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We had a great Christmas, and one of our fave gifts was this spiralizer…
Can’t wait to try a few recipes…
Including this one! Can you say yum?!
a&a
belles spiraling out of control…
19 Thursday Jan 2017
Posted in belle perks, belle-icious
Category Archives: belle-icious
meanwhile, back at the ranch…dressing that is
13 Friday Jan 2017
Posted in belle-icious
We belles are a bit particular about our salad dressings…no bottles for us (well…except for our fave French Poodle). For the most part, we would rather create our own vinaigrettes, caesars, and whatnot as we kinda like to know what’s in there (and we are always doing our tweaking anyway!).
One belle was havin’ a hankerin’ for a bit of Ranch dressing the other day, and that happens to be one she never felt she had perfected. Picking up a bottle full of ingredients that can’t even be pronounced (we don’t need to learn those words anyway) was out of the question – AND…we have both been making great efforts toward keeping things healthy and whole. So…some googling went down and here’s what happened…
The Belles’ Pretty Darn Good Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing
2 T dried parsley
2 t garlic powder
2 t onion powder
1/2 t salt (we use Pink Himalayan)
1/4 t pepper
1 cup Greek Yogurt (we use Cabots full fat version)
1/4 c buttermilk (full fat is best)
2 T mayo (try Chosen Foods Avocado Oil Mayo – available at Amazon)
1 t lemon juice
1 t dijon mustard, optional (we kinda prefer it without, but it’s an option)
Blend dried herbs/seasonings. Place in blender/food processor/Vitamix with all other ingredients. Give it a good pulse or two. Guess what? You’re done! Store in a tightly-lidded jar in the fridge and enjoy to your heart’s content, belles!
Now that’s a trip to the ole ranch you can feel good about, belles!
a&a
feedin’ a Christmas eve crowd, belles?
23 Friday Dec 2016
Posted in belle-icious
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We might have just saved your day! Feedin’ a crowd on Christmas Eve calls for some slow-cooker magic. Well…here you have it! Healthy, check. Filling, check. Easy, check. Belleicious? You bet!!
Belleicious Lentil Soup
Place in crockpot:
2 cups butternut squash (peeled and cubed)
2 cups carrots (peeled and sliced)
1 cup potatoes (chopped), optional
1 cup celery (chopped)
1 cup lentils
1 cup yellow split peas (or just use more lentils)
1 onion (chopped)
5 cloves garlic (minced)
8-10 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 teaspoons herbs de provence (or we like to sub in curry, cumin and coriander)
1 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
Set crockpot on High for 4 hours or on Low for 8 hours
Add at the end:
1/2 cup olive oil
2-3 cups kale (stems removed, chopped)
1 cup parsley (chopped)
a swish of sherry, red wine vinegar, or lemon juice to add a nice tangy bite
gather the goods…
do your peelin’, slicin’ and dicin’…
toss ’em in…
the end…
Belleicious!!
a&a
a gift worth its salt…from the belle gift guide
07 Wednesday Dec 2016
Posted in belle-icious
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We’ve told you belles about this before, but thought we would do a little mention again. The salts from Beautiful Briny Sea Salt will really ring some holiday belles for the cooks on your list. Petite belle first learned of these beautiful briny concoctions from her (forever older) sister (sorry, Wendi) and quickly became a fan.
Here are some of our favorite purchases…
We are thinkin’ all of our friends need a “Hot Steve”…just sayin’
You might expect one or two of these from us this year, so get ya salty selves ready!
a&a
a chili to take off the chill…
02 Friday Dec 2016
Posted in belle-icious
Well, belles, it’s finally cooling off outside and we can hardly wait to get back in the kitchen and get some comfort food happening. Here in our neck of the woods, we have been doled out a very extended summer, so we are actually looking forward to some sweater weather!! Of course, that being said, neither of us actually likes the cold, so the whining and complaining is sure to commence promptly. We do love to stave off the cold with foods that will warm your belly and your heart.
This White Chicken Chili will def do the trick.
It’s easy, delicious and even more scrumptious the next day !
Thank you The cookie rookie for this tremendously tasty concoction!
White chicken chili
Gather your ingredients
2 med. onions , chopped
1 T minced garlic
2T fresh lime juice
1Tolive oil
2lbs shredded rotisserie chicken
32 ounces low sodium chicken broth
4 cans ( 15.5oz) great northern beans , drained and rinsed
3 cans ( 4oz) diced green chiles
2t salt
1t pepper
2t ground cumin
2t dried oregano
1/2t cayenne
1t chili powder
1/2c freshly chopped cilantro
8 oz low fat cream cheese
1cup heavy cream
Gather the goods…
Do a wee bit of chopping….
Now…sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Add lime juice and throw it all together! (Except cream cheese and cream). Cook on low 6-8 hours or on high 2-4 hours. Gotta love a fix it and forget it!!!
But believe you us…once you taste it, you won’t forget it.
Once done, add cubed cream cheese and stir until incorporated. Stir in heavy cream until heated through.
Top with choice of condiments. We like cilantro, green onions, cheese, sour cream, jalapeño, avocado, lime juice, tortilla chips.
We halved the recipe as we did not have a large crowd dining. This also freezes beautifully.
Find the full recipe here
a&a
African peanut soup…back to one belle’s roots
25 Friday Nov 2016
Posted in belle-icious
Tall blonde belle was born in South Africa and is still mad about the moment she lost her accent…the popularity in high school would have been a lot higher. And if the flat iron had been invented yet, it would have been off the charts. Sigh ….
A hankering, however, for the flavor and tastes of such a beautiful country still lingers. And a Rhodesian Ridgeback by the name of Sadie is a gentle reminder. Not to mention that the old girl had counter surfing down pat and would have cleaned this dish up lickety split!
Two belle friends happened to visit our local Publx and came upon a tasting station that knocked them off their feet. When they regaled us with the taste thrill we just had to make. Thanks, belles, for sharing this easy, tasty dish.
South African Peanut Soup
1 3/4 lb boneless, skinless, chicken thighs (we used breasts)
2 medium sweet potatoes
8oz belle pepper mix
1 t garlic paste
3T fresh cilantro
1 (14.5oz) can fire-roasted tomatoes, diced
1 10 oz can Rotel
1 can chickpeas (garbanzos) (15-19oz)
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1T Cajun seasoning
1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
Peel sweet potatoes a cut into 1/2 in cubes.
Drain chickpeas.
Cut chicken into 1/2 in pieces.
Place chicken, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, chickpeas, peppers, seasonings, garlic and broth into slow cooker. Cook on high 2 1/2 -3 hours (or 4-6 on low)
Remove 1 cup of liquid from soup and whisk into peanut butter until blended. Stir mixture into soup.
Chop cilantro and peanuts. Serve with stew
Soup…it does a body good!!
a&a
the belles’ white bean soup…a slow cooker fave
18 Friday Nov 2016
Posted in belle-icious
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Now that we have a legit chill in the air, we are ready to keep the home fires burning…and tummies full and warm…with a slew of soups and stews. From the Boozy Stew we posted last week to many others from light to hearty, we plan to share ’em all. ‘Cause, again…that’s how a belle rolls.
This one in particular can swing from totally healthy and vegan to a super hearty version with chicken…your choice.
The ingredients:
2 T olive oil, 4 cloves garlic, 1 leek, 1/2 lb carrots, 4 stalks celery, 1 lb dried navy beans, 1 bay leaf, 2 med stalks rosemary, 3-4 sprigs thyme, 1/2 t smoked paprika, 1/2 t black pepper, 1 1/2 t salt, *diced rotisserie chicken (optional)
Rinse beans, sorting to remove any debris.
Assemble a bouquet garni using rosemary, thyme and bay leaf.
Trim and prepare to slice veggies.
Soak sliced leeks in water to clean (yucky stuff falls to the bottom of the bowl)
place all ingredients in slow cooker with 6 cups water. Place lid on cooker and set for 8 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high.
Once done, stir the soup, mashing the beans slightly to make a creamy base.
The finished product…
Easy…and belleicious!
Now for the whole recipe in a screen-shotable list…
The Belles’ White Bean Soup
2 T olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 leek, sliced
½ lb carrots, sliced
4 stalks celery, sliced
1 lb dried navy beans
1 bay leaf
2 med stalks rosemary
3-4 sprigs thyme
½ t smoked paprika
½ t black pepper
1 ½ t salt
diced rotisserie chicken (optional)
Rinse beans, sorting to remove any debris. Assemble a bouquet garni using rosemary, thyme and bay leaf. Wash, trim, and slice veggies. Place all ingredients in slow cooker with 6 cups water. Cover and cook on low 8 hours or on high 4-5 hours. When done, stir soup and mash beans slights to add a creamy texture.
PS: Guests coming next week for the holiday? This would be an excellent “night-before” meal! Just sayin’
Enjoy!
a&a
*chicken is delish in this soup, but not necessary…totally convenient for our vegan friends
boozy stew…a fall/winter belle staple
11 Friday Nov 2016
Posted in belle-icious
Tags
bacon, Beef, beer, dutch oven, guinness, Guinness Stew, kale salad, mushrooms, recipe, shallots, slow cooker
Although the temps seem to have been on a roller coaster (mostly uphill) across the south this fall, we like to pretend we have cooler weather to warrant the classic fall/winter recipes we have up our sleeves. Case in point…this Guinness Stew we decided to make for a football-watchin’ crowd a couple of weeks ago…when it was 75 and sunny! It was belleicious anyway…just sayin’. We served it alongside this kale and quinoa salad, courtesy of a dear belle-friend. An-delicious (that’s Irish for very delicious!)
We found the original recipe from Clodagh McKenna via the Today show, but made some tweaks (as we do) to make it ours.
The Belles’ Boozy Guinness Stew
2 T butter
1 T olive oil
12 slices bacon, cut into 1″ bits
12 shallots, peeled but left whole
2 1/2 lb cubed stewing beef
2 lb mixed mushrooms, sliced (we used shiitake and baby bella)
1 qt Guinnesss
1 bouquet garni (we used bay leaf, thyme and tarragon)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
We like to gather ingredients and do the prep so that all goes smoothly
The assembly of the bouquet garni. (We actually only used 2 of those bay leaves)
Now for the cookin’…
Start by melting butter in a large dutch oven or cast iron skillet. Add a swirl of olive oil and heat. Add bacon and brown
Add shallots and allow to cook with bacon for a couple of minutes. Transfer bacon and shallots to another dish
Sear beef, seasoned with salt and pepper, in the same dutch oven (scraping up the bacon bits for flavor). After a quick 2 minute sear, remove beef…
…and add mushrooms. Sauté 1-2 minutes. (We added a bit of olive oil to the shrooms after a bit)
Add bacon, shallots, and beef back to mushrooms (if using dutch oven). Otherwise, place all in a covered casserole, pouring pan juices on top. Add the bouquet garni.
Now for the booze…
Drop in the bouquet garni and add the Guinness…
Ready for the oven!!
Cover and place in the oven at 325 degrees for 2 hours.
Ready for the table…belleicious!!
***Slow cooker tip #1…if you can start earlier in the day, pop all of this in your slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours…or high for 4.
***Slow cooker tip #2…you could even do this one day, allow to cool, pop in the fridge, and slow cook it for a couple of hours on low the next day. Voila! A belle-ringin’ dinner on a busy day!
And here’s the recipe all-together (screenshot-able perhaps)…
***********************************************************************
The Belles’ Boozy Guinness Stew
2 T butter
1 T olive oil
12 slices bacon, cut into 1” bits
12 shallots, peeled but left whole
2 1⁄2 lb cubed stewing beef
2 lb mixed mushrooms, sliced
1 qt Guinness
1 bouquet garni
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Melt butter in large dutch oven. Add a swirl of olive oil
Add bacon and brown. Add shallots and saute 1-2 minutes
Transfer bacon and shallots to another dish.
Add beef, season with salt and pepper, and sear, scraping up bacon bits from pan.
Remove beef.
Add mushrooms and saute 1-2 minutes.
Place all ingredients back together in dutch oven (or any large, covered casserole)
Add bouquet garni
Add Guinness
Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 2 hours
***********************************************************************
Serving suggestions:
– Although we chose to skip the carbs with the salad, this would be excellent (and authentic) served with mashed potatoes…or add bite-sized potatoes to the stew before baking
Ithe go maith! (that’s Irish for good eatin’)
a&a
time for some sangria sippin’…
04 Friday Nov 2016
Posted in belle of the ball, belle-icious
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We found this sangria recipe, did some tweaking, and served to rave reviews for a recent shindig. Thought we would share (as all good belles do)…
The key elements to a good, traditional sangria…fruit (apples & oranges), a liquor (we went with Grand Marnier), orange juice, and a fruity, dry Spanish red wine (a Tempranillo or Rioja)
The process is quick and easy. Cut your fruit…
take a moment to muddle the oranges with your liqueur…
do the rest of your mixin’ and you’ll be sippin’ before you know it!!
Belle-ringin’ Sangria
1/2 apple, cored and chopped
1 orange, sliced into small pieces
2 T sugar
1/4 c Grand Marnier
3/4 c orange juice
1 bottle dry Spanish red wine (Tempranillo or Rioja)
Ice
1 orange, sliced, for garnish
Place apple and orange pieces in pitcher and add sugar. Muddle well. Add Grand Marnier and orange juice and muddle again. Add red wine and stir well. Add ice and stir to chill. Serve in wine glasses garnished with orange segments.
Aclamaciones!
a&a
fall salad belleiciousness…
28 Friday Oct 2016
Posted in belle-icious
Here’s a new belle-ringin’ fall favorite…a Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad! Perfect for fall dinner parties or as a Thanksgiving side, you will have this one on repeat.
Start with about 10-12 ounces brussels sprouts
Remove tough outer leaves and shred sprouts
Gather remaining ingredients: 1/4 c chopped walnuts, 1/4 c crumbled blue cheese, 1/4 c dried cranberries, 1 pear, diced, 2 large, thinly sliced shallots, 2 T balsamic vinegar, 2 T olive oil, 1 t dijon mustard…
Add walnuts, pear, cranberries, and blue cheese to shredded sprouts.
Next, combine vinegar, oil, syrup and mustard, then season with a dash of salt and pepper. Pour dressing over salad and toss.
And…for the final step – heat about an inch of canola oil in skillet. Fry shallots until golden. Add shallots to salad…
and serve!
Belleicious!
a&a
the RARE belle 