leftovers and reuse them for dinner. I had chicken, zucchini and an onion, corn and red pepper relish. I decided to combine my leftovers and mix in some balsamic vinegar. I put everything under the broiler to roast. As my leftovers were cooking I grabbed some salad and apples. I also put together a quick Greek style dressing. Once my leftover medley was cooked I topped my salad with apples with the mixture and lighted dressed it. It turned out really well and it felt like I had a new meal and not just a compilation of previous meals. The apples added a nice burst of freshness. I think I may make it a weekly challange to see how creative I can get with my leftovers now!

Quick Greek Dressing
1 Cup Olive Oil
1 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
2 1/2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
2 1/2 Teaspoons Dried Oregano
2 1/2 Teaspoons Dried Basil
2 Teaspoons Salt
2 Teaspoons Pepper
2 Teaspoons Onion Powder
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
Juice of 1 Lemon

Combine all ingridents and shake to combine.

Creamy Old Bay Buffalo Chicken

I've been craving buffalo chicken and crap dip lately. There is just something about the creamy goodness of those dishes paired with the cooler weather that's really been making my taste buds swoon. Last night I got home starving and needed to make a quick dinner from the few ingredients that I had on hand. Lucky for me, it just so happened that I could play around with these two dishes. I had some tequila lime chicken that I cooked up on Sunday so I have something to eat during the week, and some leftover buffalo chicken dip ingredients from a tailgating recipe I made last Ravens home game. I fully understand that the dish looks gross, but boy did it taste good! It really hit the spot and I enjoyed it so much I made a second batch for my lunch.

Creamy Old Bay Buffalo Chicken
4 Ounces Cooked Chicken, diced small
1/2 Zucchini-diced small
2 Ounces Lite Cream Cheese
1 Tablespoon Lite Blue Cheese Dressing
1 Teaspoon Hot Buffalo Sauce
**Recipe makes 2 Servings 230 calories per serving**







Start by melting the cream cheese, blue cheese dressing and buffalo sauce into a pan.

Next, stir in the chicken and zucchini. You can omit the zucchini but I wanted to bulk up the dish. Cook until chicken is warmed through- about 5 minutes. Next top with Old Bay to give the dish the essence of crab dip. Serve and Enjoy!

I ate my dish with crackers but I wished I had celery and carrots on hand. It would be great in a taco or salad as well. I only had hot buffalo sauce on hand so you may want to adjust that quantity depending on your heat preferences.

Gorgonzola, Cranberry Brussels Sprouts

Thanksgiving with my family is about carbs. Most items on our table are a lovely shade of cream, beige, tan or a combo of the three. It's a carb lovers dream! This year, I decided to add a little green into the mix with my gorgonzola, cranberry Brussels sprouts. It's a great fall side dish that mixed well on our holiday table but it simple enough for a weeknight meal. I've experimented with Brussels sprouts enough that I don't really have exact measurements but this recipe it simple enough that you don't need them.

Gorgonzola, Cranberry Brussels Sprouts
Brussels Sprouts- halved
Dried Cranberries
Gorgonzola Cheese
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

Start by sauteing the sprouts in olive oil, salt and pepper. Cook until the sprouts start to turn golden brown. Next add the dried cranberries. I love the sweet note they add to the dish so I'm a little heavy handed with them. Continue to cook until the sprouts are a deeper golden brown. Remove the sprouts and cranberries from the pan and transfer to a serving bowl. Sprinkle the gorgonzola cheese on top of the hot mixture and stir to incorporate. You can do this step in the pan but it makes for longer clean up. Once the cheese is melted into the sprouts, you're ready to eat! This dish can be made in advance but I recommend eating it the day you make it.

Spicy Cran-Rosemary Sauce

If you couldn’t tell, I'm having a love affair with fresh cranberries! I first made fresh cranberry sauce for my friend’s bachelorette party where I made a simple cranberry sauce and layered it over warmed brie. I had never made a cranberry sauce before and was shocked with how easy it was. Since that party I've made 4 different variations. This recipe is my latest concoction that I made as an appetizer when I went to visit a local Maryland winery for an event. Everyone in my group really seemed to enjoy it! I also plan on making the sauce for Thanksgiving this year. I think it will be a great compliment to the leftover turkey sandwiches.

Spicy Cran-Rosemary Sauce
1 bag of cranberries
1 cup Water
½ Cup Sugar- maybe more is the sauce is too tart.
2 large Sprigs of fresh rosemary finely chopped
Juice of 1 Orange
Zest of 1 Orange
1-2 Jalapeno’s minced
Cayenne Pepper to taste

Sort through your cranberries and remove any stems or berries that have turned. Combine water, cranberries, orange juice and zest, rosemary, jalapeno and sugar in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Allow to cook until all of the cranberries begin to burst, about 10 minutes. Mixture will naturally thicken so make sure you keep an eye on the mixture so it doesn’t burn. If you feel the mixture is cooking too quickly, lower the heat. After all the berries have cooked down and thickened, remove from the heat. Taste the sauce to see how spicy it is. This is vary depending on how hot the jalapenos are. If you feel you need to add more heat, start by adding 1/8-1/4 teaspoon of cayenne paper. Serve the sauce over cream cheese. The cheese will help mellow the heat so you may want to make the sauce spicier than you normally would. Once you’ve reached your desired heat, let the sauce cool before storing in a heat proof dish.

 

When you want to assemble the appetizer- warm the sauce until it’s heated through. Spoon sauce over the cream cheese and garnish with orange zest and fresh rosemary. Serve with crackers or toasted crostini. 

Cran-Rosemary Sparkler

Entertaining wouldn't be the same without a fun  cocktail! I created this drink last year and it’s always been a hit. To me, it’s great any time of year, but the flavors of the rosemary and cranberry compliment autumn and winter perfectly. It’s a great welcome cocktail for a holiday party or date night. You can make the drink in advance and fill your glasses with the cranberry base. Once your guests arrive, simply top each drink with champagne!

Cran-Rosemary Sparkler

For the cocktail

1 Bottle Cranberry Juice
2 Cups Vodka
1 Cup Rosemary Simple Syrup
4 Bottles of Champagne

Combine cranberry juice, vodka and syrup into a large pitcher.  Keep refrigerated until ready to use. To serve,  fill a champagne glass about half full with the cranberry juice and then top with Champagne. Add desired garnish.

** I recommend making the base of this drink and keeping it in a pitcher so your guests can serve themselves! The proportions listed above should be enough to serve the entire batch. you can adjust accordingly**

RosemarySimple Syrup

1 Cup Water
1 Cup Sugar
Fresh Rosemary Sprigs

Combine water and sugar in a pot and put on medium heat. Once the sugar is partly dissolved put the fresh rosemary sprigs into the mixture. Bring mixture up to a soft simmer and reduce heat to low to allow the rosemary flavor to infuse into the syrup. Let mixture cool after steeping in syrup for 5-10 minutes, depending on the strength you prefer. Strain the rosemary from the syrup and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

**If you're looking to make the recipe per drink use 1/2-1 ounces of vodka and 2 tablespoons of the rosemary simple syrup**

Tomato Balsamic Chicken