Ambrosia Salad

What could be better than whipped cream, marshmallows, coconut and deliciously sweet and tangy fruit?! Ambrosia salad may be a throwback to the good old days of the 50's and 60's, but it's just as delicious today as it was back then. And I can't think of a more perfect side dish for a picnic or barbecue. And so ridiculously easy to throw together too.

I remember as a child, having Ambrosia salad at church potlucks and Thanksgiving dinners and eating all the marshmallows out first! (I was a very picky kid :0) Anyway, you can really throw just about any type of fruit in that you like, there are endless combinations. They're aaaaalllllllll good. You can't go wrong with marshmallows and Cool Whip. Seriously.
Make some tonight and enjoy it!

Ambrosia Salad

by The Goldilocks Kitchen

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: chill for 1 hour

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Ingredients (6 to 8 servings)

• 1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut
• 1 medium banana sliced thin
• 1 (15 oz.) can pineapple chunks, drained
• 1 (15 oz.) can mandarin oranges, drained
• 1 and 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
• 1 and 1/2 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed
• (optional) 4 medium strawberries, hulled and sliced thin

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and gently stir to combine.

2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serve.

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Easy Baked Risotto

This Easy Baked Risotto recipe takes all the guesswork and stirring out and puts the quick and easy in; while still keeping all the delicious creamy flavors. And it will still turn out just as good as if a seasoned chef prepared it the traditional way.

Traditional Risotto is a delicious, but labor intensive dish. I learned my lesson when I made some myself over the stove top. Whew! Thankfully I could employ my husband to help me stir so my arm wouldn't fall off. Was it delicious? Absolutely. But their has to be an easier way. Well, here it is!

Science comes to our aid, along with the wonderful invention of Aluminum foil. Uncooked Arborio rice is sauteed with melted butter in a large dutch oven for a couple minutes, and then all the broth is added in at once. Placing a large sheet of foil directly to the entire surface of the liquid and folding the edges over the pot keeps the steam from rising above the rice and drying it out. The foil prevents the liquid from evaporating and instead is absorbed by the rice. So you just pop it in the oven for about 15 minutes and it's basically done. Just stir in some cheese and parsley... and... voila! It's like magic.

I will tell you that I have altered this recipe and left out the onion. After cooking up several batches, the onion always tasted off. Like it didn't belong. I know a lot of Risotto recipes will tell you to use it, but I think the onion way over powers all the other delicious, creamy flavors. My whole family likes it much better when I leave out the onion. I have also left out the white wine, and replaced it with my substitute~ 1/2 cup of chicken broth with a tablespoon of the aforementioned liquor's vinegar (white wine vinegar). I like this substitution because it still provides a bit of that bitterness the wine would give, and also gives a broader spectrum of flavors.

I also love this recipe because baking in the oven allows me to cook another dish (such as a protein) on the stove top while the risotto is baking. You can serve a simple, yet fancy meal without the hassle.

Creamy Baked Risotto

by The Goldilocks Kitchen

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Keywords: bake saute side Italian

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Ingredients (Serves 6 to 8)

• 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• 1 and 1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Instructions

1. With the oven rack in the middle position, heat the oven to 400 degrees. Bring broth, water and bay leaves to simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover and keep warm over the lowest possible heat.

2. When broth is hot, melt the butter in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Saute the rice for about 2 minutes, or until the ends of the rice become translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Combine the vinegar with 1/2 cup of broth and add to the rice and cook, stirring until completely absorbed, about 1 minute.

3. Pour the rest of the broth over the rice. Cover the dutch oven with a large sheet of aluminum foil, pressing down so that it rests on top of the surface of the broth. (Careful, it will be very warm. I would suggest wearing oven mittens.) The aluminum foil should overlap all sides of the dutch oven. Crimp foil around the edges and cover with the lid for a tight seal. Bake until the rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Stir in Parmesan cheese and parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

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Green Beans and Mushrooms Braised in Cream

Who loves green bean casserole? If you answered 'Me!', this recipe is for you!
When you have a fabulous main course roasting in the oven, this recipe is a perfect accompaniment. It's made on the stove top and can be timed so it's ready when your main course is ready.
I found this recipe while looking for vegetarian dishes to serve our guests that we invited to dinner. It was well received, and our guests asked for a copy of the recipe. So here it is!

'Braised' means cooked or steamed with a flavorful broth or cream. This recipe uses all fresh ingredients, nothing canned. So it's a bit of a departure if you're used to the canned green beans and cream of mushroom soup topped with french fried onions. This is definitely a recipe in which you must prepare/measure out all ingredients before you begin. If not, you may end up with burnt or over cooked elements (or both).
It's fairly simple in that you make your own french fried shallots~ a nice change from the traditional onion. They are mellow and more sweet in flavor, especially when fried in this manner.
After setting aside your garnish of shallots, you'll cook/steam the green beans and mushrooms in cream, a little lemon juice, minced thyme, salt and pepper. The beauty of this recipe really is the simplicity of it all :0)
I hope you enjoy Green Beans and Mushrooms Braised in Cream as much as my family and I do.

Green Beans and Mushrooms Braised in Cream

by The Goldilocks Kitchen

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Keywords: side vegetarian

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Ingredients (6 servings)

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 medium shallots, peeled and sliced thin crosswise
• 1/2 pound domestic mushrooms, wiped clean, sliced thin
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh minced thyme

Instructions

1. Heat butter and olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan. When the oil and butter is hot, add in the shallots and saute until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate with a slotted spoon.

2. In the same pan, add mushrooms, green beans, cream, lemon juice and thyme. Bring to a boil and cover; reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the cover, and simmer for a few minutes to thicken the cream if necessary. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the fried shallots. Serve warm.

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Maple-Glazed Acorn Squash

"Why do you want to plant that in our garden? I mean, what do you do with those anyway?"
Camron looked puzzled as I dug a hole for my little acorn squash plant purchased earlier that day.
"Uh, you eat it..."
"Oh. Well does it taste good?"
I placed my little plant into it's new home. "Camron, I have a delicious recipe in mind just for this type of squash. It will be really good, I promise."
After that he was satisfied. Months later, when I harvested the fruit of my labors, indeed it was delicious, and everyone loved it! I know you will enjoy making and sharing this squash with friends and family this holiday season.

My husband and I both grew up in central New Mexico, generally a very hot, arid place. It's extremely difficult to get anything to grow in the sand without being scorched to death. So when we moved to Idaho two years ago we embarked on the great task of growing our own vegetable garden, something commonly done here.  If you've never grown a vegetable garden, it can sound simple, but in reality requires a great amount of work. For us that first year it was quite a learning experience. But with sunshine, water and some TLC we had a great garden. There is such a wonderful satisfaction that comes from seeing and enjoying the fruits of your labors. The squash I used for this recipe was picked from my own garden.

It is a fantastic feeling to know when you need something to cook for dinner, you can walk outside, pick it and create a lovely dish to eat in your home! No going to the store and spending money. There truly is something to be said for self-sufficiency. One of my goals in life is to be completely self sufficient. I'm talking having my own property big enough for my own personal farm. Seriously! With a nice looking earth ship home too. Never heard of one, check this out.  They can make them look like nice typical homes now too! I love the idea of not spending money on utilities and growing my own food right in my house!

For now I better focus on helping you cook up some acorn squash :0)

This recipe makes a beautiful and tasty side dish for a holiday meal, or try it with this main course. The first thing about making this recipe is that you'll need to use real maple syrup. Don't even think about using pancake syrup! I know a bottle of real maple syrup can be very expensive, depending on where you live. If money is tight, think of it as an investment and keep it only for use as an ingredient in cooking. Use your imitation syrup for pancakes in the morning. I still do!

When preparing the squash you'll need to cut it into wedges to create more surface area to brown and glaze. Plus the smaller wedges will take less time to cook. Also reducing the maple syrup a bit on the stove will help it stick to your squash wedges, instead of running right off and caramelizing your pan :0)

First, cut the squash in half from the stem to the tip and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Then cut each half into four wedges as shown in the pictures. A tip when slicing these up: use a very sharp chef's knife. When the squash is cut in half and seeds removed, place the flat part down on your cutting board to slice the rest. Then it won't move around on you as you finish slicing it, saving you from any cuts from that sharp knife. (Hopefully.)

Maple-glazed Acorn Squash

by The Goldlocks Kitchen

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45

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Ingredients (8 servings)

• 2 acorn squash
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 5 tablespoons maple syrup
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions

1. Set your oven to 475 and make sure the oven rack is in the middle position. Cut each squash pole to pole, scoop out the seeds, and cut into 8 wedges. Toss the squash wedges with the oil, sugar, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Place the wedges on their sides in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the bottoms of the squash are nice and golden brown for about 25 minutes.

2. While the squash is baking, pour the syrup into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the syrup for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in butter and cayenne until smooth. Cover to keep warm.

3. When the bottoms of the squash have roasted, remove them from the oven and flip them over. Brush the tops with maple glaze and return to the oven and bake until the squash is tender and deep golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, flip the wedges over again, brush with remaining glaze, and serve.

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