• Therarebelle

the RARE belle

~ a southern gal's guide to all things fabulous in food, fashion, finery and frippery

the RARE belle

Category Archives: belle-icious

we could’ve had a V-8…but this is better…

05 Thursday Mar 2015

Posted by theRAREbelle in belle-icious

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

soup, taste of home

Sometimes necessity is the mother of invention…desperate times create desperate measures…or, truth be told, we were cold, hungry and a winter storm warning prevented us from going to gather any groceries.

So with a red pepper, an onion, and some carrots, we trolled our favorite sites to find something that would warm our tummies and that the junior belles wouldn’t turn their noses to. Well, we hit the lottery with this lovely Red Pepper Carrot Soup from Taste of Home.

We’ve tweaked it only a bit, but this tasty, easy soup was gobbled up by every belle we were huddled with. We will be making this many more times as we all know how hard it is to please every palate in our abodes.

Red Pepper Carrot Soup

IMG_2398

Serves about 4 very “hangry” belles

You’ll need:
1 pound carrots, sliced
1 medium red pepper
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 T uncooked long grain rice
2 T butter
1/3 cup of orange juice
2 cans (14 1/2 oz. each) chicken broth
2 cups water
1/2 t sriracha
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. each dried marjoram, thyme, rosemary, crushed
1/2 t. rubbed sage
1/4 t. black pepper

What you need to do:

Broil red pepper 4 in. from heat until skin is blistered. With tongs, rotate pepper a quarter turn. Broil and rotate until all sides are blistered and blackened. Immediately place pepper in a bowl; cover and let stand for 15-20 minutes. Peel and discard the charred skin. Remove stem and seeds and set aside.

In a large saucepan, cook the carrots, onion, and rice in butter until onion is tender. Add broth, water, orange juice, sriracha, salt and dried herbs. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until carrots and rice are tender. Cool for 10 minutes.

In a blender, purée carrot mixture and roasted pepper in small batches. Return to pan; heat through.

If you have a stick blender you can just add roasted pepper to pan and blend until smooth.

Easy, delicious, and good-for-you…a real belle-ringer!!

Bon appetit!!

a&a

34.830154 -82.405321

Share this:

  • Share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
  • Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
Like Loading...

the (conversation) heart of the matter…a sweetheart of a friday friend-1-1

06 Friday Feb 2015

Posted by theRAREbelle in belle-icious, friday friend 1-1, what's ringin' our belle

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

gifts, macarons, sweet treats, valentines day, Williams Sonoma

We belles love putting a little french-twist on just about anything…so this little twist on a Valentines treat should come as little surprise!  In our efforts to curate just the right mix of goodies for all of the sweethearts in your lives, we came upon these Conversation Hearts Macarons…

2015/02/img_2296.jpg
from Williams Sonoma with flavors to compete with even the best in Paris!

They are shipped frozen so that they arrive perfectly chilled…just right for the Valentine with a sweet tooth! We are sure you will get a sweet, “merci”!

Click now or forever hold your peace!
a&a

Share this:

  • Share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
  • Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
Like Loading...

while everybody’s talkin’ ’bout balls…we’re talkin’ ’bout nuts…a big-game friend-1-1

30 Friday Jan 2015

Posted by theRAREbelle in belle-icious, friday friend 1-1

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

appetizers, nuts, recipes, snacks

Over the holidays one of our dear belle friends, Lindsay, was kind enough to deliver her homemade roasted pecans as gifts. We are ever so grateful we made the cut because these nuts are worth fighting for!!! In fact, these belles took to squirreling away these nuts so they wouldn’t be eaten in one fell swoop!!

Spicy Pecans

Makes about 4 cups

1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup orange juice
1 1/4 t salt
1 1/4 t ground cinnamon
1/4 to 1/2 t ground red pepper
1/4 t mace (if you can’t find, substitute nutmeg)
1 pound pecan haves (4 cups)

Stir together first 7 ingredients in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Stir until butter melts and sugar is dissolved.  Remove from heat, add nuts, and toss to coat. Place pecan mixture in a single layer on an aluminum-lined, rimmed cookie sheet. (spray lined pan with Pam)

Bake at 250 for 1 hour. Stir every 15 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack, separating nuts with a fork.

Store in an airtight container up to 1 week or freeze up to 1 month.
IMG_2255
The perfect snack for commercial watchin’ and ball debatin’ on Sunday night.

Y’all will go nuts over these!!

a&a

34.830303 -82.405418

Share this:

  • Share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
  • Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
Like Loading...

mmm…mmm…good! soup the whole gang will love

08 Thursday Jan 2015

Posted by theRAREbelle in belle-icious

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

buffalo, chicken, recipes, soup

Our dear friend, Kathryn, is quite the belle-chef. If she shares a recipe, which she is most gracious about, you can be assured that it will be to. die. for.

Her latest share in the gourmet department is a soup that is easy, delicious, and super-family-friendly. It is also football and guest-friendly. Perfect for the cooler days we are facing this time of year…and perhaps a Super Bowl party? We shall see…

The fact that it’s a dump-and-pour sort of soup only enhances it’s belle-worthiness.

Buffalo Chicken Soup

Zee ingredients:

IMG_1546.JPG

1 whole rotisserie chicken, remove meat and shred
1 onion, chopped
1 T butter
32 oz can chicken broth (you may find you need a tad more , especially the next day as the beans absorb a lot of the liquid)
2 14.5 oz cans navy beans, drained
2 14.5 oz cans fire roasted tomatoes
1/2 pkg frozen white corn
1/4-1/2 cup wing sauce (we used Franks and ended up putting closer to 3/4 cup…belles are saucy)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp celery salt
1 pkg ranch dressing mix
1/4 tsp salt
8 oz cream cheese
Chopped cilantro

Sauté onion in butter for 5 minutes. Add other ingredients EXCEPT cream cheese and cilantro. Simmer for ’bout 30 minutes. Add cream cheese and cilantro and cook until cheese melts.

Another belle-friend made a similar version and she put blue cheese crumbles on the top as a garnish. Brilliant belle addition in our ever-so-humble opinion….just sayin’

IMG_1547.JPG

Buffalo, blue cheese and belles. A magical concoction!

a&a

34.830103 -82.405329

Share this:

  • Share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
  • Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
Like Loading...

get your greens…a healthy party pleaser to ring in the New Year

31 Wednesday Dec 2014

Posted by theRAREbelle in belle of the ball, belle-icious

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

artichoke, goop, kale, New Year's

Time to plan that New Year’s menu, belles…yes, more food!!! But, there’s no need to allow this occasion to dash our resolve to make a healthy start to 2015.

Spinach-Artichoke dip has been around for ages…and is still quite the party-pleaser. And with the added bonus of being 90% (our rough guess-timation) veggies, it has some powerful redeeming qualities.

But here’s a new twist from our friend Gwyn (not really)…posted on goop…

IMG_1992.JPG

It’s a Kale and Artichoke dip that sounds positively belle-icious!!

Think we’ll be giving this one a try. We encourage you to try it as well…remember, on New Year’s Day, greens mean “green” (aka: $$$) for the year ahead.

Wouldn’t want’cha to miss out on that, belles!!!!
a&a

Share this:

  • Share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
  • Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
Like Loading...

let’s get saucy…accessorize that tenderloin….

23 Tuesday Dec 2014

Posted by theRAREbelle in belle-icious

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

bearnaise, eatwell, horseradish, sauces, tenderloin

We gave you our tenderloin recipe earlier in the month, and while it is plenty tasty on its own, we belles always love the added “extra”.  So we thought we’d share a couple of sauces that can be made ahead and used for spreadin’, dunkin’, dippin’ or spoonin’…

Bearnaise mayonnaise (several versions are out there…) is a particular favorite and we adore the fact that we can make it ahead…up to five days!!Whoop whoop!!

IMG_1994
photo from eatwell101.com

Bearnaise Mayonnaise

1-2 shallots , minced
1/2 t coarse pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 T white wine vinegar (or a tad more)
Coarse salt
1-2 T dry tarragon
1-11/4 cups mayonnaise Hellman’s (or Best Foods if you are a California belle)

Add shallots, pepper, wine and vinegar to a small pot. Boil until reduced to 1/4 cup. Watch the dang pot or it will disappear and just be a crusty mess…we speak from experience…just sayin’

Let it cool a bit. In a small bowl mix cooked mixture with mayonnaise and tarragon. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sometimes we feel the the need to add a dash more vinegar…just depends what kind of mood the taste buds are in…

Refrigerate until ready to use.

Don’t just use it for special occasions, it works well all year round!!

The second sauce we are going to give you is a warm horseradish sauce. Without fail, every recipe that our belle friend, Janet, gives us becomes the next greatest thing in our repertoire…this one is always center stage.

IMG_2013
Photo from Highlands Ranch Foodie

Warm Horseradish Sauce

1/4 cup butter, melted
2t flour
1/2 t pepper (white if you have)
1/2 t salt
2/3 cup whipping cream
2 T horseradish (you can find it in the refrigerated section of grocery store)
1 t Dijon mustard

Whisk the flour into the butter to form a roux. Add cream, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Add horseradish and mustard, and continue stirring and whisking on medium to medium low until thickened and reduced slightly. About ten minutes.

Try to put majority of the sauce in a sauce boat. This will be a difficult task as you will want to gobble it down…just sayin’.

Serve warm

Bein’ saucy can’t be a bad thing…not if you’re a belle!!!

a&a

34.848105 -82.389347

Share this:

  • Share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
  • Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
Like Loading...

shortbread…a long-lived obsession…another holiday baking bonus

18 Thursday Dec 2014

Posted by theRAREbelle in belle-icious

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Carolina Girl Cooks, cookies, mrecipes, shortbread

Okay…butter, sugar, flour…now, dear belles, how can this combination NOT be amazingly belle-icious?!

These simple ingredients marry-up to create one of our very favorite creations…shortbread in all it’s glory. We have long held a fascination for this divine little nibble, but our interest was recently piqued by a fellow belle who has created quite a stir with her tea cookies in two unusual, yet belle-icious flavors…Lavender and Orange-Cardamom. They are 100% to die for! One might purchase them at Savvy (among other retail establishments)…or one might check out her website, Carolina Girl Cooks, to place an order online. Either way…these are a must-try!

Now, being curious little belles, and having a constant hankering to do some experimenting in our own kitchens, we decided to try our own hands at some creative shortbread. We must say…it was totally worth the effort!! Here’s what we created…

IMG_1874

Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 c powdered
1 tbsp lavender buds
Zest of 1 lemon
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 t vanilla extract
2 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1/2 t kosher salt
Course sugar for garnish

IMG_1840.JPG

In food processor, combine powdered sugar, lavender, and lemon zest.  Pulse to combine and break up Lavender buds…

IMG_1841.JPG

Add butter and vanilla.  Process until well-combined.  Then add salt and flour.  Process just until combined…don’t over-process.

IMG_1842.JPG

Turn dough out onto parchment or waxed paper and roll into a log.  At this point, we roll the dough up in the paper and usually cut in half or thirds to store in a zip-loc bag.  Refrigerate several hours…or even a couple of days.

IMG_1843.JPG

When ready to bake, cut into 1/4 inch cookies, place on ungreased cookie sheet, and sprinkle each cookie with just a bit of the course sugar

IMG_1839.JPG

Bake at 375 degrees for 13 minutes.

IMG_1838.JPG

Allow to cool completely on a rack, then devour…or package them up for friends…

IMG_1860.JPG

Savory, crispy, buttery, slightly sweet perfection!

a&a

Share this:

  • Share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
  • Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
Like Loading...

mountain top cookies…so good you’ll want to slap your momma!…a holiday baking bonus

13 Saturday Dec 2014

Posted by theRAREbelle in belle-icious

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

cookies, Glamour, recipes

Imagine, if you will, coming home one afternoon, dog-tired, running low on sense and steam…when, lo and behold, wafting from the kitchen…could it be the smell of fresh-baked cookies? An aroma mirage, surely!

To the delight of tall, blonde belle, it was actually a reality just the other day when one of our beloved junior belles decided to try Janice’s Mountain Top Chocolate Cookies from Glamour magazine.

Well, it couldn’t have been better timing! This belle propped right up with a hot cup of coffee and a warm cookie…with a rolo in it!! Shut the front door and give us just the sugar rush we need to make it through the rest of the day.

Junior belle earned extra points that day, at least enough for us to forgive the mess in the kitchen. She is still a work in progress, bless her heart.

Behold the best cookie recipe for a cold day….oh, who are we kidding?? Any day, really!!

IMG_1837

Janice’s Mountain Top Chocolate Cookies

5 oz. salted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 bag mini Rolos
2 tbsp coarse salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together butter and brown sugar. Add egg and vanilla; beat until smooth.

2. Add flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda; beat on low until just combined.

3. Pour powdered sugar into a small bowl. Using your hands, scoop about a tablespoon of dough and press a Rolo candy into the middle. Sprinkle a pinch of salt on top, and roll dough into a ball in your hands, then coat in powdered sugar until completely covered.

4. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet, leaving 2 inches of space between each cookie. Bake until tops begin to crack and cookies are firm, about 10 minutes. Let cool on a rack.

Makes about 10-15 cookies. Store in airtight container.

So go tell it on the mountain…and, hint, hint…Santa might just enjoy this little nibble as he sets about his work.  Just sayin’…

a&a

34.830325 -82.405383

Share this:

  • Share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
  • Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
Like Loading...

foolproof tenderloin…a surprisingly easy hit for any occasion

11 Thursday Dec 2014

Posted by theRAREbelle in belle-icious

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Allegro, Barefoot Contessa, Beef, Char Crust, recipes, tenderloin

IMG_1663

Beef tenderloin…whether served for Christmas or other special-occasion dinner, served sliced with rolls for a cocktail party, or devoured as a leftover…is the ultimate hit for the meat-lover. However, we belles are often at a loss as to the best, most foolproof way to prepare this beefy delicacy…and at the price of an arm and a leg per pound, we certainly don’t want to risk ruining it!  (one belle in particular is pretty famous among her family for being very good at ruining dinner…it’s that adult-onset ADD kicking in…).

So…we went on a search about a year ago for a no-fail way to prepare a tenderloin to suit all tastes (super-rare to over-done) and came up with what we have found to be the gold-standard prep.  We have prepared it this way time after time with surprising success, and…not to brag…to rave reviews! We feel guilty taking any credit…we just follow the directions and the rest takes care of its tender, juicy self!

 

The Belles’ Foolproof Party Tenderloin 

1 beef tenderloin, trimmed (about 5 pounds)
1 bottle Allegro marinade
1 package Char Crust roasted garlic peppercorn rub

IMG_1678-1

Marinate beef overnight in bottle of Allegro (we use a giant ziploc bag…works perfectly)

Almost as early as you wish on serving day, heat oven to 475 degrees, with one rack set in the center. Remove tenderloin from marinade and seer all sides on a hot grill or griddle, giving it a quick coat of color.

Place tenderloin in a shallow roasting pan, then sprinkle evenly and thoroughly with the Char Crust seasoning, making sure to rub it in to coat completely.

Now, for the most important part…get a timer and follow step-by-step:

–  once oven is heated, place tenderloin in to roast for 15 minutes
–  without opening oven door, turn off the heat
–  let stand in the oven for another 15 minutes
–  remove pan and place on rack
–  cover loosely with foil and let stand at least 30 minutes before slicing

IMG_1676

At this point, we have left the tenderloin “resting” for a couple of hours…plenty of time to shower, set the table, put out fresh flowers, etc…

Just slice when ready to serve and bask in the accolades!!

We recently served this at a dinner party with The Barefoot Contessa’s Spinach Gratin (not a proper dinner party without Ina’s touch), goat cheese mashed potatoes, and a delish green salad. An excellent and belleicious way to spend an evening with friends…

Get cookin’, belles
a&a

Share this:

  • Share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
  • Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
Like Loading...

hello there , pumpkin…you’re lookin’ quite belleicious!

20 Thursday Nov 2014

Posted by theRAREbelle in belle-icious

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

autumn, cheesecake, Dessert, fall, Fine Cooking, ginger snap crust, Once Upon a Chef, pumpkin, Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving around the corner, we thought this might be the perfect time to share an old favorite of ours…a dessert that will have your guests giving thanks to the cheesecake fairy…and you!

This is the ultimate fall version of cheesecake, adapted over the years from two different recipes…one from Once Upon a Chef, and one from Fine Cooking. So gather your supplies and make your plan. You will definitely want this on your menu!

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust

IMG_1701

The instructions:

For the crust, you will need…
IMG_1690
– about 40 Gingersnap wafers (to make 2 cups crumbs)
– 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
– 5 T unsalted butter, melted

The how-to…
IMG_1691.JPG
Place cookies and sugar in food processor and pulse away til it looks about like this (uniform crumbs). Transfer to a bowl and add melted butter. Combine thoroughly (use your hands…best way to go about this).

Press the mixture into the bottom (and slightly up the sides) of a greased 9-inch springform pan.  Chill for 5 minutes, then bake for 10 minutes at 325 degrees. Let cool.

Now for the filling…you will need:
IMG_1692
– 1 can pumpkin (15 oz)
– 1 1/3 cups sugar
– 1 t cinnamon
– 1/2 t ground ginger
– 1/4 t ground nutmeg
– 1/4 t ground cloves
– 1/2 t salt
– 1 cup heavy cream
– 24 oz cream cheese, room temperature
– 5 large eggs, room temperature

In a small, heavy saucepan, combine pumpkin sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt…
IMG_1693.JPG
Bring to a sputter over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to med-low and stir for about 5 minutes until thickened.

Pour into food processor fitted with metal blade, leaving feed tube open…
IMG_1694.JPG

Process for 1 minute.
With the motor running, stream in the cold cream.
Add cream cheese (cut into chunks) and process for 30 seconds (stopping to scrape down sides if needed)

Add eggs and process for 5 seconds until incorporated (do not overmix!)
IMG_1696

Filling complete:
IMG_1695

In a tea kettle, bring about 4 quarts water to a simmer for a water bath.

Baking…
IMG_1697
Place springform pan onto 2 sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil
Pull foil up sides so that water cannot seep into cake in water bath
Place springform pan into a large roasting pan.

IMG_1698
Pour batter into the crust.
Pour boiling water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of springform
Bake until set, about 1 1/2 hours (if it jiggles, it’s not ready yet!)

Carefully remove roasting pan from oven and set on wire rack.
Carefully loosen cake from sides of pan using a paring knife.
Allow to cool for about 45 minutes.
Remove springform from water bath. Discard foil.
Allow to continue to cool on wire rack for about 3 hours.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Tempting…
IMG_1700
Sadie doesn’t really care about formality or presentation…she just wants a taste now!

However…for human purposes, we tend to make it a bit more presentable. Remove outer ring of the springform, then slide a thin metal spatula between crust and pan bottom to loosen and slide into a serving platter. (Or…leave the cake on the pan bottom and serve as is).

Consider serving with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream or a yummy caramel sauce…you can’t go wrong.

Hope your guests (and furry babies) can control themselves!!!
a&a

Share this:

  • Share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
  • Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
Like Loading...
← Older posts
Newer posts →

Follow us on Bloglovin

Follow on Bloglovin

Follow the RARE belle on WordPress.com

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

The Rare Belle

The Rare Belle
Follow the RARE belle on WordPress.com

Follow me on Pinterest

Follow Me on Pinterest

Follow us on Bloglovin

Follow on Bloglovin

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Subscribe Subscribed
    • the RARE belle
    • Join 298 other subscribers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • the RARE belle
    • Subscribe Subscribed
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d