raisins Archives -

Christmas menus have been planned by now and there’s hardly a need for another stollen recipe, but I feel the need to post this one for myself. The recipe I use for stollen is so marked up and scribbled over that it’s hardly understandable anymore, even to me. It’s evolved over the years to suit our own tastes, and although it’s a deviation from traditional stollen, it’s what we like. This version is notable for its dried cherries, apricots, and raisins plumped in amaretto and baked into a sweet-but-not-too-sweet dough. I skipped the powdered sugar coating for a light drizzle of almond scented icing, and this year I decided to make little twist buns (inspired by Jessie’s rolls over here) instead of loaves.

[Read more…] about Twisty Stollen Buns

Kale salad time again because I love eating kale salads more than anything else in this world. Goodness, how times have changed. When I was in high school, I could proudly eat an entire pint of Ben & Jerry’s in one sitting because ice cream was my favorite thing to eat. Now, however, if someone were to present me with the choice between pints of ice cream, a platter of cookies, or a giant kale salad, I would in all honesty choose the kale salad. The rest of the family thinks I’m strange, but I like to just think of myself as healthy.

This Kale Quinoa Salad with Pickled Onions, Raisins, and Pine Nuts is inspired from a salad I had at Social Kitchen and Bar a couple years ago. (Yes, the salad was so good that I am still thinking about it two years later.) Since I don’t live close enough to frequently dine at the restaurant, I did my best to recreate the salad at home. Hello to my new favorite.

I listed general amounts of ingredients in the recipe below, but really there is so much liberty that can used when assembling salads. Increase the quinoa if you’d like a heartier grain salad or add some extra cheese for a stronger parmesan or romano flavor. The pickled onions add a lot to this salad though so don’t skip those. (Note that it’s important to find raw and unfiltered apple cider vinegar for pickling the onions because pasteurized apple cider vinegar does not have the same health benefits.) This salad is a bit salty, a bit tart, and a bit sweet. With all of those holiday cookies around during this season, now is the perfect time balance it all out with this marvelous kale salad.

Kale Quinoa Salad with Pickled Onions, Raisins, and Pine Nuts

Ingredients

8-10 cups chopped kale, from 1 large bunch, tough stalks removed
⅓ cup raisins
⅓ cup pine nuts
½ cup cooked quinoa
½ cup romano or parmesan cheese, grated
½ cup pickled red onion (see recipe below)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Toast pine nuts in a single layer in a 350 oven for 2-3 minutes. Watch carefully because the pine nuts burn easily.
In a large bowl, mix together the kale with the raisins, pine nuts, quinoa, cheese and pickled onion.
Whisk together the vinegar and olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour dressing over salad, tossing until salad is evenly coated.

Pickled Red Onions

Ingredients

1 cup sliced red onion
½ cup water
½ cup cider vinegar
1 tsp honey
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon mustard seeds

Instructions

In a small saucepan, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add the onions and turn off heat. Allow the onions to sit in the hot water for 1 minute. Drain and add onions to a small glass jar.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the water, cider vinegar, honey, and salt. Stir until salt and honey are dissolved. Pour mixture over the onions and sprinkle in the mustard seeds. Allow onions to sit in the vinegar solution for at least a few hours before serving. Keeps in the refrigerator for at least 2 weeks.

Notes

adapted from Bon Appetit