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Warm Mushroom and Steak Salad Over Power Greens

7 Jan

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This January, I’m trying to do less and relax more. But, that also includes a healthy dose of time at the gym and hearty, healthy and homemade meals by the fire. With NY Strip Steaks on sale every Saturday at The Fresh Market, I can’t help but take advantage of the deal and make a variety of salads that fit the bill for January and also satisfy me on weeknights after the gym! This is the first of three salads for the season – stay tuned!

You can add or subtract anything from this salad – but I love the hearty addition on French green beans, red onion, sauteed mushrooms over hearty power greens (tender baby spinach, baby red and green chards, and baby kales!). Plus a hearty – but healthy – warm vinaigrette!

Warm vinaigrettes are easy to make and mix up your regular cold salad. I made mine with a mix of champagne and sherry vinegar.

This salad will warm you up on any winter night coming up! Hunker down and give it a try! Oh and, stick to those resolutions!

Warm Mushroom and Steak Salad Over Power Greens, serves 2 hungry eaters

  • 1, NY Strip Steak, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons, olive oil
  • 1 pint, cremini mushrooms, quartered
  • salt & pepper
  • 1/2 pint, grape tomatoes
  • 2 small handfuls, French green beans
  • 2 large handfuls, Power Greens! (Earthbound Organic Farm or a local mix of tender baby spinach, baby red and green chards, and baby kales)
  • 1/2, small Red Onion

Warm Dressing: 

  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 small shallot, minced
  • 2 tablespoons, olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon, sherry vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon, champagne vinegar
  • 1/2 teapspoon salt
  • pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon, sugar

In a saucepan, heat olive oil to medium-high. Add cremini mushrooms and saute until brown (don’t stir too often – let them caramelize!). Meanwhile, steam or boil the green bean until tender but still crisp (I actually cheated and microwaved mine for a minute!). Set both green beans and mushrooms aside.

Heat a cast iron skillet to high heat. Season steak generously with salt and pepper. Once the pan is hot, cook the steak on both sides until brown. Depending on the thickness of the steak and your preference, it could be anywhere between 2 and 5 minutes per side. Set steak aside to rest.

In the same saute pan from the mushrooms, add 2 tablespoon olive oil and turn heat to low. Add minced garlic and shallots. Allow to cook until fragrant – about 2 minutes. Add vinegars, salt, pepper and sugar. Taste for seasoning – at this point you can add more vinegar (acid) or olive oil (to reduce acidity).

Slice steak thinly. Arrange power greens on two large plates. Top with steamed green beans, tomatoes and red onion. Add a nice portion of sauteed mushrooms and thinly sliced steak. Drizzle with warm vinaigrette and enjoy.

Six Dollar Steaks on Saturdays!

3 Jan

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If you are looking to save a buck this January, my friends at The Fresh Market are selling really quality Hereford NY Strip Steaks for just $6 each – every Saturday (and only on Saturdays!) this month! And, don’t think steaks only go with potatoes – I’ll be preparing them for some delicious, hearty and healthy salad recipes to share with you. Stay tuned for the recipes. In the meantime, feel free to dig into the savings this weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving! Fresh Market Pumpkin Gelato!

20 Nov

Last month, New York Magazine said, “Pumpkin the New Bacon.” And while I beg to differ (we are, however, in hog country), I have found myself sneaking in a couple trendy pumpkin flavored treats this Fall. For instance, The Fresh Market’s new line of gelato that includes flavors including “Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice.” It tastes like a pumpkin pie and would be the perfect sneaky cheat if you’re looking to skip baking a homemade pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving.

Tomorrow my family will start rolling into Greensboro for Thanksgiving on Mendenhall Street. We’ll be preparing our traditional “un-turkey” celebration with my Grandfather and his wife, Donna. Hopefully they will be satisfied with Massey Creek Farm lamb shanks instead of a traditional turkey. With cheesy polenta, citrus glazed carrots, brussels sprouts and homemade desserts – I think they will be just fine. Cause homemade pumpkin pie or store-bought Pumpkin Spice gelato, turkey or local lamb – thanksgiving is about the folks around the table. I can’t wait to share photos, recipes and new found family traditions after the holiday. Ya’ll have a great Thanksgiving!

Pomegranate Pork Chops

19 Nov

When on a budget, pork chops are my favorite substitute for red meat. And, they are also delicious and an added surprise to guests who might be expecting another chicken breast. The Fresh Market is a great place to buy them because they will cut them thick — or even thicker to your taste! At only 4.99 a pound, these are much more reasonable for a crowd.

Pork rib chops are cut from the loin, or the back of the pig. They have a thin layer of fat around the outside which makes them perfect for pan cooking or grilling. They are typically cut thick too!

Pomegranate is a perfect garnish and fresh crunch to the holidays. I add the seeds to salads, side dishes and use them for a garnish. Last night, I purchased a whole pomegranate, seeded the entire thing and saved the seeds to use throughout the week. It’s worth the time and energy – you’ll be so excited to remember they are waiting in the fridge.

Use this recipe as a substitute for turkey or a holiday meal this season!

Pomegranate Pork Chops

 

  • 4 to 6, thick cut pork rib chops
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 8 ounces, chicken stock
  • 1 cup, dry red wine
  • 1/4 cup pomegranate molasses
  • 1/2 fresh pomegranate, seeded for garnish

In a cast iron skillet, heat about 2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil. Meanwhile, pat pork chops until dry and season heavily with salt and pepper. Once olive oil is heated to medium-high, brown the pork chops on both sides. It will table about 4 minutes each side – and don’t crowd the pan! I browned mine 3 at a time – you don’t want them to touch!

Once all the pork chops are brown and crispy, set them aside. Add chicken stock and red wine to the skillet and deglaze. Bring to a boil and reduce to half. Add pomegranate molasses and whisk together. Taste for seasoning.

Add pork chops back into the sauce. Knock the pomegranate seeds out with the back of  spoon (beware of flying red stains!). Garnish and serve.

 

Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Red Curry and Coconut Milk

14 Nov

 

Not only are these Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Red Curry and Coconut Milk extremely eye catching on a dinner table – they are also irresistible! Something about the exotic tastes of red curry and coconut milk spice up an average mashed sweet potato into something really special for the holidays. We all agreed that eating them in the same bite with the pork made a really interesting combination – and I think it would pair just as well with a Thanksgiving Turkey.

I’ll admit, there a couple steps in this recipe but nothing terribly daunting. I used my food mill to puree the potatoes until extremely smooth (despite my love-hate relationship with the gadget). If you don’t have a food mill, just use a stand up mixer. You can also make these in advance (up until they are in the ramekins) and then bake off right before you’re ready.

A crispy onion garnish is really essential. The salty crunch really hits the spot. Instead of making my own (what a pain!), I bought Lars Crispy Onions at The Fresh Market. And, I found a friend sneaking more of them on his sweet potatoes mid-dinner! They are worth it!

Enjoy this recipe this holiday season. It’s impressive and simple – interesting and appealing! Yum!

Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Red Curry and Coconut Milk

  • 5 large sweet potatoes
  • 1 can, coconut milk
  • 3 teaspoons, red curry paste
  • 1/2 cup, brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons, butter
  • salt and pepper
  • Lars Crispy Onions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Wash sweet potatoes and pierce with a fork. Put them on a cookie sheet and roast for an hour and a half – or until knife tender. Allow to cool and peal away skin.

Meanwhile, heat coconut milk on the stove.

Using a food mill or stand-up mixer, whip or puree sweet potatoes until smooth. Add the pureed sweet potatoes into a heat-proof bowl and set over another bowl simmer water. This will warm the potatoes back up to incorporate other ingredeints. Slowly stir in coconut milk, red curry paste and brown sugar. Taste for seasoning! The potatoes will need a generous amount of salt! Add pepper and butter. The potatoes should be sweet and salt, smooth and luxurious!

Turn the stove to 400 degrees. Add potatoes to individual ramekins and place back onto the cookie sheet. Bake until hot and potatoes are starting to brown just slightly. Serve warm with a crispy onion garnish!

Spicy Cranberry Ginger Bourbon Cocktails

13 Nov

 

Somewhere between breaking out the bourbon and finding fresh cranberries at the grocery – it starts to really feel like the holiday season. To make it more fun, The Fresh Market actually has their own miniature cranberry bog in their produce section allowing you to dish up exactly how many cranberries you need for the particular recipe! And in this recipe, the cranberries taste center stage adding a nice tartness and acting as a beautiful garnish. I threw whole cranberries directly into the cocktail glasses but I may try to muddle them next time for an extra kick. Depending on your preference for sweetness,  you could also mash them with a big of natural sugar.

This cocktail blend is best (in my opinion) with Blenheim Spicy Ginger Ale. It’s less sweet and has a serious kick of fresh ginger. Make sure to choose the Blenheim with the hot pink cap – that’s the real deal. Seriously, skip the sugary stuff and support this South Carolina brand!

There are no exact measurements to this delicious beverage. Just a handful of cranberries (whole or muddled) on top of ice. Add bourbon and ginger ale to taste. It’s refreshing but will warm you up this holiday season! Enjoy it by a Japanese Maple Tree outside or by a roaring fireplace.

 

Celebrating Fall Light & Color

12 Nov

After a full summer and crazy fall, things are finally starting to slow down in my world. And, I have a lot to celebrate.  With much accomplished this year, I’m looking forward to spending some quality downtime next week with my family over the Thanksgiving holiday on Mendenhall. It’ll be extra special this year as my grandfather will be visiting from Florida – and visiting my home on Mendenhall  for the first time! I’ll certainly have a lot of recipes after the holiday (we’re planning another “un-turkey day” celebration with Massey Creek lamb!). And soon after Turkey Day, bells will ring as I welcome (?) my 30th birthday. Deep breaths…

Speaking of celebrating, I’m extremely excited to be launching partnership with The Fresh Market this holiday season. I’ve been a huge fan of The Fresh Market since I moved to Greensboro back in the day and I’ve spent many hours daydreaming and brainstorming through their aisles since then. There’s something about the intimate nature of their stores – with particulars for quality and unique ingredients – that always inspires me to celebrate. Which has only equated into a lifestyle of celebration on Mendenhall and reflected through Mod Meals.  And since they are a local company with an interest in supporting the local dreams of food producers and food bloggers alike – I’m smiling from ear to ear. So, look out for recipes and entertaining tips that are inspired by The Fresh Market. They’ll be just as accessible and unique as their stores.

So, before all the tradition of un-turkey day and big birthdays, I invited some friends over this weekend enjoy the Fall light, share a meal and gaze at the spectacular color on Mendenhall Street. It couldn’t be more beautiful watching cyclists and joggers breeze by with the surprise of warm weather. To take full advantage, I set up a dining table directly on the front porch! We enjoyed a menu full of fall ingredients that were spiced up a bit for the occasion. Sweet potatoes whipped with red curry paste and coconut milk, pan roasted pork chops with fresh pomegranate and a molasses glaze and slightly sticky brussels sprouts with balsamic vinegar and bacon. I put the meal together in little time (after a late morning in bed with coffee, the dog and a lot of news coverage) and allowed the colorful menu blend in with the orange, red and yellow of the environment. We washed it all down with spicy cocktails of tart fresh cranberries, spicy ginger ale and bourbon.

I’ll share the recipes throughout the week. It’ll give you plenty of time to inspire your own unique Thanksgiving sides – or just stock up at The Fresh Market and make my recipes! Here’s the menu and some photos from the afternoon. Stay tuned for recipes this week! Cheers!

Colorful Fall Dinner 

  • Spicy Ginger and Fresh Cranberry Bourbon Cocktails
  • Pan Roasted TFM Bone-In Pork Chops with Pomegranate Glaze
  • Balsamic Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Pearl Onions
  • Whipped Red Curry and Coconut Milk Sweet Potatoes with Crispy Onions
  • The Fresh Market Pumpkin Spice Gelato with Cookies

Holiday Partnership with The Fresh Market

31 Oct

Happy Halloween! I’m gearing up for a night inside with friends, homemade spicy chili and the first fireplace fire of the season! All the Westerwood kiddos better stop by for tricks and treats (that means dental floss and chocolate!) It seems like the summer has blown by to winter so quickly and it’s hard not to think about the holidays ahead.  With that said… I’ve got an announcement!

I’m excited to let ya’ll know that I’m partnering with The Fresh Market this holiday season to bring some fresh recipes, seasonal products and entertaining tips throughout the season.  I’ve been a huge fan of The Fresh Market since I moved to Greensboro and I’m excited about our partnership.  Plus, we are lucky that they are also a local brand for those of us in Greensboro! So, stay tuned!

In the meantime, The Fresh Market is having its annual “Taste of the Holidays” sampling event this Friday and Saturday, November 2 and 3. The event will feature a sampling of the Fresh Market’s best holiday foods for both those who love to cook – or love to assemble! Standing rib roast, shrimp and cocktail sauce, fully cooked turkey and sides from our deli, holiday pies and much more! Make sure to check it out during your cold weather errands!

The Greensboro Fresh Market stores will also offer folks a special treat with live holiday music performances by the Greensboro Symphony.

  • 1560 Highwoods Blvd.: Greensboro Symphony String Quintet, Friday, November 2nd from 12pm to 1:45pm
  • 3712 Lawndale Dr.: Members of the Greensboro Symphony Youth Flute Ensemble, Saturday, November 3rd from 3pm to 4pm
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