Bacon & Kimchi Mac & Cheese

When Brad and I started dating, he used to make me his grandmother's version of homemade mac and cheese. It involved a LOT of Velveeta, milk, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Oh goodness. To this day, I crave that stuff. Partly because it was delicious and partly because it is something only Brad has made for me. (As it turns out, the key to my heart is through my stomach...) 

It's been quite some time since I made homemade macaroni and cheese, so when I got Lauren Grier's cookbook, Modern Comfort Cooking, in the mail a couple weeks ago and came across this bacon and kimchi mac recipe, I knew I had to make it. Lucky for me, it was even more delicious than I anticipated! And lucky for you, you can make this in your very own kitchen! My suggestion: whip up two batches and gift one, along with Lauren's cookbook, to them for the holidays. 

I used Tillamook shredded sharp cheddar and Ozuké kimchi and the result was a perfectly creamy, cheesy mac dotted with pieces of spicy kimchi and salty bacon. Oh, goodness. my mouth is watering just imagining those first delicious bites! And the panko crust? Such a lovely contrast to the texture of the rest of the dish. 

If you're looking for a side dish this holiday season and/or a last minute gift idea, definitely order Lauren's cookbook and make this (or any) of her beautiful recipes! She really hit it out of the park. Which is no surprise at all if you are a follower of her blog! 

bacon & kimchi mac & cheese from modern comfort cooking

serves 6

• 5 slices bacon
• 1/2 lb elbow macaroni 
• 5 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
• 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 cups whole milk
• 1 3/4 cup shredded medium cheddar cheese (I used Tillamook's sharp cheddar)
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 2/3 cup chopped kimchi
• 3/4 cup panko
• 1 tsp cayenne

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the bacon slices on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes or until cooked through. Allow the bacon to cool, then chop and set aside. 
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the elbow macaroni and cook according to the package directions.
3. In a large pot, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium high heat. Add the flour, whisking constantly, to make a roux. Slowly add the milk to the flour in the pot, continuing to whisk, until the sauce thickens. Add the cheese and stir until melted and smooth. Add the salt and pepper, followed by the bacon and kimchi. Fold the cooked pasta into the cheese sauce. Pour everything into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
4. In a small bowl, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the microwave. Stir the panko and cayenne into the melted butter and sprinkle over the mac and cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and the bread crumbs are golden brown. 

Roasted Red Pepper Party Dip

This time of year can get kind of heavy. Schedules are filled to the brim, wallets are emptied thanks to gift-buying, eating out, and all the things in between, and waist lines tend to expand as we indulge in cookies and eggnog and all things holiday flavored. The thing that helps me the most is keeping a great, healthy recipe in my back pocket that I can bring to parties. I always look to flavorful, vibrantly colored ingredients so whatever I'm making feels special. This roasted red pepper party dip is this year's obsession and I know you're going to love it, too! 

The last few times we've had friends and family over to our house, I've piled up a bunch of veggies, cheese, and meat on a big sheet pan and I can almost hear the sighs of relief and guests see a healthy, yet tasty, option for snacking on. This dip just elevates a basic cheese and veggie platter to something holiday worthy. Bonus: it is made in a blender and only a blender and uses ingredients you probably already have on hand. 

A couple tips if you're making a platter with veggies to dip in your roasted red pepper party dip:

• choose veggies that are beautiful and easy to arrange: broccolini briefly cooked in salted, boiling water then plopped in an ice bath are perfect, as are carrots, sliced peppers, radishes, sliced raw fennel, and romain lettuce leaves
• stick to 2 or 3 cheeses: I like to have a soft cheese, a hard cheese, and a blue or gorgonzola cheese. 
• go light on the accompaniments: to save some pennies, go light on the meat, olives, and nuts because the veggies are the real star here! 

And with that, you will no doubt have a beautiful platter to contribute to your next holiday party! Oh, and I suppose you'll need a recipe for that super flavorful, creamy, dip (which happens to be gluten, dairy, and added sugar free)! 

roasted red pepper party dip

• 1 jar roasted red peppers, drained
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1/3 cup unsalted cashews (can be raw or roasted)
• 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Place the drained peppers, garlic, cashews and lemon juice in a blender. Pulse until chopped roughly. 
2. With the blender running, stream the olive oil into the red pepper mixture until thick and smooth. 
3. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and additional lemon juice if needed. 
4. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve! 

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

I'm always looking for ways to feel warm, cozy, and relaxed in my home when the temperatures drop and daylight dwindles. It usually involves sweaters, blankets, hot tea, soup, and seasonally scented candles. Nothing out of the ordinary here, right? 

Of course, I crave these comforts most on days when life is crazy and time is scarce. So, I need shortcuts: Faster ways to make my house feel cleaner, cozier, and warmer. And I look for recipes that don’t require a lot of time, prep, or cleanup. This Curried Butternut Squash Soup, for example, is a lifesaver. 

On cold, crazy days, I like to fill my favorite soup bowl to the brim with this flavorful soup and curl up the sofa with a good podcast or my favorite food magazine. We don’t have a fireplace, but if we did, you can bet that would be going as well. 

I’d love to know what you do to make your home feel as cozy as possible during this time of year! I’m always up for new ideas. In the meantime, we had a lot of fun putting together this video for you - so you can see how truly easy and beautiful this soup is!

photo by TJ Turner Pictures

This post came together thanks to a wonderful team of people. Videography, still photos, and lots of patience by Martin and TJ. Art direction and sisterly giggles by Rebecca. 

Curried butternut Squash Soup

Makes 6 servings 

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 35-40 minutes 

*Quick tip: buy pre-cut squash to really speed things up. 

• 2 1/2 lbs butternut squash, cubed
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
• 2-3 large garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoons ground mustard
• 1 can full fat coconut milk
• 3 cups chicken stock
• additional curry/mustard powder to taste
• white pepper and salt to taste
• toppings: cilantro, lime juice, thinly sliced fresno chilis, and roasted cashews

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. Put squash, onion, garlic and carrots on one or two large, rimmed baking sheets lined with parchment. Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with salt, curry and mustard, and toss to coat. 
3. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until the vegetables are just tender and golden brown on the edges. 
4. Transfer the vegetables to a soup pot and add the chicken stock and coconut milk. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. 
5. Remove the soup from the heat and use an immersion blender to blend the soup until it is smooth. 
6. Taste and adjust seasoning to taste. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with desired toppings. 

photo by TJ Turner Pictures

Sweet Potato Medallions with Bacon Jam

*This post is sponsored by Sonoma Cutrer. All opinions are my own. 

I had my first sip of wine when I started working at a restaurant over a decade ago. I was immediately fascinated with the taste, the process, and the idea of pairing it with food. I learned how to breathe in with wine in my mouth to enhance and help identify the subtle flavors. And I discovered that the world of wine included a much longer list of choices than I ever expected. It can all be very overwhelming, especially when you are in charge of choosing wine for someone else to drink with their meal. Yes, there are many things to consider. In the end, the most important thing is that the food and wine taste good to you. It doesn't always matter how much the wine costs or how many fancy ingredients are in your food. It can be as simple as something being good (or not). So if you're starting to panic a bit about choosing the perfect wine to pair with the most impressive meal this holiday season, take a deep breath and just try a few different combinations. Don't overthink it. Enjoy it. Close your eyes and mindfully taste everything and you are sure to find what you're looking for. 

Of course, I have to offer a little assistance in this area so you aren't completely alone. Today I bring you: sweet potato medallions with bacon jam! They are the PERFECT holiday appetizer and are sure to wow your guests. I made them for a rehearsal dinner a few weeks ago for some dear friends who got married and wow, were they a crowd pleaser! Plus, they are gluten free, so you can rest easy serving this to friends with that particular dietary restriction. (Just make sure you purchase gluten free bacon.)

For the wine choices, I am featuring a Chardonnay and a Pinot Noir from Sonoma Cutrer. They ship their wines, so it is crazy easy to order enough for your holiday parties without setting foot in a liquor store. Wine! I mean...WIN! I'm always happy to have fewer errands to run this time of year. 

Lets break this down for a moment: you cannot go wrong with sweet potatoes and bacon. You also cannot go wrong with a good Chardonnay or Pinot Noir. These are my go-to wines for parties because they please most people. The key? Keep the Chardonnay on the bright side rather than the buttery side. Sonoma's Russian River Ranches Chardonnay is a lovely choice that has the substance to stand up to flavorful food, but enough effervescence to be refreshing and drinkable. For Pinot Noir, I like to keep things smooth. Reds can be tough to pair with food (and people) but Pinot Noir tends to be one of the more palatable choices for the widest range of people. The Vine Hill Pinot Noir from Sonoma was the perfect choice for this appetizer. It has a smoothness and depth that is perfect for a chilly night and words beautifully with the smoky flavor of the bacon jam in this particular recipe.

When it comes right down to it, the best thing you can do when you are entertaining is to breathe and enjoy your guests. Regardless of whether you pair this with that or the other thing, you will all have a memorable experience filled with all the warmth the holidays bring. Cheers to that. You got this. 

sweet potato medallions with bacon jam

makes 30 medallions

• 2 large or 3 medium sweet potatoes (you'll want enough to make 30 medallions)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lb bacon (gluten free if needed, otherwise just look for thick cut, meaty bacon)
• 1 head of garlic, sliced in half across its equator, drizzled with olive oil and wrapped in foil)
• 1medium red onion, sliced
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons wine (Chardonnay or Pinot Noir both taste great)
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• creme fraîche or sour cream
• thyme, rosemary or chives for garnish (thyme is my favorite)

1.   Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into medallions about 1/2 inch thick. Arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Brush the medallions with olive oil on both sides. Bake until just tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. 
2. Keep the oven heated to 400. Arrange the bacon on a baking sheet lined with foil. On another baking sheet lined with parchment, arrange the onion slices and the head of garlic. Put the bacon on a rack in the top third of the oven and the onion and garlic on the bottom third. Cook for 25 minutes, switching the pans halfway through. If the onions start to get too browned, remove them from the pan but keep the garlic in until it is soft and the cloves easily pop out of their skin. 
3. Put the cooked bacon and the onions in a blender. Squeeze the garlic cloves into the blender as well. Pulse until everything is about the same size and the mixture is nearly spreadable. Add the black pepper, maple syrup and the wine to the blender and pulse again a couple of times to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
4. Spoon 1 teaspoon of the jam onto each sweet potato medallion and place on a serving platter. Top with a teaspoon of creme fraîche or sour cream and garnish with your choice of herb. Grind additional black pepper over the medallions if desired. 

Pesto Grilled Cheese Sliders

We go through copious amounts of pesto in this house. My children won't eat most macaroni and cheese, turn up their noses at mashed potatoes, and refuse to even consider any form of lunch meat. But pesto? Just give them the jar and a spoon. I've played with different pesto varieties and they seem to only care about the color and garlicky flavor. That makes it easy to add things like kale or spinach to give them a little nutritional variety...or at least that's what I tell myself.

No matter what kind of pesto we make, it gets used in two main ways: grilled cheese, and scrambled eggs. Since most kids like grilled cheese, it's one of my staples for playdates that happen over mealtime. Making more than 2 grilled cheese sandwiches can be tricky, especially when you have hungry little kiddos at your heels, so I decided to try making them as sliders. They can be made all at once and they cook in the oven to melty, cheesy perfection. 

And if I may make on suggestion: if you are the kind of person that loves tomato soup and grilled cheese, you MUST dip these sliders in the homemade tomato soup I posted last week. Match made in food pairing heaven! 

Pesto Grilled Cheese Sliders

makes 6 sliders (easily doubled to make 12)

• 6 small rolls, like King's Hawaiian
•  2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese, like Tillamook Farmstyle Cut because M E L T Y
• 1/3 cup pesto
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Without pulling the rolls apart, cut them in half and lay them, cut side up, on a clean work surface. 
2. Mix the pesto with the parmesan cheese and spread evenly over both pieces of bread. 
3. Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the bottom half of the rolls, then place the other half on top. 
4. Brush the top of the rolls with the melted butter and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Eat immediately. 

*Pro-Tip: You can double this recipe and freeze half for another time. Just prepare through step 3, wrap in plastic wrap and place in a gallon ziploc. Remove from the freezer when ready to eat, brush with the butter, and bake as directed. 

Simple Roasted Tomato Soup

My happy place is my kitchen. When life gets the best of me and I don't know what to do, the first thing I want to do is go to my kitchen and give it a good cleaning. Then I want to bake. Or make pancakes. After the earthquake and tsunami in Japan in 2011, we found ourselves anxiously watching the news and sitting through countless aftershocks. The only thing that kept me from having a complete breakdown was getting in the kitchen and making pancakes. Something about going through the motions of making something so simple and comforting helped keep me focused and calm.

This week, after the tragedy in Las Vegas, I made bread and soup. Nothing fancy. Just food to soothe my sou, fill my belly and warm my heart, even if only for a moment. It's not a long-term solution but it helps me face my children on a day when all I want to do is curl up in a ball and cry for the lives that were cruelly taken. And sometimes that is exactly what we need food to do: nourish our bodies and our minds so we can carry on and do what we can to get through the day.

If you're looking for some therapy, let me suggest making this soup with last-of-the-season tomatoes, slow roasted until deep red, sweet, and juicy. Allow yourself to slow down and breathe in the smell as the tomatoes slowly roast. This act alone is sure to help you center yourself. This is especially fitting for the season we are in, when the air is clear and crisp and it isn't quite chilly enough to turn on the furnace, but chilly enough to want your oven on for a few hours to warm up your living space. 

The tomatoes are the star in this recipe, but I also have a secret weapon: miso paste. You can use any miso paste you have on hand, but that seemingly insignificant tablespoon of umami goodness takes this soup from good to great. I always have a container of miso paste in my fridge. It is, hands down, my favorite secret ingredient. If you don't already have some, I recommend fixing that ASAP. Get white miso to start with and, once you've experimented with that a bit, branch out to others shades from red to almost black. (Need some miso inspiration? Check here, here and here.) 

I'd love to know how you cope when life gets heavy and overwhelming. Do you bake? Do you cook up a storm? Walk? Run? Leave your thoughts in the comments. I think we could all use more ways to get through it all, don't you? For now, I'm going to curl up under a blanket with a warm bowl of tomato soup and a crusty slice of bread. Anyone else? 

Simple Roasted Tomato Soup

Makes 6-8 servings

• 8-10 medium, ripe tomatoes, cored and halved
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• kosher salt
• 4 cups chicken broth, stock, or water
• 1 tablespoon miso paste (I used white but use whatever you have on hand)
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• salt and pepper to taste

*note: for creamy tomato soup, add some half and half just before serving. Or top with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt like Tillamook or Noosa. 

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Arrange the tomatoes, cut side up, on a parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and a generous sprinkle of kosher salt. Roast for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until the tomatoes are slightly shriveled, deep red in color, and just begin to release their juices. 
2. Pour the tomatoes and their juices into a 4 or 6 quart pot. Add the chicken stock, broth or water and bring to a simmer. Add the thyme, red pepper flakes, paprika and miso paste and stir to combine. Bring back to a simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes or until heated through. 
3. Pour into a blender and carefully pulse until the soup is smooth. Return the soup to the pot and taste. Season as needed with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, or cool and store in large jars for up to one week. 

*If you'd like, you can toss a couple garlic cloves on the pan with the tomatoes before roasting. I left that out because I wanted this soup to be as simple as possible.