Rosemary Roasted Almonds

sometime you feel like a nut...

My family always serves mixed nuts as part of our appetizer spread. That can get boring, expected, and frankly just old. So, I'm mixing it up with these Rosemary Roasted Almonds. This recipe is super easy and a great make ahead, especially for Christmas!

While I'm only using almonds in this recipe, you can use any nut - even the mixed ones. I've flavored skin-on and blanched almonds with maple syrup, cinnamon, cayenne, rosemary, and salt. Roasting the almonds brings out their nuttiness and the egg white helps bind everything. So, mix up your usual bowl of nuts and make these. Here's how...

Ingredients - Makes 3 Cups
Cooking Spray
1 Large Egg White
1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
2 T Maple Syrup
1/2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
2 T Fresh Rosemary, minced
1 1/2 C Whole Almonds (skin-on)
1 1/2 C Whole Blanched Almonds

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Be sure to coat well!

In a medium mixing bowl whisk the egg white and salt until foamy. Add the syrup, cinnamon, cayenne, and rosemary. Whisk to combine. Stir in the almonds and toss until coated.

Spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Bake until the nuts are brown, 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway through. Cool completely before serving or storing. The nuts can be stored for up to 5 days in a tightly sealed container. Enjoy!

Apple Cinnamon Bread Pudding with Maple Doughnut Glaze

dressed for success...

To wrap up this series full of maple I've made a very common dessert - bread pudding. But you know I can't leave well alone. So, I've dressed this apple cinnamon bread pudding with a maple glaze made for doughnuts. Yeah, this dessert is serious - seriously easy to make, seriously comforting, seriously unhealthy for you, but seriously delicious.

Cubes of French bread and apple are coated in a sweet custard totally transforming these staple ingredients. This is then baked till set, brown, and crispy on top. The simple maple glaze can be made while the bread pudding bakes. And, even better, each of these things can be made ahead. Make this dessert when you want to indulge...here's how.

Ingredients - Serves 8
Bread Pudding
1 3/4 C Whole Milk
1 C Light Brown Sugar, packed
1/2 Stick Unsalted Butter
Pinch of Salt
2 Eggs, beaten
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 Large Loaf French Bread, approx. 8 C
2 Granny Smith Apples, peeled and diced
2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon

Glaze
1/2 Stick Unsalted Butter
1/2 C 100% Pure Maple Syrup
1 C Powdered Sugar

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium sauce pan combine the milk, brown sugar, butter, and salt. Cook over medium low, stirring constantly, until the butter is melted, 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Whisk in the beaten egg and vanilla. Set aside.

In a large baking dish evenly distribute the cubed bread and apples. Pour the custard over top and stir to coat everything well. Sprinkle the cinnamon all over the top.

Then place the bread pudding in the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes, or until set and the top is browned. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. This can also be served at room temperature.

While the bread pudding bakes, make the glaze. In a small sauce pan over medium low heat melt the butter and maple syrup together, whisking occasionally. Remove from the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar. Set aside to cool and thicken.


Finally, scoop heaping spoon-fulls of the bread pudding onto plates and dress with the maple doughnut glaze. Serve immediately warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Maple-Bourbon Glazed Salmon

first day of fall feast...

It's official. The first day of fall is finally here. I'm so excited! If you know me at all (or have followed my blog) you know I'm seasonal with my recipes. This one is no exception and is quite the fall feast. I made this dish Sunday night to celebrate my second wedding anniversary (it's today actually) so it was only appropriate.

This is a very traditional recipe, and as I've said, at times it's best not to mess too much with perfection. I've made a simple reduction by combining maple syrup, bourbon, soy sauce, and orange juice and cooked it down. This is then served over top of oven broiled salmon on a bed of rice. Make this dish when you want to impress. Here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 4
1/3 C 100% Pure Maple Syrup
3 T Bourbon
2 T Soy Sauce (low sodium)
2 T Fresh Orange Juice
1 1/4 lbs. Salmon (skin on)
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
Cooking Spray
For Serving: Cooked White Rice

Directions
Preheat the broiler. Move the oven rack up to two slots from the top.

Make the glaze: In a small sauce pan combine the maple syrup, bourbon, soy sauce, and orange juice. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat while preparing the salmon.

Prepare the salmon: Place the salmon on a lightly greased broiler pan (or a cooling rack placed on top of a baking sheet). Season with a bit of salt and pepper.

Cook the salmon: Place the salmon under the broiler and cook for 4 minutes. Remove and brush the glaze (still reducing) on top. Return to the broiler and continue to cook until the fish flakes easily, about 3 more minutes.

Finish the glaze: As the fish finishes cooking, bring the maple-bourbon mixture to a boil. Allow it to reduce to a syrup, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Plate the salmon: Put down a bed of rice. Top with the salmon and drizzle with the glaze. Serve with your favorite vegetables and a glass of wine. Welcome fall with this fabulous feast. Enjoy!

Maple Goat Cheese Canapés

it's ba-ack...

Fall that is (or almost) and so am I. My favorite time of the year will finally be here next week. And along with fall comes football, mums, pumpkins, apples, cinnamon, and one of my favorite flavors - maple. For this series I'm focusing on maple syrup and all its glorious dark amber color. It seemed to be the perfect flavor to welcome fall.

I made this recipe last night when my husband and our friend James were just hanging out having a "man's" night. There was football, some beer, a lot of burping, and way too much food. These canapés might seem too delicate to be considered man's food. Enter the ultimate man food - bacon. Yep, I added crumbled maple bacon to their canapés and they were rightfully dubbed "manapés". Try these out for your next game day get together. Here's how...

Ingredients - Makes 12 Canapés
1 Whole Wheat Loaf of Bread, sliced
8 oz. Goat Cheese, softened
2 1/2 T 100% Pure Maple Syrup
1 T Fresh Rosemary, chopped
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
2/3 C Golden Raisins
3/4 C Smoked Salted Almonds, chopped
Optional: Maple Bacon, crumbled

Directions
If using the bacon, cook 3 slices until crisp. Then crumble and set aside.

Toast the bread: Preheat the broiler to high. Line the bread up on a large baking sheet. Toast for 1-2 minutes. Flip and toast for another minute. Set aside.

Make the maple goat cheese: In a medium bowl combine the softened goat cheese, maple syrup, and half the rosemary (1/2 T). Add a pinch of salt and pepper and mix well. Set aside.

Build the canapés: Spread each slice of bread with the maple goat cheese mixture. Top with the golden raisins, smoked almonds, and crumbled bacon (if using). Garnish with the remaining 1/2 T rosemary. Serve immediately! Welcome back fall!!

Banana & Maple Ricotta Filled Crepes

makin' banana pancakes, pretending it's the weekend now...

That song, if you know it, will now be stuck in your head the rest of the day; believe me, I've been singing it since I've been thinking about this post! You have to love Jack Johnson! Anyway, I've made crepes for this post, which are the French version of a pancake. I even learned (by about the fourth crepe) how to flip them in the pan by throwing them in the air. It was a fun experiment...just ask my husband.

Focusing on bananas for these three posts has lead me to making breakfast/brunch food and this post is no different. I've simply filled crepes with maple infused ricotta cheese and sliced bananas. This would be the perfect breakfast or bunch item for a lazy weekend day. And, lets face it, with as cold as it has been, I've had no motivation to get outside and do anything. So, be lazy this weekend and make these French inspired banana pancakes, here's how...

Ingredients - Makes 12 Crepes
1 1/3 C All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 T Granulated Sugar
1/4 tsp. Salt
1 1/2 C Whole Milk
6 Eggs
1/2 C Water
1 Stick Unsalted Butter
4-5 Ripe Bananas
15 oz. Container Ricotta Cheese (low-fat okay)
1/4 C 100% Pure Maple Syrup, more for topping

Directions

Begin by making the crepe batter: Melt half the stick of butter (4 T) in the microwave; allow to cool. In a blender combine the flour, sugar, salt, milk, eggs, water, and melted, cooled butter. Blend until smooth and all ingredients are incorporated. Allow the batter to rest at room-temperature for about 20 minutes.

While the crepe batter thickens, prepare the rest of the ingredients. In a medium bowl combine the ricotta and maple syrup. Stir together until smooth. Cut the bananas into 1/4 in. thick slices. Set aside.

Make the crepes: Heat a 12 in. non-stick skillet over medium and add a small pat of butter. Once the butter is melted and has coated the bottom of the skillet pour in about 1/3 of a cup of the crepe batter. Swirl the batter around the pan to ensure a thin layer is made. Allow the crepe to cook on this first side for 2-3 minutes.

When it's time to flip, loosen the crepe all around the outside with a spatula. Flip using the spatula, be careful not to tear the crepe, or practice your flipping in the air skills. Just don't be afraid to flip the crepe and you can do it! Cook for another minute on the second side and remove to a plate. Continue making the crepes until the batter is gone; stacking them on the plate as they are finished. Be sure to add a small pat of butter to the skillet before making each crepe.

Finally, fill the crepes: Lay one crepe flat on a clean surface. Down the center of the crepe spread 2-3 T of the maple ricotta mixture and add sliced bananas in 2 rows. Fold into thirds and place seam-side up on a plate. To serve 4 people, plate 3 crepes per person. Top with a dollop of maple ricotta, a few banana slices, and a drizzle of maple syrup. Pretend that it's the weekend now...or if it really is, enjoy!